Chef's Choice 839 Krumkake Express

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PROS:

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

Batter doesn't stick to iron.

Compact in size

Easy to clean

CONS:

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

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

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Novelty Steak Branding Iron Gift Box Set Logo: Bite Me

My husband and brother-in-law loved branding iron and the way it was packaged; they're going to wear the bandana when they grill and can't wait to show it off to their friends. Party, here we come!

Mr. Bar-B-Q Grill Cover, Large

I also have the Blue Ember iQue grill, which proved to be problematic when sourcing a cover for its 80" width. This cover fits perfectly, and has a soft interior lining. It's also a lot darker than the icky light green the product image shows, making it look far nicer in my opinion.

I recently purchased the Blue Ember iQue grill (love it) and was having a horrible time finding a cover large enough (the grill is 80 inches wide) without paying a small fortune. So I figured the price of this one justified trying it out. It came, it fits perfectly and is not at all inexpensive feeling or functioning. So thanks for this solution.

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I brought a Blue Ember grill from Costco, which is huge and oversized. A grill cover was not included, so Mr. Bar-B-Q's grill cover was the only one I could find. Out of the box, it's dark green. I thought that I had read another review that said that it was dark enough to be nearly black. Nope, it's dark forest green. The inside liner is made from nylon/cotton and tend to catch on any sharp or spikey objects (grill brush). It is huge and it worked, but ended up drapping on to the floor. The velcros didn't really help the length. Lastly, I noticed last weekend that one side of the cover was tattered up. Not sure what happened, but not exactly durable.

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this grill cover is very large and has a flannel type lining it is very good for the price.

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Well made it seems, I have only had it for 3-4 months, but it is great for the price. In East Texas, the weather allows year long grilling and I do not like to store the grill in the garage and take up my shelving space and mess up my garage organization. This lets me keep the grill out on the porch.

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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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Aerobics Step Platform for Wii Fit by CTA DIGITAL

By adding this platform, when using the Wii for my workout (with the EA sports Wii Fit), I can definately feel a greater burn in my legs by the time that I'm done. And it's sturdy too. When I first tried it, I was unsure about it. Wondering if it was going to slip out from under me but I had no signs of it slipping at all when I used it. Great addition to the workout.

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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!

Mr. Coffee Electric Coffee Grinder with Chamber Maid Cleaning System

This coffee grinder was an impulse purchase and I was fully prepared to return it because I didn't expect it to work as advertised. To my astonishment, the darned thing actually does a pretty good job. I have tried several coffee grinders over the years and have ended up giving all of them away to friends and family. I gave up on burr grinders because they are messy, hard to clean, produce a bitter powder, and are so noisy you almost need earplugs to use them. The blade grinders I have tried produced an inconsistent grind size and you have to experiment with the number of seconds it takes to get the grind right for the quantity of coffee you want to make. If you want to make more cups or less, you have to experiment all over again with the number of seconds you need to grind the beans. I ended up just having the coffee shop grind my Kenya AA beans for me and I buy smaller amounts so the coffee won't go stale before I can use it all.

This Mr.Coffee grinder is the only one I've ever tried that I think I can live with. First of all, this is a $19.95 grinder and not a $300 precision instrument designed to produce a perfect cup of expresso. Within those parameters, it does a really good job. The electronic grind and cup quantity settings take all of the guess work out of using a blade grinder. With this grinder, you use the guide on the side of the unit to measure your beans, choose a grind setting and the number of cups of coffee you want to make and a processor apparently calculates everything for you. You just hold the grind button down and the machine turns itself off after the correct number of seconds. No grind time experimentation is needed and the machine seems to get the grind just right all by itself. Cleanup is a snap, just remove the bowl from the base unit and put it on the top rack of your dishwasher. The ground coffee is actually easier to empty from the bowl than with most blade grinders. Rather than having to turn the entire unit upside down and shaking the grounds into your coffeemaker, you just remove the grinder bowl, turn it upside down in a small plastic bowl, and tap it against the counter to get the coffee out.

The reviewer who complained about the short cord length apparently did not realize there is 3 feet of hidden cord wrapped around the inside of the base of the unit. All you have to do is pull it out.

