Showing posts with label grilled pizza recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grilled pizza recipe. Show all posts

Monday, July 14, 2014

Big Green Egg Ash Pan

Big Green Egg Ash PanThe Big Green Egg ash pan has been a nice accessory for the grill. I was originally using my metal shop dust pan but it did not catch all of the ashes. This is due to the round shape of the egg and the positioning of the egg's ceramic legs. This ash pan has a curved edge. It is made of relatively thick steel and should last for many years if maintained.

Use it. Love it. Fits into groove on air in-take opening. Makes a messy job so much easier. Just set it in the slot and hold it while u scrape out the ashes. Works great

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A simple, easy way to help clean out Green Egg grill. An effective, must have tool. Very easy to use.

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I have the other brand other than the green egg but is very similar. works great for ash removal with very little spill.

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If you plan on using your Big Green Egg more than once, do yourself a favor and get this pan. Makes cleaning ash out a painless experience. It has a lip that fits right in the groove of the draft door so it stays while you scoop. The ash tool is a great pair to this pan.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Hamilton Beach 25450 Gourmet Panini Press

Hamilton Beach 25450 Gourmet Panini PressYou can't give this machine a bad rating. This Hamilton Beach Panini Press does one thing and one thing only, but it does it very well. If you enjoy pressed/grilled sandwhiches you will love this machine. As I write this I'm eating a feta/olive/artichoke/roasted peppers on pita sandwhich hot off the panini press, and it's scrumptious. I actually bought this as a christmas gift for my mother, but I probably use it more than she does.

The machine looks good on the counter, and has a large, non stick service. It's not on a hinge so it's designed to accept even the thickest sandwhiches without squeezing all the filling out. You can even "lock" the lid down to apply constant pressure, or lock it up to maintain minimal pressure or to not make contact with the top at all. It's great for quesidillas as well. Ignore the user that says it takes too long to heat up, it takes only a couple of minutes, about the time a waffle maker would take to heat. Even cooking on the stove you need to take a few mins to heat the pan! Also ignore the comment that this machine burns the bread before heating the filling, I've never had such problems, although I do wish there was a temperature control for further versatility. But my bread never burns... I find 2-6 min will brown the bread perfectly, from lightly browned to nice and crispy (depending on how you like it) without burning it at all. I've never burned anything on this machine. Maybe this would happen if you used the wrong bread, but I can't say for sure. I even once used it to grill some chicken, and it did the job nicely, though it's not really designed for that.

There are a few down sides. This is a no-frills unit. There is no included recipe book, just a few hastily thrown together ideas in the instruction booklet. That's not a big deal, as I'm sure you'll have plenty of ideas of your own. More disappointing is the lack of a temperature control. That might have helped the reviewer who had problems with bread burning, and would give better flexibility. The machine itself gets very hot on the outside, but that's to be expected. Keep youngin's away from this thing, though. There's no alternate "plates" or cooking surfaces for say a flat "griddle" style surfaces, so if you prefer that or find a need for one. I don't think that's a huge deal, but I do think I'd prefer a flat surface, as that means more surface contact and more browning (though you wouldn't get those nice brown grill marks).

This is a decent machine at a decent price. It could be better with a temp control, some added weight, and some extra features, but all-in-all, you can't complain too much there.

*Update*

After having this a while, we noticed the non-stick coating was beginning to a) lose its nonstick ability, and b) peel and flake off the cooking surface (and into our food!).

This was within a year or two of owning and using with only non-metal utensils. We only used the grill occasionally, so it's not like it was due to over use.

I've also since come to realize that nonstick in general, and PTFE (Teflon) in particular, make absolutely no sense in an application like this--the surface must get quite hot to do it's job well, and that both burns the coating and causes it to release harmful fumes into the air. I've reverted to using a pair of well-seasoned, cast-iron pans, one small enough to fit inside the other. I preheat the pans until they are very hot, and let time and weight to the rest. No harmful fumes, no limited lifetime, and cast iron holds and distributes heat as well if not better than even the higher end presses.

If you're looking for this kind of grill, you'll have these problems with almost any model, but I would recommend a plain cast iron model without nonstick if you can find one (I've never seen one). You may also want to just try doing it the old fashioned way. Honestly, I don't remember why I thought having a dedicated sandwich press was a good idea.

Mechanically, the press has a nice design and it works OK for a $40 item. The upper lid is not hinged, so it can be raised very high to accomodate thick sandwiches. Bread comes out nicely ridged and crunchy. It does take a while for the unit to heat to cooking temperature, however. The main problem seems to be how to cook the inside of the sandwich without burning the bread; for an average sandwich (3 oz. ham and 2 oz. cheese) after 1.75 minutes the bread is done, but the ham is not sufficiently warm nor the cheese melted. This may be an issue with all lower-end panini presses, I suppose; perhaps some experimentation with different bread types and cooking times will solve my little dilemma. In any case, so far the resulting sandwiches are better than if served at room temperature, but not as good as those heated in my toaster oven and then slapped together.

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Excellent value because it's not just a panini press -you can also use it as a contact grill for vegetables, burgers, etc. You do this by using a set screw to lock the upper plate at the height you want. Bingo: buy one appliance rather than two.

The upper plate has about 3" to 4" of travel, so you can press fairly thick sandwiches. The size is nicely compact, with the overall dimensions not much bigger than the heating plates.

The plates have very fine ribbing, so you can't use this grill to fry eggs or pancakes. If you want those options, consider the Breville SG620XL panini press/grill (which has flat plates that lock into 6 positions), or the smaller Hamilton Beach 25219 Contact Grill.

Read Best Reviews of Hamilton Beach 25450 Gourmet Panini Press Here

First off:

1) I've used it now for over 6 months and not a single flake of the teflon coming off. My husband is a panini addict too. The machine is used every other day at the very least!

2) The plates are not flat because they are not supposed to be! I know one reviewer commented that they hated it because its not flat. This is a PANINI machine and not a griddle.

3) One reason people's sandwiches are not hot through out could be because we are used to eating HUGE sandwiches. Remember this cooks from the outside in, so if your sandwich is HUGE, the middle is going to be cold. That is just common sense. I like more meat than bread when I have a sandwich because I am not a bread person. (I eat my hamburgers with no bun or only half a bun.) But my sandwiches on the panini are hot throughout and they are not skinny whimpy ones. And if you are going to have lettuce and tomato, put it on after you cook the sandwich. I personally do not like cooked lettuce, tomato, pickle, etc. on my sandwiches...YUK!

4) Another reason could be because you need to put your ingredients on evenly. Don't clump a bunch of stuff in the middle and then expect it to be hot, it's not going to. Lay your ingredients evenly across the sandwich and there shouldn't be a problem with it heating throughly. Also remember the thickness of the cuts that you put on effects it too. Slice your vegetables thinner and there shouldn't be a problem!

5) It doesn't take a long time to heat up if you do it right. You go in the kitchen, get out the panini machine, and plug it in. THEN go to the refrigerator and get your items, wash your vegetables, slice things up, etc. By the time you have everything ready, your machine with be hot and ready to go!

6) It's plenty big! I have a big husband and son. Between the 3 of us it takes mere minutes to make our sandwiches. We fit at least 4 sandwiches at a time on our machine. So I'll make the guys their sandwiches, then plunk my sandwich on after theirs, put away all the fixings, and when I'm done so is my sandwich! Or we put the panini in the middle of the table and get all the fixings together. While someone enjoys their salad, another cooks their sandwiches. Good conversation and good panini sandwiches, you can't beat that!

We love this panini sandwich maker. I've seen many more units that are fancier and MUCH more expensive but I don't need all the bells and whistles for a sandwich for pete's sake! I have brunch or lunch dates with family and friends all the time and we make panini's. We set out the fixings and let everyone put together a sandwich and make their own panini! Seven people have bought their own machine since then! One of the greatest gifts this machine gives is an easy way to eat healthy. You don't need any grease, butter, margarine, Pam, or anything when you use it. That is so much healthier! By far, one of the best kitchen gadgets I have ever purchased!

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I've been using this press every day since it arrived at my doorstep. I love it! It does have a few issues:

1) The lever that secures the height of the press broke after 1 day of light use. Also, the black paint started to peel off in its first use. I just took the entire thing off and it still works just fine.

2) The surface of the press is not insulated. I have to keep my young children away from it.

3) It does not have an on/off feature. Just plug it in to turn it on.

4) The grill plates are not removable for easy cleaning. I would have given it 5 stars if it had this feature.

I still gave it 4 stars because I consider these issues to be minor compared to the great food this thing makes. Makes a killer grilled cheese sandwich. I have also made quesadillas with it. Yummy!

To address some of the other reviewer's comments:

1) Do not overstuff your sandwiches. There is a very popular, expensive deli in our area that makes terrific paninis. They dont put much in the middle but the fixings become hot, yummy goodness. I have gone to other deli that try to give you a big bang for your buck and put in tons of fixings. The fixings came out cold and the cheese not melted. If that happens with their commerical panini maker, you bet it would happen with this one.

2) I like the fact that the surface is NOT flat. It leaves wonderful grill marks. I think the food should look as good as it tastes.

Overall, a great panini maker especially for the price I bought it for ($39.54, not including the $25 off $125 promo discount). Target sells this thing for $49.99.

