Hard to clean. It is still working 4 years latter.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Delonghi Retro Panini Grill CGH800
Hard to clean. It is still working 4 years latter.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Weber Style 32903 Professional Grade Grill Pan
The stainless steel will discolor if heated too much, but cleaning is not too bad. The first time I used it without oiling the pan, cleaning needed quite a bit of scrubbing. I ended up using oven cleaner (Easy Off) and it worked pretty well got all the crud off. I now oil the pan before putting it on the grill and clean up is not bad. The advantage of stainless steel is that with a bit of care it will give good service and there is nothing to flake off.
I also bought the veggie basket and use both interchangeably. The lips all around are great, I just use a spatula to lift the veggies to a serving dish.
LOVE: Quality of construction; Cost; Raised lips all around; Material
HATE: Cleanup is tough, but it is no tougher than with so called non-stick pans had one.
Would I recommend it definitely; I plan to replace mine with a similar one when this one goes (or I get tired of it)I got this to grill veggies and other smaller stuff that might fell through the grates on my gas grill.
After the first couple of uses (and subsequently leaving the pan on the grill for a few days without cleaning it), I noticed some brown discoloration that looked like rust on the surface.
I'm still not sure if it was rust or not, but I got the pan hot and sprayed it with olive oil and wiped it down with some paper towels. That got rid of the rust color and it hasn't come back.
Now the pan is a nice dark brown color, and I just spray with oil and clean it with the brush before use. It stays on the grill or under the grill when not in use.
Other than that, it works as a pan should. Stuff cooks when you put it on there, and it doesn't stick as long as you oil it at a higher temperature than you cook at.
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Gets a 4 star since it is hard to clean grilled on residue. The openings mean that food like fish do not slip between the grates of the grill. Heats evenly in accordance with your grill. Only downside is we have to let it soak to get residue off. Non-stick would be better.Read Best Reviews of Weber Style 32903 Professional Grade Grill Pan Here
This grill pan offers best quality for the $$$. Heavy gauge and shallow depth allow for easy turning of vegetables etc. Only complaint is that it a little too large for my Weber BBQ. It leaves very little room for the grilling of other items, i.e. steaks, chicken, etc.Want Weber Style 32903 Professional Grade Grill Pan Discount?
The first thing you'll notice about this product is that the price seems remarkably fair given the quality.This is truly grilling made easy you can throw anything on this pan and you're good to go: veggies, baked potatoes, flakey fish.
I agree with the other reviewer about cleanup being a little tough, but truly it is no tougher than all the other stainless steel cookware we use it's all a PITA but worth it in the long run.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Charcoal Companion Cedar Wood Grilling Planks, Set of 3
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Sunday, February 2, 2014
Bond Mfg Company New Castle Fire Bowl 65046 Outdoor Fireplace
I'll do a cursory overview of relevant details:
📦 UNBOXING
It's packaged in a standard, durable type of box, packaged with styrofoam, the whole unit comes out all as one piece, no connections are required. The red rocks and manual are included in the box.
🔩 SETUP
There are only two things needed to begin using this, one you will open and distribute the red rock in the bowl, then two you will need a standard size (20lb) propane tank which connects and sits underneath the bowl (not included). One side of the base pulls off to insert the propane tank, then re-attaches to hide the tank. It's super simple, just like hooking up a propane tank to a grill.
📐 SIZE AND APPEARANCE
It looks good, it's got a nice stone look to it and the red rocks hide all of the propane distribution. It's a nice decorative item for the patio. The dimensions are: 28.74"H x 20.67"W x 20.67"D, it's a pretty substantial unit, while not overly large.
🚧 CONSTRUCTION
It's pretty much all resin, stone looking. The control knob is black plastic, and the ignitor is black plastic with a rubberized button similar to gas grills.
