Zojirushi CD-FAC22 Zutto Micom Electric Dispensing Pot Review

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List Price: $159.00
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I've used this pot for some months now on a near daily basis and had absolutely no problems. It is a must for the tea enthusiast. Not only is it more stylish than most dispensing pots, it is in a league of it's own for selecting temperature and sustaining temperature over time. It is quick to boil, and can silently keep your water ready for tea for all-day use.

The cost of this pot is higher than your average boiling pot, but it shows in the extra features and in the build quality. The pump action is a much-loved feature, as is the break-away safety cord (all appliances should have such a cord in my opinion). You can just tell that the people that designed this knew what they were doing and cared.

On the downside, I wish for 3 things: 1) the ability to set the temp to more degrees (such as between 160 and 180 for green tea instead of 140); 2) an on-off switch instead of always just disconnecting the cord; and 3) a slightly deeper indent behind the spout so that more tea pots can easily fit under the spout.

If you are serious about tea, buy this unit.

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I like the looks and the feature set -3 temperatures, autolock with "unlock" button -is just right.

Boiling a full fresh 2-L pot takes several minutes. I tend to keep mine topped up whenever it gets down to about half, and that takes much less time to bring up to temperature. It does seem to re-boil the water whenever the top is opened, rather than only bringing it up to the set point. That's probably a very good thing, as far as keeping it from becoming a microbial breeding ground.

I used to unplug it when I left the house because I was worried about fire hazards; I stopped after the first few weeks because the outside barely gets warm to the touch, except at the top near the vent, where it's quite warm. When it's boiling water, it does let off a bit of steam through the top vent. When not running the boil cycle it lets out very little steam I can comfortably cup my hand over the vent for several minutes; the plastic is warmer than the air above the vent so I usually leave it shoved under a cabinet except when I've just added water. The underside of the cabinet is about 4 inches away and I cannot feel any temperature difference between that surface and the other cabinets nearby.

I do wish I'd bought a larger one. When I purchased this, I thought I'd use it for a cup of tea or two a day and 2 liters would be plenty. Now that I have plenty of hot water on demand, and at just the right temperature, I drink a lot more tea and my roommate has joined me. I also use it for all sorts of other hot-water needs (instant soups and cereals, for example) so that it needs refilling daily.

With that note about the heavy use it gets, it functions beautifully with minimal cleaning. Every now and then when it runs empty I wipe out the interior. Beyond that, I've only descaled it once in over 2 years, and that was because the calcium build-up on the heating element was making it take too long to boil my water -there was no clogging or pressure/volume reduction.

I didn't review this when I bought it because as much as I loved it, I expected the calcium in the local water to clog it in a matter of weeks to months. Now I have something more valuable to say: it keeps working, month after month, with minimal attention, for years.

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Edited to add: I've now owned this dispenser for just over 4 years, and I still use it daily and love it every bit as much. It might be time to descale it again (the second time since I bought it), and again that's due more to scale insulating the heating element than to any clogging or loss of dispensed volume. I'm considering buying a second one, not because anything is wrong with my first one, but because it still works _so_ well that I've become thoroughly spoiled to piping hot water on demand and now feel put-upon needing to go all the way downstairs for a cup of bedtime tea or a bowl of instant miso soup in the morning. This dispenser kept on my nightstand, filled with filtered water, plus my Aero Press coffee maker, would be the best coffee-in-bed-first-thing solution ever.

Edited again to add: At almost 5 years, I need another. Not that this one has stopped working admirably -it's never malfunctioned in any way -but I need a larger one. I've been cooking more of late, and the just-below-boiling water is the perfect thing to clean cast iron cookware -splash some hot water into the hot pan, swirl a brush around it, empty it, and put it back on the hot burner/oven rack to dry. No sink, no soap, no drainer, no dishwasher, and the cookware is clean before the food is cool enough to eat. It would be perfect if it didn't mean filling the dispenser twice a day when I cook. This is the last-straw added demand for hot water that renders my poor 2-liter dispenser an annoyance. I'm tired of filling it so often. I'm moving it into the bedroom for morning/bedtime coffee/tea, where I can love it again, and buying a 4-liter one for the kitchen. If I could give this little trooper six stars, or ten, I'd do so gladly; the worst thing I can say about it is that it performed so well it created more demand than it's sized to handle. Wow.

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I originally purchased this item in July of 2006 and in November of 2011, it's still working well. I've only had to descale it twice, and I leave it plugged in all the time. It's definitely a well engineered product.

