Chile Twister Pepper & Tomato Corer

This product made cleaning the peppers for canning so quick and easy. I would recommend this product or anyone who want to make cleaning peppers so much easier.

The corer is okay--I have used better ones. I will not replace it with the same kind of corer if this one breaks.

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Secura Halogen Infrared Turbo Convection Countertop Oven MINI, extender Ring;tong;cook Racks CO-05MH

*** The Good ***

Cooking with these halogen ovens make even the worst cooks (like me) make the best possible food very quickly! I don't even need any seasoning, just raw meats taste noticeably better than anything I've ever cooked in a pan or oven. The taste is really impressive every time!

It's very convenient for three main reasons:

1) There's virtually no preparation, no oiling, pre-heating or defrosting required.

2) The cooking times are close to microwave times, and cooking a meal for a single person is usually 10-15 minutes total.

3) Cleaning it up is fast and easy, you just have to wait for the glass to cool down, which takes about 30 minutes.

This one appliance can almost replace all of my other cooking utilities; the oven, the microwave and the burners are all looking obsolete now!

*** The Bad ***

The first negative point is that this "mini" oven is not exactly small. The bowl alone has an 11 inch diameter at the tip and the handles extend to a width of 16", so the footprint is large. Also, you'll need more space for the lid holder, which takes up an additional 8" to the side of one of the handles. The size of this oven makes it more suited to a small family than it does to a single or dual person household. With the extender ring, this could easily be used on a daily basis with a family of 4 people. (the size complaints are being listed under "bad" points because Amazon or any other site has no listing for how large it actually is)

Despite it's large size, I couldn't even fit an 8" x 4" baking pan in it. So, I would like to buy some baking utilities that will fit inside of it, but I don't see any website for Secura or any additional accessories that would fit in this oven.

Another downside related to the size is that it's also quite tall, making it difficult to operate on standard counter-tops which often have *counters* above them (and you need to remove the lid). I ultimately had to place the oven on a small table, just to avoid counter-tops overhead.

Amazon lists this oven at 1,100 watts, but the instruction manual says it's 1,000 watts.

*** Conclusion ***

While I personally would've preferred something smaller like the Nu-Wave mini, I otherwise have no complaints. This is the PERFECT way to cook for a novice. It's easy, fast, quick to clean up and healthy. This oven gets a full 5/5 stars mainly because it makes me such great meals in a very daily practical way. I don't even know how I lived without it before! It's a very good investment and I recommend it to anyone that asks.

I'm going to go flip flop my review (back to a positive), and here's why ... Secura (the manufacturer) blew me off when there was a problem, but Lafraise (the seller) made everything right.

GREAT LITTLE OVEN ... HORRIBLE LITTLE COMPANY ... Read the whole review if you want to learn about the oven, but skip to the end if you want to see why I lowered the rating to one star.

I have the full size NuWave at home, and wanted to get one for my boat, but storage space is a premium on the boat, and when I started looking at the mini NuWave's odd size and shape, and thinking about what a pain in the butt it is to clean the full sized one, I decided to look elsewhere. After using this little Secura, I might even give away my NuWave and buy a full sized Secura for home.

Let's start with cleaning: The NuWave has a plastic tray on bottom, a metal pan with loose floppy wire handles that sits in the plastic tray, a couple of odd shaped metal racks with all kinds of arms and legs that get in the way, a large cumbersome plastic dome that stains permanently, and the heating element that secures to the top. All of that has to come apart and get cleaned each time, and it's full of nooks and crannys and things that snag and get in your way while you're trying to clean, and while they say it's dishwasher safe, it just doesn't fit in the dishwasher, and the bottom tray has to lay flat, so it just fills with water. The Secura is a glass bowl, a simple metal rack, and the heating element attached to a glass lid. Simple, easy to clean, and fits in the dishwasher with ease. It was just a pleasure to clean this Secura after using the NuWave for so long.