While durability must be proven over time, I'm most impressed with this $19.95 grinder. Even if it only lasts for 2 years, you could afford to buy 30 of them for what a small professional grade burr grinder would cost and it's actually easier to live with than the pro grade grinder would be.

This review refers to Mr. Coffee Coffee Grinder With Chamber Maid Cleaning System"

I received this coffee grinder this past Christmas, and have been using it everyday since. Sometimes, depending on how many people are drinking coffee, twice or more a day. I loved it so much from the start and wanted to review it right away, but managed to restrain myself, and after three months of everyday use, I think I can safely say, this grinder is great!

It's nice to have freshly ground coffee at a moment's notice. Even the smell is enticing. It allows you to measure just the amount of beans you need from 4 to 12 cups, and then you set the grinder to the amount and the grind fine, medium, or coarse depending on how strong you like it. This may take some experimenting to see get it exactly to your taste. For example I have found that 4 cups for me is actually closer to 2(or less), as I drink from a large mug and not a 6oz cup. There are recommendations in the instruction book and on the grinder as well for how many tablespoons of beans per cup. I find I need a little more then suggested. There are indicator lights to help you choose the setting you want. Although you have to hold a button down, during the grinding process, it will automatically turn off when it is done according to your setting. If you lift your finger, it will also turn off. Occasionally there are a couple of beans not grinded, so shake it around and press for another second or two. The actually grinding process takes maybe 15 seconds for a full 12 cups. another nice thing, is that you can have a few different flavors on hand, and freshly grind, whatever you are in the mood for..Forget Starbucks!

The grinder has some very nice features. Inside the bean chamber, which also has a fill line, there is a cleaning system that scrapes the coffee of the sides and the bottom. Sometimes, there is even enough scraped off to make an extra cup. The pieces fit together easily, and come apart easily for washing.At first, I thought the cord was very short, and for weeks had to keep the grinder very close to to the electric outlet, but then I discovered(DUH!), the cord lifts out of it's holder and around the bottom edge, giving it quite a bit of length. Then is easy to recoil to keep the grinder wherever you want. It's slim and nice looking and doesn't take up much space at all. My only little complaint, and reason for four stars instead of 5, is that it is very loud. The first few times, it startled me with the racket. I'm not sure if much can be done about that, but I try to remember to grind my beans the night before, as I am an early riser and don't want to wake the rest of the house, or for that matter, my neighbors! The lid on top stays tightly closed for freshness.

Read the instruction book for use and care. It has French as well as English directions, a one year limited warranty, troubleshooting advice, and phone numbers for questions.

All in all a great little item that works great for a fresh tasting and smelling cup of coffee anytime.

Enjoy....Laurie

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When I look for a coffee grinder, I look for 4 things:

1) Noise: This grinder is fairly noisy, but then again, so are most grinders. On a scale of 1-10 as far as noisyness goes compared to other grinders, I'd give it a 7.

2) Consistency: I like to grind my coffee coarse for french press; this grinder isn't very good at making a consistent coarse grind. However, if you want a regular grind for drip coffee or a fine grind for expresso, it does a really good job at that.

3) Static: I hate it whenever you pull the top off of a grinder to get the coffee out and tiny grind go flying everywhere--I've never had a problem with this grinder. You can open the top and pour the grinds out (which is difficult to do if you're trying to get it into a small container because the spout itself is not much different from the lip of a cup) or you can scoop the grinds out, which I preferto do anyway to double measure stuff (old habit).

4) Cleaning: This grinder has a removable top that you can take apart, which makes cleaning very easy. It also says it has a "Chaimber Maid" system...all that is is three thin plastic "claws" that hug the inside of the grinding chamber which you rotate awkwardly so that they scrape the sides of the chamber. It's neat, but unnecessary.

Other features:

There is a "cord storage" system that is a bit of a hassle to use because it requires you to coil the cord into a groove under the grinder (when you get the grinder only a short bit of the cord is shown, and the rest is coiled. It doesn't look like you can uncoil the cord from down there, and unless you're crazy enough to pull the cord out of your brand new grinder you'll have no clue that the thing is actually 37 inches long)

It has an "auto off" feature...I've never used it because my grindes always reach the coarsness I like before the timer shuts off the grinder.

