Smart Planet CDM-1 Corn Dog Maker

This may sound like an odd review, but we have been looking for something like this device for a long time. Hot dogs are a great kid-friendly dinner, and surprisingly low in calories and fat if you get chicken dogs. Corn dogs are tons of fun, but frying them is not only not good for you, it makes dinner heavy and greasy. We tried many times to make oven-corn-dogs, but the batter always fell off. It looked very unappetizing. This corn dog device is perfect. We mixed the batter according to the recipe, put the corn dogs (along with the batter), and a few minutes later, perfect corn dogs on a stick. The outside is crisp (with a nice texture), and the inside fluffy. As close as you can get to frying without actually frying.

It could be improved. First, while hot dogs do come in various sizes, these molds are too short for almost any hot dog. We ended up cutting off the ends of all of them, and then making a corn dog composed of 3 end pieces. It did such a nice job with cooking the bread that you couldn't tell which one wasn't a single dog. Second, it would be nice if the plates were removeable for easier cleaning. I'm still giving this 5 stars because I had an awesome dinner with it.

Overall, glad I bought it, and I would buy it again. Single use appliances are generally not my favorite, but corn dogs need this type of device, and everybody needs home-made corn dogs.

***Update 5 months later***

Wow.... still loving this corn dog maker. Same comments as above--it's not perfect, but everybody in the family looks forward to corn dog night. We use it about once every 2 weeks. We're still buying standard hot dogs, cutting off the ends, and then making a corn dog of cut-off pieces. Another reviewer suggested buying really long hot dogs and cutting them in half. I like that idea, but not sure if they make long chicken hot-dogs. Go ahead and buy this great device, get some spicy honey mustard, and enjoy!

We just got this and within minutes had to test it out. It worked perfectly and is so quick and easy to use! I personally didn't care for the first batter recipe (haven't tried the second one yet). It was good so long as there was hot dog in with every bite, but at the end where I had just dough left, it's not tasty on it's own, but that's no big deal, it's easy enough to change the recipe or use a different recipe all together. I made the first batch without even using the sticks. This will thrill my daughter who loves corn dogs, but isn't a fan of the stick getting in her way of eating it. I'm so excited to try other things with it too. I have so many ideas of what can be made with this fun gadget. I had some crescent dough in the fridge and wrapped a piece around a cheese stick and cooked that upit turned out perfectly cooked, a bit bland it needed some seasoning or a different type of dough, but you can see the possibilities. You can take any dough or batter and add something to it. Pancake/Sausage dogs, stuffed pizza sticks, put sliced apples in a sweet batter and make a kind of apple fritter on a stick. I have a beer bread recipe, and I think that would be great coating for cheese stuffed jalapenos. You could even just use cake, muffin or pancake batter and make some interesting shaped breakfast or dessert items. I have not tried this yet, but I have an idea for S'mores on a stick, use a sweet batter (like pancake, or maybe someone has an idea how to make batter that tastes like graham crackers) place several mini marshmallows on the stick, place it on the batter in the corn dog maker, sprinkle with chocolate chips, and top off with batter close and let cook. Yum.

I plan to use this for the coming school year to make homemade grab and go breakfast items (like sausage on a stick). I make a bunch up, freeze em, and my husband and daughter can just pop them in the microwave and head off to school. I can make them cheaper and healthier than the store bought ones.

update on the S'more dogs. First attempt at these FAIL. They tasted great, but made a mess. The marshmallow and chocolate melted before the dough could even cook. I'm going to change a few things and try it again. First do not use regular marshmallows cut in half, they are still too big. I was excited to make these, and this is what I had on hand. Next time I will use the mini marshmallows and freeze them on the stick before cooking This should give the batter enough time to set before the marshmallow melts. While I had chocolate chips, I also had a Hersey bar. This works perfect. Break the bar into individual pieces, and two get laid down end to end. One bar has enough pieces to fill all 6 molds. Also be careful that you do not overfill the bottom with batter. Put enough in lay down the chocolate(which would also be ideal to freeze before cooking) lay a marshmallow skewer on top of that and cover with enough batter that does not leave any chocolate or marshmallow exposed. I was a little sloppy in my process, and made a big mess. The machine cleaned up fairly easily, but I think freezing the marshmallow and chocolate before cooking is the key to having the batter set before everything starts melting. For the batter I used the included batter recipe in the book but made some changes. I used 3/4 cup white flour in pace of (instead of) of the 1/4 cup corn meal and 1/2 cup wheat flour. I upped the sugar and used two TBS Brown sugar instead of plain and 1 TBS honey. When they are done cooking use a spatula to remove from machine. Do not attempt to pick them up by the stick until they have cooled for a few minutes, otherwise they just fall apart.

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Now that Morningstar has ceased making their veggie corndogs, I was desperate to find something to substitute. My daughters school serves corn dogs a lot and I try to match her menu with similar veggie items. This is perfect. I use veggie dogs instead of hotdogs and then follow the recipe for the batter. She loves them and actually I think they are better than the morningstar ones. plus, I like controlling the ingrediants to reduce sodium and other bad things. I don't feel bad about serving her these between the healthy veggie dog and the baked not fried batter. It took me a few turns to get the batter and dog placement exactly right. And as another review said, you have to cut any dog because they don't fit in the wells, but I did what he did and just used the ends of the veggie dogs to make my last corn dog.

