Showing posts with label traeger grill reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label traeger grill reviews. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Wusthof Gourmet 6-1/2-Inch Offset Slotted Spatula

Wusthof Gourmet 6-1/2-Inch Offset Slotted SpatulaWhile this spatula is shaped and traditionally used to turn fish filets, I've found it to be a good general purpose spatula including for folding omelets. The metal has just the right balance of flex but yet is stiff enough to hold up to heavy meats without bending. The angled and wide shape of the tip plus the length of the spatula all works to make this a better metal spatula than many of the other spatulas I own including the Rosle 12.6" Perforated Angled Spatula.

So far I've used it for cooking omelets, chicken breasts, scallops, and even salmon fillets and this spatula handled every task well with no problems.

PROS:

About the right balance and feel in one's hands making it comfortable to use.

The angled and thin metal blade has the right amount of stiffness and flex to get underneath whatever food you need to turn. The wider tip provides more area for supporting your food item.

CONS:

The plastic handle is not heat resistant (will melt slightly if left on a hot pan).

The spatula does not have a full tang which could add slightly better balance and justify the cost.

Yeah, it is expensive. But I got mine when the Amazon price was about what Cooks Illustrated listed as the cost.

It is designed for a right-handed cook because of the angle of the blade makes it awkward for left-handed cooks. So if you are left handed you may want to consider the Rosle spatula Rosle 12.6" Perforated Angled Spatula.

We bought this based upon Cooks Illustrated's recommendation as the best fish spatula, and were not disappointed. It is wonderfully thin yet sturdy, and has a sharp leading edge for getting under fish, cookies, whatever. A great addition worth the space in the gadgets drawer. Be aware, though, that the sharpness makes it inappropriate for use with non-stick pans, which it will scratch.

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I just received this item. But if you are used to the quality of Wusthof knives be prepared for a let down. This is the Gourmet line not the Classic.

Metal portion is a metal stamping with only the front/back surfaces polished. The outside edges and the edges in the slots are still rough. A good place for bacteria to grow.

However, I suspect it will work well.

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I originally purchased this slotted spatula as a "fish spatula", but it has worked well as a general purpose spatula (except for non-stick surfaces). My only small gripe is that the black surface on the handle is a plastic with a relatively low melting point I leaned it against a hot pan and it melted slightly after a few minutes.

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I have used this spatula for pancakes, toast, and omelets. It has served me well in all three scenarios. The handle is not heatproof, and for the price, it really should be, thus the four stars.

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Sunday, June 15, 2014

BODUM Fyrkat Barbeque and Grill Tongs

Bodum Fyrkat Barbeque and Grill Tongs, OrangeI needed a pair of tongs and I have several of the other Bodum grilling tools (all great!!) so I ordered these. I'm somewhat disappointed in their functionality as they barely open. The neutral (unsqueezed) position is about 3/4 to half an inch open, and then you can squeeze them all the way shut from there. But they do not open any wider, which makes them kind of useless for a lot of applications.

The Fyrkat tongs look & work great, we've had them over a year & are quite content. Admittedly, it took us 2 grilling sessions to realize we hadn't opened them properly -once you pull the release, they open wide to get a nice grab! The mechanism to keep them in a closed position helps keep them storage friendlyno opening in the drawer.

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4.5 stars. It's a good, long one with good reach and well made. Has a nice, comfortable handle. Only thing, the teeth/grip could be more aggressive but other than that this is almost a perfect set of barbecue tongs. I've looked at a lot of them. This is one of the better ones here among the large variety.

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Saturday, May 3, 2014

Weber 6422 18-Inch Grill Brush and Scraper

Weber 6422 18-Inch Grill Brush and ScraperI cut it to 4 stars simply because it wasn't as I expected. Expected brass and not stainless bristles. It seems that last year Weber changed this to stainless bristles. I called Weber and they told me that but it took a long time on hold and even then they didn't seem too sure. Weber also recommended it not be used on porcelain grates as they didn't trust it. The product description should be changed and the photo to show silver (stainless) bristles. For those that need brass, look elsewhere.

This grill brush is advertised as having brass bristles, but it does not. They are steel and will rust. It's probably more trouble for me to return in than it's worth.

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Weber 6422 18-Inch Grill Brush and Scraper

Our 10-year old Weber 6422 grill brush wore out and we replaced it with the same model. The current model has steel bristles, while the older model had brass bristles. Weber probably switched to steel to reduce their manufacturing costs (brass is more expensive), instead of staying with brass and simply raising the price to cover their costs.

In any case, steel should last longer than brass bristles. Brass is better on softer materials that could scratch, but for stainless steel (or steel) grill racks, steel bristles are better since they are stronger and stiffer than brass. The bristles do not appear to be stainless steel as asserted by other reviewers, since they are strongly attracted to magnets. Weber's web site doesn't claim the bristles are stainless.

The handle should be bent upward more, so you'd be less likely to bang your hand when brushing a grill rack that's still in the barbeque grill.

The 1/4" half-round scraper is the right size for Weber steel grill wire racks. The bristles are numerous, stiff, and plentiful, so they are effective in cleaning the top third or so of the grill rack wires. Competing brushes with fewer bristles or with the bristle bundles further apart can slip down between the grill wires, so they don't work as well.

This tool wouldn't be a good choice for scratch-prone surfaces. However, for the old-style BBQ grills (that use charcoal for fuel), this tool works well and is a good value.

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Brush seems well made and does the job efficiently. I was initially looking for one with brass bristles as I was under the impression this was some kind of advantage based on reading reviews of others. Seems like there are little to no brass brushes available any more so I got this one. I honestly can't imagine what a brass brush would be doing that this one does not although possible there is some advantage that will be made evident over time, who knows. Either way, for $7 I'm very happy.

