KitchenAid KFPW760OB

Although a little on the heavy side, it is due to the large motor, which operated rather silentlycompared to some other machines which are noisy because of a big motor. I like the juicer accessory as I can get my daily dose of juice, without having to buy a separate machine.

Faster
With KitchenAid, I can make my own potato chips, fast, healthier and the slicing ability is amazing- it slices an average of 6 potatoes in a minute. If grating is a chore to you, then this baby will fix your fear in no time as it grates with virtually no mess and very minimal bruising. While some machines have the tendency to turn shreds of vegetable into mush instead, KitchenAid deftly produces what you expect shreds to be.

To get kids to consume their vegetables, it is advisable to chop them into small pieces so it remains less noticeable, but chopping vegetables takes time and can be quite messy. Using this machine, the vegetables get chopped fast, yet maintaining its freshness.

Great Customer Service
In finding more information about this device, I listened to people and read reviews and one striking criteria was KitchenAid’s after sales service, which had many people raving good reviews. One customer said her husband “wrecked” the slicing disks but KitchenAid replaced it free, no questions asked while another said she got a machine from someone else, which was missing the bowl and the cord frayed. The company actually sent someone over with brand new replacements! Talk about efficient customer service.

Small downside to this fantastic product is the accessories packaging and the use of the smaller work bowls with the work blades provided, as it would be nice to use the bowls with a slicer or grater blade as well.

KitchenAid KFC3100 Chef Series Food Chopper

The reverse spiral action of the blade produces uniformed sized meats, nuts, vegetables, fruits or whatever ingredient put in. The separation of the compartments into a wet and dry section where you add in flavorings while processing something is a nice touch. 

The electronic pulse pad enables you to control the speed and intensity of the processor’s action; meaning you can determine the size, texture of the ingredient being processed.

Being in the class of compact food processors, this one has a cord storage base, and does not require much counter space. Safety is taken into consideration as the blades won’t function until the lid is in place and locked.

Pitting KitchenAid KFC3100WH against the Cuisinart DLC2, however it did not seem to measure up to the latter. Both machines produced rather equal results in chopping things like onions, nuts or breadcrumbs. Apparently Cuisinart chops onions better but it could be due to how one does it. KitchenAid would produce chopped onions with fewer pulses and minced onions with more pulses.

With making spreads, pates, or purees, Cuisinart pulls the ingredients down the center and into the blade quicker than KitchenAid, which had larger chunks remaining on top. In terms of accessibility, you must turn the KitchenAid’s blade numerous times before it drops in, while Cuisinart’s drops on easily.

You need to remove the lid before you can lift of the bowl on KitchenAid while Cuisinart’s bowl and lid detaches like an assembly. You can remove the blade of Cuisinart’s processor without touching the food, with the extended handle of the blade.

Compared to Cuisinart, KitchenAid looks lost in the processing softer food category, but it excels in producing other things, and is perfect for small portions and I would recommend it if you rarely want to make soft food, and you are looking for something storage and cost effective. It could get a little noisy during operations though, but a small glitch in a machine that helps a lot is forgivable.

 

KitchenAid KFP750 – Best Food Processor

This KitchenAid KFP750 12-Cup Food Processor has a powerful yet very quiet motor and very well built design overall. This is definitely the best food processor you can get. Well, I understand why this food processor has received 5 stars rating in consumer report and cook illustrated – personally, I think this is among the best food processors I have tested so far.

KitchenAid KFP750WH 700-Watt 12-Cup Food Processor

Great Motor And Large Bowl

It has a very powerful and quiet motor. A 12 cup work bowl is about the largest you can get in this class of food processors. With 700 W powered motor, it is surprisingly quiet – maybe it’s because of the durable sealed housing too.

Good Cutting Design

With a variety of cutting blades (slicing, grating, chopping etc), it’s so handy. Based on my testing result, the chopping and slicing is very even and consistent with no motor trouble at all. This machine is definitely very efficient in performing delicate (such as shredding vegetable leaves) or harder (like chopping nuts) tasks.

As you know this machine comes with 2 bowls for your convenience. However, other users stated that there is a leakage from the mini-bowl when you try to put it into the big bowl.

Anyway, I think this minor issue shouldn’t discourage anyone from buying this machine.

Another obvious grouse would be the bulk of this machine, although it’s due to the high powered motor. There is a danger of over processing some mixtures as the blade does not stop at the same time when the “stop” button is pressed, hence the timing may be a bit out. If you think this fault affects the result, then you can learn to improvise by processing at more intervals with shorter pulses.

Best Food Processor

Personally, I think this is a great machine! When choosing a best food processor, I value the importance of its motor and the cutting design. I will check whether the motor is durable and powerful enough to handle tough jobs. And most importantly, it has to cut or chop things evenly. Eventually, this is the main reason why we buy a food processor in the first place. Well, I do like a storage box for the additional components which are dishwasher safe. In fact, everything must be easy to clean and dishwasher safe.

