This is my third or fourth hand blender, my second Cuisinart immersion blender. There is one big plus over my last Cuisinart, and there's a minus to it as well.

The big plus is that it is really powerful. What a whizzer! I make smoothies in the morning, using both Metamucil and protein powders with yogurt or kefir, soy milk and/or orange juice. Sometimes I throw in a few pieces of frozen fruit like raspberries or strawberries (sliced or pieces) or blueberries. The power of this SmartStick makes the grainy-ness of the Metamucil disappear (a great thing, in my book!), and the stick doesn't blink when it tackles the frozen fruit.

The minus is that there is only one speed to this SmartStick. My last Cuisinart had two speeds, fast and slow. The slow speed was good with pureeing really hot soups, so that you wouldn't risk blowing boiling liquid all over yourself and the kitchen. It was great when you didn't want to "froth" a liquid, when you just wanted to "stir." This SmartStick gives you froth and high speed all the time. I wish that another, slower speed would have come on the blender.

I got this product six months ago, and I have used it a lot. I use it mainly for creaming soups and sauces - beats having to transfer hot food back and forth the processor. It's got a sturdy built and a powerful motor. Very simple to disassemble and wash. Couldn't live without it.

I really like this machine. I use it mostly for making baby food, which it is fabulous for. It is very quick and cleanup is so easy, much faster than with a regular blender. The only thing is you have to cut up whatever you are blending in fairly small pieces to ensure a smooth puree at the end.

Practically overnight, this immersion blender has become the essential appliance in my kitchen. It's convenient, powerful and multi-purpose. It is a godsend for making smoothies (which I do for my son almost every morning) and soups (which I do often). What a treat to no longer have to haul out and clean the big old blender! This tool makes easy work of everything from frozen fruit to hearty, chunky soup, and clean up only takes seconds. I expect to give this item as a Christmas gift to several people this year.

Item exactly as described - shipping was prompt and I am completely satisfied with this transaction.