HIGHLY Recommend that you let the ICE MAKER sit overnight or at least a few hours after unboxing the machine and follow all directions found inside of the box.  (Allowing the machine to sit helps the Freon to settle and will provide the best ice cube results). Even if you LOVE ice (like I do) and are very excited to get the machine started, RESIST the urge - It is well worth the wait!

I made the mistake the first time around and did not let the machine sit long enough after arrival. I had only 2 ice cubes being made every 6 to 9 minutes so I would only get a full basket of ice overnight. I had to let the machine run constantly to get a cup of ice every few hours.

I contacted the seller and they recommended that I exchange the machine. I did every step in the directions with the new unit, rinsing the parts and I allowed a full day for the new ice maker to sit unused.

I live for ice, I use it daily - for many purposes. I love to eat ice, I use it in all of my drinks, I get migraines often and will make ice packs when I rest to hold against my head..I would buy huge bags of ice from the gas station and that got really expensive with how much of the ice I was eating alone. I had high hopes for this machine to work this time around.

I plugged in the machine poured in four bottles of 16oz purified water and it filled up to the FILL line perfectly. Then I waited...about 7 minutes later I heard ice dropping so I went to see if the full amount was made. I had 9 medium size cubes (the perfect chewing size) ready to cup up and use in my drink..YES!! I was so happy the exchange worked and allowing the machine to rest before using was the answer to my problem!

I have the ice machine in my office, I can grab a cup of ice at any time and chomp it down - The cubes are all the same size, easy to eat and are very tasty when using purified water. I leave the machine on all the time - When the basket gets full the machine will beep a few times to let me know it is completely full and then it will automatically go to stand by mode until more room is available. If I make a cup or two of ice, within a minute or two the machine will beep once and turn back on to refill the space from the ice I removed.

The ice maker does not keep the ice that is made cold, but does hold it in a basket. The basket has holes in the bottom of it so as the ice melts it drips back into the water reservoir to be made into ice again. An option to make large, medium or small ice cubes on the LCD display (medium is my preference)..A flashing snowflake means the ice machine is making the ice, a solid snowflake means the ice machine is on standby. Quite a lot of ice is quickly made and ready to go whenever I need it, I am very happy with this portable machine! Discounted sample provided for evaluation and review.


Very good, although not perfect, ice maker. Like all the other "instant" ice makers, it is not refrigerated, but this one does appear to be well insulated and the ice keeps reasonably well. It pumps out ice like crazy. My wife and I both love ice, she will actually just fill up a large glass with ice and munch on it and this ice maker keeps up with both of us, and then some. Interestingly, I bought the little brother to this one, a smaller grey/silver Ivation ice maker with a blue control panel and only two selectable ice cube sizes and that thing was terrible. It made ice so slowly that it was melting faster than the ice maker could make it! I returned it and am much, much happier with this one. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because the control panel sucks and the timer function has a serious flaw. It's a neat idea, you set the current time, then you can set the on time and the off time. Very nice, since we never need ice at 3 in the morning. However, it does a very annoying flaw. Lets say you have the shutoff timer set for 8 pm. On one particular day, at 7 pm, the ice maker shuts itself down because it sensed the ice bucket was full. At 10 pm, the ice has melted down enough that the ice maker turns itself on and starts making ice again. Que the fan coming on, the ice dropping into the bucket and the irritating half dozen or so loud beeps it will make when, at around midnight, it has filled itself up again. And again at 3. And again at 5. You get the picture. So all the timer does is shut it off if it's already running. It won't keep it off if it decides to turn itself back on again to make more ice. That actually is another annoying thing. If you want to turn the damn thing off and it's already turned itself off because the ice bucket is full, pressing the on/off button turns it on, not off. At which point it will start making ice just long enough to sense, again, that the ice bucket is full. It will then sound the alarm that the ice bucket is full and turn itself back off. At least until the ice melts down a little and the on/make ice/beep like crazy/turn back off cycle starts all over again. So, you need to be able to recognize that it's off because it turned itself off because the ice bucket is full which means you need to press the on/off button twice instead of just once. Once to manually turn it on and then again, right away, to manually turn it off. Once you manually turn it off, it won't turn back on even if the ice melts down. Or you can just unplug the damn thing. That does completely eliminates all the guesswork and complicated calculation. In summary. As an ice maker, 5 stars! Love having 3 selectable sizes and it makes ice by the truckload! As an automated device? 1 star. Too bad they didn't hire a halfway decent programmer to build and program the control circuitry. That should have been the easy part!


This is an item I was  surprised even existed.. but am SOOOO happy we found ..

First  there are fishermen in our family and filling up coolers to go out in boats can be an expensive and time consuming chore... Well when the fisherman in the family SAW this unit, his eyes started to glisten............. not only was he pleased that he could make all the ice he needed prior to the trip, He was even looking at taking it on some over nights where they dock the boat and could plug this in and add MORE ice for the nx days fishing trip.
..........one thing he likes to do is fillet his fish and then  place in a food saver bag and he uses a hand held vacuum gadget and  then pops into the ice. Then, once he returns home, the  fish is all ready to add to the freezer .............

Now for me  the thing we are looking forward to is to use this for  pool parties and  BBQ's..
. We never ever had enough ICE.. never.. We go through it so fast, as out temps are high and everyone wants lots of icy drinks. I can set this on our counter and let them fill up....... and they stay OUT of my freezer... ( had a incident earlier in the summer when a child visited and got some ice out and LEFT THE FREEZER door slightly open... )............ nothing like dripping ice cream all over the floor..
This item was provided for a fair review

The item is nice in appearance w a silver grey finish.  It makes 2 sizes of cubes.
  I was very surprised at the speed in which it produced ice...  approx 14 minutes.. from start to ICE.  Also a surprise,The machine is quite!!
 ..........Super easy set up ( one of my pet peeves is complex setup.. but that is NOT the case w this gem ))
....... ...fill  to the water line plug it in.
.......... starts to produce ice with in approx 13-14 minutes.
........... Ice is popping out !.....

A friend stopped by while I was setting this up........... and she was so impressed. They had just bought a sm travel trailer and she said this would be ideal for her and hubby in the cross country trip in the RV.

This item arrived just in time as our in fridge ice maker starting to  act up AGAIN........... and we were looking at a hefty  repair bill to get it up and running again but this little guy works better than our in fridge unit.  SMILE>>>>>>

Now it seems the longer we have this sitting out the more ideas we seem to  think of when this will be so helpful............ Nx is a  weekend get together to fire up our Smoker and  enjoy some yummy food and  Nice COOL drinks around the pool.

Super HAPPY with this item................and the Fishermen..  is all SMILES>>>>>>>>.. I can highly recommend this unit.


These KEY REPAIR ITEMS were ordered and arrived as ordered and as anticipated. While the learning process involved in attempting to replace both these part mechanisms myself wasn't aided much by a rather poorly-designed, clearly ill-organized, minimalistic, and WAY-OVERPRICED (DIY) repair manual ($40.00 !), which I could only review with distinct frustration and chagrin, the ordered assemblies here were as advertised and came promptly, so I'm happy with the conscientiousness of the folks who sent them to me, and the online descriptions of them. My only real complaint here is that THE CLUTCH UNIT ITSELF CAN ONLY BE REPLACED WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION PAID TO THE TWO ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL, SEPARATE MOUNTING/RETAINING RING CLIPS, which themselves aren't included with the clutch unit part itself... NO MENTION OF THESE CRITICAL RINGNS/CLIPS IS EVEN MENTIONED HERE when ordered! hENCE, WHY these rings/clips weren't included defies any-and-all reasonable standards of common integrity, courtesy, logic, responsibility, and even duty, as far as I'm concerned! WITHOUT THESE TWO INDISPENSIBLE, ESSENTIAL RINGS/CLIPS EVEN BEING MENTIONED, MUCH LESS INCLUDED WITH THE CLUTCH ITSELF, IT CAN'T BE FIXED! Hence, I can only imagine there were TOO MANY MARKETING CHIEFS, and NOT ENOUGH ACTUAL 'EXPERIENCED' INDIANS INVOLVED HERE in selling the clutch assembly itself... completely, repugnantly clueless to this CLEAR REQUIREMENT ITSELF! The additional fact that these two rings/clips must be relatively cheap, and likely very easily-manufactured, to not include them with the clutch unit when purchased (they probably don't cost more than about 50 cents each to make)! Yes, you paragons of integrity, WITHOUT THESE TWO RINGS/CLIPS, THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY ITSELF NOT ONLY CAN'T BE REPLACED, IT WON'T WORK, and the repair is functionally impossible! Dig into this job oneself, for the required time, as I did, and you'll just curse THE COMPLETE LACK OF THOROUGHNESS AND PERHAPS EVEN BASIC INTELLIGENCE, ON THE PART OF THE SUPPOSED 'SALES EXPERTS' IN THE SERVICING OF THIS WASHING MACHINE, AND YOU TOO MIGHT BE JUST A BIT PEAVED! I SUBSEQUENTLY HAD TO WASTE MUCH TIME REORDERING THESE TWO TINY RINGS/CLIPS, WHICH I COULDN'T ORDER THROUGH YOUR BUSINESS... NOT EVEN CARRIED! So I spent more wasted hours finding these two micro parts, ordering them, waiting for their delivery, and then REWORKING the intended repair here! So while I appreciated your supplying the two listed parts I bought from you, YOUR MENTAL MIDGET MARKETING GENIUSES MISSED THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THIS CLUTCH REPAIR JOB ENTIRELY! How does such stupidity exist? Anyone paying the slightest bit of attention here to BASICS? Come on folks... WAKE UP!


