Smart Planet PQM-1 Quesadilla Maker

Works Great!
We were eager to use the quesadilla maker since our othe one bit te dust. This one is smaller but we shall overcome I Love it easy to clean ! Use it more often.

Great Quesos
This product looks good, is easy to use and makes great quesadillas. It is so easy that my 11 year old son makes his own. clean up is fast and easy. Very pleased with the product.

Limited use
This only takes the small flour tortillas - no larger than 8". Concept is great and for one person it is fine. But because you can only make one at a time, don't plan on eating while you're making them for others. Would be more efficient to make several at one one in the oven or on a stove top griddle.

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Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher 8-Speed Blender

I LOVE THIS BLENDER!!!!!!
I owned a Hamilton Beach blender and food processor combo unit for over 10 years and loved it.....I used it every day until I wore it out. (I'd say a 10 year run is really a good run!) Because I loved my previous Hamilton Beach blender/food processor, I decided to look at blenders in the Hamilton Beach line again, and was very impressed at the wide selection they offer. My food processing and blending needs have increased as I have had a lot of dental work done recently, and still need more done, so I need a lot of smoothies and purees right now, so I use it more than once/day. There were no reviews for this blender on Amazon, but there were 3 reviews on WalMart's site, and everyone loved it, so I decided to give it a try. The features I wanted were 1.) A glass jar 2.) High power, low piercing sound 3.) Sturdy, solid base 4.) No push buttons for easy cleaning 5.) Stainless steel/black to match my kitchen/sleek, retro look because I leave it out on the counter 6.) Cord storage...

Wanna be disappointed?
I bought this Wave crusher blender at Walmart to make our favorite eggplant dip (baba ganough) which I had been making with a 30-40 year old Hamilton Beach-Scovill, mustard yellow 7 speed push button blender. My decision to replace it was simply because I wanted one with a larger glass blending jar, instead of the smaller old style plastic one.

Big mistake.

This new model HB blender will NOT blend anything unless it's ALREADY in a liquid state. Broiled eggplant is very light and watery and this blender will not mix it up unless you turn it off, use a spoon to mix by hand then turn it back on again - several times. What a hassle. I quickly discovered that if I added a little water, and shook the hell out of it while it was ON, it would help, but I only wanted to make a creamy dip, not eggplant soup...

More problems...
There is NO difference in speed when using the Hi-Lo switch on any of the 3 speeds on the speed knob. I noticed another reviewer...

Nice looking piece of garbage.
Pros:

1. It looks good.

Cons:

1. It doesn't blend anything except thin liquids.
2. If attempts are made to blend anything other than thin liquids, the motor burns first slows to a crawl, then burns out.

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Lansky 2-rod Turn Box Crock Stick Sharpener

If you want fine grit (WHITE) ceramic, this is wrong model
I ordered this thinking it would be fine grit sticks (WHITE) which are my preference for touch up sharpening. However, it is medium grit version which is too coarse for what I use these for. If you'd rather have the fine grit version, it's at this link:

[...]

However, for some reason that is unexplained, it's more expensive, and you can apparently get the four stick version (two fine and two medium) for less!

Very good sharpener
I have used this sharpener for two years. It gives a great edge, consistently, and reliable. Tuck the sticks away and it easily fits in the knife drawer. Easier than the 4-stick model-just move the two sticks over for the finish angle.

Not what is in the photo.
I received a different set of sharpeners than what was photoed. Not what I wanted. It was the grey sticks that are not the same as what is photoed. I was trying to replace a set that is shown.

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Quilted Hunter Green Kitchen Aid Extra Large Mixer Appliance Cover

Perfect Fit
This cover is being used to cover a Hamilton Beach juicer. I went by the measurement of this cover, and it fitted the juicer very well.

Mixer cover
I had quilted appliance covers that were falling apart...I liked them so much I decided to get the same thing. These covers, however, are not the same - they are so much better!! The fabric is quite thick and substantial. The wooden ring at the top adds a nice touch. I have not washed them yet as I have had them only a short time. I do know I will wash them in cold and hang to dry so they last longer. I am very impressed.

COVERING THE MONSTER!
I saved and saved and finally bought my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I got the professional model which will
mix a number of loaves of bread dough. It works perfectly but the machine itself is large and it's sight, overpowers my kitchen work area. The Appliance Cover, in the dark color, makes the whole thing blend into my work surface.
Try and keep things neat and tidy in your kitchen.

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Coaster Cherry finished plant stand with white marble top

great purchase
Very easy to assemble and looks first class. I liked it so much I bought another one. They were packed very will and arrived promptly.





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Sunbeam CKSBPM5020 2-Slice Panini Maker

Pretty good for a budget grill
I picked up the Sunbeam CKSBPM5020 to use as a sandwich press. It not only makes hot sandwiches quite well, it also has some features not often found on inexpensive indoor grills:
*Adjustable temperature
*Indicator lights for power and readiness for cooking
*Floating hinge that makes pressing thin and thick sandwiches equally easy

The only drawbacks are that everything, including the accessories, is made from lightweight materials and the grill plates are not detachable. Neither of these take much away from an appliance that I only use a few times a month. If, however, you plan on eating grilled cheese sandwiches or cooking bacon every day, it's probably better to buy a heavier duty grill.

