Nutritional Scale - weighing scale, diet scale

Click here for more information I would prefer to write this review after some time has passed, but I want to make sure I get my thoughts out here early on.



This is my third kitchen scale. I bake all my own bread at home and good baking requires weighing the ingredients rather than volume measuring.



This scale feels very light which made me nervous at first, but I've used it for three weeks now, through a lot of baking over the holidays, and my concerns seem out of line.



This scale fits all my needs. Here is what I look for:



1. CAPACITY - AT LEAST 10 LB (this has 11 lb, or 5 kg). This is required to be able to tare out a glass bowl which can weigh near 5 lbs empty. 11 lb is still borderline when I'm making bread in a 6 qt kitchenaid bowl, but I just weigh ingredients separately in another bowl if it becomes a problem.



2. PRECISION - DOWN TO 1 GRAM - Another scale I have was only good to 5 grams and, although this was probably good enough, it drove me nuts not to be able to go down to 1 gram



3. STABLE PLATFORM FOR VESSELS -- My previous scale had a platform that sat on top of a pillar and eventually came detached. After that it was a balancing act to weight anything



4. ORDINARY BATTERIES -- I liked my old scales fine, but it drove me crazy that I had to keep buying overpriced CR2032 batteries for the things. These batteries don't last long and cost too much to replace. I can't figure out why they use these "button batteries" rather than the more common higher capacity AAA, AA, C, D, etc cells. It's not like these scales are micro-sized. In any event A BIG BIG PLUS for this scale is that it uses standard batteries! Don't sell this point short.



5. PRICE -- $50, $30, $70 for a scale to do this is crazy. the circuitry in these things is cheap. It's not rocket science. All these scales that have "features" are a waste of money. This scale does what needs to be done for $20.



6. FEATURES -- Zero the scale, read negative numbers, switch between metric and English weights, tare a bowl....that's it...that's all you need. All the rest of it is a waste of money and a further chance for failure. this does what is needed and no more.



7. EASY TO READ -- big numbers. this scale is good....Not so good about this scale (and the ONLY problem I have so far) is that big bowls tend to cover the read out a little and make it hard to pick up the weight. So far it hasn't been a big deal, but it can be a slight annoyance.



BOTTOM LINE:



This scale gets 100% on items 1-6 and about 50% on item 7 for a 93% grade overall...enough for me to give it 5 out of 5 stars.



The only remaining unrated item is DURABILITY....I'll report back in a year. My old, $50 scale only lasted 3.5 years. I'm betting this one goes at least that long...plus I won't be forking over for new button batteries every month and a half.

** This review has been edited ** I now give the product 5 stars (stupidly, Amazon doesn't allow changing the rating when editing).



Originally I wrote a bad review indicating the unit eats batteries. We didn't use it frequently and every time we did, the batteries were dead.



About a day after I submitted the review, Bill from EatSmart Products emailed me indicating he had seen the review and short battery life is not typical of the product (he stated they should last ~1 year). With no prompting from me, he sent out a new scale along with some batteries to replace the ones the original scale consumed. Although it hasn't been very long, so far the batteries in the new unit are holding up well.



So as I stated above, I now give this scale a 5-star rating due not only to its good performance, but the great customer service from the manufacturer!

Item Reviewed: EatSmart Precision Pro - Multifunction Digital Kitchen Scale w/ Extra Large LCD and 11 Lb. Capacity.



EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale, White



I am no scale expert, but EatSmart has offered me a free book if I write a review of their scale, and this has prompted my review. I have only been using the scale for two weeks, but I haven't had any problems with it so far. My only nitpicks at this point are that the "white" color has a pinkish tone and that the buttons aren't perfectly even. Aside from these minor cosmetic issues, the scale is exactly what I expected: a functional, easy-to-use, accurate, inexpensive ($25), small, lightweight, plastic scale.



When making my scale purchase, I also considered buying the Escali Primo Digital Multifunctional Scale, Chrome. The only advantage that the Escali Scale has over the EatSmart Precision Pro Scale is that the Escali Scale has buttons that prevent food from getting into the cracks. In contrast, when using the EatSmart Scale, you have to be careful not to drop food in between the two buttons. For this reason, I put my scale in a plastic Ziploc bag (gallon size) to protect it from drippings and droppings - this keeps it clean, and it still works great! In all other respects (except for the few noted below), the two scales seem to be very similar according to the product descriptions.



In the end I decided to purchase the EatSmart Scale over the Escali Scale because I preferred the EatSmart unit options. The EatSmart Scale allows you to switch back and fourth between four different unit modes: 0000 grams, 000.00 ounces, 00.000 pounds, and 00.000 kilograms (resolution: .05 ounces/1 gram). This requires pushing the right button once for each mode (for example, start on grams, then push once to get to ounces, then again to get to pounds, then a third time for kilograms). The EatSmart scale will remember the last unit-mode you chose, so you don't have to readjust every time. If you always use pounds, just leave it on pounds. When you return the next day and turn on your scale, it will still be on pounds.



