Accessories Reviews

For those of you who are comparing this unit to similar ones by Holmes, it may interest you to know that Bionaire and Holmes are the same company (Bionaire is part of the Holmes Group), and therefore essentially the exact same product, with only asthetic differences. If you don't believe it, just check it out at the Holmes and Bionaire sites (type the brand name and add "dot-com").

I've owned this Bionaire for around 5 years, I think. I stopped using it because I was too lazy (and cheap) to order the replacement filters (BTW -- replacement filters etc. MUCH cheaper at Amazon.com than through the company store!). Instead, a couple of years ago I bought a crummy little Holmes thingy (typically the only thing available at cheapy places like [local store]). Its really bad - the only advantage being I could buy off the shelf replacement filters at [local store] (mind you, for more than replacement Bionaire filters run here).

I'm an on and off smoker. If you are using an air cleaner to make things smell better when you smoke (and/or after, when you are trying [yet again] to quit), turn it OFF when you aren't smoking. These things absorb the smoke smell; if you run it when you are not smoking, you ARE going to get stale smoke smell. It is especially bad with my Holmes thingy [DONT buy Holmes].

My little Bionaire has taken a lot of abuse -- I've used a vacuum to suck up all the disgusting yellow hair stuff off of the filter (I have cats [none yellow])and then set the little bugger in motion again. I've also placed the carbon filters designed for the Bionaire in front of my crummy little Holmes filter with appreciably better results.

I was a bit surprised to read the room recommendations for this model (10'x10')-- it does very well for smoke removal in larger rooms (up to 12'x14' I'd guess). My neighbor admired mine so much she went out and bought one of the crummy Holmes thingies available at [local store]. (And, there began my slow decline into mediocrity). [BTW she was admiring my little vacuum job at that point.] Now, we just kind of look at each others Holmes' thingy and snicker.

This is just a smoker's review. If you have serious allergies -- (a) you aren't smoking and (b) there are MUCH better models out there, though not from Bionaire, I'm afraid. If you need an air purifier to help you with allergies and you don't smoke -- think about Friedrich or IQAir. These are MUCH more expensive and are not, unfortunately, offered through Amazon[.com]. And, if you DO need and acquire a serious air filter for allergies, keep a spare machine for smoke smells. If you let people smoke in your home turn off the high grade allergen filter system and turn on the smoke gatherer, when smokers are present. That way you don't ruin your primary allergen gatherer with smoke smell.

That is about it, unless Amazon will let me reference another site for serious allergy sufferers, namely: [www....]

I have chronic allergy caused by dust mites,
and this product made my life allergy free.
I will recommend it for small rooms.

it's well worth the extra money to spend $... more and get the Capresso 551.01. This has blades, not burrs. It can't store beans. It holds only enough for approx. 1 pot of coffee. There is no coarseness setting. It's basic, but it serves a very limited purpose well.

Have not had any of the spillage problems reported. Question the long-term durability of the product, as I have used it <10 times, yet smell a burning smell whenever it is used for longer than 20 seconds. Also, it barely is large enough for one full pot. No real selector to make sure that you have a specific grind. Compact, cheap, and good-looking, but not too much of a grinder.

This coffee grinder works pretty well; it is the quietest grinder I have used, the cord conveniently wraps around the base of the machine to save space, and it looks very stylish with its platinum color and unique shape. The only downside is that, if you want a fine grind, you have to give it a gentle tap and shake here and there to get the grind off the base since the stainless steel blade is a bit high and therefore does not get to the partial beans that sticks on the base.

This grinder was given to me as a gift to accompany an espresso machine, but unfortunately I will be returning it. I've found that even on the finest grind setting, the results are much too coarse and uneven to brew proper espresso. Furthermore, this grinder is LOUD; the first time I ran it I thought the steel burrs were grinding themselves together.

Other problems: The minimum setting is for 4 cups of coffee, which is far too much for a shot (or even a double shot) of espresso. And a good deal of grounds (about 2 cups worth) ends up stuck inside the machine, so to get freshly ground coffee you really first have to grind 2 cups and empty the bin, then grind what you need. This is a waste of coffee. And if you forget to put the plastic lid on the hopper when you slide it into place, grinds will fly everywhere, and there's no way to stop the grinding or put the lid into place short of unplugging the machine from the wall!! This is a serious design flaw.

