Appliance Reviews

I rate this the same as I did the 88503, in reddish orange. Still had the issue of the cord becoming detached from the Pot causing the Fondue to become unheated. This Pot is also easily cleaned, pop in the dishwasher.

I like this Pot better than the 88503 better because of the lid, I don't like to leave htings sitting out uncovered, if even for only a few minutes.

Highly recommend

There are really two main competitors in the high-end mainstream kitchen knife market: Henckels and Wusthof. Those who have used both usually have a preference. My preference (and therefore bias you should know about) is for the Wusthofs.

The Wusthof Grand Prix line is a more modern design than the Classic series, with a simple black handle. The balance and grip of these knives are as close to perfect as I have found. For those wondering what benefits a higher priced knife provides, one benefit is that the blade (or tang) is one piece all the way through the handle. This makes the blade much stronger, and less likely to snap.

This particular model, the 5 inch boning knife is a good knife. In my review of the 6 inch cleaver I noted that most people really don't use a cleaver anymore, as they buy either pre-cut/pre-packaged meats, or they have the butcher cut the meat into loins or steaks for them. However, I think this knife is slightly more useful for the everyday cook than the cleaver. I find this knife useful for both boning and fat trimming. Although this knife is probably not essential for a starter collection, I would add this knife before a cleaver.

The microwave isn't real space saving, though it's not amazingly big. But the advertisement as "space saving" surely isn't accurate. The microwave itself works very well, I haven't had a problem with it so far.

The display and the overall usability is also great on this. Setting the clock, quickly heating something and other features are easy and need no instruction whatsoever.

The microwave looks amazing. Stainless steel combined with a slick interface makes it look pretty great.

My only problem is the toaster. While it works fine with normal bread, it's limited size won't allow me to toast pita bread unless I cut it in half, or toast pizza, etc. Of course, you can't expect all that much, but my old microwave toaster combo had tray replacement for toasting, so you could toast large things. Anyway, it's a great combo at a good price.

I just got the Standard Showtime Rotisserie. Overall, I am happy with it. The things I don't like about it is the Standard model is on the big side, is heavy and definitely takes up counter space. The spit rod axle makes a constant loud squeaking noise, but if you put vegatable oil on it like they say to do, it stops. I think they are light on the cooking times they recommend. I find that I have to cook chicken and roasts almost twice as long than they recommend. Also, I found with a roast, I couldn't tell when it was done. I would think it was done, start to slice it, and have to put it back on the spit rods and put in back in the rotisserie for more cooking time, which was a pain and definitely not setting and forgetting it. Also, the infomercial shows a fully cooked roast, etc. in a spotless oven, which is ridiculous because there is grease all over the broiler grate, spit rod ends and glass door. The glass door is removable to wash though. They say to clean the heat shield once in awhile. You have to clean it every time you cook, and even with SOS pads, the stains won't come off. Be prepared to use a lot of SOS pads at clean up. I used someone's advice and sprayed the broiler grate with Pam before cooking which makes clean up much easier. The walls of the oven don't get too bad. You can wipe them down with a sponge. The BBQ gloves are awkward to clean because of trying NOT to get the inside wet. Then where do you store them to keep them clean? They're huge. 99% of the outside of the oven becomes hot so you have to be careful with not touching the unit. The only things that do not get hot are the little handles on the glass door and the timer area. The thing that really annoyed me is that I received the unit with 3 missing accessories and the company is a joke to deal with. To prove I was supposed to get these accessories, I had to send and re-send faxes to California because there was one problem after another with the company NOT receiving these faxes. I also had to call numerous times with substantial hold times each time to straighten this out. They finally did send me the missing items at no charge AND they extended the warranty to 3 years for free because of all the trouble I had to go through. Even with all of these negatives, the food still comes out very well, you don't have to get your regular oven as dirty (but clean up takes awhile with this) and it is a pretty versatile machine.