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This waffle/corn dog iron is smaller than expected. I am not sure what kind of corn dogs that they are talking about, but it surely is not the ones I grew up on. In order to use this device properly, the hot dogs have to be cut in half. Otherwise they will not fit in molds correctly. It would work better as waffle/corn vienna sausage maker.

Another negative issue that I encountered was that steam and condensation collected behind the upper plate. This area contains the monitoring lights and some wiring, which also eventually filled with condensation.

And lastly, the temperature of the iron plates seem to fluctuate and maintaining a proper cooking temp proves difficult for this unit.

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This machine makes it so easy to make corn dogs. Mine were veggie dogs and YUM! I didn't use the recipe included to make the batter made my own (Trader Joe's cornbread mix works well too although it is a bit on the sweeter side).

The reviews on Amazon were so helpful. One guy said 7 minutes of cook time seemed to be the charm boy was he correct 7 minutes is perfect. He also said do not be afraid to make a mess and really slop and cover your dogs again right mine turned out shaped well and browned all around and it was not TOO messy to clean up either. ( I like to add some extra batter to in between the hotdogs just before I close the machine that way nothing gushes out the back of the machine just into the wells and my dogs are always well shaped and cooked.)

Also you will have to cut 1/3 off of each dog. Works out well because you use 2 of the pieces left over to make another corndog. 4 hotdogs made 6 corndogs. That is the main con of this item it is not full sized...

Another tip I let my machine heat up a full 10 minutes prior to cooking. There ARE heating elements in the top of the machine you just have to use enough batter to plump to reach the top. Plus letting them cool slightly for about one minute (with the machine open and unplugged) before removing them helps keep them whole too.

I also learned a trick to get the corndogs out in one piece. I didn't use sticks, by the way just hot dogs and batter. Anyway after 7 minutes open it up, let them cool slightly, then start at the front using your fingers and carefully wiggle each corndog a bit to help free it then just rock and roll the front one off of the cook surface right onto your plate. For the others roll them forward into each empty well until you can roll them out on your plate. They all turned out perfectly that way. Just make sure you spray your wells with Pam or other cooking spray so they do not stick and come out easy.

I would definitely recommend this item although there could be some improvements (mainly the size) another would be real recipes and better instructions and even easier clean-up.

The only recipe included is 1 for the cornbatter. The description says you can also make "cheese on a stick, pizza on a stick, snickers on a stick and more" that may be but you are on your own. There were no recipes included other than for the corbatter on a teeny tiny safety phamplet.

It is not terribly hard to clean up either but it could be a lot better. If the cooking plates were removable that would be nice especially since there is a small gap between the plates and the machine itself. If you get any of the batter into this space you will have to use a toothpick like I did to get the batter out. Not too, too terrible but could be easier if made a little better.

Even brought it over to my parents house and my dad said "Why in the world did you buy that?" and "Who cares that much about corn-dogs?" that is until I made him some. : )

Enjoy!

To recap BIG Pros a few cons...

Con not full sized corn dogs BUT Pro easier to store small machine

Con instructions and 'recipes' a joke there are virtually none

Con small gap between plates and machine and plates not removable

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Delonghi Retro Panini Grill CGH800

As all Delonghi products, this panini maker is a great buy! The look is stylish, but most of all it cooks delicious food. It is very easy and quick to make all kinds of sandwiches, as well as grilled meat. It is a great convenience to have one of these at home.

Hard to clean. It is still working 4 years latter.

Fissler 121 100 28 100 Crispy Steelux Premium 11.0-Inch Fry Pan

My wife bought this pan last year with the frying spatter guard and it is without a doubt the most useful pieces of cookware in our kitchen now. We use them at least 3 times a week to make the best steaks (we're big meat eaters) and chicken fried steaks. The bumpy bottom lets us cook with a lot less oil and as long as we don't overheat it, all of our food releases off the pan easily. We've been trying to eat healthier, so this has helped tremendously. We also just got an Intensa pot and it's incredible for waterless cooking. I wish I'd known about this cookware a few years earlier because we would have registered a whole set for our wedding.

I got this pan to replace some nonstick cookware. The manual says the pan is perfect for fish, chicken, steaks, etc., but for eggs and other sticky foods to purchase their nonstick coated pans. However, I cooked some eggs in it with a light misting of Pam and they slid out like magic. It did as good or better on bacon than the "teflon" pan it replaced.

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This is a wonderful fry, saute, pan. It is easily cleaned without any effort whatsoever. I would truly recommend it for all. The only drawback I found was that it was too heavy for my hand. The smaller size is perfect for me and that is what I kept.

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Every household should have this fry pan. It is the best thing I have ever bought. I bought this because my friend has had one for 30 years and it is still perfect and I have always been jealous of her having it, so decided I needed to possess one myself. This is a decision I will never regret. Do yourself a favour and buy one

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Just cooked two Omaha steaks. I have a Bosch Induction stove and The Fissler 11 inch Fry Pan. What a combination. Great sear on my steaks. I was skeptical at first because I thought the steaks would stick. At first they did but after a minute or so they released. The amazing fact is that they cooked evenly from one end to the other. Absolutely even. That is a rare . So this was actually a test for my induction stove too. Regardless of how well the pan performs if the stove did not produce even heat I would not know who to blame. The stove is perfect and so is the fry pan. This was a great purchase and I will use this pan for the majority of my frying and searing needs. Did I mention the workmanship?? A true work of art.

