Appliance Reviews

I presently own this mixer, and up until recently I've been quite satisfied with it. I found when I made my Amish bread dough that it was too much for this mixer. This mixer does a good job with cakes and cookie doughs and whipping egg whites, but it seems that I need a more powerful machine (like the Professional 6 Quart) to handle my bigger tasks.

We received this as a wedding present and couldn't be happier with it. It can help you make anything from mashed potatoes and cookies to pie crusts and bread. Anything you can think of, this mixer can make. It has been a total lifesaver for me - especially since I am completely cooking impared. While my first batch of cookies was a total disaster - I used the wrong attachment - everything since then has actually been quite beautiful. I don't know what I would do without this mixer.

This is the one appliance in my kitchen I could not live without. I use it for everything, and it has never failed me. I've had mine 17 years and it still works as good as the day I took it out of the box. I vaguely remember (it was a long time ago) using other mixers, and none can compare with ease of use or versatility.
Pros: Can mix virtually anything. I use mine mostly for bread, cookies, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, or cakes/brownies. Frosting is a snap.
Weight keeps it from bouncing around on the counter when mixing large batches of dough.
Easy to clean.
Looks. Not that I care, even if it was hideously ugly I'd keep it on my countertop, but it's not and at 17 years, mine still looks new.
Ease of use. I don't worry when my kids want to use it that a part will fly off, or they'll stick their hand in when scraping the bowl (since you don't need to scrape the bowl).
Cons: Not easy to move around, it's heavy. But look at it this way, you get a workout which makes it OK to eat what you've made.
This model limits you to 2 loaves of bread at a time, and once you realize how easy it is to make delicious bread you may wish you'd sprung for the larger model.
Accessory suggestions: An extra bowl. Comes in very handy when making something that requires several stages of mixing.
The flour guard (I'm sure there is an actual name for this). Makes adding flour during kneading or mixing easier and neater.
The only thing you really need to think about before making this purchase is which size you want and what color you like.
Highly recommended, you will not ever regret it.
Life is short, live it up!

If you look at the other Rival Fondue pot sold on Amazon, you will see that it has much more balanced reviews then this one. People say that it is very good in concept and in a lot of ways, but that it is difficult to keep the tempature steady. That is the exact case with this one too. By this one for $25, here or at Target, and you will be very happy with it, and have saved yourself $15 or more.

Our only experience with Fondue is at a Restuarant in Denver were they make it in front of you, and at one in Breckenridge, CO, where they bring it to you already made. Based on that experience and reading all the reviews we went out in search of the West Bend Fondue maker that people review very well on Amazon. We couldn't find it, so we went to Target and got this one. That nice we cooked up a recipe that we found on Allrecipe.com, and it was great. We made it from start to finish in the fondue pot, and with constant stirring and a few changes to the tempature control, we didn't have any problems. The only way you are going to get more consistant heat is from a gas burner on your stove top.

As for the people that complain about the "electronics coming loose", they are just confused. The light on the thermistat tells you when the heating element is on, not when it is plugged it. Of course it is going to turn off and on. The magnetic hold plug, stays on tight enough to not come loose, but loose enough to breakaway if someone were to trip over it. Granted, it would be tough to trip over a 2 foot cord, but I think it must be the law or something. Anyway, it works fine.

Final Word: A great deal and the same problems as all fondue pots, no more.

I bought this set for my husband and thought we might make fondue every once in a while. It is so easy to clean and extremely easy to use, that we cook in it all the time. We have made several cheese fondues, broths and chocolate. Unlike the "burner" type of fondue sets, this is safe and heats evenly and quickly. I can leave the room and not worry about setting the house on fire. The plug fits well and will only come out if you trip over the cord. This is great if you have pets or kids running around. You will not lose your dinner if someone is clutsy.

We brought our set over to my in-laws for Christmas for a cheese appetizer and it was a huge hit. My mother in law used her set for chocolate. Hers had the flame below and did not heat evenly and took significantly longer to heat the chocolate. It took me seconds to clean my set while my mother in law was scrubbing her old style set. I would highly recommend this brand and type of fondue set!

Bigger than it looks, this little gem of a fondue maker would make a great gift for college students. Why? Not because you can expect your son or daughter to suddenly become a suave sophisticate who entertains their fellow dorm buddies with fondue parties, but because this little gadget really cooks! Takes up less space than a microwave (ok, it won't make popcorn, but microwave popcorn isn't all that good for you anyway...) Remove the fondue ring and it becomes a versatile little pot that, with a little imagination, can cook virtually anything. The adjustable thermostat heats up to 400 degrees, so making soup, chili, hamburgers, grilled cheese, ramen noodles and all their other favorites would be easy. Plus, there's the mom approved break-away safety electrical cord. The non-stick interior makes clean up a breeze.

