Melitta U S A Inc 640007 Perfect Brew Filter Cone Review. Fresh brewed coffee 1 cup at a time. 1 cup filter cone. Place the filter cone on a coffee cup. Insert a No. 2 Melitta cone filter. Scoop in your favorite coffee to taste. Add hot water, then indulge in a cup of fresh brewed coffee. Includes a starter pack...

 "A Good Way to Start making Good Coffee" 2007-11-26
By Andrew Cox (Tallahassee, FL United States)

I like this product. It is inexpensive, has filters that can be found anywhere, and provides real coffee taste in instant coffee quantities and time. This is great for me, because I do not drink more than 1 cup at a time, and making any more would just waste coffee time and money.



This cone allows you to come up with your own perfect brewing recipe without wasting pounds and pounds of coffee. The way the beans are roasted, the quality of those beans, the amount of coffee grounds you use and how they're ground, the temperature of the water: all of these have a bearing on the taste of your coffee.



First, the water:

The industry standard for the ideal cup of coffee begins with a water temperature of 195-205 degrees. This is not quite boiling, which is why the "Monsieur Brew" brands make such bad coffee. Brewing with water at the boiling point over-extracts the beans, making for an overly bitter-tasting result.

Use a food thermometer to find this temperature range and use it with 2 tablespoons of coffee per 8 ounce cup of output as a starting point. Then vary the amount of grounds and water temperature as you see fit.



Now for the grind and blend of your coffee beans:

Melitta recommends that you get a coffee ground a little finer than the standard drip grind. You can easily get this done in one of the better supermarkets that has a coffee grinder for specialty coffees.



As for the blend, I'm not going to recommend brands, but the hallmark of inferior blends of coffee is that they start tasting sharp and nasty as they cool down. If this still happens with your Melitta filter after you've used the right amount of coffee and the right temperature of water, then you can blame it on your daily grind. With this filter you will quickly find which brands are good and which are bad in a matter of cups, not pots.



After this, keeping a couple of brief notes on what you do and how much stuff you use per cup will lead you to the best recipe for your kind of coffee in a relatively short period of time.

 "Good value" 2008-10-27
By Jane Shepard (NYS)

Good product and improved over previous design...open at bottom so you can view how full the cup is getting so no overflow. New handle design is also an improvement.

 "A great way to make a cup of coffee" 2007-11-22
By D. B. H. (Balt)

I'm picky about one thing in life - and it's coffee. I also travel a bit and find myself far from a cup of good coffee - that's when the Melitta comes in handy. I bought two so I could leave one at my daughter's house so when I visit I can drink my brew - she and her husband don't drink coffee - GASP!

 "Simple, elegant, and it works" 2009-03-22
By M. Rickey (Yakima, WA)

Sometimes the simplest things are the best things ever. Nearly 30 years ago I bought a 1-cup plastic coffee filter cone that is the greatest thing for camping since boiling water. Then they went out of style. For years I've been looking in vain for a backup/replacement and nearly gave up in despair. Melitta delivers and then some! The new style lets you gauge the water level while the cup fills, which prevents spills - my biggest gripe with the old style. My gold-tone #2 filter also fits so I can eliminate paper filters at home. For better coffee extraction, slowly pour in the hot water a little bit at a time, two or three times, so the filter doesn't fill more than about half way. Voila! The best.

 "Perfect Form and Function" 2009-06-04
By M. F. Wiegand (San Antonio, TX)

The Melitta 64007B Single Cup Coffee Filter Cone is an excellent product:

It is a good example of a near perfect combination of simple, sturdy form and excellent functionality. It is well-designed. It is inexpensive. It produces precisely what it says it will produce- an excellent, quickly made cup of coffee. It cleans quickly with a swish of water and a simple blotting with a paper towel or napkin. It retains no residue. The strength of the coffee it makes can be varied by the size of the coffee grounds. It is even rather entertaining to use. Essentially it is flawless.

Cuisinart DLC-4CHB Mini-Prep Plus 4-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless Steel Review. Kitchen style! A brushed stainless finish adds a touch of elegance the MiniPrep Plus 4 Cup Processor is now a fashionable fit for any kitchen. Includes the tools to perform any food preparation task…with superior style....

 "AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT I NEEDED ONE..." 2009-05-11
By Canthespam (San Francisco, CA)

Check out this video for some great recipes and ideas.



http://kitchen-dining.hsn.com/cuisinart-mini-prep-plus-4-cup-food-processor_p-5421978_xp.aspx#$



I have a larger Cuisinart that sits on the shelf for months at a time and a 2 cup Black and Decker mini processor, which is just way too small, but I used it for years anyway. I had seen this model on a lot of TV cooking shows, but had no idea what size or brand it was. Now I am recognizing my model in use almost everyday.



I recently came across this 4 cup Cuisinart, quite by accident, and I absolutely love it. I have used it more in the last few weeks that I used the 2 cup in 6 months. It makes excellent bread crumbs, fresh and dried, and just the right amount of salsa or tapenade in seconds. Yes, it does pulverize onions, but I watch it very closely and since they are an ingredient, not served by themselves, they work out fine.



Four cups is a good size and it has a lot of power. It's easy to use and clean.



*** In response to the review where the motor died after only a few uses ... this happened to me the third or fourth time that I used it - it just stopped working. Fortunately my husband was standing there and while I was having a fit, he simply pushed the long plastic thing into the base to make the connection. I hadn't pushed it in all the way. No problem after that and I now make sure it is inserted properly.

 "Little powerhouse!" 2009-01-16
By MKonis (Los Angeles, CA)

I was 21 years old, wandering the William Sonoma store, holding my gift certificate from Dad. I was totally lost. With little knowledge or direction I stumbled upon this little food processor. Honestly, I think I bought it because I thought it was "cute". But I'm so glad I did! Now 6 years later this little baby still earns the honor of being a "counter-top" appliance. The Mini-prep has a sharp blade for quick and even chopping. It's perfect for small batches of pesto or hummos. I use it to grate onion, carrot and cheese and to make a quick smoothie for one. It's small and easy to clean, which I absolutely love. It gets far more use than my big guy and after 6 years it works as well as the day I bought it. A great buy!

