Black+Decker JE2200B Juice Extractor Review

Pros

Darkly colored parts make the juicer fairly stain resistant
Single speed operation makes it relatively easy to use
A light weight and small footprint makes it easy to move around the kitchen and store
Introduces only a moderate amount of pulp into the juice it extracts

Cons

Requires a lot of cutting of produce before the produce can be juiced because of its small feeding chute
Consistently performed poorly in all of our juicing performance tests
Does not come with a cleaning brush for its filter basket
Not very well built nor of high quality parts which is excused somewhat because of its low price point

Category Scores

Assembly Diff.	5.0
Food Prep.	3.0
Soft Produce	2.0
Hard Produce	2.5
Pulp Free	3.0
Overall	2.5
Cleaning Diff.	2.0
Ease of Use	3.0
Versatility	3.0
Durability	2.5
Value	3.0
Cumulative	31.5

All category scores are out of 5.

Assembly

Parts List

Food pusher
Juicer cover (with feed chute attached to it)
Filter basket
Filter bowl (the plastic part that the filter basket is placed inside of)
Motor base (the body of the juicer)
Juice container
Pulp container

Procedure

The Black+Decker JE2200B is uniquely small in size but otherwise is composed of all of the same parts as most other centrifugal juicers we tested. It is also composed of a filter bowl, filter basket, cover, pulp container, juice container, and food pusher. And all of these parts fit together in much the same way as they do on larger more heavy duty centrifugal juicers. The JE2200B’s filter bowl is the part that is assembled first. It’s seated on the main body of the juicer. Next, the filter basket is placed onto the main body inside of the filter bowl. Next, the juicer’s cover is placed over both the filter bowl and filter basket. The JE2200B’s cover is secured in place by two latches – one on the front of the juicer and one located on the back of the juicer. One part of each latch is permanently attached the body of the juicer and the other part hooks onto the juicer’s cover. Next, the pulp container is fitted underneath the filter bowl. This is one of the more unique parts of the JE2200B’s design. Most other centrifugal juicers are designed in such a way that their covers extend away from the main body of the juicer. It is underneath the cover that the pulp container of such juicers is fitted to collect pulp. With the Black and Decker, it is the filter bowl instead of the cover that extends beyond the main body of the juicer. It is underneath the filter bowl that its pulp container should be fitted to assemble it. Next, the JE2200B’s juice container should be placed underneath its juice spout and its food pusher should be placed inside of its feed chute. The juicer is now ready to be used for juicing.

An Additional Note

The JE2200B is one of only a few centrifugal juicers we tested that comes with a juice container that does not come with a specialized lid that fits over it and around the juicer’s juice spout. Other centrifugal juicers come with a container with such a lid to prevent juice from spilling out of the container when the juicer is in use (when juice is actively coming out of its juice spout and into the container). What makes the Black and Decker’s lack of a lid for its juice container even worse (other than the fact that juice can easily spill out of it) is the fact that the container isn’t very tall or at least not nearly as tall as the juicer’s juice spout. This makes it even more likely that juice will spill out of the container as it exits the juicer and drops into the container. To avoid making a mess during testing and also to ensure accurate test results (juice spilling out of the container would make for less juice collected in the container – the yield that was measured during testing) we did not use the juice container included with the JE2200B when we tested its performance. Instead, we used the container included with the Juiceman JM250 – a juicer that features a very similar design to that of the JE2200B. The JM250’s juice spout is at a similar height to that of the Black and Decker’s and its included juice container was actually designed in such a way to better accommodate that height. We therefore used the container included with the JM250 for all of the tests conducted with the JE2200B.

Difficulty

The Black+Decker JE2200B features an almost identical design to that of most other centrifugal juicers on the market. As such, it features most of the same parts. Most of those parts fit together exactly the same as they don on other centrifugal juicers but some of them do fit together slightly differently. Those parts that do fit together slightly differently do not affect the difficulty of assembling the Black and Decker in any tangible way. It therefore earns exactly the same perfect score in this category as most other centrifugal juicers we tested – a perfect 5 out of 5.

