Maverick ET-63 RediFork Pro

I have used electronic temperature forks with great success, i.e. perfect temperature meat off the grill means happy and impressed friends & family. I've had the best luck with cheapo forks that simply have individual lights for "rare, medium-rare, medium -etc.." Thinking the premium-priced and feature-laden Maverick Redi-Fork Pro could be the ultimate BBQ tool has resulted in a big and costly disappointment. First off, it is very difficult to understand the tiny, complicated and non-intuitive display which is upside-down and impossible to read during actual use (did anybody ever test this thing?). The display's shortcomings might be overcome with keen eyesight and hours of intense training but the killer blow is the fact the Redi-Fork Pro is painfully slow to take a reading and disastrously inaccurate; eventually indicating "rare" when meat is actually "well". About the only moderately worthwhile feature is the dim little incandescent "meat light" which helps with the necessarily frequent consultations of the instruction manual. Finally, at 2-3x the cost of other similar products, the Redi-Fork Pro delivers the ultimate insult of wasting your money. I bought two and gave one to a friend. I was completely embarrassed and had to apologize for ruining an expensive meal. Thinking it was user error, we studied the manual and tried it another time which resulted in another ruined meal. Ouch!

This fork was purchased as a Christmas gift for our son. We have the same fork and love it. We have never had an over cooked steak or under cooked piece of poultry or pork, when using the fork.

It's Great!

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Hamilton Beach 25450 Gourmet Panini Press

You 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.

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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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Cuisinart 630-30 Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Round Grill Pan

I love this pan! As someone who truly enjoys cooking, I have several types of 'skillets;' cast iron, non stick annodized, and enameled cast iron. Each has its particular talents in the kitchen.

I wanted a grill pan. After doing some research, I decided on this Cuisinart for two reasons: reputation and weight. I was also lucky to find it at a time when special pricing was featured.

The weight issue is important for me as I have lung disease that fatigues me rather quickly. This pan is managable! But of course, the object of buying it was grilling. I have done steaks, chicken, pork and salmon in this pan, and it conducts heat beautifully. The initial sear is exquisite. It is the grill pan for which I was hoping, and I could not be more pleased.

My main reason for purchasing a grill pan was for things like tuna steak and grilled vegetables. I don't eat greasy foods, so I'm not so concerned about draining off fat, but more interested in dry-cooking and blackening. Although a big, heavy cast iron pan is best for this purpose, I didn't want to lift anything that heavy all the time.

This pan really works well for what I need. So well that I find I use it for EVERYTHING, EVERY DAY, not just for grilling! It has replaced my other non-stick fry pans for all purposes.

Pros: Incredible cleanup--much better than my Calphalon non-stick pans. Handle is longer and does not get as hot as Calphalon, so you can actually pick it up without a potholder. Pan is very light, considering its size--it's HUGE!(see cons).

Cons: It's light in weight. If you are looking for something heavy this is not it--get a cast iron. For me, this is a plus. Also, I wish I had looked further and gotten the 10-inch. I have an electric stove and my burners are not big enough for the 12-inch pan. I still use it but move it off the burner a little. I recommend the 10-inch to get better use of the heat if you have electric.

Bottom line: I would buy this pan again, but probably the 10-inch.

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I chose this Cuisinart Grill for 4 reasons. Cuisinart's reputation, price, weight and the fact that the entire grill can actually be placed in the oven.

I use my grill almost daily and it is so lightweight and easy to clean.

I love it!

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I am a serious cook for 30 years. This is by far the best grill pan I have ever owned.

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I've only used this pan a handful of times maybe less than 10 times for steaks and burgers. The nonstick part of one side of the pan is already partially showing the metal part of the pan. It's the outer part of the pan that's coming off which I don't scrub hard when I'm cleaning it. I would even normally soak my pans for a few hours to ease up the cleaning. I would expect the center part to come off if anything from the scrubbing. I just use a regular sponge pad that's normally used for dishes. I must have gotten a defective one.