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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Charcoal Companion Nonstick Popcorn Popper Grilling Basket

Charcoal Companion Nonstick Popcorn Popper Grilling BasketI ordered this months ago and thought I was getting what was pictured, but no. Apparently there are two different pictures and one is not correct, but they still have it up.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Primo 609 Quick Lights Fire Starters, 24-Pieces per box

Primo 609 Quick Lights Fire Starters, 24-Pieces per boxI purchased these to light a charcoal grill and they do work but before the box was half used the striker on the side of the package was almost worn out. They are basically a match attached to an ignitable sawdust mixture. Since I seem to need to light them with another the fire-starting nuggets Lightning Nuggets N100SEB Firestarters Super Economy Box of Fire-Starting Nuggets, 100 Count are cheaper and work better.

I have been using these for over a year now after finding a good deal for them on the web. I bought a whole case and so far haven't been disappointed. They don't leave a smell and my fire is lit, stable, and ready to go in less than half an hour usually. It's not practical for me to use a chimney and I don't feel like fooling with a MAPP torch and having it go out. These have yet to fail me so I plan on continuing to buy them.

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I put 3 of these under a chimney style lighter box and these things have the coals nice and orange in no time! These are a must when using the 608 lump charcoal.

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These fire starters work great for starting a charcoal grill without lighter fluid. They burn long enough to get the fire going, and are reasonably easy to light. The match head/striker;however isn't that great. It's easier to just light them on fire with a lighter than to use the striker on the side of the box. It just doesn't work that well. But if you put them in the grill and light them you will not need lighter fluid ever again.

If you're using a Kamado Oven, they're perfect.

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Horrible product! The fire starters do not start when they are struck on the side of the box and once you get them lit with a match...they do not keep the fire going. One time I just touched the fire starter to the side of the box and it ignited in my hand. Will never purchase this product again.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Babycakes CP-12 Cake Pop Maker, 12 Cake Pop Capacity, Purple

Babycakes CP-12 Cake Pop Maker, 12 Cake Pop Capacity, PurpleI like it. It's easy to use, takes little care and comes with some nice accessories, such as pop sticks, a drying rack, a little fork and a syringe. Though these items are not made for heavy use, they are more than adequate for us non-pros. If you follow the instructions, you can easily produce doughnut holes/cake pops. This item produces more pops in one batch than other makers on the market. I suspect the balls may be slightly smaller, but to a 6-year-old, that doesn't matter. A dozen at a time is more or less a 'batch' so this model works well. The fork makes it easy to remove the balls from the maker and put them on a cooling rack. We've used a white cake mix, a brownie mix and a gingerbread mix and are pleased with the results. My wife used the injector to put melted marscapone into the gingerbread balls. It did a good job and the results are tasty. The key is to follow the instructions and to have someone who knows how the different type of mixes bake. The brownie mix takes a little longer than the white cake mix. The gingerbread pops took 3.5 minutes, but my wife decreased the water by about an ounce, so the batter was a little heavy. I did the white cake mix and baked them for 4.5 minutes each batch. The cake mix yielded 6.5 batches. The brownie mix produced about two dozen. Now some suggestions. Getting the right amount of batter into each well is crucial to a good pop; too little and they're not as round, too much and you get something that looks like Saturn and there's more clean-up. The brownies had mini-chocolate chips in them and many didn't make it into a ball. To get the right amount of batter and do it quickly, I recommend using a pancake batter pencil. You can add cake batter and squeeze out the right amount quickly. For thicker batters with chips and such, use a cookie press. The press should push the chips through. Trying to spoon a tablespoon of batter into the wells gets messy. You can use a canning (wide-mouth) funnel to transfer batter from your mixing bowl into the pancake batter pencil. Have fun.

I have to start off by saying that these are not traditional cake pops. Usually cake pops are made by mushing up a cooled cake with icing and forming them into balls. This product simply makes balls of cake. And it works beautifully! There are a few tips you should be aware of though:

-Like other reviews stated, you will get "saturn rings"...but only if you overfill! I find the perfect spot is filled to right below the top of the well. This produces perfect little spheres without the overflow.

-You will probably have to use an oven mitt. This thing gets HOT!

-Use a pastry bag when filling the wells. If you don't have a pasty bag, use a large zip-lock bag with the corner snipped off. This allows you to get precisely the right amount of filling without getting it everywhere.

-You MUST must must freeze the cake balls for 15 minutes before putting them on a stick and dipping them! To help them adhere after freezing, dip the stick in a little bit of melted chocolate and then insert into the cake ball. Pop them back into the freezer for a few minutes, and then dip away!

-For a better dipping experience, use a little bit (a tablespoon or so) or vegetable oil to thin the candy melts. After dipping, gently tap the stick on the side of your bowl while rotating the stick to get off excess chocolate.

Overall, this is a great little device that does exactly what it's supposed to do if you follow the directions. I will never go back to hand rolling cake pops again!

