Koolatron Compact Kooler

Useful to keep drinks and food cool while traveling
We bought the Koolatron Kooler a year ago and find it very useful to keep food and drinks cool while traveling.

To use this effectively both the cooler and the items to be placed in it should be cool to begin with. The empty unit will cool about 10 degrees an hour to about 40 degrees lower than the ambient temperature around it, and maintain it's pre-cooled contents at that temperature as long as it powered on. Warm items placed in a warm cooler take much longer to cool, (the manual says up to 12 hours or longer).

We purchased the optional AC power adapter, so the night before we leave on a trip we plug the unit in and pre-cool it. The morning we are leaving we load it with a few soda and water bottles that have been cooled in the refrigerator. We also put in 2-4 plastic food containers that have been chilled in the refrigerator. One or more of those we fill with ice. The more space that is filled with cool/cold items the better the cooling process for...

If our experience is any indication, please be careful!
We were very sorry that this item broke down for us - even after we returned the first and then tried a brand-new second one. We purchased the first in June for a 3-week road trip in July. We also purchased the AC adapter, especially given that the manufacturer recommends when you're on the road to keep the unit going at night with the adapter so it remains cool. The first two weeks, it was fine. Then it all of a sudden, with no warning, stopped working. Whether using the cigarette lighter outlet in the car or the AC adapter - it was dead. We returned it to Amazon when we got home and they were wonderful about sending us a new one to replace it very quickly. Then we went for a 3-day trip with the new one over Labor Day. This time the new one lasted maybe 10 hours on the first day and also died. Amazon allowed us under the circumstances to return both cooler and AC adapter (minus 20% which I can't kick too much about). However, our experience leads me to question whether Amazon should...

Finally, A DC-Powered Cooler/Warmer That Works!
After going through a bad experience with trying to buy and then (in some cases) buying first a Vector, then a RubberMaid, then a Wagan Tech, and now a Koolatron, I can tell you that it's a relief to find a well-designed, well-built DC-powered cooler/warmer that actually works! Our Canadian neighbors to the north have done a great job with this unit.

I worried about its 17" height and depth, but once it was decided that it was going to live behind the passenger's front seat, those concerns became non-issues. In fact, its height is a benefit as long as it doesn't interfere with the seat back when you lift the lid, as you can reach right in from the driver's seat and get a can or a sandwich without much effort if you pack it well.

I also worried about all the ads that portrayed it as being only a cooler. But after having so much trouble with other companies' cooler/warmers, I decided to forget warming and bought the Koolatron without it (or so I thought). So when...

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Pfaltzgraff Winter Frost 1-Quart Vegetable Bowl

great bowls
I bought 2 of these bowls a year ago, and I use them frequently to serve pasta or soup. I have even used them to hold the cheese when I am grating a block of cheese to make a dish. I think these bowls are very versatile, and at the price I paid for them which was $5 each, I think they are a great bargain.





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Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Four Star Peeling Knife 2.75-in.

My Favorite Knife
This knife is my very favorite. Intended to be a peeling knife, I use it for so much more. I use it as you would use a paring knife. It is very versitle.
I bought this knife as an addition to sets of Henckels I purchased for my married kids. They were a bit intimidated by it's shape at first but quickly came to appreciate it as I do.





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Corningware French White 6 White Includes: 1.5 Qt and 2.5 Qt Round casserole w/covers

Plastic lids didn't fit our dishes
I just bought this set of CorningWare and to our dissapointment, the plastic covers were too small for both of the dishes. With a lot of effort - we were able to get one of the lids to fit, but there is no hope with the other one. It's unfortunate, because I thought the lids would come in handy for storing leftovers. Aside from the problem with the plastic lids - Corningware has continued to provide good quality dishware.

Glass lids perfect for microwave steam rice
These bowls, when used with the glass lids, are favorites for steam cooking in the microwave. They can even transform parboiled rice (like Uncle Ben's) into good tasting rice, if given enough boiling and steaming time in the microwave. Cooking in these bowls seems to take a little longer time in the microwave, compared to thinner bowls.

The bowls are thick, heavy stoneware, and somewhat break-resistant, but not as tough as your grandparent's Corningware. These are not made from the original Corningware materials that were used decades ago.

These bowls and glass lids are OK for conventional oven casseroles; and microwave use, and dishwasher and refrigerator. Of course the plastic lid cannot go in a regular oven. OK on top rack of dishwasher.

No handles at the sides of bowls. The top rim is slightly flared, but not enough to grasp as a handle. That is an advantage when nesting bowls for storage. On the other hand, it is tricky to grasp the hot...

classic set
Love this series of product. Arrived well protected. Despite concerns from previous reviews about storage lids-lids DO fit. Got these because one or both of these will fit in microwave.

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Eva Solo Bread Bin, Black

Great Design
I bought this as a gift for someone who is extremely picky about kitchen accoutrements. It was well received and fits in with the rest of the decor and items. It is not currently being used for bread, so I can't speak to that, but the design is wonderful and it keeps crackers and spices fresh.

