George Foreman GR100V 100-Square-Inch Nonstick Grill with Variable Temperature Control

I boought this grill because of the size, the fact it has an off-on switch and variable temperature controls. It works like my previous two GF grills, only better! I recently mixed five large pounded chicken breasts, peppers, onions, garlic and canola oil in a large bowl and let it marinate for an hour or so. Fish out the chicken; drain the veggies. Brush a little canola oil (no sprays) on the grill and preheat. Put the veggies on the bottom, the chicken on top of that and close the lid. Cook for about 6 minutes (you be the judge). There was plenty of room on this grill for all five breasts. Last night to reheat the three left-over breasts, I put a piece of tinfoil on the bottom, the chicken breasts and another piece of foil. Turned the grill to medium heat and in 4-5 minutes, the breasts were perfect (and, no cleanup this time).

This is a long post, but wanted to show you can cook more than steak and burgers on this grill. As far as cleanup, the secret is to clean while the grill is still hot. You can do this just after you remove the food, OR, turn off the grill and reheat later for cleaning. Two ways to do this; once grill is hot, I turn it off and spray water on both surfaces. The food just boils off (if you've ever seen a flat grill cleaned at a diner, you know what I'm talking about. I finish with a wet sponge or a paper towel. Another method I use is this: I sewed two black washcloths on three sides (so I could turn it inside out). When I finish cooking, I turn off the grill lay the super wet washcloth on it and close the lid for it to steam. After supper, most of the cooking residue just wipes off. If not, I can preheat and use the wet cloth to finish. Afterwards, the washcloth goes into the laundry to be reused.

All said (and it's a lot!), don't be afraid of the cleanup. My grill is sparkling clean and it only takes about 5 minutes and no hard work.

This grill is awesome try Google for tons of recipes type in "Recipes George Foreman Grill."

This grill works great. I love the Temperature control on this one. To say that this works terrible doesn't make any sense. It works like every other Foreman grill. Take my word for it. This product is wonderful. It cooks food fast.

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I read other reviewers' comments on this unit being awkward to use and messy when cleaning. If one wants one that has confident removeable plates and is easy to handle, then go for a smaller and more expensive one. But for myself, wanting to cook more than one tiny steak or small burgers at a time, the suface area was perfect for me. It heats quick enough and fits fine in the cookware drawer.

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I have the smaller original George Foreman style grill, which I love so much.

I was looking for a larger model in order to cook veggies along with my meat/poultry/fish.

I looked at just about all the models before I made my choice of this one. Most of the models did not have the same design as the smaller one, but this one has.

The design I like is this:

The back and edges of the bottom grill are designed to catch drips from the top grill when you open it and run them in a small gutter around the outside edge of the bottom grill, directing them onto the drip tray.

This also means that when you clean the top grill with a wet cloth, the drips do not go down behind the grill onto the counter top. They land on the back of the bottom grill and can go through the gutter to the drip tray at the front of the grill. Many models are not designed like this.

Clean up of both my George Foreman grills is very easy. Removable plates are not necessary. After it has cooled a little bit, place a fairly wet, warm cloth on the bottom grill and close the top. Leave it for a while and the grills just wipe clean. No scrubbing.

Foods cook fast.

I'm loving the larger cooking area.

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I guess I was the last person on the planet to buy a George Foreman Grill, but I'm glad I finally did! It heats up quickly, it cooks evenly and quickly, and clean up isn't too bad. (Just be sure and do it immediately after you take your food off--or at a minimum wipe the worst of it off with a paper towel and then toss on a wet dish rag and close the lid while you eat.)

The surface area is large enough to cook anything a family of four would need. The only bit of a drawback is that some of the parts seem to be a little "wobbly" and cheaply made, but we've had ours now for 6 months and have no problems at all. Sometimes we use it 3 or 4 nights during the week. It's also nice because it doesn't heat up the house.

Glad I bought it!

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Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Panini Press and Skillet Grill Sets

I originally wrote this review for the press alone. At the time I bought the press, Amazon wasn't offering the press/pan as a set. Now it does and since anyone interested in this product is probably going to be looking at reviews of the set rather than the individual components, I'll repeat my review, with enhancements:

While shopping a retail cooking store, I fell in love with the Krups FDE312 panini press. A bit of Amazon research, however, turned up a disturbing pattern of sudden failures in this product. Research into other presses from Cuisinart, DeLonghi, Breville, Villaware, and others failed to produce a clear front runner. It seemed that each product had one or more issues non-removable grill plates, difficult cleaning, lack of grill ribs, flimsy handles, tendency to dry food, non-adjustable temperature, etc. Enter the Le Creuset 10 ¼" grill pan and panini press. You can submerge them to clean. They're coated with enamel, not Teflon, which means with proper care they should last two lifetimes (although they're only guaranteed for the lifetime of the original owner)(and note, this is a satin enamel coating, not the Le Creuset smooth coating, the longevity of which I can confirm from personal experience). There's no electrical element to burn out, no cord to store, no moving parts to break. Use is simple. Heat the grill on one burner (we have gas, but they're supposed to work with other technologies) and the press on the other. Wait until a spatter of water vaporizes almost instantly. Brush grill pan with some oil. Place sandwiches on grill pan. Pick up the press, brush on some oil, place on sandwiches and press for a few moments. Sizzle, sizzle. Wait until the cheese melts. Serve. The panini were just like what I'd eaten in Italy. I haven't owned an electric press, but I can't imagine they'd be better. Cleanup of the enamel surface requires a bit of care but, unlike every Teflon-coated product I've ever owned, that surface will probably still be there 20 years from now. And since the grill pan actually has sides (unlike every electric panini press I looked at), there was no side-spattering and thus no cleanup to do around the cooking area. The only disadvantages the grill/press combination costs $140, almost twice the cost of the average electric panini grill. But since many of the grill reviews I read spoke of this being their second (or third) electric grill, I suspect you'd make the money back over the next 20 years. Also, running multiple batches is a bit more of a problem than with a self-heating grill, since you need to place the now oily press back on the flame to reheat it, which can potentially lead to flaring of the residual oil, and will also get the burner oily. I intend to see, however, if you can reheat the press in the pan rather than putting it directly on a burner.

