Smart Planet MCM-1 Mini Cupcake Maker

Received this as a Valentine's Day gift and fired it up for the first time tonight. LOVED IT.

I made the "Just Plain Good" cupcake recipe from the book Small Batch Baking by Debby Nakos. I was tempted to try a cake mix, but I figured it would make dozens of mini-temptations to haunt me. This recipe was for 4 regular sized cupcakes it made 13 mini-cupcakes (in two batches) in the device. I used paper cups and skipped the oil/cooking spray step. They turned out perfectly! The first batch were ready after one cooking cycle (under 10 min), but the 2nd batch needed two cycles presumably because I didn't wait for the device to completely re-heat before starting the 2nd batch.

One thing I'd point out that the manual is unclear about is how to tell when the cooking cycle is over. The "ready" light turms off at the end of the cycle. It doesn't say that and I wasn't sure, so I opened it prematurely but no biggie, everything was fine.

I wish there was a supporting website where users could exchange recipes, but I'm so far delighted with this it's like a George Foreman grill for cake addicts!

I purchased this product for a project in my Marketing 3100 course. I was a little concerned with it at first, but after using it I am very pleased. The product makes seven moist mini cupcakes at a time. Because it only makes a few at a time, it does take a long time to bake a whole box of cupcake mix. If you are using this product with children DO NOT let them open the lid when the baking time is done, as a large amount of very hot steam comes out and it will cause burns. Overall a very cute product.

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I love this mini maker. I've made cupcakes, muffins, cornbread, even balled up canned bisquits and threw them in there. I LOVE IT!!!!!

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We have been having SO much fun with this gadget! So far we've only used it for brownies, but it's been great. I can make one or two "batches" for our family of three and save the remainder of the batter for later in the day or even the next day. Hot brownies are a BIG hit around here!!!

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I agree with the posters that say this is NOT for children. It's adorable and little so people may think it is but this machine gets very hot. I made vanilla cupcakes then halfway through I added cocoa powder and peanut butter to the batter and then I made a brownie recipe and everything turned out GREAT. These cupcakes are so little they can be eaten in 2 bites. Or one lol I am very pleased with this purchase, thank you.

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Bar Proudly Serving Personalized Framed 12x11

I was surprised this was a very sturdy sign and the paint was neat and clean. I gave it to my father for Christmas and it got a lot of laughs. Now hanging beside his bar.

HomArt Large Decorative Buddha Brand Matches

The box is larger than expected, but looks great.

Matches are not defective.

Great decorative item as well.

I would order them again.

Get these and add to a candle gift to make it just a little extra special!! It will make your gift recipient smile

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Cuisinart CGS-5014 14-Piece Deluxe Stainless-Steel Grill Set

I love how large and solid these feel in my hand.

The case looks nice except the velco straping that holds the tools in were already falling apart. I think I'll just try some fabric glue to fix them. The stitching was weak on almost all of them.

If you are buying these for the case you might reconsider, but the tools are awesome.

First I will say that I love Cuisinart products and that is why I ordered these ones over any other. For the first time I am disappointed in one of their products. The tongs don't lock closed, which is a mild inconvenience, especially when putting back in the cheaply constructed case. The case hinges are not square and the lid closes "off" just a little. I have to push it into place to make it latch properly. The part that really irritates me and dropped the score so far is that the tongs will not pick up any weight. I love to slow cook roasts on my grill and these tongs will not pick up a 3lb. roast. My cheap Wal-Mart tongs did fine with this all the way up to a 5 or 6 lb roast. When I bought my new grill I wanted a good set of tools to go with it. They are cheaply made and bend under any amount of weight. Plus the cleaner brush has a straight handle and the grate has to be pulled off the grill to be cleaned properly. My old one had a handle with about a 30 degree bend in it and could use to clean more effectively even with the grate still on the grill. Just a poorly made kit all together.

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I bought these as a gift...and they look great! The picture doesn't really show how sturdy and nice the set looks. I might just buy another for us!

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I bought this as a gift for my son, who had just gotten a new grill, and he loves it! He was impressed with the quality of the entire set and enjoys using it each week.

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The tools themselves are okay and of decent quality. The case, as mentioned before, is very cheap. The interior was torn upon delivery before I even opened it. The tongs really could use a mechanism for holding them shut as well, so you don't HAVE to store them in the case to keep them from taking up an entire drawer.

The reason I bought this set over an almost identical one was because of the "$20 Omaha Steaks Gift Reward Card" which isn't a reward card AT ALL. I live less than 5 minutes from an actual Omaha Steaks store, and thought I would stop in and grab a few things. 1) This "reward card" can not be used in stores, only online or over the phone. 2) It isn't a "reward card" at all; it is a COUPON and you have to spend $80.00 to use it...

