Elizabeth Karmel's 5- by 5.5-inch Red Silicone Sweetheart Pie Weight

I loved it! Pretty easy and it cleans up. LOVE THE COLOR TOO! UPBEAT AND CHEERFUL!

Seriously, the first review probably got a bad unit. :) Thanks!!!

I was so excited about my purchase but this product is very disappointing. My pie crust came out of the oven with a deep heart shaped depression in it. I was bummed that it ruined my pie crust and then the side seam ripped and the ceramic beads fell out while I was gently hand washing it. Don't waste your money...buy a pie chain instead.

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Lodge Logic L8DOT3 Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Meat Rack/Trivet, 8-inch

First of all it's Lodge. It's cast iron. It's American. These are all good things.

But I had to chuckle at a couple of the applications the other reviewers had for this handy little item. This isn't one of the first kitchen implements that you might put on your wish list, but it's surprisingly versatile.

Yes, you can put it in the bottom of your dutch oven, put your meat on top and let the fat drain. Yes, it's obviously a trivet. But I've also used it as a meat press yeah, Lodge makes a couple of presses, and one of these days... but in the meantime, flip at upside down on your bacon and it works fine.

I've also used it as a grilled sandwich press. Put it on a medium burner, toss your sandwich in your skillet, or griddle, then (with tongs or welding gloves) plop this little trivet on top of your sandwich. A couple of experiments is all it takes to get the right amount of heat to brown the top of your sandwich. If you need more weight, put some water in a saucepan and set it on the trivet the "legs" on the trivet keep the saucepan from cooling the trivet and your sandwich is nicely smushed.

But the weirdest use of all time? Olive pitter. No, I'm not kidding. I was making a salad the other night, and I wanted to chop some black olives into it. I grabbed a can of olives and opened it, only to discover that my wife had bought un-pitted olives. I hate pitting olives, but I started in, when my eye was caught by this little trivet and all those interesting holes. I grabbed the trivet, put an olive on end over one of the small holes and pushed with my thumb the pit jumped through the hole and left the meat on the other side. I grabbed a bowl, put the trivet on top and went through that can of olives in no time. Hint the holes are beveled, and the olives sit very nicely in the bevel, but they don't pit as well turn the trivet over and use the "flat" side of the hole.

So there you have it. A kitchen gadget with half-a-dozen uses for ten bucks. How can you go wrong?

I use this trivet over my gas stove burners or barbeque to heat tortillas like my grandmother used too. Also works great to fire roast chiles and peppers for salsa.

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Love this trivet! It is perfect for use in my Lodge Logic 5 Qt Double Dutch Oven and Casserole with Skillet cover set, 10.25 inch in diameterdutch oven. They are a very esential pair in my kitchen. My food is so much better now and healthy with the trivet to have the drippings drip away from the food!!! Love it!!! Can't beat the price either. remember wash with hot water and scrub brush only (no soap) and rub some spray pam on it before putting up.

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Just received my Lodge Meat Rack/Trivet. It arrived in perfect condition and shipping was fast and free. For those who complain about the legs being too short to keep the food out of it's juices please understand that's not it's purpose. It's designed to elevate the food just enough to keep it from scorching. If the legs were longer the same people would complain that it takes up too much room. If you must keep the meat out of the juices make 4 large balls from foil and place those under the meat rack.

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If you cook some things in your dutch oven in a cake pan, put this in the bottom of the dutch oven first and it will help keep the bottoms of your cakes and biscuits from scorching--or put it under your roasts or chickens to keep them out of the fat that accumulates at the bottom of the pot. Because of the size, you can use it in all your dutch ovens over 8". It won't work as a trivet for a camp-style oven (with legs) because it's too small, but it's a compact, useful trivet for other hot pans and pots.

De'Longhi CGH800 Contact Grill and Panini Press

I used to be a restaurant owner and chef, serving great toasted sandwiches from several commercial sandwich presses with flat plates and I really missed them after I left the business. After much consideration and reading reviews, I hesitatingly bought this unit due to mostly 5 star reviews. The Delonghi has a nice feature in the temperature control and overall build quality, however after making one sandwich I realized its serious shortcomings which I suspect is common to all grooved griddles.