In contrast, The Escali Scale only offers three unit options: 0000 grams, 000.00 ounces, and [00 lbs + 00.0 ounces]. I prefer the EatSmart Scale because it provides pounds with decimals (00.000 lbs) - for me this is easier to deal with than [00 lbs + 00.0 ounces]. I frequently measure out meats, which are labeled in pounds with decimals (00.000 lbs) at most grocery stores. If I buy a pound of hamburger and want to divide it into three 1/3-pound portions (0.33 lbs), the EatSmart Scale makes it easy. I just measure out the 0.33 lb portions right there on the scale. With the Escali Scale, I would have to do some conversions to measure out my portions, because the Escali Scale will not measure out pounds in decimals. In some cases these conversions can be difficult without a calculator. The conversion required in this example would be:



(0.33 lbs/portion) * (16 ounces/lb) = 5.333 ounces/portion ---> Possible to do without a calculator, but not ideal.



Another EatSmart feature that I have found convenient is that you do not have to use the tare button. Simply place your empty bowl or plate on the scale BEFORE turning it on, then push the left button once to turn it on. It turns on very quickly and is zeroed-out upon starting up. Then you can add your ingredients to the plate without having to wait for the scale to tare! If you would rather use the tare button, that is easy as well. Simply push the left button to turn on the scale, then place your empty plate on the scale, push the left button a second time to "tare" the scale, wait for the scale to zero out, and then add your food items that you want to measure.



With its three-minute automatic shut-off feature, the scale gives you plenty of time to make your measurement before turning off. I haven't had it shut off on me yet in the middle of a measurement. It also allows you to shut it off manually by pushing the button on the left twice (you have to wait for it to zero out to 00.000 before pushing it the second time - if it is at 00.003 when you go to push it the second time, it will just tare again to 00.000). The scale also seems to give its readings rather quickly - so no problems there.



IN SUMMARY: The EatSmart Scale has three battery-conscious features: generous three-minute automatic shut-off, option to turn off manually, and ability to tare without actually spending time taring! It also uses standard AAA batteries which are easily replaceable. It offers four convenient unit modes: 0000 grams, 000.00 ounces, 00.000 pounds, and 00.000 kilograms. Overall a simple and functional scale without any bugs. I'm completely satisfied with my purchase - I would buy it again! - Weighing Scale - Diet Scale - Kitchen Gadgets - Compact
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Nutritional Scale - weighing scale, diet scale

Kitchen Gadgets - weighing scale, escali

Click here for more information Excellent scale, even for double the money. The tare feature works like most others, but the three real goodies are:

... the FOUR MINUTE before auto-cutoff. Not like the Taylor scale I had that cut off after one minute of nonuse. It was always cutting off on me before I was finished with it.

... and NO DEFAULT SCALE It's the same as when you last turned it off (if you were using grams, the next time you turn it on it's still in grams, OR ounces at OFF then it's ounces at ON). Tap the button to change g/oz on the fly.

... AND it holds A FULL ELEVEN pounds (5kg). I put a bag of flour on it, set tare, and scoop out until it reads xx-ounces (virtually impossible with a 6# scale).

Yeah, I was a chef for many years and more interested in utility over aesthetics in my equipment. I buy flour in 5# or 10# bags now instead of 50# or 100#. I used to have to have several scales -- one for portions and and one for weighing things like yeast and salt, and bigger ones for things like flour and meats. Now 11# is sufficient and this is still accurate enough for yeast and salt.

... Okay, so it's plastic instead of yuppie glass and chrome. It's accurate and well designed -- not heavy, temperamental, or hard to clean. It just works.

... Oh, and it doesn't use strange batteries (regular old AA batteries so you don't go into conniptions when you need replacements)

I was looking for a reasonably priced scale and I don't believe you should have to spend $50 to get a decent scale. Based on some good reviews here I chose this one and am very happy with it. If it was lost or stolen I would buy another one without hesitation. I would have given this scale 5 stars rather than 4 if it weren't for a serious omission of a "feature" in the documentation that can cause large accuracy problems when dealing with the tare feature. It's not a problem with the scale as long as you are aware of it, it's a problem with the documentation. This problem could explain why some other reviews stated this scale is inaccurate.



The problem is that when this scale is zeroed it goes into an auto-zero mode where small changes (1g or so) in weight cause the scale to continuously re-tare and stay at zero. I discovered this when I put a dish of almonds on the scale and hit tare. I removed almonds 1 at a time and the display always returned to zero. I had removed 15 and it still read zero. I put the 15 back in all at once and it read 15g!. Almonds conveniently weigh between .8 and 1.3 grams.



If you zero out a bowl and try to add a few grams of salt by slowly pouring it in or weigh out some small garlic cloves, you could end up with significantly more than you think you have, depending on how you pour or add. Pouring continuously and quickly instead of dribs and drabs works better.



There are several ways to work-around this "feature":



1. Make your first addition or subtraction to the zeroed scale large enough to get it to register, add quickly (not slowly as the directions state). With the almonds, if I first took out 2 or 3 at one time, the display went to non-zero and then went down by an avg. of 1g for each almond removed after that (sometimes 0 sometimes 2) and the total weight remained correct.



2. You can also put 2 nickels on the scale after tare then subtract 10g from the weight (2 nickels weigh 10g).



3. You can also just press down on the scale with your finger until you're sure you added or subtracted more than 2g or so.



