Cuisinart SPB-7CH SmartPower 40-Ounce 7-Speed Electronic Bar Blender, Chrome

We have been using this blender for about seven months. We make daily smoothies with crushed ice (crushed from our ice maker) and frozen fruit (bananas, strawberries, etc.) and milk or juice. We have always noticed a slight electrical smell from the unit whenever we were mixing our drinks. The quality of the blend was generally OK; occasionally it was unable to break up some of the ice chunks.

A plastic part on the base of the unit ended up shattering. This is a cheap plastic piece that turns the blade. I e-mailed Cuisinart's customer service group. It was a couple of weeks before they returned my e-mail. I had also left messages with their customer service number. After a few attempts I was finally able to speak with someone. I was told that I would have to send the blender back to them, at my cost, and include a ten-dollar check for them to repair the unit. After I told them that their policy was against the law in the State of California they agreed to issue...Read more

I've had this blender for about a year now, and use it regularly to make smoothies or soups. The 'digital' control panel seemed a little gimicky at first, but I've learned to appreciate the easy cleanup that it allows with a sponge. The wide openings of the heavy glass jar (which is much sturdier than most) allow for easy cleaning and pouring, and the motor has more than enough power for everything I've thrown at it.

My only complaint is that the rubber lid stained when I blended some hot tomato soup in it. The instruction manual warns against blending hot liquids however, and the stain is purely cosmetic and on the inside of the lid where it isn't visible. The plastic base of the jar also seems like it would be prone to snapping over time, but in my frequent use of the blender I haven't had any troubles with it.

Overall I would highly recommend this blender over the cheaper alternatives, the heavy glass jar, sharp blade and powerful motor make it a joy to use.

I received my blender for Christmas 2000. I only used it infrequently for milkshakes. 2 days ago the black plastic gear at the base of the blender broke into 4 pieces! I called the customer support center and they told me to mail it to them ( at my expense) but they could not give me an estimate on how much it would end up costing me to have it fixed! I have since learned that this is a very common problem ( they acted as if they had never heard of the problem) It seems to me a [dollar amount] blender should not have plastic gears... I am very dissatisfied with the product and the customer support!!!