MIU France Stainless Steel Barbeque Tongs, 16-Inches

I am disappointed with these tongs. Thin sheet metal with a poor spring mechanism. I'll use them, but they are not nearly as good as another smaller pair that I own

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Serrated Rocker Knife

a stroke causes me to eat with only my left hand. this knife as is is not sharp enough to cut meat, but i hope a grinding wheel can fix that, which means i'll have to be real careful with it.

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Cuisinart GreenGourmet Hard-Anodized Nonstick Skillets

I am an avid home chef and a fervent hater of nonstick cookware. I went through so many sets of nonstick in my early married years, everything from the $30 "whole kitchen in a box" set I got as wedding gift to a "top of the line" set that my mother-in-law gave me years later. I babied the stuff, but it still wound up scratched and peeling and in the trash. And, I never liked the cooking performance of any of it. So, many years ago I threw it all out and bought an 18/10 stainless setwhich I love and praise to anyone who will listen, and have never had to replace a single piece of. BUT, even I will admit that it's tough to get a decent fried egg from a stainless pan, so I kept an 8" nonstick skillet around just for that purpose. It was needing to be replaced so I decided to go with hard anodized. Hesitantly, I was going to get another brand with the teflon type finish. Then I saw this, and liked the idea of the the ceramic type finish. I can't tell you how much I love this pan. It fries beautifully. Sears salmon and steaks. Cleans with a wipe and a rinse. I have had this for a couple of months, used it MANY times, and am getting ready to buy the 12" for bigger jobs. Even my 8 year old can make beautiful(no tears)fried eggs with it. Oh, and did you know that you can thaw meats faster in it. Hard anodized is an amazing conducter of heat, so it pulls the cold out of the food. Just set it on the counter (covered) and wait about 20 minute (depends on thickness of the meat) turn it over once and voila you have thawed meat.

Please note that when you read all the positive reviews that they are from brand new pans. This review is after using the pan for just less than 2 months. I was so excited to buy this pan! After reading so much about non stick pans and how unhealthful they are I was really psyched to come across this one and purchased the 12" after frustrating results with the upkeep and care necessary to keep an iron skillet relatively stick free. This pan was great and I almost bought a whole bunch of them after about a week. Eggs, pancakes, sandwiches, sauces, etc. Nothing stuck. Then it slowly started to stick. I was careful with the cleaning, we use olive oil and butter to fry, but now, merely two months after purchasing it, it sticks like crazy. NOTHING doesn't stick to this pan. It's even hard to clean. I am sure that technology will come up with a 'new improved' non toxic non stick surface, but this, sadly isn't it. It's like buying a brand new model car when you should have waited for them to get the kinks out. They have to be getting mail from people like me all the time. This pan stinks.

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The Good...

It's a solidly built, eco-friendly cooking pan made by a reliable company.

The Bad...

I typically use it to make pancakes or fry veggies and beans in oil. Within my first couple uses and cleanings, I noticed that the sides weren't smooth like the base. At that time I thought that maybe the pan was manufactured that way, or that it might be a defect in the surface. I did my best to clean it with a sponge and soap, but it didn't seem to make a difference. I continued to use it occasionally. It really bothered me though, since it wasn't like any other non-stick pan I've used. Inspecting it closely, I noticed what appeared to be a residue of oil. It wasn't greasy but very viscous and hardened on. I'd never burned anything onto the pan, and it had performed pretty well. I guess I'd give it a B for it's non-stick surface.

The Other Good...

Anyway today, I finally went against tradition and used a scouring pad on the surface. It took me over an hour of sanding off the residue with the dry scour pad, and blotting off the dust with a moist paper towel. It was a mild acrylic pad, but had enough scratchiness to take off the residue, which came off as an orangy powder. It resembled dried oil, and for the life of me, that's all I can determine that it was. However, I finally returned it to a virtually untouched state.

I was nervous about scraping into the pan as I did with the scouring pad, having been careful to only use wooden utensils in the past. However, even after putting some serious elbow grease into it, the scouring didn't seem to scratch the non-stick surface. I probably won't try it, but it does seem that it would be resistant to scratching from metal utensils. It at least takes a good scouring and comes out looking fresh and clean.

Summary:

Overall, I think it didn't perform quite as well as low-end T-Fal pans that I used 15 years ago, but food didn't stick to the pan too terribly either. The oil apparently stuck to the sides of the cooking surface in a bad way, however. I cleaned my pan promptly and never burned anything on it, a residue of dry hardened oil built up in just a few uses. On the other hand, I was able to scrape it off with a mild scouring pad. It was much like taking rust off a surface with a fine grit sandpaper. Trust me, you don't want to expend the time and elbow grease to do this though. Since it's a more eco-friendly, safer non-stick pan, I'm willing to deal with it. I'm going to be more aware of how hot I heat the pan, as I suspect that high temperatures and oil quickly caused the build-up of oil residue.

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At first glance, these appear to be fantastic products. The angle of the sides is great to keep things contained, the handle is comfortable and always stays cool to the touch, and they look really great. We bought silicon tools to use with these skillets and made sure to never use them above MED on the stovetop. They were always left to cool before wiping down with soap, and stored safely where they wouldn't get scratched. Basically, these were supposed to be our first grown-up cooking utensils.