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Every time I wear one of these brushes out, I buy another one just like it. It really seems to clean my grill well, with bristles that don't rust and are the right stiffness. And I like the long wooden handle.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Factory-Reconditioned Ronco Inventions ST4000R Showtime Indoor Rotisserie and Barbecue

Factory-Reconditioned Ronco Inventions ST4000R Showtime Indoor Rotisserie and BarbecueMany gadgets for the kitchen are less than essential. Some are pretty foolish. But the Showtime Indoor Rotisserie & BBQ from Ronco is a machine that our family uses, I would guess, about three times a week. Not only does it do a real job, it performs tasks that we can't otherwise accomplish in our kitchen. For example, a bread machine is a convenience, but not essential for baking a loaf of bread. The rotisserie grill, however, turns out food that I could not produce any other way.

Although we've mostly done chickens, we have also cooked chicken pieces, bratwurst, beef roasts, pork roasts and a leg of lamb. We successfuly roasted a 13 lb turkey. We even cooked frozen salmon filets in the basket after a quick basting with herbed mayonnaise and it came out delicious.

The food quality is, simply put, fantastic. The whole chickens are far superior to even the most conscientiously roasted poultry. The dark meat is tender and fully cooked, the white meat moist and savory, and the seasoned, crisped skin is a nutritionist's worst nightmare. A cheap, rather fatty pork shoulder roast came out with much of the fat rendered away and an even doneness that made for delicious eating.

Speaking of fat, Ron Popiel markets this machine on his informercials as causing the "fat to run off," thereby delivering some kind of health advantage. Well, the fat does drip continuously, but the poultry and meats cooked in the rotisserie are plenty greasy. Please be aware that this is certainly part of the reason the chicken is so good! I don't think there is any more or less fat in a rotisseried chicken than in a roast bird.

If you don't want to use the skewers or rods, you can cook foods in an adjustable basket. For example, we put in several bratwurst, set the top of basket down so that the links are tightly in place, set the timer for 20 minutes, and come back to sausages that are fully cooked, lighly crisped on the skin, and bursting with juices.

I really like the engineering on this machine. The controls are very simple. The setup is uncomplicated and intuitive. You have only one heat setting, and adjust the time to control doneness. A single timer dial works both to set time and turn the machine on and off. In an age where a TV remote comes with four dozen buttons, this kind of plain, understable usability is, I think, a real blessing.

I bought the reconditioned model from Amazon and haven't had any trouble so far. Hey, if a machine comes out of the factory with a defect (and some are going to), why not get one that has been diagnosed and repaired? At the price savings it's really hard to go wrong. I'd recommend the Showtime Rotisserie to anyone.

I have had my unit for over a year. It makes the best food even better, the problem is when something goes wrong as the company will never reply to their Emails. Mine first broke on Thanksgiving day. I Emailed them requesting information on replacement parts, No reply. 2 months ago the timer handle broke so I Emailed them again, 2 Emails 0 replies. If you buy the item you will enjoy it until it breaks.

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Well, I wanted this Ronco rotisserie that day I saw it on TV... But I never buy anything from HSN or any other shopping channels. I was watching birds rotating on the screen, drooling over those ribs... I didn't buy it because I felt it is too much money for something I can't see or touch. Then, I saw this same rotisserie on Amazon.com. What a deal! I bought reconditioned model and it came in perfect condition and I love it! Food comes out perfect every time. So far I made 6-pound chicken,

chicken and pork kebobs, salmon fillets, shrimp screwers. You cannot beat this price for such great product. Thanks Ron! I hope you will fix your Customer Service department like you reconditionned my rotisserie.

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Purchased the Ronco unit from Amazon after a couple late night informercials 'primed the pump'. Absolutely no problems with my reconditioned machine arrived as advertised in perfect condition.

I've had the machine for six months now & still use it frequently. My favorites? Pork loin roast & roast chicken. My local Costco sells a pre-marinated pork loin that rotisseries perfectly. Sliced thick, my now-famous roast pork has been the favourite of many events this summer.

Chicken: No marinade is needed; simply salt & pepper (or season with your favourite rub), skewer on the rotisserie wheel, set and forget. Chicken is cooked to perfection, tender & truly falls off the bone.

Finally, I'd suggest trying the following:

Halve and boil red potatoes cooking until tender. Drain and place potatoes in the wire basket. Brush with butter & sprinkle with salt and pepper (I add a little cayenne and minced garlic to the butter to 'kick it up a notch'). Rotisserie until browned & serve hot. Scrumptious.

I sincerely hope you find as much enjoyment from your machine as I have.

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Although the food cooked in this rotisserie (I bought one new but wanted to share my experiences with you) is flavorful and succulent, anyone who purchases a product should be prepared for extremely poor and occasionally rude customer. Be prepared on multiple occasions to be put on hold for a long time and then hung up on before you even hear the sound of a live human voice. After this kind of treatment and waiting more than a month for a response to my letter, I attempted to get a customer service representative to refer me to a supervisor. Her response was she would not refer me to a supervisor because all the supervisors were gone for the evening and besides they would give me the same response as she would. (Perhaps but I doubt that he or she would have screamed at a customer who had not raised his or her voice or had made every effort to be polite.)

As for the promotional nonsense about being able to "set it and forget it" as another reviewer mentioned, that could be a dangerous practice: I had a small grease fire in the rotisserie and had thankfully read all the disclaimers which come with the machine warning that one should not leave the machine unattended while on. I had a different rotisserie (which cooked 2.5 time slower and rotated vertically) which did not require such close monitoring because of the configuration of the cooking elements.

The only other criticism I have is that it is not quite as easy to find the proper placement for poultry on the spitrods as you might expect. You really have to make certain the spitrods go through the center of chicken and turkey.

In short: a very good product but a very unreliable company.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Max Burton 6200 Deluxe 1800-Watt Induction Cooktop

Max Burton 6200 Deluxe 1800-Watt Induction CooktopThe other reviews cover everything else nicely, except:

1. The difference between the model 6200 and the 6000 is that the 6200 has a stainless steel skin, while the 6000 is black plastic. The innards and wattage are identical.

2. If you purchase this with 1-click ordering, you'll miss out on free shipping. Grrrrr. To avoid spending an extra $9.00 on postage, use the checkout cart instead, then change the shipping method to "Free Shipping"

3. If you want an excellent overview of induction cookers, look up the topic in wiki-pedia.

4. (Updated 8-2011). Someone in the comments below asked what the wattages are: When the "Power" mode is selected, Level 1: 200w. 2-500. 3-800. 4-1000. 5-1200. 6-1300. 7-1400. 8-1500. 9-1600. 10-1800w. When the "Temperature" mode is selected, the ranges (1-10) are (in degrees F): 140, 180, 210, 250, 280, 320, 360, 390, 430, 450.

