Kitchen Reviews

We've tried all the faucet filters available and were not satisfied with any of them. Last year we bought a Brita and have never looked back. The water has absolutely NO taste after being filtered. Which is good. Before filtering it has a strong chlorine taste. My only complaint, and this is NOT Brita's fault, is that because our water has lots of particulate matter (which we were swallowing before we got the filter!) the filters last only 2-3 weeks, not months. But otherwise, it performs much better than the other major brands. Highly recommend.

I always get these filters from amazon.com, they are cheaper, and they ship it for free (when i buy 2 of them)...

they work, they're afforable, and they make the L.A. tap water actually taste good. the only problem is that I go through them so fast because of how awful the tap water is out here... but who cares, it's worth it. much cheaper than buying bottled water.

I must admit I was skeptical in owning a pot rack, how would it look with pots on it etc. But alas my lack of space and remodeling my kitchen allowed me to try this out. I looked for pot racks for a long time researching on the web. I find this to be a huge space saver, and it holds my heaviest Le Creuset, and cast iron skillets etc with no problems. Just use balancing principals, offset one side heavy pan opposite side heavy pan etc. Very easy. I had to buy extra chain to come down from my high ceiling and had a professional hang it for me so I have no worries of it coming down. He measured it so it would be within my reach. What a joy, and easy to get pots off and put them back on. The hooks hold well, which was another concern of mine. In no way is it an eye sore even with ugly beat up pans.
A purchase well spent. If you love to cook you'll want to buy extra hooks. Highly recommended.

My Aunt was getting married and someone had beat me to the punch in buying her the Calphalon Cookware set she desired. As I looked over her list I did not see a pot rack on it. I could not imagine getting such a lovely set of cookware and putting them in a cabinet. So I bought her one of these babies. She was thrilled. She had wanted a pot rack, but was not buying a house for about a year, so she was going to wait. House is bought and rack is up with lovley Calphalon pots and pans glistening from the ceiling. She loves it. I plan to get one myself, when I have the room. I already have many Calphalon pots and pans. The price is much better than what I have seen at the department stores.

The Calphalon Oval Pot Rack is just perfect for mid-sized, or large, kitchens. The brushed aluminum styling is identical to that of the Calpahalon pots and pans and will complement them nicely. Once installed you will find that it is not only a classy addition to your kitchen, but also very practical. My only complaint about this pot rack is the absence of mounting hooks, which you will need to get at your local hardware store (I got mine at Lowe's Home Improvement.) You DO NOT need to have this rack professionally installed if you are willing to climb on a ladder and feel comfortable drilling holes into your kitchen ceiling. Installing this pot rack is quite easy, and should not take you more than 30 minutes. Assembly of the rack will take you 10 to 15 minutes (the rack comes in 4 or 5 parts.) It took me about 15 minutes to choose a location, find two suitable studs, drill two holes and screw in the two hooks. My recommendation is to get yourself a stud finder, if you don't already own one, and use that to find two studs to drill into. Also, if you buy this rack, make sure you buy additional pot hooks, because once you start hanging your pots, you will want to hang all of them, and this rack does not come with enough hooks!

I just recently purchased this item and the first thing I baked were chocolate chip cookies for my daughter. I have to say that when I took my cookies out of the oven they were baked evenly and they looked great! This product worked alot better than I had expected. When I decided to purchase this item I was looking for a cookie sheet that wasn't non-stick because the non-stick ones don't last very long and can get scratched up very easily. So if you're considering this product don't hesitate, it's definitely worth every penny !

Its hard to find a non-coated cookie sheet anymore. But if you're looking for a perfectly browned cookie, then this is what you need. Usually, with the darker non-stick cookie sheets, when the tops look ready the bottoms are a little overdone. With this cookie sheet, the tops and bottoms will be exactly the same color. And don't worry about it not being non-stick; for me the cookies slide right off with only about 2 or 3 crumbs stuck to the entire sheet when I'm done--even with no greasing or waxed paper. It is just as easy to clean as a non-stick. All in all, you'll get a better cookie sheet for less price, because you're not paying for a non-stick coating.

I bought this on a whim about a year ago and have never regretted it. While I'm not an expert on -- or even experienced about -- a wide variety of baking sheets, I have really enjoyed this product and am hankering after another (one is not enough)! I can sympathize with the reviewer who claims these sheets have turned baking into a joy for her. This sheet bears no resemblance to the standard tinny, bendy, rusty hardware-store variety. Enjoy!!

I bought this a month ago and have fallen in love with it!!! All dishes come out great and it takes hardly any time to cook all those so-hard-and-long-to-cook recipes.
Would recommend it to anyone thinking of buying one.

This cooker is a good buy for the cost and is well made. I like that it is stainless steel with the aluminum bottom to evenly heat. I like the safety features and it was easy to use. My first beef roast, carrots and potatoes that I made was great. And in much less time than other methods.

