Appliance Reviews

Bought this as a first citrus juicer and have been quite happy with it. Extracts pretty much all juice, is powerful and very easy to use - also light and easy to store. Problems I found? Not enough pulp makes it into the juice and strainer is hard to clean unless you do so RIGHT after juicing. And sadly, because it is just plastic, ours is now cracked and handle is broken. We're looking for a heavy duty replacement. Still, a great buy, especially for the price!

This juicer is awesome. It is light and small in size which makes it not only easy to store but makes me willing use it all the time - no dread of lugging out some huge, heavy contraption. I live in South Florida and have a yard full of grapefruit, orange and key lime trees - this juicer does them all like a champ. With the two sizes of the juicing cone, one juicer takes care of all of my citrus. The strainer pops apart very easily and is a snap to clean with running water alone! You do not need to apply much pressure when using the juicer which allows you to juice many fruit in a row since your arm doesn't get tired. I love the adjustable pulp strainer - my husband likes lots of pulp, I like a little, and some friends just like the juice alone - no problem with this little workhorse. I also love that it gets all the juice out of the fruit - the fruit is dry after going on top of this machine! The juice flows right into the pitcher which makes it perfect for pouring right into your glass or into any other container - pitchers, plastic zip top bags, etc. I had looked and looked for a good juicer and most were expensive, bulky, hard to clean, etc. but not this great machine. I was skeptical since it is so cheap, but thought, "Well, what do I have to lose since I'm not spending much on it?" - now I'm in love with it. I'm such a fan that I just bought a second one to take to our vacation house!

This little item works very well, and exactly as described. I have an orange tree, two lemon trees, and a lime tree, and it handles my juicing needs just fine.

I only gave this one star because it looks nice on a counter but is totally WORTHLESS!! I will never buy Black and Decker again. After using this product for a week, the toast feature stopped working. I contacted Black and Decker and was told to return the plug (as proof of purchase) and to pay $5 for a replacement. I didn't think this was fair but didn't want to be out the money for the oven so I did. I promptly receieved a new oven and it worked for one day!! It stopped working after toasting one piece of bread. I contacted Black and Decker again and this time they blamed it on me and said that I was probably not using it correctly and they would not correct it again!! I couldn't believe how TERRIBLE I was treated. I will never purchase any of their products again and tell everyone I can about the poor customer service I receieved. BEWARE!!!!!!

I recently almost started a fire with my previous toaster oven when I inadvertently left something on top of it while I was toasting. The shell of the toaster got so hot it melted and burned the item that was resting on top of it. In my shopping for a new toaster oven, looking for a model that had a "cool wall," that is, an oven that doesn't get hot on the outside was a must. After extensive searching I chose the B&D Dining IN. At any price, this was the only one with the "cool wall" and the range of features. Some ovens had "cool handles" that remained cool so you could move the oven while it was hot but I don't think that makes it safe enough. We have children and absent minded adults living in our home. We need totally safe appliances. Even when I am broiling the outside of this oven is perfectly cold.

There have been many negative comments regarding the quality of the toasting. I haven't had any problems, but then again, I am not obsessed with perfect toast. We put bread in and it comes out toasted. In addition to toasting, it's so big that I use it to cook regularly instead of using the big oven. When it gets dirty it's so much easier to clean than a big oven or even other toaster ovens because of the removeable crumb tray. I also really like the cooking options. Turn the timer to the left and the oven reamins on - turn the knob to the right and you have a traditional timer which will turn the oven off automatically after the time you set it to has run out.

Shop around and check for features. I think that combination of features available in the B&D Dining In Toaster Oven will out distance any other toaster oven on the market at any price.

I have had this toaster oven now for about 5 or 6 years and have had great results cooking in it. I can cook 2 5LB. whole chickens in this oven. I do most of my cooking in this because it is faster and cheaper than firing up the old gas oven. I have used it so much that I have just worn it out and am ready to order a new one. I like this model because it has an oven temperature setting, browning setting, oven timer, and even has a toaster buttton on it.

I've bought two. One, as a gift, several months ago, and (so far) it's still working. I needed a new blender, and ordered this. Plugged it in, turned it on, nothing. Not even smoke. Fortunately, Amazon is great on returns like this. I'd be curious about how many they've had shipped back. Gotta cost 'em.

In the 5 months I have been using the Black and Decker BL600B Pro-Blend, I have not had any problems at all with it. I use it quite often, mainly for smoothies and shakes,(and occassionaly for cooking) and following the manufacturer's instructions(e.g. how much ice to use at one time), it has worked perfectly.

This is a 12 speed blender, and of the speeds I have used, it seems to work just as described. Stir, Blend, Chop, Liquefy,and Whip are a few of the tasks it performs, and also included are an Ice Crush feature(works great), and a "Fast Clean" option which is a real time saver. Hi/Lo speeds are used in conjunction with task speeds, and the instructions will give some good tips and techniques on blending.(One good example would be how to change speeds while using) The jar is glass, and a litttle heavy but very sturdy.The cap fits snugly and also doubles as a 2oz liquid measuring cup. It is a nice looking unit as well.

