I just bought this for someone with tube feeding and am really disappointed because her regular blender does a better job than this very expensive blender. The blended food can’t even go through the pump without beeping every second and you have to prime! Something the regular blender she uses hardly does!

I bought this to replace a Hamilton Beach machine that I used to make a daily smoothie. Unfortunately the 5200 does not perform as well as the much lower priced machine it replaced. Certain smoothie recipes that the HB machine handled automatically with its smoothie setting require me to carefully modulate the speed knob and stir the contents by hand, otherwise half the ingredients float unblended while the ingredients near the blades over blends and heat up. Otherwise the 5200 seems to be a powerful and well built machine.

This blender does an amazing job at blending smoothies (kale stems, ice, flaxseed, etc.). It was easy to learn how to use it because it came with instructions and a recipe book. I use it once or twice a day and it has really helped me to adopt a healthier lifestyle because I can blend perfect smoothies with ease. That said, there are some things I wish were different: *It's TOO LOUD. Everyone in my household is worried that we're all going to lose our hearing because it is far too loud. We cover our ears and/or run for the hills when it is in use. Not ideal, but you can work around it. *It can't go in the dishwasher. That said, it is very quick/easy to clean if you follow the instructions in the manual. *The suction cups that help it to stay in place can leave a faint mark on your counters. Overall, I am very happy with this purchase and I think it has already paid for itself in less than a year. I am truly grateful for it. If you are on the fence, I highly recommend it. I had disappointingly weak blenders for years, and this machine puts them to shame.