My best friend is a coffee lover and will drink any coffee anywhere. So she just couldn't understand my need to drink flavored coffee or iced coffees and the like. But being the great friend that she is she bought me the **Starbucks Barista Bar Blender **as a gift so I could copy some of my favorite drinks from Starbuck's at home**. ** This is one powerful blender. I've had blenders that just can't handle ice. Well I can't say that the Starbucks Barista Bar Blender has that problem. It chops ice in seconds and it's consistant. It's very easy to use and easy to clean. It is powerful and well made. I'm not going to lie and say that I can make drinks at home that area as good as what I drink at Starbucks but my drinks are good enough so that I no longer make an unneccessary trip outside of the house to get one of my favorite drinks I just make a similar drink at home. If you're looking for a powerful blender this is it!****

deeirene

Canton, OH

**Starbuck's Barista Bar Blender** I have to give credit where credit is due.  I am not a frequenter of Starbuck's for coffee drinks and I actually returned 2 Starbuck's coffee pots that were design nightmares... but the Starbuck's Barista Bar Blender is awesome.   **Starbuck's Barista Bar Blender** Stainless steel Powerful motor Exceptional grinder Three Speeds: high, low or pulse Heavy glass canister with lid, handle and a measurement markers I make a fruit smoothie mid-morning almost everyday.  We call it a fruit smoothie because that is a lot more salable but it also has some vegetables too and lots of ice cubes.  The ice cubes are key.  In the same way that chocolate chip cookies are even better warm, fruit smoothies are even better really cold.   The Starbuck's blender is really simple- pulse, low or high.  I put it on low for 10 seconds followed by high for 10 seconds and it is all done.  The bananas are creamy, there are no ice chips, the kale is pulverized beyond detection and everyone can enjoy a healthy and refreshing mid-morning snack. Sometimes you don't really appreciate what you've got until it's gone.  Or rather until you rent a house at the beach that has an old Osterizer blender and despite using all of the many fun buttons from chop to frop, (or is it frappe?) ice chips abound and chunks of green apples float and your smoothie is anything but smooth.   **My Viewpoint:**  Powerful motor and excellent blades are the perfect match for ice cubes in smoothies.  I've used this Starbuck's Barista Bar Blender ALMOST EVERYDAY for three years and it is still going strong and offering great results.        

AngelaWLaFon

Big Island, VA