Bodum New Kenya 34-Ounce Coffee Press, Black Review

I purchased this coffee press in both the 4 cup and the 8 cup models. Both, like the other Bodum coffee presses, make a great cup of coffee, so if you have never tried coffee made this way, I would recommend getting one of the New Kenya models while Amazon has them at a reduced price. However, I would like to caution you about one thing.

One day after receiving the 4 cup press, I broke the glass carafe! Because these units have outsides that are made entirely of plastic (unlike other Bodum models which have holders and/or handles made of stainless steel), the fit around the glass beaker is very tight. The carafe and the plastic holder do need occasional separating while washing, because sometimes during the rinse process, coffee grounds become lodged between the two. I wash mine by hand.

If you are going to separate the two, please do not do so while you are washing them with the dish soap! I had to pull rather hard to get the glass from inside the plastic, with soapy hands, and, well, you can imagine what happened. They did separate, but the glass beaker went flying into the bottom of my sink and then totally shattered...

At the cost of the replacement carafe with the shipping charges, it was just cheaper for me to order a new one! I did do that, but purchased the Bodum Chambord model instead (which does cost more), with the metal holder, and the glass and holder separate very easily for cleaning (much easier than the plastic holder)! Which, by the way, now always occurs before the dish soap is applied!!!

The 8 cup version of the New Kenya press works just fine and the glass is intact, as I separate the components of that model sans dish soap, also. I thought I would share my experience so that perhaps there might be one less person out there saying to themselves, "What was I thinking!?".

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Product Description:
The French press coffee maker is accepted worldwide as one of the best methods for brewing coffee and our New Kenya coffee press is sure to deliver not only gourmet coffee flavor, but modern design.The durable and heat-resistant glass beaker is partially encased by the black plastic frame of the New Kenya coffee maker.The frame covers a part of the sides and bottom of the beaker, making it safe for the tabletop without using a trivet or coaster.Simple to use, the French press is a proven method for brewing flavorful and balance coffee.Coffee is measured in 4 oz. cups, so our 8-cup press will brew 34 oz., serving three to four people.For best results, use coarse ground coffee.Just add the appropriate amount of ground coffee to the beaker (we recommend one 7 gram scoop per 4 oz. of water).Fill the beaker with hot water (just off of a boil).Leave about an inch from the top of the beaker.Give the coffee a stir with a plastic or wooden utensil to mix it completely with the water.Set the plunger and lid unit in place with the safety lid in the closed position.Allow the coffee to brew for 4-minutes and then press.Turn the safety lid to the open position, serve and enjoy.Clean up is easy too - just scoop out the grounds with a rubber spatula, and rinse the beaker and filter.There is no paper or additional filter required.The 3-part stainless steel filter system is built right into the press.The stay cool handle is built right into the sturdy New Kenya frame.All parts are dishwasher safe.The New Kenya is also available in 3, 4, and 6 cup sizes.

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Aroma AWK-161 Clar-i-Tea 1.7-Liter Electric Water Kettle and Tea Brewer Review

This is one of the few electric kettles I found with no plastic under the water line--although it does have a silicone gasket between the glass and metal parts.It boils fast and is reasonably easy to clean.

HOWEVER, it has a fatal flaw.The non-detachable mesh screen connected to the lid is not stainless steel.It visibly rusted within a week of purchasing the product.I called Aroma (the manufacturer) and they sent me a replacement, which started to visibly rust in 24 hours!This is not okay.Any metal in the product should be food grade stainless steel.

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Product Description:
With 1500 watts of power, this electric kettle quickly brings up to 1-3/5 liters of water to a roiling boil--great for hot chocolate, instant coffee, oatmeal, instant soups, noodles, baby formula, and more. Simply add water, close the lid until it locks securely into place, and push the power switch located on the power base. The uniquely designed appliance not only provides a tempered-glass carafe for viewing the boiling process, but it also comes with a stainless-steel tea infuser that accommodates both loose-leaf and bagged teas, making it possible to brew a variety of teas right in the pot after the water has boiled. Best of all, the unit's patented Strix electric connector delivers power to the kettle through its stationary base, which means the kettle can be lifted off the base for graceful pouring without the hassle of a cord. The kettle also swivels 360 degrees in either direction on its base, making it a comfortable choice for both right- or left-handed users. For safety and peace of mind, the unit automatically turns off once water comes to a boil or if the kettle's empty. Other highlights include an "on" indicator light, a cool-touch handle, a decalcification filter, an easy-to-clean design, and cord storage in the base. The electric water kettle and tea brewer measures approximately 9 by 7-2/7 by 8-3/5 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

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Bunn 6100 Easy Pour Replacement Decanter, Black Review

Here's the scenario: I work in a small lab with about 6-10 coffee drinkers, half of which drink coffee throughout the day, myself included. We have an old Bunn commercial coffee maker with a top and bottom burner, making up to 5-8 pots A DAY. It's on, never shut off from 7AM to 5PM, weekends too though not always. So if you're a restaurant owner or an office like mine, reconsider this product by Bunn--a big disappointment from a company that usually gets it right. I regularly make the coffee and wash it out by hand, with soap and hot water (most days) before shutting it off for the day. I also try not to let old coffee sit too long and burn on the bottom in between each new pot.

