Review of Reed & Barton Dalton 4-Piece Hostess Set

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List Price: $37.50
Sale Price: $27.74
Today's Bonus: 26% Off

Excellent flatware, purchased these to have as an extra set for my flatware. Very high quality and so very beautiful. Excellent weight. Highly recommend Reed & Barton

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Review of Fox Run 2 Quart Steamed Pudding Mold and Lid

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List Price: $24.99
Sale Price: $22.86
Today's Bonus: 9% Off

I stirred up my pudding, steamed it in this, and now it's resting in the refrigerator, wrapped in cheesecloth soaked in brandy. The mold worked perfectly, and the pudding slid right out (I had liberally greased and floured it before using). This is the first time I've made a steamed pudding this way, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

The mold is thin and might dent easily, but that wasn't a problem for me. The tin that was submerged in the bubbling water discolored, but that hasn't hurt the tin that I can tell. I actually was able to lift the filled pudding mold out of the pot by the lid handle, but I did so very carefully, and I don't know if you'd be able to do it every time.

Anyway, this mold performs exactly as it's meant to, and I look forward to making many more puddings in it. One note: despite the tags "baking mold" and "baking molds," you aren't meant to bake in this. The packaging specifically says not for use in the oven.

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This mold worked perfectly! However, it would have been nicer to have a lid that was more secure so that i could use the handle to pull the mold out of the water bath. Nonetheless, i accounted for the slight "flaw" and pulled it out from the sides (I had it in a large pot that enabled me to do this)

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I'm satisfied with the quality of this mold. I consulted with a friend who is a chef, and she recommended tin. It discolors after the first use, but so far as I can tell this is normal for tin. There is a decorative pattern at the bottom of the mold; this makes it a little more difficult to grease, but that is a fair trade-off.

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The mould is exactly as expected and produced a perfectly shaped Christmas plum pudding. It is a repacement for moulds my mother used for many years and the company was well advised not to tamper with a good product.

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After reading mixed reviews I decided to order the Fox Run Steamed Pudding Mold and I am very happy with my choice. It arrived a day to two after I placed my order; it was packed well and arrived without any dents in lid or body of mold. I have wanted a steamed pudding mold for a long time and so glad I finally have one that I made a steamed pudding the same day I received the mold. All went well and the pudding was excellent! The only reason I am giving a 4-star rating is because of the lid not having a lock feature that would make it possible to lift from the lid. Otherwise, you have to use a pan large enough to accommodate lifting the mold out from it's sides which could be tricky and present a safety issue. Some reviewers complained about it being thin tin. If this were a heavy-duty mold, it would make it more difficult to retrieve from the hot water in steaming pan. I would purchase this item again and I would highly recommend it to friends and family.

Discount Savu Emeril Smoker Bags - Mesquite, Pack of 3

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I wish I had thought of Smoker Bags. What a great way to smoke your meats and veggies. I don't have access to the fancy smokers that you can use outside, so I decided to give this a try. I was very happy with how the chicken came out. (I decided to practice on chicken first) And the beef roast was just as wonderful. great flavor. I have already suggested this to several of my friends. GREAT PRODUCT!

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Buy Chef's Choice 110 Professional Diamond Hone Sharpener

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List Price: $105.00
Sale Price: $69.99
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

Cooks Illustrated gave this sharpener a very strong review (their best-of-class as I recall) and I reluctantly laid down my trusty sharpening steel to give it a try. Once I got this special 3-beveled edge on our knives I never regretted the decision to switch. What's particularly nice is that the edge returns so easily with a quick touch-up on the finest setting.

I've also notice virtually no obvious loss of metal on the knives after many touch-ups, a problem with other sharpeners that can quickly consume your blades. If you want an edge that makes you feel more like a surgeon than a chef, this will deliver.

[The only downside is that it's no good for serrated knives, but their newer model 120 will handle them too.]

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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.

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I'm a hunter and a fisherman (mostly fisherman) and have had a devil of a time over the years keeping fillet knives sharp. In order to fillet a fish, a knife sharp is everything. I used the chef's choice sharpener on my fillet knives and it got them almost razor sharp. Encouraged, I went and sharpened all the kitchen knives and the box full of pocket knives that I have received for birthdays and so forth over the years. I have nothing but good things to say about this product. Highly recommended!