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Camp Chef 24IN Reversible Grill/Griddle

This combo is a SOLID 25 lbs. Good quality product. Be sure to follow the directions and season it before its initial use. It would be a good idea to have a baster handy to siphon the excess grease from the grill. I used sea salt to clean up and made sure to dry the unit thoroughly before storing it away in the carry bag.

I bought this griddle for pancakes, grilled cheese, and the occasional hibachi-style Asian meal for my growing family. Overall, I think it's a solid choice for such tasks. It transfers and holds heat well, as cast iron typically will. The manufacturer's shipping department, however, proved unreliable to say the least. The first one we received was cracked due to insufficient packaging, and then they replaced it with the wrong product, and finally, almost a month after ordering it, a new one was delivered intact. I hope this experience is not typical, and the customer service rep was personally helpful.

The griddle is pretty well constructed, though I noticed that the flat side was not as flat as it should have been. It looked as if the ridges on the other side had caused a few undulations in the surface. It's not severe enough to really affect day-to-day use so far, but don't expect a plate-glass-flat surface.

I use this griddle on top of my 5-burner gas stove, and I can run all five burners under it for a full cooking surface. Or I can turn on two or three burners and reserve a space for keeping food warm. Be advised that there will still be some cooler spots between the burners, even with all of them going. If you insist on very even heat across the whole surface, you might be happier with a high-end electric griddle. That said, cast iron heats more evenly over a burner than most other cookware made of other materials, and you can learn to utilize the cooler spaces for slower cooking.

Anyone considering buying this product should think carefully about the product specs. The usable cooking surface is 23"X13", which is big. But be sure it will fit on your intended heat source. It may not sit securely on some stovetops. And yes, it really does weigh 25 lbs. Suffice to say, cleaning it can be a challenge. I usually scrape it thoroughly with a nylon scraper or spatula while it's still warm, and wash it down with hot, soapy water while it's still on the stovetop but has cooled somewhat. Then I heave it over to the sink to rinse it off with the sprayer. I return it to the stovetop to dry it over low heat. Or you can use a paper towel to dry it. I really like cooking on cast iron, so I think this extra trouble is worth it.

The griddle comes with a handy bag for storage, though the zipper broke almost immediately. And finding storage space for something this size can be interesting. It fits in one of our cabinets, but barely. The included instructions suggest seasoning the griddle before using. That's a nice idea, but it doesn't fit in my oven, and because seasoning produces a lot of smoke, I'm not about to do this on the stovetop. Fortunately, a well-cared-for cast iron surface will eventually build up a very nicely seasoned surface. Finally, although this feels very durable, be aware that any cast iron can crack or shatter if dropped on a hard surface, so handle it carefully when moving it.

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The grill works as promised. We use it only for pancakes. The metal surface is smooth and high quality cast iron. The only problem is this puppy is heavy and large. Perhaps I got carried away when ordering one this big.

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Although this griddle can cook a pound of bacon at a time, it has a major design flaw. The manufacturer did not temper this capacious slab of cast iron. So while enjoying the normal popping and splattering noises of bacon being rendering into luscious breakfast meat, I suddenly heard an explosion. Someone had fired a 50-caliber round into my kitchen at short range! Ok, no. It was just my new griddle. It had cracked right down the middle. Cast iron items must be "tempered" at the factory post-casting. This object probably was not. I can't recommend it, because the resulting crack lets cooking grease drip right over the burners.

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It was larger and heavier than I expected, so great quality. That also makes it hard to wash, but I am absolutely happy with my purchase.

I actually use it on top of my stove and grills excellent. I can make anything from Waffle House style pancakes and hash browns, to the best grilled chicken perfect for a panini sandwich.

Worth the buy.

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Taiyaki Japanese Fish-Shaped Hot Cake Maker

I searched online for quite a while before finding this taiyaki-ki (taiyaki cooker). All the others I found were either in Japanese-only site or much too expensive. I stumbled across this one by accident, and a happy accident it was!

Taiyaki are tasty little fish-shaped cakes with red beans in the center. That doesn't sound that good, but Japanese red beans anko, or adzuki are sweet and quite suitable for snacks and desserts. Taiyaki are easy to make, which is good considering that the packaging and documentation for this cooker is all in Japanese.

Basically, you heat this over your stove. I tried using it on an electric burner, and believe it or not it works just fine that way. Heat the taiyaki-ki up on both sides until water sizzles on the cooking surface, then give it a light dash of cooking spray and spoon in a thin layer of batter, working from the tail to the body. (You can Google up a recipe, but I'm lazy and use pancake mix.) Add some red beans to the body area, then more batter to cover, and then close the mold. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Voila, tasty sweet fish-shaped snack cakes!

