Overall I give this blender four and a half stars, but it won't let me give the extra half. The appearance is really nice but I wish the base was actually metal instead of plastic covered in chrome coating. I love how secure it sits in the base and how snug the lid fits (however the lid feels like very cheap and brittle plastic). The portable cup is nice but really large.
The controls are simple and easy to operate and the preprogrammed cycles are so convenient! I love how the dual direction blade automatically switches back and forth so that any jams are worked out without having to take the lid off. It also blends, even ice, very well!
There's a tab on the base of the pitcher that I'm not sure what the purpose is, but I feel like it's going to catch on something and break off. The other little nit-picky thing is that the clear center piece of the lid allows liquid to leak through if you set it upside down.
I received this product as a sample to test and review.