Cuisinart SPB-7BC SmartPower 7-Speed Electronic Blender

Amazon is not responsible for the design flaws in things they sell. I bought this unit as a 'factory referb' without warranty, so when it smoked and burned after the SECOND USE, I knew I might as well order another blender... so I got a nice Oster unit with a food processor attachment for close to the same price as the referb.
THEN COMES THE GOOD PART: Since the Cuisinart was without warranty, I opened up the bottom. What a shock to my eyes!!!! I am an electrical engineer and have seen all sorts of quality problems, but this one takes the cake! It is not only shoddy mechanically, it is unsafe! Spills could kill! The motor is held in place with a PAPER tube... not cardboard, PAPER. The motor is not anchored to anything... it free floats inside this paper tube and rests on a rubber grommet at the bottom. Upon seeing this (I was hoping to salvage the motor for another project) I picked up the entire thing and threw it in the trash. A shame, because it truly does come with...Read more

Previously owned [money] Osterizer blender for 10 years which worked just as well as this Cuisinart blender. Shortly after the warranty expired but only after 15 uses, the clutch -- which is plastic -- broke. Without the clutch, the machine is inoperable. When I called Cuisinart to inquire into repairing this product, they told me I would have to mail the blender base (motor is heavy!) and then, only after receipt they would estimate the cost of fixing the machine. When I asked for the average cost of repair, the answer was at least [money]. In other words, for the cost of buying a new Osterizer, I could pay for another plastic clutch to be installed. No thank you. A friend of mine who owned a Cuisinart blender had the same thing happen. She now owns a KitchenAid blender and is very happy with it.

I have Cuisinart products I like, but this was a disappointment. The plastic bottom of the container holds the blade in place, and sits on the rubber rotor on the top of the chrome base. However, both the bottom of the blade and the top of the base (where the motor is) have teeth which must mesh when you insert the top on the baase of the machine. It takes a few tries to make this work every time you replace the top on the base. What a pain.
I make banana shakes, and this machine leaves chunks of banana! It takes several tries, and even then does not always complete the job.
When I try to chop things llike nuts or bread crumbs, they tend to collect in the narrow bottom around the blade and get gummy instead of chopping. I never had this problem with my old Waring.
Plastic parts have a cheap feel. Next time - and I'm sure there will have to a next time with this machine - I'll get a good American made Waring. I don't find a use for the multiple speeds. at all.