caroleg's Full Review: Cuisinart SPB-7 SmartPower 7-Speed Blender
I thought my KitchenAid blender at home was the best one I've ever tried, but then I tried using the Cuisinart SmartPower and I now I've changed my mind. Cuisinart has got some features that really make it stand out. Mostly though, it crushes ice better than any blender I've ever used and I've used a lot of different blenders.
Believe it or not, we got this blender for my office two months ago and we just love it. We use it for a variety of tasks in our kitchen area, but mostly for mixing drinks at our weekly socials. It's become the life of the party!
Here are some features/benefits to consider when taking a look at this blender:
1. How easy is it to use? In my office, this blender gets used by a lot of people. One thing they have in common is that no one reads the directions on how to use it. This blender has 7 easy to use buttons right on the base that make it easy to operate. The buttons are: Ice Crush, Stir, Chop, Mix, Pulse, Liquefy, and Puree. You do need to know enough to press the On button before any other button is pressed and the Off button to stop it.
2. How easy is it to clean? If is isn't easy, it won't get done. Actually, even if it isn't easy to clean, it doesn't always get done. This model has a motor base that you can just wipe clean. There are no buttons that stick out that get "gunk" caught in them. While you should always lift off the blender jar and take it apart to really clean the blade, rubber gasket and lid, some people like to simply squirt some dishwashing liquid into the blender with some warm water and hit Stir for 15 seconds. Following this step, they also repeat this process again without the dishwashing liquid. While I don't recommend this all the time, it works between batches of frozen drinks quite nicely.
3. How much counter space does it take up? This blender shares space with a coffee machine, a scanner and two laser printers so it can't be a space hog. (Yes, we are packed in like sardines here). This model has the ability to hide the cord by wrapping it around a special area in the bottom of the base. The blender "pitcher" holds 40 oz. of stuff which is ample. It also has slip-proof feet that prevent it from moving around while you are using it and they don't leave marks on the countertop.
4. How are you making those daiquiris? Well this recipe makes 5 drinks and we are pretty happy with the results. You place the following ingredients in the blender: 4 oz. frozen limeade concentrate (thawed); 3 oz. light rum; 2 cups ice cubes; 1 ripe fruit (strawberries, bananas or peaches). Drop on the cover. Hit the On button and the Liquefy button. In about 45 seconds, things should be slushy. Turn the blender Off and pour things out the dripless pour spout.
Best of all it has a 3-year limited warranty, so if we have any problems, it's easy to take care of. We've saved $10 off of the suggested retail price by picking it up at our local Kitchen Etc. store. They tend to have good prices there that I'm sure you could find at other kitchen discount stores or a special Cuisinart sale where you generally shop.
For more information, go to www.cuisinart.com or check out the manufacturer's information that is a part of epinions. And, as always, take a look at what other people on epinions have to say about their experiences with this blender.
SmartPower blender has a 7-speed range and innovative Italian design in one sleek, versatile package. You can blend, puree, chop, mix, and liquefy, as...More at CHEFS Catalog
The SmartPower 7-speed Blender has a powerful motor and stainless steel blade assembly to crush fine or coarse ice, pulverize soup ingredients and whi...More at Cooking.com
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