Cuisinart vs KitchenAid
Two top kitchen appliance brands
discover What they do best, and who makes the best entry, mid, professional level and cordless hand blenders.
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Which is better… KitchenAid or Cuisinart ?
We noticed so much talk online about choosing between the brands Cuisinart and KitchenAid. It´s worth noting that the online discussions are not just about small hand blenders, as the two companies make so many competing products for the kitchen !
What the users are saying online
We did notice in a lot of the discussions online were about comparing blenders vs food processors in general, or Cuisinart vs KitchenAid food processors. A lot of debate was resolved with users recommending to each other to only choose one of the larger processors (at least the 1.5L 7 cup versions, and more often than not the 2.5L / 11cup version is recommended).
Why?
Because when you really need a food processor and are willing to pay all that money and give up all that counter or cupboard space… its a pain in the neck if its not got a big enough bowl when you really need it.
Stick blender vs. food processor or blender
If you don’t need one of the larger food processors or blender then what’s the point ? So, some discussions also ended up with users recommending an immersion blender to others instead of a blender or food processor.
If you aren’t preparing food for an army you might only need the simple stick blender. If you are thinking you just need a grinder for nuts and spices etc, think again before you buy separate gadgets. If you get it right when you buy a hand blender, you can also add accessories and attachments to allow you to do everything the other big gadgets do, but usually for smaller quantities.
So what’s the appeal of the stick blender ?
It´s so easy to use, and clean. Saves on the washing up, cuts down waste, helps use up leftovers and many more benefits. We’ve made our own ‘mistake’ buys over the years, and only because we were too busy to think things through and research what we really needed. Having built up a cupboard full of kitchen toys, we then decided to simplify our lives so that we could actually get down to cooking and baking more. Now the hand blender is our new best friend ! We use it every day… for quick sauces, salsas and pestos, nut grinding, powder making, juices and smoothies, purées and soups.
Cook more easily, Create more easily
People tend to cook more creatively once they start using an immersion blender, because its so convenient. Use it and rinse under the tap – simple as that. When we want a juice – we mix it mostly straight in the glass. A smoothie or sauce – easy, mix it in a jug or beaker, or straight into a jar. A purée, mash, or soup – blend straight into the pot.
What users think KitchenAid and Cuisinart do best
There is no doubt that they are both great professional brands, and people boast that their products last for many years. Having ploughed through the many discussions, we formed our own view and have a few facts to share about each company and their products.
Kitchenaid seem to win over when it comes to stand mixers, whereas Cuisinart win the day when its about food processors. This is because Cuisinart used to be owned by Robotcoupe so it was selling the same product for a while, however this is no longer the case. We believe Cuisinart is now owned by Conair. KitchenAid is owned by Whirlpool.
After reading the reviews, we came away with the feeling that users rate the quality of the parts on KitchenAid as superior. The Cuisinart customer service had been called into question, but then dissatisfied customers often have to turn to online reviews to show their feeling, whereas satisfied customers often don’t see the need. On the other hand, Cuisinart offer a longer ( usually 3 yr ) warranty, whereas KitchenAid offer a 1 yr hassle free parts replacement.
When it comes to hand blender products… we found less reviews, but thousands of user comments. Read on for more detail on the how we chose our winners and why. It´s our opinion, and our own personal experience using products from both companies. The relevance of the results depends on what you need, where you live, and how much you want to spend. We hope this will help you.
When to choose a KitchenAid immersion blender ?
KitchenAid Pros
- a world-wide favourite brand
- quiet
- powerful
- well designed
- reliable
KitchenAid appears to have a more international reach with its customers, and is viewed as a solid, workhorse with great customer service. The 3 speed model is the most popular in the U.S. and Canada, whilst both the 5 speed electric and the cordless models are most popular in the U.K. and Europe.
So, for us it’s the winner for the reliability overall, and the product we like best is the higher end 5 speed model – both electric and cordless models the world over.
Have a look at our top 15 best hand blenders blog, KitchenAid get two places there for these next two hand blenders !
Kitchenaid 3 speed stick blender
Kitchenaid 5 speed stick blender
KitchenAid go the extra mile with their 5 speed immersion blender
KitchenAid immersion blenders are such considered products. We love the extra thought they put in, thinking of how the customers will use their products. They go the extra mile with:
- the cute and very useful carrying case ( they even do a storage bag for the 3 speed model ! )
- the silicon ring that is under the chopper so that it doesn’t slip about the counter when chopping.
