Accessories Reviews

Purchased two of these grinders last month, one for myself, the other as a gift, but unfortunately the blade assembly began to fail on mine in less than 2 weeks, after processing less than a pound of coffee. Cuisinart customer service said if I return it postage paid, and include an additional $5 to cover return postage to me (The book says $4) they will fix their mistake. I suggested that at the very least they should pay shiping one way, after all, it was their failure, not mine. They said "We make thousands of these every week, they can't all work". As interesting as I found their quality control philosophy to be I still I think they have a lot of nerve expecting the total cost of their product failure to rest on my shoulders. Appearently they disagreed, as they hung up on me without saying goodbye.

Fortunately we purchased through Amazon.com. No problem. Amazon immediately authorized the return, and by policy will even pay the shipping because it's defective. While I appreciate their approach to customer serice I'll pay the postage myself. It's well worth a few bucks to have someone stand behind defective merchandise - particularly when the manufacturer won't.

Quality is free, it's the cost of doing things right the first time. Some producers appearently aren't even interested in getting it right the second time.

I purchased this grinder after reading reviews here, and found my experience to be true to the other reviewers'. This grinder is incredibly easy to clean (a quick rinse, then wipe dry--takes all of ten seconds) and it doesn't get grounds everywhere--they stay right in the grinding cup.

The grind is uniform and quick, and the unit operates with less noise than many others I've heard. You can see the grinding progress through the clear lid, so you know when you're done. There's also a plastic lid you can use to keep extra grounds for later in the day if you want to pop it on top of the grinding cup. Inside the grinding cup there are measurement lines, so you know how much you're making without having to measure.

I've made from 2 to 14 cups of coffee with this grinder, and it's been fabulous. Very solid and strong--this definitely isn't a cheapy grinder that will fail in a few months of heavy use.

Only potential downside--like all stainless steel, it does show every fingerprint, but that doesn't bother me. I just swipe it with a towel and it cleans up quickly.

I'd recommend this grinder to anyone--I'm very happy with this purchase.

After much research and investigation into blade coffee grinders on this site and epinions, I had decided to purchase the KitchenAid because of the ability to wash and clean the cup and blades. I wanted a blade grinder for flax and spices as I use a burr grinder for coffee. The KitchenAid had a major complaint in that it was messy, which seems like a design flaw.

This Cuisinart grinder has it all: Capacity, cleaning cability, powerful motor, handsome design, "fairly" quiet (after all, it is a noisy process), cord storage under the base, absolutely no-mess-grinding and a lid for the stainless blade cup for storage of extra grindings.

On the con side, it is more expensive costing $30; but I think it will be a long lasting appliance and should easily outlast the other less expensive blade coffee grinders costing $20. Also, the instruction brochure states that this grinder is for purposes of grinding coffee only and using it for nuts and spices will dull the blades. Well, duh! I am sure the cheaper models would have the same problem and the Krups that I am replacing has a plastic lid that has become all pitted and cannot be cleaned properly.

I have been using the Braun Oral-B plaque remover for quite a while now. I began while I had braces on for about a year and a half, and my orthodontist highly recommended the device to get the toughest bits of food out from between the most hidden spots of my mouth. Fortunately, it has worked and my teeth are in the healthiest of conditions. The base of the toothbrush is easy to grip, but not durable. I must warn you that mine cracked after little over a year of usage, and I sincerely hope that there is some kind of anti-electrocution mechanism, what with all of the water that flies around as I am using the toothbrush over my sink. The brush heads are not very durable either (though they may be the best the market has to offer) and wear out quite quickly, meaning you have to purchase incredibly expensive replacement heads (as usual, you ask yourself how a tiny piece of plastic and some brush can cost so much cash). So, I would rate it high on usefulness, but low in terms of durability and price. Happy brushing!

Having had some dental problems over the years and two extractions, I've been intrigued by the new advances in dental care products. Last year I bought a cheapie battery powered toothbrush and liked the feel of it even though it seemed just a little harsh. Also, it went through batteries pretty quickly so I decided, in the long run, a rechargeable might actually be more effective and economical.

I ask my dentist about the sonic toothbrushes and he said the reports were good and he wouldn't discourage me from getting one because he felt they couldn't do harm and certainly would be as good as, and probably superior to, hand brushing.

The various sonic models are quite pricey and one brand, the SonicCare has a huge handle that looked terribly uncomfortable for my undersized hands. Since I had liked the small round head on the battery operated toothbrush, this Braun, with the same type of head and a smaller handle, and a somewhat lower price than the "sonics", seemed like a good compromise.