The measuring system that the grinder uses is marked on the sid of the grinder which is very helpful (you don't have to pull out the manual every time you want to know how many Tbsp of coffee you need to make # cups of coffee)

It's about 8 in. tall with the diameter at the top being 4 in. (it's wider at the top).

Overall:

I like the grinder. I'd rather have a pull-cord-storage and a quieter grinder, but for the price that I paid, I'm a happy customer.

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My husband purchased this product for my birthday a couple of years ago. I always grind my own coffee for breakfast and sometimes grind it for lunch. After a year I noticed the plastic arms (or scrapers) were getting very thin and one of them had even broken. I emailed customer service about the problem and they sent me a new grinding bowl. I looked at the new bowl, saw the arms were thick and thought the company had realized there was a design flaw and changed it. I began using the new grinding bowl and now it is a year later. I just noticed that the plastic arms are getting thin again. This could only mean that this grinder slowly grinds the plastic arms. And that you are drinking very finely ground plastic every time you drink a cup of coffee made from the beans you have freshly ground. Is this healthy? I think not!

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First off, I have to say that many of the people who have complaints about this grinder may not have actually taken the extra few seconds to read the manual and understand how the device works. The grinder does a great job and my coffee is always perfect.

to address some issues that others had:

1. The plastic cleaning blade inside the grinding bowl needs to be manually spun (with your finger) to loosen the packed coffee grounds. Usually a single revolution will accomplish this task, then you can put this coffee in the maker!

2. This grinder makes it easy to get the coffee into your coffee maker -someone was complaining that it was more difficult to clean or use because it comes apart -this makes it really easy! Detach the bowl from the motor assembly with a short, counter clockwise turn of the wrist, and do the same with the lid (extremely easy, I assure you) -then dump the coffee from the grinding bowl into your filter, use your finger to agitate the plastic cleaning blade for a second or two to get as much usable coffee out of the bowl as possible, then wash out the bowl with a little water, and dry it with a towel (it is important to dry it immediately to avoid any chance for oxidation) and you're done! I am not sure why a previous reviewer was using a spoon or scoop to get the coffee out of the bowl -that's why it detaches from the base! The bowl is marked on the side so you will know what amount of beans to use -after a few experiments, it is very easy to judge how high to fill it. I just can't understand how it could be more difficult to clean the bowl when it is separate from the base than to clean a grinder that does not detach from the electrical portion...

2.1. if you need to grind your coffee coarsely for a percolator, you should not be buying whole beans buy your coffee from in large cans from companies that have television commercials and easy-listening jingles, as the end result is going to end up tasting awful, no matter what, if you put it in a percolator.

3. The power cord other people have addressed this -the cord is tucked up inside the bottom of the grinder -simply pull it out, and it is plenty long.

4. Another reviewer said he preferred a different grinder that shuts off automatically -this grinder does that as well -put in the beans, choose your settings with the buttons on the side of the unit, and then hold down the grinding button -continue to hold the button down until the grinder automatically stops -it will stop when it has achieved the level of grinding that you selected with the buttons.

5. Lights wasting electricity the reviewer who wrote that the grinder's lights are just wasting electricity is just a sillypants and wants to nitpick. The reality is this: the 2 LEDs that would be lit up while this device is plugged in would draw an almost nominal level of current. At 3.3vac a 100 Watt light bulb uses 30.3 Amps (30,300mA). At 3.3vac each LED would use 20mA -so, both LEDs would use, at most, 40mA which is less than 1/750th the amount the 100W bulb would use. You would have to leave the grinder plugged in and turned on for over a full month for the LED lights inside to use the same amount of current (electricity) used by turning on that 100 watt bulb for a single hour.

I have been using this grinder every day for 3 years along with a swissgold coffee filter (if you are still using paper filters you are just wasting trees and missing out on better tasting coffee...) and I have not had a single problem with it -it grinds the beans consistently to the settings I punch in, and my yield is a delicious pot every morning.

If you couldn't tell, I am quite happy with this grinder. So buy one already!

