Irons Reviews

We ordered this iron to replace an exactly similar iron that we have owned for several years and have been very pleased with. This new iron, which looked as if it had already been used, has a power cord that is an inch thick. This makes it very difficult to use and we too, are going to return it. Caveat emptor (buyer beware).

If you're looking for a heavy grade professional iron that will glide over your clothes knocking out all your wrinkles, this is the iron. This iron has reduced my ironing time by at least 30-40%. The easy gliding ability of this iron topped with it's ability to smooth out those wrinkles in usually one pass without constant pressure or repeated passes over the same area make this a true pleasure to use. The only one area of concern that seems to bother others but didn't concern me is the power cord is fairly heavy grade, making is different from probably your current iron, however it hasn't presented any obstacles for me.

First off, let me start by saying I'm a cast iron fan. I currently own two cast iron skillets, with plans for a third (I'll get to that in a second). I don't mind cleaning or seasoning them -- it's worth it.

Second, this makes great cornbread. No real complaints there.

But this thing is ridiculous. The preformed wedges leave difficult-to-clean corners where food gets trapped and refuses to come out. Cornbread doesn't cause much of a cleaning problem, if the pan is seasoned and lubricated properly, but I tried making a version of a pineapple upside-down cake, and I was scrubbing melted brown sugar residue out of this thing with a toothbrush for an hour.

Granted, this is primarily a cornbread pan, so I guess it's my fault for trying something else in it (although the description does say "cornbread, scones, and more.") But I wanted to make this thing less of a one-trick-pony.

Which brings up another point. Most cornbread recipes I can find are for a 10" skillet (without partitions). Not only does that mean breaking out my high-school math book to calculate volume changes, it also means that cooking times change, particularly due to the additional heated metal of the partitions baking the cornbread from all angles. One recipe was done in half the time it was supposed to be. Granted, this can be a good thing once you're used to it, but getting there will leave a trail of blackened cornbread in your path -- and several hours of scrubbing.

So bottom line: this does make some fine cornbread, but it's a unitasker if there every was one, it's tough to clean, and it will mess with your recipes. Personally, I plan on switching to a standard 10" cast-iron skillet. But if you make a lot of cornbread, don't try new recipes, and just want it done fast and easy, this will work out fine.

This is the only pan that can produce a corn muffin that is crunchy on all sides. The finish also eliminates the need for seasoning the pan. Just be certain to lubricate the corners throughly.

I really don't like this pan....i have trouble getting bread out every time...i am about ready to throw it away

I just read a review that if you oil and heat the cornbread stick pans before adding the batter they will come out eaiser, and I didn't do that the first time I used mine, and the cornbread was hard to get out. I'm anxious to try it. I know the more you use and bake with cast iron products the more seasoned they become, and the food won't stick. I should have known how tedious it is to fill these pans before I ordered but all in all they are fun to make for the grandkids once in a while.

You'll need two to make enough for company. You'll eat the first batch.

It says this is a 2 burner grill pan but that is so wrong. It does not cover 2 burners it sits in the middle of each burner causing the handles to be right ove both burners. Very dissapointing, I love the le creuset normally and was really looking forward to having a grill pan made by them. Unfortuanatelly due to the shape it will not work for just one burner either. Hopefully they will come out with an updated one, until then my search for a good 2 burner grill pan continues.

I just purchased a glass top stove and bought this because of the protective bottom. However, after using it several times, I would choose a different grill because of the following reasons:
#1 The spatter mess - there is virutally no way to prevent splatter when using this pan creating an unneccessary amount of post-cooking clean-up.
#2 There is no option of purchasing a lid
#3 The pan itself has an odd rectangular shape that does not fit on one burner or two for that matter. Thus, somewhere while cooking you have a cool spot.

I think this is the greatest grill pan ever! It's so easy to handle and easy clean-up, Thanks LeCreuset! You make great cookware!!

Now you too can make gourmet Belgian waffles. I couldn't love this machine more. Mix up your batter (the recipe is in the instruction booklet), heat up this waffle maker, spray a little Pam and pour in the batter. That is it! The waffles come out so cute and delicious I am sure you will love them. I top them with strawberries and whipped cream. It will look like you slaved in the kitchen for hours when you serve this breakfast. The nonstick finish is too easy to clean and it has several settings for light or darker waffles. Determine the setting you like best and the waffle tone sounds when they are done so you can multi task in the kitchen. And, it has cord storage underneath it, it even has a spot for the plug and you can store it upright to save space. I couldn't be happer with this waffle maker. A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+

Also, if you make waffles or pancakes don't walk, run to Williams Sonoma and pick up the "Batter Dispenser" they have. It is about $35 and well worth every penny. Pour your batter in the dispenser and just squeeze the handle to dispense the perfect amount of batter. It works similar to a flour sifter. No mess, no drips and it is stainless steel and diswasher safe, what could be better?

