Appliance Reviews

I had a twelve year old hand blender from another company that just broke one of my favorite blades. The company is no longer around so I just couldn't buy a new blade for it. I waited a month to see if I could do without having one and found I could not. I was tired of putting my soups and spinach in my big blender (which did not do the best job) and cleaning up all the mess afterwards.

I also needed a new coffee pot so while I was online at Amazon.com looking at the Braun coffee pots, I looked at the Braun MR5550 MBC-HC and read the reviews. According to the reviews, this was Braun's best out of two hand blenders they carried.

I mostly use it to puree soups, cream spinach and to mix sauces and gravies. It's so much easier to just put the hand blender right in the pot and use it then to try to put everything in a traditional blender. Clean up is a lot easier too.

The motor is very powerful too. One day I used the wrong frozen spinach which had about 25% stems in it. The hand blender creamed the spinach and the stems to a perfect consistency in about one minute.

I have not had the chance to use the other attachments with it, but even without all the attachments, the blender by itself is worth the money.

I hope this review helps you!

Flo

At a friend's suggestion I recently bought the Braun Multiquick Professional Hand Blender. I wasn't sure about spending so much on a piece of kitchen equipment I had always lived without... but I finally decided to take the leap of faith. I couldn't be happier with the product! It's easy to use and easy to clean. It makes fantastic creamed soups. Because of the metal blending shaft, you can use this hand blender right in the pot of whatever you're cooking (thus saving you from the chore of cleaning another container!). I recently made a very inexpensive and delicious soup with onions, zucchini, eggplant, water, Thai curry paste and a can of coconut milk. I blended it with my hand blender and created a very rich-tasting, filling soup for pennies! Now that Autumn has arrived, I'm looking forward to making pumpkin soup with my hand blender! If you're considering the purchase, just go for it! I don't think you will be disappointed.

I know that it's not usually a good idea to buy appliances as gifts, but my wife had seen a lesser model and commented on how helpful it would be, so I ordered a Braun MR5550MBC-HC for her as a Christmas gift. It's turned out to be the gift she enjoys the most! For most kitchen chores it has replaced the cabinet full of hand mixer, mixer, food processor and chopper. Chores like finely shredding cheese were never easier, and as the family cheese shredder this is something I appreciate.

Making it even better has been Braun's customer service. When we opened the box on Christamas, we found that the large container was badly broken where the handle joined it. I e-mailed Amazon to see what to do about a replacement. I quickly got a response saying to contact the manufacturer, a response I usually dread as it means long hours on the phone and a big run-around. However, one short call to Braun later, where I immediately spoke with a real person, and we had a brand new container on our doorstep in less than a week at no cost to us. What a pleasant surprise! And this was just after Christmas when many manufacturers are to busy to even respond. Most manufacturers could learn from this experience.

Let me start by saying that I am pleased with this rice cooker. We purchased this thinking it would cook rice much faster than other methods. Technically, the machine does cook the rice in less than 20 minutes - HOWEVER - the machine takes about 30 minutes to warm up before it starts cooking the rice. So, total time is around 45-50 minutes. We are pleased with the quality of the rice. It turns out consistently good rice. Be advised, the scoop that comes with this is marked at 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 measurements. We logically thought that these measurements referred to a cup. However, if you check you will see that the measurements are smaller than a cup. We had to experiment with the water to rice ratio, but now that we have that down, the rice turns out great. It also keeps the rice warm for a long time, which is nice. Overall, I would recommend this machine to people who are serious rice eaters.

I recently purchased this rice cooker and couldn't be more impressed. I'd formerly used a cheap (under $20) rice cooker and had been less than thrilled with the amount of time and effort needed to create rice that only turned out so-so. Unhappy, I reverted to my handy microwave rice cooker which didn't produce perfect rice but was at least fast and easy to use. I resisted getting another electric rice cooker for years until finally a friend persuaded me that the Zojirushi "fuzzy logic" model was different.

