Buy GrillPro 98140 Non-Stick Pizza Grill Pan includes Pizza Cutter/ Server, 12-Inch Diameter Now
First use, we discovered the non stick coating comes off with great ease, and your food worst of all! This product is most likely adding carcinogenic material to your food. I had great hope for this, the Pizza that we made came out a bit more well done on the bottom, than intended even at a lower heat setting. The Pizza was still incredibly delicious, but then we realized what had happened. Buy another poduct, this was such a great disappointed with the poor workmanship.Can not review this item yet. It is a gift for my son for his birthday. He loves cooking on the grill and have purchased several items for him for his birthday.Wednesday, May 7, 2014
GrillPro 98140 Non-Stick Pizza Grill Pan includes Pizza Cutter/ Server, 12-Inch Diameter
Friday, April 18, 2014
George Foreman GRV120 120-Inch Nonstick Countertop Grill
Friday, February 28, 2014
Household Essentials Woven Willow Picnic Basket, Square Shaped, Fully Lined, Service for 4
The woven basket with service for four is a good size. Can carry the weight of it with ease. It's large enough in the car that it sits on a cars passenger seat. It held lunch in containers,snacks in baggies, dessert, wine and trash bags.
I added cloth napkins and stopped by cost plus world market to switch out the glasses for a real glass set of four equal in size that fit perfectly. Also a great place to switch out plates. This basket's lining looks vibrant in person. Sturdy. My picnic guests were impressed that it looked classy and not girlie foo foo. LOL.The shape and size of this picnic basket are good. The materials are not the highest quality but do the job...
Buy Household Essentials Woven Willow Picnic Basket, Square Shaped, Fully Lined, Service for 4 Now
Comes with four place settings which is nice. If you bump it around things will come loose, but overall it is reasonably well constructed. Plenty of room for goodies. Nice design.Good size, which was my #1 requirement. Not expensive and as a result some lesser quality features... are the simulated leather strapping and dimestore gold chain tethering the lids. Not quite a good line up on lids to base either. Not disposable, but definately only up to the pace of a date lunch every so often. Good value if that's the goal.I absolutely love this picnic basket. It is well constructed, the lining is well made and securely attached, it's unique in how it opens, and the items included are usually in a much more expensive basket. The plates are thick melamine-type plastic, the forks, knives and spoons are sturdy metal with colored plastic on the handles and I love the salt and pepper shakers. It really is a great deal for the price. I already own three picnic baskets, this one was a gift for someone, so I knew I wanted something that was quality because I know where the failures usually occur in picnic baskets (handles and closures). I was very pleased with how this was constructed as well as the clever design and the fully lined interior. The only drawback is that it's sort of flat and so you have to be very judicious in what you choose to pack in here. I would have liked a little more height on the basket itself so that it could hold more.Overall I am very pleased and would not hesitate to buy another, either for myself or as a gift.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Nordic Ware 13 Inch Crispy Dry Splatter Cover
I still had to place a paper towel on this one since it is also a screen. With the handle being in the center one must be careful when lifting this as the oil CAN still splatter through and so can the steam. I normally used long tongs to lift the cover. In order to wash all the grease off, I had to place the screen on a flat surface (sink bottom). When washing the underside, I had to place the handle knob in the drain so that the screen was laying flat. After about the third use, I noticed that some of the edge was coming out of the circular rim. By the 5-6 washing, I couldn't really do a very good job because about half of the screen had come out of the circlar rim, making the raw screen edges stick out.
Just tossed in the the trash and bought a OXO Good Grips which is much sturdier.