 "A MUST HAVE" 2008-08-30
By Dorothy Desmarais-moitoso (Norton, MA United States)

I researched this handy counter top tool and read all reviews for days before purchasing. This being my THIRD, yes third kitchen tool of its kind (the other two got donated to Good Will because they didn't live up to the manufactures claims)I have to say that this is the best little kitchen companion. It has cut my prep time 75%...it is a must have!!! Really!

 "convenience without being large" 2008-03-08
By Wanda S. Bonner (Nashville, TN USA)

I searched for the 4-cup processor and was not able to find it locally. Everyone had the 3-cup processor. This new one will easily chop a medium-sized onion and most everything needed for a recipe. It is light and small enough to keep on the counter. Just what I needed!

 "A great product for Small jobs" 2008-12-24
By K. Elder (Montana)

We love this processor. It is perfect for normal use, a bit small for party's. We use this for salsa, onions etc... Almost every meal we use it for some small chopping, grinding or mixing job. I love using it for the garlic cream cheese for celery. We had the Black and Decker one before this and loved it. The only part that makes this better is that all the parts that get covered with food go in the dishwasher. This was not the case with the Black and Decker.

Senseo Decaffeinated Coffee, 18-Count Pods (Pack of 6) Review. Senseo Douwe Egberts Coffee Pods offer the same fine taste and quality as our Medium Roast, without the caffeine. This coffee has a consistent body with a rich taste so it can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Specially-designed SENSEO coffee pods are measured servings of coffee that give you a full, smooth taste and aroma. The coffee blends are selected and roasted by the premier European company Douwe Egberts, with a 250 year heritage....

 "Decaf Senseo Coffee" 2007-10-23
By Gail (OCEAN VIEW, Germany)

Makes an excellent cup of coffee. I drink it hot or I let it cool for iced coffee. Good full flavor, no bitterness.

 "Decaf Coffee Pods" 2008-06-08
By M. Ritondo (Aberdeen, MD USA)

The Senseo Douwe Egberts decaf coffee pods are a great deal and we love them. This is the best price thst we have found and have been buying them for years and will continue to do so.

Mike & Mary

 "Delicious strong decaffinated coffee" 2008-02-29
By David J. Langrock (Sammamish, WA)

I use this in my Keurig machine (using a perfect pod holder) and it makes delicious and suprisingly strong coffee for a "medium" roast.

 "Senseo Decaf Pods" 2008-05-02
By dixiegayle (Tennessee, USA)

The best tasting decaf pods on the market by far, but becoming hard to find on grocery shelves.

 "Great coffee & great price" 2008-05-02
By D. Jones (PA)

The coffee was excellent and the price was the best available online as I can't seem to find it in the town I live. Package was well packed and came quickly.

FoodSaver V2240 Advanced Design Vacuum Food Sealer Review. Simpler, Smarter, Sleeker - Advanced Design features in a compact design. New Compact Size - Saves Space on Your Countertop! Simpler because it improves upon favorite FoodSaver features like Hands-free operation -- now at the touch of a button. Smarter because it introduces never-before-seen features like variable speeds for different size bags and canisters, and food-specific settings that ensure a secure seal for dry or moist food. It even has a CrushFree™ Instant Seal feature so that, for the first time ever, you can immediately stop the vacuum process when vacuum packaging delicate foods. And it is Sleeker because it combines function and beautiful form with features like an easy-to-use and easy-to-clean flat Touchpad Control Panel....

 "You'll use it everyday" 2010-05-25
By J. Cavaretta

Owned for a couple weeks now. It's worked very well. Does a great job sealing, and vacuum packing works wonders for holding flavor while storing food. A fantastic surprise to this machine is that you can use it to pretty much seal any plastic bags, which i didn't know. I thought it was only for vacuum packing in the foodsaver bags, but you can use the sealer on cereal bags, potato chip bags, and even the plastic bags that bread comes in. Had i known that, i wouldn't have pondered the decision for whether this was really something i would use enough to justify the purchase. I've been using it for something everyday.

 "Will work 18 out of 20 times" 2010-04-07
By Brad (Santa Monica, CA)

I've used the V2240 for 2 months now on a fairly consistent basis. In total I've probably vacuumed sealed at least 500 packages from trail mix, dried fruit, granola... and it is still going strong.



The only two complaints I have:



1.) It will only vacuum seal Foodsaver bags, not ziploc bags. Costco sells them pretty cheap.



2.) The space between the sealer and vacuum channel are too far apart causing the waste of roughly an inch of bag for each vacuum seal.



Overall, I'm very happy with this product and would recommend it.

 "Awesome!" 2008-12-16
By A. Tyre (NYC)

I have used foodsavers for years...I'm not quite sure what the other reviewer is talking about, but I love this. This was a replacement for an older one that finally died. I use it often, and have never experienced any issues with it creating a vaccuum seal even one time. I love this and it's advanced features.

 "Xlnt vacuum seal" 2010-05-14
By Steve (Santa Cruz, California)

After years of use and hundreds of vacuum seals my model 1075 would not seal bags properly. Vacuum OK but even a double seal would let air in after a few days. I have owned FoodSavers since mid 1997 and this is my third unit. Mind you, I vacuum seal hundreds and hundreds of packages each year and have gotten my $$ worth out the past two units. Looking over all FoodSaver models, I selected the V2240. I like the fact it resembles the older 1075, simple to use, and doesn't waste excess bags like the new vertical units do.



My only dislike is the "moist" setting. It's about 5-7 seconds shorter than the "dry" setting. Kinda useless as it doesn't quite finish the job. I prefer to freeze the product until the excess moisture has frozen then vacuum seal on dry. Works like a charm as I just sealed a bunch of smoked bratwurst and fresh caught Coho salmon.