Anyhow, for making large amounts of drip coffee this grinder might decently serve the purpose, but otherwise I'd look elsewhere.

I bought one of these Cuisinart burr grinders and I must admit it is very nice looking on the counter and it does do a better job than a blade grinder but..... it doesn't make a really even grind. What I mean is it makes a lot of finely powdered grounds along with the rest. It's also very loud.If you live in an apartment, have close neighbors or your any light sleepers in the house you might want to consider another burr grinder. But as I said it is a really nice looking appliance and it IS better than a blade grinder.

I wanted a coffee grinder to go with my new Cuisinart coffee maker. It was between this burr grider and the normal blade grinder that Cuisinart offers. I decided to go with this grinder after my mother had rave reviews about her own grinder. This grinder looks great on my countertop. It is beautiful and makes wonderful ground coffee. I love how you can put an entire bag of beans into the holder and it just grinds the amount of beans that you want. That feature is one of the reasons I decided to buy this grinder also. My only con to it, and the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5, is the volume of this little gadget. But don't get me wrong, I KNOW grinders will GRIND. But, I am a college student and live with a sleep-loving college roommate. And the noise that the grinder makes is a little bothersome to sleeping roommates or family members. All I can do is say "Sorry" and enjoy my wonderful, freshly ground coffee! Great machine! Great purchase!

This filter does not fit the 12-cup Krups Aroma Control coffee maker I purchased. Also, despite an independent rating I read in Cooks magazine, I'm not that impressed with the coffeemaker itself. The carafe doesn't keep the coffee any hotter than Mr. Coffee and the brew tastes the same to me.

This is an economical solution to using paper filters for coffee--even the unbleached ones that stress the environment less than bleached paper does. The gold coating on the plastic makes for a neutral flavored filtration. You will get a few more fines than with a paper filter.

However, when cleaning the filter, do not be tempted to put it in the dishwasher. The action of the metal cleaners in the detergent and an electroplating effect caused by other metals in the dishwasher (like your silverware) will remove the gold from the filter. Just wash it by hand with a few drops of dish detergent to remove coffee oils. This should last for years.

My husband and I bought this filter when we first got married. That was EIGHT YEARS ago and it's still going strong. We've gone through 3 coffee pots and have the same filter. I never have noticed flavor distortions like another reviewer mentioned. The coffee tastes great with no ground leakage. It's wonderful not having to buy filters. I would definitely recommend this product.

I tried to fry a couple of eggs in the pan after spaying it with PAM and preheating it. The results were stuck-on burning egg. Thought it just an accident with the eggs, until I used the larger pot to boil water for noodles and that pan was also ruined. Note: I was attempting to cook with them on a Colmen Stove. Since I have bought other real non-stick cookware (Non-Camping) at Target with heavier bases and have no problems and with true non-stick easy clean-up.

I bought this product two years ago for a horsepacking expedition along the Colorado Trail. The price attracted me at the time, but I soon found out that even travelling in the car that the non-stick finish was easily abraded. Rust soon ensued. I still own this set and it is servicable, but don't recommened it except for car camping, and even then, pack your dish towels between the pots.

I used this set on a camping trip and am real happy with the quality and performance for a set of pots and pans in this price range. The set has a nice weight and feel. The handle works well and doesn't feel flimsy. The largest pot was large enough for me to boil corn on the cobb with out snapping them in two. Don't turn the heat up past medium, use plastic tools, non-abrasive sponges, keep lined when storing and they will give you years of service. Well worth the $20 they cost me. I've spent more on a bad movie.

This is a very great way to grind and chop food. It is also very useful in making cosmetics and grinding herbs, coffee, cheese, meats and was as advertised. No matter what your needs are it is the prefect attachment to the Hamilton Beach Blender. Thanks

For small jobs when you don't want to get out the heavy stuff this works just fine. Small enough to leave out and handy enough to do most jobs. I use mine at least once a week and don't worry about if it can do the job I ask of it.

Great little attachment for my Hamilton Beach Blender. Just the right size for food processing jobs for my small family. Easy to clean. Does an excellent job in chopping, shredding, grating, etc. I should have gotten this a long time ago.

I knew this was a cheaper version of 'The Rabbit', but I still expected it to last a bit longer than it did. After about 25 uses, the corkscrew no longer works, although I sitll have a fantastic bottle stopper and drip ring. This product is not recommended.

