Appliance Reviews

This thing is GREAT! I've read that people have problems getting bags to seal, etc., but when I followed the instructions, I was a champ right away! I would have rated this a 5 star purchase except for this one thing: I wish is that the unit had a bag roll storage within itself. I know that other more expensive models do have that feature and it would be a huge space saver! I find that the Black and Decker bag rolls (cheapest at Walmart) work just as well as the Foodsaver rolls AND save money (always a good thing). I've sealed all sorts of frozen meats (per the instructions it works best that way) and baked goods. I've also taken frozen veggies and transferred them to the vacuum bags, keeping the freezer burn at bay for quite a long time. I recommend this product to singles who want to buy bulk, families who HAVE to buy bulk and anyone who doesn't want to spend another second cleaning freezer burned stuff out of the back of their freezer once a year ever again. I can't speak highly enough of the convenience this has brought to my family!

This item easily pays for itself--I live alone & can buy in bulk without worry about waste--Bags should not be re-used if they have previously been used to seal raw meats (the juices, doncha know) so I do pre-freeze meats before sealing, but weeks & months later they come out of the freezer just as red & juicy as when I brought them home from the market--Summer's fresh veggies can be enjoyed inexpensively all winter when blanched, sealed, & frozen--Great for cooking in quantity & freezing single portions which can be boiled in the bag for us working singles, as well-- A set of canisters (cheapest at Target) & jar sealers & some Mason jars are good investments, too--I bought a case each of quart, pint, & half-pint jars & now my cupboards are neatly filled with jars of pasta & sugars (which don't get solid) & popcorn & such which all stay fresh & bug-free & are easy to find when I need them--Raisins & coconut stay moist & fresh when sealed, too-- In the fridge, sour cream, when transferred to a jar & sealed, will last at least twice as long--I can pre-shred cheese (I don't like the store-bought pre-shredded stuff) & store it in a canister & it will last almost forever, as will crumbled bleu or feta cheese in a sealed mason jar-- I even sealed the soup ladle for my silver, which doesn't fit in the silver chest so it stays clean & shiny!--All-in-all, the FoodSaver is well worth whatever one pays for it--

I've had my vac 800 since January,04. We love the unit and have become fanatical in sealing most every food product in either bags, cannisters or mason jars.

However, we've had a couple of problems that could not be 'trouble shooted' by Tilia's customer service....
1. the pump on our unit recently broke....called the company customer service and confirmed it was defective. All of a sudden, it stopped to automatically turn off and didn't go into "low gear". Hopefully, this is not a sign of more problems to come.

2. can't seem to seal the smallest Mason jars. Again, I trouble shot this with Tilia and can't get it to work. Shame....really nice to have the option of using small jars for stuff.

Other than this, the unit is great and worth buying and worth using!

I love to bake, and so when I registered for wedding gifts, I saw an ideal opportunity to own a quality mixer (as opposed to the many cheap versions I've used in the past). I liked the basic appearance and features of this KitchenAid version, and after reading reviews of it here, I added it to our registry. This little mixer is tough and makes baking a breeze. The beaters appear delicate, but despite being lightweight, they can handle heavy dough without having the batter stick. The best thing about this mixer is the noise level--I have NEVER heard a mixer that is this quiet, making it pleasant to use even at the highest speed. This is an excellent quality mixer at a reasonable price, and it should be able to meet all of your baking needs.

Wow, I can't believe how great this mixer is. I bought it mainly to knead dough. The dough hooks worked just as well as a stand mixer that I had. They didn't hesitate at all. The mixer has a sensor inside that will compensate for the current to make sure it doesn't bog down. I kneaded on setting 4 for 2 minutes and the dough was better than when I used to do it by hand, and it was also better than with the Farberware stand mixer I had. I never got the impression that it was straining at all. It was also pretty quiet. It felt solid in my hand but not heavy enough to make it tired. It is a well-built product. The owner's manual has several recipes that look pretty good and even a few bread recipes.

I enthusiastically recommend this mixer to anyone who wants to knead dough.