- the special pan guards to put on the blades so your pots don’t ever scratch, and going further with the blade covers for when you’re storing them back in the case
- the lid of the jug ( with a nice lip for pouring and measurements marked on the side ), also has a removable centre section so that you can put your blender in through the little hole and keep any splashes to a minimum.
- it doesn’t shout about it , but it’s so powerful that salsas take seconds and the 5 speed crushes ice easily too !
When to choose a Cuisinart hand blender
Cuisinart pros
- A North American favourite
- Always colourful
- popular
- lots of model choices
- affordable
The Cuisinart model numbers are tricky for us to understand. We explain them in more detail in our top 15 hand blenders post. You also won’t get all the models available outside the U.S. either.
The 2 speed one CSB-75 ( + CS-175 + CSB-76) are most popular in the U.S. , Canada. and Australia. A solid, no-frills type of stick blender. Great value for price, maybe not for use on heavy jobs, but good durability… and comes in lots of cheerful colours. If you are in the U.S. go to amazon.com you should find it more easily, along with over 6,000 reviews for this popular American company.
Overall, it’s our winner for the best budget version, and seems to be more well known and purchased in the U.S.
- We will take you to the CSB-75 product page on Amazon
- Click on REVIEWS and enjoy the read !
KitchenAid and Cuisinart hand blender awards
What is really interesting is that although these brands were given a lot of awards world-wide, and as much as we love them too, neither made it into our top 4 recommended hand blenders for professional, home, specialist, or beginner cook !
Did they make it into our top 15 semi-finals ?
Both the KitchenAid 3 speed and Cuisinart CSB-75 made it into our entry level section in 2020, but now KitchenAid have brought out a clever new variable model ( see our review here ). They both also have models that compete well with the mid range Braun, Breville and Kenwood mid winners, but they didn’t make it into the final set. For cordless, the KitchenAid Artisan is the best cordless model we have found, and features with Bamix and Waring in the finals of the professional hand blender section. (We have to say though, that if we were to choose a corded model in that set, the Bamix immersion blender is in a class of it’s own, but KitchenAid 5 speed corded model would have been our next favourite.)
Celebrity endorsement
The lovely Nigella ( Lawson) has loved using a Cuisinart hand blender in the past ( see our blog on celebrity chefs), I wonder what she is using now? John Whaite ( Great British Bake off champion ), on the other hand loves his cordless Kitchenaid.
Electric or Battery operated (Cordless) Handblenders
Cuisinart and KitchenAid also compete in the cordless market.
Cuisinart have three cordless offers. The entry level CSB-400CD in America, the 3 in 1 CSB-300U only offered in the UK, and the high end CSB-300 offered only in America. So they offer all things, but not to all people !
The reviewers find the top end Cuisinart cordless model a bit awkward and heavy to use unless just for quick jobs, but we love that has a unique electric knife attachment for carving the roast dinner at the table. Cool !
KitchenAid on the other hand only competes at the higher end, with their 5 speed set in a cordless version. They offer it in the UK, Europe and America. It has a different name on each side of the Atlantic, but it’s the same package ! It’s called the Artisan range in the UK , and the Pro Line series in the U.S. and Canada.
Cuisinart offer more models, but not available everywhere. KitchenAid have just one offering, but offer it consistently. So click through to see their offerings below. But first, we always love a bargain, so we check both brands regularly, world-wide.. and here´s the latest.
Cuisinart CSB-400CD Cordless
Amazon US, Ca, Au only
Cuisinart CSB300U 3 in 1 Cordless
Amazon UK & Au only
Cuisinart CSB-300 Cordless
Amazon US & Ca only
Vs.
Kitchenaid KHB3581 5 speed Cordless
Amazon UK
Kitchenaid KHB3581 5 speed Cordless
Amazon US
Our KitchenAid vs Cuisinart Conclusion
The table above proves a point. We chose cordless because there are generally less models to show you !
If we chose to compare the electric stick blenders, we’d run out of space with Cuisinart ! Cuisinart can have from zero to a dozen models for sale in any country on Amazon. They also have more models from entry level to mid-range. KitchenAid have a more limited offering that covers the whole spectrum of what you need, but you will find the same model consistently available in most countries. So with KitchenAid its easier to know what you’re getting, with Cuisinart it’s a constant search and surprise !
The brand names say it all.
KitchenAid are serious about helping you in the Kitchen and present products that they know you should need. It’s a simple offering but easy to understand.
