Review of Fire Sense Hotspot Notebook Portable Grill

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List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $16.98
Today's Bonus: 58% Off

The Good:

I bought this grill for this summers motorcycle camping adventures. I can't think of a better use for this grill. Narrower main body section gives many options for tying down, and on my bike (a shadow 750) the bottom "foot hole" was able to go over and around my sissy bar and sit on my rack. Pretty sweet. 2 up camping now comes with a BBQ!

The Bad (at least for motorcycle camping):

It is a bit flimsy (but quite stable when open for grilling). With care, I am expecting to get about 50 or so BBQs out of it. After it falls apart I am planning to go to a metal shop in town and have it re-fabricated in some heaver gauge steel. I would be willing to have a little heaver (and smaller) grill for motorcycle camping if it was durable. The grilling surface is large. Expect to need about 3 pounds of charcoal to get it going well, 6 pounds (an entire small bag) of charcoal for a full grill to feed 4+ people. This makes it a requirement to setup camp, and then ride out to get groceries and charcoal. Messy.

I've BBQ'd for years and have to say the "action" on this grill is quite good. If you really have a need for an extremely portable grill, I would definitely recommend it. If you are just looking for a smaller grill for car camping or porch cookouts I would recommend the more traditional Coleman and Weber portable grills with a lid and better durability.

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I had been wanting a foldable grill and didn't even know they existed until I came across this one on Amazon. It not only saves TONS of space on my small patio but it delivers in quality of food too! I've had a few bbq's with this grill so far and the quality of food has been phenominal. I find the easiest thing to do is to buy one of those small charcoal bags that all you do is light it no need to open the bag. It fits perfectly in this grill. The cleanup is very easy and not messy at all. And I absolutely love that it folds up to be about 1/2" wide. It takes up no room at all on my patio. I gave up my Weber big grill for this one great decision!!! I highly recommend this grill as it is great for serving about 6 good sized burgers and about 4 hot dogs on the grill at the same time. When I had it delivered at my job a couple of co-workers had me open it and display it for them. Then after that weekend of testing it out, I reported the good news to them and they bought it too. If you're looking for a small portable, durable, inexpensive, & reliable grill -get this one!!!

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I bought this grill because I have a small RV camper with limited space. The grill worked great except the grill is on very top with no sides so hot dogs can easily roll off. Also after one use, the paint peeled off and looks terrible. Seems like they could have used heat resistant paint like other grills. Once nice thing is after you finish cooking, you can throw in a couple of small pieces of wood and have a small camp fire. It is made of very thin material so it cools off fast once you dump out the coals so you can pack it up for travel. It would be nice to have a carrying case as it is nearly impossible to put back in the box. Other than that is exactly what I have been looking for for years.

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It's an OK grill. Can't be moved with ease once lit. It's good for trips to the park with the way it folds up when not in use. I DON'T like the holes in the bottom because the coal dust falls out and this item cannot be put on say something (grass) that can go on fire. With the hole in the bottom there should be some sort of tray to catch the burned out coals that fall. I'm somewhat disapointed.

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It is so flimsy that it was bent when I opened it, and as a result, it lost alignment. Don't buy it.

Discount The Kombucha Mamma Year Round HEATING SYSTEM with DIMMER

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List Price: $99.95
Sale Price: $89.95
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

Highly recommended if you are into fermenting kombucha tea and even making sour dough batches. It keeps the temperature even and produces pretty good results consistently for us.

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This keeps my Kombucha happy and warm so I can continue to brew through the cold days.. I'm still trying to figure out the temp.. where it is best for my continues brew. Kombuca moma help.......................

Could you please give me a shout at Tamiaspen@gmail.com

Discount Real Flame Ashley Electric Fireplace in Mahogany

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List Price: $699.00
Sale Price: $587.13
Today's Bonus: 16% Off

There was some misunderstanding with delivery and the company never reported back :( Luckily the Fireplace was found by storage personel on the transit base and sent to me. The product is awesome and really makes a difference here on this base I'm stationed. A little piece of civilization on a place far far away from the real world ;) I'd like to enclose a photo, but no feat. to do so :(

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Review of Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker

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List Price: $165.00
Sale Price: $89.95
Today's Bonus: 45% Off

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.

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM) 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.

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Two weeks ago, I needed a new coffee maker. The Krups Aroma Control maker is in all the stores and catalogs, so I bought one in the local mall BEFORE reading the Amazon reviews. BIG MISTAKE. Lesson learned read the reviews many negative comments. I used it for 3 days, and readily understood the description (...) of "eye candy" (looks nice, but seems like cheap plastic) and weak coffee (what they describe as a feature allowing the coffee to steep is really a euphemism for a poorly designed system that is guaranteed to give you a weak cup of coffee). One redeeming feature the carafe is very nice.

