Cuisinart CPB-380 Compact Blender review
Cuisinart introduced is hurricane blender lineup about 4 years ago to target the high-speed blender market. The Cuisinart CPB-380 Hurricane blender is the less powerful model in this product line and is designed to compete in the popular personal blender market.
In this Cuisinart CPB-380 Hurricane Blender review I explain all its features and how it performs compared to other blenders on the market. Let’s get started !
Table of Contents
Features
This compact blender’s most prominent feature is its flexibility as it offers multiple pitchers and blending blades.
The 4-prong blending blade works with both a top-loading 32 ounce pitcher or the 16 ounce travel to-go mugs.
The blender also includes an 8-ounce chopper cup to work with a flat chopping blade. It works well for mincing spices, grinding coffee, herbs, and baby food.
All of the cups that come with this blender are BPA Free, shatter-resistant and dishwasher safe.
Furthermore, the CPB-380 offers three-speed controls; low, high, and pulse settings that are commonly used for smoothies. The blender also comes with four reusable straws to work with the to-go jars.
At less than 10 inches tall, this blender is relatively small for a countertop blender making it perfect for small spaces and easy storage.
Product Overview :
- 1+ Peak HP motor
- Two 16-ounce travel cups with lockable lids
- 8-ounce chopper cup
- Two blades: blending blade & chopping blade
- Low, high, and pulse speed dial controls
- 32-ounce BPA-free jar
Design
Blade Assembly
The two-blade assemblies work for all kinds of blending, mincing, and chopping. They’re self-aligning so you can easily fit the cups on the base. You can change the blade assemblies as many times as you need for different tasks.
Travel Cup
you reverse the order of ingredients when filling the travel cups as you turn them upside down when blending. The work just like the popular competing “bullet blenders” on the market. They are good for smoothies and protein shakes on the go!
Chopping Cup
The chopping cup is ideal for small foods. You’ll get consistent results if you load it in the right way, cutting the foods into small pieces will also get you better results.
The chopping cup is perfect for grinding seeds and hard nuts. The flat chopping blade works quickly, so don’t keep it running for long to avoid over-processing.
| Motor : | 1 Peak HP. 500 watts |
| Capacity : | 32 ounces |
| Controls : | Low, High and Pulse |
| Dimensions : | 9.6” tall x 12” wide x 10.25” deep |
| Weight : | 7.5 pounds |
| Warranty : | 3 year limited warranty |
Cuisinart Hurricane Compact Blender Review
I like Cuisinart appliances and the CPB 380 is powerful for its 32 ounce capacity but it is not a top performer in regards to blending performance.
Performance: It is great for grinding and small food prep, making frozen drinks with ice, and blending soft ingredients. Yet it is inconsistent at evenly blending green smoothies and thick drinks.
Positives :
- Compact size and convenient to store.
- Controls are easy to use
- Useful to-go cups and single-serve containers.
- The jar locks quickly on the base and has comfortable grip.
- The blender is relatively quiet
- The grinding blade worked well especially for grinding coffee.
- Performs well at blending milkshakes and soft ingredients.
Negatives :
- The blade is difficult to assemble.
- Plastic gear drive.
- Inconsistent results at blending green smoothies.
- Concerns with long term reliability.
Overall Opinion: The Hurricane CPB380 has some nice features but there are multiple user complaints about parts breaking in the first year that make us cautious.
If you want a compact blender like the CPB 380 then I prefer Nutribullet blenders which offer better performance.
How does it compare to other Cuisinart Blenders ?
As mentioned the Cuisinart CPB 380 is designed as a compact blender in comparison to Cuisinart’s other blenders.
Here is a quick review of the Cuisinart CBT-2000 Pro Blender and the CB-1300PC Velocity blender versus the CPB 380.
The CBT-2000 Hurricane Pro Blender
The CBT-2000 is the most powerful Cuisinart blender designed to compete in the high speed blender market against brands like Vitamix and Blendtec.
It has a 3.5-horsepower 1500 watt motor, 64oz capacity, and advanced digital controls. Additionally, it comes with a turbo boost that offers extra speeds, and a six-tip blade.
Whereas, the CPB380 hurricane blender only has a 32oz capacity, less power, and is designed more for personal blending.
The CB-1300PC Velocity Blender
The Cuisinart CB-1300PC has a 1-horsepower motor and a six-button setting. It offers ice crushing and smoothie presets.
It is not built like the higher-end Cuisinart CBT-2000 above, but more as a mid-priced full size model with 64 ounce capacity.
Whereas, the CPB-380 with its 32oz capacity and chopping blade/container is designed for small food preparation and small blending jobs.
Common Questions
What about Cleaning and Maintenance ?
Unlike the other Hurricane blender models, the CPB-380 doesn’t have a cleaning button. You’ll need to clean it yourself. It won’t take much effort to do it, though. The base and removable parts are all corrosion-resistant.
For washing the blades, don’t remove them, so you don’t get injuries. Instead, fill the jar halfway with water and put a small amount of dish soap. Run it on low for a few seconds, pour the water out, and repeat using only water to remove any residual soap.
For the motor base, use a damp cloth to wipe it and then dry it thoroughly.
Does it Juice and Blend ?
Not really. Unfortunately a lot of blender manufacturers say blenders juice but really they just will blend ingredients down to a liquid form with pulp in it. You have to pour the blended drink thru a sieve mesh strainer to get the juicer-like consistency.
Where to Buy the CPB-380 Hurricane Blender ?
You can buy the CPB-380 at many large retailers or online.
Is is easy to use ?
Yes, this blender is simple to use. Here is a video showing how to make a smoothie in the to-go cup with this blender.
Final Thoughts
While I like Cuisinart’s attempt at offering a smaller blender for grinding and blending single-serve drinks, this blender doesn’t offer the best blending performance for smoothies or recipes with hard or fibrous ingredients.
There are a multiple blenders that compete in this price range with similar functionality that I would choose over this Cuisinart CPB 30 based on performance. For a blender with similar functionality I prefer this one.
The Hurricane CPB 380 isn’t a bad choice but it just doesn’t offer the consistent performance and durability for me to make it a top choice.
