Cheap Rachael Ray Tools 2-Piece Nylon Spoon Set, Orange

Customer Ratings:

This set is a great find and I highly recommend it. At first, I was a little deterred from this item due to the size & color. Most of our cooking utensils are more 'subtle' in color and I felt this particular shade was a little bit, loud.

In the end, my wallet got the better of me and I'm glad we bought this set. Prior to having this, we were always gingerly scooping stuff out of our non-stick pots using a metal spoon or ladle. Not only was that a slow process, but metal spoons get quite hot.

These spoons on the other hand, don't heat up, are heat resistant, easy to clean up, and offer peace of mind that it won't scratch those non-stick surfaces. For that matter, it won't mar those expensive SS pots & pans either.

The spoons are all one-piece designs, so there is no place for small food fragments or sauces to get trapped, making for easy cleaning and less worry about bacteria and decaying food particles.

I don't know how we been able to survive this long without these spoons. I highly recommend this set for anyone looking for good cooking spoons.

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Rachael Ray's 2-piece spoon set (with slotted spoon) is one of the best spoon sets I have purchased. I use this set every time I cook anything that has to be stirred. I liked this set so well that I bought a second set for myself and another set for my daughter. This set is light-weight, easy to clean, and the long handles keep the spoons from sliding into the food in the pot. I searched other places for Rachael Ray products and found that Amazon has the best prices for these spoons as well as her cookware. Even with my having RA, I can use these spoons with ease. I highly recommend having at least one set in your kitchen.

L.C. ArizonaRachael Ray 2-Piece Spoon Set, Orange

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These spoons are great, they don't weigh much and are easy to use and wash. they are deep enough to stir any type of foods, not only do they look great, but they work great. I am very happy with the Rachael Ray products and look forward to purchasing more of her items. The colors are great, you never have a difficult time locating them.

Honest reviews on Rachael Ray Tools 2-Piece Nylon Spoon Set, Orange

I bought the to match the cookware and they go together perfectly. I would recommend them and buy more of this brand.

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My wife and I love it! High quality and they look great! Love the color! Durable too! Highly recommend! You won't be sorry you bought this set!

Cheap Berndes 10-1/4-Inch Square Glass Lid

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This is a wonderfully made cover, it does not fit my square pan, exactly, but it appears to be the only square cover, out there, that is sold separately,

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This glass lid, for Berndes 10-1/4 inch square frying pan works well, but, is made of glass.

Reviews of Frieling Gold Coffee Filter # 4

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $21.00
Sale Price: $19.95
Today's Bonus: 5% Off

I had a Swiss Gold coffee filter a few years ago, and I used it several times w/ regular grind coffee. I always had grounds/sludge in the bottom of the pot.

I gave away the Swiss Gold and went back to paper filters, but I'm trying to economize and "go green," so I thought I would try one of these again and just learn to live with the grounds in the pot, or maybe strain them out with a tea strainer when I poured from the carafe or something.

So, I ordered this Frieling Gold Coffee Filter last week, and the holes in it are smaller than on the Swiss Gold. Guess what: NO GROUNDS IN THE POT! NO SLUDGE!

If you use a fine grind, I would guess you MIGHT have some grounds get through, but with a regular, commercial grind, no problems. In the morning, I just want my coffee quick, and I either use commercially prepared regular grind coffee or grind my own on medium.

I have a Krups coffee / espresso "combo" machine.

Submitted by "Mrs. Neighbor John"

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Paper filters, #4 in this case, do one thing well for drip and pour-over coffee brewing methods: They keep the grounds separate from the brewed coffee very well. The downside is that the absorbency and density of the paper also filters out coffee oils and collagens that deliver prime flavors. A reduced amount of the true coffee bean flavor survives the filtering process.

How much is lost? I do notice it, but I have no verifiable data to support my reduced flavor claim other than my taste buds. Not only that, but everyone's tastes are different. Some people like the thinner, more delicate flavors produced by paper filters. Others say that an undesirable paper taste is detectable when using paper filters. To make things more complex, some brands of paper filter are much better at eliminating paper taste, or even almost entirely eliminating paper tastes. Moreover, it must be admitted that the ingestion of a small amount of paper fibers will not kill you. Nothing seems to be simple in life, does it? Unless things are unexamined.

For many coffee lovers, that loss of flavor caused by paper filters is unacceptable. A good solution is a metal mesh, or Screen Filter. Some are even electroplated gold such as the Frieling model under discussion, in order to prevent rust and off flavors from contaminating coffee flavor (a stainless steel model might be much more expensive to make). Such a device must have an extremely fine screen to reduce the amount of fine particles ("fines") from passing through the screen and into the cup. Avoiding the point of near solidity, regardless of mesh fineness, some ultra fine coffee grind particulates, "fines," inevitably and invariably WILL pass through any wire mesh screen. Setting your grinder to medium grind helps to reduce the amount of fines passing through the filter, but not 100%.