Within 2 days of having the Krups, i was on Amazon looking for a replacement coffee maker (a good cup of coffee is critical in the morning!). I went out on the risk curve and ordered the new Cuisinart no reviews yet. The Cuisinart has a more classic brewing system (water goes through grinds via gravity), yields a delicious cup of HOT coffee, has a variable temperature hot place, and looks and feels solid. We happen to have stainless steel appliances (refrigerator, freezer, stove), and it matches beautifully. Best news excellent coffee!. I would highly recommend the Cuisinart.

Honest reviews on Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker

I've commented on others' reviews, but wanted to get this up there where people can see it readily. I liked this coffee maker a LOT since I got it just over a year ago. It has a few little quirks, which you'll read about in other reviews, but made good coffee and I hadn't had any problems with it. UNTIL last week. It auto-brewed like normal and my husband had taken his coffee and left the pot with the remaining coffee (2-3 cups worth) for me to drink later. I came into the kitchen perhaps 20 minutes after the brewing to find the pot BOILING...literally, a HARD, rolling boil, there was a little smoke and the kitchen smelled like burning wires. I cringe every time I think of what "could" have happened if I hadn't been there! I removed the pot, unplugged the unit, and poured water into the reservoir in hopes of cooling it down which worked.

I was outside the return time for Amazon so I contacted Cuisinart to inquire about the 3-year limited warranty. They "normally" charge a $10 replacement fee, plus require you to pay to send the old unit back to them. They were willing to waive the $10 return fee, but I paid $9.95 to send the old one back. I haven't yet gotten the replacement, but after doing more research, I've decided that I don't feel safe using it. I've contacted the Consumer Products Safety Commission (1-800-698-2772) and suggest that anyone with a similar problem do so. I think that this coffee maker should be recalled.

I'm adding more here in hopes that this review gets refreshed and up to the top again! In addition, I've commented the following on another's review:

"I'm one of those who posted in an earlier posting about the fire hazard on this coffeemaker. I am SHOCKED that it is still being sold! People if you are looking at this coffeemaker, I suggest you keep looking. Yes, it makes great coffee and looks great, as many reviewers have said. However, please give more weight to the safety issues than the coffee or the looks. As far as I can tell there have been no injuries from this...but it seems just a matter of time. If you insist on this coffee maker, don't ever leave it alone on the stay warm setting!"

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Folks, this is one excellent coffee maker. I read the comments here and decided to get it even though some had complained of spillage when lifting the lid and also the coffee not being hot enough. Well I can tell you that when I lift the lid on mine, the water rolls to the back and then drips back into the machine on a nifty little lip attached to the back of the machine. It appears that Cuisinart has engineered a solution for the complaints of spilled water that some reviewers mention. Also, the coffee coming out of the carafe of my machine has steam drifting off of it, so it is plenty hot, another complaint that seems to have been remedied. There were also a couple of complaints about finger prints on the stainless and the small LED clock being hard to read, but let's be for real, all brushed stainless appliances will fingerprint and this is a very stylish coffee maker, not a kitchen clock(that's what your microwave is for! (wink)). Actually I think the Cuisinart guys intended the clock for autoprogramming functions and made it LED to match the stainless on the machine. And if you don't like the water filter, you don't have to use it. It is a nicety and can be readily found if you search the net for "dcc1200 water filter".

Enough defending complaints though. This machine makes superb coffee. It has the best carafe I have ever used(it will not spill a drop and it has a built-in plastic rim to keep you from busting it on the sink). It comes with a gold metal filter. Buy it and you will like it. And if for some strange reason you don't, then take it back. All jabs aside, this is an outstanding machine in form as well as function, and the people at Cuisinart obviously care what their customers think of their products. That means alot to me. How about you???

Reviews of Bionaire BHH7522M-BM Instant Comfort Infrared Heater

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List Price: $79.99
Sale Price: $65.99
Today's Bonus: 18% Off

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This unit arrived on a cold damp grey drizzly 50 degree day that saw me spending three hours in a chilly detached garage working on a project. ( one of those days where a hot cup of tea or soup goes a long way) Assembly is quick, a simple twist of the base to install, run the cord through the provided slots and plug it in. Almost instantly the unit heated up and began driving off the chill. On low it produces a cozy orange glow, on high it's bright, and a bit glaring to be honest. It will very quickly heat up not just you, but the room. I tested the thermostat and setting it and having it cycle on and off was flawless. ( read the instructions on how to do this). I also knocked it over and tested the tip over protection, it worked instantly.

