ROSHCO SMORES MAKER, INDOOR OR OUTDOOR

A coworker bought this fugly Hershey's one from Sam's Club and it was huge and very cartoonish. I wanted something fun for the kids that also looked nice enough to set out with adults. This smores maker works great, the whole thing is on a lazy susan which adds to its appeal. I'm very happy with it and so are my kids! We had Thanksgiving smores and they were a hit : ) I set out long bamboo skewers for kebabs instead of using the metal forks, then more people could use it without having to wash the forks between each person.

Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill

I purchased my Petite Gourmet Portable Cuisinart grill in January. I am an avid barbenator and I needed something inexpensive (and what I had intended to be short term) after my larger gas grill fell apart. I liked the size and portability of the Cuisinart. I was thrilled once I put the thing to use. I find it cooks whatever I throw on there evenly and has that barbeque flavor. It heats up so quickly, that I have to have my sides prepared prior to even starting the unit. When I am at home, I have it hooked up to one of the larger propane cylinders from my old barbeque. But where this thing shines, is how small and compact it can become. I fold the legs in and take it wherever I want. I take along a couple of camping sized propane cylinders in the truck and barbeque where ever I want. I have made lunch for the guys at work, fed the family skiing, and had a couple of awesome tailgate parties thanks to my new grill. I am so happy with it's performance that I don't think I will even buy a new full size barbeque. I don't think it's performance would ever measure up to this little guy.Cuisinart CGG-180 Petit Gourmet Portable Gas Grill with VersaStand

I am an avid camper and a condo dweller, so I don't have a lot of room to store things and have limited patio space. This portable grill is perfect with its easy storage size and flexibility to be great for car camping or patio grilling.

Set-up = simple. I'm an engineer, so I read all directions, and it still only took me about 8 minutes.

I went with the Cuisinart because the other grills of this size felt cheap. This one feels solid. The grill grate is thick and durable. The legs click into place, and the temp control knob doesn't feel like it's about to fall off. The gas tank is also placed well, such that you aren't afraid of it falling off akwardly and breaking off the gas valve.

The trial run consisted with wings grilled on a 15 degree (f) day. The grill came through with BTUs to spare. The next run, on a more mild but still cool day, was Italian sausages and asparagus. Delicious (and nutritious)! The grill, despite its diminutive size had more than enough power to handle both the meat and the veggies. It allowed even cooking of the veggies when placed on the edges and showed great grill marks on the sausages.

When finished, clean up was easy (a quick wipe down of the grill grate), let it cool, folded it up, and tucked it into the corner.

Another great product from Cuisinart. I highly recommend for any bbq/grilling enthusiast with limited storage and a discerning taste!

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My husband loves to grill in the summer, but we're always waiting for the charcoal to heat up, so I got him this small portable gas grill as a surprise. We could not be happier with it's performance! Easy set up right out of the box, quick heating to high temps, and easy clean up, we've already grilled on it a bunch since we got it because it's so convenient to use. It's a perfect size for just the two of us, but we've been able to grill plenty on itsteaks to perfection, sausage patties in a snap and even shrimp kabobsenough food for us to have left-overs. I love the fact that it can be taken anywhere, and we're planning to bring it camping once the weather gets warmer. Light to carry and easy to clean, we've totally been converted from charcoal grilling with this little grill! My husband says it's so easy to grill on it he wants to cook outside all the time with it, and I don't mind that one bit. I think we'll even take it with us to the beach when we visit his brotherheck I love that we can take it with us anywhere. Very glad I made the decision to get this portable grill!

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I am a big reviewer before I buy items. This product had a lot of rave reviews and one that was not good that stuck out. I knew I was taking a chance. I have been very pleased, and feel the positive reviews have all been correct.

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I bought the CGG-180 model because of all the "glowing" reviews. Wrong. I purchased in March and now it has failed after less than one grilling season. The heat output has steadily dropped since the initial purchase(initially it was great but it has dropped to the point it couldn't sear anymore), the plastic lid lock melted and fell off and finally, the gas control valve will not rotate so the grill no longer works! And if you look at many of the awesome reviews, this is the only review this person has ever done!

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Linden Sweden Crushgrind Tulip Spice Grinder

**UPDATE Mar 25, 2012: I found a spice grinder here on Amazon that does flax seeds: Krups 203-42 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder with Stainless-Steel blades, Black. If you're looking for a good flax seed grinder, take a look at my review of the Krups grinder.**

I purchased this grinder specifically to grind flax seeds two tablespoons at a time. It works... if you've got all day. I put two tablespoons of fresh flax seed into the grinder and twisted...and twisted....and twisted... After about a minute of grinding I had a litte bit of flax seed dust. So I tried grinding with various coarseness settings. Same result: very few of the seeds were ground. Desiring to be "fair", I filled the grinder with as much seed as it could hold, thinking the added weight of seeds would push the others into the grinding wheels to produce more ground product faster. Nope. This grinder still produced little product for the effort. Finally, I decided to stand there and grind away for as long as it takes to get my two tablespoons of ground flax seed. My wrists began to ache after 3 or 4 minutes and I still didn't have quite the two tablespoons full, but it was enough to get on with breakfast.

Out of curiosity, I put some sea salt rocks in this grinder and wow! It grinds sea salt like a champ. Then I put some peppercorns in this grinder and wow again! It's great with peppercorns, too. I wish I'd known this before I bought the two expensive salt and pepper mills I already own.

