J.A. Henckels Twinshear Kitchen Shears Reviews

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List Price: $46.00
Sale Price: $31.50
Today's Bonus: 32% Off

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

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

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

Being left-handed, I appreciate its balance, and ambidexterousness, and I think no matter what your hand size, your fingers will fit comfortably.

A function I use a lot is the serrated inner grip for opening bottles and small jars...it does the job better than anything else I've used.

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

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I use these at least once a day. One of the more useful qualities of the scissors is that you can easily take them apart for a thorough cleaning and then reassemble them.

They've stood up well to two years of cutting apart chickens, trimming flowers, slicing boxes and all around opening of food packaging.

On top of that, I took them in for sharpening with our other househpold scissors and was told that the edge was fine on them and they didn't really need to be worked on.

Another fine quality product from Henckels.

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I have had these shears for over 10 years they have withstood everything. I put them in the dishwasher regularly without any problems. They are as sharp as the day I bought them. I have had other less expensive shears and scissors during the same time they just don't stand up to the use/abuse that these do.

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

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

An excellent kitchen tool.

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These little things from off the rack at Target can't be beat. I was all set to buy a set of forged, high end shears for triple the price. Glad I bought these on a lark. Never fail, always strong, cant be beat. Handles are confortable, and I don't worry about pinching any skin when I use them.

Reviews of Danesco Gastronome Pro Stainless Steel 14-Inch Diameter Lid

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Why are there so many great 14" fry and saute pans available without lids? It's as if you never want or need to simmer something or keep it warm just because it's in a large pan--crazy! I've been to more forums than I care to mention where people are searching for a lid for a particular brand of pan, hoping to find a source, but until I cam across this great lid, the only options were those dreadful aluminum discs that "fit" multiple pan widths, or tenting with foil. Believe me, neither the one size fits all lid or the foil are big enough! This is a heavy weight, high quality item at a reasonable price. I only wish I had bought more than one--especially because the box used was large enough for a dozen of these lids and a toaster oven to fit inside. Not a green way to pack at all!

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At this time it is pretty much the only decent choice on Amazon when you need a 14" lid and I don't have the time to look anywhere else... It is quite a handsome piece of stainless steel, with a good rim, plenty of heft, and a strong handle.

As a warning, some 14" pans are actually shy of 14". This lid fits some, but not all of ours. It is properly sized, but some of our pans are just shy of 14" (you can still use the lid, but it stays a little high on them). If you want to make sure of a perfect fit, double check your pan's inner diameter.

[UPDATE] 4 years later, this lid looks as good as it did when I bought it, even though it sees service about 2-3 times per month. It will certainly last longer than me. It was an excellent purchase.

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this lid gets super hot, even on the stovetop. if i still had the box, it would go back.

Discount Creative Home Steppes Stainless Steel Whistling Tea Kettle

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In person, the purple color on this kettle is very dark and devoid of saturation... not a pretty purple at all and not the color shown in the photo.

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This is an attractive tea kettle and it works just fine. Looks great in my kitchen. Was afraid to buy it because there were no reviews yet but I was not disappointed.

Cheap Envision Home 3-Pack Cookware Guards Pot Protectors

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I really do not want to scratch up the sides of my expensive cookware, but they are rather annoying to use with functioning cookware. When unfolded these things are huge, they are easily able to protect everything in my oversized Americraft set (including the stock pots,) however they are unruly and cumbersome when it comes to getting out individual pots and pans. That said, on the pro side; they are easily big enough for almost any pan save maybe a 10qt stock pot, they are thick enough to protect your pans from scratching each other, and the "wings" fold inward for storage in a relatively small foot print.

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I have this expensive pots and pans set, and want to take care of it. These protectors are doing a great job, no scratches on top, underneath or on the edges. Loving it! I got a couple and love the sizes, they dont seems to get bad if get a little wet wither. Really cool idea. I guess you can make your own too, but this material seems durable and the padding is really good.

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These work great. It is so nice to have something besides towels to keep my pans from getting scratched when I stack them inside each other. My cabinet isn't big enough so they have to be stacked.

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EVERYONE SHOULD BY THIS PRODUCT. WORKS GREAT TO PROTECT YOUR PANS

I WILL BUY MORE WHEN I FIND MORE PANS

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I have used paper towels for years to protect my nonstick pans from getting scratched while nesting for storage, so as a replacement these pot protectors are wonderful.

