Chef's Choice 839 Krumkake Express

Very good unit to make krumkakes. The recipes that ship with the unit are easy to make and taste excellent. In the weeks following the purchase of this krumkake maker I must have baked over 100 krumkakes and was never disappointed!

Pros: Looks and feels good. Makes cakes up to 6" in diameter and very thin. The barrocco ornament of the iron looks very pretty on the cake.

Cons: To achieve the unified golden color of the cake must use temperature setting no higher than 3, otherwise they come out with patchy color. Because of this, each cake takes approx. 2 minutes to bake.

I have not tried the VillaWare unit, which claims to bake two 5" krumkakes in 30 seconds, but if that's the case than it could be a better choice for someone who needs to accomodate a large party of people fast.

Update 10/17/2008: Friend of mine has the VillaWare maker and she is very happy with it, since she can bake two at a time in about 30 sec. But I have tried her cakes and they don't nearly have that texture and firmness that Chef's Choice unit produces. Some of the difference could be attributed to the recipe variations, but the fast-baked VillaWare cakes just don't get that crispy yet firm sensation that I crave. Just my 2c.

My family is from Norway, so every christmas since I was little we all gathered in the kitchen to make Krumkake, but with the old handheld iron, the kind you put over the burner and guessed at how long it took, and burned your hands frequently. It was still fun, but thank goodness with technological advances comes the Krumkake Express! Still just as fun as the old fashioned one, and this time you can have perfect Krumkake every single time.

It comes with the roller of course, and the pattern on the iron itself is beautiful. It also comes with a recipe just in case you dont have one! We fill ours with sour cream and lingonberries, ice cream, lemon custard and just eat them plain!

I have had mine now for almost 2 years and it still works perfectly.

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Makes thin krumkaker the way a Norwegian likes them.! The ability to select color intensity is very nice but you need to know what to look for! Too hot iron will bake thin batter faster than you expect. First time use, pay attention, but then you are set. Very convenient, easy to clean. This iron has become my best friend, since I can serve delicious krumkaker in no time. Well worth the money.

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First, let me admit that I don't know what an authentic KrumKake is. I had this item on my wishlist because I wanted to use it to make ice cream cones in the summer. After looking at waffle cone makers and other KrumKake devices, I settled on this one because the pattern was pretty and the size of the circle seemed just about right for a reasonably sized ice cream cone. When I got it for Christmas, I tried making cones and formed cups using the included recipe for German cookies. The cones were indeed a good size -not super-sized cones, but a reasonable size for a sensible dessert. And the recipe was quite tasty.

Then, I got the idea that the cookies would make interesting fortune cookies -a little larger than normal, and with a pretty pattern instead of the usual flat surface. Using the same recipe, but adding just a little almond extract, I made fortune cookies, and with custom fortunes, they were a big hit at a recent party.

It does take some time to make a big batch of cookies, but once I got the rhythm down, it wasn't so bad. And to be honest, if this thing was baking two cookies at once, it would be a race to get them formed before they cooled. Better to make them one at a time and be able to shape them better.

Overall, I'm pleased with this device. Yes, the cookies aren't always perfect, but home made products aren't always perfect. I'm fine with that.

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I've made krumkake with the traditional iron in the past, but recently moved to a house with a glass stop stove and the old iron just couldn't work right without the right kind of heat...

I just finished making TWO batches of krumkake, using two different recipes (one recipe is butter based, the other is cream based). The first batch didn't last long enough -I was having so much fun, I ran out of batter and made some more! This iron is so incredibly easy to use... Krumkake is perfect, both recipes worked wonderfully.

How it works: Heat iron for about five minutes until light is green. Wipe small amount of oil on iron. Put tablespoon of batter on iron, close lid. Close latch (latch puts slight pressure on lid for uniform cakes). The light turns to red, then green when it is done in about a minute (depending on how "golden" you like it). There is a small dial with numbers that act as a timer; remember your setting (I started at 3 1/2). When the light is green, open iron, peel off cake, and roll with cone (included with iron). Easy. Recommend putting iron on cookie sheet, as batter may spill out at times.

