Appliance Reviews

I used this fryer a few times and it worked quite well. About the 10th time I used it, the material coating the pot burned off and turned my food black. Of course I had to throw it away.

I really like this fryer. Easy to use, so we use it all the time. Efficient use of oil; holds temperature well; no surprises.

I fry things about 1-2 times a week, and I liked my fried things to be very crispy yet not laden with oil. I wanted something that would truly get to a hotter frying temperature, to make my frying quicker and more "healthful"...(healthy frying....is that an oxymoron or what?) Because I don't fry THAT often, I just needed something simple.

I like this fryer because the heat-up time is very quick, and there is much less splatter then if you were frying in a pot. When I fry, I usually do your typical fried foods: fries, onion rings, wontons, etc. I have not tried to do anything else in it yet.

If the oil is fairly clean after I use it, I will put it in the refridgerator, but not keep more than a week. This is a very simple fryer. If you are a more heavy-duty fryer, then you might want to look into a fancier one. The exterior is not cool-touch, and there is no basket. If you only do small batches of things, and don't really fry that much, or even if you do, then this will be a great fryer for you.

Admittedly this is a pretty inexpensive machine. Trouble is that the waffles it makes just really aren't.....waffles. I think that this machine is pretty much destined to stay in the cupboard. If you are chasing the taste of real waffles buy a real iron, or go to IHOP.

Picked up one of these, and a conventional wafflemaker, a few months ago when Amazon was blowing out all sorts of small kitchen appliances for cheap. The Toastmaster is easy to use and clean, but the "waffle" it produces is rather nontraditional. It's more like a pancake/waffle hybrid---large and round, somewhat floppy, with only a slightly crispy finish. Tastes good, yes, but if you're looking for the syrup-hoarding nooks and crannies of a Belgian waffle, look elsewhere.

I purchased this waffle iron last week from amazon, due to the amazing price. The waffle maker has exceeded my expectations for the low price!!!! The waffle maker is quick, and easy to use, and clean. The only downfall is that the waffles have a consistency more of a pancake than a waffle, maybe due to the light wave pattern, not the traditional waffle pattern. I don't know if it's because of the batter I used, or if its totally due to the waves. All in all, it is worth every penny! Don't miss out on this great offer!!!! :-)

This 8-pc. set looks real nice, but the price when I checked last was $89.99. Amazon has the 4-pc. set, same knives, in a better box on sale for $29.99. Just order two of those. I got mine today and they're beautiful. Haven't used them yet and it will take some time to get used to their slim shape after using clunky steakhouse-type wooden-handle knives, but they look classy. I live in SW Florida and everything down here rusts. We have to buy stainless steel and I love the way these look and feel. I don't keep mine in a box, no storage space, so I don't care what the box looks like. I have magnitized bars attached to the wall behind my stove where I keep all my knives. The boxes that come with the 4-pc. sets, however, are nice aluminum boxes with a fancy latch. I'm going to give them to my grandchildren to store their treasures.

I definitely recommend this set of steak knives from Wusthof. I've spent well over $250 on other knife sets with the butcher block type holder, only to be disappointed. With everyday use, the other knives with the rivets and wooden handles just didn't hold up as well as this set from Wusthof.

These knives are sleek and trim and I'm pleased with how well they fit with my Kelly Gold stainless flatware. The design is classic, so the knives should mix well with your own flatware pattern.

These knives are sturdy, cut well, look great, and are easy to clean. What more do you need? I, too, like the fact that these are not the huge "steakhouse" type knives.

As to the other reviews that are critical of the presentation box - well, it's not nearly as cheesy as these reviews state. It's really a pretty nice box. I'm not into boxes - I use these knives everyday, so they go right in the silverware drawer. But if you are hesitant to buy because of the comments about the box - forget it. It's certainly decent enough.

I really don't think you can go wrong with these. It's a great set of knives at a reasonable price.

First off, let me say that we don't eat much steak any more (cholesterol problems). We're not steak knife experts who insist on some particular type of blade edge. We do NOT like big ugly steak-house-restaurant type knives on our table. And finally, we don't care a fig about how good or bad a storage box looks. Our knives are rarely stored for long because whenever we serve any meat or fowl, we've always put steak knives out with the flatware. And OH MY, this Wusthof set is *phenomenally* nicer than the equally simple but hysterically expensive black-handled ones from Germany that we've been using for decades. This is solid, sleek, hefty-feeling stuff. The design goes wonderfully with our other flatware ranging from fancy to plain (in fact, the steak knife is actually heavier than some of the flatware pieces sitting next to it on the table). And YES it DOES cut very well indeed -- which is all hub & I ask from any knife!