Later that evening after dinner I was listening to some soft music with a cup of tea and a book. ( just some soft background piano) My toes were cold so I turned on the heater and quickly found that listening to low music or background TV while operating the heater just wasn't going to happen. Even placed a bit farther away at the edge of the Infrareds effective range the noise still intruded. Under normal TV volume it's not that bad, but relaxing with a book and some music isn't going to work.

The flaw is that it has a constant speed fan. On high the unit pulls 1500 watts and on low it pulls 900. If the fan speed lowered 40% like the power output when switched on low it's the perfect heater, but it doesn't. (this couldn't cost more than 0.50 cents to do) I do understand the need for the fan for optimal heat output and keeping the unit cool, but you're stuck with it on high regardless of heat setting. In a bustling noisy household, commercials blaring on TV, kids running and shouting you'd hardly notice it I imagine.

But on a crisp clear evening after a long day, quietly unwinding to some soothing music, you won't want this in the room.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I expected this heater to be smaller than it is. From the photographs, I thought it would be about a foot tall. It's actually just over two feet tall and a foot wide, with a base a little over 17 inches wide.

And it does what it says -it heats a room, and you, fast! It only takes a second or two for it to come up to full heat. And that's a wonderful thing when you're trying to chase away a winter chill.

There's something about infrared heat in the way it penetrates to warm you all the way through. That's what makes a fireplace so warming. And this heater does that, plus you don't have to wait while you build a fire. You just plug it in, switch it on, and in seconds you are feeling the warmth.

There are two settings -on low the heating element has a bright, but still cozy orange glow. High has a very bright glow. A fairly quiet fan runs on both settings. There's also a thermostat. Of course the front screen gets hot, but the rest of the heater stays relatively cool to the touch.

There are lots of important safety instructions for using a room heater like this. For example, don't use an extension cord with this heater or plug it into a power strip; always plug it directly into a wall outlet. And keep the unit away from fabrics (you'll be surprised at how fast it heats up your clothes), and make sure it is set back from furniture. A brochure is included with the heater that covers this and and several other safety procedures.

The power cord on the unit measures six feet long, enough to get the heater near the center of an average 12' X 12' room and away from furniture.

Assembly is pretty much a one-step process. You just twist on the locking base and snap the power cord into its slot.

It has a carrying handle in the back, and molded-in cleats on which to wind the cord. And it is fairly light, so it is a very portable unit.

This thing's a winner.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I am updating my previous review because of some major issues with the heater. After owning it for a month, it would not stay on. The thermostat is supposed to regulate the heater so it turns off and on depending on the temperature in the room. It reached a point where immediately after it came on, it would shut off again after a few seconds. Then, it would not come on at all. Amazon kindly replaced the unit but now the same thing is happening to the new one. There seems to be a problem with the thermostat and it will not work properly.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program We don't often need heavy-duty heating in Arizona, but it can still get mighty chilly in the winter (or, as we had last week, during an unexpected cold snap). Ordinarily we depend on the heat pump part of the air conditioning unit for heat, except that the heat doesn't work well on the A/C at the office/bedroom side of the house. Mostly that isn't a problem since our computers and servers (let's not talk about how many many...) generate plenty to keep the offices warm. But our bedroom suite is cold, so for the past few years we have relied on space heaters. I don't want to take a shower in a room that's brrrrr 62 degrees.

These gizmos don't seem to last long, though. At least, I had to replace one a few years ago (I got a Lasko 755320 Ceramic Tower Heater in 2010, which is still cranking along). So I was particularly attracted to the Amazon Vine offer for the Bionaire BHH7522M-BM Instant Comfort Infrared Heater, which promised, "The Xpress Comfort Infrared Heater heats you and your room up quickly. This heater was designed to provide users with Instant Comfort. Within 3 seconds of turning the unit on, the heater starts to warm up users, allowing them to restore their comfort level quickly." And that, I'm pleased to report, is actually what I got.

And, since both of these are working fine, you get the advantage of a comparative review. Though really, the bottom line is that both do a very good job.

* The Lasko unit I got has the advantage of movement; the oscillation means that the heat is directed around the room, not just at ONE person's toes. (That's okay. I steal the quilt from him anyway.) But I haven't found that this makes as much of a difference with heat as it does with a cooling fan; once the heater gets the room to temperature, it's the ambient warmth you care about rather than the "huddled around the campfire" moment after you turn the thing on.