There is a trade off similar to what occurs when brewing French press with its metal mesh filter screen on the plunger assembly: If the screen is too fine it can be difficult or even impossible for the coffee/water solution to pass through the filter, and if too porous then the amount of "fines" passing through the filter will increase, and end up in your cup. So all you can hope for is a good balance.

I chose the the Frieling Gold Filter #4 for my Technivorm Moccamaster drip brewer, as the quality of this filter matches that of my brewer (The costly Technivorm Moccamaster, BonaVita BV, and one or two others, are the ONLY drip-brewers accredited by the Specialty Coffee Association of America to brew at the correct 195-205 degree temperature during the entire brew cycle producing the best flavor available! See the SCAA website).

The mesh of the Frieling's screen works well, balancing the variables of coffee particle filtration versus flavor development. My experience is that only a few fines make it through to become silt in the cup, and they do ALWAYS appear, as I finely grind my freshly roasted coffee beans for drip-brewing with the excellent Baratza Virtuoso burr grinder (The less expensive Encore model is also excellent for drip or pour-over brewing). The flavor allowed is remarkably good. A bit of silt at the bottom of your cup is the price you pay, as in French press brewing, for a remarkable increase in flavor intensity. Never take that last sip, grit haters, or grind on medium.

Summary: A metal mesh filter is very green compared to the destruction of the number of trees needed to produce the amount of paper coffee filters one would consume over a lifetime, times the number of people using them. As a conscionable alternative, and on its own merits, The Frieling Gold Filter #4 is highly recommended, not perfect, but as good as it gets based on my incomplete experience. It is very, very good at achieving excellent results in a game where it is almost impossible to win, not 100% anyway...just as in French press brewing. This is the best filter of its type I have used, as my first one was a cheap off-brand. The product is top rack dishwasher-safe...a big plus.

I have NOT tested the one or two other competing respectable brands of metal mesh filter so this review is flawed in that respect. A controlled, empirical test of such filters would establish which filter brand is better, and would do so better than this comparatively subjective review. Here is hoping that someone actually does so. Until then, for me, one can pay less for such a filter, yet the Frieling name and its performance are just superb. In my estimation, you will not go wrong with this Frieling Gold Filter #4.

I hope this was helpful to you. If you have questions, please reply in the Comment section below...I would be glad to help.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PLEASE VISIT MY NEW BLOG: thegoodstuffreviews.blogspot.com

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I ordered this to pair with a Bonavita BV1800 8-Cup Coffee Maker with Glass Carafe, Brushed Aluminum after I got tired of messing with paper filters' cost and waste.

The filter fits perfectly in the Bonavita (and presumably other #4 filter holders), and seems to be reasonably sturdy. I alternate washing it by hand and dishwashing (top rack), and it looks as good after three months as it did when new.

As for the grind, I use freshly ground beans, ground on a medium fine setting with a Jura-Capresso 560 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder, Brushed Silver, 8.5-Ounce grinder.

I have not had issues with sludge or coffee that is weak: it has been well brewed every time, perhaps a bit on the strong side. You can easily tell that it's not a paper filter, too: the coffee oils are (slightly) visible in the brewed coffee. If you worry about those, then you should stick with paper.

For the price and quality of the coffee so far, I can recommend it. Cheers!

Honest reviews on Frieling Gold Coffee Filter # 4

To be fair, this is the first one I've had, so I don't know how this compares to other metal/reusable coffee filters.

About 50% of the time, Coffee drains through too fast unless you preform some sort of voodoo ritual and have the grind and water temperature at just the right size-maybe, still not sure what size that should be. Even with a perfect paper filteresque drain, You get a fair amount of sludge in the bottom of the pot.

HOWEVER, its worth it to know we'll never have to worry about running out of or buying filters again, and it makes perfectly drinkable coffee. Though I've got into the British habit of leaving the last 1/4" of liquid at the bottom to avoid the sludge.

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I use my Frieling Gold filter every day and am VERY happy with it. The mesh is very fine much finer than the mesh I had with my old Braun machine. A very fine mesh makes for less sediment while still allowing some of the coffee oils to pass through. So if you are wondering if you should pay $20 instead of $5 for your gold filter my answer is a definite YES.