I do not understand the consumer fascination or hype for grill marks on sandwiches just so that you can get that Italian "Panini" look. Grill marks may look cute but they are a functional waste for a toasted sandwich. The problem is that the deep impression made in the bread causes an uneven heating of the bread surface and ingredients underneath. I made a classic Rueben with rye, big eye swiss, corned beef, kraut and thousand island dressing. The ridges pushed deeply enough into the bread to cause the cheese to melt through the bread where the untoasted surface was between the grooves. So the grooves were toasting but not the between where the cheese soaked through. ALso consider that rye is more dense than typical sandwich bread and it still did not withstand this process. The sandwich ended up a soggy mess within about 3-4 minutes and would not come out of the press very easily due to the deep grooves where the softer bread "gave up" and simply started falling apart from being soaked. So I returned the unit, unsatisfied with the results.

I then promptly replaced Delonghi with my second choice for which I should have trusted my initial instincts. I got the Breville unit because it is about the only one on the market that has flat griddle plates top and bottom for a truly even toasting over the entire surface of the sandwich. The heat level is perfect and the surface area is larger than the Delonghi and it will actually accommodate 4 sandwiches at one time. The bottom plate features a raised lip around the perimeter to contain ingredients that may run out or for cooking meat. You can leave the sandwich in longer than the Delonghi to allow a more crusty surface if desired or more heat to the interior ingredients without burning anything. It is very forgiving on cook time so it would be hard to ruin anything cooked in it. I have also found it wonderful for cooking hamburger patties. And it does it very quickly. A third to half pound pattie will cook in 3-5 minutes, cooking both sides at one time. Not to mention that my Rueben now comes out perfect. I have also cooked Tyson marinated chicken breasts in it, with great results. And will next try sirloin steak cuts, which I am sure will yield excellent results.

The Breville also has a stair step slider lid support on the side handle to allow you to set variable thicknesses for ingredients to avoid smashing your panini or toasted sandwiches to cardboard thin slices of bread. Also allows for great pizza reheating to crisp the crust on the bottom plate and setting the lid to the open "radiant heat" melt position, hovering to warm the topside ingredients while the crust does its thing. All in all, a much superior choice unless you like "tire rut" sandwiches. I am very impressed with this unit which performs as well as the $600 commercial units we used in my restaurant.

This is my first Panini Grill and I wish I had bought it sooner. I looked through many of the Panini Grills that Amazon has to offer and, in my opinion, this was the best. I have now had it for about 2 months, and am probably using it 3-4 times a week.

WHY I LIKE IT:

Using French loafs or Hoagie bread, my sandwiches take about three minutes to make. I turn on the grill while I am preparing the sandwich, and there is an indicator (near the middle of the handle) that lights up when the press has reached your desired temperature (which is controlled by a dial near the handle). Cheese very frequently oozes out, but that's a never a problem with the nonstick surface. A quick wipe afterwards with a damp towel and it is clean.

The ridges on the press are just the right size. Deep enough to make those beautiful grill marks, but not too deep to make cleaning a hassle. The distance between them was just about right too.

The whole press feels very sturdy. I have had no problems with the handle as some other people have. The top part is heavy enough and presses the sandwich firmly. A lot of the other grills (like the famed Foreman) are too light and I worry about their ability to firmly press my food. I haven't used them though so I may be wrong.

It has a "drain" on one corner and comes with a separate cup for catching runoff. I assume this is for grilling meats and catching the oil runoff, but I have not used it for meats. I don't think it is a good idea to use the same surface for raw meat and sandwiches. If you also use it for meat/chicken, make sure you wash it afterwards rather than just wipe it.

It looks great and matches the rest of my stainless steal equipment.

WHAT I WISH IT HAD:

An on-off switch would be so convenient. You have to use the plug. This is the only reason I cannot say this is a perfect machine. I wish I could give 4.5 stars, but four will do.

A smaller price tag

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Had the Krups model FDE312-75 for about 3 years before it decided not to turn on one day -so to replace it, thought I'd try something different. Went with the DeLonghi this time, about $20 cheaper. I loved my Krups, and initially thought I'd like the DeLonghi a bit better. Here's my experience:

*Krups always "sparked" at the outlet when I unplugged it. Not so with the DeLonghi.

