Monday, April 7, 2014
Fox Run Glass Heat Resistant Baster
Monday, March 24, 2014
West 6130 Bend Raclette Party Grill
The metal grilling portion is very thin/light. When we began cooking the thinly sliced steak and salmon, we brought it right out from the fridge. With the rapid change in temperature, the top did begin to ((warp/bend)). However, when it cooled off, it went right back to normal. Was slightly disturbed when it happened because it was a pretty drastic change in shape. The heat this racelette grill gives off is perfect and certainly hot enough to cook the foods we prepared.
If you do not mind spending more money for this size then go get the Swissmar but we only use it during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Overall, worth the money.
Amazon did a nice job with packaging! With quick shipping as well!This is the second raclette grill we have purchased. The first one is a Swissmar KF-77081 8-Person Stelvio Raclette for $134, twice the price of this one! Our family enjoyed it so much that we've given a raclette to each of our kids when they went to college. We didn't want to spend as much as on the first one, so I searched till I found this one. And it's great! I thought only the higher end priced items would have a quality unit and the granite stone, but this one does, too, although it wasn't mentioned in the description. It works great. It's the right size for 8 people, and you can even make it work for twelve, with a little sharing. The unit heats up quickly, the granite is good quality, and grill is a little less bulky than the rectangular swissmar. We have bought this for several others as graduation gifts for other family and friends, and wedding gifts, too. I think that speaks well for its quality, and if I had to do it over again, I would skip the swissmar and get the West Bend for us, too. Why spend more when you can get just as good a product for half the price?
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This item doesn't even diserve a one star. I've used other raclettes before at friends houses, and decided to buy one myself. Big mistake, I was excited to finally have one of my own and invited my friends over. My friends are from Germany and France and the Raclette is a big item for them there. We turned it on, it heated real nice at first, then the top slowly warped (kinda like when you put a cold cookie sheet in the oven and warps) until the food wouldn't cook much less stay on the grill top. I decided to try to cook an egg on the flat side and the top tipped over and raw egg went everywhere. First I thought that maybe I didn't have it sitting on the metal prongs properly and tried readjusting it 3 times, but when it's warped it doesn't matter. And after a while we could hardly get the cheese to melt. When we turned it off it slowly started to flatten out, but not completely.I recommend you purchase a better quality grill.
Read Best Reviews of West 6130 Bend Raclette Party Grill Here
I travel to Switzerland regularly on business and have enjoyed raclette there, either using a grill or scraped off the large wheel. I bring home the cheese occasionally and we've melted it (carefully!) under the broiler, which is not the best way and you have to be really careful not to burn it. We've been looking for a reasonably priced raclette grill for some time now, and liked this one, but had some doubts after reading some negative comments. We finally decided to go for it, and so far we're glad we did. It melted the cheese nicely and the grill top kept our vegetables and meats warm (or if left longer, actually cooked them a bit). We haven't used the stone top yet, but will try it next time. One thing we're very happy with is that the heat doesn't travel to the table top. We tried it on a counter and were comfortable that the bottom stayed cool, so we next tried it on our glass top table (with lots of padding just in case). Happy to say the glass was cool the whole time, and even the padding didn't really get warm. So far we're quite happy with this raclette grill.Want West 6130 Bend Raclette Party Grill Discount?
Lived in France the last 3 years, before that in Germany and Hungary. I had quality European Raclette grills. This one doesnt really make the top 10 for me.The real problem is the heating element that is much to weak.
it takes a looong time to heat up and to get any color on your cheese is very very time consuming.
Aside of this, good price, the stone is a nice extra
all in all a little bit more power would have made this a good product. like this, I would call it not the best buy I did this year
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Cuisinart GG30-20 GreenGourmet Hard-Anodized Nonstick 11-Inch Square Grill Pan
Buy Cuisinart GG30-20 GreenGourmet Hard-Anodized Nonstick 11-Inch Square Grill Pan Now
Cuisinart GreenGourmet Eco-Friendly 11-Inch Square Grill PanI've had this grill pan for about one month. It is light weight making it easy to handle and absolutely nothing sticks. I used it for steak, porkchops, grilled cheese sandwich, and even eggs. I have other types of non-stick pans but none hold a candle to this non-stick. If it will wear well, you have a real winner. I do wish you offered a smaller version such as 8" or 9" square grill pan. I would definately
buy a pan of that size for cooking for one or two people.
