Mr. Coffee DWX23 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black

CUSTOMER REVIEW



It is very hard to choose a coffee maker that you will be happy with, and produces good tasting coffee. Here is my two cents on the Mr. Coffee DWX23 coffee maker.

Easy to read blue LED clock and blue LED power indicator.

Easy to set the time and program.

Brews 10 cups in about 12 minutes.

Water temperature going into the grounds is around 192 degrees, which is better than most coffee makers out there.

Easy to read water reservoir.

Decanter does not drip or dribble (at least mine did not).

The warming plate is non-stick and keeps the brewed coffee hot (around 180 degrees) for 2 hours.



The real only complaint I can think of is when you leave the lid closed after brewing, and you go to make another pot of coffee in the morning, once you open the lid, not all of the water will end up in the reservoir. Some will dribble down the back of the coffee maker. I have seen this design flaw in most coffee makers out there, and is usually a make or break decision with me.



The best selling point I can make about this coffee maker, is the water temperature. After a year in service, the water temperature is still a constant 192 degrees. Most commercial and industrial coffee makers will push water out at 200 degrees, so this is a very close competitor as far as the flavor of the coffee being brewed. I am very picky about coffee flavor, so this coffee maker does a great job for flavor and warmth.



Cleaning is a cinch. Just run 1/4 cup of white vinagar to 12 cups of cold water, followed by 3 more 12 cup brews of cold water once a month and you are in for great tasting coffee with the Mr. Coffee DWX23 coffee maker.

Proctor Silex K2070YA Electric Kettle, 1-Liter

CUSTOMER REVIEW



This Electric Kettle is quite simple without any frills. For the price, it does what it claims to do. It boils water quickly , the water level is easy to see and has the auto-shut off feature. I have used it reliably to boil water for tea, oatmeal etc. The water is quite hot, so use caution when pouring it out. The lid , can sometimes be hard to close & open.

simplehuman Compact Sensor Pump with Soap Sample Brushed Nickel, 8 Fluid Ounce

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I've owned two of these sensor activated soap dispensers. Both stopped dispensing soap after about one year of use. When the dispenser worked, it worked great. Family members and guests enjoyed the sensor activated pump. But my recommendation is to be weary when buying this product.



My tear-down of both units revealed a common flaw. The root cause of the failures is a small o-ring belt that becomes stretched over time and fails to transmit power from the electric motor to the impeller. So, the design is flawed because it relies on a belt and pulley system. A better design would have used cogs and gears to transmit power from the little motor to the impeller.



Until Simplehuman changes the design, the pump will fail after a relatively short period of time. Honestly, these things should last 3-4 years before failing. You won't be getting your money's worth with this design.

HomeFlav Beverage Heater Beverage Warmer

CUSTOMER REVIEW



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Years ago, it seemed like everyone had an immersion heater. Of course that was before the microwave came into existence. They are quite easy to use and the HomeFlav is much sturdier than any of them I've had before. The stainless steel coil is a good 1/4" thick. The immersion heater appears to be an intuitive device to work, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind when using one.



First of all, it's unwise to use them to heat liquid in any paper or plastic container. The heater really can generate heat and will boil water. You don't just toss the whole thing in liquid, but rather just the exposed stainless section. What I do is prepare before even plugging in. The smaller ones have been known to melt if not in liquid so I put water in my cup, put the immersion heater in, and then plugged in. Once again, remember to immerse the coils BEFORE plugging in the unit.



No, it doesn't heat instantly. It does take a few minutes, but while you are heating up water for your tea or some soup, you can busy yourself around the area doing something else. Obviously, this is not a device you won't want to walk away from. Once my water was heated up, I removed the heater an placed it on a surface that won't burn. You can also have another cup of water at the ready to place it in. Good solid immersion heater that works well, but don't expect instant heating.



Sample provided for review.

Rosle Egg Cracker/Topper

CUSTOMER REVIEW



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I love soft boiled eggs and, although I have no problem cutting them open with a sharp knife, I was looking for a way to make the cut a little smoother so that it would make a better presentation for my guests.



I have experimented with a couple of different egg toppers and I really like this one. It takes a little practice to get a nice, clean crack around the egg. I have found that if you put the Rosle egg topper over the rounded end of the end, rather than the pointy part, it works better. Also, extra large eggs produce the best results. I hope that my little video review is helpful to you!



Egg Topper Cutter Clipper Stainless Kitchen Gadget

Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black/Brushed Metal

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I've had the Cuisinart DCC-1200 for about a week now. I was hesitant to spend so much on a coffee maker but I'm happy to report it's well worth it. Sure, you can get other brands of coffee makers for under $25 if economy is the most important feature, but I've had those machines and I decided that, this time, a good cup of coffee was most important for me. This unit makes the best coffee I've had in a home or office machine and better than most coffee I've had in restaurants.