Nuwave 20201 Analog-Controlled Infrared Tabletop Oven, White

Those who purchase the Nuwave Oven usually have in mind a healthier, cleaner, and more efficient way to cook. The Nuwave does indeed deliver on these counts. It is a healthy alternative to conventional ovens in that it eliminates more saturated fatty oils than they do. It is cleaner in that the clean up time in considerably less than with a standard oven. And it is more efficient than a standard oven in that the combination of convection/infrared styles of heating do produce a tastier result. Now having said that, the potential purchaser must consider areas that one might not think of until too late. First, the sturdiness and quality of the device is inherently far less than that of either a standard oven or a microwave. Even for those reviewers who rave about their experiences all too often report control quality issues after the first year of use. In many cases the device simpy ceases to function. This brings me to number two: Repair costs are prohibitive. In fact it is cheaper to buy a new unit than to fix the old one. The warranty does not cover beyond the standard period. Finally, the Nuwave does work well but only on one type of food at a time. If you were to cook meat and vegetables together, the result would be that the former turned out well but not the latter. A minor note is that the instructions and cooking suggestions are both poorly worded and at times incomprehensible. The bottom line is that the Nuwave Oven is probably a good deal for those who do not plan to use it for more than one year and intend to cook only one type of food at a time.

I loved using this in the summertime really keeps the heat out of the kitchen. It works great for cooking fish, chicken, etc. The only problem was after about 15 months it stopped working normally. Now, after about 10 minutes of operation, it shuts off. There's something wrong with a limit inside the cooking apparatus but it is not user serviceable.

I'd buy another one but you know how it goes once bitten, twice shy. Got more than the 100 bucks of use out of it in that year though. If you have a family, even better!

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I have been disappointed with this oven. I have used it for three months on steak, lamb, chicken, vegetables, salmon, and a roast. It always takes way longer to cook than a regular oven or the direction book says even though I always set it on high. There is only one cooking method not several as the ad implies, and it doesn't brown as well as a regular oven. It does clean easily and might be okay for someone who has to have a portable oven, but it definitely takes much longer to cook than a my regular oven with poorer results. I regret buying it.

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I Had a great feeling when I first ordered this product. I wanted to start the New Year off right. Cooking more at home and eating out less. I watched a TV add on this product and decided to buy the Analog version from Amazon to save a few bucks. The first time I tried the product I was very dis-pleased! I followed the directions within the cook book that came with the unit. I tried to cook a small boneless turkey breast. What a mess! I had to keep cooking it longer and longer. Finally it was done inside, but dried out. I now wish I would have bought the digital unit with a thermometer built into it. The TV show made it look so simple. Take my advice, think long and hard before buying this product.

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Does not live up to TV hype. Great for frozen steaks and other items that fit on rack. The instructions are really vague aa to how to cook several items together. Tried several combinations as suggested and wound up with great cooked meat and ruined vegetables. The analog works as advertised and was cheaper. The cooking instructions (besides being hard to read and half in Spanish) are vague as to multiple items. This is not a "plug 'n play" item. Must study every item you place in oven to wind up cooked at same time. Wife went back to crock pot & regular oven and I continue to use for last minute craving like frozen steaks and burgers.

Char-Broil Patio Bistro Electric Grill

i'll start this review by saying I have sold grills for years and am a huge fan of the big guns such as Weber. Sadly do to living in a condo i can only have electric grills. In the past Char-Broil has made some sub-par items. Not this time. This is THE best electric grill option for under five hundred bucks. the people bashing it have obviously never grilled or assembled somthing as much as legos.

1ITS EASY TO PUT TOGETHERAll these people on here complain as to how hard it is to put together. WHY? It took me a bit over an hour and a half working slowly and I didnt even curse once. Thats a miracles in and of it self. Simple tools, easy instructions, and not a ton of steps. There is a bit of lining up holes at one point but thats it. If you even have the slightest ability to put things together you'll be fine. Putting together Ikea furniture is WAY harder than this.

