Appliance Reviews

After reading some 100+ blender reviews I purchased this classic blender. The metal drive was certainly a deciding factor, good looks notwithstanding. But even more decisive were the claims that this is an ice crushing monster.

And guess what? It IS. I used the Oster in a side by side comparison test with the Cuisinart 7-speed Smart Blender in a ice-off. The beehive made a much more frothy pina colada. The Cuisinart had to blend longer in order to pulverise the ice, which it finally did, but it definitely struggled. The Oster immediately chewed up the ice cubes. These are both 500 watt blenders, sufficiently powerful and up the to task, but the Oster is the clear winner.

This particular Cuisinart is also chrome and very handsome and it has a very nice large glass beaker, but the Oster can't be beat for price and performance. SO..........if you're out there researching and reading about the blender wars, this is another vote of confidence for a classic machine.

This blender is excellent. It crushes ice very well & has an all-metal drive. 2 speeds is just enough. We compared it to very expensive models and it won us over with the cool retro beehive look from the 50s. We like the glass container too. It sits securely in place when blending. This model also made excellent all-fruit drink by blending ice cubes, juice, chunks of apple, orange, and pineapple and it worked just perfectly.

Tip for ice crushers: nuke cubes for 10-15 seconds & pour on top of liquid in the carafe. You will get perfect drinks every time in this blender.

We like the professional results like the professional models at a very affordable price. Can't beat it. We would recommend it to anyone.

I bought the Oster blender a few weeks ago, largely based on the reviews I read on here. It has lived up to its reputation. This blender is a powerhouse. I'm still trying to get used to blending things for a only a few seconds rather than a minute or so. The only thing I don't like about it is that it only has two speeds. After seeing this blender work, I'm not sure I really needed 7 speeds in the first place. You can't beat the price either. The cuisinart and kitchenaid blenders are $100, while this one is half the price.

All Tilia's products are overpriced, but I have not seen a better vacuum sealer on the market. My neighbor across the street bought a Rival, and after using that for a week and then trying mine, return the Rival and traded up to a Tilia. The product has a powerful vacuum and is well-designed. Tilia's profit-business model depends on you buying accessories and bags, and charging you a premium too. Well, the accessories are very well made, I'll say that. As far as the bags go, don't buy them, you are paying for convenience. Buy the rolls. Even better, buy the rolls made by Rival as they work just as well, are thicker, and much cheaper!

The FoodSaver Pro II does a wonderful, powerful, & amazingly easy job of vacuum sealing appropriate items. I have nothing but praise for its design & operation, and I am usually hyper-critical of home appliances. The bags are strong & durable, & the containers come in a wide range of sizes. People who criticize the need to pre-freeze some foods or wrap others before sealing them (having apparently been misled by a TV infomercial) are expecting the impossible. Bread, for example, is filled with air holes-that is what causes it to rise. If you vacuum-pack unfrozen bread, you'll end up with a cracker - but that's not the fault of the machine, it's an indication of its power! Most of the pre-freezing requirements are either to prevent crushing or to prevent liquids being sucked into the machine, & all of them can be avoided by using vacuum containers instead of bags. Ditto for powdery or sharp items, although I've packed all kinds of grains directly in the bags with no punctures. Although the containers are initially expensive, (& only certain ones are freezer-safe), you can re-use them indefinitely. The supplies (bags & containers) are expensive & it's hard to find them discounted, although you can if you search hard enough. Overall, a superb product for those with real-world expectations.

I HAVE OWNED THE ORIGINAL PRO II MODEL SINCE 1985 AND IT IS STILL WORKING GREAT. THE MACHINE HAS WORKED PERFECT ALL THOSE YEARS. I WOULD RECOMEND THIS PRODUCT TO ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO SAVE ALOT OF MONEY. I USE IT EVERYDAY AND WOULD BE LOST WITHOUT IT. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. PS I JUST ORDERED ANOTHER PRO II TO USE IN MY KITCHEN AND GOING TO USE THE ORIGINAL IN MY DOWNSTAIRS KITCHEN

We originally were looking at a George Forman grill since, after all, GF grills are the "kings" of the market. We liked this because it was bigger and would handle our 2 adult, 2 young children family better.

