Buy American Metalcraft TSH1 S/S 1 or 2 Compartment Taco Holder

Customer Ratings:

My dream has come true without my tacos falling apart in my plate anymore. Great idea and durable product if you eat lots of tacos which I do often!

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no spilling and they pop right in the dishwasher. I saw these at a local mexican restaurant and knew I had to have them.

Review of Breville BJE820XL Juice Fountain Duo Dual Disc Juicer

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $499.99
Sale Price: $388.45
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

Dual disc juicer when compared to 800JEXL is superior in features in many ways. Just to list a few

1) Motor is 1200 watts against 1000 watts in 800JEXL

2) Rotary speed dial with speeds 1 to 5Higher for harder fruits & vegetables compared to flip switch achieving two speeds in 800JEXL

3) Ability to make soft fruit smoothies in dual disc in addition to juicing anything

4) 3.5" dia feeder compared to 3" in 800JEXL.

I use it daily for vegetable juice on week days and fruit smoothies on weekends.

I use those vegetables in juicing which otherwise I generally donot eat.

For example

One large tomato, two stems of celery, one large carrot, half lime or lemon and a small piece of ginger

With lime, I donot need to add salt. With this pure juice, I have stopped taking V8 juice.

For week end, I use smoothies made from banana & seasonal fruits like berries and non fat milk and if needed, I add mango pulp.

Very fast in juicing and very easy to clean even during week day before work.

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My wife and I are "first time juicers"Why didn't I try this years ago? :)

I wanted a well-made, high quality juicer that was easy to clean and did the job well. I didn't want a marginal unit I'd have to trade up from. (Hint from others: Buy a good one the first time.)

This model Breville works VERY well. Thorough clean-up and drying takes five minutes max and assembly and dis-assembly is cake: Pop the big chrome bail arm 90 degrees and the top shroud comes off, revealing the cutter assembly and stainless juicer shroud. All pop loose and wash easily. After rinsing, I wipe the parts down with a dish towel and leave them sitting on a Sham-wow to dry while I enjoy my juice. My wife finds it easy to use and juicing up a huge mound of veggies and fruits takes maybe a minute once the items are ready to go. My wife thinks it's actually fun to use this machine. Me too.

The motor hardly sags under even the hardest fruits (green apple seems to be the tougher of the fruits we have tried) but, when it does, the speed sensing circuitry adds power to the motor to keep it at the set speed. The speed control knob is an infinitely variable type. Most of what we do works very well on low speed. The motor assembly is nicely heavy and this adds considerable stability when juicing harder fruits and veggies. (The last small piece of an item may slide under the juicer shroud and into the basket which momentarily puts the basket out of balance. That is normal.) The weight of the machine never makes the unit "wobbly" or unstable. Yet, the machine is not too heavy for my wife to move around the counter easily. (Comments about the gap between the chute and basket edge are not exactly correct. You have to have a space between the chute and the basket/grinder to allow ground material to exit the grinding process and pass into the basket where the juice is extracted. We have found the number of large pieces in the waste bucket few and far between.)

The plastic parts are extremely well made and heavy duty. The clear lid is thick and strong. The waste bucket fits nicely under the lid, holding it in place so you never get "veggie parts" flying around your kitchen. This model comes with a nice clear juice pitcher (not pictured in the web pic) that nestles under the angled juice spout (tube).

As one rater above recommended, "Just buy this one and you will love it." I did and I sure do. Haven't tried the other cutter head for smoothies yet but it's so easy to change heads.

Again, if you can swing this model, buy in confidence. This thing is heirloom quality and will work for decades. The quality work on the stainless juicing shroud alone is a work of art (for techno geeks).

(I am a tech and tool guy who appreciates the quality of a nicely designed and manufactured tool. I have been a wood worker for 40 years, using all types of power tools and machinery. But, even if you aren't, you'll find this device easy and fun to use. My wife enjoys using it and finds it easy to operate and clean.)

Best Deals for Breville BJE820XL Juice Fountain Duo Dual Disc Juicer

This is one of the best purchases I've made at Amazon. The Breville BJE820XL Dual Disc Juice Processor is an upgraded Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite which doubles as both a premium quality juicer and juice processor.