Absolutely 5 STARS.
awaynetI read all the reviews on this eco friendly Cuisinart 11" grill pan and decided to purchase it. First I will say, it is a very good looking pan. I have only used it three times so far so maybe in 6 months I will have a different opinion but it is everything the manufacture claims. I have an electric smooth top stove so I was worried that it might not work for me as it isn't entirely flat on the bottom. It has grooves. Much to my surprise this pan fits perfectly on my cooktop. The handle stays cool and it grills very nicely leaving nice grill marks. Clean up is probably the best part as it cleans up beautifully without any effort. After reading other reviews, I decided not to grill on high and only have put it up to medium and medium high at the maximum. I also let it completely cool down before washing it by hand in warm soapy water with a sponge or paper towel. This pan looks brand new like it has never been used. I also took care in having the pan in drawer where it does not touch other pans as it could chip the ceramic material if other pans are stacked on top of it. I am hoping this pan continues to hold up after months of use. If it does, I will say this material that the pan is made of is the BEST INVENTION EVER. The pan is also relatively inexpensive. At less than $50, you can't go wrong.
After 4 months of use, this pan is holding up very well. Grills nicely, easy clean up, and nothing sticks. Eco friendly too. Go for it. You won't regret it.
After 7 months of use, I see that the cleanup of this pan is taking a lot more effort. It is still the best grill pan I have used on my smooth top range but you can see where the finsh is wearing off some as the middle of the pan is becoming lighter in color than the rest of the pan. I have never overheated the pan nor have I used anything abrasive on it.
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Yes. It's a grill pan as advertised, and a pretty good one at that. My wife and I have a set of the GreenGormet EcoFriendly cookware, and purchased the grill pan to match. The grill pan uses the same ceramic non-stick surface and is actually fairly non-stick compared to some of the competitors aluminum cookware (Calphalon). My only gripe is that when I grill something to burn those nice parallel marks on the food, the burnt food matter is really tough to remove from the surface of the pan. Don't get me wrong, with some other pans that job would be nearly impossible. Of course, nothing compares to Teflon but who wants cancer?I would recommend to a friend or buy another.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Bradley Digital Thermometer
Buy something with a better reputation.I got this for my husband thinking that we could set the temperature that we wanted, but there is not an option for this. Overall I would have payed more for a better one then this average thermometer.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Weiman Gas Range Cleaner and Degreaser
That said... this cleaner is doing a barely passable job on new grease, let alone older stuff. Honestly, I haven't really seen any difference between it and regular household cleaners. If you want something to really cut through this stuff, you'll likely find better options elsewhere.I've just made my second purchase of this product. It really does remove the burned-on residue from my stovetop. As a not-so-great housekeeper, I really value not having to scrub the left-on goo that happens when a pot boils over on my enamel cooktop. Just spray, wait a minute, and off it comes -usually with just one swipe.
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The is a fairly good range top cleaner, but it took several applications to get cooked-on grease to come off my range. The cooked-on grease was not that bad I've only had the range a few months. But the cleaner didn't break down the cooked-on grease as readily as I thought it would. On the plus side, it does not appear to damage the rangetop surface, and if you apply it and let it sit several minutes, that helps a bit more to cut the tougher grease areas.Read Best Reviews of Weiman Gas Range Cleaner and Degreaser Here
This first time I used this I was shopping for something to clean my sister's stove. She had major back surgery and I went to stay with her for 2 months. Due to the bad back, her cleaning ability was limited. Her gas stove was in bad shape and the oven was a disaster. I found this product at Wal-Mart. As soon as I tried it I went back and bought another bottle. Spray it on, leave it for a while, full strength, then scrub. If the goop is old and very cooked on, it may take another application.I don't understand the negative reviews. I am a 5'2" woman, age 70 with very arthritic fingers. If I can clean the goop off, anyone can. After I returned home I found 3 bottles of this stuff at my Wal-Mart. I have an electric stove and it works equally as well on it. If your stove has small areas you can't get at, dip a q-tip in the bottle. It works! I even put it on the bottom of my 46 year old electric skillet and made it look like brand new. I have never been able to find it again where I live. I guess ordering on line is cheaper then flying 2,500 miles to get it.
This product is worth more than the price. In 53 years of housekeeping, I have never found anything to clean a stove that works as well as Weiman Gas Range Cleaner.I was hoping this product would get the bits and spots that my usual detergent and scrubber couldn't. Unfortunately it's no better than anything else. I let the solution soak for several minutes and used the recommended scrub sponge companion, but it didn't budge those stubborn spots.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Music City Metals 55801 Porcelain Steel Wire Cooking Grid Replacement for Select Gas Grill Models b
Saturday, January 4, 2014
MAN LAW BBQ MAN-FT1-B Folding Brush
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Outset QS78 Forged Stainless-Steel Skewers, Set of 4
Simple, elegant design. I like it!