So far, I love it. I not only brush my teeth, I brush my gums inside and out and also my tongue, top and bottom. The feeling is so good I tend to brush beyond the two minute timer. Flossing afterwards reveals miniscule debris remaining and is far less than either hand brushing or the battery toothbrush left behind.

I don't know what the following reviewer means about the replacement heads--they are a breeze to put on and take off. I'm not sure we are even reviewing the same product.

If I am ultimately disapointed in this product, I will come back to the site and relate any flaws I discover.

I bought this for present to my parents (in their 60s).
The love this. It's easy to use and the reshargeable feature give less to worry about. Especially for my parent's generation, it is not easy for then to change small batteries in things like this. Only thing they don't like about this is that each has it's own charger. Therefore two wires to mess with....

I love pressed coffee. And this thing leaks more grounds than any press I've used. But my biggest gripe with coffee presses, until now, is that the coffee goes cold faster than you can drink it.

The 3-hour-hot-coffee claim is a stretch. But with wired and shaky hands I can pour that last hot cup, upto an hour or more after the brew.

I'm giving this thing 3 stars. I'll take a hot cup of coffee with sludge in the bottom over a perfectly filtered cold cup, any day. Staying warm and wired. JJ

I've looked forward to and delighted in pressed coffee every morning for years and this press is the best I've ever purchased. It has its flaws but I've never experienced grounds leaking back into the brew. As those who use a press know, the coffee beans must be ground with the coarsest grind possible. At the present time I use a Solis Maestro grinder and over the past six months have never had grounds in my coffee. Perhaps I have an unusual press, but I think not.

I agree the "3-hour-hot-coffee claim is a stretch." My first cup is always perfect and if I have my second cup within an hour, I certainly wouldn't want it any hotter. The reason I'm posting is I am searching the web for replacement screens for the press but I'm told there is a six-week back order.
I'd give the press 4 stars. Find a coffee you like, grind it as coarse as you can, press it and enjoy.

I have this pot for years and Bodum makes replacement screens that will fit this pot. Shame that they make the screen for their product as well as Nissan and they clearly state that it will fit the Nissan...

http://www.coffee-makers-espresso-machines.com/repfrenpresm.html

I purchased several of these little gems in various colors for the first time a few months ago, and I have to say that my drinks have never been the same since! Their ability to add a whole new dimension to the ambience and conversation of a given party never fails to impress either the host or the guests. My only issue with the Litecubes is that once their batteries run out (about 8 to 12 hours depending on storage and usage conditions), you have no choice but to dispose of them and purchase replacements (which can get rather expensive if you own several sets of them in different colors like I do) since it is not possible to reseal the watertight plastic casing that houses the batteries. It would have been nice if they had designed them so that the batteries could recharged by placing the litecubes on a charger base of some kind, which would solve the power capacity issue for the most part without having to physically remove the batteries. (An upgrade for Litecubes 2.0, perhaps?)

I encountered these cubes in a bar in the Netherlands last week. They are so cool, you put them in your cocktails and they light them up. You can also dance with them (if you want to). The best part about them is that you can stop them working and they're not like the glow snap stuff you get at Disney, that lasts a few hours and then dies on you. They last for ages!!

I would recommend them for holidays or theme parties as favors for your guests. (It is such a great gift in festival's sovenuior such as wedding, X'mas or Halloween.) Litecubes are economical and will certainly provide entertainment for your guests, especially in darkness environment. If you want to buy Litecubes, you can contact us as follow email address: icubesworkshop@yahoo.com.hk

I agree with other purchasers of this case..best use is as a dust cover, not a carrying case. It's hard to close..trying to fit the lid into the flimsy grooves on the bottom is a pain and it's very thin. I was worried the sewing machine would fall out while walking as it slides around inside. I purchased it for my daughter so it served it's purpose as her first sewing machine and case but I wish cases were still made like the fitted one on my old Burnina. Now that sturdy, fitting case was what I'd call quality! You could just remove the top and sew, it fit the sewing machine perfectly and even had storage in the bottom. This cheap thing should have been given free with purchase of a sewing machine.

Surprise surprise! Welcome to the 21st Century, where there are 400 channels of TV, sheep and cats are cloned and sewing machines now come without carrying cases. What? !!! You say, you just spent $$$ on a machine and it has no case? Yep. Apparently the manufacturers of many sewing machines don't feel that they ought to kick in the extra few bucks it must cost include a case. Boo.

