Gloss Cinnamon KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer KP26M1PGC

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This is an outstanding mixer. I don't think it's terribly loud, as I have seen in other reviews. The design may have changed or it could just be that I mill my own flour in an impact mill, and the mixer seems very quiet compared to the mill! I also have 4 children, so I'm fairly desensitized to noise.

I got the mixer primarily for making bread. It is rated for 14 cups of all-purpose flour, but the manual says to only use 8 cups of whole-grain flour (2 loaves). I make 2 loaves of whole-grain bread at least once a week, usually twice. The spiral dough hook does an excellent job of kneading, and the mixer has plenty of power to handle the whole-grain dough. Just 8 minutes of kneading develpes the gluten so well, that I only have to raise the dough for 30 minutes in the bread pans and then bake it, and we end up with delicious, light, fluffy bread. I can make bread in less than an hour and a half, including the time for kneading, rising and baking. (We live over 7500 feet in altitude, and I have seen recipes that call for up to 3 rises of yeast bread at high altitude, but that is absolutely not necessary.) I used to use a bread machine, and produced many "bread bricks" with it. Since I got the KitchenAid, the bread machine has been retired.

We have mostly just made bread, but also have used it for cake, gingerbread, and whipped cream. It had no problem with any of those, as I expected. There is one major design flaw, in my children's opinions, and we discovered it when 2 of them were helping me make a birthday cake. They were very distressed when they realized there was only one beater to lick! That is our only complaint so far.

We also purchased the meat grinder and used it to grind at least 30 pounds of beef, elk, and turkey into burger. The mixer had plenty of power to be up to the task.

I am very pleased with the performance of this mixer and don't think anyone would regret purchasing it.

Breville BOV650XL Compact 4-Slice Smart Oven with Element IQ

The Breville BOV650 Smart Oven is a handy small appliance for the kitchen and it's a product that offers many improvements when compared to the typical toaster oven. With this appliance, consumers get a toaster oven with several exterior controls, enhanced technology, and a backlit LCD display, all combined in an attractive package that looks nice on most any kitchen countertop.

Besides the outside appearance, this oven offers many other features that make it better than the average toaster oven. The oven comes complete with a wire rack and baking pan. This wouldn't seem like a big deal, since many toaster ovens have features like this, but the difference is that the rack and pan offered with this oven are much more durable and high quality than those found in other toaster ovens. With some of the cheaper toaster ovens, the included racks and pans are flimsy in design and not built to last. These accessories, on the other hand, are built to last.

So, the accessories and exterior options are nice, but what about the cooking ability? The Breville BOV650 Smart Oven has this area covered as well. If one of the preset options is used, the oven remembers the setting and cooks exactly the same way, for perfect food every time. I like using this oven for bagels more than anything, but it is also very handy for heating up garlic bread, regular toast, muffins, and other items. The toasting is much better than what you get when you use a standard toaster because it toasts more evenly.

There is one potential problem when using an oven like this, and that is its tendency to burn or overcook food. Because this oven is compact, the heat energy is better concentrated and thus it cooks food faster than a large oven. A good rule of thumb is to subtract about twenty percent of the standard cooking time from the recommended minutes when using a standard range. So, if a frozen food items calls for forty minutes of cooking time, reduce the number of minutes to about thirty- two. Other small adjustments may be needed or else food will come out of the oven overcooked.

Toaster ovens are handy and the Breville BOV650 Smart Oven is easily better than the average. It helps to save energy when compared to a large kitchen range and it prepares food beautifully and quickly. Yes, it costs a little more than other toaster ovens but the quality is easily worth the price.

Breville BOV800XL The Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ

I'm a fan of all things Mac so I often use my admiration for Apple as a reference for reviewing products. First, the package arrived today without a dent. It ships in a Breville box (be careful it you ship it as a surprise) inside another box. It is very well packed so there was no damage. Unboxing the oven reminded me of unpacking an Apple product. They really want you to feel that you have just purchased something great. The box is no ordinary convection oven box. But you don't buy an oven because of the box, right? I've posted a photo of what comes with the oven. You get a crumb tray, a wire rack, a two-piece broiler pan and a non-stick pizza pan. That's a good amount of extra stuff. Note that Breville recommends that the broiler pan not go in the dishwasher as it is enamel coated so it's going to take some elbow grease.

This is my third convection oven, My first was a Black and Decker. It was terrible but I bought it before Al Gore invented the internet so there were no reviews to read. The second was a top-rated Cuisinart. The controls on the Cuisinart cracked, warped, toasted and ceased functioning after a year. So I was very excited to get an oven with sturdy knobs and a stainless steel front. Many reviewers have noted the magnetic wire rack device. It's not rocket science. They put two magnets in the door that grab the wire rack when it is in the middle slot. That's the only slot in which the magnets work. It is a nice feature.

