Gama-Go BBQ Guitar Spatula

My dad absolutely loved this, BUT, we recieved it and it had three dents in the handle. It also came with the wrapper stuck to it like a sticker, and when we peeled it off, the finish came off. Seemed pretty cheaply made for the price. Design was aswesome, but was real dissapointed to recieve it with so many dents in it and that some of the finish peeled off with just opening it. Looks like its already had a few years of use.

This was ordered as a Christmas present for my husband from our two young sons. They loved it and he loved it, so that right there makes it a win-win.

It did arrive in a much larger box than necessary, which was amusing but wasteful. Not worthy of being considered a con, just an interesting "huh, look at that."

Yes, it is flat and a little angle at where the handle meets the guitar spatula part would've been nice but all in all, big whoop! He uses this for grilling and he hasn't complained about the lack of angle at all.

I would highly recommend getting this along with the Rockin' Fork to go with it!

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The item was as described. My Husband will enjoy the guitar theme when he is BBQing. Order was sent quickly.

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This spatula looks great, BUT the handle was straight. It needs to have some sort of curve to it, to help keep hands away from the heat and/or flames. It's mostly a decorative piece.

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I bought this item to as a gift for a guitar lover. It is nice and large, with a long handle so that your hand does not have to get close to the open flame or heat from your grill. It has a nice finish and good weight to it. I was the same size as your average grilling spatula, as I know it is hard to tell the size from the pictures. I would recommend this product.

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iDevices iGrill Grilling/Cooking BBQ Thermometer

I bought one of these a few months ago and have been using it to a moderate level of satisfaction. I have tried it with iPhone, iPod touch, and my wife's iPad. Due to the awful battery life of the iPhone and iPod touch, I primarily use it with the iPad. I use it with two probes to monitor the temperature of a chosen cut of meat and the internal temperature of my Primo XL smoker.

This product has so much potential but I'm only giving it 3 stars. Why? Well, for one thing, the build quality is a little bit suspect. I have a white unit, and the plastic housing doesn't feel very tough or rugged at all. I wouldn't want to see the unit take a fall onto a hard floor the plastic has a flimsy, almost brittle feel to it. While I would like it to be more rugged, it's not my primary concern. My biggest concern/complaint is that so far, the iGrill is ONLY compatible with their own homegrown IOS iGrill app. The app itself is okay and provides some basic functionality, and is generally fine for short duration cooks, but when I am doing "low and slow" cooks (of up to 30 hour duration), I need a more robust app with a few more features.

1) The iPad app just closes on its own periodically. This means you lose all the data that's been collected on the temperature trendlines.

2) There is no way to log the data to a file. I'd love to have the app just pump it into a csv file or even "to the cloud" in google docs. When I am cooking new things on the smoker, it's great to be able to go back and see exactly how long it took to cook items and how it correlated to the grill temp

3) There is a target temperature alarm that you can set independently for both probes, but when I leave the smoker going all day long or overnight, I'd love to be able to have a LOW temp alert an alarm that alerts me if the grill temp dips too low.

4) This is one of the things I hate about IOS, but this app won't operate in the background, so if you're using your iPad/iPhone/iPod touch to monitor a long cook, you can't really use that device for any other apps without losing your temperature data. Of course, when the app crashes on its own like it does, it doesn't much matter.

Honestly I would forget about those app shortcomings if there were a full featured app available for Mac OSX and Windows 7. Most laptops have bluetooth adapters and you can get a cheap USB bluetooth adapter for a desktop computer for less than $10. I hope iDevices strongly considers doing this or at the very least releasing an SDK or API so independent developers can create their own apps to communicate with the iGrill. If that happens I would give the iGrill a bump to 4.5 stars. (To reach 5 stars it still needs to be more rugged).

Just a few other notes

1) battery life seems pretty good. 4 fresh batteries seem to go for at least 50-60 hours of use.

2) the display on the device is nice for a quick temp check when your wife confiscates her iPad, but it can be difficult to read in bright light, at least on the unit like mine with the white plastic housing.

