Wow, what a great mixer this is! It has incredible blending power and can easily cut through whatever you throw at it. It has so many little characteristics that I like about it. The pour spout lid is connected to the locking lid through a twist lock base (I've had a different blender top fall off before) when the top is placed on the blender base. Faster and smoother chopping is made possible by the blades in the core of the blender. The pour spout is another feature I like. It's incredibly easy to use and flows smoothly. This mixer is a definite must-have! The POWER of this machine would be better conveyed by video, so please excuse the lack thereof.