Anyway, if you are thinking about getting this KitchenAid food processor, it comes with 1 year warranty, weighs 24 lbs and 15 1/8 inches and available in empire red, white and Onyx black colors in Amazon.

I cook a lot and I really like this powerful, quiet and well designed KitchenAid food processor! For anyone looking for a food processor, this one definitely should be right on top of the list!

Best Compact Refrigerator For Ice-Cold Drinks

It is always refreshing to open an ice cold drink and ice cream on a hot summer day. This is something everyone would like whether they are on the job or at a college dorm room. There is good news today because there is more advancement in technology to create a reliable, smoothly running, and convenient, compact refrigerator. I personally have a small refrigerator to store my kid’s food. But I know most people use the refrigerator to store this:

When deciding on the best compact refrigerator, it is good to consider these few factors:

• Features—What unique features does this refrigerator have to offer? What kinds of features (i.e. large freezer, double doors, etc.) would I like for a refrigerator?
• Value—How well does the refrigerator run? Will my food items be cold?
• Cost—Is this refrigerator within my budget range?
• Noise Level—Is this refrigerator noisy?
• Leveling—Is this refrigerator sturdy? Does it stand balanced on all four feet?
• Packaging—Are all the necessary installation parts included within the packaging? Are any parts broken? (You can discern this factor, for the most part, when reading through the reviews on Amazon.)

Once you consider these factors, you should look into the following products and decide which is best for you and your needs:

Danby DAR195BL 1.8 Cubic Feet All Refrigerator

 Overall Rating: 4.5 stars

Pros

• Compact size is convenient for a dorm room or office
• Scratch resistant work top—you can store most accessories on top (coffee maker, cups, mugs, food items)
• Slots for soda and beer cans are well-made—cans slide in perfectly
• Temperature cools to where drinks are ice cold!

Cons

• Some have problems with the noise level of this product. It really comes down to personal preference though.
• Leveling—one customer had problems with using the one adjustable screw leg on the refrigerator to level it. Bolt from the bottom of the refrigerator is so long it throws the whole unit off balance.

Overall, the Danby refrigerator offers good value for your money. Many customers were pleased with the quality of the machine’s running power. The refrigerator does seem to balance well on all four legs with the adjustable screw leg. Unfortunately, one customer ran into a problem with using the leg. Try to find someone knowledgeable to help with the leveling, if you can. This is still one of the best compact refrigerators though, with its countertop, quiet running power, and unique slots to chill drinks.

 

SPT 2 ½ Cubic Feet Compact Energy Star Refrigerator

 

 Overall Rating: 4.5 stars

 Pros

• Reversible doors offer versatility
• Tall bottle door rack
• Runs very quietly
• Well-built
• Prompt delivery

Cons

• Bottom is sharp metal!—one customer cut himself when trying to even out the feet.
• Shelves and brackets on door fall out too easily when the refrigerator is full—one customer said the door bracket fell off when he stored heavy bottles on the side of the refrigerator door.

In general, this refrigerator is sure to give you comfort for years to come. The unique reversible doors and tall bottle door rack can give you something to look forward to coming home to. Be cautious of the door brackets, though, if you do decide to invest in this particular refrigerator. It would be advisable to put fewer items that do not weigh too much on the shelves. Be careful, as well, with the leveling. If these issues are too much of a concern for you, there are safer options available on the market. Bottom line, if you want something casual to store drinks and snacks, this one is one of the best compact refrigerators for your money.

Haier HCR17W 1.7 Cubic Feet Refrigerator/Freezer 

 

Overall Rating: 4 stars

Pros

• Energy efficient—does not use much power. One customer reported that it only took one hour to cool food items.
• Fairly quiet
• Package arrives quickly
• Good-sized freezer compartment

 Cons

• Does not have a light of any type
• Hard to fit many food items into refrigerator
• May have a short life span—one customer reported that the refrigerator stopped working after one year.

The Haier refrigerator offers good-quality energy and quiet running power. You can feel good knowing that you will be saving money on electric bills. All in all, the Haier refrigerator will definitely be a good buy for someone who does not need to store too many food items. On the other hand, the refrigerator does not offer any light inside, which is an important feature for many people. For its price, though, this refrigerator is still worth a try.

Food Processor VS Blender

Food certainly takes a lot of form. It may be solid or liquid; big or small; smooth or rugged. There is a wide variety of kitchen appliances available in the market. All will be of great help in your kitchen journey. All will help you make a good meal to satisfy your cravings.

