After owning several Cusinart SmartStick blenders (all of which inevitably broke due to a gear-stripping problem that you can read about in several reviews of its various models), I decided to look for something else. I can't believe I didn't find this KitchenAid hand blender before: it's reasonably priced (in the same range as the SmartStick when I bought it, plus as I found out later they have other models of the KitchenAid that cost less and don't include some of the "extras" but presumably share the KitchenAid's better design) and works quite well. If you're familiar with the SmartStick, it has everything I like about that. Most importantly, it blends well. Additionally, the blade shaft comes off for easy cleaning. It also includes a mixing/blending cup that is sized well to fit the blade shaft, though I happen to like the design of Cuisinart's better (which, given the "lip," also works well for serving or pouring, unlike this one, plus it's wider and a bit less tall which I think works better for blending larger chunks of food). Finally, it has adjustable speed (three in this case, though I got by with even a 1-speed Cuisinart--who also makes at least a 2-speed model I've used as well--just fine).
The KitchenAid blender also includes some "extras" besides just the stick blender. Besides the blade shaft (which you'll use for regular stick blending, likely with the included cup), they include a small chopper as well as a whisk attachment. I've never used the whisk but assume it would work well; I have tried to use the chopper but don't recommend buying it just for that purpose. In my case, the lid is very hard to remove afterwards because it seems to create a vacuum inside (or at least a pressure difference) that makes the lid very difficult to remove, a problem that is exaggerated if you have liquid ingredients that might get stuck in the seal. I ended up having to throw mine out after the lid got stuck on so tight I couldn't get it off and accidentally broke it trying. It also includes a carrying bag for some of these accessories, which may be nice if you move yours around a lot (but mine just stays in the kitchen).
My favorite thing about this blender is that the place where the blade attaches appears to be metal, which I assume will last much longer than the plastic on the Cuisinarts that kept getting destroyed on me after a few months to a couple years (quite variable) of daily use. The KitchenAid is holding up well for me so far after almost a year, still with nearly daily use, and I hope it continues to do the same.
If you use your stick blender frequently like I do, I'd highly recommend this one (or a similar KitchenAid) over the Cuisinart SmartStick. If you use yours infrequently, either one should work well, so you may want to factor in other criteria like purchase price (though they weren't that different when I wrote this) or aesthetics (the Cusinart is mostly plastic, but the KitchenAid only has plastic on the motor section; the Cuisinart is available in more colors, but it appears this one is only silver/gray).
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