Cheap Calphalon Checked Terry Kitchen Towel

Customer Ratings:

I really wanted to like these green apple kitchen towels. They're very attractive and Calphalon brand, and I particularly liked the green. They were absorbent too. BUT, after the first wash they absolutely fell apart. The seams gave way and I washed them per manufacturer's instructions! They were ruined after 1 gentle wash.

Thankfully the store took them back, no problem. For $7 a towel you expect better!

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I purchased a bunch of the Calphalon towels and before I opened all of them I tried washing three. They all fell apart and the flat towel has to be ironed!!?? to look good again. The colors are gorgeous but the product is terrible.

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This towel comes with a loop to hang it in the middle so it doesn't fall down. Fair price and fast shipping Thanks!

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Very good quality,superior to other products we have tried, it is nice to know that this product will satisfy our expectations

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we had to find a gift for friends who have everything -and have just redone their kitchen. these very high quality kitchen towels were perfect.

Buy WearEver C9579774 Admiration Nonstick 2.8-Quart Skillet with Glass

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $25.12
Today's Bonus: 16% Off

This pan is constructed very well. At least for now, the non-stick coating is superior. I've bought this brand before and found it long-lasting.

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I bought this to replace my 10 year old 10" Admiration Wearever frying pan. This one is nice, but is about two thirds as thick as my old one. Definitely far less quality.

Review of Cooper Cooler HC02.C Tailgater Rapid Beverage Chiller

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List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $69.69
Today's Bonus: 30% Off

Unlike some reviewers, I found that this product fulfilled my expectations completely. The noise while the Cooper Cooler was operating did not seem any louder than the noise a microwave makes while running. While water and ice must be added to the cooler, the amount of ice recommended will actually cool several drinks. Far less ice is required than the manual recommends if you only want to cool one, two, even three or four drinks. Additionally, the tailgating model's adapter comes with an extra-long cord so that you're not forced to sit in the front seat of a car while using it, risking spilling water and ice all over the place. I bought this product as a gift for my brother, but have had ample experience using his, and will probably buy one for myself.

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Had one of the first Cooper Coolers to come of the line a couple of years ago and loved it. This new one works even better, and the ability to use it for tailgating makes it perfect.

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This is a great appliance. Haven't used for tailgating, but it works great for average size wine bottles and sodas. Faster than portable ice chest with 50% ice and 50% water mix. Having said that, it doesn't accommodate large (round, girth) bottles, such as champagne bottles and XL wine bottles (doesn't do girth not length).

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Recently purchased the Cooper Cooler and am very disappointed in the product. Although it looked attractive and promising coming out of the packaging--it does not perform it's intended purpose, is very noisy, messy, and inefficient.

I can't wait to return it to the company. It definitely is not worth the $94.00 price tag.

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My Dad bought this chiller for me as a gift. The first one came and it was not working at all when plugged in the regular outlet, but worked fine when plugged in the car outlet. Since we wanted this for use at home, we called amazon.com and they told us to return this item and they shipped a new unit to us fast. Well, the second unit came and it has the same problem -not working when plugged inside! Yes, we tried different outlets (the ones other appliances work when plugged in), but still the unit is not working. We'll just return it and buy something else.

Review of Circulon Nonstick Bakeware 9-Inch Round Cake Pan

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $12.99
Sale Price: $12.66
Today's Bonus: 3% Off

I have the complete hard anodized pot and pan set from Circulon but was not sure on the bakeware so i gave a few pans a try and love them. They clean up easy and I have had no rust issues around the rolled ends as i have seen with other so called high quality bakeware. I have now added this pan to my collection and love them. The non-stick surface is durable and works well and the pan itself is a strong and heavy metal. You do get the distinctive Circulon pattern on whatever you bake but it actually kind of cool. I highly recommend these pans.