After 12.5 years, the original water pump on our Kenmore HE-3T (model 110.44932200) washing machine, which is the same as the Whirlpool Duet, finally failed.  We got the occasional damp load, then noted that the drum wouldn't spin up to full speed on drain, then the F02 error (when the pump doesn't get the water out of the drum, the water level sensor detects this and generates this error).  This all happened over the course of about three weeks.  Opened up the front bottom panel and the inside of the filter housing was clean, but the pump motor was clearly making bad noises.  Called three local parts houses and all were asking about $140 for the entire pump assembly, which is the housing and the pump motor together.  Bought the Amazon replacement motor without the pump housing (the housing was in perfect shape).  The new motor is a perfect fit for the original motor but a slightly different design.  As of now it's on the fourth load and the problem I had is solved.  The new pump is reasonably quiet.  Not as quiet as the original, likely due to the three impeller blades vs. the four blades on the OEM motor, but not objectionably loud.

The new pump has a three bladed impeller, where the original AKSOLL M75 (model 461970201671) had four.  The original motor had a large plastic cover that also covered the electrical connection; the new motor has no cover on the electrical connection.  I wrapped a few turns of electrical tape to deflect any stray water that might leak.  The new motor assembly weighs 664 grams, the old weighed 659 grams, so they are very close.  The new motor is rated at 85 watts, the original 70 watts.  The duty cycle is not shown on the new motor; on the original it was 15 minutes on, 45 minutes off, which is typical for this type of motor.

Given the relatively low cost of this replacement motor, even if it dies in a few years it's inexpensive and easy to replace.  I removed the whole pump from the washer so it would be easier to access the rear screw on the motor.  The whole job from start to finish is well less than an hour with basic hand tools.  A 7mm socket or T20 Torx is required to remove the three lower front panel screws at the bottom of the washer.  Then remove the electrical connector from the motor by hand, use a T-20 Torx to remove the front hold-down screw for the pump housing, and pliers to remove the spring clamps from the two hoses.  Best to drain the housing through the filter area prior to this, as some water is trapped between the drum and the pump and in the discharge hose.  The new motor comes with a lubricated o-ring installed, so it's just a simple matter of removing three Phillips head screws, swap out the motor, re-attach the screws, and install the pump in the reverse order of removal.

There are several YouTube videos that show the process of removing and replacing the pump.

Attached are several photos showing the original and replacement motors from various angles.


If you are looking at this review it is probably because you have an HE machine that makes your clothes smell like mildew. I went through the same thing. I got a set of front load HEs thinking that they were the best thing since sliced bread. They were quiet, saved energy and were supposed to clean far better.

The first thing I noticed is that the collars of my dress shirts were getting tattered. Then I started noticing ring around the collar and deodorant stains on my clothes. I didn't think much about it at first other than I needed to buy more clothes. Then the smell started. I knew that i needed to leave the door open and run sanitizer tablets. Even though I was doing this, I noticed that if I didn't get my clothes immediately from the washer to the dryer that they would smell like mildew. If I waited even 15 minutes I would have to rewash my clothes.

I then started noticing that if I was doing yardwork, my cloths would start to smell like mildew. Sweat just caused them to reek. I live in a desert. It's really dry here so humidity is not much of a problem. This changed when I went on vacation in the Caribbean. My clothes started to stink so bad that the maid started bleaching the room. It was disgusting.

Thats when I started to really notice the smell. The closet no longer smelled like fresh clean cloths. It smelled like someone tried to perfume a corpse to cover the smell.  If it rained, I could smell the mildew coming out of my cloths. I found myself having to bring a change of clothes if I knew I would have build up a sweat. I started buying clothes more often because I couldn't stand the way my clothes smelled after I washed them a few times.

I felt dirty all the time.

I started researching new washers about a year ago. I began typing the model number and the word "smell" into Google and Amazon. Every single new washer that had been on the market for any period of time had complaints of a mildew smell. I gave up until I stumbled across the reviews for Speed Queen. Everyone loved them. Other than a few repair issues, there were nothing but glowing reviews, and not one person complained about mildew. I ponied up the cash and bought myself a set. I went for the electronic control panel.

The change in my clothes was instantaneous. My laundry room instantly got that old fashioned fresh, clean laundry smell. My cloths were definitely cleaner. After one load my cotton t-shirts smelled significantly better. I could do yard work for a couple of hours before the mildew came back. They weren't good enough though. I didn't want to ever smell mildew again. I soaked all of my t-shirts in a sink with about a cup of vinegar. This killed the mold and the speed queens were easily able to get the vinegar smell out. I can't believe how much  better my whole house smells because of the speed queens.

If you are here because you hate smelling like mildew, then these are the machines for you... Oh, and by the way, my washer still fills all the way up with water.  The only thing that I don't like about them is the ECO feature, it can be turned off though.


After about 15 years or so of having our whirlpool top loader with agitator, it finally started showing signs that it was giving up. So over the past several months or so I have been researching washing machines. One thing that I notice about most people who own a "HE" top load washing machine is either the thing breaks A LOT or people hate it because it doesn't seem to clean clothes that well. So, I also decided to research front loaders..............and unfortunately, you get a similar bleak picture regarding front loading machines. You hear about error codes where the washing machine will no longer work and needs service, part failures, etc. What the heck happened to a simple old school washing machine? Well the one company that seems to sell them is Speed Queen. It seems like everyone loves their Speed Queen's reliability and ability to clean clothes quickly and efficiently. I do admit that the price tag on the Speed Queen's can make you squirm in your chair and make you have 2nd thoughts about purchasing this machine when Whirlpool and some other manufacturers still make an old school washer. So what prompted me to purchase Speed Queen vs other brands? Simple. Look at the way they are built and check out their standard warranty on Speed Queen's website! Now granted........I have only had my Speed Queen for about a week but I have already done about 15-20 loads of laundry since it was delivered. Keep in mind that there is some residual black residue inside the washer. I simply filled the tub with hot water and detergent and ran 2 full cycles. That seemed to eliminate a good majority of it instead of having to scrub the heck out of the washer. After the 2 initial cycles, I then added rags and towels to a 3rd cycle and found that there was still a little bit of the black residue inside. However, the washing of the rags and crappy towels removed whatever remaining black residue was in the tub. So no scrubbing of the tub for me. Let the machine do it for you. Yes this machine is a little noisy but if it means my clothes are being washed properly and not in 6 inches of water like the HE machines I'll take it! On a heavy duty cycle with extra large load, heavy soil, and adding the 2nd rinse option takes the washer about 40-45 minutes from start to finish. So far, I'm very pleased with it. I'll update later down the road if I notice anything.

***UPDATE***
I've had my Speed Queen for almost a year and it's still running like champ with no isses! I'm very pleased with my washing machine. This machine can see upwards of 20 loads of laundry at any given time within a span of 2 days. I would have kicked myself in the ass if I would have bought an "HE" machine. Best "old school" washing machine that I have seen or used so far. Love it!


I've owned this refrigerator since the end of March 2015.  I was looking for a replacement water filter and came across the frig on Amazon and out of curiosity read the few reviews on here.

Here are my thoughts after owning it for nine months:

The configuration for my family of four including two small children is wonderful.  Having four doors with bins and adjustable shelving allows us more flexibility then any other refrigerator I've seen.

With the flexible shelves in the frig and doors you can pretty much fit items of any height and most widths.  As it is counter depth with an ice maker and THREE compressors fitting deep items in it can be trickier.

Looks great but smudges easily.  Magnets can be put on the sides but not on the front.  Even if they could magnets WILL scratch almost ALL stainless steel.

Our frig is pretty quiet the vast majority of the time accept an average sound level for a frig when water is entering to make more ice.

Ice maker produces ice as fast or faster than most in-door ice making refrigerators.  Downside is that you need to use a wide mouthed cup held close to the dispenser top to avoid crushed ice and even cubes when they first come out from missing the cup.

Appears to be far more energy efficient than most other similar refrigerators.

Water comes out of the dispenser at high pressure.  The good is that it fills things fast.  The bad is shallow cups, measuring cups, or cups with narrow openings often lead to splashing.  I find I often use a large cup and then pour the water in to a measuring cup or a bowl for things like oatmeal.

The frig has no protruding handles so there is nothing to break off or catch on when walking by it.  The are recessed and a part of the door.  I have not found them particularly difficult to get used to opening and my wife and kids including my 5 year old adjusted quickly to them.

As a prior reviewer also pointed out if you use the control lock feature it disables the water and ice.  Having small children I think this may have been intentional as my youngest likes the idea of being a big guy and filling his own cups but is too short to see what he's doing and if we're not watching him could make a huge mess of water and ice.  However, we have not used the control lock function as he has not attempted to use it without us...yet.

In summary it's a great fridge with a few small issues.  My wife loves it as it replaced a traditional French door with the bottom pullout freezer drawer she learned to dislike which we sold with the house when we moved.  Those bottom drawers make things difficult to find under layers of frozen food and do collect all kinds of dirt at the bottom.  Having the double doors on the bottom with bins and shelves fixes that problem.  If the full size version will both fit and look right/good in your kitchen then I recommend purchasing it at about the same price as it will offer you not only more storage space but more storage depth.


This fridge really struck me in the store and I am very impressed by the build quality and the innovative freezer storage compartments.  The layout of the 4 door is absolutely amazing and wonderful to work with.  All my food is perfectly eye level...  which might be dangerous for me in the long run!

My first issue when filling this unit was that I kept running into areas where my things did not fit.  It is amazing how many items were about 1 inch too tall to fit in a bin, or on a shelf.  The flexible shelving is awesome, but 100% necessary to fit a normal jug of OJ, a wine bottle, a 2 liter, etc.  I had a lot of condiments that also did not fit into the door bins due to height.  Maybe I will need to buy smaller condiment containers (not family size) to remedy this issue.  Still trying to figure out exactly where to put everything to maximize storage options...

Here is my biggest suggestion on this refrigerator - If you can fit the bigger 30 cu ft version in your space - Do it.  While this feels like there is a lot of storage, I am limited with too many items that are too tall - and having more cubic footage would be awesome.  The larger model will have more than enough storage space and the price is the same.  I opted for looks over volume...  (Counter depth) make your own decision here.