I'm already beyond amazon's return policy so my only option is to return it to cuisinart. I called cuisinart and they said that I have to ship this pan to them so they can look at the item. I also have to send a $7 check for shipping costs to mail the replacement item if they think it's a manufacturer's defect. Otherwise they'll just return the old pan. I don't know if I want to waste any more time and money with this pan.

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SCI/Scandicrafts, Inc. 18-pc. Barbecue Set in Carrying Case, Black.

I got this beautiful product for my husband for Christmas. He just loved it! Product is just as pictured, the stained wood on the utensils is beautiful! Now he looks like a fancy chef, hanging out by the grill! It was shipped to me in just a few days, over Christmas! I would definately order from this seller again!

I have had this set of grilling utensils for years. My wife had purchased it for me as a gift. For the price, the quality and number of utensils is outstanding. I purchased the same set for my Father for Father's Day and he loves it. The carrying case is perfect for storage and keeps the tools in great shape for a long and useful life. The knife is a bit overkill unless you are working with an extremely hot fire. All other tools have come in use for a variety of grilling needs. The spears for shish-ka-bobs are perfect. The wood handles make for easy rotation and removal from the grill -much better than grabbing a hot metal ring that have been the M.O. for other sets I have had in the past.

Will difinitely purchase again when the need arises . . . for myself or as a gift.

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If I could give 4.5 stars I would, because 4 seems a little mean, but...

The actual products look great and seem to be extremely useful. But the black carry case in which they come is really disappointing. It's just cheap looking. I wanted to give this as a gift, and I probably still will, but I kinda wish I'd ponied up for the slightly more expensive sets that come in more presentable/professional looking boxes. Then again, it's a bbq set, and after a few uses, I'm sure the recipients really won't care at all, and would rather have a functional case. But still, I'm going to have to sex it up somehow before giving it as a gift!

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First the wood finish and quality doesn't look nearly as good as it does in the picture. The color is a very reddish type color and it was already beginning to rub off the day I got it. The case is the cheapest quality plastic I've seen. If you hold one end of it, the case it self bends. The utensils also doesn't stay put in it. I should have spend the extra money on one the cuisinart ones, which is what I'm forced to do now.

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Beautiful wood handles. Good quality pieces, case is nice and sturdy. Purchased as a gift and made someone very happy.

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Better Chef Sandwich Maker - White

I just received this sandwich maker as a birthday gift. I was really excited to use it, probably due to childhood nostalgia. When we closed the lid on the first set of sandwiches, the bottom handle snapped off, rather than the latch engaging! Maybe the bread we used was too thick, but the instruction manual didn't say anything about it. It was just regular sandwich bread, cheese, and some chicken salad (like tuna, but with just chicken). This product might work if you want some thin bread with only one slice of cheese, but forget anything fancy! The sandwich maker I had growing up would have handled this sandwich easily.

I got this as a gift. In my dorm we aren't allowed to have traditional toasters as they are a fire hazard but sandwich makers are allowed. I use this press to toast bread and english muffins, I've never tried to make a sandwich with it. It works pretty well but I wish the plates were removable.

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BergHOFF 11-Inch Scala Frying Pan with Ceramic Coating

I wanted to try a pan with ceramic coating so selected this one because it was a good size and was on sale. I love this pan. It is perfect. Food doesn't stick and it washes very easily. I would recommend this pan to others.

The non-stick coating seems much less likely to become damaged in normal use than is the case with standard 'Teflon' non-stick pans . The ceramic non-stick is very effective and the pan always cleans easily. The metal base to the handle becomes very hot in use but, other than that, this pan is perfect.

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Like some of the other reviewers here, I was very excited about this pan. It worked beautifully the first few weeks that I had it. Food would slide right off. Then almost overnight, food started sticking to the pan. Now a third of my food stays attached to the pan!

This is in spite of treating the pan very carefully. I have Calphalon non-stick pans and they are still going strong after 2 years, so this is quite unacceptable quality

It seems that they have had a lot of complaints about this, because on their website they have a disclaimer that food sticking to the pan is not covered by warranty. Really? The product description spends a lot of time touting the benefits of the non-stick coating clearly deceptive marketing.