My review from 2006: I've been pretty pleased with this little water heater. It lets you select three different temperatures (though I wish that it provided more options than that), has a handy water gauge on the front, a magnetically attached power cable, and a set of two buttons to hit so that you don't accidentally engage the water dispensor. I'm pretty pleased with it.

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Unfortunately the Zutton line of products bombed out in Japan so they sent them over here to try. Zojirushi is normally known for its quality products (and you can't beat the longevity on their "Made in Japan" potto dispensing pots) however, the entire Zutto line was tested by me and found to be less than promising (if you go to Japan and visit a department store, you will see the Zutto line in a quiet corner drawing no attention). The problem is that it tries to present itself as trendy and perhaps even metallic in nature. When you get the actual product you discover that it is in fact plastic and flimsy (just lift the lid on the Zutton Dispensing Water Pot and you can feel the quality or lack thereof). None of the Zutto products have any substance. To make matters worse, they must sell in this country for more than they sold in Japan. This reason is unknown other than the fact that they are trying to promote it as a high-end item when in fact it is plastic. Stick with the high-end rice cookers other than Zutton line (Made in Japan only)... For more information in Japanese see

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I use this exclusively for baby formula at 140 degree. The water at 140 degree is still kind of hot, so I still add cold water to mix the formula. Very solid and easy to use. The lid come off for easy pour of water and cleaning. The electrical cord is magnetic so fells off with slight pull, which is good to prevent tripping of the cord and pulling of the pot with hot water in it. This is a good safety feature, if you have toddler or baby, they might tug on the cord and if the cord is fixed on the pot it will spill hot water all over, which is dangerous. But not this one. FYI, this is made in China.

Froth Au Lait Gourmet Automatic Hot and Cold Milk Frother Review

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I bought this item after a recommendation from someone I know and who is a coffee master, and after reading the reviews. I make a large Latte a couple of times a day. Getting the right froth with most consumer grade kitchen gear is a challenge. And reading about this one, I thought would fit that void nicely. Well, yes and no.

If you need gobs of beautiful velvety froth, this machine will most definitely deliver. And you can't beat the price.

But, if you want to make a great latte with a good froth, it can turn into a frustrating experience, as it leaves ergonomics and efficiency to be desired. First of all, if I used 1 cup of milk, as I usually do, I end up with the unit full of froth and almost no liquid milk left. Too much froth, too little milk. So I have to resort to heating some milk separately and end up discarding a lot of froth which is wasteful. Second is the cleaning the unit can optionally heat the liquid during the process, which is of course nice. But, at only 500W heating, it takes quite a while and you have no control over temperature. Also, because the heating is accomplished through a coil in the bottom of the removable pitcher, it invariably has a slight burn-in every time and with the integrated electrics you can't put it in the dishwasher, so that adds annoying hand-cleaning every time (remove the paddles, rinse, take a sponge and clean the bottom of the pitcher, wipe dry).

So while I like the froth it makes, I have gone from using one machine (KitchenAid espresso machine) to 3 (make coffee, make froth, heat milk) and I have at least twice the cleaning to do afterwards. That's an unreasonable ergonomic setup. It's possible that using different amounts of milk makes a difference on some aspects, but that would make it wasteful again.

I think this unit has it's place in sauces, whipped cream, and other things (if you don't already have other suitable KitchenAid mixers/processor for that), but as a everyday milk frother it falls short. Hence it's trying to be versatile, but ends up imperfect.

The build quality wasn't impressive. Lots of plastic, some parts (like heater on/off switch) not well fitted.

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as a professional cook, the hardest dishes to make perfect are egg based, ie custards, lemon curd and other flavored curds, hollandaise, bearnaise. this tool does them all to perfection.

the beater, heater, and timing are perfectly sychronised to get maximum thickening from the egg before overcooking it. you must not overfill container for ideal results. the recipe determines how thick the mixture will be, but in all cases, the potential of the egg is maximized.

in addition, i froth the milk for my morning coffee everyday and the results are heaven. never had a tool that was so reliable and so useful for dishes i consider a challenge under all other circumstances.

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After having searched all over the web and returning machine after machine I stumbled on this website. The description of this machine sounded to good to be true, so I decided to contact the company to find out if I could have a demonstration of it since they were fairly local. I was so blown away by the performance of this machine. The milk was nice and hot and the froth was thick and beautiful. In addition, this company makes several different sizes to fit the needs of anyone and the prices are extremely reasonable. I ended up buying one for my daily use and one for entertaining large groups. Finally, a great frother!

