Customer Reviews

Black & Decker BL600B ProBlend Blender

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

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 these for use in a Dining Hall and they have stoood the test of heavy duty ice crushing to make the smoothest of smoothies. The buttons are easy to use, the only drawback is the trying to clean between the buttons if they get dirty.

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

I purchased this blender on the strength of the reviews in this space. I'm glad I did, and if you're shopping for that hardy appliance ..., you could do a lot worse than buying this one.

Items to note:
Has a heavy glass jar, not flimsy plastic.
Buttons are a little hard to keep clean, but not impossible.
Crushes ice with glee.

We couldn't beat this bargain anywhere we've looked, even without Amazon.com free shipping (which we took advantage of). We've looked at kitchen specialty stores, big-box stores, and department stores and found no better blender in this price range than this Black & Decker blender. Don't let the hardware-store-type brand deter you: The blender is built solidly, looks attractive, has excellent blending, crushes ice, and comes with a sturdy, heavy glass container. My thirteen-year-old son is delighted with his new ability to whip up any kind of smoothy. My only criticism: The instruction booklet is not laid out very clearly and could use a few more recipes. This skimping of recipes may be because the blender is manufactured by a company specializing in power drills!

I've had this product for about 3 months. It has done a great job making milk shakes, mixing drinking, etc. etc. It does take a little more time to crush ice, but that is to be expected for a blender in this price range. Clean up is easy. For the average user this is a terrific product!!!

I was looking for a new blender that would chop ice for frozen marguaritas. My old one just wasn't up to the task! This blender does the trick! My only hesitation regarding this product is the lid. It is very hard to get on and off. I had to take a knife to it the last time. That being said, it does the job I bought it for, and am not really that unhappy with it. Just wish I could get the lid on and off more easily.

I must say that I'm very impressed with this blender, because as a smoothie lover, I crush ice on a daily basis. While most blenders do this ok, the blades tend to go dull over time. Not so with this blender! I've had it for over a month now, and it still works like a charm! I highly recommend this blender to anyone who likes frozen drinks, smoothies, slushies and snowcones, as well as to people who crush ice frequently.

When I received this blender, it was loud and smelled like burning plastic. I hoped the burning plastic smell would go away, and I just figured it was a naturally noisy (really, really noisy) appliance. Unfortunately, by the time I figured out that it was actually DEFECTIVE... (The hard plastic gear thing that does the spinning - the part on the base - is misaligned on its axis, so it chatters and rubs on the mating gear on the bottom of the jar. Noise, burning plastic smell.) But, once I figured this out, it was too late to return it, so Amazon referred me to Black & Decker. They have been anything but helpful. From the moment I first contacted them about getting this fixed, I've been referred to a different phone number FIVE TIMES - then finally told they were going to have to call me back. They never did. So, I'm a bit miffed with them right now, and I'm not exactly happy that Amazon has done nothing to help me out with this either. Moral of the story: Make sure your blender is in tip, top shape as soon as you get it. Excessive noise and a burning plastic smell are not normal and you should return the product immediately if this happens to you.

I have used this blender for three months, making fruit smoothies three or four times a week. It simply crushed and blended a mixture of fruit, liquid, and ice cubes. It worked fine until the blades broke out of the base of the pitcher. The blades are mounted in a plastic plate, which is fastened to the base of the glass pitcher. That plastic plate snapped clean from the pitcher. The motor still works fine.