Collegiate Rosewood Handle Spatula (SEC)

I bought this spatula (University of Kentucky) for my husband for his birthday. He already has a set of tongs that he loves and was very pleased to get a matching spatula. It is beautifully made and I believe it will last a long time. We are both very pleased.

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That's all I have to say!

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JVM1665DNWW Spacemaker Grilling Over%2Dthe%2DRange Microwave Oven %2D White

• 1100 Watts Maximum Cooking Power
• 1,200 Watt Grilling Power
• Sensor Cooking Controls
• Dimensions (WHD): 29 7/8 X 16 In X 15 3/8 In.

It has all the functions a modern Microwave should have. It needs to be mounted very carefully, otherwise the vibrations of the metal housing create the most frightening noise your kitchen ever has experienced. My problem was the automatic fan which should prevent the oven from overheating: it run from the first second and never shut down. Ordered through Amazon, delivered by AJ Madison and manufactured by GE I first had to find out who is actually responsible for warranty and service. Once the GE service appointment was arranged, the technician came two hours too late, did not have insurance with him, did not find out what was wrong, had no spare parts with him and left without doin anything. I still have my microwave with the fan continuously running, consuming electrical power for nothing....

T-fal A9211404 Specialty 18 by 11-Inch Nonstick Dishwasher Safe Double Burner Family Griddle Cookwa

Received this as a wedding gift in December.

I have used it many times now and am very happy.

One time fried left over potatoes and eggs for brunch.

Another time cooked up New York Sirloin Steak.

And most recently cooked a dozen bacon strips at once.

Can easily wipe down with paper towel.

It makes dish washing this effortless.

The T-fal Double burner Griddle works great. It performs very well on my bridge burner on my glass cooktop. I've made pancakes several times as well as grill cheese sandwiches. I'm very pleased with my purchase. I'm looking forward to trying it with other foods.

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This is a very well-made griddle. Solid. Handles stay cool. Hasn't warped (unlike cheap aluminum griddles we had before). We especially like the deep sides. Great for making fajitas without losing anything over the sides. No problems with sticking either and it's huge! Highly recommended.

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This griddle only had two reviews when I foolishly bought it! Its handle interfere with it properly sitting on my ceramic cooktop. It does have a smooth bottom which is essential for a cermaic cooktop. That is the only good thing I have found about this griddle. The handles are too large and will not allow it to sit properly on the cooktop so that it cannot heat evenly. It wasn't very expensive and is rather light in construction which goes to prove you get what you pay for. I have the Frigidaire professionals series stove so....if you have the same stove do not get this griddle!

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Ordered this item to replace an older griddle. This one cooks very well and wash-up is super easy. Would recommend this item to anyone looking for a griddle.

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Saeco Aroma - Espresso Machine

This machine works great, it is heavy duty metal case and does delicious creamy espresso. This machine does not leak like the gaggia I tryed before and for the price it is far the best I used. If you get it from Amazon you will get the best service ever! The water tank on the back is removable to fill and clean, the water retention tank for the coffee drops below is also removable, easy to clean, big enough and of very good quality. The metal grill does not rust and the portafila is solid. Saeco is the perfect Italian espresso lover's machine and it is so solid that it's like it was German made and not Italian :) I checked a lot of brands, models and review and that's from far the best I found for the bucks. I owned fully automatic machines for 10x the price paid here and that one is doing better espresso than any of them... This machine is a hit!

I am not a coffee aficionado however I do love good espresso. I have had the Saeco Aroma machine for 2 months now. My main criticism regards the milk steamer wand with panerello. Because of the configuration and compact size of the machine, the panerello is very awkward to use. To fit a pitcher of milk under it and remove it without spilling I set the machine at the edge of a table with the wand overhanging. I was not particularly happy with the quality of the foam so I completely removed the plastic panerello assembly from the wand and now steam milk using the bare stainless steel tube. This is a reasonable solution except that the tube is very short without the panerello. Regarding the espresso quality, although I have made many a good cup of espresso, I have yet to coax a superior shot out of the pressurized portafilter. In fact, I got equal results with my old $60 Krups that had a non-pressurized portafilter and lacked a steam pump, working on steam pressure only. I was also disappointed to find that the steam valve knob is of plastic, not stainless steel like the body of the machine and has a cheap feel and look. The jury is still out. Maybe for the price this is as good as it gets. I recommend checking this machine out at a store before buying on-line because the steam wand configuration may be a deal breaker for you.