*DeLonghi has adjustable heat, so, although I only used the Krups for Panini, I'm kind of excited about the options I now have with the DeLonghi. Might try a burger or chicken! It also has a channel where the grease can run off -and a little cup to catch the grease. If you'd ever use the Krups for anything other than a sandwich -the grease would have no where to go.

*DeLonghi has wider channels on the grill plate -which make it a lot easier to clean up. But the panini does NOT get as crispy as it does with the Krups...for specifically that reason.

*The Krups latch, meant to hold the top & bottom together so you can store it on its side, was flimsy and broke after a week. It latched when I didn't want it to -and wouldn't when I did. (A minor thing, but it got to be annoying.) There seems to be no threat of that happening with the big latch on the DeLonghi.

*The DeLonghi is kind of "chunky" -it takes up more space when stored on its side than the Krups. The Krups also has a slightly bigger grill surface.

There's my 2 cents. Happy sandwich-making!

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I'm glad I had previously read a customer review explaining it has no on/off switch. Because an insurance adjuster had explained to me a long time ago that repeatedly pulling an electrical cord out of an outlet while the appliance is on ultimately causes house fires to start at that outlet, I went to Radio Shack and purchased a plug-in, dual on/off switch with outlets (about $7.00). The Radio Shack device's on/off switch lights up when the appliance is on, so you know whether you've turned it off. Otherwise, I love the appliance; my husband uses it frequently to make hot sandwiches, and it's easy to clean with a damp paper towel. Melted cheese turns crisp and comes right off the grill with no problems. It's a great product with multiple heat settings, a "ready" light to let you know when it's reached the desired heat, and my only complaint is that the engineer needs to be shot for not putting an on/off switch on the device.

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I have had my panini maker for a year now, and have used it sparsely, up until now. Since I've been using it more, I now wish it had closer 'ribs', as I think this would cook the sandwiches more evenly and quicker (as in the Krups).

The directions that came with it were not very clear, and the positions of the lid was 'reversed'; I had quite a time getting that clear from the manufacturer. And it was supposed to come with a 'comprehensive' cookbook; the one that I eventually had to send away for was just a small one, not what I had expected. Being a first-time user, I needed all the tips and recipes I could get!

A plus is that it does have variable heat settings.

I wish it had an on-off switch! You have to pull out the cord to cut it off! For something this expensive, I expect better quality!

Also, the locking mechanism that keeps the two parts together keeps locking together when you don't want it to very annoying!

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Fiskars 9210 Long-Handled Swivel Grass Shears

I hate to heap mockery on some of the reviewers' statements below, but I have found immediate gratification with this set of long handled shears. They, to be polite, are all fulla beans.

In fact, my wife has agreed that we need a second pair, so she can use them when I'm obsessing with this pair.

Down the list of criticisms that turned out to be so much hot air:

LIGHT, not heavy. Very controllable, not fatiguing at all.

Very sharp, right out of the box.

Easy to balance with the front handle -this is a two hand job, if you're going to be trimming more than a snip here and there -and I didn't find any need to stoop or bend over at all. I'm only six feet, though, so perhaps some of the negative reviews were written by retired NBA folks.

FAST, FAST, FAST delivery. To tell the truth, with some of my experiences of late with Amazon, I was astonished to see it in my carport just two days after ordering. TWO DAYS, people! Ready to use, right out of the box, too!

There are some negatives. I have NO idea how I'll sharpen the blades, but, with the slight expense, I can afford to toss 'em in a landfill for future generations to deal with and buy another.

Anybody wanna buy a used Ryobi string trimmer?

EXCELLENT product. Do as I did, and take the negative reviews below with tablespoons of salt, heaps of salt, and order a few. I'm terrifically glad I did.

UPDATE June 08: Use these almost daily, when things are growing. Actually they were easier to put a newish edge on than I anticipated. They are a bit hard to keep clean, but that is mostly me, I'm afraid. I'd buy a pair if I were you, and I am hard to please (see other reviews under my name.)