Not only does this machine make absolutely perfect rice every time but it's incredibly easy to use, clean up and store. The bowl is removable and dishwasher safe for easy clean up. You can program the machine to cook rice and have it ready for you at dinner time. It will even turn itself off automatically and go to the "keep warm" feature if you accidentally leave your rice in too long. It makes every kind of rice from plain white steamed, to Thai sticky or old fashioned wild rice and, like I said before, I've yet to have a batch that wasn't light, fluffy and restaurant perfect!

And, best of all for those of us with crowded kitchens, storage is a cinch. The machine is VERY lightweight and even has a handle so that it can be put away easily (no valuable counter space wasted) when not in use. Another handy stoarage feature is a cord spool (like on old vacuum cleaners) that keeps the plug tucked away tightly (under the machine) when not in use. You'll wish every appliance you owned was so well designed!

Since getting this cooker, I've suddenly been preparing rice over potatoes at meal after meal. Yes, this machine is expensive (shop around though, you can find it for a bit less elsewhere), but it's worth every penny!

If you look around you can find this great product at steep discounts. The 10 cup cooker is a time saver because one or two day old rice tastes just fine. My big surprise was how much I enjoy eating steel cut oatmeal. Much different then the quick Quaker oats. I followed one reviewer's suggestion and tried Stensels rice out of Louisana. The white popcorn rice is delightful. You can set the unit up to make your oatmeal the night before. The oatmeal will boil over [through the top vent] unless stirred during cooking, but it is easy to clean up. You will eat healthier food with this appliance.

Before I bought this product, my biggest concern was wasting a big chunk of the fruits when juicing.
This product did a very good job of taking most juice out of the fruit.

This is my first juicer, bought based on recommendations here. I love it! It's so powerful, I cranked through well over a gallon of juice (freezing it in 16 oz water bottles). It's so easy to clean up. I'm thrilled with it. I had never tasted simple carrot juice before, what a treat. Everyone at work is turning up their nose at my tomato/green pepper/celery/lime juice--that's ok, it's my secret just how good it is, and good for me.

This is my first juicer so I have nothing to compare it to, however, I can tell you that this machine is very powerful and very easy to clean. These are two points that make this an easy choice for anyone thinking about a juicer. I know myself pretty well at this point and if this machine was difficult to operate or to clean, it would be swiftly retired to the "Island of misfit gadgets" in the back of the hall closet. Thankfully, the machine has proved worthy of a permanent place on the counter, much to my wife's displeasure.

The machine performs the grinding and separating tasks very well so the resulting juice is free from seeds and other unwanted matter while still containing lots of healthy delicious pulp. I'm very pleased.... fruits and vegi's taste terrific juiced. I'm having fun experimenting with different combinations of ingredients.

One suggestion though is to buy the fruit ahead of time. It's hardly ever ripe when you buy it and I can tell you that your success (defined by great flavor) is heavily dependent on the fruit being ripe and sweet. Organically grown fruits are a plus if you can find them...no pesticides. There are some tricks to extracting the most juice from your ingredients in the instructions. Oh yeh, the juicing process results in a fair amount of the ingredients ending up in the waste bin. This is a normal part of the process so don't be too surprised by the amount. There are recipes for using this left over stuff, although I haven't tried any yet.

Now for the best part......the fresh juice I make in the morning, sometimes vegetable and sometimes fruit, is so satisfying that I have it for/as breakfast. It satisfies me until lunch, and surprise, surprise, I'm loosing a few pounds, slowly but steadily. A great bonus!

For those of us who love to cook much of our pleasure is experienced in the preparation - whipping egg whites to a perfect frothy peak, cutting cookies into imaginative shapes or slicing cleanly, quickly and neatly the ingredients for casserole or soup.

This Japanese inspired Santuko knife by Wusthof has certainly added to my joy in the kitchen. It's the perfect implement for slicing, dicing or chopping. Alternating indentations prevent food from sticking to the blade, while its heft and balance are perfection.

A razor sharp blade allows me to slice as thinly as I wish, whether it be for carpaccio or the prosciuto we so enjoy. It's ideal for the cheese and ham in panini, and makes quick work of onions and celery for a family recipe for vegetable soup.
Of course, an added bonus is the Wusthof name, which we have learned means quality.

