Black & Decker KEC600 Cordless Can Opener, White
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List Price: Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Black & Decker KEC600 Cordless Can Opener, White
Customer Review: Works great at first, then gradually dies
Summary: 2 Stars
Pros: As others have already written, this Black & Decker Cordless can opener works great at first. It's really handy and convenient being cordless.
Cons:
1. Getting a can lined up so it will start opening a can is a little challenging and frustrating.
2. Battery slowly loses its rechargeable charge capability, it's difficult to find a replacement battery, and the battery is too expensive to be practical to replace.
Now that I've had it about 1 year or so, it's obvious that the battery is starting to lose its rechargeable charge capability. It will still open a can, but it's not very powerful now and it's fading, and it sounds like it's barely going to be able to finish opening a can.
Someone else wrote in that it was difficult to find a battery and Black & Decker wants $24.95 for a replacement battery.
3. Life of this can opener is only 1 year, maximum 2 years with only occasional use, due to the impracticality of the battery replacement. In my opinion, it's not worth paying $24.95 to replace a battery once a year, especially for a $20 can opener!
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So, would I recommend it to anyone else? Only if you don't mind having to replace the can opener in about a year or two or spending $24.95 every year for a new battery, depending on how much you use it. Personally, I won't buy another one like this for that reason.
In contrast, my old plug-in electric can opener lasted about 20+ years with fairly heavy use before it died -- lots of can opening with a family of four, raising two kids, and doing a lot of cooking!
I'd give a higher rating if the Black & Decker cordless can opener lasted AT LEAST 5 years, preferably longer, and if the battery replacement cost was only a few dollars. As it is now, I won't buy another one and I won't recommend it to anyone, either, even though I do like the can opener when it's new and runs with a good enough charge.
Customer Review: Its cheap for a reason
Summary: 1 Stars
R.Feeser in his review (Nov '02) asked "How many years of use I get out of it, I do not know..."
Well it's about 1 ½ years of moderate use before the thing stops taking a charge and dies. When I originally received it for a wedding present I loved it. It worked well and did exactly as advertised. Then, about 3 weeks ago I was knee deep in making dinner when it gave up. I had 2 cans of tomato sauce, hungry guests, and no way to open up the cans. Such is life! It actually started acting up after a year of use and it's been on its way out for the last six months.
I went on Amazon to look for a new opener and decided to check out this gadgets review to see if anyone else had a similar experience. I read K. tate's review from Nov. 05 and thought, "This is my story!" Apparently I'm not alone.
My mother owns the Krups Open Master and that sucker lasted 5 years before needing to be replaced. It has its quirks but the thing is a beast. I'm going to buy myself one after I finish this review.
I'm a numbers person so I did the math when comparing these two products. The Krups costs $40 and will last conservatively 4 years, which is about $0.02 a day for 4 years. The B&D cordless is 24.99 and will last a year at top performance, which is $0.07 a day for a year. If I bought a replacement every year for 4 years (the lifetime of the Krups) I'd be out $58.97 and I'd still have to buy a new can opener.
What have I learned:
1. Don't buy a rechargeable can opener
2. Don't buy a cheap can opener
3. Always keep a manual opener on hand regardless of what
you buy
Customer Review: Turns a Boring Task into Fun
Summary: 5 Stars
I would have never imagined opening cans would be a task someone would actually want to do. But my kids now fight over whose turn it is to open the cans! The hands free operation of the can opener is easy to start and fun to watch, as the opener works its way around the can. The handle is easy to set in place, release it, and the opener starts up with its race around the can, on its own, then shuts down when the job is complete.The recharge unit, almost small in nature, can sit on the back of the counter, and the unit sits in the cradle. The unit seems to hold its charge without a problem, easily handles 5 cans at a time, the most we have ever needed at once, although my youngest would do the whole cupboard if I let him.
This system allows something that I have NEVER been able to do before, actually wash the cutting blade! The removable blade is dishwasher safe for easy and effective cleaning. The other can openers I've owned, which were full units and could not be submerged, could only be cleaned by wiping with a damp clothe. This is MUCH more sanitary.
A great system, and it makes meal prep time, fun time.
Customer Review: Apology to any who bought this on my earlier review
Summary: 1 Stars
to anyone who may have bought this piece of junk based on my previous review. Why it's junk:
1. Quit working after very light use after only 3 months
2. Poorly designed charging unit. Must line up METICULOUSLY with charger unit to recharge.
3. Unit doesn't easily fit to open ANY can. Must DIDDLE with it constantly.
4. Cutting head falls off if you even look at it.
5. When opener does engage to open a can, the opener is under powered.
6. Makes regular cans top heavy when on can. Can falls over. Must constantly hold everything. Not necessary when I used "conventional" counter top can openers.
7. Cordless can openers are just a gimick. They don't work better, nor offer any advantage over conventional old style openers. That may change when some thought is applied to the disign so that it may work correctly.
Again, not withstanding losing helpful votes, I felt it necessary to apologize for my earlier review that may have encouraged others to buy this item.
John Row
Customer Review: The Best Can Opener I Ever Had
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading all of the negative reviews on this can opener, I had to write a review of my own. I bought this can opener in November, 2002, and I have had none of the problems mentioned by some of the other reviewers. I use it at least every other day, if not every day. The can opener may be a little tricky to attach to the can the first time or two you use it, but it is easy once you get the hang of it. The head is removable for easy cleaning, but it doesn't just fall off. You have to lift it all the way up and slide it out to remove it. It's easy to line up the opener in the charging base (there's only one way to put it). As far as making cans top-heavy, with small cans (up to condensed soup size or a little larger), I just hold the opener and let the can turn. I keep my opener on the charging base, so I haven't had any trouble with it holding a charge. It has plenty of power and has opened every can I've ever tried it on. I'll definitely buy another one if they're still available when mine wears out.