 "One of My Favorite Kitchen Toys" 2010-01-08
By S. Pipenger (Nova York, NY)

This thing is great. I live alone but buy chicken in bulk. This thing allows me to freeze it, take it out, and it's fresh and wonderful without any freezer burn. I bought a plastic marinating dish which I used to quick marinate meats(or to store soft items in there so they don't go stale, and it works swimmingly). Highly recommend it to anyone!!!!

Senseo SL7810/65 Single-Serve Gourmet Coffee Machine, Black Review. Senseo black Single Serve coffee appliance that has a unique patented pressurized brewing system that brews a fresh cup of coffee in just 30 seconds....

 "Convenient & fun" 2009-10-24
By Music Mama Rob (Cos Cob, CT USA)

I received the Senseo coffee maker as a birthday gift 2 years ago and use it almost daily. I'm the only coffee drinker in the house and hate to waste a full pot of coffee if all I want is one or two cups. Making coffee with a Melitta one-cup filter is just too much work compared to the simplicity of the Senseo coffee maker.



The Senseo coffee maker has a reservoir that is easy to fill, and the pods are very convenient to just drop into the pod holder. Two tips I picked up from a single-serve review web site:



1: Pre-moisten the coffee pod so that the edges seal better to the holder, and



2: Preheat your milk so that the milk doesn't cool the coffee when it pours into your cup. I preheat my milk for 30 seconds in the microwave, easy to do while the water is warming up.



I like being able to make a quick double for my travel mug when I'm running late--much faster than driving to Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks and not knowing how long the line will be.



I love to show off my machine for company. I can accommodate everyone, whether they want regular or decaf, mild or strong, etc.



My only wish is that there could be more varieties to choose from. Plus a little hot chocolate would be nice--especially with the foam on top that the machine makes with every cup. K-cups seem to own the market on variety.



Yes, my machine was one of the ones that was recalled. While I had no problem with the old machine, Philips made it very simple by shipping the new machine by FedEx and requesting that the old one be shipped back at their expense in the same packaging. And I was surprised with a pretty white one which replaced the old black one. The white one goes better in my kitchen, a silly thing to obsess about, but I like it.



All in all, the Senseo is quick, easy, fun, and convenient. It's also a lot cheaper than buying on the road.

 "Excellent Product" 2010-04-14
By Maugham (Arizona)

We have this machine, bought in 2004 and used 2-3 times a day. It still works fine, but it's white and we wanted a black one to match our new kitchen appliances. So the old one goes into storage in case the new one breaks down.



There are a lot of so-called "single-serving" coffee makers on the market today. My wife and I have been very select coffee drinkers all our marriage - nearly 30 years. We started with a beautiful La Pavoni expresso maker, which we still have although we had it completely overhauled about 8 years ago.



When we saw the Senseo we thought we'd try it because it seemed much less trouble - although we were highly suspicious of anything that made coffee from "pods" because we were used to grinding our own coffee from beans stored in air-tight containers in the freezer and each cup of coffee we made was made from freshly ground beans.



From the very beginning we were impressed with the Senseo. Push a button and 90 seconds later the water for coffee is at temperature. Push another button and you have a fresh cup of delicious hot coffee, complete with a nice "creama" or frothy top just as you would get from an espresso coffee machine. The single serving button gives you a cup a little larger than the single serving espresso you typically get - say in a Parisian or Italian coffee house. This may not be enough for American coffee drinkers used to a large mug of coffee. If not, you can push the "double" button and get either a large cup of coffee or two small cups the size of an espresso drink described above. Coffee pods come in all strengths (light, medium, dark roast), flavors etc. and are sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Safeway etc. and online at Amazon and lots of other places.



The pods come 18 to a package and a package costs about $4.75 - $5.25 depending on how many you buy and where. That averages about 25-30 cents per cup of coffee if you choose the single serving button - twice that for the double serving button. This is more than if you make drip coffee or do espresso with fresh ground beans, but I think it's worth the convenience. The resulting cup of coffee is really good - rich, hot, flavorful and frothy. We used "Dark Roast" but tastes vary.



As I said earlier, our 6-year-old machine still works pefectly and we use it every day, at least twice but more often quite frequently.



When we have guests we sometimes go back to the automatic drip coffee maker so we can put a whole pot of hot coffee on the table. But even then, if guests request, we can make cups so fast that it's no problem to serve 4-6 guests a hot cup, all done within 4-5 minutes.



We recommend the senseo to friends without reservation.



However, there is one thing you must remember if you use this machine - and this is probably true for any machine: If your water has a lot of minerals in it - especially calcium - you must clean this machine periodically. The instructions say every 90 days - but where we live the calcium builds up quickly so we do it about every 60 days. This is important. A friend of ours through out his machine because he said the coffee started tasting bad and I'm sure sure it was because he wasn't cleaning the machine at all. It's easy to clean - just run half vinegar and half water through it once, and then pure water once. All you do is put in the vingegar and water, then push both buttons (the single serving and the double serving) and the machine pumps all of the water / vinegar solution through the machine without stopping. Of course, you have to be sure it has a contained below large enough to receive all of this liquid.



Also, depending on the mineral deposits in your water, you may need to push a needle or pin through the pod holder drain hole once in a while because sometimes a grain of coffee or calcium build-up clogs the hole.



The machine comes with a reservoir tank for water, two pod holders (one pod and two pods) and a supply of coffee (one package of 18 pods).



You can order accessories for the machine, which include:



A double sized water reservoir (I recommend it highly), replacement pod holders, and a specil pod holder for making espresso coffee especially. You can also buy other replacement parts, but there are only two other parts besides the reservoir and pod holders. These two parts are the small overflow or spill catcher plastic part and a metal "grill" where you sit the coffee cup.



The new machine we ordered from Amazon (in black rather than the white one we already had) has one difference from the machine we bought 6 years ago: the spout where the coffee comes out it shorter, making it higher from the grill where the coffee cup sits. This is an improvement because now you can sit a large mug under the spout whereas the old machine made this difficult because the spout extended down quite far - made to accommodate short little demitasse (sp?) or espress cup sizes. You can still use these smaller cups with the new spout but now you can also use a large mug if you want a "full-size" cup of coffee.