Cheap LEM Products Smoked Clear Edible Collagen Casing

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used these for my first attempts as sausage, as I wasn't ready to do sausage AND mess with nog casings.

worked, well, stuffed nicely (using hand powered meat grinder and tube), and smoked well (only burst a couple, and that's because that part of teh grill got too hot. takes a fair bit of abuse, as my first stuffing ended up with me "milking" a lot of sauage down the tube to fill up too loosely packed sections later on got the hang of controlling the movement of the casing off the tube and then got firmly filled links)

excellent handlng, and being edible were no problem. got lots of compliments on the sausage... made both italian sausage and beef hot links.

Very happing with the performance.

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These are just so much easier to use. No soaking, no problems getting them on the stuffer horn. They have worked great for me for both fresh and smoked sausage.

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LEM Products Smoked Clear Edible Collagen Casing (32mm)

Just as expected-they worked fine. Used them to make lamb sausage. Yum.

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I'm sure that this product is as good as any collagen casings on the market. They arrived very quickly and I used them immediately.

They stuffed easily with only one "blow out" in a 6 foot section.

Unfortunately, these collagen casings didn't work out for me. They would not hold the requisite twist needed to make separate sausages no matter what I tried. I ended cutting "sausage tubes" with a razor knife creating open ends. The other problem is that, unlike natural casings, the texture was quite similar to eating sausage enclosed in a plastic bag.

I strongly suspect that this review applies to all collagen casings and not just this offering.

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These casings are easy to stuff, but when you hang them in the smoker they break apart. I stuffed my kielbasa mix into the casings and hung them in the smoker. When I came to check on them they were all on the floor of the smoker. If you're making fresh sausage they work very well. I made breakfast sausage and it came out juicy and fried up great. Just not smoked unless it is supported in some way on a rack, which I will do if I use them again to smoke.

Review of All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Windsor Pan

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List Price: $170.00
Sale Price: $169.95
Today's Bonus: $0.05 Off

I thought that I do not need this pan, until I bought it, that is. The physics behind liquid reduction is simple, surface and volume should be in the same proportion.

This pan makes cooking much more fun. I haven't tried it instead of of the wok yet, but it looks promising.

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Review of 9909 pressure cooker gasket seal kit.

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I have an old pressure cooker--which is why I needed a new gasket. It's hard to tell which replacement part to order, beginning with even knowing what the model number is of the one I have. Once I found it, I looked in a number of places to try to cross-reference the model with the gasket part numbers, and thought I had it right. Goodman's price was right, so I was thrilled to order.

It arrived promptly.

It didn't fit.

I failed. Why? Lack of information.

It would be very helpful if someone would simply list the inside and outside diameter of the gasket, so I could measure the one I have (or the cooker itself) and get one the same size.

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I ordered this for a friend. He thought his pressure cooker was useless. Now, he's grinning from ear to ear! He, and I, rate this 9909 pressure cooker gasket seal kit EXCELLENT.

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I Have an old presto pressure cooker and the model # was visible on the bottom so ordering the required seal wasn't a problem. When it arrived I immediately tried to put it in and found it was way too big. It had at least 1 inch too much gasket for what I needed. I called and asked them to check to make sure it was the correct gasket. It was, according to their info. So, they sent me another in case the original was incorrectly marked. Again, no fit. So, I was very disappointed with this transaction. I ordered 2 other pieces to go with the pot but now, without a gasket, the pot is useless. I will scout around at Tru Value or Aubuchons to see if I can locate the correct presto gasket. I was given a credit but I would have liked the correct gasket. Generic brands are not the way to go. I will have to get a presto gasket.

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Just thought I would mention that if you do your research, these can work for applications they arent sold for.

I found this gasket works fine on an old 1948 During Scale-O-Matic 4qt pressure cooker I have. Just after WWII there many pressure cooker manufacturers that started up in USA, think around eleven. During was one of these. They pretty quickly fell by the wayside leaving market mostly to Presto and Mirro. Far as I can tell they were only sold for couple years or so.

So though there arent lot of these old During cookers out there, thought I would mention it does fit (might have to stretch it slightly with your hands all around, before install). Just in case another During owner does a search. There really isnt any info on During cookers on the internet, not that I could find anyway.

It was either this gasket or buy a square foot of 1/8" thick neoprene and cut my own. This was cheaper.