Now while I can't compare the size of the mini Secura to the mini NuWave head to head, I can say that I've looked at them (the mini NuWave is bigger), and it looks like the mini NuWave has all of the same problems that the full sized one has. It's oddly shaped (oval not round), it has way too many parts, and will not break down and store compactly. The Secura does not have to be used with the wide plastic stand that comes with it, you can just sit it on any surface that can take a little heat, and like I said the stand is plastic, so we're talking about very little heat on the bottom. So on the boat, where space is precious, I put the metal rack and power cord in the bottom of the bowl, along with a few round baking trays that I like, flip the lid with the heating element over so that the heating unit is upside down inside the bowl, slide the extender ring over the outside of the bowl, and the whole thing stores in a 6 1/2" tall by 10 1/2" diameter space (not 11" by 16" as reported by some others).

Also, I'm an electronics engineer, and I have a power budget on the boat, so I measured what this thing draws from the wall socket ... it's 944 Watts, considerably less than most microwaves and toaster ovens, yet it cooks much better, nearly as fast as the microwave, and far faster than any toaster oven.

One final note: Everything that I've tried so far, chicken, steak, salmon, muffins, cookies, 9" pizza, all cook just as fast and just as well in this mini Secura as they do in the full size NuWave, it just holds a little bit less.

Addendum: After 20 days, the timer sticks when it gets below five minutes (has happened four times). This is the version with the simple twist dial mechanical timer, the larger ones have a digital timer. I love the oven, and use it all the time, but I might have to return it for this issue.

Addendum 2: I put a drop of silicon lubricant in the timer mechanism, and twisted it from min. to max. several times, and it seems to be working ok now ... so I still love this oven.

Addendum 3: Nope, it just happened again, and I burned the hell of my food. I either have to watch it like a hawk, or send it back for a refund. The oven works great, it's a shame something this simple ruins it.

WOW! ... I just contacted customer support, and they only offer a 30 day warranty, so I'm just screwed. Also, I've now noticed other reviewers complaining about the same issue. My original assessment of this product still stands, but if they won't stand behind their product, after an obvious manufacturing flaw like this, well ... DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON ANY SECURA PRODUCTS.

Buy Secura Halogen Infrared Turbo Convection Countertop Oven MINI, extender Ring;tong;cook Racks CO-05MH Now

My wife has used turbo type ovens before and this is the first Secura. She has been happy with it and says its better than the previous ovens. We have the "mini" and its perfect for a 3 lb

chicken. Fat drips to the bowl bottom and roasting chicken aroma brings me out from the computer room for visuals. We use it on a table and put it back on a cart when done. Nice product.

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I ordered this because the technology intrigued me. In the back of my mind, I thought this would probably just be something else to clutter my kitchen counter. Wrong! What a niffty little device! The mini is just the right size for a single or couple. While it still takes up a bit of counter space, it is well worth it. It makes the best home fries ever! I've not baked in it yet, but I have cooked a variety of meats and vegetables. All came out perfect...and quick! Clean up is easy. This is now one of my "must have" appliances!

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My husband and I cook porkchops, chicken and potatoes. It's great, no more worrying about splatters. The self timer and it turns itself off is great. I can do other things while our food is cooking and it's easy to clean too.

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Boska Holland Toastabags, Set of 3

These are enticing the way you toss in bread with cheese, and a few embellishments all so effortlessly. The pocket keeps in warmth from the bread to evenly heat what ever you want for a sandwich. This provides you with getting a grilled consistency and the option for adding variation to the cheese and flavoring. I think the great part is keeping the toaster clean, and also getting the full serving out just like the time before.

These "Toastabags" actually work very well for making grilled sandwiches in the toaster and have the added benefit of being washable and reusable, but there are durability issues. My wife picked these up on sale at a kitchen specialty store to try out since we eat a lot of sandwiches.

