Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We purchased this blender after our old Oster died and our Magic Bullet bit the dust. I agonized over various blenders- all with different features- but mostly, it came down to, "What can I get with the best features and not break the bank?" ($400 for a blender just seems outrageous to me!) Our Hamilton Beach 58149 Blender/Chopper arrived today and we opened it up and put it to use, right out of the box! Likes: -LOVE the easy-pour spout! This spout makes it easy to blend and then serve. No fuss, no muss. -The easy-clean feature is a nice feature that helps loosen bits of food that can get caught in the blades. -Our old Oster had a plastic pitcher and I hated it. It cracked easily and I didn't feel like it was very good quality. I love that this blender has a glass pitcher. Dislikes: -The hinged opening on the top of the blender is kind of small. This makes it difficult to add anything too big while the machine is in operation. -Like other reviewers have commented, you do need to add more-than-you-think-you-need liquid in order to get a smooth, smoothie. -I kind of wish that the chopper had a glass bowl, but it's not a deal breaker since I don't think I've ever seen a chopper with a glass bowl. I just believe that glass lasts longer than plastic. Otherwise, we really like this machine and I'm please with the Hamilton Beach 58149 Blender and Chopper.