Appliance Reviews

I brought this Rival deep fryer based upon the reviews and the brand name. For me, the Pros are: fast to heat up(dial lights up when on and green light comes on when it is ready)-no beep like on the stove timer, easy to clean the housing, cooked so fast that the chicken was almost too dry, the price wasn't bad, and finally has large capacity. Now, the cons are: took up much counter space (handle sticks far out), required a gallon of oil to fill to the min. level, but the basket fill-line level was marked very low compared to the entire basket, my husband complained of very pungent greasy odor when entering the house(the odor filter was supposed to I thought contain most of cooking odor), I couldn't not view the food even after following the direction to drop oil on the inside window(so I had to lift the top each time to look to see if it was done) and lastly I had to really scrub to get the basket clean to send it back after using it once. Overall, did a good job but required too much space and oil. I went back to the chicken fryer. Cheaper; requires less space and oil.

This deep fryer has a removable pot, which makes it easy to clean;its 3 litre capacity is perfect for a family of 2-3 and you don't waste too much oil. I have been searching a good deep fryer for a long time, and as soon as I saw this one in Target store, I knew this is the one. I had other deep fryers before and the designs are so stupid, which makes it so difficult to clean. For this one,its design is just the way I want it to be and cannot get any better.

This is a great fryer! I use it at least 4 or 5 times a week.. sometimes more. Someone said that the level of oil was really low.. well, it is. But when you place food into the basket and then into the oil, the oil rises.
Yes, you do get an oil smell in your house after using it, but you get that with every fryer.
We love the stainless steel look of this fryer and everything about it! We have had this for about a year and it still looks new even though we use it so much!!! If you are looking for a fryer, this is definately the one to get!

As for the product: I'm not into modern rice cookers. My parents have a double-lid contraption from the 60's, and it cooks the best rice out of any other place/person/cooker I've ever experienced. The new swing-lid, sealed ones cook well, but I have a soft spot for cooking mine in a plain ol' pot, as I can monkey with it while it's cooking (spices, etc.).

The real reason I'm writing this review is some misinformation from another review...
I live in the middle of rice-country in California (The last statistic I had was that CA was #2 or #3 in US rice production, following either TX or LA...), and have -literally- eaten rice 3 times per day, sometimes. I LOVE rice, and there are so many ways to cook and enjoy it that I consider it a "perfect" food.

A statement in a past review caught my attention, and I feel it needs clarification. Another reviewer wrote that rice needs to be rinsed before cooking so it won't foam. According to the reviewer, foaming is the result of packer-applied talcum powder.

Talc is NOT used by rice manufacturers and packers in the US. It was used in the past, but not now. I don't know if it's still used in Asia.

Talc wasn't used to keep rice dry, like with an infant. Talc was used to make the rice look shiny. I guess people thought shiny rice was good, or something. So, rice would have to be rinsed before cooking in order to wash away the powdered rock. People in the US still rinse rice out of habit, though there is no need. A family friend told me that she always saw her mother rinse rice, so she thought that was something "that just had to be done".

NOTE: There is no such thing as white rice. All rice is brown rice. White rice is merely brown rice with the "brown" ground off through the process of milling.

As a consumer, you wouldn't want your rice "dry". Ever. I won't go into the whole harvest-drying-milling process, but dry rice is a bad, bad thing.

In the end, you have rice with some moisture in it (around 12-13% average moisture), even after it's in a bag, sitting on a store shelf. Totally dry rice cracks and breaks easily, so that's why it needs to have some moisture when being hulled and milled, or else you'd be left with nothing but little broken bits of rice instead of nice, whole grains. Dry rice also doesn't cook as well as rice with some residual moisture.

Currently, rice is coated with glucose in order to make it more shiny (I guess people still like shiny rice...). One could argue that the glucose and some bran residues from milling would cause the boiling water in your rice cooker to foam. More likely, the starches being drawn out of the rice are causing the foaming. Think of how risotto becomes creamy -it's the starch being drawn out- and of sticky rice, which is really starchy.

