Breville BBL620SIL Fresh and Furious Blender, Silver

Score: A-Plus!
We are getting back to our healthy habits in my household, and a new blender was at the top of my shopping list this month. I write reviews because I know how helpful they are for consumers who want to get the highest quality products for the best value. I LOVE reading reviews to learn about products I need or want! So, after watching and reading enough reviews on blenders to feel fully aware of what my options were, it came down to choosing between this blender, The Breville Fresh and the Furious for $199.00 or going for the mother of all blenders and spending twice as much (or more), for a V-mix.I have worked with professional blenders in the past, so I was aware of the difference between a blender that takes severe daily use abuse compared to one used in the home for daily shakes and occasional soups, dips, or sauces. Based off of the difference in blender needs between personal and professional grade function, as well as factoring in counter space, noise, and aesthetic, I chose the Breville. I could not be more pleased!After reviewing so many blenders, I was under the belief that the pitcher was made of glass, which had been something I was at first desiring of. However, it is made of a high quality, BPA-free plastic. The pitcher is also a decent size with a 6 cup/48oz max fill level, if it were made of glass it would be quite heavy. Perfect for making more than one portion of anything at one time! The ice crush works well on a pulse and there are buttons with preset auto-settings, all clearly labeled. The other buttons are for certain features as well so read the manual before using for best results. It is easy to read and there are also a set of large, colorful and easy to read recipe cards.Wash the blender before using by adding some warm water and a bit of dish soap to the pitcher. Place it on the blender base, secure the lid and THEN plug it in and press the button beneath the power button to self clean. Rinse well when done.The lid seals on securely with just gentle pressure and only a bit more effort to remove it. There is a center insert for the lid for easy adding of ingredients, (or to attach a separately sold vacuum add-on piece for the blender). Make certain it locks in place so you don’t have any surprises!Again, read the manual for best placement of foods for the smoothest blends and never stick your hand into the blender as the blades are perfectly sharp. I believe it is dishwasher safe, but I personally never like the visual wear and tear on plastic based containers in the dishwasher so I will continue to use the blender’s clean cycle, rinse well, and air dry.My smoothies so far have been perfectly blended and smooth to drink, not grainy at all. I am excited about making soups-especially now that fall and winter are on their way! The blender motor is quite powerful and it is not quiet, but it is not much louder than most modern day blenders. I added a video so you can see it in action and hear how loud it is. The base of the blender stands strong during blending and does not move at all or shake that much. An incredible appliance for anyone serious about smoothies or cooking. The Breville Fresh and the Furious would make an amazing gift to someone you love, or yourself!

Great blender!
Love this blender! It will literally cut through whatever you put in it! Great for making sauces, smoothies, whatever you need really. We had a ninja before that I absolutely hated and this has been such a great upgrade. The only small issue I have is that I wish the cup itself was a bit bigger but other than that it’s great .

Stellar
This was a gift I sent to a friend. He cannot stop thanking me. Loves everything about. I am very happy with this purchase.

Powerful; easy to clean
I’ve mostly used this blender to make Mexican foods (salsas from dried chilies & tomatillos, horchata with rice and almonds, etc.), and occasionally I make a smoothie or frozen drink.This thing is powerful. It goes through ice and nuts with no issue, and the various functions such as “smoothie”, “green smoothie”, auto clean, etc. are great. It can make ice almost into snowball ice consistency.At first I didn’t think I’d like the pitcher part, because it’s not glass, but it’s actually very nice (and lightweight to handle). It cleans up well, and since I wipe it out & off after washing it doesn’t get water spots – it’s still nice and clear and clean looking. And, it’s easy to read the measurements that are marked in red.The auto clean function works *really* well. On rare occasion I’ll still have to give the inside a quick wipe, but not often (only when I’ve used olive oil in it, and even then, the auto clean does the job 95% of the time). I’ve never put it in the dishwasher, so I can’t speak to that. If you clean or at least rinse it out right away, the auto clean really eliminates any need to put it in a dishwasher.It does sound like a jet engine taking off when it’s doing it’s auto clean, but that’s fine with me. With regular use it’s loud, but I’ve never used a quiet one, so it’s a non-issue for me.The lid can be difficult to remove because it really seats into the pitcher well. But, I’ve gotten used to it, and if I leverage my thumb upward against the lid handle while pulling up on it, it’s easier. It’s hard to to explain. Sometimes a bit of food residue will get under the big seal around the lid, as others have said, but I haven’t had any problems getting it out. I’ll run it under the faucet and just pull back a bit on the gasket. That usually gets any small particles right out.I like that the blades are part of the pitcher. They don’t come out, and aren’t a separate piece like my old blender. I thought at first that might be a problem with cleaning, but it hasn’t been. It’s actually easy to get the edge of a dishcloth under the blades if you need to, plus, nothing much escapes the auto clean function.If you plan to store this on your counter under a cabinet, or in a cabinet, take note of the height of it. I have standard height countertops & cabinets, and this fits on the counter under the cabinet just barely (with lid on).I haven’t bought a blender in years, and I’m glad I chose this one. I use it much more often than I thought I would. I’ve only had it about 6 months, so I can’t say how well it will hold up over time.**UPDATE 5/25: Blender still works just fine. However, the ‘stickers’ that are glued to the selection buttons (off/on, mix, pulse, blend, etc.) are peeling off. Yes, those are stickers. For the price you’d think that either they’d have these well glued, or even better, that you’d have actual ‘metal’ buttons, not stickers of all things. Pretty disappointing. But as I said, the blender is still doing the job and otherwise still looks good. Gotta get the glue out and glue these back on because I won’t remember which button is which function. Do better Breville.

super happy with it just push the button you want and walk away does it all on its own.