Four stars.





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Oster 2 Slice Toaster

Great Toaster
I spent hours online reviewing toasters from different companies. I found you can buy a toaster for as little as $10.00 and some are over $400.00. I was more confused after my research so I decided to go with a brand name I have had great luck with - OSTER - the toaster does just what I want it to do. It toasts and toasts evenly. I love the frozen food button for my grandkid's toaster strudles and I use the bagel button to toast hamburger buns. I would recommend it to everyone.

great value for a good quality toaster. recommended
It's a toaster. There is not a lot to it. This one is a great deal though, most of the toasters in the under 30 dollar range are garbage. I am in love with the bagel button, it toasts a bagel perfectly and the bagel button lights up with a blue LED. I looked around locally with a price limit of 25 dollars for toasters and only found a couple very cheap plastic looking ones in the stores for that price. I was thrilled to come home and find an attractive name brand toaster for under 25 with free shipping. I trust Oster not to burn my house down. They have been making small appliances for longer than I have been alive. I still unplug it when not in use though. Cord is very short, plan on it being situated directly in front of an outlet. Seems pretty well made although I wish the lever were metal instead of plastic. Not big deal though. Fit and finish is very nice and I am very happy I did not end up with an ugly white plastic toaster for the same money. Thanks amazon!

So Far So Good
I know similar models to this have not had great reviews but so far this is a great little toaster. It toasts both sides of the toast fairly evenly and looks fabulous. We'll see how long it lasts. But I only paid $15 for my locally so if it dies, I buy another one.

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Hamilton Beach HBH650 Commercial Tempest Bar Blender with 64-Ounce Polycarbonate Container, Blue

Exerienced Bartenders Review For HBH650 commercial blender
I have been bartending for several years now and have used several blenders in my time. At the bar I work at we use a Vitamix commercial blender rated at 2+ h.p. with metal coupling like the H-B and works well. (25-30 second margarita)($300 on Amazon) I used an Island Oasis ice shaver type that you pour 10 poundes ice in the top and is fully automatic (couple thousand dollars through I-O). This blender gives similar results in consistancy to the Island Oasis machine and is rated at 3 h.p. with a timer which is very helpful for a busy bartender. (electronic timer) Not mechanical. This blender is more than capable of whipping up some of the smoothest frozen drinks I have ever gotten from a bar blender. This blender will do a full pitcher of frozen margaritas in 15 seconds flat, yes 64 oz. of creamy smooth goodness. The wave action system works well for agitating the ingridients while pulverizing them to a creamy consistency. The motor has more than enough power to do this well. The jump...

Hamilton Blender
I have studied and read all the reviews that I could before purchasing my new Hamilton Blender. I bought it mainly for all my smoothie's that I make every day. I love my new blender and really feel I made a good purchase. I am very please with it.
I recommend it to anyone needing a bar type blender under $500.

Hot Darn! This is one Great Blender
My wife and I simply love this blender. We have used it for a few weeks now to make smoothies and watermelon juice. It is fast, efficient and produces a product that is smooth and creamy. I know that some people want texture in their blended products, but I don't. So even when I put granola in my smoothies, it pulverizes them.

What is also nice is the two step setting. It starts out reasonably fast and then takes off. And, unlike some, we don't find it to be overly loud.

After wasting hundreds of dollars on GE, Oster and other blenders that were too weak, poorly deisgned or that died after a few months, we are so happy that we went commercial grade.

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Toastess DLHM564 Hand Mixer, Stainless Steel

Where have you been all my life?
Hand mixers have always been a disappointment to me. Not enough power. I came upon a cooking show by accident and the host was putting his hand mixer into "turbo" mode. I searched Amazon and found the mixer. It is the best! Former hand mixers were great for some things but lacked the power to really whip well. This mixer is my go-to now instead of having to drag out my heavy Kitchenaid - which I still love for larger recipes. This one has many speeds and the highest ones are almost scary. It does have an on/off safety feature but I'd still keep it out of the hands of small kids. I now can beat egg whites and whip cream with ease. Lumps I used to fight now disappear easily. I use it regularly as I love to bake and do fancy cakes for my family. It stores easily (the cord wraps around it into grooves in the handle) and cleans like a dream unlike my large mixer with its nooks and crannies. I just bought two more for my daughters for Christmas. It is surprising that it isn't...

Bad Experience with Toastess Mixer
I ordered this mixer and it was received on time and as described. However, the first time I used it I ended up having to use both hands to mix, one to continuously hold the on/off button down and the other to increase the speed. Another problem I experienced was the mixer would shut off as soon as I pressed the button to increase speed. I contacted the seller and they provided me an RMA to return the product and offered purchase of a reduced shipping rate to return it. Included in the return package I provided a typed detail of the problems experienced. Amazon notified me yesterday that a refund was processing, however it is not a full refund. I contacted the company for an explanation and I was informed that it is their policy to charge a 10% re-stocking fee on all refunds. I'm not sure why a re-stocking fee would be charged for a defective item as I would hope it would not be in their policy to re-stocked it. If you plan to purchase this product do yourself a favor and go...