2IT HEATS UP BLAZING HOTAnother complaint was that it didnt heat above 150 degrees. Mine will get to 600 degrees if left for a bit, within 20 minutes probably. It says in the manual don't keep lifting the hood it lets the heat out. This is true. If you keep it closed you should have not a single problem.AND I even use an extension chord which it suggests against and it still heats fine. Cooked a full london broil in under 12 minutes.

3ITS ELECTRIC NOT CHARCOALKeep in mind its an electric grill. Its not gonna taste like a charcoal or gas grill. Wood chips help but its still not the same. But it is your best option by far if you dont have another option.

This grill is awesome for what it is. Ignore the bad press seriously. Char Broil has done right by this one. If your in an apartment or condo and dont want to drop $500 dollars on stainless steel electric monsters this is your grill. Happy Grilling

The Bottom Line: 3 Stars and Rising.

The Patio Bistro does its intended purpose. I like this grill the more I use it. It gets, hot, is easy to clean, and has a nice large cooking area. With time my rating may improve as the painfull memory of assebly fades into the past. This would be a nice choice for use where charcoal and propane grills are not allowed.

As of this writing I have owned the Patio Bistro Grill for a little over 1 month. I own and have used various charcoal and gas grills, smokers, and barbeques over the past 30 years. I consider myself as very experienced in outdoor grilling.

This remainder of this review will be in two parts.

First the Good! The Patio Bistro Grill Does Cook Food quite Nicely: 4 Stars

Once assembled the Patio Bistro is quite a nice little grill. It has a nice large grilling surface, and heats quite adequately for grilling and roasting. Once the lid is closed, the temperatures easily rise to over 400F.

I never let it get much higher than that, though I expect it would get above 500F if left on its own.

Heating time is quite reasonable. When compared with a charcoal grill it is very quick (if you include the time it takes to light the charcoal).

I have roasted chickens, grilled hamburgers and steaks, and, using a non-stick pizza pan as a griddle have cooked bacon, eggs, and toast quite easily.

The grill surface is fairly generous in size for an electric grill; useable for cooking a dozen burgers at a single time. It even comes with a removable warming rack located at the rear of the grill.

The knobbed electric dial used to specify cooking temperature has a nice range, and the included on/off light is usefull for levelling off interior temperatures once they have been reached.

The grill surface is relatively easy to clean off, and cools quickly when unplugged. The greatest virtue of Electric Grills is in not having to buy, carry, store or ignite fuels, and KNOWING that the grill is turned off, simply by ungplugging the unit.

Second the Not So Good: Assembly: 1 star

As other reviewers have stated, this grill is unnecessarily difficult to put together.

In this day and age of premanufactured and buyer assembled products, there should be no need to designe something that requires so many different tools, different fasteners, and lengthy instructions.

It took me the better part of 90 minutes to assemble this correctly. The instructions were only marginal.

Also, Once Assembled the whole product can be a bit wobbly, so you will spend time tightening and retightening nuts and bolts.

The Bottom Line: 3 Stars and Rising.

The Patio Bistro does its intended purpose. I like this grill the more I use it. It gets, hot, is easy to clean, and has a nice large cooking area. With time my rating may improve as the painfull memory of assebly fades into the past. This would be a nice choice for use where charcoal and propane grills are not allowed.

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As a condo dweller, I've been a fan of the earlier model Patio Caddie for years. Reliability, fast/high heat generation, and never running out of fuel have been huge advantages. I've known about infrared grills for years, but knew they cost up over a grand. 'Saw this new Infrared Bistro model and had to have it! I gave my beloved Caddie to my son (who loves it!) and got this new model.

Putting the grill together was logical and straight forward. It did not go together instantly, but what's the big deal? I took it step-by-step and it came together just fine. When completed, the Bistro looks good; much more substantial and better styled than the ol' Caddie. Plus, the grill size is substantially larger.

'Plugged it in, turned up the power, and WOW! This sucker was up over 550 degress in about ten minutes. As I'd done before, put a small handfull of hickory chips into a foil pouch, poked a few holes in it, and tossed it on the grill and closed the lid. In a few more minutes the awesome aroma of hickory smoke wafted through the patio. Our first test was marinated sirloin skewers. As the meat hit the grill the intense sizzle was terrific. These cooked fast and clean, with that terrific hickory smoke essence.

