We bought this hand blender to get rid of the problems created by the power cord on our Braun corded hand blender. The Cuisinart took care of the problem.

Pros: Very good power for blending, good battery charge life, easy to clean, clever modular construction (battery separates from motor, built-in plug and charger), does not roll off counter.

Cons: Larger and heavier than the corder Braun. This blender may be difficult to use for people with small hands. Very short people may also find use difficult as the blender is over 16" long.

The surface finish of the plastic housing is very smooth, making clean-up easy. I don't recommend washing the blending head in the dishwasher as this smooth surface may be degraded over time. The heat of the dishwasher may also degrade the rubber seal around the blender shaft. Hand washing is easy and quick.

One reviewer suggested that Cuisinart's recommendation of leaving the battery pack/charger assembly plugged in all the time was bad for NiCad batteries. This may shorten the battery life, but the charger charges them at a very slow rate; this protects the batteries from what really damages them: heat from fast charging.

As the charger draws only 1 watt of current, some may want to leave it plugged in continuously.

Current recommendations for care of NiCad batteries is to run them down until they no longer supply useful power. Don't run them down completely as was the practice in the past. The Cuisinart batteries will charge fully overnight. They don't feel warm to the touch and this slow charging rate will extend their useful life.

This blender comes with the battery unit that sits on top of the removable motor which sits on top of the blender shaft. This makes the unit entirely too tall to apply the proper pressure and very uncomfortable to maneuver while on the stove or counter. I tried using it for whipping up some potatoes and the power proved too weak to do an adequate job. Sorry Cuisinart. This is quite a disappointing product.

I've had mine for two years now and absolutely love it. I primarily use it for my protein drinks in the morning, and it has traveled all over the U.S. and Canada with me. The only drawbacks in the beginning were that (1) as others have mentioned, it is large and took some getting used to compared to my old corded hand blender, and (2) the instructions on the side ('press button to attach/detach') are misleading; it is not necessary to press the button to connect the pieces, and the first one I had felt like the connections got stripped when I tried to do so. Fortunately, the retailer permitted an exchange for a replacement. To attach the segments, simply push them together and it will work fine. You do need to press the button to separate the segments, and it can be tricky to pop out the plug to recharge it without breaking a nail at first, but once you get the hang of it this is a wonderful appliance.

The CSB-44N Hand Blender is an amazingly compact Unit.
Works great for Drinks and Veg. Puree for Soups.
Love the Cordless feature!!!

I have used this blender for a few months now and am very happy with the purchase. My initial impression was that it was huge! Admittedly, I hadn't previously seen one ... but it is big. Luckily it stores in 2 pieces in a provided stand, which keeps it out of the way. I use it to mix protein shakes. Mixing by hand left lumps of powder...by blender added lots of air, made to much noise (sleeping toddlers)and was to tough to cleanup. This cordless hand blender is very easy to snap together, mixes shakes (even with fruit) very well, is powerfull and the battery lasts a long time. I use it at least twice a day until the battery dies (as it is a nicad). I have to recharge it about every 8-12 days. The end result is a perfectly mixed protein shake, very smooth and without a lot of air/froth. If you want the froth, you can add it by lifting the blender head up and down a bit while you blend allowing air to get into the head openings.

I love my Cuisinart Cordless Blender. No cords to get in the way and easy to use when traveling by car--no power cord needed. Charges quickly and can easily be taken apart for storage or transport. This is my second CSB-44N--keep one at work and one at home! I should note that I have had my first Blender for 3 years and it still works great. I run the blender until the battery is discharged before recharging it to avoid battery problems.

Cuisinart's ad copy and product directions claim that the charger can be kept plugged into the wall so it's always ready for use. However, this is a nickel-cadmium rechargeable battery. Plugging it back in to recharge before you've fully drained it is DEATH to NiCad batteries! This stupid design decision on the part of Cuisinart almost guarantees a poor user experience.

It's not god awful, but the cheaper plug in one I have is easier to use, not as heavy and bulky, and gets the job done with out running out of steam.

I used to love the blender (two years ago). Fast clean up, easy set up, great for making mayo, hollandaise, whipped cream, soup... Then into hot water and soap, hit the blend and you're clean.

But the battery dies and won't hold a charge. This is forseeable, but does Cuisinart offer spares/replacements at reasonable cost? Nooooooooo!

Guess what? We'll buy a cheap corded model. We're disappointed. Every product has some limitations, but one should be able to use it for 3 years with no problem and replace failure-prone parts quickly, easily and at a good price, if desired.

This product is just another example of bad business and we don't want to reward it.

We have had the cordless blender for 3 years now, and although it was a bit cumbersome at first because we were used to the lighter and smaller corded version, it was a great benefit for a well used kitchen. Clean up was a breeze, too. The worst feature of this blender the 'rechargable' battery, which, withihn a year, took less and less of a charge after each use. Now we have to charge it 3 times to use it once. It does not surprise me that Cuisinart does not sell rechargeable batteries separately, which, in hindsight seems like planned obsolescence, but in turn, Cuisinart should not be surprised when I never buy another one.