Let me just get right to it: this works okay if you want to make one, maybe two sets of sandwiches at most. It may work better if you have a gas stovetop (I don't) but works passably with a flat top electric stove top (what I have) and I'm guessing it would work with electric burners as well. I got all excited reading other reviews about how this press will last forever (it probably will), how it is high quality (true), easier to store (also true), simple to clean (still true), has no breakable parts (yes, yes) and can also be used for other food items like burgers and chicken (probably also true). But I mostly wanted it for panini.

Using it: After opening it I read that this is not meant to be used with my type of cook top but I thought I could probably still make it work. And I did. But it took three batches of panini to get the crust I wanted. Too black, too white, just right-and I don't see how anyone, no matter the cook top, will avoid this process. No little dial to set like on a traditional panini maker for how you want your toasted product to turn out. Second, the instructions say, heat your pan and press on separate burners till hot. Then grease each piece and set the press inside the pan for a minute or so, then do your sandwiches OFF THE HEAT. Okay great. Now say you want to make more than two sandwiches, which is what the pan will hold. No problem for the pan, just put it back on the burner to reheat, but what about the press? It is now greased on the side you put directly in contact with the burner (perhaps more of a problem for electric ranges...). You can carefully wipe it dry (it's still hot) and stick it back on the burner, then grease it again (did that, annoying to deal with, but it worked). You can use the retained heat from the press and pan and get a much more lightly toasted second set of sandwiches (have also done that) and then you pretty much have to start over. With a traditional press you can just keep sliding sandwiches out, sandwiches in. I'm feeding a family of six, so to me this seems like a real selling point for the grills and a real drawback for the press.

After I mastered my pan and press I was all happy till I got to thinking, what would one of these taste like without the grill marks? Some of the traditional presses have two sided plates, one smooth, one ridged. I wanted to try a smooth panini. Luckily I had the wit to realize this would be a simple matter. I got out a plain old frying pan and made a no grill marks panini by simply using slighly thinner bread, and pressing the sandwich down with a spatula as it was cooking, then flipping it halfway through. I liked it better, but that is a matter of opinion. It did get me thinking though: I already have high quality skillets. Did I really just pay $150 for a fancy grilled cheese sandwich pan? Yes, I think I did.

I would say that the most value I got from this purchase is the little booklet that came with it urging you to mix spices in a small dish of olive oil, then to brush your panini bread with this mixture on the outside before making them. It is delicious. Don't think I would have thought of it on my own and my panini cookbook doesn't mention that great little idea, so kudos to Le Crueset for good cooking tips. But you may want to consider (as I wish I had), before dropping your cash: does anyone really need a panini maker? To cook something both sides at a time, thus saving a total of two minutes, and to imprint it with grill marks: is this worth $150 to you? Or $80 or $90 if you go the traditional press route? Before buying this or any panini press I would urge you to get out a heavy duty flat bottom skillet, assemble a panini, place it in the pan over medium heat, press it down with a spatula, and carefully flip it two minutes later. If this is tasty to you, you just saved yourself more than $100 and you are still enjoying a panini.

I hope to use this pan for other things, like burgers, steaks and chicken, to feel I got my money's worth out of it. It is a great pan, nothing wrong with it, thus the four stars. HOWEVER If I really wanted fancy grill marked panini I think I would rather have gone with a traditional press for the convenience of making multiple sandwiches, not using up more than half my stove to make what is supposed to be a quick and simple meal, and adjustable temperature control. Nor would I get one with multisided plates. I would use a frying pan for a "no grill marks" sandwich. Something to think about!

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I bought this for my boyfriend for Christmas. In all honesty, I also bought it for myself, because I'm a vegetarian, and I needed some sort of method for introducing variety into my dinner routine. I was getting really tired of rice and beans and greens. This little set, while extremely expensive (in my opinion), really is a lot of fun, and the panini is excellent, as long as you FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. We didn't read the manual carefully the first time we used it, so I was disappointed, but when you do exactly what the thing says, and get a decent feel for how long to let the sandwich cook for, it turns out great sandwiches.

In short: heat both components up, like it says, and then take them OFF the heat, brush them with whatever (we use a spray cooking oil; olive oil did NOT work), put the top onto the bottom for a bit, and then put the sandwich in, press down, and wait. If you forget to put the top back onto the bottom, it won't work right, I have found. And you're not supposed to put it back onto the heat. Maybe all that is obvious to cooking people, but I'm a novice.