This is a great product. When I needed a new mixer, I chose this one for two reasons: (1) It is made in the USA, thus preserving jobs for American workers; and (2) It included dough hooks for mixing yeast dough. This is a quality product, and I would like to make a suggestion for those reviewers who said the beaters do not stay in. Look at the stems of your beaters or dough hooks carefully, and you will see that one is just a tiny bit wider than the other one. Insert one in the right slot first until it clicks. If it doesn't click, it is the wrong one, and you'll have to insert the other one. The remaining beater or dough hook should then click easily in the other slot. The click locks it in place. Unfortunately, Kitchenaid does not mention this in their user manual. Tonight I followed the "Basic White Bread" recipe in the manual and made a perfect loaf of bread. There was no tedious hand kneading, only a very short mixing time. It is truly amazing. I will make bread and rolls much more often, now that I have this mixer.

I love this steamer! I have used it for vegetables, rice, hard-boiled eggs, and making my own babyfood! I started out keeping it in a cabinet, but I found I use it so often, I moved it out onto my countertop. I have already recommended this product to several friends, and now I am buying one for someone as a gift. It makes perfect rice everytime. I love the timer. It comes with a wonderful guide for ideas and recommended cook-times. The herb/spice flavor scenter is an added bonus. This is the best purchase I have made for my kitchen in a long time, and my family is eating healthier now because of it.

I have owned my Black and Decker steamer for almost three years and I can say that I have been happy with it for that entire time. I have been most pleased with the quality of the machine itself (mine has never had a problem or malfunction), but there are several other features I appreciate too.

1. The manual that came with mine has a very extensive chart of various foods and how long each needs to cook in the steamer (this is most helpful!). I primarily use my steamer for vegetables such as asparagus, brussels sprouts, green beans, carrots, red potatoes, and corn on the cob. Although B&D boasts it as a possibility, I have never used my steamer for rice because I do not see how piles of rice would/could cook evenly! I have also never felt the need to try the fish recipe included in the manual because I didn't want my kitchen, or the plastic parts of this appliance to retain a "fishy" smell.

2. I also agree with the previous reviewer who states that this appliance is a snap to clean. In most cases all it needs is a thorough rinsing under very hot water and then a wipe down. When I first purchased this steamer I lived in the country and had fairly hard water (high mineral content) which caused a bit of a lime build up on the heating element of the steamer. My worries about this have proven to be needless as I have now owned it many years and these occasional mineral buildups on the heating element do eventually fall away as you wash it after use.

3. The model I have is the same in every way as the one being sold with the exception that mine comes with a stacking ring and another steamer basket so that you can actually steam two different foods at the same time. I paid nearly twice the price that Amazon is currently offering for a single basket steamer though, and if I were doing it all over again, I would opt for just the single basket model.

I highly recommend this purchase as a quality product at a great price with the added benefit of enabling you to eat more healthy foods.

I recieved this product for Christmas in 1997, and it still works like a charm today. This is an absolute must-have kitchen appliance for a first apartment.

I have owned this panini grill for about 9 months and used it regularly. I loved every sandwich and grilled meat that I cooked in it. But one Saturday, I plugged it in as usual to make my favorite grilled cheese and it was dead, although it had worked perfectly well the day before.

I cannot give a hands-on review this Krups, as I do not own one. However, I saw it being demonstrated in a Sur La Table store alongside the Flama Panini Grill. I bought the Flama. The Flama has more wattage (1600), removable drip tray, removable nonstick reversible grill plates (the other side is smooth), 5 heat settings for different types of food, a "broiler" feature to brown the tops of mini pizzas or cheeseburgers. None of these features are available on the Krups model. The Flama isn't as pretty to look at, but it does the job better. Go with the Flama.