Buy Nordic Ware 13 Inch Crispy Dry Splatter Cover Now
My roommate had a splatter guard with a long handle. I didn't like the long handle so I got this. The screen is quite flimsy and after one use had tears along the edge. That makes me not particularly happy. The other model I've had experience with had no give on the screen portion. More like a highly perforated thin but sturdy metal plate whereas this is just like window screen wrapped with a rim and a handle tossed on. I don't expect it to last long. But it does keep the grease in and allows the steam out.Read Best Reviews of Nordic Ware 13 Inch Crispy Dry Splatter Cover Here
Actually, I like this so much better than those with that long handle sticking out the side. However, this one seems like it might be a little flimsy around the outside edge. I still prefer it to the old kind with the handle. It is big so covers my biggest frying pans.Want Nordic Ware 13 Inch Crispy Dry Splatter Cover Discount?
I barely used this and within several months the knob started cutting through the screen because the screen is too thin for the weight of the knob. Too bad because it's impossible to find a black metal splatter guard (which is the sensible color for these things since the silver colored ones get stained brown over time and never come clean no matter how much you wash them...)Sunday, February 16, 2014
GrillStone Grill Cleaner Starter Set, with Handle and Two Blocks
At someone's request here is my opinion on floss vs. foil vs. stone.
Floss
The Grill Floss product is my least favorite simply because it's such a pain to use. The floss works well enough to clean the grill (in fact it's probably the best product to clean all sides of the bars), BUT it's very time consuming since you have to scrape each side of the bar individually. And the thinness of the handle along with the pressure you need to exert makes it a strain on the hands.
Heavy Duty Foil Ball
I like this one because it's fast and easy. It doesn't clean the best, but it's better than a brush and it does a good job of scraping the sides of the bars. Also, after you hit the grill with the foil ball... you're done. No extra steps. The ball is pretty much the only thing you can do to get a quick, light cleaning in between rounds of cooking.
Grill Stone
This product is pretty good. It's a pumice stone, so it's very soft and light weight. When you brush down the grill with it and apply enough pressure, you'll put some grooves in the stone which will help to clean the sides of the bars. The stone does a good job of scraping every little bit off of the bars, and it's pretty quick since you're not scraping each bar individually. Basically it's like the foil ball but more abrasive.
The only downside is that you can't use it for a quick clean across the top like you can with the foil ball. You pretty much have to do a full clean on both sides and then brush down the grill when you use it. If you only scrape the top, then the remaining char and grease on the sides and bottoms of the bars will be covered in the sandy residue left by the stone. You don't want any of that to transfer to your food. Even if you brush the grill after cleaning the top, I think that you won't be able to get all of it. You'll probably need to scrape both sides and then brush the grill to get all of the sand off.This is a phenomenal product. It cleans quickly and easily, but the grates do have to be rinsed after cleaning unless you want little grains in your hamburgers.
As another reviewer noted, the pumice is soft and wears away quickly. But this is a real plus for two reasons: first, the grime that's picked up rinses easily off the stone; and second, if you have railroad-rail-shaped bars, you can quickly wear a groove that exactly matches the bar width and lets you clean all surfaces.
Mine came with the handle and a total of three stones. I used up one stone cleaning my three grates: they had not been cleaned in two years and were almost beyond hope.
This is 'way better than the "Grill Daddy" which I bought at the same time.
Buy GrillStone Grill Cleaner Starter Set, with Handle and Two Blocks Now
This item does clean the grill very well, and with minimum effort. I always feel you have to really put pressure on a metal brush to remove the junk on the grill, but with this, I didn't feel that I had to use that much pressure. However, it has only lasted about 3 cleanings, plus I recommend that you wipe the grill off again after using the block. It leaves a fine dust on the grill, and I wouldn't want to consume it. All in all, I will probably purchase the item again, but only use it occasionally to get heavy junk off the grill, and still keep a wire brush handy for the in-between cleanings.Read Best Reviews of GrillStone Grill Cleaner Starter Set, with Handle and Two Blocks Here
I purchased this product for myself a few years ago and found it to be the best item out there to clean our BBQ grill. I love it so much I purchased several grill blocks for both my son and daughter. Oh, and of course, several more for my husband and I. Can't say enough about it and we are completely and totally satisfied. Our BBQ grill looks brand new after using the grillstone. The Best!Want GrillStone Grill Cleaner Starter Set, with Handle and Two Blocks Discount?