Here's the product's claims:
*"Full 64 ounce capacity."--yes.
*"Drip-proof, fast pouring lip"--yes, and a nice feature.

*"Container and handle core are clear, high-impact-resistant material -- all molded as sturdy, extra-strength, one piece construction for longest life."--Sorta: see below
*"Base is high quality stainless steel."--NO: see below
*"The Bunn 6100 is the classic black-handled coffee decanter seen in restaurants the world over."--No: see below

The old version of this replacement decanter had worked for months but it was a different model but I couldn't find it, so I went ahead and bought this one, which looked and sounded even better. For the first few weeks, we all liked it a lot. The handle was ergonomical and comfortable, the lip was narrow for fast dripless pouring, and if someone accidentally filled above the line for the water pitcher that came with the coffee maker, no matter, it was tall enough to accommodate an over zealous coffee maker and have an overflow of precious coffee. Seemed great.

BUT IT'S NOT!

--Hi-impact resistant, sturdy with that pinch of extra-strength for rough handlers? Sure, to a degree. It was nice to not worry it's crack if someone got careless and banged it against something.
--One piece construction? I don't think so--the clear part is hard plastic with a "high quality base made of stainless steel" bottom and obviously isn't one piece construction. It leaked at the seal between the plastic top and metal bottom; and this high-quality base quickly weakened and even flaked metal flecks. Are you kiddng me?
--If this coudln't last a small lab/office for only a few months, how could a restaurant or offices with heavy coffe drinkers??? If you use this exact product for only a couple of hours a day, for a very small group of people, it's perfect--of course it'll be great. But when it's got the Bunn name and claim that it's long-lasting and tough enough for restaurants...I took their word for it. However, anyone using it all day, all the time, heavy use...think twice.

So, for twenty-five bucks ('cuz that's what *I* paid)...you get a product that lasted from July 2009 to Nov 2009--that's only five months. I like Bunn products, which is why I bought their full glass carafe for only thirteen bucks. The glass might not be stainles steel and hard plastic (a good very thing in my case), and even though it'll stain I can clean it out with soap and hot water or vinegar for when there a weeks I only have time to give it a good rinse and leave it be--unlike the full plastic or this Bunn 6100 version (or others like it), which stains and weakens the overall integrity of the product quickly and is impossible to clean out because the mouth is so narrow for that dripless pouring.

I don't know what product everyone else got, but my Bunn 6100 Easy Pour Replacement Decanter in Black was as BUST! Get the glass version which takes away all the problems I had with this replacement carafe at half the cost.

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Product Description:
The Bunn 6100 is the classic black-handled coffee decanter seen in restaurants the world over.

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Hamilton Beach 40616 Stainless-Steel 12-Cup Electric Percolator Review

Before I purchased this coffee pot about a year ago, I read reviews by others who said 'good coffee but lasted only a few months.'I thought to myself...'oh, those people must have been the unlucky few who got bad units...or they emersed the pot and ruined it.'I should have listened to their 'don't buy' pleas, and hope others will listen to my message of warning.

I loved this coffee pot.Rich, strong, hot coffee, and great classic looks.My only complaint was that compared to other percolators I've used, this one is noisy.It makes a loud popping sound while brewing.I never emersed the unit, and was always very careful to avoid letting any water get near the base of the unit when washing it.

I bought this pot a year ago, and used it about twice a MONTH.Yesterday morning, I attempted to make coffee but got only the same 'beige water' that others have reported.Tried again today thinking maybe it was just a fluke, and got a second pot of luke warm 'beige water.'

