Showing posts with label grill king. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grill king. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Swissmar F66103 Square Raclette/Fondue Plates, White, Set of 4

Swissmar F66103 Square Raclette/Fondue Plates, White, Set of 4As other reviews stated.....all of the plates were shattered when they arrived at my house. The box itself was wrapped with a ton of bubble wrap. However, the only thing separating the plates inside the box is a small piece of corrugated cardboard. The company needs to do a better job of wrapping the plates inside of the box.

I love the multiple compartments on these plates, allows several areas for dips or to separate cooked and uncooked foods. The square shape is unique. Can't wait to have a dinner party!

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We have the black versions and have given these as a wedding gift. A must for fondue with a small table and good for buffets and sushi.

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I bought these to use with both my fondue and raclette grill. Thick and great quality. I found the best price here than others online.

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These little guys are the perfect companion for fondue night. We were searching for something to keep our food separated from our sauces similar to what the Melting Pot uses and this definitely does the job. It is a smaller plate, but that is typical for fondue plates. The five separate smaller areas are perfect for the wonderful sauces to accompany your main course. I do wish that there were two larger sections as I prefer to keep my vegetables separate from my meat. Overall, I would certainly recommend these!

Weber Style 18902 Barbecue Apron, Brown

Weber Style 18902 Barbecue Apron, BrownSaw this model in my local True Value yesterday $20.00, which at the time wasn't priced to make me pull the trigger. It is basically a redesign of their Weber 6474 Barbecue Apron, Black $10, Two medium sized pockets right in front with an adustable neck strap; meaning...the side strap and the neck strap are all one piece, you pull on the side to make the neck smaller and vice versa. The old Weber 2 pocket looked really "blah", black with a red kettle, but this new model looks classy with the Weber logo bordered by two pieces of gray accents.

The material is light weight which is perfect for summer time grilling. I have the Weber Style 6452 Barbecue Apron which is more heavy duty and perfect for the cooler months. I grill atleast twice a week and have noticed that my current apron feels a bit heavy in these 100deg hot summer days. Now seeing this on the lightning deals I'm definately jumping on it to save the $10 over the Retail brick and mortar price.

My only design wish would have been to include a pocket for a probe thermometer. I'm gonna have to get the wife to sew on a small piece of fabric to hold it.

I bought this for my husband. We are happy with the quality but the color was much lighter than it looked on the computer screen, and not in a good way. I wouldn't say it is a nice looking apron. It is almost the color of a caramel candy. The apron itself is a lighter brown than the brown trim (on screen it looks like the faux leather trim is lighter). The weight is good stiffer than a woman would want but good for a man. Just keep the color in mind if you order it.

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This apron is light and handy to have around. It has pockets on the front to put gadgets in to free up your hands while grilling. High quality.

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Fully adjustable in the neck, and big enough to fit around the waist of a real BBQ Chef. It's made of heavy-duty material, but not so heavy as to be uncomfortable. It's very functional with great pockets. Great value.

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This was one of the gifts to my son. He loved it, and noted that it's a bit heavier duty for barbeque jobs. The pockets were looking pretty handy also.

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Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Smart Planet CDM-1 Corn Dog Maker

Smart Planet CDM-1 Corn Dog MakerThis 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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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Charcoal Companion Non-Stick Vertical Poultry Roasting Wok

Charcoal Companion Non-Stick Vertical Poultry Roasting WokTo fill in the blanks a bit on this roaster......

1) It has a non-stick surface making clean-up relatively easy. Just make sure, like with any non-stick cookware, that you use wood or plastic/rubber utensils and cleaning gear.

2) The device has its own canister for any liquids you wish to use. It has an extension as part of the canister that's perforated to let the steam saturate a larger area of the bird's inside cavity. I've not tried it yet, but am going to soak hickory chips in the canister ahead of cooking and then use a smaller amount of liquid. I'm hoping it will smoke the bird from the inside as well.