Also, as another reviewer mentions, the helper handle gets very hot. I burnt my fingers the first time that I tried to lift a full pan off the range with both hands. The handle is loose and rotates easily.

If you are looking for a non-stick pan, look elsewhere. This pan can only lead to frustration and pain!

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I'm sorry to say I have several things against it. The helper handle gets HOT despite statement that it does not--I have burnt myself on it. That helper handle is one of the reasons I bought the skillet. The metal part between the skillet and the long handle gets HOT and burns skin. The long handle tends to come unscrewed--not funny when holding a hot skilletful of hot food.... The sloped-out side prevents the food from being turned easily--the food just climbs up the side. The sloped-out side is a pain because it is so hard to dish up anything--it goes up the side instead of on the turner or spoon. Disappointed in the finish--I was excited to try this new porcelain material, but it is not holding up very well.

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I got this to compliment the 5 piece Scala set and it's amazing cookware. See my review on the 5-piece Scala set for more info.

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Chef Buddy 82-BC1004 4-Person Raclette Grill

we used it in the last days 2 times. The size is very convenient for 2 persons. It's a small footprint. I love making raclette a lot, but because I had before only a 8 pans size we didn't used it very often. The cleanup is also very easy.

Did not keep either of these units myself, but rather gave as gifts owing to the price point. Recipients both liked the units particularly the hot stone. Good for small families.

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This unit works very well, but pretty much only for two. The cooking area is really too small for more than two. I was worried that the cheese would be too far from the heat source to melt, but it worked just great. I'm very pleased with the unit.

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Bionaire 12 Inch Remote Control Power Fan

I like the way this fan looks, & it has great features, so I really wanted this to be a great 5* fan. But unfortunately, it is not a 5* product, & here's why. I have twelve fans in use in my house, from small personal units all the way up to a "hurricane" force model for the garage workshop, so I have a lot of fans to compare this one to.

Pros:

1. looks sleek & is quite attractive

2. this remote is 5* all the way. It controls everything the fan can do, not just some things, as some other remotes do. It's one of only four fans I have with a remote available, & is easily the best of the remotes.

3. has a design which enables the fan to create oscillating wind without having a moving fan head (the slats on the front turn in a circular motion; since the slats are angled in different directions, this creates a side-to-side & an up-to-down air movement pattern). There is a double-slat design on the grill (vertical & horizontal), which is both good & bad; it's good because it keeps small fingers away from the plastic blades.

4. this fan has 4 timer options (telling the fan when to turn itself off): 1, 2, 4, & 8 hours. That's more options than any of my other fans.

5. this fan has a simulated "wind" feature. This is nice, but minimally effective on ANY fan that has only 3 speeds, as this one does (it also uses "off" as a 4th speed for the wind effect). One of my fans is a 10 speed model, & that one does actually produce an effective "natural wind" simulation. If you want a good "wind" simulation, you'll need to get a fan with more than 3-4 speeds.

6. this fan has a retractable cord, not available in any of my other fans. It's nice to have, but not a big deal for me. Like a vacuum cleaner cord, this fan has a button that when pushed, allows the cord to rewind into the fan's housing.

7. this fan's outlet plug contains a small fuse, a good safety feature. Although most houses have outlet circuit breakers or fuses, this fan will isolate the problem before it become a problem for the entire fuse or circuit it's connected to. It even comes with an extra fuse.

8. it has an LED control panel, which is nice, but it is poorly placed on top of the fan & is impossible to see from your seat if you are using this as a table fan. You can see it better if you're using this fan on the floor, or if you're standing, but a better location would be on the front of the fan's housing.

That's a whole lot of "Pros" for a fan to have, but unfortunately, this fan fails in the most important areas.