The steamer insert can be used to steam broccoli or other vegetables like carrots while the rice is cooking. Simply put them in the top of the steamer after filling with rice and the water. I will often add special ingredients to the rice and love the fact that I can just leave the rice to cook. I know it will turn out perfect every time. Here is my favorite recipe. Depending on the rice you use, you can adjust the amount of water. This works well for me, but there are so many varieties.

SIMPLY RICE

When a mother calls her family to a meal in Thailand she simply says, "Eat rice." Rice is an integral part of meals in many countries. Over 29,000 grains of rice can be found in one pound of long grain rice. Lemon juice and butter can be added at the end of cooking to compliment a meal with fish.

2 cups uncooked long grain or brown rice

4 cups water

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon butter or favorite oil is optional

1. Place rice in a sieve with small holes, rinse rice in cold water.

2. Rice cooker: Place rice, water, salt and butter or oil in cooker. Turn on and check when done.

Hint: Serve in a large dish or press rice into small custard cups or a rice mold; invert on individual plates. This gives a professional look to your meal. For variety, two teaspoons chicken or beef base added to the rice adapts the rice to different meals. Sautéed onions, mushrooms and leftover frozen green bell peppers may also be added.

Makes 6 servings.

I haven't used it to cook rice yet. I decided to try steaming vegetables in it first. This is a great device. I use to own a cheaper steamer but it just didn't hold up. I really love my steamer and use it several times a day to steam vegetables or fish.

This product is very useful and works as advertised, but has some flaws to be wary of.

Good points:
1. I juiced three pears in a little over a minute.
2. I don't have to find counter space for a separate juicer.
3. I can go from one fruit to the next quickly.

Bad points.

1. Pressing too hard on the intake tube causes it to brush up against the rotating shredder points on the bottom, causing it to shave off slight bits of plastic. I'm assuming this will be self correcting after using it a couple of times.
2. Pear peels tend to accumulate quickly and to thick levels on the mesh sides. I assume apple would too. It made it a bear to clean, even with a good soaking.
3. Cleaning means scraping your knuckles on the grater grid on the bottom.

I love this juice extractor attachment. If you already own an 11 cup processor and you like fresh vegetable juices, than this product is great! I've always wanted to make my own carrot juice, but hated the juicers I've used at friends places. They are such a hassle to clean! I also didn't feel like having another machine in my kitchen. This juicer attachment only has three parts which you place in your processor and all are easy to clean and even dishwasher safe.

But most importantly - I didn't really expect it - it works! It's as fast as when you use a disc attachment. You push the vegetable in, the pulp is collected and the juice comes out. I highly recommend this attachment!

I already owned the Kitchen Aid juicer attachment, but it has one flaw. You have to cut things small enough for the feeder. Seeing an infomercial for Jack Lalane's juicer, they put everything in whole. Since this attachment addicted me to juice (and the pulp, which is even better), I bought that juicer as well. What a huge mistake. The cleanup associated took me twice as long as chopping a few things up to start with. And my entire dishwasher was full of parts. Juice splattered all over the place, and dripped out for several minutes when I was done. That unit will go in the back of my closet, only to be brought out if I need to make 100 gallons of juice. It might be worth it then. I'm going back to my wonderful KitchenAid.

This mixer broke down in the middle of Christmas cookies - and it wasn't that old. I purchased it a few years ago. The poor durability of this mixer in a brand that should deliver a better product is unacceptable. My old GE hand mixer lasted 5 times as long as this one did, and cost a lot less. I wonder about the quality of the motor if it could burn out in such a relatively short time. I do agree with other reviewers that the low speed was too high; no major differences between speeds 1-3; they were all fairly highspeed.

Wow! I got this mixer as a wedding present. I was making my husband his birthday cake and it mixed the ingrediants up fast! Like that other reviewer has noted, it is true that even the slowest speed of the 5-speed is very fast, much, much faster than the slow speed on any other hand held mixer I have ever used! But, let me tell you it works great!
Plus, I love the beaters! They don't hold onto the cake batter like my Mom's! And, they clean up in the dishwasher easily.

Of course I have only used it once...so I may come back and add more especially since the baking season has just began.

One very important note for any mixer pour the liquid ingrediants over the dry before beginning.