Summary Good Points:



1. The coffee is very good.

2. The coffee maker is very reliable. Our first one has worked without fail for 6 years and is still working. We just wanted a different color.

3. The coffee maker works very fast. A fresh cup of coffee from "0" to finished cup in about 3 minutes. After the first cup, the next cups can be made in less than 1 minute.

4. The price is far below most other single serving coffee makers: We bought our new one from Amazon in April 2010 for $49 with no cost for shipping.

5. The price for each cup of coffee is below any other single serving coffee makers that I have researched. This coffee maker costs between 25 and 30 cents per cup. Double that if you make a typical American "mug" sized cup of coffee.

6.Coffee pods are available at Wal-Mart, Safeway, Targe and other major chains. You can buy a "pod-maker" which allows you to make your own pods. This may be cheaper but we prefer the convenience of commercially produced pods since the coffee is still very affordable even if you buy the pods ready-made.



Caveat: Coffee will turn bad if you do not perform simple regular cleaning - i.e. run half vinegar/half water through the machine at least every 90 days. Every 60 days is better if you live where the water has high mineral content and creates build-up in the machine. If you have a water softener or filter or use bottled water this may keep the machine cleaner longer.



Summary bad points:



We have had good experience with Philips products. They are a Dutch company (perhaps owned by the Royal Family, I'm not sure) and they seem to research companies and then buy them. Some examples are this Senseo machine and their Sonicar electric toothbrush.



Except for their TV, we have had good experience with Philips products. We bought a Philips TV and a Philips DVD/VHS player. The TV works OK but we can't get the player/recorder to work with the TV. When we called their support line the only suggestion they had was to buy another player. So for TVs and DVD/VHS player / recorders we stick to Japanese products.



But the Senseo coffee maker is an excellent machine and we recommend it highly.

 "Super cool coffee maker. Best system on the planet!" 2009-11-29
By Gricycle (Oceanside, CA)

Yes, you have to use two pods per cup to get decent coffee and that is exactly what you'll do. It still has far and away the most choices of good pods here on Amazon and in stores, and is much cheaper to use than Keurig. We like to use two Baronet Coffee Organic Espresso Dark, Fair Trade, 18-Count Pods (Pack of 3) with one Wolfgang Puck Coffee Pods, Sorrento Colombian Swiss Water Process Decaf Blend, 18-Count Box (Pack of 3) and one Café Halo Ethical Addiction Coffee Pods, 16-Count, 4.23 Ounce Bags (Pack of 6). This is 25% decaf coffee that is delicious for about 50 cents per cup. Black coffee fans will love the orange foam on top of the cup produced by the Senseo, but we pollute ours with 2 T. of Starbucks mocha powder, a little SB Carmel sauce, some cinnamon and milk. It tastes exactly like SB's Mocha, much faster, without the extra calories and saves us $3 every day.

 "Love our Senseo!" 2009-10-11
By Amber Rose (Dallas, TX)

We've had our Senseo coffee maker for about 4 years now. Fortunately it wasn't one included in the recall and we use it every day. We bought it for $35 and it came with the large water reservoir. We love it so much we've a few more for family members. Wish I could find another at the price we paid!

 "Makes the best coffee - simple design and quiet" 2009-11-04
By Joseph Giuliano (New York)

I love my Senseo. It simply makes better coffee then Kurig or any other single serve coffee maker. I've had them all. It takes up less counter space side to side and top to bottom.

Lodge Logic LPG13 Pro 20-by-10-7/16-Inch Cast-Iron Grill/Griddle Review. Seasoned and ready to use. The griddle of your dreams! Larger than the Grid Iron griddle this reversible two-burner griddle features a slight slope for a generouse grease gutter. Cooking surface is 19 1/4 x 8 1/2...

 "Don't even THINK of trying another griddle" 2005-05-01
By L. Bernstein (Indiana)

I absolutely adore this griddle, and I use it almost every day.



At first, I wasn't sure that I wanted a cast iron griddle. They are HEAVY and not dishwasher safe . . . so I tried a few nonstick brands first --top dollar brands with high ratings.



I hated them. The nonstick surface was inferior. On a reversible griddle, the underside became sticky and difficult to clean. The heat was distributed unevenly. One claimed to be dishwasher safe, yet when I put it in the dishwasher, some of the nonstick surface came off.



I am extremely health conscious, and I use very little oil when I cook. Food often stuck to the "non-stick" surface -- go figure.



I wanted to find a great griddle that I could use for many things, including cooking like the chefs in Japanese Steak Houses -- I dreamed of using a small dash of my favorite oil and flinging shrimp, chicken and veggies on the griddle like a pro. No, I didn't think I could toss my tools in the air or catch the shrimp in my pocket . . . I just wanted the flavor and the ease of cooking.



By this time, I was on a quest, and the non-stick stuff just wasn't cutting it. I did a little research, and I learned that pros recommend the Lodge griddle, so despite my apprehension, I thought I'd give it a try.



Wow! The pre-seasoned surface is perfect and better than any non-stick surface I have ever used. Just a tiny bit of non-stick spray is all I need, and everything from pancakes to eggs flip with ease. Grilling Japanese style works perfectly.



On the grill side: whole steaks, chicken, fish -- fabulous, fast, and everything has those beautiful grill lines. Nice for grilled vegetables, too.



The griddle is indeed heavy, but it's okay. I wouldn't recommend lifting it if you have serious muscle or joint problems, and I wouldn't want to drop it on my foot, but otherwise, go for it. I'm a softie, and if I can handle it, so can you.



As for not being able to put the griddle in the dishwasher: I don't believe I'm going to say this, but I don't care about having to handwash it. The griddle cleans so easily, a few swipes and I'm done. If I forget to clean it and wake up to it the next morning (okay, so I'm not Suzy Homemaker), I just lay it straight across the top of my sink -- not IN the sink, but rather, balanced from edge to edge, on top . . . and I run a little water over it, let it set for a few minutes, and it's easy to clean.