UPDATE. I have been using this pan often now. When I first started using this pan I was more conservative with the amount of heat I used to sear steaks etc. The results were excellent. The clean up was much easier too. The results from using a medium high heat were a beautiful crispy golden brown crust and cleaning the pan was much easier. So a longer sear on lower heat gave me the best results all around. So if you notice black carbon deposits form on the bottom of your pan try using lower heat the next time. Everyone has their own cooking techniques, I am just saying for me I found this better at lower heat. Hope this helps.

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Texsport Cast Iron Griddle - 9-1/2-Inch x 20-Inch

Great Griddle. Fits my coleman camp stove perfectly. Item was shipped in sturdy box. It had no cracks or defects of any kind. The coating came of fairly easy. I lite my charcol grill off and heated it up over a hot bed of coals. Using oven mitts, I wiped of the coating with a paper towel. Repated the process afew times waiting about five minutes between wipes. Then, while coals were still hot, seasoned griddle with several coatings of bacon grease and left on grill till the coals were out and griddle was cool to the touch. Have take camping several times and have no complaints.

This is a great product. It is NOT seasoned. I put mine on our grill, wiped away the wax sealant (not much at all), poured oil on both sides and let it cook. After 15 min. it was already getting dark. I turned it a few times, added a bit more oil. All in all it did not take long or much effort and it turned out great. It is large and I've cooked pizzas on it (though it's obviously not meant for that. An iron pizza pan is more expensive though).

Love it.

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Very nice and heavy. A bit longer than I thought, but fits well across the burners. I seasoned it on the grill outside like they said and it works great.

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We bought this for cooking when we go camping. We seasoned it a couple times and since then, it rocks!

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The first one I ordered was bowed, so I exchanged it for a new one. When the new one arrived, it was also bowed. Now it is being returned for good.

Cast iron is for even cooking if it is bowed, that's not going to happen.

It comes with a film of wax on it that it says to melt off, then clean it, then season it more work than any other cast iron items I've ever seen.

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Nebraska Cornhuskers BBQ Tool Set

Perfect for that certain Huskers fan! No rusting unlike other barbeque tools we've owned. Only complaint is that I can't squeeze the tongs very easily.

Funny Apron -- Grill Sergeant Barbecue Apron

We bought this for Christmas for my husband who works as a cook. He wore it to work and told us he got a lot of comments on it and everyone really liked it. It's good quality and large size.

This was a great gift that made everyone laugh. It is light weight and washes well. It appears to be durable.

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bought for my son in law who is tall and fits perfectly, also quality of material was good,will buy again from seller.

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Charcoal Companion Cedar Wood Grilling Planks, Set of 3

The planks we okay but I thought they would be bigger and so then I felt do to the size they were over priced.

Purchased as a Christmas gift for my son-in-law. He has really enjoyed grilling with the planks and is looking forward to the Spring grilling season. He is checking into new recipes, and the rest of us will just enjoy the fruits of his labor.

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Weber 6405 All-Purpose Kabob Set

I am the cook in the family and like to grill chicken kabobs coated in a sweet soy sauce [Indonesian satay]. Because of the sugar in the sauce, the kabobs often get stuck to the hot grill so the meat tears when the kabobs are turned. This set keeps the kabobs off the hot grill while letting the chicken brown nicely. If I could rate the set 6 stars I would without any hesitation. The set is so good that I bought one for each of my four children! If you are serious about grilling kabobs involving delicate foods, this is a must!

I, like many, had just put my kabob skewers on the grill. Steak, pork, chicken, whatever. I sprayed them, turned them, then sprayed again. Nevertheless, they stuck to the grill....

My son used wooden skewers, which burnt, shriveled, hard to remove, etc.

Found this product...very good, mainly because of the metal skewers and stand, which keeps the food off the grill. Also, the skewers are not round, but retangular, which keeps food from rotating when you turn them over. The skewers have a nice round circle at the end, easy for rotating.

Also, when you bring them in, they cool quickly, so we were able to pick them up without gloves, napkins, etc. Good product, good price, go for it!

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I really like making vegetable kabobs on the grill to accompany my summer meals, but I really don't like trying to pinch hold of and rotate round skewers to grill foods evenly, especially when the maneuver makes some of the more tender ones (cherry tomatoes, for example) fall right off. Although wooden skewers are relatively inexpensive, it also feels wasteful to throw away charred skewers after every use. The Weber Kabob Set made it onto my wish list pretty quickly, and made it onto my grill not long after that.

The skewers are rectangular instead of round, so any combination of foods stays on easily and can be turned readily. The big, round ends are easy to grasp with a grill mitt or tongs. The skewers are thicker than typical wooden ones, so you have to give some thought to how small you cut your vegetables, but their size and sturdiness makes them ideal for meats. The rack is handy not only for grilling (although the skewers can be laid directly on the grate, if you like), but also for holding the kabobs when they come off the grill.

I have several of the Weber grill accessories, but the kabob set is the one that stays in heaviest rotation all summer long. Well...on second thought, maybe the char baskets Weber-Stephen 7403 Char-Basket Charcoal Fuel Holders, but when it comes to the food, itself, the kabob set is definitely the front runner!

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Good quality, nice weight but be sure to clean the skewers thoroughly with soap and water and also a scouring pad before using. There was some grease on them perhaps from being "machined". It fits perfectly on my Weber Q100 grill.

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Based on the reviews I had hoped this would work well on my Weber gas grill. Unfortunately, it doesn't. Although well made, when loaded with meat and vegetables, the rack isn't wide or high enough to prevent contact with adjacent skewers or the grill surface.