The only other con about this scale is that it might display a reading that seems stable, but 1-2 seconds later it re-adjusts to the correct value, don't be in a rush. If you put an object on it and press tare it may go to zero then 1 second later it has some value displayed, just press tare again and it will zero. Never assume it is zeroed unless you wait 1-2 seconds for the display to stabilize.



I'll try to give you some info here that I didn't find in the 400 or so other reviews:



I've verified the accuracy with calibration weights from 2g to 200g and the scale is accurate and repeatable within +/-1 gram ( a digital display of *any*device can't be more accurate than +/- 1 unit)



The scale has 3 weight modes, grams, ounces and pounds & ounces. Resolution for pounds/ounce mode is .1oz, for ounce mode it displays to .01oz but the resolution is usually .04oz (sometimes it increments .02oz, it depends what weight you are at).



This scale works fine near a running microwave, my old Salter would go crazy within 5ft of a running microwave.



I don't know what people are saying about how small it is, I think it's big, but just the right size. It's 6" W x 8.5"L x 1.6"H. Any smaller would make it hard to use with large bowls and any larger is unnecessary.



It would be nice if the display faced forward or at a slight angle for large objects. If you measure a lot of bulky objects this could become a problem for you. For medium size objects like large bowls or boxes just put something like an empty box or container on the scale first and tare it, this will effectively elevate the platform. The display will be easier to see when bulky objects are placed on the elevated platform.



I love the 4 minute auto off, most scales are 1 minute and that is too short when using the tare feature.



One issue is that if you power it on with more than 120g or so on it, it gives a cryptic (undocumented) error of "0ut2", if you remove the object it then zeros out without having to power cycle it.



I'm a geek so I measured the current consumption of the scale, 3.5ma when on and negligible (2ua) when off. The scale still turns on even with batteries as low as 2.6v (maybe even lower). What this means is that you should get around 800 hours of "on" time before needing to replace the batteries. For the casual user this could be 5 years when used for 30 minutes a day!



My old crappy (discontinued) Salter burned through 2 expensive 2032 lithium cells every few months with very light use (and you couldn't turn it off, you had to let it time out!). I would never buy a scale that uses expensive lithium cells again.



I like that this scale can be turned off (hold the on/tare button for several seconds), although with this kind of battery life, I don't bother. - Weighing Scale - Escali - Kitchen Gadgets - Accurate
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Kitchen Gadgets - weighing scale, escali

Kitchen Gadgets - kitchenaid blender, smoothies

Click here for more information Recently my husband and I upgraded most of our small appliances and cookware. We opted for the Kitchenaid mixer and Calphalon cookware, and decided to skimp on the blender, figuring a blender is a blender and what difference would it make? It makes a big difference. We bought an Osterizer for dirt cheap at a local kitchen supply store and were not impressed with its capabilities. At this point I thought about buying the Kitchenaid but wanted to wait a little while, since the price was rather more than we wanted to pay for a blender.Around Christmas my husband and I visited back home. His grandparents have the Kitchenaid 5-speed blender. We were quite impressed with its capabilities in making a great mudslide; although there were still tiny ice chips in the drink, the blender did quite well in mixing everything very smoothly and with a minimum amount of noise (for a blender anyway).I was able to find one of these wonderful blenders refurbished through Amazon. Since I had earned a couple of gift certificates through my Amazon Visa card I got this for practically nothing. I must say, this would still be worth it even if I did pay full price. Even though it is refurbished it looks like new, and works great. The past few nights my husband and I have enjoyed the same great mudslides that we had in California, and I'm giving away my old Osterizer.Another impressive thing about this blender is its sturdiness. With the glass and the strong base, I'm not worried about this breaking; I was worried about that with all of the flimsy plastic of the Osterizer. When trying to make smoothies on the Osterizer I always kind of winced, afraid that it might blow up at any second. I don't worry about this with the Kitchenaid; this is very obviously a sound appliance.If you are in a money crunch, it's probably best to wait until Amazon has a refurbished model of this blender available; the only visible difference is it comes in a box that states that the product is refurbished. Also you usually won't have your pick of colors; you'll only be able to choose whatever color they have available. But whatever the price this is a great blender and you won't regret the purchase.By the way, I did A LOT of comparison shopping at other sites before I found the refurbished model here at Amazon; Amazon does have the best price on new models that I found, even without the current rebate that Kitchenaid is offering.

After reading most of the reviews for this blender I decided to add my own. I've owned this blender for over a year now and it works beautifully. I use it mainly for making smoothies, usually for myself, but often for family and friends when visiting. If its for 1 cup or a full container it does a great job. I put 1/2 cup water or milk, ice, frozen strawberries, sometimes bananas, apples and/or pineapple into the recipes. This blender makes them into a very smooth drink in quick time and no chucks of ice or fruit in the bottom. I put everything into the container and just let it run, it pulls everything through the blades on it's own. I've seen lots of these reviews showing theirs don't do the job, as my title states I either got lucky or it really is an excellent product and the ones that did the other reviews have had bad luck. I do recommend this blender (mine is the onyx black with glass container).

If you see this blender in a store, you'll be impressed. It has a very powerful motor. It's heavy -- solid steel, thick glass. Even the plastic top is rugged. It looks like it'll last a lifetime.