You can vary the recipe by using chocolate, shrimp paste, peanut butter, or whatever you like as fillings.

After I recvd this one, I asked my Korean friends to read the instruction for me. I am quite sure any items to be sold in the US, one needs to have instruction in English. This is not the case. Anyway, the instruction was to tell you to be careful in handling this pan they will be come very hot during cooking.

I used waffle mix and put some red bean paste (Oriental store) as fillings and make some fish cake, very cute. I also used raspberry and blueberry as alternatives. I am going to let my imagination juice flow and seek for some other fillings. (Chestnut paste, sesame paste, berries w/marmalade, custard cream........) Um..... they are so yum yum.

I'd recommend using waffle mix rather than pancake mix waffle mix gives you a much lighter and fluffier texture. However, if you'd like to have a fish with substance (smile), use pancake mix the texture is much more heavy. Just like a pancake fish and fillings cannot be easily put into the fish.

Do not put the fish maker on the BBQ, a regular stove top will do the job. Always heat up the maker first for a few minutes and spray with some PAM or spread a bit of butter inside it prevents stickniess. Turn down the temperature to medium and pour some thin batter to coat the fish maker pan (one side only). Do not over fill. Put your fillings carefully into the center of the fish they will sink into the batter or you can use a small spoon to help them sink. Pour in more batter to cover the fillings. Close it tight and turn it around to warm the other side. Monitor the temperature as it burns easily.

After 2-3 minutes voila here comes 2 lovely fish with yummy fillings splashing onto your table. I make them on the weekends and my friends just love them. They are more popular than the English tea that I usually prepare.

The little fish cake reminds me of my childhood when I spent my early life in Asia. They have so many types of interesting snacks on the streetside!

1/24/2012 Update:

I was told to add a few teaspoon of BEER into the batter and it works like magic! Same for tempura batter adding BEER gives you the crispiness. Now the outer is crispy and the inner is as soft as mashmellow. Thank you for sharing the tips, Marsa.

I also use my home made vanilla custard cream as fillings. I sprinkle powder sugar on my fish after it is toasted. 1/2 of the sugar is elminated in the batter and it is healthier. Well, at least my waistline appreciates it. :>

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Elizabeth Karmel's Silicone-Coated Steakhouse Burger Press

I have over half dozen burger presses....plastic, aluminum, non-stick, etc.

This is the first one that the formed patty slides out of the base, so quickly and so easily. All of the non-stick presses that I have tried simply did not work....same for the plastic ones. The meat whether cold or at room temperature, would always stick. I'd have to pry the meat out of the press, destroying the patty shape in the process.

This Grill Friends Press is absolutely awesome. Burgers form easily, with little pressure, and are not overly compressed. The meat does not press out of the sides, as in other presses. After forming the patty, all you have to do is remove the top, by pulling up on the side of the upper body of the press. Don't pull by the red cap. I weigh the meat portions for uniformity of patties. The red cap, and the black parts of the press are made of plastic, while the red inner part of the base is made of silicone.

I recently disposed of all the old useless plastic hamburg presses that I have accumulated, over the years. Each one of them could have been a good

press if they only had that silicone lining in the base, as does the Grill Friends Steakhouse Burger Press.

This has a lot of good things going for it.

The silicone coating is thick, resilient, and releases the hamburger patty (intact) with little effort. This is such a good idea that I'll very likely never buy another press that doesn't have a silicone lining. Those of you who have tried other presses, particularly the metal ones, and had the patty stick and fall apart after the press is opened probably know what I mean.

The ram allows very firm pressure for a tight, round patty.

The size is really good for a quarter-pound burger. I tried third-pound burgers with mine, but I think a larger diameter would be better for those as they came out thicker than I wanted them. It would be nice if they offered this in two sizes, with a larger diameter for heavier burgers. That way the heavier burgers could be made bigger (in diameter), without getting thicker.

The thumb print seems like a gimmick, but does work, particularly when using meat that has a lower fat percentage. I've found that the higher fat meats, like the traditional 80% meat/20% fat chuck, still tends to end up more like a meatball than the lower fat alternatives like 93%/7%, especially when using more meat. This is because the higher fat content meat shrinks more, and a small diameter with a thick middle will turn out looking more like a ball than a burger.