Also, the flexible unit in the lower right is FANTASTIC.  I set it up at "chill" which sets the unit to 30 degrees F (-1C) which is just below freezing.  I find this perfect for beer, soda, and other beverages.  You actually get that crisp cold cola thing!  Only water will freeze at this temp, so alcohol or sugar laden beverages will be just fine.  The regular fridge is recommended to be set at 37 degrees F.  I enjoy keeping food up in the fridge, and beverages in the lower right section.  Looks awesome, and makes it super easy for anyone to find the right beverage.

My unit was delivered through a *BIgBox Store* because I was concerned about having a dud and needing to have it swapped out.  My local hub had over 100 of this model in stock.  Delivery was a breeze.  It literally took them less than 10 minutes to unbox and carry the unit into the house.  I paid for "hook up" but apparently they only hand you a 1/4" PEX line to hook up yourself.  bummer.  My RO system requires 3/8" line, so I had some work ahead of me anyway. No issues at all.  It fired up, lit up, and chilled down in less than 2 hours.  This process could not have been easier in my opinion.

last note - It has an anti fingerprint coating that isn't so anti fingerprint.  Oh well.

On the whole, I am truly enjoying this upgrade in the kitchen and look forward to years of use.  At least I will be once I figure out how to organize everything in the right places...


We've had this fridge for 10 months.  In that 10 months it's worked wonderfully.  NO issues that you see with the icemaker that so many other experience.  It's a wonderful looking fridge!  Everyone that comes is amazed that it has 4 doors and different cooling zones, etc.  It just looks different.  I was super excited to get this fridge and considering the original price at almost $4k you would expect it to last.

Two weeks ago the bottom portion of the freezer/fridge stopped working.  It happened on a Friday and since we were not home on the weekend we came home on Monday to find that everything in the Freezer/cooling zone was bad (that was a nice mess to clean up).  Ok, things happen and things break.  That's life.  However multiple attempts to contact Samsung in this matter ended with sending multiple techs, who flat out told us "we can not fix this" we will put a trouble ticket to Samsung and they will call you.  Guess what?  They didn't call.  Their customer service is on par with cable companies... IE: HORRIBLE.  They read from a script and transfer you to multiple people.  My wife was on the phone for 2 hours today trying to get a resolution on a fix.  They don't seem to grasp that most people can't be without a fridge, especially if you have young children in the house or a new born baby...

I don't have a problem if someone can't fix something, but ultimately there comes a resolution that is quick and responsive, what bothers me is that either my wife or myself have to call off from work because the tech is coming only to be told on the day they should be arriving that "we do not fix that problem, we will contact Samsung for you"... Taking days off cost money, and depending on what you do can be very expensive, so doing this 3-4 times and what you end up having is the cost of the fridge in days that you have missed work.

Now our ice cube maker doesn't work, along with the entire bottom portion of the fridge not working.  I'm sorry but for as expensive as this unit is, that is completely unacceptable.  We have a "builder" grade fridge that is in the basement that is over 10+ years old AND it's been moved multiple times to different locations and it works, it just keeps chugging along.

If you are looking for a beautiful looking fridge that will WOW people when they walk in but then not work and have to deal with horrible customer service and techs that are unable to fix the fridge, this IS the fridge to get!!  I can't stress that enough!

I LOVE Samsung products, I really do, we have a WHOLE slough of their products from TV's, electronics, computer hardware, etc.  And I can honestly say this whole experience with their fridge has put such a sour taste in my mouth that I am very reluctant to ever consider them for appliances in my lifetime or recommend them to anyone again.


I purchased this machine several months ago and have been using it to wash my clothes.  I still take larger items and items like towels, washcloths and socks to the laundromat (items that either don't fit into the washer or don't do well with air drying - the towels, washcloths and socks I have found for me really need the fluff-drying that a hot air dryer provides, otherwise they get really stiff and uncomfortable to use).  But for washing my clothing, this little guy really does a good job.

Caveats:

1)If you don't load enough items into it to - for lack of a better term - stabilize the water, when it gets going it can create what I like to call the whirlpool effect and slop water over the sides of the bucket.  Even if the lid were able to lock down tight enough to prevent the water spillage (it doesn't), there are holes in the lid.  However, through trial and error I have figured out that if I put enough clothes into each load (but not too much, otherwise the machine stops working), it prevents this whirlpool effect.  For me, as a large woman, that would be a floor-length skirt, two bras and two pairs of underwear.  Your mileage may vary.  I also keep a hand towel draped around the base in case of spillage.

2)I have found that the knobs can be difficult to grasp and turn - if my hands are wet.  That's the other reason I keep a hand towel handy, so that I can dry my hands before turning the knob.

3)I generally work my way from lights to dark.  The reason for this is because I lift the clothing out by hand once it's washed - into a smaller tupperware "bucket" that I used for just this purpose - add a bit more water to bring the level back up (since some of the water goes with the washed clothes), and reuse the water for the next load.  I go from light to dark because as we all know sometimes dye leaks out of clothes and you don't want to have to change out the water more than necessary.

4)I started out filling the smaller tupperware bucket with water and then pouring it from the tupperware bucket into the machine, but then I had an epiphany.  I have located the washer next to my kitchen sink, and my kitchen sink has a sprayer.  So now I put the detergent, colorsafe bleach and softener in first, then use the sprayer to add water.  Much easier.

5)The other reason I located the washer next to my kitchen sink was for ease of rinsing.  For larger items (like skirts, pants and shirts), I generally run water over the items while kneading them against the side of the sink.  For smaller items, I generally hold them in my hands while kneading them under the water flow.  Works like a charm.

6)To save myself from getting arthritis from hand-wringing out the items (and to speed the drying time), I also got a spin dryer.  (A Mini Countertop Spin Dryer Clothes Spin Dryer Portable Clothes Dryer
from The Laundry Alternative, purchased through Amazon).  Works great.

All in all a handy little apppliance.


Recently, I am unable to drive and have to rely on others to get me to go to the places I need to go. I was really frustrated that I couldn't get to the laundramat to do the clothes I needed to do when I want too. I have a relative who isn't feeling well and I have to take care of him and it is imperative that he has clean clothes. "Where there is order there is grace." I said a prayer to the angels to help me find a solution and solutions came. I came accross some reviews about this little washing machine and decided to purchase one. It is truly wonderful. Our clothes come out very clean and after they have dried are very fresh smelling. It is a small chore to do a little everyday and before you know it the clothes hamper is close to empty. Obviously this is not a major washing machine that is equipped to do all the functions, such as all the cycles but the essentials are there. To help anyone, here are a couple of things that has helped me to get a clean wash. Today in one load I did a pillow case, two kitchen towels, four boxer shorts, two cotton underwear. I find it easy to put the clothes in first then the water. I have two buckets 85% filled with water. In one bucket I put in Tide Cold Water detergent(use very little, if too much it will get really sudsy). I also put in the bucket of water some bleach. I mix it around and then pour it in the washer bucket to the line. Doing it this way insures that you will not put too much water and have it overflow. I put the unit on the machine. I then put the timer on for 15 minutes on standard cycle and then plug it in. After it is finished I then empty the soap water wring out the clothes by hand, place them back in the bucket and use the second bucket of water to fill for the rinse cycle. Since not too much soap is used, it usually takes only one rinse, but if you are very particular about soaps being near your skin you can rinse as much as you like. After the first cycle I save the water if it is not too dirty for mopping the floors. The basic function of this machine is the twisting action so therefore wash and rinse share the same function. Voila, the clothes come out clean, and since I live in sunny California they dry quickly. I love this machine. Just be aware it will not take large items such as blankets. I put in a microfiber robe and it was too much for it, when this happens the machine just doesn't work. The only hard part to this machine is twisting the timer, when you have arthritis it is hard. That is why I turn the timer on first to get a better angle for the turn. I love this machine and it has put a lot of order in my life, it is truly an answer to a prayer. Thankyou dear angels!


The Ivation Portable Ice Maker is the perfect addition to anyones kitchen. It provides small ice cubes without much wait. Details below.

 Package Contents
 Ivation Portable Ice Maker
 Ice Tray
 Ice Scoop
 User Manual

 Specifications
 Ice Making Capacity: 26.5lbs
 Max Ice Storage: 28.22 oz
 Water Max Water Storage: 2.2L
 Net Weight: 24lbs

 Hardware & Testing
The Ivation Portable Ice Maker may be compact for an ice maker, but it is easily the largest small appliance in my kitchen  and I have a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. That being said, it is still impressively small.

The best comparison I could make to this ice maker is a mini refrigerator. After the hinge cover is lifted, it reveals the ice tray. Under the ice tray is the reservoir that stores 2.2L of water, but Id say its closer to 1.5L if the ice tray is used. I could take three Aquafina or Great Value 16.9 FL OZ water bottles to fill the reservoir.  The water will then go through the freezing process, and then cling, the ice is made and fills the ice tray.

I would say with almost certainty that there is no filter inside the ice maker. Use filtered water.

Ive used this ice maker for two days straight. Set up is almost too easy. After filling the reservoir, simply press the power button. On 1L of water (two 16.9 FL OZ water bottles), it is capable of making ice is less than 10 minutes, and capable of filling the entire 7.75 x 5 x 3.25 ice tray in two hours. The best thing is that the ice maker is constantly making ice. If any ice is melted, it is remade into ice.

The ice maker may occasionally have an annoying beeping sound when water is low, but it doesnt happen often. Maybe once every 3 to 4 hours. Otherwise, when making ice, it is otherwise silent.

The second best thing about this ice maker is the size of the ice cubes. Cubes may in ice cube trays or by refrigerators are always large  too large. The ice cubes in the Ivation Ice Cube maker are rounded and only 1 x 1 x 1. I could easily use these in sport drink bottles.

Afterwards, cleaning and maintenance is very easy. There is a water cap at the back of the ice maker to release any excess fluid. Just use water and a clean cloth to finish the job.

 Final Thoughts
There is very little that is wrong with the Ivation Ice Maker. It is portable, makes perfect ice cubes, makes ice fast, and cleaning is effortless. Everything about this ice maker is convenient and easy to use, which is why I give it a 5 star rating.

