Cuisinart PowerEdge CBT-700 700-Watt Blender review

The Cuisinart PowerEdge CBT-700 is an earlier, discontinued countertop blender with a 56-ounce glass jar, a die-cast base and more control choices than a basic Low/High machine. Its control panel combines those two manual speeds with Pulse, Purée, Soups & Sauces, Smoothie and Ice Crush. Cuisinart’s exact U.S. listing identifies the Die Cast finish and marks the product out of stock. This review is useful for evaluating a machine already in a home or an accurately identified used listing; it does not imply current factory stock.

A 56-ounce glass jar, with a real batch-size boundary

The nominal 56-ounce glass jar is the central practical choice. It is larger than the CBT-500FP’s 50-ounce pitcher and the CBT-600GRY and SPB-8 48-ounce jars, but it does not meet a strict 64-ounce minimum. A container label is not a finished-recipe capacity: neither the exact page nor the linked booklet establishes a maximum safe batch or a numeric hot-fill line. If a recipe needs a specified volume of headroom, this model cannot be treated as a 56-ounce finished-fill guarantee.

Glass may appeal if a plastic jar is not your preference, and the broad jug is supplied with a cover and measured pour lid. That vessel also adds weight and breakage exposure compared with plastic. The manual says not to use a chipped or cracked jar and cautions against thermal shock—for example, it says not to add ice or very cold liquids to a jar straight from a hot dishwasher. The Power6 Turbo-Edge blade design is a manufacturer feature, not a result of independent blending tests.

Cycle buttons beside two manual speeds

Low and High are the two manually selected speeds; Pulse gives short bursts at a chosen setting. Smoothie and Ice Crush are separately pre-programmed routines, while Purée and Soups & Sauces are named preset-speed choices. That distinction is useful: the machine offers more than two buttons, but the sources do not establish a large menu of timed food programs. The Count-Up timer runs to three minutes, pauses with the blending action and signals when it reaches the limit. It records elapsed time rather than deciding that a recipe is ready.

The booklet describes the Smoothie program as a 30-second count-up routine and the Ice Crush program as a 35-second cycle, recommending about eight cubes per cycle. Those are specific control instructions, not texture guarantees. If your preference is to choose a speed and stop when the result looks right, Low/High/Pulse remain available. If you want one-touch smoothie and ice routines, CBT-700 offers both. The standalone CBT-500 is more simply controlled; the CBT-500FP adds a separate small processor bowl but is still not a timed smoothie-program model. The CBT-700 does not add a processor attachment.

Heat, ice and preparation limits

The exact booklet allows hot or cold soup/sauce use but requires careful handling: when blending hot liquid, remove the measured center lid so steam can escape, and let boiling liquid cool for five minutes before adding it. The booklet provides no maximum hot volume. If a firm hot-soup batch limit is essential, the CBT-700 evidence cannot meet it. For ice, the manual names an eight-cube-per-cycle recommendation for the dedicated Ice Crush program. This is a modest, specific operating plan—not permission to treat every frozen ingredient as interchangeable. The booklet warns against other solid frozen food beyond its stated small fruit exceptions.

Other small tasks are mentioned in the manual’s speed guide, including nuts, spices, citrus zest, breadcrumbs and herbs. That describes possible use in the supplied jar, not a dedicated grinding mill or a performance guarantee. The instructions also say not to knead heavy dough, mash potatoes or beat egg whites. Anyone buying for repeated large batches or specialized prep should judge the actual task rather than relying on the 700-watt label alone.

Cleanup and ownership tradeoffs

Cleaning is more involved than a one-piece travel cup. The glass jar can be washed upside down in a dishwasher, and the lid and measured cap are dishwasher-safe. The blade assembly and gasket must be removed and washed separately by hand; the locking ring can go on the upper rack. The motor base is wiped with a damp cloth and must never be immersed or put in the dishwasher. A self-aligning locking ring helps the jar sit on the base, but the manual still calls for correct assembly and a firmly tightened ring.

Cuisinart lists a limited three-year warranty term for this model, but the original term does not establish that a used unit remains covered or that coverage transfers. A secondhand buyer should inspect the model plate, jar for chips or cracks, locking ring, blade assembly, gasket, lid and cap before relying on it. Replacement parts listed on a manufacturer page do not establish that a seller’s package includes them.

Who should consider it?

The CBT-700 is a reasonable reference for someone who wants an earlier glass-jar blender with a 56-ounce nominal capacity, a sturdy-looking metal housing, manual Low/High/Pulse and distinct Smoothie and Ice Crush buttons. It is a poor fit for a new-only search, a required 64-ounce jar, a confirmed 56-ounce hot fill, a quietness claim without measurements, or a bundled processor. If choosing among Cuisinart’s discontinued line, compare the CBT-700’s larger jar and timed programs with the CBT-500FP’s separate three-cup processor and smaller 50-ounce jar, or the CBT-1500P1’s 60-ounce plastic pitcher and two different timed cycles. These are configuration differences, not a ranking of speed or blending quality.

Manufacturer sources: Cuisinart PowerEdge CBT-700 page and its CBT-700 Series2 instruction booklet.