Appliance Reviews

Unlike the reviewer from Lexington NC (Short Lived, July 9, 2003), the fryer I received did not take six months for the circuit breaker to start popping. It started with the very first use and did it again on each of the next two uses. Fortunately for me it was within the first week after receiving the unit and I returned it.

The Euro-Pro fried excellently and the electronic panel was very easy to use. But after 3 months, the electronic panel failed and it rendered the fryer useless.

This unit has worked great from the first use. It heats up very quickly and cleans easily. As with all fryers care should be taken not to overload it, particularly when frying food containing a high moisture content. That being said, this fryer has great capacity and maintains cooking temperature well. It does have a few sharp edges which can be touched up with a whetstone or file.

I was very excited to see a high tech crock pot under my tree, only to find out that it is difficult to manuever. The menu screen is hard to read and I don't believe there is over 200 recipes, its like uh...what are my options? Not only is there little choice really, the buttons don't exactly function well. You have to push them very hard and you have to be a magician to find that working spot. If you have lots of time, this unit is for you.

I have to disagree with a lot of the negative reviews - I really like this crockpot a lot....the shift-to-warm feature is wonderful, as are all the programmatic functions. The lid fits just fine, and the pot is nice looking as well (yes, it's kind of big, but it's supposed to be! It's all pot, not additional packaging). I do agree that the recipes should be in a book, but, with that said, the recipes I've made so far were lousy anyway - very bland. So, the recipe function is an add-on that may be nice on principle, but not a reason by itself to buy the pot. Buy it for its digital capabilities, design and volume.

After two failed attempts with the other Rival slow cooker, I got this one for Christmas. What a difference! While the other crock pot was a slow cooker in name only, this did the job extremely well. I've used it twice on the low setting, and both times the food was cooked perfectly. The recipes were easy to follow, although it would be nice if they were also in a seperate booklet so they'd be easier to preview. Clean up was a breeze. I'd highly recommend this!

This toaster lasted for about 8 months before it started to burn toast on one side, even at low settings. We are very disappointed with this purchase.

Based on all the glowing reviews here of this toaster, I went and purchased one. It does toast bread just fine. But it is absolutely lousy on bagels and english muffins. One half of the same side too dark and the other half of the same side not toasted at all. Figured that I had a bad one. Exchanged it for another and it does the same thing. I am very puzzled HOW it can do so poorly on round items, but it does. Tried inside in, inside out. Always the half closest to back of toaster burns before the half closest to the front gets any gold at all.

This is the best toaster I've ever had. The toast always comes out evenly browned on both sides, even after toasting multiple slices. The cool touch sides are very nice for those with children. The bread lifter works very well.

The slots are wide enough for bagels and the toaster never burns them. However, if you buy specialty bread that is longer than a normal slice of the typical square bread you will have to trim it before toasting. The slots are wide, but short.

The only complaint I have is that you have to give the lever an extra hard push at the bottom when inserting toast or the toaster won't start toasting. The toaster also takes up more counter space than a typical 2 slice toaster.

I purchased the crock-pot on sale at a local store and when it was opened on Christmas morning and set the crock into the heating unit it rocked. The lid fit well, but the crock rocked no matter which way it was placed in the heating unit. When I went to exchange the item, the store did not have any in stock, nor did any other store in the area. Now I loose the $5 I saved on the sale or hope a store receives a shipment in soon.

First i must say that I bought this crock pot on a whim. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. It's a great size for my family and there is not one dish that i haven't made that hasn't tasted delicious.
I like the design because it is very sleek and i like that it has the print on it, because it matches my kitchen theme. If your looking for something inexpensive,affordable & reliable-this is the pot for you. It is very easy to clean and manage. the warm setting is the best, if you're not going to eat your food immediately when it is done.

I got this crock pot as a wedding gift and love it. I just throw in some frozen chicken (yes, frozen, can you believe it?) in the morning and by the time I come home from work in the evening, dinner is ready. I have used it a few times since we got married only 6 weeks ago. It has made my life much easier since I don't have to work so hard to get dinner ready when I get home from work. Cleanup has been easy so far. A quick hand wash and it is ready to go for the next day. My mom owned one of the original Rival Crock pots and it lasted almost 30 years. She has since purchased another Rival and is very happy yet again. I hope my Rival lasts as long as hers.