I've now been using this grill almost daily for a couple of weeks with chicken, beef, pork, veggies, and shrimp and I love it! Guests are amazed.

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I read ALL the reviews before purchasing this grill. I was sick and tired of my gas grill not being able to function in the cold, not being able to provide a high enough pressure to cook anything, running out of propane. I didn't even use it last summer! I saw this grill on display at a store and it was love at first sight. Then I started researching it. Then I bought it.

Assembly: The instructions are the easiest, best-written instructions for assembly of anything I have ever seen. And the nuts and bolts are all individually packaged and labeled so you know you have everything to start off with. It took me an hour to assemble, watching TV at the same time, leaving to check e-mail intermittantly. Someone who was hurrying through it could do it much faster. I never had any questions at all about the instructions.

Ease of use: I have to use a fairly long extension cord, about 20 feet, to reach the grill in an area near my porch light. It very quickly heats up to 550Fsay about 15 minutes. I get nice grill marks. The cooking surface is simple to clean; it virtually just wipes right off.

Small footprint: it takes up very little space on my patio. I ordered the specific cover for it and it looks very nice. Much better than even the smallest gas grill and big propane tank.

Lightweight yet sturdy: It feels well-put together, not fragile and rickety. I am very happy with the looks and quality.

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It's not gas. Once you understand that this is a sweet grill with plenty of cooking area. I have had this for three weeks--done dogs, burgers and a pork loin. Everything cooked to perfection.

Construction: Great assembly manual. It said "about an hour" and that's what it was. After opening the package I spent 10 minutes familiarizing myself with the parts and procedures. After that actual assembly was 45 minutes. I'm no mechanical genius, but I can follow directions.

Production: If you need instantaneous response a la gas, this grill is not for you. If you can accept a slower heat up (15-20 MIN.) this will suit you just fine. I have found that the best way to work with it is to preheat the grill about 25-50 degrees above your desired cooking temperature. After you place your food on the grill and close the lid it will be just about where you want it. There is no doubt that the grill takes longer to recover lost heat from opening the lid than a gas grill would, particularly after you put your food on, which is why you want to preheat it higher than you need. However, I have not found that to be a problem. It's all about the learning curve---and it's just not that steep.

I am quite happy to have freed myself from the gas grill and would buy this again in a heartbeat.

UPDATE: After going through a winter season with this grill I'm going to have to give it up. Here in coastal NC we grill year round (avg. Jan. high, 52), but this grill just wasn't up to the challenge when the temp dipped at all. Way too long to heat up and absolutely impossible to get back to temp after opening the lid to turn the meat. My original review still stands if all you do is grill "in season".

FYI: My new solution is a Weber Q120. Small, portable and no big propane tank. Uses those disposable tanks you can get in any hardware store. Fired it up just to test it. 300 degrees in 5 minutes. Full review in a couple of weeks...and an update after winter. ;-)

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George Foreman GRP90WGR Next Grilleration Electric Nonstick Grill with 5 Removable Plates

I heard a commercial for this about 3 or 4 times one evening, and I finally paid attention after barely listening to it the first few times. Once I saw that it had interchangeable, *dishwasher-safe* plates, I told my husband that I wanted it for Christmas. I popped over here to amazon and ordered it right away. It got here before Christmas, but since it was my gift, I had to leave it alone until afterwards ;-)

A few things attracted me to the grill. Interchangeable plates, dishwasher safe, and the waffle plates. I had been looking for a new wafflemaker, and in fact had looked at the store the night I saw the ad for the G5. The one we've had for 11+ years is too small for our family now, and I wanted something bigger. However, it seemed silly to spend a lot of money on one since I don't make them that often. Imagine how happy I was to see the size of the plates on the commercial!

Let me tell you, I was not disappointed with my first waffle go-round a couple of days ago. It makes 2 waffles that are each just about the size of 2 typical square freezer waffles. That's what I'm talking about! I made up a batch of Bisquick waffle batter, and set to cooking. It was trial and error as far as learning cooking times. I like my waffles softer, my husband likes them crispier. I would say on average they needed to cook 5-7 minutes. I pre-heated the grill as directed, and poured about 1.5 ladles of batter on each side. I didn't get them perfectly full each time, but close enough, you know? We ate them, we liked them! I didn't have any issues with them cooking unevenly; each batch turned out just fine.

