I love this gadget! It blends everything so smoothly and without the usual mess of using and cleaning up a regular blender. I use it routinely for morning smoothies and have used it successfully right in the pot to blend soups, dahl and refried beans. It's a snap to clean up, too!
It's great for making quick & easy blends (if not using anything frozen). The hand blender does not work well with frozen fruit, I recommend using a traditional blender.
Took a little getting used to, my first stick blender. After trying mayo recipe in the handy container provided, no problem. Washes up and re-assembles easily.
I first bought a hand-held blender that was another brand and $15 cheaper. The first time I used it I knew I had to return it. I then bought the Cuisinart Smart Stick. The blender motor is quiet and the blade at either speed efficiently blends smoothies, salad dressings and pureed soups. The plastic mixing container that is included is large enough to handle up to 3 cups of liquid.
The new model has a safety feature of an extra button to push before one can turn the blender on. This feature surely prevents children from playing with the spinning blade and incurring serious injury.