Home and Kitchen Reviews

A complete and utter waste of money, the Rival BD275 double burner hot plate worked exactly half of one time.

I bought this because we were remodeling our home and we needed something to cook on in the temporary kitchen the contractor set up for us. Thinking a double burner hot plate would be a good and inexpensive solution for our "kitchen", I ordered this from Amazon who promptly delivered it a couple of days later. I plugged it in and waited and waited and waited for an interminable amount of time while the unit heated up. I couldn't tell if the unit was on because the light indicating power to the burner wasn't working, but I felt some heat rising from the element so, no big deal. Anyway, after about 15 minutes it got to a medium warm temperature, despite the fact that I had it set to high, and I started to cook my kids some eggs. I made it through two of the boys breakfasts when the unit shut down and wouldn't start up again.

The long and short of it: don't buy this piece of junk. It's not worth the bandwidth or even postage to send it back to Amazon for a refund. Rival should be ashamed of themselves for the lack of quality control in their products. Get a clue, Rival!!

This is a great product which allows me the freedom to cook outside or in the garage avoiding the heat in the house. The heating elemets heat evenly and quickly.

I received two sets of the Studio sage last week. I was aware that there seem to be two distinct variations of the "sage" available. If you do an image search for 222 Fifth Studio Sage you should see both. There is a sage as displayed on this page, that is a light, springy green with prominent "ridges." There is also, under the same name, a slightly deeper sage with more subtle ridges. I was hoping for the former and received the latter. I decided, though, that they are rich looking and that I might prefer the darker sage in the colder months, and I kept them. I'm very glad I did. The pattern is subtle, but interesting and calming. Each piece is unique. It looks like handmade pottery. The dishes are heavy and substantial. They've done fine in the dishwasher so far and while they do heat in the microwave after a couple minutes, they're not nearly as bad as my last set (which used to heat up until they cracked, leaving the food on them cool.) I haven't had any problems with scratching either, as noted in another review. I haven't found any source of replacement pieces online yet in case I should chip a piece. I did find a "completer set" listed at Gevalia but havent' ordered it yet. All in all, I'd highly recommend these as long as you understand the two color variations.

I LOVE my new dishes. The color is sophisticated, and we like the handmade character and oversized styling. Each piece is slightly unique. Like so many other reviewers wrote in, they look even better in person than in the photos. There are only two things to consider: (1) they are VERY heavy, so if you have difficulty holding things, these might not be the right choice. (2) the company that makes them has poor quality control: several dishes had some rough places on the bottom that were easily smoothed out AND the second set I ordered was truly defective and I had to replace it. However, Amazon has been great about that. Wonderful customer service, thanks!

These are lovely, sturdy dishes. I just wish that they still carried them in the Target stores.

I have been using this coffee mill which belongs to my friend since 2002. I purchased my own just a few days ago. I am very satisfied with it. I use it to grind coffee beens everyday. Each time, it produces wonderful result. Of course, it can not be cleaned with water. Actually, you should not clean it that way. Instead, you can wipe it clean with a dry paper towel. As long as you do not abuse it, it can last a long time. I recommand this machine to everyone who wants a coffee grinder but not too fuss on a superb quality which only a few very expensive models can deliver.

This is great. I use it to grind flax seed. It works well and is fairly easy to clean. The cord winds up into itself, which is very nice, to keep it out of the way when storing it.

I bought this mill to go along w/ the french press that I bought. I was a little worried at the time that it wouldn't perform because of it's very low price, but I was very pleasantly surprised! It works great, it is compact and I love that the cord wraps up in it. It's a snap to clean. All I do is wipe it out w/ a dry towel. I love this and the press I got so much that I am buying them for my brother as a birthday present!

Item arrived on time and in excellent condition. It was exactly as I expected.

Samurai Henckels
has forged knives, an alliance:
Axis of barware!

Shearing a ribbon
of peel from humble lime, quick
wakizashi works.