Yesterday my husband made grilled cheese using the steak plate and the baking tray (upper & lower). He tells me that he flipped it over so he'd have the same design on each side *insert rolly eyes here*, but otherwise it cooked just fine.

Last night I made chocolate chip cookies using the recipe from the cookbook that came with the grill. So cool! They were virtually impossible to screw up! I did cook them longer than the recipe called for after the first batch; cooking times I think are are things that will have to be judged individually for each recipe. There are guidelines in the cookbook and the instruction manual, but I don't think they're hard and fast. Experiment and see what works best for you :-)

This morning my husband was at it again, this time making scrambled eggs. I didn't get any (he ate them all while I was asleep!) but he says that they cooked the eggs in about 1/3 of the time as our gas stove. He was pretty happy with that.

I was pleased with the 2 drip trays and the better spatulas (also 2) that came with the grill, in addition to the cleaning sponge. I don't know how often I'll use the sponge, since the plates clean so easily by hand (and once again, they are dishwasher-safe!), but it's nice to have. I liked the other Foreman grills, but cleaning them stopped me from using them as often as I might have otherwise. They were just kind of a pain; if you've used them you know what I mean.

Get this grill :-) If you have realistic expectations and are willing to experiment to get just the right cooking times, then I don't think you'll be disappointed. I'm not!

This is my second GF grill. I had a different model for over a year. The GRP90WGR suffers from the same problem as the first one I owned. The non-stick coating is really poor. It doesn't last very long, even with careful cleaning. My new grill has been used under ten times and the coating is disappearing from high spots in the grill surface even though I only use a soft sponge to clean it. In all other respects, this is a well-designed appliance.

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We had never been interested in the GF indoor grills before already had too many kitchen gadgets cluttering up our counters. Then we saw this and thought it might be great to get a grill plus be able to eliminate other small appliances we use often. As a result, this grill has become a counter staple-we use it every day.

It replaced a toaster oven, two waffle makers (one regular, one belgian) and a grill someone gave us eons ago (not a GF). We're even getting rid of the rotisserie oven (we never used it much anyway). With the baking pan we've been able to toast bread, english muffins, toaster pastries and reheat pizza and meat patties. The grill plates cook great sandwiches, bacon (really great and drains a lot of fat), steaks, hambergers, franks, sausage, shrimp (we did kebobs with vegetables). Grilling is especially fast. A 1" thick dry rubbed london broil steak took only 5-6 minutes for medium rare! Although the waffle plates make only two at a time, they are LARGE waffles-we've even made some with blueberries!

While fairly easy to clean, we definitely recommend a thorough clean up after each use (particularly the top grill plate) and ordering the extra grill scrubs. Make a copy of the cooking time chart in the manual and post it by the grill or on your fridge for easy reference. Only quibble-must be sure to get the plates on just so, sometimes they can be a little difficult to click in place. Low profile is great on the counter if they could make this stand upright when not in use and had a built in or attached timer it would be too perfect for words. For us, this has been a great gadget value for the price!

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My wife and I were looking for a panini maker and couldn't find one with removeable grates (that we wanted to pay for). We had a GF grill in the past (one of the smaller models) and were pleased with it so we decided to give this a try (despite some of the bad reviews). We love it.

Set to high, allow to preheat and 4 minutes later a great sandwich. Used it the other morning to make waffles for my 2 girls, and they gave it a huge thumbs up (you do need to wait for the unit to heat back up after the first batch, but almost all waffle makers have that issue).

Made ready to bake Chocolate chip cookies the other night and they turned out OK (should have used the toaster oven, but wanted to see how the George did).

And of course, grilling meats works great.

All in all a wonderful purchase that allowed us to get rid of our waffle iron and replace our old George, while adding a panini press.

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Some people seem to have had problems with the "Next Grilleration" Foreman electric grill. I haven't.