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I received this for set for Christmas and have already used it a few times. I cooked yellow fin tuna the first use and it came out spectacular. Love the grill marks, and even cooking. This is definitely a piece of cookware that loves low/slow heat, I had it on my main burner on a low heat and got the oil to just about smoking and then threw on my tuna. Cooked it 5 mins a side and it came out with a terrific natural taste! The main event was the panini, I cut my ciabatta bread up, sprayed it with olive oil and layerd on the prosciutto and provolone. I heated the top press on one burner and the skillet on another, once the pan was sufficiently hot (water sizzle/pop) i turned off the heat on both and threw on the first panini and put the press on top. I let it cook for about 5 minutes and found it to be beautifully browned with nice even grill marks. The second one cooked the same without having to apply any more heat. Great set, I'm looking forward to cooking more with it!

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This is a great product. The grill pan itself is very heavy, and retains heat very well. The press is similarly robust but has not proved to be as useful on electric ranges -the range can't get the press hot enough to really do much more than weight the food down. Originally we purchased this item to facilitate preparation of panini, but we've since grown accustomed to using it for all indoor grilling applications.

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Tupperware Hamburger Freezer Set 4 Containers RED Seal

I have a set of Tupperware hamburger freezer containers that I have had for 30 years-still going strong but I wanted to double my capacity. I did so, but not in the way I expected. These are much larger than the old original containers and are great if you like to make 1/2 lbs. burgers, but I don't. I can use them by only filling them half-way, but because they are of a much larger diameter than my old ones, if I make 1/4 burgers they are rather flat. It never occurred to me to measure the diameter of the original containers and check to see if the size had changed over the years. Unfortunately, it has-like so many things in the food arena, these containers have been "super-sized".

Cast Iron 15" Reversible Stovetop Grill Griddle

This is also a present I got for someone this x-mas, but it is real cast iron steel and heavy.

A perfect sized grill for 2 burner camp stoves the coleman type, not the camp chef type. Of course you could use this with a camp chef, but it fits perfectly over both burners on the coleman type. Extremely solid (like all cast iron, I suppose) so it's good to go over a camp fire as well. It's a good design with the griddle on one side (with grease catch trough) and grill on the other side.

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Bought this as an Xmas gift and have heard nice things about it from the recipient. She's happy with it and that means I'm happy with it.

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I am very happy with my new grill. I've use it several times now and my food taste just like grilled food. I Love Love Love It!!!

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I bought this for my new stove with the oval center burner. It fits well but it cooks uneven.

Black & Decker CTO7100B Toast-R-Oven Digital Rotisserie Convection Oven

This B&D oven makes outstanding rotisserie meats and is a big leap in value over a traditional toaster oven, with one significant drawback: it's a very mediocre toaster. In fairness, nowhere on the packaging does this product say "toaster" -it's simply described as a convection rotisserie oven. But if you're considering an upgrade over a standard toaster oven like I was, you're probably hoping for the best of all worlds: rotisserie, convection oven, and toaster. It nails the first two, but is merely acceptable on the third.

Rotisserie: It takes a few tries to get a feel for the timing, but once you do, you get really outstanding roasts and restaurant-quality rotisserie chicken. The rotisserie keeps juices circulating inside, so the meat doesn't dry out like when you bake it the standard way. Some have noted that it isn't really big enough for chicken, and it can be a squeeze. But if you tie the legs with cooking twine (which you should do anyway, to prevent burning), you can cook a 4-1/2 to 5 pound bird, and anything smaller is easy (the manual suggests 3-1/2 as a limit, but you can push that a bit). Pork and beef roasts are ridiculously easy -just stab it through with the skewer and put it in -and absolutely delicious. I'm surprised at those who say the rotisserie isn't worth it, because to me, it's the best thing about this device. Well worth the upgrade over a non-rotisserie convection oven.

Convection oven: If you're not interested in the rotisserie, you can get a good non-rotisserie convection oven for $30-$40 less. That's still $30-$40 more than a standard toaster oven, but it's worth it. A standard toaster oven isn't really for baking. It's good for reheating or melting cheese on something, but that's about it. A good convection oven like this one can be used for anything you do in a normal oven. Lasagnas (in a 9x9 pan), breads, pizzas (up to 12-inch), desserts, etc. -all of these can be done here because the oven regulates its temperature reliably. Furthermore, the smaller size and the convection fan (which circulates the air to regulate temperature and speed cooking slightly) mean less energy. Why use a giant oven to cook a small dish? Pre-heating is quicker, cooking times are shorter, and the food is just as good. The broiler also works well.

Toaster: Again, B&D doesn't promote this as a toaster, though it does have a toaster setting. It toasts pretty evenly (no worse than a standard toaster oven on that front), but the larger size of the oven (compared to a toaster) means it takes a long time, and the toast tends to dry out. You can tinker with the settings a bit, and if you position the rack close to the heating element, it turns out fine, but expect it to take a few minutes longer than a normal toaster or toaster oven. This may also mean that you're giving back some of the energy you save by using it as an oven.

Two other drawbacks to be aware of: (1) it takes a fair amount of cabinet space, since it is a few inches wider, deeper, and taller than most toaster ovens, and (2) the glass on the front is not double-layered, and thus gets very hot -be careful if you're using it with small children around.