I love this machine. It's hot, it's fast, and it makes the crunchiest thin sandwiches in minutes. I use the olive spray on the outsides, and either ham, turkey or chicken slices, or grilled veggies, all with a little cheese on the insides. Thin tomato slices with some mozzerella and basil leaves are also great as well as a little brie with just about anything. Use your imagination. I like the idea of the small, gourmet style sandwiches for today's eating. The flatter the bread, the better but the pain rustique bread at Costco works quite well too. Just measure each slice about 2 1/2 inches wide, cut it in half horizontally and fill. Or the straight grilled slices make great crostini and I just top it with an olive spread or a tomato, garlic and basil bruschetta, or a tuscan white bean spread with rosemary. Make them any size you wish. Guests love them with a nice Chianti either for an appetizer or a snack. I will keep my grill for panini and not use it for meat. It's easy to clean; I usually wipe it with a paper towel. It's truly a quality piece of work and I'm totally satisfied with my purchase.

This blender has been completely satisfying. It crushes ice consistantly and thoroughly. My smoothies alwalys come out like silk. I use the blender several times a day, and the motor hasn't burned out. The steel adds a unique touch while leaving me fearless of broken glass. And, the warrenty that comes with it is a comfort in the event I have problems with the unit. I highly recommend this product for it's quality, distinctiveness, and dependability.

I've long been interested in having a really great blender. Something that will crush ice, puree soup, make smoothies for breakfast or snacks and of course blend up a nice margarita. :)

I looked at dozens of blenders, and finally chose the Waring bar model in stainless based on design, other reviews and power. The metal jar was also very important. I have always been afraid of breaking the glass on other blenders I have owned, and in fact have broken one.

This blender is just lovely. It is loud, but because it is so powerful and simply *works*, you don't have to run it very long anyway. There are no plastic buttons to get sticky and goopy. One *metal* switch and two settings are plenty.

Rather than the "turn to lock the jar in" method that most blenders use, this one drops in. You can't do it "wrong" -- it just won't go in if you have the canister turned the wrong way. The jar, which does need to be held steady with one hand, never kicks or bucks when crushing ice. You never feel like the machine is going to burn up or fly off the counter. And when you're done, you just grab the handle and lift it off, without fighting the locking mechanism -- because it doesn't have one.

The simplicity of design and use is a very big part of why I love this blender, but the fact that it's metal is a huge plus. It keeps the drinks cold, it washes out *very* easily, even when doing hot stuff that would instantly stick to the glass jars of most blenders.

My blender has never failed, never struggled, never even broken a sweat while performing any task I ask it to. It looks good, cleans easily and is easy to use. What more does anyone need in a blender? I can't think of a thing.

Hi. If you're like me, you've killed more than you care to count blenders in your life time. You know that a good margarita requires finely chopped ice without lumps! You've probably cut up a few of those rubber things that come with the other blenders because you put it together wrong. It's embarrasing when your guest sees chopped up grey rubber in their margarita glass. Let's not forget the numerous parts to those other blenders and when your toddler runs off with one of the parts, never to be found again. Well, the Waring PBB25 Professional Bar Blender does away with all those unnecessary complications in your life. I ordered this blender and gave it to myself for christmas. Let me tell you, I love this blender! I love this blender! I love this blender! It's beautiful, it's a single unit with no parts (except for the lid), no rubber thingys, it's powerful, it's affordable, and best of all, it makes the best margaritas, the best chocolate shakes, and the best diet/protein shakes. The only problem is that my five kids love it as well. ;-)

I do admit that foods taste 100% better, but to try to put on 2 chickens is virtually impossible (unless they are using baby chicks). The clean up is not so bad once you get the hang of it and Dawn does the trick, just let it soak for a bit. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't give "photo's/instructions" to demonstrate how to put prongs on the meat (ie chicken), but you learn to manipulate the meat w/lots of cooking string. Quality of product: Good. Taste of Foods w/this product: Excellent! Clean-up: Good, excellent when you let it soak in Dawn. Would I refer this to a friend: Yes. The only real neg I have to say is the way the chickens(and probably a turkey as well) fits inside. Don't think this 'Oval' shape does justice .. Maybe they need to re-think their design to make it easier for food to rotate, instead of having to re-adjust it from hitting the burner in the back and getting stuck. Other than that, I am satisified w/this product and the quality of food it produces for my family.

