Okay so I got a little tired of lugging the big Vitamix back and forth from home to the Airstream and back again, so I did a little research and came up with an alternative. I wanted something compact that could do our smoothies and some blended soups and salsa, but that wouldn't take up as much space as a normal blender does. I found this:
It's the Cuisinart CPB-300 SmartPower 15-Piece Compact Portable Blending/Chopping System and I got mine on amazon for $69.95.
It's got a great design. There's a chopper base and a mixer base (the black base with the blade) that attaches onto either the main 32oz blender container, one of 4 16oz smoothie to-go cups, or the small 8oz chopper cup. All containers are BPA-free, and it comes in white/silver, black/silver, or pink (!!!)/silver.
I've used it a few times now and I can report that it's a keeper. Last night I made some "wingin' it" gazpacho with fresh tomatoes, red bell pepper, jalapeno, watermelon, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and some white balsamic vinegar (I normally use sherry vinegar, but I was out).
It turned out great. The blender has a pulse mode, as well as basic high and low, and they all work as you'd hope.
This afternoon after our hike I made us some smoothies for lunch: 1 scoop of chocolate protein power, a tablespoon or so of almond butter, some chia seeds, big handful of spinach, cup of frozen blueberries, about 1/3 cup of coconut milk and about 1/2 cup of coconut water. You basically just shove as much as you want into the individual cups, then screw on the black blender base and it's ready to blend. Turn it upside down and put it on the main blender engine base and go.
The individual cups are nice if you want to personalize each person's smoothie, too.
Remove the black blending base and replace that with one of the white sipper to-go lids and you're ready to hit the road.
I haven't done ice with it yet, but there was a big sticker on it when it arrived that said "350 WATTS! CRUSHES ICE!" so we should probably try that too.
not only am I happy to hear about a more compact blender, but your recipes look divine!!!
Thanks Denise! Some other Airstreamer friends of ours just told us they’ve had this exact blender for a year and they still love it. Good! It apparently lasts, too! 🙂
This is good to know!! You said you had a Vitamix right?? We have the other one.. the uh… Blendtec kind and I love it, but lugging that thing in the Airstream sounds painful. Did you find this as good as the Vitamix? Does it blend as well??? I’m apparently a blender snob. lol.
Hi Jess,
It’s not as good as the Vitamix, but it’s totally fine for everything we wanted it for (so far). Smoothies…works fine. I’d imagine the little chopper thing will be good for salsa and stuff too…
Laura
Ah. Maze. Ing. Glad you made it safe! Don’t worry, Im sure your house is fine.
Laura & Kevin–as touristy as it sounds, you must go to Harry’s American Bar, where Hemingway used to get drunk daily, and have a couple of Bellini’s–they were invented there, and you’ll never have a better one anywhere. Then, take the boat to the Cipriani Hotel for a look (Harry, of the bar, is Harry Cipriani, and his hotel, and the Gritti Palace, were the two fanciest on the island. Have fun.
Great pictures…can’t wait to see those of your bike trip. Beautiful video, too.
Your photography is just beautiful. We were so close to Venice a couple of years ago, but illness prevented the trip. We’ll have to go back.