Very pleased
Old hand mixer broke over the holidays. I liked it and was not happy to have to replace it, especially as I read through the reviews of various options. Finally decided on the Toastess, and am very pleased. Not too heavy, good speed control, works better than expected.

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Kitchen Supply Toaster Oven Tart/Pie Pan

Listed Price MUST Be Wrong
This is a $1.99 item at best. Mine arrived looking used, dirty, and dinged. Dimensions are 3.5" bottom diameter and 5" diameter across the upper/outside lip. Material is plain, very lightweight aluminum. Think disposable ashtray, or a child's toy oven tin. Absolutely horrible; $12.99 has got to be a misprint.





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Three Basket Deep Fryer

Practically Impossible To Contrl Temperature
This product is built well enough, but the burner temperature is very difficult and frustrating to control. I had to just shut down one burner because it was impossible to get the oil up to cooking temperature. The instructions are very minimal, and should have more info on how to control the burner temperature. There is a draft control on the burners which I THINK were for temperature control, but the instructions ignored this feature. Also, flames would start shooting out of this draft control and burn the gas tubing. In the future I would look for a product with more features to control burner temperatures. I would return the cooker for refund, but I have used it and would not feel right to return it now.

After further use, I learned to control the burner for proper operation. Never fill the oil pans more than 1/3 full or the oil will boil over and clog the burner, which was my problem. The instructions should have warned against this. Also using a barrier around the...

Too much gas
Love the item, just wished it had a option to heat one fryer or adjust the gas. You are constantly heating both sides of oil, and a lid would have been fabulous for storage. Otherwise the product does what it should, love it at tailgating and church cookouts.

worked ok
worked ok the valves are on the hoses cheep .the oil pans are thin the thermometer did not fit with racks in and temp changes fast need it in all times. hard to pore oil out big basket handles dont stick out.

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SS-780SA Single Serve Brewing System

Avoid Clogging Your Machine...Look At The K-Cups!
I read a number of these reviews. The horror stories about these machines working and then ceasing to work were more than enough for me to steer clear. When the office I work at bought one of these machines, I figured that this would be my chance to find out just how well this machine worked without having any personal finances in play. Let's face it, these machines are an investment. This machine was so much fun to use, just about everyone in the office jumped on board and bought some version of the K-Cup system. I was more interested in this particular model. So, I watched and waited.

Pretty soon, just like other users, the office Cuisinart ran into problems. A K-Cup would be put in the machine, the Brew button would be pressed, the machine would make sounds as if it was trying to brew, some liquid may start dripping into the cup below, but then nothing. This same problem happened to one of the co-workers who had bought this Cuisinart model for their home. The manual was...

Great coffee maker!
This coffee maker makes a great cup of coffee! I have increased my coffee consumption beyond just initial wake up and breakfast. It was kinda hard to justify the price at first, but with family encouraging me, I purchased this model from Bed Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon.

There was a small learning curve and adjustment to make, but it was worth it. I have many 14 and 16 oz mugs from around the world and have become used to drinking a couple of 14 oz cups each morning. However I quickly learned that even the 12 oz setting with the K-cup caused the coffee to be too weak for my taste. I settled on using the 8 oz and 10 oz settings, depending on the coffee used. The increase in flavor, taste and consistency over even the best of pot brewed coffee - more than made up for the decrease in amount.

The price of the K-cups are too expensive to continue using them at the rate of 6 to 10 a day, every day, and my personal favorite coffees are not available in K-cups...

Bestest Ever!
I cannot believe how good this product is in combination with Keurig's K-cup system. We've owned the Bosch Tassimo and loved that for the last year until we couldn't get the descale light to go away, plus the selection was quite limited to Starbucks and Gevalia. Both good brews (not great), but in comparison to the variety of the K-cup system they look and taste paltry in comparison. Caribou Coffee is a mirror image (tastewise) of what you buy in stores and the Donut Shop blend from the Coffee People is incredible as well. For a bigger kick Emeril's Bold and Easy is fantastic, or you can brew your own blend of whatever you like in the reusable cup which Cuisinart nailed. Coarse ground coffees fresh from Dunkin Donuts come out very weak and are not advisable, but their Turbo Hot blend sold in grocery stores brews FANTASTIC as it has a finer grind. I think you can re-grind coarse coffee in a burr grinder to get a deeper brew.

Again, if you love coffee and you love the...

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Fla-Vor-Ice FRSS16PDQ-8SFBL 16-Ounce Sugar Free Snow Cone Syrup, Blue Raspberry

I like it.
Not as good as ones with sugar, but being sugar free is more important to me right now. So this is pretty good in satisfying my need for a sno cone!

Sugar Free and loving it
Just what I want and sugar-free. It is the favorite flavor of my entire family, so we need to keep it in stock.