I just got my deep fryer, pulled it out of the box and hooked it up. In about 5 mins the oil was hot enough to cook my fries. I have not had any problems with the unit at all. The unit heats the oil very fast and has an indicator light when its ready. It has several unique safety features built in. Food comes out great. The best deep fryer I have ever owned.

-Update

Had my deep fryer for about 2 months, and to look back I dont know how I got along without it. The Fryer heats up to a marked temperature of 375 degrees, and will shut off if its gets over like 550. I have gotten tremendous use out of this fryer and it has definently paid for itself from less power, and time saved. I am still very happy with the heat up time and, how fast it recovers its temperature.

After months of begging, my wife finally gave in and gave the green light for a fryer purchase. I read reviews regarding various other fryers, checked technical specs, and finally decided on the Waring. Ironically, this is the only fryer which I could not find a review. So I'm rectifying that situation. The Waring uses the most wattage compared to any other fryers. This translates into less time waiting for the oil to achieve the desired temperature and a quiker recovery time. The design is functional as well as industrial. The elevated basket hanger allows placement of food into the basket and oil to drain prior to removing the food. With the window built into the lid the food can be monitored without removing the entire lid which helps keep heat in the fryer and grease off the walls. The break-away cord is genius. This feature houses a magnet in the appliance plug which holds it in place. If a slight amount of tension is placed on the cord it releases from the back of the fryer rather than pulling the entire unit, hot oil and all, off the counter...outstanding safety feature. The dials are easy to use, although the bell is a tad hard to hear when the timer is finished. The basket will hold enough food for our family of four. If more food is need the recovery time to reheat the oil to cooking temperture is minimal. The oil basin is stainless steel, easily removed and has a built in spout to facilitate emptying the oil. Cleaning the unit is simple. Remove the lid, then the heating element with controls, dump the oil, and wash the basket, oil basin in the sink. The heating element can be wiped down with a dish towel. Using the cooking guide included in the instructions results in crispy, fully cooked food with minimal grease. We were pleasantly suprised with not only the quality of the food but how often we use this fryer.

This is a PERFECT machine. Don't waste your money on cheaper fryers.

My soon to be 5 year old son is obsessed with crushed ice. So, I would spend 30 mins in the kitchen with ice in hand and a spoon to crack it with (not a fun task and it doesn't make snow).
I tried blenders and they never worked. So I went in search of a better way to satisfy my son's need for crushed ice.

I did a lot of comparison shopping before I decided to try this one. I had my doubts that it would make a real slushy or even come close to a "snow" cone. Yet, to my surprise this product really does work like it says. It makes very nicely shaved ice and it's almost like snowflakes. Thank God no more spoon and frozen hand for me! My son is very happy and Mom is a big heroine.

I didn't give it a 5 star rating because it advertised at least one flavor packet and I didn't receive any.
Alas, regular grape juice worked fine and was probably better for him.

I looked around at some of the "kids-type" sno cone makers - almost all are manual with "crank-handle" shaving methods. They were constructed poorly and had dull blades. These "kiddie" sno cone makers retail for the same price or slightly-less (few dollars) than the Rival electric. I bought this for my 11 year old son for Christmas and I opened it up to try it before we give it to him next month. I couldn't believe how well this product works. You take regular icecubes from your tray (no special molds) and load them in the top of the machine. The blade is well-concealed, so except for washing this, there is no apparent way that a child could be cut using this product. You push down on the top of the machine and for a half a tray of icecubes, you get a huge cereal bowl full of FLUFFY (like Hawaiian Shaved Ice), white snow! You can adjust the blade to make a more coarse product - like traditional sno cones. I put this product back in the box (after enjoying the shaved ice myself!) and can't wait to give him this for Christmas. For toppings you can use Kool-Aide or Target sells Sno-Cone flavors (grape, raspberry, cherry) in the kitchen product sections (by popcorn makers,etc) of their stores. This product is electric which makes it easy and efficent to operate. If you are looking for a shaved ice maker for mixed drinks for adults, or treats for the kids, this is the product to get! Well-made, easy to operate, safe, and easy to clean-up. You will LOVE this little machine, priced-right!