Preparing the perfect meal takes time and it also needs the perfect tool or appliance to make it. But when trying to shred things into small pieces or just simply mixing things together, which tool would be more efficient – A Food processor versus Blender? 

Well, it turns out that one complements the other. They have different functions that would help solve your different kitchen dilemmas. What the food processor can’t achieve, the blender will happily accomplish for you. But of course, it boils down to what you usually do inside the kitchen.

 

Food processor versus blender

Are you the type who likes to have smoothies and shakes during a hot day? Or are you that person who enjoys chopping and slicing fruits and vegetables? Or are you a special mix of both? Whatever you choose that is what all up to you.

If you want to try and grate, chop, shred, slice or mix food that is hard, the food processor is your ally and go-to friend every time you are in the kitchen. It can easily achieve anything that you are having a hard time doing with your knife. Some of the things the food processor is great at doing are the following: making dough, grating cheese and chopping nuts. So if you usually eat meals involving the said ingredients then it would be wise to keep a food processor at hand in your own kitchen.

But if you are someone who likes to experiment around with food – It would be nice if you would have both a food processor and a blender in your kitchen so you wouldn’t have a hard time preparing meals that you would serve to your loved ones or just simply enjoy yourself. Less hassle for you and more fun for your hungry tummy! Just be a bit cautious in keeping both the food processor and the blender. Doing so would mean that you would have to face its advantages, as well as disadvantages. You just have to decide upon yourself which of the two you could bear more – the advantages or the disadvantages of having both appliances in your kitchen.

So if you’re still thinking of throwing out either your food processor or blender, think again. They may seem to do the same thing but always remember that things are not always what they seem. If kitchen space is your problem, you can always store one of them in a cabinet and just bring it out whenever you would need a job to be done. Just leave the one you use most frequently on your kitchen tabletop so that you can easily access it whenever you need to.

If you really want to keep just one, either a food processor or a blender, just weigh your options. You have the blender that is excellent at mixing and liquefying food while on the hand, the food processor is amazing at slicing, chopping and grating different types of food. Which one do you often do while in the kitchen? Is it the former or the latter?

The food processor and the blender perform specific functions and are the perfect kitchen tools for varying situations. Just take note of when to use a food processor and when to use a blender so you would not have any second thoughts on throwing anything out the door.

Black & Decker EHC650

This Black & Decker EHC650 3-cup 2-speed Food Chopper seems like receiving a good number of praises and commendations from the users. They have acclaimed its easy maneuverability and its easy-to-clean attributes. Besides, they have also averred that this 150-watt food chopper is delivering marvelous results day in and day out.

For all practical purposes, all the detachable parts of this Black & Decker EHC650 3-cup 2-speed Food Chopper are dishwasher-safe. More importantly, this food processor is designed ergonomically to minimize the hassles in operating it. This is particular obvious with the Soft-grip Power Head that can be handled easily with only the need of one hand.

On the other hand, with the measurement of 4 ¾ by 4 ¾ by 8 inches, this Black & Decker EHC650 3-cup 2-speed Food Chopper will fit well into the any size of kitchen.

Various reviews have shown that majority of the users love its portability and handiness. They also have conveyed that the 3-cup capacity is more than enough to accommodate their needs.

Better still, it offers two speed options for the users. This means that you are allowed to control the fineness or size of your food at ease. What’s more, the blade that incorporated in this utensil is stainless steel with sturdy structure.

To make things easier, it is equipped with a cover for food storage in the refrigerator. Quite a number of users have pointed out that this cover is particular useful and convenient when the amount of food prepared is more than what is needed.

All in all, this Black & Decker EHC650 3-cup 2-speed Food Chopper is not an ideal food processor for you if you have to prepare meals for a large family. However, if you only need a food processor for light usages, then I think it is a perfect choice! It is simple, compact, handy and cheap.

Black & Decker HC306 1-1/2-Cup One-Touch Electric Chopper

Any single guy or girl who cooks at home must have this cute little gadget! The Black & Decker HC306 may be small – it only has 1.5 cup capacity – but it is not a flimsy toy. This electric chopper can save you a lot of fuss when cooking for one.

Fast, Easy and Light
The Black & Decker HC306 is so easy to use that it is practically foolproof. It has only one, big, round button that is hard to miss. Just pop that onion you want to chop into the bowl, lock it into position, and press the button once, twice…and you’re done. Yes, the blades are sharp enough to chop an onion in two pulses, so don’t press for too long unless you want to puree something like tomatoes.

Clean up is just as easy. The parts of this chopper that needs cleaning are dishwasher safe but to retain the sharpness of the blades for a longer time, hand washing is recommended. Rinsing the bowl and blades under the tap after use is no trouble at all.