I decided to get into juicing again after a multi-year hiatus due to having a baby girl and wanting to wean her off formula. Note that in 2003 I owned the ever-popular Jack Lalanne Power Juicer which ultimately was a disappointment and took me away from juicing for several years. I spent over two weeks researching different brands, makes and models of juicers before deciding on this product. Although it is somewhat more expensive than many of the centrifugal juicers on the market, if you intend to make good use of your juicer, you will not be disappointed.

When I unpacked the product from the box, I was immediately impressed. The Breville BJE820XL assembles and disassembles easily in 5 steps that are clearly explained in the owner's manual. The juicer base (which houses its powerful 1200-watt motor) is a heavy, brushed metallic stainless steel construction. The juicer can be assembled to operate as a centrifugal juicer, which will separate the fibers contained in fruits and vegetables from the juice, or as a juice processor, which liquifies soft fruits without separating the fibers. My father has always said that to maintain your health you should "eat your fruit and drink your vegetables." With this appliance, you can stay true to this saying but have the convenience of drinking both!

The Jack Lalanne Power Juicer doesn't hold a candle to the Breville BJE820XL. The Breville's rock solid construction, stainless steel material, powerful motor, ultra-wide feed tube and easy assembly / disassembly make it worth every penny. This juicer has five speed settings -although Breville only recommends using the lowest setting with the puree assembly. It is fairly quiet at the lowest setting, used for soft fruits like grapes and citrus; but at its highest setting, it sounds like an industrial strength power drill. This isn't a problem in my book as I'll take the power over quiet any day. With such a solid product, my only real complaint is that I wish it came with a longer warranty. Unless you buy an extended service plan, you are only covered under Breville's one-year limited warranty.

If there is one thing I'd like to highlight about this product is how easy it is to CLEAN. Each part separates from the base easily and cleanly, and you can clean the entire thing by rinsing, EXCEPT for the juicing disc which requires soap and the included brush to ensure it stays free of lingering fiber. In the mornings, it takes me a grand total of fifteen minutes to prep the fruit, juice it using the Breville BJE820XL, and clean up after myself. With fifteen minutes, my 14-month old daughter has FRESH FRUIT JUICE ALL DAY!

Can't recommend it any higher! Five stars!

Adam

Orlando, FL

UPDATE 3/17/12: After almost a year, this device is still going strong with heavy use. I now also have a 2-month old baby boy who isn't enjoying juice quite yet, but in about six months I will let him try!

Honest reviews on Breville BJE820XL Juice Fountain Duo Dual Disc Juicer

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program In today's world, the term "commercial grade" is tossed around very casually. Often it's just a marketing tool to make you think an item is built to a higher standard than it acutally is. However, in this case, even though Breville does not use the words, I could think of no better term to describe this beast.

You know you have a real product here when you take it out of the box. It's HEAVY. Not ridiculously heavy, not too heavy to move, just sturdy and well made. When you turn it on, you can hear and almost feel the power this device is going to bring to the task at hand.

The juice this makes is great, you can control the pulp that you get, or don't get.

We have owned cheaper juicers in the past, but honestly that is like comparing apple juice and orange juice (pun intended) there is simply no comparison.

You will not regret for one moment making this purchase! I recommend this juicer without hesitation or reservation.

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I had high hopes when I ordered this juicer but I can state here that I am not impressed by the performance once I received it. I bought mine "refurbished" or should I say 'returned'? from geekdeal, one of the Breville authorized dealers, on ebaY. It came with one year manufacturers warranty and frankly does not look like the previous owner used it at all. There was a note pasted under the motor housing that says "tested and Cleaned".

Now I know what you might be thinking: gee if it was refurbished it must have been defective. But no this machine works just like similar Breville machines I have seen.

The Positives:

This machine is thoughtfully designed and everything assembles and fits perfectly. It can win an award in the aesthetic category. The stainless steel finish makes cleaning a snap. It even comes with a brush that also doubles as a spatula but I prefer to clean the screen with OXO Good Grips Soap Squirting Dish Brush. Juice container cover has a built in froth separator. The wide feed chute make juicing less of a hassle as you can juice a whole fruit without cutting it to smaller pieces. It has 1200 watts motor with variable speed which makes it a very fast juicer. The puree disc works as it is supposed to even though I doubt most people would ever use it.

