A personal review of two kitchen gadgets

Magic Bullet vs. Black & Decker Gizmo Hand Mixer
Images from Click to visit this external linkHSN and Click to visit this external linkWally World

I own both of these gadgets. I’ve adored them both. One works well, while it works, and the other works wonderfully (all the time). I purchased the Magic Bullet at Wal-Mart about a year ago and the Black & Decker Gizmo at Bed Bath & Beyond about two years ago. The Magic Bullet was $49 while the Gizmo was $30. These were serious, planned purchases I made special trips out for – no impulse infomercial buys here.

I will add, though, that I have probably seen the Magic Bullet infomercial a good 30 times or so, from beginning to end. Something about that long drawn-out ad is like watching a favorite silly sketch sitcom complete with riotously funny characters. Hazel in the housecoat with a smoke hanging from her lips is …well, hilarious. And let’s not forget the wonderfully-bald, broccoli-hating and hungover Berman. Everyone has known at least one Berman, and some of you live with him.

The Bullet, the beginning

When I purchased the Bullet off the store shelf, I understood I was getting mostly, but not all, the package exactly as seen on TV. The blender, lid, and juicer are a bonus part of the infomercial purchases. This may have turned out to be a good thing, however.

The gadget comes standard with about 20 seperate pieces including what they call “party mugs.” The amount of individual items that make up the whole take a small chunk of valuable cabinet real estate in my small, efficient kitchen (in a box and approximately 11″ x 9″ x 10″).

The Bullet was dead-simple to set up right out of the box. It also worked nearly as promised right away. I was able to make omelet-style mixes and drink blends without much effort or concern. I almost felt like an infomercial celebrity in my own kitchen.

The Gizmo, the beginning

I researched handheld mixers online before heading out to my resulting target store. I found the reviews for the Gizmo to be satisfactory and it appeared to be something that would meet my needs. It was also in my price range of under $50.

The Gizmo came in a small, compact package with no frills and no fluff. It came with 8 parts including the power cord and two small screws. It takes up no counter space at all, merely a small section of wall space (9″ x 2.5″ x 6″).

This gadget was super-easy to use right out of the box after an initial charge. It works corded or cordless, but not with the cord in tow. Choosing which of the 3 included attachments to use was also simple. It comes with a standard beater, a flat-head drink mixer and a wire whisk. Mixing most anything was an immediate success.

The pros and cons of both

Space, storage and handiness

The Bullet takes up little counter space and remains out of the way until needed. However, the accessories and vital parts take up too much storage space. The gadget comes with 60″ – 5 feet! – of cord, so placement isn’t much of an issue. The Bullet can be easily moved to another location. On the other hand, my outlet is directly behind my chosen placement, so the cord is in excess and I must keep it clumsily wrapped around the base of the unit to keep it out of the way.

The Gizmo’s location is pretty static if you choose to hang it up and off the counter using the included wall base unit (a plastic rest that’s not much larger than the Gizmo itself). Although the unit takes residency in one spot, the actual tool works cordlessly, thus making it very easily portable. Also, the charge lasts for an incredible amount of time (reported as about a month by one user at Pricegrabber.com), so keeping it constantly attached to the base is not entirely necessary. I once accidently left the unit in my bathroom for over a week after mixing up some homemade hair concoctions. The length of the cord is generally not an issue with about 72″ – 6 feet! – of length. The excess can be tucked under the base if needed. The accessories can also be stored hanging in the special slots provided on the base.

General usage

Comparison of mix types: liquidy, medium-textured and soft, mostly dry (with little to no wet ingredients) and 100% dry.

The Bullet is great for making smoothies and other liquidy mixes, just as seen on the funny and crazy infomercial. The lids seal tightly and there is generally no (or little) mess to deal with after blending. Most mixes are complete within a matter of seconds depending on the ingredients used, of course. Medium-textured or soft blends, like guacamole, may take a little lot of practice to get right. Some chunks, say, of avocado or tomato, may get their unfair share of the Bullet’s blade action while others may not see much action at all, leaving them overly chunked and lost in a sea of mush in the final result. It may be necessary to manually mix some ingredients in the container as the blade doesn’t do well at pulling items down to it (like a blender would). I’ve generally avoided mixes that include mostly dry ingredients (mixes that are meant to moisten a mixture of dry items) because of the uneven blending results. 100% dry mixes are crumbled well in the Bullet, however.

The Gizmo is good for blending one, maybe two, of the mix types: liquidy and soft. This is precisely why I sought a gadget such as the Gizmo. I needed a handheld mixer for liquidy and soft drinks like smoothies. For this purpose, the Gizmo wins hands down. I am not limited to using the cups and containers that come packaged with the Bullet. I need not worry about sealing a container for fear of spills and leaks. I don’t have to take my ingredients to the gadget; the gadget comes where I need it. The blending results are flawlessly even and smooth and completion of most mixes takes mere seconds, as with the Bullet. Unfortunately, the Gizmo isn’t well suited for dry and mostly dry mixes. It can be done, but using the right tool for the task is important in the kitchen.

The Bullet is a rather noisy little beast. The Gizmo humms along without too much of a disturbance. The Bullet cups are convenient if you like to mix and run, taking the cup on the go. The cups and other parts are dishwasher safe, but with the Gizmo, oftentimes the dishwasher isn’t necessary. The attachments can be rinsed under running water and put back into place (unless there was egg involved).

I found the Bullet easy to operate, but difficult to stop, like a Mercedes with bad brakes. It looks so easy on the infomercial. Go figure. I could not easily twist-stop the device as instructed, and often found it getting stuck in the on position unexpectedly. I was always afraid of the motor burning out as the instructions say to use the device in bursts and never for an extended amount of time. Lo and behold, the motor is in perfect shape, but the 10¢ little plastic spindle over the motor has broken into 3 pieces, rendering the entire unit useless. I likely won’t bother attempting to contact the company for a replacement part. Judging by the angry ex-Bullet users’ reviews, I wouldn’t get very far anyway. I believe that if I had the juicer and blender bonus parts, I would have used the gadget more often and possibly more aggressively, bringing it to an even earlier demise.

The Gizmo is still going strong, as strong as the day I brought it home. The battery still lasts as long and it still humms at a quite acceptable level. I enjoy the built-in bonus of being able to pivot the handle from it’s straight position (great for tall glasses) to it’s bent position at 90° (great for ergonomics). Another bonus is that the device can stand on it’s end while not in use. This is perfect for catching drips from wet mixes and keeping the countertop clean and clear.

In Summary

Overall, the Bullet, if and while it works, does some jobs well. If you’re a fan of the wacky infomercial, this gadget is a fun item to have in the kitchen. However, I wouldn’t recommend it’s purchase over similar items due to it’s history of breakage and mushy results.

The Gizmo is a hands-down winner. While it’s not suited for all kitchen tasks (no dicing and chopping here), the jobs it can handle leave you with highly satisfactory results.

Still, I am left with a kitchen with multiple gadgets for multiple jobs. To date, my one true Gizmo rival is my Mini Cuisinart. This baby simply rocks. The only tool that is undeniable and tops all others? My two hands.

So, how are things with your Bullet or Gizmo?