The only reason that I bought this blender was because it was affordable and I needed a blender to process food. As far as making mixed drinks this blender is not very good at crushing ice like my Osterizer blender. The Hamilton Beach Wave Power 12-Speed Blender is good for making salsa and making shakes but it doesn't have enough power to make smoothies and mixed drinks. Also there are so many speeds that you don't really use all the speeds that are on the front panel. I only use a few bottons since I use the blender for making the same types of foods, namely salsa. As far as cleaning, this blender is easy to clean. Just take the cup off and rinse and wash it out. The top comes off the cup easily and is also easy to wash. I would recommend buying the Hamilton Beach Wave Power 12-Speed Blender if you are using it to make salsa and shakes but I wouldn't recommend it for making mixed drinks and smoothies.

waikiki505

Honolulu, HI

I have a Hamilton Beach 12-speed blender with wave action, which I bought about a year ago. It blends pretty well, even smoothies with ice. However, whenever I try to pour from the pitcher, the liquid somehow ends up everywhere, dripping down the side and making a mess. So, while it is OK at blending, it stinks for pouring. Also, while it says that it has 12 speeds, I don't notice any difference between the top two speeds. So I would call it 10 or 11 speed. The glass pitcher does come apart and wash nicely in the dishwasher, although once I put the rubber lid in the dishwasher and it has been stained ever since. I probably wouldn't recommend this product if you could get something different for a similar price. It's "just OK."

mkvealsh

New Era, MI