* The Bionaire is larger, which might be meaningful if you have to fit your space heater into a small space. It's on the ugly side, but I don't think that we buy these for beauty and nobody's putting the Lasko unit up for a Best Dressed award either.

* The Bionare heating element is very bright. That is, it glows enough that it serves as more than a night-light. Right now the unit is in a hallway, but it might be bright enough to be bothersome in the bedroom.

* The Bionaire controls are a bit more straightforward: no remote control (that's just another thingie for me to lose; maybe you care), just knobs. But it has only a 1-5 scale, which means you might need to fiddle with it a bit more to get the temperature just right. The Lasko lets us set it to, say, 72 degrees and it turns on and off to match that temperature. I have no idea how warm the room is with the Bionaire going.

* The Bionaire _does_ put out heat faster. With the Lasko, I find that I have to remember to turn it on 20 minutes before I want to go into the bedroom to shower. I haven't done a full side-by-side comparison (sorry, friends, but I'm not that dedicated), but the Bionaire does feel as though the room gets warmer a little faster. That sounds like a meaningful advantage, except that once I have a space heater going, it just generally stays on. The length of time from "Brrrrr" to "nice and toasty" isn't that big of a deal.

* Noise-wise, I think they're about equal. They aren't precisely quiet, but it's a "fan" noise that just becomes background white noise.

What I can't tell, without more research, is whether there's a meaningful difference in power consumption between the two units. Does that "instant comfort" mean a higher electric bill? I'm not motivated to play with the numbers since, honestly, a relatively high heating bill in Arizona is nothing in comparison to my air conditioning costs. (Don't ask. Really.) That isn't where I pinch my pennies. But you might think about it.

Both are good. Both do what they promise. If I were to buy only one, though, my vote would tip slightly towards the Lasko unit. First, it's a little cheaper; second, I appreciate the ability to set the temperature and let it adjust on its own. That's just a mild preference, though. You won't go wrong with either choice.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This is a nice big infrared heater with a fan and uses ~900 Watts on low setting, so you'd expect the heat output to be significant. But it's not, I can sit 2 feet from it in a 60 degree room and am barely warm, not hot. The fan is somewhat noisy but doesn't blow the warm air very far.

It has two controls, one thermostat knob (not marked with any particular temperatures), and one off/low/high knob. The thermostat controls at what temperature the heater will come on, so turn the knob if you're cold and you want more heat. But the thermostat needs work, the heater will turn on for only 5 or 10 seconds sometimes, the air gets warmer and then it turns back off. There needs to be a minimum time it will run once triggered, maybe 2 to 3 minutes at least.

The construction is plastic but seems solid enough. It's fairly understated and won't really stand out in a room. The heater element and front grate is of course metal. The top where the controls are is concave, which is an odd choice and seems like it would accumulate dust.

The heater will turn off if tipped, even a little bit. That's a safety feature, not a big deal.

Overall the heater works well but the fan is fairly noisy and doesn't seem to project the heat very far. It might heat a room but only a small one and at the 1,500 watt setting.

Review of LG 8,000 BTU Window-Mounted Air Conditioner with Remote Control

Customer Ratings:

This is my fourth LG air conditioner. All the other three units are still working well after four years of use, which is the reason I purchased this unit; my expectations were high and the reviews were good. My complaints:

1. The fan for this unit is loud on setting two and three. This fan noise may be a problem for people who want to use this air conditioner in their bedroom. Many other people on Amazon have made a similar comment about loud fan noise.

2. Build quality -cheap. Moving the plastic louvers that direct the air up or down is very difficult. In another review Dave says he found it almost impossible to move these louvers up and down; I agree with Dave. The plastic part that opens and shuts the unit to allow for or close off outside air is so flimsy that I am afraid to use it. The plastic levers that direct left/right air flow are as cheaply made as the open and shut lever. The louvers that are attached to the sides of the unit to allow for snug fit in the window are as cheap as everything else in the unit and were difficult to fit properly to the open window, as others have also noted.

First update: As expected, this airconditioner works well to quickly cool my office space. When I put the LG on the room was 82 degrees. Within half an hour the temperature had dropped to a comfortable 76 degrees. The compressor for the airconditioner makes very little noise, but as mentioned, the fan is loud, especially on high speed.

Other reviewers have mentioned that they received their units damaged. I recommend that these people contact Amazon customer service. I have always had good luck getting a replacement for equipment damaged in transit. Also, some reviewers have talked about problems with installation of this machine. This A/C fits neatly in the window. Unfortunately, as mentioned, the louvers providing the seal keeping warm air out are cheap and difficult to adjust properly. Extra insulation material is needed to keep warm air out of the room.