 Pros:
+ Makes ice fast
+ Makes perfect sized ice cubes
+ Convenient
+ Easy to use
+ Large reservoir
+ Easy to clean

 Cons:
- Makes annoying beeping sound occasionally

 I was provided a sample in exchange for a thorough and honest review.


<input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/E1Fn4laA1qS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/01gsNrxQtUS.png" class="video-slate-img-url"> This is a review of the Knox Compact Ice Maker. I received a free sample for review.

What a cool little ice maker. This little thing is perfect for parties or gatherings. It's really a nuisance when your refrigerator freezer runs out of ice. It seems to take forever for an ice cube to drop out, now and then. This Knox ice maker churns out ice at a reliable rate of 1 pound per hour.

The ice maker is pretty easy to operate although the user guide could use a serious makeover.

Essentially you pour water into the water reservoir to the fill line. Drop in the ice collection tray and turn the machine on. Ice production begins immediately and you'll have your first ice cubes in about 15 minutes for the first batch, then about every 10 minutes per batch after that. The ice tray will fill in 2 hours. If you don't remove the ice at that point, the machine will turn itself off. If you remove the ice before that happens, ice will be made continuously as long as you keep refilling the reservoir. A full reservoir will enable the machine to produce about 3 full trays of ice and take about 6 hours to do that.

You can choose small, medium or larger size ice "cubes" although the difference in size isn't that much. The "cubes" have holes in them which are caused by the way the ice is made. Bottom line is that because of the holes, the ice melts faster than a solid ice cube would. But still, this is a huge advantage to have this ice maker at a party since it is continually churning out ice.

Operation is fairly quiet. You do hear the hum of the fan and compressor, but it's not really noticeable in a room with other noise occurring... like people talking or with music in the background. It's really not noticeable or objectionable even in a quiet room but you will hear it.

The control panel lets you set the current time and an on and off time for the machine. You get indications of when the ice bucket is full (ice production stops automatically at that point), when water is low, and several other indicators.

When you are done making ice, there is an easy way to drain the remaining water out of the reservoir. A small drain plug is on the back of the machine, Unscrew the cap and water can be drained into a sink or container held underneath.

I think this is fairly priced and it works well.


I bought the exact same washer/dryer unit around 4-5 years ago, it just had different branding. It died on Tuesday and I had this one delivered to my front door Thursday morning. The one I had, the dryer stopped working right after a year. Some things you can fix yourself - it's not that complex of a washer/dryer, but after emailing back and forth with the seller we realized it wasn't something simple. I hardly just wanted to toss the unit so I kept using the washer part for several years and I would just ring out my clothes. It was a pretty good little washer. But Tuesday I had run it for hours, there was a lot of laundry. I finally finished my last load and the machine was off. I was sitting in the living room when I heard a funny noise in the kitchen. I got up to go see what it was and walked in just in time to see sparks shoot out the back. In the outlet I just had plugged in the washer/dryer and microwave. Neither one were running at the time. I quickly pulled both cords out and it blew that breaker. Smoke was coming from my machine. Luckily it's so lightweight I could easily drag it outside. Even after it sat out there for an hour, the machine still had a kind of burning electrical smell. I carried it out to the dumpster and that was that.

I got on Amazon and started shopping and even after all that, I still love this style of washer/dryer. Many people have them and if my experience was indicative of this machine, there would be more people talking about it. It could happen with any appliance - and I did work this washer hard on a regular basis. It gave me a lot of good use and I enjoyed having it. When I found this listing, I knew it was the one. The seller got it here super-fast and I got to test this one out last night. While it looks the same, it ran different but better. The agitation is much stronger. I put the same amount of soap in the first load but the suds went all crazy. It was full of suds. I had to scoop them out then run it again after filling only with cold water. I'll use about 1/4 of the detergent in this one than what I used in the old one. I also lifted up the lid while it was washing and holy heck, it really was moving everything around a lot. They may have improved upon this washer in the last few years. I also tested out the dryer. On my old one, it seemed that plastic insert thing would frequently get off balanced (when it was still working). I was almost afraid to test it, to ruin the "magic" because I was so happy about having a washer. Upon testing it, it stayed balanced and squeezed all the moisture out. So far, I'm pretty thrilled!

Update: I just wanted to come back real quick to say I'm still loving this washer/dryer combo! My clothes are much cleaner. Also, I noticed there is this lip going around the top of the spin/dry barrel I hadn't seen in my last unit. It makes it less likely the plastic insert would come out by accident. I feel convinced now they did make improvements over the years.


Pros:
Haven't seen much of a change to my electric bill but I don't pay for water and I personally think this might increase it if I did.
bigger than expected
Lighter than expected
Easy to clean
Can wash adults clothing size 3x, work pants, jeans, shirts.
Children clothing size 6-7
babys clothing
bedsheets for crib, twin and full size beds.
regular towels and beach towels.
Spin drier is fast, and leaves clothing barely damp.
Can wash plushies with no damage (so far)

Cons:
Water tube doesn't fit on sink, I don't mind filling with bucket.
Lint trap doesn't work so be mindful what you mix with your clothes.
drainage is ok, I place mine on a table and a bucket below it to help with gravity, since I don't like the idea of water still in the machine all nasty.
leaks but only when over stressed with a huge load.

I already recommended this to a few friends who also have small apartments.
I live in a small apartment with a active messy family and our landlord isn't planning to repair the washer and drier in his building that he promised 6 months ago.
I was washing everything by hand which took a toll on my hands and back, was worried about getting this and now im a huge fan.

just be mindful of what you put together, I recommend putting socks and towels together and thats it because of the lint.
This is how I wash my loads
Wash for 15 mins small load amount of soap and 2tbs baking soda, drain into bucket (I use because machine is placed on a table for gravity to help drain better), placed in spin dry to remove the extra water in the clothes then back into the washer with softener and scent boost. (My fiance, his coworkers and my son looove the scent boosters and the rest of the soap and softener are without dyes and scents.)
once that is done, I let it sit for 5 mins and then drain and placed in spin drier again. Pull out and hang up and let it dry with the fan (we hang our stuff inside we don't have a backyard.
On tough dirty clothes if I see the water is really bad the first wash, I do a second wash before putting it in for softener.
Small amount of soap, that goes a long way, keep in mind this washer is fairly small compared to regular washers so you don't need all that soap it will just make a mess of bubbles.
For stains that are dried and set in fabric I recommend pre-treatment or pre--soak (I do it over night) then wash like normal in the morning.
I prefer washing in cold water because of the colors in the clothes so that they don't bleed out so much (which happened once already)

Hopefully this review helps someone, I hate getting product that are falsely reviewed and spending money on things that don't work!
So I decided to start doing reviews of everything I buy on amazon and on walmart.com
If this helps please hit the helpful button if you don't mind.


We bought this machine a few weeks ago after moving into a new place that did not have a washer/dryer hook-up. After our first trip to the laundromat where we spent 30 bucks, we realized we wanted to have our own machine in our own home. This washer/dryer combo is great for anyone in an apartment, any place where space is tight, or going to the laundromat is not ideal. It does require more time and effort, but for anyone who doesnt mind, its easy to use, its small, and gets the job done.

User Friendliness:
This machine is simple and easy to use. There isn't much to it, as there are only a few settings.  The instruction manual is translated poorly, but from the simplicity of the machine and watching a video online, we figured it out without any problems. We found that filling a bucket with water and pouring it into the washer is quick and most effective (the hose that came with it didn't fit any of our faucets.) Using a bucket also allows you more control over the amount of water and the temperature. It is definitely more hands-on than a fully automatic machine, though. After washing a load, you have to drain the water and then refill it to rinse. While it is more work, we like that we can monitor how clean the clothes are getting. It also makes for a great work-out!

Size:
The size of this machine is smaller than what most Americans might be used to in a washer. Don't let that fool you! While it is necessary to be mindful of how much you put in one load, it handles a decent amount of material. I have been able to wash three pairs of yoga pants with four or five shirts and it worked fine. The spin dry doesnt hold as much as the washer, so you do have to portion out your load when you transfer to the dryer. It might be small, but that means its also light-weight. This makes it easy to move when we need it. We are able to lift the whole thing and place it in our bathtub. Doing so gives us quick access to a faucet and allows us to drain straight into the bathtub. When were done with it, we just tuck it back into a corner of our bathroom where its out of the way.

Getting the job done:
This machine does what its supposed to do: it gets your clothes clean. You can actually see the dirt and grime coming out as its washing. Sometimes we do another rinse cycle if the water is particularly dirty, but we know whats being washed is getting clean. Its also fairly quick, with a ten minute average wash cycle time. The spin dry is a little different if you're used to a dryer that uses heat. Your clothes, or whatever you're washing, will not come out 100% dry. On the flip-side, the spin dry does get most of the water out, to where it only feels slightly dampthis is after a five-minute spin cycle! Weve been able to hang up our clothes with a fan blowing on them and they were dry within an hour.


**UPDATE** - I've had this for a year now, and let me tell ya - this is a BEAST!  It washes its little heart out!  Since I wrote the review last year, we bought a pump to go in the creek and 300' of hose so that I don't have to carry buckets of water anymore (whew). I lost track of how many loads of clothes I've done. I do know that it doesn't work too well if you pack too much in there - better to do 2 smaller loads than one big one, which is true of any washer (in this case, I think it has more to do with the weight of the clothes once wet - for example, towels get really heavy when wet, so only one or 2 at a time, vs lighter clothing like shirts and underwear for which you can wash a much larger load). Bottom line - I'm still very, very pleased with this washer.
Original Review:
I bought this for our camper - we have it setup on some land and it's our getaway for a few days every couple of months or so. We have electricity, but no running water, but there is a creek which we can get water from. And this was actually an important selling point - I needed a washer that I could manually add water to as I have no way to hook it up to water - so I used a small bucket (about 2 gal) to get water from the creek. I was pleasantly surprised at how large the wash side is. I've only used it once so far - I put 1 pr jeans, 6 pr underwear, 3 pr socks and 1 set of long (thermal) underwear in the wash bin, added 1 bucket of water and a little liquid detergent. Mind you, it was about 35 degrees outside (that's where the washer is - no room inside). Even a little detergent went a long way and I could have used less. I set the washer on 15 min, then spun them out (I divided the load and spun out 1/2 separately) to remove the detergent. Then put back in the washer and added another bucket of water to rinse - I just set it on 5 minutes of the wash cycle. Then spun them out again, hung them up to dry. The washer did an excellent job at cleaning the clothes. The spin dryer side allows you to add rinse water while it's spinning - I have no way of doing that with my setup, but it looks interesting and will try it the day we get running water hooked up. When I was done, I set the drain hose on the ground and turned the knob to drain to make sure all water was pumped out of the pump and hose. Then I tilted the washer on all 4 sides to make sure no water left as I have to store it in a barn - it will freeze and I didn't want a busted pump or hose.


