Home and Kitchen Reviews

I have had a Rival Ultrablend that after 7 years of heavy use in our kitchen we will lay to rest because the seal is broken. I have been afraid of this day because we have had the opportunity to use handblenders of other brands and have found that none perform like our Rival. We have found it to be the only one to puree food fine enough for a baby, strong and sharp enough to blend our recipes on our stovetop instead of transferring soups to our blender. Hoping that the new model performs just as well, we are sticking to Rival.

I've had an older model for around six years and it's wonderful! I use it several times per week. Today I just had to write a review because I made cauliflower soup. One part called for transfering the soup into a blender in batches. All I had to do was stick the blender into the sauce pan - quick, easy, no mess to deal with!

I have been making smoothies almost everyday and they come out great. Put my decaf coffee and 1% milk in the microwave and froth it with this stick-like device and in 10 seconds it froths. Have used it to whip baked potatoes into creamy mashed. Am always thinking I'm over-taxing its little motor, but no, I start it up and its still working.

I LOVE the beautiful warm colors and patterns on this dinnerware. They are however, prettier to look at than they are practical. The lunch sized plates are flat other than the scroll work design that is raised. It is not a good choice to place under a bowl of liquid (soup or cereal) as the liquid would run off the plate. The mugs are extremely large (tankard sized, might be good for beer) and any hot liquid would be sure to be cold half of the way thru consumption. The handles of the mugs are awkward to hold. I do like the large size of the bowls and the fact that they are microwave friendly is a the reason I bought them.
One of my lunch plates arrived with a chip. I hope that this was just an unusual incident and not indicative of things to come.

I received this item as a gift, and i have used it to peel not only potatoes, but carrots and apples too. The blades break easily though, so make sure you buy additional blades. Cleaning is easy to do. Great product. I would have preferred the rotato express though.

If you love potatoes but hate peeling them - this device is for you! It also peels fruit - I have used it for apples and mangos and it works perfectly. Way better than hand peeling and getting blisters from the knife - you'll have potatoes every night - peels in a flash!

Now, you can get the Rotato which is a hand cranked operation or the Rotato Express which is an automatic gadget. I prefer the Rotato because the wiring tends to get misplaced in my gadget loving household. Here's the deal... if you (and/or your family) loves potatoes (fried, diced, mashed... you get the idea), then you really must have a terrific potato peeler. And quite frankly, there is none finer. The hand cranked variety of the Rotato will last you through thousands of potatoes; and you will look like a whiz kid. This is a great thing to give for xmas-- a sort of generic xmas present that will be loved long after this xmas is over. Also, it comes with extra blades (because they do wear out) that you can locate in its base. I bought an extra set (at a very reasonable price) because I have broken a few of the blades along the way.

My widowed mother-in-law badly needed a pan to use in her toaster oven and was delighted when I found this little Nordic Ware casserole pan; it was the perfect size. Within a month, however, the black non-stick coating began to peel in dime-size circles. She never puts anything in her dishwasher and is a diligent rule-follower -- I know this was not something she caused. I have no doubt Bed, Bath & Beyond will replace it, but it doesn't look like there are any other choices. I would much prefer to buy her something heavier and well made without a non-stick coating. We'll see.

Customers, be forewarned....Nordic Ware, hopefully you are addressing what appears to be a problem!

This is an excellent pan to use in the toaster oven to cook meats, small casseroles, etc. I use it to oven fry chicken, or steaks. It is the perfect size to bake chicken breasts, stew beef for two, or meat and vegetables. The non-stick surface cleans well. This is my second one, and I use it practically every day. The price was extremely reasonable and the product will last a long time.

I purchased this baking pan approximately 5 years ago and it is still as good as the day it arrived. Nice solid piece, very good price. Definately worth the money. Cleaning advice, keep it out of the dishwasher and it keeps the non-stick surface from flaking and/or peeling.

I've broken a few corks with this tool, as the "worm" doesn't reach the bottom of some corks. Other foil cutters are easier to use. Like most OXO tools, this one feels comnfortable and steady in the hand. If you're opening an older bottle or one that has a particularly long cork, use another corkscrew.

For very little money, you get an easy to use and sturdy corkscrew.

This is a sturdy, handy, and small corkscrew that also comes equipped with a bottle opener and a foil cutter. Its size is excellent to keep at home or to take on picnics and trips, and its corkscrew has a sharp point that goes into all kinds of corks without breaking them, even the really old ones. Its bottle opener is very easy to use, and its foil cutter, a couple of wheels with sharp edges recessed into the screw's handle, although requiring some practice, offers a clean, safe alternative to the traditional rusty knife.
Like the rest of the products from the OXO Good Grips line, this one is a great value of superior quality, unsurpassed durability and flawless performance. Its ergonomic design and big, pressure-absorbing, outstanding non-slip grip, allow you comfortable, daily, wet or dry use, and it's elegant, stylized shape makes it perfect to move back and forth between the kitchen and the dinner table.
Its easy-to-clean, simple construction and dishwasher-safe, hard-wearing materials make this a tool that you will be able to depend on for years, and its stainless-steel metal parts will permanently keep your rust worries away.
After submitting this product to over two years of normal everyday use, mine is still just like new.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar