The Cuisinart SmartPower Classic Blender SPB-6 combines an attractive design with an extremely powerful motor for quick, efficient blending.

The SmartPower SPB-6 consists of a 7-inch tall white base, a 500-watt motor, a 6-cup (48-ounce) glass jar and a rubber lid with removable cap. Its dimensions are 13-9/10 inches tall, 7-1/4 inches wide and 10-1/5 inches deep.

The carafe is a traditional round, glass jar with a wide 5.25-inch body that lets ingredients spread out for more effective blending and less clumping of larger chunks. Four internal ribs aid in moving the jar's contents down toward the blades. The four-point stainless-steel blade has a twisted look, with the metal bent in four different directions. The blade is extremely sharp so caution should be taken when assembling, disassembling or washing the carafe.

We liked the design of the jar's collar, which sits atop a four-pronged extension on the base for added stability. Also, because the jar fits over the base (rather than nesting inside it), any drips or spills won't collect near the motor gears.

The control panel has three large pushbutton control switches (On, Off, Pulse) and a speed dial with five settings (Stir, Chop, Mix, Puree and Liquefy). The center of the dial is a separate Ice Crush function, which is preset to provide optimum ice crushing ability.

For everyday blending chores, you can select the speed that best matches the task to be accomplished. We found the lower speeds had quite a bit of torque so the most basic tasks -- stirring sauces or gravies, for instance -- are easily accomplished on the lowest setting. We liked that the ice crush button jumps the power up to the maximum speed and found it handy for blending solids into liquids. The Pulse button was our favorite since it lets you quickly start and stop the motor and allow the contents to settle.

The Cuisinart SmartPower SPB-6 is activated when the power cord is plugged into an outlet. A blinking red light above the On button signifies that the unit is standing by or in Pulse mode. A quick press of the On or Pulse button starts the motor. To add extra ingredients while the unit is running, you can remove the oversize measuring cap to reveal a 2.25-inch-diameter opening in the lid. The cap doubles as a 2-ounce measuring cup. Another advantage to the wide mouth jar is easier cleaning since you can simply reach in and scrub the walls of the jar.

We achieved excellent results preparing a batch of fruit smoothies, and noted that every last ice particle was crushed so small that it became barely noticeable. We also used the blender to crush ice alone, which turned to a fine snow-like substance in about six pulses of the ice crush setting.

There isn't too much NOT to love about the Cuisinart Smart Power Classic SPB-6 blender. It's powerful effective and has great looks to match.


Pros: 500-watt motor, 6-cup (48-ounce) wide-mouth glass jar, 5-speeds with Pulse and Ice Crush options
Cons: None

Warranty
3 years, limited