Unless you load very small pieces of food the lack of clearance is a big problem. The solution of course is to jettison the rack and lay the skewers directly on the grill. Works much better but I could have accomplished this more cheaply.

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Emile Henry 12-Inch Pizza Stone, Olive

First time out, it arrived with one handle-tab broken off. Amazon replaced it in less than one week! I purchased it for use in the oven and on the BBQ for making individual pizzas.

It is non-stick ... if you don't allow molten cheese to flow over the pizza edge.

In a back-to back oven comparison of this product and my old, large pizza stone, the Emile Henry did not "puff up" the crust as much as did the old stone. I believe this is because the instructions call for the EH to be put into the hot oven without pre-heating, while on the BBQ it is to be pre-heated, and I'm pretty sure that will take care of the "puff" difference.

It is beautiful, light and well-worth purchasing.

This stone worked well, I was pleasantly surprised. I bought dough at a store with the initials TJ. Using my Weber gas grill I got the temp to 450 it took 13 min to cook one pizza.

A little OO worked to keep food from sticking.

Came out crisp and just right. OO is olive oil.

I used the outer burners only. The temp was based on the gauge built into the hood. Now need another stone so I can make two at once.

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Taylor Professional 9306 Dual Temp IR/Thermocouple Thermometer

A fast-reading thermometer probe is essential for grilling and roasting, and this one works as well as any I have tried, equilibrating in a couple of seconds. Except for getting the temperature of boiling water right on, I have not checked their accuracy claims, but the probe is certainly accurate enough for kitchen use, and given that the readings come from a thermocouple, I would expect the probe measures to be good within a degree or so, maybe better. Taylor is a leading maker of both scientific and consumer temperature-measuring devices or all kinds, so also I would expect the circuitry and durability will be good.

The thing that distinguishes the Taylor from the popular and similarly priced Thermapen, though, is the infrared thermometer. This function reads the surface temperature of objects using IR (heat radiation). For cooks, the main use is to check the temperature of preheated frypans, woks, etc., a function I find myself using at least as often as I use the probe. With a little experimentation, you can figure out the ideal temperature for browning meat, sweating vs. browning onions, or cooking pancakes, stirfries, etc. This makes it much easier to avoid either steaming food you meant to caramelize or burning your good olive oil and smoking up the kitchen. The IR function is not perfect, however. It defaults to a reading simply of "high" somewhere around 500 degrees F., which is not high enough for blackened fish or many wok applications. A more serious limitation is that it does not read effectively off of highly reflective surfaces, such as most stainless cookware, presumably because the probe also reads the temperature of whatever cool surface you see in the reflection. The IR function has worked well with all of the cast iron, anodized aluminum, and non-stick cookware I have tried, and I would expect it to be useful on most dark surfaces. I have no idea how accurate the readings are, but they give about the right melting and smoking temperatures for butter and oils, so they are probably good enough for cooking. Instrument-grade IR thermometers often read much higher temperatures and are probably more accurate. I don't know whether they would also work better with stainless skillets.

Although the Taylor is more expensive than less capable meat thermometers, the combination of fast and accurate probe readings and the ability to calibrate pan-cooking temperatures should make it appealing to serious home cooks.

I really like this product. It has a nice solid compact feel, the buttons are ambidextrous (though a little easier to use correctly in the right hand), its water proof, easy to clean, etc. The probe tip seems to be the same size as most of the other thermocouple thermometers (3mm diameter with a reduced 2mm tip that is 10mm long.

It seems to be fairly accurate, the probe shows the temp of boiling water around 211 and took less then 2 seconds to go from 65 to 211 which is really fast. The infrared part of it is a little harder to gauge. I pointed it at a few things along with my MicroTemp Pro and the Pro normally showed a few deg hotter then the Taylor. Nether gauged boiling water very well since it is "clear". I can't really find anything else that I know should have a defined temp to test it on. But the infrared is really only useful for measuring things like frying pans and the inside of your oven, neither of which require single degree accuracy. The other really (ok relatively) cool thing is they included a built in led light along with the infrared thermometer, while meant for aiming, this is also nice for checking things in a dark oven.

I have never used the Thermapen, which seems to be its chief competition. I could see where the Thermapen could be simpler to use since it is just a probe, and a little easier to read since it has just the temp on its display. But neither of those things seem to much of a draw back vs a built in infrared thermometer for about the same price.

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I received this thermometer as a gift, 2 years ago, when I had asked for a digital instant-read thermometer. Unfortunately the well-meaning gift-giver was not a chef, and chose this one based on marketing hype. It works as advertised, but the display faces the WRONG WAY. It looks like it should work, at first, but as soon as the probe is unfolded, it faces you, forcing you to hold the unit as though you were going to stab yourself instead of the expected probe-out position.

Uh, sorry, that's dead wrong. I do NOT want to hold my arm over the boiling liquid, steaming oven pan, or whatever. It is inconvenient and unpleasant at a minimum; downright dangerous at worst. The display needs to face sideways (as it does on the Thermapen competitor). I've tried to like this unit--after all, it was given with love--but every time I use it, this one problem drives me nuts. I can't believe that anyone with serious kitchen experience was consulted as to the design.

Net: save yourself the hassle and potential injury by getting the Thermapen for the same price.

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Works, and is consistent which is more than I can say for any cheaper IR thermometers I've tried. Used it for tempering chocolate, and the IR reading was the same temp as the probe every time. Very convenient for chocolate use. The probe will resolve to a temp within a couple seconds of inserting it, and the IR is pretty much an instant read. Love it.