A while back I attended a lecture at an old house nearby. While poking around the property we spied some ingenious looking trimmers that were mounted on wheels. The perfect thing for edging lawns! When I saw these long handled shears in This Old House magazine they looked to be the closest thing (albeit without wheels). They are light and well balanced. The blades seem to cut nicely and I like the fact that the blade lock is easily located on the top. The blades are rather short, so you have to make lots and lots of cuts to edge a bed. Naturally, this leads to a very tired hand. The shears are easy to use in either hand, although I am pretty ambidextrous so it may just be me. I have found that something of a scythe movement enables me to cut through grass somewhat easier and quicker. I have an aversion to gas powered weed wackers as they are noisy and smelly. They are far more effective than these shears which I was hoping would not be the case. All in all, if I had just a small area to edge, these shears would be great. For a large lawn or many flower beds, they just don't "cut it."

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I have arthritis in my knees, and a big beautiful yard. This product has made it possible for me to keep my yard much neater and to enjoy the outdoors and my garden.

The product is exactly as advertised, it seems to be sturdy and durable and quite well made, (like all Fiskars products I've used), and I'm delighted with it.

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I had great hopes for this. I've long searched for ways to cut weeds without having to bend over. This tool is lightweight, enough so for one-handed use. Perhaps durability was sacrificed for weight, but after being used for only a short time, the spring in the mechanism up top dislodged somehow and the blades would no longer open correctly. No amount of trying to grab the end of that spring with longnosed pliers would work to pop it back where it was supposed to go. The tool is riveted, not bolted together, thereby preventing me from taking it apart to try to fix it. I had to toss it in the trash as it was useless, taking up room, and irreparable. I've had other stuff from Fiskars that I was happy with, for example a bypass pruner with long handles and a gear mechanism for leverage.

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Great idea for those of us who have difficulty bending to trim areas around plants. The tool is helpful, light in weight, but does not handle large clumps of grass. A few blades here and there is what this product handles. If you do try to cut clumps the blades can get stuck.

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Weber 7540 Stainless Steel Flavorizer Bars - Set of 5

I got these to replace the original bars on my Genesis E-320. The original bars (porcelan coated steel) were rusting, probably due to exposure to a fire extinguisher.

I decided to spend more for the stainless steel set mainly for the promise of easier cleaning ... just heat them up and scrape them clean.

Well, after two uses, I'm totally pleased with the results. They fit perfectly (of course) and they work fine. Cleaning is a breeze as well since they're easily scraped.

This product is of good quality. It perfectly fits into the grill so there is no "jury-rigging" required. The problem is that it is WAY overpriced for what it is. it is literally bent stainless steel sheet cut to length. I would buy a knock-off product next time.

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The only complaint about these bars is the price. But, you get what you pay for and if you need to buy these then you already know that.

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I replaced the stock Flavorizer Bars, (after 5 years of grilling-they were shot), MAN, the performance difference is incredible! The Weber Genius heats up faster and hotter. (Now reaches 700F in 17 minutes versus 600F in 24 minutes.) I did have adjust both my grilling time and technique.

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I've had my Weber Genesis Grill for a couple of years when I began to get flare-ups. Upon inspection, my sheet metal flavorizer bars were in pretty sad shape to say the least. I decided to spring for the stainless ones as I felt they would last longer. When they arrived I was quite impressed.......they are solid! I'm guessing they are twice as heavy as the one's they replaced.

Couldn't be happier........I should be set for many years!

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Jokari Burger Maker Slider Maker

The only slider maker I have used that works like white castle.

Poking the holes is a little tedious but they are the perfect size with Martin's potatoe rolls or

Pepperidge Farms small dinner rolls as buns.

So yea... I kept seeing those infomercials for the slider maker on tv and decided I wanted one. This was a reasonably priced alternative. And I am not disappointed. I've made several batches now and want to pass along some wisdom.

Keep the burgers on the thin side. They cook better. After you've pressed a batch, use a drinking straw to punch 3 holes in each patty. You can squeeze the excess meat out of the straw so it doesn't get wasted. You can freeze the tray of patties and then remove and snap apart each individual patty. And then store these frozen sliders in a freezer bag or container. It's nice to have a bunch on hand for quick easy snacks... When you grill them up, throw some onions on your pan and then the frozen patty. No need to flip them, as the steam vent holes you created with the straw eliminate the need for flipping. As for the buns, I've tried using hotdog buns cut in half but they are too small. I've found both of my regular grocery stores stock mini burger buns in the deli department.