This coffee tastes smooooooth! I suspect the charcoal water filter is the reason for that. I also like the "shower head" design of the water spout. The water actually runs up a track onto the underside of the lid and is sprinkled over the ground coffee like a rain shower.



It's an attractive unit but it also looks like a serious coffee maker. This unit is no toy. It looks and feels solid. The carafe has a good solid feel and balance. The plastic parts (like the plastic carafe lid and handle) feel like good heavyweight plastic and are well molded. It's not the lightweight crappy plastic that cracks and discolors easily in the cheap coffee makers.



I like the 5 beeps when the coffee is ready. Now I can leave the kitchen and go clean or whatever and I don't have to keep running back to see if I can get a cup yet. I can hear the beeps. But if I really can't wait and want a cup in mid-brew, I can just remove the pot and pour a cup - you've got a full 30 seconds to reinsert the pot, before you risk an overflowing filter.



I like the permanent gold-tone filter too. I always thought paper filters were a pain. They'd fold over sometimes and there'd be grounds in my coffee. But you can use paper filters in this machine if you want to. I just prefer the convenience of the gold-tone filter (top rack machine washable too).



It has an indicator light for cleaning -- it says it's "self-cleaning" but really it's just a light telling you when you need to pour in a pot of water/vinegar and run it through to decalcify the unit. (I never thought to do that with my other units. Probably another reason my coffee wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.)



The low-medium-high setting on the hot plate is pretty nice too. And the auto-shutoff feature is great. I don't have to worry about forgetting to turn the machine off.



The instruction booklet is very good and very thorough. Comes with a parts reordering form too.



What don't I like about this machine? It requires maintenance in that you have to change the charcoal filters. But actually I don't mind since I think they are the reason the coffee tastes so smooth, and they are very easy to change and not expensive [...]



Also, the area in the top of the machine where you pour in the water is narrow but again this is just a minor inconvenience. Just have to pour a little carefully.



So really it's almost all positives with a couple of very minor negatives. I highly recommend this coffee maker.

Capresso 303.01 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Machine

CUSTOMER REVIEW



For the money this is an excellent machine for non-commericial use. My spouse is totally hooked on lattes. We usually make 2-20 ounce lattes at one time; although, we have made 3 sets of 2-20 ounce lattes back to back. The Capresso is fast. The espresso is flavorful and hot. The steamer quickly heats the milk to perfection and creates as little or as much froth as you prefer.



During the last 20 years, we have had 6 or 7 different espresso machines ranging from $40.00 to $180.00 in price. This one which retails for $105.00 (we paid less on Amazon)is the best. It is easy to use and creates exceptionally good coffee drinks.



A word of caution for any machine you purchase: READ the INSTRUCTIONS. The directions for each machine differ slighty. My caffeine addicted hubby overfilled the water chamber on a very expensive espresso/cappuccino machine and broke it.



The Capresso 303.01 is the machine I would recommend to friends and family. We are extremely happy with this machine.



UPDATE January 2012: We are still loving this machine. After at least twice a daily use (sometimes abuse), it is just starting to act a little tired. The carafe was replaced due to human error. Apparently glass breaks when dropped into a sink. (Amazon had the least expensive replacement.) The steamer is still going strong. Recently I have noticed that the espresso is not brewing quite as hot as it had been for the first 2+ years. Other than that our espresso machine is functioning well. When this machine finally dies, I plan to replace it with another 303.01. The price is currently at an all time low.

Zing Anything Orange Citrus Zinger CZ 100 O

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I bought three citrus zingers and unless you tighten the top and bottom seals extremely tight they leak. But the down side is that it's extreamly difficult to open up the bottom part. Is this something you are aware of?

I got your e- mail in response to my comment on the leaking and difficulty in opening the bottom, but you didn't address this. I read some on else's review and he also had a leaking problem.

Jbyuhl@msn.com

Nostalgia Electrics ICMP400BLUE 4-Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I picked this unit up for under $30.00 at Penney's last year, after our old wooden bucket unit gave up the ghost. We'd had that one for about 15 yrs. The problem with the wooden buckets, was that the brass bands holding it together, always rusted from the corrosion of salt water that came into contact with it. The plastic bucket on this unit eliminates the rust issue. It has a large capacity; about 5 or 6 qts, which is good for large families or a crowd. The problem with the new units like cuisinart, is that they only hold 1 or 2 pints! Why go through that much work, for such a small amount? Plus, those only work if you think ahead to pre-freeze the interior canister for overnight. That eliminates the possibility of deciding on spur of the moment some summer day, to say "hey, let's make some ice cream! NOW!"

