5 Piece Avanti Kitchen Dinette Set Review

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(More customer reviews)Ordered this set on a Thursday - the chairs were delivered on Saturday. Quick delivery, GREAT set, the quality is something you would expect to find on a set that costs $1000. The chairs are comfortable and the assembly is super easy. The only drawback is its size - a little smaller than I expected, but that's only my fault because I didn't really look at the measurements. Perfect for smaller dining spaces like apartments.

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This dinette set is solid wood finished in "dirty" oak stain- this just describes the deep and rich oak color. It is darker than the golden or honey oak colors. This is a beautiful Mission Style dinette set that is both comfortable and practical. The Avanti is made of solid plantation grown hardwoods - similar in properties to oak. There are no veneers or presswoods. DIMENSIONS: Table measures 30 x 48 inches. Chairs 35.5 inches high x 18 inches deep x 15 inches wide. This set ships in 3 boxes via Fedex Ground. Some assembly is required - hardware and instructions included.In stock now - FREE Shipping now thru March 21, 2011,

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All-Clad MC2 Master Chef 10 Cookware Piece Set 700294 Review

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(More customer reviews)Bottom-Line: If you are ready to step up to real no-nonsense cookware, make it All-Clad MC2 Cookware.
I do most of the cooking in my household. I enjoy cooking, it relaxes me and I like to experiment with different ingredients, spices and dishes. Sometimes my dishes turn out the way they were supposed to, sometimes not. Heretofore, I have used a Calphalon Nonstick Cookware Set, but its pieces have started to scratch and peel, much to my chagrin.
So I started looking for a set to grace my kitchen. I decided this time to pay real coin for a long lasting (American made) cookware set so I started casting around for a stainless steel set and decide upon All-Clad, namely the "MC2 Master Chef (2) 10-Piece Cookware Set," which I purchased from MetroKitchen for a tidy sum.
About the Cookware
All-Clad Metalcrafters, I learned during my research, is an American cookware company based in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The "MC2 Master Chef (2) 10-Piece Cookware Set" is made of a brushed aluminum exterior and stainless steel interior finish; non-stick need not apply!
The Set
Be forewarned, this is expensive cookware. My set cost $574.95 and that was on sale. The set consists of the following:
(1) 8" Fry Pan
(1) 10" Fry Pan
(1) 2-quart Saucier w/Lid
(1) 3 1/2-quart sauce pan w/Lid
(1) 3-quart Sauté pan w/Lid
(1) 8-quart Stock Pot w/Lid
(1) 5.5-quart Cast Aluminum Dutch Oven (free gift)
The set is designed with stay-cool handles for easy maneuvering. I have found that while the handles stay much cooler then other cookware I have used, if the pot has been cooking for a while the handle will get semi warm which might prove uncomfortable for some.
The lids are made of stainless steel and surprise, surprise; the medal handle does get hot even after extended cooking and or simmering.
The pots and pans come with a lifetime warranty, but there is an extensive list of do's and don'ts that must be honored to keep the warranty in effect. The biggest has to do with the dishwasher: do not put them in there or the warranty is voided.
Another big no-no is non-stick cooking stray, it leave a film which over time can affect the way the pots, pans, and skillets cook. Now I use light olive oil--just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, especially when it comes to browning and searing meats. And I have found that I get much better results, then with cooking sprays.
My Viewpoint
My new "MC2 Master Chef (2) 10-Piece Cookware Set" is about what I expected: very nice! The 10-piece set is, hands down, without a doubt the best set of cookware I have ever owned. Yes there was an initial period of adjustment when I had to gauge the best gas settings to use with which foods, but that is true of any cookware. I am now used to the way the cookware, well cooks, and I couldn't be happier with the results. Inside the packaging there are helpful hints so that you can get the most out of the cookware; I highly recommend reading it closely.
Calphalon has a fan for life before it cookware started to unravel, peel, and scratch! Now I have moved on to what I hope is a much better set that will last much, much, longer. If you are ready to step up to real no-nonsense cookware, make it "All-Clad MC2 Master Chef (2)." Yes, it's expensive, but the best things in life never come without a price, in this case a hefty one. This is one I am willing to pay. Now that I have turned to "All-Clad MC2 Master Chef (2)" hopefully I will never have to go back.