With my curiosity now out of control, I broke a couple of cinnamon sticks into shorter pieces and popped them into this grinder. it works well enough for those rare occasions that I need freshly ground cinnamon. Wanting to be thorough, I covered a couple of sticks of cinnamon with a paper towel and crushed them with two or three whacks of a hammer (a meat tenderizer would work, too) and put the pieces into this grinder. Phenomenal! It did a great job of grinding crushed cinnamon sticks.

Summary: If flax seed is what you want to grind, don't buy this grinder unless you have plenty of time and strong wrists. If you're looking for something that looks great on the casual dining table and happens to do a great job of grinding salt rocks, peppercorns, and crushed cinnamon sticks at a great price, buy this grinder. I wanted to give zero stars to this grinder because it does a terrible job of grinding flax seeds. But because it does a great job grinding salt, pepper, and cinnamon AND is reasonbly priced, I give it 5 stars and plan to buy two more.

This is a nice spice grinder to keep on your counter. I have only used it for cumin seeds so far and it is fantastic for that. You will never buy pre-ground cumin again. It does require a lot more turning that you would expect (maybe 40 turns for a 1/4 teaspoon), but it's worth it for freshly ground spices.

24Apr2012 I am removing a star because the number of turns required for grinding is just too high. I ended up replacing this with an OXO Good Grips Pepper Mill that has a crank.

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I purchased the mill to use for grinding flax seeds. While it does an excellent job, I gave it 4 starts because it is impractical for this use. It takes about a minute to get a teaspoonful of flax seeds ground up, so it's useless for those wanting to grind the daily recommended amount of 2 tablespoonfuls. I tested it on peppercorns, red pepper flakes and dried basil, and was very impressed by the result.

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great little grinder for salt or whatever. this design is just better and this is a well made example of that design.

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This is a splendid little grinder. I'm up to three of them one for sea salt, one for mixed peppercorns, and one for a favorite herb blend. I'm considering adding a couple more for dried chipotles and smoked salt. Absolutely no complaints, a terrific product. Very easy to use and clean, and I like red. ;-)

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iDevices iGrill Grilling/Cooking BBQ Thermometer

I bought one of these a few months ago and have been using it to a moderate level of satisfaction. I have tried it with iPhone, iPod touch, and my wife's iPad. Due to the awful battery life of the iPhone and iPod touch, I primarily use it with the iPad. I use it with two probes to monitor the temperature of a chosen cut of meat and the internal temperature of my Primo XL smoker.

This product has so much potential but I'm only giving it 3 stars. Why? Well, for one thing, the build quality is a little bit suspect. I have a white unit, and the plastic housing doesn't feel very tough or rugged at all. I wouldn't want to see the unit take a fall onto a hard floor the plastic has a flimsy, almost brittle feel to it. While I would like it to be more rugged, it's not my primary concern. My biggest concern/complaint is that so far, the iGrill is ONLY compatible with their own homegrown IOS iGrill app. The app itself is okay and provides some basic functionality, and is generally fine for short duration cooks, but when I am doing "low and slow" cooks (of up to 30 hour duration), I need a more robust app with a few more features.

1) The iPad app just closes on its own periodically. This means you lose all the data that's been collected on the temperature trendlines.

2) There is no way to log the data to a file. I'd love to have the app just pump it into a csv file or even "to the cloud" in google docs. When I am cooking new things on the smoker, it's great to be able to go back and see exactly how long it took to cook items and how it correlated to the grill temp

3) There is a target temperature alarm that you can set independently for both probes, but when I leave the smoker going all day long or overnight, I'd love to be able to have a LOW temp alert an alarm that alerts me if the grill temp dips too low.

4) This is one of the things I hate about IOS, but this app won't operate in the background, so if you're using your iPad/iPhone/iPod touch to monitor a long cook, you can't really use that device for any other apps without losing your temperature data. Of course, when the app crashes on its own like it does, it doesn't much matter.

Honestly I would forget about those app shortcomings if there were a full featured app available for Mac OSX and Windows 7. Most laptops have bluetooth adapters and you can get a cheap USB bluetooth adapter for a desktop computer for less than $10. I hope iDevices strongly considers doing this or at the very least releasing an SDK or API so independent developers can create their own apps to communicate with the iGrill. If that happens I would give the iGrill a bump to 4.5 stars. (To reach 5 stars it still needs to be more rugged).

Just a few other notes

1) battery life seems pretty good. 4 fresh batteries seem to go for at least 50-60 hours of use.

2) the display on the device is nice for a quick temp check when your wife confiscates her iPad, but it can be difficult to read in bright light, at least on the unit like mine with the white plastic housing.

3) i bought my iGrill at the apple store because I'm impatient and didn't want to wait weeks to order one online. Unfortunately it's only sold with a single probe at the Apple Store. I ordered a spare probe directly from iDevices but they rip you off on shipping and you end up paying around $30 for the 2nd probe. The probes seem accurate but like the iGrill itself, I am a little suspicious of the durability the wire lead is quite thin, so $30 is a ripoff. It's better to buy the bundle that includes 2 probes with the base unit.

4) I don't expect the white housing to hold up very well over time. If the Apple Store had it in black, I definitely would have purchased the black one. That white plastic gets dirty easily and I'm pretty certain it will yellow as it ages.