So first things first...none of the dimensions shown are correct. It is shown as a 30" range hood, but the actual width is 29.5 inches. The height is (I think) listed as nine inches, but you can tell by the photos that it is not. I can't recall whether it is 4" tall or 5" tall, but I do recall that it is one inch less tall than the old white Broan range hood I replaced. If you look at the picyures and the cut outs on the back, you can more or less guess its acual height.

That's the bad...now, the good...

First, the look. I had to center it due to it being 1/2" shorter (less wide) than what it replaced, but I have to say, it looks great. I love the look and tactile feel of the buttons up-front; it's a very clean and understated design.

This thing is capable of moving quiet a bit of air; the various speeds coupled with the two fans probably;y means that this will never lag in terms of exhausting the heat and odors from your range. One thing is a bit of a misnomer to me, and that is the "Q" (Quiet) setting; as a noise and vibration Engineer, I have come to learn that 'quiet' is a relative term, and this is no exception. In fact, I would have liked (preferred) another speed that was 1/2 the rate as that on the "Q" setting, but truthfully, I am willing to live with the additional noise because it does what it is designed to do - reject heat from the range area - very, very well. On the highest setting it's quite impressive but also loud. This makes sense because moving a lot of air in a very quiet fashion is easier said than done.

Again, all in all, I really like the looks and performance of this, and my sole caveat is that I would have preferred a "Q/2" speed setting, but as the French say... c'est la vie.

Aesthetically, it looks quite nice - even from the underside. The grilles look...well...'the business' (as the Brits say) and much more professional than did the grill on the Broan range hood that I replaced. I really like the look of the grates.

The LED lighting is also nice, and again, this is a feature that, like the "quiet" fan setting I wish had a setting that was 1/2 as bright (for very late night use), but that's a matter of preference. In terms of illuminating the surface of your range or cook top, it should do the job nicely.

All in all, I really like this. I could not give it five stars due to the two main issues that I mentioned (the half-speed and half-brightness wish list items), but if I set those aside, overall, I am really happy with this purchase. It's a subtle change but it really change the look of that area of my kitchen. I should have bought this long ago.


I would have given it five starts if it wasn't a pain to install the duct work for the fan and if it was a little easier to clean.
I replaced a Jenn-Air with this one.
The knobs are WAY stronger than the crap ones on my last stove (which were ridiculously expensive to replace). I love that the knobs are in the middle. My last ones were in the corners and I couldn't use my big pan on the burners without having to move the pan slightly off to fit. However, the knobs are so close together that it's hard to get clean in that little space. If you're OCD like me, you will have to wipe it down for a while every night. The more you wipe the more oil smears and streaks the glass. And the glass is harder to keep clean than the Jenn-Air. A lot of elbow grease but it's beautiful when it's done.

The fan has three levels and is powerful. I have only needed the lowest so far.
Also, there's a burner lock. If you have it set to on, it will sound a buzzer alarm if a burner is turned on. I'll likely never use it but perhaps a good feature for someone out there.
The burners are great. Even heat, heat up pretty fast, and the various sizes are working well with all my different pans.

My husband had a fun time installing the fan because these geniuses made the duct squared instead of round like the one already under our cabinet. He had to customize it. If you're not handy make sure you get someone who is. It's a pain, especially if you don't have much room under the stove. You will need to make a trip (or two) to Home Depot to install the fan if your original is round.

Other than that I love it. I cook 3-4 meals a day and have used it for over a week now. Since there are so few glass tops with a down draft to choose from I'm glad this one is so nice and I didn't have to settle for mediocre. Overall, very happy with my purchase.

UPDATE:
Been using this for about 3 months now. I still love the stove top for a lot of reasons: The heat levels, the size of the burners and overall function.
I will add from my previous review that the fan is good but has a harder time with high pots (which I don't use often). And to expand on the surface of it....well, it's such a pain to keep clean and scratches so easily. If you cook at all on this, it's impossible to keep nice. Let go of the OCD early on or it will drive you nuts every night.
Lastly, when I reach down into the fan to clean it out I continually get cut from the screw in there. I need to cover it with something. Other than that, it's pretty easy to clean the inside, the filter and the vent top.
Overall, I really like this stove top.


I have both the round 12" and the 9x13" lids, and Amazon keeps putting whatever I type in the review on both product pages, so I'm going to review both of them here, since they were both excellent, 5 star products

*great seal that keeps food fresh
*easy to remove and put on
*easy cleaning (no grooves like snap on lids)
*can be used on bowls smaller than 12"/ most 9x13 pans

-won't stay on if you turn the bowl upside down
-limited colors
-potential to stain from dark/red things (like most plastic and silicone)

I was a little late to the silicone party, but now that I have started using it, I love it. The bottom of each is flat and smooth, except for where the handle is. They kind of suction cup the container/bowl and form an air tight seal, which helps to keep food fresh longer. My banana bread stayed fresh for about a week. You would think that it would be hard to remove; however, it peals right off when you pull up on the tab. My family has arthritis and carpal tunnel, so the idea of an easy on/easy off lid is appealing to me. The one thing I don't like is that it is the limited color selection, everything else in my kitchen is green.

The 9x13:
I ordered this lid for my old metal 9x13 pan that never had a lid; however, when I received it, I happened to have a 9x13 plastic container on my counter, so I popped off the plastic lid, which didn't seem to be air tight, and set the lid on top. I wasn't impressed because it just seemed to sit there. Then I tried to take it off by pulling up on the handle. The whole container, which was full of banana bread, lifted right off the counter. I wouldn't say that I would carry it around the kitchen that way since you never know when the weight will get to be too much and the seal will break, dropping your stuff in the floor, but it's nice to know how good of a seal it has. I tried it on both my metal pan and my pyrex glass pan, which has a lid but what the hey!. It was able to pick up both pans! That's a great seal. I didn't think that it was going to work with my metal pan at first because it seemed to barely cover the squared off corners, but to my delighted surprise, it did. Since I already had food in the plastic container, I decided to try leaving it on that one. It kept my banana bread loaves moist and fresh tasting for about a week.

The 12":
I got this one after seeing how great the 9x13 was. I tested it on my 12 glass bowl and a plastic container, and it fit both. I was making homemade frosting in with my stand mix, and that bowl (metal) doesn't have a lid, so while the cake was baking, I stored my frosting in the refrigerator in that bowl with the 12" lid. The bowl is only 8.5" but it still worked well.


This. thing. is. awesome. AWESOME. If you hate the laundromat as much as me, and don't have washer/dryer hookups at your place, you need THIS.

Pros:
No more quarters
Low water use
FAST - thorough wash cycle is done in 20 minutes
Good capacity - holds about 2/3-3/4 as much as a normal washing machine would (more on this later)
Quiet** (with some preparation - more on this later)
Easy to use

Cons:
None, if you follow the directions. See my little use guide below.

HOW TO BE HAPPY WITH THIS WASHER
1) USE A HAIR TRAP/CLOG PREVENTION DEVICE IN YOUR DRAIN SINK OR TUB OR WHATEVER. Yes it has a lint filter but LINT AND DIRT WILL STILL GET IN THE DRAIN WATER. So, use a hair trap and you're good. Otherwise you will clog your pipes over time and your landlord won't appreciate your washer as much as you do :)
2) Use less detergent than you're used to, and use liquid detergent. I find filling the detergent cup up to the first line to be sufficient for a full load.
3) Do not stuff it full of clothes. In fact, first weigh yourself while holding an empty laundry basket, then the basket full of a load of clothes, and then you can judge how much 8.8lbs of clothes is. Then put it roughly six or so. You'll be fine.
4) YOU MUST KEEP THE DRAIN TUBE HIGHER THAN THE TOP OF THE WASHER. you can't stick it in your bathtub; the siphon effect will drain all the water from the washer and it won't fill.
5) After the wash and spin is done, it can be helpful to put the drain tube lower than the washer to get out any remaining water from the tub and drain tubes. If you're in a bathroom, just stick it in the bathtub. But only after the cycle is done! And then hang it back up in the sink just in case.
6) Buy some anti vibration pads to put under the washer if you're in an upper level apartment, or even just in general. This decouples it from the floor. The unit is quiet, but will transmit vibration if you don't isolate it from the floor. This will keep things VERY VERY quiet and your neighbors will thank you. The Diversitech MP4 Antivibration Pads, bought on Amazon, are PERFECT and absolutely work. Worth the $20 or so for sure. http://www.amazon.com/Diversitech-MP4-V-Anti-Vibration-Pack/dp/B00BVEMLR4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
7) No leaks or trouble with proper setup - make sure all hose connections are tight and secure; make sure all washers are present in connecting pieces before turning on faucet, if absolutely needed use some teflon tape on the threads. Keep a few old towels handy the first time you run it just in case.


This is a great machine!

I have read the other reviews - people have had issues with leaks from the sink hose. My advice? Read the directions! They specifically state different instructions for sinks with interior or exterior threads. This will affect where the washer (not the machine, the little washer that goes into the fitting) is used, or if it is used at all. The water hose that connects to the washer needs to be a tad more than hand tight, but again, the instructions tell you this. There are also a few great youtube videos that will also give you helpful hints. I suggest you look at them before you make a decision!

