# Your favorite stick blender



## Catscankim (May 9, 2022)

I need a new sb. I have needed one for a while. Im done with it. I was all set to buy one on amazon, but i figured i would get suggestions first…


----------



## Jersey Girl (May 10, 2022)

I really like my Cuisinart Smart Stick. It’s going on 2 years old and no issues. I originally had a Hamilton Beach but the bell design on that one kept suctioning to the bottom. Don’t have that issue with the Cuisinart and no air bubbles either. These are the only 2 that I have experience with.


----------



## AliOop (May 10, 2022)

My primary SBs are the Cuisinart Smart Stick and the Austria Mueller brand from Amazon. I am very happy with both of them. I have a Hamilton Beach that is dedicated to lotions bc the bell is flatter so it works well for small lotion batches, but makes too many air bubbles for soap.


----------



## gardengeek (May 10, 2022)

I have a Cuisinart and a Kitchenaid. I prefer the Cuisinart. The Kitchenaid is hard to release the blender attachment. Plus, I think it creates bubbles. I had an Oster for a long time but the little knob that held the blender broke and I was unable to fix it. 

I found the Cuisinart at TJ Maxx for under $30 (prior to inflation) and the Kitchenaid came from Walmart for about the same price on sale.


----------



## Daisy (May 10, 2022)

Catscankim said:


> I need a new sb. I have needed one for a while. Im done with it. I was all set to buy one on amazon, but i figured i would get suggestions first…



While you are at it, look for one you can operate with one hand. 
I have 2 Cuisinart ones that require both hands to start. Not very efficient when you have to run and pour at the same time
I purchased a little one "Proctor Silex" for $ 5.00 in a thrift store and it's a gem. It's one hand operated
Downside, it's body is all plastic. The blade is stainless steel.
Please keep us posted!


----------



## Catscankim (May 10, 2022)

Thank you everybody. I went with the cuisinart smart stick.

My current one is a mueller. I get bubbles and suction to the bottom. Im tired of fighting with it lol


----------



## AliOop (May 11, 2022)

Catscankim said:


> Thank you everybody. I went with the cuisinart smart stick.
> 
> My current one is a mueller. I get bubbles and suction to the bottom. Im tired of fighting with it lol


Ugh, sorry that one doesn't work well for you. I don't have either of those issues with mine. I wonder if the suction problem varies depending on what type of mixing container you use? Or maybe because I always use the lowest setting?


----------



## Zing (May 11, 2022)

With @Vicki C 's tip, I got https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003NQE8B0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 several months ago and really like it.  I had a similar one, also Hamilton Beach that lasted several years.  Good luck.
Also, is this your problem? stick blender question


----------



## Vicki C (May 12, 2022)

Zing said:


> With @Vicki C 's tip, I got https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003NQE8B0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 several months ago and really like it.  I had a similar one, also Hamilton Beach that lasted several years.  Good luck.
> Also, is this your problem? stick blender question


So glad to hear it!  I like mine too.


----------



## lsg (May 12, 2022)

I used a cheap stick blender from Walmart for years with success..  I think it depends on the volume of soap you are making.


----------



## Catscankim (May 14, 2022)

Finally got to test my new cuisinart smart stick today.

First and foremost I am going to say that I am not thrilled by the two button press to start and stop stickblending. I know that you can let go of one and keep doing the other to keep it going, but then you need to unlock it again to start again. I am not that coordinated LOL. Unless I got a different version than the rest of you that recommended the smart stick. It did get a little easier as I went along.

Now I don't know if this is a good time to give a review on it as I unwittingly changed a few things about my recipe: Since it was an all-white recipe, I added the td to the oils, AND because I think my particular fragrance isn't that strong I added kaolin clay to the oils in a desperate attempt to stick the fo. AND it was a smaller batch and my container was too big, AND (I am cracking up as I am typing this), ...because I was adding all this stuff that I don't normally add to oils at the get-go, I figured...why not add the sodium citrate while I am at it.

So I ran the stick blender and it was all bubbly. Then after a while I wasn't sure if it was bubbles or kaolin clay rising to the top, so I let it sit for a little bit. Mind you it was just oils and all this other mash that I put in it. Which isn't taking any stars away from my review, because I never add all that stuff to my oils all at one time normally. But then again, I was also fighting with the two-button process on the sb...

Oddly enough, I added the lye and everybody calmed down in the pot. Still had to fight my lack of coordination with the buttons. Then because I was still testing the suction/bubble/stir method that I was used to with my old blender, I probably blended too much because as soon as I added my fo, it riced a bit. I managed to put two fingers on the buttonS and gently sb out the concoction into a nice smooth, creamy white pourable batter.