Second update: I have added a star to this review. After six weeks of daily use this air conditioner works as advertised under difficult conditions. The build quality of my three other LG air conditioners is better than this machine being reviewed and they run more quietly. Now that the machine is installed in the window, I don't touch any of the louvers that adjust and direct the flow of air so it doesn't matter now that they are cheap or difficult to use. As noted, this air conditioner may be loud on high fan speed, but it does cool well, which is exactly what it is supposed to do. If it is anything like my three other LG air conditioners, it will work reliably for a long time.

Third update: I have not mentioned the remote control on this AC, which works well and does control many functions of the machine. On fan speed one the AC is quiet enough for a bedroom. Lastly, the energy saver does work well to reduce the amount of electricity the AC uses. I turn it on when I leave the office and it effectively maintains the set temperature of the room. This LG A/C is a good machine as many other reviewers agree.

Feedback welcomed.

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I read a lot about several comparable A/C units at this price range and this seemed the best to me. Having bought it, I'm glad that I did. It is quiet and quickly cools down our room. I think the complaints about noise must be from a faulty unit or improper installation, because ours is barely noticeable half the time. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone who wants a quiet powerful air conditioner.

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My landlord recently installed one of these in my apartment. The overall build quality seems typical of similar size units. There's a lot of plastic parts that can vibrate and rattle against each other. The seals (or lack thereof) between the inside and outside of the unit are very poor and could use a lot of extra foam. Installation is tricky with the power cord coming out the bottom and a non-flat bottom to the unit. The adjustable side panels seem to sit up and back from the window sill more than they should. This is, unfortunately, all par for the course.

My biggest complaint is that the fan motor is quite loud. Wind noise isn't too big a factor, especially at low speed, but there's a very noticeable low hum. By comparison however the compressor is nearly silent. It's hard to tell when the compressor is running and when it isn't. Airflow is also quite good, with a bias to blowing to the right, but the louvers work well for adjusting that.

The energy saver option is useless unless you use it while away. By starting up the fan every three minutes to "check" the temperature it is highly irritating. It should either leave the fan off or go to low speed. An auto fan speed option would be nice to have as well.

Overall it's not a bad unit as long as you can isolate the rattling and can stand the low drone of the fan motor. It seems like the kind of unit that can cool better than advertised, but there's definitely areas where it can be improved.

Honest reviews on LG 8,000 BTU Window-Mounted Air Conditioner with Remote Control

My model is LW8013ER. It took me 3 units to get one without Fan rattle and the 3rd did not last for long. Note I have a 12K unit that is about 2 years old and never had any issue with it. I tested the 3rd unit and it was fine until about 3-4 weeks then I stared hearing a rubbing noise, not a clanking noise like the first 2. After a week it mostly went away until I heard a big clank and then the fan was being blocked from running at all from that point. So called LG and gave them all the details/Serial # etc. They scheduled an appointment for Monday. Well that night the guy called my WORK number and said he needed more info and would NOT show up unless I called back. Called Monday morning, got answer service and they knew nothing about my appointment and said the guy would call between early afternoon and early evening. Never heard back. Waited another day and still nothing. On the third day I tried to call them and got nothing but ringing..not even an answering machine. So I called LG and told them I needed someone else that would show up. They seemed confused and said they would cancel the appointment. After that I never heard from the tech nor lg other than a call to know if I was satisfied. I won't go anything further as it is still on going but needless to say I am looking for another brand in the 8k unit size. Not sure what happened to LG but as some of the other posters have said, something has happened to them as they used to have a good rep.

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We use these air conditioners in a our telecom huts and have had good luck with them lasting. They run all year round even in the winter. We have tried other manufactures and this one seems to last the longest.

Holmes HRH314 MaxFlow Radiant Heater Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I ordered this heater from Amazon to have a little additional warmth in our home office during the chilly winter months. The heat output was far less than expected, and did not seem able to significantly warm the not terribly large (12x10) space. I was also a little disturbed when the unit was accidentally tipped one night and did NOT turn itself off. Fortunately I was in the room when this happened and no harm was done. The real problem though is the heater simply stopped producing heat after 3 weeks of very light use in one room. The fan would blow, but the coils would not heat, turning the device into a fan, rather than a heater. I'm definitely steering clear of Holmes heaters now while searching for my replacement heater. Not at all recommended.

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I bought this heater in Oct and used it very little until it quit working in Dec. I tried contacting the company by Planetfeedback.com and through their website to resolve this issue, but apparently they don't see the need to respond to consumer complaints.