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I had bought some OTHER round cake pans, as I rarely bake a layered cake, I threw those in the trash, they were terrible, the cake stuck and it was such a mess! THEN i went ahead and ordered the circulon pans and of course they work perfectly. Cake comes out all in one piece! Perfect! Highly recommend

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These pans are great. Used this to bake my son's birthday cake. The dough baked evenly and there was no sticking once the cake cooled. The cake just "POP" and it was out without leaving a crumb of cake. My cake came out delicious, moist and evenly baked. A great purchase at this price. Better than most professional grade pans.

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I have several Circulon pots and fry pans, but this was the first bakeware I bought from them. It is very heavy built compared to most bakeware, meaning the metal is pretty thick. Seems like it would last a long, long time, and nothing will dare to stick to it.

To be honest, I haven't made a cake in it, but have made cornbread in it and it just falls out, with absolutely no sticking. I have also cooked burritos in the toaster oven with it and even burned cheese just comes right off. Most of my other non stick bakeware feels pretty cheap next to this one. They also are in various stages of being scratched up. This one still looks brand new after a year or so. The non-stick is quite hard and scratch resistant.

Since this worked out so nicely, I plan on buying their muffin pan.

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Made very well, the nonstick is awesome and it IS actually a nonstick pan!! Not one that cinches you out with some imitation nonstick surface.. this is the real deal and worth every penny!! 10+++

Discount Cuisinart SBC-1000 Blend-and-Cook Soup Maker, Black

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $270.00
Sale Price: $79.99
Today's Bonus: 70% Off

I'm really not understanding the negative reviews for this product...this is revolutionary! I made roasted red & yellow pepper soup in 45 minutes and it was absolutely perfect restaurant quality. My secret?? I read the instruction manual. And I followed the recipe. My plan is to use recipes in the book they provide for the first several uses until I've truly got the hang of when to stir vs. when to blend & how/when/why the heat element stops.

My soup did not merely 'simmer', it came to a full, rolling boil. It was wonderfully hot when I sat down to it for dinner.

And cleaning could not get better!! I used a knife & cutting board. Since I didn't know my recipe well, I also needed a measuring cup & spoon, but beyond that everything else cooked in the blender. And after the soup was done? The top portion of the jug unscrews from the bottom collar with the 'chopping' attachment so that you can thoroughly wash the blade/heating element by hand and wash the jug in the dishwasher. The person who felt that everything tasted of garlic & onion on a subsequent use must not have discovered that the jug of the blender unscrews. (It comes screwed together in the box when you take it out, but if you READ THE INSTRUCTIONS did I mention that? it tells you that part.)

I love soup, so I'm not likely one to ask about smoothies, etc. I'll probably continue to use my hand blender to make a single serving smoothie and just use this blender for savory items. I'm very excited to use it again & again this winter!

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Have been on the look out for this type of blender ever since I got to know of the Italian version of it at 5 times the price!! Cuisinart makes this very affordable model which cooks and blends ingredients to give you a beautifully finished soup, sauce or what ever you need which requires the saute, cook and blend process. Have tried it for soups at the moment and the results have been fantastic. Some prepping of vegetables needed as they need to be cut into small cubes; but i found that slicing them with a mandolin is a quicker way to get paper thin results which cook quicker and better in the bowl.

I recommend it highly for anyone with young children and for soup lovers of all ages. Accompanying booklet gives several options of what can be done with this machine

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I ordered this on Monday and got it yesterday. I made a Butternut Squash soup out of it and it was execellent. I found in the cookbook that comes with it a tomoto soup and ginger butternut squash soup and I will be trying more stuff. I find that this is easier than the stove top and not other pans to get dirty. Everything is in the blender portion and I will be making a chuncky vegetable soup with beef stock to make it a little tastier.

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I'm probably the only person who was turned on to this appliance by my favorite bartender. Yep. Not kidding. He was talking about a "cleanse" he and his wife were doing and said he'd found this awesome Cuisinart thingie that made smoothies and soups. I was skeptical, but went home and started Googling.

He paid $200 at Williams-Sonoma, but Amazon came through with $150 plus free shipping. I was still skeptical.