Note

For more information regarding how the ease of assembling centrifugal juicers, in general, differs from the ease of assembling juicers of other types, most notably slow juicers, please see here. The same write-up also discusses why we give most centrifugal juicers a perfect score in this particular category.

Food Preparation

The Black+Decker JE2200B is unique among the 17 centrifugal juicers we tested, in that it was the only such juicer that does not feature a circular wide mouth feeding chute. Instead, its feeding chute’s size and shape resembles that of the slow juicer’s we tested – it’s bean shaped (see photo below) and very small (only 1.25 by 2.5 inches). Compare this size and shape to the circular approximately 3-inch diameter feeding chutes of most other centrifugal juicers we tested.

The JE2200B’s cover and feed chute (left) and the Breville JE98XL’s feed chute (right).

The Black and Decker’s feeding chute is presumably as small as it is to prevent users from overloading it and thereby putting too much stress on its motor. The JE2200B comes with only a 400-watt motor. Compare this wattage to the 700-watt motor of the top rated Breville Juice Fountain Compact and the 1000+ watt motors of the Breville Juice Fountain Duo and Elite, the Cuisinart CJE1000, and the Jamba 67901 (and several others).

In terms of food preparation requirements, the JE2200B’s small feeding chute required cutting of all of the fruits and vegetables we juiced to test it, except for celery. Oranges needed to be cut into eighths, carrots needed to be cut lengthwise into halves, and apples had to be cut into sixteenths. We didn’t need to cut grapes to fit into the JE2200B’s chute although the same was true for every other juicer we tested, including juicers with even smaller feeding chutes.

Note that this Black and Decker juicer was the only centrifugal juicer we tested that required cutting of carrots. It was also the only such juicer that required that oranges be cut to eighths and that apples be cut into sixteenths. Only one other centrifugal juicer required that we cut oranges at all and all other centrifugal juicers required that we only cut apples into quarters. Cutting produce for 15 of the 16 other centrifugal juicers we tested took us only about 20 seconds to do on average (to cut apples into quarters). Cutting produce for juicing with the JE2200B took us well over 4 minutes (the time it took us to cut oranges, carrots, and apples to the size required to fit into the juicer’s feed chute). It’s definitely very important that you consider the extra food preparation time required for juicing with this specific centrifugal juicer should you be considering buying it over other options with larger feeding chutes. Because of its unique requirements in this category the Black+Decker JE2200B earns only a 3 out of 5 for food preparation.

Performance

We juiced 1 lb. each of oranges, grapes, carrots, celery, and apples to test how well the JE2200B could extract juice from a wide variety of different types of produce. Each fruit or vegetable was juiced individually, 1 lb. at a time – thus we conducted 5 different tests. We first measured the weight of the juice as it was extracted directly from the juicer. We then poured this yield through a sieve and measured the weight of the juice that was subsequently collected. The first yield we call “out of juicer yield”. The second yield we call “after sieve yield”. The difference between these two yields is the amount of pulp collected in the sieve after the out of juicer yield was poured through it to generate the after sieve yield. This difference in yields is therefore a good way to tell just how much pulp was contained within the initial out of juicer yield. Some juicers we tested have a very high out of juicer yield only because the juice they initially extract has a high pulp content. This “pulp advantage”, as we like to call it, is eliminated when the initial yield is poured through a sieve and the after sieve yield is collected. We therefore prioritize after sieve yield results over out of juicer yield results when assessing and comparing the performance of different juicers.

Specific test results for the JE2200B and all the other centrifugal juicers we tested are listed in this table.

Juicing Performance Summary

The Black+Decker JE2200B consistently performed poorly in all of our juicing performance tests. Not only were its out of juicer yields poor, but its after sieve yields were as well. Its out of juicer yields were in the bottom two for three of five tests and in the bottom four to six for the other two tests. Its after sieve yields were just as disappointing. Its after sieve yields were still in the bottom two to three for three of five tests and in the bottom five to six for the remaining two tests. All of the JE2200B’s test results were below average. It wasn’t able to obtain above average or even average results in even one test.