♨ USE
There is a control knob on the outside of the unit, on one side, just set the knob and press the ignition button to light the fire bowl, this unit comes with the battery needed for the ignition button, one AAA battery. I have only used this a few times and haven't had to replace the battery yet.
Once lit, adjust the fire to your liking, I usually set it to high and it really takes the chill off of a cool evening. It's important to note that you will need to sit or stand near this, it's a smaller fire than a campfire, and since the bowl is fairly small it doesn't get terribly hot.
When you are done, turn it off, that's pretty much it. I usually go ahead and turn the propane tank off as well, just to be safe.
✏ OVERALL
We like it, it's not the hottest fire pit you could possibly get, but to take the chill off of the evening it works well and is much easier than having to buy and stock firewood, and it's easy to use, once you are ready to come inside just turn it off and you are done, no need to douse a fire or something like that. Also it's nice for us as we have a lot of tree cover in the vicinity, and wouldn't be able to have a large fire here.
★★★★★
Overall I highly recommend this!We love this firebowl. It is built with good workmanship and is very easy to operate. It puts off just enough heat to take the chill off when we are out on our deck. I would recommend it to everyone.
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Received fire bowl very quick, was in good shape and worked great. I really like the Castle fire bowl it is so nice looking. Great addition to our patio. Many compliments and would recommend it to anyone.Read Best Reviews of Bond Mfg Company New Castle Fire Bowl 65046 Outdoor Fireplace Here
Friday, January 24, 2014
Mr. Coffee Electric Coffee Grinder with Chamber Maid Cleaning System
This Mr.Coffee grinder is the only one I've ever tried that I think I can live with. First of all, this is a $19.95 grinder and not a $300 precision instrument designed to produce a perfect cup of expresso. Within those parameters, it does a really good job. The electronic grind and cup quantity settings take all of the guess work out of using a blade grinder. With this grinder, you use the guide on the side of the unit to measure your beans, choose a grind setting and the number of cups of coffee you want to make and a processor apparently calculates everything for you. You just hold the grind button down and the machine turns itself off after the correct number of seconds. No grind time experimentation is needed and the machine seems to get the grind just right all by itself. Cleanup is a snap, just remove the bowl from the base unit and put it on the top rack of your dishwasher. The ground coffee is actually easier to empty from the bowl than with most blade grinders. Rather than having to turn the entire unit upside down and shaking the grounds into your coffeemaker, you just remove the grinder bowl, turn it upside down in a small plastic bowl, and tap it against the counter to get the coffee out.
The reviewer who complained about the short cord length apparently did not realize there is 3 feet of hidden cord wrapped around the inside of the base of the unit. All you have to do is pull it out.
While durability must be proven over time, I'm most impressed with this $19.95 grinder. Even if it only lasts for 2 years, you could afford to buy 30 of them for what a small professional grade burr grinder would cost and it's actually easier to live with than the pro grade grinder would be.This review refers to Mr. Coffee Coffee Grinder With Chamber Maid Cleaning System"
I received this coffee grinder this past Christmas, and have been using it everyday since. Sometimes, depending on how many people are drinking coffee, twice or more a day. I loved it so much from the start and wanted to review it right away, but managed to restrain myself, and after three months of everyday use, I think I can safely say, this grinder is great!
It's nice to have freshly ground coffee at a moment's notice. Even the smell is enticing. It allows you to measure just the amount of beans you need from 4 to 12 cups, and then you set the grinder to the amount and the grind fine, medium, or coarse depending on how strong you like it. This may take some experimenting to see get it exactly to your taste. For example I have found that 4 cups for me is actually closer to 2(or less), as I drink from a large mug and not a 6oz cup. There are recommendations in the instruction book and on the grinder as well for how many tablespoons of beans per cup. I find I need a little more then suggested. There are indicator lights to help you choose the setting you want. Although you have to hold a button down, during the grinding process, it will automatically turn off when it is done according to your setting. If you lift your finger, it will also turn off. Occasionally there are a couple of beans not grinded, so shake it around and press for another second or two. The actually grinding process takes maybe 15 seconds for a full 12 cups. another nice thing, is that you can have a few different flavors on hand, and freshly grind, whatever you are in the mood for..Forget Starbucks!