I'm not the review-writing type, but I have to say this is the single best kitchen appliance I've ever had. I've had it for exactly 48 hours and I've made the yummiest Coconut Butternut Squash soup, an eggplant and red bell pepper veggie spread, and now tomato soup. For each recipe, here's my total cleanup damage: 1 knife, 1 cutting board, and the machine. That's it. If we were going vegetarian, I swear this is the one gadget that would get me there.

I don't know what people mean when they say their machine gets the food lukewarm. Literally within 45 seconds of turning it on to heat oil, butter, etc, my machine is ready for the next step---usually onions and garlic. When I made the tomato soup, everything goes in at once, and it was bubbling hot within 1-2 minutes.

I can't wait to try more recipes. I have limited kitchen space and this machine will do so much with so little space.

To my bartender----thank you!!!! (I'll tell him in person when we go out to eat again, but that may be awhile because I'm in love with my soup maker.)

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I had similar problems as was stated by a previous review about the temperature. Mine boiled too much and on medium was too cool. After using this twice I realized there had to be something wrong with it. I didn't think it would be selling if it worked like this. I returned it for another and problem solved! My new on works perfectly. And as others say, quick, and very little mess. It is true that you will have to use the instruction booklet for a while but after that it is really easy. One good tip is to use the brush included for cleaning the blade and around the blades. Also, I found that to let sauces or soups thicken I needed to open the circular top, to let some of the steam escape. Some soups need an extra 30 minutes, so you will have to set the timer again. But once you work with it for a while it is a good kitchen appliance.

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Enameled Cast Iron Chicken Fryers Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $250.00
Sale Price: $108.40
Today's Bonus: 57% Off

This is one sturdy pan--be ready for a bit of heavy lifting if you're going from stove to oven, because it takes two hands. I knew I wanted a cast iron skillet for frying and other things, and knew I wanted it to be a heavyweight (because that's how good cast iron skillets should be), and decided on this one because I liked the looks and the pouring lip, and Cuisinart tends to be reliable. It has a sorta high price tag, but from what my grandmother told me, a good cast-iron skillet will last forever, so I dove in. And so far, it's been more than worth it. Not just for chicken frying, though the straight tall sides make it great for frying (I've tried a couple things, chicken, hushpuppies, and zucchini and all have come out nice an hot and crisp), but also for making things from browning a ton of onions, to simmering a sauce, to making a big curry for about 10 people. It's just a workhorse of a pan, and the ability to drop it in the oven (using both hands, don't forget) to finish off a dish is very helpful. Oh, and it does look great (I have red) on the stove, too, which is a bonus. Overall, I'd suggest this pan to anyone, whether they want to use it to fry chicken or not. It's an investment that you'll be using for many years.

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I picked up one of these babies about a year ago and the previous reviewer is right she's a workhorse. I make big stews and meat/rice dishes in this and its great. Sautée the chicken for Arroz Con Pollo and then throw in the chicken stock and rice and toss the chicken back in and simmer for 40 minutes perfection. Very even distribution of heat it takes a few minutes to heat up but its nice and DEEEEEEEP. You can really fill it with food. It practically acts as a second Dutch oven. Want some amazing roasted root vegetables? Skin 'em, chop 'em, and throw them in this baby in the oven at 300 degrees (with that nice heavy cover on) for 1 hour. Absolutely delicious. Sweet and rich and flavorful. The heavy iron nature of the cover and pan ensure the inside turns into a sauna and stays that way. You almost have to be careful not to overcook food with the top on. Once this baby warms up, turn the heat down to medium low and let her do the rest. Its like a mini-stove all to itself. But you better workout. This sucker tips the scales at close to 35-40 pounds with the cover on, I'm guessing. Its ROBUST. I'll die before this thing does. Ever dent a pan by dropping it? Not this daddy. You'll dent your floor first. Mind your feet, this thing would shatter them. Built to LAST. One of the best things I've ever spent my money on. I have an 8 inch too. That's just as bulletproof, but it didn't come with an iron lid. Not cheap but worth every penny.

One tip heat it up a little and use a nylon scrub brush to clean it. Otherwise it'll be a pain to clean.... And mind the temp! No high heat required here!

