BLACK+DECKER WCR-094 EHC750BD 3-Cup Ergo Chopper, Black

This is the second one of these I've owned. I've had the other one for at least ten years, probably longer, and only bought the new one because I didn't look closely enough at what I thought broke on the old one. (The pin had come out of it's seat on the bottom, and I didn't see right away that the slot it goes back in to is keyed.) So, now I have two.If you're like me, most of the chopping prep you have to do is fairly small quantities. An onion, a couple of garlic bulbs, a handful of basil or chives, that sort of thing. The type of thing I'd otherwise use a knife for, despite arthritis, rather than drag out the big food processor that takes up the whole top shelf of the dishwasher. This little chopper weighs about a pound, the motor unit fits comfortably in the hand, the entire unit doesn't take up much room in the drawer, and the container and blade are also equally easy on dishwasher space. The motor unit is well-sealed, and easy to clean with a damp, soapy dishrag.

Because I had a B & D chopper very similar to this I bought another one because I really like the top motor, the size and the ease of cleaning up. HOWEVER, this one lasted exactly 2 uses and broke while I was trying to puree roasted garlic; a very, very soft food item. What I find completely and totally interesting is that the return date for this product expired YESTERDAY, so I have lost $20 dollars. I will not buy another one.

I purchased this item for small jobs and appreciate the quick and easy clean up. Works well for the jobs I have used it for, but the motor is on the top & the cord is very short, so I find that a little frustrating. I'm not sure when cords became SO DANGEROUS that they had to shorten them to the point of ridiculousness.

UPDATE: Tried to return the item several weeks ago and forgot about it. Never heard from Amazon or the "Spectrum Brands". Went back to check on it today and it was past the date of return. So, beware if you buy this one! It appears the company is not amenable to facilitating returns. FIRST POSTING: The motor is strong. Offset placement of two cutters enhances grinding. 3 cup capacity is ideal. Bowl and cutters are dishwasher-safe. Base is removable to act as storage lid for ground contents. However, BIG however: while grinding, the grinder's lid is the housing of the motor and electrical cord and cannot be washed under water, creating a major design flaw. I have been spraying window cleaner on a paper towel to clean the lid after grinding. I can't believe designers would miss this critical need - to be able to thoroughly wash the lid in soap and water. There is no way to insert a barrier to act as a lid while grinding - such as a piece of waxed paper with a hole cut for the connector pieces - without risking the paper be drawn down into the cutting milieu and still needing to clean the intended lid. Black & Decker, perhaps, did not mean for this to be a kitchen appliance? Don't know, but it is not reasonably food prep cleanable!

I had the 650 model ( previous iteration) for years, and it was the most used item in my literally of huge kitchen gadget collection. I finally melted a fuse trying to make hummus in it. That was pretty stupid of me, in retrospect. Next, time I will take out the heavy cuisinart I will have until I'm 100 years old or so. I mostly use this to chop garlic, onions, chilis, and spices. It works extremely well for small batches of salsas and such. The blades are sharp, and it has decent power. It is true that you can't pack it to the brim and run it on the full speed without having softer cuts on the bottom and untouched ones on the top, but such will be the case with any chopper of this size. Don't fill it more than halfway, and use the pulse mode. I used my old one constantly, and this seems nearly identical in terms of the motor, cup, and blade. I am going to keep my old blade and cup as a backup. The top looks slightly different, and the cup now has a protector on it, which I think is a nice addition if you have finicky countertops. I look forward to getting a lot of use of out this chopper. It's one of the least expensive kitchen tools I have, about the price of a so so can opener, but it gets more use than all of my other gadgets combined. When it arrived, my hubby said "Maybe we should buy another one as a backup." Really, though, if I don't try and pulse a full cop of cement through it again, it should last a really long time. This would make a really good gift, for someone who wants to save chopping time but not invest the space in something huge or who generally cooks in small batches.

I was looking forward to this chopper -- it's compact, got great reviews, and it's B&D like most of my tools. When I cut celery into half inch pieces and tried to chop them down for tuna salad, if a piece became caught on the blade and wedged between the blade and the cup, it stalled. Just flat out quit. Couldn't even cut through the celery piece to clear itself. I finally got some celery chopped by knifing the pieces nearly to the size I wanted, then put them into the chopper and shook it between my hands while it ran. This sure isn't what I had in mind. Bought a Faberware at Walmart and it chops perfectly.Was mine a fluke in that it couldn't manage to cut through one piece of celery? I wish this thing worked, the concept is awesome but it's underpowered or something broke in the gear assembly on the first try.I'm keeping it rather than hassle with a return. It's fine for swishing up some flour-water for gravy.