Smart Planet BM-1 Brownie Bar Maker

I love kitchen toys, and when I saw this on a Groupon deal for $19.99, couldn't resist getting it. I make home made baked good which I sent to troops, and having something like this in addition to my regular two oven stove makes the work go a lot faster...at least, that was my rationale for buying it! :o)

I first tried it with a brownie mix, and filled the wells about 1/4" from the top that gave me about 12 brownies (2 batches in the machine). As far as timing goes, I see someone wrote a review in which she said that she baked her cake for as long as was indicated on the box from the mix; common sense should tell you that a smaller size produce will require less baking time...but some people just don't think. I looked at the recipes in the included booklet, even though I wasn't making them at the time, to get a rough idea of baking time, and started to check my brownies at the minimum recommended time. As you get more familiar with the machine, you'll learn how much time is needed for various different things.

The first time I used my brownie bar maker it was a little tricky to get them out of the pan, but then had an idea: I now turn the machine upside down (with the lid closed) and lift the bottom (which is now on top); the perfectly intact bars can then be easily removed with a non-metal spatula, and the machine is ready to go again right away.

I use a butter flavored spray in the wells for each batch; a damp paper towel is really all you need for clean-up.

This is a fun little gadget well worth the price. I'm thinking it's a nice item to use to introduce a little girl to the joys of baking.

Enjoy the size of bars. Is not quicker than oven baking (17 min) but saves

heating the oven. Enjoyable way to have fresh baked goods in hot weather. Per my infared temp gun, this bakes at 350 degrees. Made excellent johnny cake bars with precooked ground sausage. Plan to make snack sized cake bars and freeze for later. Works very well.

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Works really slick, biggest complaint I have is getting the brownies out of the maker without breaking them because the bottom is more narrow than the top. I ended up turning it over and they fell right out, which worked the best.

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So far I have only tried the "Brownie Bar Maker" for oatmeal muffins, but they came out great!

The bars are the a nice portion size, slightly smaller than a regular (not jumbo) muffin and rectangular, of course...about 4 bites worth. Works as described. My 22-minute oven recipe took 13 minutes in this machine. Muffins came out uniform, tender, and perfectly baked all the way through.

A few notes: You can overfill the slots a little bit. I like my baked goods a little brown on the top, but don't overfill too much or it will drip out the sides. There is no timer on this (use a kitchen timer and check the brownies/muffins a few minutes ahead of time with a toothpick). Also, grease with Baker's Joy between every use, I didn't and had a hard time digging the crispy remnants out of the corners.

Easy clean up, super easy to use. I am not a baker so this is perfect for me.

Also recommended for someone who lives alone. This way you can enjoy baked goods without all the effort. I plan on doing mini breads, brownies, and energy bars in it and freezing them for later.

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This is great and works like it should but it should have a shut off timer, other than that it makes great corn cakes (got it for my Mom who recently starting makin corn bread muffins.

So you don't have to limit yourself to brownies.

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Char-Broil 7186193 Big Easy Smoker Roaster Grill Cast Iron Griddle

I think this is the best Cooker I have ever owned. I have cooked Steaks, Prime Rib, Turkey, Chicken and Fish. Everything comes out without being burnt and you don't have to worry about flare ups from the fat or skin catching on fire. You can even use the smoking function while BBQing to add a little flavor. Prime Rib and turkey cook faster and don't get dried out. This is worth the money and a good buy.

Some foods need a cast iron griddle,eg pancakes, fried eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches. Now my Big Easy Smoker Roaster does it all.

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MELO'S Family Name Bar & Grill Coasters

I bought these for husband as a birthday gift. We both love them. We love their unique look and not only look good but work well at our kitchen table.

Cape-Charles, VA Beer & Ale 14'' x 11'' Collectible Stretched Canvas

• 14'' x 11'' Ready to hang
• Gallery wrapped on stretcher bars - No frame needed
• Archival quality canvas and inks
• UV Coated for durability
• 100% Satisfaction guarantee

I was thrilled to find this item since my family hails from Cape Charles, VA and there aren't many products with the name. The colors aren't quite as bright as I'd hoped, but it's a really cool/rare item of good quality and we'll keep it.

Revolving Grill Fan With Ion Air Purifier And Remote

• Revolving Grill Fan With Ion Air Purifier And Remote

I have had two Windchaser fans for over 5 years each and they are very reliable. One runs every-night for white noise that doesn't sound like a jet engine. They are very quiet and the oscillating panel moves the air around the room great. I highly recommend spending the extra $ for this fan. It is great in a room where you watch T.V. as they are so quiet.