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I love my cakemaker. I waited a few months for this through Kohls, which was WAY cheaper than Amazon.com. I just got it and I've already made cake pops, brownie bites, doughnut holes, and takoyaki. It is so versatile with the shape and how small it is. Its definitely one of the smaller models of the babycakes series, but it makes for great bite size treats. Remember, cake pops are not going to be the traditional dense ones, but you can still chill the round cakes, put a stick in it, and dip it in chocolate. It still turns out very good. I actually prefer this to the usual dense crumbly ones. It feels more like cake instead of smashed cake pounded together. The takoyaki, which is a japanese food, turned out great; better than expected! The nonstick surface is fabulous and it heats up and cools down very fast. The cook time is amazing as well, only 6-8 minutes.

The only cons I can see is the really short power cord (only two feet approx) and that the outside plastic gets quite warm (almost hot) to the touch when heating and baking. The lid will get loose if you're not careful.

Read Best Reviews of Babycakes CP-12 Cake Pop Maker, 12 Cake Pop Capacity, Purple Here

Easy to use and fun to make with kids. Endless possibilities beyond just cake pops: mini muffin balls, potato cake balls, etc.. I read all the reviews and didn't risk a straight cake mix. I used the adapted recipe from their website and they came out perfectly! That's 2 Cups boxed cake mix, 4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup water and 1 egg. You can use the included from scratch recipes, but girl please. The biggest pain is coating them in candy melts after. I have a mini crock pot I use to keep my chocolate warm, but it is still very time consuming. Just be prepared and block out about 2 hours for the whole process.

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When I first got my cake pop maker I admit I had some of the same problems as others did. However, with further experimentation I found that in order to get sphere cake balls you have to refrigerate your cake batter. I keep my batter in the fridge even while I have some of it baking. When I fill the holes I then put the pancake pen in the fridge as well. If you don't the balls will flatten on the top. I have used red velvet, french vanilla, marble, devils food, etc.

The only issue I have with the make is it gets so hot that you sometimes need to help of a dish rag to get it open. If it feels like the latch wont open push down on the top with a rag and then try the latch. I would highly recommend this cake pop maker to anyone who likes to bake for fun. Once you get the hang of the cake pop maker it is so easy to use. I have baked upwards of 270 cake pops at one time.

If you have trouble getting the batter into the cake pop maker I recommend the Tovolo 80-4784 Pancake Pen 3-Cup Batter Dispenser it runs about $10 you can get it on Amazon or at Bed, Bath & Beyond (20% off coupon will save you $2)

If you want to melt your own chocolate the Wilton Chocolate Pro Electric Melting Pot is wonderful! You can get it on Amazon for $25 or Michaels always has 40% off coupons so you could get it for about $20.

I hope this helped, and good baking!!!

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Monday, April 7, 2014

Lodge Pro-Logic P12SG3 Square Griddle, 12-inch

Lodge Pro-Logic P12SG3 Square Griddle, 12-inchI ordered this griddle to replace my Teflon one trying to replace all my teflon cookware piece by piece. I'm VERY happy with it. It came pre-seasoned and ready to use, and I've used it a dozen times already; for pancakes, for quesadillas and most recently, for grilled cheese sandwiches. It does take some "getting used to". It is very heavy for one. And it takes a while to pre-heat, because you don't want to heat it up too fast. I usually start it out on low heat (around 3 or 4 on my electric range). I pre-heat for about 5 minutes. This way, the heat gets evenly distributed. If you start cooking too soon, yes, it will be unevenly heated. Once you bring it up to heat, you need to watch it to make sure it doesn't get too hot. I leave it on 3 or 4, closer to 3 for pancakes, closer to 4 for grilled cheese and it has cooked everything perfectly. Cleans up like a professional non-stick item and is tough, tough, tough. I use my steel pizza cutter to cut through quesadillas right on the griddle before serving them something you definitely CAN'T do on Teflon!

Admittedly, a few drawbacks the weight, the long time to pre-heat. But once you get used to it, you will love it just like I do.

I have a collection of Lodge pans in the kitchen "tool box" so it was a no brainer that getting this griddle would be an exciting addition. It showed up in perfect shape and was even pre-seasoned. I was sure that cooking would be a snap but was quickly very disappointed. After mixing up some delicious home made pancakes, I quickly ruined the first pan full by the pan burning the ones in the middle and under cooking all the others. We use a state of the art G.E. gas stove with very good ratings. The burners all are very even and heat perfectly. After shifting the griddle around to other burners, there was no change. This problem usually stems from poor materials and inconsistent construction. For any other griddle, I would take it in stride but for a Lodge product, this was surprising and unexpected. For comparison purposes, I put on the large skillet and cooked up a perfect set of pancakes. I've never had such an experience and couldn't believe it! This shouldn't stop you from buying their skillets but I can't believe the handling of this griddle. Very disappointing. Very unexpected.

