UPDATE: I must add that within 2-3 months of using almost daily, the basket did indeed begin leaking juice over the sides, wasting precious, pricey juice. I don't know what happened, as I'm very careful with my appliances, but perhaps it's simply the daily use of removing & replacing the basket multiple times, which seemed to leave it a bit crooked at the top. Honestly, when I first got the machine, the basket was so tight, it was almost impossible to remove, so perhaps I had a faulty unit or that's what one gets with an inexpensive juicer? Also, at the same time, the veggie pulp began being filled with juice (so I didn't get dry pulp, but more like stew), so much more than before that I did notice I wasn't getting a full glass of juice & my trash needed to be taken out immediately... even though I threw the pulp into layers of newspapers & double plastic bagged it... otherwise it would leak red beet juice through the plastic garbage bags & drip. In fact, before I noticed it the 1st time, it ruined a long kitchen runner. Very, very disappointing. It's been packed away for 6-mos, as all of my belongings are in storage, but I will try it again once settled. If it's still leaking or not extracting juice properly, I'll discard the machine or perhaps donate it to the Goodwill. I'll update once that happens. Maybe there is a reason people invest in $$$ juice extractors. Discouraging, as I thought I had a goldmine deal & genuine bargain here. We'll see... *** Below is my original review, unedited, but I downgraded my rating from 5 stars to 2, because I expected last longer than 3-mos. *** You can surely trust previous reviewers... this juicer is fantastic! I just began juicing again to boost my immune system & hopefully, drop a few pounds & was a bit trepidatious about a low-cost, basic model, but I wanted fresh, not bottled or canned, for maximum nutrients. The allure was that it's budget friendly & the reviews are great, so I decided to trust the Black & Decker name. Glad I did! It does not jump around or slide at all when in use & I even use it on a bar towel to catch any spills (which you'd think would make it slippery... not so)... a previous $44 Oster needed to be placed on a non-slip rubber pad & it still jumped about like a 5-yr old on a sugar cookie high. In all fairness, that Oster was purchased 25-yrs ago, so perhaps they've all improved over time or I just had a wonky unit. Also, it's QUIET... so unlike my last, which sounded like an outboard motor on my counter top. This model is not a little quiet... it's COMPLETELY quiet. My cheap Oster blender makes 10 times the noise of this baby. Liquid also doesn't seep over from anywhere (yep, you guessed it, a problem with the previous, but not the B&D). The best? I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make early morning, fresh juice without rattling the tenants underneath me out of bed at 5am, but it's so quiet, it's not a problem at all. I couldn't make early morning fruit smoothies for that reason alone. Also, it doesn't clog like my last or need to be emptied after just a few veggies. Honestly, I gave up on juicing because the last was so cumbersome, but I didn't realize it was the low performance juicer causing the problem. This is what I'd hoped a juicer would be... inexpensive, quiet & works quickly & well. **************************************************** Note: The following * paragraphs are a bit off-topic, but in the event it helps someone, I'll go on... feel free to skip to the end. **************************************************** * I haven't made fruit juice, as I prefer to eat fruit, but it would surely juice nicely as it's far less dense than vegs. I make vegetable juice twice/day (for the next few months, it will be my meal replacement) with 2-3 celery stalks/carrots/cabbage leaves, 4-6 Romaine lettuce leaves, 1 green pepper/beet/tomato, 1/2 cucumber, a handful of spinach & some cilantro. There's still plenty of room in the waste container (about 1/4 room left) if I wanted to use more vegs, but, this amount fills a pint beer glass nicely (12-oz), which is just enough for me to quickly drink down. * I also squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon & add a bit of cayenne pepper/tobasco directly into the glass for better taste. * I figured out it costs $4.50-5 for 12-oz juice using the mix of vegs listed above. 1/2 of the vegs are organic & 1/2 of the vegs are far too pricey to justify organic costs. Mine are all store bought for now... I will be finding farmer's markets asap to hopefully lower costs. Of course, if sticking to 1-2 vegs per juice, non-organic or if one has access to cheaper Costco/Sam's Club vegs, it wouldn't be so pricey. I somehow thought it would be far less expensive & honestly, I'm spending more for daily food than before (because I'm drinking juice for breakfast & lunch then eating a smaller portion of protein with 1 cooked veg for dinner). I usually eat salad daily, but with all the vegs I'm consuming, I have no craving for salad, just fish or lean beef. The benefit is I do feel better/healthier & in just a few days, it is quite addictive & I can't wait to drink my juice, like a Brit waiting for tea time. I thought weight would drop off by ingesting mostly low cal vegs, but not yet (to be fair, it's only day 3 & I'll be inactive for awhile due to an injury). Maybe I'll need to convert over to juice only for that to happen. * The veg fiber that catches in the container could be used for salsa, if desired. It's not so dry that every ounce of moisture is gone. I've seen some recipes online. But, as mentioned above, I sincerely doubt anyone would want to eat it if drinking veg juice alone for 2 meals/day. Still, if one has a family, it might be used with some seasoning for stuffing a tomato or as garnish for a burrito, etc, for the family, so as not to go to waste. * Clean up is easy, but I recommend doing it immediately. I just rinse the pieces in hot water & only use soap every 4th time, generally as there are veg remnants I can't remove. I bought a $1.50, hard bristle toothbrush at a discount store to clean the basket... it's the only part which needs to be scrubbed. A baby bottle cleaner works well, too, mainly as the bristles are very stiff... it's just a bit large & I get a lot of splashing, so I alternate between the 2. * As a last tip to those wishing for optimal health, please note that within 10-min, juice or even chopped vegs/fruits lose 40% of their nutrients. I have no idea how degraded they become if stored for hours/days in the fridge & I suppose it's still better than frozen/canned/pre-made, but it's good to know, especially if buying $$$ Whole Foods in-store-juiced drinks. Why bother... juice it at home & drink it right away, then forgo the vitamin supplements. It's also more of a bother for some to juice multiple times/day, but I enjoy knowing I'm getting all my $'s worth out of my pricey produce. ***************************************************** Last notes... I would highly recommend this juicer & I really do think the Black & Decker brand is very good, as I've had good luck with small, inexpensive products of theirs in the past, like a $15 electric drill purchased at a discount store. Some may be disappointed if they've previously owned $300+ juicers. I'm sure they are lovely (like comparing a Jaguar to a Geo)... but, I'd rather spend around $50 & put the other $250 towards vegs to put in my stomach.
