I was given this blender a few years ago by my grandmother, even though I already owned a hand blender. However, products such as these are very useful to keep as duplicates in case your regular model breaks down. Even though mine didn't, I was curious to see how the Basics blender compared to more expensive models, and so I took it out of its box.

The Sainsbury's Basics blender comes in a no-frills white cardboard box, with the orange stripe and lettering that the supermarket is recognised for. The box opens to reveal the blender, which is predominantly white and has a wide body that gives way to a slim neck, and, at the bottom, the blades surrounded by a protective hood. The blender is fashioned from white plastic, and is quite heavy. At the top, on the front side, is a control panel comprised of a triangular textured area with a single dot on it, and below this a rounded textured area with two dots on it. The dots represent the speeds, with the one dot being the slower speed setting, and the two dot button the faster speed setting. There is a cable attached to the blender at the top of the machine, as it runs off the mains. The body of the machine unscrews from the neck with a simple twisting movement. To reattach the two is simply a case of screwing them together until you feel the locking mechanism click. Unscrewing the two parts means you can place the blade end in the dishwasher, and this makes cleaning considerably easier and safer than by hand. The body of the blender is not dishwasher safe, so must be cleaned by hand. As it has a smooth surface however, simply wiping a damp cloth over it will rid it of most mess.

To use the blender you must ensure the two parts are locked together, plug the device into a socket position the blades and hood over the food you wish to be blitzed, and depress the correct speed button. The latter can be hit and miss, as the rubber buttons are large, yet the sensor they lie over is fairly small in comparison. This means that sometimes you have to work your finger over the rubber area to find the sensor and allow it to recognise your request. When you successfully accomplish this however, the blades work very efficiently. Like most blenders, the single blade, mounted on a central spinner, is double-edged and very dangerous. You can see the blades spinning around via a series of oval-shaped windows in the hood, but as there is no protective material in the 'windows' you should still be very careful about getting your fingers too close to the hood. I have had visions of the blade coming loose from its spinner and flying through one of these windows and into my skin. It is not a pleasant thought, I know, and for this reason I would prefer the hood to be entirely solid.

In terms of blending, I believe this product rivals more expensive machines. It can work through cooked vegetables in a matter of minutes, and even harder foodstuffs can be blitzed easily by using the higher setting. Having used this blender dozens of times, I have not noticed the sharpness of the blades diminishing at all, and it continues to be a great help to me in the kitchen. I mostly use this blender when my other is in the dishwasher, or simple if it is the first one I find in the cupboard. At just under £5 this blender does have some flaws and is not the most stylish model to behold, but it is effective and easy to clean, and for these reasons I would have no hesitation in recommending it.