This item arrived with an extra (beyond the two advertised) replacement cleaning block. I've been using these for several years--they are an abrasive pumice-type stone (created in a high temp kiln from recycled glass) that doesn't clog, rust, or shed bristles like some of the other grill cleaners I've used. I've used it on a couple of grills and found that it is much more effective on grills with wider space bars. It wears down rather quickly (hence the resistance to clogging) and will actually wear grooves to match the grill bars, making it very effective at cleaning between bars on grills with sufficient space between bars. For this reason, I find it much more effective on my charcoal Weber with skinny bars and lots of space than it is at cleaning my gas grill. Besides the fast wearing, the only downside is that the handle design is such that you can't use the last 1/3 of the brick without taking it out of the handle, which sort of defeats the purpose of the handle in the first place.Saturday, January 18, 2014
DeLonghi EO1260 Stainless-Steel Toaster Oven with Broiler
Funny thing is, Delonghi makes an attractive product.
Sad thing is, they can cost you your house or worse.
Buy DeLonghi EO1260 Stainless-Steel Toaster Oven with Broiler Now
I purchased this toaster oven because I loved its exterior design and thought it would look great in my kitchen. It did... until the middle knob came off after less than 6 months of use. I've been using a pair of pliers to turn it on for the last 5 months while I await my replacement part. I have followed-up on my request with DeLonghi customer service on a number of occassions and they offer no solution other than to continue to wait. I even left a message with a supervisor and received no response whatsoever. I vow to never buy a DeLonghi product again. Still waiting for that knob...Read Best Reviews of DeLonghi EO1260 Stainless-Steel Toaster Oven with Broiler Here
I purchased this high-end toaster oven because I wanted /needed a proficient smaller oven for smaller baking needs. After 5 months of moderate usage, however, the middle knob has malfunctioned and it will no longer bake. Other than that I was satisfied with the product. I called their customer service and to get it repaired under warranty, will have to ship it at least 250 miles away, at my expense. What a hassle. I may just go buy a cheap toaster oven to replace it instead of spending the time and money on postage. Live and learn....just because a product costs more doesn't mean it's better.Want DeLonghi EO1260 Stainless-Steel Toaster Oven with Broiler Discount?
This is a really great toaster oven! I just recently bought it and I am delighted to say that I won't need to be returning it. It looks beautiful, however, finger prints are very noticeable on its completely stainless steel exterior. I haven't tried a 12 inch pizza yet, so I'm not too sure if it can really crank one of those out. But for the basic uses of a toaster oven, it has a very even "toast" or "bake." Clean-up is easy with it's removable crumb tray, and it's also not ungodly big like my previous toaster oven. I LOVE making biscuits in this thing! They are perfect!! My other toaster oven would burn the outside and inside, they would still be doughy. This thing cranks biscuits out perfetcly!It could be a tad quieter though....
UPDATE: I wish I could change my star rating to 1 or 2! The chrome metal right by the opening of the door is becoming discolored! You know that yellowish brownish look. It's not bad right now, but in the forseeable future, it will be pretty noticeable. I'm pretty ticked off that I spent $100 on a toaster that has a design flaw....ugh
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Smokeless Indoor Stove Top BBQ Grill
I have cooked several dinners on this thing and it is now my go to way of cooking fat free. Simple. A cup of water, medium low heat, a little spritz with cooking oil (not entirely necessary) and as soon as it is ready to sizzle, slap the meat on there. There is a steam that comes off it and the meat will do what meat does....splatter. Not as bad as frying but it will do a bit. I have had great luck with zucchini and shrimp, mushrooms and asparagus. Play with your oils. A little drizzle of chili oil gives it a zip. I haven't tried wine in the water ring yet.
Clean up is a breeze. The non-stick surface cleans up easily. With only two pieces that are simple in design, the clean up takes a few swipes and done. No intricate parts to catch food particles.