This review is for NN-S560WF which I had for 3 years.
No complains but it stopped functioning recently. Panasonic authorized center wants $75 just to look at it. I am going to get a new one for this price. I have also tried to do home repair but this one does not come with a circuit diagram. High voltage generation is done by an electronic invertor assemblly which if goes bad is very difficult to repair. New invertor costs $150 !!!. Most other microwaves use conventional HV units and are repaired easily and parts are cheap.

If you are looking for a microwave which lasts longer than this may not be the product for you.

This unit looked sleek on the store shelf and was reviewed well here so I was excited to get it, even though I really wanted a white microwave and it's almost impossible to find this unit in anything other than black.

When I took the unit out of the box, I noticed chipping on the door and stains on the unit, so I took it back and got a replacement. The replacement had the same "chipping," which turns out to be an awkwardly designed door hinge, and I just decided to live with the apparent staining, even though cleaning just makes it worse. When you wipe the unit down, it dries unevenly, leaving it looking really old even when new.

The buttons are not very sensitive, so the unit slides on the counter whenever you press a button, unless you put your other hand on the back of it. On the plus side, it isn't a particularly deep unit, so you get a lot of power for the space it takes up.

At 1300 watts I expected faster cooking, but this unit doesn't cook or heat things any faster than the tiny old Kitchen Maid unit it replaced, and that one didn't even have a carousel. Items are colder toward the inside than on the outside.

On the plus side, the unit is easy to use and clean, but overall, it's quite a disappointment.

I really have only one heads-up for potential buyers. I was disappointed to discover this unit cannot be programmed the night before to cook something the following morning. I've been spoiled by my older microwave, which allows me to place a bag of tea in the cup, punch a few buttons and go to bed knowing I'll have hot, seeped tea when the alarm clock goes off.

Otherwise, no complaints.

Our daughter loves fruit smoothies more than anything, so we ordered the Waring Drink Mixer for her for Christmas. When we opened it up to set it up on Christmas Eve, there was no mixing cup in the box. It may be a good product, but poor customer service ruined her Christmas morning...

I read the reviews about how great this thing looks in ebony, and decided to check it out for myself (buying one from Amazon). The electrical cord is WHITE, sticking out the bottom SIDE of this BLACK mixer. What an eyesore. If you happen to have a white countertop ... no big deal. If not, be prepared to struggle to get the oversized cord redirected out under the bottom back of this thing. Kudos to the design engineer at Waring that approved this debacle.

I got a deal on this one (clearance) but it's worth the full purchase price. The main thing that sold me was the fact that the whipping blade (agitator) is metal. All the other drink mixers I've seen have a cheap plastic agitator and I've heard stories about them chipping/breaking off which made me very hesitant, even though I've wanted one for a long time. This [one] will not chip or shatter...in fact it did a good job of nicking up my favorite 18/10 stainless steel spoon I was using to stir my first milkshake while it was mixing! It's a solid, well-built addition to your kitchen whether you use it once a month or 10 times a day. (It also looks great next to my KitchenAid mixer.)

This mixer is underpowered - it cautions that no stiff dough or mixture over 8 ounces should be mixed. It is not clear why they even bother to pack a dough-hook given the power. But that's not all. The bowls are shaped badly, so material accumulates in the sharp angle and escapes mixing. They are so narrow that adding ingredients without hitting the beaters is tricky. And finally, the beater release button is a chore to operate. We once had confidence in Farber products. No more.

This machine places the beaters in a fixed position into the CENTER of the SMALLER bowl. So you must scrape the sides of the bowl to help mix the ingredients. The manual warns not to scrape while the mixer is in operation.

Using the LARGER bowl is a breeze. I do no scraping when mixing a double batch of pancakes. For the larger bowl, the outer edge of a beater is aligned near the bowl edge. I just put the ingredients into the bowl, lower the beaters in, and turn it on. Within 20 seconds the pancake batter is thoroughly combined by the action of the mixer.

I did not try the dough hooks.

The following is not a complaint. I'm including it in case I'm not the only cook who did not know this about making big batches. I was surprised to see the manual state, "Never fill mixing bowl more than 1/2 full - the mixing action will cause the ingredients to rise in the bowl. Mix large recipes in several batches."

I filled the 4 quart bowl with 4 quarts of water. The level went up to about an inch from the top edge of the bowl. So 4 quarts is not the capacity for what can be mixed at a time. It is the capacity for what can be stored.

Also from the manual, "Do not attempt to knead more than 8 ounces of heavy dough or batter (heavy cookie dough or candy batter) at one time."

