I bought this for the specific purpose of crushing ice and making smoothies, after reading hundreds of reviews for other blenders. If you don't want to spend $400-500 on a Vitamax, then this is your second best choice. It crushes ice and liquefies everything into a smooth texture very fast. There is, however, an electric burn smell when it operates longer than 30 seconds. The blade gets stuck when you're blending large quantities w/o enough liquid, in other words if the content is more paste-like rather than liquid-like. We've been using it almost every day for the last 2 months and, overall, we're happy with the quality of this product.

• How accurate was the on site description of the product? accurate

As other reviewers stated there is an electrical smell if you run it for a few minutes straight but it's so powerful that you don't need to do that very often (at least I don't) it is loud but only irritatingly so on high speeds. I'm VERY happy that I bought it!

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? same
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. good
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? good

I love the one piece easy cleaning feature; it does blend smoothies well which is why I bought it. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is b/c it has an odor like an overheating appliance when I use it. I shut it off immediately when I start to smell it. I regularly buy refurbished items, never have had a problem with them. If it continues to smell I will send it in for repair.

I bought this blender because I can't yet justify spending over $400 on a Vitamix or Blendtec. I've used it daily for a few weeks now and it consistently churns out delicious results. Green smoothies with spinach blend to a very smooth consistency, the result with kale is not as smooth but of course, kale is a tougher green than spinach. This blender simply demolishes ice, frozen fruit, and large pieces of apple without any difficulty. I have not had to use a tamper during blending; the blender's shape and power is enough to move all my ingredients toward the blade. One would not be able to guess that it is in refurbished condition. Pitcher has a nice pour spout, is very easy to clean and I love that it is a one-piece assembly. I'm very happy that I saved hundreds of dollars buying this blender over the fancier types, it's perfect for my moderate smoothie needs :)

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? Same
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. High Quality Blender
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? Same

I'm happy with my purchase. it came in very quick and saved me money by purchasing it refurbished through Overstock.

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? good
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. woirks as designed
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? very good

This blender (even refurbished) works great. Crushes ice in frozen drinks like a dream with no chunks or overblended wateriness. And it's FAST. Quite attractive, too. The jar is wider than my old blender making it easier to fill and clean, and it has a nice shape for pouring.

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? Color was the same as shown
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. This is a great blender.
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? Accurate description

I love it. Very light weight but sturdy. It came with all the instructions. It didn't matter that it was refirbished. Thanks you

I spent a looong time researching between this one and an Oster. Both had very good reviews but each had different strengths and problems. So I bought this one, partly because I had a KitchenAid before that finally died, after many years and much abuse. The pros: This guy is *powerful*. It will grind and puree almost anything. I don't plan on trying rocks but it might. I make a lot of smoothies with nuts and frozen fruit and it handles ice and frozen items easily. I was concerned about the one piece container being difficult to clean and it might be if food is left in there to dry but rinsing and washing right after using is easy. The hard plastic shaft that drives the blades seems strong enough to last. Unlike a few other reviewers, I haven't had any problem with the seal leaking. The cons: Noisy; not tremendously but definitely not quiet. Personally, I'll take it in exchange for the power. A lot of vibration when working hard, enough to make me want to hold it down when grinding/chopping harder items. And it smells when working hard, kind of an electric motor type of smell. Not a lot and dissipates quickly. I actually think it's worth 4.5 stars rather than 4 but I don't have that option.

I have never bought refurbished so I meticulously read the reviews. While I did notice the slight smell just a bit, it did not bother me in the least as that's the faint aroma of the mighty horsepower packed in this sleek unit as it blends THE perfect marguerita. I was blown away by how few seconds it took to froth up a perfect blend from cubes.

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? perfect match
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. high
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? accurate

As a another reviewer I purchased this for the specific purpose of crushing ice and making smoothies. I waited a few weeks before I wrote this review and so far it is working great. If it last as long as my KitchenAid stand mixer I will me very pleased.

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? Color on website was very close
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. KitchenAid, need I say more?
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? Very accurate

It crushes ice amazingly well, creating a fine powder that's ideal for snow cones. It makes great smoothies and milkshakes. We bought this based on the Cook's Illustrated equipment tests and after a few weeks we are not disappointed. I love the wide top for ease of cleaning and adding ingredients. We've also owned a Blendtec but it was so expensive and we didn't like the way it made milkshakes so we took it back. For everyday use, we love the price tag and performance of this machine. It really is a breeze to clean out, even if you get sticky peanut butter on the sides.

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? the same
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. well made

I was pleased to open the package with this blender. I have gone through several in my adult life, and this one is far sturdier and seems higher quality then the others i've owned. You will be surprised at how heavy this is. I have stainless appliances, so this was an obvious color choice and matches the other countertop appliances I have. I had not purchased a refurbished item before; this one came iwth the owners manual, although it was in an overstock box, and not the original packaging. I was slightly concerned about what went wrong the first time that it had to be refurbished, but in the end, it seems to operate perfectly. I am very pleased with my purchase.

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? great
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. THis is one of the better blenders i've ever owned. Very sturdy and solid Nickel base.
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? accurate

This refurbished blender looks and works like new. Will buy more refurbished products from Overstock

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? great
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. It is like new
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? perfect

The only think I wouldn't list on the features is the cord storage. There's not very much room to have to "squish or jam" the cord into under the blender. Not very effective ... I do not consider this actual cord storage Otherwise, overall this is a FANTASTIC BLENDER!!!

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? Same
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. GREAT QUALITY! Strong, Sturdy, Defect-free, Professional Type
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? Good

I purchased this blender to make nut milks and prepare various raw food dishes. It works great. I would definitely purchase another if/when this one dies.

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? fine
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. good quality, just what I would expect from kitchen aid
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? good

It is a perfect price for this blender; I think overstock has the best price than anywhere else

This is an excellent blender. It literarily makes snow out of ice cubes! I bought it to mostly use it for iced drinks and it great for that purpose. Plus it looks fantastic on the countertop. Over the years I've bought many refurbished products and they are always absolutely perfect, just like new with the added benefit of having potential kinks worked out. High quality + strong performance + beautiful design = happy customer.

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? perfect
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. excellent
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? perfect

This product broke after just a few uses. Don't waste your money.

I've only used this once but it seems to have a lot of power. I bought it mostly to see if it crushes ice better than the one we currently have. My husband has used it several times to make mixed drinks and says it does well but sometimes there's still a chunk of ice. The blender arrived in excellent condition.

The new blender looked brand new including the jar. We are smelling a little burning smell while using - hope that dissappears after using for a while. Looks just like the picture. Great price if you don't need a good warrantee.