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I wanted to love this griddle because I have other Lodge pans and the size is great. That said, even with preheating, this griddle does not heat evenly the center gets much hotter than the corner areas. For pancakes, I rotate them just to have some even browning. A disappointment.

Read Best Reviews of Lodge Pro-Logic P12SG3 Square Griddle, 12-inch Here

I thought this would perform like the Lodge skillets that get glowing remarks but this is a griddle which to me makes a difference.

Positive:

Sits flat on gas range (doesnt rock) and it has a smooth cooking surface (no bumps that need grinding)

Negatives:

Food sticks to the surface even though I only use it to cook bacon over low heat. I have to use a spatula and scrape under the bacon in order to flip it over which tears the bacon and makes a mess. And yes I always season the pad with oil after cleaning it.

It doesnt heat evenly, even after 1/2 hour on low to medium heat. The middle gets hot, the sides and corners stay much cooler, so the bacon gets burnt in the middle but is still fatty on the ends.

I wanted a flat cooking area of 12"x12". The entire surface area with the lip is 12x12 but the flat cooking area is only 10x10. Not technically wrong but something you should be aware of

Returning it for a 12" Lodge griddle

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Okay, it's a square griddle. And it's Lodge Logic.

Both of which are good things it's bulletproof, pre-seasoned, and nothing sticks to it. I've got plenty of Lodge Logic cookware and love the stuff.

However, like most griddles, it's significantly hotter in the center than at the corners, at least on an electric range. Making a consistent batch of, say, hash browns, is possible only with attention... just like any other griddle. I'd really hoped for a thicker bottom with enough thermal mass to give more even heating over the entire surface.

That said, I like to use it in the oven unheated for garlic bread and mini-pizzas to keep the crust from browning before the cheese, and pre-heated for fries and such to minimize/eliminate the need for flipping them exquisite browning, no oil required. In these applications, this pan surpasses anything else available.

For most things on top of the stove, I'd be more inclined to use my 12" round Lodge Logic skillet.

If I had to pick *one*, I'd choose the 12" round skillet over this griddle... but if you really want a griddle, this one still works better than ordinary non-stick and does some amazing work in the oven.

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Saturday, March 22, 2014

Boston Warehouse Spreader, Set of 4

Boston Warehouse Wine and Cheese Spreader, Set of 4I love these. They are so cute. And the detail on the cats is great. I can't wait to use them.

This is an item that not only cat lovers must have. Besides the fact that they are very useful, they are very well made, with nice details and sooo cute!

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I actually bought these for my 4 year old granddaughter to use as flatware. Of course with the cats, they are not flat...haha. They are really cute though. She likes to use my fish spreader when she visits me, so I thought I would put these in her Christmas stocking to take home and use at mealtime. They do make a nice spreader for adults also...especially those cat-loving friends of yours.

Read Best Reviews of Boston Warehouse Spreader, Set of 4 Here

These were cute, but cheaply made. One handle broke the first time I tried to cut some room temp monterey jack. And instead of saying "handwashing recommended" they should say "NOT dishwasher safe" , as all of the paint came off in the first run in the dishwasher. I would NOT recommend or purchase this product again, and am disappointed.

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These spreaders are great for Halloween. The finish on the handles is nice. The painted features are also good. The only thing that is not up to snuff, is the blades. They are very thin and the finish is a little spotty.

It's a small thing. I have Christmas spreaders that have the same problem. I guess it's just part of the deal when you get cheap holiday themed spreaders from China but since the blades will be covered with "spread" they won't really be seen. What will be noticed is the cool handles.

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Monday, January 13, 2014

Charcoal Companion Mini Burger "Sliders" Grilling Set

Charcoal Companion Mini Burger 'Sliders' Grilling SetI really like this little getup. I think it would be good for people with children. Very easy to use. I'm not a fan of huge hamburgers. Cut 2 or 3 little buns out of one big bun. Quartered a piece of cheese, put ketchup, mustard and a pickle on each. Very easy and yummy.

Used this item at the weekend and it was a great success! So easy to make the mini-burgers up beforehand in the plastic mold. The sliders cooked quite quickly (I guess because of their smaller size) on the grill and it was very easy to turn them over with just a flip. Everyone loved them and it meant everyone could taste the beef patty, turkey patty and chicken patty without having to choose just one. We used dinner rolls (potato bread) as buns & they were the perfect size. So glad I bought this. Great for kids too!

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This slider griller works pretty good, but you have to be careful when turning it over as it does not stay attached very well. Also make sure that you spray it with cooking spray before using it. The patty making mold is a little small and somewhat difficult to get the meat out of, but other than that I am pretty satisfied with it and use it pretty often.

