Appliance Reviews

I love this waffle maker! I had a 15-year old Belgian waffle maker by Toastmaster that recently quit on me, so I was thrilled when I found that Toastmaster still makes this waffle maker after a lot of searching. It's just like the old version that makes crisp, deep pocketed waffles better than any other waffle maker I have tried.

I like the way it brews coffee quickly and not loud. The top of the coffee pot has water holes so that you don't have to take it off to fill.

This is a great juicer. It has a strong motor with little vibration.Easy to use can juice fruits(apples,grapes,etc) and vegetables. One of the nice features is easy clean up, a small brush will help expidite all pulp clean up.Juicer assembly very easy to set up and tear down. A well made machine with all the health benefits of a good juicer.

I love this thing! I have friends who've had KitchenAid mixers for years and they've always raved about their quality and durability. Well, I finally went for it and I have absolutely no regrets. You want to talk about a solid piece of kitchen machinery? This is the epitome of what "Made in America" used to mean! Unlike all the cheapo mixers out there, I'm completely confident that this thing will even outlast ME! The only problem is now I'm wondering why I waited so long!

-----> This may help some of you - I read a review somewhere in which the reviewer gave this mixer a poor rating because it left dry ingredients in the bottom of the bowl - read the instruction booklet, people. It clearly states that if this occurs (or if the attachments scrape the bowl), there is an adjustment screw that raises or lowers the mixing assembly. I had to slightly lower mine and it now incorporates everything into the mix. The KitchenAid mixers are well worth the money....or you can keep buying junk mixers every couple years...the choice is yours.

I got this mixer for Christmas last year, and I absolutely love it!

The first thing that's great about it is how stylish it is, and how great it looks on my counter. Everyone who comes to my apartment always comments on how beautiful it is, and I've found myself buying other kitchen gadgets to match it.

The second thing that's really great is how solid, heavy, and well made this thing is. It sits firmly on the counter and tears through most things I've mixed in it easily. It does tend to "walk" around a bit when kneading bread dough, but that just requires keeping an eye on it. Even the bowl, paddle, whisk and dough hook are heavy and solid. I was also impressed with the KitchenAid warranty and reputation.

Now, the really important thing - the exceptionally great job this thing does mixing. So far I've used it to make many batches of cookies, and loaves of bread (it's got the capacity for two sandwich sized loaves at a time - any more than that and I think it would splash flour around), twice backed potatoes, and muffins, and I've used the whisk to make meringue and angel food cake. I've used it for just about everything I bake, and not only does it do a better job than either hand stirring, a hand beater, or my old stand mixer, it's faster and easier to boot. I think where this baby really shines is the bread. The powerful motor can handle kneading the sticky bread dough for 8 minutes at a time, and the dough comes out perfect. One thing I especially like is the fact that Rose Levy Berenbaum's "The Bread Bible" gives mixing times and speed setting for KitchenAid mixers specifically. That book was probably the deciding factor in my desire for this mixer.

If I could give this mixer 10/5 stars, I would. It really is an outstanding peice of kitchen hardware.

I inherited my Kitchen Aid mixer from my parents, and it's still going strong after living almost as long as I have (only 30 years, which for people isn't much, but for an appliance is a lifetime). Between my mother, father, and I, I think we've made thousands of cakes, pastas, cookies, sausages, souffles and other wonderful things and this mixer shows absolutely no signs of giving up. It has 5 speeds, is plenty powerful for mixing even the biggest batch of tough dough, and comes with attachments that let you grind meat, make pasta, and a whole slew of other things. It even has a splash guard for big batches, so you can keep your kitchen clean.

Compared to hand mixers or almost any other brand of mixer, the Kitchen Aid is superior. You can feel the quality in every part, from the heft of the mixer itself, to the fabulous joint that connects the top to the bottom stand, to the switch that turns it on and off: everything about it is made with care and attention to detail.

Even if all you do is make cookies, it's worth it to get this mixer. It cleans up easily, and is a cinch to use. You'll pass it on to your kids. I know I will.