Beyond that, this is a solid product. After six months of use, I'm happy I bought it, and am really glad to have another way to cook outstanding meat during the winter months when it's too cold to grill.

I searched for a long time before buying this, it is great for heating up anything, we barely ever turn on our big oven now! the only problem is that the rotisserie is worthless! chickens dont come small enough to fit, plus the skewer pops out and doesnt spin! this is a great toaster oven but dont buy it for the rotisserie!

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We've had this device for several weeks now. We've used it for baking, rot is, toasting, but not broiling as of yet.

Here are the observations:

[1] Good device for all intents and purposes.

[2] Needs improved control of the toast function. Set to 3, the toast is too light. Set to 4 it burns the edges. Instead of 7 settings. Make it 20 settings. You can afford to pay your programmers that much. It would only be a few lines of code and a more flexible circuit. I'd rather have the flexibility than years of improperly done toast.

[3] The rot is has issues with whole chickens of 3 pounds and up. They need to be trussed up in a corset of string to avoid contacting the drip pan

[4] The beep on the machine sounds too much like the smoke detector. I can live better without thinking there's a fire in the kitchen. Change the sound to something else.

Regards,

Chuck Pelto

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This replaces a 3 year=old GE Rotisserie/Toaster Oven which no longer works.

The digital timer starts counting down automatically after it finishes pre-heating.

The toaster is nearly silent even when the convection fan is on.

The thermal readout is in 5 degree increments.

The size is more compact than the model it replaces, but the internal space is just as roomy.

The cooking tray does not extrude at the back where the pizza bump is, so you may need to use a pizza pan.

The heating elements are coiled within the larger diameter element surface (an improvement compared to conventional elements) so they shouldn't warp and bend when liquids drip onto the elements.

Overall it is a welcome improvement over the $20 cheaper GE model this replaces.

...Several months later...

The oven is still going strong.

I have found that it cleans easily.

One of these days I might be tempted to place a small bead of silicon caulk or RTV under the top of the glass door.

When cooking for periods longer than an hour, a considerable bit of heat seems to escape.

...In response to the squeak in the video review by "ColoradoHermit"...

Flip the rotisserie switch to the off position when you are not using the rotisserie.

That will stop the 'mysterious' squeak you are hearing.

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Just bought this and love it. We're a family of only 3 and it more than suffices. Haven't used as convection yet but oven and toasting is a breeze. Minor adjusting time and temp as presets are automatic.I haven't really had to adjust anyway. Using it for breakfast and dinners. Not home for lunch otherwise would probably be using it for that. Great for my sons snacks after school. Won't be using my standard oven until the holidays when I have lots of people over. Wasn't the oven I was originally looking for but thankfully, this was in stock and cheaper as a perk. I paid $59.99 on sale. Well made with Black and Decker name to boot. Only con is it does get hot on the outside, just don't touch it! It was a great day!

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Scrolling Iron and Distressed Black Wood Wall Gate GRILLE Plaque Set

Thes arrived and are beautiful. They look like 2 right "doors" instead of a right and left door though, but I'll get over it. Packaged nicely and add a nice look to our family room over the loveseat.

Paderno World Cuisine 14-Inch Steel Tawa Pan

This product is 11", not 14". The actual metal of the round pan is 11" as verified by Chris at Paderno. He looked up the number and it is the same number as the pan I received. He said that they have only one size pan of that number and it is designated number of 11", and the price is as stated on Amazon. The brand of pan I received is Hancock on the wrapper. The wrapper had care instructions for a wok, and he sent me instructions for care.

The adhesive tags on my tawa pan show both numbers; one 14" and one 11". But the measurement is 11", the handle doesn't enter into the measurement as it is quite long.

I forgot to add that although the description for this pan says, "flat," though that may be no fault of the seller for their description, the pan is a CONCAVE tawa-tava griddle, and the pictured product is fitting.

I bought this to make 14 inch Dahl Puri roti. I was very disappointed because this is just slightly bigger than my 10 inch griddle cast iron pan. If I could return this product I would. I don't even like the way it cooks. If you are desperate and don't have an alternative then, by all means, buy this product and see for yourself. You my have to go to Guyana or Trinidad and bring one back in your suit case, or buy it for $125 on a caribbean site on-line.

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The pan sits crooked on the burner so one side is much hotter than the other. It was a good price though

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Terrible, terrible cooking utensil. Don't waste money on it.

Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, terrible.

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Fox Run Glass Heat Resistant Baster

This glass baster looks great upon first inspection. The only problem is that the bulb does not fit tightly and it will not hold liquid. I did not return it because I have an older baster and used the bulb that was on it with acceptable results.

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Flavorwood Grill Smoke Can

I bought this can mainly as a joke. The joke was on me,however, when it came to shipping/handling. If you can find this item in a local grocery store or specialty grilling store it'd save you some money. Or perhaps order enough to make the shipping/handling cost worth it all.

Anyway... back to the product.

The can is about the size of a can of tuna, with a hole punched right on the top. Just peal off the sticker, covering the hole, and set it right in with the coals.

It pumps out smoke for a good bit of time... and steadily.

I did some burgers and black beans, and it kept smoking throughout the whole time.

If you want mesquite flavor and not a whole lot of stuff, this can will do ya good.

It'd work good for tail-gaiting, or any place where load-and-go barbecuing is going on.

