Cuisinart cordless compact blender review

Ever been out on a remote camping trip, becoming one with nature, and thought that you could use an icy cold margarita right now? Because I sure have. That’s where a device like the Cuisinart Cordless Compact Blender comes in. Rechargeable, compact, and powerful, this little blender can go anywhere you go. You can easily pack it up for a camping trip, take it on a picnic for a lakeside smoothie, or toss it in a gym bag for a quick, blended protein shake. I spent a week with this bad boy, and while I can’t complain about its blending capabilities, there are some caveats.

What I like about the Cuisinart cordless compact blender

There’s a lot of great things to say about this little blender, from its ease of use to portability and power.

Easy to set up, easy to use

When you open up this compact blender, you’ll find it comes in a few parts: blender cup and base, tumbler, travel lid, and charging cord. Despite these many pieces, it’s super easy to set up and start blending.

Once you’ve given each part a quick wash (except the blender base and cord, of course) you can easily fit them all together with a simple twist. After the base is charged up, all that’s left is to hit that big blend button. The parts are even dishwasher safe in the top rack, making cleanup a breeze. 

See your power level at any time

I have a bit of a pet peeve about a lot of rechargeable gadgets. Too often, there’s no way to tell how much charge you have left until you get that dreaded low-battery blink. But not with Cuisinart’s Cordless Compact Blender.

When you touch the blend button, the three LEDs on the front light up, giving an indication of your charge level. As you use up power, the LEDs will start to blink, and eventually turn off one by one. When you have only one flashing LED left, you know you’ve dipped below 40% battery. So, there’s plenty of forewarning that you need to charge up.

Compact and portable

When Cuisinart calls this thing compact, they are not kidding around. At about a foot (30 cm) tall, this little blender can easily be carried in any duffle bag, backpack, or even a larger purse. You can also detach the tumbler part from the blender base to make it even shorter.

And of course, the whole point of a cordless gadget is that it can be portable. With 20 minutes of blending power on a single charge, you can get at least 10 on-the-go smoothies, shakes, or drinks out of it before you need to recharge. Plus, it only weighs a couple pounds, so it won’t weigh you down too much on a hike either. But at a 16 oz (2 cup) capacity, you’ll have the space you need for most on-the-go beverages.

Small but powerful

This device may be pretty tiny for a blender, but don’t let that fool you. It packs a surprising amount of blending power.

When I saw that this little guy could crush ice, I admit, I was skeptical (and a little afraid it would break). But I was wrong. Despite its size, this blender was able to reduce my ice to snow in no time, though perhaps not quite as finely as a full size blender. Still, I was surprised and impressed, and I love the ability to make frosty beverages on the go.

Since it crushes ice without problems, there’s not much else it can’t pulverize either. My strawberries didn’t stand a chance. Though like any blender, the blades can only reach so far, so you might need to give it a few shakes between blending to make sure it’s getting all the fruit. For this reason, it’s a good idea to leave a bit of empty space in the tumbler.

Where it has room for improvement

While this little blender definitely delivers on its promises, there are a few caveats to think about before you hit Add to Cart.

You can’t use it mid-charge

As a person who frequently forgets to charge my devices, I often find myself out of luck when I need to use a gadget for the first time in a month only to find the battery dead. That’s why I’m always grateful for rechargeable products that still let you use them while plugged in. Even if it limits my mobility, it’s still better than having to wait for it to charge if I’m in a hurry!

Sadly, this blender won’t let you do that. It staunchly refuses to blend while it’s plugged in. If you’re a forgetful charger like me, you’ll need to remember to charge it regularly if you want to blend on the fly.

That blending power comes with powerful sound

Like all blenders, the Cuisinart Cordless Compact Blender is a noisy machine. Maybe a bit less noisy than a full sized blender but still loud enough to send my cat scurrying out of the room.

I wasn’t expecting this blender to be whisper-quiet, but when I think about its intended uses, this could be a problem. If you’re taking it out in nature to blend on a camping trip or picnic, the loud roar could undercut your pastoral relaxation a bit. Likewise, if you want to take it to the gym to quickly whip up a protein shake, I can see this annoying your locker room neighbours. You might want to do your blending in the car.

Have your next margarita anywhere

The Cuisinart Cordless Compact Blender lives up to everything it promises. It’s small enough to store in a bag, light enough to carry, and has the power to pulverize almost anything you need. That said, there are a few reasons it might not be as practical as it seems. But with this in hand, I can definitely see myself enjoying many delicious, blended beverages on my next camping trip!

What do you think of Cuisinart’s Cordless Compact Blender? If it’s not quite right for you, you can mix it up with the rest of Cuisinart’s small appliances on BestBuy.ca.