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Black & Decker RC2800 15-Cup (Uncooked) Non-Stick Stainless Steel Rice Cooker, 220 to 240-volt

220v Rice Cooker
This rice cooker was much bigger than I expected. It was purchased to feed "troops" in Afghanistan and we are very pleased. Well worth the cost.





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Imperia Ravioli Maker - ½"

Great for kids ravioli
I was looking for a raviolini maker to make small ravioli for my kids. I was shocked when I first got this because the pan was so small and the ravioli so little. Still, I gave it a whirl. They cook up bigger than they look, and stay remarkably closed. I used a piping bag to fill them, and it does take a little practice. Also, they don't really cut themselves well with the included roller. However, I discovered you are better off using the roller to cut out the perimeter, and then use a pastry cutter to make the final cuts on the ravioli once you have dumped out the sheet. Much quicker. Also, don't waste your time using cooking spray to make these nonstick. It just makes them wet and then a horrible mess. Dusting with plenty of flour is the only way to go.

They sure are cute and the kids loved them.

ravioli pan
I was not impressed with this pan at all. It was too small. Great and fast service and I appreciate that very much.



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Nostalgia Electrics™ RCM-605 Retro Series™ Cotton Candy Machine

Save your Money !!! it's Junk !
The Cotton Candy Machine looks good .. but is a big waste of money ... The kids lost interest by the time it took to make one cone of cotton candy.. lets say 20 minutes to warm up .. and a good 45 minutes to make almost one small cotton candy cone..
Spend your money on something else worth while!!! unless this company make some major changes to get their machine to work proper , its nothing but junk !

Zero stars for unsafe, defective product
We bought this last week for our son's birthday. Despite many, many attempts to make cotton candy, following the directions exactly, the machine not only never produced one thread of candy, but also spit hot sugar crystals all over the kitchen at high speed. It should come with some protective dome, or safety glasses.

Save your self the shipping cost-- the other reviews should be enough information for the manufacturer (and Amazon) to realize they have a consumer safety issue with this product!

Don't waste your money OR time !
This is the biggest piece of junk ever ! It looks nice but it doesn't even come close to working. We tried it three times and even waited forty minutes. It never made any cotton candy. Looks like good old American nostalgia has gone Chinese. Don't waste your money !

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Cajun Cookware Burners 2 Burner Low Pressure Gas Burner & Stove

Good product
Overall I am pleased with the purchase of this product. I do like the fact the frame is steel "angle iron" for easy repair, replacement or modification purposes vs. the cast iron framed buners. Being steel it's easy to add/weld a 1/4" or 3/8" rod to bridge the center opening above the burner so I can use smaller pots and pans on the stove. The burner did have some left over casting material in the holes that needed to cleaned out, no biggy, was to be expected too some degree. Good heat output, does not like drafty or high wind areas, might need to add a wind block if you do use it windy areas. I used a Harbour Frieght 4' tank adapter ($12), fit perfectly... I think its 3/8" threading. Worth the money... good for SHTF or camping or whatever ????

Despite a couple of mnor flaws, a good product.
I bought this mainly to fry foods such as fish in an outdoor kitchen setting. The two ring burners seem very high in BTUs and can be controlled for hot fry cooking which is definitely a plus. Also, it stores neatly inside the cabinet what I use to cook on. A couple minor flaws keep this from a five star. First, it's difficult to keep smaller sauce pans or frying pans upright on top of the burners because there is no metal bars that extend across the top of the burners for support. Second, I'm not certain they used heat resistant paint on the steel angle iron. I assume the smell of burnt paint will decrease in time but expect this if purchasing one. Overall, I am happy with the purchase.

Poor construction
Poor welds,the legs were welded on crooked I tried to straighten an the leg snapped off in my hand. The burners do work we'll.

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VillaWare V3600-NS Prego Nonstick Pizzelle Baker

Great Great Great!
UPDATE 5/16/2011

It's been almost 5 years since I've purchased this pizzelle iron, and I'm happy to say that it's still functioning just as well as the first day I got it. We actually use this machine a lot more since we have kids now - these little wafer cookies are still a breeze to make...best part is that it's so fast that the kids don't have time to start whining "are they done yet?" Quick tip - use a mini cookie scoop to scoop out the batter. It's just the right amount to use, and you won't have to fiddle with two spoons when dropping the dough onto the griddle. The Norpro 25mm cookie scoop (a little over a teaspoon) is just the right size, so you don't have to worry about batter squeezing out through the sides.
-----------------------------

I love this pizzelle iron - it's fast, clean, and helps me make one mean pizzelle! I bought this for my husband for Valentine's Day (and yes, I did make the pizzelles for him - his favorite dessert!) and he's...

Good Value for the money
For my dollar, this pizzelle baker was definitely worth it. It bakes the pizzelles very evenly, does not require any non-stick spray or anything like that, and it cleans up in a snap!

I would still like to know what I have to do to pour exactly the right amount of batter & where to place it to get a perfect pizzelle every time. It would also be nice if there were a signal to let you know when it's done.