Cuisinart are seriously creative in its kitchen offerings and has so many models to meet your ever changing whims ! Its too confusing though, and hard to understand what each model does and how to compare them to each other, not alone a competitor.
Why you would choose KitchenAid over Cuisinart ?
We feel that KitchenAid is the brand that pleases most of the people’s needs, in all of the places in the world, all of the time
… oozes power and style, when it comes to providing quality hand blenders world-wide
BUT
Why you would choose Cuisinart over KitchenAid ?
We feel that Cuisinart is the brand that pleases all of the people’s needs, in some of the places in the world, most of the time!
… popular, particularly in the U.S. and Canada, in the budget range, or for something quirky.
KitchenAid vs. Cuisinart – the winners
For the best electric entry level immersion blender, we choose the Cuisinart Smart Stick two- speed hand blender ( blender and jug). This could be the CSB-75, CSB-175, CSB-76, CSB-176.
For the best electric hand blender set, we choose the Kitchenaid 3 speed stick blender set ( whisk, chopper, blender, jug, storage bag ). The KHB2371.
For cordless entry level, we choose the Cuisinart CSB300U 3 in 1 set ( masher, whisk and blender ) .
For best professional, cordless hand blender set, we choose the KitchenAid 5 speed ( masher, whisk and blender ). The Artisan Cordless 5 speed , also known as the Pro Line series 5 speed.
The Research: Let´s compare like with like.
1. Cuisinart entry level vs. KitchenAid entry level hand blender
( just a hand blender with measuring jug )
KitchenAid produce one 2 speed set. Cuisinart produce three Smart Stick sets we could compare.
KitchenAid 2 speed stick is the KHB1231. Again it is listed as 200Watts on sales sites ( see comment above on power).
The Cuisinart smartstick is the CSB-75 (2-speed, 200Watts) , or the CSB-175 (2 speed, 300Watts).
Click through to see our winner in this section !
KitchenAid 2 speed blender & beaker set
1240 Amazon user reviews ( April 2019), rating 4.3 out of 5 stars
KHB1231 Specification
19 colours… including the gorgeous NEW (amazon USA) Queen of hearts ‘passion red’ to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the company KitchenAid.
2 speeds. 8” arm. 3 cup beaker with lid. Special soft grip handle for comfort and non-slip. Size: 2.31 x 2.31 x 15.8″ , weight: 2lbs.
KHB1231 Pros
Storage bag
Jug has a lid
It crushes ice and nuts !
It’s quiet and fast.
It’s listings on Amazon always have a nice table to show what is included in each model.
One touch power button on the side, speed control on the top of the handle.
The warranty is a hassle-free replacement warranty !
KHB1231 Cons
- not really a con.. but more a warning. We have seen a 2352 model for sale which is a 3 speed without the chopper. Don’t think you can add the chopper later because the 2351 manual says it only works with the 2351 !
- 1 yr warranty as opposed to the Cuisinart 3 yr warranty.
- No safety button if that’s what you’re looking for.
USEFUL USER REPORTS
- base measurement – useful to know which of your own jars it will fit in. Equal reports of exactly 2″ and approx. 2.5″ !
- in question – whether the blade end is easy click off or not, like the 3 speed version.
Cuisinart blender & beaker sets
5844 Amazon User reviews ( April 2019 ), rating 3.4 out of 5 stars . Again, these are the same reviews combined for all the three products listed here.
CSB-75 (2 speed , 200w)
CSB-76 (2 speed , 300w)
CSB-175 (2 speed , 300w)
Specifications: 7 colours. , 2.2lbs, 2-Cup mixing beaker (microwave-safe and dishwasher-safe), size 4.88 x 4.88 x 15.62″ , weight 2.2 or 2.35lbs
Pros
The CSB-75 is most commonly found ( most popular !) so you will see many still for sale.
The 8″ leg on CSB-175 competes best with the KitchenAid model.
Easy click release of leg.
Safety lock, 2 button to start.
On the CSB-175, the 2 buttons are on the same panel, on/off above and speed button below – so you can use them with one hand.
Cons
Jug is only 2 cups but that’s ok.
The safety lock in theory is good but practically… not ( see below)
USEFUL USER REPORTS
- some report it can be a pain in the neck having to press the 2 buttons to start it
- csb-75 and 76 shaft apparently 6”
- reported noisier than the KitchenAid
2. Cuisinart vs. KitchenAid – MID level hand blender
( blender, whisk, chopper, jug )
KitchenAid produce one 3 speed set – the KitchenAid 3 speed set is the KHB2351 model shown earlier on this page.
