Eureka 71B Hand-Held Vacuum

I'd planned to get the small Dyson, but the reviews of this vacuum persuaded me to give it a try. It's absolutely excellent. It's the best handheld vacuum I've ever tried, and I've thrown more of these things away than I can remember. Fortunately, I've always saved the attachments. Sometimes they fit another model, sometimes they don't. Since there's no fancy coupling required to attach tools to the hose end of this one, its just friction, most fit it.

This is a solid, powerful vacuum. The filter is heavy-duty and seems very durable. It's easily removed and reattached. I use those over-priced compressed air duster cans to blow all the dust and dog hair off of the filter. Between this and my full-size Dyson, there's probably more of the family dog outside the house than in by now. As for the weight of this machine, it is a little heavy, but then I only have to support its weight when doing vertical surfaces or carrying it around. When it's vacuuming stairs and furniture, I let the horizontal surfaces support most of the weight.

Everything about this machine suggests its maker really put a lot of thought and effort into making an absolutely excellent product. And, I commend them for packaging it in protective plastic that can be easily removed without knives, pliers, bolt cutters, or a chain saw. The engineering on this one was obviously thoughtful and thorough.

Eureka 71B Hand-Held Vacuum

Krups Fast Touch Coffee Grinders

I have had my grinder for 12 years now. It works the same today as it did new, and I use it about 10 times a week. For the money, it can't be beat. That said, this grinder is not for everybody.

This grinder is perfect for anybody with a coffee maker that uses #4 paper CONE filters (or slightly bigger or smaller). I emphasize PAPER because a permanent filter is not good for this grinder. Like any blade grinder, it will produce some dust. That creeps through the permafilter and into your pot is makes sludge. It sloppies up your coffee. Nothing gets through paper filters though.

It also grinds coffee fine. You really don't have a choice. It is ok for espresso as well if you are not a connoisseur. If you try a coarse grind with this unit, you will be out of luck. If you don't grind long enough, you will leave a few beans whole or in large pieces.

If you need anything other than a fine grind and don't mind using paper filters (I prefer them), then look no further.

I deducted a star because it has limitations, but the truth is, for probably 80% of the coffee drinkers out there, this grinder is all you need.
Krups Fast Touch Coffee Grinders

Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker

When my Braun FlavorSelect coffee maker unexpectedly stopped working, I had to scramble to find a new machine. I wanted another Braun, but unfortunately, they seem to have stopped making a 12 cup coffee maker. So I had to begin an intense search for a machine that had the features I wanted combined with good value. I finally found it with this Cuisinart model.

The advantages? For one, it makes excellent and HOT coffee. The carafe is solidly constructed and fits securely in square body so there's no chance of someone accidentally knocking it loose. Because the lid fits tightly, the pour is precisely narrow and smooth, with no side leaks even when the pot is full. The basket fits inside the housing instead of swinging free like so many models which prevents a misalignment between the water and the filter; the conical (Krups/Braun style) basket accepts both paper filters and gold-tone, although I learned the hard way that not all gold filters fit. The timer is very easy to program, as is the clock. The carafe warmer can be set at low, medium, or high for the temperature that's right for you. I found the "high" setting too hot since I drink my coffee black (I like my coffee hot but not scalding!), but those who add a lot of milk might appreciate it. The brewing is quick and efficient, with the process taking about a minute a cup, maybe less. The retro/stainless look complements most modern kitchen décors. There's a 1-4 cup setting to make sure such small amounts stay hot, and you can select how long the warmer remains on. The pot beeps five times when brewing is complete and just before the warming plate shuts off. Parts are top rack dishwasher safe. It comes with a water filter system designed to improve the taste of the brew.

But the Cuisinart does have disadvantages. The water reservoir is located on the right side, in the back, which makes it a little challenging for lefties like me to dump the final bit of water inside even though the carafe pours very accurately. Although I haven't yet missed the opening, I do struggle briefly with those last few drops unless I use my right hand. The housing is fairly tall, so if your counter space is only under the cabinets, you may not be able to lift the top in its entirety. (This is when the small rear reservoir becomes a major issue as you have to have room to completely lift the rather large top toward the back.) Clearance required: 7.5" wide by 8.5" deep of counter space with no overhead obstruction to pull out for filling OR 21.5" of overhead space to fully lift top. Without the top open, the coffee maker measures 7.5"w x 8.5"d x 14.25"h.