But depending on what you want it for, it may be a waste of money, because it is unsuitable for many common blending tasks. Like many other people have reported, I noticed that it left large chunks of food in the bottom, even after running a long time. I examined it closely and discovered the cause:



The cutting blades are NOT sharp. In fact, they're quite dull. There is no way you could cut yourself while cleaning this.



This seems to be intentional. When I emailed customer service, I was told, "Please note that the blade does not have sharp edging, as the blunt blades are designed to maximize superior ice crushing ability." They then went on to describe some ways that might minimize the problems this raises.



It occurred to me that if they included, or even sold at extra cost, another, sharper blade, they would probably make everybody happy. So I asked if there was a sharper blade available as a option. "Sorry".



So, if you want an ice crusher, this is your baby. It probably makes great margaritas. But if you want a blender to, uh, "blend" fruits, vegetables, etc, you'd better keep looking, since, amazingly, this model is not designed to do that.



So back it went, and back I went to my $15.00 1974 flimsy el-cheapo plastic blender, with sharp blades, that still works like a charm.

I'm a little surprised by the negative reviews in Amazon. At consumersearch.com, the Kitchen Aid blender was ranked head and shoulders above all other comparably priced blenders-- which is the reason I chose to purchase one. It IS extremely powerful. The container is little squatter and wider than most blenders, which makes scrapping with a spatula much easier. The touch pad controls make the unit very easy to clean. I cook quite a bit and I've used mine to make sauces, dressings, smoothies, and bread crumbs and I have been very satisfied with the results. - Kitchenaid Blender - Smoothies - Blender - Gift Idea - Ice Crusher - Kitchen Gadgets
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Kitchen Gadgets - kitchenaid blender, smoothies

Sharpening Steel - kitchen gadgets, henckels

Click here for more information This steel is very nice for the price. The length is fine for nearly any knife and the material itself is of a suitable hardness for correcting cutting edges. The handle is easy to hold, and it has a nice heft and balance. Exactly what I would expect from a Henckels product.



Now, a brief clarification: A steel will absolutely not "sharpen" your knife. It doesn't have a grit so much as the steel used is much harder than the knife. (If you have a dull edge you can run it along the finest steel for hours and not get a sharper cutting edge.) What it does do is simply correct the angle of the knife's edge that tends to get bent to either side during normal use. When you run the leading edge of the knife down the steel in the correct manner, a sharp edge should go back to the appropriate angle. If you have a dull blade, you need to hone a new edge. (For that you may consider using a professional sharpening service. this can be a little tough for a novice...sorry!) Once that is done, use your steel each and every time you pull your knives from their home to keep the edge at peak usability.



Keep in mind that you could sharpen a spoon to a razors edge, it just won't keep it for long. Better knives hold an edge for much longer due to the quality of the materials and their hardness. Few of us need an exquisitely expensive set of knives. Just buy a nice set for a good price and keep on using a good steel!

I have Henckels knife which I enjoy using.

I did try other brand's sharpening tool, but it just wasn't as good as original Hanckels. This thing is made in Germany!

Since I paid good sum of money for my knives, it was worth extra money to buy good sharpner. And this really is great price. I saw similar Henckels sharpner at Target for $25.

I am very happy.

It is what it says it is and is great for putting that finished edge on knives. About 6 or 7 passes on each side keeps my wifes favorite kitchen knife razor keen. Also used it on my pocket knife, cuts through boxes like butter.

I recently took a cooking class where I learned how to use a sharpening steel and how effective they are in putting a good edge on you knives. (a few light strokes on each side of the blade at a 20 degree angle is all it takes) My wife can't believe how sharp our knives are now. This was an excellent steel with a molded handle. While not a pretty as the "matched set" this is very functional and our knives don't even notice the molded handle either. I ended up buying another steel for my daughter and now she has sharp knives as well.

This product will not sharpen dull knives, but it will keep sharp knives in great cutting condition much longer. I did not know anything about this type of product before my purchase, but research (and now experience) has shown me that a sharpening steel will remove the burs to keep the cutting edge straight and smooth so the sharpness of the blade does what it does. I notice a big difference if I use my knives a few times without using this product, and then after a few swipes on both sides of the blade they are like new again.



I got this brand since it was a gold box item for me, but I'd recommend any sharpening steel that is at a good price. I can't imagine you'd see much difference in results from different brands, the knives are what really matter.

I've already went through my kitchen knives and touched them all up with a nice edge. This is a fine quality steel. I owned a professional steel already, but it was quite old and I really like the balance of this one better!

How much can you say about a piece like this?



It's a nice size (shorter than most I've used).



It's easy to handle, and my knives (Victorinox Cutlery 6-Inch Chef's Knife, Black Fibrox Handle and Victorinox Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife ) are ready to cut after a quick honing.



For sharpening, I love this tool (and so does Cook's Illustrated):

AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener

Have used it over a year. Like the hanging loop. I sharpen with a Tormec wet grinder, then do a final touch-up with this steel. This steel has micro grooves, so a light touch works best. My old Remington 10" carving knife maintains a razor edge with this steel between uses. A final pass with the Global diamond rod ensures a very fine edge. And the price is right. - Kitchen Gadgets - Henckels - Cutlery - Honing Steel - Chefs Knife - Kitchen
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Sharpening Steel - kitchen gadgets, henckels

Kitchen Gadgets - kitchen gadgets, sharpener

Click here for more information I purchased this knife sharpener because the price was right. I wanted a spare knife sharpener to keep at my camper. It will sharpen knives just as well as more expensive two stage sharpeners do. The cutters are fixed so you can't replace them. At the price who cares, buy a new one and save the aggravation of replacing cutters at $7 a pop.

