Kitchen Reviews

I have only had this microwave for one day. So far, it performs some duties well. It heats up water, warms up food. However, it just makes my kitchen look like a machine shop. It is so darn huge. Why does it have to be so darn big? It takes up the entire depth of my counter. Our old one was only 12 inches deep, I made the mistake of letting my husband pick one. Who knew that microwaves were built this huge. I like the performance so far. I just wish that it did not ruin the charm of my kitchen. I still am not talking to my husband because he refuses to return this microwave, he wants to remodel based on this microwave. If you ever decide to get this model, make sure that it fits your kitchen style. Kitchens do not come cheap nowadays.

I shopped around for a stainless steel mid size microwave and this model has the most features, at the best price, of any I found. It looks great and runs quietly. It has many features I will probably never use but I have already made extensive use of the sensor control heating and I am really pleased with the results.

The controls function in a logical fashion and this thing has gobs o' power.

Pros - power, controls, flexibility and true power adjustment.

Cons - none

I absolutely love my new April 20-piece dinnerware from Pfaltzgraff. It is elegant, versatile, has the impressive Pfaltzgraff name and quality. I wrote a very detailed, informative review on this dinnerware, that should cover anything you would ever want to know and more.

I am a Top Reviewer and advisor for the Epinions consumer review site in Home & Garden and other areas. Please feel free to read my review and profile links (photo of me also!)noted below. I am also happy to answer your questions about the product or the website. Thanks.

Suzi<...

I love it. I love it. The weight, is lighter than expected and I could not be happier as my old stoneware; which lasted me 20 years was very heavy. The cups are just right as to size and do not stain as badly as my old set. This pattern is pretty and goes with about everything. I did sit and sand the bottoms of each piece and this was not a big chore. I would recommend this set to anyone. By the way, the small lip to the dinner plates is great for kids and handicapped people such as myself.

April dinnerware, by Pfaltzgraff, was chosen for our wedding pattern five years ago. It is still in outstanding condition -- just like new! The pattern is sweet, lovely, cheerful and it is appropriate for everyday as well as festive occasions. We have enjoyed this dinnerware for all holiday occasions, as the colors are soft, yet rich and versatile, and the endearing floral pattern is charming for any event. While "April" is representative of the spring season, it is appropriate for all seasons. The dishes wear like iron, and the appeal is truly romantic, classic, timeless, elegant, yet simple and sweet. April is an outstanding dinnerware selection -- the prettiest pattern for all seasons. Very good luck as a wedding pattern selection too!

This is one of the first completer pieces that I bought to go with my new Ocean Breeze dinnerware sets. It is too small for a regular-sized salad but is good for smaller portions (like a salad for two, rolls, or, as the name says, vegetables.) We are getting quite a bit of use out of it, but we will definitely need to get a larger size piece from this line as well.

I began purchasing pieces of my dinnerware set several years ago, but never did get the vegetable bowls. This year hosting Easter I thought I should have two of these matching bowls, and I wasn't disappointed. My table was lovely, and the vegetables stayed warm throughout the meal since I had pre-warmed the bowl. I love the way these bowls retain heat. They are the perfect size for a family-size bag of frozen vegetables, with a little room left over. I've also used them for salads for dinner, since I always seem to throw lettuce around when stirring salads in smaller bowls, and they've worked for that as well. They'll fit one package of the pre-washed salad mix beautifully.

This is a nice heavy bowl that is a wonderful size too. Makes a perfect bowl to use as a center peice or to serve side dishes in.

These are wonderful clothes racks. The other two reviews sold me before I received them. I bought two. They are well-made, and as study as this type of product can be. No splinters to catch on your clothes like the wooden variety. They sparkle. ...

Can a $20 drying rack be any good? Absolutely! After my wife's rack finally fell apart (after 20 years of service), I tried to find a good quality replacement. After failing to find anything halfway decent at the popular bath stores, I ultimately found this rack. The Polder name sold it for me since I know that their products are well designed. I was not disappointed. Very well put together, thick plastic feet, nicely chromed steel, lightweight, compact when folded, and easy to operate. My wife was thrilled when she saw it! What could be better?

If you are in the market for a folding clothes dryer look no further. This Polder dryer is real chrome, not cheap plating, folds into 3"wide and is sturdy enough to hold a whole load of laundry. Similar models list for $$$ to $$$ and they offer nothing more for the higher price. If you need more space just buy 2: still cheaper than 1 of the others! I looked for months to find a replacement for my old dryer, which I had purchased for $$$ in 1984 at Sears and which, finally, would no longer stand without assistance. Imagine my horror to find these dryers now retailing for up to $$$ !!! I feared that this Polder dryer would be cheap or flimsy since the price was so reasonable. Not so! It could not be better. Seriously, it is PERFECT! Great item; great price. If you need a folding dryer, this is the real-deal FOR a real-deal!

I've been using the sea salt grinder for about 2 years now and love it. I received this in one of my Gold Box offers and was ready to buy for $25.49. Don't buy these here- go to oxo.com- only $15.00. Their shipping is $4.95+ but still cheaper than Amazon's price.

Like a lot of people, I've spent a lot of time and money trying to find a spice grinder that meets a new simple criteria for quuality. Here's what the OXO grinders do well:

1) Grind whole spices. It seems simple, but a lot of expensive grinders do a terrible job of grinding. They might look good on the table or in the kitchen, but who cares if you're getting chunks of unground pepper in your salad?

