Irons Reviews

I'm a huge fan of Mr. Batali. So after pining over a Le Creuset Dutch Oven for the past year and finally getting ready to take the plunge, I was amazed when I learned about the Batali line and their less than half price tag.
However, the "you get what you pay for warning" might apply here.
The Batali people confirmed what I feared. The product is made in China.
It looks like a very nice pot, but I think I'll stick with the proven Le Creuset brand.

Joey

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This pot has it all. It's good lookin' and good cookin'! Alright. That was bad. But seriously, the pot is fantastic. It takes your cooking to the next level and makes anything you cook in it go from average to extraordinary. I made my Mother's Day dinner in the pot -- a chicken dish that I'd cooked before to rave reviews. Well, suffice it to say that the results from cooking the same dish in this pot made a mockery of my former attempts. This pot is my new best friend in the cucina.

This was part of a set of four we acquired over 25 years ago. Still going strong. Not really non-stick, but easy to clean. Keep the pot holders handy though, this handle get really HOT! I took it out of the oven with my bare hand about 29 years ago and still have the scars...you could hear the flesh sizzle. Nevertheless, it's a great small fry pan if you aren't a mentally challenged operator.

I cook exclusively with Le Creuset, and I love this skillet as I do all my other pieces. They cook food beautifully and are easy to clean. The only time I had something to really stick, I was able to get it out by putting a little detergent and water in the pan and heating it up a bit. The stuck-on bits floated right up to the top.

This is a great piece for the kitchen. We've cooked all kinds of things in it and it doesn't cease to impress us. The handle does get hot, but Le Creuset makes heat pads for the handles so this isn't an issue (just be sure not to get it too close to the flame if you're cooking on a gas stove). Though not non-stick, it's easy to clean and always looks great. Don't hesitate on buying this item.

Round wafflers are better than square ones since pouring batter on the waffler spreads in a circular pattern and evenly fills the area. This is probably why I disliked any square one I bought. We make a lot of waffles and love this waffler. It is consistent in making waffles just the way you like them since you can adjust the browning (making softer or crisper waffles). Well made, reasonable price and wipe-easy clean. Just don't overfill with batter - you'll get the hang of it!

This one works great. I had a square krupps waffle maker before and this one is ten times better....cooks better, heats faster, looks better, and the audible ready alert is great. I saw this one on Good Eats on Food Network, and I am thrilled that I have this one....exactly what I wanted!

I had previously tried the Cuisinart waffle maker and returned it as it was absolutely awful. Now have this one from Villaware and it is great. Easy to use and makes perfect waffles (I use a store bought mix). Great price too!

Love this pan. Great for making pancakes. A little oil to start with and no stick for remainder of cooking. AWESOME. Its a bit rough on the bottom of pan; just don't move it on the cooktop surface (not easily moveable anyway). I've broiled hamburgers on this pan too - YUMMMMMI :) - Easy cleanup!!!!

My old waffle iron gave out after about 20 years so I wanted one that would work as well but make the thicker Belgian style waffles. This Cuisinart is very good. It has a temperature control so you can choose how well done you like your waffles. It heats up very quickly and beeps when the temperature has been reached. It also beeps when the waffles are done. They do not stick and clean up is easy if you overfill a little. I'm very happy with this purchase and from the look of how it's made it should last another 20 years. I just hope that I do too!

This one is for when a pair of Belgian waffles will do and you have very limited appliance storage space. It works great with precise temperature control and it even beeps when the waffle is done. If you've made your batter right, you can't make a bad waffle with this iron. Another plus is its "retro" styling. It's very pleasing to the eye. It's a Cuisinart !

Look. I suck at using a normal iron. But, after reading some reviews decided to try a press out to decrease my dependence on Dry Cleaners.

The results are pretty good. As I have gotten better using it the results have gotten better. Plus, there are some fabrics and materials that iron much easier than others. I just did a couple of long-sleeve dress shirts and the results were good. Not perfect, but good.

As others have said, I wish it were bigger and wish the top plate opened higher and with the back hinge was farther back to give me more room to work with. But, once you understand the right method of doing it the back hinge isn't really a big deal. More height clearance would be nice, though.

It won't be too long before it pays for itself. And, now I have no excuses when it comes to wearing clothes that are wrinkled! Plus, I'm pressing my golf shirts which typically didn't look that good after being washed, but were too expensive to get dry cleaned...

