Hamilton Beach - HBB250R HBB250 Commercial Rio Bar Blender with 44-Ounce Polycarbonate Container, Black

i actually took a risk on this purchase, i for some reason wasnt buying the reviews on here. someone said they use it to make ices, bad idea. no one i know uses ice anymore, ice has been replaced with frozen fruit. i did used ice at first like 4 times and i notice a smell from the motor like if it was working even harder to crush those ices, but every other time where i didn't use ice / or used frozen fruit instead, then there will be no smell. so this product is going to last longer as long as ice isnt being used. anyways the best thing i liked about this machine was, 2 sliced frozen peeled bananas + milk = banana frosty. very smoothie like/frosty type like ice cream. i wish i remember the amount of milk i use seeing as that plays an important role. this is definitely worth it. just don't use ice, use frozen fruits instead

Makes great smoothies. Very powerful. Chops ice with no problem. Just make sure you cut your frozen fruit to small bite size chunks before you freeze it if you use fresh banana, pineapple etc.Update July 2017: The pulse toggle switch broke so the blender became inoperable. I found a replacement toggle switch for ~$30. For that price I was almost ready to just purchase a new blender. Looking through reviews this seems to be a problem area in that it fails quite a lot. If you are just a little handy you can replace it yourself in about 20 minutes. Based on the quality of the switch I ordered form Hamilton Beach I do not think it will last either. The switch has a "flimsy" feel to it and I believe I will be replacing it again in the future. I knocked it down one star due to the poor durability of the pulse toggle switch.We like this blender and it makes great smoothies and other frozen drinks with no issues. The poly-carbonate mixing chamber has held up well and is still clear after 4 years of moderate use.

It was wrong wall electrical contact so unfortunately I cannot use the mixer .It could have been good if somebody could have warned about the issue ...

I've used it twice since purchasing it.I bought it because my old HB commercial bar blender from the 1990s is finally nearing it's end after probably thousands of uses.This one blends like crazy - I'd put it up against those $400 blenders. Makes very smooth smoothies.But...It's like its too powerful for its plastic base. Yes, that black isn't metal, it's plastic. Looks real heavy but isn't. And the jar doesn't fit tightly. So it starts to lift off the base and also the base occasionally moves across the counter! I literally have to hold it down to keep it from jumping off the base or attacking our other appliances. It also makes growing noise like it's not a happy camper. Our toaster looks real nervous. I hate to send it back because it really really does blend great and don't know what else I'd buy that is comparable without spending way beyond my budget. If they had just made the jar so it actually fit without being loose and if the base was made out of metal like my last one, I don't think it would be a problem. When the jar starts lifting up, it growls something nasty as the teeth no longer make solid contact. As it is, it's a bit scary and I may need to arm myself prior to attempting my next protein shake. Then again, I may keep it just for little added excitement in life.So in the end, if you want a monster blender for a reasonable price and don't scare easily, this is it. But beware, this is not a tame or domesticated blender and may require training to keep it from escaping or attacking you or your other appliances.

This thing kicks butt! The first time I tried it I accidentally used my old blender's lid and liquid and ice were coming out the spout!!! It is that powerful.I use ice and frozen fruit and it always seemed like I had chunks. I've only had it a couple of days, but no more chunks in my smoothies!! After I've had it for a while I'll add more feedback, but so far it is awesome!!!The only "negative" thing I can think of is that the blender picture is extremely tall. I like to put all my ingredients together (except ice and frozen items) in the container the night before which makes it really fast the next morning. I had to move some things around in the fridge door and readjust the shelf so it would fit. For me, this is minor but for others it might be a big deal.I don't know about making a bunch of items at once as I only make one or two smoothies at a time.

Yes its true I had this blender for a year. BUT. The cutter assembly froze up in blender bowl. Motor is fine. Contacted seller and they said they would help. Kind of getting the run around. Just wanted a cutter assembly. Now I want a refund. We will see what happens. They should stand by what they sell. If they take care of business I will be back for a good review for seller. Not sure about product. Hamilton beach is hard to beat except this time. If I had got this at a store instead of on amazon you can bet they would have replaced it for sure

We make a lot of smoothies and icees and this blender blends ice better than any blender I have seen. It is even better than the smoothies in our mall. The ice has an almost silky texture that is fantastic. I think it is the specialized way the container and blade is shape cause all of the ice is pulled down. We are saving a lot of money making our own drinks with just ice and fruit than paying $5 and $8 a drink elsewhere. This is especially good since my wife and I are grad students and we don't have the extra money anyways but we do like iced drinks during our studies. We don't make sauces or anything else with this blender and it isn't a household multi purpose blender but it is great at making drinks.