Trashy? Nah. Brabantia is a Class Act.
Written: Jan 06 '05 (Updated Feb 08 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sleek styling, engineering design that WORKS, a guarantee that means what it says.
Cons: It's expensive. But it's worth every penny. All 20,000 of them.
The Bottom Line: A well-designed product, backed up by a real guarantee. It's expensive, but worth every penny.
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| theeye's Full Review: Brabantia Stainless Steel Trash Can (50-liter) |
There may, perhaps, be some message in the fact that the impetus driving my return to Epinions after so long a hiatus is, literally, garbage. I leave the decoding of that message to more curious minds.
For those whose interests lie more in history than symbology, I take you back some three and half years to a time when I was far more active on this site. I chanced then to read an epinion by the estimable nfp which can only be described as a lyrical ode to, of all things, a trash can. Many thanks to hadassahchana for locating that epinion for me; I commend it to your attention as one of the demonstrably more persuasive pieces ever to grace the pages of this web site. (And my apologies to nfp for my initial misattribution of the piece.)
Suffice it to say that, solely on the basis of nfp's ringing endorsement, I shortly thereafter visited Bed, Bath and Beyond and committed an act I theretofore would have characterized as utterly insane, if not actually immoral: I spent a sum of money in excess of $200 on a kitchen garbage can.
And that is how I came to be -- and remain, after four years -- the proud and thoroughly satisfied owner of a Brabantia 50 liter 'Touch Bin' waste bin.
The product picture probably suffices to convey the decorative appeal of the Brabantia Touch Bin: with its sleek lines and polished chrome surfaces, it is a far cry from the typical plastic bin hiding under innumerable kitchen sinks. This can calls out to be kept out in the open, where it's easily accessible and coordinates nicely with the decor of a modern kitchen. The metal lid assembly and the plastic lid within it both secure tightly, keeping objectionable odors from escaping, and the surface is easily kept spotless.
What the picture cannot convey, however, is the satisfying ease of use. I know what you're thinking: it's a trash can, for crying out loud. You open the lid, insert the trash and get on with your life.
Well, yes. That is what you do with a trash can. Under ideal circumstances.
With the classic plastic kitchen trash bin, however, there are often a few additional steps involved. Steps that involve lids that open reluctantly, or without providing sufficient clearance, or lids that fall off entirely. Bags that collapse to the bottom of the bin when anything weighing more than a feather is dumped in. Garbage that, no matter how careful you are, manages to find its way out of the bag, smearing the interior, and often the exterior, of the bin with thoroughly unpleasant goo. Leaks. Smells. Aggravation.
With the Brabantia Touch Bin, those steps are eliminated. The gentlest of touches on the lid causes it to rise, smoothly and silently, revealing a wide opening that will accommodate nearly any kitchen refuse you're likely to be disposing. The bag inside stays put no matter how heavy an object you toss inside: a standard issue 13-gallon kitchen bag (there's no need to use the special, overpriced liners Brabantia sells) fits perfectly inside the bin, with its edges folded over its rim; the Touch Bin lid assembly then fits on, holding the bag securely until it's full and you're ready to remove it. I cannot emphasize this point enough: in nearly four years of use, we have never -- not once -- had any problem with a bag collapsing to the bottom of the bin or with refuse falling outside the bag to the bottom of the bin. Furthermore, the bag remains securely suspended with no more than an inch or so folded over the bin's rim and the lid assembly covers that inch so that the bag is invisible when the lid is closed.
Once the bag is full, you simply lift off the entire lid assembly, remove and dispose of the bag and line the bin with a fresh bag. (We actually keep a supply of fresh bags stacked inside the bin itself for convenience; we can do this because the interior of the bin remains unsoiled.) Fold an inch or two of the bag over the rim of the bin and back on with the lid assembly and get on with your life.
The interior of our Touch Bin has almost never required any cleaning, as it is always entirely lined. The exterior is easy to wipe off. The mechanism in the lid assembly has been almost foolproof.
Almost.
And now we come to the final advantage of the Brabantia Touch Bin which has led me, after all this time, to review it. Not long ago, the small latch piece that holds the black plastic lid closed came loose. A few days ago, it finally fell off and disappeared into a bag full of garbage which we had no interest in excavating. Without the latch to secure it, the lid swung open and stayed open.
And so I surfed over to the Brabantia web site to see if I could order a replacement part. There I found that the company offers a ten year guarantee for defective items, subject, of course, to production of valid proof of purchase. You may perhaps keep receipts for household purchases for four years; we do not. Fully expecting to be laughed at, if a response was to be forthcoming at all, my husband nevertheless dashed off an email explaining the situation and asking whether a replacement latch or lid assembly could be obtained, either under warranty or by purchase. Much to his surprise, he received a courteous and apologetic response from Brabantia's customer service department, assuring him that they would send us a new lid assembly free of charge.
It is rare enough to find a consumer product with which one is unconditionally pleased. To find one which is actually backed up by solid customer service and a guarantee that means what it says is rare enough that it deserves public praise.
Update: The replacement lid assembly arrived as promised. Thank you, Brabantia.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
theeye
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Location: New York, NY (it's a hell of a town!)
Reviews written: 66
Trusted by: 165 members
About Me:
Company president, math geek, first time mom at 39, epinion addict. Sleep? Not lately.
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