There are 2 lint traps - one that comes out completely, and one that does not. Keeping these lint traps clean will significantly reduce the amount of lint that comes out of the drain hose (and essentially down your drain). I have heard that people will put a stocking on the sink side of the drain hose, and it seems to work well for them, but ew! Plus I'm lazy (and cheap!). If I keep the lint traps clean, there is very little lint in my sink after a load.

My kitchen is not horribly level, and this unit is not entirely portable. It is generally portable, yes - it is only about 60 lbs, and has carrying handles (awkward for me at 5'3, but not impossible) for easy movement, but has no wheels. Since I keep mine in the kitchen and my kitchen is small, I bought a nice little telescoping furniture dolly and plopped the washer on top of it. I have no issues with leaks (because my floor is not level), and the dolly makes it easy peasy to wheel around to use when I need it. It is an extra cost, but worth it in the long run. I don't plan on moving any time soon, and this little set up really fits the bill.

How much soap do you use? I use less than half what I would normally use in a regular washer. There is a place to put bleach (read the instructions, really, it's there), but not really any place to put liquid fabric softener.  The tub only fills ONE time (thus the light water usage, which is great for those who have to pay for their own water), yet it still manages to rinse well. You can opt just to rinse your clothes if you like. There is a heavy duty cycle option also - I have put rugs in this little washer, used the heavy duty cycle, and my rugs came clean.

In my opinion, if this product is just a few dollars more than the 1 cu ft, buy this one. Double your capacity for less than $50? Definitely worth it. I live by myself (with a small dog who has her own bed and wardrobe - don't judge!), and the extra capacity is handy to have without being too bulky. I do about 4-5 loads per week, including towels, linens, dog blankets and my own clothes. It takes almost no time, and I (almost) enjoy doing laundry. This machine is relatively quiet, and is easy to connect, operate, and disconnect.  I did not buy the matching dryer due to the price point, but I do trust this brand.


I purchased this washer unit (along with the Haier HPL141E 2.6 cu. ft. Compact Electric Vented Dryer as a pair) for an "apartment" that I moved in to. The apartment is a whole basement but because the basement was not intended as an apartment there are several issues I deal with. Which is where this washer/dryer pair come in!

Useful Features:
#1: This washer/dryer set runs off a 120 volt outlet. I do not have a traditional washer/dryer hookup, so this is a godsend!
#2: The size is great! The washer weighs just 60LBS and can be moved by most men and women, and can have casters installed for your convenience. The dryer is lighter (closer to 40 of 50LBS) and is meant to be wall-mounted. By wall mounting the dryer, you can keep the washer underneath it and have a "stack" if you will.
3.) These machines REALLY get your clothes clean. I always had spare dog hair on my clothes when using a laundromat, or even my Parent's full sized high-effeciency washers. Not these machines! These are the first machines that truly seem to get my clothes clean.
4.) Both machines add up to roughly 1 line of electricity (15 amps) and can be put on a dedicated line by themselves.
5.) The washing machine can either be hooked up to traditional laundry hookups, but it also comes with a setup so that you can put the water line on a faucet. For somebody like me who has no hookups, this is a godsend.
6.) These machines are made to clean when fully loaded. My parent's machines could only be half-loaded, otherwise the machines didn't do their job. These machines do their job fully loaded. Although it is a portable machine, I can fit 5 uniforms in 1. However, you cannot wash a comforter AND a sheet set at once. You will have to do this in two goes.
7.) The washer is about 4X more effecient than than the most effeceint dryers on the market! The dryer is on par with the most effecient models on the market. You will not spend nearly as much on power with these units!

Cons:
1.) You are running these machines in 120volt power. Therefore your dryer will not operate as fast. Consider that drying may take twice as long as a regular dryer (usually an hour and a half when full)
2.) There is a major difference between wash times and dry times. The washer on max setting is 35 minutes (1 hour for the deep clean cycle.) The dryer takes an hour and thirty minutes. I usually run the washer an extra spin cycle in order to reduce this time difference.
3.) The washer has a lent catch, as well as the dryer. Unfortunately you have a total of 3 lent catches to clean with every load.


We had a GE profile 36" electric cooktop for almost 8 years & it broke last month .... the glass cooktop itself actually broke due to something being dropped on it.  It wasn't repairable or under warranty any more.  We looked into natural gas replacement first but found out it would cost $800 - $1000 just to have the gas line run to the kitchen so we decided it wasn't worth all that.  We opted for the induction cooktop instead.  It fit right into the same hole that had been cut out in our granite counters for the previous 36" electric cooktop so that was a true blessing.  We did have to run higher gauge electrical wire (6 gauge) and put in a larger 220 breaker because the induction requires 50 amp 220 power to ensure that all burners have enough juice to operate on high at the same time if ever needed.  We were able to do that ourselves and it just cost us the price of the materials which was much less than the gas line would have costs us!

So far it is working great and is super fast!  Had to adjust how I was cooking a bit because you can boil water on this cooktop in less than 5 minutes easy. I did have to purchase some new pans but we were due for that anyway.  I purchased light weight cast iron that was enamel coated to prevent scratching of the glass cooktop.  I also bought a Scanpan CTX frying pan.  Let me tell you, that scanpan CTX is awesome & I have more on my Christmas list for this year :)  If you don't want to buy all new pans, you can try one of the induction metal discs that you put on the burner but I didn't see such good reviews for those on Amazon.

We have all GE profile appliances in our kitchen and they have been maintenance free for us these past 8 years so I am hoping that this induction cooktop will follow suite.  I also purchased the extended warranty through Amazon as well.  We also have a home warranty for our major appliances as well in case anything goes haywire.

On a side note, if anyone is interested, I saw an advertisement for induction that showed someone putting a paper towel on the cooktop element and then put their pan on top of that to show that the paper towel wouldn't burn but the water in the pan would still boil.  I'm not that brave (to use a paper towel) BUT I did get (off of Amazon) a set of 4 reusable silicone baking sheets/mats.  These are super thin like a sheet of paper & will work up to 500 degrees with no issues in the oven.  I put one of those between the induction burner & the pan and it was great!  I didn't have to worry about the pan scratching the cooktop and it made cleaning up the cooktop much easier after cooking because most of the "spills" were on the baking sheet & I just washed it off by hand in the sink & let it air dry in the dishwasher for next time.  Definitely recommend trying that.


This washer is wonderful, though you have to buy a few accessories to go with it, and the drain pump gets over worked.  Definition of overworked - If the right side of your washer just fills up with water/ or stops spinning, (or out of nowhere just seems to stop working), that's overworked. Then you can't drain water on the spin side for about 2 weeks, (while the machine cools off.  I just wash my clothes with soap, and then wash them in clear water, and dry spin them during that time)!  Other than that it works great!  The instructions are written in English, but they are not very clear!  So I've included some instructions here.  First load your clothes into the left tub, on the washer, then add your soap.  Attach the slim white hose to the water inlet hole on the left side and attach the other end of the hose at the sink nozzle.  You may need to purchase a, (dishwasher), adapter and replace your aerator with it, (see picture # 5 below).  Also you'll more than likely need a clamp, or something to hold the hose onto the adapter, (see picture # 1 below).  Run water into the tub through the hose.  When the water gets to the top, turn it off, and turn the 15 minute washer dial around to 15 minutes.  Have the hose over in the bath tub before you start to run the water in the wash tub, (so that you don't flood your floor)!  See picture # 4 below.  When the clothes are done washing turn the knob in the middle to the right where it says drain.  You may need to lower the drain hose into a drain pail to allow the water to start flowing at first.  Then put it back into the tub once it starts flowing.  You may need to purchase a drain pail, (see picture # 2 below).  Here's the link to copy and paste for that drain pail https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-17942-Black-Pan-Capacity/dp/B000JFHMVQ/ref=cm_cr-mr-title.  Once the clothes are drained take them out one by one, and in a balanced way put them into the spin side.  Put the plastic cover on top of the spin side and shut the lid down.  Put the water hose on the water inlet hole on the right, (spin side).  Turn the 5 minute spin dial to 5 minutes and hold the washer steady, (with your hands), until it gets to smoothly spinning the clothes, (for about 1 minute).  Make sure that the drain hose is over in the tub.  Then turn the water on, (on the spin side).  At about 1 minute before the clothes are done spinning, shut the water off and let them dry spin.  Then stick them into your portable dryer, (see picture # 3).


Very nice little machines.  Makes the "wet" ice like you'd find at a restaurant, so the ice is very soft and chewable which I love.  Many other reviews complain about the ice being wet, but this is not the same ice as what you fridge ice maker produces so it's not comparable.  The cycle type is exactly as the description states, a little long on the first batch, then it gets faster.  It will fill it's internal bin in about 2 hours or less.  Two sizes of ice, but there's not much difference between the two.  Great for a non-wet bar, or for using outside the home on a trip or something like that.  The water is kept below the ice bin, so it's very well self contained.  Ice is made on little fingers that hang down from the top.  The fingers get really cold as they are sitting in a small water container, and when it cycles the water tray dumps out of the way and the fingers do a quick warm up to let the ice drop off them, then the ice is scooped into the ice bin and the water tray moves back and is filled for another cycle.  And, keep in mind the ice bin is not cooled.  This is not a freezer unit and has no cold keeping area.  But the ice will keep for at least 12 hours in my tests (only had the unit a few days so far, running almost constantly.)  Basically overnight, and it will still have ice in the bin the next morning with very little melted.  But don't expect it to keep the ice forever, except if you just keep it running once the ice melts enough below, and allows the level to drop you'll get more ice made fresh to fill it up completely again.

The negatives are, it's a little noisy.  Not too bad, you can talk comfortably around it, even whisper and be heard just fine.  Kind of funny the air fan is so loud since Rosewill makes fans for computers that are extremely quiet, and this one is not.  The compressor makes noise too, but not too bad.  There is no place to store the power cord when not in use.  And, emptying the water is difficult as you have to turn the whole unit upside down to get the water out, it's not that small and kind of awkward to twist around to dump the water.  The ice bin has holes in it to allow ice melt water to drain back into the water reservoir, and on the smaller ice size the ice can drop through those holes.  Kind of strange they didn't think of that in its design.  Plus the lid is a bit odd to open, only has little wings on the side to grab and no indentions to make it easier.  Would be nice to have similar on the front of the lid.  Enough negatives that I took away one star, and hope Rosewill does a little better in it's next design of this nice little ice maker.