That said, it is not a paper filter. Some oils will come through to your coffee if you like a bit of oil/flavor/bitterness in your coffee that is a good thing. If not, you should stick with paper filters. Also, even with the Frieling there will be some fine dust/sediment in the bottom of your mug. I prefer the flavor a gold filter allows to pass into the coffee so I am willing to not drink the bottom 1/4" of my cup. Again if not, you should stick with paper filters.

Fox Run Square Pot Rack with Chrome Chains and Hooks, Black Reviews

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List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $22.97
Today's Bonus: 23% Off

This item is really light weight and the rack cant dent easily. It was not packaged well at all on first shipment and arrived very bent in several places. After contacting the shipper, we were mailed another one--but that took 3 weeks. The size is perfect for smaller kitchens and it looks great now that it is installed. Another tip: do NOT hang it like it is in the picture. Handing both chains on one eye bolt is a disaster. Use both eye hooks and hang one chain for each. Otherwise it is completely unstable.

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This rack is relatively inexpensive, but even so not worth the price. A few months back I saw a VERY similar one at Aldi for $24.99 which would be FAIR price. THINK OF THIS PRODUCT AS "POT RACK LITE"!

The frame is constructed of VERY thin sheet metal, the grid and supporting chain from very small diameter rod and link.

In fairness, it's well made in terms of welding and painting... it looks decent enough. But again, it's strictly LIGHT DUTY. If you have mostly ALUMINUM cookware, fine and dandy. But don't plan on hanging your cast iron skillets or clad pans, or storing your heavy dutch ovens on top.

Finally, the single-point suspension system is a cost saving design that isn't STABLE enough for this kind of application. If installed as instructed, it will be prone to "spin" and "sway" when removing or hanging a pan; you'll be tempted to use one hand for the pan and the other to steady the rack. Any rectangular hanging rack should be suspended from at least TWO points (all four corners is even better.) Again in fairness, there IS enough chain to suspend it from all four corners.

I kept the rack rather than returning it; I actually found a use for it in my garage!

Again, it's not a bad product, but it's strictly light duty and in my opinion NOT worth its current price ($38 bucks at the time I purchased it. At $24.99 to $29.99, it would be a good VALUE.)

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Very thin metal and pint looked as if put in box too soon. Be sure to hang from 4 points not one like shown in picture

Honest reviews on Fox Run Square Pot Rack with Chrome Chains and Hooks, Black

We just moved into a house that has one-third the square footage of our last one. We have somewhere between 20-30 pots and pans and no cabinet space for them, so this was a great idea for maximizing vertical space. We did not have hundreds of dollars to invest in a rack, so this was in just the right price range.

To get the most out of this product, here's what you need:

1. Four hooks rated to about 25 pounds each

2. Four anchors/toggles that can go into the ceiling and that are the right size for your hooks to screw into

Screw holes for the anchors, place them in the ceiling, screw the hooks into them. You want to have each corner supported separately by its own hook, because if you only do one or two hooks, when you remove one pan, everything else on the rack will slide around with the shift in gravity. This rack is a nice choice because it has a center grid, so you can stack pots in the middle as well as hanging them around the sides. Although the construction is lightweight, the joints are soldered, so it is strong. I took away one star because I had to supply additional hardware, there were no instructions, and the construction could be better to last longer. I've only had it for three months, but so far it has held up really well, in spite of lots of use and abuse.

Overall, for the price, can't be beat!

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I have had this pot rack haning for several months now and have not had any problems. I have what I consider to be a a lot of pots hanging from it and it is holding up great!. It was easy to hang and looks great in my kitchen! I would definitely recommend this product!

Reviews of Polder Digital In-Oven Thermometer/Timer, Graphite

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List Price: $25.00
Sale Price: $23.49
Today's Bonus: 6% Off

A common problem with previous Polder thermometers I have owned is that if you get the bare, metal probe cord wet, water can get into the probe itself and ruin it by throwing off the temperature readings. I have thrown away several probes because of this, especially since I use these thermometers for beer making.

Some reviewers complained that the cord was rubber and not metal like in the picture, when in fact this is a HUGE improvement over the old probes and that it appears to still be the metal, braided cable only it's now covered in the watertight rubber seal. Us home brewers used to go to great lengths to try and waterproof these cables ourselves. Thankfully now Polder has done it for us.

I can assure you that the temperature reads accurately since I used it in conjunction with a candy thermometer the first couple times I used it. The alarm and timer functions are invaluable. The pan clip is what prompted me to get this in the first place; the watertight probe was just a pleasant surprise.

Although you cannot technically turn it off, the amount of power this thing uses from a single AAA battery (included) is negligible and single AAA batteries are not going to break the bank. Overall, this is the best Polder thermometer I have owned yet, mainly thanks to its new watertight probe cable. Thanks Polder.

