I've had lots of coffee frothers through the years, and this is hands down the best one. It runs at just the right speed - not too fast so that coffee splashes everywhere, and not too slow (unless your batteries are low! :). I get a good month of time out of the batteries, and that is using it for multiple cups of coffee a day between my husband and I, mixing really thick protein smoothies, and with the kids always playing with it. Clearly, it gets a lot of use! A normal person would probably get a few months out of their batteries.We leave ours on the kitchen counter in its base. Stands tall and sturdy.