Home and Kitchen Reviews

I am a big fan of pyrex and was really excited to see such a diverse set for a pretty low price. However I am not at all thrilled with the glass measuring cups. All three of mine constantly spill when I'm trying to pour something out of it and into a bowl or container. It's like the mouth of cup is too small or something. Everytime I use them something spills out and onto the counters. I would have thought pyrex brand would have been much better.

Before I bought this set, I read others' reviews and based on that I bought it. I love the measuring glass cups. I have one of a different brand and liquid always runs down the side when I'm trying to pour, but with these it doesn't. They work great! I would definitely suggest buying this set.

The set arrive intact. I love Pyrex. It is very sturdy.

I got this pasta maker as a gift, and after the first use the knob used to set the thickness of the pasta broke off and so did a piece of the handle used to turn the rollers. All it would make after that is a flat piece of pasta with varying thickness. The company is going to charge me to send it to them and back, even if they decide to exchange the product, and all correspondences must be done by mail (no call-in number) so I'm not even hopeful for an exchange.

Bought the Machine, and got the correct flour. Made up the dough, and that was a success. Followed the instructions, used the vice to hold the machine to the table, then started off by cleaning the machine with a small piece of dough to get rid of machine oil.

All that worked well.

Then I started to make pasta. Making the sheets was fine, but as soon as I cut them into noodles it all went wrong. They started to stick together. My wife and I ended up having to work together, flouring the noodles as they came out of the machine to stop them sticking.

But the pasta was delicious. I guess it just takes a bit of practice. In future I will leave the dough longer in the fridge to "rest" before rolling it, and have a mini-production line ready to catch and flour the cut noodles.

The machine works great, I have no problems with it. It is cheap, it may fall apart, but for this price who really cares?

I can't wait to try making my own pasta tricolore. And I want to try lasagne, ravioli and canneloni. That way we can freeze our own pasta for easy re-heating. Healthy TV dinners here we come!

I was very pleased with the item. However, it is good to know that the machine can only handle small amounts of pasta at one time, so the process is a bit time consuming.

When I first bought this, I thought this was a 'mini' version of the big brother. (Now I own power prep 11 plus, as well as the belnder from cuisinart). And this is where most of the angry customers come from. If you want to 'slice', this thing isn't it. Nor is it for grinding coffee beans or anything heavy like that. In fact, I own a grinder for that exact purpose. But as one equipment review show stated (America's test *******), it's better to use the knife then any of these units or even gadgets for chopping/mincing. And they recommend coffee grandinger for grinding and I have to agree. I just never found better way to mince then a my favorite Wustof classic chef knife. Even with the dish washer, it takes too long to clean (for daily use when I run a dish washer 2x a week), and it just isn't as fine and even as a good knife.

But if you do buy a 'chopper', this is probably the best stand unit for 2 reasons. From actually using several models (in store and friends' house), you won't find anything that's more then this. And on top, if the plastic pieces on top shatter due to accidents (which I recently had), you'd soon realize that you can go to cuisinart's site and get replacement part for the bowl and cover. You know that it was meant to be used on regular basis.

As for the motor burning out. A lot of people complain about this and it all depends on how people use these device(S). Granted there is always a percentage of defects, some people will use this thing for things it wasn't meant for such as blending or grinding on regular basis. This unit is more meant for short pulse work and not a 2 minute blend/grind cycle. Just remember to buy the right equipment for the job. If you want an optimal equipment go for the big brother (11 cup model) or equivalent from kitchenaid, and buy yourself a nice knife. I use my 11 cup cuisinart of puree, dough, and slicing large quantities of food.

This thing will make great smoothies - exactly one cup :) We ordered it for making our own baby food, but now we always throw some frozen berries with yoghurt in. Easy to clean.