3) i bought my iGrill at the apple store because I'm impatient and didn't want to wait weeks to order one online. Unfortunately it's only sold with a single probe at the Apple Store. I ordered a spare probe directly from iDevices but they rip you off on shipping and you end up paying around $30 for the 2nd probe. The probes seem accurate but like the iGrill itself, I am a little suspicious of the durability the wire lead is quite thin, so $30 is a ripoff. It's better to buy the bundle that includes 2 probes with the base unit.

4) I don't expect the white housing to hold up very well over time. If the Apple Store had it in black, I definitely would have purchased the black one. That white plastic gets dirty easily and I'm pretty certain it will yellow as it ages.

UPDATE August 11, 2011:

It's been a few months since I wrote my initial review above, and coincidentally, (almost as if on cue) an updated version of the iGrill app came out within a few days of that first review being released. Much to my delight, a lot of features were added to the new version 2.0 app, including items #2 and #3 in the list above. Unfortunately, there are still some glitches. I have not been able to get the CSV file function to work at all it just freezes and crashes the app. The pdf function works, but for very long cooks, the scaling on the graph is messed up so that the labels on the x-axis all overlap each other, making them completely illegible. The updated app seems to be a bit more stable I have witnessed a few lockups and freezes here and there but the last 2 long cooks I've done, it didn't crash at all. I had a few issues where it wouldn't link up with the outdoor unit for several minutes, or it would launch and then close immediately, but I think I have it figured out now. Basically, launch the app and turn on the iGrill device as soon as the app loads. If it doesn't display a temperature right away, just wait a few minutes and it will show up. Another glitch I've found that impacts the device's usefulness is if one of the probes is over 125F when you turn the iGrill on, it seems to lock everything up. This happened once when the iGrill app crashed in the middle of a cook, and in an effort to get everything going again, I pulled the batteries out of the iGrill device. When I replaced them and turned the iGrill on, the alarm sounded immediately and the iGrill app couldn't connect, so eventually I figured out I had to remove the probes from the food in the grill to get it restarted. It was quite a frustrating ordeal.

I hate throwing away alkaline batteries so I use rechargeable AAs in almost everything. The iGrill works pretty well with the NiMh batteries that I have, but the "low battery" threshold in the iGrill app should be lowered. Due to the slightly lower voltage of rechargeable AAs, the iGrill erroneously thinks the batteries are running out of juice and it throws false warnings. It will show up within minutes after putting in a freshly charged set of AAs, but then the iGrill works fine for a good 40-60 hours even though it thinks the batteries are low.

Regarding probe accuracy, mine seem to be pretty accurate. I tested both of the probes that I have and both of them read within 1 degree of each other across a wide range of temps. I have tested them against a digital J/K thermometer and the readings are within 1-2 degrees across the range of tested temps, so I think these are accurate enough for cooking. The wires are braided metal but they tangle easily and compared to the probes on my other meat thermometers, they seem rather fragile, so I try to be careful with them when wrapping or unwrapping the leads for storage.

My Williams Sonoma probe thermo just stopped working. So in my search I came across the IGrill and saw some pretty weak reviews. I don't take much stock in most reviews as most are just upset buyers that don't take the time to work out minor kinks in a new product. So on my own judgement and knowing that the apple store sells these units, I bought one. Apple is pretty good about not selling products that don't uphold their high standards of quality.

My use...

Large Big Green Egg

IPad 2

Quality

seems to be good.

Yes, it's plastic, but seems to be durable

Meat Probes

Temps are Accurate

Length could be a little longer

Ambient temp Probe

Very accurate

Comes with clip to mount through dome.

I used at grate level and is very accurate

Bought an alligator clip for the grate.

App (ver. 2 new app)

Works good

MUST turn igrill on FIRST then turn on App.

MUST go into settings and adjust auto shut off to NEVER

Needs Future upgrades

Alarm for LOW temp

Fix little crashing bugs

Fix sleep mode

Remove the manual style timer, give option for digital timer.

Add ability to name the probe like in the first APP.

Open up to other app developers to create new and cool apps

Multiple device support.

Create android app...you could get additional sales!!

Would I recommend this?

YES

Is it a little pricey?

YES

Is it really cool?

YES

Does it works as stated?

YES

Is there room for improvement?

YES

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I've used various grill thermometers over the years, for the past few years I've been using the Weber wireless unit. I was never satisfied with that, it seemed like it was always losing its signal at an inopportune moment (and I LOVE most Weber products).

