Appliance Reviews

The first thing I looked at when I opened the package was how flimsy the beaters looked, I was afraid they would break if I used it for mixing a thicker batter, but then I plugged it in and turned it on. I was amazed at how much power this mixer had! I had considered buying the 300watt mixer because I tend to make thick batters and I was weary that this couldn't handle it, but I was so wrong. It worked great on everything I've thrown at it so far, from coffee cake batter to oatmeal cookies I've had no problems. However I would advise caution on using it for very light dry mixtures such as strudel topping, it has too much power and things go flying. The spatula attachment is great, it scrapes the sides of the bowl so everything gets easily blended. I would highly recommend this mixer as a powerful alternative to some of the pricier brands.

Compact and lightweight, this little mixer is a must for everybody's kitchen. It stores easily, and the blades pop out for quick and easy cleaning. The body of the mixer wipes down well, too, which is important when you're blending something that spatters everywhere. There is an actual different between the various speeds you can select, and although you might have to push down a little to incorporate, say, butter, into a recipe, overall the little mixer does its job well... and it lasts a long time. A great and inexpensive gift for your favorite cook!

A little difficult to get certain food in and out of the cooking container, otherwise it cooks food very well.

Bought this contraption three months ago. We used to do Tandoori Chicken and Seekh Kebabs once a month on our gas grill. Since this product we are rotisserie-ing cut-up or whole chickens, chicken tikkas (skewers), seekh kebabs, steak strips or something every week end. Cooking time for a whole chicken is 45-50 minutes with centre heat. One of the best cooking devices and an ingenious design. It is a bit not-easy to get the whole chicken off the ring it sits on, but that is almost a no-thought when we are licking our fingers minutes later.

The rice cooker seems to overheat everytime and sends froth boiling over. This can be avoided by opening the top from time to time. The rice tends to stick to the metal after you are done. With a close eye the rice will turn out fine. However, this product fails the test for convenience. I'd rather use the stovetop with some good cookware and a timer than use this. I suggest looking for a product with better non-stick material and one that doesn't overheat.

I grew up in Japan, so I am pretty picky when it comes to how I like my rice. This was given me as a gift, and although I wouldn't have chosen an American brand of rice cooker, I was surprised at how well the rice turned out. I was using Japanese rice. The cooker gets the rice pretty perfect in less than 35 minutes for 6 cups, which is fairly fast. Unfortunately, the first time I used it, I left it on the "warm" setting for over an hour. This was never a problem with my older Japanese rice cookers, which do not have a glass lid, but whose tops are normally hinged, preventing you from seeing the contents until they have finished cooking.
After everyone had come and gone and finished eating, I could see the bottom of the pot, and noticed the yellow color of the rice that was hardened there. I soaked the pot, (which is not dishwasher-safe, by the way, as neither the lid nor utensils that accompany this set are) and decided to unplug the rice cooker immediately the next time.
I did unplug it the following night after it had finished cooking and the light automatically switched over to the "warm" setting. However, upon stirring up the rice to loosen it so that the texture would be uniform, I noticed again the same problem on the bottom of the pot. I am disappointed in this particular feature of the rice cooker, but I noticed the price was at least $100 lower than a traditional Asian rice steamer/pressure cooker, and since I didn't purchase this myself, I can't complain - but I do give it only 4 stars because of this problem, as well as the low quality of the rice scooper and paddle.

I have had 3 Black & Decker Spacemaker coffee makers and have had mixed results. The first one lasted 6-7 years and never gave me any trouble until, one day, it just died. In fact, I had liked it so much I purchased another one at a Black & Decker outlet store because B&D was getting out of the home appliances business so I wanted to have a replacement handy.

I don't know what the model number of the original coffee maker was but the replacement I purchased looks just like the picture on Amazon -- it had a door covering the controls and the water container. Its model number was ODC325R and it was a disaster. It leaked everywhere -- completely unusable. Of course, it had been several years since I had purchased it so I couldn't return it.

