Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
If you or anyone you’re close to has cooked in the last, oh, handful of decades, you likely know the Cuisinart brand. It’s popular with cooks due to its affordable price point; wide catalog of tools, small appliances, and cookware; and ubiquity (it’s available online and at just about every major retailer). But is it any good?
According to years of testing and reviews in the Serious Eats test kitchen: oh yeah. Cuisinart is better than good. In fact, this brand has topped the charts in our equipment tests across the board, from countertop appliances to cookware and gadgets.
Of course, not every Cuisinart item we tested was a winner, but so many of them were, that we thought it would be helpful to round them up in one place. The resulting list is impressive, with 15 Cuisinart products coming out on top. Telling is the versatility here: the list begins with an ice cream maker, peaks at a grill brush, and finishes with a gas grill. (And, no, this is not an ad for the company. We’ve given the same treatment to Le Creuset, OXO, and more in the past.)
You can spend a small fortune (or even a large one) on a high-end ice cream machine. But our review of popular models revealed that you can make smooth and creamy ice cream at home without blowing your budget on the appliance: Cuisinart’s lightweight model was our overall winner, beating out competitors that cost hundreds more.
The churn time is lickety (banana?) split, at just 20 minutes, and the paddle is cleverly designed, with asymmetrical ridges that scrape the side of the bowl as it rotates.
Key Specs
Maximum capacity: 1.5 quartsPre-freeze canister: Yes, 16-24 hours in advanceDimensions: 9.5 x 9 x 11.25 inchesWarranty: 3-year limitedPrice at time of publish: $70Serious Eats / Eric Miller
Cuisinart’s food processor has been shredding carrots, grating cheese, and blitzing up pesto for decades. But even with so many newer and fancier models on the market, it still topped our test for the best budget food pro. There are just two attachments—for slicing and grating—but they’re really dialed in, and unlike many more complicated models, do a great job with whatever you need chopped. It’s also easy to use, with just two buttons (On/Continuous run and Off/Pulse). And at that price point, you really can’t ask for anything more.
Key Specs
Capacity: 14 cupsWattage: 720 wattsWeight: 16.5 poundsIncluded parts: 14-cup work bowl, S-shaped metal blade, 4mm slicing disk, medium grating disk, spatulaWarranty: 3-year limitedPrice at time of publish: $250Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
If you can forget the legacy Dutch oven brands for a sec (including the ones that rhyme with Shtaub and Shle Shcreuset), there’s a whole lot to love about Cuisinart’s offering. It’s made from real cast iron and covered in protective enamel, just like the big-ticket brands, but it’s a fraction of the price (we’re talking hundreds less).
The usable cooking surface of the pan is larger than Le Creuset’s, and it has big, roomy handles that make for easy maneuverability. Although it’s not quite as high an achiever when it comes to color options and warranty claims, we confidently recommend this pan for braising, roasting, bread-baking, searing, and whatever the heck else you happen to be doing with a cast iron Dutch oven.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 11.5 x 6.2 inchesCapacity: 5 quartsCooking surface: 8 inchesInduction compatible?: YesWarranty: Limited lifetimePrice at time of publish: $85Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
If you’ve got your heart set on a high-speed blender that can essentially pulverize pennies, you’ll want to keep searching. But mid-priced blenders can do a lot at a much more affordable price point. Our test of nine similarly-priced models placed this $150 option from Cuisinart as the clear winner, thanks to outstanding performance in almost every task.
It can turn ice into fluffy, well-chopped snow, purées soup with ease, and makes excellent (truly smooth) smoothies. The presets are just enough to be helpful without cluttering the interface, and the easy-to-read volume measurements on the jar are handy. There’s even a programmable two-way timer.