I also just ironed an undershirt just for fun. Now THAT was an easy shirt to iron. :)

all the reviews i read were spot on.......

i golf a lot and as such my wardrobe contains a lot of polo golf shirts which my cleaners charge me $3.50/shirt to launder and iron. i was averaging 4-5 shirts per week which meant about $15/wk,$60/month, or $720/yr. on my polo shirts alone.

with this machine, i can do 5 or 6 polos in 15 minutes.

once the press heats up, you pull the handle down to make a press and on the cotton setting it takes about 10 seconds to make a press(a bell goes off when its time, so you wont forget). on my polos i need to do 6 presses. 3 for the body, 1 for the collar, and 1 for each sleeve. so each shirt requires 60 seconds of "pressing time" and i need 1-2 minutes to load the shirt and smooth the fabric on the ironing surface.

it does a great job and i'm very satisfied with the machine.
i've also pressed slacks, and it does a great job with them as well.

i have not tried pressing a man's business shirt...however, my cleaner charges me a $1.25 per shirt and for me that is well worth it to have them do it.

overall, i'm satisfied with the product. i'll echo the words of wisdom from the other reviews.......

1) watch the top plate !! it gets hott(with 2 Ts) and the press doesn't open wide enough. so your fingers and knuckles are very much "at risk" - just be careful !

2) the 22x9 ironing surface still seems small to me, but i guess without buying a "commercial" grade press the 22x9 size seems standard. would be nice if it were bigger, but it is what it is.

I'm a man and as such my domestic skills are minimal.....this machine makes me look like a pro !

We had a press made by Singer that finally gave up the ghost after more than 10 years. After a several days of ironing clothes with mixed results & a lot of frustration, we researched presses on Amazon based on customer reviews. We decided on this press and have not been disappointed. The press is ready to use as soon as it's out of the box. Operation is simple & all but self-explanatory, and it heats up VERY quickly. It is a little smaller than our previous press, but not so small as to be a drawback. Clothes are ready in no time compared to ironing. The press comes with a water spray-bottle if you prefer not to use the steam feature. Definitely worth the money spent!

My grill press was not drilled all the way through on one side where the handle attaches, so at this point it is totally worthless. The package says it is only returnable unopened in original packaging, which of course is not the state of ours, since we opened it to use it. We are currently trying to figure out how to either finish drilling through the cast iron, or I will try to get amazon to take it back and pay for the shipping (since spending $10 to ship a heavy cast iron grill press back makes no sense).

Lodge logic has exploded from a small corner shop in one lonely town in Vermont, to a nationwide powerhouse ready and eager to bust down to the door to your house and fill your kitchen with finest in waffle press technology. I'm of course referring to the cutting edge Finnish design that lodge has presented here. I'm able to pretty much press out an entire course of breakfast in well under an hour with this thing, easily producing a feast fit for the third reich.

I've used mine for years and it should last years more -- paid $5. I use it for steaks, chops and burgers. Placing the weight on food for a couple of minutes presses the meat down on the grill and gives you the grill marks that add flavor and looks great when served. You should season the press before using it and this is explained in the instructions. If you don't season it properly food can stick to the press.

If you're reading this, you probably already know about camp dutch ovens. I've been a Boy Scout my whole life, and a Scoutmaster and adult leader for several years now... (and an avid camper and outdoor cook to boot.) I have owned 5 or 6 dutch ovens in my life, and I'm now convinced that there is no match for the quality of LODGE dutch ovens. They are worth paying a little extra for. The others aren't really worth buying-- the cheaper ones don't keep a finish like the LODGE ovens do.

I've bought the original finish and now this one with the LOGIC factory forged finish. I LOVE the pre-seasoned cookware. It isn't the finish that you'll get after years of seasoning, cooking and taking care of an oven, BUT you'll love that you will be able to cook on this oven RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. So, if you're into instant gratification (with no downside-- they season perfectly as you use them) this is the oven choice for you.

This is the classic size that is used by scouts, chuck wagon cooks, and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds. It is a #12 which is the "standard" size most commonly used, but there are dozens of sizes bigger and smaller. This one holds 8 quarts, measuring 12" in diameter by 5" tall. It has the tripod legs and a recessed lid best suited for cooking in coals. You can flip this lid over and use it as a skillet if you need to. I also have the dutch oven with no legs and a domed lid for use in a home oven. You can do it all with a Dutch Oven - cobblers, stews, beans, roasts, dumplings, you name it.
QUALITY: There is a reason you can find old cast iron pans in antique stores, it lasts forever. I have quite a few pans and stuff inherited from family members and even some garage sale finds. While my fancy and expensive non-stick cookware seems to last no more than a few years before replacement in my kitchen, but this stuff can easily last many decades of daily use. It has a life time warranty! I love to cook with cast iron even at home, it is so durable, but I can take it camping too. Easy to clean up, the only drawback being it is heavy. Cast iron takes a bit longer to heat up, but the heat transfers evenly without hot spots and it retains its heat for a long time. I am not sure why, but people swear things taste better in cast iron. It just seems that cast iron only improves with use instead of wearing out like other pans.