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These are good quality, and thick. They are flat so your food will not turn and allow for even grilling. they are thick than i thought, but will still be able to hold up to 21/30 shrimpGood grilling
Read Best Reviews of Outset QS78 Forged Stainless-Steel Skewers, Set of 4 Here
I've used this skewers several times. Good product and good value for the money. I'd thought it would be more on the flimsy side but that's not the case. It's pretty solid, can handle veggies and meat. I love that the edge is not sharp so I don't have to worry about cutting my fingers. Great product and am very satisfied.Want Outset QS78 Forged Stainless-Steel Skewers, Set of 4 Discount?
These are attractive sturdy skewers, especially for the price. I've cooked a bunch of different meats & veggies on them, and they do a fine job. Even loaded with heavy meats, they don't bend. The ends are sharp enough to easily pierce the food. Because they're flat, it's easy to turn the food. Definitely recommended.Sunday, November 24, 2013
Outset Q111 Rectangular-Shaped Cast-Iron Grill Press with Rosewood Handle
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I bought the top 6 reviewed grill presses on Amazon.com, and used them for several months in a rigorous comparison in my kitchen. This one ranks fifthdon't buy it. The products I compared were:#1 Best: Kingsford KCA11 Grill Press, Rectangular Kingsford KCA11this grill press has the perfect weight for holding down, but not crushing, grilled sandwiches, sausages, burgers, and bacon. The handle is easy to hold and comfortable. I'm going to buy a few more.
#2: New 8-Inch Barbecue BBQ Grill Steak Weights, Heavy-Weight, Hamburger Bacon Sausage Grill Press, Commercial Grade, Cast Iron New 8-Inch Barbecue BBQ Grill Steak Weightsthis grill press is almost identical to the Kindsford, but is slighly less well made (and two dollars cheaper). I found the edges to be less well finished and the handle to be somewhat poorly fitted to the iron.
#3: Lodge Logic LGP3 Pre-Seasoned Rectangular Cast-Iron Grill Press Lodge Logic LGP3I found this press a little too light weight to properly grill a nice cheese sandwich. In addition, the handle scared me. It never got hot, but it always looked like it was, even after months of use, and I found the minor stress of remembering that it wouldn't burn me to be a negative feature. I prefer the wooden handles.
#4: The Camp Chef 9-1/4-by-5-3/4-by-3-1/4-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Bacon/Meat PressThe Camp Chefthis press was the best choice if you feel you must have grill lines embedded into the pressa feature which I decided wasn't worth it. Overall, I found it less stable and able to hold food down because of the grill lines.
#5: The Outset Q111 Rectangular-Shaped Cast-Iron Grill Press with Rosewood HandleOutset Q111this press also has grill lines, but performed worse then the camp chef version. Something about the angles of these grill lines made them grip food awkwardlyonce the whole sandwich came up with the grill press and then fell on the ground.
#6: Cast Iron Steak Weight & Bacon Press Cast Iron Steak Weight & Bacon Pressthis press was simply too heavyit crushed everything I put near it, and was annoying to lift and heft around. I'm all for heavy-weight iron presses, but this one just destroyed the food.
Read Best Reviews of Outset Q111 Rectangular-Shaped Cast-Iron Grill Press with Rosewood Handle Here
We use this to BBQ Steak's or Burger's what a delight to use for faster cooking.Also great for pressing Bacon. We pre-seasoned ours with cooking oil first, the weight of the press is perfect for our home.
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This would be a 5 star rating if it was just a little longer. My husband is the grill master in this family and he picked it out. He used the dimensions on the product description to help him decide which grill press to purchase. It is just a little bit too short to fit 2 of his handmade burgers under it. But the weight, the handle and everything else about it is perfect.By the way, it is fine for 2 store bought patties, but hubby is a wonderful chef and would never use those!
Friday, October 25, 2013
Staub 12" American Square Grill Pan
I found cleaning to be very simple for both pans. If you are having difficulty I suggest soaking the griddle surface in hot water and detergent for an hour. This gives a chance for the detergent to break down and release fats. If you want to prevent burning try cooking with temperatures no more than medium high this is stated in the included manual. Be sure to give your pan a good coat of olive oil when cooking I use the pressurized spray olive oil as it is far easier to get an even coat.
