Cooking Brands Reviews

It seemed to work okay, but not as well as I had hoped.
When shopping, I did read that the Kitchen Aid was probably better.

I now have a melted cord and plug, after grinding apricots and nuts.

When I called Cuisinart, they said I should have chopped the apricots, into small pieces before using this machine.

I asked Cuisinart to pay the shipping to replace it. They said, they would pay half the shipping, but I would have to pay to send it to them.

Arlene, the lead tech, said it worked, since it "worked for one day"

I spoke to Veronica and Arlene at Cuisinart on January 26, 2005.

Now I hope Amazon takes this back, and I can get the Kitchen Aid instead

Before purchasing this product I spent awhile online reading reviews regarding it, and other similar products. At the time, I found the reviews very split: it seemed the reviewer either loved it or hated it, with few tending towards the middle. It seemed to fit my needs so I decided to go for it, figuring that if it was as bad as some had said, I would simply return it.

This little Cuisinart is amazing and easy to use. Having never used any sort of food processor before in my life, I was able to set it up and use it in just a few minutes. I bought it mostly for making homemade salad dressings, and with this Cuisinart that went from being a chore to a breeze. I've also used it (so far) to make pesto, marinade, tapenade, and bruchetta. Plus it makes mincing garlic or herbs much easier for general cooking.

I'm also impressed with how easy it is to clean. It can go directly into the dishwasher, or even washing it by hand (being careful around the incredibly sharp blades of course) it cleaned up really quick.

In all of my uses of it so far, I have found nothing bad I can say about it. It might not be the best tool for (hypothetical example) chopping an onion for use in a stir fry, or other such dish where the pieces are larger. Also, it is a small machine. I usually am only cooking for two, or making things where a large quantity isn't needed, so for me this machine is perfect, however it may not be large enough for some people's needs.

To sum up, I find this to be an easy to use and powerful machine, and have been nothing but happy with it.

I had been coveting processors for some time when my honey got me this little guy to test if a processor would prove handy for us. boy does it! I saw that some reviewers found it pureed the food they were cutting, and i had that problem at first too. the manual that comes with it however explains that pulsing the chopper cuts things such as onions and tomatoes better, and it does. now my onions and tomatoes are perfectly chopped. it chopped pistachios, almonds, onions, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, ice, strawberries and jillions of other things for me so far. i even used it to made mashed potatoes, pesto, and gizpacho. of course it's a bit little for this, so i had to do multiple loads, but it was great at them anyway. i love it so much we're getting the larger model and keeping this guy to help out.

I love this steamer. It can take a small amount of vegies. They come out crisp and warm. I bought another one for $19.99 the day before. Amazon jacked the price right up on me WAH! I bought it anyway. Cuisinart is awesome cookware.

I highly recommend this steamer - it matches perfectly with any of the Cuisineart Chef's Classic pots and works flawlessly for all vegetables. A steal.

This steamer fits perfectly on Cuisinart's 4 Qt saucepan. The lid seals in every bit of steam. I used to always have to add more water when steaming batches of corn-on-the-cob, but since no steam escapes here, I can make several batches non-stop. I also like the fact that the steamer is wide; that means that the food will cook evenly (instead of other steamers where the stuff at the bottom gets overcooked and the stuff at the very top gets undercooked). I've only used the steamer five or six times but so far, there's practically no sign of dullness or staining - maybe just a little sign of dullness, but I'm more interested in function than appearance. Washing it immediately will keep it stain-free. Overall, an incredible deal for $20.00!

Of course it cracked. Stupid design. What were they thinking. AND I can't seem to find a replacement part. WORST $60 spent. Get an oster.

I loved this when I purchased it, then I noticed it did not do a perfect job, then it would take a while to get going, then it smoked and died. Not worth it.