These bags are made of a nonstick material that easily holds two slices of bread and the sandwich ingredients of choice. Once assembled, we apply spray butter to the outside of the bread and insert into the bag. The first problem we encountered was fitting the bag into our old standard toaster, but even overstuffed they fit just fine in our shop kitchen's toaster that can also fit bagel halves. While these are advertised to last for up to 50 uses, we had our first one rip after just four sandwiches. Our second one is still going strong after six uses. Perhaps the first one to fail was a fluke, but it was disappointing.

The results are much better than expected, at least for grilled cheese (with or without ham) and Rubens. The outside of the bread gets nicely toasted and the insides are wonderfully "melty" hot.

Other than my concerns about the durability of these, I am very impressed with how well these work!

Recommended!

CFH

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I was out of town last weekend for a wedding and finally drove back into town Sunday evening. Groceries were scarce in the house. Odds and ends and maybe 2/3 of any recipe, but I did have some bread and some tasty Havarti. I got the Havarti from EmmiRoth in the Boska and Culture Magazine giveaway and I've been eying it since it arrived. Tonight we feast on grilled cheese!

But wait! Didn't I score some new cheesy toy from Boska that I could use too? Victory for the Toastabags! These helped me whip up some easy grilled, excuse me... toasted cheese sandwiches. Unfortunately, since both the bread and cheese came straight from the refrigerator (yes, I'm one of those people who keep their bread in the refrigerator)they didn't melt all the way through. We still had a cool spot in the center. We did try it out the next evening with fresh cheese and bread that hadn't touch our refrigerator and it worked out a lot better.

Great little dandy meal time saving device! Just be sure to get your ingredients to room temp before using.

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Really convenient way to make a grilled cheese without the clean-up. You can even add other ingredients in-between the bread and cheese (I put apple slices, Yum!) and the bag holds everything together while melting the cheese and toasting the bread evenly. I use a toaster oven and it keeps the cheese from making a mess dripping everywhere. The best thing about this product was how I could slide the bread and cheese into the toastabag, then slide the bag into a plastic sandwich bag which I put in my lunchbox, and just pop the toastabag into the toaster at work and have an ooey-gooey grilled cheese sandwich in a matter of minutes! I do kinda wish they came in different sizes or shapes, as some of the breads I eat are too cumbersome for the toastabags.

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It worked just great, but when I washed it, the fabric tore along the seam. One use. The sandwich came out perfectly, but the product description indicated that it could be used repeatedly.

I can't sew it because the thread wouldn't withstand the heat of the toaster. Shame, because it is such a good concept.

Bayou Classics Dutch Oven Tripod Stand with Chain

At first thought, a campfire tripod seems like something of an extravagant expense to have along on a hike, or camping trip. Nobody ever seemed to have bothered with one in the old westerns when they were chowing down on beans and bacon. So its kinda easy to imagine that like the cowboys and cattlemen of old, we could just save ourselves the trouble of toting it along and improvise when the time comes. Anyone who is reading this that has ever attempted to actually put that improvising into effect on the trail, knows full well what I am talking about when I say that for just that one time and place, a tripod system that actually works would be worth a portion of your prospected gold. Many a meat and potatoes dinner over a cracklin' fire has been ruined as it plunged into the fire pit after a make shift system that we created, and predicted "would work just dandy", collapses and takes both the fire, and your dinner with it. Quite simply put, there is just nothing like a store bought tripod system like the Bayou Classic in going to great lengths in making your dinner a success, as opposed to a cussed filled disaster. At just $20 at the time of this writing, I feel the 7485 model is the true best buy among the variety and price available here on Amazon. Pay a little more and you will get something a little higher, and thus wider that will accommodate larger diameter pots. But from my own examination of this line locally, I did not see any pronounced difference in ruggedness, or strength as the price increased. What you get for spending more in this line is more room for your dinner. Not any real discernible increase in heaviness, or construction. As another reviewer here noted, if your campfire iron ware is limited to about 14" or smaller, you will do just fine with this solid model. That measurement in my opinion is both large and generous enough to handle the vast majority of most rustic cooking lines. Only if you plan on moving a bigger herd that will call for a lot more cowfolk' is spending more money for a larger/taller unit all that necessary. This model with its adjustable chain should be all the average crew should ever need when it comes time to sit around the camp fire and enjoy the sweet fruit and pickin's of your days hike, or hard labor.... Much Recommended

This tripod was cheaper then the others that I priced. So I was a little hesitant about the quality. But when I got it, I'm very pleased with it. I'm glad that I didn't buy the more expensive tripods. This one is just as good.