A word of advice: Just as it says in the instructions, you need to clean the griddle without soap (water only) to preserve the pre-seasoned finish. However, should you want to use soap, you can. There are instructions included in how to re-season the griddle -- it's easy.



I frankly didn't like the idea of not cleaning with soap. I didn't feel as though the germs were destroyed . . . but soap doesn't really kill germs, it merely works as a surfactant that makes water wetter so things become easier to clean.



If you want to kill germs, heat is one of the best ways to do it. Every time you use the griddle, you preheat it on the range for about five minutes or so -- you're killing far more germs than if you had used soap!



You can also rub your griddle with a very light coating of oil, stick it in a hot oven and disinfect it that way (this is also similar to how you reseason it).



This is one of the easiest, most wonderful kitchen tools I own. It is a breeze to use, I feel like a pro flipping all that food around. Everything comes out great, and it is very easy to use, and food does not stick.



I have since added six more pieces of cast iron to my collection, one triangle cornbread/scone, a round muffin/biscuit, and four cast iron skillets. Two of the skillets are antique -- talk about well-seasoned! I do not use the bread/muffin bakers as much as I thought I would, but I use the skillets almost every day. I love them.



PS: I remember reading somewhere that using cast iron also adds iron to your diet. A nice extra, yes?

 "Does exactly what it should" 2007-11-10
By Joe Bob "Barefoot Okie in FL"

Goodness - I see two chief complaints posted here: First, some people say it's heavy. Well, yes, it is. It's over 200 square inches of iron, folks. The weight is clearly advertised, so I'm having a hard time understanding this complaint. The second complaint some have is uneven heating. Lodge could fix that - all they have to do is make it thicker - and much heavier, and even more people would be unhappy about the weight.



Since the number of comments about the weight and the uneven heating seem about equal, I'd say Lodge did a great job of hitting a happy middle ground. Personally, I count on a little uneven heating, I'll sear breakfast chops on one end over a high burner and flip eggs on the other over a lower burner - I've even been known to run mine on just one burner, cooking on one end and warming on the other. When I was a grill cook, that's how I ran my grill, hotter at one end. You also have to allow for some "settle time" for cast iron - compared to aluminum, it's a fairly slow heat conductor, which gives cast iron it's wonderful thermal stability. But it takes time for the heat to distribute, so give it a few minutes.



I can't comment on the factory coating - I strip and season the cooking surfaces on all my iron, new or used. I made one modification to mine, which Andrew pointed out - I took a dremel and ground a shallow notch in the outer lip of one end of the grease gutter to help pouring the grease out - if you do this, be sure to smooth the edges of the notch to avoid heat stress cracks - they love to start at sharp corners - and don't make it too deep - just a small notch makes a big difference when dumping grease.



While I'm at it - I'm a heretic - a blasphemer - an apostate. My confession? I sometimes clean mine with soap - to be more precise, detergent, which most modern dish soaps actually are. I think the "no soap" thing is a bit of mythology that's come down to us from Great-Grandma, whose dish soap was basically lye and some type of animal fat (my grandma used bacon grease for her soap). So yeah, maybe lye soap was a bad idea, but it had a very different chemistry from today's dish detergents, and as far as I can tell, modern detergent won't touch the baked-on grundge on the bottom of my aluminum and enamel cookware, and they don't touch my properly seasoned iron either. I do always make sure to rinse very thoroughly, and re-oil after cleaning, however, as that thin film of oil is life to cast iron.



I love this grill on the cooktop, but if you want to see this beauty at it's best, and you have at least a 20" charcoal grill, set it on your charcoal grate and have some fun. I don't think mine ever cooled off during the week or so after hurricane Charley, while we had no electricity. I had stocked up on hardwood charcoal before the storm, and as my neighbor's fridges warmed, and their freezers thawed, they kept bringing me food to cook before it spoiled - and of course, they shared with the cook. The neighbors saved some of their food, the Lodge grill got quite a workout, and my family ate very well!



It's a well-made product. It's American. And it's a great value. What's not to love? Just don't drop it on your foot - did I mention it's heavy?

 "Best grill/griddle around..." 2005-02-21
By N (Brownsville, TX United States)

I just received my griddle last week and I've been using it daily with excelent results every time. Mine arrived with a few minor scratches on the preseasoning but all of them seem to be disappearing quite soon (I spray a little pam all over the griddle before using it). I cooked some hamburgers on the grill side which turned out delicious and they got those great grill marks on them also. I've had no sticking problems at all with this thing so far. Cleanup is easy providing you have a stiff brush, a large sink and the strong arms required to carry it from the stove to the sink every time you wash it (this thing weighs 15 pounds). I highly recommend this griddle to anyone, it's very well constructed and looks like it will last a lifetime with proper care.

 "Indispensable!" 2006-03-17
By Nela (Alpharetta, Georgia)

I've owned this grill for over a year now, and I want to let you know how it has worked out so far.

It fits over two burners, so it's great for cooking several items at once. It heats evenly but tends to overheat a little with the burner at the highest setting. (DUH!). Even then, I have not experience damage to my stove-top.

I love the way it "releases" everything it cooks. I have cooked the best Japanese style grilled beef/potatoes, South American arepas and cachapas, and everything in between. You name it, it can do it!. Even after I grill fish, or anything which makes a mess, all you do is pour some water on it while it's hot, and wipe it down with a terry cloth. No soap is needed. Then I cover the surface with a light oil rub and it's ready for storing. In fact, mine sits on the stove top for the most part, and it blends nicely with my kitchen. I recommend that for older folks having difficulty lifting it. You practically never have to move it, if you don't want to.

I live in a condominium and chose not to buy a patio grill. I don't need it with this grill.

I bought another for my sister!!

 "A thing of beauty..." 2007-02-16
By Diane Kistner (Georgia)

When I received my Lodge grill/griddle a few days ago, I was stunned with how just plain beautiful it is. It is going to sit on my stove all the time, across the burners on one side, probably with the grilling side up to remind me that I can grill anything any time I want to.



