So far, so good. UPS delivered this without any damage at all, and the freezer seemed packed well enough that it would take some pretty good lumps. The UPS guy in my area is great, and always treats packages with respect, but sometimes the guys at the warehouses/sorting centers can be a bit less gentle. I waited over 24 hours to plug it in, due to the unknown orientation during shipping, and, so far, it seems like it is cooling down properly. We will see in a few hours.

So-- my takeaways:

The freezer is surprisingly light--really easy to maneuverer by myself.
The dimensions are spot on, which is great, because it fit though my 22-inch travel trailer door, without removing the thing.
This thing is super quiet--no fan noise and just a mild hum from the compressor while it pumps refrigerant.

Some grievances I have:

I bought this for an off-grid travel trailer, to use as a fridge. I am running it off a 12 volt solar system, through a Power Bright 1100 watt (2200 surge) inverter.

The first thing I found upon unpacking this freezer was the EnergyGuide label. Unlike the 172 kWh of energy usage pictured on the product listing, this uses 196 kWh a year, according to their tests. OK, that is just a bit more, but it is still far less than other similar models.

Second, most of the time you figure 8-10 times the startup draw than the running draw for inverter usage.

On the back of the machine, the amperage while running is listed as 1.1 amps, at 115 volts. It also lists the startup current--- 18 AMPS! Or 2070 watts. I have been waiting anxious to see how my new inverter will handle this, since I figured the startup watts would be at most 1200 or so.

Surprisingly, the small Power Bright inverter handles it fine. There is an initial surge-- according to the inverter's built-in watt meter-- of just over 900 watts, then it drops down to about 114 watts while the compressor is running. The fan on the inverter does not even come on unless it is hot out!

Now I just have to wait for my extra panels and batteries to run this constantly, and I will be set. I plan to use a 12 volt temperature relay to replace the on/off switch of the inverter, which will turn the inverter and freezer on only when the temperature rises above 38 degrees. This will minimize the noise of the inverter/freezer at night while I am sleeping, while eliminating the extra power draw from the inverter when it is not actively being used.

I will update this review as I go along to note any changes/problems.

UPDATE: I upgraded to a pure sine inverter to run the freezer. My Power Bright 1100 watt modified sine inverter starts and runs the freezer fine, but this freezer seems to be especially sensitive to power quality. I was struggling to get the freezer down below 40 degrees, even after running it all day. I noticed the compressor kicked on and off often, so I deduced that it was probably triggering the overheat protection on the compressor. With modified sine waves, the harsh changes between peaks can cause compressors to overheat easier.

With the pure sine inverter, the compressor stays running longer, and it takes only a few hours to drop the freezer below freezing. So If you are having problems running this on solar, consider upgrading to a pure sine inverter. I went with a 2000 watt model from Power TechOn, and it seems to work really well.


I've had this hood fan installed for about a month now.  It looks awesome.  I love the clean look that hinged filter cover provides.

It sucks air really well, and it's super quiet, even at the highest fan speed.  I'm sure one of the reasons it's so quiet, is that I have a very short duct run (about 2 total feet with one 90, and a duct cap with a baffle).  I also used duct seal Gardner Bender DS-110N Duct Seal, 1-Pound Pug where each piece of ducting joins another.  I believe this helps to dampen vibration and noise, as well as sealing the duct.

I did install 2 additional screws with fender washers through the back plate of the hood. I didn't feel comfortable hanging the whole hood on 2 toggler sheetrock anchors Mechanical Plastics 50400 Toggler Snaptoggle 2-Pack 1/4 x 20-Inch Brass Wall Anchors(even though I reinforced the sheetrock by installing a wood board behind it, via the wall opening for the ducting).

The controls are simple.  I found the installation instructions simple, and easy to follow, but I didn't really need them.  You press power then the plus button to turn the fan on.  It seems you have to press the power button twice to turn the fan off.  To program the clock, you need to hold down the power button, until the time flashes.  Then the + and - buttons adjust the time.  This wasn't in my instructions.

Tips: I needed to extend my duct by 2" to reach my vent cap on the outside wall.  I don't have the crimp tool to make one end smaller so it fits into the next piece.  I went to a local Heating and Air Conditioning contractor, and they fabbed it for me in 5 mins for free!  It's so easy and cheap, I don't think it's worth the paperwork for them write a work order.

Cons:

1) The exhaust outlet on the hood is about 3/16" too large to fit into a 6" duct.  I attached a pic of my 6" elbow butted to it, so you can see what I mean.  I used 6 wraps of high adhesion foil backed tape to seal and adhere that intersection.  Considering both the duct and hood fan are independently supported, I think this is a lasting solution.

2) The lights aren't very bright.  If I had to guess, I'd say each light puts out maybe 75-150 lumens (150-300 lumens total output).


I am very happy I purchased this.  I have an ice maker on my fridge but it needs a sensor or something and I don't want to go through having to have someone come out to fix it.  It made more ice than I used anyway.  Thought I would just buy bags of ice until I saw this.  Set it up and it started working.  I bought distilled water to use in it to avoid "clogging" problems with my city water.  Usually just make enough ice to fill one or two freezer gallon bags and wait until it says "add water" then I shut it down until the next time I want to make some ice.

The instructions said something about letting it run until something got cold before adding water.  I tried to do that the first time but now I plug it in, turn it on, and add the water.  The first batch or two are sort of flimsy but they melt and go back into the reservoir so no big deal.  I have mine set on M for the cubes and that works for me.  PLEASE keep in mind that the reservoir and the ice holding area are not refrigerated so its not wise to just let the cubes sit there for too long.  The "cubes" are really cute and I keep thinking that I should get creative and put something in the center or find a way to set them up for teeny tiny shooters - with chilled liquor of course.  Maybe with a stuffed olive for a martini on the rocks - hmm?

If it already hasn't been apparent, I live alone so this make enough for me.  I know that when the kids come I will need more ice so I can either make more or just send them out to get a bag or two.  No problem!  The machine needs to be able to have air circulation (I think I read that) so when I'm using it I pull it forward on my counter and when I'm done I push it back.  Doesn't take up much space and I guess I could put it in a cupboard but that would mean I would have to lift it and did I mention that it's a bit heavy.  Well, it is heavy and this 60+ year old woman is not into heavy.  I got it onto the counter and I'm happy with it there.  I just went over and sort of lifted it and reaffirmed to myself that it is heavy.  And I just remembered that was a bit of a problem in trying to get it out of the box.  It came in a sturdy cardboard box and inside that was the product box.  Inside the product box was the machine and two pieces of Styrofoam on either side of the machine.  Printed on the outside box were two arrows pointing up so I gathered it should not go on its side - coolant or something - I don't know and didn't want to screw up.  We have all dealt with trying to get a product box out of the cardboard box that fits it like a second skin.  What are those people thinking?  Usually I put it on its side and try to slide it out or turn it upside down and shake it loose.  Neither option felt right on this one so I left it in both boxes.  Next came getting it out with the close fitting Styrofoam packing.  Keep in mind that there were one or two unfavorable reviews and I knew if I needed to return it that I would also need the packing so I did not do any cutting or tearing on the packing.  I put the entire package on a stool by the counter, got my hands inside the package and was able to lift out the machine and packing and transfer to the counter.  Styrofoam back in the boxes, closed them up and put them in the basement - just in case.