5. (Updated 11-2012). I had not used the "Temperature" mode at all. A friend came over for Thanksgiving with his bacon/watercress soup (thick) and needed to re-heat it. After messing around with the "Power" and "Time" settings, he finally chose "Temperature" at 140. There was much less stirring, and no fussy regulation of a flame (all to avoid burning the soup on the bottom of the pan). He was mightily impressed, and since he is an excellent cook, I was mightily impressed too. Reminder: his excellent soup pot was aluminum, and so it would not heat at all (Error "E0" in the display, after two seconds). We loaned him a nice cast iron Le Creuset pot and all progressed smoothly. Remember that any pot that attracts a magnet will work, and that excludes all aluminum and most stainless steel. Furthermore: the traditional cooks swarming and crowding the kitchen stove on Thanksgiving were just as glad to have him and the induction unit out on the patio, and out of the way.

Please click the "helpful" button if any of this was useful. Thanks.

I have only had this unit for a few days, so don't know how it will hold up over time, but it works like it's supposed to, and I'm very happy with it so far. I'm not thrilled, however, that the price has dropped by $20 in the few days since I bought mine! Like others have said for others of the induction cooktops, the heat is concentrated in the center 4" of the plate, but this is not a real problem for boiling water, etc. And, if using a pot/pan that spreads the heat well, such as iron or pots with a thick clad bottom, it seems to mostly work out ok for other things. I had a problem trying to make an omelet, but maybe if I heat the pan slower and then add the eggs, the heat might spread out to the edge of the pan better (scrambled omelet wasn't bad, however). It might not work well for everything, but for most everything I've tried so far, it worked fine, and doesn't heat the kitchen up a lot. My 3 different sized steel pots with steamer inserts worked fine 2 are Tramontina (from Walmart I think) as did my iron and iron-enamelled pans, so I probably won't need to buy any pans especially for this cooktop.

After 5 months my unit is still working fine, and I use it for most of my "stovetop" cooking. I wouldn't mind a finer control for very low temps, but the 10 settings provided work pretty well for most everything. For a few things I switch back and forth between setting 1 & 2 or 2 & 3 mainly things like hot toasted sandwiches (which I cook in an iron fajita skillet, with a 2nd skillet on top to weigh it down). I found that a silicon potholder (got mine from Target) works great to put under the pots to protect the cooktop from scratches. I haven't noticed that it matters whether the pan is perfectly flat (maybe the potholder underneath helps this?). Also, the manual says not to use the cooktop on a metal surface because the magnetic heating may heat the metal surface underneath, but I put a large wooden cutting board (about 3/4" thick) over the 2 LEFT burners (oven heat exhausts through the RIGHT rear burner on my stove) and put the Burton cooktop on top of that to cook and have not had any problem with the stovetop underneath becoming warm. I don't do huge amounts of cooking, so with this one on the left, along with the small and large regular burners on the right, I have all my cooktop needs met. I use this, my microwave, outdoor grilling, and a toaster oven & crockpot which I use outside on the porch, to minimize kitchen/house heat from cooking during the summer, which of course is very helpful in Texas.

(Note that there are some very informative reviews for the Burton 6000 model which are relavent to induction cooktops in general.)

2nd update: This unit has performed flawlessly for over a year now. I use it frequently to boil water for when I wash dishes by hand hot water heater is far from the kitchen and no matter how high I set it the hot water is just not hot enough. So, I lowered the thermostat to 120 deg and just heat a small pot of water to add to the dishwater. However, I do not use this burner for some things, such as deep frying, and it doesn't work with my old-school Corningware which I like to use for some things, like making jam, so I would not want a stove with only induction burners; a couple of each would suit my needs better.

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... for your learning dollars, that is.

Had this for a month; free-shipped, it arrived intact and within a very reasonable time. Manual is brief and to the point.

Works fabulously with simple time-proven cast iron cookware, but don't expect omelets to come off whole easily might do with enameled cast iron which I do not have. It is great to have minimal heat dumped into the house when you are paying for your air conditioning and it is 90°+ outside. That it worked just fine with some of my older cheaper stainless steel pots that didn't pass the magnet test was a pleasant surprise. I plan to move it to the back porch before I try my heavy-flavored grill-pan fried fish!

Took away the 5th star since (a) heat is so localized over the center that it charred stir-fry veggies and burnt the thin-gauge pan when I got a bit over zealous with the power settings and (b) the temperature preset increments are too far apart for my liking. It shouldn't be a big deal to have more numbers of and more uniformly spaced steps since the controls are all electronic. I would use cast iron cookware exclusively unless heating a liquid, -the thickness helps distribute heat more quickly and evenlybut you will want to be extra careful of the delicate-looking ceramic cooktop surface.

All in all, a great inexpensive tool to learn induction cooking and what to look for before you plonk your money down for that big-bucks 4 or 5 element full size induction cooktop kitchen upgrade. I am happy with the purchase.

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We finally moved to the country where I can have a huge garden, but I almost panicked when I saw how much food I was going to have to put up. Our little chest freezer is no match for it, and my dehydrator can only handle so much and is not good for everything. And DH likes "variety," meaning he grumbles if he has to eat the same thing two days in a row, so I knew I'd have to break down and do some canning. But the thought of adding all that heat on top of our Georgia heatwave was unbearable.

This Max Burton induction cooktop is a godsend. My Fagor 10-quart pressure canner works perfectly with it, and the best part is that I can bring it up to pressure with FAR less heat than electric or gas stoves put out. I just listen for it to come up to pressure, then with just a few clicks adjust the temperature down to maintenance level, set the timer, and walk off and leave it. When the time's up, the burner shuts off, and the heat is instantly OFF. This makes canning so easy and so much cooler that I find myself doing it more often. I can cook a big batch of something for dinner, then can the leftovers without it being a big ordeal. So happy DH, and I still have the economy and time-saving benefit of large-batch cooking. Cleanup is easy.