CLEANING: A couple of tips on caring for your oven, they say you should not use soap but this is not exactly sanitary. If you use soap be sure it is mild. One trick is to boil hot water in it and scrub it with a long handle brush. Use a plastic brush or plastic scrubber, but never a metal scrubber or brush. For the most part, cast iron is non-stick as long as it is seasoned. The trick is to clean it right away and not to leave it in the water too long or let it dry with food in it. Do not use it at temperatures higher than 500 degrees, as it can crack. An old Boy Scout trick to keep the outside clean if used on a fire, is to wipe the outside with some wet soap and let it dry before using. This will make the coal soot just wipe right off when you clean up.

SEASONING FINISH: Seasoning does not refer to flavor, but the finish, a kind of glaze on the pan. The modern version sold here is pre-seasoned and ready to cook in, but we used to have to season these ourselves in the old days. It needs to stay black and a bit shiny inside to stay seasoned. If you do lose your seasoning due to rust or an overaggressive cleaning, simply wipe it with vegetable oil inside and out and place it in a hot oven for about 20 minutes or so. Let it cool naturally. It also helps to wipe it with a paper towel of vegetable oil after washing and drying, or spray it with cooking oil and wipe. If it gets rusty, scrub it up good and re-season it, you can get it like new again. DO NOT cook on it without re-seasoning though.

ACCESSORIES: There are plenty of terrific Dutch oven cook books here at Amazon.com. You can also get videos like the one with Cee Dub. You can get affordable accessories too such as Dutch oven tote bag, tongs, lid lifter, lid stand, and gloves. To be safe if cooking on coals or fire, use the lid lifter accessory, it will keep you from getting burned. Enjoy your cobbler!

In more than a decade of outdoor cooking experience, I have learned one valuable lesson: always trust anything from Lodge. This rule has been tested on everything from a simple skillet to the monster dutch ovens crafted to feed an army. In all those years, Lodge has never failed me.
I tried to save money by using cast iron utensils from other firms, and have paid dearly for it. No body has the durability, the skill, or the quality of Lodge. There is something magic about the Lodge method of manufacturing, and that magic is worth every penny that you pay for. When you purchase from Lodge, you aren't simply buying a pot or skillet, you're acquring a lifelong companion that your children will be using when you are gone.
I have 5 dutch ovens of various sizes, numerous skillets and griddles, and all of them bear the Lodge name and logo, and all of them still perform just like they did when I first got them, although they have improved with age because the taste and the smell of the food that comes from them says it all.
Trust me, friends: you can save money by buying another brand, but you will be making a grave mistake. Don't try to be cheap, buy Lodge and prepare yourself for a quality product that will last for a long, long time.

I have had this iron for 3 weeks and already the auto shut off feature has stopped working. I had a great deal of difficulty finding an iron that I wanted to buy, becasue I have not been able to find any that have both manual and auto shut off. I know I should be unplugging the iron each day, but I just don't want to have to do that. I am usually pleased with Braun products, so I resigned to the fact that I was not going to find "the" iron and purchased a brand that I trust. The iron was fine, not exceptional, until I got home from work last week and the iron was still on (10 hours later). I am very disappointed and the iron is going back today!

I bought this iron because my old iron kept leaking water and ruining my clothes. I did a lot of research and decided on this one. I'm glad I did. I love it! I've had it 3 months now and have not had any problems. Definately a good buy!