I do recommend that you hand wash it, just as you would a fine piece of silver. Believe me, this knife is sterling in every way.

- Gail Cooke

Forgive the LOTR reference, but this knife really makes most others obsolete.

You've probably already read the great reviews from noted reviewers, but I think there's an important point to mention. Most people end up buying a large block of quality knives b/c they feel it offers the best value. In actuality, most of the set goes unused and they simply stick with a Chef's knife.

This particular knife offers a more convenient shape and style than traditional Chef's knives. It feels more "ergonomic" when slicing, chopping, etc. It is also sharp enough to easily slice meats. The hollow edge doesn't seem to prevent sticking with vegetables (zucchini), but I haven't directly compared this with a non-hollow edge. For those who are looking for a great, all-around knife I really don't see much competition for this product. Big blocks of knives are nice for show, but for the practical-minded this knife makes the most sense.

This knife is fantastic. Makes the boring job of chopping a whole lot easier. One thing to be careful of though, when things stick to the sides of the knife, it is best not to use your finger to slide them off, it will get ya. Otherwise, I highly recommend it. It is worth every penny!

I gotta be honest, I bought this as a Mother's Day gift for my wife. She's probably thinking it's the greatest gift she's ever gotten because now I'm constantly asking her if she wants me to whip her up a batch of waffles! It stores easily and clean-up has not been an issue. There is a small rim to catch overfilling accidents and so far it's kept the spills to a minimum. Learning curve is very gentle. The "Waffle Tone" actually does a very nice job of telling you when it's done. The waffles themselves are very good and I was extremely pleased with how evenly it cooks both sides. You cannot tell the top from the bottom. One recommendation is to go easy on the spray/oil/grease. The non-stick surface works very well so too much additive causes the waffle to not brown/cook quite as evenly. Very little practice required to get it right.

Instruction book has a few recipes which are pretty good. Standard pancake mixes have a waffle option on them that works really well and takes half the time to prepare (just add egg and oil to the regular mix). I added a little vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar and..........well, I'm getting hungry again.

Very good choice.
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It's been absolutely amazing to me how every waffle I make with this waffle maker comes out perfect! I've had mine about 6 months now & maybe 100 waffles now have been produced with this magic machine! It beeps to let you know when ready to pour your batter, beeps when the waffle is ready & each and every time I open it I have an amazing perfect waffle waiting!

I found the recipe in the booklet to make too "egg-y" of a belgium waffle so I modified the recipe some & here's how I make my waffle batter the way I like it (the person who reported the bad review I see for this item probably had a batter mixture failure).

Here ya go (for 2 waffles): * 2 eggs separated * 2 cups flour * 1 cup milk * 1/2 teaspoon baking powder * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine * 1 teaspoon sugar * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1) Melt butter on low in microwave & set aside to cool a few minutes. 2) Separate your eggs. Whip the egg whites with wisk until a little fluffy. If you use EggBeaters (which are just egg whites anyway, you can use 2 tablespoons whipped & 2 tablespoons unwhipped). 3) Using a wooden spoon, mix all ingredients together except for egg whites & butter. 4) Fold in the whipped egg whites. 5) Pour in the melted butter (make sure cooled to a cloudy appearance & not clear or could cook your eggs in the batter). 6) Mix again & then if too thick, add additional milk until pourable consistency. 7) Use Pam Canola spray on waffle surfaces before pouring in the waffle maker. 8) Fully fill the waffle pan bottom (don't be sparing). 9) Voila, after your next beep & the green light after a few minutes, you should have a perfect waffle. Just lift out with a fork. Nothing should stick on the waffler except a little left over canola oil.

Serve with fresh strawberries, sliced, sugared (mixed with a little water) or with blueberries if you prefer. Always use 100% Canadian (not Vermont) Maple syrup.

Also, easy to clean & perfect for the micro-kitchen since it stands up on its side for storage. Since it looks so nice, chrome & all, mine stays out on display on my counter in my retro art deco styled & tiny kitchen.

Yummy! I've gained a few pounds because of this kitchen appliance. Good luck!

This waffler makes perfect belgians every time and I don't think I can live without it.