I always wanted to chop like Rachael Ray! Watching her show inspired me to go out and buy a fantastic Santoku knife and get chopping! Well, I've been chopping, but I still have a far ways to go. Sometimes it takes longer for me to chop everything than it does to prepare the actual meal. I make meals for 2 people, so when I saw this Mini-Prep, I thought I would give it a try and I am sure glad I did! It has cut my cooking time in half...less than half! But beware, this thing is small, which is one reason why I was attracted to it. But, if you are feeding more than two mouths, this may not be big enough.
The first time I used it, I got onion puree like most reviewers have stated. I played around with it the next time I cooked and did far fewer "chops" and got perfect onions, garlic, peppers, and herbs.
For times when I don't feel like chopping things myself, I pull this out and let it do the work. It saves time, but no worries, I will keep practicing my hand chopping!
I absolutely love this thing! My boyfriend likes to use it too, so what a shocker, he helps in the kitchen!! Looks like I got far more for what I paid! ha!

I don't understand the good reviews for this vacuum. I bought this here on Amazon based on the positive feedback. Man, did I make a mistake. This vacuum was a huge disappointment! I have two cats, and expect a vacuum to work properly and suck up the hairs around the house. The main part did not work well. I had to use the hose the whole time. Also, cleaning this vacuum is a dusty nightmare. Buyers Beware!!!!

I just had one replaced recently from Bissell. My first one worked okay a few times then it got really hot and started to smell like something was burning. I had it for less than 6 months. I replaced the belt, which was not that easy to get to.
Cleaning all of the filters are somewhat of a hassle, especially when the main one in front gets stuck and you can't get the canister out. The dust will shoot out of the back, regardless so you go over and over the same spot and the indicator light never comes on to let you know that area is clean.
It is bulky, hard to maneuver, quite heavy and the long cord can be a deterent instead of an asset.
Considering I got mine on sale after Christmas and seeing the price here, I would never have bought this unit or this brand.
But the people at Bissell are nice and they do work with you.

I got the order much faster than they had quoted.

Its a good price and it has a lot of power.

The only downside I could say it has is that you really need to clean out the filters (there are three) about every 2-3 times you use the vacuum. This wasnt a big deal to me though...

Lightweight, cool attachments.

the board looks like I wanted it to - but does show cut marks and doesn't sit flat on the counter -

I'm pretty pleased with this cutting board so far. It does show cut marks, as other reviews point out, but (at least with me), they're really only visible when the cutting board isn't clean. After I wipe it down with a sponge, it looks great again.

This is beautiful...I love it!!! Good size and does not show stains from food ..

very happy with the iron, big difference in ironing compare to a regular steam iron.
it only could use a bigger watertank.

Apparently, I am one of the few remaining individuals who feel the need for freshly ironed clothing. I've always used steam irons, Rowenta most recently, with consistently disappointing results. Over the years, I've increased my use of spray starch to make up for the power I've believed should have originated in the iron. But no more!

After deciding I wasn't ready for a presser or a mangle for my clothing, and knowing I really didn't need to press that many tablecloths, I discovered a new genre: steam generating irons. And, after some significant research, I ordered this DeLonghi model.

It is truly a different beast than anything I've ever used! What steam production!!! The temperature of the iron sole plate is controlled independently from the quantity of steam desired. Tap water is actually recommended for use. The iron, while substantial in heft, is not heavy. And the old-fashioned looking cork handle is soft, smooth and cool to the touch.

But the bottom line is the job it does on my clothing and linen! While the ads say that this machine will cut your ironing time in half, I cannot say this is true.....mainly because I find myself taking the time to marvel over how each pass with the iron produces such a professional-looking surface! Really, the only thing that's been halved is my use of spray starch, which is an unforseen and welcome benefit!

Am I happy with my new "beast?" You bet! Would I buy another? No way....I suspect this well-designed machine is going to last me a long, long time. But can I recommend one for you? Without reservation!