This machine will blend anything! It beat my KitchenAid hands down in that department. The problem is the noise the machine produces on every cycle. It's as loud as an outboard motor. We are afraid of receiving complaints in our condominium when blending our morning smoothies! Seriouly folks, a pair of earplugs should be included in every box.

1. Beware that this unit does not come with a hard copy manual although the product description in the ads says it should include one.
2. The craftmanship of the metal work is coarse. The edge of the baking basket is almost sharp.
3. It takes a struggle to remove the baking basket. It is either stuck to the bottom too tight or it does not get back into the position easily.

This is my second Oster breadmachine. My first was a sunbeam. Belt broke after four years of weekly use. I was quite happy with it.

Have had this two years, and up until two months ago it was great. Now sometimes I get a brick, sometimes I get mush. I began noticing that flour in the corners wasn't getting into the batter. I think some machines do not have adequate power, which explains why mine is doing a poor job now, when it did a good one before - belt or gears or motor are wearing down. It's an issue of quality control and manufacture. The design is fine, so long as the motor and gears work efficiently. With any loss of power, the result is poor.

They are a great company, recipes are nice. They need to up the power on the unit, or create more reliable and efficient power train. Otherwise, very nice, and well-engineered.

I am very pleased with this machine. I followed the extremely simple instructions and made a perfect loaf of bread the first time. The recipe book that came with the machine was too limiting for me so I bought two other bread machine cook books. The "Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Bread Machine Recipes" is fantastic. I have learned a great deal about this machine: (1) using exact ingredients is critical (2) always add ingredients in the order suggested (3) the loaves come out of the pan easier if it is sprayed with cooking oil before adding ingredients (4) using the light crust setting is best for all kinds of loaves (5) the 1 1/2 pound loaf recipes are preferrable. I've used the bread machine at least three times a week since I purchased it and have tried every kind of bread possible. I have found nothing to complain about. The machine is quiet,powerful and remains stationary when operating. Great buy!

i really like this pan overall except for the time it takes to heat it up, since it's suggested not to use high heat.
other than that, once it's heated up, the heat stays constant and retains well. it's easy to wash and sturdy and good size for quick soup or sauce or even quick stir fry.

This is a very nice pan. I bought the 14-pc. set and then decided I needed another quart-sized pan and this is perfect. I like the see-thru lids.

Very stylish and clean up is a snap. I have bought every piece to complete the entire set. For the price, why buy anything else?

I cannot express how disappointed I was in this breadmaker! It looks great but functonally it is totally below par.

I have been baking bread for the last 20 years, mostly by heavy duty mixer or hand, but I use a breadmaker for the occaional 2 pound loaf. Well, we just moved and I left my breadmaker in the old house, still in storage. I bought the Cuisinart, because it has a great name (standing for quality I thought) and it looked fantastic. I baked one loaf, easy, just white, and it worked fine. I wanted to bake another one 2 days later and it was not working.

The LCD display did not come on, no error message to go by, just nothing. Plugged it into various outlets, to make sure it got electricity, still nothing. When I called the Cuisinart hotline I was informed that I have to return it (I only had it for 4 days), something is obviously wrong with it. No kidding!

I have my breadmixture in the bowl and now I am running out to get another breadmaker. I will not exchange it - I'll buy something else. I think for $150.00 you should get a breadmaker that works at least for a couple of months! Don't they test these things before they sell them?

I have owned a Pro Custum 11 for over 18 years and it still works great. Last week I used the dough recipe from "The Best Bread Ever" by Charles Van Over "Great homemade bread using your food processor." The machine worked great! I retarded the dough in the fridge for a little over a day and had artesan bread pizza crust that was terrific. I also grated a half pound of cheese in just a few seconds and avoided using my knuckle buster grater! Par boil some potatoes until a little soft, shred these with a quarter of an onion and you have wonderful hash browns in no time that are fresh instead of frozen. Etc. Etc.