I've read different reviews about the bigger version of this one and also about the Ronco version. I only have experienced the Jr. version of rotisserie cooker. From what I've seen so far, this thing is fantastic. The first two days I used it, we cooked whole chickens. Just rubbed a little seasoning salts all over, and they tasted alot like grocery store rotisserie. Nice and juicy. quite nice. Clean up was really easy. The wife said she thought it would be alot harder to clean, but was pleasantly surprised that it was so easy. The next day I cleaned it, and she was right. It WAS easy to clean. The oven did get pretty hot, but so does my conventional oven, so proper precautions are required. I have many ideas for the use of this appliance, like hot dogs, italian sausages, ham, the list goes on and on. I have to say, this product seems to live up to it's claims. I also have the Lean Mean Grilling Machine, and I haven't been disappointed so far by Big George. I hope George keeps putting out quality products like these.

The George Foreman Jr. Rotisserie is a good size for servimg 2-6.
I have had mine since Christmas and love it, the other reviewers are right chicken is great, steaks are very good but you dont get the charcoal flavor. It is easy to use and clean (the heat sheild being the hardest to remove stains from). I would highly recommend this item but, also buy a Rotisserie cook book for recipes. I have The Ultimate Rotisserie Cookbook: 300 Mouthwatering Recipes for Making the Most of Your Rotisserie Oven by Diane Phillips. This is a great book i'm sure their are others.

After having this machine for less than two years, it had an electrical problem and I sent it back to the company and for $65 they sent me a new unit. Unfortunately it did not work and customer service after stating we must have a bad electical outlet, sent us another one. It didn't work either and this time I plugged it into my computer plug which is fine as is our kitchen outlet. To get my money back I had to talk to a supervisor, but he didn't call me back. Three phone calls later they finally sent my money back, but still no supervisor called us. I wrote to Mr. Kramm and complained about the shoddy treatment I received from customer service and from the broken units from the repair service. NO RESPONSE from a company that is supposed to depend on word of mouth to buy their very expensive product. Shame on them.

This is a fine, easy to use, machine that I'm really enjoying having in my kitchen. I had never used a milk-steamer before, and found the idea a little intimidating. But the process is really quite painless, and now I'm wondering why I did without it so long (even my java-phobic bride is enjoying homemade hot chocolate thanks to the steamer).

Anyone who enjoys having a pot of coffee on-call throughout a morning should avoid glass pots like a cliché and instead use a thermal carafe like this one. Not only does it keep coffee steaming hot without constant re-heating, but the wide top and easy-off lid make for easy clean up when you're done.

The coffeemaker is elegantly designed, seems relatively sturdy, and looks nice on a countertop. Plus, it's fast, fairly quiet, and -- as I said -- easy to clean.

For someone like me who just wants to enjoy coffee without trying to become a home barista ('professional maker of complex espresso drinks'), this is as much machine as I think I'll need ... at least until the one with the built-in burr grinder arrives.

I've been impressed with the well-thought out products coming from this relatively small company in the small appliance industry. Their Swiss designers have the leading edge technology in coffee makers and the CoffeeTEC is the latest innovation. Coffee is brewed 10 cups in under 8 minutes, and that's fast. The idea is to have the fresh coffee exposed to hot water for the minimum amount of time, so flavor is extracted without extracting the bitter parts of coffee flavor. CoffeeTEC does this really well. A special 3-5 cup brewing selector makes it possible to brew a perfect small pot of coffee. The coffee goes directly into a stainless steel vacuum carafe, and after removing and sealing the pot the coffee stays hot for hours but never gets heated over and over again as in a traditional hot plate coffee maker. The Auto Cappuccino feature is a genuine plus for those of us who want some frothy milk with our coffee, it turns cold milk into hot milk and froth in seconds. Since all the works are outside of the coffee maker, it's easy to clean and to remove the milk container for refrigerator storage. This is a winner in the category of latest coffee technology.