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I bought this fan because I have an older model of this same fan. QUIET! The new fan is like the old one in that it's as quiet a portable fan as you'll find. This fan has several features and remote control. I especially like the timer feature so I can leave it on when I go to bed and it shuts off automatically at the desired time. A bit high priced for a portable fan but find it on sale and grab it! You'll like it.

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The remote control is great , love the grill that rotates and sweeps the air around the room and fairly quite. owned for two seasons and running great.

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The WindChaser has rotating louvers on the front to move the air through the room more efficiently and so it cools faster. I have asthma and always need the feeling of air movement and this fan works great for me. It can be sat on the floor, on a table, or in a window. The fact that it tilts helps to direct the air right where you need it. The controls are easy and it has a lot of options, including a timer. Oh yes, the remote is a great feature too. I can't say this is the quietest fan, but I just turn the TV a little louder. The down-side is the price and availability.

Rachael Ray Hard Anodized Nonstick 11-by-9-Inch Rectangular Skillet with Cast-Iron Flat Press, Oran

I have always wanted to try this cookware but truthfully have been too cheap! I finally got this particular pan and am in love with it! I will be expanding my collection soon I hope. For the first 2 weeks this pan was literally always on the stove. You can cook anything in it and clean up is awesome. The press helps cook meats faster than I've ever seen! Bacon goes from the fridge to crisp in literally 2 minutes! It makes awesome scambled eggs too. I cannot say enough good things about it. You have to try it to believe it!

I really like bacon but I've always had a hard time with getting it to cook evenly, that's why I purchased this pan. It really does a good job with heating evenly and the press keeps the bacon flat on the pan so the ends don't curl up and then not cook. I've also discovered that because of it's shape and non stick properties, it does a great job on french toast because you can put 4 slices in the pan at once and just like the bacon, it cooks evenly. My only complaint is that the handle on the press should have been made so that it doesn't conduct heat. After a while you have to use an oven mit to pick up the press. If the handle could be made to stay cool, I would have given it 5 stars.

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I am using this about four times as often as I anticipated, sometimes with the press, which works great, and sometimes without. Amazing the versatility that the shape of the skillet provides. Heavy, but not crippling. ;) I don't think anyone would have regrets about this purchase.

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After using this for a little over six months, I can honestly say there are both good things and not-so-good things. Love the size and shape that's the primary reason for purchasing. We used this skillet on average twice a week for cooking bacon and cook on a smooth cooktop surface. At this point, our primary dissatisfaction is that the center of the skillet has bowed inward a bit. Now the bacon in the center 4-5" of the skillet burns before the ends of each piece are completely cooked. Because we thoroughly allow cooking utensils to return to room temperature before washing them and always wash them by hand, this should not have happened. The bacon press is nice and heavy and does its job well. When using the bacon press, the bacon cooks much more evenly. I will probably try another brand of skillet to see if there's something out there that will hold up better.

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I ordered all of the Rachael Ray Pans and I have to say the quality is supurb. They clean up easily and do not stick. I bought the hard anodized or something like that. You have to cook on medium heat and no higher but the outcome of what you are preparing will make you proud. Try it I'm sure you will love it as much as I do.

Waring Portable Burner

I have owned single burners in the past for several reasons. They are nice to have when entertaining, especially around the holidays. Also, when I make shabu shabu, fondue, or a hot-pot dish, a tabletop burner is much nicer that using candles or alcohol-type burners.

I occasionally help out a friend at trade shows, demonstrating cooking techniques, and we always use single gas burners. I bought this one for when I need a slow, low heat for a long time. Gas burners need to have the butane canisters changed fairly often where this one plugs in and stays hot for as long as you need it. At home however, gas burners will be a great back-up during power outages where this one would be worthless.

I decided to show how this burner works by making this short video. I hope that it is helpful to you! Thanks.

EDIT: I am including this information about the boiling water demonstration by request: I used a heavy-duty anodized aluminium pan; the water was room temerature (72 degrees Fahrenheit); and the experiment was conducted at approximately 700 feet above sea level.

I have been using an Eclipse single for about 3 years now. Before that I used another Eclipse model but it finally quit working. Recently my latest Eclipse started acting funny and so I thought it was time to fund a replacement and while I was at it, I thought I would try to find a higher quality unit. The Waring SB30 was well rated and not too expensive, so I grabbed one.

