Recently, I’ve become frustrated with the number of unhealthy ingredients found in packaged convenience foods. Sugar is everywhere, so if you’re an ingredient-conscious consumer like me, sometimes making your own sauces, dressings, and ketchup is the way to go.
I have a clinical intolerance to soybeans and allergy to bell peppers. Several store-bought sauces and condiments are made with soybean oil, soy sauce, or bell peppers. Small homemade batches of mayo, salad dressings, and sauces are completely under my control and they taste better.
The easiest way to reach that smooth consistency of commercially processed foods is with an immersion blender, high-speed blender, or food processor. For my own refined-sugar-free barbecue sauce, the immersion blender does the trick.
Cuisinart CSB-179 Smart Stick Hand Blender in Stainless Steel via Amazon
You can take back that control with the beautiful stainless steel Cuisinart CSB-179 Smart Stick Hand Blender and make delicious blended recipes at home, using your own quality ingredients.
At A Glance
Pluses…
- Dishwasher safe detachable immersion blender
- Brushed stainless steel housing unit
- Whisk attachment
- Chopper/grinder attachment
- Powerful 200-watt motor
- 2-speed soft push buttons
- Included 16 ounce blending cup with measuring markers
And Minuses…
- New safety switch makes it awkward for one-handed use
Ready to dive in? Here’s a closer look at the details:
Features
Three-in-One functionality
The Cuisinart CSB-179 Smart Stick Hand Blender provides functionality above and beyond that of a typical immersion blender. The immersion blender arm with the bell base does the job of pureeing smoothies, baby food, and frothy drinks. This tool alone is fantastic!
Three attachments make this kitchen tool a must have for small kitchens with little room to store bulky appliances. Don’t pull out your KitchenAid stand mixer to make a simple fresh whipped cream or a meringue topping. Switch out the immersion blender wand for the whisk and this hand-held appliance set to go!
To use the whisk, insert the whisk attachment into the gear box, and snap that into the motor housing unit. The whisk attachment is rather large and malleable, which makes it perfect for whipping up egg whites quickly. For one or two egg whites that need to reach soft or stiff peaks, this can be accomplished with the whisk attachment in about a minute and a half.
Speaking from personal experience here: While the food processor is a great and (for me) necessary tool, a small batch of cashew cream sauce or pesto can be difficult to make in the 8- or 12-cup bowl.
The 2-cup chopper/grinder attachment makes it easy to reach the right consistency for small batch recipes.
Solid Construction
The Cuisinart CSB-179 has a powerful 300-watt motor housed in a sturdy stainless-steel unit. The stainless-steel detachable immersion shaft tapers down into a bell-shaped blade guard to protect fingers and prevent splatter. A release button on the back of the housing unit lets the attachments detach with ease.
Tip: For best results, use a glass or stainless steel bowl rather than plastic, which may retain a film that prevents your eggs from fluffing up the way you want them to.)
The chopper/grinder attachment is also a sturdy piece of work, even if it is small. A reversible dull/sharp blade gives the correct edge for the appropriate recipe: the sharp edge works wonders for chopping herbs, and the dull edge is perfect for grinding spice seeds such as cumin or coriander.
Tip: Rough chop any produce and herbs to make the chopping easier. That helps all the ingredients fit better.)
The limited 3-year warranty from Cuisinart is the icing on top of it all!
Comfort Handle
The CSB-179 includes 2 soft touch buttons, one for the power and a secondary safety button. Some reviews state that this model (and its predecessor, the 79) require constant pressure must be applied to both the power and safety buttons to continuously operate.
This not quite correct and one must assume those other reviewers never actually operated the smart stick. You must press both button to start the device. After it has started, only the power button must be pressed – the safety button can be released.
This is easily doable with large, capable hands, and the comfort handle is designed for a larger grip.
Still, this may make it harder to operate for those with smaller hands (me). The addition of this safety button has made the CSB-79 more of a “hands” blender. Smaller hands, or hands that suffer from joint pain, might need to use bothto start up the device. When using the whisk or immersion blender, it might not be possible to hold the blending jar in one hand and the CSB-79 in the other, which can result in spills.
Dishwasher Safe
I hate washing dishes, and maybe you do too. Kitchen tools with sharp edges are the bane of my existence, as I tend to shave off layers of skin on anything sharp. The Cuisinart Smart Stick attachments are completely dishwasher safe, so no sliced fingers there!
Dimensions and Specs
The device is 8.5 x 5.5 x 13 inches and weighs in at around 4 pounds, depending on the attachment that’s locked in.