R&V Works CES4 Cajun Express 4 Rib Stainless Steel Pressure Smoker Cooker

If there's one thing more scary than redneck engineering, it's cajun engineering. This falls into the latter category.

This thing is heavy, really heavy. Unloading from the back of your truck will require 2 men or an overhead winch.

Unit takes 13-15 min to warm up. This was starting at 70F and ending at 350F. Once preheated, you almost have to turn the flame off to keep it from continuing to climb.

So far, we've cooked hamburgers, mixed veggies, and pork spare ribs. Burgers were some of the best I've ever had. Veggies were very good. Spare ribs were a 9 out of 10.

The smoke and steam create a paste that sticks to various things. When I opened the door, black 'tar' dripped onto the patio floor. (edit) This continues. I plan to put a 5 gallon bucket under the door to catch condensation/etc that drips off the door when you open it.

The cooking times are honest. I did 3 thick spare ribs in 40-45 mins. They were all fully done, and all were cooked exactly the same. They were dripping with juice, actually being some of the juiciest ribs I've ever seen.

Cleanup: the grates are nice stainless steel and cleanup pretty easily. The drip pan cleans pretty easily also. The inside of the unit is accumulating some of this black tar stuff, but a good hosing out seems to take care of that.

Only problem I have is that the drip pan binds in the slot when the unit heats up (cold, there is no problem). I tried grinding the sides down a fraction of an inch. This has helped some but not much. You have to grip it very tightly and pull hard to get it out when the unit's hot. It IS nice that it will (when working correctly) slide out with the cooking shelf. That way you can turn/bbq the meat without dripping stuff all over the patio.

Overall, I rate the unit a 9/10. There's no guessing anymore on food. Pop it in, check your watch, and take it out. Everything inside it cooks evenly. My oven doesn't cook this consistently.

I could ding it a little for the weight. Unless built from aluminum or titanium, there's no getting around the weight. I was looking forward to carrying it to places and cooking. I can still do that, but it will take a trailer. I'm NOT unloading this thing again from a truck.

Edit: The mfg is making another drip pan, slightly smaller, and is shipping to me free of charge. Excellent!

Cast Iron Steak Weight & Bacon Press

When I got this, not only was the metal and handle sticky with some unknown substance, but the press was actually warped in the middle so it wouldn't lay flat. The texture on the bottom is very small squares packed closely together. Not what I was looking for. I returned it post-haste.

Do yourself a favor and spend another 5 bucks on a QUALITY press. I bought the Outset Q111. Significantly better.

It is a functional item and arrived as described and quickly. I think it works fine but had a few flaws in the casting that I wish that they had caught. A little better quality control is needed. Not worth returning, I will just grind the spots in question to protect my cookwares finish.

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Nice heavy bacon/sausage press. It's cast iron so don't get it wet but it's exactly what it looks like. Very solidly made. The wood handle is screwed in at both ends and the wood isn't finished on the ends, so again, if you get it wet, that might be a problem, but if you keep it clean with a brush or scraper, this utensil is likely to last a long, long time. Can't go wrong.

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This is great for flattening bacon and steaks. I highly recommend this for a friend and would buy again. It has small bumps on the flat, heavy, device. Well made. Needs to be seasoned and dried well after washing as it is metal and can rust if not treated. It does have a sticker that states "Made in China".

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I washed this item before putting it to use. While washing it, it was literally turning to rust in my hands. My boyfriend kept saying..Naaah, that's not rust. But, what the hell else could it be? Rusty water just beading up on the press almost as fast as it was wet.

Then the handle got super sticky and it's as if it's coated in some weird adhesive or something.

I'm going to return this thing as soon as possible. Do yourself a favor, get one from a name brand company. I actually thought I was ordering the Kingsford one but, I ended up with this and well, it sucks.

Oven Rack Cleaner 3 Pack

Sorry to say our oven racks hadn't been cleaned since the oven went in 2004. And we cook a lot. Dropped the racks into the bag with the solution, came back 9 hours later and whammo looked like we bought new racks! No stinky chemicals, easy to use, never again will our racks look like they did, this is too easy to be true.

My husband used this product to clean our oven racks yesterday and I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened my oven door and saw "Like New!" racks! I can't remember the last time we cleaned the racks, because you KNOW how hard it is, but this stuff worked like magic!!

He cleaned all three of our oven racks in 1 bag. He did shake it fairly often and instead of leaving it in the bag 8 hours, he left them in about 24 (not sure why). But now my oven looks like it did the day we got it and I couldn't be more thrilled!

I highly recommend this oven rack cleaner!

Barb

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I hate cleaning racks in our self-cleaning oven. They must be cleaned separately and since we broil meat in our oven the racks are plenty messed up. I am, by nature, a pessimist and I did not believe that Carbona would work. Imagine my surprise when after an overnight soak they were as clean as if they were new. Only a little scraping was necessary where months and months of cooking had turned the grease to varnish.

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My range (Maytag Gemini) has two ovens a smaller, single rack upper oven and a larger, double-rack, lower one. I usually clean the racks by soaking them for several hours in the bathtub with ammonia and water, rinsing them, changing the water and then dissolving a couple of dishwasher gel packs in the fresh water and soaking them overnight. It does a fair job, but tends to scratch the tub and also ties up use of the tub for quite a while.