I can understand a product being defective, but when a company won't stand behind their products I won't continue to do business with them.

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Since my electric bills have climbed through the roof, and since I live alone, I've recently turned to space heaters to save on utility bills. I've also found that radient heaters are better

than fan forced types. Initially I bought a CHEAP radient heater, and it heated the room okay. Except it sounded like a Mac Truck! It was so loud I could barely hear the TV!! I had heard Holmes brands were excellent, so I gave the Holmes radient heater a try and it's simply the best ever!

It heats exceptionally well, shuts off automatically when the room reaches the desired temperature, and, best of all, is amazingly quiet! I would highly recommend this heater above all others...

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This heater sets new lows for quality. The fan blades actually hit the sides of the heater. It does have a thermostat, but when it turns on, it creates the most horrific sound I have ever had a piece of equipment make it sounds like a car wreck in process. To add insult to injury, at 1500w it does not even heat the room as well as 400W heaters.

I could not even find this model on the Holmes website. I can't blame them for not wanting to disclose they actually made it.

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I can say without reservation that this heater is an absolute piece of trash and a waste of money. My Holmes HRH314 stopped working after two weeks; Holmes obviously has no pride in their products, as this heater is very cheaply made. I severely regret buying this product, as will you.

Best Holmes HCH4954-U Whisper Quiet Twin Ceramic Heater Deals

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I wanted a quiet heater to use in my den in the evening. I watch TV in this room and didn't want a noisy heater that competed with it, forcing me to raise and lower the volume to adjust for a noisy heater fan. This heater is the quietest fan-forced unit I've tried, and I've tried quite a few. The only heaters quieter than this one would be the micathermic or oil-filled models. The micathermic ones only heat up the area directly in front of the panel and not the whole room, and the oil filled heaters take way too long to heat up.

Now for the bad news......the digital thermostat. First off, the settings are in five degree increments, rather than one degree. If I set it for 65 the heater brings the room up to about 68 then shuts off. That's fine, but then the room will drop to 63 or 64 and the heater doesn't come back on. I'm either going to be hot or cold. If I set the unit to 70, after reaching 75 degrees it still runs----totally unacceptable. If Holmes improves the thermostat they would have a decent little heater here. Oh, one other thing. There are two output settings, low and high. They only control fan speed. The heater uses 1500 watts at both settings, unlike most other models.

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The heater portion of this unit performs admirably: fast heat generation, quiet fan good for warming small to medium-sized rooms in a short amount of time. The heater does eat a fair amount of current the manual rates it at around 13 to 14 amps, which may be a big deal if you're on a circuit with only a 15 amp breaker. It's also light and compact, so it's easy to carry from one room to another, and doesn't take up much space.

The downside is that some of the fancier features of this unit are unreliable the oscillating base tends to bind and gnash gears, making a loud cracking sound. It also seeps oil from the base. Also, the digital thermostat is inaccurate, and has a tendency to lose calibration over several hours. I've purchased two of these heaters, and I've noticed all three problems with both.

As a space heater, it fits the bill well. But be advised that you may not get full use of the other features that you are paying for.

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I want to like this heater, it is so quiet. But, in thermostat mode on low heat, the unit shuts itself off and goes into reset mode, thinking it is overheating. What a shame, all 3 units failed miserably. Thermostat mode works fine on high heat, but I need low heat for a smaller space.

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I get headaches from gas-powered wall heaters you usually see in older apartment units. I thought this might be a good deal for my bedroom. While it does the job, my electric bill TRIPLED in a month. This would be better for sparing use at your office or something. Look for a heater that is a little more energy efficient if electricity costs are important to you.

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I got this little heater for my desk because I work on the cold side of the building. A couple of other coworkers had this model and were very happy with it, so I decided to try it too.

One deciding factor is that this unit looks good. There are cheaper heaters out there, but they all look like cheesy plastic. Being in a somewhat public area (I don't have my own office) the heater needed to look nice, and this one definitely fits the bill.

More importantly this heater works very well. As soon as you turn it on, you can feel the heat pouring out of it, with no hesitation. My toes are soon toasty and my fingers no longer frozen. Equally important is how quiet it is. On low setting I can't hear it at all, even when it was sitting right next to me! On high setting the fan is audible, but not distractingly so.

An interesting feature is what Holmes calls "Viziheat". Since there are no glowing coils inside this unit, it might be hard to tell if the grill might be hot. When you turn on this heater, the orange stripes appear on the grill as it heats up. You can see these in the product photo here. When the grill has cooled off it fades back to black. The grill seems to be the only thing that gets hot. When the unit is pumping out heat, you can burn yourself on the grill, but the surrounding plastic housing is surprisingly cool to the touch, which makes it easy to adjust its position safely.