This is a fantastic product. It's inexpensive, ergonomically friendly, and sharpens very well. Because it is both small and attractive, I can leave it on the kitchen counter beside my knife block for very quick, easy touch-up sharpening (use the ceramic slot for this purpose).



You may or may not want to buy an expensive electric sharpener to sharpen all your knives a couple of times a year, but you definitely want to have a Smith's Edge Grip handy so you can easily keep your edges sharp on a day-to-day basis.

I bought this specifically for some inexpensive "Farberware Pro" knives, for which it matched the factory bevel very well. I have not tried it with any other knives, but I imagine Farberware's grind is fairly typical of most kitchen knives being sold today.

This sharpener is not comparable to a stone or similar systems when faced with varied or more complex grinds, and is not going anywhere near the cleaver, for example. However, the carbide bits are very aggressive, much better than typical "coarse" ceramic sharpeners, and could probably regrind a knife fairly quickly. The "fine" ceramic rods are standard fare.

The grip looked small in the picture but, combined with the traction from the rubber bottom, proved comfortable and completely secure. Of the fixed angle, countertop sharpeners I have encountered, this is the best designed and I expect to replace it with same model when it wears out.

I have a small kitchen and just a few drawers. So, I need to save space, and this sharpener has the size that I was looking without losing quality. The first impression was that it wouldn't last long, but after 4 months it still works perfectly and my knives are always in the perfect shape.

THIS little thing works perfect for the price and size. My husband sharpens the knifes in the garage but I got this to have in the drawer to keep them super sharp when needed for a lot of veggie chopping and it works fantastic.

This is a magnificent little sharpener. As a former professional chef, I can honestly say if this product had been available twenty years ago I would have had one. When the blade dulls the work is slower and more likely to result in inferior cuts and accidental cuts. If you follow the instructions you'll have a razor sharp knife in about one minute. For the money, this is the BEST product for the kitchen I've seen in years! Thank you for making my food prep easier & better.

It was cheap so I gave it a try, turns out it's actually a very good sharpener. I thought the built in sharpener on the knife block was ok until I used this. You will actually remove steel shavings from the blade to form the correct angle with the rough side and basically polish with the fine side. My set holds the edge quite well but that will depend on the quality of knife you have. Definately will buy another for when the current one wears out.

Man, I paid 6 bucks for this thing and it might be the best 6 bucks I've ever spent. It's small so it can be tucked away in a drawer, lightweight and gets knives CRAZY sharp for how small and inexpensive it is. I bought one and had it sent to a friend I was so impressed.

Man, this thing is tiny! I don't mention that because it affects it's performance, I was just surprised, as it appears larger in the pictures. This sharpener performs well, with plenty of rubber coating on it for a good hand grip and good traction on the counter. - Kitchen Gadgets - Sharpener - Knife Sharpeners - Sharpening Tools
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Kitchen Gadgets - kitchen gadgets, sharpener

Cuisinart Gr-4 Griddler - george foreman grill, electric grill

Click here for more information This is, in my opinion, the best of the George Foreman grills.



It functions perfectly. The removable plates lock into place fairly well and do not slide around very much. It is incredibly easy to clean even without removing the plates.



The adjustable temperature and timers make cooking a lot easier when you don't have to guess at the actual temperature, like you do with so many of the other George Foreman grills.



It is sturdy, well built, and is designed to last. It fits easily onto a countertop, and I have had no problems with it whatsoever.



The one quibble I have is that the Bistro Grill does not actually shut off after it has been turned on for use, even if you press the power button again. You have to unplug it to get it to stop heating, and this is apparently by design according to the manual. This is counter-intuitive, and definitely not the way it should work. Pressing the power button should be a toggle. Press once, it turns on. Press a second time, it should turn *off*.

I bought this grill as a replacement for a "Ready-Set-Go" that was a piece of junk that fell apart after only a couple of uses. I really liked having a counter-top grill though, so i thought I'd give this Foreman a try! WoW! Am I glad I did! Grilled some Maple/Dijon/BBQ Glazed Salmon the first night, and it came out better than when I use my professional outdoor grill. I love the interchangable grill, deepdish, and muffin grill plates. The kids loved the deep dish pizza too! Now, if I can get George to offer an omlet and tiny muffins plate like I had with the "Ready-set-Go" this thing would be perfect. It's easy to use, quick and easy to clean with the removable plates, and versatile. Bottom line: buy it! ...and enjoy!

This grill is quick and versatile. Temperature and time controls are very simple. All grilling/baking plates are very easy to remove and pop in the dishwasher. Thus no greasy cleanup after burgers, etc. At this price a more complete cookbook should be included, since cooking is done on both sides and cooking time is much shorter than other methods.