We are very happy with it. The pluses are that it cooks great with it's top and bottom cooking, gives you a timer to limit how long you cook so you don't overcook, is very easy to clean up, and has a slanted surface to drain off the fat into a small removeable fat holder. It folds up and stores on it's side -- very nice!

The only less-positive comment is that the grill area does not come out, which would make cleaning the outside edges a bit easier (I'm sloppy at times so at rare times, the sauce goes outside the main grill area). Also, you can not adjust the temperature. (Not that I would know what to adjust it to.)

However both of these points are common to most of the other grills and they are minor.

All in all, I'm extremely happy with the grill! And the food it cooks taste great! I''d by it again if I needed to.

I never thought I would every buy one of these. I was surprised when my brother told me he had a George Foreman grill. He told me it actually did a nice job grilling. I was intrigued since my brother likes good food. So I started looking at prices. I was surprised how much they cost. Then I ran across the Hamilton Beach on Amazon. It was a great price for the size, so I decided to go for it. I couldn't wait to try it out. It shipped quickly...! I grilled two 1/3 lb burgers, and it had room to grill onions and 1/2 a portabella mushroom on the side at the same time. The burgers were soooo good and juicy, I was amazed! Another day I grilled two new york steaks, wow, and it only took 7 minutes to cook! I've also grilled chicken that was frozen and it came out perfect. Even my 14 mo old loves the meat that I cook on this grill. Not only that, it's a time saver! Now I look forward to cooking and figuring out what I can grill next. There is the clean up, it's not too bad. I just poor some water on the grills and let it soak, and wipe it off in a few minutes. Better then having to clean a BBQ grill. The timer is also nice. Once I forgot to unplug it, and fortunately the timer also turns off the grill, which was a great feature. It could use a larger grease tray. I once squeezed 6 chicken thighs on the grill and there was so much grease/juice that came out that I had to empty the tray midway. Other then that I am extremely happy with this grill.

have used the George Foreman Grill, then bought this one - love it! The only downside is that it doesn't close all the way when grilling thick steak or chicken, but it still works fine. Grills quickly, and is VERY EASY to clean (unlike the Foreman grills.) I'd highly recommend it.

After seeing a french press on TV and reading the reviews I wanted one of these things to get the "greatest cup of coffee ever". After following the directions and recommendations on using it for about a month I can say that I have not noticed any big difference from the drip coffee I used to make. The press does take an insignificant amount more of effort than a drip maker but it's not hard to make or clean. I just haven't noticed any more flavor, richness, or aroma in the coffee to justify the cost of the press. I'm going to go back to the drip coffeemaker for everyday coffee making and use the press only when I want to "impress" somebody. LOL

This product has a number of negative aspects to it, particularly if you're accustomed to the Mr. Coffee style makers. You have to boil water separately. You have to use a coarse grind of coffee. You have to manually pour the water into the container, stir, wait five minutes, and then manually press the plunger to the bottom of the container. Cleaning the coffee press involves considerably more than tossing a paper filter in the trash and rinsing out the basket. The coffee press will not keep your coffee warm for you.

The one thing it has going for it is the ability to make one of the finest tasting cups of coffee you've ever had.

If you value convenience over quality, if you typically get your coffee out of a can, if you actually like coffee made according to the directions on the side of the can, if you ever drink instant coffee, this is not the coffee maker for you.

If you're willing to sacrifice time, convenience, and economy for the sake of a wonderful, rich cup of coffee, you will not be sorry about purchasing this coffee press.

Anyone who says a drip coffee maker is easier and faster is A) Lazy, B) wrong, and C) NEVER cleans their Mr. Coffee!

This is a GREAT thing ... makes GREAT tasting coffee with none of the bitterness of a dirty Mr. Coffee ... and takes just a minute to clean up. If you love coffee, buy this! The coffee REALLY tastes MUCH better and cleanup is really NOT bad!

Simply boil or microwave the exact amount of water you want, pour in your coarse ground coffee, pour in the HOT water, stir and wait a few minutes (the longer you wait, the stronger it will be), press the bugger down, and drink a GREAT cup of coffee.