I was extremely excited when I originally ordered this item, as I have had great luck with this type of opener in the past. In addition, the extras in the package make this an attractive item. However, even though the gears of the the corkscrew are made of metal, the handles and body seem to be made of a cheap, flexible plastic. The solid feel of the Rabbit is missing in this model. In addition, about one of every 5 corks is not removed properly. The bottle stopper and drip ring are nice, but the foil remover is the worst I have ever used. Do yourself a favor and spend a little more money on a better quality opener...

just as a forewarning, the red ones have faulty coloring (the handle was a different shade of red than the head of the rabbit...it was very noticable but had no time to exchange them). i purchased four black and two red houdini sets, as for the red ones..my advice is that if you are hell bent on getting them, stick with the black. the reason why i was a bit disappointed was that many of the parts were plastic, including the handles, and made it seem rather cheap. design-wise, it works okay, but you should also read the reviews in the other variations...i agree that the it becomes a bit squeaky and not quite as effective. i would only purchase it again if it was very very cheap on sale, which it was when i bought them.

I tested The Perfect Sommelier with friends and at first we thought this gadget actually worked. After testing it some more, we realized that what "worked" was leaving a wine bottle open during 30 minutes before drinking it. After researching this further on the net, we found out that there is a natural process called oxydation which works on wines and makes them age super fast once you open the bottle. Regarding the Perfect Sommelier, we could NOT witness any improvements with its use. So, my advice would be to air out your bottles of wine before drinking them and to save yourself some money on this one.

I received this as a gift for Christmas from a friend of mine who LOOOOVVVVEEEESSS Wine. I was very disappointed to receive this as my gift!!! BUT, OH MY GOODNESS, IT IS BETTER THAN DIAMONDS. Believe it or not, this thing reallllly works. It's so simple--open the bottle, put it on the base and put the top in the bottle--wait 30 minutes and BINGO. It's like magic. I'm telling you from a person who is the most skeptical women in the world--get this little hidden gem and you'll see what I mean.

I just got my Sommelier and I didn't really think it could work, but since Amazon has a great return policy, I tried it.
WOW after 30 minutes it was like a totally different wine. I tried the sommelier on a 1998 BV Cabernet Reserve which normally is pretty good, but after I opened the wine and set it on the base and put the top on it for 30 minutes WOW, it was Fruitier on the tongue, it had a nose that just came flowing out of the glass and the finish was oh so smooth. I thought my wife had poured me a glass of Merlot, right out of the CAB bottle.
Thumbs up on this product you have a winner!!!!!!!!!!

Just wondering if anyone's done a double-blind test to see if drinkers can tell the difference between the sommeliered wine and non-sommeliered wine. I have my doubts. File this with your magnetic insoles, your Q-ray bracelets and your Monster cable.

Your product continues to mystify the wine lovers of the world.
It really works and everyone I have used it with is amazed
with the results. It turned "Two Buck Chuck" into at least the
equivelent of a $20-$30 bottle of Cabernet. In a wordd WOW. Now if I could only figure out how it does it??? 'Till then I'll
keep enjoylng the results of using The Perfect Sommelier.

The Perfect Sommelier is aptly named, it does what the name implies...outstanding wine. Tried it on a relatively light red "La Crema" Pinot Noir.
A truly signifcant wine that I have been drinking almost exclusively for many years. I tested as the instructions called
for and could not believe the difference in a good wine. The
nose, bouquet was more apparent, wine opened with more fruit,
was smoother, less aggressive and what a finish!
Could not believe the result until I repeated this tasting a
number of times. At a home gathering I blew away several
of my colleagues who are prominent physicists and a Ph.D.in chemistry, they were all amazed at the reults that we severly dented my wine cellar with repeated tastings. It WORKS!

Just last week this cost 29.99, what a terrible value for this. I am disappointed in the increase to 40 bucks.

As a resident of Napa, Ca I am happy to see this product. It not only makes my personal environment more pleaseing but it supports the transistion that many FINE wine makers outside of this country are making. Although box wine, in the past, has been associated with cheaper wines many good wines in other countries are being distributed in boxes for a variety of reasons; I think the environment is the best one. When wine drinkers in the US catch on to this there will be a greater need for this product, hopefully in many decor styles.

I ordered this as a gift for a true wine in the box lover. He has since told me that not only does it add a little class to the box, it also helps keep the wine chilled when left out on the counter or table for serving, after pre chilling in the fridge.