When I bought this I thought....eh, I can afford to toss out $14 if it doesn't work. Maybe pass it on to someone with a bbq grill. No way. I love mine. It stays on the back of the stove with the tea kettle in the honored spot of absolutely necessary.This is my second grill. The non-stick came off the first one after less than 10 uses. Hint: spray with Pam before using and hand wash only. Dishwasher tablets are more abrasive and have ruined a few cookie sheets also. Delivery of the grill was like Jimmy Johns, freakishly fast. I am pleased.
Buy Smokeless Indoor Stove Top BBQ Grill Now
I tried this grill shortly after it arrived. I grilled my breakfast sausage patties on it and it did fine. It hand washed easily and the grill coating did not come off. This is only after one washing. It is easy to clean but the grease does run under and sticks to the underside of the grill and is heated to a degree that it does not come off. No problem for me. This unit might be good for grilling wings, two small burgers or a pork chop. Not a large grilling surface but is ok cooking for one. Two might be a stretch and three is not a good idea unless the three are on a limited quantity diet. I suspect that the photo of four kabobs is definitely a stretch. One has to pour the liquid slowly or it runs over and drips onto the element and down to whatever is under the element. One does need to use a liquid, non flammable, or the chrome ring would discolor and perhaps warp The grease runs off the slightly domed surface down into the slots at the edge and then into the water. The concept is ok but they need to make one for the large diameter element as well. Then it may be more useful to a family. I gave it a 3 star for concept, price and marginal quality.Read Best Reviews of Smokeless Indoor Stove Top BBQ Grill Here
I would like to return this ... no added value. Might as well use the skillet. Not sure where the "smokeless" come from as there was smoke all over ...I really like my grill, it doesn't smoke just like it said it wouldn't and my chicken looks resturant quality. I did a steak on it and didn't care for itSaturday, December 21, 2013
Blue Rhino GAD860SP LP Gas Outdoor Firebowl with Slate/Marble Mantel
Once it is put together it is very sturdy and easy to use. The fire puts out a lot of heat and flame. The mantel is a nice size leaving plenty of room for drinks, plates, bottles, feet, etc. The lava rocks and fake logs looked a lot better than I thought they would. Overall it is a beautiful fire pit.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
(many of these are mentioned in other reviews, but they will save you a lot of hassle and time)
TIME: It says 1 hour but plan on 2 hours. Only a person who had put together about 5 of these perviously would be able to do it in an hour.
LOCATION: Plan to build it close to where you are going to use it as it is heavy to move once built. It can be easily moved by two strong people, but it would be hard for one person to move it any distance.
CARDBOARD: The is one large flat square piece of cardboard that is in the box with the top. Save this piece and use it to lay on the ground while building. Most of the building you will do with the top upside down and having this underneath will protect it from scratches and make it easy to slide around if needed.
INSTRUCTIONS: The instructions are good, but are mainly just pictures. There is very little detail provided. So you MUST carefully examine each picture as you build it, noting the number of holes on top versus the bottom, the direction of pieces and the exact screw needed. It is very easy to start putting a piece together to only realize that you messed up and need to take it a part and re-do it.
SCREW PACKAGE: A nice screw package is provided labeling each group of screws A,B,C, etc so you know which ones to use where. DOUBLE CHECK the labeling. On my package the A screws were labeled B and vice versa. I ended up using the allen screws where I was suppose to use the philips head screws and I ended up having to re-do the first couple of steps. Verify on the picture whether they want you to use the allen screws or philips head screws. Basically you will use the allen screws to attach the sides to the top, and you will use the philips head screws for everything else.
SCREW TIGHTENING: Almost every review mentions this advice and it is very important. When attaching a section together, first partially screw the screws in and once it is al attached, THEN tighten them down. The holes often do not line up perfectly and you will need a little "play" to line them up before tightening. The MOST IMPORTANT time to follow this is when you attach the sides to the top. DO NOT TIGHTEN all of the allen screws which are used to attach the sides to the top until you have ALL of the sides partially screwed in... then tighten everything down. If you don't follow this you will not be able to get all of the screws to match up to the holes. Also, on some pieces I found it useful to have a pair of pliers or hammer to bend some of the pieces a little so that the holes line up.