Yeah, yeah, you have to use a cheap box of rock salt and pick up a bag of ice. Using ice and salt, really aren't a big deal though. After making your custard or ice cream base, and place into the canister and putting the whole thing into the plastic bucket, you just add lots of shallow layers of ice and rock salt, till you get to the top. Then turn the thing on, and it's done in about 25 minutes. Perfect! We've used ours for 2 yrs, with absolutely no problems. Ok, well maybe the box it was packaged in, looked tacky, and like it would be kind of cheap. But so what! I don't care about the packaging, we just wanted a great, dependable ice cream maker that didn't cost $100 or $200! This unit works flawlessly, and turns out amazing ice cream! Our family of 8 loves it!

*** Just a side note, to recommend that you purchase some Mexican vanilla online, or find someone going to Mexico, and have them pick some up for you. It makes an enormous difference to vanilla ice cream! You won't believe how incredible it'll make it taste!

Hamilton Beach 49983 2-Way FlexBrew Coffeemaker

CUSTOMER REVIEW



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Here's what comes with this Hamilton Beach coffeemaker:



* coffee maker

* 12-cup carafe

* basket that takes cupcake-style coffee filters for ground coffee

* tray for making individual servings of coffee with two inserts: one insert is used for ground coffee or coffee "pods", the second insert is for K-Cup coffee packs

* manual and quick-start guide



Note that the individual travel coffee mug shown in the picture on the box is not included.



This coffeemaker allows you to make coffee how you like it--a full pot or just an individual cup. And you can use coffee grounds or K-Cups or coffee "pods". Also, when making a pot of coffee you can program the time you want the coffee to be made.



In the video I show the various options and features of this Hamilton Beach coffeemaker, as well as demonstrate making a cup of coffee.



After using this coffeemaker for a while, I'm happy with it, as it gives me more flexibility than my previous coffeemaker, which only brewed a carafe at a time. Also, I've been wanting to try one of those K-Cup coffeemakers, and so this unit gives me the best of both worlds.

Bodum Chambord Coffee Press

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Okay, to some the idea of using a French press coffee maker is a little too precious, bordering on snobbishness. I used to be in that boat until a few hours ago. Tonight on a whim, I purchased this Bodum French press. Now I should warn you readers that it is generally NOT a good idea to test out your shiny new french press when you are getting home at 10:30pm on a Monday after spending way too much money at Target when you just ran in to get "dog food". I write this review so heavily caffienated that I will probably stay up until dawn tonight re-organizing my closets or alphabetizing my CD collection or doing some other useless task. Despite being a daily coffee drinker (of the muddy variety the office's Bunn machine churns out), one cup from the french press has knocked me into the stratosphere, and that alone is worth giving this product 5 stars.



My caffiene overdose aside, this press produces the best coffee I have ever had at home, and it truly rivals or surpasses coffee I've had at coffee houses. It's slightly more involved than using an automatic maker, but not difficult at all. The unit itself is pretty sturdy, and looks lovely.



French press coffee is a great alternative to using those smaller 1-2 cup automatic drip makers. Being single, I've gone through my share of those, and the coffee they make alway seems about ten times worse than the coffee from a normal-sized drip maker. If you like to make a large pot of coffee and drink it throughout the morning, I would suggest picking up a good quality carafe or thermos to keep the coffee warm.



Pros:



-Best tasting coffee you'll ever have at home, period.



-Strong, full bodied flavor



-Pretty easy to prepare



-Impress your friends with your snobby european coffee-making ways :) (looks good on your counter too)



-Great for making small amounts of coffee, for one or two people.



-Priced about the same as a ho-hum auto drip coffee maker with no extra bells and whistles, yet makes coffee a million times better.



Cons:



-More cleanup than using a automatic drip maker



-No heating element to keep coffee warm. Use a thermos/carafe if you want to sip several cups over a few hours.



- 8-cup capacity is based on a 4oz beverage size. Not really a "con" but something you should be aware of. If you had a large group you were making coffee for, it might get a little tedious to be constantly making a fresh batch of coffee.



Couple other notes: Coarsely ground coffee is recommended. This is no problem for people that already buy whole bean and grind their own, but it will be an extra step for some people. Also, I recommend picking up an Aerolatte milk frother if you want to make truly effortless cappuchino. I find that there's plenty of time to warm some milk in the microwave and froth it up while the coffee brews for 4 mintues. A $20 Aerolatte milk frother + $24 french press = coffeehouse coffee at home, whenever you want it. That's really a tiny investment for coffeehouse quality java!



I also purchased a smaller 1-cup Bodum press to take to work. Tomorrow I plan to smile smugly while my co-workers chug down the crap that comes out of the Bunn machine. If my boss is really nice, I may let him use it too. Maybe.