Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There are plenty of solid reviews for this, so to put your mind at ease about the others, let me address the one-star reviews. Says one: "Doesn't work on ANYTHING. Can't even make smoothies." Makes you wonder what use the fifty people who gave it five stars have for it. A paperweight perhaps? Two people remark that it doesn't blend raw fruit or vegetables. If they're trying this without liquid, they either 1) are not very bright; or 2) have wildly unrealistic expectations of a $20 drink blender. I can tell you that I have bought a lot of these (mostly in the plastic version), because I think they are fantastic and I give them as gifts. When I get a new one for myself, it's because the old one is kind of gross from a year's worth of smoothie residue stuck in the cracks. The stainless steel looks nicer in the kitchen, but I kind of miss being able to see what's happening during blending. A tradeoff...but either way, I promise you can make a smoothie. ADVICE/UPDATE: It's possible given the design that if you put ice/fruit at the bottom, it will get stuck there and not get drawn into the blades. Put in your liquid first, and then your ice at the top.