When I brought this cooler home I was initially unable to attach the handle to the door because of a manufacturing defect. Tramontina was helpful in resolving this issue and shipped me new parts and a new handle. Unfortunately, even with a new handle, this cooler is virtually useless.

Upon loading the cooler with cans I was amazed at how poorly thought out the shelving was, almost certainly designed by someone who has never laid eyes on a beverage can, the electronics bar across the top requires you to tilt the top cans to get them into and out of the top shelf. The next shelf down is a fraction of an inch too high for cans so you need to lower it several inches to accommodate the next row of cans, and one of the shelves that claims to hold 24 cans really only holds 18 unless you precariously tilt the back row of cans at an angle across the gap between the back of the shelf and the back wall of the cooler. The capacity is a borderline lie and the design is aggravatingly stupid. Don't even think of storing bottles in here.

Visible on the door as soon as you take this out of the box is a sticker that notes the temperature will fluctuate based on a number of factors to include the contents of the cooler and how often the door is opened. This is to be expected, what I didn't expect was the degree of fluctuation I would eventually find (TL/DR +/- 15~ degrees). The optimal temperature for most beverages is approximately 37 degrees and water freezes around 32 degrees. Armed with this knowledge I set the temperature of the cooler to 42 degrees. My setting was already five degrees above my optimal temperature (to account for the expected fluctuation) and, in theory, 10 degrees above the freezing point of anything that I would be storing in this cooler. (I expected the the cooler to struggle to stay that cold, but I did not expect the cooler to drop much below that setting.)

The first day, set to 42 degrees, I loaded the cooler to capacity (120 cans), and I waited. 24 hours later the cooler had made it into the high forties but had not yet achieved my goal of 42 degrees. I feared the worst but decided to give the cooler another night to get settled. In the morning I awoke to find that one of my diet coke cans had exploded, not merely frozen, but literally exploded. To make matters worse, it was not a can on the bottom where Tramontina had warned me it would be cooler, nor was it near the much warmer top shelf, nor the back near the cooling elements. Somehow a can dead in the center of the middle shelf had ruptured and there was black sticky stuff everywhere.

I emptied, cleaned, and restocked my remaining 119 cans. This time I set the temperature to 44 degrees and added a thermometer to the top and bottom shelves. I can now confidently tell you that when set to 44 degrees the top shelf maintains a comfortable 56-58 and the bottom settles around 45-47. The middle, however, somehow managed to freeze another can of coke. This means that when set to 44 degrees the middle of the middle shelf is somehow finding it's way to below freezing for a can of soda.

I've now cleaned, emptied, and restocked this refrigerator from top to bottom twice and come to terms with keeping my drinks at a warm fifty degrees for safety and convenience purposes. I don't see any way that a temperature fluctuation of nearly fifteen degrees below the current setting would be acceptable to anyone. The only reason this cooler remains is due to the inconvenience of returning it (which will likely happen soon anyways).


So we bought this from Sam's club, and followed all the directions.  It's not fun to take things back so when it said let it stand for 6 hours before plugging in, I made sure and did it so the compressor's oil can fully settle.  Note:  the newer models all have the temp mod, so they will cool down to 32 degrees instead of just 40.  Not sure why they ever made the first one limited to 40... but perhaps the following will tell the tale.

We plugged it in, and after a few hours stocked it full.  It literally took 2 days to come to equilibrium at 35 degrees.  I was so glad when I heard it shut off for the first time I actually did a fist pump.  Then...  25 seconds later, it turned on again (without anyone opening the door).  Hmmmmm???  This pattern repeats throughout the entire story so even though I won't mention it again, you can rest assured I'm listening to it run right now... with brief 20-30 second pauses where you can actually hear yourself think.  Ps.  I'm sitting 21 feet away and we have hard wood floors so perhaps others with bigger houses and carpet might not be so disenchanted by this.  On the other hand, my main fridge is on 18 feet away and doesn't bother me at all.

We stared at it for awhile and thought, "gee" it sure is nice looking and all, but my goodness it is without question the loudest "white" noise in our kitchen.  And btw, the noise is not all that white in the sense that I always know where the noise is coming from.  Our $2500 LG has a linear compressor and frankly is about half as loud as this thing, and does 3 times the work, given it has more space and a full freezer, ice tray, etc.  Of course this bad boy was only 179 or whatever we paid.. so I guess you get what you pay for.  And trust me, we are paying for the savings... every second.  Even now I'm thinking of various song rhythms that could go with the compressor noise.  Yes, it's that loud.

Ok, so 4 days in and KABOOM!  One of the water bottles (glass pierre) in the back breaks.  We turn it from 34 to 36.  (Keep in mind we turn it down past what we want because it takes sooooo darn long for it to get there).  Anyway, that plan was not good because 2 days after that, 3 of my protein shakes at the bottom are frozen solid (and no, none of the above was touching the element in the back, or any side/rear wall for that matter).  So we turned it up to 37... Now I'm thinking "crap, my beer's not going to be cold enough at 37, but I don't want my protein shakes frozen either."  Next day I hear "caTHUNK"...  I see a red bull has suddenly bulged out at the bottom and tipped over due to being frozen.  It was on the top shelf, middle of the glass rack.  Hmmmmmm???

So far it appears that this thing is way to finicky for me.  Your mileage may vary.  Too long, too warm, too cold, too loud for me.  Then again, I'm not sure I want to drop 600 bucks for an equivalent nicer one.


I not happy having to rate this product as 1-star because Amazon's 1-star rating is defined as "I hate it." Hate seems a rather strong and emotional reaction to an apparently defective (?) water filter, even if it fails to work as advertised and even though the filter may have caused damage to our home. And, why does Amazon not allow a "zero stars" rating?
  Our 2005 Kenmore (Coldspot) refrigerator (model 106.7426402) has a top-freezer with an ice-maker that calls for a water filter cartridge (part number 9915, also referred to as Water Filter model WF-LC200V) replacement every six months. On October 10 (2017), put off by the seemingly high cost of "original equipment manufacturer" (OEM) replacement water filters and deciding to save some money, I ordered the "IcePure Refrigerator Water Filter Replacement (2 PACK ) Compatible with WHIRLPOOL 4396701, 4396702, W10281560, W10312235, KENMORE 469915, FILTER 6, L120V, L200, SGF-W10 and more."  Two filters arrived October 13, and for half the price of one OEM (Kenmore) filter. Except for the labeling, the IcePure filters looked identical to the original Kenmore (OEM) filter. I turned off the water supply line, and with a quarter-turn, I removed the old filter. A quarter-turn installed the replacement cartridge, and I turned on the water again. Easy as pie... until later.
  Our refrigerator apparently began leaking water onto the floor soon after I installed the new IcePure replacement refrigerator water filter (RWF2000A replacement for Whirlpool / Kenmore 4396701 - 469915). Fortunately, our kitchen flooring is vinyl plank, and it resists water-damage very well. Unfortunately, the leak remained out-of-sight, staying under the refrigerator while it slowly spread to the wall behind our refrigerator. Once it reached the wall's baseboard, the puddle ran under the baseboard and under the (gypsum board) drywall.
  Some water was absorbed by the drywall and by two-by-four wood wall-framing. This (damp wood and drywall) may eventually encourage mold, a hazardous condition that could be very expensive (thousands of dollars) to remedy. As our leak occurred well under the refrigerator, it was not detected until after it found a route through our concrete-floor, and dripped down to the carport below, creating an extensive (and more easily seen) puddle there.
  My recommendations to others changing their water filters: First, do NOT discard your old filter right away (you may need to reinstall it). Second, if possible, make sure your refrigerator is over a non-absorbing surface. If, like most refrigerators, it is installed against a wall, pull your refrigerator out and away from the wall. Make sure it is also away from any cabinets and away from anything that might be damaged by water on the floor. After you replace your filter, and turn its water supply back on, keep a close watch for leaks or dripping. You might slide a sheet of newspaper, paperboard or similar thin absorbent material under your refrigerator, then pull it out periodically to check for signs of a leak. And, finally, I just ordered an OEM (Kenmore) water filter replacement cartridge.