UPDATE August 11, 2011:

It's been a few months since I wrote my initial review above, and coincidentally, (almost as if on cue) an updated version of the iGrill app came out within a few days of that first review being released. Much to my delight, a lot of features were added to the new version 2.0 app, including items #2 and #3 in the list above. Unfortunately, there are still some glitches. I have not been able to get the CSV file function to work at all it just freezes and crashes the app. The pdf function works, but for very long cooks, the scaling on the graph is messed up so that the labels on the x-axis all overlap each other, making them completely illegible. The updated app seems to be a bit more stable I have witnessed a few lockups and freezes here and there but the last 2 long cooks I've done, it didn't crash at all. I had a few issues where it wouldn't link up with the outdoor unit for several minutes, or it would launch and then close immediately, but I think I have it figured out now. Basically, launch the app and turn on the iGrill device as soon as the app loads. If it doesn't display a temperature right away, just wait a few minutes and it will show up. Another glitch I've found that impacts the device's usefulness is if one of the probes is over 125F when you turn the iGrill on, it seems to lock everything up. This happened once when the iGrill app crashed in the middle of a cook, and in an effort to get everything going again, I pulled the batteries out of the iGrill device. When I replaced them and turned the iGrill on, the alarm sounded immediately and the iGrill app couldn't connect, so eventually I figured out I had to remove the probes from the food in the grill to get it restarted. It was quite a frustrating ordeal.

I hate throwing away alkaline batteries so I use rechargeable AAs in almost everything. The iGrill works pretty well with the NiMh batteries that I have, but the "low battery" threshold in the iGrill app should be lowered. Due to the slightly lower voltage of rechargeable AAs, the iGrill erroneously thinks the batteries are running out of juice and it throws false warnings. It will show up within minutes after putting in a freshly charged set of AAs, but then the iGrill works fine for a good 40-60 hours even though it thinks the batteries are low.

Regarding probe accuracy, mine seem to be pretty accurate. I tested both of the probes that I have and both of them read within 1 degree of each other across a wide range of temps. I have tested them against a digital J/K thermometer and the readings are within 1-2 degrees across the range of tested temps, so I think these are accurate enough for cooking. The wires are braided metal but they tangle easily and compared to the probes on my other meat thermometers, they seem rather fragile, so I try to be careful with them when wrapping or unwrapping the leads for storage.

My Williams Sonoma probe thermo just stopped working. So in my search I came across the IGrill and saw some pretty weak reviews. I don't take much stock in most reviews as most are just upset buyers that don't take the time to work out minor kinks in a new product. So on my own judgement and knowing that the apple store sells these units, I bought one. Apple is pretty good about not selling products that don't uphold their high standards of quality.

My use...

Large Big Green Egg

IPad 2

Quality

seems to be good.

Yes, it's plastic, but seems to be durable

Meat Probes

Temps are Accurate

Length could be a little longer

Ambient temp Probe

Very accurate

Comes with clip to mount through dome.

I used at grate level and is very accurate

Bought an alligator clip for the grate.

App (ver. 2 new app)

Works good

MUST turn igrill on FIRST then turn on App.

MUST go into settings and adjust auto shut off to NEVER

Needs Future upgrades

Alarm for LOW temp

Fix little crashing bugs

Fix sleep mode

Remove the manual style timer, give option for digital timer.

Add ability to name the probe like in the first APP.

Open up to other app developers to create new and cool apps

Multiple device support.

Create android app...you could get additional sales!!

Would I recommend this?

YES

Is it a little pricey?

YES

Is it really cool?

YES

Does it works as stated?

YES

Is there room for improvement?

YES

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I've used various grill thermometers over the years, for the past few years I've been using the Weber wireless unit. I was never satisfied with that, it seemed like it was always losing its signal at an inopportune moment (and I LOVE most Weber products).

When I saw the iGrill become available, I figured it was worth a shot. The $100 price tag concerned me a bit, but this is a case of "ya get what ya pay for". I've only used this thing in the heat of battle a couple of times, but it worked flawlessly. The software is a bit clunky, which I assume will improve over time (I'd give it 5 stars but for that), but all in all, I think this thing is well worth the money. And it definitely has a coolness factor that no other grill thermometer can hope to emulate. Well done! (pun intended).

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I find that this product does everything as advertised! The beauty of the product, and the reason to buy it, is the remote readout on your iphone or ipad. I don't really care that the unit readout is difficult to see in sunlight again that is not why I bought it, and the strength of the device is the remote readout which is fabulous!!

BE CAREFUL OF THE AMAZON LISTING. It lists the unit twice with only $.04 different in price. So you can easily miss the price difference of $79.95 vs $79.99, BUT one has two meat probes and the other only has one! Clearly, an additional $.04 to get the second probe is the choice to be made, BUT again it makes no sense the probe must cost more than $.04. I think this is an inappropriate listing approach by AMAZON, and hopefully they will drop the single probe listing.

So, I blundered my way into buying the single probe, expecting the dual probe package. After I received it and found only one probe, I dutifully followed the AMAZON return policy, which was to first call the manufacturer. So, I called igrill and explained the situation to a customer support person who said that they would take care of it and all I needed to do was email my contact info. I also wanted to buy an air probe. The Customer Support Manager Matt Called me back within 5 minutes and took care of it without hesitation. He apologized for the AMAZON situation and said that they are receiving complaints from others about the confusing listings. So, he set up the order for the second probe at no charge and no shipping. He also packaged the air probe with the order. I received the package within 3 days. I couldn't be happier with their customer support. This was a great effort by a small company with a great product! Thank you igrill!!