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I just received the sharpener today along with a Henckels santoku. I sharpened a half dozen of the old Henckels at home and found the sharpening process to be very quick. The last time I had sharpened the knives was on a whetstone and this process is definitely much faster. I can get the knives about as sharp as the manual process. I was hoping for the 'razor' sharp edge that comes with the brand new knives, but it seems that may not be achievalble with the tool. I used the new knife as a benchmark, and it was not possible for me to get the same degree of sharpness. The machine does provide edges, though, that are definitely usable, and probably better than the average person can achieve on a whetstone. And much faster.

I first followed the instructions that came with the sharpener, and it was quite hard to grasp. It asks the user to hold the knife lightly and let the magnet align the knife. What worked for me was to look directly over the machine so that I can see the contact between the knife edge and the moving abrasive. By looking at the angle and trying to keep the angle consistent, working with the magnet becomes quite intuitive. By trying to keep the angle constant, the hand subconsciously lets the magnet align the knife. If you pull the knife blindly, this process doesn't work quite as well... at least at the beginning, I suppose, since I just started to use the product.

Overall I am happy with the sharpener, and would use this over manual sharpening any day. If I were a sushi chef who whose life depended on the sharp edge, I would probably not use it, but to keep a set of knives at a reasonable condition for everyday cooking, the machine is definitely more than adequate.

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I purchased the Chef's Choice Model 110 and used it to sharpen a knife [not mine] that had been previously damaged by someone trying to sharpen the knife on a grinding wheel. While the 110 could not correct the cosmetic damage done to the knife, it did restore a very sharp edge to the knife. I look forward to sharpening MY knives and maintaining a razor sharp edge.

Before discarding that knife, try the model 110 and save cash!

Reviews of Chantal 1.8-Quart Loop Teakettle

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List Price: $60.00
Sale Price: $49.99
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

It's a neat looking teakettle, holds a lot of water and does a great job of pouring (some don't believe it or not). The spout cover can be locked open or held partially open and the handle stays relatively cool. Our one problem was the exact opposite of the other reviewer's: it didn't whistle at all! I blew through the little harmonica lid and it made noise (maybe not up to Bob Dylan standards, but it did make noise). We called Chantal customer service and they said it was a common problem. He told us to loosen the screw that holds the harmonica against the spout and it would seal better and whistle. So (being Mr Fixit) I took the whole thing apart, stretched the little spring that holds the harmonica down, turned the screw out a bit and now it seals better and whistles. Not deafening but clearly audible. So now it works, but the Chantal guys need to recalibrate the laser controlled high tech assembly robots at their cutting-edge manufacturing facility in Thailand. Uh-huh.

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The craftsmanship of this kettle is outstanding. Paint is thick and rich, will change its shade a bit with temperature. The whistle is different here, it sounds more like locomotive signal loud and low frequency. I used it on a gas stove and whistling nose lid (made of plastic) burned at the bottom a bit jamming the whistling element, and now lid does not close tight, therefore no whistling. Looks like this kettle was designed with electrical cooker in mind.

The main lid tends to get stuck half way when I close it, allowing steam to escape, which leads to no whistling.

The handle is ergonomically located slightly on a back for no-strain pouring and is always cool enough to touch.

Time to boil is slightly longer due the spherical shape of this kettle.

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Nice tea kettle. I find that if I place the lid carefully so that it seats and clicks in, the whistle will work, otherwise there is not enough steam pressure to create the (albeit unusual) whistle sound.

Part II--A month after i wrote the above, the whistle went totally silent. I've tried to fix it but I'm not as handy as the guy who wrote that he took the whole thing apart. I have a million things to take care of and--call me crazy--I expect my tea kettle to more or less take care of itself.

I'm taking it back. C'est tout! I can't change my rating on this form but I would have to give it no stars at all.

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I just received this kettle in the mail. I've boiled three pots of water (increasing volume each time) and haven't heard a peep out of this thing. Amazing. How hard is it to sell a functional whistling kettle? Steer clear of this model. I'm sending my back.