I bought this cooker last year. My wife and I cooked Thai curry many times and each time took us over an hour. Because we have to simmer with med heat until the coconut milk starts to break out with oil. This baby saves us time and energy. A pot of curry (for 4-5 serving) now took us only 15 mins. Great with stew also. We experimented with beef and ribs for BBQ (before grilling) on the 4th and it was very satisfying. Only hassle is that I hate to hand wash it afterward. But I guess same goes for any pressure cookers. Highly recommend it.

I like this product a lot. It makes our rice come out sticky like it should and keeps the rice warm and ready like it should. My only complaints are:
1. The rice burns if I remove some of the rice and save the rest for later.
2. This might be due to the fact that the rice cooker was sent in its original package without any cushioning. My first rice cooker was dented beyond belief and I returned it. My second rice cooker has a very minor dent in it when it was shipped two-day. I would strongly recommend that you look very carefully at your rice cooker when it arrives to make sure that it is not damaged.

But beyond that, I love my rice cooker. If you are looking for something that will feed a crowd and is very simple to use, this will fill the bill.

Perfect white rice every time. As a filipino I'm required by law to have a rice cooker. We've gone through two lesser quality cookers. This is by far the most reliable on the market. We haven't tried making brown rice or wild rice with this just good old white sticky stuff. It does what is supposed to...make great rice every time. Futhermore, the rice is kept warm for hours without burning the bottom.

As I make lots of rice, I have used many cookers. There is one of these at my office. It is a very nice cooker. It does not seem to make the steam mess others I have tried do, and when you liftopen the top to check or stir the the rice the condensation goes into a little compartment on the side. This is nice, just remember to empty the compartment so as not to have the waste sitting around. The pot cleans up nicely to. I only wish it had a ringer or buzzer on it to tell you when it to let you know it was finished.

This pan is the one you want for smother frying and braising things (like frying cubed steak then simmering in gravy, making smother fried pork chops, or making a pot roast.)

The straight sides are more useful for frying things then simmering them in sauces. That way, you don't have meat or veggies riding up on the sloped sides of the pan and not cooking all the way through.

The pan does not brown and fry quite as well as the standard fry pan -- so it is not really a substitute for your frypan for making burgers, and fast cooked type foods like chicken breast, pan fried steaks, and stir fry. (that is why it got the 4 stars) Because of the straight up sides, it really is closer in capacity for frying to the 10" fry pan.

Size wise, this pan holds enough for approximately 4 good sized portions of meat, gravy, and veggies.

To be honest if this pan didn't come in the set I bought I probably would not have it. Thank goodness it did because it turns out that I love it. It is great for sauted spinach, veal or chicken picatta, you will find you more uses for this pan everytime you open the cabinet. It heats evenly and is very easy to clean. As all All Clad is, this pan is excellent quality and very well made. I have just about every All Clad item made and love them all. Well worth the money and designed to last a lifetime. It also comes with a lifetime warranty. How can you go wrong?

Also, if you should get something stuck to the stainless steel use a product called "Bar Keepers Friend" to clean it. Most supermarkets have it and Kitchen Etc. and Bed, Bath and Beyond carry it too. The container (like a Comet can) is gold with blue and white writing. All Clad recommends it for cleaning stainless steel and it works like a dream and is very inexpensive.

A great all around pan. I run a single household and don't need the extra large pans. I have quite a few pieces of All-Clad and like them all very much. Very good size for frying with enough left overs for taking to work. A little Bar Keepser's friend and it cleans up rather nicely.

Everything simply slides right off of these pots and pans! They are very sturdy and functional. The handles have no rivets that go through the pan and collect gunk, and they are oven proof up to 350 F, a great feature. I also love the clear lids that let me see what I am cooking.
I have never put these through the dish washer nor have I used any cooking sprays on them. Both of these things are supposed to be harmful to the teflon coating, but I have found that nothing will stick to them so cleaning is easy, and little oil is needed. This set came with everything I needed for my daily cooking needs, but I have recently added the pasta pot and griddle to my collection and love them both.

I recently was looking through Amazon's site and saw the price on this set and I was amazed. My wife and I received this set almost 10 years ago as a wedding gift. At that time it sold for about [money]. Our set still looks almost new! The clear glass lids work great and are very rugged. They have been dropped and banged around many times with no ill effects. Our saute pan is showing signs of wear but considering it is used every day it still lets a fried egg slide right out with no oil! I'm planning on buy another set and just keeping in the attic!! The bonus casserole pan makes this offer almost to hard to believe! Buy this with confidence!

I love this set. The nonstick surface works very well, and is easy to clean. The see-thru lids are nice, and the work well on the saute pans and skillets as well (even though they aren't pictured that way). The lids make great splatter screens. The quality is very good. These items were on our wedding registry. What a great, lasting item.