When I saw the iGrill become available, I figured it was worth a shot. The $100 price tag concerned me a bit, but this is a case of "ya get what ya pay for". I've only used this thing in the heat of battle a couple of times, but it worked flawlessly. The software is a bit clunky, which I assume will improve over time (I'd give it 5 stars but for that), but all in all, I think this thing is well worth the money. And it definitely has a coolness factor that no other grill thermometer can hope to emulate. Well done! (pun intended).

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I find that this product does everything as advertised! The beauty of the product, and the reason to buy it, is the remote readout on your iphone or ipad. I don't really care that the unit readout is difficult to see in sunlight again that is not why I bought it, and the strength of the device is the remote readout which is fabulous!!

BE CAREFUL OF THE AMAZON LISTING. It lists the unit twice with only $.04 different in price. So you can easily miss the price difference of $79.95 vs $79.99, BUT one has two meat probes and the other only has one! Clearly, an additional $.04 to get the second probe is the choice to be made, BUT again it makes no sense the probe must cost more than $.04. I think this is an inappropriate listing approach by AMAZON, and hopefully they will drop the single probe listing.

So, I blundered my way into buying the single probe, expecting the dual probe package. After I received it and found only one probe, I dutifully followed the AMAZON return policy, which was to first call the manufacturer. So, I called igrill and explained the situation to a customer support person who said that they would take care of it and all I needed to do was email my contact info. I also wanted to buy an air probe. The Customer Support Manager Matt Called me back within 5 minutes and took care of it without hesitation. He apologized for the AMAZON situation and said that they are receiving complaints from others about the confusing listings. So, he set up the order for the second probe at no charge and no shipping. He also packaged the air probe with the order. I received the package within 3 days. I couldn't be happier with their customer support. This was a great effort by a small company with a great product! Thank you igrill!!

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Despite the mediocre reviews, I really wanted to have a good experience the iGrill. I do a lot of BBQ on a Weber Smokey Mountain, and a wireless thermometer is invaluable. My existing wireless is a PITA to sync and keep synced, so when I saw the iGrill's bluetooth capabilities, I thought, "brilliant"!

Well, it would be brilliant except for the apparent faulty probe. I am attempting to smoke a beef brisket using the iGrill and noticed the meat's temp jumping to over 145 degrees in an hour. Given my smoker's temp was only at 250, I suspected an issue.

After some troubleshooting, I observed the following:

A. The probe's temp wildly fluctuating depending on how the probe connector was positioned to the base unit.

B. Even when "settled", the probe shows a temperature consistently 10-15 degrees above that of my trusty Pyrex probe thermometer.

I've emailed iGrill to request a probe replacement, but do not expect to hear from them for at least a day.

If I get a replacement probe that works, I will update this review, but at this point, I simply cannot recommend the iGrill.

EDIT: As I indicated in a reply to a comment, I did receive a replacement probe from the vendor. However, that probe only lasted two months before failing in the same manner. iDevices needs to figure out what is wrong with their probe manufacturing process, because something is not working.

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Hamilton Beach 25332 Easy-Clean Indoor Grill

I bought this grill 2 months ago as a replacement for a very similar (white) Hamilton Beach grill. I thought it was the same one with some cosmetic changes. Loved the previous one, used it for many years 3 times or more a week. This new unit has been a total disaster, and I am already looking for a replacement. The lower grill has much deeper trenches, which I suppose is suppose to allow for better drain-off, but it makes the unit almost impossible to clean (I'm yet to find a cleaning implement that can reach down into the trenches). After only a couple of hand-washings, the no-stick coating began to flake off, and after only two months almost none is left on the bottom grill (don't know if it would fare better in a dishwasher, since we don't have one, but we've been very careful when cleaning it by hand). The actual space available for cooking is much smaller than on the old model, making it very difficult to cook for two. The drainage tray doesn't stay put, and is not shaped properly to catch the run-off from the upper grill when the unit is open, which has led to a lot of mess (you can pull the tray out slightly to fix is problem, but it doesn't help much since it won't stay where you put it). The heat from the grill has also begun to warp the plastic drainage tray. Finally, for reasons that I haven't been able to figure out, after I finish cooking, the grill begins to smell very strongly of char. It stinks up the entire house. Never had that problem with the old one.

i disposed the box after the 3rd time using the grill, the clip that holds the plate in place broke off the very next time i used it. therefore, i have to open both sides in order to cook. the last one i purchased about 3yrs ago was very sturdy, unlike this one!