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We had a difficult time locating a gasket for this pressure cooker. The gasket fits perfectly and we were very satisfied with the service.

Buy All-Clad 3013 Hard Anodized Aluminum Nonstick 13 by 20-Inch Double

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List Price: $180.00
Sale Price: $99.95
Today's Bonus: 44% Off

I have tried several stove top grills, so I feel qualified to comment on this one. First I bought the non-stick aluminum Nordicware grill, which worked ok till the non-stick peeled. Next I tried the LeCreuset, which was sooooo heavy, hard to clean, and began to develop rust spots. Next was the Lodge Logic, which was similar to the LeCreuset, but cheaper. (Too heavy and hard to clean.) Finally, I purchased this All-Clad Grande Grille Pan, which is the largest of the lot. It cooks evenly over two burners on my gas stove and cleans up easily with a little soaking. So far, this grill out performs any of the others and I am finally HAPPY with my purchase! (If you are a Foodie, you may notice Giada DeLaurentis using this same grill on "Everyday Italian".) If you are in the market for a quality stove-top grill, this one won't disappoint you.

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It's important to realize that this grill pan won't heat up like your outdoor charcoal grill, retain heat like cast iron (le creuset or lodge), or even cook fish, chicken, and steak the same way as a gas grill. What this incredibly easy to use (both for cooking and cleaning) piece of kitchen ware is great for is finding that perfect balance for light grilling when you dont have the time or convenience to do it the old fashioned way.

I am a purist when it comes to certain cookware. Cast iron just does some things better. But cast iron isn't for everyone. It's heavy, doesn't 'clean' the way many people are comfortable with, and takes some adjustment to understand its slow cooking properties. This grill pan is great if you're looking to do the following:

1. Grill up some salmon or swordfish steaks without worrying about leaving a 'fishy' residue on that precious, seasoned grill you have

2. Tenderize and cook to near perfection some chicken you have

3. Grill vegetables with, or without olive oil (the wonders of non-stick make the pan virtually a no-fat cooking device. Think of it like a much, much higher quality non-electric george foreman grill)

What it's not so good with:

1. Strip steak

2. Hamburgers (fat tastes good, lets face it folks)

3. Slow cook BBQ (you need real charcoal or at least cast iron to cook these babies nice and slow when you don't have your own smoke house)

So bottom line:

If you're more of a meatier eater/cooker, stick with the original (and less expensive cast iron or outdoor grills). If you're into fish, veggies, and chicken, consider adding this to your arsenal of essential All-Clad supplies.

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Actually, had to buy two because I had the misfortune of leaving our old one inside of the stove in our previous apartment! Well the new renters surely got a fabulous housewarming gift. This grill is easy to clean and wonderful to handle on two burners. We put one burner on medium for cooking and the other on low for keeping the finished food at the right temperature (handy when doing protein and veggies at same time). Also, if your oven is big enough, you can sear the meat on top of the stove and move it into a 450 preheated oven to panroast (the stainless handles make this a cinch). We've used Creuset as an alternative, and it's just not as easy to clean and maneuver. If you buy it on Amazon it's 99.95 plus free shipping (and whatever bonus is running--like today another $25.00 0ff with a small additional purchase in kitchenware). However, if you buy it at Williams Sonoma you can get it with shipping of 10-15 dollars but you do get garlic paste and stainless steel skewers). So you might want to see what works better for you.

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This pan is EXACTLY what I was looking for. After buying two different brands of cast iron grill pans, I have finally found one that does the trick.

All of my pots and pans are All Clad, but I didn't want to spend the big bucks for an All Clad grill pan so I order two different cast iron pans and both of them were awful. Food sticking (even after much seasoning) and the pans were really heavy and cumbersome to use.

Then I found an incredible price on this All Clad grill pan on Amazon.com and bought it.

Should have bought it in the first place!

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I just purchased this grill last week & don't know how I survived without it. It is absolutely wonderful. It fits perfectly over the 2 burners on my gas stove. I lightly seasoned with vegetable oil just before using (as recommended) and clean up has been a breeze. It easily holds 8 NY Strip steaks & could probably hold 10-12 burgers. If you like to grill inside, this is so much better than a George Foreman grill. I ordered mine from Williams Sonoma because for the same price listed here, you get free All Clad skewers (6) & a jar of roasted garlic paste marinade. Some might think it's a bit expensive, but it's something you'll only have to buy once. I felt just like Rachael Ray using mine! It's definitely a must have!

