Kitchen Reviews

I like the ritual and control of opening a bottle with these "waiter's helper" style corkscrews, rather than the quick, impersonal (and expensive) Screwpulls. Unfortunately, the first 3 inexpensive models I purchased (including the Oxo) broke or wore out, so I decided to spend a little more. The Laguiole seemed too expensive, so I tried the Wusthof.

The Wusthof feels solid and smooth in the hand. The components hinge out with the pleasant, firm resistance you expect from German engineering, and they don't flop around as you turn the unit. Unfortunately, the foil cutter is a serrated blade (something that I didn't see on the Amazon description) and it rips the foil rather than cutting it. I like to cut the foil beneath the lip of the bottle, and the Wusthof leaves a ragged, messy, and very visible cut, so I've been using another knife to cut the foil until I find the time to grind the teeth off what appears to be a good quality Wusthof blade.

The corkscrew itself is sharp and well designed, long enough to penetrate the deepest corks, and can be screwed easily down the middle of the cork. The handle provides the right feel and control to guide the cork. The lever rests securely on the bottle and stays clear of the cork (unlike cheaper models, where the lever's claws dig into the cork as it is being extracted), and, combined with the Wusthof's main handle, provides the right leverage even for the most recalcitrant cork, as demonstrated a few days ago, when our evening meal opened with an audible and satisfying pop as I painlessly extracted a long, tightly wedged and slightly dry cork from a Bordeaux bottle with the help of the Wusthof.

In summary, apart from the serrated blade, an excellent choice, well worth the price.

This is a heavy, solid-feeling corkscrew that should last for many years. There are many waiter-style corkscrews out there but this one is, for the money, the best built, if not exactly the most stylish. The open screw design means you can safely open old, dry corks without fear of breaking the cork off in the bottle. The foil cutter works well, even on those plastic bottle toppers. This corkscrew does require some practive, however, as you need to line up the screw correctly -- not in the center of the cork but more towards the edge, about halfway between center and edge. On one end is a tiny flip-out blade that can be used for cutting off the foil capsule. On the other end is a lever that serves as a brace that rests on the edge of the bottle to give you leverage when extracting the cork. This makes it easy to open a bottle of wine without setting it down on a tabletop.

If you need a corkscrew for the home, get an inexpensive Screwpull, but if you want a portable corkscrew, or a backup for the home, this is a solid choice.

Its made of plastic and it doesn't look at secure...

I got this for additional security for my own room in my apartment, and so far it's really easy to use and it's worked really well.

The black casing and the red handle are plastic, but the actual bar that you line up in the door frame is metal. So it seems sturdy so far. It's got these gears that hook when you move the handle, which keep the whole structure in place. It's *really* easy to use, and has the same effect as lining up something heavy to block the door right near the doorknob. It installs between the door and the door frame, right where the door knob catch lines up. You do have to put it in place and remove it every time you want to use it - it doesn't automatically attach to the door frame or anything. You can use it whether or not you have a deadbolt.

The only two issues I have with it are:

- I didn't see any information about which way it goes into the doorframe when I bought this, so I took a chance. It'll work correctly from your side of the door if you have to pull the door towards you in order to open it. If you have to push the door to open it, this lock won't work for you, because the installation needs to happen on the other side.

- Another thing to watch out for is the structure of your door frame, where the door handle or additional locks are, etc.. If you have an oddly shaped door frame (like it's really rounded, or heavily decorated or something), or a large door handle, you might have some difficulty getting this to work - the parts may not line up correctly, or the lock may not have anything to settle against. It works really well so far on standard door frames.

I say try it out anyway - chances are, you have a door where you can use it, and so far it's worked well.

I originally purchased the well-known, big glass Salad Spinner which was too heavy, too big and came with no storage lid so I returned it and replaced it with this one.

We love it! It's lightweight, the blue matches our kitchen, easy to clean and DOES come with a storage lid. Hooray! The kids love using the cord to spin the salad and this smaller version does a nice small salad which is all we wanted.

However, we only give it 4 stars because the cord sometimes does not retract on it's own. It's irritating but really not a big problem.

I originally purchased the big glass Salad Spinner that everyone likes but it was too big, too heavy, no storage lid, so sent it back and traded it for this one.

This thing hold just the right amount of lettuce/greens/berries/veggies for 2 people. The spinning is fun and the kids love to take turns, it's light, has a storage lid, easy to clean, GREAT. BUT, the cord on the spinner kept getting stuck and took a while how to go around that and get it back in. That's why I didn't give it a 5. Otherwise, love it!

We have a Addico Chicago Hot and Cold Water Cooler.
The part which screws onto the bottle is not working properly and water leeks into the machine constantly.
I would like to know what I have to replace and how I order the needed parts?

The Adobeair C500 ceramic heater is one of the better ceramic heaters on the market. Its Compact design and automatic overheat cutoff make it a nice addition to any household. An oscillating function would make this heater even better. My family gives it 4 out of 5 stars.

This pan is fantastic, and has served me very well when making small quantities of sauces (1 qt. isn't a very large pan!). My only complaint about it is that the top edge is suceptible to nicks and scratches. The interior and really the pan as a whole seems nearly invincible, standing up to whatever abuse I dish out. The nicked edge obviously has no effect on its cooking ability, but does somewhat impair the aesthetics of the pan. This rating should really be a 4.5.

All clad pans are great, with one caveat. This line doesn't have a rolled lip so that pouring is more difficult than it should be. Of course with a 4qt pan that usually isn't an issue.

If you are strong enough to lift a 4qt pan by the long handle don't get this version, get the one without the lip. Why? Because the loop handle prevents both the steamer and the double boiler inserts from seating firmly. They work, but it isn't as good as the non loop version. Now admitly using a 4qt pan for steaming is overkill, but if the 3qt version is in use, or you didn't buy that one too, you will wish you had the non loop version.

These pans are heavy, (Although not as heavy as pure copper pans)and a gallon of fluid is too, so that if you are small the extra loop would be beneficial for moving the pot from stove to sink, so like everything its a tradeoff.

These trivets look good on the wall and the table. However, both need to be used for larger dishes, as they are not as stable as other trivets we own and can cause the larger dishes to tip if not perfectly centered. Even with that drawback, I like them and would buy them again.

I've seen a lot of colanders and personally, they're all about the same. What makes the Amco Colander better than others is that it uses standard sizes and they're known for their high quality steel. This is one of those where you can substitute for a cheaper product but if you got the money, go for it. =)