The little silicone cap, which comes off for cleaning, is nearly impossible for me to get back on. The tolerances are so close that it sometimes takes me longer to get that thing back on than to make the burgers themselves. Perhaps individual units vary a bit, but the one I have needs either a little larger cap, or a little narrower post. I tried drilling a small hole in the post in case air pressure was the problem, but it didn't help. Eventually I'll probably try sanding the post to reduce the tight fit, but I haven't done that yet.

I make the burgers by purchasing 2-3 pounds of 93%/7% ground chuck that is very cold (but not frozen). I use a digital kitchen scale to measure out four ounce balls of meat. I put them in the press one at a time, flatten them with my hand, then press down on the ram with all my weight. This makes crisp, round burgers that won't fall apart later when cooked. The soft silicone lining means you can rap it against a cutting board and it will pop out in one piece. (Hint: if yours is leaking around the edges, try using colder meat. Warmer meat is more likely to flow around the gaps and also to stick.)

As I make each patty, I put it on a foil lined baking sheet, thumb print side up. When I've finished all the patties, I put a sheet of wax paper over them and put them in the freezer for a few hours until they are hard. Then, I take them out, put them in foodsaver bags (ziplocks will work too), separating them with squares of wax paper cut from the sheet that was over them while they froze. Then the bags go into the freezer, and I can pull one or more patties out whenever I want to cook them.

To cook them, I put them on a hot, preheated cast iron grill pan, or outside on the grill, thumbprint up. After around 4-5 minutes (time will vary depending on the temperature of the pan or grill), juices will appear on the top. That means that the burger is now thawed all the way through, because as long as ice remains in the center, the top will stay cold and juice-free. At this point I usually carefully lift and turn the burger about a quarter turn and leave it for another minute for nice looking grill marks. Then, I flip it and leave it for about the same amount of time (including the quarter turn). I use an instant-read thermometer to check the center for doneness, around 160 degrees for well done. If it is close to 160, you can go ahead and take it off as the internal temp will rise around five more degrees after you take it off the grill. Just don't cut it for a few minutes or the juices will all run out due to the heat.

I put the buns on the grill for a short time to toast them on the side that faces the burger. It makes the bun stand up to the burger and condiments better, and lends a nice warm fresh taste to the whole thing. I also use field greens instead of standard lettuce for a more upscale taste and look, but other lettuces, like romaine, also work well.

Overall, I've found this to be a very cost-effective way to make my own, lower-fat burgers for much less money than buying the premade frozen versions.

Recommended, with a few reservations. It isn't perfect, but this is probably the best press currently on the market.

Sean P. Logue, 2008

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Pluses

Easy to clean (dishwasher safe)

Burgers come out easily

Makes "perfect" burgers

Minuses

Plastic top comes off when "separating" after making a burger.

Hard to pull apart after making a burger.

Overall a nice product and I'm very happy with it.

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This press makes pretty good burgers as long as they are on the large size. Making thin patties is very difficult as they tend to fall apart when trying to get them out of the press. Also, after the first patty or so, the meat begins to stick in the press and one must turn the base over and pound to get the burger out. It is also important to centre your meat in the press and have it rolled in a uniform ball else the finished patty will be misshapen and an uneven thickness. I think the press is ok but my search will continue for something better.

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This burger press does what it was designed to do. I have had no problems with it. I would recommend it.

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21st Century B59A4 Food Umbrella, 12-Inch by 12-Inch

When I received it I took it out of the package and noticed that the bottom piece on the tent was broken. It cannot stand up on its own because of this so it cannot be made into a tent. The tent is cheap and unusable.

love this product works like a dream, would recommend this product 100 percent..try it for yourself you will love it.

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Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue 14-Inch by 11.88-Inch Cast Iron Plancha

This is a must have barbecue accessory for us we like to grill bacon & sausages and mushrooms etc for breakfast and they cook just right on this grill plate. Very heavy durable cast iron.

We brush vegetable or olive oil on the surface before cooking with it so we get a non stick surface.

We were pleased with the price and the free shipping from Amazon. We are planning to buy an additional one so we can cook for a crowd

It is exactly what I was looking for. I come from south of France, close from Spain, and we are used to the "cuisine a la plancha". That makes you exquisite fishes, even meats without any burn taste! Just perfect and healthy if you do not use too much fat :-)

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I use it everytime I grill. After the steaks are done, it put this on and make pancakes of sorts, I use those packs they sell for corn muffins, they make all kinds, chocolate chip, strawberry shortcake, what ever you like and I griddle them like pancakes. Pour butter or syrup whatever your liking. Make great desserts, easy ,quick and fun

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I love cooking on cast iron, but this piece is not perfectly flat, the cooking surface is poorly finished, and for $30+ it's inferior to American-made Lodge cast iron griddles that cost the same. If it were a bargain, that'd be one thing, but for $36, I do expect better quality.

