Here's another vote for the Cuisinart SmartStick

I've had different models over the years, from cheap to expensive. Finally bought a SmartStick ~ 5 yrs ago, and loved it ever since. Often daily use, definitely multiple times per week; it's quite powerful and can handle boiling hot liquids .. great for puréeing hot soups right in the pan. Haven't used the chopper attachment much, but the whisk attachment is perfect for whipping a small amount of cream or 1 - 2 egg whites .. no need to haul out the big mixer/beaters.

It finally died a few days ago. Given that the warranty is for 3 years, I'd say I got my money's worth and then some. Luckily, Canadian Tire had the Cuisinart SmartStick on sale this week .. and I had enough C.Tire "money" saved (from filling up at their gas bar) that I basically got a new one for free . Happy, happy, happy!

In fact, this new one has more features than the old .. dual speeds, and the chopper attachment now has a reversible blade with blunt side for chopping nuts. Hmmmm, I just might be using it more


p.s. - yes, I use it to make my own mayo . It's fast, easy .. and actually less expensive than store-bought. Tastes better too!

I made mayo tonight. I used the food processor this time since I already had it out for other things. It was surprisingly easy to do. I used 1/4 cup melted CO in 3/4 cup olive oil with egg, dijon mustard, salt, white pepper, and lemon juice. It turned out very good -- and had a nice zippy flavor. For heaven sake, why do they put sugar in EVERY commercial brand. Mayo does not need it. I will make it myself from now on.

Ken, you are now a gourmet cook!
Wonder at what ratio of CO to OO does the mayo start to harden in the fridge?
I was surprised when WearBear wrote that...must be some chemical magic in the mixture ratio.
I have always used all extra light olive oil. Know that it has been refined an extra step, but I buy a brand that is 100% olive oil to start, and compromise that it is better than the commercial alternatives. Also one less step, and I'm all for shortcuts. If I were making two cups of mayo, I'd probably still use the food processor...it mixes everything in the bowl so quickly.

If you add a garlic clove (if you like it), it makes a wonderful sauce/dip for everything from cold roast beef to seafood...

Or garlic and some herbs, and you have Ranch Dressing Dip. Many Paleo recipes on line with the "secret ingredients" to make it taste "just like Hidden Valley." Swear, they must put some addictive ingredient in that stuff I read so many people miss it and crave it madly

I thought the mayo turned out a little on the thin side as I scooped it out and put it in the jar. But it stiffened up nicely after a few hours in the fridge... a perfect mayo consistency.

I heated up the CO until it was just melted and then mixed it in with the extra light olive oil. I let it sit on the counter for a few hours while the egg came to room temperature. The CO/Olive Oil mixture did seem to thicken up a bit, but it was all still liquid when I went to use it. I imagine if you go too high on the CO ratio, you will change the final product to an odd texture. But 25:75 seems to work well.

I am one who likes a tangy dipping sauce. I'll have to mix it up with a few extra ingredients next time. Thanks for the tips.

My husband is one of those. I make a ranch dressing with 1/2 mayo & 1/2 sour cream. It's a simple way to make him happy.

As Alice May Brock said: "Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good."

Sometimes it takes me so long to notice the obvious.

I can't afford a stick blender at this time, so thought I was stuck with washing the big blender container each time. Then the other day I looked at one of the pint jars that I use for so many things - and the light bulb went off. I can make my favorite salad dressing with the blender and a pint jar, and I can make egg nogs the same way. Only the the little jar & the blender blade to wash instead of the big blender container.

And the chocolate milk I made today with cream, flax milk (better tasting than either almond or coconut milk), a raw egg, cocoa, and Splenda was delicious.

FYI: I'm rethinking the 1/4 CO in the mayo. Taste is fine, but it did firm up even more after the first day. It is a little to thick to spread as regular mayo. Next time, light 100% olive oil.

I'm definitely interested in trying home-made mayo. I'm curious about the flavour of the MCT oil and does it give gastric distress if you eat a tbsp. or so in tuna salad etc?

In Werebear's link, waiting for the egg to completely settle to the bottom and not turning on the stick blender until it is on the bottom and holding it there for 15-20 seconds before slowly pulling it upward are the key to having mayo that will not separate in the fridge over time.

The texture will be fine for the first day or two if you are impatient and don't completely blend the egg at the bottom before pulling it upward to emulsify it, and it tastes great, but you may have to reblend later in the week if you aren't patient when you first make it.

This is the ONLY recipe I ever use now, since it is foolproof for every oil mixture I've tried. Just made some pricy but yummy mayo out of half OO, half macadamia nut oil.

Well, here's the mayo thread I should have searched a week ago!

The first thing I tried with my new stick blender was mayo. It turned out a little runny. But worse, I used regular EVOO and that mayo was too, well, olive-oily. I squirted some sriracha in a portion of it, and then used that to make deviled eggs.

Now I see how to do it next time. Thanks everyone.

I got a cuisinart smart stick a couple of weeks ago. I made mayo according to their instructions which is dump everything in at once. I always use one fourth cup of egg beaters rather than a fresh egg, because I am deathly afraid of salmonella. It worked beautifully. I used olive oil and wished I had used canola or part olive and part canola.

In the past I have made it in my stand mixer and a blender. The smart stick is the best by far.

May I suggest that you avoid the canola oil? Personally, i quite like mayo made with olive oil (after all, it is a Spanish/French invention, and that is most likely how it was originally made), but when I want to tone it down a bit I use avocado oil. OK, I know, it is sometimes more expensive than olive oil, but I don't really use it for anything else. Also I discovered recently that Cost Plus/World Market carries it at a more reasonable price. My oil mix is usually 2/3 olive oil, 1/3 avocado oil, and, when I have it, a quarter cup or so of walnut oil "just because"; it adds a nice flavor.

If you have a source for fresh farm eggs (and know that they are, indeed, "fresh") I don't think you need to worry much about salmonella. Unless, of course, you are in some way already immune compromised. There are a lot of scare stories out there, but pastured chickens and impeccably fresh eggs pose little risk. I used to use regular market eggs, but find, these days, that I prefer to wait for my Girls to lay before using eggs raw. Not much mayonnaise in the winter in this house