Buy WearEver YL223LA14 Aluminum Dishwasher Safe 6-Quart 3-in-1 Pressure

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List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $49.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

This has all you need for a excellent pressure cooker plus steaming foods!!! great price also; couldn't find a WearEver like this any where! Awesome arrival Order place on Wednesday night and here on Friday; Nice EWin

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Brand new Stainless and all the trimmings. I didn't even consider getting a steam basket to do veggies. But its there. And as a bonus it came with a normal glass lid to boot. Recommend a buy on this. 6 star.

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Other than the product was not as described, and therefore over priced at $70, it doesn't seem too bad. Cheap, made in china, pressure cooker.

Review of Waring Pro SCM100 Professional Snow Cone Maker

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List Price: $139.00
Sale Price: $69.95
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This unit has some nice features and accessories like the scoop and the easy removable bin. However, the ice cuttings are not consistent and definitely not very fine; the ice is pretty chunky after being cut. The Victorio unit, which is nearly half the price, does a much better job of shaving the ice. In this price range there are a couple of better options (like the one from Great Northern Popcorn). The unit also looks like it is made out of metal, but everything is plastic, and pretty flimsy plastic at that.

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I bought this maker for home use and have used it several times. It does have a plastic handle and does not look as well built as the picture leads you to think, but it is working fine for me. I make sure I do not put a lot of pressure on the handle when using it. It chops the ice fast and the storage bin holds enought ice for my family of 4 to get a snow cone each in large to medium size cup. We do not use the snow cone holders. I would recommend this product for any one who would like to enjoy a snow cone every so often, but not for any comercial use.

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I love it, I think the price is very reasonable, and it really works, my kids have been enjoying home made snow cones, you just have to be careful because the silver part is plastice so you can't press hard on the ice, you won't need to anyway, it goes down smoothly..

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This machine is overall not very good. The video tutorial claimed it could make 3-4 snowcones per ice load. We filled the machine to the top with ice and barely made two. The ice is not like snow at all, but rather like chunky bits of ice. When we tried to pack it down, the ice wouldn't go into a respectable dome shape. The ice was hard to chew and wouldn't hold the flavor well at all. I wouldn't recommend this machine to anyone who wants a serious snowcone experience. It is of too low quality and performance to be priced this high also.

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Okay, I'll admit I'm old. I can remember getting a manual grinder sno cone maker when I was around 10. It was the most god awful thing I ever got, as it took half an hour or more to fill up half a cup. Those memories influenced me when my wife said we should get a snow cone maker for our grandson's birthyday party.

I did my research and found most of them had some negative reviews, unless you were paying over $400. The Waring Pro had a reasonable price, and appeared to be well built. Most of the reviews were postive. So, it was the one we chose.

It arrived packaged nicely, as you would expect from Amazon and its vendors. It was very easy to set up and connect the parts. It was, indeed, very sturdy and well put together. It did not have the 'cheap' feeling that you get with low end purchases of this nature.

Of course the most important issue: Does it Make Sno Cones?

Yes! Amazingly fast. It blew by my memories and showed me what is going on in athe 21st century of sno-cone makers! We had a bag of the 'big cube' ice. I was skeptical that it would be able to do anything with it, and was ready with a hammer to start breaking it into smaller pieces. However, the Waring Pro digested the ice as if it was slush. Two cubes and we had enough for one cone and it took about 10-15 seconds. That's right, seconds! We gave it the acid test at the birthday party with 30 or so 4 year olds lined up and hungry for their treat. It worked perfectly. No stalls, no ice cube stuck, and as quick as we put the cubes in they came out the other end as crushed ice for the cones. I was impressed with its overall manufacturing and the result. I would definitely recommend this product. The only caveat is that we've only had it since May, so we'll have to update the review after a year and see if it's still churning out the cones.

Review of Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Cookware Set

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List Price: $970.00
Sale Price: $467.49
Today's Bonus: 52% Off

Calphalon Contemporary is as good as All Clad or any other cookware line on the market, and better than most.

Great heat distribution and extremely high efficiency. You actually have to learn to cook with less power than what you're used to.

Can be used with any cooktop, electric coil, flat electric, gas and induction. (These are downright amazing with induction!)