The grinder has some very nice features. Inside the bean chamber, which also has a fill line, there is a cleaning system that scrapes the coffee of the sides and the bottom. Sometimes, there is even enough scraped off to make an extra cup. The pieces fit together easily, and come apart easily for washing.At first, I thought the cord was very short, and for weeks had to keep the grinder very close to to the electric outlet, but then I discovered(DUH!), the cord lifts out of it's holder and around the bottom edge, giving it quite a bit of length. Then is easy to recoil to keep the grinder wherever you want. It's slim and nice looking and doesn't take up much space at all. My only little complaint, and reason for four stars instead of 5, is that it is very loud. The first few times, it startled me with the racket. I'm not sure if much can be done about that, but I try to remember to grind my beans the night before, as I am an early riser and don't want to wake the rest of the house, or for that matter, my neighbors! The lid on top stays tightly closed for freshness.
Read the instruction book for use and care. It has French as well as English directions, a one year limited warranty, troubleshooting advice, and phone numbers for questions.
All in all a great little item that works great for a fresh tasting and smelling cup of coffee anytime.
Enjoy....Laurie
Buy Mr. Coffee Electric Coffee Grinder with Chamber Maid Cleaning System Now
When I look for a coffee grinder, I look for 4 things:1) Noise: This grinder is fairly noisy, but then again, so are most grinders. On a scale of 1-10 as far as noisyness goes compared to other grinders, I'd give it a 7.
2) Consistency: I like to grind my coffee coarse for french press; this grinder isn't very good at making a consistent coarse grind. However, if you want a regular grind for drip coffee or a fine grind for expresso, it does a really good job at that.
3) Static: I hate it whenever you pull the top off of a grinder to get the coffee out and tiny grind go flying everywhere--I've never had a problem with this grinder. You can open the top and pour the grinds out (which is difficult to do if you're trying to get it into a small container because the spout itself is not much different from the lip of a cup) or you can scoop the grinds out, which I preferto do anyway to double measure stuff (old habit).
4) Cleaning: This grinder has a removable top that you can take apart, which makes cleaning very easy. It also says it has a "Chaimber Maid" system...all that is is three thin plastic "claws" that hug the inside of the grinding chamber which you rotate awkwardly so that they scrape the sides of the chamber. It's neat, but unnecessary.
Other features:
There is a "cord storage" system that is a bit of a hassle to use because it requires you to coil the cord into a groove under the grinder (when you get the grinder only a short bit of the cord is shown, and the rest is coiled. It doesn't look like you can uncoil the cord from down there, and unless you're crazy enough to pull the cord out of your brand new grinder you'll have no clue that the thing is actually 37 inches long)
It has an "auto off" feature...I've never used it because my grindes always reach the coarsness I like before the timer shuts off the grinder.
The measuring system that the grinder uses is marked on the sid of the grinder which is very helpful (you don't have to pull out the manual every time you want to know how many Tbsp of coffee you need to make # cups of coffee)
It's about 8 in. tall with the diameter at the top being 4 in. (it's wider at the top).
Overall:
I like the grinder. I'd rather have a pull-cord-storage and a quieter grinder, but for the price that I paid, I'm a happy customer.
Read Best Reviews of Mr. Coffee Electric Coffee Grinder with Chamber Maid Cleaning System Here
My husband purchased this product for my birthday a couple of years ago. I always grind my own coffee for breakfast and sometimes grind it for lunch. After a year I noticed the plastic arms (or scrapers) were getting very thin and one of them had even broken. I emailed customer service about the problem and they sent me a new grinding bowl. I looked at the new bowl, saw the arms were thick and thought the company had realized there was a design flaw and changed it. I began using the new grinding bowl and now it is a year later. I just noticed that the plastic arms are getting thin again. This could only mean that this grinder slowly grinds the plastic arms. And that you are drinking very finely ground plastic every time you drink a cup of coffee made from the beans you have freshly ground. Is this healthy? I think not!Want Mr. Coffee Electric Coffee Grinder with Chamber Maid Cleaning System Discount?