All that said, I love the gentle blending that it does. I was able to work through all those ANDS. I don't like the need to use two buttons. No suction. No crazy bubble action.

Next time I will test it without all the extra stuff. But mine is a lard bar, so its naturally easy to work with. If I had a faster moving recipe then I don't know...maybe when I get some muscle memory to operate the two-button action lol. 

Overall, much better than my old blender. 4.5 Stars.


----------



## AliOop (May 14, 2022)

Interesting. My Cuisinart Smart Stick doesn't have the two-button feature. I think it is an older model. It blends very similarly to my Mueller model - both pretty smooth with minimal bubbles.  Maybe it all depends on which factory worker was on the line that day...


----------



## Catscankim (May 14, 2022)

It has a lock button that you have to press first before you press the button underneath it to operate it. You can press it, sb, then let go of the lock to keep operating the sb. But then as soon as you stop you need to unlock and press the on button again....if that makes sense LOL


----------



## earlene (May 14, 2022)

Yeah, that does sound like it takes a bit of coordination and concentration to use this model.  I probably would not like that either.  But it does sound like other than that, you are very happy with its performance, which is good to know.


----------



## AliOop (May 14, 2022)

Catscankim said:


> It has a lock button that you have to press first before you press the button underneath it to operate it. You can press it, sb, then let go of the lock to keep operating the sb. But then as soon as you stop you need to unlock and press the on button again....if that makes sense LOL


I definitely don't have that on mine.


----------



## dibbles (May 14, 2022)

Cuisinart has two models with lock buttons. I have the one like yours and really love it. The other model has the button on the top of the stick blender which I think would be difficult to use. Other than it's inconvenient, I don't have any issues with the lock button just above the on button. You'll get used to it. I hope.


----------



## scmorgans (May 15, 2022)

I have a brand new one of these. Still in the box - just in case..... Happy to report, only a low & high, no lock!


----------



## Vicki C (May 15, 2022)

I have that kind too with two buttons and at first I found it challenging, but now I don’t notice it. Hopefully you’ll get used to it.


----------



## Jersey Girl (May 15, 2022)

@Catscankim You will get used to it. I found it a little tricky at first but I quickly adapted to the two buttons and it became a non issue.


----------



## KeepItSimpleSoap (May 15, 2022)

Here is my inexpensive stick blender that I purchased from Wal-mart online. Our local superstore had a different one on the shelf for ~ $89-. I ordered this online for $22- delivered. It came right to the house and fit in the mailbox.
The top button is a pulse button that doesn't lock. My first blender was a hand whisk.


----------



## janesathome (May 15, 2022)

Catscankim said:


> Finally got to test my new cuisinart smart stick today.
> 
> First and foremost I am going to say that I am not thrilled by the two button press to start and stop stickblending. I know that you can let go of one and keep doing the other to keep it going, but then you need to unlock it again to start again. I am not that coordinated LOL. Unless I got a different version than the rest of you that recommended the smart stick. It did get a little easier as I went along.
> 
> ...


Thank you for starting my day with a chuckle. You have a great writing style that captures your experience with humour! 
I bought a Cuisinart 2 button SB when I started soaping this year - it is now my kitchen blender and my old one is now for soaping. I join you in disliking the 2 button feature. I find it very difficult to manage. Wouldn’t want to be using it for soap, so kudos to you for persevering!


----------



## Bill S. (May 18, 2022)

I use a Hamilton Beach 59770 two-speed Hand Blender. I make a lot of soap and the toggle start switch has begun to fail on two so far over the past 13 years. The motor is fine, but the on switch makes intermittent contact. I've purchased two replacements of different make and model and both are too powerful. They cause too much circulation and entrain so many small bubbles that they are not useable for me. Every time I have come back to the Hamilton Beach I use. It's not in production any more and I keep searching eBay for them. Modern Hamilton Beach stick blenders might be the same, but I haven't purchased one yet.


----------



## LisaBoBisa (May 27, 2022)

Really glad you started this thread—I’ll need to buy a new SB soon.

I bought a KitchenSmith SB on sale for $15 from Target 14 mos ago, and after ~60 batches of soap, the bump that clicks when I twist the blade attachment off/on for cleaning started to break. Thinking about just buying the same one, since it’s gentle, simple, and $18 for Memorial day… but if you’ve found SBs that last several years, even better!


----------