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This is a good product for the price . Easy to use intuitive controls , display easy to read , temperature is accurate . There is no on/off button but this isn't a big deal as the battery will probably still last for years even with it always on .

You can set the alarm to go off when it reaches whatever temperature you set it for and the alarm is nice and loud . The reason I got this was for yogurt making . I wanted to have an alarm to let me know when the milk had cooled to the proper temperature instead of having to check it every 15 minutes . One problem though : You can only use the temperature alarm feature when going *UP TO* a temperature . If you have the milk at 180 degrees and set the temperature alarm to go off at 115 degrees the alarm goes off immediately because the temp has already reached or surpassed 115 degrees . In other words this thermometer is worthless for what I had hoped to use it for . You cannot set the temperature alarm to *GO DOWN TO* a given temperature which is too bad . Still, this is a well built easy to use thermometer ... just not what I had hoped for.

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I got this for Christmas (it was on my wishlist) and I was delighted. It preformed well the first couple of times I used it. The third time, it put up an error code (Hi). When I looked at the instructions, I found that this means the cable has been damaged and needs to be replaced. What the &@%#??? I used the thing THREE times. Sent an e-mail to the company about it and, of course, got no response. My advice? Look elsewhere. Disappointed...

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I have had one of these for 10 years and needed a replacement. I do not know what I would do without it. I use the timer part at every meal and the probe for roasts and turkeys and it has been perfect every time. I bought one for my Mother who complains she never knows when the meat is ready she can not believe she has gone all these years guessing.

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The photo in the ad clearly shows that the wire is coated in steel mesh, not plastic. The thermometer I received was plastic coated, not as advertised. I have found that the plastic coated wires do not hold up and soon melt, needing to be replaced.

KitchenAid Pro Line Series Waffle Baker Review

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List Price: $249.99
Sale Price: $186.95
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

I take this unit on vacation with us I use it at home I take it to over nighters anywhere.

I see some reviews that say it has no temp adjustment well, it simply would be useless if it did.

Pour in the batter and set the timer for 3 min 45 seconds and two waffles are done to perfection each time and everytime. It has never failed after hundreds of waffles

I also see some noise about it being large and bulky well, if you want a heavy duty machine that will out last you, this is what you get. I have no trouble taking it everywhere.

The best unit ever!

PS: The very best waffle mix is the malted mix from Williams Sonoma wow! I am going to make some now . . .

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KitchenAid Pro Line Series Waffle Baker

I recommend the purchase of this waffle baker.

I purchased the baker from Amazon.com using bonus points on 12/18/10. S&H was included which is one of the reasons I like using Amazon. Plus, the price was right.

I received the unit via UPS in three days after ordering. Even though it was Christmas time, Amazon was just as fast as I usually find them. The packaging was excellent and the package was received unscathed.

Cons.

The unit is made in China. I find that a little disappointing as the stainless steel and workmanship is good, but not the same quality as products made in the USA.

There were a few small scratches on various places to the unit. But, not to the extent that it is worth returning for a different unit.

The waffle make unit does not sit level in the cradle and has to be adjusted to insure that it is level. When turning the unit it will go just a little beyond level.

Although most of the unit is metal there are still plastic components. The plastic around the hinges causes me some concern. I'll just hope for the best.

Pros.

The unit is larger than most waffle makers for home use but, it doesn't take up much room on the counter and looks good. It is the size unit that you'll find in most hotels/motels. Be aware that it is, also, heavier than most waffle bakers.

It took about three minutes to get hot from the time I plugged it in until ready to cook. After that, the unit was ready to cook within seconds of removing the waffles.

The ready light and thermometer work well and leave no doubt of the unit's ready status.

I find the alarms helpful in reminding me of the unit being ready to cook or the when waffles are finished.

It is easy to clean after use. Just a damp rag for washing and a drying rag is all that is needed.

If you read the instruction booklet and follow the instructions, the waffles turn out great with a couple of minor exceptions listed below.

The waffles are a good size. I doubt if you'll want more than one as the waffles are that big.

It is easy to use. Just set the timer and wait. The controls are clearly marked and easily operated.

I found when pouring the batter that it took only about ¾ cup to make a waffle and not the full cup recommended in the instruction booklet.

I also found that 4 minutes is a good time to cook the waffles to the doneness that my wife and I like.

I am looking forward to getting a lot of use out of the unit. If you're looking for a unit that makes really good Belgian waffles than this unit is a winner. I would get this unit again.

I gave it a four stars instead of five primarily due to having to insure the unit is sitting level in the cradle.

