I bought the cheapest refurbished one I could get (I think it was just under $300 about 4 years ago), and it's been great. It just has two settings (high and low), but it seems to do everything I need it to. We do normal blender stuff like sauces and smoothies, but I also grind flour and make nut butter and tahini with it, among other things. It's not as flashy as some of the newer ones, but it does the job!