Unfortunately, in the two weeks that we had our 10" skillet, it developed patches of bare surface, which grew with every use. I called up Cuisinart and asked if there was anything I could do to refinish the surface or help keep it from spreading, and was told to just mail it in for a repair. I mailed it in, at my own expense, and got a letter a week later stating that it was "not a manufactured defect", and that I could buy a new one from them for more than it cost new from here. Of course I have no recourse but to let people know that these are apparently very sensitive skillets, so take that into consideration when buying.

We have an 8" and a square pan model bought at the same time which do not have this problem, so we do not believe it to be our fault. It's just disheartening to be so careful with a piece of cookware, only to have it fail on you, and then spend ten bucks shipping to basically throw it out.

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4 months ago I bought the 12 inch skillet for $70 and followed all the manufacturer's instructions such as hand washing etc. It worked very well initially and I was thrilled but now it has begun to stick very badly after only 4 months of use. I have not tried calling Cuisinart yet but I certainly did not expect problems so early. Hopefully Cuisinart will make the next gen better and longer lasting. Will update this review after talking to Cuisinart.

Oct 2009 update: I did return my old skillet to Cuisinart (spent an additional $18) and got a new replacement skillet a few months ago and was pleasantly surprised at that. The coating on the new one seems much thicker/better than the previous one I had. I wont say it is perfect, it sticks sometimes but I have peace of mind when I cook in it. In a few months, I'm sure it will lose its non-stick characteristic. In the meanwhile, I also tried the Green Pan (from Target for $30) and Cuisinart's non stick seems much better. After this experience, I feel this is new technology that needs to mature some more and we need to give it the chance to survive. But I will never go back to the traditional PTFE based non-stick skillets. I would like to revise my rating to 3 stars since my Jan 2009 review.

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Vacu Vin 2977450 2-1/2-Quart Instant Marinating Container

I had a much older marinator but it finally broke after many years, so I ordered this one. The pump has greatly improved; so much easier. But the bowl has a very stupid design. The bottom of the bowl is not level...it's "humped" whereby the middle section is raised and the area near the edges (where the bottom of the bowl meets the sides) are much lower. I don't get the reasoning behind this! So, part of the meat (the portion that's against the edge) is in the marinade, but the remaining portion of the meat (the part that's not shoved against the edge) doesn't touch the marinade unless you pour a HUGE amount of marinade in the bowl to fill up the entire bottom. Dumb design. I wish I knew this feature before I bought it, but the picture doesn't reveal this.

This new larger and stronger model works even better than the discontinued one. The larger size will hold roasts and the larger pump pulls the air out faster. The marinater works great: The flavors of the marinade taste fresher and things like lemon zest really sing. It really speeds up the marinating and tenderizing process.

I found the lid hard to remove because the suction was so strong, but pulling out the whole stopper helps it come right off. The container and lid are very strong and durable, so the problems of the older model have been eliminated. This Instant Marinater is a great timesaver in the home and for the outdoor BBQ.

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I had to replace our old VacuVin Instant Marinater because it cracked under the pressure! This new model is bigger and stronger and it is easier to tell when I've sucked out enough air.

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The 3 main complaints I've noticed on this product are that, there are no instructions telling how much air to pump out, that you can't get the cover off easily, and the bottom of the container is rounded inwards. I want to mention that there are indeed instructions on the box holding the pump (10 pumps max for a full container, 25 max for 1/2 full.) To get the cover off, just nudge the rubber thing on top to the side indicated by the triangles that will let air in. As for the solution to the bottom of the container, the only things I can think of are that maybe it's their attempt to get the marinade under your food (though I would think ridges on a flat bottom would do a better job,) or maybe it's because it's a stronger shape so it doesn't implode as easily.) Anyway, I've found this product works as advertised, and although it's supposed to be "instant", I recommend keeping food in it for a few hours to let the acids in the marinade to do its job.

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This past summer was when I finally started getting into grilling. I had been marinating my meats in either a Tupperware or plastic bag. Then, I read about this item, so I purchased it. It seems to work just fine. I'ved used it more than 30 times. In each case I'd add the marinade to the meat, and place in the refrigerator while I go to work. I haven't had any problems with implosion, and it's easy to tell when there's enough vacuum it get VERY hard to pump. It's well made out of thick plastic [polycarbonate?] and has plenty of room inside. Now if only I was better at choosing tasty marinades, I'd be all set.

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George Foreman PN2035B 120-Square Inch Nonstick Panini Grill

I selected this press for two reasons. First the price and second the variable temperature control. The price came in lower than the bricks and mortar stores in my area, and the variable temperature control has proven necessary for several sandwiches. I also like the locking feature, which allows for vertical storage. An added bonus is the cord storage thingy that allows me to wind the cord behind the unit. I am completely satisfied with the product and have recommended it to friends.

I have enjoyed using this product for several months now. I have pretty much used it for sandwiches, which are delicious. You can easily make two large sandwiches at once. It isn't too bad to clean up. I use a wet paper towel and let it steam the junk off after our last sandwich(unplug it when you put the wet paper towel on the grill). The lock broke, but it is still very functional.