My initial take on the SB30 was that it was very well built and sturdy. This is a great improvement over the Eclipse burners I have used in the past. My only complaint is that cord is fairly short, maybe 3ft long. The knob has a very nice and smooth action to it. The base is rather large but it is very stable with an 8qt stock pot on it, so I guess I can't complain too much about that. The burner weighs a lot. I believe most of that weight is from the metal burner itself. More on this later on.

I use this burner as my main burner as I live in a rental and the range is not so good. The burner heats up a little slow but transfers that heat to the pan very quickly. I believe this is because the burner has a lot of metal in it and that allows it to store a lot of heat. This is a very good thing for boiling water and sauteing but not such a good thing for cooking touchier foods like milk and sauces.

ONE YEAR UPDATE: The SB30 has performed great over the past year. I have not had a single problem with the burner, it looks and works like new. All in all I am very happy with it.

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I've found the Waring Pro DB60 to be a solid double burner. I like the simple design with cast iron plates makes for easy clean up. The temperature control seems faster than other burners i've usedwhen turning down from 5 to 2 (high to simmer) The Waring cost more than other double electric burners on the market, but from the not convincing reviews of the others, and from using the Waring every day for several weeks i think it is definitely worth it.

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This portable burner is very well made. Unlike my previous portable burner, this one is easy to keep clean. The temperature controls also work much better than the first one I tried. I have been using it on a regular basis for about 3 months.

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I can't begin to say how THRILLED I am with this unit.It is, simply, the BEST, PROFESSIONAL, COMMERCIAL QUALITY unit you can find. I've had other, non-professional units--which never heat hot enough--which causes sticking-and soon stop working. The extra $$ for this unit are worth every penny.I had given up on others-and this was my last resort. These burners heat and stay HOT for even cooking and frying. I use this double burner ALL THE TIME for all types of stove cooking-in place of of my regular stove-which had died. I didn't want to purchase another stove now because we'll soon be moving. ( It does take a minute or so to heat up--not a fault--it's in the construction--because once it does reach

the temperature level you want--IT STAYS hot at that temperature.)This is the ONLY unit which gets hot enough to BOIL WATER and COOK PASTA --in a BIG POT, too--because large burner IS large....and QUICKLY.All the other units NEVER reach boiling temperature.This is because it's 1500. I, also, recommend this flat surface over the raised burner grids--which are hard to clean. These flat surfaces clean instantly. REAL metal-not plastic and substitute stuff--for easy cleaning and quality appearance. When we move and have a stove, again, I know we'll continue to use this

as an extra burner . This is the ONLY unit I would recommend over all those cheapie ones--whether they cost little or a lot.I don't write reviews very often-but just had to share and praise this one.

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Weiman Gas Range Cleaner and Degreaser

Alright, so it must be admitted I let my stove go too long between cleanings. At least certain parts it has some seriously baked in grease.

That said... this cleaner is doing a barely passable job on new grease, let alone older stuff. Honestly, I haven't really seen any difference between it and regular household cleaners. If you want something to really cut through this stuff, you'll likely find better options elsewhere.

I've just made my second purchase of this product. It really does remove the burned-on residue from my stovetop. As a not-so-great housekeeper, I really value not having to scrub the left-on goo that happens when a pot boils over on my enamel cooktop. Just spray, wait a minute, and off it comes -usually with just one swipe.

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The is a fairly good range top cleaner, but it took several applications to get cooked-on grease to come off my range. The cooked-on grease was not that bad I've only had the range a few months. But the cleaner didn't break down the cooked-on grease as readily as I thought it would. On the plus side, it does not appear to damage the rangetop surface, and if you apply it and let it sit several minutes, that helps a bit more to cut the tougher grease areas.

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This first time I used this I was shopping for something to clean my sister's stove. She had major back surgery and I went to stay with her for 2 months. Due to the bad back, her cleaning ability was limited. Her gas stove was in bad shape and the oven was a disaster. I found this product at Wal-Mart. As soon as I tried it I went back and bought another bottle. Spray it on, leave it for a while, full strength, then scrub. If the goop is old and very cooked on, it may take another application.

I don't understand the negative reviews. I am a 5'2" woman, age 70 with very arthritic fingers. If I can clean the goop off, anyone can. After I returned home I found 3 bottles of this stuff at my Wal-Mart. I have an electric stove and it works equally as well on it. If your stove has small areas you can't get at, dip a q-tip in the bottle. It works! I even put it on the bottom of my 46 year old electric skillet and made it look like brand new. I have never been able to find it again where I live. I guess ordering on line is cheaper then flying 2,500 miles to get it.