I don't need to tell anyone who sews that dust is NOT something you want in your machine. Plus, many people like to pack up their machine and take them to classes, quilting clubs, up and down stairs, well, you get the point. So here's a generic case that should have come with your new machine but didn't. That's why I give this carrying case 4 stars, because you had to pony up for this instead of having it included. I also docked a star because it is the usual putty beige color, which is getting pretty tiresome. Who decreed that all computers and electronics should be clothed in a dirty vanilla color? Oh well.

This is just what I was looking for to protect my Kenmore machine from dust and the kids! Nothing fancy but plenty of room for your machine and anything else you want to carry with it. Good price in comparison to others I've seen.

I upgraded to this razor from another brand which I felt was too rough on my face. This razor gives a nice smooth and quiet shave. The lotion dispenser works well.
My two issues with the razor are:
•Portability - The recharge holster is a modern looking gadget which looks cool but is too bulky for light traveling. In addition it needs a flat surface to sit on making it difficult to recharge at the nearest outlet to your suitcase in a hotel room.
•Detached trimmer - My biggest disappointment with the razor is that the trimmer is a separate attachment that requires you to remove the shave blades and push in a different top. I prefer the all-in-one units with the flip-up trimmer. When I'm shaving (either in shower, bathroom sink, or car on the way to work) I don't really want to fumble with different attachments just to trim the side burns.
Overall, nice shave but a bit clumsy on the usability. For me it's not worth the upgrade cost - I will probably return this.

The Norelco Advantage Shaver is the best electric shaver I used to date. I myself have sensitive skin so I tend break out around my neck from standard shavers and electric shavers. The "Advantage" to this shaver is that is has a built in Gel or Lotion to help smooth out your shave, along with great cutting "Lift and Cut" blades. Also you can use it with water too. With the Lotion it acts as a nice smooth shaving surface keeping your skin protected. The Lotion acts as a moisturizer making you skin feel soft and shaver burn free. Cleaning is simple with just a flip of the shaver lid. You can then rinse it out with warm water and then your done. Charging is done with a neet stand and the shaver lasts up to 45 minutes. The unit includes a snap on side burn trimmer. The shaver itself feels like a solid piece with excellent construction and not that "Cheap Plastic" feel to it. Extra items in the kit are 10 free packs of Shaving gel and lotion, a carry case, a brush, and a good instruction manual. I recommend reading the warrenty information too. It is good for 2 years for most of your service problems. So for those of you not sure of getting an electric, your money will be well spent on this shaver, especially people with sensitive skin. They do make lower models too (under a ($$$)) whichare also the same unit with less features but they other the same benifits of a close, soft and comfortable shave.

It's as close as a blade. Maybe closer. I didn't use too much of the goo, and it gave me razor burn. I never get razor burn. I think from now on I'm gonna use a whole lot of the goo. That'll be about a week from now. Maybe.

I just love Kitchen Aid. I own the stand mixer with every attachment that it comes with, the blender, and I'm about to purchase the food processor to replace my old one that is not a kitchen aid.
This particular attachment has not been very useful for me. I tried to shred and slice onions, and celery but neither of them worked. Carrots on the other hand come out great, but how many carrots can you eat?
I have found that using my food processor works much better I end up chopping every thing, but I can deal with that. The only other thing I could think of to use this for is cheese. However, once it's all shredded the cheese begins to dry out, even if it's in tupper ware. So you have to use the cheese up in about a week.
If you are debating on which accessories to buy here is my advice. I like the Vegetable Strainer best, then the Food Grinder, Rotor Slicer/Shredder, and finally the Pasta Maker Plates. As a side note I use my stand mixer about 2 - 3 times a week, and I only used my accessories once in a blue moon. Save your money and kitchen storage space and use a food processor instead.

Although these attachments did a good job of slicing & shredding, I found it difficult to get the cones off after I was finished. The cones get jammed in there somehow, & it's a royal pain to unjam them. I wasn't slicing & shredding large batches of vegetables, so I don't know why this happened. Be that as it may, because of this experience, I sold them & bought another food processor.

I keep my stand mixer on the counter, so this attachment is actually easier to use and less clean up than my food processor. Simply plug in, turn on and go. Also shreds better and faster than my food processor. Cheese, especially, comes out great with this, although I've used it to shred vegetables too with excellent results. Definitely worth the money.

NOTE: To remove the cone from the rotor, unplug the machine, take the whole attachment off the mixer, then just put the rotor, with cone, back into the slot and twist gently. Pops off in a flash.

