Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Le Creuset Stoneware Cream & Sugar Set - Flame
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Holmes HNF0410A-BM Mini High Velocity Personal Fan
They are quiet, we sleep with no problem at all. They are on 24/7, use a very tiny amount a electric and save on the heat bill since the air is warm all over and not pooled above our heads.
I love these fans as no longer is the room cool at low level and hot at the ceiling.
Moving the air also keeps it from getting so stagnant in the closed up rooms of winter.Perfect for desk fan. Sturdy and quiet. Highly portable. I have one at work and one on my computer table at home.
Buy Holmes HNF0410A-BM Mini High Velocity Personal Fan Now
We bought two of these and are very happy with them especially since they run very quietly.I would recommend them.
GC
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I purchased this to tuck inside my entertainment center and cool my stereo equipment when in use. This works perfectly for the task in the small space I use it for. The blades are barely 4 inch so the people commenting that this does not cool their kids room are unrealistic in their expectations. Perfect for small jobs.Want Holmes HNF0410A-BM Mini High Velocity Personal Fan Discount?
I didn't realize how small this fan was it works great for your desk at work or in a small room yet don't look for it to make any real changes in a large size room. I am happy with it just wish I looked closer at the dimensions.Saturday, June 21, 2014
Char-Broil 3584694 Replacement Grease Cup for Outdoor Grills
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Purchased this grease cup for a Char-broil electric BBQ. The original was a lost due to Hurricane Sandy. This is a good if not better than the original at a very reasonable price Amazon was much cheaper than the Charbroil site!Read Best Reviews of Char-Broil 3584694 Replacement Grease Cup for Outdoor Grills Here
It is what it is, not sure what else to say here. It was the part I needed to replace my old rusted out cup.Want Char-Broil 3584694 Replacement Grease Cup for Outdoor Grills Discount?
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Breville BGR200XL Variable Temperature Panini Grill
I had heard rave reviews of this press and I could not agree more. Yes, some out there opt for "marketability" over quality. What do I mean? With removable plates you simply are not going to get as quality of a cooking surface. Because you have to cover the hot elements underneath and then put the removable plates on top of that so that no one gets burned. By doing this, you lessen the heating ability and true wattage of the cooking sheets that touch the sandwiches or meat and you simply cannot get a true quality sear when you use it as a grill nor a perfect crisp when you use it as a press. Why should this not result in inconvenience? As a chef, I happen to know that a perfectly seasoned non-stick pan is not one that is put through the dishwasher. A perfectly seasoned cooking stone looks horrible and black. A good seasoning has nothing to do with spices. It means you build up the surface over time. This doesn't mean bacteria as a home chef may be prone to thinking in it needing to run through the dishwasher. Because when you cook with it each time it burns off that part of what is left behind and the particles simply result in this perfect non-stick surface where food slides right off. So no, for those reasons and from owning one of the panini presses in the past where you remove the plates meaning you actually have a double plated surface that can never properly sear meats, get seaoned, or perfectly crisp a sandwich, this one was made for the chefs, or anyone else who reads Bon Appetit and "gets it". LOL
I don't eat meat and my husband does but this pleases us both. You can set it to sear and lock in the juices of a steak and then cook it perfectly with beautiful grill marks or you can stuff some country slices of bread with vegetarian sandwich fixings, or mozzarella and basil and pasta sauce and eggplant or make perfect breakfast egg sandwiches or use your leftover turkey and dressing as I did for him after Thanksgiving for the world's best paninis. Not like the home paninis you may come across with some brands, but more like the kind you would order at a French cafe.