After reading all the reviews, I decided to take the plunge. I have used my machine for chops, chicken, ham, roast, and vegetables. To make this an easy to clean appliance, you simply line the drip tray with foil, and spray the grate with non stick spray. I also add water to the drip tray and this eliminates all smoke and adds moisture to the meat. After I finish cooking, I just empty the water out, wipe off the foil lined tray and clean the grate which is very easy to do.The foil lasts through several cookings and cleans up in a snap. I have found this machine to be as easy to clean as a roaster from the conventional oven.As for the inside of the machine, I just wipe it down each time. I can completely clean the Showtime in about 5 minutes. If you like the taste of rotisserie cooked foods, this is certainly a good investment.

I acutally have the smaller version of this machine, that cooks up to a 12 pound turkey. It was purchased for me as a gift, since I would have never bought something like this for myself. My family has adopted the "Atkins" eating plan and are always looking for new ways to EASILY cook meats. Well this machine does it all...my friends thought I was the greatest cook in the world when I easily cooked a chicken in the machine. It smells yummy when it cooks and I have found clean up to be very easy when you line the drip pan with aluminum foil. You can also use the drippings in the pan to make great gravy if you are so inclined.

The final scoop-if you live a busy life(like me) and don't have lots of time to spend in the kitchen but want quality, quick cooking options, this machine should be on your list.

I purchased the Ultravection oven after watching the infomercial several times. I was intrigued by the design and the price seemed more than reasonable. Having used it for several months, I can say the following: 1. For frozen foods and snacks, it is invaluable. It cooks the food perfectly in a fraction of the time required with more conventional methods. 2. With three heat settings and a programmable timer, you can experiment with your food to get the necessary doneness and browning. 3. Cleanup can be a pain, especially with fresh meats. However, I wait until the oven is cool and then spray a little Simple Green, wait a minute and wipe clean with paper towels. I also line the drip tray with foil, a technique suggested in an earlier review. 4. Toasting bread is better done with a toaster or toaster oven. The Ultravection takes longer to do this as you have to turn the toast over in the basket.

Overall, I really like the Ultravection Oven. It saves time and energy and produces perfectly cooked food. For the price, you can't go wrong and I think you will use it more and more as you experiment with the settings/timer.

One of the reviewers didn't like the design. I must admit that I was at first baffled by the door that comes off with a basket attached to it(strange design indeed). The oven's bottom funnels down to a crumb tray underneath which makes for easy cleaning.

The door/basket is perfect for loading with french fries, tater tots, cheese sticks, rolls, sandwiches, onion rings, potatoes, chicken, pork chops, small pizzas,etc...etc. Everything gets equally heated top and bottom!

The controls are unique...If you're cooking a pizza just push the special "pizza" button. Everything else you cook will use a combination of three mode buttons: turbo(how done you want it on the inside), crisp(how crisp you want it on the outside) and brown(how brown you want it). Push buttons are used to select the amount of time in each mode(sounds hard but it's simple). You can taylor all your food to suit yor taste.

It comes with a very useful videotape to get you started. I've got to stop writing this because I'm getting hungry thinking about the great food that comes out of this fantastic oven!!

One last thing: My power bill has gone down since getting on of these!!! This oven will pay for itself fast because the price is great!!

Bought the oven about a year ago, use it about 4-5 times weekly and love it. Chicken, steak, pork chops, fries, sausages; they all come out perfect. Wife loves it too. In-laws are here and are very interested in purchasing one. I haven't had any of the problems other reviewers have had other than the smoke. But I got over that. Great Oven!

I have used this personal coffeemaker for several years, and it works great with many handy features. No coffeemakers for less than six cups make decent coffee, so my rating is in comparison with other 4-cup or less models.

The little filter basket is a good size for the little single serving filter packs, and the included filter is good if you prefer to measure ground coffee. If fresh coffee is not available at your office, this model is very convenient and compact to use at the office.

