Blenders: Black + Decker vs Hamilton Beach vs Oster

Its almost summer, so you know what that means. Nothing beats a nice cold smoothie or milkshake when its hot out but buying them can be expensive. However, with your own blender, you could be mixing like a pro while saving on some dough. Browsing through Amazon, there are countless blenders from top of the line to basic blenders. However, summer is only 1 season, so no need to splurge on something you might put away after a few months. Black + Decker and Hamilton Beach offers low cost Blenders at a bargain for their basic models but are they really as good as the Oster for the price? Here’s how they stack up against each other!

BLACK+DECKER BL1500SG Counter Top Blender:

Price: $39.99

Capacity: 48 oz (6 cups)

Speeds: 10

Power: 700 Watts

SA: 6/10

The Black + Decker basic blender is decent but its functions does not justify the price. Although it has some features that sound impressive, the biggest deterrent for this product is the lack of a warranty. Usually products that require a lot of power to function are sold with a warranty because they should be built to last and stored. The fact that they do not offer one makes me skeptical on the life of this product. In addition, if you plan to store this product when it starts to get cold, keep in mind you may have trouble using it when summer comes around again.

Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher:

Price: $32.95 (Originally $38.99)

Capacity: 40 oz (5 cups)

Speeds: 14

Power: 700 Watts

SA: 7/10

The Hamilton Beach Wave crusher is a very decent buy for this price point. Since it is currently on sale, it is a great time to buy one. Although it has less capacity than the Black + Decker basic model, it has more speeds allowing you to create a better consistency for that cold summer drink. This product also comes with a 3 year warranty which is a bonus for a product like this. You will not have to worry about replacing this product or breaking it for 3 years, what a relief! It is also super durable (can blend 8,000 frozen drinks) and super easy to pour (has a pouring lid).

Oster 6812-001 Core:

Price: $36.99 ($49.99)

Capacity: 40 oz (5 cups)

Speeds: 16

Power: 700 Watts

SA: 8.5/10

The Oster is a currently on a huge sale, discounted at 26% from its original price and is the most notable product in this list. With 16 speeds, you’ll have the ability to make your frozen drink to your preference. Being able to effortless make anything from milkshakes to frozen margaritas, this product does it all! It comes with a 10 year warranty as well! That’s right, this investment of $36.99 can last you 10 years of making smoothies or shakes. However, be cautious when cleaning this product because there has been some complainants on removing the blade. The whole product is dish washer safe.

Recommendations: The Oster is hands down the best product at this price point and will be a worthy investment down the road. The pros heavily out weight the cons since the only problem that seem to arise is due to its old fashion base. If you’re a college student trying to throw a margarita party, this product is for you. Or if you’re a parent trying to provide your kids with a healthy smoothie, this product will meet your expectations as well.

Coffee Makers: Black + Decker vs Mr. Coffee vs Aicok

This post is for all my coffee lovers. Purchasing coffee from any coffee shop will add up quickly. However, making your own coffee would only cost you a fraction. In this post, I will be comparing three different brands of Coffee Makers that can all be found on Amazon. The two most well known brands of this group are Black + Decker and Mr. Coffee. The third is by Aicok which is a brand relatively unknown in this market.

BLACK+DECKER Programmable Coffeemaker – DLX1050B:

Price: $21.49

Capacity: 12 Cups

Material: Plastic

SA: 7/10

Very basic drip coffee maker. Given this price point, there are not a lot of bells and whistles that comes with this product but you can set a timer to have the coffee made automatically at a certain time. It also has an auto-shut off time of 2 hours so you will never have to worry about forgetting to turn it off. This product also has a sneak-a-cup feature that allows the user to freely pause the brewing process and pour before the entire brew is compelete.

Mr. Coffee Programmable Coffee Maker – BVMC-EVX23:

Price: $22.93

Capacity: 12 Cups

Material: Plastic

SA: 7/10

Similar to the Black + Decker coffee maker, this is also a very basic coffee maker. Although it’s features are similar, this brand is slightly more expensive than its counterpart.

Aicok Coffee Maker:

Price: $29.97

Capacity: 10 Cups

Material: Stainless Steel, Plastic, Glass

SA: 8/10

Also another very basic coffee maker which is surprising given its price. However, the materials used for this machine is higher quality than its competitors which is why the price is so much higher than the previous two that I have mentioned. One reason for this maybe due to its superior brew time. It can make a whole pot (10 cups) in about 3 minutes. This product also automatically keeps the coffee warm for a long period of time. The downside of this function is that you must manually turn it off as this coffee maker does not have an automatic shut down option.

RecommendationI would recommend the Black + Decker coffee maker for home use since it has an automatic shut off option and automatic brew option. This is perfect for anyone who just wants a machine that can have their coffee ready by the time they wake up. However, for small to medium size offices, the Aicok coffee maker is the better option. It will allow everyone in the office to enjoy warm coffee no matter when it was brewed. In addition, it will be able to handle more brew than the other 2 because of the superior materials that was used.