The table we referenced earlier and the paragraph above make it clear that the JE2200B was one of the worst performing juicers we tested. The question then isn’t whether its juicing ability is below average or not. We know that it is well below average. The question, rather, is by how much is it a worse juicer than other options on the market? And is this difference in performance enough to warrant spending more on those other options? The JE2200B was, after all, one of, if not the most inexpensive juicer we tested, normally retailing for well under $50. Other better performing option retail for at least twice as much. The Breville Juice Fountain Compact was the best performing juicer we tested. It retails for about $100. Is the difference in performance between the Compact and JE2200B enough to warrant the Compact’s higher price? Keep in mind that we ask this question only considering each juicer’s performance and not taking into account the difference in their durability, food preparation requirements, etc.

To answer this question, whether the JE2200B’s lack of performance is offset by its lower price, we encourage you to read a very detailed discussion we have regarding the relationship between juicer performance and value as its written here. In short, the write-up discusses how increased performance equates to long term cost savings at the grocery store. Juicing requires more than just a juicer. It also requires the fruits and vegetables that are to be juiced. And those fruits and vegetables have a price. The greater the performance of the juicer the lower the quantity of produce that is required to make the same amount of juice. The lower the quantity of produce that is required the lower the cost of the produce per quantity of juice that is made with the juicer. This lower cost in produce translates to substantial cost savings over time when comparing the cost of owning one juicer to another. What does this mean for the JE2200B? Well, it means that this juicer is a very poor choice for those consumers looking to purchase a juicer should their intention be to juice for a long time. The juicer itself may cost very little to buy, but this cost savings pales in comparison to the greater cost of produce when juicing with this juicer over time. The JE2200B is therefore only recommended to those budget minded consumers who wish to maybe try juicing (at a low cost of entry) but do not believe that they will be juicing for any substantial period of time (in which case a better performing juicer is a much better value because of produce cost savings over time).

Cleaning

Cleaning the JE2200B by hand takes just over 5 minutes to do, on average. Cleaning most of its parts is just as difficult and takes just as long to do as it does for most other centrifugal juicers we tested. The one exception is cleaning its filter basket. Probably because of cost concerns, the manufacturer does not include a cleaning brush with the purchase of this juicer. We talk about how a centrifugal juicer’s filter basket is by far the most difficult part of the juicer to clean in detail here. What makes it so difficult to clean is the fact that it features two unique difficult to clean parts of its own – its razor blades (at its center) and its micromesh filter (at its perimeter). The razor blades are difficult to clean because they’re very sharp – they can only be cleaned with a brush with heavy duty tough and resilient bristles. The micromesh filter is difficult to clean because the holes of the filter are numerous and very small – it can only be cleaned with a brush that has thin but tough and sturdy bristles. Most centrifugal juicer manufacturers understand that many, if not most consumers may not have such a uniquely heavy duty cleaning brush ready to use in the kitchen upon their purchasing of a juicer. For this reason, most such manufacturers include a specialized cleaning brush with their juicers. Black and Decker does not with this particular juicer.

We were fortunate to have had a Breville cleaning brush available to us to clean the JE2200B’s filter basket when we tested it for this review. However, many consumers won’t have such a cleaning tool available to them should they purchase this juicer. And it is for this reason that we are highly critical of Black and Decker for not including a cleaning brush with the JE2200B. Cleaning a centrifugal juicer’s filter basket is already difficult to do with a specialized tool (a cleaning brush included with the purchase of the juicer). Cleaning it with non-specialized tools is even more difficult, perhaps even impossible without going to extreme measures such as soaking the filter basket in a vinegar solution overnight. Not having a specialized cleaning tool included with the purchase of this juicer is therefore, in our opinion, completely unacceptable. It is primarily because of the lack of the inclusion of such a tool that the JE2200B receives the lowest score it can in this category – a 2 out of 5 for cleaning difficulty.