This has been a great tool for me. I still prefer using a flame grill but when time or weather doesn't allow for it (which is quite often) this is a great alternative. I have used it to cook chicken, fish, steak, burgers, turkey breast (both ground in the deep dish attachment and fillet on the grill attachment) and have baked muffins in the muffin attachment. I have been pleased with the results of all items cooked except for the steaks. It may just be me needing to get the cooking method down but my steaks are only OK when using this. I am going to be purchasing a couple of the attachments soon so I can have waffles and mini burgers. Overall I am very happy with this purchase and would recommend it.

Ok, so after some extensive research I bought this a couple months ago. Overall I'm a big fan. I love cooking and this baby makes some things so much simpler. You all know what the deal is with what it can and cannot do, but here's my take on it.



Pros,

-Large area, able to cook for several people at once

-Temperature control and timer a big plus, and an improvement over the last model I had (I forget which it was)

-Tiltable for easy cooking of steaks and other things that should not have runoff.

-INTERCHANGABLE PLATES makes cleaning so much easier.



Cons,

-Really short power cord is just aggravating

-THIS MODEL DOES NOT SUPPORT THE WAFFLE IRON PLATES, which I find ridiculous. I bought it with the expectation that I could buy the waffle plates afterwards, especially because they are both 84sq inch models. I want waffles!

The GRP4EMB George Foreman Grill with the deep bake pan and interchangeable grill plates has become the second most used appliance on my counter, after the microwave. I'd done on-line research to find a reliable product that would have the functionality of cookers with removable upper and lower grills similar to what are advertised on TV, but which would be well-made and reliable. This item seemed like the best thing out there, but it was new and there weren't many reviews available. I took a chance on it because the George Foreman name implies a level of quality. I've had this thing for about three months now and it's great. I cook with it almost every day, and sometimes several times a day.



The waffle plates were not included, and I bought them separately from Amazon. Contrary to what another reviewer said, they fit fine. You have to make sure you get the waffle plates that go with this model.



The deep dish baker is superior to a toaster oven because you can bake items in sauce. For example, you can make a small lasagna that feeds two in less than half an hour by using two layers of the no-boil type lasagna pasta and adding a large can of tomato sauce for moisture and whatever filling you want. I also use the deep dish pan to bake olive oil drizzled broccoli or asparagus, Rachel Ray style. The deep dish does a good job baking frozen biscuits (8 at a time), and other frozen convenience items like fish sticks and chicken strips.



The coating on the grills is the usual George Foreman hard non-stick metal type, and stands up well to repeated washing.



My only complaint (and this is minor) is that the cook time only goes up to 20 minutes. I sometimes have to keep an eye on the timer and add additional minutes before the cook time is up. - George Foreman Grill - Electric Grill - Kitchen Gadgets - Easy
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Cuisinart Gr-4 Griddler - george foreman grill, electric grill

Manual Can Opener - kitchen gadgets, kuhn rikon

Click here for more information My wife and I find this to be the best can opener we have ever used; we even use it to open cans that have lift top lids (such as Del Monte canned sliced peaches). Why this can opener is so good is because of how it works and the quality of the product. It is made like a Swiss watch; there is no slop in the movement.



It is different than a traditional can opener which you place along the side of the can top and it cuts off the top. This can opener you place on top of the can and it separates the top of the can from the can cylinder. Contrary to the language used in the Amazon review, the can opener does not depend on cutting. The Kuhn Rikon Safety Lid Lifter depends on breaking the seal between the lid and the can.



The knob that you turn rotates a knurled wheel. When pinched on a can, it is forced into contact with the inside edge of the can lid. The wheel of the can opener that is on the outside is set at a slight angle that causes a lifting action to break the bond between the can and the lid.



Initially, you turn the knob clockwise; when the opener has gone completely around the top of the can and you detect a drop in force, you then turn the knob counter-clockwise and the lid lifts away from the can. Typically, there are no sharp edges because nothing has been cut.



If you want to see a good picture of the mechanism, look at the lower price model. To see this, click on other products by Kuhn Rikon. You will be able to go to a picture that shows the opening mechanism and will see the very slight angle on the wheel opposite the drive wheel. This wheel does all the magic.



Because of my fascination with this can opener, I have examined a lot of cans that were opened with this opener. Only one time I found a sharp point that must have occured when the lid did not properly separate from the cylinder.



The drawbacks:



There are some cans with pull top lids that this opener will not open but these are few.



I notice in some reviews people talk about sliver pieces and I have seen this. What I believe they see is a small particle of the glue ring that seals the top of the can to the cylinder in the assembly process.



It takes getting used to:



When you place the can opener on top of the can, it must lay flat. Once you get used to it, you automatically push down lightly on the turning knob as you close the grips. This assures that the can opener is laying flat on top of the can.



The can opener is designed for use by right handed people. To operate this opener, you need to be able to position the can opener on the can with your left hand and hold it there while turning the knob with your right hand. If you can't do that, you probably don't want this can opener.

When we first got this unique tool, my son and I thought it was defective. The mechanism glides so smoothly around cans, it hardly seems to be doing anything...then we discovered the grip that lifts the lid off. I truly like the safety the lid lifter provides. Since we recycle our cans, sharp edges can really be a hazard; but we no longer have that problem. The lids even fit back on as though they had never been removed. This product is very well constructed, has an easy grip to turn (much more comfortable and easier to operate than a standard can opener), and seems to stay cleaner. The only drawback is opening large cans, particularly large cans of coffee.