I bought this vacuum in March 2002 in an attempt to find the best of both worlds - my husband prefers an upright, I prefer a cannister. The vacuum does an excellent job in cleaning. I especially appreciate the filtration of the bags and the filter. The air in the house does not smell or feel dusty after vacuuming as it did with all of our other vacuums and the house stays cleaner longer. This vacuum is extremely noisy compared to my old Eureka cannister. My husband says it is quieter than most uprights and that I find it noisy because I'm used to a cannister model. With an upright, the motor is in front of me, so I hear the roar all the time. With the cannister, the motor was several feet behind me when I cleaned. Even in Lift Off mode, the loud motor is always next to me. My compromise is to wear those foam ear plugs to buffer the sound while cleaning. I am not able to vaccum underneath the furniture as well with this Lift Off model because it has a higher profile than the powerhead on my old cannister. Overall we are happy with our purchase and feel that this is a good value. Would I buy this model again? Probably not. When this one wears out I'll look for a cannister model with the filtrete clean air technology (or similar).

I have always had truble with vacumes! This one is soooooo powerful and I've had it for about a year now and its still great

I liked my first cannister/upright Bissel vacuum so much that I purchased a second one. This is the best vacuum, for the home, on the market. Believe me, I have tried them all. The bags are expensive but the vacuum is so good that I tolerate the price of the bags, plus the cost of the vacuum is very inexpensive considering the quality. A very nice feature is the long cord. You can plug it in and vacuum several rooms without having to unplug, then plug in again. It is a quiet vacuum, has wonderful suction, snaps apart easily for the cannister so you can vacuum the stairs, and is very durable. My older one is about ten years old and just as good as the day I got it. My second one is one year old and I am sure it will last many years.

Let me start by saying this is a great price for a piece of Emerilware--I bought it as a "tester" piece to see if I really wanted to spend $400 on the 10-piece set. And after using this small pan for a few weeks, I know I do.

I don't fully agree with the other opinion that states the handle is top heavy, causing the base to lift off the stove (I think that's what was said--sorry if I misphrased). I think it's just a matter of the handle being somewhat longer, which makes it a bit uneven feeling. However, that said, I have had no problems cooking with it. (In about 20 uses, the pan has not tipped over once!!) If you're worried about it, I think you may just want to be careful not to leave the handle of the piece hanging out over the edge of the stove where you might bump it.

One other note: after having used other non-stick cookware and being used to using "Pam" style sprays to cook with, it has been a hard habit to break with the Emerilware pan. It is stated clearly in the instructions that you should NEVER use aerosol sprays because it can gunk up on the pans and is extremely difficult to clean. With these non-stick pans, you really don't need any coating, and when you feel you do, a bit of olive oil or butter works wonders.

I can't wait to get the full set!!

I've been using this pan for nearly a year and love it. The fact that it's non-stick goes without saying. It's the perfect size for a 2-egg omelette. The slope sided design makes hand flipping of saute'd mushrooms, onions, etc. a breeze. The pan and the handle are definately not unbalanced, and the handle is very ergonomic. The hard-anodized aluminum exterior still looks almost new. There is absolutely no sign of wear on the interior. Overall, it has a solid hefty feel that makes it an absolute pleasure to cook with.

I am so impressed with this skillet! The handle truly stays cool. I plan to buy a whole set.

Yes, this pot has a solid feel. However, in design and manufacturing standards, it's not on par with All-Clad, or those Cuisinart and Caphalon products that are made in the USA.

The weight of this utensil (5 lbs empty, about 11 lbs when filled with 3 quarts of water) paired with the relatively short handle make it slightly awkward in some situations. For example, its size make it ideal for cooking pasta for one or two people, but in that case I would have preferred that the pot have a second ("helper") handle or at least a longer single handle.

As others have noted, both interior and exterior finish are brushed, rather than mirror finish, making it slightly more difficult to clean. However, I disagree that all other finishes look the same after several months. Mirror finishes remain so if a good quality paste copper cleaner is used.

On the plus side: The lid of this pot fits well, and the handle of the lid is convenient.

Overall, good value, but not 5 star quality.

I recently purchased this pan, and my kitchen is all the better for it. Its best feature is its weight, which keeps it from being tipped over even when it holds very light ingredients. The handle is also superb, staying cool even on a very hot burner over a long period of time, and being more than sturdy enough to handle the body's considerable weight no matter what it contains.
The price is also quite reasonable for a pan of this quality. (It was so good, in fact, that I had it shipped, indirectly, all the way to Japan so I could use it for cooking local dishes).
I certainly wouldn't hesitate to buy another product from the manufacturers.

We have a huge collection of Calphalon hard anodized, but when cooking tomato based dishes, they can discolor. Adding the copper with stainless interior makes it easier to clean up tomato sauce mess! I like the rounded bottom so my spoon can touch all the places with no "corner hiding". As always, the handle is what makes this Calphalon pan as well as the other commercial items stand out! I absolutely love the handle and it stays cool in all of my cooking... BUT remember if you use it in the oven it still gets HOT!!! The size is just right for small to medium families and we love it.