I got this hand blender from Argos in the sales for £24 instead of £50, which I would say is about the right price for a hand blender of this type. The fact that it's endorsed by James Martin probably drew me to it as he's one of my favourite celeb chefs.

Here are the technical specifications:

Powerful 500 watts motor
2 speed settings
Stainless steel stem and blade
Includes a chopper attachment with storage lid, measuring beaker, wall mountable bracket and a James Martin recipe booklet
2 year guarantee

This is so easy to use and it is used quite a lot, especially the chopper attachment, which is great for things like onions and garlic which are staples in my cooking. You just press the round button on the front of the unit to release the blender attachment and clip in onto the chopper. The chopper comes apart so you can wash the blade, bowl and lid by hand. I don't think it's recommended to put it in a dishwasher. The blender attachment can simply be rinsed under the tap (unplugged from the power supply or detached from the motor unit of course). The blender and chopper are both powerful enough to cope with most jobs. I make a lot of smoothies and soups and this works really well and is ideal for when I don't want to get the big food processor out. You just press and hold the button depending on what speed you want and you can pulse it too to get things started. The beaker that came with mine is stainless steel and has measures inside which is really useful. The instructions do say that you shouldn't use the blender in hot liquids but i just tend to let them cool so their not boiling and it still works (unlike the Worrall-Thompson one which died on first use!). It feels a good quality piece of kit and it's in constant use. It comes with a nice little recipe book and a hanger so you can put it up on the wall if you wish.