Read Best Reviews of Charcoal Companion Mini Burger "Sliders" Grilling Set Here

I could not wait to make mini burgers with this set. They turned out better than I expected. I only had hot dog buns, so I cut them in thirds and the burgers fit perfectly. Cleaning is easier if you spray basket with cooking spray before use. The burgers cook fast, but I may buy another basket since they are such a hit.

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I have never been able to purcase a gift for my son that he liked. When I gave him this set he was very happy. I suggested that when he cuts the buns to match the mini burgers that he take the left over pieces and mix them with melted butter and bake them for croutons for their salad. He thought the whole thing was a great idea

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Lodge Signature SS12GR Grill Pan, Black, 12-inch

Lodge Signature SS12GR Grill Pan, Black, 12-inchI have been drooling over the Lodge Signature series since they were first introduced. I have a cupboard full of Lodge (very well used) and couldn't justify the price until my son direly needed a grill pan. Sooo I gave him my Lodge Logic grill pan (a fine pan in it's own right) and treated myself to this beauty.

I am astounded at the beauty, heft and quality of this pan. The pictures don't do it justice. Superbly crafted in the USA (HOORAY!!!!!), pre-seasoned, with gorgeous, well balanced stainless handles and the date 1896 stamped into the helper handle. The Lodge insignia in stainless is just below the main handle.

Couldn't wait to try it so off to the store for a treat fresh cut 1 1/2" thick prime filets. Rinsed this black beauty in hot water, dried it and right on the stove. Fired it up HOT, sprayed it with canola oil and put those bad boy filets, rolled in crushed pepper, in the pan. Meanwhile, I had a batch of Alton Brown's Bakers going in the oven, a Caesar salad chilling, a demi-glace made and gorgonzola at the ready and my Lodge Fajita pans heating in a 350 degree oven. 5 minutes and a flip, 3 more minutes, drizzle with demi-glace and crumbled gorgonazola and under a lid for about 45 seconds and then on to the hot fajita pans along with the bakers.

HEAVEN!!!! Those filets were better than any I've ever been served in restaurants melt in your mouth tender, juicy, seared to perfection. Serving on the hot fajita pans kept them hot until the very last bite.

The quality of this cast iron pan is just amazing perfect heat distribution and the stay cool stainless handle is a real bonus. (Note: the helper handle does get hot because of it's length) Cleanup was a breeze after dinner I poured hot water in the pan, heated it and then swirled a nylon brush around and through the grooves. Clean as a whistle. Rinsed it, dried it, put it back on the stove for a minute to get rid of any moisture and then wiped it down with a very thin coat of food grade beeswax and mineral oil made for chopping blocks (from Wooden Wonders on eBay). This product helps keep your cast iron seasoned without the rancid smell of oil.

After this experience, I will be buying the other Lodge Signature pans. There are pans and then there are PANS. This falls into the latter category. What a pleasure to use such a beautiful piece that is also exceptionally well crafted, balanced and designed. I haven't had the heart to put it away in a cupboard it's too gorgeous to hide and I'll be using it often.

Hats off to Lodge for an excellent product and applause to Amazon for selling it with the free shipping. This pan will last more than a lifetime. Worth it's weight in gold and now that I've used it, worth every single penny in price. I hope Lodge will add more pans to the Signature line!

Lodge is one of the few cookware products still made in the U.S. Their cookware is widely recommended by experts. A standard skillet like this will run in the mid to high $30's, and I've seen plenty of seconds for $15+ at Marshall's, etc. But those handles will get hot and need a holder. This product goes one big one better, since it has the great looking (and design award winning) stainless steel stay-cool handle (note that the long handle will stay cool about 1 1/2"+ away from the skillet, but the short loop will still need a holder). Pre-seasoning helps a lot. I am dissappointed, though, that Amazon is selling this for $107 delivered when there are several other online sources selling it for $10+ or so less, delivered (Chef's Catalog, a vendor here, sells it for $99 with free delivery).

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This Lodge grill pan is great. It comes pre-seasoned and is very heavy. You will find yourself using both handles to pick it up. It makes good steaks. DO NOT use soap or abrasives when washing this pan it will ruin the seasoning. I got a Lodge Set of 2 Durable Polycarbonate Pan Scrapers,Red and Black and just wash it in hot water. I also bought the Lodge 12 Inch Tempered Glass Lid and it fits just fine.

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I am not going to go into detail of all the pros and cons of this pan. I think they are well listed by the other reviewers however, if you are looking for this pan and wondering why the price has jumped drastically, it is because Lodge has temporarily discontinued the "L" Series (enameled cast iron) and the "Signature" Series (cast iron with stainless accents). You will not find these again till they re-introduce them with new look and design tentatively late 2013. So if you love the signature series buy them while you can or wait till they come back. I personally dont recommend the "L" series over the "Color" series which is not being discontinued but if you really wanted an "L" series get it while you can.