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All-Clad MC2 Master Chef 10 Cookware Piece Set All-Clad 700294

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Anolon Advanced Nonstick Hard-Anodized Aluminum 12-Piece Cookware Set Review

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(More customer reviews)We got this cookware a little less than a year ago. It is really great to use, and the padded handles are very comfortable and stay cool. The 8 inch skillet unfortunately is already showing signs of peeling the nonstick coating, and things are sticking badly. Although we do follow the care instructions, we do use this pan at least once and sometimes twice a day, but I would have wanted the coating to last at least a little longer.

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This cookware set is an exceptional value, including all of the pans needed to equip your kitchen with the most used cooking-Pieces. As the set contains only basic-Pieces, you'll really use each and every pan. It includes saucepans for whisking a homemade

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J.A. Henckels Twin Gourmet 18-Piece Block Set with Instructional Knife Skills Video Review

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(More customer reviews)I have owned the 18-Piece Henckels Gourmet Knife Set for about 1 year now. I purchased these with some wedding gift certificates that we got when I got married last year. This was an upgrade from a decent Faberware set that I had been using for the 4 years prior. Anyway, this set comes with 18 pieces:
8-inch chef's knife
8-inch carving knife
8-inch bread knife
6-inch chef's knife
6-inch boning/utility knife
5-inch serrated utility knife
3-inch paring knife
eight (8) 4 1/4-inch steak knives
9-inch sharpening steel
8-inch kitchen shears
hardwood storage block
Let me clear up the confusion for the people that don't know...there are actually two Henckels brands. "Henckels International" is the more economical brand, not to be confused with the "Zwilling JA Henckels" brand which is the premium brand. Same manufacturer, different grades of metal, location of construction and quality. You can tell the difference by the look of the logo...the cheaper "International" brand has the one tribal man on the logo, whereas the "Zwilling" brand has twin tribal men on the logo.
The "Gourmet" line is the least expensive of the higher premium sets from the Zwilling JA Henckels brand. It is not forged steel. The blade is stamped. However, the quality is much better than the Henckels International brand of stamped knives. The blade stays sharp for longer periods of use. However, it is probably comparable to the top of the line Henckels International Classic FORGED set. That being said, the price point is about the same for the same number of knives, so it makes sense. The highest end Henckels forged set is the "Professional S" or "Pro S" which costs $200 more than the "Gourmet" for an 18-piece set. Keep in mind that the 8 steak knives from the Pro S line are the same ones that come with the Gourmet line, so you know they are a great quality set.
As a relatively affordable premium set of knives, I have used these knives almost every day since their arrival. I've had to sharpen on occassion, but that's normal. All non-serated knives, you will need to sharpen and hone fairly frequently. (Or at least more frequently than a lot more expensive forged sets.) I do it once every few months with the knives that I use frequently and about once a year for the ones that only get used on occasion. But I also do a lot of cutting with them, so the frequency will depend on how often you use them for cutting tough foods. I cook a lot of meats, including cutting up my own chicken, so that dulls the knives rather quickly. If all you cut are veggies, then your knives won't dull as quickly. That being said, my knives still look and feel as if they are brand new. They are great!!!
They are dishwasher safe, but I don't recommend it because the dishwasher will dull all knives. However, occasionally I toss them in the dishwasher if I have a million things to wash after a dinner party and haven't had any problems.
P.S. I wanted a Santoku knife to add to this collection because I cut a lot of fish for sashimi and sushi. After a lot of examination, I decided to NOT get the Gourmet santoku because it did not have a hollow edge and I wanted a forged knife. I ended up splurging and purchased a Wusthof Classic Hollow Edge Santoku to complete this set. Yes, I know I'm supposed to buy the same Henckels brand for loyalty reasons, but as far as Santoku knives were concerned, I liked the feel and style of the Wustof better. It was a debate between the Henckels Pro S Hollow Edge or the Wusthof Classic Hollow Edge because they were in the same price range and the Wusthof knife won by a hair.

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J.A. Henckels Twin Gourmet 18-Piece Block Set

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Anolon Titanium Hard Anodized Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had this set for years--(maybe 7 years)-- and they have not met my expectations for a set that has "Limited Lifetime Warranty". I am a fairly careful and conscientious person. The set never goes into the dishwasher, I don't use high temperatures and no non-stick sprays. Over time the non-stick qualities have greatly diminished on the most used pieces and and the exterior finish that makes them easier to keep clean has chipped. You still have to scrub them but not as aggresively- to get the residue off that accumulates from the gas burning under the pan-comes off w/ Soft Scub cleanser. Another note: The handles are not particularly stay cool. I always use pot holders for the lids, the stock pot, larger pieces with the 2nd helper handles and any piece that has been on the stove top simmering for more than a few minutes.
The set was excellent for the first few years, but so are many others sets. The pots are holding up well but not the pans. I'd call it a good 4-5 yr set for non-stick. The exterior finish chipped within the first few months and after a yr or so, it became quite noticable. Now they look almost pitted. I am now looking for new pieces to replace my 8" and 10" and 12" pans. My brother has the same set and has experienced the same problems.

