Smoothie/shake people--stick blender recommendation? (Read 430 times)

We have now killed stick blender #2. First one was a really poorly designed Braun that lasted only about a year and died after very little use (the motor essentially chewed itself up). Stick blender #2 was a Cuisinart. Eventually the coupling between the motor/handle portion and the removable stick wore out and the two parts no longer connect. Anyone have a model that is a bit more durable? I never really liked the Cuisinart, anyhow--it was hard to clean well. k