I purchased this machine at a local retailer, but I did look at Amazon for reviews.  So I want to share my opinion with others doing their research.

I needed to replace my front loading washer. This is the second front loader that I've had to replace in the past 10 years.  The first was a Frigidaire which was purchased because I needed a stackable unit and it was the only one that fit my budget and was not teeny tiny. I never liked the Frigidaire. It was replaced with a Whirlpool Duet. I liked the Whirlpool and felt it did a much better job than the Frigidaire, but when it also kicked the bucket after several years, I decided not to go with a front loader again. They are way to expensive to replace every 5 years.

I was hesitant to go from a high efficiency washer back to an old style washer with an agitator. I like the idea of saving electricity, water, detergent, but the cost of replacing front loader every several years is not environmentally friendly either, and it is certainly not good for my budget! I looked at high efficiency top loaders, but was unimpressed with reviews. The 25 year life expectancy of the Speed Queen convinced me to give it a try.

I was concerned about the size of the Speed Queen, since it is so much smaller than my front loaders. I do laundry for 7, so I have lots to do!  The Speed Queen takes about 30 minutes to wash a regular load and a little longer for heavy duty loads. This is about half the time for my front loader. I can wash and dry two loads of laundry with the Speed Queen and my old Whirlpool dryer in about the same amount of time as one load it my front loader. Two Speed Queen loads are more than one front loader load, so the size hasn't been an issue. The Speed Queen will not wash a king size comforter, but I did wash a Queen comforter. It was a quite full, but it fit.

The Speed Queen only has three cycles; Heavy Duty, Normal, and Delicate. I wasn't happy to give up all the different options my front loader had, but honestly I probably used one of these three options 95% of the time anyway. I've had this washer for 7 months and I've not wanted a different cycle.

I feel that my clothes get cleaner in the Speed queen than they did in the front loader. I think it is because the Speed Queen fills up with water, so the clothes actually get to soak in the water. I also like that I can fill up the washers with water and pause the wash cycle so that the clothes can soak.

My only complaint is that the washer lid must be closed for the washer to fill with water. I like to add clothes while the washer is filling, so I googled it and found an easy way to modify the washer so that it will fill/run with the lid up. Just be careful if you also do this.

After 7 months of use, I can say that I really like this washer. It gets our clothes clean quickly. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the high efficiency machines, but it does what I need it to do: clean my clothes. The real test will be to see how long this machine lasts. I will update if it needs repairs or replaced.


My traditional agitator washer (GE) died after only 3 years of use in my family of 5.  I attempted to repair it but I discovered 1 poor quality design feature such that I decided to sell it for scrap instead.  I approached my purchase research with a very open mind.. looking at all features, quality ratings and design types available.  I spent a better part of a week researching the HE front load, Top load Agitator, and HE Top load only to discover the huge number bad reviews of which summarize in a list below.

Top load HE:  Twists your clothes in balls, Does not wash towels well,  Clothes come out not even wet. Locks the lid.  Must use HE detergent.  Circuit board failures. High repair rates. 1 year warranty on most brands.

Front load HE:  Door Rubber seal issues.  Must run cleaning tablets monthly or weekly.  Quality issues because of the side load design.  Must leave door open or risk mildew.  Circuit board failures. Must use
HE detergent.  High repair rates. Long cycle times.  1 year warranty on most brands.

Top load Agitator:  Quality issues with many models.  Auto-temp and water level sensors that don't really work well.  The two common bigbox models from Whirlpool and GE are more cheaply made because these models are considered "old-style" and ugly.  1 year warranty on most brands.

I just wanted a simple  high quality, long-lasting  washer that offered the basic features and cleaned my clothes.  I know how much water, what temperature and what type of agitation should be used.  It does not need to be in an areo-dynamic shell, or need to play songs.  It does not need an IPOD interface or a clock.  What I found was a product made by a US company manufactured in the US.  I recognized then name from when I was in college and using coin-op Laundromats:  SpeedQueen.  I am not in any way affiliated with this company.  I just wanted to be happy with my investment.  I was actually excited when I purchased  this  unit ( Speedqueen 432)  after reading the many positive reviews.  When I got mine hooked up, I ran it  for 7 loads  straight to get caught up on the piles of dirty laundry.  It ran quiet, no out-of-balance loads, and the clothes came out clean.
PROS:
No electronics/computer,  no Auto water level or temperature sensors,  No lid lock,  Commercial parts. 30 minute cycle.  Soak feature.  3 year top to bottom warranty.  Stainless steel tub.  No need for HE detergent. Extra rinse cycle.
CONS:
You have to add water softener by hand if you use the extra rinse cycle.  Cannot wash big bulky items like comforters.  Not compact or stackable.

You can buy it on Amazon. I bought mine from a local Appliance Store. SpeedQueen does not sell to the Big Box Stores. It is a commercial washer with a 3 yr warranty. 5 yr on motor and 10 yr on transmission.

My best suggestion is to carefully research the unit you buy.  I do see a need for alternate designs  where physical space or water conversation is a real issue.  For me neither was a problem.  Government regulations have messed up what used to be a simple task.....  to buy a washer that gets clothes clean and works without board failures.  I also feel most manufacturers  are focusing more on  flash and features than quality and functionality.  Buying a washer should not  5 year purchase cycle.


<input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/D1EAVFhfqgS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61qdHTZ3hoS.png" class="video-slate-img-url"> WOW, I am really loving this Simple Living Portable Clothes Dryer! It was really easy to put together and is surprisingly lightweight!

I put it together by myself in under 30 minutes and with no tools whatsoever! (And I was taking photos for this review almost half of that time!)

I just wanted to give a heads up that the instruction manual says that you need certain small twist connector pieces; but the design was upgraded to include an optional shelf so you just use two more of the plastic bracer pieces to connect the rods at the halfway point. It's much sturdier with the bracers anyway!