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Despite the mediocre reviews, I really wanted to have a good experience the iGrill. I do a lot of BBQ on a Weber Smokey Mountain, and a wireless thermometer is invaluable. My existing wireless is a PITA to sync and keep synced, so when I saw the iGrill's bluetooth capabilities, I thought, "brilliant"!

Well, it would be brilliant except for the apparent faulty probe. I am attempting to smoke a beef brisket using the iGrill and noticed the meat's temp jumping to over 145 degrees in an hour. Given my smoker's temp was only at 250, I suspected an issue.

After some troubleshooting, I observed the following:

A. The probe's temp wildly fluctuating depending on how the probe connector was positioned to the base unit.

B. Even when "settled", the probe shows a temperature consistently 10-15 degrees above that of my trusty Pyrex probe thermometer.

I've emailed iGrill to request a probe replacement, but do not expect to hear from them for at least a day.

If I get a replacement probe that works, I will update this review, but at this point, I simply cannot recommend the iGrill.

EDIT: As I indicated in a reply to a comment, I did receive a replacement probe from the vendor. However, that probe only lasted two months before failing in the same manner. iDevices needs to figure out what is wrong with their probe manufacturing process, because something is not working.

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Cooks Fork, Forged, Extra Heavy

A nice fork for the money. Very solid but not as good looking as the picture. If the wood were the color as shown it would rate four stars from me. That could be my individual unit.

This a great fork for using on a HOT grill!

It heavy and stiff enough to flip the large pieces

of meat on the back of the grill and still control

how they are positioned and you don't get burned

while doing it :)

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Like the other review mentioned, this fork (I received the 14-inch size) is quite heavy -even more so than some other, more modern designs. The tines are sharp, the wood is real, and if you're looking for a heavy-duty, solidly-built carving fork, you really can't go wrong.

My one complaint: The rivets that hold the wood to the metal aren't all flush with the surface. It's a very minor complaint, but for the price I paid, I can't complain at all!

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Great forged cooking fork--this is not your modern, flimsy, plastic / nylon / teflon fork, but a substantial, well made fork. It comes in more than one size, so if ordering one, be sure you figure out what size you really need. I am very pleased.

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I fry steaks, chops, anything, thanks to this thing. I like my meat rare inside and golden and crispy outside. The trick for this is to have extremely hot olive oil, put in your steak slowly, leave for three or four seconds, then lift, wait for the oil to get ultra hot again, and put it in again, switching sides. This method will deliver you the PERFECT steak or chop, but the hot oil can jump on your hand. This oversized fork will avoid any oil on your skin.

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George Foreman 36" sq. Non-Stick Electric Grill

I've had a several variations on the small George Foreman grills. I have literally worn most of them out, and they last when cared for! I use my GF a LOT. They are great when making a meal in the summer. It doesn't noticeably heat the room like the broiler in my oven and I think it uses much less power all year round. They are just the right size for one or two people.

I cooked steak, lamb, pork, chicken, salmon, tuna, cod, haddock, bluefish, trout, and a bunch of stuff that just isn't coming immediately to mind. It was all great. The biggest danger is over-cooking because it's so fast and cooks from both sides at once.

When cooking for one and there is space behind a steak or pork chop, I put slices of veggies like bell pepper and onions back there to cook with the steak. Behind the steak is a steamy spot on the grill and these veggies cook to perfection in the same time as the steak. Sometimes I rub them with olive oil for a nice taste.

The tilted design is great to get rid of grease and the hot plates sear the surface to seal in juices and flavor. With fish I like to use a very light coating of Mayo which seems to help make pink and white fish even more detectibly moist and tasty. With steak and meats the grill works great with rubs and spices. I really like the Paul Prudome "magic" line of spices. Yum! Even cooking a whole trout is great, albeit I needed to slice it in two at the ribs so it all fit at once. About 6 minutes between the plates and done to yummy perfection.

If you freeze steaks, a 6 oz 3/4" thick steak frozen solid and dropped on the hot places will be done to medium in just about 10 minutes, in my experience steak cold out of the fridge of the same size/thickness is done to medium in about 5 to 6 minutes. The timing is just about second nature now.

The non-stick surface isn't perfect, though pretty good. Be careful with forks/knives and use a plastic spatula to remove fish as it has a greater tendency to stick than anything else.

Cleanup is oh so easy. While one must not put their little GF in the dishwasher or immerse it (I wish the plates were removable!) it's still pretty easy to clean.

First, just after the food comes off I give it a quick hot wipe with a paper towel to get the bulk off. Just takes a second to do this. After the meal I finish the clean-up by hanging the front of the GF over the sink and using a soapy wet sponge. I thoroughly wash the plates and clean the catch tray. Then I use the clean catch tray to rinse the plates of soap, then drain it and both air dry. Water all flows into the sink and it's really clean. It all takes a minute or two.

This is a great tool. If it wasn't so great why would I keep buying them? :-) I even keep a spare on the shelf in case my current 4 year old one fails. I love my GF and its saved so much of my time while giving me great food to enjoy.

Update May 2013:

I've moved to a new GF Champ (the current one was bought 4 years ago) and the cooking times seem to be a little longer than my old one. Just a little reminder that while all the GF Champ variations are virtually identical (except for the plastic shell) there are small individual differences in how hot they get and cooking times may need small adjustments between units. I find the same thing is true in Microwave ovens. A small adjustment.