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I bought this one because it has dual readings and was told it took readings as quick as 3 seconds.Don't get me wrong this is a good product but, I'm a chef and two of my coworkers have the Thermopen. The thermopen takes readings almost instantly kicking the crap out of my Taylor 9306. My Taylor 9306 has never taken a temp in 3 seconds. my advice is if you work as a chef/cook and need temps really fast spend the extra money on the thermopen. If not this a good product and has worked correctly every time it just takes at least 10 seconds to get your final temp from the probe. The surface temp reader is accurate and instant.

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Rubbermaid Commercial Products FG196700RED 13 1/2-Inch High Heat Spoon Scraper

These silicone spatulas are the highly recommended ones from a leading cooking magazine. So I purchased all these Rubbermaid professional heat resistant spatulas and spoonulas (9 ½", 13 ½" and 16 ½" in length). I use the spatulas primarily for folding ingredients in a mixing bowl. I prefer to use the spoonulas for scraping a bowl when I want to scrape out every last bit of cooking goodness (the edges of the spoonulas are thinner and the cupping of the spoonulas both help to scrape bowls, pans, and pots clean). The Rubbermaid professional plastic handles are more comfortable to use than the wood handles on my heat resistant spatulas and spoonulas. Also, the silicone heads of my wood handle ones are stiffer than the Rubbermaid professional ones. I think that little bit of flex in the Rubbermaid Professional silicone heads helps me scrape cleaner.

I have yet to use the little notch on these spatulas for scraping under the opening of jars (I think they were intended for use on the commercial kitchen size jars) since the spatulas are 2 ¼" wide for the 9 ½" to 2 ¾" wide for the 13 ½" and 16 ½" long tools. The handle ends have small prongs that look like they are to help keep the entire spatula or spoonulas from sliding into a work bowl.

I have some older Rubbermaid ones and they are definitely not stain resistant: the paprika has permanently stained one of the mixing spatulas. I was able to remove the paprika stain from the Rubbermaid professional spatula using dishwashing liquid and a nylon Scotchbright like pad. Also, my older Rubbermaid heat resistant spoonula developed a split at the tip and has warped a bit.

I just realized that one of the reasons why I don't like my similar sized 13 ½" sized silicone spatulas and spoonulas with wood handles: the working end is heavy so the tool is not as balanced as these Rubbermaid Professionals.

For most home kitchens, I'd recommend buying the 9 ½' and 13 ½" size spatulas and spoonulas. There is a 16 ½" size that is very long and the silicone head is the exact same size as the 13 ½: (14" actual) size (4" X 2 ¾").

PROS: The silicone heads have just the right amount of flex to scrape cleaner than similar sized scrapers and spoonulas. The handles are more comfortable and sized well.

CONS: A bit expensive but you a get a tool likely to last.

As reviewer Lisa Hidalgo noted, "This tool is best for commercial use." It's big, as in really big, and though I love it, it's more like a shovel than a spoonula! This would work very well in large Hobart bowls in commercial kitchens. In a home kitchen, it's overkill. Get the 9.5-inch spoonula instead.

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This tool is best for commercial use. The scraper part is a little too stiff and the handle too narrow to fit well in older hands.

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I bought this by accident; was 'aiming for' the equivalent scraper, didn't zoom in on the picture and bought the spoon version by accident.

I was going to return it but treating it as a 'happy accident' because it will be the PERFECT utencil for stirring my chili and getting all that wonderful fond mixed in!

4 vs 5 stars because rather than having some internal structure to make the 'spoon' shape have strength they just designed it super super thick making the spoon side quite heavy; it's like a rubber mallet with a dent on one side to make a spoon!

this thing is desgned to be used in a commercial environment, scraping out a 5-gallon size mixer etc. it will be comfortable in pots bigger than 6qt and oversized on smaller pots.

-awr

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I have several of these now in different sizes, in flat and spoon shaped, and because these can do double duty in high heat as well as cold applications, I got rid of all my other rubber spatulas and use these exclusively.

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Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Cast Iron Tuscan Barbecue Grill

I received this yesterday and tried it out on my Weber Kettle grill today. I preheated it as directed and placed some rib eye steaks on the Tuscan grill. Giving each a quarter turn after two minutes produced a very distinctive diamond-shaped pattern that makes your food look very professionally-grilled. At 14" square, you have a fair-sized grilling surface as well. It is heavy to be sure, but cast iron is one of the best grilling surfaces imaginable and the V-shaped grates will assure you that your food will not only taste great, but look really appetizing too!

NOTE: Make sure that you season this accessory before using it or you will probably get a very unpleasant metallic taste. I coated the entire surface, including the removable legs, with a light film of melted shortening. I placed two baking pans lined with foil into a 350 degree oven and stood the grill upright on the sheets. I baked it for an hour, shut off the oven and went to bed. In the morning, it was cool and completely seasoned. After using it, I let it cool down and soaked it in hot water in the sink. Then I scraped it down with a plastic brush and repeated the seasoning process. This really isn't necessary but I do it just to add a stronger finish.

The legs screw off for easy storage, but I leave the legs on mine all the time. Keep in mind, this is not for delicate cuts of meat and the like. However, with it's simple design, it's open to one's own creativity. Stack some cement blocks/bricks around the grill... and wind issues won't be much of a problem....... And for me this is half the fun of this gizmo... seeing what all I can get out of this thing....... I guess it's the caveman, primal, lower-life form in all of us........It's fun and simple, and only limited to ones own bravery and talents on a open flame grill...... Heck.... throw a cast iron skillet on the top, and bada-bing.... a stove!!! Genious!!!