Not for Everything, But Good Enough
This little fellow can handle green pepper, garlic, breadcrumbs, hard cheese, nuts, and even meat. But it doesn’t handle leafy veggies well, and the little motor will get hot if you run it for too many times in a row. Let it cool for a few minutes and it’ll be ready to chop again.

It also doesn’t have a rubber tight seal between the lid and the bowl, so there will be a little leakage when you puree or process stuff that is wet. The puree doesn’t really come out very fine either, but then, this is a chopper not a mill, after all.

I would say those are very minor drawbacks that shouldn’t stop anyone from getting this chopper. I would recommend the Black & Decker HC306 to anyone who wants to get little chopping tasks done without bringing out the monster of a food processor. For a little more than $10, this chopper certainly gives a lot of value!

Black & Decker FP2500 PowerPro

Among the many other food processors within it’s price range, I would say that the Black & Decker FP2500 PowerPro Wide-Mouth 10-Cup Food Processor sets the bar high in terms of quality and performance.

This can only mean one thing; the disk blades are extremely effective. The other blades works well too! They will puree tomatoes and knead a pizza dough in a jiffy without any unnecessary mess and any extra work. All you need to do is put in the required ingredients, relax and let the machine do all the work for you.

The extra large ‘mouth’, which is the main feature of the Black & Decker FP2500 PowerPro, makes adding food through it easier and less messier. Now, you don’t need to keep on opening the top lid to get bigger things in; all you need to do is gently tamp it through the ‘mouth’.

However, from what I can see, there might be a difficulty in cleaning between the rim of the lid and the rim where the ‘mouth’ meets the main section of the lid. Tiny pieces of food may get trapped there and turn nasty and we don’t want that now, do we? Perhaps a bristle brush will do the trick?

Best Dishwashers For Your Home in 2014

Have you recently moved into an apartment or small home and noticed that there is not a dishwasher? It seems like there’s a never ending pile of plates, bowls, and glasses quickly filling up in your sink. Or, maybe you do have a dishwasher, and it is really running poorly. The dishes are filmy with those unsightly hard water stains, not to mention the caked-on greasy food that is still there. It would be so wonderful to see shiny, spot-free dishes. Well, not to worry! There are many affordable options on Amazon. In this article, we will outline some of the best dishwasher for your home. First, here are a few factors that should be considered first:

• Cost—Is this dishwasher within my budget range?
• Efficiency—Does this dishwasher run smoothly? What is the noise level?
• Cleaning Quality–Are the dishes spotless after a wash?
• Carrying Capacity—How many dishes are able to fit inside the unit? Is this dishwasher a good option for two people or for a four to six person family?
• Amount of Energy—Does this dishwasher use a lot of heat during a wash cycle? Will you save money on electric bills?
• Delivery—Is the shipment of the product fast and reliable? Is the product well-packaged? Are there any defects on the product?

After considering these questions, you can view the following products to see which one best fits your needs:

SPT Countertop Dishwasher 

Pros

• Good choice for someone who is on a budget
• Saves space in your kitchen
• Can choose from six different wash cycles
• Very sturdy—a durable stainless interior
• Economical—save money on electric bills; Energy Star certified
• Perfect for apartments, small kitchens
• Sparkling dishes—one customer said that all the scorching came off the bottom of the pot
• Easy to install—installation manual is very helpful
• Many dishes are able to fit on the racks

Cons

• Heavy duty wash has a lot of cycles; it also sits for a long time in between cycles
• The unit is heavy to lift—this would really strain a person who has back problems. Find someone to help you with the lifting!
• This dishwasher is NOT ideal for a family of four—would have to use it too many times during the day.

Overall, this is one of the best dishwashers in the market. It delivers sparkling dishes as promised. It is well worth the investment if you have two to three people in your household. This dishwasher is sturdy and will give you satisfaction for years to come.

Koldfront 6 Place Setting Portable Countertop Dishwasher 

Pros

• Saves energy—uses 200 kilowatt hours per year. That’s 61% less energy than similar countertop dishwashers!
• Conserves water
• Cleans really well, even on the two lightest cycles
• Large enough for a good-sized load
• Perfect for apartments

Cons

• Does not clean dried, caked-on food on dishes that well—a few customers had to rinse dishes really well before loading dishwasher.
• Racks are quite difficult to load
• One customer had water leaking underneath the dishwasher after two and a half weeks. This is, however, one isolated case.

The Koldfront dishwasher will definitely put a smile on your face when you see the electric bills! It is very affordable and well worth giving a try. Many customers were happy with the cleaning quality, and it will be a relief to be able to put all of your dirty dishes in at once for a wash. That means no more having to divide into two or three different loads of dishes for washing. The only problem to be aware of for this dishwasher is the harder to clean pots on casserole dishes and plates—make sure to rinse these first before loading. If pre-rinsing dishes is inconvenient for you, this dishwasher is probably not a good choice.