This was an impulse buy - after reading all of the positive reviews here I decided to give it a try. When it arrived I was surprised at how small the bread pan was and was considering sending it back. But then I did 2 things - I looked at other larger breadmakers and realized they take anywhere from 3-5 hours to make a loaf of bread (this one takes 45 minutes total, including the knead cycle) and I made a loaf of bread and discovered it actually can serve 2-4 people with a total of around 6 decent size slices. My first loaf came out a little small and dense so I read the troubleshooting guide and decided it was too little water, so next time during the mix cycle i knew what the dough looked like when it was too dry, added 1 tablespoon of water and the bread came out perfect. This breadmaker doesnt have a timer feature but since it is done in 45 minutes, you dont need one! Other things I like: prep is easy - about 5 minutes (basic bread requires bread flour, salt, sugar, milk or water, butter or oil and yeast), the pan is non stick and very easy to clean and since the loaf is not big you don't end up pigging out on bread. My only 2 very minor complaints: the bread gets cooked around the kneading blade and can get stuck to the bread making it a little hard to remove the bread from the pan and if you lose power, accidentally unplug it or shut it off during the rise or bake cycle the bread machine has no memory so it starts over from the knead cycle (the book does tell you how to finish baking in a regular oven though and this shouldnt happen too often). Overall, I'm very satisfied.

I bought this breadmachine from Amazon last October. Since then, it has already baked about 75 breads and used 6.5 bags of 5-lb all purpose flours for me. I decided to write a review after I really tried this machine long enough. That's why I wrote this review now.

Usually I put brown sugar, olive oil, sesame seeds, wheat germs, raisins, hot-cocoa powder with all-purpose flour. Without a measuring cup, I never measured the ingredients precisely. So, sometimes the loaf will turn out to be huge. But unless I put too much water, otherwise, most breads turned out pretty reasonably tasted. If I used too much water, the center of the baked loaf will remain sticky (just like dough).

Recently, I also discovered a way to guarantee making perfect loaves. It is simple. During the first 3 minutes of the 10 minutes' kneading time, I open the cover and use a spatula to help the kneading bar to knead the dough really hard. My conlusion is, the success in mixing the ingredients throughly with as little water as possible is the key to a successful bread.

Pros: small size breadmachine, only 45 minutes to make a bread, easy to operate, bread size is ideal for my lunch, extremely easy to clean the kneading bowl, printed manual is very helpful, mechanism seems very reliable, fresh breads made within two hours have very tasty brownish outer crust.

Cons: the signaling beep is too loud for me, only two differnt bread settings so I cannot extend kneading time, cannot pause after I start to make bread, no time display of how long it has been started, the kneading bowl is not high enough so sometimes ingredients will overflow out of the bowl when I put too much ingredients.

Also, I am glad that I bought bulk quick-rise yeast from King Arthur's flour online. It makes the basic cost of making a bread less than USD 10 cents (flour + yeast).

Anyway, in conclusion, I like this breadmachine very much...
And, thank you Amazon for the great deal and great selections.

I know it shouldn't, but I am still surprised when a product performs better than I expect. We ordered this little bread machine when our old Hitachi started making bricks instead of bread. We looked at several models and of course read the reviews on them. We liked the idea of a smaller loaf and the short (45 min) cycle time, so we decided to give this machine a try. Yep, it's a little loaf, but it's perfect every time and in the time advertised. It will make 3-4 sandwich's, or enough toast for two or three. It took a day or so to get use to the small size of the bread but now that we have used it for a couple days we can't imagine going back to a full size machine.
We have been using the basic bread recipe that came with the machine and it has come out perfect everytime. The manual is very good and the directions are simple and easy to understand. We were eating the first loaf of bread within an hour and a half of opening the package. We made two more loaves that evening for lunch's the next day. Now we are getting in the habit of fresh hot bread with dinner every evening. No more 41/2 hours for a loaf of bread. Can't say enough good things about this machine. West Bend hit a home run with this little jewel. We are going to get a couple more for gifts. This is the perfect machine for those of us who no longer have a house full of kids.