When our 28-year-old Litton Generation II finally went belly-up, I researched over-the-range microwaves on Consumer Reports. This model was not only inexpensive, but got an extremely high rating (2nd only to the GE Profile). Although Amazon sells it for $266, we found it at HHGregg for $180, so bought it from them.

The Pros: Extremely quiet/hardly know it's running. Non-stick interior; we immediately noticed that 'splatters' are not "stuck" to the walls. Express controls: You can hit '1' and the microwave automatically starts and runs for 1 minute. Can do the same for 1-6 minutes. "Add 30 sec" control that adds 1/2 minute to what you're doing. . . or just runs the oven for 30 sec.

The Cons: Minor - the door window is so heavily covered with white dots that it's all but impossible to observe what's happening to what you're microwaving (e.g., melting cheese in Tostito Scoops). It is also only 1000 watts, not 1200. It would have made the microwave even more convenient if they added a "Add 15 sec" control; many things only take that long.

MAJOR CON: The installation process caused me to knock one star off the rating: Instructions for the back plate that supports the bottom of the oven indicate that you should install the top of the plate RIGHT AGAINST the bottom of the cabinet. However, the back plate is NOT...repeat NOT quite as deep as the oven, by a scant 1/8". IOW, if you put the top of the back plate against the bottom of the cabinet, the back of the microwave cannot fit under the back of the cabinet. The end result is that you have a microwave that is not vertically plumb (leans out, so if you open the door and let go of it, it swings wide open by itself). This design flaw resulted in my having to completely uninstall the oven, REINSTALL THE BACK PLATE 1/8" LOWER, and reinstall the oven -- a major pain in the ***.

IMO, this is a major flaw in the design of the back plate vs. the microwave, and I will be bringing this to GE's attention. I just hope this review helps others who buy it and do self-installs.

Update 6/20/14: I should have added that the mismatch between the height of the oven and the shorter back plate may NOT have been a design flaw, but a MANUFACTURING error. IOW, I just happened to get a back plate that was shorter than it should have been. In any case, I urge new buyers to slide the plate onto the back of the oven to see if it's exactly the same height when the tines at the bottom are fully inside the slots at the bottom of the oven. If the oven is slightly higher than the top of the back plate, you must install the back plate that distance down from the bottom of the cabinet.


The box was delivered by FedEx on the very edge of my front porch, without them knocking - but I got it inside. The washer is ENORMOUS. I'd measured carefully and was still shocked by how large it was. Everyone who has seen it has commented on the size - it's actually larger than our very large, old microwave. It is also extremely heavy. The package comes marked as being a two-person lift, and for good reason. But I did manage to get it onto the counter alone - barely. The problem isn't just the weight, it's also the bulk. At 5'0" I could barely fit my arms around it far enough to get a grip on it. Someone who is frail, elderly, disabled or has any history of back issues definitely needs to arrange for help, even to unbox it.

Set up is easy, just connect the two hoses to the rear of the machine and attach the locking nozzle onto the sink fixture. The hoses don't require any tools to attach, and I was able to connect the nozzle onto the sink without needing any, either. Everything fit properly right away, with no leaks. Even though the instructions imply that powdered detergent is preferred, I used Cascade Complete liquid in the washer because it worked well with my previous washer and it cleaned the dishes beautifully without additional rinse aid. The machine is quieter than the full-size dishwashers we have owned. Even with the huge size of the outside, the interior is rather small - largish coffee mugs have to be put on the floor of the basket, rather than in the designated mug area, which is sized for very small cups such as old-fashioned teacups. I suspect that was not the best design choice. However, it doesn't take that much effort to just wash an additional load of mugs, so it's not a problem, really.

One feature I appreciate is that the wash water is filtered and reused repeatedly during the wash, so the machine is only drawing a minimum of water from the tap. This is important in our house, where the amount of hot water is limited, as it allows someone to have hot water to shower even when the machine is running.  And it may sound odd, but I LOVE the buttons on this thing. Many of the models I had researched had the little plastic covered bubbles rather than actual buttons, and I hate those because the bubble's plastic invariably wears away with use and one is left with pushing bare plastic. This machine has actual buttons which are very solid and responsive, and I don't expect any issues from them.

There is one thing that is odd. The machine's running times as shown on the readout are accurate, but they are much, much longer than the running times listed in the manual. According to the manual, for example, a load on normal wash should take 110 minutes of running time. However, when the cycle is actually selected, the machine reports that it will require 150 minutes to complete. This isn't a big deal for me, but it does make it a bit difficult when trying to time starting a load before bedtime, for example.

Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase so far. If my opinion changes, I will update this review to reflect the new information, but at this point the machine is so solid I don't expect any problems whatsoever.


Okay, as nobody has reviewed this I will go ahead and review even though I've only had it a short time.  Bought this, from the competition wally for just 180 (went down to 160 and they gave me the difference back) and will write a review there also, with the same two pics.  I'm showing you the great--how SURPRISINGLY ROOMY IT IS, and the bad, that the coils frost SO VERY VERY QUICKLY without even opening the thing a normal amount of use.

This is a back up freezer bought for grown son who eats a lot of frozen dishes.  I told him, WHEN his refrigerator freezer is almost empty, to come get everything out of this one in ONE TRIP, as it is cheaply made and shouldn't be opened frequently. (I'm actually afraid it won't stand up JUST BECAUSE it is small and mini fridges never last long,  so we plan to treat it with kid-gloves.)

AS YOU CAN SEE FROM PICS, frosted coils without using a normal amount of time.  Maybe simply because of the "start up" aspect, empty freezer first time cooling down?  I dunno, that is why I'll keep you updated. (and why I've saved the box and won't throw it out till 90 days passes-the return period)  If all goes well you will see an update in about six months, if not, you will see an update sooner.

Only gave it 3 starts because that is AVERAGE and with the frosting issue and not knowing if it WILL stand up to time, how can I possibly rate it better?  If it holds up a year and the frosting issue doesn't get worse, I'll upgrade the stars.

OH<--it makes lots of funky noises, which is no big deal to me, but funny to see people's faces when they are in the kitchen and hear it and don't know what it is.  If you have a dog, you might think he is whining when it is actually the freezer.  Definitely not a freezer for a bedroom, lol.  Not sure if pics took or not, don't see a preview image there, we'll see.  Finally got the pics to upload.  Have had it for about a month now.

UPDATE:  Still working.  Thought it died on me when I allowed it to build up too much ice (and that happens really easily as we seldom open it and you'd think that would discourage ice build up.) But it got hot and started thawing everything.  I emptied it, defrosted, and working great again.

UPDATE: FEB 2017  Freezer is still working.  We rarely open it, other than to check that all is well--we switched to using this to store bell peppers grown in my garden, etc.  I don't think it is frosting up as quickly and I raised my star value to FOUR stars as it is still working and the frost issue isn't worse, anyway.


Perfect for unprotected circuits. My home is protected, my shop is not. Now I have protection for our shop fridge, and will get more to protect other equipment we have at the shop. Great for people that rent properties and don't want to spend money for electricians to install GFIC outlets. Also perfect for generator panels to provide protection. Will also work well for portable air conditioning units. Here in S.W. Florida it seems as if we have lightning strikes everyday. Be prepared where you live too. Below are two tables showing upcoming power plant outages. When the switches are changed you could receive "Dirty Power". Protect your appliances today.

Nuclear Outage Schedule
Location OutageTypes Region Start Date End Date
St. Lucie Maintenance Southeast 9/6/2015 10/6/2015
Plant Vogtle Maintenance Southeast 9/11/2015 10/12/2015
Point Beach Maintenance Midwest 9/17/2015 10/22/2015
Watts Bar Maintenance Southeast 9/24/2015 10/29/2015
Beaver Valley Maintenance Northeast 9/26/2015 10/26/2015
Seabrook Maintenance Northeast 10/1/2015 10/27/2015
South Texas Project Maintenance Southeast 10/3/2015 10/27/2015
Millstone Refuel/Maintenance Northeast 10/4/2015 10/31/2015
Surry Maintenance Southeast 10/11/2015 11/8/2015
Salem/Hope Creek Maintenance Northeast 10/12/2015 11/9/2015
Turkey Point Maintenance Southeast 10/19/2015 11/19/2015
Sequoyah Nuclear Plant Maintenance Southeast 11/14/2015 12/19/2015

Fossil Outage Schedule
Location OutageTypes Region Start Date End Date
Port Washington Maintenance Midwest 9/6/2015 10/18/2015
Presque Isle Maintenance Midwest 9/6/2015 12/12/2015
Hutchinson Maintenance Midwest 9/12/2015 10/31/2015
Lawrence Maintenance Midwest 9/12/2015 10/3/2015
Elm Road Maintenance Midwest 9/13/2015 10/24/2015
Milwaukee County Maintenance Midwest 9/13/2015 11/21/2015
Tecumseh Maintenance Eastern Kansas 9/26/2015 11/21/2015
San Juan Maintenance Southwest 10/3/2015 11/15/2015
Oak Creek Maintenance Midwest 10/11/2015 12/12/2015

Disclaimer: this item was purchased at a discounted price for reviewing purposes.


I hate washing dishes.  Of all the household chores, I hate this one most of all.  Toilet, floor, rugs, windows.... fine.  Dishes: Hate them!  Part of this has to do with their relentlessness--- no matter how many you wash in a day, the next day there will be just as many.  It's a Sisyphean (and thankless) task that sucks my will to live!

I needed a solution, and thought I had found it in the Koldfront portable dishwasher.

Wrong!

It doesn't work.  And customer support was totally unhelpful.

Let me explain.

