Cooking Reviews

THE GOOD: so I must admit this is one pretty cool sandwich maker. It melts cheese puuuuuuuurfectly. My mushrooms are pretty well squished in with the ham and the tomatoes dont come out soggy at all. It's cute and small and has that ever so popular Krups brand on it so you know it's good.

THE BAD: problem is it's too small and cute. One slice of white bread barely fits in there and don't even think about putting Italian bread or real Sourdough bread in there..it just wont fit.

THE UGLY: when it's all over and you just endulged in this great melty cheesy snadwich thats gooey all over your hands, guess what..it's also gooey all over the sandwich maker as well! There are so many nookes and cranneys in this little machine that it's impossible to get all the melted on gunk. And after about 5 or 10 sandwiches you can just imagion the nastyness.

FINAL NOTE: ultimatly if you want to take the 20 min or so (and thats a conservative estimate) to clean this thing up each and every time you use it then it's a gret deal. It makes a variety or deli meat great hot sandwiches that literally melt in your mouth.

I was skeptical of this product because some of the other reviewers said that it was messy and too small to hold many bread slices. I've found that it will easily work with a normal slice of bread, and with fancier loaves you can just trim to the right size. It does occasionally drip grease from the cheese and is a little hard to clean because the plates don't come off, but I didn't find these problems to be too objectionable. For $19.95 this machine is a great deal. We use it all the time. Since we often work late it's nice to fix a quick, creative and healthy meal in only a few minutes, and with a minimum of clean-up.

Just bought this 2 days ago. Love it for making sandwiches for myself and 2 year old. It's great if you're watching your weight because you can't squeeze a ton of junk on it, though a decent amount fits which is good for little one's sandwiches too. I have not found it hard to clean, definitely doesn't take 20 mins like someone said in one review. If you wait till it's just slightly warm and clean it with a dry paper towel over the sink, you can easily wipe the rest out with a damp sponge. 2 minutes tops. Love this thing, glad I bought it, just don't overstuff it.

My wife got this for me for Valentine's Day. I put the coffee beans in and yes, after pushing the button, they were ground up in a few seconds.

I agree with previous reviewers that clean up is not this items strong suit. I will probably dedicate a toothbrush to clean it, as the bowel is not removeable, and the directions tell you not to immerse the unit in water. So for spices, I would not recommend this item. (I prefer a mortar and pestle for this, anyway.)

For the price you pay, you get a pretty good coffee grinder.

I've never had any trouble with the grinder, which is not the case with other brands owned by friends. The oval shape is interesting; apparently has something to do with the way coffee whirls around when ground and is supposed to increase grinding efficiency. Whatever, it works.

I had two, one for spices. (we got an extra as a present, so I dedicated the older one to spice grinding.) But I don't recommend it for spices, and wish I could recommend something other than my marble mortar and pestle, but that's what I use. Why? The cover of the Krups grinder gets scarred from the tough stems of cloves, and I noticed even the edge of the plastic cover got nicked and chipped. Question: where did those plastic chips go? So now I pound away on the mortar and use the grinder for coffee.

Simple makes it easy, the grinder is easy to clean, the metallic grinding cup prevents the grounds to stick all over the place (no static) and it is big enough for any type of coffee maker.
Of course there is no fancy switch to choose how fine you want the coffee, nor bean dispenser but coffee making is no rocket science and if you grind your coffee everyday you will quickly get it right.
I love it, it is durable and made by a company that specialize in those products (except for their espresso machines, where they suck, but well, they are German, not Italian).

I ordered this product just before Easter to allow my son to do the eggs all by himself. He likes hard boiled eggs year round so this seemed like the perfect solution. Little did I know that even following the directions exactly didn't produce hard boiled eggs. The yellow centers were never done the first cycle and I always lose at least one egg every cycle because it bursts even though we put the hole in it. I'm sending it back after less than one week of trying to make it work.

If you are thinking of buying this item, don't worry, it works perfectly. Perfect eggs every time. My wife and I cook hard boiled eggs every morning to take to our offices and eat during our break, along with whole wheat toast. Before we purchased the Krups Egg Express Egg Cooker, it was such a hassle to boil water and time the eggs. Now they're perfect every time and we don't have to watch them while we get ready for work. And because the eggs are steamed intead of boiled, the shells seem to come off much more easily.