This is the best can opener I have ever used in 35+ years of housekeeping! It stays clean, does not rust, stays sharp, is easy to turn (padded handle) and the can edges are so neat, you can put the lid right back on if you want to. I am buying this for gifts. Forget electric can openers that get so filthy and rust and get dull. This one is perfect and I expect it to perform for years and years.

My husband drove me nuts looking for one of these, we looked everywhere for one. I finally found it at Amazon, I have tendinitis, and cans are so much easier to open. Dented cans would torment me with pain, but this can opener glides over any dent, cuts through good, and is not hard to turn. I expected with this sort of can opener, cans such as coffee cans, I would not be able to return the plastic lid to the can because of the way it cuts. I was wrong, the lid goes right on with no problems. The only disadvantage, is that if you want to drain things such as tuna fish, the lid isn't real easy to keep in place so that you can do so. All in all I would have to say every home should have one.

After fighting with Safety Can for too long, I purchased this model. I love it. It works every time. Very solid construction, and the little jaws for pulling the lid off are very helpful. No nails ruined!

I purchased this can opener to replace an "ancient" one that was quite rusty and hard for me to operate. My husband had no problems with it, but I sure did -- it left sharp edges on the cans and lids. Half the time the lid would still be attached to the can and I would have to "wiggle" it off! Sometimes the lid would go "plop" into the food and I would have to pry it out using a knife. What a mess!



This can opener is a world apart from the above scenario. I love the fact that it is easy to operate (even for a lefty like me!). It doesn't leave sharp edges. I find that using the opener also to lift the lid is very handy. The tool, too, seems well-made. It is stainless and heavy enough that it seems made to last. It is not too heavy though. It is indeed a nifty kitchen tool! - Kitchen Gadgets - Kuhn Rikon - Safety Can Opener - Manual Can Opener - Openers - Design
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Manual Can Opener - kitchen gadgets, kuhn rikon

Safety Can Opener - zyliss, safety can opener

Click here for more information I have several products made by Zyliss and have found them to be excellent quality, but this Zyliss Safe Edge can opener is a great disappointment for both ease of use and safety. I have found cans vary in ease of opening, but some cans are very difficult to open with this. After going around three or four times, the lids still did not pry off, but I had to bend them to get the product out. A greater concern is that it leaves small filings of metal on the lid that fall into the pan when the contents of the can is poured out.

I really like the edge type openers and will try to find another.



As others have mentioned, this can opener requires an extra step to get the lid off after it is opened. I found that to be a pain.



After 2 months of use, it has stopped opening cans for no apparent reason. I am thinking the blade has worn out already. This opened is going back.

I will never go back to a traditional can opener. Instead of sharp edges and the chance that a dirty lid can fall into the can, this takes off the lid in one smooth piece. The first time you try it, you will not be sure if you actually opened the can because of where it cuts the can. This is safe for kids to use. I used to only use electric can openers, but hated the sharp edges. You can open your can just as quickly with this and tuck it away in a drawer. It seems that we have so many appliances on our countertops already, so no need to have a can opener there as well. I highly recommend this product. I am surprised it is not more mainstream by now!

As others have mentioned, this Zyliss can opener works in a completely different way than the traditional ones. If it bothers you to have to figure out and change how you do things, as is my wife, you don't want this. However, if you're interested in design and looking for a better opener, this is a great choice. I'll repeat what others have said but with a little different wording and description. I would say that the mechanism pries the entire lid off in the reverse of how it was put on. You lift the lid off intact, separated from the body of the can. The opener doesn't touch the food and there are no sharp edges. While it is dishwasher safe, this opener stays clean. Traditional openers cut through part of the can's top, leaving the lid's edge in place, whereas the Zyliss just takes off the whole lid.



Design and build are excellent: nice weight, good grips and easy to turn. I can't imagine that there is anything to wear out for many years.

I like edge can openers. This one functions well, but I had one previously that functioned better. The only drawback to this opener is that after you cut open the lid, you have to unlock the blade and relock the tip of the can opener on the lid in order to take the lid off. The previous can opener I had would take the lid off in the locked position after the lid was completely cut.

This is a good-looking opener. It feels nice in the hand. The handle is easy to turn. The whole thing locks and has a nice magnetic lid grabber, so you don't have to push your dirty lid into your clean food.



Unfortunately, like others have reported, after going around the lid, it fails to ultimately sever the lid from the can. It does this consistently. I have not had a single lid come clean with this opener. Thus the nifty lid grabber is worthless.



I'm sending it back.

The mechanism to close the opener on a lid is a little strange, and you have to get it just so, but even that process only takes a split second once you work out what to do the first time.



Ultimately, the thing opens cans like it claims to, and does it with a minimum of effort. We have left-handed and right-handed people, big and small, strong and weak, young and old using this can opener, and no one struggles after the first time.

Locking this can opener onto the top of a can might take a little getting used to the first time you do it. After that, you just turn the handle until you are done. I imagine you might need to use it to lift the lid on rare occasions, but it won't usually be necessary.