When I first pulled this out of my old dorm room supplies I was enthusiastic. It has a very nice, clean design. However, I was sorely disappointed when I tried to use it to make smothies with ice. It is VERY DIFFICULT TO GET IT TO CHOP ICE (it doesn't suck the ice to the bottom well). Go for something else. This model is inadequate. I'm looking for a new machine.

This blender is just ok. If you're making milkshakes or smoothies (minus ice) it works fine. Forget making any drink with crushed ice like a dacquiri or slushy. The ice ends up as 1/2" chunks. After suffering with this blender for a year, I just bought a KitchenAid Ultra Power. It is great!

I believe in the phrase, "you get what you pay for". There are plenty of blenders out there that you could have paid less for. There are some (no doubt) that are more expensive. This better than average mixer is perfect for home use. The stainless steel base is as tough as it looks. The plastic piece & blade on the bottom are fairly easy to clean & change if necessary. This blender whizzes thru ice cream shakes & frappes as well as those drinks requiring a lot of ice. Plenty of power too - make sure the lid is on or you'll be scraping that strawberry daiquiri off the ceiling. Great unit for the price.

This is the one Kitchen Aid product that could plummet them into bankruptcy. The plastic light-dark control knob broke-off after only 2 uses. The so-called defrost feature is a joke and couldn't pre-thaw a slice of rye bread let alone toast it. Bagels won't fit into the wire holder contraption thingie. The bagel button must control the garage door because it certainly has no visible effect on anything that's inside the toaster (if that's what they're calling it these days). It has 4 red pilot lights that I'd just assume have given up for a third helping of toast (which I'll never see). I wouldn't recommend this sleek and attractive overpriced paperweight to anyone. Stick with the mixers.

I have the yellow version which goes perfectly in my new beach house kitchen. However, I will have to return the toaster again--this will be my second time for the same reason. The reset button gets stuck and flashes like a VCR. Once the reset gets stuck (which is every other time), the only way I can get the toast to come up is to unplug the toaster. When it does work, it toasts perfectly, but I don't think I can accept such defects in such an expensive two-slice toaster.

This is truly a great toaster. It's well designed in every respect. The heating elements produces an evenly browned piece of toast that is crisp and toasted on the outside and and NOT dried out in the inside. I haven't seen a toaster produce toast like this in many years. It does a great job with bagels, english muffins, thick sliced bread and oblong slices of bread. It has an extra lift feature that gives you a little extra lift to get a small piece of bread out without using tongs. The re-heat function is perfect. It warms up a previously toasted piece and does not dry it out! I really recommend this toaster. Great job Kitchenaid!!!

If Delonghi has two engineers designing their fryers, the one who designes the functions deserves five stars while the other who engineers the product gets no stars. From reading other reviews, the problem always seems to be where the power comes in. Our case also. The plastic module to which wires attach burnt not only itself but also made a good black hole into the table. A letter to Delonghi failed to provide us with a new part, but we like the fryer functions enough to have bought a new one. This one is on a marble base. But please note that Delonghi does not send a marble block with this unit ...

I looked at many different deep fryers. Many claim to be a Stainless Steel Deep Fryer. The difference being the tub is stainless and the lid is made of plastic.The baskets are different grades of steel and chrome.

The DeLonghi offers a fryer tub and lid in stainless with a high grade steel and chrome used in the basket. You can check if it is stainless by using a magnet. It will not stick to stainless. The outer shell is made of high polished steel. This all makes for good heat transfer. Clean up is a breeze. You can clean the item with a rub and not a scrub. The filter is metal and requires no replacement.

The unit holds a gallon of oil and I prefer corn or vegetable oil rather than peanut. Tip ! Use the old container for storing oil.

The heating unit sits in the oil and offers a cool zone for food particles to fall below the heating unit. This allows the particles not to burn and ruin the oil. Easy clean up when oil is cold. Particles stay on bottom and not in the oil when pouring used oil in container.
The extra large capacity baskets will allow you to easily put 3 lbs of chicken with room to spare.

The max temperature of 360* is not a problem. 350* is more than adequate to cook any items for deep frying. Recovery time is excellent. The heating element of 1650 watts is more than adequate. Be aware a higher temp may brown or burn the outside while leaving the inside uncooked. Especially in thicker foods. Not to mention the higher the temp, the quicker the oil breaks down. Most food establishments operate their fryers at 350*. Higher wattage may cause your circuit breaker to blow where 15amp. breakers are used. Some require a 20 amp breaker. There is also a pressure switch to assure the heating unit is installed properly in the fryer in addition to having it's own safety breaker built in and can be manually reset.