Let me get two small complaints out of the way. The dial has numbers from 1-6 on 1/4 of the dial, but the dial turns entirely, so it is a little confusing. Just make sure you line it up with one of the numbers. Secondly, it has a loud beep that dies off at the end. It sounds very odd and I don't know if it is defective, or if that is the intended "waffle tone". But despite these complaints, I highly recommend this model.

Once hot, on setting 4 it takes about 2-3 minutes to cook each waffle. And it doesn't take long to get hot.

A few tips:
* Buy Krusteas Belgian waffle mix
* Buy one of those plastic handled scrub brushes for two dollars at walmart and give it a quick brush after using it. I find that using it dry cleans it up nicely and gets in the crevices. It also gets rid of some of the old brown oil that can build.
* Definitely use pam or some spray. You don't necessarily need to put it on before every single waffle, but definitely before the first one. I forgot to do this one time and i had to chisel the pieces out.
* Strawberries and whipped cream. The frozen stawberries are good enough. Pecans and syrup. Blueberries... Endless possibilities.
* Try adding chocolate chips right on top of the batter after you pour it on the iron.

Use it for dinner and invite some friends, they won't be disappointed!

This food processor will give you the best pie dough money can buy. It sturdy and not too loud and also very handy to pulverize, puree, shred or slice anything you want. (And it's red!!) You can even make your own grated parmesan in there by just dumping blocks of cheese in the bowl fitted with the blade -no more tasteless sawdust from the supermarket! Cleanup is easy too, although I recommend not to put the bowl and lid in the dishwasher as the insane heat in there tends to produce cracks in that type of plastic. The only drawback is the absence of a good storage system for the attachments -there is a box, but it's pretty bulky...

Having the Kitchen aid mixer, I without hesitation, when I needed a new food processor invested in the Kitchen aid food processor.

BASIC MECHANICS:

NOT MADE FOR MOVING AROUND:
When you get this machine, the first thing that strikes you is the sturdiness and weight. Ideally, you want to leave this machine on your counter, because if you have to move it around a lot, you are going to hate it.

SOLID AND STURDY:
The base is heavy, which is really handy when running. It is not going to slip away on you. I had an old mixer that destroyed itself once by rocketing off the counter when I let go for a minute.

The controls are simple. Three buttons under a mylar cover. This makes clean up a breeze. A quick wipe with a damp dish rag or sponge on any spills and you are good to go. No sharp edges or button holes to capture batter or food spills.

Most units come with the base, a large bowl bottom, and a small bowl bottom, the top, the plunger, two blades (one metal for cutting, one plastic dough one) and 3 discs. Also you are given a spacer for the discs, the attachment garage and a spatula.

Unlike one of the reviews that critiqued the way things fit together, the unit I received was well fit together and had a good quality feel to it. The parts slipped tightly together without trouble. Mind you I have not put any of these in the dishwasher yet.

DESIGN CONCERNS:
Two criticisms were immediate on my part.

SMALL BOWL USE NEEDS TO BE WITHIN LARGE BOWL:
This to me is not handy. What if you used the large bowl first and then planned on using the small bowl. You would have to either clean the large bowl or have it dirty and possibly effect the use of the small bowl. Also they have a common cover, so this would have to be cleaned between uses. This to me is not handy. I think they should be able to be used separately and should have different covers.

STORAGE CASE SHOULD BE SMALLER OR ABLE TO HOLD ADDITIONAL DISCS:
The storage container for the discs is huge. It seems about twice the size it should be. Ironically, it also has no room for additional discs or blades. This should be redesigned to be more efficient, either one way or another.

COMPARISON TO PREVIOUSLY OWNED FOOD PROCESSORS:
Though I have not extensively used this product, since I bought it, it has performed well for me in what it has done. My previous machines were a Norelco La Machine and a Sunbeam Oscar food processor, I felt the larger capacity and power of the Kitchen aide food processor was very welcome.

The Norelco La Machine had the large bottom bowl cracked when chopping hard cheese. The Kitchen aide was a replacement to this machine. It's bowl seems sturdier, but I'm not sure it would not suffer the same fate, if using the blade to chop hard cheese. I think the shredder attachment however, would keep me from attempting this.