Cons

1. the most important function of a fan, of course, is to deliver moving air to a spot or spots where you want to feel its cooling effect, & this fan does not do that. The air flow is weak, to say the least. I need it to deliver air to one specific spot, my chair, which is exactly 7 (seven) feet away from the fan, & it barely does so, even on the highest setting. That is a completely unacceptable performance for any fan (except the smallest personal desk fans), & especially unacceptable for a fan that cost me $47 here at amazon. The 3 speed settings could more accurately be called "Low, Lower, & Lowest." Even with the air conditioner on, I can barely feel anything at the "Medium" setting, & I feel nothing at the "Low" setting, so I need to keep it on "High" at all times to actually feel the wind. One of the reasons for this problem seems to be the grill itself (see above). The grill is apparently not designed for a straight-out air flow; it seems to be designed to disperse air upwards, downwards, & to the left & right. The grill slats are angled & do not point straight ahead, so this air flow would be expected. If you're looking for a weak air flow to cover a broader area, this feature may be good for you. If you want the air to flow to a specific spot, you're basically out of luck. To get the air to flow in my general direction, I had to sit on my chair & let the fan oscillate until I felt the strongest flow in my direction, then stop the oscillation at that point. Unlike a traditional oscillating fan, you can't tell exactly where the air is directed just by looking at it.

2. the "carrying handle" is an indent in the top of the fan's housing that is too shallow to fit my fingers in far enough. That, plus the fan's weight & the very smooth curved plastic of the indent, make it difficult to carry this fan with one hand. Many people will need two hands to lift it by its bottom, an inconvenience.

3. the manual is in English & Spanish, but there is very little detail given on the actual usage methods of this multi-featured fan. An example is "Press the Sleep/Breeze button to mimic...the wind". "Sleep" button? What is that? It turns out that what they mean is that the simulated "wind" effect is assisted by an "off" speed ("sleep"?). A little more detail here would be helpful. Again, this is a $47 fan, & a more detailed manual would seem warranted.

4. the oscillation feature grill does seem to work, but it's hampered by the weak air flow.

5. considering the poor air output of this fan, it is quite noisy. I have several more powerful fans that make less noise than this one does, & the ones that make an equal amount of noise all deliver better air flow than this fan.

Overall, this Bionaire is good looking, has a terrific remote control, & utilizes some innovative ideas. Unfortunately, all of the positive aspects of this fan are fairly meaningless considering the fact that the air flow is so weak. I'd like to see Bionaire leave the features as they are, but improve the air flow by a great deal, without making it any noisier than it is. I recommend this fan only for people who need a non-directed, weak air flow, perhaps as an assist to an air-conditioner, or for people who are sitting 5 feet or less away from the fan, or for people who have a small space that will not allow the movement of a traditional oscillating fan head. This fan will also be useful for people who have limited mobility to adjust a fan, & who need a remote-controlled fan where air flow is not the main concern.

I bought the fan to go in my bedroom. I like all the features it offers except it needs a lower fan speed. I would like the motor to be quieter too Had to go back to my old fan which is very quiet so I could sleep. So, if it had a slower fan speed & a quiet motor, this fan would be ideal for the bedroom environment.

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This is a super table top or floor fan. It is packed with nice features., in fact it's design is even attactive. You will never find another fan on the market that has the features found on this product. It has a retractable cord reel that w/be handy for storing the fan when not in use. Think you might misplace the remote control, not if you place it in the sleek compartment (molded into the side of the housing/ chassi). The timer can be set for 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours and is electronic not analog. There are two breeze settings, and the grill oscilates to direct wide range air-flow coverage. Finally, with so many features, Bionaire offers a 5 year warranty. The only negative comment I would make is that the fan is noisy. Obviously the highest speed is the loudest. The lowest setting isn't too bad. If it were not for the gushing air flow noise, this would be the ideal fan for just about any need or application.

I have noticed two model numbers for the Bionaire 12 Inch Remote Control Power Fan. Both models are identical in features and design. Contact wtih Bionaire is pending to ask whether there might be two editions/models for this product (described on this page as model # BFF-1210AR-WM). The other model is # BFF-1209R-BU which is sold by Mid-Alantic Merchant, and Ace Hardware (featured on Amazon product pages). Mid-Alantic Merchant has a great price, even with shipping charges. (I missed seeing this seller when initially searching for the product).