I highly suggest the book "200 best panini recipes" to go with it; you only brush the surface of what all you can do in sandwich ideas until you explore the thick cookbook. You could go almost a year making a panini a day and still feel like you have unlimited varieties. Plus I have found they spur ideas for other things. Your recipes will just keep flowing...and use new sauces and spreads to keep them interesting like cranberry chutney with turkey and cheese or roasted garlic mayo on a burger with sauteed onions and smoked cheese, chipotle mayo on portobello mushroom with caramelized onions, ( I just mix some chipotle in adobo in a blender to taste with mayo to make that.) roast beef with thousand island dressing on pumpernickle with kraut, jalapeno mayo with beef and cheddar...you get the idea. Sure it makes a wicked 3 cheese grilled cheese but you mix up a few ingredients and you wind up biting into gourmet good enough that you could serve it with a simple soup for guests and still get wows.
For best results, put your sandwiches or meats in the back part. Any extra sandwiches or meats go in front of that. It has the perfect weight to crisp them and make your cheese gooey yet leave the bread crusts perfectly pannini.
What else does it offer you might not see elsewhere? Some have a flat plate on the bottom saying you can cook pancakes. Bypass it. That won't make good panninis or offer a good grill. Why? You need the double waffle for a perfect panini and you need a slant to be able to have the fat of your meats run off. None of which you can get on one made to double as a pancake maker.
This one also has variable temps and variable thickness for what you are cooking should you wish to stack a burger high and not have all the ingredients totally squeeze out and so you can cook whatever you wish perfectly.
This is the one for picky chefs. Trust me, after a few uses you barely need to wipe it. It is seasoned perfectly with just a light wipe each time.
Some ideas you may not have thought of for dinner:
Roast beef panini with olive tapenade
flank steak, bacon, and tomato panini
steak, bacon, and blue cheese panini
turkey, avocado and spinach panini
roasted turkey, pear, and brie panini
shrimp, spainach and gouda panini
blackened tilapia with jalapeno mayo panini
fried catfish panini
tuna and swiss panini
refried bean and avocado tortillas cooked in panini press
stir fried mushroom and mozzarella panini
greek veggie with hummus panini on pita
goat cheese and sundried tomato panini
sundried tomato, basil pesto and parm panini on sourdough
spinach, goat cheese and sundried tomato panini
spinach, pear, walnut with pesto
crispy onion, barbecue steak with chipotle bbq sauce on hoagie buns panini
pot roast and horseradish mayo panini
French dip panini with au jus dipping sauce
fried bologna, american cheese and arugala panini
salami, prosciutto, and roasted red pepper panini
salami, mozzarella and fontini panini
summer sausage and pepper jack panini
pepperoni and mozzarella panini on ciabatta rolls with oregano and romano
ham, turkey, avocado and alfalfa sprout panini
classic club panini
You get the idea!I bought this as a new product, as a gift to my wife. Upon opening it recently (my wife's grandmother died on Christmas Eve, so we were delayed in "celebrating" the holiday), we discovered the top was dented in several places. The item was in the original box, but the box had clearly been opened and the packaging removed. When I tried to return the item for a refund, the seller refused to accept the return and provide a refund. For $250, this is more than a small disappointment. Suffice it to say, we are sorely disgusted with this lack of service and seller integrity. I do not know if the item works. It was clearly not "new" and we hoped after seeing it to return the item without using it. Shame on Amazon for tolerating this shoddy practice.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Update International HG-35 Aluminum Dragon Style Hibachi Set, Antique Brass
Either they looked cheap or the review(s) were not that great, thus the hesitation.
Finally I ordered this one with hopes of it being like the ones I have used in restaurants.
The verdict is GOOD! Quality was at least what I expected and my wife and I had a great dinner using it.
What did we have for dinner you ask, well it was some thinly sliced top sirloin on skewers marinated in some soy sauce, garlic and other Asian goodies.
They were GREAT and my wife loved them (she thought I was crazy at first as she had never heard of a pu pu platter). The mistake I made was cooking them on the grill first as I was afraid it would take too long to cook on the pu pu grill (that is what I call it). Next time I will cut them thin again and cook them straight on the pu pu grill.
I found a recipe "paper wrapped chicken" that I tried the week before (and were great), and next time we will have the pu pu platter with the steak, paper wrapped chicken and eggrolls.