This is a great peeler. Cook's Illustrated rated it as the best mechanical peeler. I had a very similar looking one that I bought last year, but it wasn't as well made as the A505 and it didn't work as well.

That said, these merchants are a total ripoff. This thing does not weigh 15 pounds and I have no clue why they are charging so much for shipping. I bought mine through cooking dot com, for only a few dollars more and with free shipping.

Interestingly, it appears as though Williams Sonoma stores also sell this peeler, though it is repackaged with their name one it. It still has "Back to Basics" stamped on the base, though.

Just purchased this item. I truely don't know what I did before I got it. It takes about 7 minutes to peel enough apples for an entire pie. It does absolutely great peeling potatoes... especially the ones you skin your knuckles on with a conventional peeler.

I too have had one of these for years, and can't do without it. It saves about 20 minutes for every apple pie I make. Just rinse the apple and load with the core lined up with the mechanism. The suction cup really sticks the mechanism to the counter top, and the mechanism does its job with just a few spins of the crank. There is very little wasted apple when this thing is done peeling/coring/slicing. It leaves just a bit of skin at the very top and bottom of the apple, but I don't mind cutting that bit off the spiral and munching it (the apple comes out in one big spiral, like a slinky.) Cleanup is very easy too. Rarely, it needs a little hand-holding to start peeling a really huge apple, but then finishes just fine. The nieces and nephew all fight to use it. Now I'm buying one for sis (their mom.) Worth every penny!

I have peace of mind now that I place my hot iron on the iron rest after I finish ironing. It is also out of my way while I'm arranging garments onto the ironing board. It keeps me from accidently bumping the hot iron. I would buy it again.

I am a quilter and was looking for a good hot iron and lots of steam. I also hate the auto- shut off. Well I thought I had found it. The perfect iron for my needs. Well after only one days use it is put away for someone else to use I was very disapointed in the iron it spits water and boy do I mean spit my ironing board cover was wet. My fabric continued to to roll under the iron, the surface is not smooth and seems to grap the fabric. Not what I was looking for at all I would not recommend this iron.

The iron is performing well in its role, and is very easy to use from the control standpoint. Some of my staff mention that it is a bit heavier than the modern design counterparts. They also mention that they like the clear plastic reservoirs of the more modern units as they can see the water level. However the iron appears to be well constructed and very sturdy. Time will tell if it holds up to leaking reservoirs, stained sole plates and worn out heating units of many of the other brands that we have used over the past years. From a price perspective it was a very good deal.

I bought this iron after a visit to my in-laws house. My mother-in-law had this ancient iron and I was actually scared to use it but it did a fast and fabulous job. The weight of the iron helped press all the wrinkles out. My mom-in-law said she could not find this iron anywhere to replace her old one and refused to buy one of the newer more flimsy models.I finally found this one and bought one for myself and after LOVING it, I bought one for my mom-in-law too! She loves it too because not only is it heavy it is also has a steaming feature that works great.

This skillet is great. However, I would caution people that it's a little too big for most electric-coil burners, and so the outer ring of the skillet doesn't get hot and food won't cook right. My 12" Lodge skillet gets much more stovetop use. This one mainly gets used for roasting meat in the oven. Of course if you have an especially large burner on your stove, then enjoy! I would also recommend buying the pre-seasoned skillet for the same price, if it's available to you; it's not hard to season a skillet, but it's nice to not have the trouble.

I like to cook in a variety of ways: stovetop, oven, grill and campfire. There is only one type of pan that answers the call under all of these conditions: cast iron. I have a set of high quality non-stick cookware that has served me well. BUT...you can't use metal utensils, place it in the oven and heaven forbid..put it on the grill. One of my colleagues gave me an old cast iron skillet a few years ago and it had that beautiful black patina characteristic of well-seasoned iron pans. I was hooked! I have greatly expanded my collection of cast iron pans, all from Lodge, and in spite of their weight, they consistently produce superior results. This pan is large and heavy but has no hot spots, thus heating uniformly. These pans require some special treatment: proper seasoning, NO SOAP and a thin wipe with shortening after each use, but you will have a pan that will be your culinary companion for life

After all the fancy All-Clad pots I own, this one is becoming my new favorite. For some things like searing meat, only cast iron does such a fine job. The only thing I'd point out to buyers is that this pan is bigger than it looks. If I'd bothered to measure first, I would have gone with the 10 inch skillet instead of this one, but that's my own fault! This one is big and VERY heavy, but after seasoning it, it's awesome for cooking. Try a fajita or a nice seared steak!