I disagree with the reviewer who thought this wouldn't last. While it's not made of a space age bionic polymer, there's no reason this product won't last for years and years with normal use and care.

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I found this product very convenient. You just press the ground meat into the plastic container, and use the divider to create 9 sliders. I bought a large package of meat, and froze the other set of sliders for later. Everyone enjoyed the ones I prepared, and the containers cleaned up well in the dishwasher. Also, it does not take up too much storage room, a real plus in my kitchen.

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I bought two sets, and used three trays tonight to make slider burgers. The product description says: "It makes and stores eighteen (18) mini patties while keeping your hands super clean." LOL...the only way you are able to keep your hands super clean, is to use rubber gloves. You have to weigh out 1 pound of burger meat, and put it in the tray. I suppose you could use a spoon, or scoop, but that would not be very efficient. Then you have to press the meat down flat. I used my hands to do that. If you were to invert the insert that cuts the burgers into 9 squares, then you'd end up touching the meat anyway, which would be in contact with the insert. Jokari Burger Maker Slider Maker

So, working with 3 pounds of ground beef, I weighed out 3 portions of 1 pound each, and put them in each of three trays. I then flattened the meat with my hands, and use a small stainless steel turner to level off the meat in the tray, and along the edges. I then inverted the insert and pushed it down on the meat. I pulled on the little handle, praying that it would remove cleanly, and neatly. And it did. I then used the turner to remove 4 patties for our supper. They came out fairly easily, but there was the tiniest connection of meat to each other patty in the tray. I suspect when they are frozen, it would pull apart quite easily. So what I did, was to take the turner, and slide it up and down each indentation, or cut, to ensure total separation.

In conclusion, I am totally 5 star happy with this item. It was fast, easy, and beat the heck out of doing the same number of patties (27) one at a time, using a round mini-burger press. The slider rolls that I got were also square, so things worked out well all around. I have one of those big city slider stations (As Seen on TV), but the wells fill up quickly with the melted fat, and make quite a mess. I just put the 4 square patties in an 8 inch frying pan, and they cooked up very quickly.

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I've been looking for a good burger patty press and i purchased 2 of these. they are not presses and are a little flimsy but work great.. The instructions say 1 lb per press but the second time I added 1.5 lbs for thicker burgers.. 97% fat free.. once you freeze them they snap apart easily and can be moved to a freezer bag.. I am going to buy a few more..

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Trudeau Oven Gloves, Set of 2

These are the oven gloves/mitts for which I have have been searching for years! All the others have come up short. The ones that insulate well enough are too bulky and awkward; the ones that have some dexterity do not protect well enough against the heat. Finally, these are the best by far I have found. The separate fingers allow very good dexterity. I can take a pan from a 400+ degree oven and hold it as long as I need to with no discomfort.

They seem to be a one-size-fits-most design. I have a moderately large hand, and the fingers feel a little snug at first, but the fiber seems to stretch a bit, and feel fine after a few seconds. However, they may not fit someone with a very large hand.

I loved these when I first received them although they were very big for my hands (i have small hands), but they sure kept the heat and steam away, but after two days the finger tips of one glove changed color to yellow, then the color started to change in all the fingers, I don't know why it happened, when I have only used it to shield my hand from water steam when making tea, but it showed that the quality of the product was questionable.

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The gloves are nice quality and fit well but you can't hold onto a hot pan for more than a few seconds without the heat coming through.

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If your pulling one thing and putting it down they are great. They do not hold the heat back if you have to hold onto something for awhile.

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Bought these for my husband and for myself. So much easier when we are both cooking to have two pairs handy to cover both of us.

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HIC Brands that Cook The World's Greatest Flippin' Good Burger Turner

Sturdy, but might actually be a little too large on smaller grills. Easy to clean, and no other complaints! Probably not recommended if you have a smaller-than-average grill on the patio--a bit too cumbersome.

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