This makes smoothies possible. I never thought I needed a high powered blender until I got this. Hubby & I have gone through blenders-- every 1-3 years they give up the ghost. And, I was never one for buying a cheapo blender. We spent easily $100 each time. So, if you think cost, spending $100 every 1-3 years, the Blendtec pays for itself. Second, the warranty. In the first month, I had an issue with the blender jar. I cleaned it as instructed immediately after use-- otherwise it stains-- but it still stained and seemed to look like the contents had eaten into the material. I had been making pesto. Nothing wild there. But, I contacted the company & they sent me a new jar. I now use the old, discolored one to grind herbs, beans, and hard seeds. It still works without a problem, but the company did tell me to dispose of it in case the material was faulty.

The quality of the blend on smoothies is incredible. You get better than store bought in terms of smoothness. And it even juices-- though you have to strain out the pulp. But it's helpful on things like citrus and delicate fruits I wouldn't want to put in my juicer because you'd wind up losing a lot of juice-- berries & things like that. Makes great dressings and even whazzes up homemade icecream to get rid of the icey bits.

Cleaning is super easy and overall: a must have.

Another thing...although Amazon doesn't indicate it, this blender has been discontinued and is no longer available from Blendtec. The current price of less than $400 is very good for this blender.
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After several weeks of investigation and 'stewing' about the choice I chose this one over the Vitamix for one reason only--it fits under my kitchen cabinets and the Vitamix would not. In all of my investigations it was clear that both Vitamix and Blendtec were excellent vendors so the choice really did come down the height comparison, in other words, a personal choice. I am sure I would be equally happy with a Vitamix as a blender.
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I have had this blender, WildSide Jar, and the larger Twister Jar for about a month now. All I can say is WOW!

I have tried numerous recipes...salsa, almond butter, fruit smoothies, milk shakes, omelets, etc. from the Blendtec web site and also from the general internet. All have come out extremely well.

I've even gotten brave enough to try using it in situations where a blender might not normally be considered and have been pleased with the results.

In all of my blending I have never had it 'bounce around' as others have reported. It is on the loud side though not harmfully so.

All in all, my experience has echoed that of other positive reviews.

Three years later, this amazing piece of equipment is still going strong! As vegans, we LOVE this blender!! We make so many dairy alternatives with it--sour cream; queso; milk; ice cream; cheese--it's great!!! My only complaint would be that, from time to time, the jars seem to leak at the bottom. I told the manufacturer about this though, and they sent me a replacement jar with no hesitation! A great product from a great company and a MUST HAVE for any vegans that aren't content with simply eating lettuce and tomatoes.

After using the unit for a few weeks, I called Blendtec customer service to report that the unit/motor base vibration was causing the blender to slide across the countertop. Furthermore, the lid on the WildSide Jar was so loose that it often fell into the jar when I tried to remove it before empting the contents. Blendtec sent out a new jar and lid with further instruction for use, however this did not alleviate the vibration problem. So I called again, and again they sent out a new jar. On the third call, after much deliberation, they finally agreed to send out a replacement base/motor. When the replacement arrived I was shocked that it was not only used/refurbished, but also a less expensive older model with less features. I spoke with with three separate Blendtec Company customer representatives without a satisfactory resolution. It is the last time I will purchase one of their products.

I've only had cheapo blenders in the past that made it a hassle to blend anything. They couldn't handle ice effectively, left lumps,and leaked. After getting this top of the line blender, I wish I had bought a great blender a long time ago. My husband and I are making one to two smoothies a day per person as part of our new healthy eating diets. Using the smoothie recipes from the Negative Calorie cookbook, the ingredients jar is large enough for me to make both our smoothies in one blend. So far, every bit of ice, veggie, fruit, and nut I have put in it has blended up perfectly without any need to stop the blender to tamp or stir. Wash up is easy. Now I look forward to using a blender in my everyday meal preparation. The blender costs a lot, but I feel it is worth it.