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+ You wake up in the morning, feeling like quite "non-energetic".. Head over to the saeco aroma, turn it on, and by the time you have your milk outta the fridge and on the counter(20 seconds), your toast into the toaster (40 seconds), your shot glasses under the portafilter (4seconds), brought out your cappuccino cup from the cupboard (7.6 seconds), and then placed ground coffee in the portafilter, along with a little milk and your favorite all-natural latte flavoring into the frothing pitcher (63 seconds if your fast like me) :)........ the machine is ready to brew up two delicious espresso shots. How convenient! The local Sbux doesn't know what to do, was i kidnapped? did I move across country? where have I been? .......Yea well i'm at home making my own coffee treats from now on, I expect the machine to pay itself off in one year, best purchase I've made for quite a while.

+ This is a compact machine, I propped mine 2.5 inches off my granite countertop with a solid block of aluminum, anything will do, seattle coffee gear even sells actual espresso stands, however they can be considered expensive by some people.

+ Before pulling a shot, be sure to preheat the portafilter with 5 seconds of brew-button-time, the shot will be much more creamy...(crema)

Saeco Vienna Plus SuperAutomatic is convenient but will not last long, Gaggis classic has all the same features this has for a slightly unjustifiable price increase, Rancilio will do everything this machine can do with just nicer parts, Basically you can make an excellent coffee drink with either machine, it wouldn't matter..

+ Yes,, I have timed the Saeco Aroma. It takes EXACTLY 102 seconds from the time the switch is flipped until it is ready to brew. ( when the brew light is activated)

+ One of the most competitive machines in the sub $450 price range, if not the best..

+ Machine heats up very fast. I would say under 2 minutes and its ready to brew.. That's faster than I can boil a cup of water in my 800watt microwave! and much faster than brewing drip coffee__>__

+ Cup warmer is a nice addition, but actually by the time the water boiler is hot and ready to brew the cup warmer (which is heated by the water boiler) has only begun to start warming up, thus the cups really wont be warm unless the aroma has been on for about 20mins.. I usually preheat by brewing the hot water into the empty cups, (which the instruction booklet recommends)

+ None of the stainless parts will rust, including the grate under the cups

+ I myself think the frothing wand is fine out of the box, (please read up on milk frothing guides online to get the best out of this machine.) With a little skill and a good 20oz frothing pitcher, I was making sweet creamy cappuccinos with dense micro-foam in no-time at all. (Seattle Coffee gear sells a nice panarello upgrade on their site for around $40 usd).

+ Portafilter is very solid and heavy duty, I feel very confident using it.

+ Large water tank, big enough to fill once a week (one individual).

+ Solid, Easy to clean stainless steel housing.

+ Fashionable design, simple and modern.

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Bought two of these. One in 2008 (under two bills for the stainless) which is still workign with some problems, and one in 2010 (about 10% more).

The first one died with multiple problems at two years: permanently leaking stream wand, profuse leaking above porta-filter (this despite filter being well cleaned with the tiny holes all open).

The second one, which is clearly a lower build quality failed at thirteen months with even more issues. The thermostat failed causing boiler to go to steam temps when set at brew temps and resulting in burned espresso. If you are curious about Seaco service, give them a call even before you buy, and describe one of the three or four known problems posted here. In essence forget about repair. In-warranty is bad enough with exorbitant handling charges; out-of-warranty, any repair will net cost you 3/4 the cost of a new machine.

Be VERY cautious about the well meaning early reviews here. My guess is that the reviews from over two years go are not revisited and that those machines are DEAD. You can see this on espresso aficionado forums where the glowing reviews on forums from two years ago now show people's machines died in very high number and Saeco was not helpful at all. Their attitude seems to want to squeeze even more moeny by charging just short of replacement cost for any repair, even the smallest. More alarming yet is that one can clearly see the build quality is lower and Saeco is coasting on the early good reviews it got and now shipping inferior made product. e'en the portafilter is a different cheaper material.

Al that said, if you go into expecting an average of one to two years this is a decent machine at about two bills that you can find it at from time to time.

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I've been looking for an espresso machine to replace a 12-year-old Krups steam-driven espresso machine which finally died (the steam wand gave out). None of the machines under $300 seem to get consistently good reviews on Amazon but the Saeco Aroma Espresso got the best reviews of the cheaper-end machines. So, I ordered it through Amazon. After it arrived, I was looking forward to enjoying good espresso coffee (but a little apprehensive about the steam wand problems other users reported). The first thing I did was to run a tank of water through the machine to clean it (recommended by the manual before first use). Well, guess what: the steam wand wasn't a problem no trouble getting my milk pitcher under the wand and no leaks! Ah, I thought this machine is going to work out after all.

But the next step was to run water through the pressurized portafilter and that's where I ran into problems. The portafilter leaked like crazy! Most of the hot water dripped into the cup under the portafilter but a lot of it leaked out above the portafilter and ran down the handle to my kitchen counter. I removed the portafilter and ran hot water directly into the cup with no problems. So the problem was with the portafilter water just wasn't getting through it as it should. I looked at the rubber gasket inside the portafilter and it appeared intact; so there must have been an obstruction somewhere else inside the portafilter. I wasn't going to disassemble it find out. It's a new machine, never used before, and it should have worked right out of the box.

