Kitchen Reviews

look at the "reviewer" with the multiple glorious postings from Oakbrook, IL. If it were actually a quality machine you wouldn't need to falsify reviews, would you?

We were in the market for a true one group commercial espresso machine in the traditional manner and came across the XP1 from Espressione. We called Espressione office before purchasing machine and learned that this machine is made by GRIMAC in Italy one of Europe's largest makers of commercial espresso machines for bars, restuarants, coffee shops, etc. This machine is a true powerhouse. We crank it up in the morning and leave it on all day. It is capable of brewing coffee at the same time as frothing milk for cappuccinos, lattes, etc. The water reservoir is huge and has zero recovery time from making one coffee after another.

Machine is a powerful 1400 watts but is designed at 12.8 amps so it can be used anywhere and is portable. Some machines we checked into required 20 amp service which required an electrician to come on site. We usually use the ESPRESSIONE coffee pods which we purchased from AMAZON.com which makes it fast and easy to use the machine. However, it does fantastic with our favorite ground espresso roast coffee.

We wanted to purchase a serious professional espresso/ cappuccino machine for use in our Concierge Lounge at our luxury hotel property. We searched the amazon site and came across the XP1 from Espressione. The machine that we were looking for was not a super automatic espresso machine by an "old world" type machine that would not only tastefully blend in with our decor but also would be easy to use with great results.

In making further inquiries we were told that the ESPRESSIONE XP1 is made by a large Italian maker of commercial espresso machines used in restuarants, bars, cafes, etc.

After purchasing machine we've seen incredible results from this very sturdy and powerful machine which we leave on all day. It has the capability of extracing coffee while at the same time frothing milk. It has a huge water reservoir and we've experienced that XP1 has zero recovery time from making continuous coffees..

ESPRESSIONE XP1 is a powerful 1400 watts yet working at 12.8 amps we can unplug it and move it around various places in our lounge as needed-no special services required for installation. We purchase and normally use the ESPRESSIONE coffee pods purchased from AMAZON.com which gives us quick results with minimal fuss or mess. It also performs beautifully with our Italian ground roast coffee.

We highly recommend the machine. Our customers are discriminating to say the least and they have raved about the performance of the XP1.

I was excited to get a new vacuum after putting up with one on its last legs for awhile. This vacuum is light and quiet and dust free, however the connection to the rug attachment is already broken. It does not get the electrical connection and works off/on and currently all the way off.

I HATE vacuuming because it's so darn noisy! I purchsed this vacuum, because of the "quiet clean" feature, and is it ever! I can carry on a normal conversation while the vacuum is running, and it is quite powerful for a small machine. The vacuum bag is a little small, but other than that I am very please with the performance of this vacuum.

This vacuum is perfect for anyone who lives in a house with stairs -- no more awkwardly struggling to run a heavy upright vacuum across the steps, or worse, making a futile attempt to clean them with a crevice tool.

It is surprisingly lightweight and easy to use. I was afraid that it would not have as much suction as an upright, but found that it has as much or more. This vacuum is also a great value, costing less than half of the Miele, yet providing all the same functionality.

I bought this vacuum based on a recommendation from someone who cleans houses for a living -- she told me it's the strongest, most convenient, and most versatile vacuum she's ever used.

This model does not feature UV protection on the glass door so it's useless for storing wine long term except in a garage or basement. If you plan on installing in your kitchen, get something else with UV protection. Haier has a higher end model that does feature UV glass. Too bad because I think it's very stylish and understated and actually nicer looking than the higher end model.

The main thing to remember here is that you need to either situate this in a dark place (a basement would be better than a garage since your electric bill will be less) or you need to plan on using it only for short-term wine storage -- very important fact to remember in deciding on models to purchase.

I received the Haier BC112G a couple of weeks ago, perfectly delivered by the freight compagny Amazon uses. I am so far very satisfied by this product: the price is right, its sleek look is a nice addition to my living room, it is pretty quiet (not disturbing at all, although you can hear it of course), it easily accomodates 30 bottles, it has a good height allowing variations of temperature between top to bottom, digital temperature, a basic lock - useful if you have kids, and finally a good warranty. I had made extensive research, this product along with free shipping ranks among the top options for any wine fan. Only potential negative point I could raise is that I am not certain if the smoke glass door protects against UVs - it does according to Haier customer service, but doesn't according to some internet reviewers.

I hate having wines sitting out and waiting to be chilled. This is an awsome product and the price is great. Amazon has the best price on this that I have seen, over $90 more on another website. The racks are perfect for those liquors you need to keep chilled upon opening. I know someone who uses the racks to hold cases of overly expensive cigars.

Customize the temperature settings to how what you prefer wines. For added security, you can lock the cabinet, which is nice. The top of the cellar is skid proof so you can open and serve your wines up top without the worry of it slipping off. Last, but not least, the legs are adjustable and can be used on any flooring surface.

The cabinet is a greatsize, but not to big to go in a small apartment, office or fit in a tight space in a kitchen.

This is one of those items that you didn't realize how much you needed until you bought it. While we do have a roasting pan that has stood us in good stead for a few years we needed a second one, and chose this.