This product is worth more than the price. In 53 years of housekeeping, I have never found anything to clean a stove that works as well as Weiman Gas Range Cleaner.

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I was hoping this product would get the bits and spots that my usual detergent and scrubber couldn't. Unfortunately it's no better than anything else. I let the solution soak for several minutes and used the recommended scrub sponge companion, but it didn't budge those stubborn spots.

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Iron Gate - Welcome Loop Border Half Round - Grill Mat with Coir Matting - Heavy Duty Outdoor Premi

This welcome mat is sturdy and looks great at our front door. I expect it to last for quite some time.

This was just what I was looking for when we got new steps! It looks great! It's just about as wide as our door so it looks great on the landing!

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This well-made door mat is beautiful & fits beautifully in front of our main door. This will stand up to many years' service, rain & shine, and keep looking great.

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Weber 40020 Smokey Joe Gold Charcoal Grill

We love Weber grills and have been using a Smokey Joe Silver and larger Weber grills for 30 years. We like to camp and always bring our Smokey Joe with us so I purchased the Smokey Joe Gold becasue of the locking top and carrying handle. However, this grill has vents on the side, not on the bottom, so the air flow does not circulate through the coals as Weber grills are usually designed. It took twice as long to cook our food in the Gold as opposed to the Silver. It is good for transporting but not as good as the Silver for cooking.

This is the third little Weber I've had in the past 20 years I've never worn one out; the first two were stolen! I like the locking handle on the new model. One great feature of these grills is that when you are done cooking, you can close all the vents and the fire will go out in about 15-20 minutes, saving whatever's left of your charcoal for the next time. With the handle locked, it won't spill in the back of your pickup on the way home.

It really does do a great job of cooking, as good as the larger Webers, just for a smaller crowd. We had a Mulberry tree trimmed in our yard and I saved all the chipped up wood to use for smoke flavoring. You still need a charcoal fire for heat; just throw in a handful of chips before you put the meat & corn on the cob in and close the top vent down to make it smoke. Mmmmm, Mmmmm!

You can eat like a gourmet anywhere you tote this to! Just add a cooler full of longnecks.....

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I got this grill on the advice of a friend when we were in grad school. She'd been trying to save money, and bought a similar type grill from a different manufacturer. It didn't vent right at all, and she was right, this one does. Brand matters.

I've lugged it with me through something like 5 moves, and it's still fine. The grill has eventually accumulated rust, but it's nothing you can't scrape off at the beginning of the season, and besides they're always telling us we need more iron in our diets, right?

If I hadn't left it outside for a couple of winters the rust might not have happened. It doesn't look like it's going to wear out in my lifetime, so I guess I'll never have a chance to find out on a new one!

I like using the charcoal made of real wood chunks more than the compressed bricquettes (they don't last as long, but they taste WAY better).

Couple it with the Weber chimney starter, and you have a way of getting rid of junk mail, too! (Just don't burn paper with colored inks, *blech*.)

I fed 12 people on links and venison last Friday night with just one of these babies, started with the chimney (that part took only 30 min, honest to Gawd). Afterwards there were still enough coals left to roast marshmallows on fondue forks. (We didn't have real sticks available, OK? You use what you've got.)

I have a Diversitech grill pad under it to keep the heat and crud off my deck, and it works great.

Enjoy!

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I had one of the original Smokey Joe grills when I was single (a long time ago). I used it at my apartment and took it on camping trips. It worked well at home, but it was a pain to take camping. It was tippy and always fell over in the truck, sending the grates, lid and kettle all over the place. The Gold model remedied that shortcoming. The lid locks down tight for portability. The tripod leg system still isn't as stable as a four-leg system would be but the Gold model is not as tippy as the standard model I used to have. (I wonder whatever happened to my old Smokey Joe?)

The Gold model also remedied the other shortcoming of the original Smokey Joe--that silly pan to catch the ashes and cinders. It never worked well, the vent in the bottom would clog up, the ashes blew all over the place in the wind and it was a royal pain to clean up. The Gold model holds the ashes in the belly of the kettle so there's less mess. I line the bottom of the kettle with aluminum foil, set fire to the charcoal and, after everything cools down, I just pick up the foil and dump the ashes with little left to clean up.

