Kitchen Reviews

Purchased two of these grinders last month, one for myself, the other as a gift, but unfortunately the blade assembly began to fail on mine in less than 2 weeks, after processing less than a pound of coffee. Cuisinart customer service said if I return it postage paid, and include an additional $5 to cover return postage to me (The book says $4) they will fix their mistake. I suggested that at the very least they should pay shiping one way, after all, it was their failure, not mine. They said "We make thousands of these every week, they can't all work". As interesting as I found their quality control philosophy to be I still I think they have a lot of nerve expecting the total cost of their product failure to rest on my shoulders. Appearently they disagreed, as they hung up on me without saying goodbye.

Fortunately we purchased through Amazon.com. No problem. Amazon immediately authorized the return, and by policy will even pay the shipping because it's defective. While I appreciate their approach to customer serice I'll pay the postage myself. It's well worth a few bucks to have someone stand behind defective merchandise - particularly when the manufacturer won't.

Quality is free, it's the cost of doing things right the first time. Some producers appearently aren't even interested in getting it right the second time.

I purchased this grinder after reading reviews here, and found my experience to be true to the other reviewers'. This grinder is incredibly easy to clean (a quick rinse, then wipe dry--takes all of ten seconds) and it doesn't get grounds everywhere--they stay right in the grinding cup.

The grind is uniform and quick, and the unit operates with less noise than many others I've heard. You can see the grinding progress through the clear lid, so you know when you're done. There's also a plastic lid you can use to keep extra grounds for later in the day if you want to pop it on top of the grinding cup. Inside the grinding cup there are measurement lines, so you know how much you're making without having to measure.

I've made from 2 to 14 cups of coffee with this grinder, and it's been fabulous. Very solid and strong--this definitely isn't a cheapy grinder that will fail in a few months of heavy use.

Only potential downside--like all stainless steel, it does show every fingerprint, but that doesn't bother me. I just swipe it with a towel and it cleans up quickly.

I'd recommend this grinder to anyone--I'm very happy with this purchase.

After much research and investigation into blade coffee grinders on this site and epinions, I had decided to purchase the KitchenAid because of the ability to wash and clean the cup and blades. I wanted a blade grinder for flax and spices as I use a burr grinder for coffee. The KitchenAid had a major complaint in that it was messy, which seems like a design flaw.

This Cuisinart grinder has it all: Capacity, cleaning cability, powerful motor, handsome design, "fairly" quiet (after all, it is a noisy process), cord storage under the base, absolutely no-mess-grinding and a lid for the stainless blade cup for storage of extra grindings.

On the con side, it is more expensive costing $30; but I think it will be a long lasting appliance and should easily outlast the other less expensive blade coffee grinders costing $20. Also, the instruction brochure states that this grinder is for purposes of grinding coffee only and using it for nuts and spices will dull the blades. Well, duh! I am sure the cheaper models would have the same problem and the Krups that I am replacing has a plastic lid that has become all pitted and cannot be cleaned properly.

This unit originally came with a damaged brew head. It leaked around the filter basket and eventually the brew head fell out. I sent the machine back to the manufacturer who returned it "repaired". Instead the unit now cannot even heat hot enough to make steam properly anymore, let alone espresso. I would not buy this machine again. Interestingly I see another review on here saying that the brew head was on an incline and leaked when he/she received it. That is what I saw as well. Since the brew head is not really exposed when shipping, I have to assume that the damage comes from the factory like this. Extremely poor quality control.

The ESPRESSIONE GRACE machine produced in Italy is a machine that I've been watching. I was able to get my hands on a pre-production machine from Europe. The machine is awesome beyond words. It produces a rich, hot, espresso coffee with exceptional crema both with the filter basket for ground coffee AND with pods.

There is a powerhouse of plentiful dry steam which is perfect for creating lattes and cappuccinos.

