Appliance Reviews

I received mine for Christmas. For some reason, they don't make many electric knives anymore, but this one exceeds my expectations.

I've used it to cut breads and cheeses (for fun) and a multitude of other unnecessary things and it works great. Attractive looking too.

This knife will spoil you. Cutting through the thickest of meat is a breeze. I wanted to order a few for Christmas presents, but they wouldn't guarantee a by Christmas delivery. This is a gift that keeps on giving with years and years of great service!

This is, by far, the best electric knife I have ever used! I have tried many others that cost between 10.00 and 30.00 and all they did was chew whatever you were cutting into pieces. I have come to believe greatly that you get what you pay for. I have used the knife to cut meat and bread. The knife blades are so sharp that they can cut through hot bread without mashing or creating a pile of dust from the crust. My mother has borrowed it because the electric knife she owns just can't "cut it"..haha. I think I will order her one of her own for Christmas this year. You won't regret this purchase..look at it this way..you can spend 50.00 now and never have to worry about getting another electric knife or you can spend 20.00 and be back looking for another one in a year.

I make beef jerky in LARGE quanities -- I run 12 trays on this machine to do 15# of beef at once, usually two batches a weekend, many times a year. The air circulation of the American Harvest line is invaluable -- I could not do without it for the speed and quality it produces. The tempature range is wider than my smaller 'Snackmaster' model, and the metal-shell base unit is better made. The indents in the base for handholds are invaluable when I have to move the unit. To clean the trays all I do is remove the top drawer in the dishwasher and pop them in.

Thanks to the superior quality control of this model, I have been able to send jerky to just about every weather and camping condition known, from the desert in winter to humid rainy warm places, and to military friends far and wide. I have been able to safely and tastily dry both thick and thin meats. I have reccomended this brand to so many people in the international history group that I work with, for so many years, that the joke is Nesco should be my sponsor!

I have an American Harvest dehydrator that is 15 years old. Some of the best money I've ever spent! After this amount of time, I just can't see buying a new one. Mine works great! Do yourself a favor and make the investment. You really won't regret it.

Our first batch of jerky took 3 hours. We cut the strips a bit thicker the next time and it took a few minutes more. This thing cranks. Sturdy and full featured.
A little noisey, but not bad. The only downside is the heating element/fan should be on top. Less mess. I expect that with this powerful of a unit, that would be to much heat not rising efficiently.
Make sure everything is cut evenly.

If you are considering a hand-mixer for your kitchen, this mixer really is the one. It is so powerful, yet so light and takes up little space. Really, I was able to do 3 batches of cookie dough at once with this mixer and it didn't bog down. You could really replace the stand mixer on your wish list with this 9-speed mixer and a couple of good mixing bowls that don't slip. Getting replacement or extra accessories is really easy - you can get them from Kitchen-Aid or a reseller. I got an immersion blender attachment, so I was able to stretch my mixer's use even more. So spend the extra money on this guy instead of getting a less expensive hand mixer AND a stand mixer AND an immersion blender.

One word folks...KITCHENAID! I am a Kitchenaid junkie and this hand mixer lives up to the name! I picked it because it has 9 speeds and I am glad I did. It is nice to go up gradually when I want to kick it up into high gear to avoid getting splatters. I have mixed many batches of egg whites and I can honestly say that each time this mixer performed like a champ! Even though it is a little expensive compared to other models, it is WELL worth the price!!!

My 35 year old Sunbeam stand mixer needed to be replaced. I thought about getting a stand KitchenAid Artisan, but those are rather expensive, and I would need to get a hand mixer in addition to that. So I thought I'd try this 9 speed hand mixer and see if I still needed to get the big Artisan. This one works great, and does everything I need it to. This turns out to be the only mixer I need! I have used it for cakes, beating eggs, mashed potatoes, and much more. And the price is GREAT--I checked around a lot, and this is by far the best price I found.

I was a little sceptical about all the claims made on TV about this, but some of my coworkers have it and they love it. So, I decided to give it a try...

All the claims they make on TV are true! Everything I cook in it turns out delicious, tender and juicy. I am a true convert and I would highly recommend this rotisserie to everyone.

It is easy to use and easy to clean. I put aluminum foil on the drip pan on the bottom and the reflector for the heating elements. This makes it very easy to clean.

But the best part is the way the food comes out. We love to cook pork roast, chicken and sausages. Again, they are so tender and delicious!

Highly recommended!

This is my second rotisserie oven, I wore out my last one, and I will probably wear this one out too. This oven is not only easier to use and clean than my other one was, but it was even a few dollars cheaper. I would recommend this product to anyone, with no hesitation what so ever.