I felt compelled to speak up because of some of the whinny reviews of this product. Some people should stay out of the kitchen and order take out. This product has been in production since the early 70s with practically no changes---Just maybe Cuisinart got it right. Even after 30 years, Cook's Illustrated recently rated this machine a best buy in food processors over newer, slicker looking models for both its low cost and superb functionality and performance.

If you do alot of baking maybe consider getting the 14 cup version of this product. The added capacity and a little heftier motor would do better with the heavier whole wheat type of bread doughs.

I am the unfortunate owner of a Kitchenaid 11 cup processor (I rated the Cuisinart 5 stars, but I really do not know). Seeing all the negative comments below about the Cuisinart, I sadly have to respond that all the flaws of the Cuisinart apply equally to the KitchenAid. Despite using the KitchenAid sparingly and with care, I have broken 2 bowls (at $40 + $9 S&H each) and one lid at $20 + S&H. Although the KitchenAid motor is well made, the plastic bowls are flimsy and poorly designed. In addition the bowl leaks down the side if liquid is blended. The lid is exceedingly hard to clean. Consequently, I am thinking of replacing my KitchenAid with the Cuisinart.

I really like the raised edges of these boards when working with wet ingredients, like cutting tomatoes. However, the thin material of the boards warps/cups, making the board rock on its center on the counter. This combined with the slippery nature of the material itself makes for a very frustrating if not dangerous situation while chopping. The only solution I have found is to put a folded damp kitchen towel under the board to stabilize it. Frankly, that's more trouble than it's worth. For now, I am just using them for holding ingredients after I have prepped them on a better cutting board.

I ordered two of these for use in my kitchen. As the previous reviews stated these are GREAT for serving. I agree that these are perfect for serving snacks, fruit, etc. Though these should not be considered anything more then light duty cutting boards. The lip they have make it near impossible to mince safely, and they tend to slide around quite a bit since they're made of plastic and do not have any rubber/cork/etc feet. They are fine for carefully slicing fruit/tomatoes/etc. Though if you need something to do some regular knife work around the kitchen I'd recommend the plain plastic cutting boards for a quick and cheap solution.

Tip: The label that these come with state to "use a damp towel between the counter-top and PrepBoard to avoid slipping". I went down to the local hardware store and picked up a package of the rubber feet you usually see on cupboard doors and applied them to each corner of the board right on the outside of where the plastic feet are and also placed one in the middle. This works well but raises the board a little, again, this isn't safe to do heavy mincing or anything on it since it'll easily tip if you apply pressure to the edge. The good news is it's not slipping around anymore!

These are my favorite cutting boards. Cuisinart makes 3 cutting/prep boards, round, square and rectangle. I bought them in a set all together, I use at least one everyday. They are dishwasher safe so clean up couldn't be easier and they will not dull your knives, absorb odors or collect bacteria. They are all slightly raised around the edge so liquid will not spill on your counter, perfect for tomatoes or anything else you are chopping. I actually just ordered a second rectangle one. You can even use them for outdoor serving, fruit, cheese, etc. Highly recommended! A+!

My Mr. Coffee pot justed died after only one year. It just sprewed and spit water and steamed like it would explode, and then all it produced was a teaspoonful of coffee. I called the manufacturer and they tried to blame me saying that I was required to clean it after every 30 brew cycles with the vinegar treatment. I've owened about 4 coffeemakers in my life and never have I had to clean them after every 30 brew cycles. Every 2or 3 months,yes, but not monthly, or bimonthly. This is how they get out of honoring their warranty. They claim that the owner's manual states that it requires this cleaning schedule. But upon checking the manual, it says "suggested" cleaning schedule. So beware. If yours craps out early, they will blame it on you! And yes, mine made good tasting coffee, but the lid was a pain to screw into place, and it always dripped out of the spout when I poured. And the water level took 5 minutes to register correctly.I'm replacing it with a different brand, that's for sure.