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This is my long-overdue review. I've been blessed to have this wonderful little machine for just over a year now, and it has stood up sturdily to daily use. It makes utterly divine froth, and lots of it! Friends love coming over to get the "frothies" that I make; they adore them, and so do I. The variety of delicious possibilities goes on and on -perfect hollandaise, too!-so if you're creative in the kitchen, this machine is for you.

Amazon didn't have this model in stock yet when I first discovered it, so I contacted the manufacturer and bought directly from them. (It is a charming, old-school family company, btw, who stands behind their products and loves their customers. I've had occasion to visit them in person, to replace a part lost while traveling yes, I travel with it and their staff is wonderful.)

The key thing to understand about this machine is that you'll be best off trying a few different milks and testing your results. Personally, I tend not to do well on pasteurized dairy, so my experience is largely with alternatives to milk. Some work beautifully, many do not. (And if something doesn't work, no big deal, just add chocolate, sweeten to taste and try the next one!).

I've experimented with just about everything, and suggest you do, too, as there's clearly some interesting biochemistry & physics going on behind foam creation. One brand of milk won't work at all, and the next one will, perfectly. My very best results are with unsweetened Almond Breeze (plain or vanilla foam galore!) and with Edensoy's Rice & Soy (for those who do soy products). I've also tried it with my own homemade nut milks, and wound up with... pudding. Happy accident!

I make chai tea lattes, Japanese matcha lattes, Teeccino lattes, mate lattes and hot raw cacao along with the traditional cafe latte (although by now, with all my flavor doctoring, nothing is traditional anymore!). It's rare for me to have a "fluffy" drink away from home now, since these are SO much better than anything you can get at a restaurant (outside of Italy or New Zealand, that is ;)).

A few tips:

1) Do NOT go above the 3rd line with your milk. It will overflow, and that is not fun to clean up. Your little finger's width below the top line (that's what I use to measure) will ensure that you can walk away and come back to a full pitcher of foam that didn't run over.

2) Wait until the very end of the cycle to add sweetener; the foam should be almost at the top. Grade B maple syrup works brilliantly, especially combined with pure vanilla extract and a drop or two of one of the organic flavor essences from Medicine Flower (e.g. Dark Chocolate Flavor Extract By Medicine Flower 15 ml yum!); agave also works fine. Honey flattens the foam, so I tend to mix it into the warm milk by hand after foaming is complete.

3) Unless you can make do with petite lattes, you can usually make enough foam & milk for 2 people per pitcher. So if you are serving more than 2, you must cool the base before subsequent batches. For quickest turnaround, I clean and dry everything, then stick it in the freezer for a minute or two until the base has cooled off.

4) And here's a fun one: if you did happen to pick up a latte when you were out and about, and you didn't finish your drink, when you get home you can throw the cold remains into the Froth Au Lait Gourmet, add some of your own flavoring and fluff up the whole lot. Fantastic.

Bottom line: after a year of daily use, I have nothing but praise for this little wonder. It's perfect for me and one or two friends at a time, which is most of the time. (Next on my wish list is one of those professional grade stainless S14 machines, for entertaining.)

All thumbs way, way up. As Dr. Seuss might say, "Hooray, hooray for the Froth Au Lait Gourmet!" :0)

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This is an outstanding product and company. I have owned 2 other Froth Au Laits and now have the Gourmet; it is phenomenal! I use it at least 3 times a day and absolutely love it! I make froth to eat like whipped cream and to make my own cappucinos. I bought the Nespresso and found it to be absolutely useless, so I went on a hunt for something that made foam the way I wanted it, thick like meringue. I googled "frothers" and found Froth Au Lait on Amazon, so I ordered the mini. It FAR EXCEEDED my expectations but it wasn't big enough for me, so I ordered the Gourmet. It has been one of the best purchases I have ever made. Not only is the product outstanding, making unbelievably thick and lucious foam, the company is wonderful as well. After I made my purchase review on Amazon, the owner actually called me to thank me for my review and as we chatted she found my original order from 10 years ago! This company needs to be known and featured and commended. I will be a Froth Au Lait owner from now on and will do anything I can to make it known to others! Thank you Froth Au Lait for not only having an outstanding product, but for having the kind of customer service that puts you in the stratosphere of outstanding companies.

