I already had a large, heavy blender that I never dug out from under the counter. I bought the Starfrit Personal Blender to make the occasional smoothie. I tried it right away and found it took up so little space and was so easy to clean (and lightweight too) that I decided to keep it on the counter. Instantly my diet became much healthier. The ability to keep it so handy means I never throw out any produce anymore. I throw in a little of this fruit, maybe whatever of that vegetable, added some ice and liquid (milk, juice, coffee, flavored tea), sometimes some yogurt, ice cream or cream cheese. Often adding some psyllium fiber, bran or oats - even graham crackers, cookies, etc. No real measuring needed. And one week when one of my teeth became abscessed I couldn't chew. That's when my personal blender took on the status of a life saver. As a bonus I now feel like a chef. New ideas keep coming to mind... molasses, maple syrup, whipped cream...