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Excellent product. I use it for steaks and chops. Get the pan really hot so the meat get a good char and finish it in the oven. Easy to clean with just hot water if you do it before it cools down completely. Heavy so it requires to hands but it is worth it.

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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Grill Daddy Pro Exclusive New Corner Cleaner Brush

Grill Daddy Pro Exclusive New Corner Cleaner BrushThis was a gift. I was excited about it at first, but I should have known that it was a bad idea. Water doesn't spray out, it dribbles, falls onto the hot coals, and creates a back flash of ash onto the cooking grate. I also wasn't overly impressed with the so called steam cleaning, if it can even be called that. Sure dripping water on a hot surface will create steam, but not enough to clean as this claims to do. It didn't on my grill. It also is useless on corners, and it doesn't work any better than a regular old wire brush. I used it once and it has since found a home somewhere out in the garage, or it may have gotten packed in the Goodwill box. I saw a bunch of high reviews on this product so maybe mine is defective.

Used item twice and it leaks all over the place.The grill scrubber fell off and cannot be reconnected.Item is junk and is going back..Cannot believe all the good reviews for this product.

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I had the original Grill Daddy and recently upgraded to the Grill Daddy Pro. First of all the Grill Daddy is the best way I have ever found to clean the grill, no matter what you're cooking. Just leave the burners on high for 5 minutes or so after you're done cooking and have removed the food and run then run the Grill Daddy over the grates and you'll have clean enough grates in no time. Your grates will still require a good annual cleaning, but for in between uses of the grill, the Grill Daddy provides the best results with a minimal amount of effort. The Grill Daddy Pro adds a corner brush for the hard to reach places and a new grip to provide even more support when giving your grill a good scrubbing. I recommend the Grill Daddy Pro to all my friends and family.

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This is amazing. I really feel that the grill is clean and it's so easy. Highly recommend for any outdoor grill.

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Maxi-Matic EGL-3450 Elite Cuisine 13-Inch Countertop Non-Stick Grill, Black

Maxi-Matic EGL-3450 Elite Cuisine 13-Inch Countertop Non-Stick Grill, BlackThis has been a great purchase for our kitchen counter top. This is the perfect item for rainy days when you don't want to grill outside. I have had no issues with this product so far and it cooks staek and chicken perfectly the way my girlfriend and I like it. The grill surface isn't very big but it's great for two people. Fantastic for grilling veggies too!

I have been trying to diet recently and needed something to make quick , easy meals... I previously owned a George Foreman grill and it was super annoying to clean so I was looking for something a little more simple. Well i found EXACTLY what i was looking for with this grill .. Not only is it super fast and easy , the cleanup is even easier. When i cook my meats, whether its a turkey burger , piece of chicken or some salmon It drips all the access fat into a tray & cooks perfectly every time ! It even grills my vegis to perfection. I love it . For the price you simply cant beat it .

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I bought this for my sister and she loves it! It's easy to use, grills great and easy to clean!

I also have this grill and use it all the time. I highly recommend this product.

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This grill works well as no water needs to be added and still keeps smoke down. You need to clean the grill after every use and follow the prep instructions to keep the grilling area clean.

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I wanted to save a buck by buying a less expensive grill but was worried the quality or grilling power wouldnt be as good. Turns out it works great! I've already used it 4 times and so far so good. Nice grill marks and the temperature appears to get very hot just like a regular grill. Very nice to use when the weather is bad or you just dont feel like messing with the big gas grill.

I do reccommend using this on top of the stove with the vents on high as this will absorb the small amount of smoke that grilling causes. The house is less stinky that way and you also have free counter space. Just a thought.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

BergHOFF Earthchef Acadian 12-Piece Cookware Set

BergHOFF Earthchef Acadian 12-Piece Cookware SetFirst of all, let me say the set is beautiful to look at. They are all shiny, even on the inside. However, that's where the story ends for me in positive light.

In this day and age where almost everything sold is made in China, we take special effort to find items that touch our food that is not made there. With this in mind, I first wrote to Berghoff USA asking where they were made. The response I got is that they are imported from Belgium, but specifically where they were made was smoothly avoided answering.

Anyways, wanted to give it a try and ordered. No where on the box nor the cookware does it state where they are made (very strange, indeed), which made me suspicious. Alright, then we noticed small imperfections and scratches. Alright, since it was a hassle to unpack we wanted all the reasons to keep this and decided to try it. After just one use, we noticed the floor of the pot was blackened in several spots, like pits. The chrome was taken off after one use in such spots. This raised all sorts of alarms for us. After mulling whether to go through with the difficult packing we decided to send it back to Amazon and order something made in France in lieu of it. I would say this set is not worth the price. There are several sets that are cheaper that are made in China by famous labels (typically their mid to lower end models) that are much better quality. I would say I would not really recommend this.