First off, I have to say that many of the people who have complaints about this grinder may not have actually taken the extra few seconds to read the manual and understand how the device works. The grinder does a great job and my coffee is always perfect.to address some issues that others had:
1. The plastic cleaning blade inside the grinding bowl needs to be manually spun (with your finger) to loosen the packed coffee grounds. Usually a single revolution will accomplish this task, then you can put this coffee in the maker!
2. This grinder makes it easy to get the coffee into your coffee maker -someone was complaining that it was more difficult to clean or use because it comes apart -this makes it really easy! Detach the bowl from the motor assembly with a short, counter clockwise turn of the wrist, and do the same with the lid (extremely easy, I assure you) -then dump the coffee from the grinding bowl into your filter, use your finger to agitate the plastic cleaning blade for a second or two to get as much usable coffee out of the bowl as possible, then wash out the bowl with a little water, and dry it with a towel (it is important to dry it immediately to avoid any chance for oxidation) and you're done! I am not sure why a previous reviewer was using a spoon or scoop to get the coffee out of the bowl -that's why it detaches from the base! The bowl is marked on the side so you will know what amount of beans to use -after a few experiments, it is very easy to judge how high to fill it. I just can't understand how it could be more difficult to clean the bowl when it is separate from the base than to clean a grinder that does not detach from the electrical portion...
2.1. if you need to grind your coffee coarsely for a percolator, you should not be buying whole beans buy your coffee from in large cans from companies that have television commercials and easy-listening jingles, as the end result is going to end up tasting awful, no matter what, if you put it in a percolator.
3. The power cord other people have addressed this -the cord is tucked up inside the bottom of the grinder -simply pull it out, and it is plenty long.
4. Another reviewer said he preferred a different grinder that shuts off automatically -this grinder does that as well -put in the beans, choose your settings with the buttons on the side of the unit, and then hold down the grinding button -continue to hold the button down until the grinder automatically stops -it will stop when it has achieved the level of grinding that you selected with the buttons.
5. Lights wasting electricity the reviewer who wrote that the grinder's lights are just wasting electricity is just a sillypants and wants to nitpick. The reality is this: the 2 LEDs that would be lit up while this device is plugged in would draw an almost nominal level of current. At 3.3vac a 100 Watt light bulb uses 30.3 Amps (30,300mA). At 3.3vac each LED would use 20mA -so, both LEDs would use, at most, 40mA which is less than 1/750th the amount the 100W bulb would use. You would have to leave the grinder plugged in and turned on for over a full month for the LED lights inside to use the same amount of current (electricity) used by turning on that 100 watt bulb for a single hour.
I have been using this grinder every day for 3 years along with a swissgold coffee filter (if you are still using paper filters you are just wasting trees and missing out on better tasting coffee...) and I have not had a single problem with it -it grinds the beans consistently to the settings I punch in, and my yield is a delicious pot every morning.
If you couldn't tell, I am quite happy with this grinder. So buy one already!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Swiss Diamond Nonstick 11" x 17" Cast Aluminum Double-Burner Griddle
Oh btw, I did not see any black stuff when I washed. Wash by hand with soapy warm water. No complaints about clean up. And didnt really need too much effort to clean. Just a wet towel would have sufficed but I like to use dish soap.This is a non-stick PFOC free griddle you don't need to season it in fact, you really can't. My pancakes were golden. My bacon crisp. My eggs came off without any scraping. Wiped the surface clean. Super.