It's everything they say it is. The food is great. I'm not a chef but I make a mean pork roast in this machine, and chickens are out of this world. Variety is the spice of life and it's endless here. Get a good quality meat thermometer and some butchers string to tie up your poultry and you're set to go. Don't forget the food. Vegetables are steamed on top to perfection.

I purchased this Hamilton Beach mixer over the Kitchen Aid,(both products are already being used in my kitchen) because it was on sale for $129.00 with a 3 yr warranty. The Kitchen Aid mixer was $229.00 with a 1 yr warranty. Hamilton Beach was a much better buy for the same quality. Keep in mind when purchasing your mixer, whether or not you will REALLY need AND purchase all the bells and whistles that come on the Kitchen Aid! Also, what made it easier for me to decide was the beautiful PINEAPPLE color! It really looks more like a light lemon color than a pineapple color for anyone who loves the color yellow like me!

Rather than buy the more expensive Kitchen Aid, I opted to buy this mixer because of the 400 watts power, the tilt back head, and the large bowl. Had I realized what a difference a fine quality tool can make in preparation tasks, it would have been in my kitchen years ago. A large Christmas pound cake recipe with fruit that last year took all my bowls to prepare and nearly killed my hand mixer was done in a jiffy with this mixer, and the kitchen was not declared a national distaster area this time. It also kneaded fondant, making mixing in the color tint and flavoring a 30 second job compared to the evenings I had spent previously preparing it by hand.
The tilt option makes changing the mixing tools much easier.
I highly recommend this reasonably priced mixer.

I snagged this particular color because it was about $30 less expensive than the other colors available at the time. A few days later, when I was checking on my order, I decided to go back to the item to read more about it. Come to find out, the price had been knocked down to $99!! I decided to email customer service to ask if they would credit me for the difference of price, and they did!! AMAZON RULES, BABY!!

Since I have recieved this mixer, I have used it to make all sorts of cookies, scrambled eggs, meatloaf and even two loaves worth of my mother's Italian bread recipe. All have turned out beautifully. The only time I had a problem is when I was mixing the two loaves of bread dough at the same time. I did have to hold the mixer down because it was jumping all over the place, but I think that was my fault for trying to put so much dough in at once...lol. For the price I got it at though, I'm giving it five stars despite the cute lil' dance it did.....it has made my life easier and my time in the kitchen much more enjoyable.

Although I always liked the look of it, I didn't want this mixer. I wanted a powerful, hand-held model. But I received this as a gift two years ago, and I am very glad I did.

This mixer never gets stored away; it's too often in use. And using it is a pleasure, with its well designed utensils and simple controls for mixing anything--from slow stirs for creaming butter and sugar to fast speeds for whipping cream in a jiffy. It wipes clean effortlessly, the attachments are as easy to clean as conventional mixing bowls and utensils, and the machine's timeless and fluid forms have great eye and hand appeal.

A final word about this mixer's heavy-duty construction and motor. This machine powerfully mixes the stiffest doughs, so you can bake bread twice a day if you want. My bread machine, though simpler to use, has taken a back seat to this machine. This mixer churns a better loaf.

I used to hate to cook. And it wasn't until recently that I discovered why--I never had the right tools! One especially good example is pizza: I love it, but always thought it was too much trouble. Not any more. I make pizza weekly now, and it takes me about the same amount of time it used to take me to make Hamburger Helper (back in the old days). I dissolve the yeast, dump in the other crust ingredients, and voila! In about three minutes I have pizza dough, already kneaded and ready to rise.

Cakes and homemade frostings are a breeze. I never liked the canned frostings anyway, and the manufacturers stopped making frosting mixes, so for a long time my family got only bakery cakes. Now I can whip one up, and later make homemade frosting for it, in nothing flat. The bowl and attachements (except for the metal whip) go right into the dishwasher. Nothing could be easier. And now when friends and family ask about my cakes, I can tell them I made them from scratch.

This is well worth the investment--even if you don't consider yourself a "serious" cook. This will make you look like one!

After burning up several of the lesser expensive mixers, I began my search. I began reading reviews on the Kitchen Aid product lines, liked what I saw, decided to take the plunge, and purchase a Kitchen Aid Mixer. (only exception is mine was white). I had purchased this mixer about 2 years ago, and it works great! It can stand up to the stiffest of doughs with no problem, such as cookie dough, and biroche, and extended mixing times, no laboring what so ever. I was amazed at the quality of their products. I have since upgraded to the 6 qt. epicurian mixer for the larger size, power, etc. especially since I do so much baking and cooking. They also offer a large line of accesories that can be purchased for the mixer(s), which makes this product even more versitile... Only downfall is make sure that once you find a place for the mixers, you leave it there. They are quite heavy, but it is worth it, especially since they are one of the few companies that still make their products from metal, and not plastic.