I am really amazed with several things about this dryer. First, it really does hold a good deal of clothes! For my photos and video I used already dry clothes just to show the amount it will hold. Really impressive. Second, I didn't realize before purchasing this that the dryer actually vents into the wardrobe with a custom fit... like a glove! This causes the zippered outer wardrobe shell to billow and hold in the heat while it dries your clothes! I really didn't expect it to fit so well. And then the air holes at the top make sure nothing overheats. It's really a great design! The third thing I love is that it is SOOO QUIET! I expected it to be at least half as loud as my air conditioner... NO! It's just a very quiet hum. I actually think this will be very very soothing to have in the bedroom, especially in the winter! Think about it, quiet humming, warm and toasty and the smell of fresh laundry. I'm sleepy already, haha!

I will be updating this review with my results as I use it more with fuller loads. I am really pleased with this dryer so far and am excited to report my findings with continued use!  I am uploading a LOT of photos that I took while putting this together. I am also uploading a video of it before and after being turned on to show how quiet the motor is and to show the billowing action. I plan on updating the video soon. I was working by myself and using my new phone and didn't realize the aspect ratio situation until it was too late. So bear with me and I'll update that as soon as possible.  But I still wanted to post it so people could see how it works.

I purchased this portable clothes dryer at a discounted price in order to test it out and provide my honest and unbiased review. I am not paid by nor am I affiliated with the manufacturer or seller in any way. I am really impressed with this product and will update my results with further use.

I have only used this to dry one hand-washed shirt so far which worked SOO well. My plan is to get a portable washer that spins dry and then use this to finish the drying and never have to go to the laundromat again except for comforters.


Been using the humiditrak for a few weeks now. I attached the sensor INSIDE the actual guitar to the side using a Command Picture Hanging strip which is similar to velcro. In this way, I know the exact conditions of the guitar in and out of the case. Also bear in mind that the humidity levels are different in various parts of any given guitar case and may not reflect the actual humidity inside the guitar itself, which is where it matters most.

What I like:
-Keeps record even when out of range and updates when you get reconnected. So far this is the only solution that allows you to keep record hour by hour. Other in case hygrometers will only tell you the current conditions when you open and see it. This has allowed me to make several observations such as how effectively my in case humidifier works, how quickly the humidity inside the guitar drops when I take it out for practice, if my guitar changes temperature when I walk outside to my car on a cold winter day, what the conditions were while the guitar was checked in a plane, etc. These things you simply can't do with other hygrometers.
-Having the hygrometer inside has allowed me to make observations of what humidity and temperature my guitar sounds at its best and worst.
-I'm able to track the humidity/temperature while out of the house by connecting another device. I have a Nexus 7 Android tablet as well as my Android phone (Oneplus 3T) connected to the humiditrak. Interestingly I didn't have to pair the sensor with the second device, yet they both have the ability to connect directly to the sensor via Bluetooth. When I am out of the house, the Nexus 7 tracks the humidity and uploads the data to the cloud via wifi. As long as my phone has wifi, I also see the updates on my phone wherever I am.

What needs improvement:
-The sensor seems to only gather data in EXACT 30 minute intervals. In between those 30 minutes, I cannot force an update or reading it seems. I understand that the 30 minute interval is probably to save battery, but I wish I could force an update through the app if desired... a lot of conditions can change within a 30 minute period.
-I wish the app could allow you to calibrate the humidity reading then restore to default if desired. I compared the humiditrak with 2 other digital hygrometers and the humiditrak read 5-7% higher than the other two. I suspect the humiditrak is pretty accurate since I put two humidipaks inside my guitar when I went on vacation for a week and the reading stayed at a solid 50-51% the entire time. Still, I think there should be a calibration feature and should be easy to implement in the app.
-Since I started using the humiditrak with a second device, one device or the other or both randomly loses Bluetooth connection inexplicably and will not reconnect. Sometimes it connects instantly, sometimes it doesn't even after several hours even though I am only a few feet away. This lack of reliability is concerning.
-I'd like the ability to export data from the app to a tablet or computer for future reference.

If my complaints are addressed, I'd easily give this device a 5 out of 5. I believe the whole concept of the humiditrak is by far the best idea in instrument care.
---
Update March 30, 2017 - I've discovered that if my device isn't connecting to the sensor, I just need to turn the Bluetooth OFF then ON on my device and they suddenly discover each other.


We got our Della yesterday and I have already done 2 weeks worth of laundry (We were avoiding the laundromat as we knew this was coming). We purchased this washer because we live on a third floor walk up and wanted to save money and energy on the laundromat and also not haul a full size washer and dryer up three floors!

I have to say I have been impressed so far! It holds more laundry than I anticipated (about 1/3 a normal size load) though I have been careful not to overload it and stress the machine. The agitator is powerful and removes way more dirt than our community laundry machines (makes me feel a little gross about what we've been wearing)!

I did about 13-14 loads of laundry yesterday, so I feel like I've got a pretty good feel for what this little machine can do. The set up was super easy once I figured out where to put it. The inlet hose for our bathroom sink perfectly, though I have read other users had issues with the fit. I simply ran the drain hose into our toilet (after a good bleach down, of course).

I chose to use the spin/rinse features together rather than rinsing in the agitator side. This worked perfectly! I set the spin timer for 3 minutes and ran the water into that side for about two them turned it off and let the rest spin out for about a minute. The clothes came out super clean and about 75% dry.

I don't have many complaints about this washer, but here are a few things to mention...
If you are doing several loads in a row (like more than about 3) you will need to give the pump time to cool off a little because it struggles a little bit when it gets too warm. I did notice that occasionally on the spin cycle I had to encourage the pump to get started by shaking the drain hose a little to help the water start to flow, but then it would get started and drain no problem.
One that note. You do not need to manually turn on the "drain" option during the spin cycle it turns on automatically for that side only! You do still need to manually turn the drain option on to remove water from the agitator side.

I found that using 1/4-1/2 a capful of our regular liquid detergent was plenty but not too much and everything rinsed very clean! Because we drained the water into the toilet I could easily see when the water was running clean and the rinse was sufficient.

It is much more labor intensive than using a traditional washer and dryer, but, in my opinion, well worth the cost and effort involved with schlepping all of our laundry to the laundromat and waiting around for hours to finish everything. I'm so grateful to be able to do laundry in our own home while getting other stuff done! Certainly a relief! I really do feel that our clothes are cleaner than they ever have been (even considering when we previously had a traditional washer and dryer)!

The spinner works wonderfully and our clothes dried within a couple of hours.

This machine is very light (about 30 lbs) and has handles. I am 9 months pregnant and was able to easily move it from one room to another even though it has no wheels (maybe a useful feature in the future).

I washed everything from towels to sweatpants and a sheet set without any problems. You have to split the loads into half or a third for the spin side, though. I found our clothes were super clean never running the agitator side longer than 6 minutes and never running the spin side longer than 3 minutes (with rinse water flowing into it for 2 of the 3 minutes).

A great buy and it literally pays for itself in a few months. Well worth the investment to be able to do your laundry without leaving your house.