I still love my GF Champ and have given just about one of every champ model to friends or family members.

Does what its supposed to... Works great after a few months. Also looks very nice on the counter. Was surprised how versatile this machine is

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Much smaller than I expected but I live alone and usually cook for myself. It definitely cooks well and cleans easy. I would recommend buying the scrubbers as well

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bought this to replace an old, scratched foreman grill. works well! i'll be more careful not to scratch this one

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This grill is amazing. It is smaller than expected but its just one person to feed. Could be enough for two slighly. If you have a bigger family you might want to get a larger grill. Whatever size can't go wrong with George Foreman grill of any assortment.

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Calphalon C1210P Commercial Nonstick 10-Inch International Griddle/Crepe Pan

I have upgraded my rating after using the pan every day for a month. I am giving it five stars because it is a tremendous value. I was too critical in my initial review.

This is my first Calphalon pan. I purchased it primarily to use as an egg and breakfast fare pan. I wanted a good non-stick pan, because most of my other pans are stainless steel.

I consider it a very good buy for the price. It has a very attractive design and the interior non-stick cooking surface appears to be very durable. However, the pan is slightly heavy and slow to reach the proper temperature compared to stainless steel. The manufacturer's enclosed brochure says the slow warm-up is due to the non-stick surface (true of most non-stick pans). Once it arrives at the required temperature, it performs very well. This aluminum pan is the equivalent of a permanently seasoned cast iron griddle. It produces foolproof omelets and the food never sticks. I use it to warmup chicken breasts and make grilled sandwiches too. It is the most used pan in the house, because of my passion for eggs.

This product, like a few other Calphalon products I have examined, slipped past the quality control inspector. On my pan there is an interior area, smaller than a grain of rice, that was not sprayed with the non-stick coating. It is high enough on the pan where no one will ever cook on that spot, but it is there in plain sight. The lack of quality control may have something to do with the Calphalon pans being manufactured in third world countries no offense intended. This pan is made in China. You would probably not have any trouble forgiving the stray blemish. Especially, when you consider this pan's beauty, functionality, and price.

Here is my list of PROS and CONS for this purchase.

PROS:

Good price.

Excellent non-stick surface appears to be very durable too.

Excellent stain resistant exterior.

Cool & comfortable handle.

Attractive appearance.

Lifetime warranty.

CONS:

Slow to warm up, because of the non-stick surface.

Fairly heavy pan you won't flip anything without a spatula think griddle.

Quality control at Calphalon could be better.

The handle is beautiful, but the finish on the handle and rivets are not as refined as some of the more expensive cookware brands. However, it has no impact on the cooking.

Conclusion: Excellent pan for the price.

I picked up this Commercial Nonstick skillet along with several other pieces of Calphalon's open stock collection, and I have been impressed with every piece I've gotten. This is great for burgers as well as omeletes and pancakes. About the only "problem" with it is that I'm not accustomed quite yet to the high quality found in Calphalon, and I didn't expect the burgers to brown on a non-stick surface as quickly as they did, so I wound up with two rather rare burgers as a result of fearing that I would burn them. Now that I see how Calphalon's nonstick line cooks, I have had more success, and now I have beautifully cooked hamburgers every time.

This is nonstick, so you do have to treat it with kid gloves, but as long as you use nylon or wooden utensils, do not overheat the pan, and don't run it through the dishwasher, this pan should last you a lifetime. I'm so glad I bought this, because I know that Calphalon's line of Collector's Edition products are only available for a limited time each year. I'm glad I didn't miss out on this beauty before it was gone forever!

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This Calphalon Commercial Nonstick "Collector's Edition" 10-Inch International Griddle/Crepe Pan is from the newest line of Calphalon's nonstick cookware. The "Commercial" nonstick finish on the inside of these pans is very durable as long as one uses wooden, nylon, or good plastic cooking utensils with them and keeps the heat below 400 degrees (medium-high). This 10-inch pan is the perfect size for making crepes, without any need for butter in the pan. The crepes cook quickly and evenly, so it is easy to prepare a lot of them for blintzes or crepes suzette. Also you can make buckwheat blinis or use it as a small griddle for silver dollar pancakes or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Since this pan has a beautiful stainless steel handle, it will stay cool to the touch. Calphalon recommends hand-washing of this pan. It will make a wonderful addition to your collection or a nice gift for a friend.

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I have several Calphalon pots and pans that I've purchased over the years that have been just great. All of which were manufactured in Ohio.

This pan became useless after three months of gentle care using only nylon utensils made for non-stick pans. The non-stick coating on this pan lived up to its name. It does not stick to the pan's cooking surface, but instead peels off in big flakes.

This skillet, and two other Calphalon pans that I've purchased from Amazon in the last year were made in China, and are terrible as to quality, endurance, and finish. This skillet did a good job for a month or so, but then started slowly losing its non-stick surface.

The other two pans received from Amazon were of such poor quality right out of the box that I returned them the same day for a refund. No such luck with this pan.

The brand name Calphalon does not mean a quality product anymore if it was made in China.

Want Calphalon C1210P Commercial Nonstick 10-Inch International Griddle/Crepe Pan Discount?

I have some of the finest cookware and lots of it being a former chef, but this is by far the best little pan I have.