The Smokey Joe works great for indirect cooking of small roasts or other small, but thick, cuts of meat. Put the charcoal on a side of the kettle with a vent, put the meat on the other side. Close the vent on the kettle on the meat side, open the vent on the fire side, open the lid vent and put the vent holes over the side with the meat. It creates a draft inside the kettle that works extremely well. The size of the grill prevents true slow cooking but this modified indirect method works extremely well.

I have to disagree with a previous reviewer who said the venting system didn't work and the charcoal fire goes out. It just doesn't happen if you get the fire going properly to begin with. I love it that the vents are on the sides of the kettle instead of underneath the coals.

The Smokey Joe Gold is for our RV. It fits in the storage compartment and if it tips over it doesn't create a big mess. It's perfect for cooking and relaxing around an isolated campsite or adding a little downhomeness to those concrete parking lots they call RV parks that we sometimes have to use when traveling. It's a great improvement over the original Smokey Joe if you need a portable grill to take along with you.

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As I was waiting for my smokey joe shipment to arrive, I decided to read the negative and positive reviews to see if I had made a good or bad purchase.

In the negative reviews, I read about how there was insufficient air drafting because the air vents were not located at the bottom of the grill and therefore the grill would not become hot enough. This problem is completely false! My smokey joe grill gets red hot!

Secondly, there were complaints about how there were no vents on the bottom so the ash could not come out like in the Silver edition. However, the new feature of having a closed base is soooo much better because it is much cleaner! If you're grilling in an apartment or on a deck, you can just close up the top and close the vents and save the coals for another time. Forget the mess of having ash flying around on a windy day because of an ash catcher! Oh and by the way, cleanup/removal of coals is as easy as dumping it in a coal bucket or a dumpster!

Finally, the ability to lock the top of the lid is a great feature because it makes transportation so much easier than if you could not lock the top like in the Silver.

So, if you are like me and are reading all these complaints about a lack of good draft because there are no vents on the bottom and such, forget them. Those people are morons! THIS IS A GREAT SMOKEY JOE!

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Pizzacraft PC0002 15' x 12.1' Rectangle Ceramic Baking/Pizza Stone with Wire Frame

We were really excited to get lots of use out of this product. The instructions were followed, including preheating the stone before using. Well, when it came time to take the pie out of the oven, the whole stone was cracked in half. My impression is you get what you pay for, this is a cheap stone and cheap product.

This review isn't to reflect on the item itself, save to say that you likely won't be able to use it. This item will likely be broken before you ever see it, or have hairline fractures that shatter later. The first I received was broken in half long ways, after a very fast return (turn around time was 2 business days props to Amazon for fast shipping not good packing) second was broken in half the other way. Both were sent back for a refund. Buy at own risk.

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Love my Pizza Stone..wonderful item, I use this several times a week. Great for pizza and toasting bread ! Highly recommend.

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We were having a hard time with things burning in our smaller marine oven. This Pizzacraft is the perfect size for us, and really evens out the baking temps. Things dont burn on the bottom now. We actually keep it in at all times and not necessarily as a pizza stone.

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We've had this pizza stone about 3 months ago and use it almost daily. We like the square size, since it gives a little extra room to cook things on. We do use it for pizza all the time, and bumbleberry tarts, all sorts of things, not just pizza. Just the other day, I noticed a chip on one of the corners. Nothing bad, but clearly this isn't going to last.

We just found a round one at an outlet store for only 10 bucks. This one cost us 25, same as here on Amazon. So if it breaks and we still want a pizza stone, we'll just get the 10 buck one. Pizza stones in general seem to be problematic. Do Not wash them or get them wet while they are hot they will crack for sure. The box even says to Not put frozen items on it, then put it in the oven it may crack. I'm not overboard with the rules, but am mindful of its limits. But it all begs the question: Are the results really worth it? ...that's a toss-up. We're still using it because we do like how food turns out on it, buuuuut... if/when it breaks, I doubt I'll replace it.

Maybe a non-stick vented pizza pan is a better way to go. They recommend to not wash these stones with dish soap, because they are very porous, and soap residue may get into your food. Our stone has become very stained over time, which they say is normal, but it sure looks terrible.

Bottom Line I doubt another pizza stone would perform any better than this one. Not sure they're really worth the trouble or expense, given how fragile they seem. We'll keep using ours till it breaks. But doubt we'd buy another one regardless of brand. Gave it 4 stars because it lives up to what pizza stones are supposed to do and the size is good. Just not convinced pizza stones in general are worthwhile

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