Good, but some flaws too

When it comes to chopping, this Braun is top of the line. It does as good a job as a jug blender or food processor, despite being a stick/immersion blender, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. I definitely have some quibbles with it, but at the end of the day if performance is most important to you, this is a good buy. If you want to know some of the details, read below, or skip to my 'Summary' at the end for a quick run-down.

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As a blender
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This can easily give you the smoothest purees. I mainly use an immersion/stick blender for soups and sauces, as it's so much easier to wash just the bottom part of the blender, as opposed to a whole jug and you can chop it right in the pot. You're supposed to wait until the soup cools, but to be honest, I blend stuff all the time when it's hot and have never had a problem. One thing I really like about this blender is the wavy bottom of the 'bell' shaped blender attachment. Many blenders have a flat bottom, but because of the gaps, smaller pieces of food are sucked inwards and it can smooth them without even having to lift it. My preferred method is to slightly tilt the stick blender, allowing the soup to flow freely, but that takes some practice.

If you've never used an immersion blender before, you'll think this is awesome! Not having to drag out and wash a whole blender appliance is certainly a convenience! However, for those of us who've used multiple stick blenders, there are definitely some points about this that I'm not super happy with. Firstly being that the buttons must be held down to keep that stick going. You could argue that this is a safety issue and appealing to some and yes, it's true, having the blender stop when the button is released is safer, but it's difficult to press the buttons. First of all, this blender is quite heavy compared to some I've used, I wouldn't describe it as lightweight. And the top button in particular (turbo is a little easier) is very difficult to push down hard, I find myself releasing it a lot and it makes using the blender and keeping it going really annoying. I just use Turbo instead. So in future, I'd like to see them make the button easier to press and if you have hand weakness or a disability that affects mobility, this isn't the right blender for you.

It's quite heavy and cumbersome and I found myself getting annoyed by both how thick it is, hard to hold and heavy, meaning the cord kept getting in the way as I wasn't able to manoeuvre it well. It chops flawlessly, but the hard to press buttons and weight are both negatives, for me.

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Features
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VarioSpeed Technology (21 speeds): To me, this is a big and unnecessary gimmick. I've used hand blenders a ton and never wished for more speed. I basically just go straight to turbo most of the time. In fact the turbo button on this is actually faster than top speed. It might seem silly, but after using a hand blender a few times, you become aware of when you need to stop for a more 'chunky' sauce and while it might be easier and more even to blend it on a low speed, it's just not something I personally use. The dial is cool looking and easy to turn, but there's only a small difference between each speed and having to take your hand off to turn the dial is really irritating, it all leads to this feeling like a marketing department ploy, rather than an actual useful feature.

SPLASHControl Technology: It doesn't splash, but again, I haven't really had a problem with that in the past either. Unless you pull the blender partially out of whatever you're blending, you won't really get splashes.

EasyClick Accessory System: It is nice to have the option to add on accessories. See the below section for info on what's included!

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Accessories
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This blender comes with three accessories; a whisk, a beaker style jug and a mini-chopper.

Whisk: This is quite a fun and useful accessory. Rather than clicking directly into the blender, it has two parts, a rounded base and a metal detachable whisk that pushes into the base. This is brilliant, because it means it's much easier to keep the whisk part clean, since you can detach it from the part that holds it. If, like me, you are dealing with a new chronic illness or disability and have weak arms, you'll find the motorised whisk very useful. It means instead of dragging out my very heavy stand mixer, I can use the whisk on this for things like cream or pancakes. It works well and seems good quality.

Chopper: Another extremely useful tool. It comes covered in a plastic guard, though, that is really annoying to get off and left me feeling like I was going to chop off my fingers just to get it open. Once open though, it's brilliantly functional. The plastic container gets pretty much scratched on first use, but if you have to chop a small amount of anything, it's so easy and fast to pop it in here. You can also use it for small servings of sauces.

Jug/Beaker: I found this basically useless. Since it doesn't have a pouring spout, I really just prefer to use one of my own jugs.

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Design/Look
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I think the look is overall good. While the silicone/rubber is there for ease of use and helping you to hold the blender, I always hate silicone materials because they pick up dust like nothing else on earth. So, as a result the top of your blender will always be dusty, not something brilliant when dealing with food. Other than that, the sleek black and silver look is nice, looks professional, but looks aren't as important as doing the job. Thankfully, it blends well. The blades are razor sharp and the metal base seems great quality. The bladed section can be removed (though it can be tricky to press the buttons to do so) and stored away from children safely.

The only stand-out of the design is the wavy shaped bottom that I discussed above. The cord is a reasonable length, but could be a bit short for some, depending on where your plugs are.

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Summary
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Overall, this is a good immersion blender. If you're looking for function and quality that purees well, you have it here. Depending on the price at the time it could be a great buy. However, there are definitely some things to look out for that could be a dealbreaker for certain people and while it's up there in terms of being a great blender, I feel some better design choices could have been made.

Pros:
+ Blends really well and completely.
+ You can choose your speed.
+ Nice professional looking design.
+ Wavy bottom allows food to flow better and get pureed easier.
+ No splashing.
+ Comes with multiple accessories.
+ Turbo button allows more than top speed instantly.
+ Seems good quality.

Cons:
- Speed dial feels a bit gimmicky/pointless.
- Buttons are super hard to press and kept held (something you must do to make it work).
- It's pretty heavy and cumbersome.

Note: Comes with a whisk, a chopper and a tall beaker/jug.

Recommended: Yes, if you're new to hand blenders and want a good quality one, or don't mind some of the negatives listed above!