Update 9 months and running smooth. Best thing under a hundred bucks on Amazon!
Update: Going into month five and still working like a charm!
The key to keeping this little machine up and running is weight. It is the weight, not number, of the items you are putting into the machine. The washer can handle up to 11lbs and the spinner 6.6lbs.... guessing as to how many of this or that will end up in a broken machine. Think of it like an elevator, an elevator doesn't say you can have 6 people, 2 dogs, and 3 bags of groceries. An elevator states the max weight it can handle without breaking because people, dogs, and bags of groceries do not come in one size. I have been able to Google the weight of every piece of clothing I own and make educated decisions about how much to load. Also, keep in mind that the spinner does about half of the max capacity of the washer. If you put a 10lb item in the washer you are not going to be able to use the spinner. Things are going to weigh a lot more when wet, consider that before using the spinner. I wash, drain the tub, spin, fill and rinse, then spin again. This machine is awesome for soaking really tough stains, then just turn on the agitator and finish washing! Could never do that at the laundromat.
Be sure to balance the load in the spinner, full-size machines are strong enough to correct the balance but this little machine is not. You cannot just cram clothes in the spinner. I circle the items around the tub, keeping the weight as even as possible.
I am able to use this machine for 80% of my laundry. I still go to the laundry every two weeks to wash blankets, robes, sweats, sweaters...you get the idea.
I purchased a 15' three prong extension cord, a bath mat, two drying racks,  a couple of the clip and dry racks for socks, and I installed a handheld showerhead.  I set my machine in my bathtub to operate, not elevated, and it works like a charm. Just make sure the hose is lying flat. The machine is super lite, I have no problem moving it around. The bath mat keeps it from scooting around (it is really powerful) and muffles the sound. The handheld showerhead (removed the water restrictor) fills up the wash tub in under 3 minutes, rinses bubbles left in the washer and has cut my shower time in half. I also moved the drain hose from the left side to the right as my tub drains to the right. Just be careful because the hose is shoddy. Lay your machine on the side and move the hose from left to right. YOU CAN JUST SIT THE MACHINE IN THE TUB, NO ELEVATION NEEDED.
I strongly recommend Persil detergent. Seriously. I was a Tide user for 30 years until I tried Persil. It cleans and rinses MUCH better than Tide. Persil is a European product and suited for these little machines. 2tbs is the amount of detergent and/or fabric softener to use ( I use a coffee measuring spoon as it is 2tbs.). I really recommend measuring the detergent and softener. You will save product and still get clean clothes.
 If you want to completely stop visiting the laundromat buy a bigger machine. I believe that 75% of the bad reviews are due to overloading the machine. I probably wash 10 loads a week, I am expecting it to last a couple of years.


<input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/D1NQ8KT9PRS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61LTgLDkaSS.png" class="video-slate-img-url"> This has to be one of the best purchases I have ever made. We moved from a big house to a 1000 square foot 2 bedroom apartment that has a shared laundry room with everyone on our floor. When we moved I had to sell my washer and dryer because there was no room for it in storage.

The building I live in is pet friendly so when I use the washer/dryer I can only assume at some point my neighbors are cleaning their pet bedding in the same machines I wash my clothes... well no more.

This machine is amazing, but there are some trade offs. Here are my pluses and trade offs.

PLUSES
+ It works - just look at the video and you will see how dirty the wash water is (can you say mortified)
+ It is a truly compact unit - no matter how small your apartment is, this will fit in it
+ It is an economical purchase - I bought this for $106. We have lived in the apartment for a month and have already spent over $100 in the laundry room with washer and dryer each being $1.50 a pop.

TRADE OFFS
= Finding the best way to fill it up and drain it - see my video to see what I did out-of-the-box.
= Small loads - I did a week's worth of work clothes. It took 2 loads to wash and 4 loads to spin.
= Clothes not completely dry - like others have said, the clothes will be about 90% dry - I just hung the clothes up outside on the balcony and in the bathroom. Within a few hours they were dry.
= Laundry needs more of my attention - after the wash cycle I have to drain it then fill it back up with water to rinse before moving the clothes to the spin - for the convenience and cost savings - WHO CARES!!

Something I want to add after doing the video and my first full load - although the unit doesn't move during the wash/rinse cycles, it does vibrate during the spin cycle. At the very end of the spin cycle when it turns off, I do have to make sure it doesn't shake itself off of the counter - not a big deal because I only need to set the spin cycle for 2 minutes (even for my jeans).

One other thing I want to add since doing the video, I found if I move the unit closer to the edge of my sink, I can pull the faucet hose all the way out and it reaches the washer, so now I don't have to use a bucket to fill it up - super excited about that!

Like everyone else said, if the water inlet was more conducive for American style faucets this would be perfect. As I mentioned earlier I had to sell my washer and dryer and even if I got an apartment stackable, those do not work in every apartment. This unit will work anywhere you have a tub/shower or sink with a mid-size countertop. This means you can take it anywhere and use it. I am totally stoked about this purchase.


You too can fix the broken ice dispenser lever on your Samsung RF4287HARS!  I did and am happy with the new part.  I just wished it wasn't so expensive.
Run these checks. Does the ice maker still make ice, i.e. you can remove ice from the inside ice bucket and it refills in a few hours? Does the dispenser give you water when you push on the ice paddle?  You have a broken piece of plastic in your dispenser mechanism.  See my first photo showing the bottom, back of a removed ice dispenser.  The plastic arm should be over the black switch on the left.  On the right, you can see the still functioning water dispenser arm.
Once you get the new part, here's how you replace it.  It took me almost 2 hours with cleaning and taking these photos! Hopefully yours will go faster with the instructions below. You will need a phillips screw driver and a metal scrapper.
1. Turn off the water supply to the refrigerator to avoid a mess.
2. The dispenser mechanism is attached to the bottom of the display.  Remove the entire front display, see photos.  The display is held in place by five plastic tabs, two on the right & left, one in the middle on top.  Look closely and you can see them in the photo. One photo shows the right side of the front where the tabs fit into the refrigerator. Avoid scratching the front of your refrigerator by not pry at the front edge. Instead, use a stiff metal scrapper, and slide it up the back of the dispenser area.  Try one side and get it to release and then the other side and finally the top should come loose. The broken plastic arm might fall out as you are doing this.
3. Disconnect the wire bundle holding the panel to the refrigerator.  It's visible in the upper corner of my photo.
4. Remove the other two wire bundles between the panel and the dispenser.
5. Using the screw driver, remove the screw on the bottom of the panel next to the dispenser paddle.
6. Now remove the dispenser.  Others reported that theirs just slid out.  Mine took me 45 minutes to get loose. :^(
If you look at the last two photos, you can see two plastic tabs on the sides of the dispenser that hold it in the two depressions on the bottom of the metal part.  I had to use two scrappers and tap on the metal with a hammer to get mine to slowly separate.
7.  I recommend cleaning the metal and then put a thin layer of oil on the metal.  Be sure to attach the metal back to the panel BEFORE inserting the dispenser onto it.
8. Tuck the wire bundle along the side of the dispenser below the clear plastic tab and then slide the plastic onto the metal part.
9. Clean out the whole dispenser area on the front of the refrigerator.  You won't have this easy of access again.
10. Screw the screw back in.
11. For added safety, you could power down the refrigerator for this step.  I didn't.  Reconnect the brown and black 4-wire bundle to the bottom of the panel.  Reconnect the yellow thru black 5-wire bundle to the top of the panel.  Connect the main wire bundle to the refrigerator.
12. Snap the panel back into place and turn back on the water.
Note, if your display is flashing something like "S" and "E" then the panel needs to be reset.  You can do this by pressing the upper left & right of the display for several seconds where the "Energy Saver" and "Lighting" button are.

