I bought this blender to replace an older Cuisinart blender that was wearing out. I use it to make smoothies, mix salad dressing, tofu pudding, and breaking apart vegetables in hot soup. Cuisinart stopped making the model that I was replacing, and offered this model in its place. WHAT AN IMPROVEMENT! The shaft is longer, so you can use it in deeper liquids. The blade and housing have been redesigned, so there is less fiber clogging the holes in the blade housing. The unlock button was moved to the front of the handle, making it much easier to use. The high/low speed switch was moved from the front to a rotary switch at the top of the handle. The unlock and power buttons on the front are also much easier to push, and have a better feel. The measuring cup is now 3 cups instead of 2 cups.
This one will have to do. My old one lasted a long time, but i can't find it since i moved. The new one has a dual action start, which makes it complicated to use. But the color is gorgeous.
I love how readily the blender cleans up. I don't mind that it has a cord. However, unless there is good level of liquid it splatters everywhere. Unless you pour into the plastic cup it would not be workable for gravy. Even the soup I made (and it was a large batch) was too low and splattered everywhere, even on low. It will take some getting used to.