So, I'm going to contact Amazon about returning this machine. I'm undecided about whether to ask for a replacement machine or just give up on the idea of being able to make my own espresso coffee at a reasonable price. Maybe a moka pot is the way to go to get an espresso-like coffee. It's certainly cheaper and simpler to use than these big machines, which take up a lot of counter space and break down at a remarkably high rate.

I'll update this review when I decide which way I'm going to go.

UPDATE: Amazon won't replace it only refund my money when I return the machine. That's too bad because I'll never know if the machine was badly made or just this particular portafilter was broken. I'm back to square 1 again.

UPDATE: I decided to call Saeco and ask for a replacement for the faulty portafilter and they agreed to send me one. I'll update my review when I receive and use it.

UPDATE: I received the replacement portafilter from Saeco (no charge) and I'm going to raise my rating to 4 stars, based on the espresso maker's performance with the replacement. It works very well and I've enjoyed several cups of espresso made with the Saeco Aroma machine. It is simple and easy to use and makes an excellent espresso with nice crema. I'm still a bit leery regarding its durability since some reviews on this site suggest it could fail at any time. I haven't tried the steam wand yet; since I drink espressos rather than lattes or cappuccinos. But I may try to brew some of those to try out the steam wand. In any case, if my experience with this espresso maker causes me to further revise my opinion to any great degree, I'll provide another update later.

UPDATE: I ran into an unexpected problem with this machine. The first month I used ground coffee to brew espresso but then I decided to see how it would handle E.S.E pods. I followed the instructions remove the ground coffee basket from the portafilter and insert the E.S.E. basket included with the machine. There's just one major obstacle: I can't lock the portafilter into the machine with the E.S.E basket in it. It looks like there isn't quite enough clearance for the portafilter to lock into place with pod basket in it. So, it seems as though I can't use E.S.E pods a major flaw! And an odd one, considering I'm using the E.S.E. basket Saeco provided. I don't know if it's a problem only with the machine I bought or a design flaw with the machine. So, if you plan to brew espresso using pods, you should be aware of this potential problem. I'll contact Saeco to see if they have a solution, e.g, replacing the E.S.E basket. If I get this resolved, I'll update my review.

UPDATE: I called Saeco and the company sent me a replacement rubber gasket for the E.S.E pod basket in the hope this would fix the problem. But it didn't. Either the rubber gaskets provided with the E.S.E pod baskets are too thick or some part of the brew head is projecting too far into the pod basket to allow the portafilter to lock in. I still don't know if this is a general problem or a problem peculiar to my machine. I doubt it can be resolved short of returning it to Saeco for examination and/or repair. I'm not willing to risk that since the machine works well otherwise. I suppose I'll just have to forgo using pods to brew espresso with this particular machine.

UPDATE: Thanks to a reviewer's comment, I've revised my rating and review of this product. I was using the equipment incorrectly and it was not at fault I was! Now I'm enjoying delicious cups of espresso using pods! Please read the instructions closely and don't make the mistake I was making. I highly recommend this product now!

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Fire Wire Stainless Steel Flexible Grilling Skewer, Set of 2

I bought these in Amazon's 4 for 3 promo and they work really well. I loaded mine full of vegetables and grilled them easily. The only problem I had was having heavier vegetables (squash) on top pushing down the light vegetables (bell peppers), but that wasn't a flaw with the skewer and was my own fault. One thing to remember is to chop your meat and vegggies larger then you would for normal skewers. The wire isn't that big around, but the pointy end is thicker than I was used to.

Overall, I really liked these. They do stay cool enough to turn with your bare hands. They are large, but I do think I need more. They aren't as pretty as your normal skewers if you want to serve them to individual people, but they work for a crowd. Great product.

Gave this product a try and I am not a big fan. When you fill this wire skewer with food it spins around and ends up not cooking evenly on all sides of the veggies and meat. You also can not leave a little space between the food like a traditional skewer so parts are not cooked in the middle. I also do not like having to swing the food around and onto the grill. A cute concept I just personally prefer a nice basic skewer

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Unlike the way the item is pictured, loaded from end to end with meet and vegetables, typical skewer cooking leaves a bit of space between the items being cooked. When we attempted to do so on these things, all the food just slides together in the middle. We decided to pack the food on more tightly, and we ended up with food that was nicely grilled on the edges, but not done in the center. Being able to marinate more easily is a plus, but I think I'll just go back to marinating before we put the food on a nice flat bladed skewer.

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I was so tired of wooden skewers and having to soak them. These skewers can be wound so they fit inside tupperware or ziplocs for marinating. and in any configuration on the grill. And no presoak needed. The only problem with it is that the more food you put on the skewers, the harder it is to flip or rotate everything evenly.