Assembly was fairly simple. The instructions are easy to follow(also in Spanish and French),include a few recipes, an 800 number to call for questions or repairs and has a one year warranty. They also clearly spell out certain uses that may damage the blender.(This may be very helpful to those who may be new to using one).

With so many 'mixed'(excuse the pun) reviews here, I waited until I really gave it a good work out before writing this review. Based on it's features and capabilities,ease of use and instructions,cleaning,price, and quality I have no reservations about recommending this product for yourself or as a gift.

Even if you are just getting started, you will feel like a pro with this "ProBlend" by Black and Decker.If you are looking for some nice smoothie recipes I would also recommend "The Best 50 Smoothies" by Joanna White. It's a small and inexpensive book full of delicious and nutritious ideas.

Thanks and enjoy...Laurie

A few months ago, I started looking for a blender. It seemed like there were hundreds of them. Price wasn't the main concern, as I would gladly pay a premium price for a premium product. My main issues were that it would perform all the standard blending tasks with ease, make a great milkshake, blend eggs to make a light "Waffle House" style omlette, and most importantly (for my friends who crave Margaritas), kill ice cubes with a vengeance. When I happened upon this Black and Decker model, I was taken by the positive reviews, yet skeptical of it's ... price. Never the less, I figured that if the reviewers were making an honest effort, I couldn't justify spending three or more times as much on a machine that would do no better. I bought one. When it arrived, I saw that B&D was so proud of it that they offered a 30 day no questions asked refund if you don't think it's the best blender/ice crusher ever. It's a big blender. It has a large capacity thick glass jar, a unique knife arrangement, lots of power, a soft shatterproof top that seals tightly (with a measuring cap built in), plenty of speeds to select, and it does the job as advertised. If you need a killer blender, buy this one. Pack it with ice, and be amazed.

I bought the BS200 and my initial reaction was sceptical but after taking a look at the suction pump I quickly realised why several people had found problems.
If you follow the instructions properly the air removal is fine. It is not industrial quality but for the price you can't expect that. The sealing is good as long as you use it properly...

Vacuuming tip:
Put the object in the middle of the bag and then slip the bag in the machine. Smooth the bag over the sealer propely with on creases.
Start vacuuming and then push the object in the bag up towards the vacuum head getting it as close to the machine as you can.
Smooth any pockets of air towards the vacuum head. You have to do this manually as the vaccum pump is not strong enough otherwise. When you are satisfied with the air removal seal the bag. Presto. If you can't do this you are dumb! It's easy.

Another good tip is to wet the food (where appropriate) before vacuuming as this makes the bag/item contact much better. If it's meat or so on there's no problem but other things like vegetables work better moist. This also protects them when freezing.

What do you expect for this money? Follow the instructions properly and you won't be dissappointed.

For the money it works well. You do have to make sure that you smooth out the bag and position the end into the channel for vacuuming. If you do this it does have sufficient power to make a good vacuum seal. For anything with high moister content freeze first even if for just a couple of hours. The vacuum will suck the juices from meat and other items and if this gets into the sealing area you will lose your seal. Also hold firmly. If used correctly this is a good unit for the money.

Its is cheap and works well if you follow the directions

Received this grinder as a gift. I'm sure the kind giver didn't use this particular brand, and was unaware of the defects. Once in use, these became apparent. Benjamin Franklin would have been excited by the static electricity MESS this creates. Not just the grinder itself, but the counter space all around it. The "timer" sort of works occasionally. The coffee it makes taste good, so it deserves a couple stars for that. But then I took off a star just for the misleading name. Give it to someone who really, really, really enjoys cleaning!

I bought this grinder because I love the taste of fresh coffee. When researching all the different types of grinders on the market, the consensus was that the burr grinders were superior to the blade types. Being a poor student, I could not afford to purchase one of the top of the line types, so I thought I would take my chances and try this one out. I was pleasantly surprised.

The grinds come out even and are fine enough to use in my cone-type drip coffee maker. Although you do see some larger flakes from the bean membranes, they do not affect the flavor any. I have not noticed any of the static that other people have experienced, so my countertops have remained clean after using this. The timer feature is nice since you don't have to sit there holding down the ON button the whole time. Plus, I think it looks nice, too.

For those of you who want a burr grinder but can't afford one of the more expensive ones, I think this Black and Decker grinder is a good purchase.

This thing is GREAT! After having ground my own coffee for many years using a blade grinder I thought it was time to try grinding with a mill. Boy what a fantastic and pleasurable decision. Coffee prepped with this Mill will blow you away (I think the negative reviews must have come from Starbucks Managers).