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I am not certain if Amazon is getting second-hand or reconditioned products, but both the Cuisinart pieces I received have been flawed--chipped or dented in places. I kept this piece because it was only slightly dented/flawed but I returned the 7 quart Cuisinart pot because the enamel was peeled off on the outside. I have reordered the 7 quart pot hoping that I can receive one in good condition. I prefer Le Creuset but the margin for the brand name is outrageous. I have two Le Creuset pieces and they have lasted for five years without damage though.

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I had a good experience with the order. I have always wanted a set of cast iron enamel cookware. I personally like the Cuisinart products. All my small appliances are Cuisinart and I have always liked them. I have used this brand for at least ten years.

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It's a big pan, I put it in the dishwasher, which took the shiney finish off but it still works just great. It's a good pan.

Rachael Ray Teakettles 2-Quart Porcelain Curve Kettle Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $36.59
Today's Bonus: 9% Off

I had no idea how complicated getting a tea kettle would be. After about an hour of browsing Amazon's reviews on their various tea kettles, I was dismayed that all that I'd seen experienced severe problems and there appeared to be no decent solution. Even if you threw money at it, that couldn't seemingly solve the various issues that seem to plague whistling tea kettles.

Then I happened across this little gem. No reports of black sludge being burned off in the kettle upon use. No problems with the whistle failing to function. No reviews saying they burned through the kettle or short term catastrophic malfunction. Perhaps a little less reviewed than others, but I'm glad I found it.

I don't really know (or care) who Rachael Ray is, but this is a good kettle. If there was such a thing as a s*xy tea kettle, this would be it...it looks good on the stove and the color just pops. The coating isn't some cheesy spray paint, it's a nice and seemingly durable coating that seems to handle repeated heating/cooling just fine. I read a review here that said it screams like a banshee...no joke. I can hear it clearly several rooms away and even outside or in the garage, exactly what needs to happen with a whistling tea kettle. The unit heats up quick enough, maintains it's heat reasonably well and holds enough water to be downright functional for more than just tea. About my only complaint, and it's hardly that, is that it's a little difficult to hold the kettle and pop the spout with one hand...so I gotta use two hands. Oh no, the horror. (But, if you want to hold your baby and play with boiling liquids, maybe this isn't for you.)

This whistler gets a solid five star review from me.

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Very cool and modern looking, but handle gets hot on my gas stove. Decided to return it and get Good Grips tea kettle instead. Handle doesn't get hot on that oneI'd recommend that over the Rachel ray modelunless you'd rather have a cool looking green kettle!

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Dark blue and exactly fills my two French press coffee makers. Nice whistle, fast boil and is a cute as can be. So much better than the much larger aluminium kettle I had. Plus you can clean inside if minerals build up from the water.

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Bought this for use on my new gas stove top. Have been using electric teakettles for a few years, but had teakettles for most of my life. Maybe it's the heating with gas, but I never expected the handle to be too hot to handle at times. Also, now that I have this, I prefer the style of teakettle that has a trigger on the handle to open the spout for pouring.....instead it's another 'hot' item I have to touch. Husband has particularly heat-sensitive fingers. He would have rated it lower

Update: I wiped out the inside of the teakettle today with a paper towel. It came out with black on it. Like the inside surface of the teakettle was coming off. This is going into the trash today!

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it holds a good amount of water, we use it primarily for the frieling stainles steel french press we also bought. a lot of reviews for the other teakettles said they didnt whistle, but this one not only whistles but you can hear it all over the house, its very loud which is great. i also have no problem seeing how much water there is in the kettle.

Best Scanpan Professional 11 in. Griddle Deals

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List Price: $175.00
Sale Price: $99.95
Today's Bonus: 43% Off

A caterer friend recommended that I buy Scanpan. She said the coating won't chip away. So far, so good! That's not the only great thing about this pan. I'm now cooking on an electric stove which is miserable after 30 plus years cooking on a gas stove top. This Scanpan griddle is designed to evenly cook everything. My pancakes have never looked better!

I've been recommending this pan to everyone now.

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It's pricey but definitely worth it, substantial, heats well and evenly and it's exactly what I was looking for.