The removable plates are a HUGE plus: simply snap them out, wipe off the grease with a paper towel, rinse the plates off (removing any cooked-on crust with a plastic scrubber), and into the dishwasher they go. The previous Foreman grill I used always bothered me, because cleaning it seemed an iffy--and potentially unsanitary--proposition.

I've also had no problems cooking thicker cuts of meat perfectly. HELLO! Just turn your (e.g.) steak around (so that what WAS the front side now faces the hinge) half-way through the grilling time. If you don't have time to do that, you don't have time to cook in the first place. If you can't remember to do that, you should stay out of the kitchen, because you could hurt yourself.

One word of advice: ANY grill of this sort works best with boneless cuts of meat, simply because bone and meat shrink at VERY different rates when heated. (DUH!)

I haven't tried to cook waffles on it. I use a waffle iron for that task. But the new Foreman grill makes GREAT grilled cheese sandwiches.

I LIKE the control of temperature on this model; the older models were either full blast or nothin'. With this one, you can experiment and find your personal ideal grilling temperature. It's pretty clear that grilling a hunk of meat is best accomplished at a higher temperature than making a grilled cheese sandwich (though you're welcome to your own conclusions).

In short, this seems to me to be a well-planned, well-built, and very useful kitchen gadget. It's also cheaper than some alternatives folks have suggested. It grills quickly and well. It even LOOKS nice sitting on the counter.

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37" Long Wood Handle Pizza Oven Wire Brush with Scraper * Commercial Grade *

Bought this for my new wood fired brick oven on my back deck. This brush worked decently however did the bristles were not close enough to push back all of the ash so you would readily get ash on the bottoms of the first pizzas you cooked. The disappointing thing was when the brush broke at the base of where the handle connects to the brush. The material was not made of steel but of more a casted type material. Needless to say, lasted for a good 4-5 times with very light use before breaking. Unfortunately I was 1 week late on my report to amazon, so I may be out of luck. This is certainly not *Commercial Grade*

The handle broke off the very first time we used it and the bristles also crimped the first time used

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The screw that holds the brush onto the wood came unscrewed the first time I used it I screwed it back in and it did it again .... I had to get another screw and drill it in ...

Very poor quality don't buy this one .....

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The wire bristles on the 37 inch pizza branch were spread too far apart scrape leftover cornmeal off the pizza stone takes a long time very unsatisfied with it. They should put the bristles closer together

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He stated that it was exactly the one he wanted it arrived quickly. The packaging was great just used the same box to wrap it in. It is sturdy and a great product. He can not wait to use it.

Grill Daddy GL13186 Grand Grill Daddy Steam-Operated Grill-Cleaning Tool

1. this is NOT stainless steel as one reviewer below claims. It is light weight "aluminum alloy".

2. this product does NOT squirt out steam. It is just an expensive water squirt gun with a brush on the end. You get the grill red hot and then when you pump the trigger it just squirts cold water onto the grill the grill then creates steam when the water hits it.

3. If the grill is hot enough to create steam the water evaporates so quickly(instantly) that it has no time to penetrate the grime. If you think water will work on your grime you are better off spraying it on an only warm grill and letting it soak in for a few minutes.

If you do think spraying cold water on your grill will work save your money get a good brush and a $1 water squirt bottle .

Very dissapointed with this product AND the "seller". The product is cheaply made. To make matters worse, I bought this for my husb. for Father's Day, and I was embarassed by the cheap quality when he opened it. He tried to be kind but asked me if I could return it.

Guess what?? The answer to that would be "NO", as the company informed me that they have a 30 day return policy (pretty short period for returns which I missed by one (1) day!), AFTER I inquired about returning the product, so we are stuck with this $50.00 piece of junk. Just my own personal opinion of both the product AND the seller.

I would NOT purchase anything from this seller again.

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Gave this as a gift to my son and he says it works great. Gets the greasy stuff off the bottom of each grate easily.

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This thing is awesome! This larger one allows you to clean a large grill with out your hand being directly over the heat.

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This is absolutely the best grill cleaner I have ever used. It cleaned everything from my grill in a matter of seconds. Completely dish washer safe and all stainless steel.

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