After Magic Bullets and Ninjas breaking down, I think I have finally found a blender that will last; at least I am hopeful. I use it primarily for protein drinks. I use frozen berriers and whole almonds in it, and this Blendtec grinds it all up quickly and easily.
I have had many blenders, but this is my first of this quality. I'm very happy with its performance. I love how it knows when to stop and it is very easy to clean.
I gave it a good rating (should have been 5 stars) because I think it could have had more accessories being that I bought it from Costco and they usually include extras with their special purchases. The unit itself is excellent.
I wasn't sure if I should get this or the Vitamix because both had great reviews. I ended up going for the Blendtec and I'm glad I did! So far I have only used the "smoothie" blend setting because I got it for the sole purpose of making blended vegetable and fruit drinks. It does a great job and does not leave any bits and pieces of what I am blending. I blend everything from spinach, kale, broccoli, beets, avocados, and ginger to numerous types of fruit. Everything comes out smooth and delicious. I especially love the fact that it is so easy to clean (only the pitcher and lid) and the blend settings have set timers so you don't have to worry about stopping it. All in all, it was definitely worth the money.
I bought the Blendtec Total with the Wildside+ jar and later also bought the twister jar for the chutneys. Unlike the Indian blenders that throw out the food, the Blendtec pulls in the food and grinds every morsel into the consistency I want. I’m very happy with the blender.
I like this blender for many reasons! Easy to clean, easy to load, easy to pour. I wish it was a bit more powerful. It has a hard time making "nice cream", which is frozen banana blended without liquid. I have to add liquid and mash when it stops blending. Perhaps this is the case for all blenders though. But I use it once or twice a day and it's great otherwise.