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This is a beautiful kettle, but I bought it mainly for its loud whistle, which WAS truly loud when I tested it. For some reason, however, it doesn't always whistle--hence...DISASTER. I didn't hear it whistle so forgot about it, it overheated, and the black plastic melted. This is the second disappointment; the first was a Copco Virtu kettle, also beautiful, which didn't whistle at all because it was too loosely assembled. I will now have to spend almost $100 to get a kettle I can trust--one made of ALL stainless steel--no plastic.

Paderno World Cuisine Zucchini Corer, Stainless Steel Blade Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Works like a champ to core Zucchini's, its nice the whole thing is stainless, once its covered in Zucchini insides you can give it a quick rinse and off you go. Its also a very good length for most Zucchinis.

The worse I can say is it might be too sharp, you have to be careful with it as lest you want to poke a hole out the back.

If you make stuffed Zucchinis this is a nice tool to have.

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This is an elegant kitchen implement that is a pleasure to hold and to behold. It has enabled me to hollow squash I would have never dared to tackle before. And yet, is this the best that centuries of kitchen technology can devise for this task? I would think a large, sharp-edged spoon thing like a surgical curette would work better. The problem is, this implement will allow you to cut material from the walls of the squash, but doesn't really help you to drag it back up. And there's a real risk of going too far, and perforating the end of the squash. Maybe I'm not using it right! Maybe there's a youtube video on hollowing squash...

Update, several months and many squash later: While I still think a spoon-like device would be useful for hollowing squash, one does get more comfortable with this tool with experience. If you whip the tool around, you can easily break up the pulp so that, on inverting the squash, the pulp slithers out as you draw the corer outward. So I am increasingly happy with my purchase.

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Works great highly recommend this corer.Difficult to find unless in high class store reasonably priced.

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Got to the core of the problem with this item well made, dishwasher safe and will last for years. The handle itself is the same size as the blade which allows for deeper insertion of the blade to accomodate larger zucchini.

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arrived on time in good condition. great That is enough to say. It gets the message across. This is silly. I am being nice taking time to write at all.

POT WATCHER, GLASS (77258) Review

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This is my second one. My first one cracked after a few years. Even so, I recommend getting a pot watcher. I am a multitasker and this along with an egg timer keep me on track when boiling stuff in the kitchen.

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If you agree with "a watched pot never boils" and wander away while waiting for water to get hot enough to cook, then this is what you need! My last boiling disc broke after many years. I have a short attention span and I burned a pot by forgetting I had water on the stove, so I bought this glass "pot watcher" and again I am reminded when my water finally boils. It rattles and makes enough noise to be heard over our TV when the pot starts boiling. In use, I use a pair of tongs to remove it before adding food to the water, but when I forget, the glass disk does not affect the food and is as easy to clean as a small plate.

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What can I say? It works very well by clattering before the milk boils over. I'm happy to have it!

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I am a person who multitasks. Needless to say a boiling pot usually boils over. I had a Pot Watcher several years ago and used it on numerous occasions. Being glass, the item naturally broke when I dropped it. I have looked and looked for a Pot Watcher again. Even some of the "elegant" kitchen gadget stores do not carry them. A Pot Watcher is a must in every kitchen and a super gift for a new bride. Thank you, Amazon!

Best The Gourmet Bar Pot Rack Deals

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List Price: $45.99
Sale Price: $39.99
Today's Bonus: 13% Off

This is a very good product. Installed easily on our wall. We put two of them side-by-side. We can get four skillets and pots on each one, but they each come with about six hooks--more than enough. Very happy with this purchase.

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We ordered two racks to display our stainless steel pots and pans. We used molly bolts to install the racks because the cookware is fairly heavy. The racks are sturdy and look great!

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This rack is sturdy and exactly the size advertised which is good because if it had been even a centimeter longer it would not have fit my space. I wouldn't have minded a couple more hooks, but for the price I'm very pleased with this purchase.

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I mounted this over my stove and now I have my main 4 pans readily available. I find it great to grab a pan, use it, dry and hang it back up. And I know right where it's going to be.

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We got this for pans that we wanted to hang from a pantry wall to provide us with a little more cabinet space for some other things. Sturdy and easy to install. Comes with great hooks that allow us to hang our fry and sautee pans by their handles. Make sure you use anchors for your screws though if you are going to be hanging heavy items. Great deal and we love it!