I also favor Soleus fans & products. I own a 10 inch Soleus fan (model FTY-25) and I do love this fan. I do believe Soleus has conquered and manufactures the "quietest table top fan" ever produced, at least this is true w/model FTY-25. Soleus only offers a 1 year warranty on the FTY-25, and most likely all their electric fans. The 10 inch Soleus fan (FTY-25), delivers as much power and air flow as the Bionaire 12 Inch Fan.

After several months of constant use, the Soleus fan stopped working and became sluggish, it was necessary to disassemble the fan (removing grill & back panell) to lubricate the motor and thoroughly clean surfaces.

Bottom line & Conslusion: If I can eventually adjust to the operational noise of the Bionaire 12" Fan (model # BFF-1210AR-WM), I'll keep my cool w/no problems.

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I love this fan. The remote makes it so convenient to operate. The way this fan oscillates is great too. I want a couple more for the bedrooms. Its great outdoors on the patio too, for days when their is no wind and you want to be outside.

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I love the fan. I ordered 2 of them and received both. The box that they were packaged in was damaged in transit, yet, I did not find any damage to the fans.

Coleman Road Trip Grill LXE

My wife and I wanted a new grill for tailgating at Miami Dolphins games this year. I am somewhat of a home gourmet and I am extremely particular of my cooking accouterments. After reading countless reviews on many different sites we narrowed it down to the Weber Q and the Coleman Roadtrip LXE. We went to Outdoor World here in Fort Lauderdale and actually looked at both as they had floor models available. We chose the Roadtrip based on it's modular ease of set-up and take down (I've never seen anything easier), the high 20,000 BTU output and the dual burner set-up, none of which the Weber Q had unless you purchased the top of the line Weber which was more than double the price in order to get dual burners and the higher BTU's. The Weber Q stand seemed much flimsier also.

After deciding on this grill we ordered it from Amazon for $159.00 and we chose the free shipping as we were not in any hurry since football season pre-games don' start until August. Amazon had the lowest price we could find. We were surprised to see this grill show up on our door step just 4 days later when the free shipping option told us it would take almost 2 weeks.

I opened the box and set it up immediately and I was pleasantly surprised that it came out of the box nearly complete. Just put the wheels on, attach the handle and the regulator and you're good to go. About 15 minutes in all as compared to hours I have spent assemblying other new grills.

Next came the cook test and the clean up test. After reading other reviewers saying that they lined the inside with foil for easier cleanup, I thought this was a good idea and did the same. I laid foil across the entire insides and with a steak knife cut around the 2 burners and a hole so any drippings could fall into the drip pan. I have read that the instructions for some of these roadtrip grills say to place water in the bottom for easier clean-up. NOT this model. The instructions say nothing of the sort. From reading many reviews, I summize that is on the standard Roadtrip model Model No. 9941-768 not this LXE model so the foil is a good idea.

I chose a beautiful 28 day aged NY Stip steak and my wife a 2 1/2" barrel cut filet. I preheated the grill for 5 minutes with the lid open on medium, wiped one side of the grill with vegetable oil and the other side with Pam for grilling(handles higher heats). I wanted to see right from the beginning which worked better on these porcelain coated cast iron grills. I can tell you I saw absoultely no difference between the two and will continue to use the Pam.

This grill gets HOT! I have to say that I was concerned about the fact that these grill surfaces do have the center area as solid cast iron(no open grill) so no flame gets through over the top of the burners. My concern was no flame hitting the meat = less flavor. The purpose for this is so that grease does not fall directly onto the 2 burners themselves. Let me clarify, there is open grill area...just not directly over the burners. I can report that this concern turned out to be competely unfounded. I rubbed the steaks with olive oil and salt & peppered them and placed each one directly over each burner on the unopened flame area. From the very first second I knew that the searing was going to be awesome and it was. It sizzled like nothing I have ever heard before except on commercial kitchen grills. The grill marks were perfect, the taste and flavor was perfect. I can't say enough about this grill. So far I love it but what about clean up.