If these instructions are helpful, please mark this review as helpful and help others find it at the top of the list!


I would give this 5 stars, but we were spoiled by our prior ice maker which was 28 pound capacity.  We got this smaller version because I was tired lugging my heavy my old ice maker to the sink once every week or two when I wanted to give it a thorough cleaning (more on that topic in a moment)  When you turn it on, the first batch will be small ice cubes, no matter what setting you put.  However, after a couple batches, you will get reasonable sized ice cubes and the ice maker will continue to push out ice cubes until the in is full, or all day long if you keep using ice cubes and refilling the water bin.

Quality of Ice:  Remember, this is ice-machine ice, not freezer ice.  If you have used ice at a hotel or motel, then you will recognize the clear, slightly wet ice cubes.  Freezer ice is white, dry and  several degrees below freezing.  If you want to turn these ice cubes into white, sub-zero (Celsius) freezer ice, but them in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer.  At the end of the night, we put our extra ice in the freezer and save it for the next day, so we don't have to wait for the first batch of ice to come out.

Noise level.  the fan and condenser are quiet.  The only real noise is the falling ice cubes at the end of each batch.  If you are in a camping trailer, you don't want to run this while taking a nap.  Except for the falling ice cubes, it's about as quiet as a regular desktop computer.

Reliability.  I just bought this ice maker, but can tell you the lifespan of a slightly larger version that appears to have the same manufacturer (though different brand name).  Our last ice maker which has many of the same design and parts, lasted 5 summers.  Admittedly, that would be only be 18-24 months of continuous use, but if you use this for summers or camping, I suspect you will also get about 5 years of use.

Maintenance:  Our house has no A/C so when not in use, the ice maker becomes room temperature (80 degrees or more) and the interior becomes warm and humid.  To keep the ice cubes fresh tasting and prevent eventual mold in the water basin, every week or two, I empty any remaining water in the sink and wipe down all interior parts with a paper towel.  When the ice maker starts up each batch, it runs water through the water tubes a minute before it starts to make ice, so this helps flush out the water  tubes.

Alternatives.  If you don't mind losing a little more counter space,  don't mind lugging a heavier model to the sink once a week, and don't mind paying an extra $50, I recommend  the New Air Al-100 Ice maker. NewAir AI-100R 28-Pound Portable Icemaker, Red It is sold under a different brand and has minor appearance differences on the to.  However, if you examine the fan grill, the design of the back side, and look through the ventilation slots at the interior parts, you will realize they were both manufactured in the same place. Although though the total ice per day is only a couple pounds more, the New Air model has a bigger variety of exterior colors, it puts out more ice per batch, and it hold more ice in the catch basket before it shuts itself off.


I like this cooler. It fulfilled my needs and expectations, but it does have limitations. This review will concentrate on those limitations, which may make the review seem to be more negative than my rating. But I really do feel it deserves 4 stars. I am not fond of fishing in an ice chest for a can of beer. I wanted something a little more elegant for patio parties. That is why I bought this cooler, and it meets that need.
This cooler holds 5 liter mini-kegs. That is 1.32 gallons or 169 fl.oz. - or about 14 glasses of beer. You should plan on changing the mini-keg during the course of a party. However, quick disconnects are used, so keg change is quick and easy.
This cooler is not very efficient - either in power use or cooling capacity. The power draw is stated as 65W, which is about 40% of the power drawn by my full-size refrigerator. However, the cooling capacity is minuscule compared to a refrigerator. The cooler will keep a keg cold, but it takes most of a day to cool down a warm keg. You will want to pre-cool your kegs in a refrigerator - especially kegs that will be changed during a party. The minimum set temperature is 36F, which is where I have mine set. The cooler shuts off at 38F and restarts at 41F.
The hoses used are small diameter, so the fluid stream is "weak". It takes about 40 seconds to dispense a 12oz glass of beer. Increasing the keg pressure does not materially increase the flow rate, but it does increase the amount of foam on the beer. The CO2 pressure regulator should be set fairly low for a "normal" amount of foam. This is plain physics, not the fault of the cooler. When the keg is under pressure, CO2 dissolves into the liquid - which then reappears as foam when the beer is dispensed. Lower pressure, less foam.
This cooler apparently uses a Peltier effect solid-state cooling module, so the only moving part of the system is the ventilation fan. The fan is louder than the fans used in tower-format desktop computers, but it is not objectionable. Outside on the patio, you have to listen hard to hear it. It is necessary to add water inside the cooler, so the keg is sitting in water. Presumably, the purpose of this water is to improve the energy transfer from the keg to the Peltier module. However, a quick drain tap is provided, so removing the water is easy.
The power cord is short, so you will need to place the cooler near an outlet or use an extension cord.
My one real complaint about this cooler is that the power cord is ungrounded - 2 wire. Seems to me this presents a safety hazard for an appliance that likely will be used outdoors. I could be wrong, but I don't think a GFCI outlet or breaker will trip, under ground fault conditions, unless the appliance has the third wire (dedicated ground). The cooler has metal sides. The metal kegs sit in water that also is in contact with the Peltier module. I definitely would feel more comfortable if the cooler was grounded and had a contact to ground the keg as well. I plan to unplug the cooler each time I change the keg.


When it comes to purchasing something expensive, I am a bit obsessive, spending days and sometimes weeks reading product reviews, comparing specs, taking measurements, and otherwise driving myself (and my wife) crazy with my indecisiveness. This process was no different when I wanted to buy a built-in beverage/wine cooler for my new wet bar. I say "beverage/wine cooler" because I didn't know exactly what I wanted, all I knew is that it had to be 24" wide to fit the space and I absolutely did not want a fan-based unit, it had to be a traditional compressor type. I'm a beer guy, and after spending even more time researching the proper way to store and/or age beer, I realized that a wine cooler would not always drop to low enough temps for beers with lower ABV (like pale ales, pilsners, IPAs, etc). For those kinds of beers you want to be able to reach around 40 degrees, maybe even lower if you like those beers extra cold. So I eliminated a dedicated wine cooler from my search and focused on "beverage coolers" which could drop to temps in the 30s. Enter the Kalamera 175 Can Beverage Refrigerator!

What mainly drew me to the Kalamera was the fact that it had removable wire shelves. With some beers you do not want them laying on their side like wine bottles. Especially if you're aging beer - you always want that beer standing up, so sediment doesn't form a circle on the bottle, and if it's corked, so the cork doesn't impart its own "flavors" into the beer. No traditional wine cooler is going to let you store a bottle upright due to the design of the shelves. But this Kalamera unit accommodates that by removing shelves. While you lose some overall capacity, you gain the ability to store beer the correct way, which may or may not be important to you. (Beer snob note: A lot of aging experts don't think you should age beer long-term in a cooler/fridge, because over time the moisture can infiltrate the beer and have negative impact. While I can't say with any degree of expertise if this is true, I tend to err on the side of safety, and plan to keep the more expensive bottles I want to age in the garage or a closet in the basement, for a more "natural" environment without extra moisture. This fridge is more for my everyday beers I plan to drink within a few weeks).