Staub Grill Pan Review Summary:
Pros (Compared to Lodge Logic): Height (Approx 1/2" Taller than Staub Grill Pan), Quality of Cooking Surface Enamel, No Pour Spout, General Appearance
Cons (Compared to Lodge Logic): High Cost, Smoothness of Outer Enamel
Overall Stars Staub 10" Grill Pan: 5/5
Overall Stars Lodge Logic: 4/5
If both pans had been the same height I would have given both a rating of 5. The rest of the cons are outweighed by the difference in cost between the pans. At it's price point, the lodge pan is still a very good deal. If you have a modest budget by all means purchase the lodge pan. It works. If you are concerned about splatter and visual appeal and have the budget buy the Staub.
I have used both griddles twice now and am posting pictures and as you will see both appear brand new though they have been used.This pan is da shazzizo. Really.
HEAVY cast iron, with a glossy enamel exterior and a rough black enamel interior. It really doesn't need seasoning, as the enamel doesn't rust or stick. Preheat it until smoking hot, add a seasoned steak, leave on for a minute or two, rotate 90 degrees to get those great crosshatched grill marks, flip and repeat, then put into a preheated 450 oven for 4+ minutes, depending on how thick the steak is and how rare you want it.
Seriously foolproof steakhouse good steak, every time, as long as you don't over cook.
The same technique works really well for fish as well. Whatever you cook the sear and blast method works great, and it's easy to make pan sauce.
Although I give this five stars, be warned that it's not easy to clean. Forget trying to get it back to factory condition, ain't gonna happen. However, because the cast iron isn't exposed, but instead your dealing with black matte enamel, you can use dish soap and a scrubbie to get the worst, then leave it on medium heat to dry.
I use this pan constantly, particularly in the winter when it's not so much fun to grill, I'm giving my Alaskan brother one for his birthday. However, even in the summer months it still sees a lot of use.
This and my 9 qt. dutch oven get the heaviest use, and the biggest bang for my cookware buck.
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The day I got it from Sur La Table I went and bought two New York Strips to break it in. They were text-book picture perfect with an external sear with blood red rare interiors. Incredible for seared steaks or burgers. Preheat on high heat for at least five minutes before cooking. Get it smoking hot before you put the meat on the grill. Juices from deglazing or rendered fat can easily be poured off with the two pour spouts to make sauces or reductions. And it is oven and broiler safe. You will not be sorry!Read Best Reviews of Staub 12" American Square Grill Pan Here
Smoke concentrates in the grooves between the ridges, which enhances the taste of seared steaks. You can make the grill marks as light-brown or black as you want. This sure beats trying to grill outdoors in the middle of winter, and the results are delish.If you don't have a strong hood fan, you may have to open some windows and close bedroom doors, this thing can get generate as much smoke as grilling on the barbie.
For water-softening of burnt residue, pouring water into a searing hot enameled pan might crack the enamel due to differential contractions of rapidly cooled enamel and iron. A safer technique is to let the pan cool for a good 20 minutes, then pour in water and reheat the stove, letting the water low-boil for awhile, e.g. 30 minutes. You can use dishsoap or not. I just pour the soapless water out and wipe with a some paper towels. I don't worry about getting it spic and span, a little gray-browning of the last towel is okay with me, I treat this like my seasoned cast iron skillets and woks.This worked well for its purpose but after only 6 or so uses it cracked, while heating, close to the angle of the metal spout. Since others have reported similar cracks, the sharp angle of the spout is presumably a design flaw.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Weber 40020 Smokey Joe Gold Charcoal Grill
It really does do a great job of cooking, as good as the larger Webers, just for a smaller crowd. We had a Mulberry tree trimmed in our yard and I saved all the chipped up wood to use for smoke flavoring. You still need a charcoal fire for heat; just throw in a handful of chips before you put the meat & corn on the cob in and close the top vent down to make it smoke. Mmmmm, Mmmmm!
You can eat like a gourmet anywhere you tote this to! Just add a cooler full of longnecks.....
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I got this grill on the advice of a friend when we were in grad school. She'd been trying to save money, and bought a similar type grill from a different manufacturer. It didn't vent right at all, and she was right, this one does. Brand matters.I've lugged it with me through something like 5 moves, and it's still fine. The grill has eventually accumulated rust, but it's nothing you can't scrape off at the beginning of the season, and besides they're always telling us we need more iron in our diets, right?
If I hadn't left it outside for a couple of winters the rust might not have happened. It doesn't look like it's going to wear out in my lifetime, so I guess I'll never have a chance to find out on a new one!
I like using the charcoal made of real wood chunks more than the compressed bricquettes (they don't last as long, but they taste WAY better).
Couple it with the Weber chimney starter, and you have a way of getting rid of junk mail, too! (Just don't burn paper with colored inks, *blech*.)