Cheap Norpro KRONA Stainless Steel 12 Quart Multi Roaster

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List Price: $199.99
Sale Price: $148.00
Today's Bonus: 26% Off

This roaster has been a great purchase. I've used it 3 times so far for roasting turkey and duck. It cleans up surprisingly easily. With the rack out, it handled an 18 lb turkey with the lid on. The quality seems very good with significant heft. The handles are very well placed to both offer stable handling and to minimize wasted space in the oven. The heavy bottom on both the roaster and the lid do a great job of equalizing heat distribution from the bottom. It's pricey, but worth every penny if you want a great looking and perfectly functioning roaster.

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Look, this is a large roasting pan. Why would you want one? To roast large things. What is it good for? Roasting large things.

It's very large, so you need room to store it (and wash it: it probably won't fit in your dishwasher) and it has a VERY heavy base (so if you put the lid on add an hour AT LEAST to your cooking time as it will take a while to heat up in an oven) but if you know what you're doing with it (and why you want it) then you can't really get better than this.

Pros: The base is the best turkey roaster I've ever used (note that I take my turkey to other houses frequently, so the lid is a must have for me). The base and the lid both have very thick, solid metal heat-absorbing cooking surfaces, and the whole thing is stainless steel, so it's super durable and reliable. The handles are offset, so it's not as wide as it would be if they weren't, but that takes some getting used to. There's a custom rack that it comes with that's perfect for roasting (and lifting out your roast in the end, as the rack has handles) and you can cook TWO roasts at once (using the base and the lid.)

Cons: THE PRICE. DAMN that's expensive! I had a large gift certificate for a local cooking store and that's how I got mine, but now I've ordered a second one as a gift for someone else (as they kept eyeing mine with envy every time I came over with a perfectly cooked turkey, brought over in this awesome roaster with a great lid!) It's also big and awkward to store in your cupboard when you're not using it.

Summary: Do you cook enough LARGE roasts or turkeys to need this? No? Then save your money! But if you want to have something great to help out when cooking for 10-20 people several times a year, then here you go!

And if you're cooking for more than that, then you probably should look at a commercial alternative :)

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This Item was just what I was wanting. The material and workmanship was good. It was the desired size.

I whole recommed this for anyone looking for a quality roaster.

Discount Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 8-Quart Stainless-Steel Pasta Insert

Customer Ratings:

I have the Calphalon Contemporary pots and pans. This insert will only work for the Calphalon Contemporary collection. It is made extremely well and so nice to have the insert and the pot together so you don't have to get a separate stainer out from the cabinet while preparing pasta. I love it and use it often.

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Bought this item to accommodate the Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 8-Quart pot, which I obtained from a outlet retail store. Now my wife has the complete set. Works great for steaming frozen vegetables.

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This should be standard with the stock pot. Calphalon is certainly quality. A silicone ring might be a good add to it for seal against stock pot, but I like it just the same. Can't wait for shimp boil.

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Fits perfectly with my 8quart pot that I have when I bought the 13 piece set, it just slides right in....

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This fit perfectly in our large calphalon non-stick pot and worked excellent for steaming lobster! It's a high quality steamer/strainer.

Best Breville The Infuser Espresso Machine Deals

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List Price: $799.99
Sale Price: $479.99
Today's Bonus: 40% Off

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Bottom line: I was expecting the Double Boiler to blow the BES840XL out of the water when it came to shot quality. That was not the case at all. While the milk texturing capability of the 840 is a pale shadow of the DB, and it lacks the multitude of convenience features of the DB, the 840 absolutely holds its own with regards to shot quality.

Full review:

I've been using the Breville Double Boiler espresso machine for nearly a year and have been very pleased with it. I was hesitant at first, but great shots and the many, many convenience features won me over. So, when the opportunity came up to compare their top of the line Double Boiler (DB) with their new machine (I'll call it the 840) I thought it wouldn't be a fair fight. Well, I was wrong.

I've never been a fan of thermoblock machines since the temperature stability is just not there. Breville seems to have solved that using two methods. First, the thermoblock is really a thermocoil -it's a solid block of metal that has two channels machined through it: one for water, the other for the heating element. Cold water enters at one end and emerges heated at the other. They also added a PID for temperature control. Collectively, these techniques produce excellent temperature stability for shots, and very fast recovery time.