Buy Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Cast Iron Tuscan Barbecue Grill Now

I have a flat bottom, terra cotta clay, fire pit. This tuscan grill sits in it very nicely. With some mesquite wood burnt down town embers, it make great flavor for steaks, burgers, about anything you can think off. And since it's cast iron, it can handle the heat. And with some protection from the elements, when not in use, this grill could last for ever.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars, instead of 5 is because the legs, are slightly uneven... very slighty. With that said, the grill still works great. On a camp fire, the legs wouldn't even be an issue. And even in my fire pit it works very nice.

Just being nit-picky.

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Not able to use these grills , the legs don't stay on, and at least one doesn't even attach.

Poor quality control on the screws and threaded holes that are supposed to allow legs to attach to grill.

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The size is perfect for camping. It's small enough to throw in the car and take with you, but big enough for grilling steaks for 4 people. The bars come to sharp peaks and make professional looking grill marks. It can also be used as a surface for cooking with pots and pans. Cast iron is the absolute best for grilling, so it's worth it to me to put in the extra effort caring for it. I suggest removing the feet for oiling so that the space between the feet and the grate stay in good shape.

About the feet: A couple of people complained that they fall off when cooking. First of all, I can almost guarantee you that they had a habit of screwing them on too tight and they stripped the threaded inserts. Just screw it on until you feel it starting to resist and then stop. That will prolong the life of the threading. What they failed to mention in their poor reviews is that the threaded inserts can be removed with a hex key and easily replaced with new threaded inserts. You can buy stainless steel threaded inserts at a good hardware store for less than $1 each. If your hardware store doesn't have them, then grainger.com has them, but you have to buy in packs of 100 for things like this for about $20 total.

For the price of this grill, it's not a bad design. I would have liked to see a more robust foot system, where you insert a rod into a slot and secure it with a pin. But, there's is nothing better than this grill available on the web (I looked a lot). Because it's cast iron and because you can replace the threaded inserts, with proper care this grill can live longer than you ever will. Everything else I've seen that is small enough to take camping is a piece of junk that won't get you the same cooking results because they are made of enameled iron or some other inferior metal that can't transfer heat properly and can't handle high heat when you want to sear meats. Plus, most other products won't last for more than 3 or 4 seasons at best.

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Breville RM-BSG520XL Certified Remanufactured Panini Duo 1500-Watt Nonstick Panini Press

I ordered and received the Breville Certified Remanufactured Panini Duo exactly the product I wanted makes two large or three to four smaller panini, very hot 1500w, flat bottom plate, ridged top plate (not removeable). It is not large enough to make a standard size quesadilla. Bottom grill plate measures approx 11" x 7 1/2". The amazon webpage states this has a one-year limited warranty which is why I was willing to order the remanufactured product at about 20% less than new. Unfortunately, when I opened the box a flyer came out that clearly states there is only a 90 day limited warranty so I am returning.

This is the 2nd pannin press we have owned and with out a doubt this is the bestBeat Kitchenaid

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I really wanted one of these Breville Panini presses but I gave up after the sent me 2 different models that were not refurbished. 1 had the lights broken off and some of the plastic started to burn inside the grill, not very appetizing to smell.

The other one they sent me had the handle broken so it was a huge pain to use.

I wanted one that worked, seemed nice, it heated up quick, from the one with the broken handle it cooked great despite burning myself opening it up. The flat bottom is nice for cleaning.

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i love my panini maker. i read so many reviews on differant brands and and compared the prices on each. i finally decided to get the refurbished breville panini maker for $44.00. i figured if anything went wrong with it i wasn't out to much money. i can say with all honesty that i love this machine. it makes 2 sandwiches at a time in 3 minutes. they look beautiful when they come out and taste even better. i use this at least 3 times a week. i have tried differant breads and lunch meats and veggies on my sandwiches. everything has come out great. for a refurbished unit it looks brand new. i would recommend this product to everyone who likes a good panini.Breville RM-BSG520XL Certified Remanufactured Panini Duo Sandwich Maker

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I have a grandaughter who has one of these Breville panini maker and they served us beautiful grilled sandwiches when we visited them.I immediatly started reviewing them on line and decided to get the same one that we saw at our relatives which was a Breville RM-BSG520xl..We have been very happy with it even though it is a remanufactured one..I would recommend it to anyone . I purchased it from Amazon and it came with the shipping free.

Fire Sense Hotspot Notebook Portable Grill

The Good:

I bought this grill for this summers motorcycle camping adventures. I can't think of a better use for this grill. Narrower main body section gives many options for tying down, and on my bike (a shadow 750) the bottom "foot hole" was able to go over and around my sissy bar and sit on my rack. Pretty sweet. 2 up camping now comes with a BBQ!

The Bad (at least for motorcycle camping):

It is a bit flimsy (but quite stable when open for grilling). With care, I am expecting to get about 50 or so BBQs out of it. After it falls apart I am planning to go to a metal shop in town and have it re-fabricated in some heaver gauge steel. I would be willing to have a little heaver (and smaller) grill for motorcycle camping if it was durable. The grilling surface is large. Expect to need about 3 pounds of charcoal to get it going well, 6 pounds (an entire small bag) of charcoal for a full grill to feed 4+ people. This makes it a requirement to setup camp, and then ride out to get groceries and charcoal. Messy.