I love steam generating irons but had a bad experience with my prior iron. I bought a Euro Pro steam generating iron and after about two years it stopped steaming. I thought it should have lasted a lot longer. I contacted HSN, the company I bought it from, and complained. They passed the buck to the manufacturer. When I finally got the manufacturer to respond they wanted me to pay to ship the iron to them and pay for repairs. The Euro Pro iron was a bad investment from the start: It needed distilled water and, after I had trouble with it,I learned that the iron had a history of problems that the manufacturer did not address.

The DeLonghi Stiromeglio Compact PRO 300 Iron is a joy. It works beautifully and uses tap water. I researched the product and company and bought the iron because of the warranty and features. So far so good...

I've tried just about every salad spinner on the market and this one is average at best. After reading some of the reviews on this site I had high hopes, but the spinner doesn't even come close to drying salad greens. Not sure what the point in keeping this thing is if I have to use towells to dry my greens anyway. Another dissapointment is the spinner's capacity. The plunger in the middle reduces the volume of greens the spinner can hold and restricts any internal movement of contents. Although that probably reduces bruising, I would think a little agitation is necessary to enable a path for water movement (otherwise doesn't it just force water against the internal side of the lettuce leave?). If you want a spinner that dries relatively well, look at other brands.

Looks nice and works okay. Pump handle gets stuck in locked position when spinning. Stem does not easily detach from basket as shown in pictures. Really must be hand washed.

A passionate home cook that has been honing her cooking skills for the last 25 years writes this review. My favorite cookbooks are "The Professional Chef" by the Culinary Institute and "Culinary Artistry". I love to cook and I prepare three meals a day most days of the month.

My husband and I embarked on a mostly vegan lifestyle about 3 months ago and I decided that I needed a larger salad spinner. I purchased this salad spinner to replace a smaller one that is battery operated that I have been using for at least 15 years.

Pros:
1.The rubber bottom on this spinner keeps it in place on the counter while you are using it. This is a big improvement over the standard spinners.
2.The large capacity is also very nice if you eat a lot of vegetation.
3.The pump is easy to use provided that you remember not to push all the way to the bottom of the stroke with causes it to lock. This takes a little getting used to, but you will get the hang of it eventually.
4.The pump mechanism should be less susceptible to breakage than the string models. I have heard from others that the pull mechanism is prone to breakage on the pull models.
5.It removes as much water from the produce as my battery operated salad spinner.

Cons:
1.I can't remove the center stem on the basket no matter what I try. I think that this is a design flaw.
2.The spinner is a little awkward to clean with the center stem in place.

Overall, I think this product is middle of the road, not great but not terrible either. I like having the extra capacity, but I would be much happier if I could get the stem out of the basket to facilitate cleaning the thing.

This machine is awesome. I love it, I use it several times a day. It is a workhorse! I make breads with it. Pie Crust that is tender and flakey in ten presses of the pulse button. I received it for Christmas and I doubt there has been a day that I haven't used it. The bowl is sturdy...dishwasher safe. It comes with a hard plastic tool box that contains the dough blade and the other cutting blades. Easy to store...I love it!

I bought this a week or two with the idea of making my own nut butters. I haven't gotten around to the nut butters yet, but I have made a few things so far.

1) Pizza dough - It says to stick to around 3 cups. My recipe was slightly over that and not only did it handle it perfectly but it mixed it so throughly and quickly, I was amazed. Much faster than my Kitchenaid Mixer.

2) Salad dressings. This works very well, though I used the big bowl when I should have used the small. I didn't think I would use the small bowl much but it's great. One handy feature when making salad dressings is that you can pour oil into one side of the plunger and it will drizzle into the bowl slowly. Very handy!

3) Chop veggies. This thing slices vegetables fast. I hadn't even grabbed the plunger yet and my pepper was already done! The blades are very sharp. I cut myself when washing it, so be very careful.

Everything with this unit is heavy and well-made. The included storage case is nice, but I agree that it should have a hinged lid, but that is a small matter compared to the way in which this product delivers. We get used to being disappointed by so many products that we invest in, so it's good to see someone come through for a change. I wish I had bought one sooner!