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I love this griddle. Wash's up great. The instructions say NOT to season it. I've cook pancakes and bacon so far and no stick at all what so ever. Hope to buy more pieces of this cookwear.Read Best Reviews of Swiss Diamond Nonstick 11" x 17" Cast Aluminum Double-Burner Griddle Here
Love my griddle. Will be purchasing other Swiss Diamond cookware FOR SURE!!Want Swiss Diamond Nonstick 11" x 17" Cast Aluminum Double-Burner Griddle Discount?
I am very disappointed with this product. I've not used it for cooking, nor do I intend to; I can't get past having a lot of black stuff come off on the towel when washed. I've washed it 3 times, 'seasoned' it twice, and STILL get black stuff on the towel when drying. Black stuff that I do not intentd to ingest!Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Weber 7540 Stainless Steel Flavorizer Bars - Set of 5
I decided to spend more for the stainless steel set mainly for the promise of easier cleaning ... just heat them up and scrape them clean.
Well, after two uses, I'm totally pleased with the results. They fit perfectly (of course) and they work fine. Cleaning is a breeze as well since they're easily scraped.This product is of good quality. It perfectly fits into the grill so there is no "jury-rigging" required. The problem is that it is WAY overpriced for what it is. it is literally bent stainless steel sheet cut to length. I would buy a knock-off product next time.
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The only complaint about these bars is the price. But, you get what you pay for and if you need to buy these then you already know that.Read Best Reviews of Weber 7540 Stainless Steel Flavorizer Bars - Set of 5 Here
I replaced the stock Flavorizer Bars, (after 5 years of grilling-they were shot), MAN, the performance difference is incredible! The Weber Genius heats up faster and hotter. (Now reaches 700F in 17 minutes versus 600F in 24 minutes.) I did have adjust both my grilling time and technique.Want Weber 7540 Stainless Steel Flavorizer Bars - Set of 5 Discount?
I've had my Weber Genesis Grill for a couple of years when I began to get flare-ups. Upon inspection, my sheet metal flavorizer bars were in pretty sad shape to say the least. I decided to spring for the stainless ones as I felt they would last longer. When they arrived I was quite impressed.......they are solid! I'm guessing they are twice as heavy as the one's they replaced.Couldn't be happier........I should be set for many years!
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Samsung FX710 30" Freestanding Gas Range with 5 Burners and Safety Lock, Stainless
I love the top being a grill of burners from one end to the other. The front right burner is the highest BTU and boils a pot of water 5-8 minutes. I use all of the five burners and really like how some provide specific functions (simmer burner in back right and middle for grilling). The digital face took some getting use to but easy once you read the directions.
The oven and broiler works just as smoothly. I love how the larger then average oven fits a lot of food. The spacious oven was the selling point for this range over others since cooking at the holidays always presents a challenge. This oven has performed well and held more turkeys, biscuits and other foods better then any other oven I've had in the past (GE, Kenmore Elite and Kitchen Aid).
I was leery of purchasing a Samsung kitchen appliance but figured since I love their tvs and other electronic devices, it was worth a shot) but have discovered the benefits of trying something new although I'll admit I cheated by checking Consumer Reports first and finding it rated well.