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A great starter set, this 10-piece cookware collection features must-have pieces for any busy kitchen. It provides a 1-1/2-quart covered saucepan, a 2-quart covered saucepan, an 8-quart covered stockpot, an 8-inch open French skillet, a 10-inch open French skillet, and a 10-inch/3-quart covered saute pan. The saucepans come in handy for making homemade marinara sauce; the stockpot works well for vegetable soup, beef stew, or boiling pasta; and the skillets offer gently curved sides for flipping food or sliding an omelet or grilled cheese sandwich easily from the pan to a plate. The included saute pan functions like a skillet, but its wide base meets tall, straight sides for extra depth and capacity--exceptionally convenient when making one-dish meals.
Constructed of extra-thick aluminum, these heavy pots and pans conduct heat quickly and uniformly (no hot spots to worry about) and won't warp. Their handsome, charcoal-gray exterior is harder than steel and resists scratching and denting. Inside, they're coated with DuPont's exceptionally durable Autograph 2 nonstick that readily releases food. Stainless-steel handles have an attractive satin finish. The handles are rounded for comfort, hollow to stay cool on the stovetop, oven-safe to 500 degrees F, and have hanging holes. In addition, the cookware comes equipped with deep-set, satin-finish, stainless-steel lids with matching handles that help keep in heat, moisture, and nutrients.
Unlike conventional hard-anodized pots and pans, the cookware is dishwasher-safe because its titanium-composite exterior is nonporous. Nevertheless, its virtue of being dishwasher-safe is not unlimited. To prevent pots and pans from discoloring in a dishwasher over time--and to prevent voiding the lifetime warranty against defects--the manufacturer's cleaning instructions (included) about water temperature (120 to 140 degrees F) and detergent (mild, with a phosphate content less that 7-1/2 percent) must be strictly observed. As with most cookware, hand washing Anolon Titanium is the better alternative for ideal care.
What's in the Box 1-1/2-quart covered saucepan 2-quart covered saucepan 8-quart covered stockpot 8-inch open French skillet 10-inch open French skillet 10-inch/3-quart covered saute pan

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Crock-Pot 38501-W 5-Quart Round Smart-Pot Slow Cooker, White Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm an engineer, not a cook, hence the appeal of a crockpot (I can't boil water without burning it...)
I had an old Rival crockpot that worked well for many years (manual, round, and small). It broke, so I bought a 5-quart Smart-Pot at Costco this past weekend. I noticed it ran very hot (top of outside WILL burn your hands if touched!), so decided to test it.
I filled the unit 3/4 full of water and placed it on the high setting (4 hours) and measured the temperature after several hours with a thermometer. Water temperture was about 215 to 220 degrees F. I then repeated the process for the low temperature setting, but the temperature was about the same!
This disturbed me, so I placed a Kill-A-Watt (very handy device to measure electrical power consumption and wattage for electrical devices) between the pot and the outlet. Sure enough the unit draws the same power on the low and high settings (about 245W). Occasionally on the low settings the unit would pulse the power (this is probably how they get the lower temperature; by modulating the power, rather than using separate, and more expensive, heating elements in the manual units). The problem is that sometimes the low setting does pulse the power, and sometimes it does not. Even on the warm setting I found that occasionally the device will draw the maximum power without pulsing. It is apparent to me that they have a controller problem with the SmartPots that is overdriving the temperature. The units themselves run very hot, and I wonder if the excessive temperature causes controller problems.
I am going to return and try another one, but I suspect I will get precisely the same results, in which case I'll avoid the Rival brand entirely. This is an obvious problem that many people have complained about over the past year or so (viz. the comments), so they have either a major defect, or severe quality control problems, both of which shoudl warrant some kind of response from them. I am disappointed. If the second unit works correctly, I'll post on my success.
Interestingly, Rival makes a separate controller for an older crockpot to allow timing and temperature control (same idea of pulsing the heater current, and varying the duty cycle to change the effective heating capability --a perfectly legitimate approach), and it is inexpensive ($13-$15 on the street).

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Rival's Smart-Pot 5-quart white oval crock-pot

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