The dishwasher is larger than it seems in the picture, and didn't quite fit on my countertop.  This is my bad, since I should have looked at the specs before ordering.  This was a minor annoyance that I got around by buying a small cart for it.  It fit nicely on the cart, and could be wheeled to the sink when it was time to wash dishes.... which I tried to do for the first time yesterday.

The instructions were pretty simple and very clear: screw the quick connect hose on to your kitchen sink spigot, turn the hot water on, add soap, and turn it on.  However, when I attempted to attach the hose on to my spigot, it DID NOT FIT!  It was TOO BIG for the spigot.. the spigot was too small.

OK, so before freaking out, I called the help line at the company.

I explained to the man on the phone--- a very articulate, youngish-sounding, native-English-speaking man-- the problem I was having.

His response was, matter of factly: "Oh, yes, sometimes the hose doesn't fit the spigot."  Like, "end of story, OK?  Can I help you with anything else?"

My response was: "So.... is there anything I can do about this?"

"Sometimes the hose doesn't fit the spigot.  We tried our best to select the most common size, but sometimes it doesn't fit.  I've never heard of a spigot being too small.  Hm.  How interesting."

"But... is there a workaround or something?  An adaptor I can buy?"

"No."

(silence)

"So that's it then? There is nothing I can do?"

"You can buy a new spigot for the sink."

"I can't do that.  I live in an apartment...."

(silence)

"So, besides that, I should just send it back, then?"

"Sometimes the hose doesn't fit the spigot.  You have the option of sending it back."

"Uhh... OK.  Thanks for the information."

"You're welcome."

*click*

No enthusiasm.  No way to try to work with me on this.  Very "take it or leave it."

Guess what?

I'm gonna leave it.

Thanks for nothing, Koldfront!!!!!

Sheesh.


Works fine. I can check the humidity in the guitar case to make sure it's where I want it to be. Or in a room. These small instruments are not calibrated, so you have to check their accuracy. One way I know of is to use another hygrometer you trust and compare the results.

Since your guitar case may not be humidified enough, the hygrometer lets you check the environment of the case before you put in your guitar and humidity device. No use putting the instrument in a dry case and try to keep it at 40% humidity. The water in the humidity pack will simply equilibrate with the dry environment of the case and you will dry out your humidity pack while not getting moisture in the air around the guitar. So first, use the hygrometer to check the case's moisture, then humidify your case if you need to.

Unfortunately, small measurement devices are prone to being uncalibrated. So you have to calibrate it to see how far off it is. You can do with with the salt test and then make a note on your reading versus reality: this little unit is not able to be adjusted.

A salt test is an easy test that basically puts your hygrometer into an isolated 75% RH (relative humidity) environment, in which you can then determine how inaccurate the reading is and adjust accordingly.

How to do the salt test:
 You will need:
Sandwich sized ziploc bag
 Bottle cap from 2 liter soda bottle
 Table salt  (do not use fancy grey salt: plain white salt)
 Your hygrometer

STEP 1:
Fill cap 3/4 of the way up with  table salt

STEP 2:

Add filtered or distilled water (not tap) to the bottle cap and  saturate the salt. Make a slurry (slushy mix) No water should be floating on top of the salt slurry.

STEP 3:

Place the hygrometer and cap with salt/water mixture  inside of the ziploc bag.

STEP 4:
Let cap and hygrometer sit in closed bag for 6 hours. It should read 75% after this time.

If your hygrometer reads 80%, subtract five points from any reading. If it reads 70%, add five points.

If you want to be fancy, you can buy a test kit: Boveda One-Step Hygrometer Calibration Kit - 75% RH - Standard Small The advantage of this is you can do a 32% test, because the inaccuracy of the hygrometer may not be linear and if you are reading for near 40%, it may be better to test at the lower portion of the scale.

I keep the hygrometer, which is no bigger than several sticks of gum, in the small compartment in the case--under the neck. It's there to make sure the case is always at the right level of humidification.


I bought this locally four months ago after getting fed up with constantly cleaning kid's fingerprints off my stainless steel fridge, and I've been very happy with it ever since. The black stainless isn't entirely fingerprint free, but it's close enough. Every now and then I see some smears, fingerprints, or water marks near the ice maker but it's easy to wipe clean with a damp microfiber cloth, and it doesn't ever need to be polished so it's a lot easier to maintain than my old fridge was.

I love being able to have the milk and most commonly used condiments in the door in door. It's easy to access and it latches securely when closed. The alarm features on this fridge are great too. Now I don't have to follow after the kids to make sure they closed the door properly because the fridge will let them know if they didn't.

The flex drawer is a wonderful feature as well. It has it's own temperature controls and I find it just perfect for storing lunch meats, cheese, and snacks for the kids to reach. The freezer offers a lot of storage space and it has a pull out drawer on the upper part just like my GE Profile did, so I use that section to store frozen vegetables and use the two large bins below for meats on one side and frozen pasta, deserts, or other items on the other.

There are a few features of this fridge that are less than optimal however. For example, the door in door bins aren't adjustable, so what you see is what you get. The storage cubicles on the side that has the ice maker are very narrow so you can't fit much into them, and the fridge doesn't have enough room for tall items, so if you have more gallons of milk, juice, or wine than will fit into the door in door bin you'll need to lay them down on a shelf to make them fit.  Despite those minor inconveniences I'm very happy with this refrigerator and I wouldn't want to go back to regular stainless steel again for anything!

Update 8/7/2016: An alarm on the unit's front control panel let me know it was time to change the water filter. In case you wondered, it takes the Samsung Da29-00020b Refrigerator Water Filter.  You'll need to shut off the water line before changing it, which means you either have to pull out the heavy fridge to do it, or shut off the main supply line for the entire house for a moment (which is what I wound up doing). After removing & replacing the filter be sure to run several glasses of water through the fridge to flush the new filter as well as remove air from the lines, and then you'll be all set for another 6 months.


I bought the product before Thanksgiving. This review has 2 parts: Installation and product performance. Installation gets 1 star. Performance so far gets 4 stars.
The product was clearly designed with no thought or consideration about ease of installation. Here's why:
1- The product is supposed to be hanging from 4 screws from under the cabinet. The screws need to be drilled with perfect precision, otherwise when you are lifting the hood to install it in place it won't go it. Remember you have no visibility at that point. What does Zephyr do to help you with this? Just a diagram of distance measurements.
What could they do to improve this experience? Supply a template sheet with drill holes marked so you can tape it under the cabinet, drill the holes, and be done. By the way that would also help ensure you have enough space under the cabinet without any lips or sides intruding.
Cost for that improvement? $0.05?
2- Once the hood is hanging from the screws, you need to tighten them (as the manual suggests). You need to do this laying on your back on the stove. But even then the front screws are impossible to reach though. Why? The only way you can reach them is at a 45 degree angle from front. Now imagine tightening a screw at 45 degrees. You will damage the screw head, and then you are stuck half way. The best way to avoid this is to take the hood down. Redrill the front holes at 45 degrees, and reinstall it that way. Does the manual specify that? No!
What could they to improve this? Clearly state the need to drill the front holes at 45 degrees.
Cost for that improvement? $0.00.
3- The power cable that comes with the unit has no plug, and is just about 4" long. What is the rationale for not having a plug and such a short length of cord? I don't know, but I can say that by the time you take the cord through the cabinet, you have little room for error when you are attaching a plug. I could bet that 90%+ of customers have an outlet within 3' of the unit. If you offer a 3' cord with a plug, and some minority of customers needs to change the cord, well they can cut it, and change it. Now everyone has to go through that.
Cost for that improvement? $1.00 max?
4- Finally is there a way this experience could've been world-class at low cost? Yes. They could change the installation process using simple system similar where four 1" mini-rails that you install under the cabinet, and then simply slide the hood into place. That way the unit is firmly attached vertically. To prevent horizontal play the unit can be attached to the rails with 4 short fat screws.
Cost for this improvement? The 4 mini rails, the corresponding rail-catcher on the top of the unit, and any delta in sheet-metal stamping. All would be less than $5.00


The machine is wonderful!!!! It comes with very clear instructions. Its light enough I can move it all over. My downstairs neighbor didn't hear any sound when I used it.

 I cant wring out my cloths, due to arthritis. This is the solution. Fabrics are dry enough to air dry. Theres no way to dry outdoors where I live, so this is the next best solution. No more trips to our complexs foul laundry room. I wash in a container, with a plunger, and spin with this. I have the laundry solution Ive been looking for.

It spins out wash water so well that rinsing takes about a quarter the time and water it used to. No sore hands. No dripping clothes! My ceiling fan is enough to dry sports bras in about 2 hours.

I spun a heavy bath sheet with other items in the load and it was dryer than any washer spin Ive used. Really quiet after the spin is up to speed. Much quieter than a washer spin, and more effective. The drain could be a bit easier to deal with. Its on the front of the machine. You have to put a container under it and empty it after each load. It looks like you can hook a hose underneath it, but youd need a floor drain to use it. I cant use the bottom dra.in in the bath tub because instructions say it must be on a flat surface. Theres no mention of attaching a hose in the instructions, however.

UPDATE: Ive used this for over a year. Here are a few tips.
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY before you plug it in. Everything you need to know is there. My first one was damaged in shipping and they immediately replaced it with no questions asked. Hold onto the box until youve tried a few loads to make sure little chunks of plastic do come out in the water.

Use super absorbent towels/Sham Wow under the drains to keep your floor safe and dry. You can afford them with all the laundromat money you're saving! Find the right size container to put under the drain. There will be a lot more water than you expect!
Take the time to make sure the load is balanced. If its not it will beat against the sides of the machine and cause internal damage after too many nasty loads. Do it right and the loads end updryer and don't damage the machine.
Wash and rinse in separate containers. Spin your soapy clothes before you rinse. Wash more with an air plunger while the load spins. You can wash and spin a lot of clothes and linens in a day if you get a smooth system going. Wash the cleanest clothes first so you can let the nasty stuff soak while the others are drying on the rack if you have a large laundry day.
Make sure you have the plastic piece on top of your load before you spin. Press it down so the load settles into the drum before you spin.
I like my spin dryer better now than I did when I first bought it!