It is a wonderful machine! Worth the money! Why spend the [money] on a cheap character slush machine when you can buy an electric one that is easy to use for the same price? Easy to use and makes a nice, easy snack! The only thing that drives us nuts is our daughter wants a snow cone all the time now! =o)

THE GOOD: so I must admit this is one pretty cool sandwich maker. It melts cheese puuuuuuuurfectly. My mushrooms are pretty well squished in with the ham and the tomatoes dont come out soggy at all. It's cute and small and has that ever so popular Krups brand on it so you know it's good.

THE BAD: problem is it's too small and cute. One slice of white bread barely fits in there and don't even think about putting Italian bread or real Sourdough bread in there..it just wont fit.

THE UGLY: when it's all over and you just endulged in this great melty cheesy snadwich thats gooey all over your hands, guess what..it's also gooey all over the sandwich maker as well! There are so many nookes and cranneys in this little machine that it's impossible to get all the melted on gunk. And after about 5 or 10 sandwiches you can just imagion the nastyness.

FINAL NOTE: ultimatly if you want to take the 20 min or so (and thats a conservative estimate) to clean this thing up each and every time you use it then it's a gret deal. It makes a variety or deli meat great hot sandwiches that literally melt in your mouth.

I was skeptical of this product because some of the other reviewers said that it was messy and too small to hold many bread slices. I've found that it will easily work with a normal slice of bread, and with fancier loaves you can just trim to the right size. It does occasionally drip grease from the cheese and is a little hard to clean because the plates don't come off, but I didn't find these problems to be too objectionable. For $19.95 this machine is a great deal. We use it all the time. Since we often work late it's nice to fix a quick, creative and healthy meal in only a few minutes, and with a minimum of clean-up.

Just bought this 2 days ago. Love it for making sandwiches for myself and 2 year old. It's great if you're watching your weight because you can't squeeze a ton of junk on it, though a decent amount fits which is good for little one's sandwiches too. I have not found it hard to clean, definitely doesn't take 20 mins like someone said in one review. If you wait till it's just slightly warm and clean it with a dry paper towel over the sink, you can easily wipe the rest out with a damp sponge. 2 minutes tops. Love this thing, glad I bought it, just don't overstuff it.

I thought I'd finally found the perfect blender, and it worked great - for two months. I used the blender exclusively for smoothies, usually made with chunks of frozen banana, OJ, and yogurt. I was careful to make sure the blender was running and there was plenty of juice in the jar, but the "all metal drive" broke - there is actually a hard rubber coupling beneath the drive spindle, and it sheared right off. Oh well - on to the next blender! I also have to agree with other reviewers about the noise - this puppy will wake the dead! Don't plan on making midnight snacks with it.

This is a very powerful blender. It is just like the restaurant types used to make the frozen drinks. It blends wonderful and completly crushes the ice in the drinks. The only downfall is that this is EXTREMLY LOUD!! I ended up with a headache after using it for the first time. It sounded like a jet in my kitchen.

I've burned through 3 other brands of blenders -- each time the plastic "spinner" in the motor base (which mates to a plastic spinner in the pitcher's base that turns the blade) broke. Finally we decided to try out the Oster "Classic" because it uses a metal shaft that fits directly into the pitcher's base to turn the blades rather than the plastic disks that all the newer blender designs seem to use. That does the trick. I make a lot of fruit smoothies using frozen fruit -- which can be pretty hard on blenders -- but so far the Oster Classic has been up to the task. I highly recommend it!

When you are cooking, and in a bit of a time crunch the extra bowl can be so helpful. I use mine when I am making cookies, sometimes I make two different kinds at once, and I am good to go. Or when I am making a cake, and I want to prepare everything at once, and come back and frost the cake later. I hate to stop what I am doing to wash one bowl to use it again. If you do a lot of cooking and you are short on time this might be a good purchase for you.

The price is great and the bowl is extra helpful. Before I was having so much trouble with trying to find different ways to store batters while doing multiple step recipies. THis item is great.

This is a surrogate review for my mom. We "kids" gave this to her as a gift recently, and she says it's great. She said she'd felt like she was cleaning her mixing bowl nonstop when she used her Kitchenaid mixer, but with this extra bowl, she can get things done faster and easier. (That means more cookies, and faster.)

Who can argue with a mom? It must be a darn good bowl.