OK folks this coffee pot is a good coffee maker but, my 4 yr old Capresso Thermal that Amazon also sells is a better coffee maker and about 40 dollars cheaper. The advantages of this pot are as follows...built to last (like a peice of armor), makes a good cup of coffee (always smooth and well balanced) and to me the ulitmate advantage is the speed this machine has...WOW! Lighting fast...Now on the other side there are some downfalls. You will always have to use the bunn coffee filters, otherwise you will end up with coffee grinds everywhere and, the Bunn filters are not the easiest things to get a hold of (they are sold on Amazon). The speed also has a downfall as well, because the water flys through so quikly you nearly have to use DOUBLE the amount of coffee. Last but not least the coffee is lukewarm after only 4 hrs in the thermal pot.

All and all a good pot, but I would have bought my old Capresso thermal again if I had it to due over. The Capresso makes the same quality of coffee without having to double the amount of grinds, slower yes but, you can easily use any filter you like (or use the mesh filter it comes with) and, the coffee is piping hot after 8hrs. Bottomline is Im a little dissapointed in the Bunn , I expected a 5 star product for the price I paid and there is no justifcation for 5 stars here.

Finally a thermal coffee maker that does everything right, makes hot coffee and looks good doing it. We purchased our first Bunn product and we couldn't be happier.

My wife and I drink a lot of coffee and have gone through several coffee makers in the last seven years. Everyone one of them had something that was always very irritating. For example and most recently was our Mr.Coffee 8 Cup-Thermal which we do not recommend. The coffee was a mere 160 degrees, had a lid that never wanted to screw on, a flimsy swing out basket, a Pause and Serve that never paused completely with the carafe removed, an odd shelf in the reservoir that splashed water all over the counter when filling and was located on the back so always required pulling the machine forward to fill.

The Bunn has none of the negative qualities mentioned. Our machine arrived and we found the reservoir lid hinge broke during shipping. One call to the toll free number at Bunn to report the problem was all we needed. Not only did a REAL person answer the phone on the first ring, they never questioned us about what happened to the lid. They were friendly and shipped one without cost.

Regarding the Bunn. Everything is super user friendly. The carafe lid only requires a 20 degree turn to remove with just the thumb and index finger. With the lid removed you get access to the entire width of the pot for easy cleaning. Even when we failed to push the carafe all the way in place and the drip hole didn't line up with the carafe, it was a non issue. The top of the carafe is slightly funneled and raised for those kinds of mistakes and our counter tops remained dry with the coffee going into the pot. The basket slides out with the carafe still in place, easy to clean and does not catch on anything. The reservoir is on the front of the machine for easy access, is super wide, and because of the excellent design of the carafe spout, it pours the water into a nice tight stream without making a mess all over the counter. We let a pot sit overnight and the next morning was still hot. The Bunn is very fast so there's no timer required and makes great restaurant quality coffee. We use the KitchenAid KCG200ER Model A-9 Coffee Mill for a perfect "cuppa" which also gets two thumbs up.

I finally bought the Bunn out of frustration, because every other coffee maker we have tried (Mr. Coffee, Braun, Black & Decker, Melitta, etc.)either quits working after our heavy usage (we make 2-4 pots a day) or just makes a (bad) cup. It was hard to shell out 139.00 for a coffee maker, but after hearing friends and family rave about thier Bunns, I decided to take a chance...and I am so glad I did. Best bucks I have spent in a long time!! It makes 12 piping hot cups in 3 minutes flat!! I like my coffee REALLY hot, and this baby delivers!! Hubby makes coffee at 6AM, and it is still hot and fresh tasting at 8:30 or 9 when I get to it. The stainless steel carafe is awesome!! Really easy to keep clean. No more convenience store brew for me!! I love the hot water feature too..I keep a couple of measuring cups nearby, and when I want a cup of tea, I can just pour in however much water I want, and it instantly comes out hot. The only catch is that you must pour at least a cup (8 oz) or more of water in. No big deal, you can always dump out any extra if you need to. I LOVE this coffee maker, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a great, hot, fast cup o' joe. BTW, the only reason that the friends and family who raved about the Bunns don't have this model yet, is that they have had theirs for at least 6 to 10 years, and in one case 12 years! Wow, I sure hope mine lasts even close to that long, since the average life for one of my previous machines was around a year. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with it. Go get one!!!