I'm on my second one of these, having lost one in a move many years ago.

I've had a number of popcorn poppers 'cause I'm a true fan, whether unadorned popcorn or 'fancied up'. When the hot air poppers came out about 20 years ago I bought a couple of them, but they always seem to make chewy popcorn that'll stick in the back of your throat. I've got a mint-condition Mirro aluminum electric popper from the sixties and it'll burn corn in the bottom before you can turn around.

West Bend used to make this same type popper but without the stirrer. I had that one also, and it still left a fair number of kernels at the bottom.

The stirring rod is what makes the difference with this popper. Not only will it pop more kernels in ANY brand of popcorn, but it will pop far more with the less expensive brands like Jolly Time. It's typical to get no more than a tablespoon or less of unpopped kernels. The popcorn turns out perfectly done, from the earliest to the last popped. If you look at the photo, the disc on the top is a removable cover; under there is an indention with multiple holes. You can take butter or margarine and spread it around when you set the machine up. Then, as the machine starts popping, the steam melts the butter and it goes on the corn! Or, if you prefer buttering later, just leave the lid on. When the corn is popped, you simply flip the appliance over and the large dome becomes the serving bowl.

The dome and the disc on top have been through my dishwasher dozens of times without any problem. If I hand-wash it, it always feels a little greasy. The bottom, heating part of the appliance is nonstick; you simply wipe it out with a soapy dishrag or paper towel. Couldn't be easier.

This appliance is light in weight and fits fine in one of my overhead cabinets. For only a small amount of oil, it'll make six quarts of the best popcorn you can find! Plus, its tolerance to less-expensive non-gourmet corns means you'll spend less money. Highly recommended!

I recently bought the 8 quart Stir Crazy (same design-bigger bowl/lid) and I am very happy with it. I had bought the manual stovetop "Whirly Pop" popcorn popper late last year and rediscovered the taste of non-microwaved popcorn. Unfortunately, the Whirly Pop's stiring mechanism broke after just a few months of usage.

The Stir Crazy is actually easier to use because you don't have to do the stirring. The only downside to this popper is if you use the lid as the bowl (per its design) you will notice the popped corn gets a little soggy from the condensed steam on the sides of the bowl. The popper has vents to let the steam out as the corn pops, but the sides of the bowl/lid still get kinda wet. I just dump the popped corn into a bowl or bowls and enjoy!

Cleaning the popper can be a little bit of a pain for those inclined to throw everything into a dishwasher (like me). I still put the lid on the top rack of the dishwasher, but you have to wipe the electric popper out with a sponge or something.

My popcorn secret is....FLAVACOL. This is the yellow butter flavored salt that many commercial poppers use. You actually put the salt/oil/popcorn in the popper all at once and let it fly. The Flavacol "melds" with the corn making it taste just like the popcorn you buy in bags at a commercial establishment. Oh, and I use peanut oil. Not as authentic as coconut oil, but still tasty and not quite as deadly.

Tried air poppers; blech, styrofoam pellets would taste about as good. Microwave corn; too much salt and "butter" in the packets, plus they cost a lot. Popping in a saucepan on the stove; horrible to clean afterwards and it burns. Microwave poppers; don't get me started.

THIS is the one. The first one I had was in the dorm in college (one with the yellow bowl.) I think we bought it together for the whole floor. And this is still the best popper on the market, decades later.

The only feature I don't like is the "melt the butter in the well" feature. It's probably less messy to melt the butter in the microwave (although I admit using the heat of the popper makes ecological sense.) The constant stirring makes sure all kernels get popped.

It does make a difference if you use GOOD popcorn (you know the one I mean, Mr. R's best) and at least FRESH popcorn. And the touch of oil used in the popping makes the popcorn taste wonderful. We sometimes use olive oil for a special taste treat. Anyway you pop it, this is a great device.