In addition to casseroles (super for lasagne and chicken enchilladas) we found it very handy for sheet cakes, frosted bar cookies, etc. Our other roaster is too deep to be satisfactory for these purposes.

Now, we wonder how we ever got along without it!

When I saw the sale price on this item I ordered 2 of these pans. I have been baking with them since the day they arrived on my doorstep. They work great for brownies, cakes, and casseroles alike. Clean up is easy too. You do need to watch your baking times with cakes and brownies as they tend to finish a bit faster. I would highly reccomend these baking pans!

This is a great buy. Why? Because it will last forever, and a little SOS or Brillo returns it to a like new condition every time. I love it, and the heavy duty thickness contributes to even cooking. I cook alot and this, trust me, is a great buy.

12-inch non-stick Cal Comm pan would have done the trick but it arrived (promptly) with a couple defects: 1) An all-too-noticeable machine line at transition to radius (spatula would catch on it), and 2) Three or four raised/marred areas on bottom that made for poor contact on our ceramic top stove. Handle does seem a little more on style and less on ergonomics.
Returned it (Cooking.com - great service people, no problem), but contrary to what was said when we had sent it in, there were no more to exchange. Did get it at significant sale and probably should have kept it, warts and all. Two other C-C pans doing well.

I bought this pan because it was on sale at a great price. I've been buying commercial (restaurant) non-stick aluminum from restaurant supply stores for some time. I own three nard anodized Calphalon pans. This pan arrived in time for me to cook dinner with it two nights ago. When I took it out of the box, I was immediately aware that the handle makes the pan unwieldy. It feels that, if it is the least bit unbalanced to either side, the pan will spin in your grip. The lid from my "chicken fryer" fits this pan, which is a help. I expect my wok lid to also fit, though I haven't tried yet. The non-stick surface worked fine. A broader, more manageable handle and/or a helper handle would make this a great pan.

This is the best nonstick pan in the world, and here's why:

1) The 12-inch size is large enough for almost anything.
2) The handle on the Commercial products stays cooler than on the Professional regular Calphalon line.
3) The nonstick surface is superior to anything else you will ever use, and it's guaranteed forever. The Commercial line has far better nonstick material than the Professional line, by the way. I have both and I can not recommend the Professional line because the surface becomes sticky over time. Calphalon's web site discusses the superiority of the Commercial line if you want more details.
About the only thing this pan is missing is a helper handle.

Addendum: The review which complains about food sticking to the Calphalon clearly should not be for this pan. ... Food glides off of this pan so easily, you will be amazed! Food sticks on regular Calphalon, but that's how you get the excellent browning that the regular Calphalon provides!

Addendum 2: You can not put Calphalon products in the dishwasher, but that is not a big deal because the superior nonstick surface is a breeze to clean.

Enjoy!

This thing is a ...joke. Yes, I've tried everything suggested in the instuctions, including holding my hand just so. Curiously, it'll make a grocery store rubber paring knife about as sharp as it will make real carbon steel knives. My guess is, that was the design goal. If you want to sharpen your rubber knives, this is your machine. It does a lot of impressive vibrating and stuff but it doesn't really sharpen knives. If you want one of these, mine will be for sale soon on e-bay.

I am a carpenter, not a chef. However, as such, I know the value of sharp tools. They cut faster, easier and are much safer. A dull tool or knife is unpredictable and this makes it more dangerous than a sharp one.

My wife (a much better cook than me) and I have some high quality knives and some knives of dubious quality. I took about 1 hour and sharpened about 10 of them. The results were great. It is a little tricky to get used to holding the knife while in the slots... you are kind of balancing it in your hand instead of holding it. You have to let the magnets guide it. After a few knives, it was much easier.

The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that I can get a quality knife a little sharper with one of my wetstones. This only applies to the good knives I have. What I do is sharpen the good ones on the machine, then finish with a few swipes on my stone. It is a lot faster than doing the whole thing by hand.

The lower quality knives don't seem to respond to this as well. However, they are MUCH sharper than they were before.

I am a proud owner of this machine.(I did not get paid by the manufacturer to say this) This machine is foolproof, you just have to read the instructions that comes with the machine. You know what? I put a razor sharp edge back to my 8-inch chef knife in less than 3 minutes! I was so overwhelmed by how sharp the edge cuts newspaper, it just glides through with almost no resistence at all! I actually had tears in my eyes for the knife "just came back to life" again. OK, for those of you who don't know how a real sharp edge cuts like, here's a rule of thumb: use the razor and paper test, that is, open a new piece of razor and cut through a piece of paper from up to down. Cut for a few times and remember how it feels like, then cut with your kitchen knife, if it drags or even nicks during the cutting stroke, the knife needs sharpening. This machine puts life back to your dull, hide at the dark corners of your knife drawer knives. If it doesn't, it's either you got some [bad] knives or you are just plain STUPID! ... Thank you VERY much.

This was my first set of "nice" knives. I am SO disappointed ! Right away they began to rust and are continuing to do so, more and more. Even my cheap knives from Target don't rust. The positive comment I have about them is their sharpness is awesome. I wish I had investigated the quality before I bought these. I just assumed any Chicago Cutlery product would be great since the name is supposed to mean quality. Wish I had saved for something of better quality ....