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I love this product!! It does a superb job of grilling, especially for delicate foods like shrimp or seafood. No pieces falling thru the grate onto the burners. Easy to clean.

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CHEFS Granny Fork

I love using a granny fork when I cook. Surprisingly, I couldn't find any in stores when I shopped even in unique cooking stores. Loved finding one with a long handle to keep me away from spatters as I turned things.

You won't find 'Cook' on my resume but I don't know what I did before this Granny Fork came along. You'll find a dozen uses before the first week is over.Granny Fork

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Very handy. I love the quality, and the extra length of the fork makes it extra useful. The price for the quality is worth it.

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21st Century B65A9 Combo Brush, 16-1/2-Inch

Five stars for the value. The product is just fine. Unique design. I love the long handle. The brushes are ok, probably won't stand up to years of use, but what can you expect for just a few dollars shipped to your door? I'm grateful to Amazon for this product.

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Deni Round Stainless Steel Electric Skill, 12-Inch

This electric skillet is high quality stainless steel easy cleanup and makes delicious food when you make stir fry, or fried chicken. Great quality was an excellent purchase for me I cook daily now and will use this at least two or three times a week I feel it will stand the test of time. Amazon has some great products and the best customer service should you have a problem.

This is the perfect size skillet for 2 people. I love the stainless steel, too. It is easy to clean and I don't have to worry about teflon wearing away.

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I was looking for a stainless steel pan that heats evenly. I have found it. I like the fact that it is not real deep, too. It makes a great omelet. I also love that it is completely immersible.

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I purchased this stainless steel skillet for the same reason as most people I was tired of the non-stick coatings wearing out. I kept buying and buying new non-stick skillets until I came across this stainless steel model. And I just love it.

It cooks fairly evenly (nothing is perfect) and is super easy to keep brand new clean.

The only problem I have is with the control. It is VERY difficult to pull it out. I mean I pull with all my might to get the darn thing out so I can wash the skillet. I'm a 6' 200lb male in very good shape so that isn't the problem.

Does anyone else have this issue? I love the pan, but I can't believe it is supposed to be this hard to remove the control. With that said I still whole heartedly recommend this skillet.

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I would highly recommend this skillet. It is super easy to clean...heats wonderfully. The stainless is very high quality. A good skillet for the price.

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Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Grill Brush Replacement Head, Fits SR8114

So what can I say? It's a replacement brush head and it's the same as what's on the original product. I cannot tell any difference between it and the original. I've not worn it out like I did the original, but expect it to last at least 40 or so BBQ sessions. I typically clean before and after the grilling, so that gives you an idea of how long it should last. I scrub pretty hard. I didn't keep records, but I think this bush lasted about half again as long as the last generic brush head I had. Bristles have not come out after all my scrubbing either. Good product.

This is one tough grill brush. Not cheap but it will go the distance. I like the replacement brush option rather than throwing the whole thing away.

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Weber Genesis E-330 637-Square-Inch Grill

This is an excellent grill. Good, old-fashioned, solid quality and design. I'll try to cover some things that haven't been mentioned already.

If you want more info before you buy, download the assembly instructions and owner manual at the Weber site, under Gas Grills, Genesis 2011 series. Don't bother printing the instructions, as they will be too small to be useful. The included instructions are on both sides of a 22" by 17" (56 x 43 cm) sheet.

From arrival of the box to first flame was about two hours. None of the assembly steps are difficult, there are just a lot of them. There were some trivial things about assembly that could be improved.

Lift properly while unpacking: Most everything is heavy, and packed-in tight, and you have to lean over the large box to get them out.

The included wrench isn't that useful, so I used a socket wrench. All the parts were SAE instead of metric.

The doors are very simple to install. Set the door on a pin in the front of the frame, use your finger to push down on a retracting pin on top of the door, and move it into place. That's it. The instructions say to use a screwdriver in a slot in the back of the door to pull down on the spring under the pin. This is actually what you would do to remove the door.

The side tables are stainless, and they were covered by a sheet of sticky protective material. Although it pulls off cleanly, it is a little hard to pull out of seams and corners. I would guess the stainless model of the grill would have a lot more.

There are two locking nuts that are used when attaching the cookbox to the frame. The instructions show a flat nut. Putting the smaller, locking part of the nut facing into the cookbox seemed to be the correct way to do it.

The grease tray slides into position on two rails, and securely drops into place. The instructions show some kind of spring clip that isn't there on this model. It's definitely not needed.

Left over parts? Two. The grill is shipped with the lid attached to the cookbox using the same pins that are in a bag. I can't imagine those ever being lost or worn out, but you will have spares if they do!

