BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade Performance Digital Blending System, Black/Silver, BL6010

Excellent price vs. performance with this product, easily comparable to a Vitamix in performance at fifth the price. Pros: Powerful, blasts through ice and frozen fruit Auto setting works well Infrequent air pockets, keeps smoothies swirling Cons: Too tall, won't fit under my cabinets No good grip points for carrying Overview: My wife and I did extensive comparison shopping between this product the Ninja Professional blender and the vitamix line. We were able to trial the Ninja and Vitamix at our parents, each having one, but ultimately took a chance on the FusionBlade Performance. A month in we made the right choice. We use the blender extensively for making smoothies, 3-5 times a week. The FB Performance kills it at blending ice and frozen fruit (Berries and Bananas mostly). I was skeptical of the auto setting but it really works, when using the auto setting the blender rarely gets a air pocket and stops swirling the smoothie. I've only had to stop once to stir and that was because there wasn't enough liquids. I haven't yet used the personal blend jar. My only gripe is that it is tall and won't fit under my cabinet so I have to store in a cabinet and there are no good grip points so I have to use two hands to move the unit. [This review was collected as part of a promotion.]