The Blendtec Blender is not just a blender and should not be confused with others on the market. It's part of our everyday lives and we use it 3-5 times per week. Sure, there are many ongoing debates online about Blendtec vs. Vitamix, but we are fans of Blendtec. We bought a Blendtec many years ago and have amassed thousands of blends (I know b/c the counter tells me). Raw fruits or vegetables never go to waste in our house. We simply throw them in the freezer and directly into the Blendtec. It's also a great way to get raw vegetables (spinach, kale, etc.) into your kids. Simply add it to their favorite smoothie and they won't know the difference. We only make whole fruit and vegetable smoothies with no extra sugar. The result isn't grainy or overly sweet. We also had great customer support. After years of use the pitcher had a small crack in it and the digital display on the base began to flicker. We simply called Blendtec and they replaced the pitcher and the base with no questions and no charge.