The Oscar food processor is much smaller. When shredding lettuce, it shoots it out the side into a bowl. This is a more messy process than the nice neat way the larger Kitchen aide handles it using a disc and self containing it. It also did a finer and better job. However, given that the small quanities need the small bowl used within the large bowl in the Kitchen aid, I will keep my Oscar processor to do these.

USAGE TO DATE AS A REFERENCE:
I have used this machine to chop artichoke hearts for pasta salad, have shredded lettuce and chopped onions also. It worked exceptionally well for this. I was amazed at how fine it could shred the lettuce. Also the artichoke hearts with their uneven toughnesses did really well and did not slip past the blade as they have on my other machines.

I have only used the large bowl, as the small bowl in the comments above did not seem practical to use.

In general I have never made bread in a food processor (I have a bread machine), so can't speak to that.

Also there are some discs I haven't yet used.

This is very light use, that will change with time, now that the machine is on my counter. In the past I did not use my other machines as much because they had to be dragged out of the cupboard.

I hope this review helps you will your purchase decision. I'm very happy with my machine, so I wanted to take a moment to let you know its pluses and minuses.

I bought this food processor to replace an old-style Cuisinart from the early 1970s (whose motor still works but the plastic has become brittle). My hope was to find a product that will be equally long-lived and hardy. So far, so good. The KitchenAid is stylish, to be sure. It's attractive and looks great just sitting on the counter. It's also powerful: I've chopped and mixed all kinds of things in it, from hard cheese to pie crust dough, and have not yet encountered a problem. It comes with a large bowl and a small bowl for quick, small jobs like chopping garlic, etc., for which you wouldn't want to dirty the larger bowl. Great feature! The product is overall easy to clean, so long as you are mindful not to add any food until after inserting the blades or slicer wheels. Here are the negatives I've noticed so far: 1. The plastic bowl and presser seem somehow a bit too flexible especially compared to the aforementioned Cuisinart. Nothing has broken yet, but I'll be curious to see how long before something does. 2. While the product comes with a totally sufficient array of blades and slicers, they throw in the weirdest, most useless spatula I've ever seen. Not sure why they bother. 3. I also wish the blades and slicers came with a wall- or cupboard-suspensible storage unit; they come in a nice clear-plastic box--but it turns out that this is not the most efficient way to store the other blades and slicers for quick access. Overall, however, I am very pleased with this product and recommend it whole-heartedly to anyone. Although a bit steep in price compared to many other food processors, I feel that the price fairly well reflects the value of the product. Amazon's price is a bit lower than in my local department store, in any case. This is a suitable food processor for beginning and amateur chefs, but even pseudo-professional and professional chefs will find it adequate for almost all applications.

My father is the most discerning food gourmet. Not only did he attend culinary school, but he also is a phd in chemistry, so he knows his stuff. When we learned that he paid the six bills for this machine, we thought he was insane. Then we tasted the ice cream. Put simply, this machine will make the best ice cream you will ever eat in your life, period. It will humble store bought ice cream or the expensive kind in all those specialty boutiques, and make Ben and Jerry eat their shorts. Everyone in my family proceeded to gain twenty pounds soon after his purchase. Frankly, the ice cream is [wonderful]. The machine itself is top quality, everything stainless steel and bulletproof. If you are ready to step up to the ultimate in ice cream, this is it . . .

One word describes this machine -- WOW.

PROS
1. Fast. First thing I did with the Musso was pour in a can of warm soda, turn it on, and enjoy a slurpee like drink within 40 minutes! Probably could shave ten minutes off with a chilled can, but the UPS delivery-person had just dropped it off.
2. It is so easy to use, the first three batches of ice-cream I made with this machine was devoured at a party, despite everybody claiming to be "stuffed."
3. Clean-up? Bowl of warm water and a cloth. The blade comes off to be cleaned separately. (If you screw the nut on too tight, it's hard to get the blade off afterwards. I don't know if trapped moisture freezes it on, I just know that it can be tough to unscrew.)