The ad for this product sounded optimistic, so I gave it a try.

I followed the instructions carefully and put all three racks in the bag, poured in the solution and left it overnight. I took out the smaller oven rack, which wasn't all that dirty to start with, and it had cleaned up fairly well. No one would mistake it for a new rack, though. The two other racks were still visibly dirty, so I left them overnight again. I just rinsed them and could see very little change from the way they started out. I scrubbed the racks with a Scotch-brite sponge and still couldn't remove some of the baked on grease.

Back to the bathtub.

Save your money this stuff doesn't work.

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I was skeptical about this when I saw it on the supermarket shelf. I was actually looking to buy one of those spray cleaners and saw this for the racks. I figured I'd give it a shot, and like the box said, my racks look brand new. I hadn't cleaned them at all since 2006 (I know, I know...ick!) and after years of spills, I was finally disgusted enough to get them clean. I honestly did not expect them to get so clean. I thought the bag would break, but it didn't and I had 2 full-sized oven racks in there. I decided to have them rest for the 8 hours in my bath tub just in case there was spillage, but the bag helf up very well. So, overall I'd recommend this product to anyone.

Pros:

*cleans years of grease off very easily

*returned my oven racks to "new"

*I did not have to get my hands dirty at all

*very minimal scrubbing to wash off any remainder of grease, but it came off easily

*the cleaner did not seem to me to have any harsh fumes at all, but then again, I didn't come in contact with it for long just to pour it into the bag and close the bag.

*Excellent price for what you get and what the product does

Cons:

*It's annoying that it takes 8 hours to get it clean, but I rather have that then to do the work myself which would take as long and have worse results

*Because my racks slant up at the edge, they didn't sit flat in the solution. I had to go and shake up the bag to make sure the solution kept coating the racks, but I did this maybe 2 or 3 times through the entire process

*I didn't know if the plastic bag was recyclable afterwards or not; I ended up throwing it away because it came into contact with the cleaner, but I wish there was a way to recycle it (or if it can be recycled, it should be clearly labeled)

Great Northern Commercial Quality 12 Hot Dog and 5 Roller Grilling Machine with Cover, 1000-Watt

With out a doubt the ' 'ONLY!' ' way to cook a Great Tasting Hot~Dog!!! Is with a Roller Grilling Machine.

The Great Northern Commercial Quality 12 Dog 5 Roller Grilling Machine is perfect for a convinces store, home kitchen or office break room.

Two separate heating areas for up to 12 Dogs or use just the front heating zone for one or two and use very little electricity.

Easy clean up with just paper towels and water!

I was raised to think poor when purchasing. Don't throw away money on cheap junk! Get What You Pay For!

The roller is slow at heating up. I never got a cover with my machine! I'll have to contact them and ask for it.

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We were really looking forward to having one of these. We have the Gold Star company here in Denver, which has been producing hotdogs and sausages here since 1936 and they make great products. So we used our credit card points and some cash to buy this roller grill from our favorite place to get good deals, here at Amazon.com. It sounded easier than turning hotdogs and sausages on a pan. It is. And they said "easy to clean". Great! Well, not so much. The first time we tried it, it got stuff stuck to the rollers. I emailed the company and they said to use a wooden spatula to scrape off the rollers. But I thought, how do you clean the wooden spatula after that, and get this stuff out of it?

So I asked them again and they said to just spray the rollers with cooking oil. But it's too late for that, all this stuff is stuck to them. So I asked them again and they said to use a magic eraser to rub the stuff off the rollers. What?! I don't want magic eraser in my food!

So how exactly are they "easy to clean"? The rollers aren't removable, they have heating elements inside them for cooking.

We like the cooking that this machine does but still need to find a good way to clean the rollers, and if we had it to do over again, I don't know...

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This item includes a poorly designed cover that does not fit properly and easily slides when the machine is hot. My cover slid off the back and shattered across the counter, sending tempered glass into everything, including food items. When I informed customer service asking for a properly designed replacement, they informed me that I would have to buy the very same cover at list price. No effort to solve the design problem.

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Cast Iron Grill Cooking Grid

Factory fit exact replacement, works great...Now if only the heat shields were at a little better price I would buy them as well...

Grill cooking grid is exactly the same set that came with the original grill nearly five years ago. Fit like a glove and clean up nicely!

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Outset F240 Leather Grill Apron

Good quality leather and stitching. I have never had a hot coal land on my chest; but if it were to happen, I would feel protected in this leather apron. Also protects my clothing from spills and has 2 nice deep pockets. It's not as heavy as it appears, so it's not a burden to wear it for a while.

I did not have an issue with the lower strap. I tie it in a loose square knot, which holds well and is not too difficult to untie to take off.

The top strap took a few minutes to figure out, but it has held ever since I got it tight. I just leave that one tied, and slip it on and off over my head.

I actually like the look and feel of the straps, but the loops for the top do leave something to be desired. Still, I was able to get it tied within just a few minutes and everything else about this apron more than makes up for that.

Outset F240 Leather Grill Apron was a great Christmas gift for my husband.

Thank you.

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I bought this apron for my boyfriend, who does all of the cooking in our house. While the apron is nice and heavy, the strap doesn't work. No matter how we loop the strap through the 2 rings, the strap ends up slipping out. We've knotted the strap around the rings instead.