The mug: I have a huge collection of useless travel mugs, but this mug is a great design - both for the car and for carrying around. It really keeps coffee hot a long time, and it is easy to drink from it with the lid on without dribbling coffee all over. The black rim does not have a weird taste like other mugs. Besides using it with the coffee maker, it gets a lot of use as a coffee mug, since the lid makes it easy to carry coffee without spilling at the office and the coffee stays hot.

In short, if you prefer a personal coffee maker, this model is a very good choice.

I recently read all of the customer reviews on this product and found myself laughing. Doesn't anyone know how to brew a cup of coffee? This product is excellent and I haven't had one single problem with my Brew 'n Go.

I've heard that it overflows; that they can't pour the water into the unit; that the coffee tastes like rubber; that the maker turns on magically--or won't turn on at all; that coffee grounds get everywhere, etc. I think the problem must be with the users themselves.

The first time I used this, I read the instructions beforehand, plugged it in, put my 2 tablespoons of coffee into the filter-- which is great I might add--filled my cup up with water, poured it in, added sugar and creamer to my cup, put the lid on, put it under the brewer, hit the switch, then had a steaming cup of wonderful coffee in seconds. I got to throw out my electronic mug warmer, too, since the coffee stays hotter longer.

This product is great for people on the go, for people who only drink a cup of coffee a day, and for people who don't like to spend an eternity cleaning up!

I recently purchased a Black & Decker DCM18S Brew 'n Go Personal Coffeemaker with Travel Mug, and I can honestly say that it makes the best tasting coffee ever!
Using the same amount of water, coffee & creamer in any of our 3 other coffee makers does not produce such a smooth, full bodied flavor.
If you need a 'morning wake up call' then the Brew 'n Go is the answer. I give it an A+

Having read all the reviews for each of the deep fryers on here, I decided to give the T-fal a try, even though a few of the reviews were negative. My first use after receiving it was "interesting", There were a few things that concerned me, such as a little smoke, and a few "pops", which could have been caused by soap that I may not have completely rinsed off when I washed the oil pan before using. Also, after the specified cooking time for french fries, they were nowhere near done, so I figured I had one of the bad units I read about in the reviews, until I realized that I accidentally snapped off the magnetic plug (safety feature) on the back when I moved the fryer on the counter.

Now, for the good part of the review. Starting with the second use, everything worked perfectly. I used a french fry recipe I saw on a TV show where you cut/slice the potatos (3/8" cut), soak in ice-water to release starch and keep from browning, dry them, cook them at 325 for 3 minutes, drain them, bring oil up to 375, then cook for another 4 minutes...and they turned out perfect! (I'd put them up against McD's any day). After that, I figured out the timing to make french fries and chicken nuggets at the same time, all in a shorter amount of time than the suggested cooking times for the T-fal. That's about 15 nuggets and a "large order" of fries all done at once! The food was crisp, done perfectly, and was not greasy at all.

My comments on concerns I read in the reviews:

Temperature swings: I don't have a deep-fry thermometor, but it does cook crisp fries and chicken nuggets in less time than the T-fal instructions recommend.
Oil odor: Slight - didn't last, and it wasn't bad.
Can't find filters: www.t-fal.com has replacement filters, although the model number doesn't match...it looks like the same one.
Broke after 'X' number of uses: I've only used it 10 times so far, no problem. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Bottom line: Great food - fast. I'm glad I bought it.

Adjustable temps, NO odors the next day, and changeable carbon filter elements, dish-washable everything that gets oily, removable oil container so you can store the oil without draining (I just put saran wrap over and rubberband around top, pop in fridge when cool). Fast recovery heater gives tight temp control, as well as quick heat-up. Trick basket handle allows lowering and raising of food into oil, *while* top is sealed, so once you get your cooking times perfected, cooker never needs opening except for loading/unloading. Safety and no oil splatter/mess/odor; nice. I studied all the reviews & features before buying this one; I think it's the best T-FAL has to offer. Cook Thai, Viet, and Chinese 'wok' deep-fry without the odors and mess. I'm sold.

