BLACK+DECKER XL Blast Drink Machine Blender, Red, BL4000R

Black & Decker XL 72oz Blast Blender is a WINNER !!! I had a blast with this blender. It was a hit right out of the box. It was really easy to put together and just a real beauty when placed on the counter top. The instructions are easy to follow and understand. Now, to the working of this amazing machine. Any frozen drink is a real joy to make as the auto programming makes it easy to do. As you stack your drink ingredients into the large 72 oz BPA free plastic jar and then press the correct (see instructions booklet) auto setting along with the auto button the blender takes over and goes through the steps of speeding up and slowing down to mix your drink just right and then it automatically stops when your drink is ready. I just love that. I will never over-mix another drink again. It makes smoothies, milkshakes, margaritas, daiquiris and many other drinks. The insulated blender sleeve kept the drinks cold for several hours. Nice. Also, I love the fact that I can use this blender for other things besides drinks. The PROS: Has a BPA free plastic container (jar) for mixing all your drinks and other things in, so no leaching of chemicals in my drinks or anything else I mix in it. Has a 2 yr warranty. It has to be manually turned on before any of the other buttons will work. Nice safety feature if you have little ones. The power buttons are easy to operate. The powerful 650 watt motor is very impressive. It does awesome of turning the ice cubes to slushy ice for your drink or chunks if that is your preference. I love it! Has an easy pour, reclosable no drip spout and along with that is a built-in removable 2oz measuring shot glass. You never have to look for a shot glass anymore. It has 4 suction cups on all four legs to insure that it will not fly off the counter and it doesn't vibrate or move anywhere while it is running. Really a great feature. One piece jar with the blade built into it. NON-REMOVABLE. Has a really nice little recipe book to get you started with some good tasting recipes. Has a insulated party sized chill sleeve that keeps the drinks cold when not serving. The cord wraps underneath the base of the unit when not in use or storing. The unit is nice and sturdy even though it is made with plastic. The CONS: The non removable blades could be a problem for some. I did not mind that at all. The plastic jar could be a problem as plastic turns whitish over time when put in the dishwasher. I think it is a great machine and worth the trouble of hand washing it, but it is BPA free plastic and that speaks volumes for me. NO CHEMICALS leaching into anything I make in it. Plus it does make the blender lighter in weight. A plus to me. TIP to remember when mixing drinks: (this tip is on a card that comes with the blender) You MUST load the ingredients in the following order: Liquids (Always put in FIRST) this makes it easy for the blender to do the job! Powders or dry ingredients Soft foods ( bananas, cucumbers) Hard Foods (frozen fruit and raw veggies) Ice Cubes (they help the blender blades to pull all the other ingredients down. If you always load the blender this way your drinks will always be perfect. This is one machine I am so happy to have. It will be a great addition to our Christmas cheer this year. Everyone loves this blender at my house and the guest that have had drinks from it love it too. Several have went out and bought one. Check it out as I think you will be happy with it too.

I am reviewing the Black and Decker XL Blast 72 oz digital blender. I know the title says XL but I didn't think that it would be as large as it is. It is labeled “ the drink machine” and seems to be suited for making margaritas, daiquiris, shakes and smoothies but can be used for normal daily cooking items that you want blended. The lid has an attached shot glass measuring cup in the top. It comes with a “chill sleeve" to pull over the top of the blender to keep the frozen drinks cold. The container holds 72 oz. , which is a lot. The blade is stainless steel but not removable. To clean the blade, add a small amount of warm water and a drop of liquid soap and turn it on. Everyone of the 4 speeds is very powerful. I made pancake batter in it and didn't need to run it for very long before it was done mixing. Having the nice pouring spout was nice for pouring the batter into the pan.