PROS:

Incredibly easy to use the lights, latch, and dial make it almost automatic.

Batter doesn't stick to iron.

Compact in size

Easy to clean

CONS:

Only one krumkake at a time (which isn't a con if you are baking alone)

All in all, an awesome product. I can make these cookies often, easier than a regular sugar cookie, and the settings on the iron make it fool proof. Strongly recommended.

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Rosewill R-HCO-11001 Halogen Convection Oven

Maybe another brand will do a better job, but the booklet with this is worthless. It only shows a temp chart, no better specifics and no info on how long to cook. Recipes online may work for other brands, but not so good with this one. Tried a whole thawed chicken, 375 degrees for an hour + and it came out bloody. Same with a pork roast. We know a couple of people who have the brand in the infomercials and love it. I also don't like the fact that the drippings collect in the glass bowl under the meat with no way to get to them except to take the meat out of the bowl and pour it off, then put the meat back in the bowl. I think other brands have some sort of slide out shelf for this. Pretty much a waste of money so far.

When I first got it I remember thinking "These plastic pieces don't look or feel very strong." But then I decided to give it a try, after all, my husband was very pleased with the last one we had (a different one, more expensive,the one from the infomercials) and that I broke accidentally. I read the instructions prior to using it, the instruction book looks very, very basic and more like a booklet, no pictures, no diagrams etc. After one hour of trying to cook 5 small pieces of pork meat, (about 4oz each),still raw. According to the instruction book it was supposed to take only 15-20mins to fully cook. I never heard air circulating or any fan working during cooking time. Very disappointing. It's definitively going to be returned. I guess I'll the expensive brand buy next.

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Seemed like a nice inexpensive way to try out these cheaper convection ovens, so I went for it. It appears to be a rebrand of the Mr T one on TV at a fair discount. I loved using it for leftovers especially. They came out less soggy than in the microwave and more evenly cooked than in a toaster oven. When I did use it on frozen foods, I tended to microwave thaw them a bit before finishing them off in this. I guess I'm not very patient.

Still, you get what you pay for. Mine spontaneously died mid-meal about 18 months (using it a couple of times each week) after I purchased it. Both the fan and bulb stopped at the same time, so there might something simple I could replace and get it working again, but if your instincts are telling you this is a little *too* cheap, don't ignore them. If you buy it, make peace with it being potentially very temporary in advance, a good way to find out if you really want something like this or not.

Overall, I'm glad I got it. Now I know I want a convection oven and I can spend some time finding a better model.

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This is my 2nd Rosewill oven...I love the way it works so well, cooking faster and crispier than my regular oven, and found it easy to use and clean...I also love the lower price for this compared to the costlier alternatives ( like Nuwave/Big Boss).

But after a meagre 6 mths of great cooking, it suddenly stopped working... no bulb operating....on close inspection, there were a few grease splatters on the halogen bulb (from chicken thighs), and that must have been enough to kill the bulb, and oven. So be warned...dont let spatters get anywhere near the sensitive and unprotected bulb...I now know this is a common problem with all these ovens.

Anyway, I missed it so much I had to buy another one while on sale at Amazon...and if lasts only 6 mths like the last...its still money well spent! So far its done great for 1 mth. But I sure wish they would fix the design flaw!

Apr 09/13.....update..this 2nd Rosewill just stopped working, just like the first..the fan blows but the bulb is dead...no obvious splatters on it...always cooked on low rack to avoid this, cleaned catefully, but didnt work obviously...so definitely a quality problem, with only 3 months light use....make sure to buy a warranty with this that includes return shipping cost coverage....

