Houseware Reviews

I'm amazed to say I'm thrilled with this set of knives. Originally, I purchased only the paring knife to get a feel for the line. Within days, I returned to Target to pick up the set, it's just that good. Aside from unique styling, the heft and balance of these knives make them a worthwhile choice. I've always been told to let the knife do the work. When using some of the top brands (Henckels, Wusthof, etc...) I don't feel the control Michael Graves cutlery provides. These are forged steel and do require sharpening. In addition, they are not honed to perfection when you open the package. A little practice with a sharpening steel and these knives stack up well against the top brands. I absolutely love the cushy handles and the well defined hilt. The knives fit well in my small hand as well as in my husband's larger hand. I wondered if the blurb online and the package missed mentioning whether Michael Graves cutlery is full tang or half tang. We performed a little experiment, slicing into the cushy handle, and proved that at least the paring knife's construction is full tang. I would definitely recommend this set (especially with the attractive wood block) for anyone who is not looking for "never needs sharpening" cutlery. These require care, they are not dishwasher safe and if properly stored and maintained should last a lifetime.

I was attracted by the comtemporary design of these measuring cups. Their flat design allows you to get into places that you could not get into with the taller dipper designed cups. They are easy to clean. The stainless steel finish holds a bright finish. I want to mount them under my kitchen cabinets, but I am having trouble deciding if they should be mounted separately or in a group. The handy clasp that encloses them makes them easy to keep together. I would highly recommend them from all standpoints.

Okay, so they may not make your cooking any better, but you'll look extremely stylish as you improvise your way around the kitchen. Just as the Michael Graves measuring spoons these are quality cups that are easy to clean, great to use, and cool to look at. The little hook/holder/clasp is useful for keeping them together, and they have a nice solid feel when digging through a bag of flour.

These cups work great. I love the look and the flat bottom allows you to set them on the counter with out them rolling over. The ring they are on is a bit akward but that obviously doesn't take away from their practicality.

Because I already own a few items of the Michael Graves line for my house, I thought this would be a nice addition to my kitchen instead of having the banana brunches lying around. At its current price, it is a very expensive commodity that does not look very solid. To start with, I would've preferred the base in another type of wood, perhaps darker. Although the artifact does hold the weight of the fruits, the chrome holder with a plastic banana on top looks dangerously unstable (after a while the banana starts to spin on its base).

Even if you do decide to buy this product, do it directly from one of the Target stores. In that way you'll just pay tax; not tax AND shipping.

It looks very strange at first appearance, but amazingly, it does what it says it will do. I give it 3 stars.

Being a proud owner of the banana hanger, I know from experience that it does its job remarkable well, takes up little space, and looks cute even without bananas hanging on it. My bananas don't go to mush quite as fast! And even if they are starting to brown up, they are in my line of sight now, and I know it is time to make banana bread.

I received this as a wedding gift and was also concerned about not having instructions. I contacted the Customer Service department at Target.com, and was directed to the Wilton site to ask for instructions (www.wilton.com). They are the manufacturers of the Fondue Pot. I e-mailed the Customer Service department of Wilton with the e-mail address provided on the Wilton web site, and included my mailing address and desire for an instruction booklet for the Michael Graves fondue pot. They were very happy to mail me a copy of the instructions for the fondue pot.

I found that by warming up chocolate fondue on low on the stovetop, and then placing the chocolate in the fondue pot over three tealight candles, the fondue pot worked very well. (I put 12oz of Baker's White Chocolate, 5 oz evaporated milk, and 1 tbsp of vanilla and baked in a saucepan on low for about 4-5 minutes, and it made an excellent fondue).

If you are concerned about recipes, I have found multiple yummy recipes online. They also make many different books that can be purchased via amazon.com, such as:

The 125 Best Fondue Recipes -- by Ilana Simon; Paperback
Fabulous Fondues -- by Fred It's Fun to Fondue Kerner; Paperback
The Book of Fondues -- by Lesley MacKley, Leslie MacKley; Paperback

Put in a search for fondue and 60 books come up as of February 2003.