Another thing, too, is that I'm getting older and more forgetful (or maybe it's because I have a whole lot more I have to juggle now as a "country wife"). I've actually burned up pots on the stove that I've forgotten about while I was busy trying to do six gazillion other things. It's a lot harder to burn down the house when using this cooktop. :)

Other than the induction-ready cookware issue (not a problem for me), the only caveat I'd give potential buyers is that this really needs to be on its own electrical circuit. Our old house has few outlets and iffy wiring, so I do not even attempt to run the microwave and the induction cooktop at the same time because they are on the same circuit.

This induction cooktop has really changed my life. I think everybody ought to try cooking this way. It's got to be more energy efficient. But beware: Once you've familiarized yourself with an induction cooktop, you probably won't want to cook on anything else.

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I bought this induction cooktop for my Mom instead of a standard cooktop because I liked the concept of the surface not staying hot after you take the pan off in fact it automatically shuts off when you take the pan off. She loved cooking with it for the past few months, but then it starting giving error codes and not working last week. We have contacted Max Burton customer service as it is past it's return period for Amazon. Initial response from Max Burton indicates good customer service. I'll update once we see how this all works out. Hopefully this failure is a glitch as the cooktop has only been used since mid-March of this year.

June 18 update. The replacement unit from the manufacturer arrived. Took a bit long to get the replacement unit about 3 weeks since we first contacted Max Burton. Return shipping cost of $20 was my responsibility.

July 8 update. The replacement unit from the manufacturer just quit. Less than a month of use and this new cooktop broke! I'm changing my rating to 1 star because of unreliability.

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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

All-Clad LTD 11-Inch Square Nonstick Grill Pan

All-Clad LTD 11-Inch Square Nonstick Grill PanI bought this pan after hearing my sister rave about it. It is terrific. I have grilled salmon, hamburgers, chicken breasts and pork tenderloin. Luckily, my sister gave me the secret to using the pan and easy clean up. Preheat the pan on Medium heat for ten minutes. DO NOT use any cooking spray or oil. This will ruin the pan. When you are done cooking, just fill the pan with soapy water and let soak for a few minutes. Rinse with water, scubbing lightly if necessary .

I would highly recommend this pan. It is like having a grill inside!

I've used a couple of other grill pans from other manufacturers and was never very impressed. But I decided to give it one more try with the All-Clad. What a difference. Everything I've made from fish to vegetables, soy burgers, steaks everything, has come out great. I've also found that it cleans up easily after a quick soaking. I don't use any spray and only oiled it as per the instructions the first time I used it. Northing sticks. Overall, a great pan I use several times a week.

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I've owned this grill pan for almost 2 years now and it does a great job of grilling everything from burgers to chicken, fish and thick steaks. It has the ability to heat up to a very high temperature, enabling me to nicely sear the outside of the meat. I can then pop the whole pan in the oven to finish cooking the inside of thick steaks or just to keep warm. As for clean up, the pan does need to sit and soak for a little while but after that, everything comes off with relative ease. No hard scrubbing involved. Overall, I love this product and highly recommend it.

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I have only owned this item for about 3 weeks and have used it at least 10 times already. What I like about it is that it is big enough to hold just about anything, leaves nice "grill marks", takes less energy and time to heat the pan, and it is very very easy to clean. If you find it hard to clean, it is probably because non-stick spray or even oil (not including butter) is being used. Don't do it. It is already "non-stick". Usually I put any oil that is needed on the meat or veggies first, then cook it. If you have a sticking problem, after cleaning the pan, rub a little soft scrub 0n the spot. This gets rid of any residue that may have caused the sticking to begin with. I think it is better than George Foreman, becuase the fat doesn't drain away which, in the end, saves the flavor.

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We recently purchased a new oven featuring 3 Induction heating sites. We bought the oven b/c it was the counterpart to the new Refrigerator we bought and we really didn't know much about the induction heating feature. B/c I didn't read the manual at first (in my defense, it was an oven I didn't expect to need to do much reading), none of our new cookware worked with the induction burners (but some of our old stuff that we had already packaged to give to Goodwill did) so I thought it was either broken or I was doing something wrong. After reading the manual, we realized the problem you need specific types of cookware to use induction heat.

I had just spent a fairly significant amount of money buying a complete set of higher end Calphalon cookware none of which ended up being induction compatible. So we went to Macy's to try to find some items that would. After some research, we saw there were specific lines of Calphalon that were compatible so I bought two more frying pans, and three pots. When we got them home though these ones didn't work either. When we returned them, the sales lady mentioned "All Clad". She said it was the best stuff you can find on the consumer market, and that it's all induction compatible. It's expensive she warned, but it's worth it. I had just spent close to 700.00 on the Calphalon stuff so the All Clad Price tag was enough to make me do a double take expensive it is. To that end, I decided to try a few pots, so we got a 6qt, a 4qt, 2qt, 1.5qt one and a few other all-clad misc items.

We immediately tried a few of them out and my wife was amazed at how well it worked. Not only was the heat immediate (which you get with induction) but everything cooked up really well. Even though it's not like traditional teflon (or even calphalon) the non-stick aspect was phenomenal. She was so thrilled with it, that she talked me into getting a few frying pans (at this point it was way too late to return the Calphalon set I had bought for Christmas so we figured we'd have them both use the Calphalon for the regular burners, use the All-Clad for the induction ones). (I know get to the point). Well , this item was one of the 4 frying pans we bought (and strangely enough, was the only one that wasn't induction compatible).

The only thing negative about it, (and maybe I'm being unfair I should have done a little more homework, but I was told that *all* AllClad items were induction compatible) is that it didn't work with the induction heat. However, it was superb in every other respect so definitely decided to keep it.

Short of intentionally trying to get something to cake on to it by like frying glue and paint in it, I don't think you can get anything to stick to it. We're still getting used to the over so have burned a few things and even when we did, nothing stuck to it. We made cheeseburgers and a lot of the shredded cheese fell over the side. With the calphalon it's not much of a problem, one wipe will get it off. But we could use the spray from the faucet to get off everything burned on it. The cooking surface is quite large and the pan itself is quite sturdy. Because of its depth, even if there are grease splatters, the splatters are largely contained in the pan.