I use this one everyday. I can tell you that this pan is a little workhorse. Don't let the title fool you. This is more than a griddle/crepe pan. You can do Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Cornbread, Omelettes, Pancakes, Sausage & Peppers, Fry Pork Chops, Steaks: Any thing without a lot of sauce/gravy works perfectly. I've done stir fry, hamburgers, steak, hot dogs, everything -you name it. I reach for this pan time and time again. The clean-up is fabulous. Nothing sticks to it at all. You won't go wrong with this sweet little pan, if fact you'll be sorry you didn't buy two of them.

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Mr Bar B Q 06102X Heat and Serve Sizzling Platter

This platter is only large enough to hold a very small steak or a sandwich. It also very thin and light (read flimsy). I do not recommend it.

these are a very good product hold up well and are light and easy to use

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steak plates.

Exactly what I was looking for. Reasonablely priced and fast service.

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We love these platters!!! We also have a large one for cooking several items. The only thing we don't like is the appearance of the platter after using the shortening on it. It turns a golden brown and will not come back to its original metal appearance.

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This platter is large enough for a steak, but no side dishes. My only problem here with Amazon is the price. Usually Amazon is so good, but these exact $25 platters here--today they're $45-are available on the Home Depot site for $8. There they call them sizzling platters and can be a little hard to find, but certainly worth the search for the price difference.

George Foreman GFQ001 Quesadilla Maker

It truly is a fun little unit to have around. We don't use it a lot but when we do, we really get a good night out of the thing... Its fun, it works quite well and it is easy to use... But it is messy as all Hell, prepare your counter top...lol

I would call this item a MANDATORY Purchase before throwing your son out of the house. Assuming your son is aged 19-21 and never bothered learning how to cook. I would call it about as necessary as the George Foreman Grill for your College Kid.

My 22 year-old daughter uses it.I was going to give it to her at one point but she can get her own...lol

It will fill you up quickly and it will stretch your food dollar big time and again... It turns out a pretty damn good product. Someone who doesn't know how to cook can easily make something really good with this thing.

On a more technical note... It is constructed well enough for regular use. It has very good heat distribution throughout (no hot-spots or cold areas)and performs quite well. For a messy unit, it cleans up with the greatest of ease. A simple Paper Towel wipe will remove 99% of the mess produced and the unit does clean up quite simply... Much easier than damn dear every pan I have ever cleaned over the past three decades.

Have loved the convenience of this grill. Very easy to make quesadillas without having to turn them over. Also already marked sections to cut when you remove it. Slides off the grill easily. Very easy to clean. Love it.

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Originally I purchased a Bella for $19.99 at Macys. It was impossible to clean. I took it back and purchased (at another store)a George Foreman Quesadilla maker for less than the Bella and it is much superior. The larger size also compresses/closes the outside edges of the tortillas to keep the filling in. Even if the filling would go over it is made to easily clean. Preheat and cook excellent results.

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The quesadilla maker is easy to use, but I'm not totally impressed. It can't be taken apart for cleaning; it only uses the large-size tortillas; it really doesn't brown very well and the bottom tortilla is usually soggy, whether I use a light coating of oil or not. I'm using it now, but it may find its way into the Salvation Army pile before long.

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Don't know if the oven is the 'traditional' way to make a quesadilla, but it was the way the Southern Living Cookbook told me to do it. I did it and they were delicious, but flipping a quesadilla with a spatula in a flaming hot oven was not so fun, and it was awkward, and usually messy.

SO, when I found this at the big box yellow happy face place for $10 on clearance, my interest was piqued. It looked a little more contained, and therefore easier to manage.

First, the recipe I use asks that you butter the quesadilla. I don't know if this is what is traditionally done, but it's how I've made them, and it makes a nice brown crust outside. I don't seem to get the soggy bottom that others have indicated this way.

Also, I put the tomatoes to drain in a colander well before putting them in the mix. Usually a couple hours before, I have a small colander that fits into my mixing bowl and I keep that in the fridge until I am ready to assemble. I don't know if this helps the soggyness as well.

I agree with others, that it isn't always easy to find the tortillas for this maker. 10" is a little more rare than the smaller ones, and they only come 6 to a package at that, so I usually have to make three quesadillas, which is more than we need. (8 would give us two meals)

Cleaning this, given my experience with other grills and waffle irons, is pretty easy. It does not come apart, and is not submersible, but if you trust the instructions and wait for it to cool, it really does clean right up. The surface is truly non-stick and releases everything.

The latch is a trick to get used to. It compresses the maker while the food cooks, so to release it, you should push on the top of the maker to let up the tension. This is accomplished easily by keeping an oven mitt on the flaming hot top.

The way coolest part is when you slightly crispy warm and gooey quesadilla slides out of the maker, it has scores for 6 evenp pieces. A pizza cutter makes short work of this.

For what I paid for this, I find it an incredible value. Would I have paid $45 for this? In retrospect, probably. It was really worth it.

Also, I accidentally rolled it in the box down our basement stairs, and it didn't affect it in the least (I keep it in the box without the styrofoam to keep the dust off of it in our basement when not in use.)

Nesco PIC-14 Portable Induction Cooktop, 1500-Watt

I've been a fan of induction burners since I purchased a Max Burton 6200 Deluxe 1800-Watt Induction Cooktop several years ago—at much greater cost than it's listed for now! Nothing beats the precise temperature control, the safety, and the efficiency of an induction burner. They are far safer and more sophisticated than hotplate-type burners for college dorms or residences for the elderly or disabled. They are also wonderful for an office kitchen or to use outdoors or on a table for Japanese hot pot cooking or fondue. Induction cooks by transferring heat to the pot itself, which then cooks your food; induction-ready cookware must be used, but you probably already have something suitable (see below).