I received the set in excellent condition. They look very good hanging on my pot rack that I built from an antique cast iron floor register grille, shabby sheik. The only thing that I noticed that might be a concern for some, is that the outer edge of the pan lids is very thin, and if you drop a lid, it can and does bend the edge, a rolled edge would help, but would then make the set more expensive. I was able to straighten the edge out. If like me, you hang your pans up, you still need a place close by to store you lids. They are made in such a way that a crafty person can make a lid rack that holds them vertically from small to large. I made mine from old steel and then after welding together and dressing of the welds, I sprayed it with clear satin lacquer, once again very shabby sheik. My wife loves them, and that was a hard sell because as she said " we don't need pots and pans, we have a set of circulon pans that u had to by" . That was ten years ago and the coatings was almost completely worn away. These new pans are not coated, and should last much longer. Another reason I like this set is it consisted of a complete range of lidded pans, and not a bunch of skillets. We fry and sautée with cast iron skillets, so I did not want a set with more skillets. Been using the new set for two months now, cook every meal from scratch, so we have used them extensively, still love them, worth every dime.

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I currently have Cuisinart stainless steel set as well as other pieces of cookware and when I saw this BergHOFF Earthchef Acadian 12-Piece Cookware Set on lightening deal, I decided now is the time to upgrade. There was one other review when I purchased this set rating it 3 stars because it is suspected this set is made in China and I do not know about that.

When the box arrived I was surprised at how heavy this cookware set is. For the amount of money I paid, I was expecting a lighter-weight set as the heaviness usually is roughly equivalent to price and this is a very heavy set. The bottoms are very thick and that is where most of the weight is I think. The set looks very well made and well packaged and very shiny. On my cuisinart set, the bottoms are slightly angled in whereas on this set of BerHOFF Earthchef Acadian, the bottoms continue to same line making a very sharp clean attractive edge and design that I appreciate.

While the heaviness is something most people would look for as a sign of quality, I am in the kitchen often and don't want to get a gym workout just from cooking. I prefer lighter weight pieces so I don't need to strain from the weight when the pots are full.

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I love my purchase. I have been waiting for over a year for the price to go down and this particular cookware set is excellent product

which I already have, but in the last couple of months I keep burning the pots as I forget to turn off the stove. Senior's moment is kicking in. Now I have new ones and will be enjoying them for the next years for sure.

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This is the first set of cookware I've bought in many years. We have a ceramic top range and most lighter pots and pans spin when heating. These are heavy enough to stay put but not so heavy my wife can't lift them when full. They transfer heat better than most other stainless I've used and frankly they are the best pieces I've used since I was in the restaurant business. I've recommended these to friends who were looking and a couple of them found the BergHOFF line to be just great.

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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Attitude Apron Real Men Apron, Black, One Size Fits Most

Attitude Apron Real Men Apron, Black, One Size Fits MostCute apron, good quality fabric. But the loop around the neck and the tie behind you are all one piece of ribbon presumably this is so that you can adjust it, but the problem is that you have to adjust it every time you use it, and if you try to hang it from the neck loop, the ribbon comes out and it falls. I don't understand why they didn't just make the waist ties and neck ties separate and attached to the apron.

Cool, I always wanted an apron to keep my shirts from getting grease marks -this one is really neat

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This apron is perfect for guy who thinks he can creat meals off the top of his head. It fits nice and its a fun gift!

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I bought this for my boyfriend so he would stop ruining his clothes when he cooks. He likes it so much that he wears it in the kitchen and at the grill. It is made well and sturdy!

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My son loves to cook. Unlike his sister and myself he is very experimental....I don't know if he owns any recipes? Can't say that....I gave him all the ones he had loved as a kid in my house! Anyway, this apron was perfect for a Christmas gift..it says: "Real Men Don't Use Recipes".....

Monday, July 1, 2013

Sensio 13057 Bella Cucina Electric Nonstick Griddle

Sensio 13057 Bella Cucina Electric Nonstick GriddleThis grille cycles on and off gets to temperature quickly and then cycles off. I kept track of the time it was "off" and it was 1 minute, 7 seconds. By that time, the food had cooled and was not cooking properly. I already returned one of these thinking it was defective, but the replacement does the same thing. Not a good purchase for me.

The price is good. The product does its job. It's exactly the

size I was looking for and lightweight, easy to store, easy to clean.

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this really is well worth the money. i can cook a whole pound of bacon on this griddle. with my old one i had to cook half a pound at a time. i like the drip tray as it attaches securly and does not slide off. it cooks food perfect. you dont want a griddle that stays on the whole time at one setting as it will cook the food too fast. so i like the delay in between because the food cooks nicely.

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