Sometimes, if you use extra large eggs, you might have to add just a tiny bit more water than indicated by the measuring cup in order for the eggs to be solidly hard boiled. Or, you can just leave them sit in the unit for a extra minute or two after the buzzer goes off.

We occasionally cook soft boiled eggs also, and when we do, they come out perfect.

This unit is very small so it will not take up very much room in your kitchen and it is easy to clean but rarely does it need anything more than a quick rinse.

I bought this item on a whim for my grandmother for Christmas for a lack of finding anything else I thought she might enjoy.

She uses the Krups Egg Cooker all the time and for her it is an easy "care for" appliance.

She raved over the poached eggs so much my entire family had to try the poached eggs feature and LOVES them.

The hard boil feature is terrific too.

I would highly recommend this item for anyone who needs a great gift idea.

This grinder served me well for 3 years and then one of the metal blades chipped, leaving me to wonder if bits of it went into my coffee grinds-? No settings for fine or coarse but for common sense: the longer you grind, the finer your ground of beans. Easy to use, coffee spills all over when you uncap it but it's no different from all the other grinders I've used in this price range so no points off. A decent product. Nice oval shape makes it easy to grip. Nowhere to hide or get cord out of the way but to wind it and use a twist-tie.

I have had this Krups coffee grinder for over 15 years now. When I first decided to buy coffee beans and grind my own, I knew nothing about it. Just went into a cook store, saw several grinders, and chose Krups based on its looks and simplicity. I have not been disappointed.

I make 2-3 pots of coffee a day. [multiply that times 15 years and that's a lot of use!] It has had the usual wear and beating [oops, I dropped it, etc] and now is yellowed and has brittle teeth around the lid edges from use and abuse, and that's the ONLY reason why I have decided to get another one. The motor is still going strong and the blades still work great.

This is a simple machine to use. Put in the coffee beans, and depending on how strong you want the coffee, grind the beans longer for a finer grind. It took a bit of experimentation at first [which I enjoyed since it was a new thing I was learning] to decide how much and how long depending on how much water I was using, but now it is just automatic to measure, grind, rap the sides, and pour.

I like the safety feature that won't allow you to "accidentally" grind without the lid being seated - the trigger to start it is on the lid. That's the only "button" to push.

Spilling coffee isn't a problem either. After grinding, and before taking off the lid, just rap the sides to help loosen the coffee from the lid and sides. Then take off the lid and dump the coffee into the filter of your machine. The only thing easier would be if the grinder was in your coffeemaker already. However, the more bells and whistles on an appliance, the more possibilities for things to break or go wrong. [My Krups grinder has outlasted at least 3 coffeemakers already. It's worth it to me to keep it separate.]

Since I had such good luck with the first one, naturally I'm getting another. It's still the same number as the one I bought years ago. When something works great, why change it. 15 years... Now, that's pretty good for any appliance!

I'm new to grinding coffee, so I began a search of these appliances at Amazon.com and came upon this particular model. Since I only drink coffee a couple of times a week, I didn't need a "heavy duty" grinder that could prepare enough grounds for 100 cups. I read the reviews and took a chance. I've only used it around 4 or 5 times, but I'm really impressed with it so far. I took the advice of one of the reviewers and purchased a good, nylon brush to clean out the grounds. It's a well made, sturdy appliance that anyone could use. It's easy on the wallet and doesn't take up much space on my kitchen counter. I recommend it highly. My coffee tastes better now because I'm starting with fresh beans as opposed to prepared grounds.

This was a major disappointment. I purchased it for xmas this year and I tried 4 times to make ice cream / sorbet with this and it never worked. I froze the canister for 2 days to insure it was cold enough and it still wouldn't work. I started with the mix a cold 34 degrees and it still didn't work. After 20 minutes, a small amount of ice crystals would form, and by 25 minutes the mixture had melted back into a liquid. I am a pastry chef, and more than familiar with making ice cream and sorbets, so I don't think that was the problem! My kitchen is cold this time of year too. My fiance questioned whether we were supposed to run the machine while it was still in the freezer! The parts are very flimsy also, and snapping the lid onto the machine is more difficult than it has to be. I strongly recommend buying a different machine. I am going to try the cuisinart.