I baked a California Pizza Kitchen pizza. It turned out great. These pizzas, although delicious, are notoriously messy. They tend to drip grease and cheese. It did get a little smokey when the drippings hit the bottom elements. The design of the crumb tray catches all this junk for easy clean-up. You won't have to scrub junk off the bottom of the inside of the oven because the bottom pulls out and goes right into the sink.

The next test was toast. Although it's best to use an actual toaster for toast, this oven did a much better job toasting bread than my other ovens, especially the Cuisinart. I started with two slices of sourdough placed in the center. I posted a photo showing you the results. Please note that I flipped over the piece on the right showing you the bottom. It actually turned out better than either of my previous ovens. However, it took over 5 minutes to get this result so it's not quick. But if you get upset waiting over five minutes for toast, then you have other problems.

The top of the oven does get warm, which will come in handy as a food warmer. The handle is sturdy. I appreciate that it does not connect to the front glass.

The electronic controls are very intuitive (like an iPhone) and easy to use. The computer sensor inside seems to work as advertised. This next point is minor but the electrical cord is rather short. The plug-in is a unique design that sticks out farther from the wall than most cords. This might be bad if you have limited counter space and the outlet you're using is directly behind the oven. It sticks straight out of the wall by about four inches. I'm not sure why they designed it that way but for some people this might be a frustration.

What I cannot tell you is how this oven will perform over the months and years ahead. I am hoping that this oven will outperform the expensive Cuisinart. I'll revise this review this summer after we've used it for a while.

Overall, I'm very impressed with this oven. Breville seems to have done some great research on convection ovens. It will be interesting to see how Consumer Reports and the folks at America's Test Kitchen will rate this oven in the future. I'm guessing it will do very well.

Stainless 9 Cup Cuisinart Prep Plus Food Processor DLC-2009CHB

This product is probably the best kitchen gadget I've every purchased- regardless of price. It can and will do countless things needed for an occasional cook or a professional.

There are so many accessories to buy if you find the need for them. The most often used discs are the ones included with the processor. Most people find that these are all they need. However, I was so excited to buy new attachments and learn new recipes just so I could use them.
The processor itself and the discs are easy to clean. I also feel that this product is safe to have out in a home with small children (once assembled and ready to receive ingredients- not when discs are laying around). It is very easy for an adult to open and close and use, but a small child wouldn't be able to get into the machine and get it's hands on the dangerous parts.

Another thing to keep in mind is Cuisinart's longstanding reputation of quality. I bought this because my mother has had one for 25 years and still uses it often!

White 7 Cup Cuisinart Prep Plus Food Processor DLC-2007N

I did a lot of research before buying this food processor and it is awesome! It has everything I wanted and was on sale during Black Friday for a great price (~$100). It is super powerful and comes with a ten year warranty on the motor which is fantastic. There is another 7-cup Cuisinart model that is very similar to this one that has a slightly less powerful motor - I got this 2007N version with the more powerful motor because it had a longer warranty on the motor than the other model (10 yr vs 3 yr). The how-to DVD comes with it and is really helpful if you've never used a food processor. The 7-cup size bowl is perfect for me, it's only a little small when I need to double a baking recipe so in that case I have to do two batches. But otherwise I only cook for 2 people and the bowl size is more than adequate.

Also some reviews have mentioned the weird bowl latch, and it is kind of finicky. I've found that if the pusher mechanism won't lock in place then you just have to re-lock the bowl and lid into place correctly and then it works fine. It's really not that big of an annoyance since you can just re-twist the bowl and lid in a matter of seconds. It's definitely not something that makes me upset I bought the machine.

The only thing that I would have liked is some kind of holder for the sharp blades. I didn't think of this when I bought it and now I have the sharp blades wrapped and stored in a drawer which isn't the best long-term solution. I've since looked and there is a separate holder you can buy for the blades, I just wish I had thought of it at the time so I had somewhere to put the blades now - something to consider if you are planning on buying a food processor and like me didn't think of storage for all the parts.

Basically it's great and I will be using this machine all the time.

