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I bought this because a similar blender by Kalorik was highly rated by Cook's Illustrated.
With my first blender, the electronic controls seemed to work o.k., but after the second use I noticed a crack in the white plastic that holds the blades.
I sent it back and received a replacement one, and with this one the controls didn't work and the white plastic cracked again after the second use.
I had followed all of the instructions (except the ones that did not apply to my blender), and did not put anything very hot in the blender. I had to be able to plunge my finger into it for 5 seconds before I put it in the blender.
Another problem is that the base is wide at the bottom, so this is not good for small batches, such as an 8-12 oz. milkshake.
The instructions don't make any sense and contradict themselves.
The blender base looks cheap and has a flashing "pilot light" that is on whenever the base is plugged in. The instructions say to unplug the blender between uses, which you will want to do to stop the flashing light.
They also say not to ever disassemble the blades from the jar, which means that you won't be able to clean it adequately if you follow the instructions. Chances are that you won't keep it long enough to clean it carefully.

The two good things about the blender are the sturdy, but heavy, glass jar and the fact that it does a good job of pureeing cooked vegetables, including whole cooked tomatoes from my garden. There were some seed fragments left, but it did a pretty good job.

So, if you want a one-speed blender that holds a lot, works pretty well, and don't mind that the electronics don't work right, the manual makes no sense, and parts are made from cheap plastic that cracks easily, then this is the blender for you!

I wish I'd bought something else and saved my time and energy.Get more detail about Kalorik BL-17949 500-Watt 5-Speed Countertop Blender with 60-Ounce Glass Jar, Chrome.

Should have returned this when we noticed a burnt plastic smell on first use, but figured it would go away, and frankly, I was just too lazy to take it back to the store.

We hardly used the blender for a couple years, but recently got on a smoothie kick and what do you know, within a month of daily use two of the plastic parts (the bottom of the blade assembly) fused together and locked up the blade altogether. Ahhh, that's why it smelled wretched -- the parts that power the blade are plastic!

The motor itself works well, perhaps too well for the cheap plastic pieces that it powers. So, I could be eco-friendly and just replace that fused part, but why bother when another of the many spinning plastic pieces will surely fail soon anyway?

Please pay attention to the negative reviews here and understand that any positive ones are going to break before long -- it's inevitable with plastic moving parts. This isn't about one bad blender or batch of blenders; the product is a failure. Buy a blender with METAL gears and blade assembly. From the cheapest Oster to the priciest Vita-Mix, everyone else other than Cuisinart has apparently figured out that plastic on plastic equals CRAP!Get more detail about Cuisinart SPB-7CH SmartPower 40-Ounce 7-Speed Electronic Bar Blender, Chrome.

Buttons are hard to press and hold. Blender having problems after serveral
months of light use. Try to return for repair.Get more detail about Dualit 88860 500-Watt Immersion Hand Blender with Pulse, Chrome.

I've been using a stick blender for several years now, with great success. Recently a friend told me how to make Almond Milk from scratch. Very easy, but I'd need a blender. It arrived, nostalgically familiar like one I had years ago. So I made the almond mikd which was so easy. And then I pureed some soups that I'd been using the stick blender to do. What a difference! I've not yet challenged the blender to it's full capacity, but it seems that it is up to the task of anything I'd want to use it for. It's quality is good with the glass container, although there seems to be some plastic, made to look like chrome, that seems less substantial the the rest of the piece. However I am very pleased to have this blender now.Get more detail about Oster 4096-009 Designer Series Beehive Blender, Chrome.

I used my Duet Blender/Processor primarily for making protein shakes each morning, and it worked fine for about 2 years. Then the bearings in the base began to malfunction making the blender work very hard to turn the blade. So, I checked with Cuisinart about a replacement blade unit. The price of $15 didn't seem bad, but then they wanted $10 more to ship it to me. You can buy the whole unit for about $80 these days, so I can't justify spending 1/3rd of the cost of the whole unit for just that small item. I'm a bit concerned about many of the other reviews when I think about how much longer this unit might last even if I do buy the new part. I'm going to go out and see what's on the market.Get more detail about Cuisinart BFP-703CH SmartPower Duet Blender/Food Processor, Chrome.

I've broken a number of blenders making smoothies, but this thing just destroys ice! My only wish is that it had more speed settings so I could use it for other applications. But it was worth every penny for me!Get more detail about Oster 4093 Classic Beehive Blender, Chrome.