The Negatives:

This juicer is less efficient than my 12 yrs old Juiceman JR which cost considerably less when I purchased it. The Breville leaves much of carrot, celery and greens unprocessed. The main reason for it I believe is that this machine and indeed much of the Breville elite lines (at least the ones I have checked out) has a wide gap clearance between the end of the feed tube and the juice disc. This is a fundamental design flaw. This is excerbated by the high revolution rate of the juice disc which invariably throws much of the fruits and veges into the pulp basket unprocessed (See some of the images I uploaded in the customers image section). There is also a loud slapping sound towards the end of the juicing cycle whenever you push the last fruit all the way through. It produces a lot of foam and hence the need for the froth separator.

Another negative which may be inherent in the power of this machine is that it is very loud when processing at the full speed. I thought my Vitamix Super 5000 is loud but boy this Breville is definitely louder at full speed.

Final Thought:

If I had paid full price for this juicer I would have returned it for full refund. I am sure the reason there is a lot of refurbished Breville juicers for sale is because a lot of buyers are dissatisfied with their performance overall. In my opinion they are not worth the full price but if you can buy them used or refurbished then go for it so long as you are aware of the aforementioned limitations. Better still buy the less expensive Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor

What I have done to improve on the performance is by selecting one speed less than the recommended setting and to not push the pusher all the way through till the last batch of fruits and veges are inserted into the feed tube. This later maneuver greatly reduces and postpones that annoying slapping sound till the end of the juicing cycle.

I will keep this Machine but will eventually upgrade to Super Angel 5500 Stainless Steel Living Juice Extractor Machine Super Heavy Duty Juicer: Juices Fruits, Vegetables, Leafy Greens, Wheatgrass

If I am in the market right now for a new stainless steel centrifugal juicer I would purchase the less expensive 1000 watts Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor instead.

I posted some pictures on the product main page.

Nordic Ware 365 Indoor/Outdoor Stuffed Burger Maker and Patty Press Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $8.00
Sale Price: $7.76
Today's Bonus: 3% Off

This product shouldn't honestly have ZERO stars. It is a piece of crap plastic that does not make stuffed burgers. No matter how much pam you spray, no matter what you do, beef will get stuck inside it and you will have to dig it out. Once you finally get somewhat the shape of the top, you're supposed to make another one. Then there is a sealer on the other side but I promise you, does not work. You can't even get a decent square burger out of it. This was a waste of money. Don't buy!

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DON'T Spray with Vegetable Oil, it didn't work. Burger gets Stuck. I tried wax paper on top and bottom, the burger didn't stick, but the paper didn't give enough and the "Stuff" side impression was too Shallow.

What worked:

I laid down wax paper.

I made 4 oz meatball, using a kitchen scale.

I laid a sheet of Glad wrap over the meatball and pressed "Stuff" side down.

Hold the Glad wrap , peeled off the press, leaving a burger well, with some extra burger edges.

After adding cheese and onions on one side, topped with a second "Stuff" side, covered again with Glad wrap and used the "Seal". There was some extra Burger edges than I smooshed into the burger sides with a table knife.

Cooking took longer than a regular burger, I used indirect heat and verified it was done with a thermometer. A few Burgers leaked out some cheese, but it was delicious!

I look forward to more stuffing experiments.

There are two pieces in the box, one piece is the two-sided stuffed burger press and one piece has a round burger press on one side and a small square, perfect for sliders on the other. Use the Glad Wrap for those presses also.

I like that it's made in USA. Nordic Ware should have really included some better use instructions. I went to the web site and it was not helpful.

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Makes a really thick stuffed burger. Makes OK sized patties (just hard to get them out once made). Overall, its just fine!

Honest reviews on Nordic Ware 365 Indoor/Outdoor Stuffed Burger Maker and Patty Press

Haven't used it yet, so hard to say what is good or not about the product. Not much else I can say.

Cheap Monkey Business Lid Sid Pot Steam Vent Pack of 2 Red & White

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List Price: $17.99
Sale Price: $13.59
Today's Bonus: 24% Off

Lids Sid Pot Steam Vent are the best! extremely functional and so cute! ;)

Though I must admit they are quite smaller than I thought.

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I bought this as a gift. My sister loves to cook and she had posted this little guy as a like. so I got it and sent to her. As far as I know she loves it.

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These are so funny and very practical. They make great gifts. In fact, I bought some for myself as a gift.

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It brings smiles as a gift and is very reasonably priced. I also heard a lot of compliments from the people i gifted this to afterwards about how useful and nice it is to use in the kitchen. Will be getting more for Christmas!