I received this mixer as a birthday present a year ago. I love to bake, so I use it for everthing from liquid cake mixes to stiff cookie doughs and frostings. Anyone who does cake decorating will appreciate the powerful motor for mixing stiff Royal icings. The bowls are of generous size and do not come off while mixing. The push botton controls and pause are easy to use and the entire unit wipes clean. I would recommend this mixer to anyone who is looking for a quaility and durable mixer.

I was given this item as a gift years ago and it has been used regurlarly since. I'm glad to find it's still available! All my friends and family have asked where I got it. Now I've found it! On the down side, the Teflon has worn somewhat but other than that, not a problem one. I'm a single guy and I love it!

I love this unit. It's inexpensive and it grills to perfection in no time.

I am not a cook. I ate out every night of the week until I had kids. This makes grilling SO EASY and it takes less than a minute for cleanup. I would TOTALLY recommend this grill to non-cooks and cooks alike! Especially for those who do not have outdoor grills-- a great substitute for grilling steak & burgers.

I'm on my second in ten years...
It's the fastest way to an ultra fresh cup of coffee.
I could care less about the "go" part - they should sell it cheaper without the stupid mugs.
BUT WHERE THE HECK DO YOU GET SPARE FILTERS ON THE WEB?!?!??!?! ARGH.

I've had one of these Brew-N-Go's for two years and I just adore it. My mother broke my first one while visiting (it's a gift she has with appliances) and even though I loved this one I decided to try a Cuisinart brand that makes two cups. I absolutely hate that thing! So, I went out and bought another Brew-N-Go but they only had the one with the metal cup (I can't put that in the microwave) but I bought it anyway since I could use the cup I got with the first one and regular cups when I'm staying at home. I ended up taking this one to work and I've been dealing with the dreaded Cuisinart one on the weekends. Now I'm buying my 3rd Brew-N-Go for sanity's sake and my husband can have the other evil machine (I bet we throw it away). Why do I love this one so much?
1. Permanent filter (never having to remember to buy filters!)
2. When you lift the lid up to make another cup of coffee, water from the steam from the previous cup doesn't drip down the outside of the coffee maker leaving a puddle under the maker. (the Cuisinart one does)
3. Left hand friendly!!!!!
4. You don't have to use a special brand of coffee or a special coffee pod though you could use one if you wished.

What could be wrong with a fresh cup of coffee with every cup? No one in my office makes it twice the same way in the big machine, so I just make my own.

For those of you that don't like having to clean the filter - Duh!
Try putting a paper filter in it. I buy the #2 filters and fold them twice. I also often make two cups before changing the filter. #1 filters work, but are too small to use twice.

This model does not feature UV protection on the glass door so it's useless for storing wine long term except in a garage or basement. If you plan on installing in your kitchen, get something else with UV protection. Haier has a higher end model that does feature UV glass. Too bad because I think it's very stylish and understated and actually nicer looking than the higher end model.

The main thing to remember here is that you need to either situate this in a dark place (a basement would be better than a garage since your electric bill will be less) or you need to plan on using it only for short-term wine storage -- very important fact to remember in deciding on models to purchase.

In spite of previous reviewer who obviously can't fit the bottles in right, I managed to store 47 (yes, 47) standard 750ml bottles. All you have to do is alternate the direction the necks point on the bottom two shelves, holding 4 each. I fit 9 on the top shelf alone, but it has to be the right bottle shape. The other five shelves will hold 6 bottles each - 5 in a row, plus a sixth at a right angle so you can see the label thru the door. It's a snug fit, but it can work...

I use this to store red wines, and it does a great job for my needs. I have a small apartment, and this unit's size was perfect. It keeps the wines at the proper temp, and yes there's a faint bit of gurgling noise when the compressor is operating, but no more noticeable that your household fridge.

For the money, this is really a great deal, esp. with the 5-year warranty. ...

Received as a Bridal Gift. Very nice, beautiful non-reflecting curved glass shows off our collection of Napa Wine.

I would have preferred a waffle/toaster that could also grill meat. It takes too long to heat up and cool down to facilitate cleaning.
The cost is a little high for what you get and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
I recall having a toaster similar to that in my youth and it recieved a lot of use, this item won't.

I have two of the Hamilton Beach 26290 Waffle Baker/Sandwich Griddles and use one of them very frequently. It is perfect for one or two people but when the kids are here (they love grilled cheese sandwiches) it is not really big enough. I have no trouble making two sandwiches at a time on each unit and the cleanup is a breeze. The concept of two appliances in one is great for it saves storage space.

The way it cooks, ease of use, and quick cleanup is the reason I give this Hamilton Beach Waffle Maker a five star rating. I've been having waffles for breakfast every morning since the first time I decided to give it a try. I use it for waffles and grilled cheese sandwiches, and I am very pleased with the results. Cleanup is a breeze because the plates pop out for washing. It is especially ideal for a single person on the go.