It is really quiet- you can still carry on a conversation or have someone else talk on the phone. It mixes really well. Low speed isn't as low as I would like, but it works. It does splatter a little with REALLY liquid stuff, but it isn't bad at all. Nice handle, light, good heft, and nice beater heads. One bad thing- there isn't much frosting left on these beaters to lick off; they're too thin for that.

Only the inner corners of the waffles are good: the corner parts are soft and soggy, not crispy, and that's after you've cooked them 10 minutes-- not 90 seconds as the technical specs claim! The 1200 watts power output sounded good compared to other cheap waffle-makers, but the maker is actually not very effective (I guess since it's covering a larger area than most.)

If this is your price range and you're making waffles for two people, better to use a smaller machine and split each waffle in half to share, than to make 4 waffles at once where only part of each waffle is edible. I'm returning mine.

Crispy, tasty waffles await- no need to hesitate- this waffle maker is great!
Yes, you need to watch out when pouring to avoid too much run-off, and yes, it would be nice if the plates were removable, but other than that this is a lovely wafflemaker. I also recommend the recipe for Basic Waffles in "The Joy of Cooking" and real maple syrup!

I was unsure about using this waffle iron based on the not so great reviews, but I found it good. The waffles came out nice and brown and not soggy at all. Dont fill up the iron too much or it'll overspill.

I bought this because of using a Rowenta iron for a few years and knowing that the extra $ for it was well spent. Also, after reading reviews from this site and reading its high ratings from other people who had purchased it. If we don't have a defective one then everybody who gave a 4 or 5 rating is insane!! I bought the new one because my girlfriend was tired of the one I owned for 10 years and I thought Rownta would make a bombproof unit like their irons. It is the most uneven toaster I have ever used. I could care less if we paid $15-20 that would be expected but considering their price no way. I'm in the process of returning, I'm going to try to get another one and see if it was faulty but I'm not holding my breath. They need to stick to irons, diversifing is diworsifing.

I gave this toaster four stars as I have been, overall, very pleased with the toaster's performance. I have been using mine for about two months at the time I wrote this review. The toaster has the usual 1-7 numbered dial, used to choose the level of doneness, as well as an "eject" button to immediately trigger the toaster to eject the bread. What made this toaster unique to me was the defrost, bagel, and bread warmer functions. The bagel function works wonders for those of us who like the crunchy, toasted top of a bagel while still maintaining the chewing centers, by activating only one side of the heating element -- cool. Also, the bread warming function works by setting your bread on top of the toaster, instead of inside, and the heating elements are activated so the heat rises to reach the bread. I use this instead of the bread warmer on my George Foreman grill, as I find it much more effective. It is also a good way to heat breads such as croissants that you would normally either have to place in the oven or the toaster oven. I have not yet tested the defrost setting, which in theory defrosts your bread before it toasts, so I have not comments on that function other than to say it sounds good in theory. The only reason I did not give this toaster five stars was that I did not find the cost conducive of making it a "great value" -- it was worth the cost, but not well worth the cost. In summary, if you are looking for a toaster that does just a bit more so that you don't have to bother with a toaster oven, this is a great solution.

We have gone through several toasters over the years and I can say with confidence that this Rowenta toaster is the best we have ever had. I use it nearly every day and it is a joy. It is noticeably faster, so much so that I had to change my routine. I would always start the toaster and have time to set the table, pour juice or coffee and flip the eggs before the toast popped up. Our Rowenta is so fast now I wait until its about time to sit down. It has a bunch of other features that I like too. I sometimes freeze bread, and the defrost function takes away the step of microwaiving the bread to thaw it first. Results are better too. The bagle function makes sense so you don't burn the outer crust or scorch the onions or sesameseeds.
I hesitated but paid the extra for the model with stainless steel and it looks great on my countertop. Other toasters have lived in the cabinet but this one acutally makes the kitchen look better. A real quality product, just like the irons.

I purchased this blender off of Amazon because of the good reviews it received, which I can usually rely on, but not so much this time.