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They're just cute. When they hang on my utensil rack they bring a smile to my face. When I put them between the pot and its lid, I laugh. However, my hubbie won't touch them.

Reviews of Circulon Cookware Espree 10-Piece Hard Anodized Set

Customer Ratings:

We've had this set for about 8 months now and we have no regrets. I just cooked an omelet this morning with no butter or oil and it slid right out of the pan. The non-stick surface is not only slick, but it's strong as well. I've had teflon pans in the past that scratch very easily. I know I shouldn't but sometimes I'll use a metal fork or spoon to flip bacon or stir sauce, etc, and I still see no scratches on any surfaces.

A feature that interested me when I bought it but wasn't quite convinced it would work are all of the grooves/rings on the bottom interior of all of the cookware. They are supposed to reduce utensil contact with the non-stick surface, and at the same time create more even heating of the food. I've found both of these claims to be true. Also, the instructions said I would not need to use a temperature above 5 (out of 10) on the stove top because the special design amplifies the heat. I didn't believe this at first but found it to be true too. I cooked Taylor pork roll on 3 (electric stove) and it was done in a few minutes, nice and brown, VERY evenly cooked, a bit crispy and very hot. With my last pan set I would have been using a 6 setting, so I suppose I am now using less electricity too. The only time I use a temperature above 5 is when I am using one of the pots and a recipe tells me to get a rolling boil going.

The only down side is that because it has a grooved surface, food sometimes will stay between the grooves, but this easily slides out when I wash the pan with soap and hot water, which you need to do anyway to clean the pan.

Also, I wish the set came with a 12" skillet. It does not, and as far as I know, there is no 12" skillet in the Espree collection, so I bought the 12" Infinite skillet. The only difference is that it has a steel handle, otherwise it seems to be just the same as the rest of the Espree collection.

Oh, and one more thing, the bottoms of the cookware are very thick, hard and durable. When my wife and I were deciding between the Circulon and Calphalon sets, we chose the Circulon because she thought the bottoms looked sturdier. It was 50/50 up until that point, and that's what sealed the deal for the Circulon.

I think they have a lifetime warranty too. It's a great set and I am very impressed. I recommend it highly.

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Reviews of Emile Henry 8-1/2-Inch Oval Au Gratin Azure Blue

Customer Ratings:

I enjoy cooking and do most of the cooking for the two of us at home. Recently I've begun buying better kitchen equipment. I always thought glass baking dishes were fine and wondered at the extra expense of dishware like Emile Henry stoneware. Well, I guess sometimes price does matter.

So far I've used these dishes to make fresh vegetable gratins. It seems simpler and more practical to make a nice gratin in one or two of these dishes rather than trying to fill up a standard size baking dish. An added benefit seems to be that the dishes clean up with a short soak and a dish cloth. I've always had to scrub baked on food from oven baking dishes. This must speak to the quality of the porcelain coating.

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This is another excellent high quality product from Emile Henry. It is small but very useful for a variety of things as I only cook for myself. I also have the next size larger and use that frequently too.

Best Ez Foil/Reynolds 88006A Stove Burner Bib Liners, Electric, Small Deals

Customer Ratings:

These things do the job but they are so tiny! They only fit one of the burners on my stove (the smallest one). So unless you have a stove where all four of your burners are the tiniest size available, then I would try to find a multi-pack with different sizes.

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Just bought brand new burner drip pans for my electric stove. Wanted to protect them and keep them clean. These "small" ones, are doing the job! (Used to use aluminum foil. A REAL MESS!) I had to buy another set of "large" ones though, for my other two bigger burners. It might be good if they sold one set consisting of 4 small and 4 large?

So I have a good supply of small and large now! Anything that helps lightens a busy person's load is super in my book!

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Need to get some of the larger sizes for my two large burners. they work just fine.

what more can I say

Honest reviews on Ez Foil/Reynolds 88006A Stove Burner Bib Liners, Electric, Small

These are such a big help with keeping the pans for the electric stove clean. They fit well on my stove and can be rinsed and re-used if you clean them before stuff burns on.

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If you want cleaner burners the easy way, this is the way to go. Works better than aluminum foil and looks much better too. I'd definitely recommend these to anyone wanting a cleaner stove. We'll be buying more when these wear out!