Bottom line, if you don't want to spend a fortune, and you like pizzelles, I highly recommend the VillaWare V3600-NS PREGO Pizzelle Baker !

Very good pizelle baker
Sorry this is so long but a lot of people don't know what pizelle are so I'm being really detailed.

Pizelles are thin Italian cookies cooked 1- or 2-at a time in a pizelle iron. A century ago cast iron pizelle irons were held over the stove, but my grandmother gave hers up as soon as the decent electric ones came out in the 1960s.

This pizelle baker is VERY nice. The non-stick coating is easy to clean and the pizelle don't stick (be sure to use wooden utensils and only wipe clean with a paper towel so you don't scratch the coating). The iron heats quickly (maybe 5 minutes) and keeps constant temperature (I've had it about 2 years and have made at least a dozen batches of pizelle and haven't had any problems). Like MANY kitchen appliances, however, the cord is too short, IMHO - they do that so you don't accidentally pull the hot iron off the table, but you really shouldn't use an extension cord. For countertop use the cord length is fine. When I make...

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Kalorik Red Fusion Cordless Jug Kettle, White/Red

Didn't last long
A nice enough kettle but the switch only lasted a few months in use. It was never the easiest kettle in the world to set onto the connector block either.





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Magic Bullet Black Edition Express Blender and Mixer System (MBR-2101)

Magic Bullet
Makes good smoothies..that is, before it breaks. I only had it for 6 months and yesterday it just decided to stop working. I took care of it, no reason for this. Did I mention that I bought my dad one for Father's day and his did the same damn thing?!!





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Fla-Vor-Ice FRSS16PDQ-8CC Snow Cone Syrup, Cotton Candy, 16-Ounce

Sno cone -- cotton candy
Love the taste! We make sno cones a lot in our household and this is one of the best flavors we have received! Very pleased snc will order again!

My girls really like this flavor and I like the price!
Great tasting flavor ice for snow cones that doesnt break my wallet. Summer is coming so I'll be buying more!

Nasty
It doesnt even taste like cotton candy but like sugar from the cotton candy. Would not buy again jelly bean brand is more for me (not sicky sweet)

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KitchenAid K4SSWH 4 -1/2 Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer, White

Finding attachments
I received this mixer yesterday for Christmas from my kids. Then I read the above review and I got a little aprehensive. Today I telephoned this number 1-800-541-6390 to ask about the attachments for this model mixer. She answered several questions and she gave me the numbers of appliance models that are compatible with the K4SS mixer. The wire whip model number is K5AW. The attachments with model numbers KSM500 and K5SS will all fit the K4SS mixer. Hope this helps.

Great but be careful of buying attachments, here are the model numbers you need
Hello,

thanks to everyone that has reviewed this item. I bought it on Black Friday at Walmart (model k4sswh) and got a good deal, but the deal is because the inside literature is of little use, and it doesn't tell you a thing about the mixer you have nor the attachments you need! I went to the KitchenAid website and it didn't have very good info either... surprising. But I did call the KitchenAid phone number 800-541-6390 and after getting through another bad telephone computer routing system I got to a very nice and helpful KitchenAid Rep.

Here is what I found out about these are the model numbers that fit this mixer:.
*Dough Hooks: Burnished k5bdh, Coated k5adh.
*Wire Whisk: k5aww and this will work with the 4.5 and 5 quart bowls.
*5 Quart polished bowl will work with this mixer if you want it: 5.0 quart k5asbp
*Pour shield: KN1PS
*All KitchenAid front mounted attachments work with all of the KitchenAid Mixers, so no worries there,...

Good, solid mixer (goes on sale for an amazing deal)
The only reason I give this little mixer 4 stars instead of 5 is the lack of attachments (I too have gone through multiple versions guessing at what will fit).

But mine works great. At first, I thought I might have gotten a lemon when it made this awful thumping sound when it mixed. Then I realized that I hadn't pushed the bowl all the way through the clip in the back.

I've had good success with various batters I've made (and hope to soon get the dough hook). This should have plenty of power to handle my breads, and it's not bad to have this slightly smaller model. Really, the 600 series would have just been too much mixer.

For more information, check out the Kitchen Aid forum on this mixer:
[...]

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Continental Electric CP43219 Deep Fryer

Continental Electric 1000-Watts 1.2- Quart Stainless Steel Deep Fryer
This is a very small fryer and great for one person. What I like about it is that it uses very little oil to cook with. I rarely eat fried foods, so this make it convenient to cook for one. It doesn't take much space which is great!

A good little deep fryer for cooking Tempura for one.
I am the only one in my family that enjoys freshly made Tempura so this little deep flyer is ideal for me. I also might add that this company is an outstanding company with excellent customer support.

Deep fryer
Small but nice. Quality is good.Was bought as a gift.Daughter was happy with the size. I do like that it was stainless steel.

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Tupperware 2.25c MICROWAVE Rice Quick COOKER STEAMER NEW

Perfect!
I bought this because I was just tired of having to use the stovetop and dirty a pot to make rice. It's perfect for one or two people, and produces about 1 1/2 cups of rice. The max capacity is 1/2 cup rice and 1 cup water.