I fed 12 people on links and venison last Friday night with just one of these babies, started with the chimney (that part took only 30 min, honest to Gawd). Afterwards there were still enough coals left to roast marshmallows on fondue forks. (We didn't have real sticks available, OK? You use what you've got.)
I have a Diversitech grill pad under it to keep the heat and crud off my deck, and it works great.
Enjoy!
Read Best Reviews of Weber 40020 Smokey Joe Gold Charcoal Grill Here
I had one of the original Smokey Joe grills when I was single (a long time ago). I used it at my apartment and took it on camping trips. It worked well at home, but it was a pain to take camping. It was tippy and always fell over in the truck, sending the grates, lid and kettle all over the place. The Gold model remedied that shortcoming. The lid locks down tight for portability. The tripod leg system still isn't as stable as a four-leg system would be but the Gold model is not as tippy as the standard model I used to have. (I wonder whatever happened to my old Smokey Joe?)The Gold model also remedied the other shortcoming of the original Smokey Joe--that silly pan to catch the ashes and cinders. It never worked well, the vent in the bottom would clog up, the ashes blew all over the place in the wind and it was a royal pain to clean up. The Gold model holds the ashes in the belly of the kettle so there's less mess. I line the bottom of the kettle with aluminum foil, set fire to the charcoal and, after everything cools down, I just pick up the foil and dump the ashes with little left to clean up.
The Smokey Joe works great for indirect cooking of small roasts or other small, but thick, cuts of meat. Put the charcoal on a side of the kettle with a vent, put the meat on the other side. Close the vent on the kettle on the meat side, open the vent on the fire side, open the lid vent and put the vent holes over the side with the meat. It creates a draft inside the kettle that works extremely well. The size of the grill prevents true slow cooking but this modified indirect method works extremely well.
I have to disagree with a previous reviewer who said the venting system didn't work and the charcoal fire goes out. It just doesn't happen if you get the fire going properly to begin with. I love it that the vents are on the sides of the kettle instead of underneath the coals.
The Smokey Joe Gold is for our RV. It fits in the storage compartment and if it tips over it doesn't create a big mess. It's perfect for cooking and relaxing around an isolated campsite or adding a little downhomeness to those concrete parking lots they call RV parks that we sometimes have to use when traveling. It's a great improvement over the original Smokey Joe if you need a portable grill to take along with you.
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As I was waiting for my smokey joe shipment to arrive, I decided to read the negative and positive reviews to see if I had made a good or bad purchase.In the negative reviews, I read about how there was insufficient air drafting because the air vents were not located at the bottom of the grill and therefore the grill would not become hot enough. This problem is completely false! My smokey joe grill gets red hot!
Secondly, there were complaints about how there were no vents on the bottom so the ash could not come out like in the Silver edition. However, the new feature of having a closed base is soooo much better because it is much cleaner! If you're grilling in an apartment or on a deck, you can just close up the top and close the vents and save the coals for another time. Forget the mess of having ash flying around on a windy day because of an ash catcher! Oh and by the way, cleanup/removal of coals is as easy as dumping it in a coal bucket or a dumpster!
Finally, the ability to lock the top of the lid is a great feature because it makes transportation so much easier than if you could not lock the top like in the Silver.
So, if you are like me and are reading all these complaints about a lack of good draft because there are no vents on the bottom and such, forget them. Those people are morons! THIS IS A GREAT SMOKEY JOE!
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Weber Q 6504 Griddle
Read Best Reviews of Weber Q 6504 Griddle Here
Cooked up 2 pounds of bacon on this, worked good. There are little pouring lips on the corners so you can grab the whole griddle with the provided handles, scoot the bacon to one side and tilt (very much under control)pour the grease off to save for cooking other things. Quite heavy, probably about 10 lbs. We store it in the box it came in.Want Weber Q 6504 Griddle Discount?
I was shown this product by another camper who was watching me assemble my new grill at the campground. Seems to be something of a cult following with the RV crowd with these weber Q grills.Once he showed me the griddle, and the beer butt chicken cooker, I imedelatly had to have one.
First thing I did was get on amazon, find the best deal and ordered both. Typical Weber high quality product with the particlar design aspect that allows you to grill and griddle at the same time. Awesome for making sausage and eggs for breakfast when camping.
While the entry cost into the Q system is a little steep, I wish I had purchsed these products years ago as I now understand why they are well liked and prevalent with the RV crowd.
The beer butt chicken holder is a must have as well.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Stansport Magnesium Fire Starting Tool
This is very light weight and can fit into your pocket, backpack or hang on a strap using the attached chain. Matches are nice but this thing works in the worst conditions and it is a great survival tool to have with you. I recommend it as an item to put in with your camping gear!

