3 stars

Considering all the negative reviews, I felt compelled to write something about my experience.

So I bought this water cooler because I wanted one for the office and people didn't want to pay more than $100 for one. Then I saw the reviews and felt terrible about the purchase but I thought since I have it i'll give it a try!!
So the taste and smell of plastic and rubber was there. But considering I read everyone had that problem, I didn't put the 5 gallon bottle on. Instead, I started filling out the place where you put the bottle with water and drain it out. I also added vinegar which didn't work. Then I went for the bleach and used more than the recommended amount then I rinsed the whole system like they say in the manual. I honestly did that like 30 times in 2 days and finally I just tasted the cold water and no rubber or plastic taste!!! I am suspecting the hot water needs more work but I still have hope for this cooler!
Few things that I like about it, looks well built, it's heavy. I've seen expensive ones out there that look very cheap and are very light in weight! So in comparison I like how this is built. The biggest thing about it is the distance between the hot/cold dispenser and the removal dip tray, you can actually fit one of those arrowhead 7.7fl oz bottles to refill. That distance was one of the selling points for me for this cooler, since people at work are going to be filling out their bottles and not using cups. The dispensers are hidden inside where if you're refilling a bottle, the tip won't touch the dispensers. For health reasons, if you're sharing this cooler, this is a plus. They have a circle on the drip tray to help you figure out where to put the glass or bottle to fill up water and it's actually very easy to fill up a bottle without dripping and wasting good water. So basically the rubbery taste will test your patience but I managed to get rid of it for the cold water at least. I like the design and oh, hot is hot enough and cold is cold enough.
Overall, I am liking this cooler. It was very challenging finding a stainless resevoir cooler for this price.
I am keeping it.

1 stars

I also returned mine to the store after just a few days. The water tastes horrible! I tried cleaning it...but nothing changed. Too bad, because I liked the sleek design and the Energy Star rating. But what good is a water cooler if you can't drink the water??!! By the way, Black and Decker doesn't actually make this...they just use the name to help sell it. More "Made in China" junk!

1 stars

I bought this water cooler on July 27th and I'm taking it back to the store this weekend. The plastic taste is horrible. The owners manual gives you instructions on what do to if the water has a "bad taste". I've cleaned this water cooler 3 times already and it still tastes like plastic. The owners manual also says to let the water cooler sit at least 4 hours before adding the bottle of water. I let it "air out" for over a day and it still didn't help. Save your money....don't buy this product.

1 stars

Do not buy this water cooler unless you like the taste of plastic. The plastic taste does not go away. I thought I was getting a great deal on this cooler and boy was I wrong. This product should not be on the shelves, its a health hazard. I ended up buying a water cooler from culligan (which I should have done in the first place) and its so much better.

1 stars

I wasted about three weeks, 10 gallons of crystal water and countless gallons of tap water trying to get rid of the rubber taste! We put in vinegar mixed with water, still did not work. Finally returned item. Would not buy again. I am looking for other water coolers now, and am now gun shy after this experience. If you like he strong taste of rubber then buy this machine!

1 stars

Went through two 5 gallon bottles trying to 'get rid' of the rubber taste with no luck! I wouldn't suggest this machine. Water comes through tasting like burned plastic and rubber...doesn't go away!

1 stars

Thought this was a great deal... cold water gets cold, hot gets hot... great tasting first, than as water sits in resevoir... tastes bad and leaves bad feeling in esophagus... returning item.. suggest buying stainless steel dispenser instead