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Much like the reviewer above me, I've been very disappointed in this range. I too have an oven that can't hold it's temperature. I've noticed that when I set the oven at 350, a meal that used to take me an hour to cook (in my old oven) now takes well over that, and often ends up cooked on the outside and not cooked on the inside. I called the appliance store where I bought this unit, and the repair guy came out. He said that even though I've done the baseline's adjustment to raise the temp 30 degrees, the oven is running another 20 degrees low, however, this is "within normal range." He used a probe to get an accurate reading, and found temperature swings (with the oven set at 350) of a low of 290 and a high of 365. That averages out to a temperature of 335, and said that I should simply raise the temperature to compensate. However, when I do this, the oven goes high -if I set the oven at 400, it goes up to 425, and I can't seem to get it to stick between 350-400 degrees without wild fluctuations. I'm about to go head-to-head with the appliance store to try to get it replaced.The burners are fantastic and cook evenly and well. But based on the horrible performance of the oven, I simply can't recommend this range.We read the reviews from previous buyers so we knew what to expect. However you do not need to hook up 3/4" we used standard 1/2" and have no problems with the stove top. The oven is another story, you have to work the calibration so it's correct. We put an oven thermometer to check the accuracy. Our is off by +15 which we can live with the manual shows you how to fix that so we're hoping that works. We also notice error codes when you use the proof button, chicken nuggets, and slow cook. Am waiting to hear from technician as to why I'm getting the codes. However it does not prevent me from using those features. With all new appliances to need to get the kinks out while breaking it in. My wife enjoys it and I've never seen her more happy since she got the oven. Her pineapple upside down cake came out perfect, My fresh made pizza came out without a hitch considering your high end appliance stores will make you dish out a little more..........
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I've been using the 710 model for a few months now. I'll state my observations I've made so far:The range looks great. It receives a lot of compliments and I'm happy it enhances the look of my kitchen.
It feels well constructed from the heft of the door and the solid feel of the door handle.
The burners all work well although I've had some delays in having the front left burner ignite, to the
point where you can smell unburnt gas. I haven't really looked into this issue to see if there's an adjustment that can be made
but for a range that's this new it was unwelcome.
The panel can be difficult to read, even to find the button for the oven light. I assume if I'd use it more often I'd be
more familiar with the button layout so I wouldn't have to be searching for what I want to press.
No issues with oven temps. I have a 3/4" OD line.
The arrangement of the burners is a personal preference but I would have preferred to have the smaller left rear burner on
the front and the large burner on the rear. I'm more likely to be cooking with a small pan more often then I am boiling a large
pot or using a large skillet. Who wants to reach to the rear of the range to stir a sauce pan?
The griddle is a nice feature and was a selling point for me, however it seemed to take a long to heat to a proper temp. The
instructions state to not use excessively high heat because you can warp the griddle. Kind of a catch-22. Once it did heat
up I felt it was using a lot more energy than say an electric griddle would to maintain the same temperature.
My biggest complaint is the burner grates themselves. If you look at the second photo you can see that the grates do not connect the
corners to the center. What happens is smaller/lighter pans do not sit level unless the handle is
aligned with the full grate at the 12/3/6/9:00 positions. This probably wouldn't be an issue if your pans are all very
heavy.
Overall it works, but if I were to buy again I'd look at other brands that have better grates, properly arranged and better designed controls.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
MLB Boston Red Sox 8 Piece BBQ Set
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This is a fantastic set for a Red Sox lover! The case is great, the utensils are gorgeous and strong...can't go wrong!Read Best Reviews of MLB Boston Red Sox 8 Piece BBQ Set Here
Friday, August 2, 2013
Norpro 2063 Nonstick Splatter Guard
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I was hesitant to buy this item and am glad I took the gamble. I expected something flimsy and that would easily rust. I have used thisitem again and again and have thrown it in the dishwasher and it has not rusted nor lost its coating. It is a great little tool to keep your stove clean. Especially if you do a lot of frying.
Read Best Reviews of Norpro 2063 Nonstick Splatter Guard Here
This product is shoddy and the edges of the metal screens are so thin and sharp they can cut you especially in a kitchen enviornment with wet hands, etc. I gave it one star because we don't have a zero star option. I returned for a refund.Want Norpro 2063 Nonstick Splatter Guard Discount?
This is my first ever video review of a product on Amazon. I was inspired to do a video review because this product is so appallingly awful. I'm stunned by the positive reviews they're either reviewing some other product, or their shills, or, well, I don't really know what would cause someone to give this product a positive review. Hopefully this video demonstrating how flimsy and downright tiny this so-called splatter guard is will save others the trouble and cost of buying one.