Key Specs
Capacity: 60 ouncesWeight: 10 poundsControl panel: LCD and touch-padWarranty: 3-year limitedPrice at time of publish: $148Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Unless you’re regularly boiling lobsters and making beef broth from scratch, you probably don’t use your biggest stockpot daily. But our test of over a dozen stockpots proved that design really matters with this piece of cookware. The Cuisinart MultiClad Pro is made for efficiency and comfort, with generously sized handles and an easy-to-grab lid that won’t burn your knuckles. It has multiple layers of cladding on the bottom and sides of the pot, which gives it a leg up in heat retention capabilities. It’s induction-compatible, too. While it’s not the cheapest pot we tested, it’s a purchase you’re probably only going to make once.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 13 x 13.5 x 8.5 inchesCapacity: 12 quartsMaterials: 100% stainless steelInduction compatible?: YesPrice at time of publish: $140Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
We tested a lot of waffle makers, and this one got the hottest. That matters for a few reasons: First, it can make waffles in a hurry (just over three minutes, and the fastest time we clocked). It also produces waffles that have a light, fluffy interior with a golden and crisp exterior. In other words: Belgian waffle perfection.
The flip-style design can make two waffles at a time and can handle batters of all consistencies without dripping out the sides. It also has an adjustable heat setting, which we found useful, and an on-off switch, which is great if you want to keep this appliance on your counter.
Key Specs
Materials: Stainless steelWeight: 13 poundsDimensions: 15.11 x 8.35 x 19.79 inchesWaffle diameter: 6.75 inchesPrice at time of publish: $120Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
If you think a grill brush is a grill brush is a grill brush, you haven’t read our grill brushes review. These tools vary widely in terms of construction, design, and efficiency, and we loved the Cuisinart Renew Steam Cleaner for its innovative use of hot steam.
The curved handle was comfy and easy to use, and there was a well-placed fob for added leverage. We appreciate that it has a hanging loop so you can store it on your grill (if your grill has a tool rack, of course). The aramid fiber-wrapped head is heavy-duty, and it’s replaceable. Plus, at $20, it’s hardly a bank-buster.
Key Specs
Materials: Aramid fiber, metal, plasticLength: 18 inchesHot cleaning capable?: YesHanging loop?: YesPrice at time of publish: $20Serious Eats / Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm
Nobody thinks too hard about an electric spice grinder unless you’re a Serious Eats staffer—in which case it takes up the better part of a week. When we tested a bunch, the Cuisinart model came out on top, thanks to a powerful motor and the ability to manually control the length of the grind time (not all models allowed that). This grinder pulverized cinnamon sticks in just 70 seconds, which is impressive. But what really sold us was the removable cup, which can be popped in a dishwasher: that means no more accidental fusion DIY spice blends from shoddy cleaning jobs!
Key Specs
Dimensions: 5 x 6 x 9 inchesMaterial: Stainless steelCapacity: 90 gramsWattage: 200 wattsPrice at time of publish: $40Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Electric hand mixers can be surprisingly gadgety, with features like timers, lights, and pause buttons. Although a few of our favorite hand mixers veered into “all of the upgrades” territory, one of our picks, the Cuisinart, was refreshingly low-key.
There are nine different speeds powered by a 220-watt motor, and it’s speedy at common tasks like whipping cream. But the best thing of all is its design: all the attachments and beaters fit underneath the handheld unit, in a clear, compact carrying case. Brilliant.
Key Specs
Wattage: 220Number of speeds: 9Weight: 4 poundsComes with: 2 beaters, whisk attachment, 2 dough hooksPrice at time of publish: $70
A plastic toaster? Yep. We went there. Although it’s not as attention-grabbing as the retro-style toasters gracing the countertops of your favorite influencers, the Cuisinart CPT-142 was the overall winner of our toaster review. This toaster is inexpensive, has a 4-slice capacity, and—Can you imagine?—colors toast accurately to the described settings. It can even handle frozen items, defrosting them before toasting.