Let me get the one thing I like better about my Max Burton out of the way first: it has a timer for auto-shutoff, which is a great boon when doing pressure canning using my Fagor Duo 10-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner. When the canner comes up to pressure, I can set the timer for how long to keep it at pressure and then walk off and leave it, knowing that the burner will shut off and the temperature instantly be reduced to zero after that precise amount of time. With pressure canning, especially, timing is everything. So is auto-shutoff if you're easily distracted (like me) by other things. The Nesco does not automatically shut off unless it overheats, in which case it will shut off as a safety feature.

That said, I like the Nesco induction burner much better for everyday cooking and will probably keep my Max put away until I'm canning. The design of the Nesco is sleeker and easier to clean, and it's MUCH easier to use. The Max has three different functional levels (wattage, temperature, cooking time) and up to ten different levels of settings within those functions; it's hard to see precisely which function you are changing settings for, and once it shuts off, you have to go through the whole rigamarole again if you want to keep cooking at the same level. (Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep! Beep! Beep!) The Max Burton is 1800 watts as opposed to the Nesco's 1500 watts. That sounds good until you trip the circuit breaker every time you use it with something else plugged in if you don't take pains to lower the wattage to a non-default setting.

The Nesco, on the other hand, is simplicity itself. For many purposes, all that needs to be done is just press the On/Off button, then the Cooking Mode button, which autosets at the center/default Boil (C3) setting. The five cooking mode settings, printed on the front panel and shown in large red digital letters when in use, are self-explanatory and controlled by two buttons (Up and Down): Melt/Warm (C1), Simmer (C2), Boil (C3), Fry (C4), and Sear (C5). The Up and Down arrow buttons do just what you'd think: Up cycles up from Boil to Fry to Sear; Down cycles down from Boil to Simmer to Melt/Warm. The temperature adjusts instantly, so you get practically instantaneous feedback on your cooking level just by looking at what the contents of your pot are doing.

If you push the wrong button and "go the wrong way," you can just push the opposite button and take it back to "where you meant to go," which will never be more than four button presses in one direction if you're going from the very lowest (C1) to the very highest (C5) or vice versa.

Finding induction-ready cookware is as easy as taking a magnet with you to the thrift store or into your cupboards; Nesco thoughtfully provides a weak magnetic strip that you can tuck into a pocket for that purpose. (Be sure to stick it to the bottom of the pan, not the sides, because the bottom that comes in contact with the burner is what counts.) Cast iron definitely works, but (as with ceramic cooktops) you have to be careful not to scratch the cooktop with it. The bottom diameter of your pot or pan must be between 3.15" and 10" in order to work; larger skillets can cause overheating. All of the pieces of my Rachael Ray Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set, Orange work with this burner.

I love it.

I've owned a Max Burton 6000 induction (1800 watts) for over 2 years; it's a much better option. I mainly use a portable induction burner for cooking outside; if you are cooking something stinky like deep frying oil or it's summer & you're craving pasta but don't want to warm up the kitchen or your grilling and want to warm a sauce or side dish. We also like to use it on the deck in the summer for making pancakes. We eat breakfast outside frequently & it's really convenient to set it up on the table while cooking batches of pancakes.

So to test this Nesco (1500 watts), we took it out on the deck to make pancakes. We use a Lodge cast iron pancake skillet/griddle. This skillet is 10.5 inches outside measurement/10 inches inside cooking measurement so should be a good test. To test the evenness in cooking, we poured pancake batter to near the edge of the pan, leaving a little space for turning. This Nesco did a terrible job at cooking evenly. Even though the circle (cooking zone) is 10 inches, the pan did not get hot enough to the edge so we had a gummy/white pancake & a very overdone center where the element is under the pan. We tried again, fiddling with the temperature level & making a small pancake in the center. That was better but this would be annoying to make 1 small pancake at a time & it needed constant watching/adjusting of the temperature.

**See photo of pancake above.

There is very little fine tuning in the temperature selection. You choose between 5 "Cooking Modes"; Melt/Warm, Simmer, Boil, Fry & Sear. My Max Burton has 10 cooking levels which I discovered is important if you're doing anything other than boiling water. On level 2 (Simmer) it is too cool and on level 3 (Boil) it is too hot; the food burns. Having only 5 cooking levels is not enough for items that need specific heat control. Even though the circle (cooking zone) is 10 inches, the pan did not get hot enough to the edge to cook evenly. With a strong backlight, I could see and measure the induction element; it is approximately 7 inches in diameter.

When no pan is present, it beeps at you, a helpful feature. However, after initially beeping quickly at me, it behaved oddly and after I held a pan away from it for 30 seconds it never beeped. Either it wasn't actively heating (on level 2) or it decided not to beep. I started to question the beeping accuracy /effectiveness.

I also tested it boiling water & in that it does a very good/fast job. So if you're just using this to warm liquids such as water, soup, oil for deep frying; it will probably suffice. If you want to cook something evenly, look elsewhere.

Induction cooking requires a magnetic pan. To test your pans, put a magnet on the bottom. If the magnet sticks, your pan will work on induction. If it doesn't stick, it won't get hot & you need to choose another pan. A cheap refrigerator magnet is included with this cooktop. Handy if you're going shopping for new pans but most people probably already own a magnet or two so not really a selling point.