The grills cooled down very quickly. I soaked the two porcelain coated cast iron grills in soapy hot water in my kitchen sink over night, as they fit no problem. I honestly don't think I needed to because I ran my finger accoss to see how "baked" on the residue was. It semed to come off pretty easily but I was full on a 16 oz NY strip and several glasses of Cabernet so they could wait until morning. The next morning the grills cleaned up so easily with a soapy wet sponge and I removed the foil lining and wiped the whole inside down with a soapy wet sponge and wiped it out with a dry towel. There was no difference in ease of clean up between the vegetable oil side or the Pam side. Both were easy. The porcelain coated cast iron grills do not need "seasoning" as un-coated cast iron grills do and if something does get baked on you can use a brass grill brush to clean them. Just make sure the brush is brass. It's softer and won't damage the procelain coating.

Folks, forget about any of the horror stories you hear about this grill...it's awesome. It gets so hot you don't need to close the lid so don't let that be a deterrent unlesss you smoke your food. The only reason I give this grill a 4 and not a 5 is because of the fact you can't cook with the lid closed. Although I said don't let it be a deterrent, it would be nice to smoke food. Also worth noting is that this new version comes with two grill surfaces. The older version came with one grill and one griddle and you were forced to buy an additional grill surface. Also with this new version the grill does NOT come off of the stand to be placed on a table top and the lid does not come off. I have read the opposite from other reviewers. Perhaps those things were true with older models. I know this was a long review, but these were all things I was concerned about and that I read conflicting stories on. I hope my review is helpful to you!

I am a died in the wool griller and Weber guy. We currently have three grills around the house; a horizontal smoker/charcoal grill, a Weber gas Silver C gas grill (10 years old, the best!!) and the Coleman Roadtrip. I bought this grill because I get stuck doing the cooking at other friends and relatives and always had to load up the Weber. This Roadtrip is the cat's meow for this type of grilling road show.

I was going to get a Weber Q but it doesn't have the cart, at least not at a sub $200 pricepoint. This grill does the job and then some. I used the grill five times in the last two weeks, trying different approaches and methods, and have come up with a few tips and tricks to make the grill work it's best. Please note that this grill is one of the best I have ever used and certainly better than the majority of gas grills I have used. It's no Weber, but then, it ain't 500 bucks either. So, on with the tips.

1. The burner has a "low" to "high" settings. The high settings are ONLY and I mean ONLY for using the burner attachment or griddle attachment. There is no need to use 20,000BTU's of heat on a grill this small. These guys that are melting handles and such are also ruining food with entirely too much heat. They ought to put this in the book, but they don't. So you read it hear first, been grilling for over 25 years, do NOT use the high setting for grilling...PERIOD! Think about it...my Weber, which is almost twice as big and has enough clearance built into the cover for a turkey or upright chicken, only has 40,000BTU. So 20,000 for a grill with a three inch clearance cover and burners less than an inch away from the food is way too much. NO HIGH!!! PERIOD...there, now I feel better.

2. Properly preheat the grill. Fire up the grill, set it to "MED", no higher (READ # 1!!!), close the cover, and let it run for 10 minutes. This will get the grates properly heated as well as everything else. This will allow for even heat for cooking.

NOTE: The cover for this grill (I am referring to the lid that covers the grill during cooking) is durable as long as you (say it with me, folks!) DON'T USE THE HIGH SETTING FOR GRILLING!! Now given that, even on the lowest of heat setting the lid will "warp" when heated. I would bet that even a good dose of sunlight would do this. It's no worries, but it does cause a potential issue. This happens to most grills but it's so little you never notice it. But on this grill, the lid lock pin slides down into a slot that only has about a 1/16" clearance. The cover then heats up, moving the lock very VERY slightly but just enough, causing the grill not to open easily because of the pin catching on the slot. TO avoid this, after unlocking and opening the grill cover, just turn the lever to the "lock" position prior to preheating. ADVANCED FIX: I think utilizing a bit of backyard engineering IE tinsnips to open up the slot for more clearance while still being able to lock the lid may do the trick. IN the interim, just flipping to lock will still allow the lid to close, but the lock pin won't slide into the slot. As far as the highly reported melting lid handle, I have made attempts to get the handle hot enough to melt with the grill on medium and have determined that it simply won't happen. No concern, as long as you FOLLOW RULE#1!!