They still make this? I saw this listing while searching for a replacement for my Rechargeable Cuisnart which has died after a few years. Its nice in concept, but underpowered and you're out of luck when you burn through a charge. OK for lightweight jobs, in the long run you'll be much happier with a corded model.

I have had my hand blender for over 3 years and use it with great regularity. I have never changed the batteries and it has never failed me. I make homemade soups 2-3 times per week and the blender was purchased primarily for pureeing the solids while the pot was still on the stove. I don't expect it to chop ice or any other hard frozen foods. I guess it just depends on what you want to use it for. But it has been reliable!

Love it! No more messy cords to deal with. Use it a couple times a day. Great to mix protein shakes. Would have given 5 stars but it is a little "tall", but still worth getting. Great xmas gift!

This hand blender worked for me well exactly ONCE. After that, even though being plugged in 24/7, the blender never held a charge well enough to do anything but mix chocolate milk. Trying to call Cuisinart for customer service is very frustrating.

Had this indispensable item for less than two years when it died. Worked well one day; seemed to be recharging but was totally dead the next day. Three year warranty, but you have to pay postage both ways (they require you to send $7 with the defunct product).

I bought this blender primarily because it was cordless and would therefore be easier and safer to use. But its performance has been very disappointing. The battery does not hold a charge well; the motor dies after just a few seconds. It's hard to hold down the power button for very long. And the stick is just too tall; I have to hold my arms up too high over whatever I'm trying to blend. I bought this at full price ($75) a year ago, and it was a waste of money. I'm going out to buy another model that has a cord and is more comfortable to use.

We initially LOVED this, purchased because of very good luck with Cuisinart food processor, and the fact that it's cordless. It's incredibly tall, so won't stand up assembled in vintage kitchens. Also very easy cleanup. We really used it a LOT for whipping cream, smoothies and pureeing soups and sauces. Then the down sides came-tomato sauce stains the plastic housing. Motor had problems with frozen fruit for smoothies. Retracting/extending plug to recharge was not the smoothest. Battery life dropped dramatically. It became unreliable, then one day less than a year after we bought it, it just...died. I'm going back to the corded versions, and will just move the pot. Not worth the sacrifice in motor power, IMO.

I like using this blender for smoothies and whipping cream. Its a little awkward to hold but was very handy as my old kitchen had few outlets. But after a few months its a hassle. Water, or some liquid has gotten into the shaft containing the blade - I can hear it when I shake it but I can't get it out. I'm wondering if whatever is up in there is getting into food. The plug for recharging the motor section jammed and will not fully extend, so to recharge I have to use an extension cord or that component just about falls out of the outlet. Frankly, I'm fed up with Cuisinart. I just moved and was surprised to be chucking a toaster and a coffee maker - both with little use. This hand blender will likely soon follow.

I was a little skeptical at first that a battery operated blender would have any amount of torque approaching an electric version...BUT I let all the rave reviews convince me otherwise, and after all it would be one less electric cord cluttering up my countertop.

Well, I should have stuck with my first instinct. This device is next to useless...unless you are blending things you could easily blend with a spoon. An electric blender would cut through frozen bananas (in milk) easily...come on...alot of you do this to make shakes...this battery powered blender can's handle it. After cutting the banana into little chunks...then put up with 5 minutes slow blending... careful not to grind the device to a dead stop. If you think its too good to be true, it usually is !!!

This is a great product, but I should caution it is a little difficult to use if you are very petite and have short arms and tiny hands. It then becomes a little awkward to use and it takes some time learning to adjust. Great product for those who only use a blender occasionally, as it takes up very little space.

We are very happy with this hand blender. Cuisinart hand blenders are the best but the way this item stores makes it even nicer. Looks good and works even better!

I recently got one of these, primarily to make cream soups, but you can use it for anything you would use a regular blender for. I have used it for many things. I had one of the oldest models that ever came out (another popular brand), so was able to compare the power of this new one to the old one I had bought almost 15 years ago. There is no comparison. This little gadget is so handy and powerful. It protects your pans or bowls with the plastic feet and whips up whatever you want blended in a jiffy. It works better than a regular blender, but not as well as a food processor. But, what the heck? There isn't near the cleanup involved either. Just remove the blade end and run under hot water and your job is done! The battery has held out for the job every time I use it, so the "no cord" feature has proved to be not only handy, but also acceptable. My only complaint is that you must depress the run button all the time. An on/off switch would be more convenient. No serious cook should be without one of these!

these three things best embody what is great about Cuisinart's hand blender. It's great for small amounts of blended coulis or spreads and sauces like pesto. It also performs great when you plunk it right in your soup pot to smooth things out a bit. If you're looking for a hand-held blender, this one seems the obvious choice to me - especially since the market for cordless implements like this is limited. After all, it IS a Cuisinart. Enjoy.

I really enjoy this product. It is good for mixing up drinks. One down side is that it eats up batteries really fast. But it is convenient that it plugs directly into an electric socket.