3) the base is perforated to drain away fats but lets enough remain to help baste any vegetables or other foods being cooked.

4) you want to bake indirectly with this, so plan on banking your coals to the sides of the grill. We used ours on a traditional Weber kettle grill that has baskets for the coals for indirect cooking.

5) cooking times are going to be dependent upon the fire and the bird's size, so use a meat thermometer and place it in a deep section of meat where it will read a core temp rather than surface.

6) there was plenty of room between the bird and the cover on our Weber kettle. Another style of charcoal grill might be different.

7) have a platter ready for when the cooking is done. Since the bottom of the roaster is perforated, it will drip grease anywhere you go if you just try to carry it. So, set the cooker, bird and all, on a platter to move it.

This is a nice improvement over the "beer can" method. It's sturdy and supports the bird nicely. The handles, when used with hot pads or mittens are, well, handy. It's a nice accessory for less than a $20 bill.

I've used this gizmo now 4 times 3 chickens and one small turkey breast on my gas grill. When I first got it, I didn't think the so-called "non-stick" coating was going to work very well, but I was surprised to see that I could scrub off the baked-on crud with an ordinary dish scrubber and some soap and water pretty easily. I'd say it takes about twice as much effort as, say, a Silverstone pot used for spaghetti sauce.

Stores pretty neatly too just lay the smokestack on its side and it fits on the shelf in less space than a fry pan.

As for how it works, I've never used any other kind of vertical roasting device so I have no idea if there are better ones out there. But this one seems to work just fine! The cup capacity is only about 6 ounces, but there is always leftover beer or orange juice (my favorite) still in there after the bird is done cooking so I figger the cup size is big enough.

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This is an easy way to cook chicken on a grill. The bird comes out juicy and tender and didn't take alot of the cooks time to prepare. This product deserves an A+ in my book.

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I ordered this in 2007 and just now had to dump it (4 years later) due to the non-stick finally giving way and the metal rusting. I used it so many times that I lost count! Mostly used in the oven, I sat it on a pan to keep the juices from dripping and then just seperated the fat from what juices I wanted to use. Really delicious meals, and SUPER simple to use.

I injected the chicken with flavorings, chopped up some carrots, parsnips, onions and potatoes (and seasoned), then roasted everything together. The veggies may be roasted whole or chopped largely so as not overdone. I used the juices as a dressing for the meal or for gravy, but it doesn't need anything added very tender and moist. I will be buying the stainless steel version this time ) because I want the next one to last even longer.

I love the dual uses the holes allow the fat to drip away while seasoning the veggies just enough to keep them moist, but healthful. It is wonderful on the grill for roasting smaller cuts of veggies with or without the chicken. The handles are a must when setting on a tray in the hot oven/grill!!! Very helpful most other ones do not have handles. I did a lot of research to find the right roaster with all the features that I wanted. This one is also easy to clean and store because the well/vertical part lifts off.

This one is a great value for seeing if you like a vertical roaster and how often you will use it.

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After the first use, before we even washed it, the non-stick coating was peeling off the wok. We returned it to Amazon who made the return as easy and quick as possible. I wouldn't buy the wok again (I'm going to buy a stainless steel one instead) but I was very pleased with Amazon's processing of the return.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

NCAA Texas A&M Aggies 4 Piece Barbecue Set

NCAA Texas A&M Aggies 4 Piece Barbecue SetI was a litt upset to find that the plastic packaging around the barbecue set was already ripped open in two places. I was giving this as a gift to my father for Christmas and it looked as though I bought it used. Fortunately the barbecue set itself looked brand new so we just explained the situation to my parents.

This Aggie barbeque set is awesome! We bought it as a gift and the recipient thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks so much for your great service and quick shipping!

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Sunday, February 16, 2014

Outset QB59, Rosewood Slotted Fish Spatula

Outset QB59, Rosewood Slotted Fish SpatulaThis spatula looks good and is well made. My complaint is for outdoor grilling the handle is too short, and there is no beveled edge across the "front" edge to make it easier to release the fish from the grate.

