Hamilton Beach 56206 Smoothie Smart Blender

mixed reviews
I see that the reviews of this blender are quite mixed: from "can't be beat!" to "worthless."

Well, all I can do is tell you my experiences with this model.

The negative: Maybe it's just me, because others have written that it crushes ice cubes. I tried five ice cubes at a time, reducing it to even just one at a time, and I simple couldn't get more than something that resembled frost in the bottom of the blender.

I'll use it and enjoy it for hot chocolate and smoothies, but I'm still going to have to get an ice-crusher.

The positive:

It made perfect smoothies for me, using bananas, strawberries, blueberries and other fruit. Much of the fruit was frozen, but it still produced well-blended smoothies.

It makes wonderful "Abuelita-style" hot chocolate. This is the Mexican hot chocolate you make first heating milk in a microwave (Pyrex bowl), then pouring it into the blender and adding one of those hard Mexican discs of...

"The dogs did bark , the children screamed, Up flew the windows all; And every soul bawled out as loud as he could bawl."
I hope everyone enjoyed that little bit of William Cowper. And now about this Hamilton Beach Blender. Every once in a while you come across a product with a flaw so glaring you wonder how the product-development meeting went. Something like this maybe: "Well boys this smoothie blender is jack-hammer loud and not particularly good at making actual smoothies, and a previous incarnation of the blender, fondly remembered as 56205, was lambasted with bad reviews because the motor had a tendency to blow out in a month or so, but men we are not ones to learn from the past so I declare version 56206 market-ready!" And then the Regional Junior Vice-President, East Coast Division Bottom Floor, blows a kazoo and here we are, testing the Hamilton Beach 56206 Smoothie "Smart" Blender. Read on for the lousy details.

SET-UP AND APPEARANCE: I will admit this blender looks great, and I truly love the outward design. The controls are simple and very functional, with a one-touch "Smoothie"...

Ultimate blender, and not just for smoothies
This is the ultimate blender, and not just for smoothies. The heavy glass pitcher is so much more durable than the plastic kind, and the built-in spout makes for a splatter-proof pour.

My favorite feature would have to be the auto smoothie button. Simply put all the smoothie ingredients in, hit that button just once, and it does it all for you, from pulsing to chop ice to the final whir for that creamy, perfect consistency.

I've used mine to puree soup and for smoothies, and am totally happy with it. Unpeeled apple chunks in my smoothies practically melt to liquid, and even the skins are barely visible specks.

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