You'll forget all that when you start to use it.

First, the casters work extraordinarily well. I literally rolled it across my wooden deck with one finger. It's a good thing the front two lock, because I think it could move on a high wind day.

Ignition is instant. With the first click of the igniter I had fire on any burner.

The instructions say 10-15 minutes to get to 500 degrees. On a 78 degree (26 C) day, with a good breeze blowing, and in the shade, it took 10 and 1/2 minutes to get there using the three main burners. There were a few, small wisps of smoke that smelled like hot paint.

Other reviewers have said it cooks really well, and I agree, so I won't bore you with how delicious that chicken was....

If you're looking for a top quality grill that cooks great, I'd recommend this one.

Far from being wowed by anything you can pick up at Home Depot or Lowes I did a ton of research on grills. Not willing to accept my stepfathers warning that they are all the same and all go bad in a couple years even if they are 400 dollars, I started to find that the construction of better made and more expensive grills keeps them around for a long time. Price does not equal quality mind you but there is a difference, you just have to know what to look for. Better steel to keep from rusting, cast components to make it more sturdy so it doesn't flex like a branch in the wind, insulated hoods, cast parts instead of stamped, etc. Things like burner construction, heat distribution and heat up time can vary wildly between different grills. I'll compare this to a 450 dollar grill my parents picked up from The Great Indoors / Sears (maybe Grill Master or something) It made it about 3 years and started rusting through in Michigan and blew over in a bad storm. Basically it's trashed and they already bought a new one. (cheaper this time thinking that was always going to happen)

Construction:

Theirs : stainless steel hood and shelves painted panels, nut and bolts through flimsy painted black steel panels of the cabinet. Joints were folded ends of the panel. Burners were standard tube style with a 90'd piece of aluminium or the same flimsy steel as the sides. Cast iron grates, what you would expect to find on everyday grills.

The E330: First of all the box and grill weigh 190 pounds. I'll let that sink in for a second. 190 pounds.... The panels are thicker than you would expect. Framing the panels....welded square tube stock. Now THAT is how you make a durable piece of equipment. All through the process you will find welded support pieces attachment points, cast pieces, etc. Very impressed. Just a handful of nuts and bolts and the rest are machine screws into tapped holes. That's right the steel is thick enough to run a tap through and thread the holes for the screws! All my experience with cheap grills over the years, who knew?! Anyway back to assembly. Everything fit VERY well. No bending, forcing, cussing. Follow the instructions and this thing goes together like a precision machine. Burner and hood construction? This impressed me before I even turned it on. Sure the typical tube burners are present but then you also have porcelain coated iron plates that go underneath the burners to reflect the heat up (wow that's new), porcelain coated iron heat distributors or flavor bars I think they call them to go over the burners. Basically just 90 degree folded strips that that run front to back over the burners and even the space where there are no burners. Really? Between the burners? Weird but ok, probably for good reason. The grates, I opted for cast iron. And these suckers are about twice as thick as what you see in other grills. Great for retaining heat and searing food, which I had yet to do on any gas grill to this point. The hood is nice and durable and insulated on the inside very well. When you're done it effortlessly glides around the patio on its castors but if you lock it into place it's solid as a rock. Go ahead try to make it flex, I dare you. Oh yeah and it looks like a million bucks. chrome and stainless trim powder coated panels. My wife who was an extremely hard sell on spending $700 on a grill walked out and said "Wow, that's a NICE grill."

OK on to the good part...cooking: I won't even go into the part about how my parents grill cooks food. If this isn't your first grill you already know how much it's not what it's cracked up to be. Go get a Weber charcoal and spend the extra time to get superb results with cooking steak. By the way my wife told me she wouldn't be upset if I got rid of mine (a gift from her) to which I replied HELL NO I'm not getting rid of that!

