We've owned our Cuisinart CPB-300 SmartPower Blender for nearly three years. Here are our experiences with the blender.

First, a bit of background. Over the years we have owned inexpensive $20 manual juicers, $380 Blendtec blenders, and pretty much everything in between. We love making fresh meals with fresh ingredients; blenders help with that quest. So we believe strongly in having a good quality blender that does its job properly.

The Cuisinart CPB-300 certainly isn't as high-powered as the Blendtec - but it's also about a sixth of the cost. Also, the selection of different sized containers that you can blend right into is incredibly convenient. You want a small amount of salsa to drizzle over that main dish? You've got it. Want a larger smoothie to enjoy for lunch? The container has a lid so you can take it with you.

It's important to know what this blender can and cannot do. It's got a 350 watt motor. So yes, I can make a smoothie with frozen peaches, frozen strawberries, soy milk, and spinach. It's able to handle them. But I do it with pulses and make sure I've got adequate liquid around the frozen fruits to handle it. If you try to make the blades push against something hard, like a dry pile of wedged ice, it's going to have problems.

So, even though we have the Blendtec, we quite often use the Cuisinart for a variety of reasons. It's nice to have the different containers that can switch out. It's very easy to clean up. The smoothies and shakes are delicious and nutritious.

Are there any down sides? Again, there are challenges the Cuisinart just can't handle. And that's fine. It's not meant for chowing down solid ice. With that knowledge, we adore our Cuisinart. It does what it should, it does it well, and it's held up for years.

Highly recommended.

We purchased our Cuisinart from Amazon with our own funds.


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