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Wife is picky about 'chemicals' that are used to make normal non stick pans. Scanpan is a nice Eco friendly alternative.

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This is one of the best griddles u can buy......Solid build quality and it is non stick.....fast shipping...item as discribbed

KitchenAid Silicone Mixer Spatula, Red Review

Customer Ratings:

useful in the kitchen

OH so not scratchy on my pans

Truly appreciate its usefulness

highly recommend to others to use and buy

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This thing is awesome. It's a perfect match for the KitchenAid artisan stand mixer in Empire Red, and is perfectly shaped to scrape the sides of the bowl and leave nothing behind. Just works exactly like it should, and looks great hanging on the wall behind the mixer. Buy it!

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I bought to add to my kitchen aid kitchen. I have used it a couple of times and love it. My husband has used it more than I have.

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I've had one of these in blue for several years, and bought a couple more as a little gifts for family members, to match each recipient's KA mixer color.

It's fun to have gadgets in bright, matching colors, but the real value of this particular spatula is its shape. The rounded side matches the curve of the stainless bowl that comes with the mixer. That makes it much easier to scrape efficiently. It's a small thing, but it does make a difference.

I put mine in the dishwasher and it still looks like new.

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to replace my KitchenAid Spatula because the wooden handle finally broke. (don't buy stuff with wooden handles is a lesson finally learned).

Best Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 3-Quart All-Around Pan Deals

Customer Ratings:

All of my pans are the Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized pans and so I knew I'd love the way it cooked before I purchased it. This pan is a great size! Perfect for browning hamburger meat, chicken, etc. The rounded bottom and sides make it easy to scrape the sides and it is deep enough that the stove isn't spattered with "stuff". I am very happy with this pan. Easy to cook in and easy to clean up. Very important, pre-heat the pan to keep foods from sticking. Also very important, no dishwasher soap, only dish soap. I always soak the pan with a little soap and hot water before attempting to clean it and they always clean-up easily if I do this. Like I said, I love this pan!

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Another reviewer gave this pan high praise and, rather than repeat it, I will simply agree. Although my preference is for cookware with long handles, this is one pan you can take from stove to table. With trivet underneath, it makes a fine serving dish.

There is only one thing you need to know: Buy It Now. (Which is exactly what I did at a certain auction site and, even with shipping costs, paid a few dollars less than the thirty-five Amazon priced it on a Friday sale.)

A note of caution: this pan may be made in either Toledo, Ohio or China. In my experience, the quality of the Calphalon cookware is better in the Toledo products (such as the one I have) and if Amazon can tell you the country of origin, so much the better. Regardless, this is a substantial pan that will be used for a lifetime.

But one thing is certain: Calphalon is discontinuing the Commercial hard anodized line of cookware and this is one of the few pieces left in the series, at the time of this writing.

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This piece of cookware is my all time go to..

I have other pieces of Calphalon but always go to this.

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The Calphalon 3-Quart Pan is a good sized general purpose pan with a decent lid, but we found that food does stick to it. We do hand wash it after every use, but this has been a reoccurring issue.

The best thing about this large pan is the ability to go directly into the oven from the stove burner. This has been very handy to keep food warm before serving.

OK for most uses.

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I don't use this pan, but this is the only way to get the completely essential 12" lid, which fits my favorite frying pan and all of the 12" Calphalon pots. You have to have it, so think of it as a reasonably priced lid with a totally free pot included.

Reviews of Circulon Nonstick Bakeware 9-Inch Springform Pan

Customer Ratings:

This is a pretty good pan, although with 2 flaws.

#1: it is not leakproof, good for cheesecakes but not for liquid desserts (flan)

#2: the removable tray has a 1/2 cm lip that raised, so it's very difficult to remove the dessert out of the tray. I made a flourless chocolate cake, and part of it stayed in the tray. Very messy and not esthetically appealing!

On the positive side, the metal is sturdy and the latch is easy to maneuver, but if I could buy another pan, I would.