We got La Glaciere as a wedding present five years ago, and promptly stuck it in a dark corner never to see the light of day again. Recently digging through the nooks and crannies of my kitchen, the little ice cream maker appeared. I decided to use it once before I donated it to Good Will.

I'm so glad I decided to give it a chance. It makes really good ice cream -- quickly, simply, and in a nice, manageable amount. And as far as performance, even when we tried to screw it up by pouring in the ice cream mix before we put in the paddle (hint: don't let your husband in the kitchen), the machine was foolproof.

I've looked at the other reviews, and I can see where someone might gripe about the awkward attachment of the lid to the machine, but that's really a trifle compared to the overall performance of the machine. As far as the ice cream not freezing, make sure that your freezer is at 0 degrees (a health requirement anyway), and you should be fine.

Buy it, and eat luscious, homemade ice cream every day of your life!

Back when we were making up our wedding registry, my then-fiance (now husband) really wanted an ice cream maker. The store we registered at had three options: the Krups, the Cuisinart and one that used salt. We chose the Krups based on its smaller size and touted ease of use.

The claims of ease were absolutely true! We keep the bowl of the machine in our freezer at all times so we're ready to mix up a batch of fresh, homemade ice cream with as short a wait as possible. The mixer is very strong and we've yet to mix up a batch too thick for it. It's also a breeze to clean up. You wouldn't believe the raves we've received on the varieties of ice cream we've made. What more could you ask for?

Another reviewer mentioned the scarcity of recipes that came with the machine. To be honest, we've never tried any of them. The most requested batch we've made came from "Williams-Sonoma's Ice Creams and Sorbets" book - it's the recipe for Cantaloupe Sorbet with Minted Melon. We've also found Ben & Jerry's book to be a winner as well.

One reviewer said this filter does not work in all Krups 10-12 coffee makers--as advertised. What's up with this, Krups?

I, too, have a ten-cup Krups AromaControl coffee maker. It did not come with a permanent filter although my last Krups did. I bought a goldtone filter at a local dept. store which said it fit ALL 10-12 cup coffee makers, but it didn't.

JSchalberg of NY wrote in her review that this one from Krups does not fit hers, either. I am glad to know that before ordering one. What's up with this, Krups?

I wasn't happy with this product, I used it in my Krups coffee pot and it seemed to let a lot of grounds through. Maybe I am just not fond of the gold filters and/or not used to using them. Either way I stopped using this filter, I'm not saying it not good, just that I had different expectations.

Having owned and used a wide variety of drip filter type coffee makers, there's little doubt this little wonder from Krups makes the best tasting cup of coffee I've ever tasted from this genre. And it looks stylish too, to boot.

The much-touted aroma control feature, in which the grounds are first steeped for a period before gradually releasing the brew, works as promised. This is especially useful if, like me, you frequently make small batches. Making a single cup of coffee that tastes better than tepid tap water is finally a reality.

The stainless steels thermal carafe also contributes greatly to preventing the aroma loss and flavour degeneration that typically occurs in the glass carafe models that rest atop a hot plate. The blurb proclaims that the carafe will maintain adequate temperature for around 5 hours, but in practice I found that 3.5 to 4 hours is maximum for small batches. Larger batches do last slightly better.

One gripe (and this is why it gets 4 stars instead of 5), the freshly brewed coffee comes out virtually at the ideal drinking temperature. Which means either drink fast or use a thermal mug. And don't think of adding cold milk or cold cream, unless you actually like your coffee cool. But if you take it straight and black like me, you won't find a more flavourful drip filtered coffee out there.

Couple of other points:

1) There's no built-in water filter. Which is probably good, because you probably already have a good brand installed on your tap, or you are using your favourite brand of drinking water.

2) The gold-tone filter is not included in the package. It's a useful add-on to buy. Who wants paper chemical residues in their coffee?

3) Like with most drip filter type coffee makers, the best way to increase the strength is not to add more granules, but to grind them them finer. If you like it strong, grind to a consistency that is typically considered at the coarse end of the espresso scale.

4) I guess the timer feature could be neat, but does anyone actually use that? This is too much like programming a VCR, which I never do, as a matter of principal. But if you don't mind the rocket science, have fun fiddling with it!

We have owned quite a number of coffee makers over the years. This is the finest. I have read the reviews below and have never experienced a broken handle (we have had the coffee maker for nine months now) nor cold coffee.