I just used it for the first time and expected some trial and error. The insert says to cook jasmine rice for 8 minutes if your microwave is 900 watts. Mine is 1100 watts, so keep this in mind.

The insert specifically says to use 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup rice, but my Jasmine rice package says it's 3/4 cup water to 1/2 cup rice. I followed the tupperware instructions instead of the rice package.

1/2 jasmine rice, 1 cup cold water. Microwaved for 7 min in an effort to account for a higher wattage microwave. After 7 min, the water was gone, but the rice was a little too chewy. I added about 1/4 cup cold water, and another minute in the microwave, then let it rest for about 5 minutes. It came out perfect.

So, the...

Tupperware individual microwave rice cooker
Received today -- way ahead of schedule. Looks great and I am anxious to try it out . . . will need to go and purchase rice first!



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45-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Refrigerator

looks and works great
this Wine cellar works fantastic, really looks good as the centerpiece in my man cave. it does not make that much noise and the wine,red and white are always at the right temperature! I would recommend this product to a friend absolutely.





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Sensio 90018 Bella Professional Blender

terrible customer service
I bought one of these blenders about 9 months ago. It's a decent blender, not nearly as good as a Vitamix, but decent.

recently I noticed a burnt rubber smell when I used the blender and after a few more uses the blade became separated from its rubber base (which was partially shredded). The base is the thing that connects the blade to the motor so the blade will turn....so no base means that the blender was useless.

I spent about 20 minutes Googling things like "Bella Professional Blender blade" until I finally cam across Sensioinc.com the manufacturer's site. There's no mechanism to order parts on their site and no one else was selling part for it....however I did find a number for customer service (it is 1-866-832-4843).

If it wasn't for the fact that I had seen their product in major stores like Macy's, I would have thought that this was some small fly by night company that didn't have the resources to properly handle websites, customer support...





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Victorinox Honing Steel 14-Inch Round Regular Cut, Black Plastic Handle

Just what I needed...
Well, as far as steels are concerned. I needed this steel to be this long because of my 12" Cimeter, and the rule of thumb is for the steel to be at least 2" longer than your blade. This steel must be an older model because nowhere on it does it have a Victorinox label. The handle is stamped with the Forschner label and the steel itself is stamped R.H. Forschner Shefield, England. Can you say SCORE. Before I get beat up in the comments, let me state that I know Forschner and Victorinox are one in the same. As a matter of fact the product tag stated "Forschner by Victorinox". I guess I need to review the product now. This steel is regular cut, which is perfect for meat cutting knives. I have a polishing steel for my kitchen knives. The handle is injection molded polyurethane(plastic) and is not textured like the the "Fibrox" handles on the newer blades. It is octagonal to help with the grip and fits my large hand just fine. The flairs at the hilt could have been...

Large is good
This honing steel is larger than most. I like that it works well for every knife that I have - from a jack knife to a large carving knife. It is well made and restores an edge quickly. There are several different types of steels and I have not tried the others. This one by Victorinox seems to be a great all around choice, so long as it's hardness is correct for your knifes. I recommend this steel based upon the results I have gotten.



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Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Digital Coffeemaker

best cheap cone coffee maker I have had
I'm usually a Krupps/Braun fan but after my husband developed a knack of breaking the carafe and those brands being very pricey, one night, after yet another carafe breakage, I found this one and bought it for "immediate emergency" use at a K-mart. I thought it would be cheesy junk but it was only going to be temporary. Well, I've had it for over a year now and still going strong. It brews just as well as any Braun or Krupps I've ever had. I prefer a simple basic coffee maker that has an auto shut off, pour-while-brewing function and must be cone not basket. This model fits the bill and at a bargain-basement price - The first one I bought was 16.99 - and has been surprisingly durable. I'm buying another as an extra to keep on hand for the next carafe incident. I could just get a carafe I suppose but I've seldom had a coffee maker that lived more than 3 years so I will just by the whole thing - at this price and free shipping it is not an issue.

By the way, YES you do need...

The Pinto of cheap coffee makers
Anybody old enough to remember the problems with the Ford Pinto? Supposedly if you hit the car in a rear-end collision it was very easy to rupture the gas tank and cause a deadly fire. Not really a good thing to happen on a car....

Well, I'm sure the deficiencies on this coffee maker aren't going to kill anyone or cause any explosions, but they merit serious consideration before you even think about buying one - no matter how inexpensive it might be. Problems include:

the carafe's top doesn't come off easily at all, making cleaning difficult;

the filter basket is an odd size, so neither #2 or #4 filters fit perfectly; I had a #4 gold permanent filter which I thought would fit, but it didn't, and #2 is far too small;

the machine is set to turn off automatically after 2 hours, probably OK for most but not for me - you can easily hit the button to warm it again though, so this is not a giant issue;

and most damaging, because of...

THE BIG MESS COFFEE MAKER
All of the other customer review comments are true. DO NOT BUY!!

1. I broke the lid off of the carafe so that I could wash it properly and now unless I put the lid back on in original
tiny holes, the coffee spurts all over.