Reviews of Nopro 12 x 9 Stainless Steel Roasting and Broiler Pan

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $22.99
Sale Price: $14.99
Today's Bonus: 35% Off

Of all the broiler pans I searched for, this was the best fit for my large toaster oven. Exactly 11 7/8 x 9". Great find!

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I bought this for my toaster oven, keeping my fingers crossed that it'll fit (which it did, perfectly! ). The top plate with holes is more or less a permanent fixture in my oven, as its easier to clean than oven racks, and I use the bottom pan as a baking dish. I like that it's stainless steel,which is supposed to be a safe metal to cook/bake in and yet easy to clean.

I would have given it 5 stars, had it not been for the somewhat sharp sides. Otherwise the quality seems to be good. Get it!

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Item surface is small and the indentations in the pan surface makes it difficult to clean. Other wise ok for cooking foods that do not stick.

Honest reviews on Nopro 12 x 9 Stainless Steel Roasting and Broiler Pan

Tried stick free coated pans and they only worked for a short time. I decided to go the "old fashioned way" and searched for a stainless steel pan. Could not find any in stores. Internet search brought me to this pan. I love it and plan to buy the larger one.

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I needed a small broiler pan since my oven isn't working at this time and I have to use a counter top convection oven. This fits the bill! I love that it is stainless steel. It fits the largest steak I've needed to broil and I like the "diamond" design better than the pans that just have slits in them. I've also used the bottom of the pan by itself as an extra pan for heating veggies, frozen french fries, and so forth. I've also found that it is very easy to clean. It cleans up well in the dishwasher, too! It really answered my needs at this time. I definitely recommend it for anyone who must cook in a counter top oven!

Review of Leifheit Decorative Canning Jars, Set of 6

Customer Ratings:

I got these with two smaller sizes under amazon's 4-3 promotion. they are an odd shape -sort of oval. I'm not too sure if it saves on space but I will say it makes holding a liter more confortable nice fit in your hand. All arrived unbroken the six shrink wrapped in their case and then bubble wrapped and then boxed with some air pillows. I like having a variety of mason jars and the metric measures are much more convenient. These (and other mason jars) have replaced ALL my plastic containers; much easier to clean and to find the size that fits; coworkers are intrigued by my salads in a jar. I do miss having the measure marks on the side of these (aka ball mason jars). The 0.5 liter have a slight green tint.

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After reading the other reviews, I had to order these jars. The size is absolutely PERFECT for canning, freezing soups or giving as gifts with cookies or candy inside. Note, this "1" liter (or 1 quart) size has a standard LARGE mouth so it's easy to fill, wash, and remove contents. I've tested a standard "Ball" wide mouth top and it does fit, so I think you could use those as replacements for canning down the road. The oval shape really does make it possible to fit an extra jar into the canner, and they are super easy to hold/handle. I will definitely order more.

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With Amazon's free shipping, these jars cost about a dollar more than the Ball brand jars but Amazon has better customer service. I am very satisfied with the jars and only wish they were cheaper.

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I had used Ball, Kerr and most recently Weck for canning and none compare to Leifheit in terms of appearance love the look.

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I ordered these jars to use with a food gift I'm making for the holidays expecting them to be a light blue color from the Amazon picture. They are heavy duty, nicely embossed but just clear glass not blue. I don't know that I would have spent the extra money for clear glass jars if I'd realized this. After going back and reading the description, I see that it doesn't say they are blue so I guess I should have been a little more aware but still, I think the picture should be updated. I need to get going on preparing my food gift so won't return them but if you're considering ordering these jars, just know they are clear.

Cheap Hamilton Beach 31197 Countertop Oven with Convection and Rotisserie

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $109.99
Sale Price: $79.99
Today's Bonus: 27% Off

I bought this product at Sam's Club the other day. The product is great and I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in a rotisserie. Having a regular toaster oven and a convection oven in the same unit is a great bonus! The unit comes with two wire shelves, two pizza racks (like cookie sheets but with holes in the bottom; great for Hot Pockets) that fit on top of the wire shelves, a 1" deep backing pan, a wire rack that fits inside the backing pan, two rotisserie forks (for holding the meat on the spic), a rotisserie spic, and a rotisserie handle (for lifting it out of a hot oven).

Installation: A piece of cake. The unit comes packed in Styrofoam with the shelves and pans inside the unit; the rotisserie accessories came loose in the box but bagged in plastic. All I had to do was to wipe it down, wash the racks, and plug the box in.