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If you cook in pots over open fires this item is a must have. It's sturdy construction and adjustable chain heights make it perfect for using even your largest cast iron pot.

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This is a really nice product and half the price of the other brands. It's a great buy if you use a Dutch oven less than 14" wide. I use a 12" 6Qt Dutch oven and it fits, but leaves little room to maneuver the lid on/off. It's fine if set at a lower level, but the fire is really on the Dutch oven like that. You would need to accept that or dig a hole for your fire to have a greater distance from flame to oven. In retrospect I would have bought the 60" model other brands have, but it really works fine if you just dig that hole.

I gave this 4 stars only because I think it should be taller. That extra height would allow the legs to be spread wider and accomodate a larger oven or just allow for a larger one to be lifted higher from the flames.

It's still worth the price anyway...

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I bought this item this past October (2009) and received it immediately. First, I was very happy with the packaging and turn around time. Secondly, I was shocked at what a great value this is for only $19.99. I guess I didn't read the description clearly when I ordered it because I didn't realize it came with a bag...and that only makes it a better value. This tripod is sturdy and very well designed. The three legs are hinged together, in essence making it all one piece, and set up is FAST. The bag is a sturdy nylon with handles. Even if I had not received a bag I would still say I had made a great purchase. I'm very pleased.

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Park Tool BBQ-3 Barbeque Tool Set

Received as a gift. The spatula is a pedal wrench that's been flattened and has a spoke wrench as a hanger. The tngs are a pair of cone wrenches. These are made just like Park bike tools, right down to the blue rubber coating. I honestly don't know if I can get myself to grill with these things or just keep them around as conversation pieces.

great gift idea for friends who enjoy cycling and bbq-ing. Like most Park products; sturdy and well made!

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Swissmar Granite Stone Grill Top for Raclettes

I bought the granite grill top as a replacement for the tephlon top that originally came with my Swissmar Raclette grill since the tephlon was getting old and all the foods were sticking to it. I love the granite! We used it for our family's Christmas eve dinner. It heats very well and cleans up so easily. I am very happy with it.

Great way to cook a steak, easy to clean, smells great when your cooking & no fat, no oil needed.

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King Kooker 14103 Stainless Steel Slotted Spoon

This is a great spoon for brewing beer! I would recommend it because it's stainless steel and of pretty good quality. It was made in China but isn't everything these days.

I've tried lots of slotted spoons in plastic and cheap stainless, and all of them were lousy. This one is a huge improvementit wont bend, it's long enough to reach comfortably to the bottom of my stock pot, and it's well-proportioned. The only issue I have is the handle end, which being flat digs into my palm when I lift large things, like a chicken, out of the pot. That's not much of a complaint, and the price is excellent. Recommended.

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Every Monday I hard boil 600 eggs for the homeless. This is the spoon that I use to do it. It is well made. It has a long handle so I do not burn my hands when I work with the five gallons pots of boiling water. Two eggs fit nicely in the spoon each time. It is a great spoon.

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Needed a slotted, stainless steel spoon with a long handle when cooking in a 20-quart pot. Was unable to find locally and was thankful to find it at Amazon. Pleased with the quality.

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Love the looks and the size of this spoon! I'm very anxious to put it to work. Great price as well~

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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.

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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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ThinkBamboo Brand Heavy Duty Square Profile Bamboo Skewers

Bought for my daughter's wedding. Perfect length for toasting marshmallows over an outdoor gas firepit. Had 2/3 of skewer lengths soaking in a ceramic vase prior to use. Worked perfectly!