I, like the previous reviewer, received this fondue pot for Christmas. However, I absolutely love it. It's easy to put together, it took all of about 40 seconds to do...It doesn't come with instructions, but if you look at the picture on the box, it's pretty self explanatory....it doesn't take a genious to figure out. I love Michael Graves, so the retro design is so perfect. The sauce rack makes it easy to serve a variety of different dips for your fondue or the sauce rack can be easily removed and the pot can be used without it. As far as recipes go, it is true that the pot does not come with any, but most fondue pots do not. If you don't know a thing about fondu then I would recomend going out and buying a cookbook for an extra 10-20$ or so. Fondu is pretty self explanatory....unless you want to get really fancy you don't really need a recipe. I think this pot is a great buy.

I believe the correct fuel is the Swissmar Fire Gel Fuel. It's catalog item #4672736 (or search for Swissmar). It works great!

I've had my Michael Graves can opener for over a year and it works for me! Can openers, on the whole, are very delicate. If you press down hard on it, open a "serial" amount of cans, have kids, place it on the edge of the counter so it falls, of course, the life of the item will not last long. I've had other openers that did not last long, but this one is doing just great. Not only that, it looks sleek and contemporary (like the rest of the Michael Graves collection; I want to get more products!)

I bought this can opener not too long ago and love it. I also have the Michael Graves crock pot so this goes along nicely. The design is great and the product does what it is supposed to do!

I received this can opener as a wedding gift and I absolutely love it! I haven't had a single problem with it. It works perfectly and is so cute!

I purchased this exact kettle a few months ago. I had only used it a few times when the plastic handle broke where the screws attached it to the lid, causing the screws to fall off. The plastic handle crumbled and cannot be re-attached.

I purchased this exact kettle about a year ago at the normal price (19.99). Today when I lifted the top off to fill with water the plastic handle broke off causing the screws to fall off. The top cannot be replaced. This teakettle is junk...don't buy it!!

I received this teakettle as a gift and absolutely love it. Although it does have heat resistant plastic parts, it works wonderfully. I would not recommend it for a person that is one to turn it on and leave it whistling away for long periods. I'm sure with regular abuse, parts might breakdown or melt. If you are looking for something that is not your Grandmother's teakettle, please try this product and enjoy. It's turned me into a Michael Graves collector!

I bought this toaster because I liked the looks. I'm now shopping for a new toaster, one that actually toasts the whole sides of each side. Why is it so difficult to find a toaster that completely toasts each side at the same rate? This toaster doesn't toast at least a third of the slice. One side always comes out darker than the other. Yes it tips, and over heats. Total junk so don't buy it.

I bought this toaster because I liked the way it looked. I have also found that it tips easily when pressing the lowering lever. I also find it annoying because the toast never pops up to level where I can grab it. The toast stays completely inside the toaster where it is impossible to grab with bare fingers. I have resorted to a toaster tong to safely grab hot toasted items. The toaster does an ok job and has yet to actually burn anything. I just don't use it much because it is a hassle.

The Michael Graves Toaster has a great look and if you never make toast, I highly recommend it as retro artwork for the kitchen. But if you do like toast, keep a real toaster in the cabinet below. The MGT tips easily when pressing down the lever. Never saw another toaster do this. Seems like the design team would have noticed such a fundamental flaw and fixed it before going to market. Despite the "additional Hi-Rise feature," the toast is so low after pop up that one almost needs go fishing with a fork. Toasting uniformity is poor. The bottom is overly dry while the top is not even browned. Overall, a $9 no-name toaster will serve you better than this designer object pretending to be a useful kitchen appliance.

I love the look of all the Michael Graves pieces but I have a problem with this coffee machine. The water spills out of the top and it is not made very well. I use it everyday and it is starting to break. I would not recommend this prodect to anyone who uses the machine often....but try the block knives...they are very good.

I basically agree with the majority of the reviews in that the coffee maker is very cute, but lacks in functionality. The carafe is leaky and spills coffee everytime I go to pour a cup. That is the main probelem I have with it. I got it several months ago for a bridal shower, and have already registered for a different coffee maker for a wedding gift.

After bringing this cutie home, I was delighted that it is so easy! I read the other reviews and bought it " in spite." Everything I have bought with Michael Graves' mark upon it has been user friendly, well-designed and, well, cute in a cartoon world way. I like the 5 cup capacity, the leftie friendly water reservoir and the leftie friendly carafe. It doesn't have a lot of choices ( on/off!), and that is sometimes comforting in the morning. At times, I wish life was this easy. Unlike life, this makes a delicious, uncomplicated cuppa joe too.