Buy Air King 8566 Oscillating Ceramic Heater with Programmable

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List Price: $142.00
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[[ASIN:B000R88XTA Air King 8566 Oscillating Ceramic Heater with Programmable Thermostat, 8-hour Timer and Remote ControI. I have a 10 plus year old space heater, the old element type, that I have been wary of falling asleep with it on. So, the search began, I read almost all reviews of the types I was most interested in, ceramic and radiant type of space heaters. No one heater, or for that matter, no one product will satisfy all. But, the Air King 8566, provided all the options, if you will for heating comfort and ease of use. Many other heaters were found to be inaccurate in there temperature settings, not this one. The remote works just like the panel on the heater, no confusion there and even on the high auto mode, the fan noise is not distracting. No reviews that I read on this heater alarmed me as so many others did. This model is the top of the Air King line of what amazon sells and is not inexpensive, but the old adage, you get what you pay for certainly applies here.

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The unit was simple to operate and generates sufficient heat that warmed up my basement in a very short time, however contrary to the product description, it is a bit noisy.

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If this heater wasn't a bit noisy, I would give it 5 stars. It heated up my room within a few minutes, even with the door ajar. Both the main unit and the remote are easy to use; there is even a hook on the back of the unit to hang the remote, so it's not misplaced. I like the fact that it heats the air, not a specific object, so that I do not become over-heated. In addition, the unit is light-weight, but sturdy and thus not likely to get knocked over. If I need another space heater, I'll purchase a second one.

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Best feature is that I can set the temperature and forget it. I use it in a outside building that has exposed plumbing to keep the pipes from freezing.This thing thus far has been great in keeping the small room above the freezing point.

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No problems yet. It works great. You only need it on for about 15 to 20 minutes

I ordered this 2 days before Hurricane Sandy hit us on Long Island, NY. I received it the next day at normal rates.

It wasn't day's either, I received it 14 hours later.

Review of Holmes HFH-5656-U Power Heater Fan

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Got this to use in my office during the winter. The 1 touch button is completely annoying because you have to push it repeatedly to get what you want. And the thermostat settings do not work at all and the heater remains off when in the thermostat settings. This is frustrating because even the LO setting is to warm so I want it to just detect when to turn on and off automatically rather than me wasting time and constantly turning it on and off automatically. I am going to return this product ASAP and get a space heater with dual knobs.

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Great Fan, not hot enough to set anything on fire, but really helps keep the room warm. Note: Does Not automatically oscillate

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Holmes HFH-5656-U Power Heater Fan I purchased this heater to help keep our tent warm during a weekend campout, where the overnight temperature was to be below 20 degrees. I used it for a 3-man tent and it provided outstanding performance. The tent stayed warm throughout the night.

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I bought this one a long time ago. Maybe there are better heaters out there but this one does the job, and it does not get so hot that you end up burning yourself when you touch it, yet it heats a small room fine. Here are the pluses and minuses:

Positives:

+ Reasonably priced

+ Can keep a bedroom plenty hot

+ The exhaust grill stays cool. I feel safe with it around my 3 year old, and felt safe with it around him when he was 2 (even let him play with it)

Negatives:

The one-button interface is a bit irritating. You need to push it a bunch of times to hit the temperature you need.

The thermostat is not very accurate, it's probably off by as much as ten degrees. I keep it on "80", when I really want 70. Sometimes when I want it hotter, I put it on "High", but that means that it stays on and never shuts off, and I end up overheated. I wish it had a setting for "90", so that I could get it to heat the room to 75.

I will probably buy a second unit, and would not feel bad recommending this to someone else. I bought several other space heaters that were more expensive, cheaper, more feature rich, etc., and ended up returning them in frustration because they all shared the common problem of burning whoever touched the grill. Having gone through so many others looking for a replacement, I have a greater appreciation for this little guy.

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This is not the review for the product, in fact this is a review for dealyard firm that sold me a used and defective product! Well.. Dealyard send me a defective product and its definitely a used product. Upon following up with dealyard they are requesting me to contact Holmes as the product has still warranty!! This is really funny, Here is a company that sells a defective and used product and finally wants their customers to send the product to the actual vendors for fixing!!! Net, Dealyard sucks!!

Best AKDY 28" Black Electric Firebox Fireplace Heater Insert Azfl-28r Deals

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This is a great looking addition to my room. Very easy installation and I'm ordering a second one for my other fireplace!

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This is company that stands behind their customer service, I have never order from them in the past however chose them with my fireplace choice and even though I had shipping carrier issue Akdy stood behind their service and went above and beyond to satisfy the customer. Getting back to the basics!!

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Fits in the exact space from my old insert. Looks great. Remote looks a little in the cheap side but seems OK. Only question is...will it last???

Cheap Sylvania Compact Heater Fan

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This heater worked fine for about a year but now, only the low setting works. The high setting no longer works. Chinese made crap you get what you pay for and Sylvania is at the lower end of the scale.

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