Another great feature of this Kalamera is the switchable door handle. The way my wet bar is set up is such that if the handle is on the left and the door opens to the right, you wouldn't be able to easily walk around it and get into the fridge. Putting the handle on the right so it opened left made it much easier to access everything. Also, the blue LED is a nice touch that makes people go "Oh hey, you have a beer fridge." (Interesting note: put some cans of Boddington's on the top shelf and check out how that LED lights them up.) I am impressed by the sturdy nature of the fridge, with a super heavy glass door, solid hinges, and a compressor that really is near-silent. I mean I only hear it when I am right next to it and lowering the temperature which forces the compressor on. I can't even tell it's running when it's operating regularly.

While $750 is still a chunk of change for what is essentially a glorified beer fridge, it's actually cheaper than almost every other 24" model out there from other manufacturers, and when you see how well it operates and how solidly it's built, you realize it is actually worth it. I know my beer (and my wife) thank me for finally deciding on this guy.


This says it is NOT for the 'E' (RPWF E) however, with a simple 'Work Around', it can be used in a GE Profile Series refrigerator.  GE uses the 'E' series water filter with a simple RFID tag as a SHAMEFUL marketing/sales 'Gimmick' to justify TRIPPING the price of a good water filter.
What benefit does the RFID tag provide for the additional $20 to $30?
-Does it help the filter measure percent of filter contamination?  NO, IT DOES NOT!
-Perhaps it measures the pressure drop as the filter becomes more clogged, alerting the owner to the problem.  NO, IT DOES NOT!
-Does it show a potential failure of the filter media, alerting the owner?  NO, IT DOES NOT!
-How about leak detection, preventing water damage to the refrigerator?  IT DOES NOT!
Then WHY is the RFID tag on the back of each filter....?????
FOUR reasons:  1-Run a SIMPLE countdown timer (worth about 50 cents),  2-Turns on the "OVERDUE" light, REGARDLESS of the level of TRUE contamination of the filter.  3-Uses filter 'Serial number' identification to STOP the CUSTOMER from simply removing the RFID tag from the back of an old filter using the tag for a 'Non-RFID' tagged filter and PREVENTS the CUSTOMER from saving money!  4-MAIN REASON get the customer to PAY M-U-C-H more for each filter than it is worth and buy filters ONLY from GE!!!!  NO competition, a MONOPOLY!
----Imagine if the car companies did that!  You could ONLY buy tires from your local dealer for your make and model of car!

Here is how I now use THIS water filter (and others) in my GE Profile Series refrigerator.
1-Locate the 'Blank' filter by-pass plastic piece sent with your GE Profile Series refrigerator (found this from another reviewer noting there was an RFDI tag on the back of the by-pass).
2-Locate the label "BACK  This side must face inward" and peel it off.  (see the picture)
3-Remove the RFID tag under the label.
4-Open the water filter housing cover inside the refrigerator.
5-Place the RFID tag over the 'FCC'  label on the back inside the filter housing near the screw, hold in place by re-using the label you peeled off  the 'Blank' filter by-pass.  (see picture)
NOW you can install ANY water filter compatible with GE RPWF  (NOT 'E'), saving from $20 to $30+ each!!
--NOTE: 1-This fix will turn OFF the countdown feature but WILL leave ON the Oz. fill and 'Auto-Fill' features.  2-The front panel will now show "NOT FILTERING"  when you fill a container with water or ice (even though you installed a new filter).  This additional insult to the CUSTOMER can be simply overridden by: A) Removing the two screws (inside the upper opening of the dispenser in the door) holding the display on the door.  B) Removing the circuit board connectors  C) Removing the Torx screws holding the circuit board to the display.  D) Placing a small rectangular piece of black tape over the "NOT" word on the display.  (See Picture) E) Reassemble.

Happily chose ANY compatible filter saving $20 to $30 each filter change!  (This filter too)


Waited nearly 2 years to write this review because I see no point in writing one when it's new. Nobody wants to find out it's a piece of crap a year down the line. I've had mine 19 months now and I still love it. I use this as my only fridge since my roommates have left me no space in our kitchen fridge, so I keep all my food in this little Igloo.

It's heavy. I couldn't lift it and had to have a neighbor do it and even he struggled. It's very good quality so I'm not even going to complain on that.

A lot of space. The fridge runs deep, so if you position your bottles right and use stackable containers, you can fit A LOT in this fridge. It's insane. You can fit about 8 soda cans inside the door. Me personally, I keep sodas stacked, with vegetables in the bottom tray, lay my condiment bottles down on the 2nd row above that, keep food stored on the 2nd row and use the top 3rd row for keeping stuff extra cold since it's near the freezer.

Not really a true "freezer". The freezer works very good but it's only to keep small things frozen. It does not get cold enough to keep food that's suppose to be frozen, frozen, so do not put stuff like ice cream, large packs of meat or any thick frozen dinners in it, they will melt and spoil and you'll think of my review and I'll be like I told you so. I use it to keep small things like butter, hotdog packs, wingettes and vegetables on ice, but do not try to put anything thick in here for long-term storage except butter, small packs of meat and condiments. I had put a 12 pack of chicken legs in there for a week thinking it would be ok and they went bad, I had to throw out the whole pack. It's also useful to get drinks cold fast. And no you can't remove the freezer tray to make more space. I but found it's welded to the back of the fridge and the thermostat wiring is welded into it.

Swappable doors. The door comes off so can switch it to the other side if you want.

Easy to clean. All the inside shelves and doors easily pop out for easy cleaning; just be careful when popping out the freezer flap because it only has plastic hinges that could break and you'd need a new flap. I had a soda explode in there and it took me 4 months before I decided to clean it. Surprisingly, all I had to do was wipe it down with water and dish soap and it came right off. Easy peasy.

Adjustable feet. The front has two plastic adjustable feet while the back has no feet, just a metal bar. I have raggedy wooden floors so I don't care, but if you have nice floors you'll want to put a rubber mat under it so it doesn't scratch your good floors.

A few tips:
Use the bottom row for condiments and lay them down rather than standing them up  so you can have more vertical space for another tray or just to place extra stuff

If you use a tray in the very top slot, it will get like 80% benefit of the freezer and will keep things frozen. Found this out the hard way when I put some cucumbers on my top shelf only to find them frozen bricks the next day

Although I love my Igloo, I took away a star because over time it has gotten LOUD. All of a sudden, every time the thermostat kicks on there's a very loud *POP* that is nerve-racking. I don't know if something is breaking or if it's normal but it still seems to run fine and it's been doing that popping gig for about a year now. It's probably ok but just really annoying.


