BlendtecDesigner 725 High Speed Blender with WildSide+ Jar, 1800 W, 2.66 L - Stainless Steel

Not fit for purpose. The lid comes off during use. The contents are sprayed everywhere. Do not touch with a barge pole. I'm having problems returning it to Amazon.

I recently upgraded to the Designer 725 from an older Blendtec Total Blender which I had owned for a number years. There was nothing wrong with the old one (I passed it to a family member who was delighted), but liked the look of the newer model and the improved controls over blending offered in the newer model (more on that later).These blenders by no means are cheap, and before I initially took the plunge and purchased my 'Total Blender', it took a while to mull it over and to justify it. And the 725 was even more expensive (but I had the benefit of knowing how good Blendtec was by this point)! But was it worth it? Absolutely, one hundred percent! I have tried numerous blenders in the past (I have owned cheap supermarket ones and I have tried other premium branded ones that friends or family have owned). I must say, nothing quite beats a Blendtec in terms of performance, power and versatility.Firstly, the Designer 725 has a much sleeker design and look compared to the old one. The polished silver base looks excellent in our kitchen and is very modern looking. It appears to be real metal (not a piece of plastic that is painted to look like metal), so I have no concerns that the metal surface will deteriorate or peel off over time. Whereas my older one -- whilst very functional and still an excellent blender -- had plastic silver-looking parts to the base (button area etc.) that did eventually start to crack as I pressed the buttons. On my new 725 however, there is no physical buttons. It's all touch-controlled which is fantastic. It also adds to its modern look. As modern looking as it is, thankfully it is not like these silly appliances we are seeing more and more of nowadays; it is NOT internet connected! Why would it need to be?My favourite new function in the 725 is the fine ability to adjust the speed up or down by sliding my finger! My older Blendtec could adjust the speed slightly (maybe 5 or 6 increments), but not with the degree of control I can in my new one. There is a touch screen (and it is instantly responsive, no delay) that allows me to slide the speed up or down as I please. It is both fun and practical, the fun bit wears off after a while, but the practicaility is undeniable! Being able to speed up and down as required is brilliant. No watching the blender spin too fast.I had read some not so good reviews of early 725 models whilst waiting for delivery, but this was not a complaint with the blender itself, but with the Wildside+ Jar it came with. I was concerned about this, and my online research told me that I should look for a silver ring under the blade (on the inside of the jar - see picture), that is significantly stronger and more reliable. It will not shred itself to pieces (which some of the early reviews had happen to them). Though, that goes to show how powerful these blenders are! On my first Blendtec, I had a look at the jar and could see it was just plastic. My Blendtec 725 purchase in late 2017 came with the improved silver metal ring in the jar, and I have had absolutely no problems with it. If you get one that doesn't have a silver ring, then I am sure you could return it and swap for one with the metal ring.The main improvements I have seen in my new 725:+ The build quality appears to be much better. The 725 feels even more sturdier.+ The blends are better and there is more preset choices.+ The designer 725 appears to be slightly quieter when blending. The finer control over speed also means it is not spinning faster than I need it to. Every little helps when you've got sleeping kids!+ Significantly better screen and controls.+ Smarter Blending - can detect when it is spinning too fast (if I have failed to add enough liquid), and prompts me to add liquid or slow it down.Having a blender as capable as this has caused me to blend things that otherwise would not be possible to blend effectively in less-capable appliances. My old, crappy supermarket blenders were never able to pulverise things like this Blentec can. Chunks of carrot? No thanks! As a result, our family consumes more fruit and veg than we would otherwise, which is a great thing for our health. Of course, there are all the other treats that it can make too: ice cream, home-made peanut butters, and more. And the greatest thing we are able to do is make baby food for our 6 month old. We can blend whatever we are eating into a baby food blend. No jars or pouches needed (unless for convenience sake when we go out), so we're saving money in this aspect too (that helped us justify spending this much on a blender again).Our favourite concotion at the moment? A veg blend consisting of carrot, spinach, celery, chia seed, flax seed, grated ginger and lemon juice. Tasty? Not as bad as you think, and a great way to consume more veg!And when we want a treat, we just make our own Costa Belgian Chocolate Coolers (saves £4 a drink) or Starbucks Chocolate Fraps! Delicious.My final tip... Get a Twister Jar as an accessory. When blending smaller portions, the jar that comes with the 725 is a little too large. The Twister Jar is fantastic for smaller quantities. It stops the contents of the blend from sticking on the side (when making thicker things, like peanut butters, that don't have so much liquid), and the rotateable top allows you to remove the contents from the wall, so it gets back into the blender and mixes properly.Oh, and one last thing... Who isn't drawn to the brilliant videos on YouTube? "Will it Blend?" Great fun! For those that haven't seen it, showing my friends how powerful my blender is gets me quite a few "Wows!"