Costco is selling a blender very similar to The Magic Bullet (of informercial fame) called "Back to Basics, the Blender Express". It's a mini blender with clear plastic mug that you invert onto a base. I bought it because it was $30 and it looked like it would work along the lines of the Magic Bullet. I've been looking online for reviews for this lesser-known brand but I'm not finding any.

If you have bought this mini-me version of a blender, a knock-off of the Magic Bullet, please tell me what you think of it. I can still return this box if you hate it. In the meantime I'll test it out myself and report back. I want to see how well it blends a smoothie which is the main reason I bought it.