TANK COVER: A nice black vinyl tank cover is provided. It is easiest to put this on from the bottom upward and not from the top down.
TANK HOSE: I found it easiest to attach the hose to the tank and then rotate the tank clockwise a bit to tighten the hose up. This enables the hose to wrap closely around the tank and thus make it fit so that the door closes easily.
FIRE PIT COVER: A nice fitting cover is provided for the fire pit and even includes a little extra room at top to allow for the fake logs. This cover is a very thin and cheap vinyl. Be very careful when you put it on (especially if it is cold) as it will tear VERY EASILY at the corners. I would recommend turning the cover inside-out and reinforcing the edges and corners with duct tape first. Then use the cover as normal with the tape on the inside protecting the edges and corners. If you don't do this you will eventually tear the cover.
STARTING THE FIRE: Many have noted this as well, but it is easy to overlook. It does NOT start the same as a typical gas grill. To start the fire turn the knob to the start position and HOLD IT IN. While holding it in, press the electric starter. You must keep holding it in until it lights up (this can take a few seconds) and then you will need to KEEP HOLDING IT IN until the fire gets going. If you let go too soon it will just go out.
WINE: Don't keep a bottle of wine on the table top for very long as it will heat it up pretty fast if the fire is going...and who likes warm wine..ugh.
Overall this is an awesome product at a great price. The shipping was very fast (only a few days) and the item came in one large box. If you are patient and follow the above directions (or have a friend/relative who is) you will have it built and be using it to warm yourself in no time at all.
I have read a lot of positive reviews about this fire pit at other websites that offer it for sale. Hundreds of great reviews. I purchased it myself. It will take a minimum of two people (one has to help hold items in place at times while another screws in bolts) approximately two hours to assemble. It is packaged very well, instructions were mostly visuals/pictures, but step by step. Easy to turn on and off. Came with a cover for the propane tank (to make it blend into the dark metal sides) and a cover for the entire fire pit! We were able to use "Gas Watch" a propane gas level indicatoron the tank which will eliminate guessing how much gas remains before a refill would be needed. LOVE THIS FIRE PIT! Compared to other propane fire pits of this size and quality, the price is reasonable. The video let's you see more details of the pit; how it arrives packaged, the size compared to lawn furniture, and operation. Propane tank is not included.
Buy Blue Rhino GAD860SP LP Gas Outdoor Firebowl with Slate/Marble Mantel Now
This is an great firepit for the price. There is some assembly required but it is pretty straight forward and only a few simple tools required. The table is very sturdy and appears that it will last for many years to come. Takes a standard 5 gallon propane tank which is a little tight to fit into its storage space, but can be done (hint: turn valve towards the fire pit as you place it into the storage location).Read Best Reviews of Blue Rhino GAD860SP LP Gas Outdoor Firebowl with Slate/Marble Mantel Here
We are very pleased with the Blue Rhino Firebowl. It looks great and provides a beautiful glow to our evenings on the patio. The slate tabletop is wide and allows plenty of room for plates, glasses, or for putting your feet up. Be sure to assemble this product near to where you are going to use it because it weighs 150+ pounds. You don't want to have to move it too far after assembly. We were pleased to see that they included a black vinyl cover that slips over the butane tank. This makes it virtually invisible when the tank is enclosed under the tabletop. Likewise, the square cover that fits over the entire table top was very effective in keeping the table and firebowl dry during the recent rains. Great product.Want Blue Rhino GAD860SP LP Gas Outdoor Firebowl with Slate/Marble Mantel Discount?
This is a very nice firepit for the price. We looked at a few others that were over double the price, but were not sure how much we would really use it so were unwilling to spend a huge amount of money on it.This one looks good, and works quite well. Its also a nice size table for sitting around. The slate tile is pretty much like in the photos, with brownish colored slate. The frame is a very dark bronze color, almost, but not quite black.