I bought it mainly to make baby food, but also wanted it for smoothies and iced coffee drinks as well. I've only made baby food in it as of today. I had to add a LOT of water for the blender to "puree" the apple pieces. ("Puree" is in quotes because it didn't exactly puree the apples, just chopped them up finely) Because of all the water I had to add to get the blender to work, I then had to strain the excess off, which isn't a HUGE problem, but I'm a work at home mom, I don't have lots of free time. ALSO, when the blender was running, it smelt like burnt plastic. Which is why I haven't tried making anything in it with ice yet. I mean, if it smells like burnt plastic when it's "puree"-ing something soft, like apples, how is it supposed to crush ice??

I gave this blender 3 stars, because it works ok for softer things, but the smell of burning plastic makes me a bit apprehensive about it's quality and how long it'll last. In heindsight, I wish I had bought a different brand.

Of all the Hamilton Beach products I have ever owned, this has been the best one. It's very sturdy, it doesn't leak, not too noisy and it's really quick to clean. The price was the best part. It was one of the cheaper blenders at the store but it works so well. Nothing is worse when you're blending up a drink and it leaks out the bottom. I have nothing but positive things to say about this blender.

It's surely hot in Texas but thanks to this super blender I can have some tall cool ones ready in a jif - from smoothies to more potent libations. I very much like the plastic shell rather than a heavy glass that is real work to move around. Plus, the price is right.

The blender has also served us well in chopping for summer salads. It's always on our kitchen counter, and usually in use. We're happy with Hamilton Beach!

- Gail Cooke

This would be a great juicer if not for these problems. Juicer will literally move across the table when the pulp gets unbalance. I don't mean vibrating or shaking, I mean this thing will spin across the table. This happens every time even after replacement from KitchenAid. I didn't get a faulty one, it's just a bad design. Watchout! this thing is dangerous. For the price they're charging and the KitchenAid name, I expected better. Another problem, strainer basket is impossible to clean even with the spatula. Definitely get something else unless you plan on juicing in small amount and clearing the basket repeatedly. This juicer should be recall.

When I took the unit out of the box I was impressed by the predictable stylings of the KitchenAid machine - until I used it. The feed chute is so small that it takes me 15 minutes to make my juice in the morning. My daughter in law bought the cheaper one from Amazon.com about a month ago called the Juice Fountain. Although I haven't heard of the brand, the unit is very nice looking and it is about 5 times faster to use. I am new to juicing, and don't know if other juicers are like the Kitchenaid, but this really seems to be very slow and labor intensive. It makes great juice and I feel better for drinking it, but I wish I had have bought the cheaper unit.

I still have my Kitchenaid mixer and love it dearly, but in my mind, they don't have what it takes in juicers.

REVIEW:----------------- This Juicer is a Great juicer, and if you know the ""Trick"" to cleaning it, well its a snap and makes this juicer a realy great Juicer.---------- First off, it is very quiet while juicing, and is juices very smoothly, no shimmying across counter top, like some customers have stated of other juicers. It does not foam up, and I have been able to juice over a gallon of juice, with only having having to spend 40 second to lift out baket, scoop out the pulp, and reassemble the juicer, before you are off again.-------- The citrus fruit juicer attachment, which is included at no extra cost, is well made with two sizes to juice large and small citrus fruit. It has safety features that will insure safe opperation while juicing citrus fruit, (some other brand juicers, will require you to purchase the juicer attachment at an additional price). The citrus fruit stainer is so great, you could can juice boxes of citrus fruit, while only having to stop and empty the citrus strainer after every about 30 medium peaces of citrus fruit.-------------------------------------For cleaning, it comes apart very quickly, without any difficulty, there is only two peices too take apart from the base unit.-----------------------------------------After spending many hours of researching the specs of different juicers out there. Then reading several customer reviews for many of the juicers sold by Amazon.com. I decided to purchase this KitchenAid Juicer.---------------------------------- And there was only one negative review concerning the KitchenAid Dual Function Juicer, about difficulty cleaning small food out of strainer, THERE IS A SIMPLE TRICK TO CLEANING!!! ------------------------------------ First off, the "Shaped Spatula", looks like part of the packing material, and was almost trashed, lucky I have always insisted, all packing materials are saved, and not put into the trash. Because if you loose this special shaped spatula, you might as well forget about cleaning this juicer.-----------------------------------TRICK TO CLEANING: Take the basket & the special designed spatula. Using the shorter size of the spatula scrap / scoop the left over fruit material out of the strainer basket.----------------------Then use the specially designed spatula's shorter side to scrap with on the outside of the basket. it will fit pefectly. Then put it under running water, and scrape the outside of the strainer basket, it will scrap off the the pulp that is stuck through the micro screen basket. As you turn the strainer and scrape under the running water, you will see how easyly the strainer basket is cleaned.................. Then repeat the process on the inside of the strainer basket while under runing water. Once you see the pulp clean from the strainer basket's inne sides. --------------- Then the next step is to cup your hand under the strainer, (vertical held), while the water is running. Since the pulp floats in water, the slight remaining pulp will float in the pool od water you have created, Then slightly tilt the stainer, and the floating pulp will float over the rim and out of your stainer. Leaving the strainer fairly clean. Repeat the prpocess as needed.---------------------------------------I am juicing 4-5 times each day, sometime as much as a gallon of juice at a time. It cleans quickly and juicer quickly and quietly. I am very happy with this product!!! I strongly recomend this item.Jeff