Have you tried this yet? I was amused by this pop corn popper because it looked like something my great grandma might have used to make pop corn back in the cart and buggy day. I was amazed at how great this pop corn popper really works! I must say that I have pop corn at least 2 nights a week, and from here on, all my popcorn is going to be popped in this machine. And not only is it cute, but the pop corn tastes better. More corn taste. Just melt a little bit of butter, maybe add some shredded cheese or some peppers and spices or just eat it fresh from the stove. Its great!

My best friend fell in love with this and passed one along to me for my birthday. My husband and I think that it is the best thing to come along since movie night.

First of all it pops perfectly. There is not a SINGLE kernel left unpopped. It is quick (5 minutes MAX). There are plenty of great tasting, easy recipes in the instruction manual. The results are soft, tender pieces of popcorn. Plus it is so much fun! I hardly ever get to crank the handle of the popper because my gadget crazy husband won't let me.

It could easily be turned into it's own little gift basket. Just add a bag of kernels, a jar of some seasoning, a movie and some shrink wrap and a bow and you have a perfect gift! (at least I hope that's a perfect gift because it is what everyone in my family is getting for Christmas this year!)

I'm finally forced to replace the Whirley Popper I've loved for nearly eight years (the fasteners that hold the top on wore out), and I've made at least one batch of delicious popcorn every week during that time, so it's been extremely durable. The popper requires little oil, and it probably averages about two unpopped kernels per batch. You don't have to crank the handle the entire time; I've found that just a few cranks to coat the kernels in oil as the pan is heating followed by about 30 seconds of cranking after the popping starts yields excellent results. The only downsides are that it takes about 2 more minutes to prepare than microwave corn, clean-up isn't quite as quick, and you have to be careful not to burn yourself when removing the top after popping. But the excellent results more than make up for the extra few minutes it takes. Use your microwave to melt the butter, and let the Whirley Popper do the rest! It's delicious!

I bought this ice cream maker after seeing one like it on the food channel. I have one of those Rival brand ice cream makers that requires the salt and ice. What a mess! and loud!! This Cuisinart ice cream maker is wonderful! It is quiet compared to my old Rival and very easy to use. You keep the bowl in the freezer at all times, and when you make up a batch of ice cream, you just pour the cream in the frozen bowl and turn the button to ON. In 20 minutes or less, you have ice cream. I am very glad I bought this. I also purchased Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream & Dessert book and a Farberware Millennium ice cream scoop along with this maker and I would highly recommend those also!

I asked my husband to buy this machine for me for Christmas instead of jewelry, and have no regrets! I love all the sorbets, ice milks and ice creams that we can make. It is simple to use, and the results taste great!

My only complaint is how loud the machine is. I can't really let the machine run while we are having dinner unless I put the ice cream maker far away from the kitchen and dining room. But other than that inconvenience, I can't complain.

I would agree with the other reviewers -- use cold ingredients, and start your ice cream as soon as you take the bowl out of the freezer. I let my bowl freeze for at least two days before using it. I put it in a plastic bag, and then put a zip-loc bag of ice in the container just to be sure.

I have a hard time using all of the egg yolks and heavy cream to make true "ice cream" (although a splurge once in awhile isn't a bad thing!). I try to stick to the lower fat recipes. You can find endless recipes and ideas on the internet. I must admit that when in a hurry I just throw together some milk, half and half, real mexican vanilla, sugar, and a pinch of salt (no recipe here, just taste it to your own creaminess and sweetness level) to make ice cream for dessert. It's like having fresh soft serve. Yum!

If you would like your own ice cream maker, you can't go wrong with this machine!

I finally ordered this and so glad I did. What a great little machine! Knock on wood no problems yet. I also purchased the Ben & Jerry's cookbook per other reviews! So far the Sweet Cream Base and the Choc. ice cream have been big hits here. The choc. ice cream I made this evening. I only used 3 - 1 oz. choc. squares vs 4 per the recipe. Also, have used egg beaters in both recipes. Next on my list is the Williams Sonoma Ice Cream book. Thanks for all the reviews.