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We have a couple of other Kitchenaid products, so I knew this waffle baker would be built like a tank. The instructions were well written and pretty straightforward. It is simple to operate and the waffles I made this morning came out great. I used a basic waffle recipe (you can get mixes, but it only take a few minutes to make it from scratch). I started out with the timer (which is very simple to operate) set to 4 minutes; this was good but the waffles wanted to stick just a tiny bit, so I tried setting at 4.5 minutes, which was perfect.

The waffles were delicious, and HUGE. Yes, you can make a lot of waffles very quickly, but really, you only need to make a few of these waffles to feed a crowd. I made 5 waffles this morning for six people (four young kids, two adults), and had one whole waffle left over. The waffles separate into quarters very easily, and one quarter is definitely a good bit for one plate. If I could give it 6 stars, i would.

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Like others, I read and was blown away by the numerous highly rated reviews of this waffle maker. Our UNO had finally given up the ghost after many moons of Daddy breakfast waffles. We decided to take the plunge ($200 for a residential waffle maker is a plunge by our standards) and buy the Kitchenaid. From the opening of the box until the first set of waffles, we were VERY pleased. This machine is really well suited for mass waffleage! It is big and you need to consider that before purchasing. It is also heavy, so consider that as well. I liked the timer, build, two waffles at a time and theoretically, the auto shutoff. Herein lies the reason for three stars. We made our batch of waffles and left for the day. The waffle maker was turned off. No lights were on. When we returned, the house smelled odd and I realized the waffle machine was on and burning full power. Still, no lights on the machine. I heard a little hum, so I knew current was flowing. Of course, the machine was hotter than blazes which was a better indicator it was on after 12 hours of no one at home. I have since tried some experiments and essentially, the off button does not turn it off, nor does the auto shutoff circuit work. You must unplug our machine for it to turn off. Although this is how we usually work our waffle makers, we have never had one with an on-off button so I expect it to perform as stated in the manual. I have now seen other reviews with the same problem, so this is not isolated. Other than this, this machine works great. I will also point out the waffles are huge. Get ready to overfill yourself or split them with a neighbor! We did not buy another since it seemed that others were having the same problem. I bought the Calphalon and been really happy with it.

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OK, first of all, I have owned a much smaller Cuisenart Waffle Maker (Model WMR-C) for several years. Although it worked OK and made decent waffles, I always craved the big thick, crusty on the outside, fluffy on the inside waffles I would get in various restaurants. My older waffle maker would also stick a lot more (even with various non stick products used) and was also dificult to clean.

Anyway, I saw this waffle baker advertised on one of the "deal" websites I visit often. After researching it, and reading all the rave reviews, I was convinced and wanted to buy one. I shopped around and found the best price (with 5% off for joining their email list and free shipping) at ABT Electronics. Final price $142, which I think was a good deal and well worth it. I'm not sure if they're still running this deal.

Anyway, when you first start using this waffle baker, it does give off a strong chemical odor which they mention will happen and happens with most items like this at first. However, I just about wasted a full batch of waffles using this the first time because of the odor and an aftertaste even after throwing out the first 4 waffles (I was using both sides). So after using it the first time, I left it on and partially filled (carefully) both sides, one at a time with water and tried to "boil" out the smell and aftertaste effect. Then I thouroughly wiped it clean. The next time I used it, I didn't have that problem.

The waffles came out nice and golden brown. Slightly crusty on the outside and fluffy on the inside. This waffle baker (when using both sides) also does the job very quickly. I made about 7 huge waffles in about 10 minutes. It is also very non stick. I used no spray or anything. I just put the batter in, turned it over and did the other side. I gave each waffle about 3 minutes, and used a plasctic serving fork to pop the waffles out, with very little or no sticking.

After using it, I let it cool a little, and wiped it out easily with a damp paper towel.

Just a note: This waffle baker seems to be very well made and would even be good for professionals. Because of this, it is also pretty big and heavy. So keep that in mind, if space and weight are an issue for you. I have reserved a spot in my pantry closet for it, so I move it from my counter after using it, but I guess it would be fine to leave out, if you have the space.

Bottom line; if you would like professional, restaurant syle waffles, this waffle baker is for you. Of course, it has a hefty price, but for me it seems worth it. Especially if you shop around and get a deal. I think I shall probably have this one for the rest of my life, because it seems like it will hold up that long.

Discount Scanpan CTX 5.5-Qt. Covered Dutch Oven

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $399.00
Sale Price: $299.95
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

5 Stars for Amazon customer services, 2 stars for the lid, and 4 stars for the pot itself. Here is why.

I have exchanged this pot 3 times, each time there were heavy scratches all over the lid even they were all brand new.