The machine itself is classic Breville design -lots of stainless and high quality plastic. It has a small footprint, and looks much like the baby brother of the DB.

But it's the shots that count. I started with an easy test: Lavazza Super Crema. It's not a high-end bean, but tasty, and one that I've found is very forgiving of less than perfect prep. After a few test shots to get the new machine dialed in, I pulled a double shot from both machines. I could not taste the difference. Did it again and had others taste it, and they agreed with me -no appreciable difference in taste, mouth feel, crema, you name it.

The next test was a little more challenging -Lavazza Dek decaf. Decafs in general are (to my palette) more sensitive to temperature variations, and the Dek is especially sensitive. Again, both machines produced the same quality shot. The 840 seemed a just a bit less consistent when I did back-to-back shots quickly, but the difference was very minimal.

My final test was with one of my favorite beans Red Bird. This is where I did taste a difference between the 840 and the DB, but it was subtle. The shot from the DB was more creamy and full-bodied. But the 840 shot was quite good as well. The small differences became almost nil when I made Americanos from Red Bird.

For my tests I used my Baratza Vario grinder for both machines. While I have a Breville Smart Grinder it does not pair well with the DB (although it is excellent for any non-espresso use). I tried it with the 840 and got better results, but still much prefer the Vario to the Smart Grinder for espresso. Still, the 840 appears more tolerant of lower-level grinders. I also found I needed to go slighly coarser with the grind for the 840 than the DB.

The DB does pull ahead strongly in two areas -milk foaming and convenience. The thermocoil just can't match the steam production of a dedicated boiler. It did a decent job with milk (albeit with the annoying thump-thump-thump sound that every thermoblock design makes), but it was much slower than the DB and the steam was a lot wetter. Functional, but not at all impressive.

As expected given the price, many of the DB's convenience features are not found on the 840. However, the 840 does have a few of the DB features such as a dedicated hot water dispenser. This is operated with a knob (turn one way for steam, the other for hot water). It splatters more than the DB when dispensing, but the temperature is spot on: I got 197 with the 840 and 197.5 with the DB (same thermometer held in the water stream for 10 seconds).

The 840 also appears to have the same excellent quality head gasket as the DB. The portafilter is well made, although I was really disappointed to see that it was 54mm, which means I can't use my 58mm VST baskets, tamper or the bottomless portafilter I have for the DB. The included tamper is decent quality, and stores easily in the machine. The shot volume is programmable and can be overridden in manual mode. It has a three-way valve so you can backflush (plus it keeps the puck dry). It has an automated cleaning cycle and a "clean me" light, which is handy.

Misses are often related to convenience issues. I wish it was a bit heavier or had better gripping feet, since it's relatively easy to jar when you're putting on the portafilter. A bigger water tank would also be nice. The thing I missed the most was a water level indicator. I didn't expect it to have all the bells and whistles of the DB, but no water level indicator? That seems to be a basic feature that should have been included.

My concerns are two-fold. Breville does not seem to have mastered the reliability issue with their espresso machines. I'm on my second DB, and it is again starting to act up. The Breville customer service has been great in replacing machines, but I'd rather not have to deal with that at all. Plus, with only a one year warranty and no local service centers, I don't have the warm fuzzies about getting years of service out of either of these machines.

My second concern is about scale build-up. It's harmful in any machine, but truly deadly in a thermoblock/coil design. Breville includes their water filters (the same as with the DB) and recommends a descaling every month and a filter change every 2 months. The fact that they are taking such precautions tells me that they are concerned as well. If you get this, don't skimp on descaling!

But those concerns aside, I'm really impressed with the performance of this machine given the price. While it is not perfect, it holds its own where it counts: what's in the cup. This is definitely a machine that should be on your short list in the under $600 category don't let the thermocoil design scare you off in favor of a SBDU design. At this price point it's a 5-star machine. I'll update this should reliability issues warrant a revision in the score.

Sorry for such a long review, but feel free to post a question if there's something I didn't cover.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program If you can't decide between the two, maybe I can help. I've owned the Breville Barista Express BES860XL Machine with Grinder almost 2 years. Eleven months into my 1-year warranty, I woke up to find water all over the counter. Breville has superior customer service and replaced my leaking Barista Express within a week. Two weeks ago I woke up to the same thing with the warranty replacement. It turns out that the Barista Express has a 2 piece ThermoBLOCK heater and the gasket where the 2 pieces join together eventually leaks.