So a thumbs up verdict on this, order one and enjoy.
P.S. I used Sterno for fuel for the grill and it worked great.This is the perfect addition to any platter that you may have, and acts as a wonderful center piece for most get togethers. Except.... it does not fit any standard sized sterno cans. You will need to spoon in the fuel to make this work. Another option is to use charcoal. I have not used this method, but as I understand it, the design does not allow for enough air to reach the charcoal and results in the coal going out.
This would be perfect if not for the sterno cans not fitting.
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It looks better than the pictures! The item got here early in one day! very happy with it, thinking of ordering more!Thursday, February 27, 2014
Charcoal Companion Nonstick 12-Inch Square Grilling Wok
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This is a very good pan for grilling vegetables on a barbecue. Wide area, good heat transference and it cleans up easily. Has lasted in almost new condition through many uses. Would be five stars, but the small handles are not always easy to grab.Read Best Reviews of Charcoal Companion Nonstick 12-Inch Square Grilling Wok Here
Used this for the first time last week. We grilled a variety of vegables. They turned out great but the best part was the clean up. There was no sticking and it washed up so easy. 5 stars is not enough!!!!!!!!!!Want Charcoal Companion Nonstick 12-Inch Square Grilling Wok Discount?
Great for vegetables on the grill. They don't spill out and it's easy to stir and rearrange. Came clean in dishwasher.Friday, February 7, 2014
Scanpan Classic 11-Inch Square Griddle
I've owned this for about a year. I've never used metal utensils, never put it into the dishwasher, and never cleaned it with steel wool. Over the time I've owned it, the pan developed a sheen to it. Without warning, one day the pan just stopped being non-stick. Now everything sticks, even with liberal amounts of butter or oil. I wrote to Scanpan to ask them about their lifetime warranty. They sent me two pages of photographs of situations which aren't covered. What seems like normal use to me might look like over-heating to them, which voids the warranty.
The problem is Scanpan puts a large metal disc on the bottom, which appears to be designed to provide even heating. What it does in practice is a) requires a long time to heat up and b) burns the corners since this is a square pan with a heavy round disc.
So, I'm buying another brand today, much cheaper. Why spend a fortune on a pan which only lasts a year when a cheaper pan will do the same job at a fraction of the price? I cannot recommend Scanpan products.
edit: I just received the Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 11-Inch Square Griddle, purchased here from Amazon and I'm much happier. It takes a lot less time to heat up, looks better, and has a better non-stick finish than this more expensive one. It doesn't have the heavy metal disc on the bottom so I don't have to wait as long for it to warm up and the corners are in less of a danger of being burnt. Save your money. Don't buy from a company who will not honor their so-called lifetime warranty. I didn't get any more use out of this pan than far less expensive models. Use the money you save to buy yourself a nice steak.The pan does everything we wanted and cleaning is a snap. We checked out every pan there is this size and this is the best. Great for Pancakes, bacon, eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, and burgers. Never burns or smokes like teflon pans and surface doesn't peel.
As you can tell we love it.