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Exactly what I was looking for, rustic look and feel, shall let you know how they ware in six months or so.

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This apron was given as a gift for barbecuing. It is sturdy and well made. But, it is too heavy for a woman and some men.

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Blue-lit Digital Meat Thermometer Fork

From first glance, the product appears great...different modes, nice backlit display, covers for the fork tips. However, when inserting into meat, it takes FOREVER to come up to temp. I've watched it go 85->87->90->92 and so on for probably 30 seconds to a minute before coming up to temp. The internal temp of the meat is probably changing as you leave the grill open waiting for it to read. Also, there isn't any indicator when it has come up to temp so you usually end up waiting to see if it is going to "bump up" anymore.

Save your money and avoid this one.

I does not work very good, I tried to use it on a new grill ,and I could have guessed doneness better.

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ditto on the review listed below. Additionally the product quit working 1 month into use. Thinking about trying to exchange, but I think I'll chalk this up to a waste of money, and buy a good product to replace this one.

From first glance, the product appears great...different modes, nice backlit display, covers for the fork tips. However, when inserting into meat, it takes FOREVER to come up to temp. I've watched it go 85->87->90->92 and so on for probably 30 seconds to a minute before coming up to temp. The internal temp of the meat is probably changing as you leave the grill open waiting for it to read. Also, there isn't any indicator when it has come up to temp so you usually end up waiting to see if it is going to "bump up" anymore.

Save your money and avoid this one.

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This was purchased as a gift. So far the thermometer has worked fine and think that it should work fine for how much it will be used.

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I can't actually give a review on the Digital Meat Thermometer Fork, because we returned it. It was larger that my daughter wanted. But, I do want to give a review on HomeWetBar, where we purchased the fork. Their customer service was excellent. They were very gracious about the return and very prompt with the refund. I would definitely recommend them and do business with them in the future.

Nordic Ware Microwave 6-Piece Essentials Cook Set

I have been happily surprised with the ease of cleaning and performance of these products. I cook lots of eggs in the microwave and dread soaking and cleaning the dishes. NordicWare is the easiest clean -no soaking or scrubbing necessary. Great dishes!

Really good microwave cookware bought a second set to give as a gift and a third set to keep for myself if the first set ever breaks 2 years first set is still going strong.

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This was an impule purchase that I am still happy I did. Everything is very easy to use and quick to clean.

Read Best Reviews of Nordic Ware Microwave 6-Piece Essentials Cook Set Here

I did a LOT of research on microwave ware before buying this set (don't ask me why for a $20 item.. just my nature I guess) I ended up buying the set rather than just the popper/lid and griddle and cover simply because the cost was about the same to go for the set.

I have considered this review for some time. I use an old (1990 and was a "close out" unit at the time 1.25KW GE microwave.. hehe). Consider that in my opinion if you like.

The bacon rack, though perhaps a bit small, work great. My sister had one of these 20 years ago and it was, next to the microwave, probably her most used kitchen item. It WILL discolor with use, though it seems akin to the seasoning that develops on an iron skillet rather than "dirt"... ie its harmless other than maybe it doesn't look so good.

The "spattershield" basically works. It WILL break, but it's pretty tough (the first one I received had to be returned due to a broken spattershield in shipping). It IS a bit shallow and perhaps a bit small, but it serves its purpose in a variety of situations and does it well unless it gets broken.

The popcorn popper bowl is of the same "granite ware" as the bacon rack and serves well. it heats up so be careful of your fingers when you take it out. It works very well in my opinion. It will leave unpopped kernals, but this is more related to the age, humidity etc of the popcorn than the bowl.. {Wikipedia has a decent article on popcorn}. I used to use a fair amount of "microwave popcorn" but it is probably not very healthy and very expensive.. about 25-60 cents an ounce (and that's total oil, salt and all not just popcorn) while one can easily buy bulk popcorn for 1.5-3 cents an ounce.. so who cares if a few don't pop! The top (made of the same material as the spattershield) indeed "fits poorly". Truth is its not fitted at all! It simply sets in a groove.. all it does basically is keep popcorn in the bowl while letting steam out. The popcorn made this way IS dry (though not as bad as "air popped" corn) I add olive oil (or one could use "butter oil" instead. [I recommend Misto Gourmet Brushed Aluminum Olive Oil Sprayer as it gives a very fine mist and you can use as little as you like.. and add salt of course if you like.] It's GREAT for HEALTHY SNACKS. This item is clearly the best microwave unit on the market I believe.. The bowl will also discolor a bit over time, expecially if you decide to pop in oil. If you want OIL IN THE CORN while popping I strongly recommend you use a stovetop Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper or electric popper type unit Back to Basics PC17589 Electric Stir-Crazy Popcorn Popper instead of microwave. I'll add another point.. this is a GREAT kitchen bowl! I find myself using it often.. it is sturdy, holds a fair amount and POURS GREAT with NO DRIPS.. :) .. just thought I'd mention it.. :)

The egg poacher works ok. It does as mentioned take some care in finding the "right method" for your microwave and whether you do 1 or 2 eggs at a time. It makes a decent egg when directions are followed and cleanup is absolutely amazing.. much better than any non-stick pan. An egg will "explode".. that is pop out and make a bit of a mess if you don't take some care to get this right. Of course the old stovetop "float it in simmering water" works fine too but is more hassle and more prep work. The hinges as also others mentioned are absolutely HORRIBLY DESIGNED. They hang, snap, pop when you don't expect throwing stuff around, etc.. if you hold your mouth right, put your finger just in the right place pushing the hinge hook around the hinge post to keep them tight and use the other hand to open/close it, it CAN be made to work OK. It becomes an art.

