BACKSTORY: Was in the market for a new blender when my Ninja finally gave out after a rapid decline rounding the third year of ownership with daily use. I didn’t want to depart from the $250-ish price range of the Ninja but I knew I wanted some specifics in my next blender: better ice crushing, smoother finish, easy to clean, no frills.Well, after some healthy research I was presented with the following “best” blenders: Vitamix, KitchenAid, and Oster.Have personally experienced leaking with the Osters so was a no for me. The Vitamix is outrageously priced, a no for me. The KitchenAid seemed okay but nothing special.Unsatisfied, I dig through countless reviews and videos on Amazon. So many people seem perfectly content with so little. Not I. I needed the best blender for the buck, cause why not?I happened to stumble on this beast. While not a listed contender on the usual review sites, it is a name brand. I own a different product of this brand and had a terrific experience with their customer service once… I figured I’d give it the time of day. Watched a few videos and had it in the cart moments later.PRODUCT REVIEWThe item arrives, next day of course. Simple packaging, mostly recycled paper.One instruction booklet and a product registration page included.You receive one muddler, the jar and lid, and the base.The base is quite large, maybe 30% bigger than that of the ninja. The jar, while holding the same measurements, is a little wider and shorter than the ninja so fits better under cabinets.The use of this machine is a breeze. Lots of preset modes that actually seem to make a difference. Was skeptical but have yet to use the manual modes yet.Extremely smooth smoothies come out of this thing. Not a berry seed nor fleck of ice will survive on the “smooth” setting.It is a little loud but well worth it for the power provided.The blades are sharp.It’s easy to clean.10/10