I've used it a couple of times for chocolate, and once with cheese. Chocolate worked great because I melted the chocolate in a double boiler and then poured it into the fondue pot to keep warm. When I did cheese, I made the fondue right in the pot, which wasn't such a good idea. The heating element, like most, is either on or off. This means that it gets things very hot, then the thermostat turns off the element and gets it very cold, before it cycles on again. This makes it impossible to keep things at a simmer while you try melting your cheese. When the heating element is on, there is a ring of boiling cheese right over the heating element, meaning that there needs to be much stirring. Next time I do cheese fondue, I'm going to make it elsewhere (on my stovetop) and then transfer it to the pot to keep warm while I enjoy it.

I received one of these as a wedding gift several years ago. It sat in the box for a couple of years, then after an excursion to a high-priced fondue restaurant, we decided to dig the pot out and see if we could replicate it the cheese fondue we had loved at the restaurant for less at home.

Previously, we had been to parties where people had cheese fondue and I had watched our hosts and hostesses struggle with keeping the gel fuel or Sterno lit, or waiting forever for the candle in the base to heat up the pot. I had never seen an electric fondue pot, so I didn't know how it would compare.

The pot performed wonderfully. There is a thermostat on the electric component that allows you precise control of how hot the pot gets. We have now done oil, cheese and chocolate fondue in the pot and it always works perfectly. The thermostat lets you keep the oil hot enough, but also allows you to adjust the heat downwards as necessary so you don't burn your cheese or chocolate fondue. The pot heats up quickly for fast melting.

Best of all, you can detach the electric switch/thermostat from the pot and completely submerse the pot for cleaning, which is important when you're dealing with gooey cheese and chocolate!

We love this fondue pot! We actually bought a second one for when we have fondue parties, so we can have different kinds of fondue, or a fondue meal without having to wash a pot out. It would also be great for queso dip and chips, and would keep the dip hotter and be less bulky than the crockery-pot a lot of people use for keeping queso dip hot. I really can't recommend these pots highly enough. If you love fondue, get one of these pots today!

I just received this fondue pot a few days ago and I couldn't wait to try it! I had fond memories of my mother serving fondue when I was a child and I have to say, it is just as fun now as when I was 10 years old! Just last night, my boyfriend and I had a nice romantic evening enjoying a fondue meal. I can't remember having such a fun time during dinner!

The pot and forks are of excellent quality and everything is surprisingly easy to clean, which is important if you want to totally enjoy the experience. The pot is an excellent design -- I was impressed by the sturdiness of the legs especially.

If you want to entertain others or just yourself, get this fondue pot! You won't regret it. Fondue is easy and fun!

The best family griddle you can buy. It is truly nonstick. You do not need to use oil, unless you want to for flavor. 8 grill cheeses at once, 6 to 8 pancakes at once. Super easy clean up. Cord unplugs from griddle then dunk it into the soap water. Stays cool underneath so can be used on most any surface.

I have used this for eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes. It cooks evenly every time. It takes no time at all to clean it. I would definately recommend this to those with families!

I got this as a wedding gift in December, and have used it to make pancakes, hot sandwiches, quesadillas, spanish omelettes... I hated having to sit by the stove cooking Sun morning pancakes one item at a time (in my pre-griddle days). By the time I was done cooking all the batter, and ready to sit down, my husband would already have been done eating!! Now, I can cook these things in a jiffy, and be able to sit down & enjoy eating them with my husband. this has to be one of our favorite gifts that we got off the registry.

I wasn't sure that I'd use a food processor and was hesitant to spend a fortune on one. I have a lot of small appliances that sit unused on the pantry shelf.

I bought the 5-cup food processor, and it is perfect for a small household. It's compact, storing away easily. It is simple to clean. Perfect for a food processing newcomer.

I had almost given up on ever finding a functional food processor. This was my last hope. I find that this unit slices, chops, and shreds beautifully and uniformly--unlike previous units that produced mangled or soupy product. This is a great unit for small and medium jobs, and as a household of one, it's perfect for me. If you do larger jobs or a larger household with bigger cooking volumes, then perhaps try the larger Kitchen Aid food processor (11 cup). I've been doing fall apple recipes lately, and this processor has been perfect. Easy to assemble, easy to lock the bowl and lid into place, easy cleanup. I love the mini bowl for smaller jobs like chopping nuts, herbs, garlic, etc. Small enough to keep on the counter, even in a small apartment kitchen. Thank you KitchenAid for the best food processor on the market!

My sister owns the big 11 cup model, but I didn't need that big of a processor, so I bought the small one. It's very powerful, slices vegetables quickly and neatly. Mine also has a smaller insert bowl that's great for chopping a small amount of nuts, etc. without messing up the big bowl. Definitely worth the money!