We got these knives as a gift about 6 months ago. They look nice and they are sharp and do cut well. The knives rust very easily though, cheap steel I guess. They are also not well balanced in my hand. The handles are hollow not solid so the blade is heavier than the handle. I don't think these will last very long.

I would not have purchased these on my own, I would have bought better knives that would last me longer. For the price they are fine but you can do much better if you spend more. I would rather have 3-4 really good knives than a bunch of OK knives.

I have recived serveral comments on how good these knifes look. I am in fact very pleased with the way they look, but even more important is how well they perform. They cut wonderfully (for me at least, but I'm used to cheapy knifes). Yes they will in fact rust, although I haven't had this problem with my set (had them for about four months now) because I only handwash them and dry them immediately. One steak knife found it's way into the dishwasher and sure enough it came out with a little rust spot, this was easily removed with a little steel wool. You just have to weight the benefits of the all metal knifes to those that are wood handled or plastic.

After initially purchasing this product I was amazed with how well this cookware performed. Once a year has passed, the non stick coating turned brown and is flaking off the bottom. I don't understand because I ONLY use plastic/nylon tools when cooking and hand wash the cookware EVERY TIME. I never needed to turn the heat above medium when cooking. All I can say is junk!! PLEASE NOTE: except for one review, it sounds like these people have only had this cookware a little while. They don't know what they are in for. Please understand you get what you pay for. Other non stick quality cookware costs much more.

I now plan to purchase tri-ply cookware which will last for years to come based on opinions from top cooking magazines and chefs. You can buy quality cookware or you can spend 120 dollars every year for a new set of this stuff. What makes sense?

I really like this set. I guess it is a ok deal for [the price]. I was shopping this week-end at Costco and saw the 14 piece Millenium set for [lower price]. GEEZE!! I hate that. Now you know, if you live by a [local retailer] get it there.

...

The bottoms are thicker than the sides for even heating, and the pattern on the bottom is designed to prevent warping. The set is notably light compared to my previous anodized aluminum set because of the reasonably thin sides. The sliverstone coating on the pots is good to 500 degrees F which is better than my previous set and the other sets I looked at. Some other sets recommed nothing higher than medium heat! Not good if you like to fry things :)

If you care about looks, it is a beautiful set and the lids are mirror finished.

I really liked the looks of the Farberware Millenium series. I even bought both sets. My wife let our 3qt sauce pan boil dry and the aluminum melted out between the stainless and copper bottom. I thought no big deal; we will just purchase the individual pan to replace it. Farberware won't do this and unfortunately you have to buy the whole set. I even shipped it to them to see if they would replace it under warranty or in good faith. I had no such luck, they shipped it right back. I will never buy anything Farberware again!

This set is worth the very low price. They are heavier than my grandmother's set of Revere, and I prefer the lids with the loop so that they can be hung on a pot rack. Food rarely sticks, and the very few times it has, it comes off within minutes by soaking with hot water. The thickness of the base really does keep food from burning if you are paying attention. They are fairly easy to keep clean, but you will need special cleaner (or serious elbow grease) to keep the bottoms up to shine. I put mine in the dishwasher for daily cleaning. Once in a while, I use Barkeeper's Friend to really shine up the stainless and copper and remove discolorations caused by hard water.

The two saucepans are both a good size, but an intermediate size of 2 quarts would have been very helpful. The 3 ½-qt. sauté pan is wonderful, although a little large for a family of two. I supplemented this set with a 2-quart sauté pan from Cuisinart (Chef's Classic Stainless, which is very similar to this set, sans the copper) - perfect for sautéing two chicken breasts. The stockpot is a great size unless you're cooking pasta for many people. The lids fit each piece perfectly. The 10" lid fits both the sauté pan and the stockpot, as well as a variety of 10" nonstick fry pans. I wish there were two of these lids included in the set, as I use it frequently.

For the money, this set is excellent. The ten-piece set would complement this eight-piece set wonderfully with little duplication (the 3-qt. saucepan, which is in use daily). The lack of open stock pieces is disappointing, but at this price you could buy several sets. No, this is not All-Clad. However, I am not a professional chef. I am just a cook, and this set works great for me.

This is a beautiful set of pans - all you would ever need in a kitchen to make a meal and then some. They are well-made, cook food beautifully, steam vegetables, and are lovely to hold and show off. I have enjoyed them immensely since the day I got them

I'm giving this 2 stars because it works great for small and quick meals. However, after my third use, the lever to the warming lid broke off. Now it is secured with duct tape. Yucky. After the sixth use, the back of the unit, the white coated metal is now a burnt brown color. Makes me nervous that it gets hot enough to color the body so quickly! As with any appliance, do not leave unattended!

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).

We've had it for a couple of weeks and it has cut our meal preparation time in half (at least). We had the best chicken ever tonight, juicy but well cooked. Despite what other reviewers claim, this unit is easy to clean, requiring no more than a few minutes with a damp sponge and a paper towel. Watch your fingers on the metal edges, thought, it gets hot!