This Spatula was a gift for friends in Europe. They are very happy with it. We got so see it in action while visiting. They had a fish fry for a very large crowd.

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I love the size and quality of this spatula. I highly recommend this to anyone needing a fish spatula.

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Monday, January 20, 2014

Dallas Cowboys Apron

Dallas Cowboys ApronThe only thing I would change about this is I'd make it gray instead of white. White shows every little thing so I am having to wash this all the time. Other than that it's great! Just what my husband wanted for grilling.

HOW DO YOU REALLY RATE AN APRON? WELL I BOUGHT IT FOR A FRIEND WHOM LOVES THE DALLAS COWBOYS. HE STATES THOUGH THAT HE HAS TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN HE GRILLS OR HE WILL GET EVERYTHING ALL OVER APRON ( APRON IS MOSTLY WHITE YOU SEE). BUT THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT IT IS THOUGH HE SAID HE WASHED IT IN BLEACH AND MADE THE WHITE BRAND NEW AND DIDN'T EVEN AFFECT THE BLUE LETTERING. (YET)

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My husband likes to cook bacon sans shirt. So I bought this for him to reduce the number of times he "ouches" when the bacon greases spits at him. :) It did its job, but I think an adjustable neck strap would be better. The top of the apron doesn't cover the chest well, because the neck bit is too long. Although it's easily solved by cutting the string, it seems a shame to do that. It also smelled weird out of the package and after its first washing with fabric softner. eh.

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It the way th the way the picture looks does not have Cowboys o does not have Cowboys on it ver very disappointed

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This was a gift for the wife she's a Dallas Cowboy fan, and I'm an ATLanta Falcon fan plus!!! I'm deep into the sports world as a fan, so I figure with buying all my teams items I would buy her a few items... I recommend it to sports fans... It is a nice gift to have, go FALCONS!!!

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Sunday, December 1, 2013

Weber 3841001 Genesis E-310 Natural Gas Grill, Black

Weber 3841001 Genesis E-310 Natural Gas Grill, BlackI am extremely satisfied with this grill. It is by far the best one I could find for the money. I considered buying it locally, but found out that I could buy it for $200 dollars less from Amazon.com. It would've been worth the extra $200, but why pay more than you have to.

I considered purchasing the E-320, but decided that the side burner was a feature that would probably never be used. Most people I talk to that have bought grills with side burners never actually use them. The E-310 is wonderful. It cooks evenly, has great control over temperatures, and is built to last. I can't imagine needing a new one for a very long time.

If I had to pick the bad part of this grill, I would be pretty hard pressed to come up with something. The only thing I can think of is that the burners run from left to right along the length of the grill instead of from front to back. This isn't a problem just different than what I'm used to. So as a result, you have to get used to having your indirect heat zones in a different place than you may be used to.

Shortly after I got it, we had a pool party where we grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for 20 people. I was able to cook all the meat for the crowd at the same time.

I would highly recommend this grill.

This product came un-assembled. It was boxed extremely well with no missing parts and good instruction. As with my previous Weber BBQ that I used for 15 years this is a high quality product.

Best of all it cooks great!

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So far, this is the best BBQ I have used. In all fairness, most all BBQs I've had were pretty good from the start but in the past, they only seem to last about 2 years since the burners rust out (living near the coast). The longevity of the burners remains to be seen but the quality of the BBQ is pretty good and the strength of the heat and how evenly it is spread is better than my previous experience.

It was pretty easy to assembly (took about 2 hours) and everything was in the package. I would highly recommend getting the Weber cover from the start as well as other Weber accessories (the grill brush is the best I have ever seen and the reason I went with Weber in the first place).

It was shipped through Eagle and though I read some bad stories of late deliveries, mine was ready to be received exactly on the estimated date.

You will enjoy this medium level BBQ.

