Summary :Fantastic, top of the line, consumer Vitamix blender!! This great looking machine has the most powerful, yet quietest motor Vitamix offers. Extremely functional, durable, easy to use/clean, and looks great on your counter. You will NOT be disappointed with this blender!---------------------------------I'd been researching a new blender for months and the Vitamix 750 Professional Heritage Collection is the one I decided on. This is the new 2016 version of the Vitamix 750 Pro Blender. The Heritage Collection first started appearing in specialty stores like Williams Sonoma/Sur La Table/Crate&Barrel last year (2015), and now it has officially replaced the original 750 Pro blender as the current, upgraded model for this year (2016).The 750 Pro Heritage is the most powerful (2.2 hp motor), yet quietest home blender Vitamix produces and is designed to fit on counters under standard height cabinets. It's a well engineered/nice looking machine with a variable speed motor, pulse mode and 5 presets for smoothies: frozen desserts, soups, sauces and cleaning.I've only had this blender a short time, but so far, its fantastic!! It does an amazing job producing evenly blended, creamy, smooth results in a very short time. Almost all recipes with the exception of hot soups/sauces require only 30-60 seconds of blending. Soups/hot items typically require 6-9 minutes. The pulse feature is a great way to dice and chop fruits and vegetables.What's in the box :-Vitamix 750 Professional Series Heritage Collection Base-64 oz Tritan BPA Container with lid and updated blade seal-Tamper-Introductory DVD-High Performance Blending Recipe Book---------------------------------------------------------------Primary differences between last yr's 750 Pro and upgraded 750 Heritage Pro model :1) Heritage Pro has a solid metal shell with additional sound dampening material - it's more durable and quieter than other versions. (previous 750 Pro had a stainless finish option but was really plastic with a coating that was more susceptible to scuffing/scratching)2) Heritage models only have back-lighting above the side pulse and start-stop switches, whereas the original Pro 750 has a back-light around all controls including the central knob3) Heritage model is 40% quieter with the same 2.2 hp variable speed motorAs an added bonus, this blender comes with the new 64 oz BPA free/Tritan container with new blade seal that has eliminated the "black flecks (teflon)" issues that plagued earlier versions, so no more "harmless" tiny flakes of teflon from the blade seal in your food!---------------------------------------------------------------Tips :Don't be shy with the throttle - when using variable speed, ALWAYS start at the 1 or 2 setting (you risk shattering the container starting at higher speeds), but bring the motor up to MAXIMUM speed within 5-10 seconds. The blender/container is designed to operate at maximum speed. The exception to this is when chopping vegetables/using pulse - the lower the number, the coarser the chop. Watch blend time carefully, it's very easy to overblend (which also generates heat) with this machine. I've found very little difference (judging from motor sound) between 1 - 3.5 or so on the variable setting. Vitamix CS says this is the norm, but others have reported more variability on the lower end than higher. Not a huge deal as the majority of your blending should be done at max speed anyway.While the blender will heat foods via friction, it won't cook them. If you start with raw ingredients, they will taste like raw ingredients. If you want cooked flavor (ex. soups/sauces), precook/roast ingredients before adding to the blender.The tamper is your friend when blending thicker items such as nut butters or adding ingredients via the lid. Tamp at various angles or in a spinning motion to work the ingredients into the vortex.Cleaning is as easy as they say: rinse container, fill halfway with warm water, add two drops of dishwashing detergent and either use the preset clean program or variable speed and run for 30 seconds at max speed. Rinse again and dry.The only downside to this blender might be the initial cost ($750 list/$550 street as of 4/2016), but it does come with a 7 yr warranty, and they are built to last, so amortized over the life the machine, it's a worthwhile investment.