I checking out the machine, I learned that it's produced by Grimac, who enjoys a wealth of knowledge with more than thirty years of experience in the coffee sector. We liked the metallic body machine with it's semi-commercial quality components. Can easily produce many continuous espressos and cappuccinos... ESE adaptable for use with ground coffee or coffee servings (pods) which we purchased the ESPRESSIONE coffee pods from amazon.com.

Go for this machine. If gives the performance of a much more expensive machine at a price below three hundred dollars.

Recommend it highly!!!

I've had machine on order for one month and was thrilled to receive it today!

The ESPRESSIONE GRACE machine produced in Italy is a machine that I've been watching. I was able to get my hands on a pre-production machine from Europe. The machine is awesome beyond words. It produces a rich, hot, espresso coffee with exceptional crema both with the filter basket for ground coffee AND with pods.

There is a powerhouse of plentiful dry steam which is perfect for creating lattes and cappuccinos.

I checking out the machine, I learned that it's produced by Grimac, who enjoys a wealth of knowledge with more than thirty years of experience in the coffee sector. We liked the metallic body machine with it's semi-commercial quality components. Can easily produce many continuous espressos and cappuccinos... ESE adaptable for use with ground coffee or coffee servings (pods) which we purchased the ESPRESSIONE coffee pods from amazon.com.

Go for this machine. If gives the performance of a much more expensive machine at a price below three hundred dollars.

Recommend it highly!!!

We have a complete Henckels Four Star knife set put together over time. There is not a better kitchen tool set available at any price.

The Kitchen Shears were the last item we added. They compliment the knives perfectly and work just as well. Feel solid and secure in your hand and can cut everything from coupons in the Sunday paper to heavy string or plastic. Hold their edge very well.

An excellent kitchen tool.

After over 10 years of use, my Henckels shears look and function the same as the day I bought them. They have yet to need sharpening, and the semi-matte sheen of the handles is in pristine condition.

Two points to remember: Don't try to cut metal items with them, it will ruin their cutting edge, and dishwasher use is not recommended.

The blades are great for everything from plant stems to raw fish and chicken, and the tips of the blades are very sharp and will get into tight places. For instance, it's the perfect instrument for preparing artichokes, from neatly cutting the thorny tips, to getting inside to the fuzzy center.

Being left-handed, I appreciate its balance, and ambidexterousness, and I think no matter what your hand size, your fingers will fit comfortably.
A function I use a lot is the serrated inner grip for opening bottles and small jars...it does the job better than anything else I've used.

For garden, kitchen, or workplace, they will cut just about anything non-metallic, they're easy to clean, attractive to look at, and will serve you well for many years if used as intended.

Just to let you guys know, Cutco hires what they call "web solicitors" to hype up their products on sites like this. Also, Cutco is sold by Cutco salespeople only and these salespeople have an interest in bashing other knives on the net.

This product is wonderful! We bought 2 last year and will buy 2 more for other rooms this year, saving a lot of money over window unit air conditioners. We love the ease of operation with the remote - so nice to use from bed. My young daughter likes to use the remote to operate her fan. We also like the exhaust and exchange features, using the best mode for the time of day. We appreciate the Accutemp feature; it operates according to the room's temperature and shuts off when the room has been adequately cooled. This model has excellent adjustable fit to windows - very easy to install.

I am very pleased with this product. It's great for bedroom windows. The reversible features and the remote are wonderful & easy to use.

the best product for LA or Southern Cal. area

I just ordered the Floor Max from Amazon at the beginning of the week and now it's Friday. It came in record time (I love Amazon.com!) and I've already cleaned my kitchen and bathroom floors. I like the machine for the most part. I can clean my vinyl and tile floors in record time. It does a great job! My ONLY complaint is that the machine does not fit under the lip of my cupboards and therefore doen't clean right up to the baseboard. I have to do this by hand (approx. 2 1/2 inches). In cupboard-less areas it doesn't clean 3/4 inch of floor right next to the baseboard. I'd still buy this machine though.