This new Infuser has a one-piece ThermoCOIL heater. Will this one last longer? Only time will tell and I will update this review if I have a leak with this model.

Where the new Infuser excels:

-Smaller footprint, the Infuser measures slightly over 10" wide

-Hotter espresso, 5 degrees hotter according to my thermometer

-Quieter pump

-Drip tray is easier to clean

-Instant hot water feature (The Barista Express has only a steam wand)

-Around $100 less expensive than the Express, but you are lacking a grinder

Of course, the new Infuser also has its shortcomings:

-No grinder either buy a separate grinder or use ground beans

-Smaller water tank (61 oz. vs. 67 oz)

-Not as "beefy" as the Barista Express, so you need to hold it stationary when inserting/removing the Portafilter or it slides across the counter

So which model has the better tasting coffee? I can't tell any difference both are/were just as good as what I used to pay for at the coffee shop.

My only complaint is for what these machines cost, a one-year warranty is almost a joke.

Added on 1/4/2013: This ground espresso is VERY good: Lavazza Crema e Gusto Ground Coffee, Italian Espresso, 8.8-Ounce Brick

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First and foremost, this is an absolutely fantastic home espresso machine for the price. It definitely takes some practice to learn how to get the most out of and find the sweet spot (which i've learned always differs depending on the type of beans & grinder you are using). But now after 3 months and a LOT of researching/learning/practice/more practice, I am now consistently making absolutely fantastic espresso drinks.

If you are new to the world of espresso, or have some knowledge, I wanted to write about my experience buying this machine 3 months ago knowing little to nothing about espresso, to now consistently pulling absolutely delicious espresso drinks on a daily basis with this machine. Here we go:

I waited 3 months after purchasing this unit to write a proper review, and I wanted to give a lot of information I have learned and discovered to help others looking into buying a home espresso setup. I honestly knew little to nothing about espresso before purchasing this machine, and have done A LOT of research, reading, testing, and barista questioning in order to learn how the art of making quality espresso is done. I now make 2-3 espresso drinks a day with the Infuser and am EXTREMELY satisfied with its performance. It's not easy to make a high quality espresso by any means, but once you figure out how to manage all the important espresso variables (type of beans, grind coarseness, dose, tamp pressure), this machine produces truly remarkable results that any professional barista will be highly impressed with (yes I did receive this feedback).

The most important aspects of making this machine work well (and any espresso machine for that matter) are having a quality grinder and fresh, quality beans.

When I first got this machine, I was under the impression you wanted to grind as fine as possible for making espresso. I set my Infinity Burr Grinder to its finest setting, using some peet's espresso beans, and immediately the machine clogged up, not producing any espresso. I tried again, dialing the grind a little coarser, and again the machine clogged up. Same thing with the third time, although this time I was able to produce a few drops of espresso. After about 5 tries I was able to pull an actual shot of espresso which tasted incredibly strong to me but good (at this point in time I didnt really know what to look for in a quality shot of espresso).

Long story short I realized the beans I was using were INCREDIBLY oily and played a huge factor in easily clogging up my machine. Next I purchased some Blue Bottle espresso beans, which got along with my machine MUCH better. Now I was making some great progress, tasting more like espresso, but still not close to what the baristas at Blue Bottle were serving.

I went through a lot of beans & brands playing with the grind coarseness, and soon became familiar of the "sweet spot" settings on my grinder where the espresso came out tasting best. I was now becoming more familiar with what a good shot of espresso was supposed to taste like after spending a bunch of time at Four Barrel & Blue Bottle cafes in San Francisco. I also learned to start timing my shot times and that also helped me immensely improve the quality of my espresso (typically between 24-30 seconds depending on the type of beans you are using).