BTW - Most coffee makers CANNOT get the water hot enough to brew quality coffee and release all of the flavors. This does not have that problem since you pour boiling water over the grounds.

If the technical aspects of a cappuccino before the crack of dawn have you actually contemplating drip coffee again, check out this machine. You'll have to re-learn how to make a cappuccino, but once you get the hang of it, you can break speed records. For double caps, two scoops of pre-ground espresso go in the coffee spout. Turn the bizarre looking top a quarter turn, push down the lever and turn the pump on. You'll instantly get a perfect espresso with more crema than I was able to get with any kind of consistently from our many previous machines. And it takes less than a minute for the water to heat in the unit for making coffee or arming the frother with steam in this sturdy machine. The best part comes in the clean-up. When you're ready to make the next cup, turn the lever on top a 3/4 turn and it will simultaneously dump your old grounds in a hidden bin and stage itself automatically for the next cup. That's zero coffee grounds on the sink and the ability to crank out a cappuccino every two minutes.

I've had this espresso machine for about a month now, and I've used it daily to make 2 cups of crema coffee or two shots of espresso for lattes. So far, I'm loving it. I use it with Illy Scuro pre-ground espresso which seems to be the perfect grind for this machine, and I fill the water tank with filtered water from my Brita pitcher. The espresso has great flavor, the crema is rich and golden, and the easy cleanup means I have no excuse to buy coffee rather than making my own. Once a week, usually on the weekend, I empty the used grounds bin and clean all the removable parts, but between times there is basically no maintenance. Additionally, I live alone, and so the ability to make a single cup of coffee at a time is a big plus--it's what deterred me from daily use of my regular drip coffeepot, not to mention the cleanup factor. The machine is a little pricey, but when I consider how over the past month I have not been into Starbucks once, I've already made up a substantial percentage of the price. Overall, I am extremely happy with this purchase.

This machine makes *great* espresso and crema and is very easy to operate (after taking 5-10 minutes to review the directions). It is wonderful when making several cups at a time as the used grounds are automatically dumped into a hidden reservoir which reduces time and clean-up between brews.

I have only noticed problems with coffee temperature if I use the steamer first, then switch to coffee mode. Otherwise, coffee temps are perfect. I have not found a grind that is too fine for this machine, and it seems the finer the grind, the better the flavor.

My only real beef is that condensation collects in the coffee chute, so some of the grounds get stuck on the way to the brew chamber.

Save your money on this one. All it does is toast. It does not have any other temperature, not really very good at reheating. buy a regular toaster instead of this one.

I've had this model for nearly two years now. It takes nearly twice as long to toast bread as a normal toaster, because it has energy saving quartz elements, which don't heat up as quickly. Since there is no temperature control, there is only one setting - really hot.

This could ruin your day if you just want to reheat something through, so here's a piece of advice: for things like frozen pies, pizza and reheating rolls, put them on the top shelf and turn the heating element knob to Bottom Rack. That way you don't char the surface while the interior stays cold.

The 'Bagel Best' setting is great for people who, like Sting, like their toast (or bagels) done on one side. It's a nifty feature, but the bottom line is that this toaster oven is limited to toasting and heating only certain kinds of foods. I would recommend it for people who want just a very basic toaster oven.

I want more versatility in a toaster oven these days, so I am shopping for a new one.

1) I love the design of the toaster. It's vertical with two trays on top of each other. This helps save counter space for those with limited room. And personally I like the unique design. 2) It heats up fast and you have the option of heating up just the top rack, just the bottom, or both at the same time. 3) It's reliable and seems well built. 4) Price-wise it's a great value.

Update Feb 13, 2003: I've had the toaster for around 3 months and the oven is in good working order. My only complaint is with the "cookie sheet" pans that go in the oven---they flake easily. Like the surface of a non-stick cooking pan that's gotten old, these pans started flaking shortly after. One of them I left in the sink and my guess is that the continued exposure to water caused it. Whatever the reason, they're pretty cheap pans. Overall, I'm still happy with the way the oven performs.