Freshfreak'ntastic!
Not only is this bread box like super good to look at, it keeps my bread soooo soft for soooo long! I shudda bought this the first time I laid eyes on it but at the time, I was married to a ...ummm..let's just say he was cheap! This bread box was clearly the betta choice! I'll have it longer & I smile every time I look at it! (I just cracked my own self up!l lol)

Another great Eva Solo design!!
I love this futuristic looking bread box. It does not look like an ordinary bread box but it does an excellent job keeping the content very fresh.
Very roomy for a loaf of bread. Easy access. Plastic exterior is sturdy enough to last years. (Not that you can put anything on top)

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Dualit 2-Slice Toaster, Chrome

toaster queen
My husband is very very picky about his toast. I can honestly say that we went through more than 10 toasters of various prices - high and low - half of them made unacceptable toast - and half of them broke while making unacceptable toast - and then we found the Dualit. This was about 5 years ago - in a true panic, I thought I would just go out and buy the most expensive toaster there was - and found this one at williams-sonoma. Sticker shock, but I've recommended it since, to everyone who toasts. And it has made perfect toast since the day we bought it.

It's great - it is really easy to clean. There is no relying on electronics to decide how toasted the bread is - you figure it out and you know forever - about 2 minutes for a piece of toast for wheat bread from the fridge into cold toaster - if second round of toast and toaster is hot, cut it by 25%. The little ticking sound while it's fixing your perfect toast is nice to keep you remembering that you have toast - and when the...

Stop searching for a good toaster, bite the bullet and buy one!
I love my Dualit!

Our old toaster died one Sunday morning so Monday I started searching for a new one. We had a Cuisanart - and I had planned on buying the same brand of toaster maybe just a 4 slot version until I read the reviews. The one that was on sale at the local department store (for $100)got miserable reviews on Amazon, so I searched and searched and searched and the only toaster that got consistantly good reviews is the Dualit.

I ended up purchasing a refurbished Dualit on another website for about half the price. I'm not one to skimp on kitchen appliances or gadgets, but spending over $200 on a toaster seemed a bit extreme. Now that I've received it I've decided it's worth every penny. If it breaks tomorrow, I'd definitely run right out and spend pay full price to replace it.

I love the fact that operates completely different than any other toaster out there. It's best to preheat it - but once you do you can put in pieces of bread one...

Williams Sonoma electronic version is better
I wanted to love this toaster. My partner and I are fans of timeless, hands on appliances (Rancilio for example), and I thought this appliance would be perfect. I read the reviews on Amazon.co.uk, which warned of fire hazzard, poor build quality and cheap timers, unlike the Dualits of yesteryear. All true, I realized, as soon as this toaster arrived. The timer IS cheap and annoying, and after a few uses it began stopping in the middle of the cycle, leaving the elements still heating. We had to make sure to unplug this potential tragedy after every use. In addition, the toast was nothing a $20 model couldn't master. Aside from the hefty weight and the beauty, it just seemed like I'd succumbed to overpriced hype. But wait! Williams Sonoma sells a "New Gen" model with electronic timer, wider slots, and a bagel setting. I was skeptical, thinking it was just a modern redo with a trashy retro result. But I was so wrong. The WS model took an evolutionay approach, modernizing the...

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Eva Solo Angled Aluminum Knife Stand, Silver

I really want to love this item - but it has a serious, dangerous flaw
This *seems* to be the perfect knife block. It's attractive, the size is perfect, and it holds my knives just right.. But even though I'd been warned about this by another amazon reviewer and had thought I'd carefully set my knives in it to make it balanced more heavily toward the back, one time when removing a knife the whole thing tipped forward, spilling all my knives out onto the counter. Thank goodness the knife block was back in the corner and not near the edge of the counter at the time, and thank goodness I'm fairly nimble & coordinated and managed to keep all the knives on the counter & none of them on my feet, without getting cut. I've got several very sharp knives.. this was a pretty scary moment! I am worried about the rest of my family - if someone else gets hurt I'll feel somewhat responsible as I chose this knife block, nixing others as too ugly, too massive (well now I see why massive is perhaps a good idea for a knife block!) or not holding the right number of knives...

Great product!
The only other knife block that gives you complete control over the knife sizes is the Kaboosh, which I really disliked. This takes up minimal counter space, is easy to use and is easy to keep organized.

I just ordered a second one and I was a little frustrated that it is a slightly different angling than the one I bought last year. For the angles to match I needed to put 2 rubber bumpers on the bottom of the new one, but that is nothing negative about the block. It was so useful that I wanted a second one; I keep Kosher, and can have 2 knife blocks in less width on my counter than a single wooden one.

Easy to use and fully customizable to any knife size, and it takes up less counter space and the interior is washable if it gets grimy in the future. It is a bit pricey, ut the convenience is worth the expense, especially since it is a one time cost.

Attractive but...
I was excited to find a block that would accomodate all my knives without damage, and was attractive to look at and take up less counter space. When it arrived my first thought was that it seemed very lightweight and less than stable. For the price, I expected something sturdier. But, I went ahead and put in my knives (ten of them) and knife steel. I have top quality knives that are fairly heavy in weight. The information from most sellers as well as the maker indicates it will hold 40 knives or other utensils. It won't come even close to that unless you are storing tiny items (perhaps silverware sized). While it may technically have slots for forty items, due to needing some space for the handles to fit, as well as just allocating room for the thickness of the blades so as not to have to cram any in there, I could perhaps use every third slot or so. Having put all eleven items into the stand, I let go. It immediately tipped forward and fell onto the counter. All of the...

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