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Well, after two months of waiting, my 680 arrived. It was my Christmas present to myself. What had happened was the manufacturer didn't make enough of them last year. Demand far exceeded (incongruously) supply. That is why amazon, cyebye, smallappliances.com, and others had you on hold. I actually sent Top Innovations a griping email about the delays--this is how I found out what the situation was. By the way, Customer Service at TI is nothing less than outstanding! The first sentence from their department was this: "You are right. We need to do a better job of...." Imagine that. A company that still lives by the age old American adage--'the customer is always right.'
Oh, if you're looking for the best price on the product--it's Cyebye--providing you don't live in NY (otherwise, you'll pay the tax). $219.00. And, that company's Customer Service is also pleasant to deal with. That's why I stuck with them (well, okay... more for the price than anything else).
After tearing into my box like a lil' boy getting a birthday gift (mine is March 8th, case you want to send me something), I couldn't get the machine working fast enough. Design-wise, it's both sleek and very pleasing to the eye. Doesn't weigh too much and is easily portable.
Now the cons.
First thing I noticed was the tremendous jolting upswing the unit has when you elevate the top plate from the ironing board. It jerks the unit UP and BACK! You need to be cognizant of this. If you place this unit on the TI steamer stand, make certain you always keep one foot on the stand's base. Otherwise, the machine will dive backwards. That's how much upward force we're talking about here.
Next is the irritating shutoff safety feature. On "top line" models, these features should not be installed--or, at least have them as a programmable option. If you leave the machine unattended for about 8-10 mins, it will go into "standby" mode. Meaning, the heating temperature that you waited at least 10 minutes for it to build up will vanish. And, reactivation isn't as simple as just using the machine. You either have to turn it off then back on, or, scroll through the power temperature settings. Did I mention this was annoying?
Thirdly, not enough pressing power for thinner garments. I steam pressed two Italian cotton shirts and I was expecting extremely crisp presses. It does that for the sleeves (which is, of course, 2 materials thick), but, you will not get that same effect for the back or front of the shirt. The solution, place a thick towel over the board--place your thin shirt on that. Also note that thinner materials will acquire what I call "hole puffs" in them. The steaming plate has holes from where the steam exudes. Your thinner materials will periodically have those hole indentations on them. Rub them with your finger and they vanish.
This may or may not be a con. But, when it comes to the steam burst operation... it's LOUD. It gurgles and also spews water droplets as well. {Note that the feature advertisement on this site reads, "Dual vaporizing system significantly reduces water droplets". I wonder how TI defines "reduces".) Meaning, KEEP YOUR FACE AWAY FROM THE UNIT when activating the steam burst.
Another con deals with the instructions. Though simply annotated, it always stumps me when the writers/editors decide to use metric measurements (all of a suddenly) when the rest of the manual pertains to non-metric numbers. The section I'm talking about pertains to the steam burst mode. It states to lower the press no lower than 75mm from the board. 75mm? I don't mind the metric system because I'm fluent with it. But most Americans are not. (75mm is about 3 inches, by the way.)
Another con pertains to the display panel. The manual states that when the light deactivates (at the particular heat setting you're at--e.g., cotton, silk, etc.), then the machine is ready for use. Well, I just spent 90 minutes pressing nothing but cotton. And, if I adhered to what it states in the manual, that 90 minutes would have easily evolved into 120 minutes! That cotton indicator light is consistently going on, than it is remaining off. I would almost venture to state that it spends more time on the former rather than the latter.
The final con is the warranty. One measly year! That disappoints me tremendously. When you fork out more than $200 for a machine, 3 year warranty should be the minimum. Especially... ESPECIALLY with a digital product-which is what this is. One year warranty is insulting and doesn't speak well for TI (in my humble opinion).
Other than that... there are indeed ample pros for this machine. Compared to ironing or steaming, this press wins hands down. It's 3-4 times swifter than ironing because of 3 elements: large surface area of the machine, the tremendous heat, and, the steam burst function (remember to keep your face away from the 680 when using steam burst). The machine also appears easy to maintain and clean. The manual states to use distilled water. You probably should do as it states--because I'm certain the heating coil and other components are quite delicate inside. Non-distilled water usually equates to faster corrosion development--depending on your state of residency (drinking water). Florida, which is definitely a "hard water" town, definitely purchase distilled.
If I think of anything else, I'll come back and annotate. In the interim, the machine does what it says it'll do. But, I don't think it's the best one (home user models) out there. I could be wrong. I will keep this model, nonetheless.
Hope this helps....

Forget hauling out the ironing board, distilled water and the iron. Plug in the steam press and you are ready to go---that simple. You need not empty the water resevoir when finished! I will say, it does take a little practice at first. After becoming more familiar with the press, things go a lot faster. This is at least twice as fast as the iron. I now press things, like Levis, that I had given up long ago. I cannot say that pressing clothes is my favorite sport, however this has made it a lot more tolerable!

Not only has this press cut down my ironing time, I catch my husband ironing with it.

The press is small enough to keep in our laundry room, I press our shorts, slacks, my child's school skorts and even my cotton robe.

The steam is a very good burst or you can just spray from the bottle that is included.

If you are thinking of buying this steam press do it today!