You have room to cook a tremendous amount of food and can easily cook completely different items in the quadrants of the pan (like Eggs on one side, burgers on the other) Because of its size it lends itself very well to using the "Dual" feature of the burners. It's balanced perfectly so despite its weight, you can easily lift it and move it around without having to use anything to protect your hand from the heat.

This particular pan was also considerably cheaper than all of the other AllClad items we had bought, in fact I think it was right in line with a typical Calphalon pan so that may be why it wasn't induction compatible. Also, although I did criticize it for not working with induction it wasn't the company that told us it would, it was the saleslady and it's certainly understandable that she may have just been confused.

The look and feel are testimony to how well it's built. We're new to this product but I think it's safe to assume it'll go out of style long before it'll need replaced. Functionally, the way that it distributes heat is really impressive even if all of the heat is focused on the middle part of the pan, the outer aspects still conduct heat to a very similar extent. If you use the Dual feature, things just cook faster but the heat stay evenly distributed in either case.

Finally, the packaging was really nice (All Clad takes a lot of care with their packaging reminiscent of what you'd see if Apple made frying pans), it arrived early and other than the induction issue, it's pretty much perfect. It is very easy to cook with. It distributes heat extremely well. It has a broad cooking area which is complimented by deep sides allowing you to use to for many different cooking scenarios. It's perfectly balanced so despite the weight, even an elderly person with arthritis would have little problem using it. To top all of that off, the handle, although made of polished metal, doesn't conduct heat so irrespective of how hot the pan gets, the handle never gets hot. From start to finish it's a well crafted product that's definitely worth the price.

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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Char-Broil 4985130 Replacement Bristle Heads for Brush Hawg Grill Brushes, Pack of 2

Char-Broil 4985130 Replacement Bristle Heads for Brush Hawg Grill Brushes, Pack of 2Very hard to find these at a retail store. We were able to find on line and had them within the week. Great buy!!!

Great replacement...Was not sure that it would fit my brush handle, but it fit perfectly. Great product...Great price! Would do it again.

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The old brush head easily pryed off.. the new brush head snapped into place on the old handle ...grill brush back like new now with one new brush to spare. If it is of same durability as the original brush head, I'm hoping it lasts at least 2 years.

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I'm glad I found these after I found the Brush Hawg at a salvage store! And, the replacement bristle heads. I've always held onto prior grill brushes too long and sometimes gotten metal bits in food from grill because I was using brush past the time I should have thrown it out. Not anymore. I have spares of both to go with a handle that is strong and slightly flexible and holding up to time and use and year-round outdoor weather. THESE should keep the grill clean and brush parts OUT of food because I'll replace the heads at appropriate time because I have a replacement at hand. Good price and good shipping. I hope these are available for a long time.

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Fit perfectly the char-broil grill brush I already had. Didn't have any issues with bristles coming off, etc...cleaned my BBQ grates just fine. Will definitely buy again when I need them.

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Monday, December 9, 2013

Microhearth Grill Pan for Microwave Cooking, Red

Microhearth Grill Pan for Microwave Cooking, RedI am so happy with this item. In just a few minutes it gives food a rich blackened sear. I am just learning how to regulate it but it has been great for broiling eggplant brushed with olive oil. And today I made a grilled cheese. I think I am adding a bit too much oil which adds more char. Next I am going to try a burger. The char is delicious though especially on the eggplant when mixed with a little tahini.

I bought the red one which is very attractive and exciting especially when the dish is brought to the table, the lid lifted of and the food is sizzling and steaming. The pan is large enough to hold two burgers or two sandwiches.

Just wipe clean after use. it's a cinch.

After less than a year of wonderful service the handle on the lid has come off with the ceramic piece holding it in place on the inside crumbling. Impossible to repair. I am in disspair with no way to contact seller. Perhaps someone has a suggestion? I did nothing wrong, nothing out of the ordinary. Pan is merely wiped clean no dishwasher.

I am changing my review back to 4 stars mainly because i love this pan so much and customer service has just replaced the lid for me.

So impressed with the 1-1/2 qt. round pan I purchased the grill pan as well as the 2 qt. dutch oven.

Don't always plan meals in advance. By the time I'm ready to eat, too late to cook something that requires

a lot of time or thawing. The Microhearth pans to the rescue.

The grill pan as well at the Microhearth round pans will cook a frozen piece of meat, chicken or fish in no time

just takes a few minutes longer than if not frozen. Using the Grill Pan you do get the grill lines on the food

just as if you had used a grill. Also easier to clean than my indoor electric grill.

Can make a homemade soup in the 1-1/2 qt. or 2 qt. round pans, depending upon how much I want to make, in no time

(approx.10 to 13 minutes). The house smells like I had cooked the soup all day long.

My extra thick rolled oats cooks in 6 minutes. Before had to wait for the water to boil on my stove,then cook the

oatmeal for 20 minutes took almost 30 minutes.

Clean up for the cookware is a snap. Really love these microhearth pans.

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Don't like fish or chicken that's too dry? This grill does "moist" perfectly. 7 mins. on the button cooks salmon filets that are succulent and flavorful. A little drizzle of olive oil, some spices, and a TBS or so of liquid (this is a must, for some reason, when you use this grill pan-use water, wine, whatever). I've also made grilled asparagus in the pan, which comes out perfectly, with lovely brown grill marks tastes just like I've grilled in the oven. For wonderful home-cooked meals in a few mins., and incredibly fast, easy clean-up, this is hard to beat.

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After going through the 5 star reviews of this item, The Microhearth Grill Pan, we decided to order it. We don't use a barbecue so we don't grill on our deck; neither do we grill on the kitchen range. So this seemed like the perfect answer when we want hamburgers. It works as the reviews promised. The burgers are nicely done and without any grease spatter. Clean up is easy as the lid is dishwasher safe. The pan, however, must be handwashed a minor inconvenience. Overall, my wife and I give it a solid "thumbs up."