Looks good Works even better Nice storage case for attachments

I guess I also got a defective torch! it takes 10-15 tries to get the torch to light, and the flame is hard to keep lit, when it does stay lit, I can't seem to get any sort of melting without lighting the sugar on fire and charing it. perhaps I'm using it wrong, but the directions are VERY vauge. the ramekins are great, but the torch...

Do yourself a favor and do what the pros do, go down to your local hardware store and buy a butane torch. it'll run you about $10, and the fuel is included.

Tested several torches in the store and found this one to be the best. Once I got it home it was fun learning how to use to on real deserts. Happy I picked this one.

I purchased this set with some apprehension after reading one reviewer who claimed the product couldn't produce a steady flame. Honestly, I'm not sure if that reviewer was using the product improperly or just got a defective one; my experience has been quite the opposite. The unit is a cinch to fill with butane (not included with the set), reliably and easily produces a flame, and provides adjustable flame size (both length and width). I know there are more expensive kitchen torches on the market (some by this same manufacturer) but I think this one is suitable for every kitchen use. In fact, when my neighbor saw mine he wanted one for his home workshop! The included ceramic creme brulee ramekins are the right size, though they are manufactured in China, not France. Also included is a simple, basic recipe for Creme Brulee (though I have not tried it yet but instead used one of my own). Price, performance, and panache are the trilogy which make this set a winner.

Are you a beer fanatic? Is St Bernardus, Rochefort, Dark Lord Imperial Stout, Peche Mortel, Westvleteren (if you're lucky!) a common-place in your fridge? Also, are you really eager to try and brew your own beer? Well, if you answered yes to both of the above questions then I would probably skip the Mr. Beer kit and move on to something a little bigger and better. If you're not too picky about your beer, or if you're curious about the very basics about brewing then this kit might suit you well.

With the Mr Beer kit you get everything you need to brew palatable homebrew. The steps to creating beer are simplified with kits like this. All you have to do is dump some extract into a pot with some water, throw some "booster" in, let it cool, throw in some yeast and wait a couple weeks. Before you know it you're drinking some homebrew!

If you're picky (like me) then you will find that no matter how hard you try, you're beer will just not seem quite right. You will probably get some off-flavors in your beer from a number of reasons. Maybe you didn't cool your wort down fast enough, perhaps you pitched (put in) the yeast too early while the wort was still hot. Maybe you got a bacteria infection. It seems that even if you take these issues into consideration when brewing with this type of kit, you still can't brew the beer you have in mind. Well that's because the quality of the extracts that come with these kits aren't very good. I will not get technical but in a nut-shell often-times manufacturers that make these extracts don't make them under the best conditions and they can create some off-flavors in your beer. For a casual drinker it may not be so much of a problem, but like I said earlier, if you're wanting to achieve commercial quality beer at home then this type of kit will not do you justice (not even close).

If you really want to start brewing quality beer then you should check out your local brew supply store. It will take a bit more work, but your labor will certainly pay off! It's much funner to start playing with specialty malts, hops...etc then it is to use one of these "just add water" type of kits. I love brewing beer and I can certainly say that I get much more enjoyment out of brewing via other methods then I do with these types of kits. I am certainly not saying that this is a bad deal. Brewing beer is fun no matter how you do it, but for around $70.00 and a good brew book (The Complete Joy Of Homebrewing is a must have classic!) you will be brewing beers leagues above kits like this... and it's great fun too!

I got this for my roommate as an Xmas present, as I am not a fan of microbrew, but of course assisted him in the brewing. It is exremely easy to use and makes wonderful beer - I am now a fan of the Mr. Beer microbrew beer. With excellent beers and great flavors there is literally no end to what you can create. Great for first timers, yet still makes quality beer for the pros.

I bought this for my hubby and he really likes it, Im sure he will upgrade to a larger model once he really gets into it but its good for learning and making enough beer for his friends at get-togethers.