We shopped around for deep fryers & ended up deciding to get one that had all dishwashable parts (basket, inner container, lid). Well, this one ended up being in my boyfriend's gold box & it was one of the models we were considering, so he bought it. We are so happy with it. It makes deep frying so easy! And clean-up is a breeze!

Good points:
1) Everything we'd cooked comes out crisp & not greasy. No more soggy oven baked fries for us. But, we have only used it on the highest temperature setting... the others seem too low for us. We measured the temperature and it does heat up to the right temp.

2) No odors, but some steam does come through the lid. We do run the range top exhaust fan whenever we cook & the fryer is near the range so that might help.

3) We really like the removeable inner container. You can either store the oil in the fryer at room temp or put the inner container into the refrigerator. Cleaning it is really easy too since you can put everything in the dishwasher. In most other models we saw, the inner container was not removeable. We like being able to dishwash it. The removeable inner container also makes filtering the oil easy. We just put a paper towel over a seive and filter the cooled oil through that.

Minor complaints:
1) The handle seems kind of delicate though, so I wouldn't leave it in the open position because it could get broken off if bumped.

2) And the electrical cord is kind of short. Our kitchen cabinets are kind of low, so we have only one spot on the counter where it can go & the cord is barely long enough to place it there. A cord a few inches longer would give us more options.

3) The basket does seem kind of shallow/small. It'd probably be hard to cook large or tall items. But, we don't really eat large pieces of fried food, so this hasn't been an issue. We just like having some fried food along with the rest of our meal. Also, there's just 2 of us (though he eats as much as 3 normal sized people), but it seems to make more than enough. And it's easy enough to use that you could fry a few more batches if needed.

All in all, we think this was a great purchase. Deep frying used to be a big project with a messy clean-up when you're done, but now it's so simple! This is one of the best things we've bought!

I was really looking forward to owning this coffee maker, but am very disappointed in it. First, the clock started shutting itself off and when I would try to reset it, the numbers would only be half there. I would have to unplug it and leave it unplugged for 5 minutes or so. Now I'm afraid to leave it plugged in over night, which makes the extra money I paid to have the model with the timer a waste! Then, it stopped keeping the coffee warm for more than a half hour. Then, the coffee wouldn't even be warm while it was brewing. Now, it's started leaking all over my counter. I have to keep a cup under it. I've only had this model for about 2 months. The problems started immediately! It's going back to the store tomorrow! I'm giving it 2 stars because it's a great concept. But, Hamilton Beach should have tested and perfected it before putting it on the market. What a hassle!

I've only had the coffee maker for a short time; however I couldn't be happier. It makes perfect coffee; and the timer is awesome! Clean up is very easy; and with the warming plate the coffee doesn't get burned in the holding tank. I've had the Mr. Coffee machines and the Black and Decker as well; they all break and have their little quirks. Unlike the majority of people I have to use distilled water because of the extreme hardness of my water, so the filters are of no concern. My last coffee makers were Mr. Coffee with the thermos type carafe ($50 machines); I went through two in three years. We make at least 12-15 cups of coffee everyday so our coffee makers get a lot of use. This by far is the best coffee maker we’ve ever had. My counter is now clean and my coffee is always ready; nice and hot without that awful burnt taste, even after three hours!

We can't believe how good this coffee pot is. We've tried just about every brand and style, including the old Darth Vader Cuisinart with the grinder that was so hard to clean. Not only is this coffee pot easy to clean, it also happens to make the best cup of coffee we've ever brewed, and the price is incredibly low for such a high-quality machine. We've had the pot for several months now and have had absolutely no problems with it. The only fault we can find is that it tends to drip a little coffee on the counter under the drip catcher, but this may be a function of the kind of mugs we use and not the coffee pot. We have the version with the built-in timer. We recommend this pot without reservation--in fact, don't just get one for yourself, get one for your best friend and all your family members. They'll love you for it!