There is a slot to hold the basket over the oil to drip excess oil off the item cooked. Tip ! Do not leave basket full of food over oil for an excessive amount of time since steam or heat from fryer oil may reduce crispiness.

There is minimal contact with metal regarding the plastic.
DeLonghi comes with a one year warranty and inside each box is an envelope with DeLonghi offering an additional 2 year warranty for only $12.00. Making a total of three years.

The manual is well detailed regarding use and care but very poor regarding cooking times. I guess since this is a commercial style fryer for the home , they feel the cook will determine when the food is finished. Keep in mind the food will continue to cook when it is out of the oil.

The electrical magnetic disconnect can only be inserted one way. The connection is also well protected in back of the unit and is raised off the counter.

I also like the high sides of the frying tank allowing adequate room for the expansion of the oil especially with fries. Not a problem with oil running down the sides!

I also like after cleaning the unit there is no after smell of oil compared to the plastic lids and side models.
The details regarding this unit can be reviewed in Review Details.

In addition customer service is readily available with a simple phone call offering a toll free number. Waiting times not an issue. Very responsive to e mails as well.If your looking for a high quality fryer with a excellent warranty and easy clean up this is for you.

Recommended
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 99.00

Fryer is engineered wonderfully, always reliable, always ready. Very easy to clean up. Everything except the element goes into the dishwasher! With a small funnel and strainer (one piece) the oil is cleaned and recycled quickly and easily. The unit doesn't come with a timer, so a reliable timer is also required.

Absolutely the worst toaster oven I have ever owned, and I have had several brands over the years. I bought it expecting a high quality item that would last for years. Instead we found the bread and bagel took ages to toast, and then was toasted unevenly. The oven seemed to overheat. And the dials were a complete annoyance as they were constantly being left on the wrong setting (toast/bake). Not to mention the damned ticking.

The coup de grace was when the top element melted down while toasting and completely fell to pieces on top of an English muffin. I won't be replacing it with another DeLonghi product, believe me.

Where is the XU150 version of this toaster oven? It has a chrome finish.

We have owned two of these ovens. The first was red. It lasted about ten years. Our current oven is black; it's in it's fourth year. It does a fine job of toasting - with grill marks! Baked potatoes come out crisp-skinned and perfect. We have never broiled, so I cannot comment on that function - sounds too messy for a toaster oven. It is a very stylist appliance to adorn a kitchen!

You'll regret getting this, yes it does leak... no matter how long you soak it. Very noisy... seems to be a lot of work for ice cream... I do have to say though the ice cream does come out good. BUT get the cuisinart automatic ice cream maker instead, I did and I love it!

I got this for Father's Day, used it about 6 times before it completely quit working. My first problem occurred because the paddle shaft was not long enough to fit completely into the motor housing. I corrected that by adding something (a piece from my son's lego set)to the bottom of the paddle thus extending it. Worked great--once. Then, one of the gears in the housing stripped making it impossible to turn the container. I took it back but since it was out of season there was nothing to replace it. This this is just NOT well made.

Picked one of these up at Target, but was very disappointed with the bucket -- it just won't hold any water. It leaked out the bottom. Of course, you want the water to stay in the bucket because the salt water will actually have a temperature slightly below freezing (helping the ice cream freeze better).

I'll be taking this one back. I wish I could find one with a plastic bucket -- sure, it make not "look" as nice as the wooden bucket, but at least I won't have to worry about it leaking!

It looks nice but:
1) The motor doesn't really hold up, and a burning electrical smell is common after minimal use (not that you are supposed to grind for more than 20 - 30 seconds at a time, still it has problems)
2) The lid is useless as a storage or transfer container. By accident I often move the grinds to the lid thinking that I'll scoop from here, only to have it overflow.
3) The plastic is of poor quality. 1 of 3 of these started cracking like crazy.
4) For the price you can do much better, if you have to get this style of grinder.

Machine looks cool, but does not grind the coffe finely enough! And, getting the coffe out of it (with that silly shallow lid) is a trick you don't want to try before your first cup of coffe in the morning.

I have had this unit for 8 months and haven't had any problems. It has ground my coffee fine enough and not cracked. I have not experienced a problem with it being too fat to hold with one hand, and I have very small hands. Some of the coffee does stick to the inside but is easily removed with a spoon or napkin.