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I own several different pans in this range, and they all have some weight to them, which I much prefer when baking. The pan is solid and doesn't warp. It also conducts heat quite evenly. I've baked cheesecakes in it and have not experienced any leakage, however I tend to line the base with greaseproof paper before I close the tin around it when baking cheesecakes (so the paper sticks out from the bottom of the tin). I would recommend this pan purely because of it's weight which makes baking a much more pleasurable experience.

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I used this to make an Italian Cheesecake. It baked up fine and after cooling, it was an easy release. So it does do what it is supposed to do.

The problem I had was washing it. Apparently it did end up leaking into the bottom crevice of the circle outside. If it were truly non-drip, I would like it even more.

So I enjoyed an easy bake for the cheesecake but a bit of trouble cleaning the pan.

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I only eat the end product, which is always delicious. My wife loves all of the Circulon stuff that I've bought for her.

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This inexpensive pan produces wonderful crusts for filled tarts. It cleans up quickly, the crust pops out without issues. Other reviewer says it leaks with liquid recipes, but haven't tried a cheese cake in this pan. For pie crust purposes, it works perfectly. Heavy duty, doesn't rust.

Cheap Fagor Futuro Pressure Cookers

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $159.99
Sale Price: $159.00
Today's Bonus: 1% Off

I am one of those people that has always liked the thought of "nutritional, home cooked" dinners. By the time I think about cooking the stews/roasts/whole chickens/etc. it is already too late in the day so there they sit in the freezer while I am running to the store for something quick. It's really sad to see beautiful, fresh stew vegetables (along with great intentions) go bad in the refrigerator. Well, NO MORE!!!!

If you are thinking about buying a pressure cooker, go for it! Mine came in the mail yesterday and I made Tortellini Stew last night oh my gosh it was the most tender stew meat we've had in years. It was even better than sitting in the crock pot all day! I did not pressure cook the little tortellinis :) but everything else cooked so easily. I put the stew meat in with garlic, olive oil, tomato paste and about 2 cups of stock. That pressure cooked on high for 10 minutes. Then I released the pressure (my husband calls it "releasing the aromas" because it smelled soooo good) and added in the mushrooms, carrots, celery, spices, and more broth. I brought that up to low pressure and let it go for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then, added in the tortellinis with the lid off for a couple minutes and we had a dinner in MINUTES that used to take literally HOURS!!!

I decided on the Fagor 10-quart futuro model for several reasons:

1. It's stainless steel. I don't like cooking with aluminum.

2. The 10-quart size is awesome and it is not too big. It's just right for my family of four because we like leftovers and have company for dinner often.

3. I like that this model is made in Spain rather than China.

4. I liked the steamer basket/grater that came with this.

5. The easy handles on the lid. I went back and forth on this one, but after using it am SO GLAD I went with this handle design. It will store nicely and it really is super easy.

6. The two pressure settings of 1 and 2. It will be nice having a lower pressure setting when I cook tender vegetables.

It was so intimidating that first go-round but it was so easy! You should see the steam fly out when released. It's amazing how the cooker can sit so quietly on the stove. I was not expecting the big rush of steam, so it made me jump the first time but these are totally safe and really make cooking fun and GOOD! I had no problems taking the lid off when the pressure came down. I was a little nervous about that, too, but it was no big deal whatsoever!

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I received this model as a wedding gift and have never looked back. I was scared of pressure cooking the burning of things, the exploding lids, the "is it done yet" questions. This pot has never failed me. I use it all the time to cook up legumes and veggies. No more store bought beans for our family. It cooks about 2 times as fast as my friend's cheap aluminum one, so it holds pressure well. The lid is easy to set up, the safety features don't get in the way, and as long as you remember to line up the marks on the lid with the ones on the handle, you will never have a problem. I've had it for over 2 years, use it very often and I'm yet to replace the gasket. Could not be happier.

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I bought a Fagor 10 quart pressure cooker about 3 weeks ago and so far the only quibble I have, and it's not a big one, is that it could be a little easier for newbies to tell when the thing is up to its cooking pressure. The manual, and the video that came with the PC both say that it's up to pressure when the little yellow button pop up. That's not actually true. When the button pops up, that means that the pot is pressurized, not that it is up to 15 psi. It is up to full pressure when wisps of steam start coming out of the relief valve.