Cuisinart produce two Smart Stick sets with these attachments – a 2 speed set, and a variable speed set.
First of all, lets talk about power. KitchenAid don’t say what power it is ! Sometimes you will see sales details saying it is 85Watts, and sometimes 200W. Users say the product is actually labelled 1.8A at 120V… so that makes it approximately 216 watts. The user reviews seem to comment a lot about how zippy, and fast the KitchenAid is. We talked about power and speed on the main hand blender page and again on the buying criteria post. The number of watts is not always a guide, because the quality of the engineering can mean you don’t need as many watts to be more powerful, faster, or last longer. KitchenAid and Bamix are case in point
Cuisinart produce the smart stick CSB-77 & CSB-79 (2-speed, 200Watts) , or the smart stick CSB-179 (variable speed, 300Watts). Click through the button below to see our winner in this section !
KitchenAid 3 speed specifications
2037 Amazon user reviews ( April 2019 ) rating 4.1 out of 5 stars
KHB2351
3 speeds, 8” arm, 2.5 cup chopper with non-slip base, whisk, 3 cup beaker with lid, storage bag, 5ft cord, special soft grip handle for comfort and non-slip. cotton machine washable storage bag.
3 colours, silver, black, white.; Size: 2.31 x 2.31 x 15.8 in; weight: 2lbs
pros: storage bag, jug has a lid, it crushes ice and nuts! it’s quiet and fast. It’s listings on Amazon always have a nice table to show what is included in each model. one touch power button on the side, speed control on the top of the handle. The warranty is a hassle-free replacement warranty !
cons: not really a con.. but more a warning. We have seen a 2352 model for sale which is a 3 speed without the chopper. Don’t think you can add the chopper later because the 2351 manual says it only works with the 2351 ! 1 yr warranty as opposed to the Cuisinart 3 yr warranty. No safety button if that’s what you’re looking for.
USER REPORTS
base measurement – useful to know which of your own jars it will fit in. Equal reports of exactly 2″ and approx. 2.5″ !
Cuisinart 2 speed set
2006 Amazon user reviews ( April 2019 ) rating 3.7 out of 5stars .
To be fair though, these are the same reviews combined that appear on both products.
CSB-77 and 79
200w, 3 colours (silver/black, red/black, white/black), comfort grip handle, 2 speeds (2 buttons on side panel), whisk, chopper bowl,and 2 cup beaker. ( TBC: weight: 4.60 lb; dimensions: 2.13″ x 2.60″ x 14.00″ ; shaft 6″ )
Pros: lock/unlock safety button on the top of the blender, 3 yr warranty, button to click blending leg on and off.
Cons: the button annoys some people as you have to turn it on each time you take your other fingers off the speed / pulse buttons. Personally we think this is only a problem if you have arthritic or very small hands, otherwise its an easy thumb and finger control.
USER REPORTS CSB-77 & 79
Chopper bowl – Cuisinart don’t say the actual size, but the manual states that it should only takes 1.5 cups liquid. Users report it to be a 3 cup chopper bowl taking anything from 1.5 or 2 cups water comfortably.
Cuisinart variable speed set
2006 Amazon user reviews ( April 2019 ) rating 3.7 out of 5stars .
To be fair though, these are the same reviews combined that appear on both products.
CSB-179
300W. One colour option, silver/black. Same on/ off and speed button on the handle as the CSB-79, but on the top there is a variable speeds control. 8″ shaft, chopper bowl, and 3 cup beaker. ( TBC Weight: 3.7lbs or 4.6lb ; Dimensions 5.5 x 8.5 x 13in )
Pros: Variable speed slide but you need a second hand to control it. on/off and pulse button now on the handle together. 8″ shaft now competes equally with the KitchenAid 3 speed, 3 yr warranty.
Cons: none found !
USER REPORTS CSB-79 & 179
Blender blade end is actually reported by users as 3″ in diameter – useful to know what will go into your jars. It does go into a quart size wide mouth mason jar.
cord reported as 4ft – approx. 64″ ( 5’4″)
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We're hospitality professionals that have sold up the businesses, gave up the big possessions, and simplified life... but we didn´t give up the good stuff - family, friends, and food & drink.
We've been the demanding customer, and the daily hands-on high end restaurant and boutique hotel owner. We understand food, drink, hospitality, and real customer satisfaction.
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