I bought this model of waffle maker some time ago and it worked swell for about 2 years until one day it just stopped working for no apparent reason (I wouldn't say I used it heavily either. Maybe once every few weeks). I see from other reviewers here that I am not the only one who has had this experience. Customers would probably be better off choosing a waffle iron that will last longer.

This wafflemaker is awesome! I'm making buttermilk waffles using the included recipe as I write this review. The last batch came off the silverstone surface so cleanly, there wasn't a crumb left. And they were just delicious - beats an Eggo hands down.

I live in a tiny apartment with a tinier kitchen, so space is at a premium. This little wafflemaker is just the thing for breakfast for two in the morning - then put it away, leaning on a shelf - without sacrificing much-needed counter space.

If I had a complaint, it'd be that this wafflemaker doesn't make what I think of as a "Belgian" waffle. Although the squares are big, they're about 1/3 of an inch deep, so the waffle itself is about 3/4 inch thick total. I think of a belgian waffle as being maybe one and a half inches thick. But you can crisp the waffle dark, dark brown without burning it if you like that; and the wafflemaker is very forgiving with batter quantity, making good waffles even if you use way too little or too much batter.

Overall this is a great machine and if you favor a romantic breakfast for two you gotta buy it! Throw some blueberries into the mix for me!

This is a simple, but wonderful, waffle iron. No bells or whistles, but very easy to use and makes simply wonderful waffles. Heats up very quickly, waffles cook quickly, and cleanup is minimal. My son and husband are quite used to homemade Belgian waffles on the weekend, thanks to this waffle iron. The price makes Belgian waffles a very affordable luxury!

Dont like the toaster function. Sometimes great sometimes poor Oven has worked flawlessly, frozen pies et al.

This is the largest capacity toaster oven I've seen in this price range, which greatly increases its versatility; it also has two shelves that can be arranged in different ways. So far, the one thing I do not like about it is that "on" and "off" are controlled through the timer. Not only is this a somewhat confusing extra step, but timers are notorious for being the first thing to wear out. Whether this is a problem or not remains (at least a decade, I hope) to be seen. Another reviewer lacked an instruction book and asked for the directions for toasting. For most toasting, use the bottom rack in the "up" position. Turn the temperature control knob to "Max." Turn the function selector knob to "Toast." (Both the top and bottom heater elements will operate.) Turn the timer knob past 15 minutes and return it to the desired setting (for bread, I'd recommend starting with no more than 2-4 minutes and taking it from there).

I bought this toaster oven for my dad for his birthday, and I'm registered for one for my club wedd registry. The oven is big enough to toast or heat just about anything, and it really helps out when our regular oven is busy. It can do all the functions of a normal oven, but it keeps the kitchen cooler during Florida summers. In response to the other review, here's how you toast: Turn the temperature dial to the hottest temperature. Turn the function to toast. Turn the timer past the twenty minute mark and then turn it BACK to the two pictures of toast or the desired time you want to toast. It's not hard at all! This is a great toaster oven! And it looks really nice too!