I exchanged again and again, and finally got tired of it, so I contacted amazon customer service hoping they can could do something about the rest of the pots in their warehouse. Sure they did, they filed the report, and had someone helped me check the lid before shipping it out to me. The last one I received still has some minor scratch on the lid, but it was a lot better than the first few. The pot itself however is excellent, it's easy to clean, non-stick, dishwasher safe, holds temperature well, I couldn't be happier.

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We had a hard time finding pots that work well with induction cooking. (Try rice in a stainless steel pot not good.) This pot was pricey, but it turned out to be absolutely perfect. We can cook rice, anything and it comes out flawlessly.

The non-stick is NON-TOXIC and makes cleanup a super breeze.

You can also use metal tools, but we don't. The construction was meant to last generations, and the non-stick is super welded so that it will probably last forever, too.

The only minor little thing is that the handles are a tad bit bulky and large, like a pair of big ears. But, they seem to remain cool, so perhaps that's why they're large. But the pot is fairly lightweight, easy to handle.

We tried the same size with the long handle but traded it in for this model. We now have the Scanpan frying pan and this pot that's all we need besides our outdoor MSR stainless campware that we also totally love.

Wish we had these Scanpans from day one... They're the perfect pots for induction cooking can't be beat. They are also incredible for conventional gas and electric stoves as well. Totally versatile. Nontoxic nonstick super durable. A+++++. I can't ever seeing buying any other type of pots.

And also, induction cooking is totally cool. In more ways than one. : )

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I have been enjoying cooking with this. I like the product's look and feel. My old steel pot used to cause food to burn in one spot due to uneven heating. This new one is not posing that problem. I am very happy with it overall.

I am holding back one star because the design leads one to believe that the clear transparent lid would allow one to look at the food inside while cooking. But the reality is that the moisture in your food condenses on to the lid and there is nothing you can see. Given that this transparent lid is ineffective, and noting that the manufacturing of the lid would be more complex on account of having to seal the transparent part to the metal and multiple parts to manufacture, I feel that the designers of Scanpan should stop manufacturing the transparent lid and make a robust metal lid that will make the product more sturdy overall. If the lid falls down by accident, I would have more confidence in a full metal lid with minimal number of parts.

Honest reviews on Scanpan CTX 5.5-Qt. Covered Dutch Oven

I've tried one scanpan and now have 6 pieces. Simply THE BEST! Cooks very well, easy to use, and cleans well. The best nonstick coating I've ever tried. It browns and sears as well as nonstick. I highly recommend.

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This cookware is exemplary. Only moderate heat is required to use these pans as they conduct heat more efficiently than any other pan I've used. Heating on medium-high will bring water to a boil more quickly than other pans used on high heat!

The non-stick surface truly is non-stick! It cleans up with a quick wash with a soapy sponge. And the stainless steel exterior stays pristine with a quick wipe and occasional light scrub with Bar Keeper's Friend stainless steel cleaner.

Buy Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 8 Qt. Stock Pot with Cover

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List Price: $175.00
Sale Price: $174.95
Today's Bonus: $0.05 Off

I've had this stock pot for 4 years and it still looks brand new and works great. Often times in the winter I make two batches of soup at the same time so I purchased a second one about a year ago. Couldn't be happier.

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I purchased this after "making do" with my other brands of stock pots over the years. In this, various foods do not stick that are of a heavy nature. i.e. Chicken and dumpling, legumes of various types, etc. This is perfect! Heavy, things dont stick, easy to clean.

Best Enclume PR11-48-HS Premier 48-Inch Adjustable Ceiling Bar, Hammered Deals

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List Price: $285.99
Sale Price: $189.95
Today's Bonus: 34% Off

This is a handsome, heavy metal, ceiling mounted pot hanger. Requires that you screw the hooks into the ceiling joists to carry the load safely. With my 10-foot ceiling height in my kitchen, I needed to buy two 12-14" pieces of heavy chain link so it would hang down to the proper height.

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This is a beautiful ceiling pots and pan rack. It's very heavy, hammered steel. It looks good and it looks as though it could hold a battleship. We have all of our pots and pans hanging just over the sink very accessible. It sure beats crawling around on the floor trying to find the right pan deep in the back of that low shelf or even a pull-out shelf. Besides, it is very decorative displaying those beautiful Caphalon and other expensive pots and pans you've spent so much money on. Real quality. Don't buy the cheap imitations.