3. Once preheated, do what you would do with a normal gas grill heat control utilizing the "Coleman Roadtrip Medium" setting as "HIGH." Most folks go to Medium on a gas grill, so that would be half way between MED and LOW on this grill. Make sense? Good. I usually cook a tick above halfway.

4. Now just use like a normal gas grill, keeping the cover closed at all times. I will state that even at these supposedly low heat settings, this grill does cook faster than my big Weber, so keep an eye out the first few times you use it.

5. Foil for cleanup of the drip pan? I don't like that idea. The shiny drip pan cleans up so easily it's not required. Also, there is a problem if the foil is wrinkled at all you won't have proper draining of the grease, resulting in flair up and fire. I use hot, soapy water and let the excess water go to the drip pan. It cleanse up very easily.

That's all I got. If you follow my rules, you will love this grill.

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I've actually owned the Coleman Road Trip LXE Grill for several months and have had it stored in my travel trailer, just waiting for the opportunity to use it while traveling. However, my daughter and her husband had the idea to "rough it" camp at Edison Lake in the high Sierras of California.

Robert Recupito wrote an insightful review of the Coleman Road Trip LXE Grill on July 9, 2006. I echo much of what he reported in his use of the LXE grill.

Our experience was limited to two days and nights of varied cooking. The first experience was grilling polish dogs for lunch. The dogs fit perfectly in the grill's grooves and were cooked very evenly through and through with the lid closed. That evening I cooked two tri-tip roasts. The grills had been pretreated with Pam barbecue spray, making cleanup very easy. After some basic seasoning, the roasts turned out perfectly cooked, crisp on the outside and full of natural juices on the inside. Day two was an instant replay of the first day with hamburgers as the main course.

I had purchased the gridle and a grate accessories for the LXE grill and can report that this was money wisely invested. My wife used the grate to brew the morning coffee and, later, whipped up a tasty mixture of hash browns, onions, and cheese. The LXE's variable heat and grate sturdiness made the preparation of this and other large pan dishes a snap. The gridle made cooking pancakes a breeze. Even with no Pam or cooking oil, the pancakes were light and fluffy and did not stick to the gridle.

If you're a barbecue enthusiast and use the Coleman LXE extensively, consider using a large propane container like I did. I bought a CharBroil propane hose/adapter at Lowe's for $16 and connected it to the LXE. Since I already owned the 5 gallon propane tank, my only expense was filling the tank with propane. Why go into so much detail about this, you might ask. If you've priced those little propane bottles to fuel small barbecues and lanterns, the money spent on the larger quantity of propane and the hose adapter will pay for itself rapidly over a summer's worth of use.

Clean up of LXE was certainly effortless. The recommendation of using foil to line the area surrounding the burners is certainly worth considering as well as the drip tray beneath the LXE. I soaked the cooking grates in OxyClean for about 15 minutes and whatever residue remained from two days of cooking was easily removed.

Like many other users, I recommend the LXE for its ease of use and versatility.

Read Best Reviews of Coleman Road Trip Grill LXE Here

I spent hours researching portable gas grills looking for good heat, features, ease of use, and portability. Then I gave my wife the link and told her that's what I wanted for Christmas. Good wife that she was, she ordered it for me. Wow! Coleman did a really good job designing this grill. It's a heavy and large portable grill, that folds down into a cart, so you can wheel it around. When ready, just lift it up and the handle and wheels become it's stand.

It comes with 2 grill grates, but can accept interchangeable surfaces, so you can grill with grates, fry with a griddle, or use pots and pans with a stove grate. Since there are two, you can mix and match. Want breakfast? Use the griddle to cook up some bacon and eggs, and the stove grate to brew up a pot of coffee. Lunch? Use the griddle and make up some cheesesteaks or fajitas. Dinner? Fire up the grill and cook up a nice steak.