Read Best Reviews of Weber 3841001 Genesis E-310 Natural Gas Grill, Black Here

This grill is great looks great on the deck, feels very solid and substantial, and has a nice large cooking surface.

We received one incorrect trim piece in the package. Weber's customer service is very accessible; their phone lines are open long hours. We received a replacement part with no delay.

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I'd give this grill five stars if it weren't for the following design flaw: the ignition switch parts are made of cheap, flimsy plastic. So flimsy that the third time we used it the ignition completely fell apart. (The grill was assembled by Barbeques Galore, so I assume they knew what they were doing.)

It was easy enough to re-assemble the ignition, but this seems like one of those parts that I will be replacing in a couple of years. If this were a cheap grill, I would not mind so much. But it's not a cheap grill, and at this price one expects quality parts.

Kind of frustrating, because Weber could have spent an extra dollar to use better materials and make a switch that would not be so flimsy...

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Monday, November 18, 2013

Earthchef Montane Frying Pan

BergHOFF Earthchef Montane Frying Pan, 10.25'The Berghoff seems well constructed. I have not tested it on a high technology stove, but it looks like it was built to work with one. In use it comes pretty close to Teflon in performance at Teflon's recommended operating temperatures, although just a little bit less non-stick than Teflon. So far it washes as easily as Teflon. The Berghoff can be used at temperatures that exceed Teflon's limits, although high heat may not be the best way to cook. There is no dedicated lid, although a Nordic Ware Restaurant 10 inch Brushed Stainless-Steel Lid fits pretty well. The bottom plate picks up some residue at high temp on my stove, but the exterior's durability seems confidence inspiring so far. Long term durability and functionality of the interior remains untested.

Pasted below is a mini-diary of some comparisons:

Stove is an ordinary, four-burner, electric coil stove.

2/1/12

Berghoff and Orgreenic treated with high-temp safflower oil, 25 minutes medium to medium-high heat.

2/2/12

Eggs, low-medium to medium heat. Light application of olive oil.

Cooking: All required a spatula to flip.

Farberware & Orgreenic tied.

Berghoff slightly more sticky with thin bits on egg clinging to pan.

Cleanup: Interiors of all easily cleaned up with soapy water and soft sponge, more easily than the nylon Good Cook spatula.

Exteriors: The ceramic pans show some persistent residue from the previous seasoning. The metal exterior bottom of the Berghoff looks a little better than the gray exterior bottom of the Orgreenic, which is showing a lot of little chips.

The metal bottom of the Farberware pan looks cleaner, probably because as a Teflon pan settings higher than medium are always avoided.

2/4/12

Eggs, cheddar cheese, sliced garlic, cayenne pepper. Between medium and medium-high heat. Light application of olive oil.

Pans rotated between burners to try to equalize cooking temperature.

Both required a spatula, but non-stick performance was about equally good for the Berghoff and Orgreenic. The Orgreenic seems to cook a little faster. The Farberware pan did not participate, because it is assumed it would probably be non-stick enough up to medium heat, but it should not be used above that setting.

Cleanup: Interiors of both easily cleaned up with soapy water and soft sponge. The gray exterior bottom of the Orgreenic is showing more wear.

2/5/12

I gave both pans another treatment with safflower oil, this time at high heat. My burners smoke, but the oil does not.

Light application of olive oil. Medium high setting. Farberware Teflon pan is excused from participating. Thin steak, no lids, add onions near end, add Salsa Brava. Orgreenic seems to cook a little faster again. Berghoff shows more stuck, cooked, meat juice residue.

Cleanup: Although the Berghoff looks a little uglier going into the sink, interiors of both equally easily cleaned up with soapy water and soft sponge.

Olive oil, potato slices (about ¼'thick), medium-high heat. Orgreenic seems to brown them faster than the Berghoff. Very non-stick with both pans.