Buy Cuisinart 66-10 Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 10-Piece

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $400.00
Sale Price: $134.86
Today's Bonus: 66% Off

I bought the 10 piece Cuisinart set about a month ago and ever since I've been expecting it to fall to pieces, burst, turn to dust, explode, vanish in thin air, etc. etc... anything that would give me a reason for the low price of 140$ which is 400$ in stores. The truth is, it's too good to be true. But it is! This is the best cookware set I have ever seen by far. Nothing will ever be able to stick to these lovely pots and pans, no matter what you do, so be ready to say goodbye to all the non-stick sprays, oil, butter and soaking and scratching. They don't even need harsh soaps for a moderate cleaning up. It is true that they can burn food, but the instructions say that these are not meant to be used at high stove-top heats anyway, use a low to mid heat and everything will turn up wonderful. They are really good for slow cooking and can also go in the oven up to 500 degrees, which is required for some food I like to make. The glass lids are useful when making rice or seeing the color of vegetables but they can spill if nor handled properly due to the design, which could certainly improve since they are, unlike the pots, not very easy to clean. My handles have never got too hot unlike my previous Faberware set. I adore the small skillet which is just the right size for a 2 egg french omlete, in general, the sizes are logical and all come in handy. It does say they are metal utensil safe, which is not exactly true since it's OK with a fork or spoon, but any hand held electronic gadget can scratch the interior a little. Also, although the dark gray outer finish is beautiful, it seems that the colour will be wearing of in time.

To sum it up, if you're willing to give some extra attention to this good-looking set (drying after hand washing, preferably hanging and keeping the lids clean) this is a deal you must not miss. BTW, It arrived very quickly and was packed great by Amazon. You won't be able to use any piece in this set at high stove top heats, so get a cheap large skillet for that kind of job, give away your old set and buy this one like I did. I doubt anyone will ever regret it. I would give 4 1/2 stars if I could due to the not-so-good lid design facor. Still, I love my cookware set, will probably be using it for at least 10 years to come and recommend it fully to anybody.

EDIT AFTER 6 YEARS

I've just gave away this set after 6 years of daily use. So, they didn't last for 10 years as I was predicting in my initially overly psyched review, but I still think it was a great deal for the price. Now that I have more money to spend and need a more professional level cookware set, I've replaced them with stainless steel Fissler pots and pans, which in my opinion, are the best you can get for any price, anywhere.

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I have had the similar 7 piece set for about a month and have had a chance to use them enough to have an opinion. They are well balanced and perform well, especially the sauce pans and stock pot. The 8 quart stock pot is large enough for a family of 4-6. Cuisinart advertises you can use metal utensils, but when you read their recommended use card, it says metal utensil will scratch the surface. That is a misleading marketing gimmick in my opinion.

My main complaint with the Cuisinart cookware is they heat up very quickly due to the thin 3 mm thickness. The fry pans are the weakest items of the set. After side-by-side comparisons against Emeril's All-Clad Hard Anodized, I much prefer the Emeril brand. The Emeril pans are 5 mm thick and seem to cook more evenly and are not near as temper-mental as the Cuisinarts. They also have a feel of quality, unlike the Cuisinart pans.

For not much more money, I would look at the higher quality Emeril Hard Anodized 10 piece set (retails for $200); and sorry Amazon, the best deals for Emerilware are currently using one of those 20% off coupons at Bed Bath and Beyond or Linens N Things.

Best Deals for Cuisinart 66-10 Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 10-Piece

After 9 months of owning this set and cooking with most of them almost every day, I can give an honest opinion of how they worked out for me.

Pros:

Excellent heat conduction. Stays hot, cooks evenly, and transfer from oven to stovetop and back is very convenient. Good, tough pots and pans at a great value. I like the large skillet and pots, especially.

Cons:

The nonstick coating is not really there anymore for the two frying pans. Though these have never been in the dishwasher or been scrubbed with anything heavier than a sponge, the nonstick coating has slowly burned off in patches, and now, though it hasn't peeled or flaked, there are spots where the food will stick and nonstick spray or oil must be used. Unless I use some kind of spray, pancakes, for instance, must be made in the large 2-handled skillet.

This is a pity because I was very careful not to overheat the pans--they have really been babied. I will probably buy Cuisinart again, but these two pans will need to be replaced within a few months. They are not really useful anymore for anything except veggie burger patties.

Honest reviews on Cuisinart 66-10 Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 10-Piece

The interior of the pans is NOT anodized aluminum, but "Quantanium". It's an excellent non-stick surface, and so far my set works fine. However, if you're concerned about overheated Teflon and the chemicals being released into your food, you'll have to pay more to get a real anodized aluminum set.

Quantanium is not safe over 500 degrees F. It does contain PTFE, the same chemical in Teflon, which is potentially carcinogenic. Fumes from cooking are harmful to animals. And lastly, the non-stick layer is very thin, and will eventually come of. I bought my set thinking I was getting hard-anodized aluminum for a steal, but it seems you DO have to ante up for Calphalon or a more expensive brand to get the real stuff.