If you have the space for this coffee maker, you'll love it. I can't attest to how long it will last, but, as it comes with a three year warranty, I'm hoping for a good run.
Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker

16-Piece Deluxe Watch Opener Tool Kit Repair Pin Remover (Colors May Vary)

The product arrived promptly. Ordered on Sunday was surprised to see it in mailbox on Wednesday. Already opened two watches for battery replacement and shortened two chainlinks. The watch replacement and chain-link fixing is at least five each in our neighborhood. So I think the tool has already paid for itself and saved the trouble to go to the stores. The nearby Meijer store used to replace the battery at no charge but has stopped doing that lately. I do not have any expensive waterproof watches with screwed backs so I have not used that tool. But all the other tools came in very handy.

The tool quality seems fine. No instructions. So I had to figure out. I guess these tools are meant for people who know what they are doing. Learning was not difficult. By the time I reached the third watch, I knew fairly well how to use them. May be I am a slow learner.

I wish the tools had a storage box that came along, but no big deal. Next trip to Dollar Tree should solve that.

The candies were included in my shipment too like an earlier review had mentioned. Kind of reminded me of the old time neighborhood stores. Rather pleasant.
16-Piece Deluxe Watch Opener Tool Kit Repair Pin Remover (Colors May Vary)

PUR 2 Stage Water Pitcher Replacement Filter

I'm currently a college student living with 5 other guys and we use Brita filter at the apartment. When you cook with Brita filter, you can't taste a thing, but when you just drink the water, it taste like tap/toilet water. It also leaves those black stuff (part of the filter) on the bottom of the container. Personally, that's just weird and nasty, but maybe people like eating those filter-particles.

Back at home, my family use Pur water filter and I have to say, you can definitely taste the difference. I think that the water filtered by Pur taste like Fiji water. It's awesome. Instead of buying those ridiculously-good-looking bottled Fiji water, I bought huge water containers and take water filtered from home to my school apartment and just drink it myself.

The only downside of Pur water filter is that it costs more than Brita filter. Being an Economics major, I calculated the cost of water per gallon (filtered). With each filter (Pur or Brita), it filters 40 gallons of water. Pur cost $24.99 for a 3-pack (Amazon.com), this means that it costs $.208 to filter a gallon of water (excluding the cost of water itself). Brita filter cost $15.99 for a 3-pack (Amazon.com), this means that it costs $.133 to filter a gallon of water (36% cheaper than Pur). Although it costs more, I still think it's worth the money. I rather spend the extra $.075 per gallon of water than to drink toilet water.
PUR 2 Stage Water Pitcher Replacement Filter

Panasonic NI-S300TR 1200-Watt Steam Iron with Curved Titanium-Coated Soleplate, White/Green

This is my 3rd iron in 6 months. I have had this iron for about 1 1/2 months so I am still waiting to see if it holds up. So far so good. My first iron was a B&D Digital2030 iron. Lasted 4 months and quit. Handle got hot and iron would turn on to Setting 1 after it was turned off. 2nd iron was a Shark brand. Didn't work from day one. Would only turn on if you unplugged the cord and then replugged. Returned that. So far, this iron is performing great. For a 1200watt iron it produced a lot of steam even without pushing the burst of steam button. I iron all my husband's work/dress shirts and need an iron that is adequate for cotton. The titanium coated soleplate is nice, but I do prefer SS. The tip of the iron is the best I have had so far. It is quite pointed and really gets into tight spaces. I sew quite a lot and this is great for pressing out corners. I purchased the titanium soleplate because of fusibles that I work with and need to be able to remove it. So far so good. The retractable cord is a nice feature although my iron is up and ready all the time. The cord c/b a little longer, but is probably limited because it is retractable. It does work nicely. The base of the iron is not too heavy (as it looks)and stands on the base really well. For the steam it produces, the amount of water it uses is remarkable. You don't need to fill it constantly, and it is fairly easy to fill. Didn't see the need for a removable water resevoir. A word of caution though - the iron needs to go thru several sessions to remove whatever is inside it. There was a slight fragrance the first few times I used it and it did deposit an oily (?)spot which came out easily on my white shirts. It did go away and now is fine. All in all, I recommend this iron. If it doesn't hold up I will come back and update my review. I do not recommend DIGITAL IRONS. I don't think the technology is there yet especially if you sew and leave your iron on a lot.