One of the best kitchen appliance investments we ever made. Put the travel cups in, push the button, and the coffee brews while you get ready for your work day. Just grab and go!!

We have 4 coffee drinkers who rise and set at different times. This little coffee maker fits the bill for a good hot unspoiled cup of coffee at any time (I'm not dumping stale pots down the drain much any more). You don't have to toss the regular coffee maker, it is still good on weekends, but when you want a cup at 12 midnight, and if someone else happens to want a brew as well, the decision is brainless. It uses readily available cone filters and makes a great tasting "big" cup.

Love this coffeemaker. It brews quickly and makes one or two wonderful cups (cups at 14 ounces each.....) I have actually unplugged my "big" and expensive coffeemaker. Have used this twice to three times a day and so far no problems. I am very picky about the taste of my coffee, want a flavorable coffeehouse brew and this little Two To Go unit delivers consistently. I like this so much I just ordered another unit for my son-in-law for his birthday!

Hopefully this little coffeemaker stands the test of time and holds up because I really like it! The cups hold the java at a warm temp for longer than I expected and have been very useful.

My understanding is that there are basically 3 types of juicers:
- Masticating - like a Champion Juicer
- Centrifugal - like this one
- Citrus only types

Masticating juicers are generally thought of as the best type, but they are more expensive - around $$. If money is no object, a Champion Juicer is probably the way to go.

But, since money was an object for me, I got this one. We have used it almost everyday for about 6 months with great results. The primary thing that we juice is carrots - usually about 20 large carrots each day, and it handles these carrots with no problems. I am very satisfied with this juicer, and I would buy it again.

A few other notes -

Noise. I do find it moderately noisy, but it's so fast that I'm done juicing before it bugs me or anyone in the house.

Cleaning. There are five parts to clean - the lid, the strainer, the pulp collector, the juice collector (looks like a stainless steel cup), and the pusher. The pusher, the lid, and the juice collector are a breeze to clean - about 15 seconds each. The pulp collector is fairly easy to clean (it detaches) but it does have a few small areas which the enclosed brush helps to clean - takes about 1 minute. The strainer is hard to clean without a brush. The brush that comes with is very small, maybe too small for daily use cleaning the strainer, but if you get a larger kitchen brush, the strainer cleans easily - about 1 minute. All together, around 3 minutes to clean.

Other minor notes. The juicer has rubber nobs on the bottom, so it doesn't move on the counter when it's running, which is nice. The juice collector (cup) does move a little sometimes when juicing, so you have to keep an eye on it so it doesn't slip off. The pulp collector does fill after about 10 large carrots, but it's easy enough to take the lid off, dump the pulp, and start again - takes about 10 seconds.

All in all, a great juicer for the price!

This juicer has performed very well. I like the stainless steel cup (no juice stains). The motor very powerful (400 amps) and is holding up well; I've juiced lot's of fruits and veggies so far. The strainer is a snap to clean (I recommend you use an old tooth-brush instead of the brush they give you). Cleaning the pulp after use is also a snap.

Cucumbers, apples, and pears go through very easily. Red beets take a little work. Carrots are easy, but make up the majority of the pulp. Also, too many carrots will clog up the pores in the strainer (so be careful) Romain lettuce and parsley are a little tricky. I recommend folding and juicing it first, then any fruits later. I tried cabbage; big mistake (it stinks). And, do not mix grapefruit with any veggie juice (the high acid with veggie juice tastes aweful after a few days in the fridge and is just bearable fresh).

Overall, and excellent addition to my lifestyle.

This is a great juicer and a hard working one at it. I got the same one at another website for $65, so u can imagine the heartbreak I got! I've had no problems with this at all and I have been having it for more than 2 years now and works perfectly even now. I would recommend this to anyone.