I've BBQ'd for years and have to say the "action" on this grill is quite good. If you really have a need for an extremely portable grill, I would definitely recommend it. If you are just looking for a smaller grill for car camping or porch cookouts I would recommend the more traditional Coleman and Weber portable grills with a lid and better durability.

I had been wanting a foldable grill and didn't even know they existed until I came across this one on Amazon. It not only saves TONS of space on my small patio but it delivers in quality of food too! I've had a few bbq's with this grill so far and the quality of food has been phenominal. I find the easiest thing to do is to buy one of those small charcoal bags that all you do is light it no need to open the bag. It fits perfectly in this grill. The cleanup is very easy and not messy at all. And I absolutely love that it folds up to be about 1/2" wide. It takes up no room at all on my patio. I gave up my Weber big grill for this one great decision!!! I highly recommend this grill as it is great for serving about 6 good sized burgers and about 4 hot dogs on the grill at the same time. When I had it delivered at my job a couple of co-workers had me open it and display it for them. Then after that weekend of testing it out, I reported the good news to them and they bought it too. If you're looking for a small portable, durable, inexpensive, & reliable grill -get this one!!!

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It's an OK grill. Can't be moved with ease once lit. It's good for trips to the park with the way it folds up when not in use. I DON'T like the holes in the bottom because the coal dust falls out and this item cannot be put on say something (grass) that can go on fire. With the hole in the bottom there should be some sort of tray to catch the burned out coals that fall. I'm somewhat disapointed.

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I bought this grill because I have a small RV camper with limited space. The grill worked great except the grill is on very top with no sides so hot dogs can easily roll off. Also after one use, the paint peeled off and looks terrible. Seems like they could have used heat resistant paint like other grills. Once nice thing is after you finish cooking, you can throw in a couple of small pieces of wood and have a small camp fire. It is made of very thin material so it cools off fast once you dump out the coals so you can pack it up for travel. It would be nice to have a carrying case as it is nearly impossible to put back in the box. Other than that is exactly what I have been looking for for years.

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PROS:

Very light

Decent Price

Doubles as a Fire Pit

Easy to Clean

Takes up very little storage space, either at home or during your travels.

Uses charcoal or wood as a fuel

CONS:

Grill portion, not made of stainless steel chrome plated steel.

Product arrived with some damage to the sheet metal since I do plan to USE this and know it will get damage, I opted not to return.

I used a hammer and "adjusted" the metal.

Overall:

The perfect companion if you plan an overnight car-camping trip or overland camping trip in your truck.

You can use either charcoal or wood as a fuel.

The fuel grill is perfect that when the fuel is burnt, the ashes fall through to the bottom of the grill and with a poker (wood stick), you can remove it.

Also from that same access hole (on both ends), it allows air to enter and help on maintaining the burn of the fuel.

A well thought out portable grill.

Check out the hyperlink for what I mean as a Expedition Overland Camping Trips.

Zep Inc 22Oz Zep Oven Cleaner Zu027122 Metal & Appliance Cleaner

Purchased this product a couple of years ago and have been unable to find again until now. I used this product on my Bar B Que grills and burners and I can say it works better than any store bought products available on the retail shelves. Works well on oil spots in garage to.GREAT PRODUCT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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Easy-Off - Cooktop Cleaner Toggle 8.1 Ounce.(Pack of 3)

I think the negative reviews are from people attempting to clean the insides of their oven with this. This is a cooktop cleaner. I have a gas range with a black top which shows EVERYTHING. I had burnt on grease that I could not get off with all the other products I tried. With this, I just put a little on a damp paper towel and rubbed the grease right off. No smell and it doesn't appear to be harsh. It just works.

This is by far the best around for my glass cook top. I use cerma brite once a week and this for daily clean up and it works great. Removed grease easily. Use after each use of cooktop and you can maintain your shine. Just spray on and wipe with paper towel.... Amazing

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I thought this was the same as the spray on wipe off formula. This is a thick blue chalky formula that is VERY hard to get off. Will not buy again as there are better products available.

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This ceramic top cleaner leaves my oven very smooth, clean and shiny. It's also very easy to wipe off, as opposed to other cleaners on the market. Burn residue or marks can be removed with Magic Erasers. One shouldn't depend on ceramic cooktop cleaners to remove EVERYTHING; if that was the case, then these cleaners could damage the cooktop surface. Even Barkeepers Friend doesn't totally remove charred burn marks. This product does its job for what it was designed for.

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I picked up Easy Off cook-top cleaner because I was out of Cerama Bryte. Boy, was that a mistake! It didn't clean my cook-top as well as the other brand. I thought I bought something else and had to read the label and instructions again to make sure this was a cleaner for cook-tops. I do not see how this stuff is marketed to clean dirty stove cook-tops! It would probably be fine for a dusty cook-top, but not much else. This stuff also left many streaks, smears, and swirl marks all over the cook-top. I have a ceramic topped stove that is smooth, just like others on here who are saying that the product worked great for them. I wonder if we are rating the same product after reading the positive reviews. I used this stuff one time and threw it away, that's how bad it worked for me...and I always try to find another use for a product if it doesn't work for its intended purpose. Sorry, Easy Off. I like your other products, but absolutely hated this one.