Today I made Lentil Soup with 10 minutes of cooking time. If I had started timing when the yellow button popped up the lentils would not have been done because it took (I'm guessing here, I didn't time this part) an extra 2 or 3 minutes from the point where the yellow indicator button popped up to when stream started coming out of the relief valve. If the steam is hissing out then you need to turn down the heat until wisps of steam gently escape.

I have an electric stove so there's that issue of "thermal inertia" where I make an adjustment to but it takes a short bit of time for it to respond. It is just the nature of the beast for electric ranges. A good tip from a PC cookbook said to use two burners, one to heat the PC up to pressure and a second burner turned on at the same time to a lower setting so all you have to do is move the PC from the high temperature burner to the lower temperature one.

I had an "El Cheapo" stainless steel old-style (first generation) PC and the setting on my stove for cooking was the letter "M" on the word Med. on the dial. With the Futuro all I need is the "m" on word Wm on the dial. This is a much lower setting. It is surprising how little energy is needed to maintain pressure with this PC.

The build quality is excellent one reason I bought the Futuro is that this model is still made in Spain. I've had enough trouble with Made in China gear that I wasn't about to trust our well-being to Chinese quality control. (This is a whole other issue but I now look for alternatives to Chinese made items whenever possible). If they are willing to add a poisonous material (melamine) to milk to make it test higher in protein and kill a handful of babies and sicken thousands more how much could they care about me standing in front of a stainless steel pot pressurized to 15 psi? I shouldn't have to worry that my PC is an I.E.D.

(Taking a breath now)

The bottom of the pot is very thick and spreads the heat well. As I said earlier, I made Lentil Soup today and I realized as it was nearly done that I added the lentils first so they were sitting on the bottom of the pot and I added the other ingredients on top of them. I use highest heat setting to bring the PC up to pressure (an electric stove will boil a pot of water quicker than a gas stove) so it is a very high heat. I was worried that the beans might burn a bit because I'd forgotten to stir the ingredients before heating up to pressure. But when I emptied the pot there wasn't the slightest evidence of that. The soup is delicious!

I like the short handles on the Futuro, it is easier to store. The operating valve is simple to remove and clean and the silicone gasket is easy to remove and it makes no difference which side is up when replaced so there is one less thing I can screw up. I bought the glass lid for $10 from Amazon and now I've got a very high quality 10 qt. pot for non-PC usage.

A couple of days ago I made Pulled Pork for sandwiches from a 4.5 pound piece of boneless pork loin (lower fat, ya know) that turned out wonderfully in the PC. We're having that again tonight with a cup of Lentil Soup. This has changed the way we do much of our cooking.

I'm sorry if I'm burying the lead but the new generation of pressure cookers is very, very safe. They are nothing like the ones that your mothers or grandmothers had. I'm assuming that most people who are looking at these fairly expensive PCs already know quite a bit about them so you probably know that but I felt I should make the point for newbies.

Buy a couple of good PC cookbooks when you buy your PC and you'll get a ton of good advice about using them, including how to adapt your family's favorite recipes to the PC.

Good grief! Did I do 800+ words about my PC? I need an editor after only one margarita.

If you're looking for a PC you can't go wrong with the Fagor. Enjoy!

Honest reviews on Fagor Futuro Pressure Cookers

I picked the futuro because I like the small footprint of the handles. I've had it about 6 months and was using it for beans, desserts (makes a great cheesecake and creme brulee!!), but kept finding that a lot of steam was coming out of the handle area and it was taking about 40% longer to cook to cook things then the recipe called for, so was not totally happy. One day I was reading through the instruction manual and saw instructions on how to tighten up the handles (take a phillips screwdriver and voila!). I checked, and one of my handles was very loose, so I tightened it up and now my Fagor works perfectly! So, if you get one and it doesn't seem to be working as it should, check for a loose handle. This is my first pressure cooker and I really love it! I checked out several pressure cookbooks from the library, but ended up buying The Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Toula Patsalis. Her cookbook is great if you like Mediterranean inspired food. I made her lamb meatballs last night FABULOUS and cooked in only 5 minutes!!!!!