It is important to realize that this is a thermal caraffe. When the coffee is fully brewed, you need to take the caraffe out of the coffee maker. When it is in the coffee maker, the lid is slightly depressed to let the coffee drip in. If you leave it fully brewed in the maker, that means that the heat will escape back out of the lid. With the lid closed, the coffee stays hot for at least 4 hours. This is the process I use every morning, and have hot coffee for hours.

Oh, one other important thing. This is a thermal caraffe, as said before. If you are using the caraffe to put water in the coffee maker, you are likely using cold water. You need to put hot water into the caraffe after you put cold water into the coffee maker, because you have now "conditioned" the caraffe for cold water. It will take "extra" hot coffee to warm the caraffe back up. Do it yourself with a spritz of hot water.

This is a well designed coffee maker, with an easy to use timer if you like to use them. It is also easy to clean. I just use soap and water in the caraffe.

One thing we really love in our home is coffee, and we drink lots of it. Even more now, because this machine makes a real, distinct difference. How? I think because of three factors.

The first is that is amazingly well sealed. First time I do not smell coffee all around while the machine is brewing, so the aroma goes in the cup, not in the air.

The second is that this coffeemaker has a built-in delay: when you turn it on, it pours the hot water in the filter, but it keeps it there for a couple of minutes before dripping, thus squeezing every bit of aroma out of the grains.

Lastly, the temperature: it's perfect, amazing what a few degree in difference make. Somebody has already tested and explained it in a previous review better than I could. You'll never get burned, the coffee is perfect from the first sip, and it stays so for a pretty long time. Not sure how long, as I said we drink a lot so it goes pretty fast.
You do grind your own coffee don't you? If you don't, start now! And keep it in the fridge as long as you can, you will never have good coffee if you don't.

There is a timer, my recommendation is to set it carefully, not too early, because the lid stays slightly open as long as the carafe is in the machine: the same time you wake up is perfect for us.

Another thing: this is a nice looking coffeemaker, which is and always has been a rarity.

Some have complained about the fact that is made of plastic: well, I have seen some really heavy looking metallic ones, at Starbucks for example: fork out $300 or so, and you can get all the metal you want. Hope all that steel produces as fine a coffee as this one though.

For those who have remarked about defects and leaking water, one word to the wise: every brand, even luxury cars, is ridden with defective units. Return it, and get a replacement. I don't think manufacturers put much care in quality control anymore, it's probably cheaper to replace than to monitor nowadays.

As any Married Man of Long Standing will tell you, when the wife isn't happy, nobody's happy. Therefore, anything that promotes mellowness in Momma is a boon to Mankind.

When we first took the Krups Sensotoast Deluxe out of its box, we noticed that the heating element spans only one side of each slot. That immediately raised doubts as to the toaster's ability to crisp the far-side face of the slice. But, we were pleasantly surprised when those first muffin halves popped out nicely browned on both sides. That leaves the inevitable question, "How did they do that?" Clever, those Germans.

If you're looking for a gadget that'll do anything, including pick up email, then this device isn't for you. The Sensotoast Deluxe is a paragon of stripped-down simplicity. It has a down lever, an emergency "stop" release, a 1-7 setting dial for burn control, an easily removable crump catcher, and wire "thingies" - that's the technical term - that close to support the bread in an upright position as the slice descends into its own personal Hades.

The toaster only comes in two colors, white and black, which might prove problematic if the dominant theme of your kitchen is brushed steel or sunshine yellow. However, our white version doesn't clash with our dowdy cream-colored paint scheme. It does have a relatively large 15 x 6.5 inch footprint, so you may have to move aside the rice cooker, power lettuce shredder, cappuccino wizard, veggie steamer, food dessicator, turbo can-opener, or gelato maker to create space. And the 30-inch power cord seems rather short, but maybe that's a good thing if you're trying to reduce cord clutter. The toaster is also surprisingly light, which may not be a plus if your cat wants to shove it off the counter top to clear space for a nap.

The best feature of the appliance is the pair of 10.5 x 1.5 inch toasting slots - big enough to handle those exorbitantly-priced, mail-order English muffins that are hefty enough to satisfy even a hungry soccer ruffian. I know for a fact that it helps get my lady started out on the right foot with a satisfying breakfast, so that makes it a Good Thing in my book. And, I have to admit, that when I want a summer sausage, cheese and barbecue sauce combo on toast to eat over the kitchen sink, the Sensotoast Deluxe is indispensable in creating this gourmet snack.