The omelet device works fine (how can they make THIS one work right with the hinge but make the poacher soooo bad???). I never use this as I just make omelets in a skillet, but for those who want it, it works fine and quickly if you follow the directions.

In summary, I think this is the best microwave set of its type on the market, but they are far from perfect. Also these are basically the same items they made and sold 20 years ago. With all the feedback (which has a great deal of aggreement from end users/customer) and improvements in materials science, I don't understand why over these many years they can't iron out the little points that make this set so frustrating.. its soooo close, BUT....

At any rate I'd say BUY IT and ENJOY IT but approach it with muted expectations. :) Hopefully we'll see better units emerge on the market.. perhaps even from Nordic Ware

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I am extremely pleased with these products. I purchased this set primarily for the popcorn popper and the omelet pan although I have used the bacon/meat rack as well.

The popcorn popper works great. I just put in the popcorn, let it pop and use a butter spray later to give the popcorn a buttery flavor. The instructions suggest not using any oil (it may stain the popper) but I called Nordic Ware and was told a little would be okay.

I use the omelet pan for scrambled eggs. I have moved away from Teflon pans because they scratch and I don't want to ingest Teflon. Stainless steel pans require butter or oil or the eggs stick and can be a problem to clean.

All you do is put the eggs in the pan, microwave a little, scramble the eggs again and then put the microwave on one more time. The eggs come off the pan without a problem and taste great. You can add topping when making an omelet or just plain eggs.

The bacon/meat rack with splatter cover is easy to clean. You can use both sides of the platter so you can cook on a flat surface or a ribbed surface.

I have yet to use the egg poacher. I will try it some day.

The use and care instructions say the cook set can be cleaned in the top rack of the dishwasher but I double checked this with customer service and I was told while I could do this it would be better to wash the products by hand. Since the products are easy to clean I just wash them in the sink.

Calling customer service at Nordic Ware was a pleasant surprise. I called twice and both times I got a knowledgeable agent who actually used the product. The company is based in Minneapolis and I am guessing that they actually have people at that location answering phones.

It is a rare pleasure to talk to customer service people who actually use the product you are calling about and can answer all your questions about the product. The customer service people at Nordic Ware like the products their company makes and are willing to give you tips on how best to use them. They are knowledgeable, friendly and very nice.

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Simply Calphalon Nonstick 11-Inch Square Griddle

A really fine pan for those weekly pancake breakfasts. Not as heavy as the more expensive Calphalon pans, but works just as well. I use it with a bamboo spatula so expect it will last for many, many years. Only disappointment is that it was made in China, not Ohio, like my other Calphalon pans, but that probably explains the good price.

This griddle is great for grilling toasted sandwiches, making pancakes, even frying eggs 'sunny side up' on your stove top. Being 11", it fits nicely over one of the large burners of my stove, so it heats evenly. I can easily cook three 'quarter-cup-of-mixture' pancakes, or two sandwiches, or four eggs at a time. The low edge makes flipping very easy.

The exterior is a dark gray non-chip hard anodized aluminum, and does not seem flimsy in any way. The interior a non-stick interior surface, which makes clean up a breeze. As with all the pieces of the "Simply" Calphalon line, it has a chrome handle with a silicone inlay for heat transference, so you pick it up without a potholder.

I am glad I purchased this as an additional piece to my new "Simply" Calphalon set. This griddle (as is the "Simply" Calphalon 10-piece set I added it to) is made in China.

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I have found for pancakes (and omelettes) you need to buy a good quality pan and this Caphalon has been great. It gives even heat, which is really important for good pancakes. It is a bit big to store but still smaller than a typical 12 inch large frying pan that most families have. I am very careful to use a Silicon Caphalon large spatula to keep the surface nice. But so far, so good, the surface has held up so far.

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Bought this to replace a very old Calphalon that I ruined by putting in the dishwasher. This one works great. It heats evenly and doesn't stick at all. Makes great pancakes.

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Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 11-Inch Square Griddle

Our Calphalon griddle was "dead-flat" and worked very well when it was new; I would have rated it at 5 stars.

Unfortunately, after about a year or so, the bottom bulged downward; so much so, that it rocks to and fro on the very center of the griddle on our glass-top electric range. [My wife had always cleaned it in hot water, since we knew putting a hot griddle in cold water could cause this to happen.] It's still usable but most of the griddle's bottom no longer touches the range's glass top.

Click on Customer Images to see the "bulge".

We replaced the Calphalon with a Circulon Elite Nonstick 12" Round Griddle; its bottom doesn't bulge. The Circulon is also aluminum, but has a heavy bonded-on stainless steel bottom plate. The total thickness of the bottom is about 3/8", versus 1/8" for the Calphalon.

Taylor Precision Products 8770WW

These little food testers are so good. The process of making sure my cooked food has reached the right internal temperature using these little sticks is much faster than my other thermometers. I can only get them through Amazon since my grocery store stopped carrying them.