Doesn't scratch or lose its surface like any non-stick will do

Can use metal or nylon utensils

Non-stick results if used according to directions.

Easy to clean if you use Barkeeper's Friend.

Will be the last cookware you'll have to buy.

I also got the wok, and am thinking about getting another. With two of these woks, I could cook anything and rule the world.

Unfortunately, Amazon is currently out of the woks, so I have to wait for them to restock.

Unfortunately right now Amazon is not the price leader. They often have a $30-$50 discount from the retail $499, but as I write the review the price is back up to list.

Other sources also offer additional free pieces, gift cards, etc. You'll have to weigh that against Amazon's no sales tax.

If you shop hard, you can usually find a 20% coupon elsewhere, plus extra items. I hope Amazon sharpens their pencils soon.

Also, a lot of the Amazon listings under Calphalon Contemporary are for external vendors, so if you see above-list prices, keep on scrolling down to find the Amazon entry.

By the way, even if you don't get these from Amazon, avoid Macy's, who lists this set at $549 plus tax.

Notes after ten months of use (December 28, 2011):

If you can't tell, I really like this stuff, so I got the 8 quart dutch oven for Christmas 2011. I cooked a beef roast and roasted vegetables for Christmas dinner with excellent results.

So in addition to all the cook tops that it works with, add "oven".

You can cook eggs without sticking. Make sure you use PAM or butter and remember that these pans need lower heat than you're used to with aluminum or whatever you've been using.

To remove stains and anything you've managed to "bake on", use stainless steel scrub buds (not steel wool, which scratches!) and Barkeeper's Friend. Most heat discoloration can also be removed with distilled vinegar and a scrub sponge.

Amazon's price is still at list, but they have listings from Amazon store front vendors fulfilled by Amazon at significant discounts, so you can get a good price, no tax, and Super Saver and Prime shipping are applicable.

Notes after about 20 months of use:

Nothing bad to report, still works great, no damage or wear. I'm still cleaning with stainless steel scrub buds and BKF and there is no visible scratching. Have had some of the pots dry out and food burn and blacken when I or my wife have gotten distracted when there was something cooking. An overnight soaking followed by a liberal application of elbow grease have gotten them 100% clean. A pot with a nonstick coating would have been ruined.

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We all have had kitchen mishaps/nightmares that we chuckle about, and rarely do we let anyone outside the home know about them, but here goes.

I received this set of pots one year ago, and I have put them through a testing regime that even Calphalon would cringe at and would rightly void any warranty on. Before I start this story you should know I have a Wolf stove restaurant grade, so it puts our more heat than the normal home stove and has an extreme ventilation system (thank goodness).

First disaster One dinner I placed some sauce in a pot to thicken and then we had a crisis happened at the back of our property that made us rush out of the house to address forgetting the pots on the stove. Six hours later we returned home the sauce was gone and charcoal remained at the bottom of the pan. I thought the pot was shot. A little Bar Keepers and elbow grease and (to my amazement) the pot was as good as new.

Second disaster both my hubby and I were exhausted from work and put some food on to boil (I use a Foodsaver so it's the ol' `boil in a bag' meal bag in those instances), but we both fell asleep waiting for dinner. At 3AM when I woke up (Hubby still snoring) the water was long gone in the pan and the bag had turned to charcoal way beyond the melted bag stage try `fused to the pan' stage. OK, the pot is a goner nope, with elbow grease and Bar Keepers as good as new.

Third disaster dinner's back on the stove and one of our horses went down at the back of the property. Back out the door we went forgetting the pots. When we returned to the house we were so exhausted we went to bed forgetting about dinner. In the morning (approx 8AM) we went out to the kitchen for breakfast finding our stove still on and the pots had all turned to a tan color. OK, now the bottoms have to melted out of them and they have to be shot. Nope, a little more Bar Keepers and they all were just like new.

You all have to be thinking at this point why hasn't this person burned down the house yet...I'm asking the same question...I'm lobbying for an in-home cook now, but Hubby isn't hearing of it (chuckle). In over 30 years of cooking I've never had disasters like this, but I'm amazed these pots have handled it.