I've never had a double-burner grill before, so I've experimented with turning on one or both burners; setting the burners on different settings; and cooking foods one normally would not cook on a grill on the grill side (eggs this morning, along with the bacon).



There is no better way to get the hang of cast iron cooking than to cook eggs. If you've got the seasoning right and the temperature right, you've got the best non-stick egg-cooking surface in the world. If you don't have it right and the eggs stick, just scour the pan with one of those dark green pot-scrubber pads (no soap!), rinse well, rub in some oil with your fingers or a napkin, and try again. If you don't cook something very acidic like tomato sauce in/on your cast iron, it will get so splendidly non-stick you will think you died and went to heaven.



I used my eggs-on-the-grill experiment to get a feel for the best temperature for the piece with only one burner on. The first time I did it, the eggs hardly stuck at all...so that's a great testament to the pre-seasoning.



What's nice is that, even when using only one burner, the entire piece heats up, so when you've finished cooking something on the side with the hot burner, you can move it over to the other side (the one with the burner off) and the food stays beautifully warm while you cook something else. I haven't tried pancakes on the griddle side yet (because I'm in the early stages of Atkins' diet), but I can tell this would be super for cooking up stacks of nice, warm, perfectly cooked pancakes.



When I first got it, it did smoke a good bit; I think this is because I had the heat too high...or maybe it just needed to smoke a little to settle it down. It's not smoking now.



I know this is a rambling review...I really just wanted to say this is a beautiful piece and I'm very happy to have it in my kitchen.

Black & Decker G48TD Grill and Waffle Baker Review. Black & Decker G48T Electric Waffle Maker, Griddle, Grill - Black & Decker integrates 3 popular electric cooking appliances into one space saving powerhouse that helps prepare meals quickly, flexibly, and comfortably. In addition to baking waffles, you can make grilled cheese or meat sandwiches, sausages, bacon, even eggs. It's an overall breakfast preparation appliance! 110 Volt AC Power Cord...

 "One HOT waffle maker!" 2002-12-23
By Karma wilson (United States)

I love this waffle maker! It's like the ones our mom used, not those cheesy seeming plastic things they're making now. It's also got a lot of excellent features that make my life easier.

I'll mention right now that this is a VERY hot waffle maker. They make the plastic ones to be "cool touch". I'll trade the cool touch feature for the sturdier design of this versatile machine. I'm being careful and haven't burned myself yet. But it's something to consider if you'd like your children making waffles. My ten year old could be careful enough, but I keep my five and eight year olds away.

The waffles this machine makes are great! They freeze well too. The family is very happy. When the light goes of the unit is ready to make waffles. Pour in the batter and the light comes on again--wait for it to go off and the waffle is done (however, I usually go on instinct and sometimes pull out the waffle before the light goes off.)

The open grill feature makes wonderful pancakes and fried eggs. I have a big family and it's nice to have two pancakes cook at a shot without taking up all my stovetop! I can have bacon and eggs on the stove and the pancakes on the waffle maker. (I can also have a heart attack if I keep eating all these bacon and eggs!)

The sandwich feature is nice. I can cook two grilled cheese sandwiches at one time getting me out of the kitchen quicker. Some advice--cheese might drip out the side of the sandwich. Just keep the sandwich away from the back of the unit where the cables run in and the mess just wipes off--no problem. The sandwiches cook far more uniformly than they do in a pan on the stove. They taste great.

This unit cleans up easily and changing the grills from waffle to flat is easy. I recommend it over a lot of more costly models if you want more value for your money. This is the most versatile waffle maker I've found and all the features actually work!

 "Wonderful!" 2002-07-20
By (ME United States)

I got this one after unsuccessfully trying the Cuisinart waffle maker. It is wonderful! None of the batters, not even gluten-free ones would stick. All waffles came out great, crisp outside and moist inside. The grill feature was a plus and makes great grill cheese or other types or grilled sandwishes in a jiffy.

 "Reliable, attractive product" 2007-06-05
By B. Weurding

This is our second purchase of this same model over many years and have found it to be of good quality, reliable, and attractive square waffle maker. The removable cooking plates make clean up a snap and allows unit to be used for pancakes and sandwich cooking also. The temp control knob can be set to produce desired doneness everytime. I highly recommend this model.

 "A classic that is as good as it was decades ago" 2005-09-15
By latteberry (Seattle, WA USA)

I have had this waffle iron for 16 years. I don't have any other appliance that is still alive and working perfectly after so long. This used to be sold under the brand GE, before they spun it off to B & D. It makes perfect waffles and pancakes, and nothing sticks, even though I use NO grease or oil except what's in my recipe. The outside does get very hot, but as long as you are careful it's not a problem. The plates switch from flat griddle side to waffle side, and cleanup is a breeze, since nothing sticks.



This is the last griddle/waffle iron you will ever buy. You will leave this baby to your grandchildren, I am not kidding.

 "Great Waffles...Finally! A solid review found here." 2006-08-20
By Kelly D. Morton (Lancaster, CA)

This is a great waffle maker!! Every time we make waffles, they flip right out just like they're supposed to. We haven't had any of them get stuck or had any of the disasters/frustrations that we've had with other waffle irons. It's actually easy to make a waffle again. Can you imagine!? I think the reason why is that the Teflon is good and it gets hot, evenly.



After you get it, my recommendation would be to FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS that comes with it. Just before preheating, brush on some vegetable oil like it says to do. (I guess you can use spray but we've found the oil at first works best.) After that, you won't need anything at all for the other batches. Also, be sure not to mess up the Teflon coating by washing it while it's still hot (let it cool off completely) or by using utensils that will scratch it up, like metal forks and scrubbers. If you take care of this sensitive Teflon, it will take care of you. I think it says not to put it in the dishwasher so you probably don't want to. Both plates, top and bottom, are completely removable and they're really easy to clean with a basic sponge...don't use the scrubby side of the sponge though...you won't need to anyway.