A 300-watt motor gives the stainless-steel hand blender a powerful boost to cut through fruits and veggies and froth up liquids.
What’s Included:
- CSB-179 Motor Housing Unit with comfort grip and two soft touch high and low buttons
- Detachable Blending Shaft and bell base
- Chopper/Grinder Attachment
- Chopper Work Bowl
- Reversible Chopper/Grinder Blade
- Detachable Whisk Gear Box
- Whisk Attachment
- 16 Ounce Blending Cup
- User Manual
The user manual is full of helpful information. The instructions are written in English and several images are included with the directions. There’s also over 10 pages of recipes and a full page reference sheet for shortcuts with the food chopper.
Warranty Information
Cuisinart includes a limited 3 Year Warranty. The warranty registration process can be completed with proof of purchase on Cuisinart’s website.
Care and Cleaning
As mentioned, most pieces are dishwasher safe – this includes the immersion blending shaft, whisk head, chopper/grinder bowl, and mixing cup. To prevent food from drying and crusting in the blades, rinse the cover and blade of the chopper/grinder attachment as well as the business end of the blending shaft immediately after using.
If hand washing is your preferred method, the attachments can be washed easily with very careful attention to cleaning around the immersion blending bell base. The stainless-steel motor housing unit can be kept in excellent condition with a mere wipe of a damp cloth.
The stainless-steel housing unit only needs to be wiped down with a damp cloth, which will keep it working well and looking nice.
Techniques, Tips, and Tricks
To extend the life of the Smart Stick, give it manageable ingredients to work with. For the immersion blender, use crushed ice rather than ice cubes.
As mentioned before, cut up produce into manageable pieces for the chopper so they fit and chop better. Unlike a full food processor, the chopper will finely break down the ingredients, so it will make excellent pesto and sauces. For salsas, use a pulse rhythm to break up ingredients in about 10 to 15 pulses. Personally, I love my salsas thinner rather than chunky, so I like to run the chopper a little longer.
Compare and Contrast: Cuisinart CSB-179 VS Breville BSB510XL Control Grip
Cuisinart is a durable brand and I’m really pleased with my Cuisinart products. However, if you’re into comparing similar products to feel comfortable you’ve explored all the options, I recommend checking out the Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender.
In addition to the three attachments and a blending jar, the BSB510XL has 15 speed settings and a pan guard around the bell blade to protect your pots and pan. Read the full review here.
I you’re more budget minded and don’t need all of the accessories, you might consider the Cusinart CSB-175 instead of the 179. This entry level Smart Stick only includes a thin, detachable immersion blending arm and blending jar. If whipping up cream or chopping salsas is more than you’re planning on doing, check out the simplicity of the Cuisinart CSB-175 in our full review.
Foodal’s Rating
- Power
- Performance
- Settings
- Build Quality
- Warranty
- Included or Optional Accessories
- Value
Summary
The Cuisnart CSB-179 Smart Stick Hand Blender is top-notch quality product with plenty of features at a reasonable cost. It's warranty of 3 years is much better than most of the competition. The only deal breaker may be the two button startup which might affect those with smaller hands.
Before You Go
The Cuisnart CSB-179 Smart Stick Hand Blender is a durable and beautiful product. This three-in-one hand blender does multiple jobs, most pieces are dishwasher safe, and it’s backed by a three year limited warranty. Depending on the blending needs of the user, the size of the user’s hands, and the aesthetics of the kitchen, this gadget just might be your next kitchen purchase.
Cuisinart CSB-179 Smart Stick Hand Blender in Stainless Steel via Amazon
Have any other questions about the Cuisinart hand blenders? Ask in the comments! I’m happy to help out. If you’re still browsing immersion blenders, check out Foodal’s Immersion Blenders Buying Guide for even more hand blender options.
Photos by Mike Quinn, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details.
About Taylor Shaw-Hamp
Taylor Shaw-Hamp has loved food ever since she can remember. The more she grew, the more she discovered, and the more she had to know. Now she loves to write about her food adventures through recipes, product reviews, and blog posts. She can be found at local coffee shops across the world, so if you see her, stop by the table and say hi!
The blender when plugged in will not start. Even when pushing both buttons in at the same time.
Have you checked to see that the blade attachment is clicked in all the way, Robert, and checked to assure that nothing is jamming it? If a manual error is not to blame, it sounds like perhaps you have burned out the motor. Contacting customer support at Cuisinart is your best option. Good luck!
How the heck do you get the top off the chopper/grinder bowl?
Can I use the chopper / grinder attachment to make almond meal from raw almonds?