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I told my sister about this ,she ordered it and every time I talk to her she thanks me for the find. I ordered another one just in case. This pan is awesome. When you cook in here you don't have the mess on your stove. Easy clean up. I cut up red potatoes in shreds and put a little oil on them and they end up so crispy. I have pounded chicken breasts and put cheese and ham and rolled them up and fried them in the pan. Zucchini fried. It is just endless. Good sturdy construction I also bought the round 1 1/2 qt and 2 qt. love them all.

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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Mr. Bar-B-Q Double Burger Press

Mr. Bar-B-Q Double Burger PressI buy super lean hamburger in bulk and we make our own hamburger patties. It's lots cheaper to do it yourself rather than buy the already made patties which lots of times just aren't lean enough to me. I bought this double burger press to make the job a bit easier/faster. I also buy waxed paper patty squares to keep the patties separated while freezing.

I've had two other burger presses besides this one a tupperware and a no name brand but I like this one the best. This one is the easiest to get your patties uniform in thickness and it's the easiest to get the patties out of the press in good shape.

I just weigh out 6 or 8 ounce "bunches" of hamburger, put a couple in the press, apply the top part and VOILA! Perfectly round, same thickness patties. Remove the top part of the press and then it's pretty easy to pop out the bottom black part to get the hamburger patties out without squashing them out of shape. That was the biggest problem I had with the other patty makers I tried by the time you worked the patty out, it was no longer uniform.

To clean this press, I just separate the four pieces, rinse and stick in the top part of my dishwasher. Also, this thing is super sturdy, I can't imagine, with regular use, that it would ever wear out.

Makes great size burgers that will please any burger lover! We grind our on burger and its very useful to have the press to make burgers and freeze them for later use. Thanks mr.bar-b-q press! :-)

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Makes a great burger and easy to use. Can't ask for much more considering what it is for and how much it costs. Can't go wrong.

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I have been seasoning and pressing my burgers for a few years now and know that my parties aren't always round. So thinking I could remedy this for a small price I was correct. The idea for this press is great and it works when it's not falling apart broken. As I said you get what you pay for. I'd choose something a bit more sturdy next time.

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We butchered our own beef and made awesome 1/2 pound hamburger patties. We put a small sheet of wax paper between the patties (2/pack) before freezing.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Weber Style 6451 Heavy-Duty Grill Brush Attachment Heads

Weber Style 6451 Heavy-Duty Grill Brush Attachment HeadsThe first one of these I had I literally threw it out after a few uses. The bristles would fall out and stick all over my grill and then would get stuck to food. They're small and thin enough that even when I thought I cleaned them all off the grill, somehow I'd always end up with one stuck in my gums, tongue or cheek OUCH! while eating whatever it was I'd just grilled. Dangerous. When are we going to stop bringing made in China junk into this country? The green scrubby pad isn't bad but of course, being plastic, doesn't work well on a hot grill. I bought a second set (for the green scrubby) and decided to give the brush another try, this second one is better and bristles haven't fallen out... YET.

I live in New England but grill year round and I'm a little over the year mark with the original brush head. The bristles are becoming to bent to clean afterwards but if I wanted I could stretch it out a little longer. I would've given this 5 stars but as the previous reviewer noted it includes a scrub brush which I rarely use....in fact I still have the one from the original packaging. Nothing comes close to this brush (incl handle), nothing.

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I say that because these are heavy duty heads that you won't be replacing more than once a year if you're a heavy duty backyard BBQ'er. I gave the 3 star rating because I only use the bristle pad and don't need the scrub pad but this is the only way they sell them. The product itself is 5 stars but the forced selling of unwanted product is 1 star giving us a 3 star average.

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They don't last very long considering the price. I wish they came with 2 stainless steel pads rather and 1 stainless steel and 1 scouring pad.

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I like the brush, but I wish they sold just the brush head attachments. By themselves they are worth $7 an insert, but the scouring pad is only used when the brush is awaiting replacement. Perhaps if the design of the handle facilitated both simultaneously but it does not, and I have no where to store the scour pad head.

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Monday, August 5, 2013

Adcraft SG-811E Commercial Panini Press Grill NSF

Adcraft SG-811E Commercial Panini Press Grill NSFReal panini like in an Italian "trattoria". More than satisfied. Easy handling. Very crusty sandwiches / panini.

Mmmm. I love this item. I have been searching for months trying to choose a Panini maker. The choice to purchase from Grover Brothers Restaurant Equipment was an excellent decision. They were there from me from the beginning to the end. I had so many questions. It was hard because I wanted a nicer panini maker than the average model yet there were no reviews to go by. Also, I am not an experienced restaurant owner so I didn't know how to use it. This one, the Adcraft is not like your home panini maker. Also, it is bigger than I imagined. It can probably make 6 sandwiches at a time and it weighs near 50 pounds! I love panini's so much! If you decide to get one, don't get alarmed like I did about the initial smell and smoke. It is the wax burning off the grill and is normal for first time use. Also, I was not experienced and my first panini stuck to the grill because I did not "season" it first. After I used the wonderful included wire brush to clean the grill, I used peanut oil to brush the grill and left it on for about 15 minutes at about 340 degrees. The second panini was perfect. Not even close to sticking. Apparently, after you season it with oil, it is good to go for many panini's. No need to butter the bread. I am very happy with this panini maker and I will update this review if possible. If you have the chance to order from Grover Brothers Restaurant Equipment, they are an honest and fine company to do business with.

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It works really well (crisps bread nicely), but is a bear to clean. IF you are NOT a commercial company, then there is NO warranty or guarantee. If you buy it, then that's it. It is a lot of money, so think about it. If it is flawed or anything goes wrong right away, you cannot deal with the company. Best thing you can do is find someone who can repair it and pay for it yourself.

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This is the second time I buy this for my restaurant. Exactly as expected. It is a commercial grade. Thanks

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Love my Panini Press. Worth every penny. I know this expensive but if you love sandwiches it will more than satisfy your needs.