All the above stories my family is chuckling around the table about these days but it's the reason I'm writing this review. Over the years I've cooked with Teflon, cast iron, copper, etc and this cookware is the best I've ever used. Teflon flakes, cast iron needs caution handling (plus it's heavy), copper needs `babying' to keep it looking good this product is bullet-proof. Through all my abuse it hasn't warped, tarnished, and so on. This product is truly AMAZING and well worth the money. The thing that still amazes me is through all my disasters this year I was still able to pick up the pans without a pot holder the handles were cool to the touch. All I did was place the pot off to the side (away from the heat) until it cooled down, then added water and heated it again, and finally scrub it with Bar Keepers and they all went back to their new shiny pot-state AMAZING! So, I'm hoping for no more disasters like these in 2012 (more than I've ever had in my entire life). If you are looking for the `Sherman Tank' of cookware that you don't have to baby this is it! I'm now a die-hard Calphalon fan. I hope you all get a good chuckle out of my `disasters' I (and my family) swear they are all true (to my embracement which is now out there for everyone to see).

PS Before we purchased this set we read all the reviews and I wasn't sure if this was what we should buy. I was nervous that they may need special care, some unique needs for cooking in, etc. Heck, from the reviews you should be able to tell they are a beautiful cookware set that can be hung up for everyone to see but from my experience you can determine they can handle everyday use (no babying) and end up being a 'hand-me-down' for generations to come. If they survived me this last year they'll probably be around for generations to come kinda like the cast iron cookware from years gone by.

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I've been cooking quite a bit with this set and do recommend them to the casual cook and/or the professional.

The major thing I've noticed is the amazing heat distribution of these pans. I cooked at friends house a couple weeks ago on a crappy electric range and the tuna steak we were cooking turned out perfect like I was cooking at home on my gas range.

Also a notable achievement is the easy clean up of these pans. The smooth design seemed cosmetic at first but I've been grateful for the rounded interior edges, they've saved me hours of clean up.

Great investment! Lifetime warranty is no joke either. Worth the price.

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We just bought and opened this cookware. It had received several positive ratings so we were pretty excited about it. Unfortunately, the lids have some manufacturing quality control problems. The lids are glass with a stainless steel border that goes all of the way around the edge of the lid. On three of the lids, the seams (where the edges of the border connect to each other)are messed up -not aligned, not quite finished or smooth, and in one case, the seam edge is rough -to where it could possible catch on a sponge or finger. Amazon is great -offered to replace or discount the set, and that's why we love Amazon. But, they couldn't just replace the couple of bad lids. Pack it all up and haul 28 pounds of cookware to UPS or settle with a discount? We're still trying to decide but are really disappointed in Calphalon's quality here.

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We've been quite pleased with this set. The construction is solid and it is quite attractive.

What I like best is the even heating. With previous cookware, to give one example, I've always had a hard time getting olive oil to distribute completely and evenly around a pan. That is no problem with the frying pans in this set. I'm able to actually use less olive oil and get a complete coating with no trouble whatsoever.

I also like the glass lids. It gives us the capability of keep an eye on what the status of simmering food is without constantly lifting the lid to check it. Very helpful.

Because of the multi-ply construction, food truly does cook just as well at lower temperature settings than we are used to using. I still use a high setting to bring something to a boil of course, but simmering and sauteing both happen very well with about two thirds of the heat setting we are used to cooking with. One advantage of this is there is a greater margin of error if you become distracted before something may start to burn, if it even would at all. We have yet to have anything burn or stick while using this set. I would stress that you should read the instructions and follow them to have the same experience. If you just throw food in one of these skillets on high heat and no light oil/butter coating distributed first, I'm sure you could have a bad experience very quickly. LOL So read the instructions and don't use the set incorrectly.

I'm going to make updates to this review as we use the various pieces for different cooking tasks:

* I just made a pot of chili using the stock pot. I've simmered the chili for three hours on low without the first bit of the chili having to be scraped off the bottom. I've never even had that happen with a pot we have which is coated with a supposed non-stick surface. Plus, I was able to fit a really large amount of ingredients in this pot with three inches to spare from the rim. And let me tell you, with the top on no steam at all escapes. The glass lids have a rubber seal around the edge that I assume gets the credit for this. The chili has just as much moisture left in it now as it did when I started simmering it. I'd have had to add water to our old pot a few times by now to keep it from getting too thick (and I'm sure this is a major reason that nothing is sticking to the bottom). I'm very happy with the stock pot and its performance.

This cookware is a good value at Amazon's price. We got it on one of the daily Lightening Deals, and that was an outstanding value for the money spent. The set will serve us well for the rest of our lives.