2/9/12

Light application of olive oil. Medium high setting. Farberware Teflon pan is excused from participating. Thin pork loin, no lids. After meat removed, followed immediately by sliced potato. The Orgreenic seems to cook a little faster again, but it is producing more blackened residue, and it looks a little uglier than the Berghoff going into the sink. The Berghoff washes easily with soapy water and soft sponge. The Orgreenic mostly cleans well, but some traces of blackened residue are resistant. The rougher side of the sponge seems to clean it off okay.

I reseasoned both pans at medium high with canola oil. Unlike the other oils, this one does smoke, more so with the Orgreenic pan, and canola has a rather foul, fishy odor at that temperature. It also seems to cook up a little patch of previously unseen brownish residue on the Orgreenic pan. After cooling, an application of the rough side of the sponge and hot water seems to remove it.

2/10/12

Sitram Profiserie 9½-Inch Stainless Steel Lid has arrived from Amazon.

Gave both ceramic pans another treatment with safflower oil to help flush out any remaining canola oil.

Light application of olive oil. Medium setting. Frying pan lids. Sunnyside up eggs, one each, all three pans.

Both the Berghoff and the Orgreenic need a little bit of assistance from the spatula, but then slide easily. The Berghoff has a little bit more residue. The egg is able to slide on the Teflon Farberware pan without the spatula.

Cleanup: Equally easy from this experiment. The Orgreenic is showing a tiny bit of persistent dark residue on the interior edge near the handle, probably from the previous experiment.

Exteriors, bottom: The Farberware shows hardly any wear or residue. Both ceramic pans show some persistent residue, possibly caused by higher temperature experiments. The Orgreenic's plain bottom with the same finish as the sides is showing a lot of little scrapes.

Measurements:

Farberware Nonstick Aluminum Egg Poacher (with poacher and lid removed) has outside diameter of the lid lip of about 7 7/8 inches, nearly vertical sides 391g

Telebrands (5827-6) 10" Orgreenic Frying Pan has outside diameter of about 10 inches, curved and sloped sides. 665g

BergHOFF Earthchef 10.25" Montane Frying Pan has outside diameter of about 10 7/8 inches, curved and sloped sides. 973g

Lids: The Farberware has a dedicated glass lid.

The RSVP Stainless Steel Universal Lid-7 to 12 Inch sits flat enough on either ceramic pan, but on each the angled handle forces it to be off-center.

The Nordic Ware Restaurant 10 inch Brushed Stainless-Steel Lid fits well on the Berghoff, but the inner portion is too wide to sit well on the Orgreenic.

Sitram Profiserie 9.5-Inch Stainless Steel Lid fits the Orgreenic pan. Not perfectly, a little bit wobbly, but best so far for this pan. If they made a 9 inch lid, it would probably be just right.

I was quite happily making fried eggs with almost no oil just minutes after getting this pan. Nothing stuck, and the pan was quite easy to clean with just a wet sponge once it cooled down. Just as easy as any PTFE-based pan I've used in the past. The pan itself is well-designed, and it works perfectly on my induction cooktop. (The first non-PTFE non-stick pan I've found that DOES do this successfully!)

I've noticed that most of these non-PTFE pans get very good reviews at first, but often start breaking down within a few months. I'll be sure to edit my review after a while either way, to note whether the pan is failing or not, and adjust the rating if needed...

Apr 30, 2012 edit: I've had the pan for about 6 months now. The non-stick coating is holding up quite well, in my opinion, though it does seem to have degraded slightly since it was new. I've noticed that small bits of food will occasionally stick...but these just wipe off with a sponge.

My only complaint (as noted in the comments) is that the bottom does bulge a bit towards the center, so liquids pool around the edges somewhat...making it easier to burn things in the center if you're not attentive. I'm otherwise extremely happy with this pan, though!

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Scan Pan used to be my go to pan but not any more. The Earth Chef pan is now my go to pan. It's non stick coating is far better than any of the others I've had including Calphalon, Cuisinart and All Clad. I use scrambled eggs as my test for non stick success. This pan does it all from searing to sauteing and it's reasonably priced compared to the big names. I highly recommend it.