Performance of the toaster oven: It toasts but boy is there a lot of room in here.

Performance of the convection oven: Never having used one before, I was surprised by the fans going off in the oven. But it did its job well cooking a pair of Hot Pockets to crispy perfection in just a little more time than the microwave. Homemade pot pies also cook very well.

Performance of the rotisserie: Great! I've cooked a beef roast and a Rock Cornish Hen and they came out so flavorful, tender, and juicy. The fat melts off this way and the drippings end up at the bottom. Make sure to cover it with a piece of foil. The unit says it can do up to a 7 ½ lb. bird, but I've only tried up to 4 lbs.

Cleanup: The bottom pan slides out for easy cleanup.

Overall I recommend this unit. Although I've never had a rotisserie or a convection oven to compare it to, it is world's better than my toaster oven. It is also ½ the price of the George Forman unit plus adds more. How can one go wrong?

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Actual rating 4 1/2 stars. A half point deduction for door misalignment. The door doesn't seal like it's suppose to. It's not really a seal but a much larger gap than allowed. Either the the frame or the door is slightly warped. A minor error, however, as it still bakes near perfectly and I didn't detected any real heat escaping. I still consider the build of the oven very good.

I tested all features and they work excellent. Convection is very good and cooks much faster and is quiet. Much more quiet than the Toastmaster convection which was extremely noisy! This feature is also handy for quick warm-ups or making bread rise. The rotisserie also works very good. You must tie the the chicken up well, however.

The timer does not exactly stop on zero. It seems to go on 2 minutes or more. Again, a minor thing. Just compensate for this. It could be because the timer is also the on\off switch.

Using a drugstore temperature gauge I found the reading between the gauge and the oven off by about 25-50 degrees. However, everything cooks excellent using the oven degree markings. No undercooked items. In fact, this thing cooks much faster than recommended time in most recipes, sometimes much faster! For instance, on its rotisserie feature I found a 3 1/2 pound chicken could of been done about 15 minutes (or more) earlier than the recommended 2 hours! A roll recipe I found bakes about 25% faster than the recipe called for and I didn't even use the convection feature for either! (Note: The oven degree reading and the drugstore temp gauge reading were the same when using the convection feature.)

One caveat: I did find the the broil feature slightly weak for red meats, (it more like bakes it) but it did cook the fish nicely (crisp skin) at near exact recommened times.

When using this oven over 400 degrees the sides and top of the oven gets hot, including the controls! I must note this oven has no insulation of any kind. It also has no oven light, but one is not really needed, but it would be nice.

Includes a pamphlet type cookbook that is only a guide, but it does give sample recipes for every feature. Enough to get you started on what it is capable of. Includes two racks, a roast pan with separate grill rack, and a aluminium pizza pan with small holes througout. For handy cleanups the bottom of the oven can be easily pulled out and washed.

To give you some idea of its size, it can handle a 12" pizza, two if you have another of its pizza pan. (Though I never tried it). The rotisserie can handle up to a 5lb chicken. The oven a 7lb roast chicken. The oven interior is about 12" front to back (not including curved glass door), about 13" side to side, and about 10" from top burner coil to bottom burner coil, with each coil about 1/4" to 1" away from the metal surface respectively. The roast pan that comes with it has an inside dimension (excluding the lips) of about 11 1/2" by 9 3/4".

Overall, a very good small oven for the price.

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This is not a $500 Cuisinart, but then it's not $500. I found mine at Macy's for about thirty percent less than most retailers, and at that price it was certainly worth trying. I bought mine to replace a fifteen year old toaster oven that I often found myself pushing beyond its limits. (It also caught fire while toasting frozen lumpia, but that's another story)

Plusses? Inexpensive, large capacity, room to cook a small turkey or a couple loaves of bread without heating up the big stove. Minuses? It's kind of lightweight. The rotisserie won't handle much of a load. It's slow to heat up, especially compared to the typical toaster over. And it won't make toast.

But overall, it's not a bad deal, and if you entertain with a small kitchenas I doit's pretty useful.

---

Followup: I've had this oven for two and a half years now, and it's still in almost daily use. You can't say that about too many inexpensive products these days.