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Love, love my pressure cooker! Cooks well and fast. Compatible with induction cooktop. Easy to wash. This size is for a small family. If your family is larger than three, you are better off with the 8-quart size. Instruction booklet is easy to read, really. Definitely worth every penny. Made in Spain.

Buy William Bounds High Output Mechanism 8 in. Pro High Output Pepper

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List Price: $42.00
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If you are into stainless, you really can't go wrong with this one. The three settings work great, it cranks out a lot of pepper with each twist, it is attractive, sturdy, and easy to fill and operate. There really isn't anything else I could ask for.

Update 1/21/2009 It broke after 2 years. If I could change my rating, I'd give it 2 stars instead of 5. I know I can't expect everything to last forever, but 2 years? I expected more from a $30 pepper mill. To its credit, it worked perfectly until it died.

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This mill offers an easy and consistant grind. It has three settings of courseness, and the fine setting actually "fine", unlike some other W&B pepper mills. It's a little hard to fill because a non-removable cross section in the body, but that really my only complaint. I've only had it for a few weeks, so hopefully it continues to give a consistant grind in the future.

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I'm just retiring mine after about 8 years of service. It was a gift and is exactly like this model, except it has a wooden body (referred to as "Espresso & Stainless Steel" on the William Bounds site).

The Good:

I really liked the grind select ring which allows you to adjust between the 3 grind sizes without having to fiddle with a screw on the bottom of the mill. (Caveat see below)

Maintains consistent grind size.

The Bad:

It's a bit hard to fill due to two perpendicular crossbars across the top, through which you must pour the peppercorns.

Doesn't output very much pepper per turn. It is very tedious to grind out a couple of tablespoons worth of pepper for recipes or rubs.

Questionable longevity I gave one to my mother-in-law as a gift. Less than two years later she's having trouble with the selection ring. Mine took longer to start giving me trouble, but after about 4-5 years I, too, started having some trouble with the ring. The output is almost completely unaffected by the selection on the ring. The upshot is that I have to fiddle with the screw on the bottom after all! The ceramic milling mechanism has a lifetime warranty, but I'm not sure about the ring. In any case, I don't have a receipt because this was a gift.

The Conclusion:

After about 8 years, I'm left with the impression that this is a good mill, but that the quality is over-hyped.

I've just replaced it with the Unicorn Magnum Plus Pepper Mill 9-in. It is the top-recommended mill by Cooks Illustrated and is Alton Brown's choice as well. I don't find it as aesthetically pleasing, and I'll have to wait and see how long it lasts, but I've been very impressed with it so far. I can tell you this: right out of the box the Unicorn is doing a much better job delivering very coarsely ground pepper (cracked pepper) than the William Bounds ever did.

Honest reviews on William Bounds High Output Mechanism 8 in. Pro High Output Pepper

As a chef, I count on my equipment to come through and I have used these peppermills for years and they never let me down. It doesn't matter if I am doing some in-home catering, serving hundreds at a party, or even covering an extra shift at the restaurant; the first things I pack are my knives and my peppermill. The grind adjustments for coarse, medium, and fine are quick and precise. They work every time and deliver consistent grind quality and quantity. It is refreshing to find such a quality piece of kitchen essentials that delivers on all promises. They don't put lifetime warranties on these lightly, and I have never had to take them up on that. Please do yourself a favor and get a functional, important piece of equipment and you will know why I give these out for Christmas to my friends.

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On the surface this pepper mill had it all... nice sturdy look, large capacity, and an easily selectable grind size. I'll say up front that we cook a lot, so the mill got pretty heavy use. It worked great for about a year, then the plastic parts cleverly hidden beneath the metal top began to disinegrate. It still works, but I'm not sure for how long... and some of what I think is pepper on my eggs may be ground up black plastic. Seriously though, I'm changing brands.