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Sunday, July 7, 2013

Black & Decker CTO4300 Perfect Broil Countertop Oven

Black & Decker CTO4300W Perfect Broil Countertop Oven, WhiteThis is my first countertop oven. I've owned it for about 3 months and love it. So far I've used it to bake or broil muffins, potatoes, chicken legs, garlic bread, Totino's frozen pizza, enchilada casserole, pasta casserole.... not to mention toasted bread, bagels, and English muffins . This oven delivers.

The included drip pan/broil trays are only slightly thicker than disposable aluminum pans but are still useful for broiling. Good news is the size of this oven easily accommodates some of my smaller conventional bake ware such as an 8 X 8 inch Pyrex dish and a 6 cup muffin tin. I like the fact it has 4 heating elements, 2 top, 2 bottom which seems to promote more even heat distribution than the 2 element toaster I've used at the office. I like the 3 mechanical controls. One for temp, one to control the heating coils, and a countdown timer that actually turns the oven off when it dings. The control knobs have a solid feel. There is also a "stay warm" feature that works great for warming dinner plates. Yes, this oven will hold a stack of at least 4 dinner plates and will keep them warm while your regular oven cooks. I also like that the wire grill is offset to provide 4 different elevation levels by simply flipping it over and using either of the 2 side slides. The all glass door is easy to clean. So is the slide out crumb tray. The case gets hot so be sure to check the outside dimensions and give it at least an inch of side clearance. This unit is a little larger than most toaster ovens.

Does this countertop oven replace a conventional oven? Not exactly but it comes close. In a pinch, like a kitchen remodel, a small dorm room or other cramped quarters this oven is a great choice. You could bake, roast, broil, and toast for months using no other appliance. It most certainly replaces a regular oven for small oven jobs like baking two pot pies or 2 baked potatoes or a quick batch of 6 muffins from a mix. I have only used my regular oven twice since this oven arrived. I like having a second oven capacity in my small apartment kitchen. I am very pleased with this purchase.

I have owned B & D toaster ovens for over 10 year I brought this one as a replacement and it works fine for what I mainly use it for, toasting bread. First time I used this appliance, I had a difficult time using the "round" control knobs especially the timer function knob. The round knobs are hard to grip and slippery if your fingers have a some oil on them. To toast, you have to turn the timer knob clockwise past the "toaster" icon on the face and then turn counterclockwise to a point how dark you want your toast. Sounds easy, but this round timer knob mechanism was very stiff/resistant in turning clockwise and then counterclockwise. So the round knob made it hard to do this clockwise/counterclockwise action. The knob was slipping as I did this even with dry fingers. I like the knobs with a raised center grip. I am hoping this stiffness will loosen up as I use it more. Otherwise, the toaster oven is working fine.

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I am pretty happy with the toaster oven. It bakes perfectly. I haven't cooked a pizza in it, but I have reheated one and it heated through as if it just cam from the pizzeria. Toasting is a little less than perfect, it takes a VERY long time. There are a couple of things that could have been done better.

*The knobs are hard to turn, unless you have a strong grip with your fingertips, you have to use your whole hand to turn the knobs. They could have made that a little easier.

*When it's time to toast or bake, you have to set all three knobs, kinda tedious.

*To toast, you have to turn the knob to 20, then turn it back to 10 for toasting, it seems like they could have figured out something better.

Overall, decent toaster for the price. If this toaster was any more expensive, I would have rated it much worse.

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I just bought this toaster oven. My waffles and bread are toasted pretty evenly. A small drawback is that the timer knob is supposed to be turned to twenty and then to the desired time. It's attractive and I do love that four slices of bread or waffles fit easily. It makes feeding kids quicker in the morning. So far, I would recommend this product.

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Many "just purchased and love it" reviews tend to show up on Amazon (I've posted several myself), but it's always helpful to see a review where the reviewer has used the product for awhile and can truly speak to the pros and cons from experience. I've used this B&D toaster oven for several years and here's my review:

1. 3 stars solely because, for the cheap price, this toaster oven continued working for several years. That's really not bad for such a cheap oven.

2. I never use this B&D oven for toast you have to fiddle with several knobs just to toast, and the toasting takes too long and is uneven.

3. My unit has a hot spot in the left rear corner and had it from Day One. When baking any kind of bread product (such as biscuits), I have to remember to turn the tray around partway thru baking to get everything to bake evenly.

4. After several years the white housing now looks pretty bad, especially in the center front where the top has a distinct "burned" look from high heat.

5. The hooks on the door (designed to grab the rack and pull it out for you as you open the door) seemed nifty at first glance, but buyer beware. The hooks do pull out the rack, but they then push the rack back unevenly when you attempt to close the door and the rack often dislodges from the track inside. You then have to manually jimmy the rack back into its track. All the while the heat from the oven is escaping into the room and you're trying your darnedest to not get burned. SO FRUSTRATING.

Today I've reached my last nerve with this unit. For the money I was willing to spend several years ago, this little toaster oven was not a bad purchase. You have to endure a few frustrations. This time around I'm spending a bit more with the hope of getting better performance. You can be sure I'll be looking for a door design that does not have those infuriating hooks!

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Friday, June 21, 2013

Air King 9166 20" Whole-House Window Fan

Air King 9166 20' Whole-House Window FanAir King has had a 20", model 9166 for quite awhile. I bought my original in 1998. It filled the important niche between an industrial strength attic fan and a smaller lightweight window fan. In 2004 the original plastic fan blade failed, but fortunately I was able to obtain a replacement. That model 9166 continued in service until last month when it screeched to a stop with a seized "lubricated for life" bearing and another cracked plastic blade.

The new model 9166D (under review) was purchased as a direct replacement. While the new 9166 now has an aluminum blade, unfortunately it has a weaker smaller motor, resulting in inferior performance. The old 9166 had a quiet low speed of 520 RPM that moved a respectable 4160 CFM. The new 9166's low speed is a noisy 1100 RPM, but at that speed it only moves 2510 CFM. So at that twice the speed it moves only a little more than half the air.

Air King's 9166D specifications tell the story of the weaker performance. The weaker motor consumes less power, but is noisier at all speeds.