Honest reviews on Hamilton Beach 31197 Countertop Oven with Convection and Rotisserie

Pros: This oven serves me quite well for all of my baking and broiling needs. I like that you can choose between bake and convection bake so that you don't have to use the convection feature if you don't want to. When using convection the fan is nice and quiet. I like having a timer so that I can leave the kitchen and not worry about burning something. The timer bell is perfect one solid ding that you can hear from another room. Having two racks is great since you can have two things going at the same time. My oven is on a cart at eye level and several people have commented on how good looking it is. The way the crumb tray slides out easily without even opening the oven door is the most convenient I've ever seen. I've had my oven for 2.5 months and so far I am as happy as can be with it. I've made all kinds of things homemade rolls, Christmas cookies, Mahi-Mahi fillets, pizza, roasted veggies, just to name a few, and everything turns out good.

Cons: The instruction booklet is laughable, it contains no useful information at all. I want to buy a convection cooking cookbook, mostly to learn how to dehydrate stuff. If you are a toast lover you will need a separate appliance for that because this oven is too tall to cook both sides of a slice of bread at once.

My oven came with one pizza pan, one baking/broiling pan with rack, two oven racks, and the rotisserie kit. I have not used the rotisserie feature yet.

UPDATE May 19, 2007 here it is well over two years later and the oven is still working perfectly. So glad I picked this one.

July 24, 2009 Still going strong as my only oven! Only one thing showing wear and that is the door handle. It's loose but still attached. I hope it holds on!!

By the way I can make toast with this oven after all I use the top rack in its highest slot, set the oven on "broil" and when the top of the bread is toasted I turn it over to do the other side. It would be easier to have a toaster but my kitchen is so small I don't know where I'd put one.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Hamilton Beach 31197 Countertop Oven with Convection and Rotisserie

I love this oven! You can reheat fried foods with the convection oven to get things nice & crispy instead of soggy, like a microwave. In fact, it is good enough to fry without oil, such as spraying sliced potatoes with Pam & then convectioning them until they are crisp outside & tender inside.

The Rotiserie is a little small (it only holds 4 pounds) and you need good cotten string to tie wings & anything else that may flop when turning. But the food comes out a nice golden brown while being juicy inside.

However, you can sit a 7 pound roast on top of the roasting rack and still have vegetables in the roasting tray.

The Pizza tray also works well with cookies, but make sure you flatten the pizza dough just before cooking if you plan to use the convection setting instead of the bake setting, since it makes breads rise higher as well as cook faster.

My only complaint was the instruction manual. Having been advertised as having a "Toaster" feature at Sam's, it didn't have instructions for making toast. I called the help number & learned that after preheating for 10 minutes, you can 'broil' bread on the top shelf for 2 minutes, turn over & cook another 2 minutes for toast. You seem to need to preheat the oven for 10 minutes for most cooking tasks. The Outside of the oven becomes hot enough to melt plastic left on it while cooking, so only set metal on top of it (like its accessories).

Cheap Fissler Solea 8 Piece Cookware Set

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List Price: $900.00
Sale Price: $720.00
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

I love the Fissler Solea pots. They are so well engineered. The tops are see-through and stylish lookingyou can see what you're cooking without taking off the lid! It also props up on the edge of the pot so that you don't have to set it down and have it dirty up the counter top. That's really too cool. Also it's concave so the moisture falls back into the pot so it doesn't loose any of the ]flavor, or evaporate off too much. They can go into the oven or the dishwasher. Also can be used on any cooking surface, including induction cooktops!

Fissler Solea 8 Piece Cookware Set

Fissler Solea High Saucepan, 3.4-Quart CapacityFissler Solea High Saucepan, 2-Quart Capacity

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In my nearly 70 years of cooking, professionally during 20 of those, these pots, recently discovered, have become one of my two favorite makes. The other, for comparison, is Demeyere Sirocco. I do have skillets and saute pans by Demeyere, both Sirocco and Apollo, that satisfy my needs in those shapes, and the Demeyere large round griddle is incredibly versatile and used nearly every day. I still have some other hold-over cookware, used occasionally for certain things, but these are the go-to pots. Demeyere Sirocco is now nearly unavailable in the USA; Demeyere Atlantis is essentially identical, varying in details and finish but not construction.