I suspect that others who posted initially positive feedback about this pot have had the same experience, but just haven't returned to update their reviews.In any case, I would strongly caution against the purchase of this pot.It's just not durable.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hamilton Beach 40616 Stainless-Steel 12-Cup Electric Percolator

Product Description:
Housed in heavyweight stainless steel with an attractive chrome mirror finish, this quick-brewing electric percolator makes 12 cups of coffee with super-fast, cup-a-minute speed. When brewing is complete, it automatically switches to a "keep warm" temperature to ensure each cup is as warm as the first. Great for entertaining, the percolator has a ready-to-serve light that indicates when coffee is ready to enjoy, and its detachable cord provides the ability to serve fresh perked coffee right at the table without any hassle. Other useful features include a drip-free spout, an easy-grip knob on the unit's lid, a stay-cool handle, and a stainless-steel permanent filter basket that minimizes grounds in brewed coffee. The unit combines present-day technology with the retro look of a '50s kitchen for creating a perfect compliment to any kitchen decor. The percolator, which should be washed by hand, measures 5-1/2 by 5-1/2 by 12-3/4 inches.

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Total Chef TCIF06 Ice-Cream Factory 1-1/4-Quart Ice-Cream Maker Review

This item arrived quickly and the Amazon experience for me still proves to be a consistently good one.This product, however; was another story.

I purchased this ice cream maker in the hopes that the frozen containers most other automatic machines use would be a thing of the past and I could free up some freezer space.The concept is wonderful, but the execution is horrible.This unit will not freeze ice cream.It simply will not get cold enough.I waited over two hours and still had mush.This is due to the fact that this unit uses the peltier effect to cool rather than a conventional refrigeration system.The process used in this item simply cannot succeed unless you're using it outside in the winter (ambient temperatures below 60 would do it I think).Aside from not being able to do what it was advertised to do the construction quality was extremely poor with fragile plastic throughout.The control panel was nothing more than a decal covering some buttons and it came off entirely when I removed the product from the box.We had to keep it out on the counter as a reference to know what the buttons were for on the front.

I returned this product for a refund.

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Product Description:
Make up to 1-1/4 quarts of delicious ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet at home with this easy-to-use countertop appliance. Simply add ingredients and turn the unit on--no freezer required. Thanks to its thermoelectric cooling system and automatic ingredient-mixing system, the machine does all the work to ensure fast, thorough results, with no headache involved, unless the finished product gets eaten a little too fast. The ice-cream maker also features user-friendly digital controls for simple operation, plus a portable design that makes it a fun addition to any birthday party, backyard barbecue, or other social gathering. The 70-watt ice-cream maker offers an elegantly modern design and measures 8-8/9 by 7-8/9 by 11-4/5 inches.

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Sushi mold / Musubi Maker Review

I don't know why people advertise these molds as a sushi maker, since any person who actually knows how to make sushi would use their hands, finger molds, or bamboo rolling mats to shape the rice. Real sushi makers would not be caught dead with plastic molds, period.

This mold is meant and designed for making ONIGIRI, NOT SUSHI. It even says that on the packaging, so I don't know why there is so much confusion over this appliance.

That being said, I love this tool. I know how to make onigiri by hand, but this does yield cleaner and nicer looking results. It's very easy to get the onigiri out, too. If you want cuter designs, then I recommend buying flower and heart shapes too.

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Product Description:
*Instruction -Musubi Maker makes 2 triangle sizes. Put some rice in, fill with plum pickle, fish or meat and then fill it with more rice. Easy rice ball making mold. Make 2 rice balls at one time

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Ninja Quad Blade Food & Drink Maker Review

The blades on this machine to be EXTREMELY, (and I do mean EXTREMELY) S-H-A-R-P.!Think of the sharpest blade you have ever come across -- a razor-blade, or very, very sharp knife -- and you will have some idea of the EXTREME sharpness of these blades.Yep -- even I knicked myself on these blades, before I realized how very, very, VERY sharp they are.Of course, this exteme sharpness makes for extremely good and powerful cutting action -- but one should be aware of this sharpness before purchasing this item, especially if there are small children in the house, who usually have NO limits at all on their curiousity and mischieveness.

These blades cut VERY well, and do every job advertised!Some blenders do their jobs by having a large wattage or ampere rating -- but the Ninja does it with very, very sharp blades.It is more powerful, in making my prized receipe for thick, heavy salmon moule, than even my beloved Vita Mix 5200, (a great machine....for most things.) Just be sure to "prep" the Ninja first, by pulsing a few times to break up the batter a bit first.Those sharp blades sure know to chop things up, and usually, no water or liquid at all is needed!Amazing!