So I read somewhere that BTU's don't mean squat. And that makes sense to me now after assembling this sucker. If you don't have correct heat distribution and insulation, the cold air hitting that hood, etc will make it take forever to heat up. Keep in mind this only has 3 burners (left middle and right) and they sneak in one more between the left and middle and call it the "searing burner" or "searing station" and you'll see why in a minute. I haven't officially clocked it but if you turn on the main 3 burners on high this thing is at 500 degrees in the blink of an eye. Which for the purpose of this review we'll concentrate on how well this thing cooks steak since you can technically cook hamburgers and hotdogs on any grill. 500 degrees is roughly where you want to be for the baking part of the process. First you sear then you move to indirect heat and let it cook for a few. OK so back on track...500 degrees in a flash, we're talking 5-7 minutes. Parents grill 20..at LEAST and I have yet to leave sear marks on a steak over there, even letting theirs get up to 800 degrees. (This is where the heat distribution, flavor bars, whatever they call them, come into play. The WHOLE grill is hot, not just over the burners.) With the Weber you now fire up the searing burner on high, turn the right burner to low (equivalent to indirect heat on a charcoal) and slap your steaks on. Listen to them crack and sizzle. Go ahead, spin em at a minute and a half you will already have sear marks, might as well make some more! Flip em after 3 minutes (this is where other grills fail big time) and what do you know they are STILL sizzling on the hot grates! I still think charcoal cooked steak tastes better but I was seriously impressed by this point. I totally expected this thing to run out of steam and the grill to cool down too much to leave any marks on the 2nd side of the steak. And because of the thick cast iron grates you've got some big time sear action on those puppies. Exactly what the mission is with steak. Seal it up so the juices stay inside. So now you turn off the searing burner and throw the steaks off to the right, close the lid and let em cook for just a few minutes at about 500 degrees. I don't even need to tell you how they tasted because you've had a beautifully cooked steak before and you just did it on a gas grill for 700 bucks and 18 minutes of your time from start to finish. Now I'll tell you a funny story about hot dogs. After heating the grill up I put this on medium heat on 2 burners and threw some hot dogs on there. I left expecting to come back in a few minutes to flip them. I came back MAYBE 10 minutes later (rule number 1 don't get distracted from cooking) The hot dogs were beyond done. And I'm not talking about burnt on the bottom. They looked like they survived Hiroshima blast and were equally burnt ALL THE WAY AROUND THEM! You couldn't tell which part was facing own. Anyway funny story but it shows you how fast this cooks and how well it uses that heat under the hood. I screwed up my lunch and was still impressed. Now that's a grill. And burgers a few nights later. Nice thick black sear marks and juicy as all getup, enough said.

Obviously I'm very excited about this purchase because I never write reviews and this is a bit long. haha I found one article that gave this grill a stellar review for its price point and it has not disappointed me yet. I would be weary that other models might have different construction and all Weber grills might not be built the same (they need to have something different among their price ranges) but I can tell you first hand that this Genesis E-330 grill is the real deal and it won't break the bank to do it. I know 700 is 300 more than a sears Kenmore special but I'll happily go up against their $1000+ stainless model too. And I'll be happy to come back in 10 years and tell you how great it still is because there is no doubt in my mind it is built to last and is an impressive piece of cooking appliance. If you need/want a grill and can afford around $700 (Notice I didn't ask if you WANTED to spend $700 because I was skeptical at first too, I asked if you could "afford" it) pull the trigger on this thing. If the cooking space is what you need you will be as ecstatic about the results as I am.

Buy Weber Genesis E-330 637-Square-Inch Grill Now

Through a confluence of circumstance I was in a hurry to get this grill in and installed right when this new model came out. Other than the pain suffered through paying full retail (ouch), it has been a great experience.

Assembly:

Everything fit together as it should. Get an 11mm socket on a real wrench though the 'tool' that comes with the set is great for adjusting the doors, but don't count on using it for primary assembly unless you have a few days to spare. Hint: Use the 3 silver headed screws for the drip tray the black headed screws are for the side burner.

NG vs Propane:

If you're going to grill year around in a climate that can get cold and can get the hook up done go NG. Seriously. I'm loving it.

Pre-heat:

40* ambient to 600* in 9 minutes (NG version). I took it up to 650* (13 min) just to clear any remaining mfg oils on it. This is WAY hotter than any reasonable use would entail. All 4 burners running full out.

Cooking:

Food has come off the grill outstanding. Set the three main knobs to the same position and the entire grill cooks at the same rate. I have not found any cold or hot spots food has cooked evenly anywhere I put it on the grill. It has all come off with great flavor. Frankly, after cooking on several other grills over the years, this one makes it too easy.

Searing:

The addition of the 4th burner creates a large HOT zone on the left side of the grill. It's kind of this grills hidden weapon. You can grill 'normal' on the entire surface. Then, if you want, you can crank up the left burner, sear burner and center burner and turn the left half of the grill into a searing wonder. When you're done, turn off the 4th (sear) burner and you're back to 'normal' pretty quick.

Side burner:

Pretty straight forward turn the knob, push the igniter, put stuff on to heat it up. Works just like it should.

Burners run NS instead of EW:

Pre 2011 Genesis models had EW burners. The 2011 model has NS burners. So far, from what I can tell, the difference is moot. I have not done rotisserie on it yet though, and apparently that is where the EW burners shine. I don't think it will be an issue though. This grill cooks so evenly that I don't think it's going to matter a bit.