This has to be one of the all time great machines!! In a total of 4 hours from assembling everything to putting everything away, I was able to remove 17 years of wax and grime from my vinyl kitchen and utility room floors. The difference in the before and after floor color and shine is amazing. This machine was extremely easy to use. The directions were very clear. It is light weight and very efficient. The removal of the dirty residue with the vacume action was wonderful. I only had to empty the dirty water tank one time for the whole operation and that was extremely easy. Thank you, Hoover, for such a wonderful addition to my cleaning needs. Now I will not hesitate to do my floors again whenever they need it.

I just received the Floormax F5300 as a gift, and I couldn't be happier with it. I am 9 months pregnant and trying to get my house as clean as possible before having the baby. This included stripping the 25-year-old linoleum on my kitchen floor of at least 5 years of floor polish and who knows what else. I tried this once before by hand and got nowhere and, of course, hands-and-knees scrubbing this time was out of the question. The Floormax allowed me to scrub up the old polish, rinse the floor and vacuum it dry in a total of hours -- with one hand. I never knew before what the floor's real color was!! It has also been very handy for shampooing our cream-colored rugs. I only had one small problem with fitting the handle into the body of the scrubber when it first arrived, and I was able to fix that without contacting Hoover. If you have floors, you will love this scrubber.

The controls are overly complicated. As an oven it is excellent, with good temperature control. As a toaster it is awful. I have experimented with several different rack postions and there is no way to get evenly toasted bread. One side is toasted at a different rate than the other.

I bought this two years ago to replace my old Black and Decker, and was fairly pleased. I utilize a toaster oven nearly every day, rather than fire up the full-sized oven. It is roomier and has two positions for the inside rack. However, the broiler rack and tray are very susceptible to rust and not at all easy to clean. I have to use the old-fashioned oven cleaner. It also gets a bit discolored around the edges of the door. Otherwise it worked like a charm until the faceplate where the controls are began to crack. Probably from frequent use. I dug out the old warranty information and called the company expecting to get the runaround. Amazingly enough, they are shipping a new model, no questions asked. I provided them with a credit card to cover shipping ($15) and I have to return the old one upon receipt of the new one. Not bad!

i am so in love with this toaster oven. works very well as a toaster, and as an oven, it's wonderful. preheats in a matter of minutes and i can bake and broil without heating up the whole kitchen, which is a major plus in the deep south. i love it i love it i love it.

These knives have survived hard cooking for five years and counting, with only two sharpenings. The handle is comfortable, although it can be nicked in the dishwasher.

The knives have good, one-piece blades. Although the handles are not the best, they are by and large sturdy and comfortable (occasional nicks aside).

I was recommended this set of knives by a professional chef, and they work more than well in my non-professional kitchen. The only problem with this block set is that it lacked two necessary items--kitchen shears and a bread knife. However, buy them separately--there is space for them in the knife block.

...this set is a great deal and will more than adequately serve even the busiest amateur chef.

Talk about quality. This is a superbly crafted knife set. The knives are so sharp I can shave the hair off my arm with them. There is NO comparison to the typical department store $30.00 to $50.00 knife set. The blades are very strong and don't bend while cutting things like big white boiler onions. My cheapo set couldn't even cut these mungo onions without bending and ruining my attempt for a nice uniform slice. Love EM.

This is a terrific present for someone who's getting serious about cooking--that's how I got mine! There's no piece of equipment that's more important than a good set of cooking knives. These have held up over ten years, three households (with some careless users), and numerous sharpenings and show every sign of outlasting me.

I found this product very unsatisfactory. After 20 minutes of working with a Chicago Cutlery knife, some edge was produced but still not as sharp as factory edged. This product might be alright to throw in a camping box to be used where there is no electricity, but certainly no more than that.

Maybe this sharpener isn't as foolproof as I'd like it, and I admit readily to having two left hands, but my knives didn't come out razor-sharp, at all. They come out sharper, that's a fact, but I wanted more. Maybe my knives (a Japanese chef's knife, a Spyderco with half-serrated blade, a Herbertz with a 440 blade) were too dull to begin with.