Stainless 11 Cup Cuisinart Prep Plus Food Processor DLC-2011CHB

I replaced a 22 year old Cuisinart DLC 8 plus with this model -- what a number of improvements -- and I was able to continue using all of the blades and the whisk attachment I had purchased years ago for that machine. They are essentially identical to the ones used for this machine (save for those being made in Japan and the new ones in China). It has a much bigger feed tube so a medium sized onion or tomato goes in whole. The size of the unit (for me) is ideal. Perhaps for very large families the 14 cup unit would be the way to go. It is of essentially the same design; however, the blades are not interchangeable between those units.

What I really like is the redesign of the locking mechanism. In the old unit (the DLC 8 plus) [and also some current Cuisinart models] the locking mechanism to prevent start up of the machine unless the unit is assembled is controlled by a beam type latch made out of polycarbonate. I think this design is more prone to cracking. The new unit has a stainless steel beam which when inserted locks the unit. It is a great design.

Another great impovement is redesign of the small feed tube. It is now made of polycarbonate. That material is much more indestructible than whatever lesser plastic was used to design the older small feed tubes. Bounce an old one off the floor and wham -- the locking tabs would break off of it. That is not likely to happen with polycarbonate -- the material used to produce canopies for fighter jets -- it is very impact resistant.

On top of everything else this model with the shape of its bowl and cover is much easier to clean than the old model. I only clean it in the sink though. I would not run this through the dishwaher repeatedly -- especially with fully heated drying. After hundreds of cycles I just can't believe the parts will come out in as good of shape as they would with hand washing. If you have plenty of cash then run them through the dishwasher and then replace parts in five to ten years. I am trying not to. My old unit suffered scratches in the bowl and cracks in the cover assembly and I am not sure dishwashing helped.

Cuisinart offers a very wide range of discs (including a juliene, a french fry cutting disc and a fine grater disc) and a whisk attachment for this unit. If you buy a unit from another manufacturer without the range of this unit (made possible by all of the attachments) I think you may have shortchanged yourself.

White 11 Cup Cuisinart Prep Plus Food Processor

We've had this processor in the house for just about a month. The item paid for itself the first time I used it, due to being a huge time-saver for my normally busy schedule (it enables me to try new recipes I normally wouldn't have time to mess with). I've used it to chop & puree for several soups (Mulligatawny, White Bean, Gazpacho, etc.). The shredding disk shredded a whole block of Manchego for Balsamic Portabello/Onion/Cheese Omeletes in about a second.

It shredded potatoes just as fast for a crust to a Carmelized Onion/Fennel Pie (of which I used the slicing blade for the onions & fennel). I find the slicing blade to be a lifesaver for items I want to keep "on-hand" for salads, sautees, etc. (like onions/bell peppers). This is my first food processor, and I wondered about the learning curve--to which I found none.

It is really easy to put together, as well as take apart & clean. I'm also amazed at how quiet this thing operates. We had cheap mini-chopper for chopping onions, and while the noise never bothered me, compared to this processor, it was obnoxious. I'm sure I could actually run this thing next to sleeping humans without waking them! Thank you Cuisinart--I'm impressed!

Kuhn Rikon 3344 7.4-Quart Stainless-Steel Pressure Cooker

This product is by far the best purchase I have made for my kitchen. I know plenty of people who own PCs (jiggle tops) but now is when I finally discovered why they loved theirs so much. I can make so many dishes in a fraction of the time! Some weekend-type meals are now weeknight meals. A stew on Tuesday night, Pot Roast on Wednesday, not a problem. Even making mashed potatoes is quick and easy. Chicken broth in 30 minutes not 2 hours.

Another important point is safety. You cannot open the cooker until it is completely de-pressurized (i.e. idiot (me) proof) and it has 2 additional escaped valves (asided from the main one) in case you accidently overpressurize it. The main reason I had not purchased a pressure cooker sooner was safety concerns (read: fear). But now, I could just kick myself for not getting one sooner.

However, I would just like to clarify 2 points:

To the reviewer that rated the pot 4 stars because of the shape: I do agree that the shape is a little ackward. It is taller than it is wide. However, I haven't had any problems with it so far. I checked the manufacturers website and the 8 liter model has the same diameter. It is just slightly taller. But this one does have 2 handles (a regular handle and a helper handle). I appreciate the long handle as it makes it easier for me to open the lid without burning myself (better leverage).

As for the reviewer who compared this cooker to a 1912 model: I really don't understand what he expects of a Pressure Cooker. The principle hasn't changed since his grandmother's era but the execution certainly has. But yes, you are still going to have to regulate the heat under the pot. Kuhn Rikon introduced this spring valve technology in 1949 so I doubt it is the same cooker his grandmother owned. The whole idea of a spring valve is that is isn't supposed to vent (as much if at all).