We've made waffles several times already and they've been perfect every time. It DOES get really hot but that's a good thing. We've also flipped it over to the grill side and that's great too. We've made quesadillas, grilled cheese sandwiches, and burgers. For burgers, it has a trench like thing around the border of the grill that the fat collects in. You'll need a little cup or something to catch it where it supposed to drip out.

If you really want it to "drain the fat away" fast like a Forman type grill, just put something under the back left leg to tilt it a bit. Don't put something under the leg that could catch fire though....again, say it with me, "It gets really hot!" We've been placing it on our stove top when we use it...if you have sensitive counter tops, do that too.



If you make a sandwich, keep the grill open and flip the sandwich as needed. Otherwise, your sandwich will get really flat. I think that's it -- It really is one of our better purchases lately and so we take good care of it. Oh, and adding a nice amount of vanilla extract to your waffle batter makes them delicious!! (wife said to throw that in) Happy Waffle'n!

Cuisinart HM-70 Power Advantage 7-Speed Hand Mixer, Stainless and White Review. The Cuisinart Power Advantage 7 Speed Hand Mixer, flawlessly and easily mixes even the heaviest ingredients. From dense cookie dough to whipped cream, the powerful motor with automatic feedback can perform any mixing task. And the slide control easily shifts speeds with just one touch!...

 "Great power for a handheld mixer" 2009-06-13
By D. Dang (Hawaii)

I was in the market for a new hand held mixer after the KitchenAid that I got for Christmas a couple of years back died an ignominious death while making a simple batch of chocolate chip cookies. I have a twenty year old, Heavy Duty, 325 watt KitchenAid stand mixer that has never let me down and I expected better from their hand held mixer. I could go on, but that's another story.



I had my search narrowed down to this seven speed Cuisinart and the Dualit (made in England) hand mixers and decided to go with the Cuisinart partly because it was lower in cost and partly because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get parts or repair support for the Dualit in case it ever needed it. Cuisinart is a major supplier of kitchen electrics in the USA and service centers are nearly everywhere.



The Cuisinart boasts 7 speeds, and there is truly 7 different speeds. The first speed is quite slow, unlike the low speed of the Dualit, while the highest speed is quite brisk. All of the different speeds is achieved electronically through an electronic control circuit contained within the handle of the appliance.



Initially, I was concerned about this. Old fashioned appliances, like my KitchenAid stand mixer, achieve different speeds by analog means in which a series of resistors (actually, a variable resistive coil) is used to control the voltage to the motor and, thereby, control the motors speed. This is a very simple and effective means of controlling no load speeds. However, the downside is that as the mixture that you are mixing becomes thicker, the machine will slow down as the amount of energy going to the motor stays constant unless you turn up the speed control.



In an electronic control, the amount of energy going to the motor is changed not by changing the voltage to the motor but by changing the width of the energy pulse to the motor. As the load on the motor increases because of a thicker mixture, a feedback sensor detects the slowdown in the motor speed and adds more energy automatically to the motor in an attempt to keep the speed constant.



(At this point in my attempt to describe how this thing works, my wife's eyes have now fully glazed over and she has transitioned into a catatonic state. No worries. What this mumbo-jumbo means is that if you want medium speed and your mixture is thin whipping cream, you get medium speed. Likewise, if you want medium speed and you have a thick refrigerator cookie dough, you get medium speed.)



Another neat trick with electronic speed control is that you can control how fast the start up of the beaters are. In an old fashioned mixer, as soon as you turn on the switch, full power for that speed is delivered to the motor. In this electronic Cuisinart, the power is increased slowly until you get to the selected speed. This is the so-called "soft start" that the company advertises. And it really works, if imperfectly.



I say imperfectly because the power up actually overshoots slightly the target speed before it slows down and stabilizes. This is not a big problem because the extra speed is only for a fraction of a second and, truth be told, most users won't notice this. The fact that it starts up slowly is a real advantage for not blowing around your ingredients when you first turn it on.



The controls themselves are quite clean and elegant. There is a tall, push button on/off switch that is easily pressed and two push button membrane switches to adjust the speed up and down. All the switches are easily activated with your thumb without loss of control of the mixer. A single digit LED display tells you what speed you are in. When you turn it on, it automatically starts off in the slowest speed.



The beater release is an index finger operated trigger instead of the more typical button on the top or lever on the bottom. The beater release works extremely well. So well, in fact, that I've accidentally ejected the beaters while trying to get a stronger grip on the handle when beating a thick cookie dough. I'm a fairly big guy with meaty hands and I have no trouble getting a good grip on the mixer. For those of smaller stature, just be aware that this is a beefy mixer and is definitely larger than the GE mixer that I had handed down to me by my mom over thirty years ago.



The beater ejection trigger seems somewhat soft as it has some give on it before the beaters eject. However, I've given it a good pull with far more force than is needed to eject the beaters and don't believe that it will break without obvious abuse. The trigger itself bottoms out solidly in the opening of the mixer housing, so there is no reason to pull on it with more force once it has bottomed out.



There are other nice touches on the mixer that shows that the designer of this appliance knew what he was doing. The cord is on a swivel so that it can be positioned out of the way for right or left handed users. The back is flat so that you can easily rest it on its end with the beaters above the bowl. All exterior surfaces are rounded off so that the mixer is easy to wipe clean without any crevices for splash-off to collect and slowly harden over the years.



Even the beaters are designed so that there is no center post to complicate cleaning. The beaters work well as does the included whisk. I was actually kind of leery of the usefulness of the whisk at first because it seems so thin and flimsy compared to my hand held whisks. However, I whipped up two cups of heavy cream to stiff peaks in about two minutes. I started off at the lowest speed until the mixture thickened slightly and then gradually cranked up the speed until maximum. No muss, no fuss, and no drops of cream sprayed all over the table. The whisk looks flimsy but works well.