The firepit is delivered by truck freight, in a single 170 lb box. We had to arrange delivery times with the freight company, but they were nice enough to deliver it into our back yard for us. The unit is very well packed, with multiple separate boxes inside, and foam padding where appropriate. Expect to recycle a lot of cardboard and foam! The boxes are labeled by part number.
The firepit is mostly made from stamped steel sheet metal. The instructions are pretty good, but you need to be careful to assemble the side walls so that they are oriented properly on the top. The top is a bit different on the edge where the doors are, and this is not super clear in the instructions.
As with anything made from sheet metal, it can be a bit challenging to get all the holes to line up! It helps to have 2 people, and you do need a bit of dexterity to reach around pieces as you are assembling it. They say it should take an hour, but expect it to be somewhat longer. Two tricks that helped: 1) when assembling 2 parts with screws, do not tighten any screws until you have all of them started and 2) when the holes didn't want to line up exactly, I used an allen wrench that would fit into the holes to pry them into alignment, then clamped the parts together with a small C clamp while I got the screw started. There were only a few screws that were hard to do.
I do like how the gas tank is easily accessible on its slide out tray, but its also pretty well hidden if you use the supplied cover over the tank. The electric start and control valve are easy to reach behind the other door, and both work well. The gas valve is the type like on a water heater where you have to hold it in for a few seconds while the fire heats up. This is a nice safety feature because it will shut off the gas flow if the fire blows out in wind. Of course, one of the nice things about gas is that when you are done with it, you can turn off the valve, and its off. No worrying about hot embers burning for the next few hours.
The firepit, without the gas cylinder is about 150 pounds. It is pretty easy for two people to lift up and move around, aside from the weight.
The unit is steel, and while it is well painted, I think that eventually it will rust. That is not a big problem where I live, but I think it could be a big issue if you are near the ocean.
The only real complaint was that Amazon suggested a "add both to cart" type bundle with a cover, but the suggested cover turned out to be too small to fit.
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.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Weber 1710001 Summit S-420 Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel
Buy Weber 1710001 Summit S-420 Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel Now
The Weber Summit line of grills have a design flaw that Weber refuses to consider an issue. Whenever it rains, water runs down the back and enters the internal drip tray, and empties into a drip pan. The pan then overflows the greasy mess onto the cabinet floor. Furthermore, the drip pan cannot be easily removed without almost totally spilling the greasy mess.Read Best Reviews of Weber 1710001 Summit S-420 Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel Here
This Weber Summit grill, as well as the entire Summit line has a design flaw that Weber refuses to consider an issue. Whenever it rains, water runs down the back and enters the internal drip tray, then flows into a drip pan, which then overflows a greasy water mess onto the cabinet floor. This problem occurs with and without the Weber Premium cover in place. (The cover has a mesh on the back that lets the rain in.)I give the grill a two star rating because it does do a nice job of cooking ... once the mess is cleaned up.
Want Weber 1710001 Summit S-420 Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel Discount?
All reviewers said you can't go wrong with a Weber. And after comparing the Weber S420 with all the other gas grills (all of which looked good) there was an obvious difference in quality in favor of the Weber. My previous gas grill produced inconsistent results and resulted in many ruined meals. Yes, the Weber is expensive compared to others that I considered, but it is absolutely worth the extra cash. Every meal cooked on it has been excellent. Very even, controllable heat and a pleasure to use. The construction is top rate and with reasonable care, it should last for many years. Some have complained about water collecting in the grease pan during a rain and making a greasy mess. Well, duh. After the meal simply remove the grease pan and clean it. Very easy to do and when it does rain only water to blot up. As for the premium cover, I am pleased with the quality, the fit and the protection it gives the grill.So, to sum up, you can't go wrong with this grill. Bite the bullet, spend the extra money and get this grill. You will never have "buyer's remorse".