My only complaint about this heater is how poorly the enclosed instructions explain how the thermostat works. This unit has what they call "1-touch" for heat settings. There's only one button on this thing and you press to turn it on, and repeatedly to achieve what temperature you want. Sounds easy, right? What's confusing, and what the instructions don't bother to mention, is what it means when the temperatures are lit up in red or green, sometimes both! It has multiple pages of warnings and safety instructions, but not a single word on why I feel no heat at all when a number is lit up in green by itself. I eventually figured it out, but still, a little less "don't touch the grill when it's hot" and more useful information please! It's sad how most companies are so paranoid about getting sued because a few lawsuit-happy idiots were dumb enough to hurt themselves. But anyway, if you're good at figuring out puzzles, you should have no problems deciphering how the heat settings work on this thing. Overall I'm happy with this heater.

Review of Chef's Choice 677 Cordless Electric 1-3/4-Quart Teakettle

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List Price: $65.00
Sale Price: $49.99
Today's Bonus: 23% Off

My wife loves a good cup of tea and in the past, we just left the kettle on very low heat on the stove. The other night I came home to the smell of gas. The breeze had blown out the flame and my wife, who had a really bad cold, was upstairs and could not smell the gas.

Time to get something a bit safer while we still had a house! After some research, we ordered this electric kettle (to the joy of my wife's British friends who think we are barbarians for not having one.)

I was astounded at how fast this thing heats water, maybe 5 minutes for a mostly full pot from tap-cold to full rolling boil.

The automatic shut-off works perfectly (and has a small light so you need not guess if it is off or on) and we no longer need to worry about errant gas fumes and whistling kettles.

The kettle is well-made, attractive and seems to be sturdy and definitely works a treat. Get one and you won't be disappointed. Needs a three-prong outlet, so make sure you can use it first. Sides do get hot but the handle stays properly cool and the safety lid works very nicely with no drops or leaks that I have seen.

Update, March 2012: About two years after the original purchase, the kettle died. We replaced it with the same model and that one has been going strong to this day. There's almost never a day it does not get used and other than cleaning it with vinegar once in a while to get the minerals out, it just keeps on chugging.

My wife even does hard boiled eggs in it using Alton Brown's method.

Good stuff, well made and at a fair price.

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In replacing our stovetop kettle with an electric one, I was looking for one to match the stainless steel & black appliances in our kitchen, and this one is great. This heats water much faster than the stovetop or microwave, and is pretty quiet in the process; the sides get a little hot during the heating, but the bottom stays cool enough to move straight to the table (sans trivet!) I don't know if the "scale screen" included will help any, but otherwise I think this a great purchase!

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I'm from Australia (and have also lived in the UK) and consider an electric teakettle a basic staple in the kitchen.

Two major gripes:

1. If you look inside there are actually silicone(?) fasteners used that touch the water consequently any water you boil in this one smells and tastes like metal and plastic/rubber, even after you've brewed it into tea. Completely unacceptable. Baking soda doesn't help much.

2. The stainless steel finish is HOT to the touch. Scalding/burning hot. I can't believe this thing is actually a consumer approved product. There is NO insulation whatsoever, yet this is a counter top product. You might as well just use a pot on the stove. Imagine if your stainless steel toaster burned hot on the outside.

Three minor gripes:

1. The lid is not solid and seems like it would break in a fairly short lifespan of use.

2. You pretty much have to fill it by lifting up the lid. You can't use the spout for this, like you can with a lot of models.

3. This thing is heavy. Heavier than a pot you might use to boil the same amount of water. This adds to the risk of burns.

On the plus side:

1. It looks fine.

2. This does boil your water quickly... so if you like the sound of bubbling water and that's all, then I guess you could buy this.

Unhappy buyer this one's going back. I wouldn't want this if someone gave it to me, let alone pay for it.

Honest reviews on Chef's Choice 677 Cordless Electric 1-3/4-Quart Teakettle

I gladly agree with most of the reviewers on these pages--this is a nice kettle that boils water very quickly. I like how the switch works, and the little light that tells you it's on, and I figure that for 40 bucks I got my money's worth already. But I have a few gripes.

As some other reviewers noted, the metal outside of this kettle gets much too hot. Don't do what I did and count on its insulating qualities when the kettle is too close to a plastic bag left on the counter. And don't touch the thing!