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I've had this Hamilton Beach item for about 5 months and it is terrible. I had one of these previously that was made about 10 years ago by Hamilton Beach that I loved and wanted to replace it. This one is very cheaply made. The numbers for the timer on the front have already worn off so I can't read them. Items stick on it, even when sprayed with cooking spray, and the grooves are so deep it is almost impossible to clean. They provide a plastic piece to clean it that I used today and it scraped the non-stick surface right off in several places. I would never buy this again.

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I purchased one of these Hamilton Beach #25332 grills from WalMart about 4 years ago. It was used two to three times a month. The non-stick coating on the bottom grill plates is peeling off so time to replace it. Other than the issue with the coating, the unit was still fully functional.

What I like about the product:

1. Removeable grill plates. We had a large Foreman grill with non-removeable plates and rarely used it because it was so difficult to clean.

2. The 15 minute mechanical timer. 15 minutes seems to be the right amount of time for grilling most meats, including burgers, sausages, average-thickness steaks, and chicken. The fact that the timer is mechanical instead of electronic means it is probably more reliable. This timer now has a stay-on mode that my older unit did not have. The product description on the Hamilton Beach web site states that "most foods cook in 10 minutes or less", and that's a fairly accurate statement. Bacon may take longer if you like it crispy.

3. The drip tray sits in a recess in the side of the grill so it can't accidentally be bumped and spill the contents. The drip tray on this particular model is too small for some kinds of meat, like 70/30 hamburger, or bacon, that produce a lot of grease. Be prepared to empty the drip tray at least once while cooking very fatty meats.

4. The wattage of the heating elements (600 watts each for top and bottom plates, 1200 total) is about right for most meat grilling.

5. Replacement grill plates can be ordered from Hamilton Beach for $14 each. Of course, the whole grill on Amazon is only $35 so it's probably not worth it to replace grill plates in an old grill.

6. The top lid swings 180º and lays flat so if you don't need to cook your food with the lid closed, you can have an open grill with 110 square inches of surface. Cooking bacon this way works pretty good.

What I don't like about the product:

1. I wish it was a little larger. For example, it will cook up to three Johnsonville Brats split in half and laid flat, or three medium size burger patties. The actual cooking area, from the Hamilton Beach web site, is only 55 square inches (110 with the lid open and using it as an open grill). If you are cooking for four or more people, it is too small; you will have to cook in batches. There are larger grills available from other manufacturers (George Foreman and Cuisinart, among others), but I have not found one of these larger models with removable grill plates.

2. The non-stick coating failed after less than 200 uses. I have several saucepans and frying pans with PTFE coating that are at least 15 years old, and the coating is worn but not peeling. So I know it's possible to coat aluminum with PTFE that lasts a long time.

CONCLUSION: If this was a perfect world, Hamilton Beach would sell a larger version of this product with removable grill plates measuring at least 144 square inches, like the big Foreman grill, and with premium quality PTFE coating on the grill plates that would last several years. For the $35 Amazon price, this is a very nice grill with lots of nifty features, if you can live with the relatively small grill plates. For a household of only one or two people, it's perfect, but if you have a bunch of hungry kids to feed, you might want to look for a larger grill like the Foreman 144 square inch model. I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because of the short lifespan of the non-stick coating on my grill (maybe newer ones are better?). Overall value for the $35 price is excellent, so I recommend this product if the relatively small grill plate size is acceptable to you.

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This is my second indoor grill by Hamilton Beach. I love grilling everything from hotdogs,burgers and even chicken on this grill. The clean up is very easy as well. I would recommend a friend to purchase this item.