Differences in the Demeyere Sirocco and Fissler Solea:

Demeyere saucepans, stockpots, and saute pans heat more quickly and are more energy efficient (same cooking requires a lower heat setting), faster to respond to heat changes, and altogether fantastic. But, it is easy to scorch because of their efficiency; you have to be an attentive cook. Fissler Solea pots gentle the heat more. They take a little longer to heat up, but hold a steady heat when they do, not to the extent of being unresponsive, but wonderfully suited to stewing and fantastic for custards and sauces. I love the double loop handles on the Solea stew pots and casseroles because they're easier to store, fit better in the oven, and are less likely to be bumped or tipped in use. And I can't say enough about how much I like the lids. They hook on the pot rims when you need to add ingredients or stir, and THE DRIPS GO BACK INTO THE POT! Also, the lids are designed, along with subtle variations in the rim of the pot itself, so that it is really easy to pour off liquid and keep the solids in the pot as effectively as a perforated straining lid. They also are altogether fantastic.

If you'll forgive a little editorializing, these two makes should satisfy most any cook. If you cook on gas (I no longer have that luxury) you may prefer something like Mauviel copper. Yes, these pots are expensive. Very expensive. But personally I think many people think they are bad or mediocre cooks and don't enjoy cooking because they don't invest in good cookware. If your focus is on other pars of your life, and really don't care to get involved in cooking, then spend the money elsewhere. But if you'd like to be a good cook and entertain at home you should give these a try.

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Great product,fast delivery, they look like they will last a lifetime. Easy to use and great to clean and easy to store

Review of New Professional Commercial Grade 20 QT (Quart) Heavy Gauge

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This is a great stock pot. I use it for canning. Nothing sticks to the bottom thanks to the 3-ply clad base. Even though I have to cook large quantities for long periods of times I don't have things stick to the bottom as I have experienced with other stock pots.

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I purchased this pot as a gumbo pot for my wife to use for the holidays. She is extremely happy with the size and weight of the pot and the even heating the bottom provides for preparing the roux.

Best Deals for New Professional Commercial Grade 20 QT (Quart) Heavy Gauge

I make cheese, and this pot was my second 20 qt stockpot purchased. I love the metal lid and stout handles and the minimum of rivets on the inside where the handles are. The problem for me is it only holds 16 quarts comfortably with the lid on. I often need to do 20 qt batches. The other pot I got on amazon has a glass lid. Prime Pacific 18/10 Stainless Steel 20 Quart Stock Pot With Glass Lid I don't prefer the glass lid, but that is my only option for a 5 gallon batch of cheese, because that pot actually holds the volume it was advertised to hold. If this pot held the advertised amount of liquid, I would have given it a 5 star review

Honest reviews on New Professional Commercial Grade 20 QT (Quart) Heavy Gauge

This is a very well-made stock pot. The directions say not to use it on high heat and they aren't kidding! I foolishly attempted to boil water on "high" and the wide bottom refected the heat back onto the enamel of my electric stove and actually scorched it! This might not be an issue for a gas stove with grates that are set well above the surface. Follow the directions...

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Went ahead and ordered a 12 quart after having this for less than a week. I am a professional chef and m wife has a small farm. I "batch cook" the veggies for the freezer and these larger pots are essential to that process. Works great on my ceramic cooktop. I know...a chef with a ceramic cooktop?

Best Handle Set for Microhearth Microwave Cookware-Black Deals

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I hated the fact that I had to replace the handle since I had had the cookware only a year, but was thankful that a handle was offered. It worked as well and replaced the one that broke. I have ordered 4 of the Microhearth Microwave Cookware since I love the product and have ordered others for friends and family. So easy to use, clean-up, and grills, fries perfectly. I would definitely this product.

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This product is very good and a very good price I would recommend this item to everyone including my friends and family.

Discount Update International SFC-11 SuperSteel Induction ready Stainless

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List Price: $54.37
Sale Price: $37.90
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We love this pan for induction cooking .. Very well built, the handles are securely attached, the non stick coating works well.

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I've been buying these update pans for quite a while at a local restaurant supply store. They've recently gone out of business, so I was left in the lurch when the non-stick started sticking.

I usually have to replace the pan about every 2-3 years, and that seems reasonable. I've yet see a "name brand" non-stick last that long even at 2-3X the price, so I stick with these.

They work great on induction tops, and heat evenly. The non-stick is pretty durable. The bottom is slightly concave, but flattens out when hot (per the insert in the package). Make sure you let the pan cool gradually to make sure you don't warp the bottom.

One note, the description and picture shows a "helper handle" on the pan opposite the regular handle that is not on the pan. I knew this from prior purchases, but thought it bore mentioning.