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Hell yes you want this thing. Hell yes you can cook meat, bake things, defrost crap and reheat pizza. Hell yes it makes life easy... if you're more than two people cooking, though you may want to eat in shifts. It's perfect for single or double people cooking though. Just season, set the timer and go

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Napoleon 62035 Elite-2-Piece Grill Brush Set

I find this brush very well made and has strong stainless steel bristles. It is a great size so I can clean my grill that much faster. I haven't had a chance to use the bottled opener on the end but that will be handy in the summer. The only complaint I would have is that the metal scapper is small but since I am cooking on stainless steel grids, I rarely need to use the scapper. Overall I would say that it is by far the best quality brush I have ever owned but it is worth it to preserve my Napoleon grill.

I'm very pleased with the brush, but it was supposed to have 1 replacement head which was not included in the shipment.

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I have a Napoleon prestige p450 grill that I absolutely love. I bought their grill brush to go along with it it. It failed (broke off at the business end) one day after the 30-day amazon return window. I am going to see if Napoleon will stand behind the brush like it stands behind its grills. DO NOT buy this brush. Napoleon typically makes nothing less than awesome products. The quality differential may be due to the fact this brush was made in China, unlike Napoleon's grills which are made in Canada.

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Music City Metals 51901 Porcelain Steel Wire Cooking Grid Replacement for Select Gas Grill Models b

I replaced the cooking grid on my gas grill. The new one is one piece, replacing the original 2 piece grid. It fit perfectly and my wife says it works great!

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Winco Hamburger Turner, 6 x 3 inch Blade -- 1 each.

Very Heavy. It could also be used as a concrete trowel. I use it on the outdoor grill. Good buy

Great product and experience

The turner was exactly what I was expecting and great quality sure to last a long time

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This thing is very solidly built. I was pretty shocked at the quality considering how much I paid to have it shipped to my door. You see plastic turners at Target for $12+ and I got this at a price considerably lower. The metal is solid and thick. I don't see it bending for anything. The wood is real. Works great on my cast iron skillet, which is what I got it for. It has a beveled edge so I can scrape off whatever crud with it easily. It will work great for the grill as well. If you are looking for a solid turner that will probably last decades, give this a go.

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I know it reads as a "hamburger turner", but with the beveled edge, I use it for removing cookies from the cookie sheets. My 1st one lasted about 5 years until I used it for a screw driver (my bad), and it didn't have a smooth edge after that. The cookies come off the pan without scratching the pans, or squishing the cookies. I really do recommend this turner.

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MUCH better quality than expected ! Heavier than I figured they'd end up being.

Buy from TigerChef for the best price.

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Char-Broil 8985027 Porcelain Wire Grid Brush

Purchased the charbroil porcelain wire grid grate grill cleaner. I really like it, it gets between the grill and cleans the stuck on food, all I do later is brush it with a wire brush and its clean. Really happy with the product, the price is crazy. I bought something really similar to this at home depot a few years ago, they no longer carry it, I paid something like $4.00. This was about the same, but add shipping and you're paying $12.00 for a $4.00 item. Guess amazon has to make money too!

A bit of a mess to clean the brush, however, it cleans the grill as expected. The grill comes out cleanly when used.

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I've owned one of these "turbo" type brushes previously with an older grill and it worked great. My new Char-Broil grill has larger grill grates (larger diameter bars and greater spacing between bars). This brush still does a pretty good job, but it's not as well suited to the larger grates. Still, it does the job without much effort. Although I do wish it had a longer handle as I find it easier to brush the grates while the grill is warm. About half way through the task my knuckles were getting toasty. :-) But for six bucks as an add-on item to another order it's worth the price.

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Use it clean a porcelain grill because it is not suppose to scratch the grate. Seems to do the job to scrap off the old burnt grime. Would give it 5 stars but the length is short and I sometimes start the grill before I clean it.

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Doesn't get into the corners of my grill that well. Don't really use it that much because of that. Other than that it is ok

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BC Hose/Regulator 30-psi

I built a propane fire table this summer and need something with a higher output than the standard bbq grill hose that you can buy at Walmart or Home Depot. This one really did the trick, The adjustable pressure allows for anywhere from a small candle light flame to a 3 foot high raging inferno. Don't think about it, buy it.