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

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

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

Finally, I'd suggest trying the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I want to assure you, that this machine is phenomenal. I was very interested in this product as soon as I saw it on TV, but I felt really stupid for even considering purchasing an infomercial product. I had serious doubts, particularly in its ability to perform "as advertised", as well as the durability and quality of the machine's construction.

I did extensive research via consumer reports and user feedback (such as here on Amazon.com). While these sourced did much to assuage my fears, what finally convinced me to make my purchase was a friend whom I knew in real life who had actually used the machine (her roommate owned one) and assurred me the machine was as good as was advertised. With that final assurance, I purchased my Rotisserie and I have NOT been disappointed.

The food tastes *great*, is always tender and juicy, cleanup is (relatively) easy, and it cooks your food *fast*. The price is a bit steep, but it is worth it (if you have the cash). I just wanted to write this review to help others feel a little more confident about their purchases, since reading reviews such as these were so important to me in my final decision to purchase. Happy buying everyone!

i heard so many people say good things about this grill that i decided to get one for myself. it definitely makes grilling easy and fun at the same time. since purchasing the grill, i've cooked bacon, hamburgers and steaks. you can cook a pretty good sized steak but it can't be too big. the grill's big enough to cook 2 hamburgers at a time though. it works really great on bacon, though because all of the fat drips off and then it's easy to dispense with because it runs into the little plastic container that comes with the grill. you have to cut bacon slices in half for it to fit but it's not a big deal.

basically, i would recommend this grill to anyone looking for a fun and easy grilling solution. if you need to cook for large groups of people (4 or more) you'll definitely want a bigger size but it's perfect for cooking for one or two people. it grills foods fast because you don't have to cook one side and then turn it over. both sides grill at the same time and they cook pretty evenly. you have to get this grill!

This little appliance is the greatest invention since the toaster! I received one for my 45th birthday. I was VERY skeptical. Oh gosh, "another appliance to stick in the cabinet." It sat on the counter and I stared at it for three weeks. Then I tried it. I now use it, at minimum, 4-5 times a week. It cooks any type of meat or poultry in 8-12 minutes; fish takes even less time. Chicken breasts, steaks, sliced pork loin, sausage patties, hamburgs, sliced veggies, salmon steaks -- you name it. Everything cooks to perfection. I don't understand the other reviewers who have said the meat is undercooked on the inside and black on the outside. Can't they read the timing chart in the Instruction Book? One tip: don't try to cook anything TOO thick: 1-2" works best. It's great with marinated meats and poultry. And try "rubs" as well. Barbeque sauce is okay, but a bit of a clean-up. However, cleaning this machine is a snap. Use a dry paper towel first, then a wet sponge (no soap!) -- keep the drip pan in place, then another paper towel. Takes about 3 mins. When you pre-heat it again for the next use, it's going to kill off any germs/bacteria that might remain. It gets easier to clean the more you use it. No, it doesn't make stuff taste like it came off a charcoal grill outside. But the meat has a great flavor, stays juicy, and no oven to bother with (not to mention pans). For a single person, this appliance is a must! I can cook a really healthy meal now in less than 15 mins.

There are too many great things to say about this little device: It's affordable to anybody, even if you are a student stuck living at school. It's compact, you can store it anywhere--a closet, your car, your office, the kitchen cabinet. It's powerful--I have plugged it in and in just minutes began working on an entire three course meal for six people with only this unit to work with. It's easy to clean--this is one of the few products out there that is every bit as easy to clean as the commercials show it to be on TV. It's is economical, using very little electricity to do a just that would waste electricity in a conventional oven or even an older model microwave oven. It's versatile--I have cooked everything from thin pieces of tempeh strips to thick steaks and it cooks both to perfection. You never would have been able to convince me to buy anything on TV before (and most certainly not from a former boxing champion...) but since a friend both this grill for me I have thanked them time and again (and in turn bought the same gift for many a friend of my own).