WELL, I HAVE HAD THIS IRON FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW AND I AM VERY HAPPY WITH IT. IT STILL PRODUCES A GREAT DEAL OF STEAM, THE SOLEPLATE IS HOLDING UP WELL, AND THE IRON HASN'T TIPPED OVER ON THE IRONING BOARD ONCE. I JUST PURCHASED ANOTHER ONE FOR MY SON BECAUSE HE NEEDS A RETRACTABLE CORD. EVEN IF THE IRON GOES KAPUT ON ME NOW, I THINK I WOULD STILL BUY IT AGAIN. I ALSO JUST REALIZED THAT THIS IRON HAS THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SEAL OF APPROVAL. THAT IS ALWAYS A PLUS FOR ME.
Panasonic NI-S300TR 1200-Watt Steam Iron with Curved Titanium-Coated Soleplate, White/Green

Cuisinart DCC-RWF Replacement Coffeemaker Water Filters, Set of 2

I live in Seoul, South Korea, where it is inadvisable to drink water directly from the tap. Unless, that is, your idea of a good time is to let a little amoebic dysentery cozy up and get friendly with your colon.

Okay, so, the water isn't ALWAYS that scary to drink. Just, uh, just most of the time.

Even when the water doesn't make you sick, it usually tastes like it's been funneled through an old radiator. Coffeemakers, generally speaking, don't include water filters because the brewing process ostensibly kills all of the harmful bacteria. But you can still taste the heavy-metal-goodness in every last drop of leaden java. Lip smacking!

Anyhoo, I purchased a Cuisinart Coffeemaker recently (oh, how I love that machine), and it came with a package of these little filter fellows, and let me tell you, they do the trick. Gone are the filamental-flavors, the taste of scalded electrical wire! All that's left is pure watery goodness, the clean, crisp clarity of two spic-n-span H's and one well-scrubbed O. Now, if this little wunder-filter can do THAT for the brackish dreck that passes for water in Seoul, imagine how much more effective it would be on YOUR water!

Uh. Assuming you also do not live in Seoul. Or, er, Mexico. And parts of Bangladesh. And most of Haiti. And also, maybe, Djibouti. (Although I think Djibouti's been getting its act together with the public water works system these days, thanks to macro-economic reform programs. See the comments section below.)

NOTE: Some elements of the above review may have been exagerrated in order to titillate easily-titillated readers. Readers with tender sensibilities should not have read the previous review.
Cuisinart DCC-RWF Replacement Coffeemaker Water Filters, Set of 2

Black & Decker PHV1800CB 18-Volt Pivoting-Nose Cordless Energy-Star Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

When our Shark went on the blink for the third time we decided it was time to get serious about a decent handheld vacuum. We own a Dyson full size vacuum so I naturally did my research presuming that the right answer was to get the Dyson cordless as well. However when I compared the reviews (some good, some not so good) to the price it gave me some heartburn so I decided to look around. Glad I did.

I did not have high expectations for this product. By and large I find the Black & Decker brand to be a decent value for the money, but not necessarily great quality. This product changed my opinion. It's very well made, with solid construction and an intriguing design. Those factors are very important to me, but it's a vacuum, so if it doesn't suck none of those factors matter much. Boy, does this thing suck! It's a bit noisy, but when you consider the amount of suction it creates it's little wonder that you can hear it so well. So far, everything I have used it for has been handled with great ease and satisfaction.

The charging station is pretty convenient and intuitive. My only criticism of it is that the charge light never changes color when the unit is fully charged - this would be a nice feature to add and is one of my issues with the Shark. But you can leave it in the base to trickle charge all the time without issues.

The pivoting nose is great because in the folded position the unit takes up so much less room, while in the extended position it's the right length and balances nicely.

Overall, this is a five-star handheld cordless vacuum and is the one I would recommend to anyone based on my positive experiences with it so far. If anything changes to alter my opinion, I will append this review.
Black & Decker PHV1800CB 18-Volt Pivoting-Nose Cordless Energy-Star Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid 24-Piece Food Storage Container Set

These are really good containers. They are a lot nicer than the "Durables" line and are BPA-free (which is important to me because I have small children*). Mine get sent to preschool and are run through microwave and dishwasher almost daily and show very little sign of wear. The lid stacking is nice but unless your space is really limited I wouldn't call it a big selling point. The only bad thing I can say is that they can stain when you put tomato sauce in them (like most plastic food storage products).