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Shef 10 1/2 Quart Premium 1200w Halogen Convection Countertop Oven Cooker complete with Accessories

I originally bought this product 2 months ago for the ability to cook meat without defrosting. I'm a nurse and work nights and in the morning I always forget to take out something for dinner. Well this rose well above my expectation I can take a steak out of the freezer and cook it in half the time of a regular oven and it comes out perfectly cooked and juicy. I cooked a 16 1/2 pound turkey in 2 1/2 hours and it was browned and cooked perfectly. The Oven is simple to use and even came with the extender ring, upper and lower grills, tongs, cooking pan,steamer pan and a cute oven mitt for what the other ovens were going for with no additions. The Cooking Bowl comes out easy and washes either in the sink, dishwasher or turn the dial to the wash setting and let the halogen do the work for you,just wipe out the bowl when it's done. The only thing that would have made this purchase a 5 star was if the direction/recipe pamphlet gave more recipes and cook times. I would recommend buying a separate cookbook to learn all the different ways you can cook with this oven. All and all a great product I will happily recommend to all! Enjoy!

I read a lot of reviews on Halogen ovens and the usual applies to this one. In small area's trying to set the lid somewhere and have enough room to prep food can be somewhat a challenge. That aside this thing is great. I noticed some stated that the timer didn't work properly from the start. I've used mine twice so far and its been spot on. At the moment have a pork roast cooking in it. I've made chicken so far and its awesome!

Packaging was great and shipped very quickly!

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone as so far it seems great. If I remember I'll post a followup maybe in a month or so.

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Mine came with the name Shef on it.I guess it's the same.It came with all the accessories,more than the Sunpenton I purchased 2 years ago.It even came with a Christmasy oven mitt.Has extender ring,tongs,drip bowls and racks.Even though the settings are in celsius,it's not hard to understand.400 degrees fahrenheit=205 degrees celsius.Easy approximate way is to divide the fahrenheit temp 400 in half and that's the celsius temp(200).It was cheaper than most,looks like it's made in Germany so I take that as a plus.I'm sure it will cook perfectly.It came with english instructions and a small recipe pamphlet.What do you want for $40?But seriosly,you have to be an idiot if you can't put it together and figure out the temperature settings.It's in celsius not Japanese!

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This is my third Convection oven. I have had 2 Flavorwaves. The first lasted about five years and worked really well. The second, which was the more expensive "premium" model, lasted about nine months; it then decided to only work at 500F. I've had this Shef for about a month now, and so far, so good. I especially like the ability to select individual temperatures. The celsius readings don't bother me, I simply made a little conversion chart. I am still trying to figure out how the timer works ... it seems to go a little longer than the setting so I now use a second timer to make sure things don't get overcooked. However, with all the accessories and the extender ring all included, this is a really good buy. Hopefully it will last awhile.

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High Quality construction, Good strong design, All accessories are of good quality, Just got it last week, live alone bachelor, so cooking is a very necessary option for me in today's financial world. I have a convection oven, but not a competition point here, This unit fills any gaps left by convection oven, which aren't many anyway. I have only made real frys with it and did a 3 pound roast. so I probably shouldn't be boasting yet, frys came out perfect, but I did brush them with oil first and turned them over half way thru. Roast, well I turned that too, It was perfect and tender, I got some advice there too. Everything but the head goes in the dishwasher. My sister has a much higher priced brand, like $130.00 and we both feel this unit is as good as hers, and this has a much sturdier bowl and lid. As far as the european temperature settings, you can download a conversion chart all over the web. I don't have any cons as of yet...the instructions and included cookbooks are VERY vague though! For the money spent I don't think you can beat it!

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George Foreman 60 Inch Super Champ Electric Contact Grill GR0060B

I just got back into the George Foreman grills again. I bought a smaller one and it was just way tooo small to grill a meal even for one person... so i upped and bought this larger one. Its 60 square inches verses my 35. Gotta say its great looking, great grilling! This is priced to sell and its STURDY with the floating hinge for thicker cuts of meat. Takes up practically no counter space. HAPPY GRILLING!

Super grill easy to use, food is ready very fast, clean-up easy. Takes up very little counter space and no splatters.

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This made a great gift for someone who doesn't always have their significant other around at mealtime. Works great for one person or more, great item, great gift idea & great product!

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this would be fine for single servings I suppose, but for cooking for 2 or more people it's too small and food set near the edges doesn't cook very well, and sometimes not at all. It was so very difficult to clean as well. The little tray that catches the fat tends to fill rather quickly and then your stuck trying to figure out how to empty and replace it while hot grease continues to drip from your cooking food.... not possible... so you just hope it doesn't make a huge mess.