So now I soon learned my Capressa Infinity burr grinder did not have nearly the adjustability I would need to lock in the perfect grind setting for espresso, so I decided to upgrade to the Breville Smart Grinder. The Smart grinder ended up being a much better grinder, but again long story short, it also seemed to lack the real "fine tuning" ability that I was learning is truly needed with espresso. After using the Smart Grinder for 3 weeks, I decided to pull the trigger on a much higher quality grinder, the very highly recommended Baratza Vario. After getting familiar with the Vario by some trial & error, I must say this was the ultimate step (and proved to be most important) towards producing amazing quality espresso. I've also ground for drip coffee with it a few times and the taste was truly amazing compared to both of the other grinders I had tried.

So, back to the Infuser. After much more research into the art of espresso, I purchased a gram scale in order to weigh my doses of coffee & amount of liquid being extracted from my shots, which also have helped a LOT in improving the quality of my shots.

Now after a couple solid months with all of the above in my home espresso setup, I believe I have dialed in this machine to its maximum potential, and it is really producing fantastic results which I get excited about drinking every morning as soon as I wake up.

Some notes I would like to share which I have discovered that may or may not relate directly to this machine, or to every espresso machine:

-The type of beans used almost always require a different coarseness setting in order to pull the perfect shot. For example, beans like Four Barrel & Blue Bottle always require much more fine grind settings, where beans like Stumptown & Barefoot require much coarser grinds. This seems to be hard to get used to, but now that I have tried many different quality espresso roasts and have narrowed down my favorites (Sightglass is #1, Stumptown #2, Barefoot #3) I know what setting to use ahead of time and I can almost always nail a perfect shot on command.

-The milk steamer does a great job, but now after trying so many quality cappuccinos & lattes through the area, I feel like this steamer does the milk more on the creamy side. I believe I understand the technique for creating quality microfoam to use for cappuccinos & latte's, and im using the same Clover Organic whole milk that almost all cafe's use, and mine always seems to turn out a bit sweeter & creamier. It seems hard to get the microfoam as velvety thin as Sightglass/Four Barrel/Blue Bottle does, and because of this, my cappuccinos dont have quite the "intense coffee bite" but its getting pretty close. I believe this is as good as I can ask for again using a $500 home espresso machine.

-The hot water dispenser is great. One trick I figured out a while back was when I pulled OK shots and didnt want to waste them, I would just instantly make them into Americano's, since its a bit harder to taste a bad shot in an Americano than it is in a Cappuccino or Latte.

And thus has been my experience with the Breville Infuser since purchasing about 3 months ago. I'm sure I will be updating this review further as time goes on, but so far it has been an incredibly positive experience and I would HIGHLY recommend this machine to anyone looking for a semi-automatic machine in this price range. Hopefully this was helpful and not just me rambling.

Honest reviews on Breville The Infuser Espresso Machine

I have this machine for more than 8 months now. What can I say..? I wake up to drink espresso, rather than drink espresso to wake up!

I am a guy that comes from Greece, a place where coffee drinking is a culture and not a morning routine. I have also been many times to Italy and tried almost every coffee blend (Brazilian, Colombian, Guatemalan, Kenyan, Ethiopian, Nicaraguan you name it...) Staying in Chicago, IL for the last 5 years, I couldn't stand going to a coffee shop and watch the barista having no clue on how to pull an espresso shot or "expresso" as they most call it for Christ sake. With that, I decided to "invest" on a good coffee machine and give myself a break.

My friends reaction when they saw the piece was like I bought a Lamborghini!

It is indeed a fantastic machine with very elegant design.

Long story short,

Pros:

a) magnetic tamper (keeps it in place and you 'll never lose it)

b) hot water dispenser (very useful to warm up the portafilter and the coffee cup prior pulling shots)

c) 4 different filters (2 x single wall + 2 x double wall)

d) pressure gauge (very helpful especially in the beginning when you experiment a lot)

e) warms up quickly (less than 5 mins!)

f) look the price again! You will never find a professional machine in this price.

h) espresso shot flavor is exactly like you are drinking it in Italy! (buy Lavazza Gold Selection ground coffee and you can start a business!)