Just received this item. Nice lamp but nowhere in the reviews does it mention that the product is made in France. I'll be sending mine back. With friends like this, who needs enemies.

OK... This review is for you guys and gals who are thinking about this light on the job, rather than walking dogs or camping.I got this light at Christmas and has been in semi-constant use since then doing electrical and plumbing work. The light is great for close-in work such as electrical panels, junction boxes and puting together pipe in dark areas and crawl spaces, but don't expect it to beat your Dewalt or Milwaukee flashlight. It won't light a large area, but you can use it as your only light under a house to safely navigate if you don't feel like dragging the rechargeable with you.(You just won't see the rodents and snakes until they're close!)The light is almost unnoticeable while wearing it. It is extremely small and light weight and the fully adjustable strap is padded and comfortable. It doesn't get in the way.Battery life is absolutely awesome! I've got a total of 36 on hours so far with no loss of brightness. The switch does get a a bit tight with use, as stated in another reveiw, but hasn't caused a problem so far even with the dusty conditions encountered. To protect it, I just place a piece of elec tape over the lens and switch prior to stuffing it in my tool bag.Buy it. A Good price for the light you get.

This is a great little headlamp that throws out quite a powerful beam, and has a very soft, comfortable head strap. It works well as an after-dark navigational light or as a working-around-the-campsite light. It's a tiny bit too bright for me to use comfortably as a reading light, but that may just be my thing. It's a darned compact size, and according to their literature, can give up to an amazing 150 hours of light with its three AAA batteries. The comfy adjustable strap holds the lamp in place, and there's a bit of cushy padding so that it doesn't hurt your forehead. Very functional, nothing really horribly wrong with it.

That said, however, there are some things I don't like about it. While the angle of the beam is a good one, it's not adjustable like the Black Diamond Ion is (however, it is more comfortable to wear than the Ion.) This is my main complaint, though; the batteries are a bit tricky to get changed, and there is often not a good, solid contact with the batteries and the terminals, which leads to a slightly flickering light, which I find really irritating. There are also smaller lamps to be had now, and when every inch of space is a consideration, that's important. However, that 150-hour burn time is hard to beat!

But really, the Tikka is a perfectly fine piece of equipment, and it does its job well. The folks at Backpacker magazine just loved it, so it's obviously got some good things going for it.

Okay, this twists your hair and the twists come out very easily. Using the clear elastics to tie the twists ruin your hair and break very easily, and the beads don't really snap if you have thick hair. It's fun, but it could have been a lot better.

I've always liked the "twists" better than braids, and this product delivers exactly what it promises. Some say 'it takes practice' which I agree for younger girls(or guys), but for ages 16 and up, it's very easy. I figured it out right away and had no problem styling my hair with it. If I had to choose a downfall on this product, it'd probably be that you can't make your twists too big or else the hooks won't hold your hair. I have very thick hair, so I ran into that problem. I just made my twists smaller.
I work in a corporate setting in marketing and when I came to work with my hair styled in twists, I had all my co-workers asking me how I did it - plus my clients!. The next day, three of my co-workers had their hair styled with twists - one went to a SALON and it looked just like mine! So, this isn't just for kids or teens, it's for all ages.

I loved the Conair hair braider. It is very easy to use and worked great. If you are in a hurry and want a quick braid this is the thing to use. It is a great size, so you can carry it anywhere. The beads and bands help secure the braids so they look great. I would definately reccomend this to anyone.

I've used the Krups coffee maker with these filters in 2 different states including 5 addresses. It works great. Don't know that I would use this particular coffeemaker without the filter. I'm having difficulty obtaining replacement filters.

I received my Krups Model 476 coffeemaker as a gift. Now it is time to change the Duo-Filter.....and I can't find one anywhere. Mine has split, so I definitely do not want to continue using it. I am disappointed in this product. I do believe the filter made the coffee taste better, but; what good is it if you can't use the maker properly! I have spent too much time looking for this little "accessory". I think I'm more inclined to make the coffee without it, and when the coffee maker sees its last days, I will be searching for a new brand of coffee maker to purchase. Seems little to ask for a company to readily provide accessories for the products they make. If its this difficult, Krups better rethink their marketing practices, or they will find themselves at the bottom of the list.

I believe that the reason why some people are having difficulty finding these filters is because the coffe makers, Crystal arome (model #398) and Crystal arome time (model #458) have been discontinued, these filters fit those models. But as someone else has mentioned you can buy the filters on-line. Simple solution.

You can go to krups.com to find out more about the discontinued coffee makers.