Would I recommend this to a friend? I already have! Seriously, as someone who went to culinary school and spends a lot of time in the kitchen, I love to cook and like high-end equipment but am very, very poor. Ha! So, with Vitamix firmly out of my reach until Bon Appetit comes calling, I did some research and found this little powerhouse. Hot soups? Check. Protein shakes? Check. Citrus dijon vinaigrette? Check. Green smoothies? Check. I just made my own sorbet by tossing in frozen mango, a frozen banana, a whole (peeled) orange, lime juice, and a little coconut water and BOOM - extreme deliciousness in my mouth. This stuff is so silky smooth I can't even believe it.
The way the motor unit attaches to the top of the containers instead of the bottom means that when you're done blending/chopping/whatever, the blade (multi-tiered and amazeballs sharp!) lifts out, so you can scrape out every last bit of awesomeness and rinse out the pitcher with ease.
I could not be more pleased. I'd write more, but I keep coming up with stuff to blend... and I'm not even hungry....