This is actually the second one, bought as a gift for my DiL. The first is still going strong after 2 years, and we are quite happy with it. It gets a lot of use in the winter after skating and sledding outside!
It takes about 7 - 8 minutes to get a full 4 cups up to temperature. By that time things are thoroughly mixed. We have found that 1/2 water, 1/2 milk and 4 scoops of hot chocolate mix makes for a nice balance of foam to liquid, but personal tastes may vary.
It is important to clean things out promptly so residue doesn't harden. The pour spout is a bit tricky to clean, but cotton swabs go a long way. The pour spout is probably not necessary for adults, but is a measure of safety for kids who want to serve themselves.
I love this hot chocolate maker. I use it way more to make my own frothy lattes (way cheaper than Starbucks!) than I do to heat cocoa for my kiddo. It is a hand wash only, but cleans up quick. I use a baby bottle brush to get around the blade at the bottom. I knocked one star off because the machine is much louder than I anticipated.
I really this product but it is very hard to clean. I usually scrub it with soap and water. I sometimes soak it overnight. I can't get rid of this odor of sour milk. I can't seemed to get the rims of the bottom cleaned. Overall it's a good product.