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Got this for Christmas, already used it about six times for paninis and wraps. Awesome. Preheats quickly, makes delicious wraps and paninis just like cafes/restaurants. Great recipes included in manual.

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This affordable and attractive George Foreman Panini Maker does everything you would expect of a more expensive panini maker. You won't go wrong with this purchase.

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We're very happy with the Forman grill: easy to use; does a great job of grilling & easy to clean.

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Comfort Zone High Velocity Cradle Fan

I use this fan at the sales counter at my work. It keeps two of my coworkers and me very cool when we're running around all day. At first use, the fan was shaking a lot, and even though there are isolation mounts at the base, the shaking made a VERY irritating rattle noise. We took the front cover off, and found that the blades themselves were way too loose. We balled up some electrical tape and shoved it into each of the blade holders. SO SILENT NOW, even when at its highest setting. Aside from the rattling issue, this little fan was a great purchase. We've used it every day for about two months now, no problem.

Some of the reviews on this product weren't encouraging, but I decided to try it anyway. This little fan is very quiet on all speeds and pushes air really well for it's size. I plan on purchasing another one.

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Based on the previous reviews I bought this fan and it works fine as mentioned in the 5 star reviews. Not too loud, all metal, cord could have been a little longer, pushes plenty of air.

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I am happy with this fan. It works as advertised. Has a nice quality grounded cord, seems to be made of all metal to last. Nice product. I use this fan to help me sleep. I turn it on and the sound of this fan helps me sleep. Blows a nice amount of air for it's size and the volume of this fan is pretty quiet. The pitch-sound of this fan is a lower-pitched blowing sound unlike some fans that have a high-pitched blowing sound. This fan produces a nice low-pitched even-sound. It puts out more air than it sounds like it's doing.

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Even on the lowest speed this fan puts out plenty of breeze. I use it when I exercise and I've never had to even put it on medium. Great product for the price!

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Enameled Cast Iron 14-Inch Roasting/Lasagna Pan

I was so disappointed when this item came. The vendor has the description listed as being 3.8 inches deep, not 2.8 inches deep like it is. They offered to refund my money, but I would have had to send it back on my dollar, and a cast iron lasagna pan would have cost too much to send back, so I decided to let myself be stuck with it.

Nice quality; however, the pan is nowhere near as deep as advertised. It is only 2 and 3/4 inches deep (total outside depth). Inside is only 2 1/2 inches deep.

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Cuisinart Chef's Classic Enameled Cast Iron 14-Inch Roasting/Lasagna Pan, Cardinal Red

This turns out to be the one of the best cooking purchases I've ever made. I used it for roasting vegetables and they turned out great. I've also used it as a casserole dish (baked and stuffed chicken) and everything came out perfectly done.

As for carrying a dish to another's house there is no comparison to cast iron for maintaining the heat.

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I bought this from Amazon before a family Thanksgiving dinner that I was asked to bring stuffing. I used this pan, covered it with foil after cooking, and the stuffing stayed hot for hours. Clean up is a breeze too. I hope that Cuisinart will soon be offering many other pieces in this enameled cast iron at such a reasonable price as this. I absolutely recommend this pan!

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I really like cast iron pans, so thought this would be great for lasagna and it is, but the size of this thing weighs a ton, especially when loaded with lasagna, which is heavy anyway. If you use this thing in the oven, you'd best have some pretty heavy-duty oven racks and some arm muscles to wrestle it in and out of the oven!

In my Mom's brand new Maytag Neptune stove the oven rack flexed, but didn't permanently bend the rack. A lesser oven rack would, undoubtedly, be permanently damaged.

The pan was so heavy loaded with lasagna neither my Mom nor I could get it into or out of the oven. Had to have my husband do it. I wouldn't advise putting it onto a dishwasher rack!

Clean-up was great...nothing stuck to it and washing was easy except for hefting it over to rinse.

I think I'd best look for a cermaic version of this same size pan.

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PRIDEAUX'S Family Name Bar & Grill Coasters

These coasters were a gift and a great surprise! Perfect for all occassions and a nice coaster for drinks! Love the art work and the style of the coasters! Great colors and made well!

Vic Firth Border Grill 8-Inch Pepper Mill

Vic Firth mills are a combination of high quality & outstanding design. Hand made in Maine, this American product is well worth the price & will probably last a lifetime.

Wonderful, high quality pepper mill. In addition, it is red so it fits in with all the other red accents I have in the kitchen.

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Mr. Bar-B-Q Backyard Basics Eco-Cover PVC Free Premium Patio Chair Cover

Cover is adequate in keeping my outdoor chair dry & free of pollen at a reasonable cost. Although I needed 4, I ordered only 1 to test it. It passed my test; however, in the month since I purchased it, the price has doubled. I'll have to wait for a price decrease before I can purchase more.

Replaced a flimsier one from original set which blew away. It is sturdy and stays on. Good product for the price.

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Good product but the color fades quickly in the sun. Not too bad though because

it's beige.

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