This 6-Cup rice cooker makes excellent rice and does it easily and in a predictable fashion. However, I found the rice-cooking instructions to be useless and the markings on the cooker difficult to see. Instead, I measure rice and water in a measuring cup according to rice package instructions, and fluff rice after just 5 minutes steaming (instead of suggested 15 minutes). This earlier fluffing seems to reduce crusting. A power switch seems logical, but isn't provided. Easy to clean and a nice size for a small family. I have no regrets. Buy one now!

This rice cooker makes perfect rice, clean-up is a breeze, & the "Keep Warm" setting is great.

I usually cook store-brand long-grain white rice, & I do not rinse it before cooking. I have experienced no problems with excess moisture or "spitting" or any other problems. However, I do feel the need to point out that I do not use the amount of rice & water specified in the rice cooker manual. If you get the rice/water ratio correct, this rice cooker will make perfect rice. If you follow the directions in the manual & find that the rice doesn't cook properly, you need to experiment around with the proportions of rice & water until you find what works for you.

Because the manual is not that great, I can't give this appliance a 5-star rating. The manual only contains a couple of recipes, & there are no instructions regarding how to cook American-grown rice that doesn't need to be rinsed or about how to cook packaged rice mixes.

Nice looking, compact and light, yet very efficient and reliable. Rice turns out perfect every time with no burnt or brown remnants at the bottom. The extra money spent on this is well worth every penny. I've purchased other small-type models in the past that were much less expensive, but they weren't worth it in the end. You just can't beat a Zojirushi. I'm glad I bought it! I highly recommend this.

I purchased my fryer in January after my other open top fryer died. I researched many days before deciding on this one. The first two times I used it, I was in heaven! THEN the third time I added the same amount of product that I had in the past and it proceeded to boil over! ( through the filtered vent area) I had to raise and lower the basket constantly in order to keep the unit from boiling over. I read in the manual that this could happen with wet food or if I added to much. I adjusted my amounts and also dried off the french fries with a paper towel (very time consuming) It still boiled over! I lowered the temperature and guess what?? it boiled over! And if that isnt enough, the oil that condenses on the top of the lid pours out the back of the unit as you open the lid. What a terrible mess it makes. So, either I bought the only lemon out there, or Delonghi needs to make some changes!

I have been searching for a good deep fryer and finally found one. The Delonghi D690 is excellent. It looks nice and it does not feel flimsy.

The timer is a good feature although it feels like a last minute add-on. The tube for emptying the oil is very helpful. I think it is patented because this is the only fryer that had one during my research.

The temperature setting is not flimsy as the majority of the fryers out there.

The only bad thing about this product is that it has Teflon non-stick coating on the sides of the pan. The bottom is not coated so I guess it is not going to be a cancer hazard since it is the bottom where the heat is generated.

The 690 deep fryer is the best in this price range without a doubt. I bought one last month right here, after EXTENSIVE shopping and comparing of prices. It has the biggest basket of any of the 2.2 pound capacity listed fryers. Yes, I went to Sears, Target, Walmart, The Navy Exchange (I'm in the Navy), and
other stores and looked at them ALL. It has a drain hose to drain your oil, heats up great, cooks great, has a timer, window
to view your food, an excellent filter, and clean up is painless. I've deep fried onion in batter, like you get at some restaurants, chicken, Stuffed Jalepenos, Egg rolls, and even made Funnel cakes like at the carnival, all with out problems and a lot of greasy food. I highly reccomend this fryer if you are in the market for one. Oh yeah, the wife loves it too. Very little smell.

This grill is definitely better (dollar for dollar) than the infamous George Foreman grill. My college roommates and I usually buy about fifty frozen hamburger patties from costco every month. Each frozen patty takes only 15 minutes to cook, making it perfect for a quick inbetween-class meal. You'd be suprise at how much grease is extracted from each meal!

Now, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to use this grill in a small room (ie. dorm) unless you don't mind your place smelling like a busy kitchen for a few hours.

The Extra Large Contact Grill is only large compared to the smaller foreman grills. It really will only hold about two steaks, 3 burgers (2 if they're big), 3 chicken breasts, and about 2 lrg pork chops. If you have a big family, I suggest you go up one model to the even bigger grill.