2. After properly inserting the filter basket with coffee grinds, then when carafe is put in place - it causes the filter basket to move to a tilted position and a big mess results.....coffee grinds and water spill out all over counter (and floor).

3. DO NOT BUY,

4. Big dissappointment from HB - they have been making coffee makers forever????

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KitchenAid Pro 450 Series 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer, Imperial Black

Wonderful machine
This is one great machine. It is a real work horse. I make all of our bread products and this machine has cut down my prep time. It was a bit hard to get used to the fact that it was not a tilt head but that is a small price to pay for how well this machine works. I highly recommend it.

LOVE my Mixer!!!
I have this mixer and have had it for at least a year now. It is so much better than the earlier models by KitchenAid. However, one word of warning, replacement parts are not easy to find and depending on what you order, they can run fairly expensive. I just need a replacement paddle because my kids misplaced mine and I can't live without my mixer... seriously, we are a big time cooking and baking family.

Love this Mixer
I Love this mixer it does a fantantic job with large batches of cookie dough and such. It is also is very easy to clean. I bake a lot of bread and it does a good job of kneading the dough. One draw back though is it doesn't like to do a 4 loaf batch. The mixer cuts off after about 4 minutes. Other than that it's a Great product.

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Counter Top Stand, Easy Lift, 4 Piece Corkscrew Set & Extra Corkscrew Coil and Foil Cutter

Best Wine Opener Out There
I have tried dozens of different corkscrews and this is it. So simple and easy to use I think we are drinking more wine since we got it. Now my wife wants to open the wine bottles when we have guest to to show it off and how easy it is verse those other contraptions....recomend to all you wine drinkers.

Excellent quality, and very dependable...
I purchased this uncorking device after the one I had broke down, and have been extremely pleased with it. Only one thing happened, that wasn't positive, and that had to do with the small, cutting device, that you use to cut the lead covering away that protects the cork. Like pretty much all of these devices, this is usually the one weak spot in the whole show. The manufacturer uses tiny rivets (four of them) to hold the blades in place and, once again, one or two of them keep dropping out. This time, I took it out to my "man cave," in my back yard (it's a small workshop I have out there), and installed four brass, self-tapping screws to hold the blades in place, and it is a permanent fix. All I had to do was take a drill, and open the hole up just a tiny bit, about the thickness of a sheet of paper. Then, I used the brass screws to secure the blade back into place. If I do say so myself, it looks quite professionally done and, as I've said, it is a permanent fix. As...

For new corks only
The screw is thin, smooth (coated?), and very sharp. It works great with "young" corks. With simulated corks, the screw goes in just fine, and comes out just as easily - but the cork doesn't budge. With old corks that happens, or only half the cork comes out. So this is only useful for new corks in good condition.

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Sensio Bella 13549 Circus Waffle Maker

cutest waffles ever
I don't know what some reviewers were griping about. Yes, it stunk at first but the directions are to throw out the first waffles. We followed the directions, smell went away and now we have adorable waffles.





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Hamilton Beach Fastpop Quick Fast 10 Minute Ice Pop Instant Frozen Popsicle Maker Compare to Norpro Zoku

Must Get!
I love this product! My boyfriend and I like to eat healthy so we decided to buy this product to have fruit, juice, and yogurt popsicle. Before using the product it must be in the freezer for at least 24 hrs. The first time we used ours we decided to pour juice inside. The instructions said to place the sticks inside the slots before pouring anything inside, but this makes things a little messy. We poured juice inside first, stopped at the indent line, and then placed the sticks in. We were a little skeptical using the product for the first time, we weren't trusting that this product would really only take 10 mins. After waiting anxious and impatiently for 10 mins we stuck the lifter thing through the slots and with a little muscle the popsicle popped on out, solid as a rock. We use our product at least a few times a week. After having our product for about 3 months we have tried cut up fruit such as pineapple, oranges, and peaches, different kinds of fruit juices, and yogurt. All...

New Favorite Toy
Quality product, does what it says. Someone at Hamilton Beach needs a raise. The WORST thing about homemade popsicles is waiting for them to freeze. Epically, they freeze in 10 minutes with this baby! Good times for the kids, good times for mom; I highly recommend this product.

Nope. Did. Not. Like.
I bouthg this one instead of the Zoku brand, bc it was less expensive. When I opened it, one of the tips on the little sticks was already broken off. I made a batch of bars anyway, according to the enclosed directions, and they would NOT pop out. I washed them out, wrapped it back up, and am returning this product. I may purchase the Zoku brand, and see if that one works as described.

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GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Toaster

GSI Toaster
This is a very smart design. It folds up flat and takes up a lot less space than the traditional circular toaster. The cooking grid heats up rapidly, much like a camp heater. Your toast will be done in no time with this gadget. And the plastic bag insert and little carry pouch make using this a breeze. I highly recommend this product.

Good design, mediocre manufacturing
This toaster is quite practical, easy to store and fast at toasting. It's convenient for toasting one piece at a time.

The design is nice, somewhat slick. Also, it comes with a convenient case to store it.