HIGH MED LOW

OLD CFM 7005 6155 4160

NEW CFM 3560 3120 2510

****** UPDATE 15 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE*******

This fan no longer works. Turned it on back in November and it was as dead as a door nail. I was busy and didn't have time to mess with it but just recently sent email to company to see if there might be a quick fix. Will let you know.

Received reply from Air & Water Inc. Here it is.

---

Unfortunately the item is out of warranty and we are unable to exchange the product. We do not offer technical support for thee units, what I would recommend doing is contacting the manufacturer directly to see if they may be able to troubleshoot the product. To contact Air King directly please call 877-304-3785.

Thank you for choosing Air & Water, Inc.

----

Well, the box works for Christmas light storage. It is sturdy and keeps the rats out.

**********************************************

I have read a lot about this fan, both good and bad. With some of the bad reviews I had to ask myself, "How far has fan motor technology progressed in the last 20 years?" I have fans over 20 years old that still run and that made me wonder about the complaints of "motor burn out." Lets take a look at what might be happening with "FANS GONE WILD."

First of all this fan is like an engine, it needs air to run properly. That pedestal fan or ceiling fan in your home has and endless supply of air as it isn't removing or replacing air, it is only moving it around. But a window fan needs more an unobstructed source. Since it is moving air either in or out of a capsule (your home) it must be able to do so freely. I know, I know, I'm just like you. I love to turn a window fan on, crack another window open about 2 inches and feel that wind roaring through but that isn't what is best for the fan in the long term. You need to have at least 2 windows open = to the size of this fan to help it live a long and healthy life. This fan is already working hard moving a lot of air it shouldn't have to struggle for the air.

As well, get rid of the screen where you have the fan installed, that equates to about a 50% blockage. It impedes air movement in either direction. It blocks air being removed by the fan if you are exhausting air from the home or it blocks air trying to enter the fan if you are blowing air into the home get rid of it. As well, this is why you need 2 windows open to run an exhaust fan. Those 2 windows probably have screens that impede the air movement as well. You can leave those screens in place but open at least 2 windows.

The test: Open the intake windows you plan on using while running your fan. With the fan running now crack a door open to the outside of the home. Without closing the door or lodging it in place, gently push the door closed. If the fan is still trying to pull air in through that door, pushing it back open, you need more windows open. Air should be entering your home with the least amount of resistance possible.

My 19 year old son and I installed it he said it was the easiest thing we have ever put together and installed it was. It is a little noisy so you will need to place it away from a main living area. If you are like me however, that fan will put you to sleep in about 5 minutes in your bedroom. It looks good and the Storm Guard feature works easily and as advertised, allowing you to close the window when the fan is not in use.

Remember and trust that this fan is moving a lot of air as advertised, you don't need a small cracked intake window with a 30 knot breeze blowing through it to know that. 2 intake windows open to the size of the fan should do. All you are looking for from where the air is entering the home is the sensation of a vague feel of air movement not a 30 knot breeze. To restrict the air flow of a fan is like driving your car with the parking brake on your brakes will be gone before you know it.

That fan that sits on the counter or pedestal doesn't have to work for air, it is all contained within the capsule, your home, those fans merely moves air. An exhaust / intake fan is different, much different. Make it easy on your fan and make it easy on yourself.

Good fan I like it. If the motor craps out on me this decade I'll let you know and take back all of this.

I haven't disregarded the bad reports I have read, I shall keep the box for a while.

Always

Uncle Jim.

My name is Jim, I have a high school diploma and am a self proclaimed expert in Fanology. All of my fans still run.

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I'm Kelly Thomas, I own http://www.SIHomeTours.com Installation was quick, easy and a big red sticker told me to reverse the side panels as well as the first line in the instruction manual. I'm also pleased to see the all metal construction, this fan is built to last. (plastic blades will flex and your cfm will drop.) Yea, it's noisy at full speed but I've got some light weather stripping that'll be perfect to significantly reduce the vibrations. We'll mostly run it at low speed anyway which still moves 2510 CFM. In contrast, we recently purchased TWO $8.00 twin plastic window fans from a local big box on closeout, [ regular price ~$20.00+, very much like, the Holmes HAWF2030 ] and those things are not worth spit!! The Air King will just about suck the cat through the door from across the room! I'm confident that my Air King was well worth the money.

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We have a steam and radiant-heated home, thus no vents for central A/C. Plus, here in Michigan we don't need it too often. My wife and I prefer fresh air in the home anyway and only use our bedroom A/C unit when absolutely necessary. Now we have this Air King fan which we bought from (great price and delivery). Installation was a breeze (yuk-yuk), but make sure you have a window large enough to accept it. The height specification (26 1/4") is ideal, but the fan needs about 24" of open space to be effective. The 27" minimum width is required, however. Follow the simple instructions, and you should have no problems. Just make sure the window has a screen on it. I installed the fan in my wife's study on the upper floor. Since hot air rises, I prefer this location to a main floor one. By adjusting which windows and doors are open, you can control the amount of air pulled thru the home. Actually the amount is constant for a given speed, but the effect can be enhanced by closing off windows or doors to create a greater venting effect throughout the home. Today, it hit a balmy 90 degrees, and we really felt how well this fan keeps the air 'fresh' and not stagnant. Noise is the biggest negative, however. At the highest speed, my wife can't stand being in the same room with the fan. The low setting is still powerful, but the noise is tolerable. By noise, I mean air 'white' noise and not motor noise. We usually keep the fan on most of the day at the low or mid setting. On hot days, the high setting is best for our 2200 sq ft home. The fan is well-made and I expect it to last for years. This is well worth the comparably high cost vs the cheap box fans.

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I've had the previous version of this fan for 8 years and it is excellent. Moves huge quantities of air without excess fan noise. This new version is very loud and on the low and medium speeds has an annoying whine. So, I studied the specs between the old and new. The old fan, at high speed, drew 364 watts/3.2 amps at 834 rpm. The new fan draws 170 watts/1.4 amps at 1600 rpm. So, the motor runs twice as fast, draws less than half the current and moves less than half the CFM. A real let down for $170.00. This is my third Air King so I am quite familiar with the brand. I wrote the factory and they told me that they are using new CFM measurements that are more accurate. HAH. This fan is FEEBLE!

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