This is an excellent product and I have recommended it to everyone I know. Although the cost is a bit high, this is definitly one of those times when you get what you pay for!

All-American 30-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner

I raise my own organic meat chickens (in the suburbs, no less) and knew that eventually I would have to get my own pressure canner to take advantage of the stock that can be made from the leftover bones after cutting up the dressed birds for the freezer. I did several hours of online research and people who really liked this canner reasoned that it was built like a tank and would (or already did) last for several several generations. It was also the only pressure canner that all the little Amish cookware shops sold when I shopped in Holmes county. Besides, I could do 14 quarts at a time, cutting my canning time in half!

After consulting my husband (this was a considerable purchase for us), we agreed that it would be worth it to get something that would last a really long time and not have to replace any gaskets and we were willing to take the risk since we currently owned a 7 year old Whirlpool Super Capacity 465 glass top stove. The stove is getting slow to heat pots and the oven runs about 50 degrees low and we'd really enjoy upgrading to a gas range someday so we agreed to be really careful and see if we could use the pressure canner on it. We also agreed that though the canner can also be used as a boiling water bath canner, We wouldn't use it for that since I already have a large stockpot for that purpose and the additional weight might push the glass top over the edge. We purchased the canner at Lehman's Hardware for $269, the tax and gas to get there made the savings over amazon a wash but I needed it right away.

I studied the user's manuel a day in advance and studied it thoroughly. This thing strongly resembles a bomb and I didn't want it exploding. I have faithfully oiled the rim as instructed each time I use it and loaded it gently and slowly, working from 6 quarts the first time to a full 14 today and the canner and stove (though slow) have worked flawlessly. I don't move the canner until it is completely cooled and I really baby the cooktop. I usually fire it up to process a load in the evening and don't even open it until the next morning. I use salad tongs to move the pressure weight to avoid the possibility of getting a steam burn. I know I took a risk but it has paid off. And unlike the boiling water canner, this thing doesn't heat up the kitchen hardly at all. Just wanted to pass this along to other people interested in this fine piece of equipment but held back by their current stove.

All-American 15-1/2-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner

I love, love, love this pressure cooker!

If I had had this pressure cooker 12 years ago I would not have spent and wasted more dollars than I like to admit on various cookers trying to find the right one to cook 3 whole chickens at one time w/o risking a kitchen disasters. I have owned the large (12 qt) expensive electric cookers along with a variety of on-the-stove-top models. The teflon coated models wear out quickly and the replacement costs for a new insert is almost as much as the original unit! I cook 3 whole chickens each week to feed to my 2 dogs (1.5 hours and even the bones are eatible mixed with rice and veggies).

Advice: Read the instructions carefully! My first attempt with the cooker taught me several things.

1) you will need more Vaseline around the edges than the instructions call for or you will get steam leaking out a side.

2) bring all the screw clamps up to the top and tighten only until they start to take more effort. Once all the screws are in place then tighten opposite sides together just a bit and work your way around the lid, then do it again until all screws are tightened about the same - do not over tightened.

3) regardless of removing the pressure gauge, as instructed in the literature immediately when it reaches ZERO, you will still have to use a screw driver or a metal strong utility spoon between the lid and pot to snap the lid loose - just stick the handle into the space and pry or turn gently and the pressure will let go and release the lid from the pot.

4) if cooking food in the cooker then you will be using soap and water to clean up and therefore you will have to reapply the Vaseline every single time you use the cooker.

5) Put your cooker on the stove with all the ingredients and then add liquids last. This pot is very heavy and much heavier when full.

6) do not fill more than half full of liquid or solid foods because you do not want to run the risk of blowing grease, etc. out the vent! Good advice for ALL PRESSURE COOKERS!!

7) Cooker takes quite a while to cool down because this metal holds the heat much longer than most pans. It also takes a long time to come up to full pressure....lots of pan and lots of volume to heat when half full!

8) The instructions for how often the pressure weight should jiggle is really a factor of your stove and how well you can regulate it. I happen to have a Viking Range and it's almost impossible to get the exact jiggles/min that the instructions talk about. One millimeter up or down on my gas stove knobs will cause it to stop jiggling altogether or more frequently. Just get it so it does not exceed the 15 pounds of pressure on the gauge and it will work just fine. Mine sounds like it is jiggling faster but everything has worked out ok.

If you do a lot of large scale cooking or canning then you want a cooker that is reliable and this mother is the Queen of pressure cookers for the job. If you only cook small batches once in a while then you might find this tank to be more than you need. I absolutely love it, my chickens cook in about half the time as other cookers I've had and I do not think you'll be sorry with this purchase.