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Berndes Tradition 9-1/2-Inch Square Grill Pan

I've had this grill pan for at least 5 years now. It's a great pan and cooks well on my ceramic cooktop. I grill steaks indoors using this pan and have been extremely pleased with the results, much better than any other pan I've used. Cleanup is generally a snap and the non-stick surface has held up well over the years. I'm in the market for new cookware and am looking at other pieces of the Berndes line.

This is my second Berndes Grill Pan.I used the first one for ten years. The non-stick surface on my new pan has been much improved. The pan is a dream. I love it! Hamburgers taste as though they were done on an outdoor barbecue.

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This is an excellent grilling pan. It cooks very well and cleans very easily. It is one of the best pans I have ever owned. I love it!

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All I can say is "wow!" ... what a nice grill pan. For a single person, this is a great size for a piece of salmon or chicken. Heats uniformly and cooks great. Grilled two filet mignons in this pan before popping them into the oven, and they turned out great. The meat was lightly marinated and didn't use any oil in the pan and the steak turned out nice. And a light wiping with paper towels and light washing afterwards, it looked new...still. I plan to use this pan more than my outdoor grill as it adds the grill marks to the meat quickly without having to fire up the BBQ grill. The price was right, and I love the wood handle. Can't go wrong buying this grill pan. German quality at its best.

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I've used this pan several times since I reveived it. It works great for food preparation for two and cleans so easily!

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King Kooker SI5 5-Inch Deep Fry Thermometer

I finally find this Thermometer to match my 5 qt cast iron pot. I have been looking for a while to find a thermometer can take very hot oil for my deep frying tasks. I think this one is the most suitable for me with a good price. I loved it. My Partner can finally enjoy perfectly cooked fish and chips & fried chicken. I also used it to test the inner temperature for my roast, it works fine as well. I certainly would recommend it to my friends.

Used it for tracking temps on peanut oil used to fry fish and shrimps this past independence day. Kept me from reaching smoke point of the oil. The attached clip can be a bit of pain though if you are frying in a pot that doesn't play nicely with the clip's angle.

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Since the Fry Daddy has no adjustable thermostat and since some of my fried foods were cooking too quickly on the outside and remaining uncooked inside, I decided to buy a thermometer and decided upon this one. (Amazon reviews are so helpful.) I wish the stem were longer it's supposed to be at least two inches in the oil and it made it less than an inch. Also, the angle at which is rests when it's clipped to the edge of the fryer (I like the fact that it has a clip.) makes it stand away from the side which interfered with the utensil I used to remove the fried food.

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I've only used this when frying fish/fries/hushpuppies, and it was a great help. I haven't tested the product for accuracy, but it worked perfectly for helping me to regulate the temperature of the oil. Last time I cooked, we were cooking for several people and hand two pots of oil and only one of these... the pot without the thermometer was much more of a hassle trying to regulate the oil temperate and resulted in some burned food.

Highly recommend this for frying!

One note, for best functionality, attach to the pot with the integrated clip and just leave on the pot. At first we tried to share between the two pots, but it takes approx 30 seconds for the reading to level off... so not very practical for more than one pot. At this great price, just buy two!

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king kooker s15 5 inch deep fry thermometer is good temperature wise. checked it with another thermometer i have and there was a 2 degree difference which to me is meaning less.

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Cuisinart Outdoor Grilling Steak Thermometers, Set of Four

These thermometers seem to be essentially the same as others I've purchased in the past from different vendors. I wonder if they are all being OEMed from the same manufacturer but with different printing on the dials to customize them for the seller.

One thing that not all the sellers tell you (but Cusinart, to their credit, does in the included instructions) is that these thermometers are not safe to use on your grill in the manner you would expect and desire. Instead they make a big deal about them being dishwasher safe! What is not mentioned on the web page is that you must insert and immediately remove the thermometers once you've taken a reading. You are not supposed to leave them in the meat while it is on the grill and the lid is closed. Apparently these "Outdoor Grilling" thermometers can't take the heat in a grill. I have used another version of these sold under the Taylor brand without knowing about this restriction and they did indeed stop working after a few sessions of being left in the meat while it was grilling.

So, if you find it convenient to insert these thermometers into hot steaks and them remove them (they are also now hot) after a minute or so then you might find them handy. And this particular set of 4 I purchased was reasonably accurate or at least consistent (three read essentially the same in 140 degree water and one was a slight bit low but probably still useable for this application)

I wish I could find somemone who made a grill thermometer that could actually stand up to the heat in a charcoal or propane grill. If that's what you were looking for, then you might want to keep looking...

I rated these thermometers 1 star but would prefer to rate them no stars, if Amazon would let me, since the gauges didn't even move. We had steaks on the grill and we knew they were near done. Put the Cuisinart steak thermometers in them and after 30 second no reading. We put our old digital fork type thermometer in them and they were done. Go figure? These steak thermometers aren't even worth the time you spend thinking about buying them. Horrible product!

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Used these twice just to make sure. The temp does not reflect the doneness of the meat. Thermometer read MW and the meat was still rare.

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I wish there was a ZERO rating!

These thermometers all show a different temperature with my hot water test. (So..which one is correct)?

They are very slow to attain their temperature reading, so while you are waiting for the reading, your steak will already be in the next done-ness state.

NOT GOOD, but I suppose you could develop a future temperature prediction plan.

When a NAME BRAND like Cuisinart moves to CHINA, expect the worse possible quality.

I can't think of anything to do with these things except toss 'em.

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The red "arrow" didn't move, but my steak was WELL DONE and was like shoe leather.

It was a very nice New York steak, so I was VERY disappointed!!

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