I went to Wal-Mart and purchased a GE countertop model which worked fine but only lasted about a year and a half. I decided to give B&D another chance and ordered one from walmart.com. It looked like the 1st one I had (no door covering things) but its model number is the same as this one on Amazon -- ODC325N. It works great! No leaks, no problems -- couldn't be happier.

The upshot is, the original B&D was great (whatever its model number was), the ODC325R was a disaster and the ODC325N has been terrific so far (3-4 months). *BUT* -- the picture shown here for the ODC325N looks just like the horrible ODC325R I had so I'm not sure what Amazon is actually selling.

Good luck :-)

Don't know what problem some folks have with leaks, our unit is working great, with no leaks. Water reservoir tank must be put in tightly, (till lock snaps).

I have had one of these coffeemakers for 10 years, and it is still going strong. I can't imagine what caused the leaking problems with another reviewer's unit, but I have never had a single leak or problem with this coffeemaker, and I love the fact that it frees up counter space. The usual freestanding type of coffeemaker has to be pulled forward so you can open the water reservoir lid to fill it, so it seems to me like it takes up even more space. This one hangs down but you can leave the sugar bowl or coffee canister under it, so it seems much more convenient to me. The water reservoir needs to be FIRMLY pushed into the unit, and I suppose that could be a problem if you don't read the instructions! It makes great coffee, keeps it piping hot, and automatically cuts off after two hours. The digital timer and clock are handy, and after 10 years mine still looks almost new. What more can you ask of a coffeemaker?

I have purchased this rice cooker twice. The first year it burned out, literally. I purchased another one and the same thing happened this morning, almost a year later.
Pros: It is extremely easy to use, easy to clean, and is inexpensive.
Cons: Do not use this product under cabinetry. It will cause moisture stains/damage, even if the cabinetry is mounted high. Foam will bubble out of the cooker and onto the counter. The life expectancy of this cooker is only 1 year with moderate to heavy use.

This machine will boil over with a starchy bubbling mess to clean up - even when cooking the smallest quantity of rice. The vent hole on the top will also get clogged - making it dangerous to lift the lid. DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED. It seems a good value, because it has a large capacity & a removable pan to make clean-up easier - and believe me that's because cleaning up after this machine is a mess. The rice is always soggy on top - with a crust on the bottom. You would be better off using instant rice or cooking it on the stove the old fashioned way - it's less trouble then cleaning up after this machine. I gave it ONE STAR - BECAUSE THAT IS LOWEST YOU CAN GIVE - and that is overrating this machine.

My husband and I just got married and received this cooker as a wedding present. We love Japanese sticky rice (sushi rice). This cooker is great for preparing the rice. I usually come home from work and just put the rice and water in and it comes out perfect everytime. We think this is an excellent cooker and one of our most used wedding present.

I don't think I need this much power to mow my lawn! This thing spits whatever you are mixing all over your counter, your shirt, and your kids! I would NOT buy this product again.

Within 4 months of purchase the mixer broke. Don't waste your money!

This is the best mixer I've ever had, and it has lasted quite a long time. Maybe my recipes for frosting or cake batter are too thick for most mixers but this one handles them very well. The others get overheated and die within a few months. I love the power this gives me, without paying 200+ dollars for a larger model that takes up precious counter space.

On the second time using this, the base shattered because I was trying to crush ice. I bought the Hamilton Beach BlendMaster, which is plastic, and it is not only cheaper, but it has never leaked and blends ice with ease. It's a good thing too, because I put a LOT of use into it.

We used this blender for a lot of smoothies & crushing ice. We received it as a gift a year ago, but just sold it at a garage sale for $5 which I was happy about. It seemed that the blades got dull quickly and just wasn't that great after a few months of use, which was probably only 30 times or so. The way it is built just doesn't seems to help bring down things in the blender, it just pushes them up so you have to stop it and shake it or move stuff around to get it to chop up anything. After awhile we also had black plastic dust getting worn off of the base and liquid leaking through the bottom, but a new ring would probably have taken care of the leak. I'm looking forward to buying something a little nicer!

We asked for this for our wedding it works great i had no problems with it and I love that the base locks...