The item is great. I bought 3, 1 for my home, another one for van/mobile home and a 3rd for my holiday apartment abroad. Best thing ever, blends like a charm, super easy to clean.Now... crushing ice - in my opinion you should not crush those hard items in a plastic blender since by all logic it will scratch and it might even cause more damage.I have read the negative reviews and in 90% of all cases, those complaining about leaking well... put the damn ring inside. It only leaks if you fail to put the ring (i.e. if it got flushed out while cleaning), and those complaining about a smell, if you use it for too long (or with not enough liquid), then the engine will shut off to safety to avoid overheating. the engine and it might start to smell. Advice is to use enough liquid and don't run excessively long.Let it cool down completey and it should blend again. I noticed this while blending dates and dried plums with milk, the entire mass was simply too hard to blend.Hope this helps.I really like the easiness it can be cleaned, it all goes into the dishwasher.