There’s a fun feature that pops toast extra high, and it’s one of the easiest models to clean, owing to the removable crumb tray and smooth plastic exterior.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 10.8 x 10.7 x 7.2 inchesWeight: 4.5 poundsToast capacity: 4 slicesSlot width: 1.5 inchesWattage: 900 wattsPrice at time of publish: $50Serious Eats / Taylor Murray
A good bread machine can handle universal bread recipes as well as offer a few consistent performers in pre-programmed settings. This surprisingly priced (it’s under $150) option from Cuisinart hit that mark. It also had a smart kneading cycle, which produced a well-textured dough thanks to a series of rest periods. It has enough settings (seven for bread and three for the crust) to keep you experimenting, and it’s petite and compact—as far as bread machines go, anyway.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 10.2 x 13.25 x 11.25 inchesWeight: 12 poundsMaterials: Stainless steelSettings: 7 bread, 3 crust, dough, jam, packaged mix, cake, bake-onlyBread pan shape: SquarePrice at time of publish: $128Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Although Cuisinart doesn’t usually take home gold for its aesthetics, this stainless steel wine opener is sleek and stylish. We evaluated electric wine keys for a variety of functions, including how many bottles they could open without needing a charge—the Cuisinart claims it can get through an impressive 50. It’s also decently speedy, taking 10.7 seconds to totally remove a cork. Not bad for a hands-free job! You can store it upright on the charging base, but it’s also slim enough to tuck inside a drawer if you don’t have the counter space.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 3.5 x 4.75 x 10 inchesWeight: 2 poundsMaterials: Stainless steelComes with: Charger, base, foil cutterPrice at time of publish: $30The up and down buttons (like the ones on the Cuisinart Electric Wine Opener, pictured here) made it easy and intuitive to use.Serious Eats / Grace Kelly
The winning ladles in our review had wide, shallow bowls; convex, curved handles; and were lightweight. The Cuisinart stainless steel ladle understood the “curved” part of the assignment with an almost extreme arch that made it easy to scoop from the bottom of a pot without hitting the edge. The handle was rounded and felt comfy to hold, unlike the sharp edges of cheaper models. The shape of the bowl and the thinness of the lip made pouring with precision easy. And with no plastic parts, you don’t have to worry about getting this too close to the heat.
Key Specs
Materials: Stainless steelBowl capacity: 100 milliliters (a little less than half a cup)Handle length: 10.5 inchesWeight: 5.5 ouncesCare: Dishwasher-safePrice at time of publish: $18Serious Eats / Grace Kelly
This nonstick pan has deep rims with a steeper-than-typical grade. That makes it ideal for sheet pan dinners, roasting veggies, and essentially any cooking task that has the potential to produce oil splatter. The nonstick coating means everything slides off with ease: we tested cookies, a cake, and Parmesan crisps; all recipes known to adhere to lesser pans.
This pan is $20, which is on the low end of the price scale, but it’s a worthy contender when it comes to performance and longevity. It’s constructed with heavy gauge metal and has rolled edges, which means it won’t warp—even at oven temperatures up to 450˚F.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 17 x 12.25 x 1.25 inchesWeight: 3 pounds, 3 ouncesMaterials: Aluminized steel with nonstick coatingBroiler-safe?: NoOven-safe up to?: 450˚FPrice at time of publish: $20Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
Don’t be fooled by aesthetics: just because this looks like a miniature picnic basket, doesn’t mean it’s not a serious grill. It’s made to be truly transportable—you can carry it with you to any campsite, picnic spot, or beach—and all the components pack in neatly, with the lid doubling as a cutting board and prep surface. It’s not the most consistently hot grill, but it scored big points for the cast iron grates, which produced attractive grill marks on steak. We’d take this camping any time.
Key Specs
Dimensions: 13 x 16.25 x 10.75” Cooking area: 154 square inchesWeight: 20.6 poundsHeat capacity: 9,000 BTUPrice at time of publish: $156Serious Eats / Russell Kilgore
FAQs
Is Cuisinart a good brand?
Yes! Cuisinart is a respected brand with a solid reputation for quality. Its price point is lower than many other well-known brands, owing to a few reasons. It doesn’t have as luxe an aesthetic as design-minded competitors, and the materials used aren’t always the most expensive (think plastic over chrome). But make no mistake: Cuisinart makes long-lasting kitchen equipment in every category—including small appliances, utensils, and gadgets—that consistently outperforms other brands. Our dozens of reviews over the years has proved it.
Where is Cuisinart made?
Cuisinart is made primarily in China. The lower labor costs are in part reason for Cuisinart’s affordable price point. However, one line of products, the French Collection is made in France. A 10-piece stainless steel cookware set from the French Collection is $400, contrasted with their basic 10-piece stainless steel set, which is $100.
How do you pronounce Cuisinart?
Cuisinart is pronounced “KWEE-zin art.” Think: mashup between “cuisine” and “queen.”
Why We’re the Experts
Rochelle Bilow is a food writer, novelist, former professional cook, and Serious Eats contributor.Rochelle worked in restaurants and attended the French Culinary Institute.