This toaster replaces a functioning run-of-the-mill, 2 slice toaster that we've had for about five years. Everyone buys that toaster when they first set-up their household. Now, it's time for an update.

The first thing I noticed about this toaster is that it is quite large. It has two long slots that will easily accomodate four large pieces or bread, bagels or frozen waffles. The control is simple to use and will be familiar to anyone. The construction is sturdy and the styling is modern and attractive. Krups is a very reliable appliance name and their coffeemakers are by far the best available. That's what led me to purchase the Krups toaster.

The unique heating element works wonderfully. The first test pieces of toast were some slightly stale wheat bread we found in the back of the refrigerator. The toaster worked quickly and filled the room with the aroma of freshly baked bread. The bread was toasted perfectly with a crispy exterior and a nicely hot center. I am very pleased with this purchase. Don't live with inferior toast for another day. Move up to the deluxe toaster.

The Krups 4-slice toaster is the most satisfying toaster that I've owned for a long time and after two years of daily use it is still going strong: It has just all the right features, and especially the ones you really use and it toasts bread of any size or bagels to perfection better than Toastmaster, Rowenta, Braun, Delonghi, Oster. Each piece of toast is perfected browned evenly, never burn't just perfect. The last toaster I owned was a kenwood and it was just plain dangerous: electronic sparks kept coming out at the end of the toasting cycle. I've had this toaster for over a year and the Krups is definitely a winner. Finally I've found the Best toaster!

Although this coffee maker looks like an attractive product, there is one very significant problem that must be remedied in future models: the poor heating. This appliance makes a decent, if unexceptional cup of coffee, but unlike with other Krups models, the temperature cannot be adjusted. Indeed, the owner's manual only recommends using hotter water at the outset, but that's also insufficient. Furthermore, once the coffee is brewed, the already lukewarm coffee grows cold rather quickly in the dual carafes. Finally, the price for this product is wildly out of step with its quality. If the problems I outlined could be fixed or a grind and brew feature was added, then the price would be acceptable. As it is, however, I feel as though I was gouged. Overall, I was very, very disappointed with this product and ended up returning it. I would encouraged Krups to get back to the drawing board with this maker and solve that problem with the heating. The idea of a dual coffee maker is a great one, and this is a product I would try again, but as it stands now, I must encourage all buyers to steer clear of this model, unless you prefer tepid coffee.

My husband and I received this coffeemaker as a gift for Christmas. My husband wanted the dual caraffe that it touts. However, our previous coffeemaker had a timer and a one minute "sneak a cup" feature. I believe this machine is slower than what we had prior. I also have a problem with the temperature of the coffee. To boast that you blend a better cup of coffee doesn't matter if I end up putting my cup of cold coffee in the microwave to heat it up! I'm very dissatisfied with this machine. I expected more from KRUPS and can't believe the price. It is not worth it.

We replaced a single Krups stainless coffee maker with a new duotek stainless. We like the way it looks. Makes good coffee. Krups makes good, long lasting products. Only knock on this one is no digital display and no preset coffee timer (had both of these features on last one). Krups should rethink pricing strategy. This should be 179 with key features I mentioned. Consider returning it for Delonghi which has those features for 179.

Purchased this model in December 2002. It broke down under normal household use four times. After the fourth time Krups send a replacement which in turn broke down one week later. Promotional literature mentions ability to bake/broil with this product, but I have found though experience that only the toasting function can be relied on. If for example two people try to reheat pizza, one after the other there is a good chance the thermostat and/or fuse will fail

I bought the sister model ProchefUltra#296. Itbroke after two weeks use and I had it repaired by my local appriance center. Guess what, it broke again. Total JUNK.

I paid the "premium" price for this oven as I liked the looks of it and thought (mistakenly) that Krups was a high-quality manufacturer. I was slightly dissapointed after I got it as it took twice as long as a normal...toaster to toast bread in the am. I figured that I would put up with that as it matched my kitchen perfectly. Then, after three months of usage, the heating elements just stopped working. Ridiculous!...I'll never buy Krups again.