2) Clean up. I use my OXO grinders in the kitchen for cooking. They get dirty and one of my pet peeves with most grinders is that it's impossible to keep them clean. OXO did a marvelous job making sure they used materials and a design that actually promoted cleaning.

3) Adjust fineness quickly and easily. Without question, these grinders have the smartest adjustment I've ever used. And the mechanism is ceramic, so it will not wear out like plastic or some soft metals.

4) Good looks. Frankly, I bought my first set of OXO grinders because they looked cooler than anything else on the shelf. Is that important? Well, yes. I now have a collection of about 25 of these grinders in full view in my kitchen and it is a source of pride that I have such a great looking grinder set.

5) Reasonable price. When you consider the high quality of the spices included with OXO grinders, they're an absolute bargain for the price. I wouldn't hesitate to buy these, because they (not the spices) will last for a good, long time and you'll get many times' your investment out of them in pure enjoyment and aesthetic value.

OXO grinders are superb and deserve all the good press they're getting. I highly recommend them!

One clever spice grinder works with interchangeable spice jars. A ceramic precision grinder produces fresh spices. This grinder has a little cap that measures what you grind and then after use seals the grinder from moisture, kitchen odors, etc.
Like everything else designed by OXO the design is an improvement on existing kitchen tools. I priced the spices in my grocery store and found that this set is comparable to buying the spices without the grinder. So it's a bonus to have all the spices and the grinder in one package.

These are great, especially since they were a freebie with my dish set purchase. I'm giving the item 4 stars versus 5, as it would have been nice if they were a bit larger. Thanks, Amazon!

I picked this set of glasses up to match my french quarter dinnerware, they are beautiful! They are thick glass and seem much sturdier than your average goblet. They run through the dishwasher wonderfully and look great when set with the french quarter dinnerware. I always receive tons of compliments on these, and they are great for serving margaritas!!!

These glasses are very nice. They are fairly heavy and they are decorated with a very pretty design...a swirl-like pattern of mostly green colors. Good for any beverage and can hold quite a bit.

Love this pattern. It matches switch plates and other items I have, but when we put it on the wall it is very hard to see the numbered hours and the hand that points to the time. They are painted in a very light green. The numbers are not painted very thick and they are printed in an italic style. I guess if the numbers were painted bolder or thicker and maybe outlined just lightly with a black line it would stand out and be more readable. I wrote this suggestion to Pfaltzgraff....

We have never seen this clock anywhere for the good price that was on Amazon. This clock is beautiful and it goes very well with our total "Naturewood look" that is everywhere in our home. It will make a fine addition to anyones home with or without any other Naturewood items.

I absolutely love this clock! After purchasing the dinnerware service for four, I have been slowly adding the accessories. This clock was on the top of my list, and I am so glad I bought it! The numbers are easy for my son to read (who is just learning to read time), and it compliments the china ware extremely well! My husband even commented on the fact that he now looks at the kitchen clock instead of the VCR numbers! It's easily cleaned, and I am glad I purchased the clock as one of my first accessories! I have not had reason to change the battery yet, but it looks fairly simple to do!

The reason we bought this was because it was the cheapest amoung the deep friers. It doesnt get very hot and that gets annoying, seeing that it takes way too long to cook.

Only drawback is that you can not see your food cooking as it states that you can; otherwise, I think this is a great fryer. Easy clean-up and storing of oil in removable pot. I highly recommend.

We bought this deep fryer about a year ago and it has worked VERY well for us all this time! It comes with a removable nonstick oil pot so you can store the oil without draining (and makes clean-up a breeze), the basket handle allows lowering and raising of food into oil (WHILE the top lid is closed) - so once you get your cooking times perfected, the cooker never needs opening except for loading/unloading (plus it is safer that way with no oil splatter/mess/odor)! It also has a changeable carbon filter, is dishwasher safe and has a nice big window so you can check on your food without opening the whole thing (and messing up the temperature)! To me it is definately worth the [$] more than the "usual" presto fry daddys out there! (A friend of mine also uses it to melt soy wax for making candles!)

I've been known to serve wine in tempered glass tumblers (like juice glasses) so it's nice to have a balloon shape but no stem. Nothing clumsier on a picnic table or outdoors on a windy deck than a stemmed wineglass. These don't insult the wine in the least and are quite practical for al fresco serving or anytime you just don't want to be as fancy.

When I first heard about Riedel coming out with a stemless glass I was a bite skeptical. I have now been using for about 2 weeks now and they are really great for everyday use. Best of all their less expensive and if they break it doesn't hurt as much. Definitly a good buy for everyday use, stick to the Vinum or if you want to spend a little money the Sommeliers series for formal dinner parties and the like.

I bought these from a specialty wine catalog/website for a few dollars more than offered here.
These are so cool and easy to handle and make enjoying your favorite wine just more fun! Plus they take up less cupboard space!!! A great gift for your favorite wine lover...

Got one of these ice cream churns a long time ago, and it was great... until the bucket fell apart. The bucket is wooden held together with bands that can corrode, so the salt you add to the ice ends up destroying the bucket in a few years. I haven't been able to find a replacement bucket, either. Makes great ice cream, though.

I would nicely like to disagree with the review above. We have two ice cream makers and if you take care of them properly they will last forever. We have had one for over 15 years and the bucket is still good. All that need to be done is for the bucket to be washed out after use. I recommend this great product!

this is the finest freezer in the world probably will only have to buy one in a lifetime