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I was very happy with this set when I first purchased it 2 years ago. They are easy to clean and cook evenly. After a year of heavy use small patches of the nonstick coating started coming off. These pots and pans have never been in the dishwasher, used over high heat, or had metal utensils used on them. This is a set that won't last very long if you use it everyday.

Buy Cooks Standard NC-00312 Multi-Ply Clad 5-Ply Stainless Steel Chef's

Customer Ratings:

The price and quality beat the snot out of the aluminum junk and the overpriced "gourmet" brands that require you to buy a set.

I have already recommended this to people who are concerned about getting alumnum compounds in their food as well as people who are leery of the teflon coated rice steamer type.

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Discount Le Creuset Stoneware 12-Ounce Gravy Boat, Cherry

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List Price: $35.00
Sale Price: $25.17
Today's Bonus: 28% Off

My daughter has several Le Creuset Stoneware dishes. She wanted a gravy boat and I saw this and I purchased this for her she loves it. Said she cannot wait till Thanksgiving to use it!

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The size is great to for a family dinner. Holds a lot of gravy so your not constantly refilling it. The color is really nice and the quality is great. It does not come with a bottom plate to rest on but that is not really an issue. One less plate or dish to clean.

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This is a lovely gravy boat. It is part of the Le Creuset cookware. I purchased it because I have several of the Le Creuset items. I have purchased many of them from Amazon and have always been satisfied. I shall continue to get them from Amazon because I always receive them as promised and in perfect condition.

Honest reviews on Le Creuset Stoneware 12-Ounce Gravy Boat, Cherry

I have several of the Le Creuset products and I'm always adding a piece here and there. I have found that Amazon is the place to buy your Le Creuset! They beat the outlet prices I have shopped at! Thanks Amazon! This gravey boat is well made. I make waffles for the family and guests when they visit. I always heat up my syrup. this will be perfect for the hot syrup and it matches my platter. I love it!

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Way too small for a gravy boat feeding a group. At thanksgiving for instance it would not be adequate for even a group of 8.

Paula Deen Signature Teakettles 2-Quart Curvy Kettle Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $44.99
Sale Price: $25.19
Today's Bonus: 44% Off

Looks nice on the stove and has a decent whistle. Still need to use a pot holder though as the handle does get hot.

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Very loud whistle! Heats up much quicker than our previous tea kettle. It's slightly more expensive than the other comparable tea kettles but it's worth the extra money. I'd buy it again.

Best Deals for Paula Deen Signature Teakettles 2-Quart Curvy Kettle

Love the color! It is easy to clean on the outside, and the large opening makes cleaning easy on the inside as well. I love that there is enough room to heat water for the whole family. Love it!

Honest reviews on Paula Deen Signature Teakettles 2-Quart Curvy Kettle

My goal was/is to find a nice looking kettle that I could use one handed to open the pour spout, was durable, reasonably priced, and looked nice. I saw Paula Deen kettles on amazon and I was IN LOVE with them, even though they were a bit more than I wanted to spend. I read a few reviews about rusting and enamel problems but I decided to take a chance and believe the more positive reviews. Kohls was having a coupon sale so I bought it off of their web site just in case I needed to return it.

I got the kettle home, washed and then filled the kettle about half full, put it on my gas stovetop(which has a fairly high raised burner plate), and waited for it to boil. Soon after hearing the whistle, went to turn off gas heat and was shocked to see that my pretty new kettle had a melt-down. The enamel where the bottom meets the sides had actually melted in 2 spots and left a scorched indented area in its place. I did not have the gas turned up that high. How could a kettle melt so easily? Again, this was the FIRST time I ever used the kettle. Darn, I really wanted this to work out but I returned the kettle to Kohls and continue my search for the perfect low-priced kettle.

Pros:

blue color was gorgeous

the whistle worked well and was plenty loud (the one time I used it ;)

the handle didn't get too hot

nice size, wasn't too big

Cons:

ENAMEL MELTED AWAY

a little expensive

Bottom line: This is a great kettle if you want to just use it for decoration. Not so much for heating water.

By the way, I noticed that Kohls no longer offers the Paula Deen kettles on their website. I wonder if this is due to quality issues or Paula Deen's recent negative publicity?

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I love this teapot

It's beautiful and matches my varying colors of blue for my kitchen. I also love the old timey feel to it. The handle doesn't get hot so you don't need any type of clothe to hold it. Paula Deen makes it happen, It's my first product from her and I would definitely buy from her again.