Community Support:

Check out the forums at:

www (dot) bbqsource-forums (dot) com

They have a great bunch of people in the Weber forums there, and I put up a pile of pictures of this grill right after I assembled it.

Amazon's Service:

Ordered it with Prime shipping and it arrived 7 days later in a REAL big 200lb box. The delivery guy put it in my garage without any fuss.

Amazon's Photos Error:

At the time of this writing 12/2/2010 the pictures that Amazon has of this grill are not accurate. It looks like they are using stock photos of a 2011 Weber Genesis EP-330 instead of a 2011 Weber Genesis E-330. The difference? The pictures show a stainless grill rack and stainless flavorizers. The E-330 has cast iron cook grates. If you enjoy great grill marks, cast iron grates is a GOOD thing. Amazon's description is correct but the photos need fixed.

Drawback:

This grill makes great results too easy. It really feels like less work than it should be to get such great results.

Read Best Reviews of Weber Genesis E-330 637-Square-Inch Grill Here

The price online was the same as our local Home Depot and Lowe's. They, however assembled it for free. But, I would still have to rent a trailer and get it home myself. This would cost me about $40. In addition, I would have to pay the local sales tax, approximately $80. Getting it online I saved about $120. Amazon included free delivery, but I would have to assemble it myself. Since I am 75 and have a little difficulty getting up and down, I was a little anxious about putting it together.

The shipper Amazon used was ABF Freight Systems, Inc. They called me when that had it at the local delivery point and made an appointment to deliver it. They were very cordial and flexible in setting up a time for delivery. I would not be home on the day the said they could delivery it, so they changed it to a later date. Amazon had per-approved basic inside delivery so I wouldn't have to worry about getting the box from the curb to the garage. Since the box weighted 190 lbs this was a concern I had had. When the deliver time approached, the deliveryman called and said he would be running late. He gave me an estimate of the time he would be there and was there shortly afterwards. When he showed up with the grill, he asked where I would like it. Since I would be assembling it on my back patio, I ask if he could take it back there, and he said sure, no problem.

The following morning I went out to my patio and unpacked and started to assemble the grill.

Prior to ordering the grill I found a YouTube video that shows how to unpack and assemble this same grill. It is:

This was a great video and very helpful in unpacking and assembling the grill.

The pictorial instruction sheet can be a little confusing at first. But having seen the video, it seemed to make sense.

I seem to have read that the assembly time is about 1 to 2 hours. In my case, due I'm sure to my age, It took me about 6 hours spread out over a couple of days. Everything went smoothly with the exception of the "wind deflector", the sheet metal part that goes under the control knobs. The next part to be installed after that was the doors. I found that they could not be installed, and finally figured out that I had installed the "wind deflector" upside down. Removing 2 screws and reversing it solved the problem.

The rest of the assembly went smoothly and later that evening I was trying out my first steak.

If you like to do steaks, you'll love the searing burner. Per the instructions, I turned on all the burners to high, let the grill warm up for 10 minutes, then turned the right burner down to medium. Put the steaks over the searing burner, rotated them 45 degrees after 1 minute, flipped them over after another minute, then rotated them again after another minute. This gave me those perfect steak house grill marks on each side. After searing I moved the steaks to the burner on medium and cooked them an additional 4 minutes per side. The were perfectly seared and cooked to a medium, which I like.

I've cooked a few hamburgers as well and they came out great.

Keep in mind, there are 3 different "models" of the New Genesis grills. There is the E, the S and the EP. The E series, comes with porcelain enamel grates. The EP and the S come with the stainless steel grates.

I was initially confused about which grate I was to get, contacting customer support cleared that up.

Bottom line, I like this grill, the third Weber I have owned. They are well built and while a little more expensive, last. You do have to assemble it yourself, but that is not to complicated.

Want Weber Genesis E-330 637-Square-Inch Grill Discount?

I have had quite a few grills including a $2k grand turbo elite and this was just amazing. I had debated on the summit 420 with the extra burners and size, but this grill works for everything. I have had it 2 months and cooked ribs, t-bones, rib-eyes, and beer can chicken. Completely thrilled with grill. No flare ups, great temp holding. I was grilling in 20 degree weather and no issue with holding temp. The sear burner works great and the side burner is wonderful. No regrets at all with this grill. Definitely a quality weber product especially with the change on the burner controls and burner routing (E-w vs. N-S).

I opted for the e-330 vs the s-330 based on the price. You can go and buy the grills and and the warmer rack on Amazon for less than the price difference with the s-330, plus the swill start to brown after a few years.

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