However, the one that I've got looks like a return... the cut on the grid is badly done, and the structure is too loose ...it doesn't quite stay 'unfolded'.

It works
We've gone through a number of other camp toasters -- the kind that hold multiple pieces of toast at angle -- and always been disappointed; they took forever to toast and we actually had problems with heat reflections warping our (cheap) camping stove. I bought this on a lark and was amazed.
The GSI toaster holds a single slice but can toast 4 pieces faster than the competition holding 4 slices at once -- we've compared on the same stove. It does a better job diffusing heat, so no stove parts warping and paint peeling. It's just better. The one downside is you have to watch your toast carefully to avoid burning it.

Also, we've noticed that the steel mesh on the bottom appears to be hand-cut and might not be perfectly smooth along the side.

This is a great device. We've bought 2.

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Smith Abrasives 2002 Deluxe Knife & Scissors Sharpener

Good product for the price
I haven't used many of this style knife sharpener, but I have used just about everything else from single pull knuckle busters to flat files, multi-stage stone, electric honers and even a dremel. For kitchen/camping, this is a good product.

I've used it for a couple years now with no complaints (and actually back on Amazon to buy more). On dull blades it takes many pulls on the course side to re-set the edge - but that's a given with any dull blade. As the one review noted, it can get a little flippy if too much pressure is applied - but that's the case with any of these hand held styles. And once you've done a couple knives, you get the feel for the angle to hold it at based on how much pressure you need to apply. A couple pulls on the ceramic and that knife is good to go for a long time. Don't be afraid to repeat the steps many times - if its a hard steel, it's going to take a few cycles on any knife to set the edge

Buy one for you and a few for stocking...

Not the easiest thing to use
This sharpener comes with the ability to sharpen both knives and scissors (both left handed and right handed). It is lightweight and portable.

To operate the sharpener you must 1st flip down the guard (see picture above). This guard does not lock but there is a notch that it falls into once opened. Too much pressure and the guard will slip out of the notch and collapse the sharpener while in use. The sharpener is not free standing and requires a hand on it to keep it upright while sharpening. At best, this is somewhat ackward.

The angle at which to hold the knife while sharpening is a best guess. Although the sharpener's blade design is V-shaped(see picture above), which allows the knife to fit into the groove, there is still room for slippage while pulling the knife through which can scrape and scar the side of the knife.

The knife sharpener has a "course" side and a "fine" side (see picture above). Those with damaged and knicked blades use the course...

Smith's Sharpener works great for me.
Smith's Deluxe Knife & Scissors Sharpener sharpens my knives quickly and easily. I don't find it unsteady to use as the other reviewer does.

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KitchenAid 13-cup Die-Cast Food Processor, KFP1344: Exclusive Metallic Chrome

GREAT
Mom loves this so much. She uses it all the time. It has so many different attachments for different things its like having several different mixers in one.

Worked once
Used it to mince one onion. After tying to proceed to mince some garlic, it won't start. The light comes on when you press low or high, but it won't spin. Very disappointed with KitchenAid on this one.



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Waring PJE401 Juice Extractor, Quite White and Stainless Steel

Excellent commercial quality juicer !
I have used many juicers in the past, and this one is by far the highest of quality. First of all, since this juicer does not have a pulp ejection system, the pulp actually spins in the juicer yielding about 30% more juice for your drinking pleasure. The filters make cleanup really simple. My favorite point about the juicer is the quality construction. They use stainless steel for most of the upper housing. Filters are available locally. It's a great way to start your day, and hopefully for years to come. Happy juicing!

Disappointed
I bought this machine for its power and brand-name quality. It is powerfull indeed and is sturdy in construction. With its centrifugal approach to extracting juices, the machine really gets the juice out until the last drop. I really liked it until I tried putting watermelon in it: the machine grinded the juice shreder plate inside. No more quality and effortless juicing after that. Had the machine replaced thinking it was just the particular unit I had purchased, but it happened again. So, I was left with having to purchase a replacement plate from the manufacturer. This third time I tried grapes, and whamo!...for the third time the machine ruined its plate. At $40.00 a piece it is no joke having to replace the plate a couple of times, plus it is not a good feeling when you don't know how the machine will react when certain fruits are juiced. After these three incidents, I only use it to extract juices from carrots, apples, and celery...no more grapes or watermelon...in all the...

Best on the market
I have used this product for about 2 years now. In terms of quality you are getting your money's worth. It is a solid industrial device that is not likely to have mechanical or structural problems during an owner's lifetime.

In terms of use, it is pretty good. Because of the straining action it uses you get significantly more juice per vegetable than any other machine. The only issue I have is with cleanup. It's not bad per se but you do need the filters to save you 80% of the cleanup without them. Even with the filters though it is damn tricky to get all the fibrous leftovers out of the metal spinner. There is just no simple physical way to get pulp out given the design of the spinner. Having said that we're talking a minute or two of running this thing under a faucet tilting it back and forth. If they can solve this I'll give them 5 stars.

Finally it looks good. I just wish they would bring back the blue model that my ex took!

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