Max Burton 6000 1800-Watt Portable Induction Cooktop, Black A much better choice.

Lodge Logic L9OG3 Pre-Seasoned 10-1/2-Inch Round Griddle My cast iron pancake griddle; works great on other cooktops.

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I love the Nesco induction cooktop! It's compact and lightweight, so it is easy to store when not in use. When it is in use, it's a dream! It heats quickly, much quicker than I expected. A small fan runs while it's on, and it barely makes any noise. The five settings are easy to select, allowing heat variations from simmer to sear. The buttons are easy to push, but are not touch sensitive. This is important since you wouldn't want to accidentally change the settings. The appearance is sleek, and it's easy to clean.

I've missed using my cast iron skillet since I bought my glass top stove, which can be easily damaged by cast iron cookware and is not recommended. I can use the cast iron skillet on the Nesco without any problems. I suspect the surface of the Nesco will suffer a little from cast iron if I'm not careful, but it shouldn't damage it the same way as a glass top stove.

It also uses much less energy than a regular stove, so it's cheaper to use in the long run. It won't replace my regular stovetop, but I do plan to use this regularly.

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I have this DUXTOP 1800-Watt Portable Sensor Touch Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner 8300ST which is an utter piece of junk. And this Fissler CookStar Induction Pro Portable Cooktop which is really really nice (and really expensive).

So I did not expect this one to be good.

Amazingly, it is quieter that most induction cookers and it works really well. You have to be aware that with cheaper induction cooker the heating area will be smaller. So that was expected.

The one problem I have is that I can't find a setting for my pressure cooker.

C2 was too week and C3 was too strong.

It only has 5 levels. It works well if you happen to need exactly as much power as the 5 settings allow. But it will get frustrating when you need to be between 2 levels.

Most other induction cookers offer more levels for this reason.

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I love this cooktop!

We BBQ at least three or four times a week and usually had to go indoors and use the stove for side dishes. We set up the induction cooktop right next to the BBQ and have used it two times so far with outstanding results.

We use a heavy iron skillet which heats up amazingly fast and the heat stays consistent. Its light which makes it easy to bring outside whenever we need it. This is my first time using an induction cooktop and I am so pleased that we were offered this product to review. It is so much easier to keep the kitchen cool in the summer with out the stove and oven on.

Highly recommended for outdoor use, excellent for camping and a boat or RV.

For those who have never used induction before (like me) you must use a metal pan such as cast iron, magnetic stainless steel or carbon steel. You can not use copper aluminum or glass.

Stats:

1500 watts

5 heating control settings

Glass top

Made in China

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MIU France Stainless Steel Perforated Turner, 14-Inches

I was happily surprised by how heavy duty this turner feels.

This is not a flimsy tool.

A simple solid design that will last.

I got a pair, one solid and one perforated, so I can now handle large fish on the grill and volume on the griddle.

If you're having problems flipping fried eggs over without breaking them this is the answer. It's very flexible and easy to work with. Excllent product.

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The turner is a good product, a little thicker metal than I expected, but works great on the grill

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This is a great spatula, well made heavy weight, just what I was looking for.

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Very solid construction... seems to be commercial type quality. Definitely big so won't fit into smaller pans but does great on the grill or for flipping a few things at once on the griddle. Very happy with purchase... based on the quality I expect it will last a long time.

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Pizzacraft PC0206 4" x 5" Hardwood Handled Pizza Stone Scrubber Brush with Stainless Steel Bristles

I had been looking for a new brush for a while, and after reading the other reviews I decided this was a good choice for the money.

The package arrived and I opened it up, pulled out the brush, and it immediately fell to pieces in my hand.

This brush has two halves, the top half, a wooden handle, And a bottom half, a plastic mold holding the steel bristles. The two halves are held together with four screws.

My brush arrived with the two halves separated, and all the screws had fallen out. At first I thought "no big deal, I can just put it back together, and it will work fine", at this point I was a little annoyed that the product had shown up this way and now I was having to put it together myself.

However, I am unable to put the brush together myself because the screws wont go far enough into the plastic, they only go about 1/4 of an inch into the plastic, and the two halves will just not stay together.

I'm going to have to use some super glue or buy slightly longer screws to fix this thing.

I probably won't even bother fixing it actually. This was a waste of money and my time spent trying to fix it.

Very disappointed with this product, I should have spent my money on something that was constructed a bit more solid.

To the manufacturer/seller, Don't be so cheap, use screws that are long enough to hold your product together.

The brush completely fell apart as I removed it from the packaging when it arrived. All four screws that hold the wood handle to the plastic base of the brush bristles pulled loose and came apart. The screws seem too short to really hold on to the plastic base.

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It's a nice brush, however I didn't realize how hard it is to clean a pizza stone. The food really sticks and burns into the stone and no amount of scrubbing will get it off really. Oh well, I still need this brush to clean it, and works as well as it can.

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this works great on our stone, keeps the stone clear of burnt cheese and bread. i use it dry. i dont get it wet. i have it over 2 yrs now and its great.

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This tool is great. When we used our pizza stone for the first time I had a hard time getting it clean and wore out the scrubbing side of a sponge. This tool is very handy making it easy to clean the stone and can also be used on the grill. Not only is it functional but it looks good too, made with solid wood and a nice smooth handle for easy grip.

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