The tool itself is nicely constructed. Even though it's made of really light plastic it's stable enough, and easy to work with.

But I wonder about the two rollers that supposedly guide your knife. After sharpening, it was pretty obvious that the blade was sharpened unevenly (certainly those of my pocketknives). The rollers, of course, are fixed, and thus don't allow for varying thicknesses. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong (although I'm following instructions to a T), and I'll keep trying, but so far I'm not wildly enthusiastic about this tool.

The answer is simple: This is the sharpener to buy. It makes dull knives sharp, and sharp knives sharper.

No offense, but a previous reviewer missed the boat when he wrote:
>While my old knives were very dull, it took
>a couple of minutes per knife to get a good
>edge on them

Um, isn't that the point? Just a couple of minutes to get a good edge on very dull knives?

This tool is all you need. Don't buy the electric versions if you have enough muscle power to lift the knife off the table. Since you don't push down when using this, it's easier to sharpen knives with it than to cut food when the knives are done.

Handle gets way too hot. Tip of spout cover melted soon after purchase. Too difficult for my young teens to pull trigger on spout cover while pouring; fingers have to spread too far keeping spout open while pouring. Spouts and sprays water when too full and doesn't always whistle.

This nice-looking kettle does it's job well. It holds plenty of water and the whistle is loud enough to be heard throughout the house. The handle stays cool, but I have noticed that the trigger for opening the spout does tend to get warm. It's nice to actually lift the lid and be able to place a teaball screen inside the pot to make an entire pot of tea for company, and it makes it easy to wash out the kettle so you know the water is nice and clean.

You don't need to spend [price] on a tea kettle! This was an excellent buy (and I got it for the higher price of [price]!!). The price can't be beat for the quality. The kettle sings loudly when ready and the lid comes off for easy cleaning. It's durable and nice looking as well. I've bought other kettles I haven't been nearly as happy with and they cost more. And there is no enamel to chip off like those "fancy" kettles often have. One great feature this kettle can claim is a very smooth pouring action--no dribbles and drips.

I love this grill. It grills steak within 5 min, chicken in 2 min, and clean up only takes 2 min. It leaves my kitchen nice and clean, no mess at all. I dread the outside BBQ because of the insects flying around the food, the taking too long to cook, and the grill-mess to clean up. Now, I am eating the exact BBQ food within minutes in the comfort of my home without bug.
I like it so much that I bought 5 more grills in exact model to gift to my brothers and friends.

I am a complete grilling novice. I have never been able to use an actual grill to any sort of sucess, my food would either be charred or raw. I got this grill hoping to change that and it is AMAZING. Big enough to cook two medium size steaks, I slapped them on, let them cook for 9 minutes and they came out perfectly, no flipping and no worrying about temerature control.

Despite reviews I was anticipating a rough clean up, and looking at the thing when my steaks came off made me think it would be even worse... But I was proved wrong. The included spatula made it SO easy to clean. Bits that looked hard and caked on came off in a second. Grease trap was easy too, and when I was done I just stored everything in the bun warmer untill next time. Fits great in my small apartment, but is big enough to cook a meal for two. I can't wait to try more stuff on it. Highly recommended

There are too many great things to say about this little device: It's affordable to anybody, even if you are a student stuck living at school. It's compact, you can store it anywhere--a closet, your car, your office, the kitchen cabinet. It's powerful--I have plugged it in and in just minutes began working on an entire three course meal for six people with only this unit to work with. It's easy to clean--this is one of the few products out there that is every bit as easy to clean as the commercials show it to be on TV. It's is economical, using very little electricity to do a just that would waste electricity in a conventional oven or even an older model microwave oven. It's versatile--I have cooked everything from thin pieces of tempeh strips to thick steaks and it cooks both to perfection. You never would have been able to convince me to buy anything on TV before (and most certainly not from a former boxing champion...) but since a friend both this grill for me I have thanked them time and again (and in turn bought the same gift for many a friend of my own).