Cons:

a) shots are indeed not as warm as they suppose to be (but this can be easily fixed if you let the machine warm up for little longer, or pull a shot of water before you actually make your coffee)

b) frothing jug is big and useless (except if you want to make 4 lattes at the same time, you ll not use the jug. If you want to make one or two cappuccino or latte, simply go and buy a Motta Europa no matter the bucks and you 'll see the difference in frothing milk quality right away)

c) comes with one water filter and two cleaning tablets (that means that you have to be prepared to spend some extra bucks in few months when the "clean me" button will flash on..)

d) lacks grinder (if you really want to see the power of this machine, do yourself a favor and buy the Breville Smart Grinder. No matter what you do with your previous $20 grinder, you haven't seen anything yet)

e) yes, you might have to hold the machine a bit once you try to turn the portafilter in place, but this is not a reason not to buy this machine.

If you are not convinced yet, stop reading reviews cuz you will never be!

I highly recommend this product. End of story.-

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Breville The Infuser Espresso Machine

Got this machine from Amazon about two weeks ago now. Setup was a breeze and the machine works very well. Overall very satisfied.

Pros:

-Looks great

-Pressure gauge is very helpful though good shots are usually pulled on the high end of the pressure range

-Pre-infusion has generated good results

-Pre-programmed shot amounts are really helpful

-Machine prepares quickly

-Quiet operation

-Steam arm is long and on a great ball joint

-hot water dispenser is nice

-Great tamper holder built into machine

-large water tank

-Includes both pressurized and non-pressurized baskets

-Uses a thermocoil instead of a thermoblock

-Easy cleaning cycle

Cons:

-Shots pull fine, but come out not as hot as expected (when pulled stand alone). I haven't measured temp on them but if cups and porta-filter are warmed as suggested in instructions i'm sure I would have better results.

-In-spite of built in feature to cool water down to make a shot after steaming, the water stays too hot for a good shot. You have to wait a min or run a bit of water through it first to get the right temperature for the shot. This makes it difficult for latte art purposes because you can't swirl your milk forever. I usually just pull my shots first and then steam last. Shot looses a little but when drinking the latte you couldn't tell the difference if you tried. This problem is not as much of a problem as it is just the limitation of single boiler machine. I just didn't like how it was advertised as being able to pull a shot very quickly after steaming. I mean...you can pull one....just not a good one.

Overall very good machine and I'm very happy with it. I would recommend it. I use it in conjunction with the Breville Smart Grinder which has also been a great product. 1 year warranty on all Breville products

Oneida 12 Quart Stock Pot Reviews

Customer Ratings:

We love this pot! It is sturdy, functional and attractive. We keep it on the stove all the time and use it often. My husband has taken up cooking as a hobby and we are learning to eat "nutritarian." That means lots of stews, soups and whole grain pasta dishes.

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This is a great stock pot for making sauces and jam. Works well on flat top or glass top electric stove. Heavy bottom hold heat and helps cook more evenly on an electric burner. The pot is tall enough to cook large batches of sauce or jam without it splattering out. Great value for the cost.

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My wife and I needed something with a little more capacity than the 8 qt stockpot we had, and this one was just the right size and at a good price. It may not be commercial quality, but for our use it is more than good enough. Fairly thick bottom seems to distribute the heat pretty well so you don't worry so much about scorching on the bottom. Nice smooth finish, lid fits well hard to find anything negative to say about it.

Honest reviews on Oneida 12 Quart Stock Pot

We had been wanting to replace our aluminum stock pot that we had for a long time. This one is a great product for a great price. Very happy with our purchase.

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Needed one this size and this one is of a good weight and made very well. Great price ffor a pot of this quality.

Discount KitchenAid Beautiful 2-Speed Immersion Blender

Customer Ratings:

I had an immersion blender with a plastic blender unit that became misshapen almost immediately from blending hot soups. Its life was short. I ordered this one, and so far it is great. Feels like a quality made product. Good value.

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Makes quick work of blending fruits for smoothies and cream soups.

The blending cup that comes with it is too small to use for much.

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Hello:

The kitchen aid KHB is a great little blender! Makes the best shakes and smoothies.

I highly recommend it.

SMY

Honest reviews on KitchenAid Beautiful 2-Speed Immersion Blender

The blender is working fine so far. I got it mostly to use with soups. I have tried blending smoothies, and it has worked, but I'm a little concerned with the blending jar that came with it. I am thinking of ordering a separate stainless steel blending container I think it may hold up better.

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I returned because the container is not microwave safe, which is the main thing I was interested in. 2 speed yeah on and off.