The bowl started to leak fluids after only 2 use. I carefully hand washed the bowl with a soft sponge after each use. It made great ice cream and sorbet, but is now unusable. This has happened to at least 2 others (there's one review here, one at e-pinion). I'm having trouble finding Krups customer service, so I think I'm going to throw it away go with another company.

The Krups 358-70 La Glaciere Ice Cream Maker is simple to use with clearly written instructions and few parts. The pint container fits easily even in a small freezer. As advertised it makes ice cream in about 20 minutes. My first batch was a luscious fresh peach, using the base recipe that turned out wonderfully. The batch needed a little extra freezing, but just a little, before it was ready to serve. All 2 of the parts clean up quickly and store conveniently.

I wish the instructions had a few more "modern" recipes. There was a recipe for Rum Raisin in the back and I don't know anybody who likes Rum Raisin. But if you pair the Krups 358-70 La Glaciere Ice Cream Maker with the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Cookbook you'll be fine.

I won this and just tried it today and still feel in heaven with the taste. I had a friend send me a recipe and it was a lot like the one in the book(they say there isn't many in the book. There are about 20 if you would be satisfied with that, otherwise buy a recipe book) I had vanilla and it took about 4 hours to make 1 and 1/2 quarts, but the one in the book is shorter. It has easily assembly with only about 6 parts. You need to freeze the container for 24 hours before you make the ice cream. Than you make you mix and dump it in. It spins(fairly loudly) for 20-60 minutes(your choice of hardness) Than you take it out and refreeze it for about 1/2 an hour. Than the heavenly ice cream is ready to eat. It doesn't make a lot, but it tastes great. The only set back I have found is with the vanilla ice cream. It takes vanilla beans in my recipe and they are quite expensive. There are a wide varity of kinds, including coffee, but remember I said there are a wide varity not many recipes(where's the logic to that?) This was very easy to use and seems to be very durable. I don't know how people say its not a great machine. I absolutely love it and hope you will too. I hope I was of help

Got this thinking it was a great deal when it was on sale at Amazon. Immediate burning smell from the motor. Continued for the next 3 days as I thought giving it time to get rid of factory lubricants etc may help - no such luck!

Given the number of people that have had a similar experience, I think Waring needs to recall this entire line and/or Amazon needs to stop selling these in the interests of safety.

Plus it's loud - why deal with all this when you can get better designed and manufactured blenders?

I just got this blender! It is the best! There was a letter include with mine that addresses some of the problems some of the other reviewers stated. (1)Try to avoid using hard frozen fruits. (2)To blend a better beverage always start off on high speed to help it develop the proper torque to do the job. Then use either speed. (3) Ideal for blending ice drinks. A hint is to keep the blades in the container covered with liquid, turn the motor on, remove the lid insert on top of the jar & feed in ice cubes slowly. (4) Always put in liquid in first. (5) BIG ONE -- always hold container lid with one hand when blending!! I think some reviewers aren't used to high speed blenders and walk away from it while blending and wonder why the top flies off. Buy it in any color and you will love it! Read the directions and all you need is two speeds. I love it's retro look which is one of simplicity! Buy it!!!

Update 5/2/2003 -- I still love it! It makes the best frozen Margaritas! And no problems at all. BUY ONE!!!

After reading tons of blender reviews on this site, we decided to add this Waring model to our wedding registry list, and after trying it out for the first time, we're glad we did! The blender did an AMAZING job making drinks from a frozen mix--within seconds, all the ingredients were combined and completely smooth, with no chunks of ice remaining (like we used to get with our old blender). There are only two speeds, high and low, but really, nothing more is necessary; I just used high for 5-10 seconds and then finished with a few seconds of low for good measure. The blender is loud, but no louder than other models we have used in the past, and since it works so quickly, you won't even have time to be bothered by the noise! The glass pitcher was sturdy, and the soft rubber lid was much easier to use than the lids of any blenders I've used in the past. There was absolutely no leaking despite frequent use over a time frame of just a few hours, and the blade parts were simple to remove and clean. We are very satisfied with this blender, and I would recommend it highly.