*For those who missed it - BPA plastics have been linked to a number of health problems (among other things BPA mimics estrogen in the body) and are facing bans in several countries and may be banned in the U.S. Pregnant women and children would probably be best off avoiding it. For others the evidence of a health risk is more debatable (the traditional measurements of toxicity don't work well for hormone disruptors and for adults the results are not clear and may not be for some time). At least one major BPA vendor is refusing to sell it for use in food storage based on risks reports coming out of the National Toxicology Program and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid 24-Piece Food Storage Container Set

Tovolo Yellow Groovy Pop Molds

I've used several ice pop molds over the years, and up until now I thought Tupperware's pop molds were by far the best. These Tovolo molds lack the ability to replace either the cap or the handle (they are one molded piece) but the plastic used in the cap/handle and the mold is easily the best I've ever seen for pop molds. It's too early to predict how well these will actually hold up after dozens of freezings and thawings, but if the quality of materials is any indication, they should last a long, long time.

One month later:

While I still think these are overall the best pop molds I've ever used, I did discover one thing about them (the hard way, naturally): don't drop them on anything hard (i.e., a tile floor) after they've been in the freezer for a day or more. The yellow caps/lids tend to get brittle after freezing, and they will crack and/or break. The opaque molds don't appear to have this issue, although I don't plan to intentionally test their break-resistance threshold. I glued mine back together with Barge Cement. It's not pretty but it's functional.
Tovolo Yellow Groovy Pop Molds

Breville BJE200XL 700-Watt Compact Juice Fountain

I juce at least once a day as I primarily eat raw foods.

My Jack LaLane juicer finally wore out after 2.5 years of daily use. I was tempted to buy another - but I liked the way everything including the pulp catcher is all in one unit. So glad I got the Breville.

This thing is POWERFUL, especially compared to "Jack LaLanne". It is so powerful I usually don't even use the pusher except to cover the top so your ceiling doesn't get covered with stuff. Other reviewers have mentioned that tendency. What wasn't mentioned is that the reason it does that is because the motor is so beefy that stuff will shoot straight up.

When juicing soft stuff I immediately cover the top with my hand.

The design of this thing is absolutely first rate. Even down to the plug, which has a moulded loop so that it is easy to unplug and plug in! No tool is required to remove the basket, as in most other juicers. Breville uses a combo of ingenious design and magnets to hold it in place!

Ease of use and fit and finish is perfect.

Clean up is really a 2 minute operation and I don't even own a dishwasher. It will stain eventually, as every juicer I have ever owned does. Carrot juice would make a great dye :-)

The pulp on this juicer is a bit wetter than the Jack LaLanne. The "Jack" had a much larger basket and a much slower rotation. I believe that may account for it. But it isn't much wetter - just very slightly.

This juicer makes much smaller pieces of pulp though - and my experience so far has been that it gets just as much juice from a pound of carrots.

Bottom line - I can't imagine anyone not loving this unit.
Breville BJE200XL 700-Watt Compact Juice Fountain

Hoover SteamVac Carpet Cleaner with Clean Surge, F5914-900

If your new machine LEAKS, see note #2 below. I am just amazed at how many people write that their machine leaked from day one, and they returned it. It will leak if you skip a crucial one-time set-up step.

Paid $170 at Best Buy. This is my first carpet cleaner so I have nothing to compare it to except my own expectations. Even though the name is SteamVac, like all the others in this class of cleaners, there is no Steam to it. That's just false marketing, but all the manufacturers do it, so no particular knock on Hoover.

First, let me say I'm ashamed to admit that our carpet hadn't been cleaned in 4 years, and that we live in the country where lots of dirt gets tracked in from outside. So the carpet was pretty darn dirty. The Hoover F5914-900 did a very nice job the first time I used it - a drastically noticeable difference in the appearance of the carpet. The water in the dirty water receptacle was black. Did it return the carpet to new condition? No, impossible. Will it take another treatment or two to really get it clean? Yes, that is the price I pay for ignoring wet-cleaning the carpet for years. One of this cleaner's best features is the ability to dry the carpet quite thoroughly. Since the front of the machine is made of clear plastic, you can see when you're vacuuming up water. If you want to dry the carpet as much as possible, keep vacuuming until you no longer see water being pulled up. As time has passed, the SteamVac has done an excellent job of maintaining my carpets.

My only gripe is that the dirty water container fills up too quickly and should be a little bigger. Ideally, the dirty water receptacle "should" be full right as you run out of clean water. Then, you shut down, empty the dirty water, refill the clean water and back to work. But this process gets out-of-sync with the dirty water receptacle filling up before you run out of clean water. So this can be a little inconvenient, but not a show-stopper.