The blade wheel, which is the black and stainless steel wheel, is set back about 2mm from the sides of the recess for the can, and it also slants to one side. So if the can gets big enough, you will reach a point where there's not enough curve to allow it to fit. The breaking point is a bit smaller than the size of cans you get in warehouse stores or see in restaurant kitchens.



On a typical sized can, this opener is easy to use, does a great job, and leaves a clean cut. But the first time I tried this opener, I had to use considerable force and eventually gave up. I then noticed that the edge of the can rubbed through the opener on one side, and the force was needed because the can was jammed against the opener. DON'T USE THIS ON LARGE CANS!



I'd recommend this for left handed users, even though the blade tilt makes the can opener technically right handed. But you can turn the top handle clockwise with your left hand if you want to. If you turn it the other way, it will slip off. Clockwise is not truly "backwards" as it is with a pseudo left handed cheese grater, or other similar item with a handle on the side.



The bottom line is that aside from the cosmetic damage caused by using this on a big can, I still have a good opener. - Zyliss - Safety Can Opener - Kitchen - Manual Can Opener - Ergonomic - Kitchen Gadgets
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Safety Can Opener - zyliss, safety can opener

Knife Sharpner - henckels, sharpener

Click here for more information I own a set of Henckels knives that are several years old. They are used every day and despite regular honing they were becoming dull. Keeping knives razor sharp is a skill that requires some practice and the right kind of sharpener, and so I was skeptical that one of these quick sharpeners would do a good job at sharpening them, but I decided to give it a try. Does the sharpener make dull knives sharper? It certainly does, in just a few minutes. Does it make them sharp enough for routine use? I would say yes; I am not a professional chef, but I find that I am much happier with the performance of my knives after sharpening. Does it return them to their factory degree of razor sharpness? Unfortunatley, no. I think there is no question that my knives were sharper out of the box than I can achieve with this hand sharpener. But that does not mean that this was a bad purchase. It has restored my knives from being a bit dull to being perfectly adequate for the use they get in my kitchen.If you want to achieve like-brand-new razor sharpness, this sharpener will not do that for you. If you want to bring your dull knives back to a degree of sharpness that will be adequate for 99% of home cooks, this would be a good item to have.

I am the proud owner of 25 Henckels knives, largely due to a consolidation of two households. I was never able to get a truly sharp edge on these knives, regardless of the sharpeners used and I tried many different gizmos using different sharpening techniques. The latest was the motorized "Chef's Choice" using diamond encrusted wheels and magnetized knife guides for the proper sharpening angle. Doing 25 knives took about two hours at least and the result was usually unremarkable. Actually, the knives remained remarkably dull regardless of the effort expended with this noisy gadget. And then I stumbled across the Twin Sharp Duo Knife Sharpener. Somewhat encouraged by the largely positive customer feedback, I bought one and have never looked back. The process is silent, it takes less than one third of the time compared with the "Chef's Choice" and the results are remarkable. The knives slice through the edge of a sheet of paper with no difficulty, tomato skin is no longer a challenge and carving a side of beef or a turkey is a joy. Pulling the knives through the sharpening ports of the Sharpener at first seems to yield nothing, but after the third or fourth pass the steel or ceramic plates engage the knife and impart an amazing edge. Maybe I am over-reacting because all my previous efforts with other sharpeners were overly time consuming and did not yield good results. This one, however, is different. It actually works! Some have said that the gadget does not impart the same edge as a professional sharpening would and that may be true. However, I don't intend to shave with my knives and for demanding kitchen work they are about as sharp as one would need. I think Henckels has done it this time. This is a great sharpener!

This was a gift for my wife who is going to Culinary School and uses Henckel Four Star knives. The two step sharpener works great and is very easy to use. A few strokes in slot 1, then about the same amount of strokes in slot II and the knife is new sharp again. The body of the sharpener is easy to grasp and really feels secure on the table with its rubber feet holding it steady as you run the knife in each of the slots. This sharpener not only works great but also looks great with its stainless steel body and frame.

While I have a great set of Henckels for home use, I bought this more to use on my work knives as a bartender. At work we have cheap generic knives that are highly abused.It took some time with the steel wheels to clean up the edge on the cheap knives, much more than "5 passes", but once I got the edge down and nicks out, the ceramics gave them terrific edge. Almost a month later the edges are holding up great despite heavy abuse and constant runs through the dishwasher (dishwashers take the edge off of knives - hand wash), since I have no control over the abuse my coworkers dish out.I am really looking forward to using these to clean up my personal knives out home, as soon as I get them out of storage.Highly recommended.

I give this thing an A+. I have a set of 14 year old Henkle four stars that I have never sharpened with anything other than the steel. I needed something more. This thing worked very, very well for me and the price is not bad at all. Needless to say my knives are now as sharp as when they were new. I'm pleased with my purchase.

This sharpener worked fine for touching up the edges on my knives (4 star Henckels and some random no-names). For edges that have a correct existing bevel and are dull but not abused, restores a fine edge fast. If the existing bevel is too steep or otherwise messed up this may not work (it's not a grinder). Takes some attention to get a smooth pass without chattering. - Henckels - Sharpener - Kitchen Gadgets - Knife Sharpeners - Knife - Recommend
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Knife Sharpner - henckels, sharpener