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We were looking for a pan that is non stick, this size and healthy (not cancerous). This is it. it's beautiful, quality work and is all we hoped it would be. Recommend.

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nonstick surface is great, doesn't need any spray or oil; shape is easy to use. handle is comfy. Now looking for another of the same in 7 or 8 inch and one in 12-14 inch.

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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Presto 07045 Family-Size Cool-Touch Tilt'N Drain Electric Griddle

Presto 07045 Family-Size Cool-Touch Tilt'N Drain Electric GriddleI purchased this griddle intending to use it to cook pancakes, bacon, and to heat torillas.

First of all, the aluminum surface of the griddle is not as thick as I was expecting. I haven't measured it, but I'd estimate it's between 1/8" and 3/16" thick across most of the surface. As such, it does warp under high heat. It was set on top of my smooth top range (range was off and cold, of course!) and when I turned it past 450 degrees, I found that one of the 4 legs would be off the surface. There is a raised lip around the outer edge which would prevent liquids (pancake batter, beaten egg, etc) from spilling off. This is useful and well executed.

Previous reviews noted that your pancakes can come out "striped" due to the heating element. I underestimated this. Though made of aluminum, there definitely are vast differences in heat from one area of the griddle to another. I think this griddle would perform much better if the heating element covered more of the surface of the griddle, kind of like the design of an electric oven's broiler element.

For heating tortillas, I've got no complaints. And this griddle can get hot, as I've done chicken stir-fry and fajitas all on the surface of the griddle.

Overall, I think I paid a fair price for it, but I'd look for a more expensive, higher quality model next time around.

Having gone through several electric griddles over the years this one is the pick of the litter. The tilt feature is nice to keep your bacon from deep frying in its own grease and makes clean up easier. The size is great since you can actually feed a crowd (thats why you bought it right?). There are some hot spots as usual with this type of item but nothing real serious. I would recommend this item if you want to cook up a pound of bacon at a time, a mess of pancakes or 6 grilled cheese sandwiches.

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I ABSOLUTELY HATE THIS GRIDDLE. We bought oversize to make more pancakes and thought the cool-touch edge was a great idea. The Tilt'N Drain sounds great, but a mere bump of the cool-touch edge and the griddle falls into the drain position. Not what you're looking for when pouring pancakes. First of all, it still only accommodates five normal size pancakes (four corners and one in the middle). The surface is not level, and all the pancakes run towards the center giving them a distinctive oval shape. The biggest disappointment is the heating element. I purposely pour the center one first, and the one closest to the heating source last. Despite my efforts the one closest to the heating element source turns dark brown in no time flat, and the one in the center is barely ready to flip. End result...I'm shopping for a new griddle.

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Purchased this last Christmas. Our previous attempts to do pancakes for our family of 4 children were OK, but the small griddles and frying pans just didn't get the job done quickly enough. Most we could cook at a time were 5 in the circular Circulon electric frying pan. So we got this and it does the job. We're able to cook 8 to 12 pancakes at a time, so are able to cook the entire breakfast with just two batches.

I like the drain feature for bacon, but as other reviewers have indicated it slides into the drain position much too easily. It has never done so during cooking, so our pancakes have always turned out great. But while getting it out of the cupboard and cleaning it, those handles just pop out. Would be nice if they had provide some sort of lock or quick-release mechanism.

Also, as indicated by others, the heat is a little uneven. Pour batter in the top right corner last (next to where the heating element connects).

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This griddle is BIG, which is what I wanted. If you want a big griddle, this is it. Keep in mind, the size makes it difficult to clean. It does not fit in my sink, so water often drips on the floor (without me knowing) when I clean it. However, this is not a problem with the griddle, just something to be aware of.

Unfortunately, the surface does not heat evenly, nor does the thermostat appear to be accurate. The middle of the griddle is about 15 F warmer than the setting on the thermostat while the sides were 50 F warmer, as measured with an IR thermometer. This is the only design flaw.

