My partner surprised me with by purchasing a Vitamix 5200. I'm a little angry because it's a $500.00 blender and I don't like it when 'we' make big purchases without consulting each other.

On the other hand, it's a very nice blender. The design is very well thought through. With my old blender (blenders really) food would frequently clump in the blender and I'd either have to stop the blend and mix, or stick a wooden spoon into the blendar and risk having the spoon chopped up. This blender appears to have been designed to promote better cirulation. It also comes with a special tamper that lets you push foods around in the blendar without risk of smashing the tamper into the blades.

The sounds of the blendar sometimes worry me. It's not a quiet machine. The first time we chopped ice, it sounded like something had gone wrong. After watching the included DVD though, my worries have subsided. The blender can make loud griding noises. That's just normal.

The blendar can also heat soups. It doesn't have a heating element. The friction of the blades creates enough heat make a hot soup in about five minutes. This is useful.

What I like most about the blender is the quality of the purees. Food comes out smooth. With the old blender a puree created a considerable amount of pulp. The Vitamax obliterates the pulp. I no longer need to strain sauces or soups.