As far as power goes, the mixer is listed at 225 watts, the same as some low end KitchenAid stand mixers. I mixed up a batch of stone cookies, my stiffest cookie dough recipe, with the hand mixer in order to test its power. (My thinking was that it was better to break it now and return it under warranty rather than find out later that it couldn't handle the dough.) It did an admirable job of handling the double recipe. I don't think I would use the hand mixer again, though, as it was too hard to hold the bowl steady with one hand and the mixer with the other. The dough was so stiff that I had a hard time controlling the mixer as it pushed its way through the dough and cut it into small pieces. The motor slowed down from its top speed (and full power) but it never bogged down completely. I had the mixer on at full power for about a minute and didn't notice any burning smell from an overheated motor. The engineers did a good job on this one.



Now, I'm sure that if I had kept on mixing the dough for about ten minutes I would have burned out the motor from overheating it under heavy load. But I would consider this blatant abuse and to be an unrealistic expectation. Likewise, I wouldn't consider mixing bread dough with a hand mixer when a heavy duty stand mixer is the more appropriate solution. (Though I am sure that there are those out there that would use a pocket knife to try and cut down a tree.)



The only negative that I will give this mixer is that it is somewhat noisy. The cooling fan is mounted on the motor shaft in the front of the mixer housing and lets out a high pitched whine when in the higher speeds. It sounds somewhat like a jet engine or a vacuum cleaner, but certainly much quieter than either. The fan does a good job of keeping the motor cool and long lived. Covering the air opening at the front of the mixer makes it almost silent but would, undoubtedly, cause the motor to overheat and shorten its life considerably.



Overall, I give this mixer a full five stars for meeting my expectations. Only time will tell if the electronics and motor will hold up over time. But for now, this mixer works very well for what it was intended for. I'm always wary of electronic items because, generally, when they go bad the device is generally a throw-a-way as it would cost too much to fix. Such is the nature of electronics.

 "Just Delighted!!" 2008-04-07
By Pearl Seidman (California)

I haven't enjoyed preparing baked items this much in years!! This mixer has performed beautifully so far. I've prepared lemon cakes, zucchini bread and chocolate cookies with great results that have made everyone happy. I found that it isn't noisy, starts gently, shifts speeds smoothly, no splashing, easy to hold, and splendid beater designs! The eject button works smoothly, and frankly, for the price, I suspect that this is the best choice for women who want to bake cakes and cookies without dealing with large and heavy mixers that are hard to store and awkward to lift.

 "love this product" 2008-07-04
By Pamelaj Sawall (Oshkosh WI)

love this hand mixer. I had one for many years but got a kitchen-aid hand mixer and got rid of my cuisinart. What a mistake !! the kitchen-aid can not hold a candle to the performance of the cuisinart.

 "Great power" 2008-06-13
By Ricky Johnson (Reno)

I'm a personal chef and use this in my business. It is easy to carry along and has the power to perform in all situations. If is works this well in a professional environment just imagine how it will work in your home kitchen!

 "High Powered Mixer" 2008-08-11
By Craig Bjorkman (Aiea, HI United States)

Great mixer. Very strong, high-powered, EFFECTIVE! Wow! Easy to clean. We love it.

Sunbeam 6131 Hot Shot Hot Water Dispenser, Black Review. HOT SHOT - Hot Water Dispenser. Heats 16 oz of water fatser than a microwave. Auto Shut off, Cord storage. Great to make a variety of foods such as hot cereal, hot noodles, hot beverages, baby food and more. Ideal for home,office or travel....

 "I LOVE this thing!!!" 2006-04-02
By MovieLUVR

I had originally purchased a cordless electric kettle for heating water. While it did work, it required a minimum amount of water which was more than I ever needed and took a few minutes to heat. This is SO much more convenient! I can premeasure just the amount of water I need before I add to the dispenser and it literally heats it to boiling in mere seconds!! This is so handy for any "instant" food...oatmeal, cup of noodles, mashed potatoes, and hot cocoa to name a few. This is definately one of the best and most used appliances I own. I highly recommend it!!

 "Easy to use and fast" 2005-05-21
By Karen J. (Maryland, USA)

This product has been around for over a decade, and for good reason: it works, and works well. My mother bought me one in Fall 1993 when I went off to college and lived in a tiny dorm room. It has served me well ever since. Nearly 12 years later, it still works as well as the day I got it. It really does heat 16 ounces of water to boiling in under 2 minutes. It's insulated so the outside does not get hot. Just remember to only heat water inside of it, not other liquids. It has a nice, clean look and a modern design which I'd even call "cute". The cord stores underneath the base when not in use, for a clutter-free appearance. I'd recommend it to everyone for a wide variety of situations.

 "Fantastic Product" 2007-01-17
By L. Hong (RTP, NC USA)

Absolutely love this product! I made the purchased two weeks ago - with the intention of using it to make hot water for tea in the office. For the simple purpose of heating water VERY quickly, you can't really get a better deal. A couple things to note: 1. It can NOT warm up soups, etc. 2. All hot water must be drained after every use 3. You can not adjustable temperature (Boiling water only). That's fine w/ me ... since I can definitely wait a minute or two to cool down before putting my sencha tea in my cup : )

 "SUNBEAM HOTSHOT" 2007-01-11
By htd (nashua, nh)

I have owned the Hotshot since it's inception in the late 80's I believe...still the original one too! Well, the poor gal finally had a malfunction. Mind you, not the heater core which still boiled water as quick as the day I got it! Turns out the button to heat water had enough and the only way it would stay on was to stand there and hold it down until the water boiled. Now you might think that's no big deal, but once you have become accustomed to hitting that button and walking away for a few seconds, you are spoiled. I rationalized that for the money I had purchsed it for and the years I had it, I had certainly gotten my money's worth and it was time to replace it! Looked in Wal-Mart, Target, Sears and could not find one. Looked on Amamazon and lo and behold it was there! My big decision now was white or black! I checked it out and loved the sleeker look, the placement of the heater button, now on top and the height for a taller cup to go under, the depth, which allows a larger mouth mug underneath without interferring with the dispense button.

 "standard equipment" 2006-08-04
By William J. Kovacs (harpersfield ohio usa)

the sunbeam hotshot has been standard equipment in my kitchen for about as long as i can remember. if your not a coffee snob and want a fast easy caffeine fix in the morning, there is just no better way...