วันอังคารที่ 12 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2556

Breville BJE510XL Juice Fountain


Breville BJE510XL Juice Fountain Multi-Speed 900-Watt Juicer


  • 900-watt stainless-steel juice extractor with 5 speeds
  • Speeds range from 6500 rpm to 12500 rpm for maximum extraction
  • 3-inch circular feed tube; backlit control panel; dishwasher-safe parts
  • Juice jug and froth separator, detachable spout, and cleaning brush included
  • Measures 16-4/5 by 15-1/2 by 10-1/4 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Product Description


The Breville BJE510 Juice Fountain Multi-Speed with variable speeds is a smart juicer that adjusts speed to extract the maximum juice with minimal waste. A built-in smart chip increases power to the cutting disc under heavy loads so juicing is accomplished as efficiently as possible.


Customer Reviews


The Breville BJE510XL Ikon 900-Watt Variable-Speed Juice Extractor is the third juicer I've owned, and is definitely my favorite. My cheap and easy-to-use Juiceman's motor burnt out after a year, at which point it would have been more expensive to repair than replace. My Champion still works after 15 years and is not difficult to clean, but is messy to use, leaving drips all over the countertop or whatever I line it with. I've also tried the Green Star and Green Power Juicers, which make perfect juice with dry pulp, but take a long time to clean and assemble. The Breville BJE510XL Ikon 900 is the second-down from the top of the line of the four Breville juicers (only the Elite is better), but after a month of use of about every-other-day use, I find no need to upgrade.

Here's why I like this juicer so much for my typical juice of carrot, kale, celery and apple and/or pear:

*Easy to set-up: It takes only seconds to set up this juicer. The juicer itself has only 3 pieces to snap into place, plus there's the acrylic pitcher, pulp basket, and pusher. The pieces fit perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle, which brings me to the second reason I like it:

*Not messy: The juice ends up in the pitcher, the pulp goes to the pulp basket, plus some residual of each ends up in the juicer to be cleaned. My Champion Juicer OTOH required me to find containers around the house that would fit, and still some would drip out. I would have to place a baking sheet or towel under it to contain the mess.

*Quick vegetable and fruit prep: I can fit several carrots at once into the 3" diameter shoot, plus whole pears and/or apples. I don't have to do as much cutting ahead of time as I did with other juicers with a narrower shoot. You must be careful though to use the pusher and not your hand.

*Quick clean up: Those 6 pieces mentioned above are all I have to clean. I can clean my juicer in just a few minutes, once I figured out a good way to clean the filtration basket--by far the most challenging part to clean. This basket was frustrating to clean at first, particularly since my juicer did not come with the brush it was supposed to (and customer service did not respond to my request to obtain a brush). I tried various brushes, but what works best is an all purpose nylon scouring pad from Trader Joe's which comes in packages of 4 for $2.59. The secret to quick clean up is to begin cleaning as soon as you've finished juicing, although you do have a few minutes to drink your juice first. Rinse off the filtration basket and vigorously scrub half of each of the three sections at a time with the nylon scrubber, rinsing each half section before moving on to the next. This should remove 90 to 90% of the pulp debris. Repeat or spot clean to remove the rest. I can clean the whole basket in less than a minute. The other parts are quick and straightforward to clean, although you have to be careful to clean under the rim of the acrylic part that the basket sits in.

*Helpful design features: The juicer has a smaller footprint than the Champion and Greenstar Juicers; a sleek, modern look that looks good in kitchens; pieces that fit together well (as mentioned), and even the plug is in the shape of a ring so one can easily pull it out of the socket without yanking on the cord.

*Doesn't stain. Although it has some acrylic parts, so far, with immediate cleaning after use, there have been no stains.

A few compromises. No juicer is perfect. This juicer is average in several areas. You can have a juicer that is above average in these areas (Green Star and Green Power), but you will be spending a lot more time in assembly, disassembly and cleaning. Having used the Green Star and Green Power, I would rather have the quick and easy juicer and sacrifice a small amount of yield.

*Noise - This juicer is as loud as your average kitchen appliance like a food processor or blender. The Green Star or Green Power are whisper quiet. It is not as loud as my Blendtec blender which requires me to wear ear phones.

*Yield - The pulp in this Breville is neither very wet nor very dry--it's average. For sawdust-dry pulp and more yield, the Green Star, Green Power and the $2,000 difficult-to-clean Norwalk exceed the Breville.

*Versatility - The Breville is strictly a juicer. If you're a raw foodist who is interested in making frozen banana "ice cream" and "not tuna" pate', you might prefer the Champion, Green Star or Green Power. However, I have found you can make these items in the food processor, so I'd rather have the dedicated easy juicer. Banana "ice cream" takes about 5 minutes in the food processor, as opposed to about 30 seconds in the Champion juicer.

The bottom line is that the right juicer for you is the one that can get used. With quick and easy food prep, assembly, disassembly, and cleaning, at my house, this IS the juicer that gets used.