Bottom line.... not good for more than cooking one thing at a time, doesn't cook even around the outer edges and a pain to clean.

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It was new and nicely in package. We love cooking with it very much!!!!! Thanks so much we love it!

Blue Rhino GAD860SP LP Gas Outdoor Firebowl with Slate/Marble Mantel

This is a great outdoor fire pit for the price. Sometimes Walmart has it cheaper and sometimes Amazon does. It is worth checking them both as they both ship directly from Blue Rhino to your home. Also, the same fire pit is sold under the names Blue Rhino and UniFlame.

Once it is put together it is very sturdy and easy to use. The fire puts out a lot of heat and flame. The mantel is a nice size leaving plenty of room for drinks, plates, bottles, feet, etc. The lava rocks and fake logs looked a lot better than I thought they would. Overall it is a beautiful fire pit.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

(many of these are mentioned in other reviews, but they will save you a lot of hassle and time)

TIME: It says 1 hour but plan on 2 hours. Only a person who had put together about 5 of these perviously would be able to do it in an hour.

LOCATION: Plan to build it close to where you are going to use it as it is heavy to move once built. It can be easily moved by two strong people, but it would be hard for one person to move it any distance.

CARDBOARD: The is one large flat square piece of cardboard that is in the box with the top. Save this piece and use it to lay on the ground while building. Most of the building you will do with the top upside down and having this underneath will protect it from scratches and make it easy to slide around if needed.

INSTRUCTIONS: The instructions are good, but are mainly just pictures. There is very little detail provided. So you MUST carefully examine each picture as you build it, noting the number of holes on top versus the bottom, the direction of pieces and the exact screw needed. It is very easy to start putting a piece together to only realize that you messed up and need to take it a part and re-do it.

SCREW PACKAGE: A nice screw package is provided labeling each group of screws A,B,C, etc so you know which ones to use where. DOUBLE CHECK the labeling. On my package the A screws were labeled B and vice versa. I ended up using the allen screws where I was suppose to use the philips head screws and I ended up having to re-do the first couple of steps. Verify on the picture whether they want you to use the allen screws or philips head screws. Basically you will use the allen screws to attach the sides to the top, and you will use the philips head screws for everything else.

SCREW TIGHTENING: Almost every review mentions this advice and it is very important. When attaching a section together, first partially screw the screws in and once it is al attached, THEN tighten them down. The holes often do not line up perfectly and you will need a little "play" to line them up before tightening. The MOST IMPORTANT time to follow this is when you attach the sides to the top. DO NOT TIGHTEN all of the allen screws which are used to attach the sides to the top until you have ALL of the sides partially screwed in... then tighten everything down. If you don't follow this you will not be able to get all of the screws to match up to the holes. Also, on some pieces I found it useful to have a pair of pliers or hammer to bend some of the pieces a little so that the holes line up.

TANK COVER: A nice black vinyl tank cover is provided. It is easiest to put this on from the bottom upward and not from the top down.

TANK HOSE: I found it easiest to attach the hose to the tank and then rotate the tank clockwise a bit to tighten the hose up. This enables the hose to wrap closely around the tank and thus make it fit so that the door closes easily.

FIRE PIT COVER: A nice fitting cover is provided for the fire pit and even includes a little extra room at top to allow for the fake logs. This cover is a very thin and cheap vinyl. Be very careful when you put it on (especially if it is cold) as it will tear VERY EASILY at the corners. I would recommend turning the cover inside-out and reinforcing the edges and corners with duct tape first. Then use the cover as normal with the tape on the inside protecting the edges and corners. If you don't do this you will eventually tear the cover.

STARTING THE FIRE: Many have noted this as well, but it is easy to overlook. It does NOT start the same as a typical gas grill. To start the fire turn the knob to the start position and HOLD IT IN. While holding it in, press the electric starter. You must keep holding it in until it lights up (this can take a few seconds) and then you will need to KEEP HOLDING IT IN until the fire gets going. If you let go too soon it will just go out.

WINE: Don't keep a bottle of wine on the table top for very long as it will heat it up pretty fast if the fire is going...and who likes warm wine..ugh.