The grill uses standard portable propane cylinders of either type available anywhere. It even comes with two table surfaces that slide out from either side, and hooks to hang your tools on.

The Roadtrip Grill comes with 2 separate burners, each with it's own control. The grill ignites the burners with a push of a button and the burners themselves generate a lot of heat. I usually end up cooking on medium, because cooking on high results in very charred foods. High praise for a portable grill that runs from a small propane cylinder. The grill surfaces are intelligently designed, so they cover the burner so grease and drippings don't clog the burner, but there's still plenty of area around it for the raw heat to come out. The grease and drippings do go down to the bottom, but it's a pretty easy clean up. If there's a lot, it will drip down into a little drawer underneath that just slides out for dumping.

Many have commented about it not being safe to cook with the lid down, as the handle may melt. Indeed the warning label warns you not to do so. I was very aware of this, and experimented. In my case I was able to cook just fine with the lid down with the heat on medium. I will continue to cook with the lid down where appropriate, but I will be very mindful of it and check the handle temp often.

This is really intelligently designed for a portable grill. I am already envisioning wheeling this thing everywhere. And why not? It's so easy. I can't imagine why people are paying $40 or more for the Weber Q, with hardly any of the features.

UPDATE July 17, 2011 4 years later and I'm still using this. I still love it. It now does double duty as a portable grill and my primary patio grill. The only defect is that the paint on the lower portion has faded. It now looks more pink than red. But the paint on the hood remains bright red.

Also, one tip. Get some wide aluminum foil and use it to line the bottom. Just push it down, use a knife and cut holes for the burners, then line the bottom. Remember to cut a hole where the drain hole is. Then when it gets really dirty, just lift it out and replace with new foil.

I still heartily recommend this grill.

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We purchased the Coleman 9949-750 Road Trip Grill LXE locally, not through Amazon. This grill is amazing. Our fourth of July barbeque (yesterday) was a great success thanks to the Coleman RoadTrip. Our previous grills have been either charcoal or large propane tank grills, neither of which were very portable.

The Coleman RoadTrip Grill has a large plastic handle that extends outward. While the grill is collapsed and flat, you place your foot on the large plastic handle and grab the metal side handle and pull up and towards you. A metal hook underneath attaches to the top of one of the legs, securing the entire grill. Taking it down is just as easy.

Once the grill is up, two plastic side tables slide out from underneath both sides of the grill. These HAVE to be extended while cooking. Otherwise, you may have a melted or warped plastc mess!

A can of propane from WalMart was about $1.00 and lasts about 2 hours. Connecting the can to the grill was very easy as was lighting the grill. (Although if it's windy, you may have to use a match)

The grill heats up quickly and becomes very hot. You can easily cook on low heat and it still remains hot enough to cook and sizzle your food. Despite what many reviews say, you CAN cook with the lid down Just NOT on high heat and not for long periods of time. I'd say 5 minutes closed before re-opening.

CLEAN UP: It can get a bit messy inside the RoadTrip Grill. If you don't want to spend a lot of time on clean up, line the base of the grill, under the grates and around the burners with aluminum foil. Also place a small piece of aluminum foil in the slide out drip pan. Be careful not to block the burner openings. When the cooking is all done, wait for the grill to cool and remove the aluminum foil. Easy!

The grill grates can be soaked in hot soapy water for a few hours and even the most burnt on food will wash away. You can also place the grill grates in your dishwasher, although for me, it took a couple of washes to get off everything without having to scrub it off manually.

SUMMARY: This is an excellent grill that'll get a lot of comments from on-lookers. Everyone thinks it's cool! It cooks great and it looks great! I'd highly recommend getting this grill and the Wheeled Carry Case (sold seperately) because the grill lid lock is rather flimsy and when you're pulling the grill, the grill grates fall against the lid and tumble out onto the ground. The carry case also makes it easier for two people to lift it into and out of the trunk of a car or back of a pickup. (And it'll keep it from getting scratched!)

Happy Grilling!

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