CONS
1. Noise? For something that packs its own refrigeration unit and motor, I wouldn't complain.
2. Calories? Whipping cream, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and egg yolks are not good for the waistline or arteries.
3. Price? Yes it's expensive, though cheaper now than before. But I no longer have to go out and buy high quality ice-cream or Slurpees. That's money saved in the long run.

My only complaint is that the bowl seems relatively small for a 35 lb machine. However, since it "only" makes a quart in 30 minutes, I'll keep my mouth shut.

I have to admit that when we bought this ice cream maker, I was a bit skeptical and turned off by what I read here about the machine being big, heavy, and hard to clean. So I decided to wait and think it over. Then it came up on my GOLD BOX offers at about twenty percent off the current price. I couldn't ignore that savings so we bought it. Now it's been a couple weeks since we got it... and I am here to confirm the possitives and negatives about the Lussino Dessert Maker.
1) Yes, it's big! About 1.5 ft X 1 ft X 1 ft.
2) Yes, it's heavy. About 38 pounds.
3) Is it hard to clean? It is if you are extremely lazy and a big sponge and hot water is too low tech for you to use. Just remember that before you clean it, you should remove the metal stirring paddle (very easy), and use 1/2 cup of HOT water with a sponge (very easy) when cleaning... then dry with a dry towel or paper towel (it's a beautiful piece of stainless steel!).
4) Noise... as ice cream makers go, it is not that noisy, but if you are not use to it, it can be a nuisance. It is not as loud as a blender or mixer on high, but louder than a juicer.
5) Now... that we cleared those hurdles, the only real turn off is the price. Yes, it is pricy... but you get what you pay for. It's a solid machine. The built in compressor for the freezing unit is the main reason why it is heavy and more pricy. If you like to make ice cream on a whim, then this is the only way to go. But watch your waist line, it could be dangers to your diet... so stick with low fat recipes if you are health conscious (but treat yourself once in a while).

So far we've made just over 5 batches of ice cream since we got it. Overall, I am very pleased with our ice cream maker. It's made my girlfriend very happy to say the least. Experiment and play around with some of the recipes that they provide, or you may find on the web or in a recipe book... and one more piece of advice, limit the amount of ice cream your girlfriend makes with it to about 1 every week or two. ;)

We are looking forward to many more happy returns from our invenstment in our Lussino Dessert Maker.

This is possibly the best kitchen item I have ever purchased. I am now making cakes, cookies and so many more things just because it's FUN! And so much simpler and quicker. The item arrived in absolutely perfect condition - though some other reviewers mentioned having problems with the reconditioned model, I have never had this experience ordering ANY reconditioned product from Amazon(.com). Amazon(.com) is the only place I buy my kitchen items - I have never been disappointed, and they have always exceeded my expectations.

Every serious cook/baker should own a KitchenAid stand mixer - their reputation goes without saying. I have always wanted one of these, and thanks to Amazon (.com) and their amazing prices I finally went for it. Having recently been diagnosed with carpal tunnel (these days I'm not sure who doesn't have it), this mixer is making my life a lot easier and my time in the kitchen even more enjoyable. Do not hesitate to buy this product! It comes with everything you need (whisk, dough hook, beater and instruction book which contains quite a number of excellent recipes) except the pouring shield - after using this mixer, I'm not sure I need a pouring shield, so right now I'm perfectly happy without it. Give yourself an early Christmas present and get this mixer!

I just received one of these mixers as a gift, along with an extra mixing bowl and an accessory pack, and couldn't be happier. It comes in a plain white box labeled "Refurbished," but once you open the box and take out the mixer you can't tell it from a brand new mixer that cost a lot more! No scratches ware marks, or blemishes, it looks brand new! I have been putting my new mixer though a gambit of mixing chores and it works wonderfully. At this price I would recommend getting some attachments and extras it makes the mixer a much more versatile machine.

A must-have for all serious (and mildly serious) bakers. Not as useful as I thought it would be for other things, but I use it for all my baking needs: from pizza dough & muffins to zuchini bread & pumpkin pie (of course I have the slicer/shredder attachment). The initial price is formidable, but it is endlessly useful.