Sing, o katana,
slice fine the celery, we
like bloody marys.

I ordered these glasses 3 times and everytime they came in a million pieces. I would not waste your time purchasing these.

These glasses are attractive - the blue in the glass is a pretty cobalt at the base and fades as you go up. The color does not hide the contents - you can see into the glass.
It sits well in the hand and has a nice weight to it, most of it in the base so it's very stable. I've had them for two months - none have chipped, scratched or knocked over and they clean up nicely.
They stack securely - two tall ones & three small ones stack under 7 1/2 inches high.
I'm buying at least two more - 1 more for me and 1 as a housewarming gift.

My husband and I got two sets for our wedding, we're going on 4 years and only one of them has been broken, that was because he dropped it. I love the fact that they are so simple, and classic but they are that beautiful blue. I definately recommend these to anyone that likes their look.

This is the 4th espresso maker that my family has owned in the last 10 years and has proven a solid performer. My husband has spent many months in Europe (specifically Italy) during those years and has commented that this machine comes the closest to producing authentic cappuccino as any he's tried. The machine itself is heavy, but fits nicely on the counter and is relatively easy to clean. The greatest positive is that it heats and reheats the boiler rapidly. The only negative consideration is that the frothing wand sometimes works too well and froths the milk before bringing the milk temperature up to an acceptable level.

This is a solid coffee machine. It makes great froth. Unlike a previous reviwer, I had no problems with the froth attachment. The trick is to make sure it is assembled correctly and to froth correctly. To make froth, keep the Turbo frother up close to the surface. You will actually see the frother suck in the milk and hear a hissing. To heat up the milk without making much froth, make sure the frother is below the surface so that you are no longer making froth but heating the milk instead. The machine has quality parts, a big water tank, a powerful pump, separate controls for steaming and making coffee, and a cup warmer (which you probably don't need because there are more efficient ways to hear the cups). It is easy to clean. I would only recommend getting a decent coffee grinder, obviosuly one that allows you to adjust how fine you grind the beans.

Mine's been on order with Amazon for several months and I just got yet another notice that shipping is delayed by another month. Therefore, if you're willing to wait half a year for one, don't hesitate to order one. Well, don't hesitate too much, at least. ;)

As for the quality, it's superb! I have 2 friends with one and it still amazes me how blazing fast the Gaggia machine will produce a full load of espresso from a cold start--mere minutes. I've seen other machines take up to 15 minutes from a cold start and this is the hugest benefit besides the quality of the espresso itself. The machine has a few hoops to jump through in getting it going the first time, but it's a cinch from there on out.

IMHO, however, don't use anything but bottled water if you want consistent, high-quality, trouble-free espresso for many years w/o needing major cleaning. Why? 2 reasons:
1) Even the slightest amount of chemicals (flouride, chlorine, etc.) can make quite a noticeable difference in the taste, especially with light or medium roasted beans.
2) Minerals in the water accumulate over time and will convert even the easiest-to-clean machine into an expensive paper weight.

In summary, if you don't mind the long wait, this Gaggia machine is among the fastest and highest quality espresso makers under $1,000. Also, it's basically an upgraded version of their famous Classic model; it's a tad faster and easier to use.

I did not anticipate the following major problem until I received the item and tried installing it. The manufacturer did not consider the fact that the screw may perforate the cabinet. Our cabinet is not thin; it's just a standard wood cabinet, but the screw would've come right through it so we installed it with rubber washers (kit did not come with it) so as to prevent the screw coming straight through to the other side of the cabinet. I am not sure how long it would hold up, though, because the screw is pretty short and not that long. Rack sack is a brilliant idea, but needs a lot of improvement for it to be durable and truly functional. Right now, I would call it an extremely disappointing product.

I can use the supermarket bags as a trash containers, don't ocupe space and very simple to use. I recomend the rack sack as a space solution in your kitchen.