Highly recommended.

Review of Home Basics 8" Ceramic Fry Pan with Heat Resistant Rubber Handle

Customer Ratings:

I purchased mine in red locally. These pans are truly non-stick, but you need to understand that the heat should not exceed a medium setting on an electric stove or somewhere in the 300-325 vicinity.

I use mine exclusively for eggs and have yet to need oil or butter or even water, which I have used in the past to semi-poach them. They do not stick at all.

Another thing you need to use is a non-metallic spatula if you plan to flip or scramble your eggs. I've successfully used both bamboo spatulas as well as a Norpro Nylon Mini Spatula that is perfectly sized for this pan.

These pans are machine washable, but are easy to clean by hand, which I prefer. If you do not exceed the temperature range I mentioned above cleaning is as easy as dunking in hot, soapy water, rinsing and drying. Thus far nothing seems to stick to the ceramic.

One final note: I use mine on a glass top stove and it works perfectly.

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Great Northern Popcorn 6005 Lincoln Antique Popcorn Cart Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $599.95
Sale Price: $256.49
Today's Bonus: 57% Off

We did a LOT of research to find a unit for our web and mobile development studio (eight bit studios) :) The Great Northern Popcorn makers stood out and this unit ended up being the perfect pick. The size is perfect for our team of 10-12 that our in the office. It's big enough to make things feel official and use official popcorn scoop shovels, but not so big that it's taking up a whole room. It took two of us all but 10 minutes to assemble. The separate switches for the light heater, kettle arm rotator, and kettle heating element are great. It's completely silent --and fairly quiet even when popcorn is popping out of the kettle. We have found it easy to clean. The stand with the storage door is tall enough to fit a standing Flavacol carton and deep enough to also include a gallon of coconut oil. This unit is ALL GLASS, including the doors! This was a surprise because we were looking at a more expensive unit from GNP that had etched glass and a smaller form factor, but was advertised as all glass including the doors --apparently in other units the doors will be a plexiglass and could warp from the heat? Overall we are loving it. We're still trying to get just the right combination of preheating the kettle, vs the oil and kettle or combining it all at once so that the popcorn isn't too chewy. So far we're getting really close by preheating the kettle for 3 min, then adding the oil with flavacol mixed in until it starts to steam, and then adding in the kernels. A quick tip for you rookies. Get the popcorn/peanut salt!!! The corn has a bit of salt with the flavacol, but the movie theater quality gets in there with that fine salt! So in less words, this popcorn popper will not disappoint!! If you want more reviews, check out the equivalent popper in red.

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Black "Lincoln" 8 Ounce Antique Popcorn Machine and Cart was recieved damaged...decided to just live with it because it's too hard to try and repack for return. The unit is not as big as i would have expected and not as well crafted as i would have like...however, it does make really great popcorn!! I put it in our media room and it really makes it smell like a real theater when we are watchinmg movies and sporting events!

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This popcorn popper is a great addition to my friends movie theater room. I think this is the best house warming gift we could have gotten.

Honest reviews on Great Northern Popcorn 6005 Lincoln Antique Popcorn Cart

This popper makes great popcorn. My biggest disappointment is that both of the air-less, solid rubber tires have split twice now, within the 4 years of owning this popper. It's never been outside, nor does it set in the sun. Having trouble getting contact information to replace the tires/wheels again since I was told the warranty was 5 years. Anyone have any suggestions, please?????????????

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I bought this for my husband's birthday this year, and he is in love with this machine!!! I've been very happy with it since getting it. It looks nice and pops great popcorn!! I went ahead and bought the Great Northern Popcorn packets that are pre-measured. It works great and I don't have to measure anything or worry about having popcorn salt or the right oil, etc... I would buy this machine again if I had a need for another one!! :-)

Spiceberry Home Cast-iron Enamel 3-1/2-quart Oval Dutch Oven Review

Customer Ratings:

It is a well made, nicely finished pan, but it is a quart low (in capacity.) It does weigh 8-1/2 pounds per the description.

The interior dimensions of the pan are: 91-1/2" long X 6-1/4" wide X 3-1/4" deep. It is nice enough to keep even though I was looking for the extra volume.

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Great size for cooking for 2-4 people, just right. The price was great too. I'd recommend buying this dutch oven to anyone.