Dishwasher Safe Parts

All of the juicer’s parts are dishwasher safe. For most other juicers we recommend washing their removable parts by hand for all of the reasons we outline here. However, the JE2200B is so inexpensive and so cheaply made that a strong argument can be made that it really doesn’t whether you wash it by hand or not – in other words, whether you clean its parts in a dishwasher or not. Washing its parts in a dishwasher may even offset the only major complaint we had regarding cleaning this juicer above. Cleaning its filter basket in the dishwasher, while reducing the longevity of the part, could very well offset the need for a cleaning brush to clean it. Note that we did not attempt to clean any of the juicer’s parts in a dishwasher when testing it for this review and so we do not know for sure if simply cleaning its filter basket in a dishwasher would be a sufficient means by which to clean it.

Note

After writing this editorial review, including the paragraphs above, we thought it would be interesting to see what consumers have done to clean the juicer’s filter basket. We therefore surveyed several consumer reviews with this aim in mind (to find out how consumers clean the juicer’s filter basket). More specifically, we read consumer reviews with the intention of answering the following two questions: 1 Were consumers successful in cleaning the juicer’s filter basket in a dishwasher? 2 If not, were they able to find some other means by which to clean it?

Those consumer reviews we read for this juicer indicated that cleaning the filter basket by running it through a dishwasher does in fact, not work to clean it properly. Several consumers reported that pulp was still stuck in the filter basket’s mesh after cleaning it in a dishwasher. An interesting idea brought up in the same reviews was to use an old toothbrush to clean the filter basket. Unfortunately, we are no longer in the possession of the juicer or its filter basket, to test how effective a toothbrush can be to clean it.

Ease of Use

Juicing Speeds

The JE2200B is a one speed juicer. It features no multi-speed functionality. This actually makes it easier to use than those juicers that do.

Manual Quality

All the other centrifugal juicers we tested come with a manual in the form of a book or booklet that’s easy to page through should you need to look up information that only the juicer’s manual provides. The JE2200B’s manual is not in book form. It comes with a fold out manual that cannot be paged through easily and that makes it much more disorganized than it would be otherwise.

Weight, Power Cord Length, Juice and Pulp Containers

The Black+Decker JE2200B is the lightest juicer we tested for review. Fully assembled it weighs less than 5 lb. The body alone weighs a mere 2 lb. 14 oz. Needless to say, it’s incredibly easy to move this juicer in or out of storage or from one location in the kitchen to another. The juicer is also very small which makes fitting it into a kitchen cabinet, even fully assembled, much easier to do than it is with most other centrifugal juicers on the market.

The juicer’s power cord isn’t very long – only 26.5 inches. So, while it’s easy to move around the kitchen you’ll be limited in where you can put it relative to available wall outlets.

Another negative for the JE2200B in this category is the fact that, because of its small size, it comes with an extremely small juice container and pulp container. Its juice container was the smallest such container for which we measured a volume. Its volume was measured to be only 11 oz. Compare this volume to the 20+ oz. volume of every other juice container for which we measured a volume. Seven of the seventeen centrifugal juicers we tested come with juice containers with a measured volume greater than 40 oz. The JE2200B’s pulp container was also the smallest such container for which we measured a volume. Its volume was measured to be only 34 oz. Compare this volume to the average in the category – 72.5 oz.

We believe the manufacturer made the JE2200B’s juice and pulp containers as small as they are to prevent users from juicing too much produce at the same time. This design choice was most likely implemented in an effort to improve the longevity of the juicer’s motor and accompanying parts.

Ease of Use Summary and Score

The Black+Decker JE2200B is lightweight single speed juicer that’s made difficult to use mostly because of its small juice and pulp containers but also because of other factors not described above. Those factors are its food preparation requirements and its inherent cleaning difficulty. It earns only a 3 out of 5 in the category.