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All I can say is WOW! I was skeptical in making this purchase because I've never had a good experience with shish-kebob skewers. The main reason I decided to buy these though, is because I have a round charcoal grill that is very inconvenient to cook on with regular skewers. I bought 4 of them, and after using them once, I'll probably buy more as gifts for friends and family. 4 skewers full of chicken, strawberries, and pineapple held enough food to feed 6 people. While cooking, both ends of the skewers remained cool to the touch while hanging over the edges of the grill. When it was time to flip the food, I simply grabbed each end of the skewer, pulled it taught and rotated it. Unlike every other skewer I've ever used, ALL of the food rotated with the skewer. During cooking, only one strawberry fell off the skewer, which is much better than usual (for me anyway). To wrap up, I'd say that if you like the idea, but are worried about whether it will actually perform as advertised, DON'T. You won't be disappointed by these skewers.

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Grill Alert Talking Remote Meat Thermometer

I used the thermometer about 7 or 8 times and it stopped working. I have seen several reviews complaining that the probe fails so I'm hoping that's the problem.

Update 2/27/08: I ordered a new probe from Brookstone for $25 (incl. shipping) and it is a much sturdier design than the original. I assume they were getting a lot of complaints and returns so they redesigned it. So far the new probe is working fine. Interesting to note, I gave a negative review of this product on their web site and they never published it, although they sent me a thank you note for my review.

I received this for Father's Day last year. I was skeptical but it actually works. I can put some tri-tip in the smoker and hang in the pool or chat with guests while keeping an eye on the large LCD display. The range is very good, I can sit in the pool with the display next to me on the deck (at least 20-30 feet away) or go back inside the house. It beeps and talks to you a few minutes before your food is at the desired temperature. I use it primarily for beef, and the settings (rare, medium, etc.) are pretty accurate. This is especially good for large cuts of beef since it is often difficult to gauge whether the meat is pink inside or not. I would highly recommend this. Easy to set-up, then all you do is select the type of meat and the desired cooking level. Pork and seafood default to only one setting choice (well-done) but you can just use the temperature readout to cook to the desired temp.

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I have owned several of these and given a few away as gifts. I LOVE how well they work when they are brand new so when mine failed I bought new ones assuming I just got a lemon. THEY ARE ALL LEMONS. My observation of several units is that the average service life is from 3 to 6 uses. Sometimes a new probe fixes the problem ($20 ea) sometimes nothing (including hitting the reset button) helps. Look at other product reviews on different web sites; they all complain about how quickly the unit fails. You may also notice that several different brands all look alike with the same screen indicating that they are all the same unit sold under different brand names.

With all the bad reviews of these things the firms selling these things should consider the ethics of selling something this expensive that only works a few times. Unfortunately the other brands of remote thermometers, from what I have seen, all seem to fail after only a few uses. This is a real drag because when they work, they work great, and I guess that's why I am so annoyed.

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Have I owned one of this make and model? No. But I have owned 4 or 5 of the Webber units that are essentially the same design. I have also owned 8 or 10 of the probes that stick into the meat.

The thermometers are great when they work. They are so good that, even knowing the design flaw, I keep buying them and replacement probes.

The receivers and transmitters all work well and seem to have an expected long lifetime. The probe is the Achilles heel in every make and model of wireless thermometer. Within the metal, flexible shielded cable that runs from the probe to the transmitter are small wires. Small weak wires. Small fragile wires. Small worthless wires due to their failure rate.

If the user closes the lid of the BBQ or smoker on the metal shielded cable between the probe and the transmitter, the internal wires WILL fail. It may take 2 or 3 times, but they will fail. If the metal shielded cable is kinked or bent too sharply, the internal wires will fail.

A couple of years ago I was on the Webber customer service line (again) requesting a new probe because the wires failed. I asked the customer service representative if she owned one of these wireless systems and, to my surprise, she said "Are you kidding? I would NEVER own one of these". I asked her why and she said "I have a full time job, 7 days a week taking calls just like this one people complaining 8 hours a day, 7 days a week because the probe failed".

Now, if I were her boss, I would have fired her on the spot. From a consumer's point of view I found this conversation somewhat alarming.

This summer I will probably buy another and attempt to keep the smoker's lid from crushing the tiny worthless wires but eventually I will fail and so will the probe.

In short, this is a great product with a major and easily correctable design flaw. Be prepared that the wires within the shielded cable can and will fail.

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Came right away! Works great. It even warned me when a roast caught fire on the grill. (made a different tone and I went to check) It also gives about a 5 degree warning before the target temp. is reached. The speaking voice is pleasant and loud enought to heard well. Has a belt clip to wear the reciever on your person. I've used it indoors and out, without fail.

Highly recomended!! Thinking of buy'n a second one for the vacation home.