I like this product a lot. It makes our rice come out sticky like it should and keeps the rice warm and ready like it should. My only complaints are:
1. The rice burns if I remove some of the rice and save the rest for later.
2. This might be due to the fact that the rice cooker was sent in its original package without any cushioning. My first rice cooker was dented beyond belief and I returned it. My second rice cooker has a very minor dent in it when it was shipped two-day. I would strongly recommend that you look very carefully at your rice cooker when it arrives to make sure that it is not damaged.

But beyond that, I love my rice cooker. If you are looking for something that will feed a crowd and is very simple to use, this will fill the bill.

Perfect white rice every time. As a filipino I'm required by law to have a rice cooker. We've gone through two lesser quality cookers. This is by far the most reliable on the market. We haven't tried making brown rice or wild rice with this just good old white sticky stuff. It does what is supposed to...make great rice every time. Futhermore, the rice is kept warm for hours without burning the bottom.

As I make lots of rice, I have used many cookers. There is one of these at my office. It is a very nice cooker. It does not seem to make the steam mess others I have tried do, and when you liftopen the top to check or stir the the rice the condensation goes into a little compartment on the side. This is nice, just remember to empty the compartment so as not to have the waste sitting around. The pot cleans up nicely to. I only wish it had a ringer or buzzer on it to tell you when it to let you know it was finished.

I had always hesitated to buy an ice cream maker. When I was a kid, it was the old hand cranker in an ice bucket. Fun but a lot of work! Simac's Gelataio Junior is superb for sorbets and other frozen goodies. Just put the ingredients in the cannister and within minutes you've got dessert! Also great for cocktail parties! Almost everyone likes frozen daquiris. I almost always have fresh fruit or vegetables around. The possiblities are unlimited for finding new ways to serve cold or frozen surprises. Best of all, I know exactly what is in it! I had doubts about the price...but it has paid for itself many times over and everyone looks forward to the next surprise. Like Cranberry Sorbet at holidays? Or just good old vanilla or banana cream ice cream with strawberries or crushed nuts? Ymmmm.

We've used this machine 2-3 times/week for the last 2 years. it makes super ice cream & the removable canister is key (hygiene). Despite the heavy use, we've had no problems of any kind with it...

A wonderful Ice Cream Maker - the best I've ever had. I had purchased one 20 + years ago, and when I moved, gave it to my cousin. Big Mistake! I love the new model and have enjoyed my little adventures in making ice cream and sorbets. Yes, it is heavy - and I live in an apt. with minimum space. However, I purchased a rolling cart at [a store], and keep the Machine on it in a closet. There's a handy plug available, so don't have to move the item into the kitchen. I have a bit of trouble plugging in the top motor. Sometimes it doesn't align properly and then, the paddle won't rotate. Takes a bit of doing. And yes, it does take more than 20 minutes to make ice cream but well worth it!
Susan in OR

I got mine damaged, as the bowl came loose and scratched the upright of the mixer. Called Kitchen Aid, and they sent out another one, it was not even double boxed, was severely scratched, and didn't work at all. Waiting for the third mixer, and I'm tired of hauling this to the post office. That said, it works well, and the grinder made perfect hamburger, so I am pleased with the unit, but not with the packaging, which was pulverized in the mail, during three flights to Hawaii, to reach the final destination.

I was able to pick this product for my birthday. It is great. The only thing I was disappointed in is that I did not have a chose of the colour. I wanted blue.

There is no way anyone could take this away from me unless, they pry it from my cold, dead, flourless hands. I've owned this machine for 3 years and I love it!!!! You will too! Go ahead, buy one!

I own an extra bowl for my 5-Quart KitchenAid Stand Mixer and it's great. When you are busy preparing a large family / Holiday meal it can be a life saver.

What a convenience to have an additional mixing bowl. When I make baked goods, invariably I need to use more than one bowl for a recipe. It sure speeds up the process by having another bowl on hand whenever you need one. The quality of this product is unparalleled. KitchenAid makes the best mixers on the market that are built to last for years. Our mixer is the favorite kitchen appliance my wife and I own! If you don't have a KitchenAid mixer, get one and an additional bowl too! You won't be disappointed.

As I do a lot of baking during the Christmas season, my KitchenAid 5 quart mixer really cuts the time and energy it takes to make a lot of cookies, and other such Christmas treats. The only thing that would be better, I thought, was an extra bowl, so I could expidite the process. My husband bought me this bowl as an early Christmas present, and I love it!!! I got through the Christmas season of baking in no time at all. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves to bake, and does a lot of it.