วันจันทร์ที่ 11 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2556

LEGO Mindstorms NXT



LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 








  • The intelligent NXT Lego brick features 32-bit microprocessor, a large matrix display
  • Three interactive servo motors; four sensors(Ultrasonic Sensor, 2 Touch Sensors and the all-new Color Sensor)
  • Color Sensor has triple functionality: Distinguishes colors and light settings, and functions as a lamp
  • Easy-to-use software (PC and Mac) with icon-based drag-and-drop programming and 16 fun building and programming challenges
  • Batteries not included with this product
  • Building instructions for 4 new amazing robots
  • Four input and 3 output ports, and Bluetooth and USB communication link

Product Description

Amazon.com

Take LEGO to the next level with MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0. Combining the versatility of the LEGO building system with a microcomputer brick and intuitive programming software, this building kit enables you to construct robots that see, speak, feel, and move. Designed for ages 10 and up, the 2.0 robotics tool set features everything you need to create and program your first robot in approximately one hour. After that, you can create an endless lineup of robots that do what you want--if you can dream it, you can build it.

Build, Program, Go
Creating a MINDSTORMS robot is challenging -- but not too difficult -- with an illustrated step-by-step booklet and software showing the way. The booklet gives you instructions for building a basic "Quick Start" robot only, which is an easy introduction to the MINDSTORMS experience. This robot took our two adult testers about 30 minutes to build and 30 minutes to program. After that, they spent a lot of time just playing with their creation and testing its abilities.
Once you master the basics of MINDSTORMS, you'll need to use the included software to get instructions for more advanced creations. You can also use the MINDSTORMS web site to find instructions for many other robots, or you can create robots on your own. No matter what you choose to create, the principles are the same: just build the robot using the LEGO elements in the kit, and program it on your computer using the software. Then watch your robot come alive.
NXT Technology Brings LEGO to Life
MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 features the latest in robotic technology: an advanced programmable microcontroller, Interactive Servo Motors, smart sensors, icon-based drag-and-drop programming software, interactive challenges, and wireless Blue tooth and USB connections -- all the smart technologies you need to create your custom robot.
First, the brain of the MINDSTORMS robot is NXT, an intelligent, computer-controlled LEGO brick that features a 32-bit microprocessor, a large matrix display, input and output ports, and a speaker.
Second, three Interactive Servo Motors give you precise control over the robot and ensure that the robot moves with precision -- the built-in rotation sensor can measure one-degree steps.
Third, there are four robotic sensors. The first is the Ultrasonic Sensor, one of two sensors that gives your robot vision. You can use it to make your robot avoid obstacles, sense and measure distance, and detect movement.
And fourth of all, two Touch Sensors give your robot a sense of touch. They detect when they are being pressed or released, and you can use them to make your robot pick up things or act on command. For example, by pressing a Touch Sensor you can make your robot walk, talk, close a door, or turn off your TV.
There's also a Color Sensor that functions three ways: it distinguishes colors -- black and white, as well as a range of bright and pastel colors -- it distinguishes light settings, and it can be used as a color lamp.
And finally, the MINDSTORMS Software lets you program your robot. Use the software to create a program, and then download the program to the NXT by using the USB cable or the wireless Blue tooth connection. Mac- and PC-compatible drag-and-drop software gives you 16 building and programming challenges, from beginner to expert.
Overall, this set scores an excellent rating for its clever design elements. Our testers enjoyed the way the set brought a new level of interaction to their LEGO experience, and appreciated how easy it was to create their first robot. They also loved the way this set encourages inventive play -- all the cool hardware that makes up the set can be used to build any robot you dream up. Finally, our testers liked how this set offers a great balance of learning and fun, and encourages interest in science, computers, and engineering.



Product Description

The 'NXT' generation of buildable, programmable robots is here! LEGOr MINDSTORMSr NXT is back and better than ever, with new robot models, even more customizable programming, and all-new technology including a color sensor! LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 combines the unlimited versatility of the LEGO building system with an intelligent microcomputer brick and intuitive drag-and-drop programming software. The new 2.0 toolkit features everything you need to create your first robot in 30 minutes and then tens of thousands of other robotic inventions that do what you want!

Customer Reviews


4.0 out of 5 stars A little more whimsy would be nice... October 3, 2009
Amazon Verified Purchase
Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   
I purchased the original Mindstorms 1.0 way back in the nineties. I absolutely loved it; it was a great workout for both my imagination and my ingenuity. It was also a great family toy: I could get the gears aligned and programmed, and my 8-year old daughter would supplement it with additional Legos for fun. That was what I loved about the original set: it did a wonderful job of straddling the line between robotics set and sheer silliness. The computerized brick looked like a giant yellow Lego; there were lots of colors, and it was compatible with other Legos. It even had an expansion set that allowed you to built animals and monsters, and came with Lego eyes, fins, and all kinds of fun little additions. The creations were functional (usually!), but also seemed to fit into the World of LegoLand.

This new set looks like...well, a robotics set. That's not a bad thing, but it means that this set needs to be compared to other robotics sets out there. Before, Mindstorms was completely unique, in a class all by itself. Now it looks like a very well-designed robotics set. The colors are drab, the 600+ pieces all have a specific practical function, there is less room for customizing.

Don't get me wrong, this set is a huge step up in functionality. The new color sensor alone is an enormous improvement. I will have hundreds of hours of fun with NXT 2.0. But I'm not sure my current young daughters will have much interest in it, and that makes me sad.

One last note: the box itself is pretty poorly designed. It's...a box. There are no dividers or compartments to keep organized. Not a huge issue, but you would think that at nearly $300 a pop the Lego folks would be willing to spring for a little extra cardboard.