The machine is well constructed but it IS plastic, with lots of compartments and latches and hose holders, etc, so one must simply be careful or those things will no doubt break off.

A few other notes:

1. If you are not the type to read manuals, do read this one. Assembly and operation are easy if you sit down and read the manual through before starting. It's not like a vacuum cleaner where you just plug it in and go.

2. My machine leaked badly BUT it was my own fault. There is a one-time only setup procedure where you squeeze the trigger and push the Clean-Surge button to lock a rod into place. Push the Clean-Surge button firmly. There may be a loud SNAP which sounds like you broke something, but you didn't. Until you get that snap, the Clean-Surge (which releases extra water-cleaner solution) is on all the time, hence the leaking. I didn't push the button hard enough initially, so I had the leak problem.

EDIT December 2007

Apparently many people are assuming that without a loud snap, the Clean Surge will not work. All that matters is that your machine doesn't leak. If your SteamVac doesn't leak, it is assembled properly and the Clean Surge will work!!! The only reason I emphasized the "snap" was because so many people were having leak problems, which are easily solved. And it's possible that Hoover has changed the design after getting so many returns from people who didn't read the instructions in the manual. So don't get hung up on the snap. If your machine does leak after assembly, you know what to do.

3. ANY time it seems like there is no suction, the problem is that something is not seated properly. It is easy to snap the lid onto the dirty water container without lining it up properly, which causes a vacuum leak. If there is a vacuum leak, there is no suction at the bottom of the machine, where it is needed to suck up water from the carpet. So recheck the dirty water lid.

4. If you have velvet or velvetine furniture, do NOT use the powered tool, use the utility tool. The powered tool is too strong for delicate fabric.

5. Like others have suggested, find a cheap alternative to the Hoover brand carpet detergent. One gallon of water doesn't clean a lot of carpet, and at 5 oz of soap per gallon, you go thru it fast.

6. Always be sure to dry vacuum your carpet with a regular vacuum cleaner first before using this machine to wash it. Be sure to remove and clean the brushes when you're done using this machine. Otherwise hair, thread, and balled up carpet fibers will dry on them and between them. Then the brushes won't turn. These are not "use and put away" machines like vacuum cleaners, they're "use, clean, and put away".

7. Here's something I do which you *might* want to try. For a very dirty carpet, I fill a cheap plastic 2 gallon watering can (or smaller for a smaller carpet) with hot water and a tablespoon or 2 of Oxy Clean. I then sprinkle the carpet heavily, being careful not to soak it. This saves trips to the sink to load up on clean, soapy water. Then use the Hoover normally.

8. Others have suggested using boiling water. Not for me, thanks. Too dangerous to handle and unnecessary, unless you've spilled or tracked in grease.

After reading countless reviews here, I have concluded that the problems people have encountered are from failing to properly set up the machine initially, failing to seat the dirty water lid properly, or failing to clean the machine after use. I recommend this Hoover. It won't perform miracles, but I think if it is not abused it will last a long time and do an excellent job of maintaining a carpet.
Hoover SteamVac Carpet Cleaner with Clean Surge, F5914-900

Cuisinart 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Makers

After checking all Amazon reviews on this product and other similar to it, I decided to purchase this rather cheap ice cream maker. I am happy, it is what I expected so far. I've prepared three batches of ice cream already, all recipes from the recipe book included with the machine.

Pros: you'll get really good, conservatives free ice cream, with great flavor, and customized according to your own taste. Easy to use. Not really loud machine, fast and clean. Great recipes, simple and very tasty.

Cons: of the 3 batches, the only time I got ready-to-eat ice cream was when I prepared half of the chocolate recipe. Using only half of the preparation, you'll get ice cream after 30minutes (and having the bowl in the freezer for 24hs in advance). The other 2 times I got soupy ice cream that after a couple of hours in the freezer in a glass sealed container was amazingly good. You have to plan in advance when are you going to prepare ice cream because if the bowl is not really freezed, it won't work. Everything has to be very cool, and if you are going to add anything that it is not, you'll know that you'll end up with a soupy result.

I still have to try sorbets and frozen margaritas but I am guessing I will see better results since they don't include cream, just water. Frozen yogurt might be tricky, but I will give it a try since all the cream recipes are great but they have way too much calories.
Cuisinart 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Makers