I really don't like washing cleaning. This grill is improved from the previous model, because the heat panels come off, and are dishwasher safe.

In conclusion: Great grill for smaller families. Awesome grill for college folks in an apt/house. Not so good for dormatories. Easy to clean.

The Hamilton Beach Meal Maker Express is not only better designed and more sturdily made, it has more features, and BETTER features. After owning and using this marvel regularly for two years, I do nothing but rave about it to everyone I know.

Fast easy meal for one: 2 frozen chicken thighs, sliced onions and bell peppers. Set the cooker/timer for five minutes, flip chicken (I usually slice it into fajita strips at this point), move onions/peppers around on grill, add some salt and pepper, set timer for 8 minutes and DING! Dinner's ready!

Of course, cooking non-frozen food is quick and easy, too. And, if you've got a lot of mouths to feed, simply lay it flat and get twice the cooking surface.

As others have noted, cleanup is a breeze - just toss everything into the dishwasher if you're lazy (like me). And the grease collector is INSIDE the grill, so you'll never spill the grease all over your counter and floor, as so often happens with George Foreman's crummy shallow-grease-dish-on-the-counter design.

If you're looking for a superior countertop grill, you won't regret replacing your Foreman with the Hamilton Beach Meal Maker. It simply can't be beat. The price is right, too! ...

I used the grill for chicken tenders and in 5 to 7 minutes it was done and very tasty. I marinated the chicken in Teriaki sauce before grilling. Also had steak and did a wonderful job of cooking it. Its fast, easy to clean with the removable grids (grills) and a side drip grease tray. I brought this cause I wanted to cook the meal fast and is easy to clean.

I highly recommend this for a single or a couple of people, otherwise get a bigger one.

I had a lower end foodsaver sealer for 7 seven years, till the heat sealer bar went. Bought this one and love it. Read the review from people in Denver who had problems with the alitutde there, I lived at 10,120 feet above sealevel and mine works great(St.Mary Glacier CO.) We used it to put meats up, like wild game, to seal potato chips bags, and lunch meats, and meals. Don't have a problem with liquids either, if you hold the bag below the sealer(like on the side of the countertop), and keep the liquids in the bottom of the bag, if seals fine. Also on not sealing, I notice my husband has problems, he usually doesn't seal the 1st side of bag right, and has a air hole, which allows air in. I double seal the 1st side. A great product, with so many uses. I use mine everyday, and can't see life without it

This is one of those pleasant times that you find that the hype meets expectation! Here in Oregon, fishing and hunting are dominant activities and making the most of one's bounty is critical. I shopped on-line with all of the major stores for this midrange model and Amazon provided the best price and free shipping! The shopping experience was excellent! This device extends the freshness of your catch, whether you wish to eat fresh, smoke your game, or freeze it. I use it hand-in-hand with canning, smoking, or otherwise preserving meat and it performs its duties flawlessly. It is much like this was designed especially for the fisherman! This particular model had the features that I was looking for such as a Vac Channel for moisture dispersal, an adjustable time switch on the sealer, and a Manual Seal button. The mason jar sealer works extremely well and is an efficient method of keeping foods fresher longer. I would recommend this particular model to anyone interested in long term, efficient, food storage, (without having to pay up to twice as much for the Professional Model).

The FoodSaver Vac1050 is my second vacuum sealer unit from Tilia. An earlier model just wore out from constant use. The unit works flawlessly and will pay for itself many times over. My freezer is full of foods bought in bulk and separated in vac bags for individual meals. I especially love the ability to seal foods in canning jars. Coffee, brown sugar, rice and flour are just a few of the dry items that will retain their freshness in these containers. I like to make large meals such as lasagne and stuffed shells, divide them into individual servings and freeze the portions in the resealable bags for lunches. And the bags are reusable even when used to store poultry. A little dish soap mixed with a few drops of bleach will kill any bacteria that may have formed. One suggestion on bags: Cut the bags much larger than you need. In this way, you can reuse them many times and just throw away the part that you have cut away when you open the bag.

This is an absolute 'must have' for a family. You can purchase food in bulk and never have to worry about spoilage or freezer burn. It will be one of your most used kitchen appliances and you will wonder how you ever got along without it!