Saturday, October 26, 2013

Sprout Garden 3 Tray Family Sprouting Kit - Includes: Sprouter, Drainboard, Covers, 3 Sprouting Trays, 2 Oz of Certified Organic Alfalfa Seed, Instructions. Grow Healthy Fresh Sprouts in Your Own Kitchen!



Fast and easy
This one is so much easier and faster than the mason jar type. Just hope it works as well in hot weather.

Sprout This & Sprout That
Simple, yet it requires daily attention and it produces sprouts. I like it and recommend it. Go ahead and order this one.

Super easy sprouts
This little sprouter worked just as described. The first batch, using just one tray, barely fit into a quart bag. That was using 2.5 tablespoons of seeds. Really like the cover, because it helps keep them in the dark and control when they get light.

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DeBuyer Mineral B Element Grill Iron Frypan, 4.7-Inch Round



Just a great little pan
This is a great little pan. Once you get it seasoned it is really great for one egg. Makes a perfectly round egg.

The DeBuyer Mineral line is incredible
Forget cast iron. These DeBuyer Mineral pans are better without the fussiness of caring for cast iron. And yes, they are nonstick from the beginning, after the initial seasoning. I use this small frypan to cook one or two eggs, and they slide right out. The seasoning process before you use it the first time is simple and straight-forward; DeBuyer's YouTube video is crystal clear. I have added a larger DeBuyer that I use exclusively for pancakes. Again, it couldn't be better.

If you enjoy cooking well, you will love these DeBuyer Mineral pans.

Perfect for an egg breakfast sandwich
I bought this since I am trying to get away from using Teflon coated pans. One thing to realize - this pan is small. Make sure you understand just how small 4.7 inches is. It fits one egg perfectly. and is great for making breakfast sandwiches. I have cooked 2 eggs in it, but it was a little tight. I follow the instructions included for seasoning - it was easy.

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Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 4.5 Qt. Sauce Pan with Steamer Insert



Nice saucepot/steamer, if a bit hefty
I bought it replacing a cheap old stainless saucepan/steamer whose handle fell off (after 12 years ;)

This calphalon pot is actually a very nice size - the steamer is actually wide enough to handle asparagus spears with just the very tips broken off. The nonstick surface seems very durable.

However, it is pretty heavy, if that's important to you.

Great steamer
Pots with steamer inserts are not that common anymore. I like that this pot has a wider, shallower configuration than my previous steamer so the veggies cook more evenly. The glass lid means I don't have to keep taking the lid off, losing all the steam, to see when the food is done.

Love it.
It's big enough to boil a dozen eggs, and the steamer works great. The lid also fits my 10" Omlette pan. It cleans up great as well.

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Friday, October 25, 2013

Garcima 26-Inch Carbon Steel Paella Pan, 65cm



Beautiful Pan
There is nothing like the spectacle of cooking a large paella on an outdoor grill for 20 people! Everyone was wowed by this beautiful paella pan. And the paella cooked evenly! Wish I had taken a picture of it.

Manufactured in Valencia!
The paella pan met and exceeded our expectations. We lived in Valencia for nine years and spent many weekends with neighbors preparing paellas in the country. Imagine our excitement when the paella arrived and we found out it was made in a Valencian town we recognized. Time to invite the neighbors over!

Worked perfectly
My first try at Paella was a resounding success. Cooking it over an open fire (that was the tricky part-had to rig up something but it worked) made it a fantastic afternoon with family and friends.

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Update International ES-AL Aluminum Egg Slicer



Do not put in the dishwasher
I used this egg slicer once, then tried to wash it in the dishwasher. When I took it out it seemed to be heavily oxidized. It had a black tint which would come off on my hands. I ended up throwing it away.

Everything you need
This product is great for eggs or strawberries..It saves a lot of time and makes slicing more even and consistant



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Plastic Tank Lid, Plastic, Universal Fit



Does its job
It covers the toilet tank and that's pretty much all i expected. It doesn't look terrible either, so that's good.





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KitchenAid Gourmet Distinctions Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set



Really GREAT set! Not non-stick? No problem
Really beautiful on the stove. The shining, sloping sides add a very elegant and sophisticated air. Extremely quick and even heating. Handles stay cool. Just all around a great cookset! We almost didnt get it for 2 concerns: we were concerned the handles would get too hot (they stay cool!) and difficult cleaning ..we were looking for non-stick (these still clean quick and easy with a swipe of a brillo pad). We've since realized that non-stick would wear out in 5-7 years but without it...these should last almost forever! Great purchase.

Leaking rivets? No problem at all!
I almost did not buy this cookware set because of the reviews that mentioned leaking rivets. But here's the real deal.

The rivets that attach the handles to the pans are located high on the sides of the pans. If you fill a pot clear up to the rivets, you'll have lots of splashes and spatters as you cook and stir. The easy solution? Use a bigger pot! No spatters, and no leaks.

Out of curiosity, when I was washing mine prior to use I did fill them up over the rivets, and no leaks on my set.

So, a little more on the set in general. I purchased this as a replacement for my 35 year old Revereware, which was wobbly on my new glass induction stove. Also wanted to get rid of the nonstick stuff for health reasons. This is perfect, very stable, great heat conduction, glass lids fit well and make it easy to monitor cooking. A joy to use, and on top of that they look gorgeous.

My suggestion is to notice the cooking hints in these reviews, and...

Terrible customer service tarnishes decent product
This cookware set is visually appealing, though it discolors with even low heat from a gas stove. Successive uses, though, tend to remove the discoloration. It distributes heat nicely around the base and allows boiling liquids inside to circulate well from top to bottom.

This said, my experience with Meyer's customer service (Meyer Corp. out of Vallejo, CA produces and provides support for KitchenAid-brand cookware) has been far from stellar. Three items in the purchased set contained bubbles in the copper/steel base visible from the bottom.

I contacted Meyer to return the defective items and was put through quite a bit of hassle. The representative first gave a stock answer without reading my message. Then I had to quote KitchenAid's "Hassle-Free Replacement Warranty" to get Meyer to pay for shipping the defective product as it is within the first year of ownership. When the replacements finally arrived about five weeks later, one item was dented. I have...

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