Robust body, aroma, and flavor rivals most high end coffee shops. Easy to use, you have control of the size of granule, and a timer to keep the power on long enough to finish the job. Start with Medium grind, and click toward fine one click at a time to find your favorite taste. Please follow directions, and TAKE YOUR TIME you'll be a happy camper. Easy to operate and clean (get a small brush), A great coffee mill at a cool Target price. Five stars with all thumbs up!

The only thing worse than a toaster oven that breaks after 3 months is a toaster oven that breaks the day after exchanging for a new one. In fact, the only way this shrapnel could be worse is if they painted it flourescent-green and plastered it violently with Smurf stickers. Do not buy this man! Just run away.

On a positive note, if you do have one and your "warranty" has run out, there are some alternative uses:

- Blunt weapon
- Dollhouse
- Cat jail
- Catbox protector (The racks are practically designed for clumping cat litter).
- Hamster coffin. (This is the only model reccomended for mass burials, as it is quite spacious and can accomodate double-digits).
- Refridgerator
- Step-ladder
- Noise-maker
- Dress it up as your favorite superhero and launch it down the street while reciting aloud well-known lines from that same superhero.

That's all. Nothing good can come of this. Take care and always read the reviews FIRST!!!!

- Lester

This is the worst toaster oven we have ever owned. It cannot start again after making the first batch of toast due to a poorly designed toast start button. I suspect the start button is an electronic control which you have to depress just right or it refuses to start on the first batch. After you make the first batch you have to wait until the stupid thing cools down again in order to get the start button to work. Electronic start buttons - which appear on all their new models are not designed properly - the heat temperature is set too low, so even when you cool the toaster down for five minutes the start button still thinks you're trying to restart the last batch. Also the dark toaster setting is the minimum you have to set it at to get barely brown toast. Stay away from Black & Decker since their toasters share the same start button design/temperature toast control.

I've had the Dining In for well over a year, and I've been really pleased with it. I like not having to heat up my regular oven when I'm cooking something small. The "toast" setting isn't totally even on both sides; the underside gets a little browner than the top. (Don't leave the oven temp set to "broil" when toasting; the lower element doesn't heat up at all that way.) I find the baking time to be fairly accurate -- better than my regular oven, actually. I can fit a disposable 9X13 pan, a glass 8X8 pan, and various small baking sheets in here -- one at a time, of course!

The only real problem happened a few weeks ago -- the screws attaching the handle to the door had become loose, and recently they came off totally. I can open and close the door using a hot pad, but have been unable to get the screws back in yet. I'll superglue them in when I do!

Overall, I've been very satisfied with this toaster oven.

I bought this blender less than 6 months ago to make baby food for my son. It died tonight. I am now going to buy what I wanted in the first place, a Kitchen Aid food processor (I bought this because of the price, $22 instead of $200). Of course, after a couple of months, I threw away the box and receipt, so I am out about $22.00. Oh well, live and learn. I should always read reviews before I buy anything. Do not buy this idem, you will be wasting your money.

I have it for about a year, but I use it very seldom.
Crushes ice, frozen berries, apples, etc - excellent. Mixing perfect and blends great. However it leaks badly, hard to clean and replacement parts are impossible to find.

This power engine blade "puppy" mixes a banana, 2 scoops of sugar-free fat-free ice cream, and Slim-Fast together for me in the morning. I'm a 41 year old widow making breakfast for myself now easily with the BL600. This blender is loud, but that's OK as it wakes me up!

DO NOT waste your money. I just threw mine in the trash. It clogs, and it makes more mess than you would ever believe. I felt bad ... my kids gave it to me for my birthday, but it is such a piece of junk that I couldn't justify it taking up my cabinet space. I too would rather buy pre-ground coffee then deal with this thing.

What a mess this thing is. It clogs continually (I have to dig out the little chute with a shishkebab skewer two or three times each grind session), makes a huge mess, the timer never worked (was broken when box opened) and I have to repeatedly press the on button to grind just one hopper-full. This is absolutely one of the worst products I've ever bought and to make it worse Black & Decker knows it's junk because the grind ring does fine, medium, and coarse, but the directions tell you not to use the fine setting, so they know about the problem and this thing is useless for espresso. What a rip-off. Don'tmake the mistake I did by giving this company your money.

Just like other reviews had point out, this burr mill works pretty good but it's EXXTREMELY messy and loud. It crushes the beans and grinds into pretty even granules. However the sqare hole where the grinded coffee comes out is very short and does not seal tightly. Together with the static, some coffee powder will be flying everywhere after you grind it. If you try to open the cover, more powder fly out. I found two ways to prevent the mess. 1.Make sure that the collector cup is attached as tight and position as correctly as possible. 2.Pad the cup a few times before removing the cup. I think it neutrolize some of the static and bring more powder to the bottom.
Bottom line: This burr mill is cheaper than most of the others and works pretty well, if you don't mind the mess and the noise.