Overall this is an awesome product at a great price. The shipping was very fast (only a few days) and the item came in one large box. If you are patient and follow the above directions (or have a friend/relative who is) you will have it built and be using it to warm yourself in no time at all.

I have read a lot of positive reviews about this fire pit at other websites that offer it for sale. Hundreds of great reviews. I purchased it myself. It will take a minimum of two people (one has to help hold items in place at times while another screws in bolts) approximately two hours to assemble. It is packaged very well, instructions were mostly visuals/pictures, but step by step. Easy to turn on and off. Came with a cover for the propane tank (to make it blend into the dark metal sides) and a cover for the entire fire pit! We were able to use "Gas Watch" a propane gas level indicatoron the tank which will eliminate guessing how much gas remains before a refill would be needed. LOVE THIS FIRE PIT! Compared to other propane fire pits of this size and quality, the price is reasonable. The video let's you see more details of the pit; how it arrives packaged, the size compared to lawn furniture, and operation. Propane tank is not included.

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This is an great firepit for the price. There is some assembly required but it is pretty straight forward and only a few simple tools required. The table is very sturdy and appears that it will last for many years to come. Takes a standard 5 gallon propane tank which is a little tight to fit into its storage space, but can be done (hint: turn valve towards the fire pit as you place it into the storage location).

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We are very pleased with the Blue Rhino Firebowl. It looks great and provides a beautiful glow to our evenings on the patio. The slate tabletop is wide and allows plenty of room for plates, glasses, or for putting your feet up. Be sure to assemble this product near to where you are going to use it because it weighs 150+ pounds. You don't want to have to move it too far after assembly. We were pleased to see that they included a black vinyl cover that slips over the butane tank. This makes it virtually invisible when the tank is enclosed under the tabletop. Likewise, the square cover that fits over the entire table top was very effective in keeping the table and firebowl dry during the recent rains. Great product.

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This is a very nice firepit for the price. We looked at a few others that were over double the price, but were not sure how much we would really use it so were unwilling to spend a huge amount of money on it.

This one looks good, and works quite well. Its also a nice size table for sitting around. The slate tile is pretty much like in the photos, with brownish colored slate. The frame is a very dark bronze color, almost, but not quite black.

The firepit is delivered by truck freight, in a single 170 lb box. We had to arrange delivery times with the freight company, but they were nice enough to deliver it into our back yard for us. The unit is very well packed, with multiple separate boxes inside, and foam padding where appropriate. Expect to recycle a lot of cardboard and foam! The boxes are labeled by part number.

The firepit is mostly made from stamped steel sheet metal. The instructions are pretty good, but you need to be careful to assemble the side walls so that they are oriented properly on the top. The top is a bit different on the edge where the doors are, and this is not super clear in the instructions.

As with anything made from sheet metal, it can be a bit challenging to get all the holes to line up! It helps to have 2 people, and you do need a bit of dexterity to reach around pieces as you are assembling it. They say it should take an hour, but expect it to be somewhat longer. Two tricks that helped: 1) when assembling 2 parts with screws, do not tighten any screws until you have all of them started and 2) when the holes didn't want to line up exactly, I used an allen wrench that would fit into the holes to pry them into alignment, then clamped the parts together with a small C clamp while I got the screw started. There were only a few screws that were hard to do.

I do like how the gas tank is easily accessible on its slide out tray, but its also pretty well hidden if you use the supplied cover over the tank. The electric start and control valve are easy to reach behind the other door, and both work well. The gas valve is the type like on a water heater where you have to hold it in for a few seconds while the fire heats up. This is a nice safety feature because it will shut off the gas flow if the fire blows out in wind. Of course, one of the nice things about gas is that when you are done with it, you can turn off the valve, and its off. No worrying about hot embers burning for the next few hours.

The firepit, without the gas cylinder is about 150 pounds. It is pretty easy for two people to lift up and move around, aside from the weight.

The unit is steel, and while it is well painted, I think that eventually it will rust. That is not a big problem where I live, but I think it could be a big issue if you are near the ocean.

The only real complaint was that Amazon suggested a "add both to cart" type bundle with a cover, but the suggested cover turned out to be too small to fit.

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