Russell Hobbs 18510 Desire Jug Blender

This is by some distance the best blender - out of four - that I've owned. It looks smart, is easy to use and is, by the usual standards, reasonably quiet (although don't expect a discreet hum!). I've made some sauces, soups and smoothies with it so far, and they've all been very satisfactory. A stylish, sturdy and effective kitchen gadget.

I got one of these after wanting a cheap blender to try out, rather than spending loads on an expensive one.

I wasn't expecting much, but after about 5 uses it seemed great.

On the 6th use I put it on high for around 20 seconds whilst I went to the fridge, it stopped suddenly, with a strange smell coming from the base, wouldn't turn back on, gutted. Tried again the next day in different plugs and seemed like it was broken, sent it back to Amazon and got a replacement the next day.

My replacement came today, I loaded it up with small pieces of cocunut (1cm x 1cm) + water, left it on low for 1 minute and it stopped again, the same smell coming from the base, sending it back after I finish this review.

This blender is great if you want use it for a decoration in your kitchen, but any actual blending you're better off looking elsewhere. Very dissapointed.

This is useful. A blender that is so easy to use even I'm allowed to have a go. Chuck in your fruit, put the lid on and turn the big dial to position `1' until everything has been mashed up into liquid form. If you use any slightly heavier ingredients (particularly ice), then position `2' comes into play. There is a third dial position, that of `pulse', which is used for a short high-speed burst. This position has a spring so will turn itself off when you release the dial. That's all there is to it!

However, before all that you have to ensure the jug is clicked into place, otherwise it won't work. Turn it clockwise until it does and you're ready. The handy thing about this blender is that to remove the jug, you need only turn it anti-clockwise and it lifts itself from the base. The lid itself has a good solid rubber seal that makes it harder to remove than you'd imagine (which is a good thing, as you don't want it working loose when being used). Okay, you can remove the lid to fill the jug initially, but to add anything else, there's a cap in the lid; just remember to put it back, otherwise you'll spend ages cleaning your walls. Ah, the lid. Whilst the jug has the obvious spout and the lid follows this shape, at the rear there is a small cutaway with a strainer. If you turn the lid around the contents can be poured through catching any loose `bits' if you so choose. As the second setting is rather powerful, three suction pads on the base will stop it from dancing off your worktop, or wherever it's used.

The glass of the jug is a decent thickness and I like the red and black colour. The power button is nice and big and it's all very stylish making it look more expensive than it is. I think this is going to see a lot of use.