Also, the little button that opens up the lid, it don't work so good, so to speak, and if I want to open the kettle I have to pull the lid open with my fingers. That's not good design, dear Chef's Choice people.

I probably bought the wrong kettle. What I really want, and what I'll look for next time, is a kettle that has a separate heating element, so that the actual kettle is just that, a kettle, with a wide top--so I can heat broth in it for risotto (and then be able to wash it) and boil eggs (this opening is too small). I should have looked around more, or perhaps spent more money. Don't get me wrong, I've been pretty pleased with this kettle: if you want a nice-looking appliance to heat water fast, this is it. If you want more, well, keep on looking.

Update (after three years of almost daily use): the other day, the kettle seemed not to turn itself off properly anymore, as if the switch wouldn't click all the way up anymore. I took off the bottom and jiggled the mechanism a little bit, and now it's working properly again. Still, I'm keeping my eye on it and don't fully trust the auto-off feature anymore.

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I would not recommend this teakettle because the plastic lid seemed to off-gas a noxious smell and taste when boiling water. The off-gassing only started to dissipate after many boilings. I followed the instructions and boiled and emptied the kettle once before using, but my family and I noticed a distinctly unpleasant taste in our tea which coincided with the chemical smell emanating from the kettle as it boiled the water. It was also quite noisy.

Best Waring Pro WPM10 Professional Popcorn Maker Deals

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List Price: $110.00
Sale Price: $55.53
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Like many customers on-line I seem to be replacing an older "stir-crazy" model only to find poor reviews on the newest model (and every other unit too)so I had to choose among the models/brands that seemed to be the least frustrating. That is how I ended up with Waring unit. But, as many mentioned, it is almost impossible to get popcorn that is not burntyou have to take it out BEFORE all the kernals are popped or there is no way to keep that from happening. Also, the popped corn is not as crisp as the older unit (I've tried with top lid on and off).

So a little frustrating to replace a 10 year old unit that saws lots of usage to only find the quality on all these products seems to have gone down.

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My Westbend popcorn popper was hard to wash, the lid cracked after only a few uses, and after a summers use, it was just old and yucky. This waring pro is fantastic! First it has an on/off switch!!! Second the lid... it is thicker, the top for melting butter is larger and the lid stays attached. Third and very best of all, the base separates from the electric heating unit! This makes for a product that will last a long time, stay clean and get a lot of use. Bravo! to Waring for making such a thoughtful and great popcorn maker. Butter flavored olive oil is great! There is also butter flavored grapeseed oil. If you like oil popped popcorn and you want something that can be easily maintained and cleaned, this is hands down the very best of the best! Worth the extra buck!

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I bought this popcorn maker as a Mother's Day gift for a mom who frequently pops bowls of popcorn over a stove top. The main benefit of the Waring popcorn maker is that it requires less oil than you would need with the traditional stove top method. Another perk is that the top of the appliance doubles as a bowl for your popcorn once it's popped. The bowl is a decent size, but if you regularly use your biggest mixing bowl to serve your pots of popcorn, keep in mind this bowl is a more modest size.

The primary downside (and this goes for many specialized appliances, not exclusive to this one) is that it's somewhat hefty and will take up a good chunk of space on your counter top. For that reason, I'd really only recommend buying it if you're truly a popcorn enthusiast and will use it frequently enough to warrant the kitchen space you'll need to store it.

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We were excited to get this as a Christmas present to replace a Presto Power Pop (a bowl you use in the microwave to pop the corn) that saw HEAVY use. The idea behind this is great, the execution not so much.

We used this one day to make three different batches of popcorn, using both yellow and white corn to see which was better. Every time each batch was done, as with other reviewers, no matter how fast you flip the corn into the bowl there are burnt and scorched pieces. After replenishing our supply of popcorn kernels at the store, about a week later when we tried to use this again. The arm would not spin, the gear that spins it, coming out exactly a few inches away from the searing heat ring, it was discovered the gear was PLASTIC, not metal!!!

Seriously, who does that? What chinese designer, and this is made in China, thought a molded plastic gear was good next to an extremely hot surface? The gear didn't melt, but disintegrated into myriad pieces. So we got exactly one day of use out of this for three batches of popcorn. Not a great way to spend $60. This junker is going back to the store, we are sticking with the Presto Power Pop, and if you are smart you will steer clear of this popcorn maker and find a better alternative.

Pros: When it works, makes ok popcorn with very little kernels left and uses little oil

Cons: Poorly designed and constructed, substandard materials, relatively high price for what you get

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Discovered problem with this product but did find a workaround... although not ideal and are reporting to this the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).