Buy Scanpan Classic 11-Inch Square Griddle Now
Scanpan cooKware is undoubtably the absolute best in every way. NOTHING ON THE MARKET CAN EQUAL IT. And the dealer with which we dealt came through in fine style. I use it for a great number of jobs (steaks, chops, eggs, etc., etc., etc.) rather than a skillet. And it cleans up like a dream---no problem at all (quick and easy).Read Best Reviews of Scanpan Classic 11-Inch Square Griddle Here
The weight of this pan really impressed me. Perfectly even heat, absolutely nothing sticks to it, and you'd REALLY have to try hard to warp it.Yes, the griddle is wonderful for pancakes. The problem I have is that the surface material bubbled up over the very center of the griddle. It is cracking and I see that eventually the material will flake off.Sunday, January 26, 2014
Vermont Castings 2461 Catalyic Cast Iron Stove
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Burton Way Headboard
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Jackson Series Grill Tools
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Just received this set in the mail. First Impression is that it's even more beautiful than it looked on line. Outset seems to be a cut above the rest of the field in grilling tools. I actually only got the whole three piece set because it was the same price, on sale, as the tongs alone. Was going to just get a set of Xtra long OXO stainless tongs, and saw the Outset Jackson's, which have same lockable design, but the sweet rosewood and extra length. So far so good, I'll update after I use them for a while as to the quality. I think I might just grab a few more sets of these to give as gifts for discerning grillers on my list.I thought they were very eye appealing, but was disapointed with their ability to pick up things. They do not meet at the bottom to grab things small, they move from side to side also adding to the problem of lifting things up, I would not recommend them for these reasons.Monday, December 9, 2013
Weber 6630 Original 3-Piece Stainless Steel Tool Set
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The quality and the feel of the product is unsurpassed. Great Product would definitely recommended. Looks like it would last a really long time.Read Best Reviews of Weber 6630 Original 3-Piece Stainless Steel Tool Set Here
As described. Feels like they will last a long time. The pintchers are not desined to well but works.The ends of them just gather crud.Want Weber 6630 Original 3-Piece Stainless Steel Tool Set Discount?
Highly recommend these tools. I love to grill and I have thoroughly enjoyed using these. They also seem do well when you clean them in the dishwasher.Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Outset F804 Stainless-Steel-Cased Steak Thermometers, Set of 4
Bottom line, they do exactly what they are supposed to do!
Buy Outset F804 Stainless-Steel-Cased Steak Thermometers, Set of 4 Now
The first time I used these thermometers, they worked sort of OK. The temp said the filet mignon was medium. I let the steaks rest a little and yet when I served them to my guests, the steaks were rare. The next time I used the thermometers it was on a delmonico steak. The temperature never registered correctly. The steak was well done by the time the arrow started to move on the thermometer at all. I never used the others for pork or chicken; I threw both sets of thermometers out. Yes, I had to buy 2 sets in order to be able to have enough for 4 steaks. Quite an expensive mistake (no pun inteneded). I would NOT recommend this product. Save your money and buy one universal meat thermometer that will register instantly.Read Best Reviews of Outset F804 Stainless-Steel-Cased Steak Thermometers, Set of 4 Here
purchased in a high end kitchen store, first mistake. Tried for first time on steaks, both thermometers went right to 160 lingered there a few seconds, spun counterclockwise and would not register a temp after that. the 160 was not accurate, the steaks were bloody raw inside.Now i have to try to return where purchssed on a weekend trip--miles away. could kick myself.....
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Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue 34-Inch Charcoal and Ash Hoe with Removable Handle
UPDATE 7/30/2009: After using the product about a year, the metal hoe broke off the handle. Luckily, a neighbor has a welder and was able to reattach it without much trouble. But don't be surprised if the same thing happens to you.This is a great product that is formed and curved just right to clean up the BBQ pit. It's sturdy and will last a long time.
Buy Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue 34-Inch Charcoal and Ash Hoe with Removable Handle Now
The first time my husband used it, the end fell off. Would not recommend it.Put together cheaply Not worth it.This is a must for charcoal grilling! It enables you to move the coals around from a safe distance, but not so far away that you loose control.Want Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue 34-Inch Charcoal and Ash Hoe with Removable Handle Discount?
Having looked for an Ash and Coal rake or hoe for awhile I settled on this one. It is beautifully finished and longer than anything else I could find. The hoe portion is also larger although set at about a 115 degree angle (angled away from the handle), which is not clear in the description. It is much longer than anything I saw and if you are looking for a hash hoe this would be the best choice (stainless). It appears (I have not used it extensively) that it will work very well for both charcoal and ash movement.I can't comment (yet) on the durability but have noted that the socket on the end on the end of the handle has some play in it. It is secured by a small brad and I plan on pulling that, filling with epoxy and re-fastening it before too long.
A really lovely addition to the grill toolset.
I will update after use.