On the negative side, though, it must be mentioned that both the large set of blades, (which fit into the larger blender-size container), and the small set of blades, (which fit into the mini-container), come in TWO SEPARATE PARTS.So, you get a total of four
blade parts.THE BLADE PARTS MUST BE FITTED TOGETHER FIRST, AND/OR DROPPED SEPARATELY, ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, INTO THE APPROPRIATE CONTAINER.Why EURO-PRO did not put both blade parts together, so the user would have only one blade-part to put into each container, is beyond me.The half-blade parts are obviously smaller, and are easier to lose, in both dishwasher or with hand-washing.There is also a small rubbery-plastic part that fits into bowl part, where the blade is dropped in. It is very small and easy to lose, and if it's lost, it's impossible to put the blades in properly.

The main difference, (the only difference, as far as I can see, anyway), between this item and the Euro-Pro QB900 Ninja Master Prep, also offered here on Amazon, is that the item here will give you two extra mini-blend containers for an extra $10.

Also, the "Master Pod" top part is rather heavy, compared to the rest of the set.After all, the hand-held "Master Pod" is where the motor
is housed!It takes a bit of getting used to, holding this comparatively heavy part, (roughly weighing about a pound-and-a-half), and, though handling this part shouldn't be any trouble at all for normally-abled people, if you're handicapped, and sometimes find it hard to lift anything even as light as a pound and a half, I'd think twice about buying this admittedly nifty little machine.Also, one must always KEEP one's finger pressed down ON the "Master Pod" button, to make the Ninja blender work.Because of the power and sharpness of the blades, oen doesn't really have to keep one's finger on the Master Pod button very long -- but if this is problem, please be aware of it.Unlike traditional blenders, or even the "Magic Bullet" machines, one CANNOT use the "Ninja" Blender unless constantly attending to it and pressing down on the top button...
I've also found that preparing a VERY SMALL amount of food is impossible in this machine, because the blades -- unlike those of most other blenders I've used -- do NOT reach all the way to the bottom of the containers-- even the mini-containers. In this, it's just like the Vitamix.What do I mean by a small amount?Well, you can't mix one or two eggs in either of the NINJA containers -- because they will not even reach the bottom blade, which is about an inch from the bottom of the container.For mixing such little amounts, use a conventional, "Osterizer/ Waring" type blender, or the "Magic Bullet" series of blenders. This is an important fact to remember, as so many people live by themselves these days, and sometimes only WANT to mix only one or two eggs, etc.

But the NINJA does the job -- all its jobs -- so very well. Just keep its few short-comings in mind before you decide if this machine is really the one for you.Just like Ninja warriors, it's fast, nimble, works on simple, easy-to-understand, (but VERY powerful!), principles, and looks deceptively simple, sitting there on your counter!

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Product Description:
Ninja BladeTM technology has unique processing power for uniform cutting and ice-crushing action. The large 48-oz. pitcher is perfect for making several drinks at a time, featuring an easy flip/pour spout and no-slip bottom. Following recipes and prepping food become effortless with the 2-cup processor: minces, dices, chops, blends and purées. No soggy results!The interchangeable motor head allows you to prep appetizers in the processor and quickly switch to activate the party pitcher for drinks, entertaining at its best! Ergonomic operation with one touch pulsing creates an easy to use and safe product. Dishwasher safe parts.

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Deluxe 8oz Blue Popcorn Maker Machine by Paramount Entertainment - New Full Size 8 oz Popper Review

Handle fell off after 2 weeks of use, but was easy to screw back on.Inconvenient to clean thoroughly.Next time I would buy two air poppers instead.They cost less and produce as much per batch as this machine.

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Product Description:

NOTICE: Popcorn Machines also available in other Colors, Sizes, & with or without Cart.
(Simply click "Other Paramount-Entertainment Products" under the item title above)


Product Features
- Condition: Brand New
- Warranty: Five (5) Year
- Eight (8) Ounce Stainless Steel Rotational & Detachable Kettle
- 860 Watts
- Built-In Electric Stirring System
- Low-Noise Motor & Gearbox
- Three (3) Multifunction Control Switches (Kettle, Stirrer, Light/Deck Warmer)
- Warming Light
- Warming Deck (additional heating element built into base of unit)
- Unpopped Kernel Filter
- Removable Crumb Tray
- Detachable Clear Acrylic Door
- Detachable Tilting Metal Tray Door
- Enhanced High-Impact Thick Safety Tempered Glass Walls
- Heavy Duty All Steel Construction
- Popcorn Scoop & Measuring Cups Included
- Full Instruction Manual
- Highest Popcorn Output Per Batch
- Easy To Use & Clean


Product Specifications
- Operates on 110/120 Volt 60Hz Circuit (Standard Outlet)
- ETL Approved
- Overall Machine Dimensions: 24" Height x 17" Width x 14" Depth
- Base of Machine Dimensions: 15" Width x 12" Depth
- Weight: ~33lbs

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