Versatility

General comments regarding centrifugal juicer versatility (which also apply to this juicer) and why most juicers of this type receive a below average score in the category can be found here.

Durability

Build Quality and Materials

You simply cannot go into your purchase of the JE2200B expecting it to have the same level of quality in terms of workmanship and the quality of materials used for its parts as those juicers that retail for double, triple, even ten times its price. It simply does not. This juicer is made of mostly cheap plastic and a few cheap stainless steel parts.

Consumer Reviews

We feel it’s important for us to note, specifically for this juicer, that it has thus far received, what we feel is an undeserved lopsided percentage of positive consumer reviews. And that while such positive reviews are not entirely unsubstantiated, they are mostly written from the perspective of consumers who have, for the most part, never owned other juicers. We were able to use this juicer, test it, clean it, etc. from the perspective of having done the same with at least other 30 other juicers. And we can say, unequivocally, that there was a distinct difference in the quality of this juicer (in a negative sense) compared to the vast majority of other juicers that we tested. This difference in quality not only applies to the build quality of the juicer and the quality of the materials that make up its parts but it also applies to other things such as general performance, and all of the other topics we’ve covered in this review thus far.

Brand Reputation, Warranty

Black and Decker is a very well known, well respected brand. Note, however, that Black and Decker, the corporation, is not Black and Decker, the brand. For example, Spectrum Brands, not the Black and Decker corporation, owns the Black and Decker hardware and home improvement division. This Black and Decker juicer’s warranty is also not backed by Black and Decker, the corporation. Instead, its backed by Applica Consumer Products, Inc. In order to register this product, consumers are directed to prodprotect.com/applica, not blackanddecker.com. The toll free number given in the juicer’s manual also appears to direct consumers to Applica. Applica itself is a relatively unknown entity. In any case, the included warranty is 2 years long, which makes it twice as long as warranties included with Breville juicers – impressive. The warranty does state that it does not cover “shipping and handling costs associated with the replacement unit”. Thus, we presume it is up to the customer to cover such costs. This stands in contrast to Breville warranties, which cover all costs associated with warranty claims including shipping and handling costs.

Summary and Score

The Black+Decker JE2200B was definitely one of if not the most cheaply made juicer we tested. There’s no question that the parts that compose it are made of cheaper plastics and cheaper metals than the materials that compose the parts of more expensive juicers. Black and Decker is a brand with a strong reputation in multiple industries. However, it’s very difficult to know at this point in the company’s history, exactly who owns its brand in which industry, exactly who stands behind this particular product, and exactly why that company stands behind this particular product. All things consider, the JE2200B earns only a 2.5 out of 5 for durability, mostly because of its well below average build quality and the below average quality of them materials of the parts that compose it.

Value and Recommendations

Earlier in this review when we discussed this juicer’s performance, we also touched on its value. We talked about how the initial cost of the juicer itself is low but the long term cost of owning the juicer is high. Thus, we recommend it only to those consumers looking to purchase a juicer at the lowest price possible with little or no intention of juicing long term. We can also add to that recommendation here that, if you want to buy a juicer to try juicing and plan on buying another, more expensive juicer, only if you enjoy juicing, then then JE2200B could also be an option for you. Otherwise, we do not recommend it.

If you want to purchase a juicer with reasonable performance at a low price then we recommend the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer instead. If you want to purchase a centrifugal juicer with outstanding performance and one that will last you a long time then we recommend the Breville Juice Fountain Compact. Again, the JE2200B is only an option if you (A) want to try juicing but aren’t committed to it and feel like you’re likely to not keep on doing it for a long time or (B) if you want to try juicing at a very low cost right now but fully intend to purchase another better juicer later on should you actually enjoy the juicing experience. The JE2200B is priced low enough for you to purchase it on a trial basis only and still be able to afford a more expensive option later on should you actually enjoy juicing and want to continue juicing well into the future.

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