I bought the George Foreman for its lean cooking quality. It is the best thing! Not only can I grill chicken, but I found myself grilling veggies I would not eat before such as asparagus and eggplant. It's also great for all sorts of seafood; I now have catfish at least once a week without frying it. The extra large description of it is not very accurate. If I am cooking for two people, I usually do the veggies first and then grill the fish or meat since it does not all fit at once. Next time I will probably get a bigger one.

I am a thirtysomething woman with the cooking skills of a teenage boy, and the GF Grill was "prescribed" to me by some friends and family who sympathized with my ongoing struggles...and I must say that it has proved to be excellent "treatment plan!" I LOVE IT! I have grilled chicken breasts to mind-blowing juicy perfection, portabella mushrooms, turkey, tofu dogs, and many assorted vegetables -- even such tricky ones as okra -- on this grill. I've found no need to thaw anything or use cooking spray. I admit that I haven't even read the directions that came with it. And it really did clean up beautifully with nothing but wet paper towels. I recommend the "family" size even if you live alone, so that you can grill your entree and side items all at once. This delightful thing now has a permanent home on the counter, and my take-out bills and waistline are sure to improve dramatically. Warmly recommended to all...and remember, friends don't let friends eat fast food!

I am seriously cooking challenged, perhaps the biggest moron from any kitchen in North America. In my early 40's, I can barely boil water and have never made a hot meal for myself. I rely on fast food and my dinner generally consisted of Cheerios (literally). Everyone at work have urged me for over a year to get the George Foreman grill. I warily watched George's infomercials and grudgingly resisted taking the plunge to buy this grill. I thought there was no way it could possibly be as easy as Foreman made it seem. Boy, was I wrong.

I have had this grill for over a year and can honestly attest this is the best fifty bucks I have ever plucked down. Already I have made hamburgers in a jiffy, grilled salmon, shrimp and boneless chicken breasts. This may seem like nothing to you, but for someone who regarded Shredded Wheat as a gourmet meal, this grill has put a huge smile on my face, not to mention my husband, who is dancing a jig whenever the cooking aroma wafts his way.

Using the grill really is as easy as the infomercials claim. Grab your hamburger patties, sprinkle on some seasoning, pluck them down on the grill, close the lid and six minutes later you have a perfectly cooked burger. I was in ecstasy the first time I tasted one of my creations. No longer am I the most cooking challenged human being on the planet, I am giving Julia Childs a run for her money. God bless George Foreman, this product is fantastic. If you're a novice cook or a pro, you can't go wrong with this product.

I have had this processor for a little less than 10 years (bought it when heading off to college) and it has lasted without problem. It is a great small processor- perfect for small kitchens. I'm now getting an 11 cup model for larger jobs, but will save this old standby for the smaller jobs. I would definately buy this one again. Way to go Cuisinart!!

When I cook, I generally prepare 3 or 4 meals worth of whatever recipe I'm using. I find the Little Pro's capacity more than adequate for those kinds of amounts. Enough Salmon and bread crumbs for 8 croquettes, enough potatoes for a dozen or so potato pancakes, and so on. Chopping three or four onions is no problem and saves time and tears.

Clean up is a non-issue. Everything but the base goes straight into the dishwasher.

I use the juicing attachment when I need to squeeze more than one lemon or orange, but I do agree with the reviewer who expressed concern over the safety of this attachment. I've never injured myself with it, but its easy to see how you could and I'm VERY careful when I use it. With all of its other functions, moving parts are completely enclosed and perfectly safe.

It is well-constructed and durable. I can't even remember when I bought mine. Suffice it to say that it was more than ten years ago. I have never had a problem of any kind with it in all that time.

I have limited counter space in my kitchen, but I leave the Little Pro on the counter all the time because it has a very small "footprint" and is not in the way when not in use. There's no way I could do that with it's larger full-size cousins.

If you don't cook for a large crowd and want a useful chopping/shredding/blending tool that you can leave on the counter where you can get at it when you need it, this is a good choice.

The Little Pro Plus has been my only food processor for 8 years. It is powerful, versatile and small. If it ever dies on me I will replace it with another just like it!