I bought this coffeemaker approximately one year ago and have really liked it. I didn't think I would use the programmable feature because I am retired so don't have to grab a cup of coffe and go as in the days when I commuted to work five days a week. However, after trying this feature, I discovered that I love getting up in the morning and being able to just pour my first cup without having to make the coffee first. I am so disappointed that it has already stopped working! The clock works, all of the buttons seem to work as the red lights do come one when I press them but it just wouldn't brew the coffee. I've run through all of the troubleshooting suggestions but nothing applies. I called a local electric shop to see if they repaired coffeemakers and they said they do not. Apparently coffeemakers are disposable appliances once they no longer function. Yes, I have had the collapsing filter a few times in a year, and yes, I do find that the caraffe lid is hard to use, and no, it does not produce coffee that is as hot as I prefer it, but overall this has been a great coffeemaker for me. Instead of buying a new one I got out my trusty Farberware electric percolator and will just go back to using it.

I bought this because it was a good price for a thermal coffee pot. I have had no problems. I used to forget about my coffee in the kitchen and it would just burn in my old pots. I would never drink the pot fast enough and by the time I had a second cup, it tasted terrible on my old coffee maker that had a glass pot.

TIP: Charge your thermal pot first by filling it with hot water first (emptying after). This is a general rule for all thermos type containers.

It really does keep my coffee steaming hot for 3-4 hours. However, the more full it is, the longer it ratains the heat. So if you have 1/4 the pot left, it doesn't stay warm for 4 hours in that state. But remember that's just how any thermos probably works. I have started a pot and forgot about it for 3 hours and it was piping hot and tasted as fresh (in my humble non-coffee finatic opinion). It is the constant heat of glass pots on a burner that really hurts the coffee.

I really like that it doesn't spill! My last coffee pot always spilled when pouring. The tip of the pot works great. By the way, you leave the lid *on* when you pour, just turn it to the open position (else it will spill). The lid has a tight seal, you rotate it until the arrow points back to the handle (closed) which takes some effort... maybe not the best for people with arthritis. When just brewed, you have to touch parts of the lid that just had hot coffee pouring over it, but I've never really had a problem.

For those new to thermal pots like me, there is no burner. When it is done brewing, it just stops the water (there is no heating element in the base to start with). To my surprise, when charged with hot water first, it held hot and fresh for a long time.

Great for enjoying a glas of wine and eating slow your junks of meat, shrimps, mushrooms, vegetables,... (it takes a while till everything is done, but I heared this should be healthy).

Try it: turn off the TV, open a good bootle of wine and enjoy your grilled goddies and a good conversation with your wife/husband/friend.

My children and I use this OUTSIDE for fajitas and end up surrounded by neighborhood children and adults! We're the hit of the neighborhood and finish off our meals by popping off the top (be careful, it's hot!) by using the included forks for s'mores!
This is a versitile, not-for-adults-only indoor and out grill. It's very attractive, quite the conversation piece, easy to set up and to clean.
We use it much more than I ever dreamed. Originally I'd envisioned using it for romantic tete-a-tetes or for entertaining but surprisingly - a pleasant surprise - this grill has evolved into a useful and used often family cooking staple! Just add water and a sterno and voila! It cooks anything you would normally grill, just make sure your meats are thinly sliced. Heat and eat! Yum!
My eight-year-olds (well supervised of course) LOVE "showing off" before their friends. What a hit at slumber parties! Barbecue indoors! Conversation piece galore! Of course this makes for perfect gifting too: Neighbors, friends, teachers, coaches, babysitters, PTA donations... endless!
HIGHLY reccommend!

Whenever my ex and I had guests over, we'd break this out and serve shrimp and other meats with various seasonings. Everyone had a blast, and it's a great way to spend time with your guests instead of running back and forth to the kitchen. Just put it on the coffee table (don't worry, the bottom doesn't get hot), crack open a few beers, and let your guests have fun cooking their own food! When I moved to my own place, I ran out and bought two more of these babies!