The griddle is level! Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and any other items that flow will stay where you put them. Other griddles are permanently tilted to allow grease to drain. This unit will tilt when you need it to drain (when cooking bacon for example), but stay level when you want it level.

The size is great, and I have not found anything that comes close to this. Without a doubt, I would purchase this again.

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Thursday, September 12, 2013

West Bend Can Opener-Bottle Opener, Knife Sharpener, Auto Shutoff, Cord Management, Dishwasher Safe

West Bend Can Opener-Bottle Opener, Knife Sharpener, Auto Shutoff, Cord Management, Dishwasher Safe, Removable Cutting Head-Black-by WESTBENDThree solid foot stomps and a bale of hay-loved it! This opener is built like a tank, has a solid feel, and really powerful motor and magnant. It is very nice looking and worth every penny if you want the best of the best! I am one happy horse.Unit is also easy to clean and is tall to accomodate any can and the magnent is strong enough to hold any can. This honestly is extremely well built and worth every penny if you want something that will last years and years and years!

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Saturday, August 31, 2013

Charmed Life Products 6-Piece Grill Charms Set, The Charmed Life Collection

Charmed Life Products 6-Piece Grill Charms Set, The Charmed Life CollectionOnce in a while certain items come along and you think, WOW, why didn't I think of that. These Grill Charms are one of those thoughts. Take a simple concept, flesh it out make it out of high grade metal and you have a quality product. Now instead of cutting into every steak to see which is rare and which is medium you can insert these charms into the meat and keep track of temps and flavors from grill to table.

Not only are they great for steaks, but chicken, pork chops, turkey cutlets and even hamburgers. The charms do not slide out out thanks to the simple cut edges on the sides of the charm. No they are not tie tacks, nor are they small branding irons for the meat; simply insert into the meat, season as you do normally and then grill to your desired doneness. Then have no fear of stacking together on one plate because each piece of meat has a marker that will clearly state the cook's intentions. I thought for sure the burgers done up with the charms would loose one or two when flipped but they stayed securely in place and made it to the table without any problems. Each guest was happy to see that the meat did not have to be cut or pulled apart to test doneness, nor were the charms hard to pull out before eating.

Another nice feature is the ability to change up seasonings without worry. I love my grilled proteins highly seasoned and my guests not so much, so I push these little charms into the low heat seasoned meats and now when I'm done grilling I can simply point out the charm that the guest selected without them worrying about burning off their tongue. This also plays helps many guests with allergic reactions to gluten or nuts. Now, by placing a charm into their cut of meat you can know let them know that you followed it from grill to table without any possible marinades or seasoning that wold cause an allergic outbreak. You simply keep those cuts away from the others and offer your guests a piece of mind with an excellently cooked piece of meat.

Grill Charms are an inexpensive and fun way to stay safe and have fun when grilling! They are easy to clean up in the dishwasher or by hand and ready to go at the next outing. I highly recommend these to anyone needing to mark their grilling territory!

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Thursday, August 1, 2013

Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Galvanized Charcoal and Ash Can with Lid

Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Galvanized Charcoal and Ash Can with LidI bought this ash can to use for the doggie trash bags. The smell in the large utility can was too strong to tolerate until pick-up day. This way, the firm construction and tight lid keep Fido's refuse secure and the garage odor-free. Great product!

A strong can but it is small. Hard to get an idea how big it is from the description.

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Description states that can holds "up to 15 pounds" of charcoal briquettes. This is untrue as the can is not large enough to hold even half of one standard bag of charcoal. What's more the can is thin and arrived misshapen, resulting in a misfitting lid.

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You put stuff in it....and the stuff stays there! And just in case you are afraid the stuff might come out, it has a lid...and that works too! You put it on, and it covers the can....very nice...very nice indeed!

; )

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Bought this can to store ashes from a woodstove. Works great could be slightly heavier but works just fine.

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