We love our new Knox 48 Quart Electric Cooler/Warmer!
I was like a kid waiting for Santa! When the cooler arrived I opened the shipping box with excitement. I was slightly concerned that although I had struggled between ordering the red or the blue. I was certain I had decided on the blue. Yet, the Knox Electric cooler/warmer box showed a pretty red cooler/warmer. I figured it wasn't all that big of a deal since I really liked the red as well. When I opened the item box, I was thrilled to see the cooler/warmer inside was indeed the blue.
I love the multi functional use this cooler provides. Not just the option to use as a cooler or warmer, but that you can use it in the car, for a trip to the market keeping your cold items cold while you run additional errands, take a long drive as we often do, take it into our hotel room when traveling. Use it right in the backyard by the pool and avoid the kids running through the house with wet feet and risking a slip/fall as well as the mess! Take it camping, which we never do. Lol. Maybe we finally will. We can be really lazy and take it upstairs to have cold sodas. I'm sure there are a dozen or more great uses.
I plugged it in right out of the box, switched it to cool from the off position and it's been a little less than thirty minutes, and it's already cold inside. I don't know what the temperature actually is inside, but I do know it is doing it's job.
It feels to be of excellent high quality. It's weight is mainly on top where the motor and fan is. The wheels roll smoothly and the pull handle is most convenient, and sturdy. It came with one nice plastic division rack to keep smaller items, such as condiments upright and secure. It does have a slot for an additional division rack or the option to divide the cooler/warmer from the right or left side.
When I placed the order I had assumed that you could add ice if you wanted to perhaps take it down to beach with you, but the instructions say that you should not even rinse the cooler/warmer with water, so I guess that is not an option. The cooler/warmer requires a plug in source to function. I suppose you could add frozen gel packs prior to your taking down out to the beach. This, is the only fault I can find with this fabulous cooler/warmer.
I am thrilled and grateful to have been selected to purchase this Knox 48 Quart Electric Cooler/Warmer, at a discount in exchange for an honest, and unbiased review.
I am a consumer that relies on the integrity of other reviewers, prior to the purchase of most products. An embellishment of a product does not help me, you or the seller. Personally, I don't like to toss my hard earned money into the garbage any more than I suspect you do. Therefor, it is my genuine opinion that this cooler/warmer does all it claims it will. It is indeed spacious, with the added bonus of the division ability. It has a broad rage of uses, and is made exceptionally well. It is equally as attractive and durable as other coolers on the market, and it is priced in line with others in its class.
We are excited to get the most out of this cooler/warmer throughout every season for years to come.


I've only had this a few weeks, and I am still fine-tuning my use per volumes of detergent and fabric softener, and keeping track of how much different loads have affected how hard this machine has had to work.

I tried strictly manual washing, both the plunger style and the salad-spinner style. Both proved to be very effective, but took way longer and were much, much harder, than I like.
Salutes to all those (mostly women) who have come before and labored with whole family loads done by hand, and to everyone doing laundry by hand today!

I'm still learning the proper ratios of products to water, and I am using major brand detergent and liquid fabric softener for now. I'll experiment with alternatives once I know exactly what I am doing.

I chose this model because I can always do smaller loads than it is is rated for, but a smaller capacity washer caps out rather quickly for me. The first couple of loads were my dog's blankets and bedding. They were far, far dirtier than I realized and the water from the first washes was thick with mud and other things. Because of how much time since I had done commercial laundry that included these things, they needed to be washed several times - the first time through. I'm developing a habit of washing his bedding every couple of weeks. The rinse cycles are fewer to get the final rinse water almost completely clean.

A common complaint centers on the built in lint filter. This is a complaint across brands and capacities. I did get a couple of the floating lint collectors, and the water drains into my bathtub which has a hair filter over the drain. But, the first couple of loads produced hair and lint bricks in the built-in filter! The filter is one part of what I need to use, but I cannot complain. At all.

The only shortcomings are adjusting to this needing constant monitoring. The only automatic things are the timers. Everything else needs to be kept track of. For a price tag of less than $200.00 USD  (likely to increase with the trade war),  I can't expect more.

The spinner is breathtakingly efficient! My one wish would be that the spinner capacity was closer to the washer capacity, but that is a standard design across all brands that I know of. It probably means smaller motors are used on the spinners, and that will cut down on weight and expense, both affecting end-user prices. I line dry, and I have had to learn to adjust how much gets washed and spun to how much hanging space I have. I just got a portable drying rack ('umbrella style' for indoor use) to increase hanging room.
I'm still tweaking best techniques for line drying as it relates to stiffness. We are trained to think fragrance over function when we think of fabric softeners, but they are softeners first. Still learning and adapting.

I only have a couple of washable things that are too bulky for this, but those can go to a commercial laundry on an occasional basis. No big deal.

This is in my bathroom. I slide it to the side of my bathtub and position the built-in hose to drain into the tub. I use the hand held shower head to fill the tub. Both the wash tub and the spinner have hose connects on the back. The spinner won't spin when the lid is open, so it isn't easy to use the spinner to enhance rinsing without a hose attached. I'll be getting an adapter for the bathroom faucet, and getting a more durable length of hose to attach and remove depending on whether the washer is in use or not.

Other reviewers, both here and on YT, have other observations and experiences that are worth getting acquainted with. Buying something like this has me doing a lot of research.

This was the best solution for my laundry needs, and I have no regrets.
Absolutely better for me than plunging, scrubbing, and manual spin washing.


The machine itself is amazing and cleans stuff really well. I had to use the reviews here and YouTube to figure out how to work it because my instructions had been translated from Italian and never really corrected. The pictures were pretty unhelpful too so I'll share what I learned:

Store this close to the kitchen sink for easier access. The cord is short so invest in an extension cord of some sort. You will absolutely need to fill this from a sink so be prepared for that. It's also bigger than you think probably and weighs 9kg empty. I'm disabled and it's difficult for me to carry so I have to scoot it everywhere so keep the size and weight in mind. I'm about 6 foot and this comes up to my stomach and is about as wide abouts two of me. So it's about the size of a full machine.

You have to fill it from the back. The detached hose connects to one of two of the small circular bits in the back. The one for the washer is just that, for the rinse and wash cycles. The one for the dryer I'm told helps get suds out of clothes but I have no idea how that would drain to eventually dry clothes so I don't use it. Instead I keep using rinse cycles until the clothes are totally clean.

There's a small metal ring that comes with this meant to clamp the larger end of the fill hose to the sink faucet. If yours is anything like mine, good luck getting any of that to work. You'll have to invest in an adapter. Take the hose with you to a real physical store so you can find a proper fit instead of trying to figure it out online. You'll save yourself so much trouble.

The hose that gets the dirty water out should probably feed into a large bucket of at least 5 gallons. It's hard for the machine to pump it all up to the sink so you'll have an easier time with the bucket. Invest in some kind of very flat, absorbent kitchen rug to put the machine on because water will drip no matter how careful you are. Plus it'll keep the machine from shaking everywhere when you try to dry things.

Put your laundry in one piece at a time to minimize tangling. A tangled mess keeps the washer from rotating properly. Also be careful to fill the dryer only about half full otherwise anger will possess your machine and it will shake across your kitchen and generally be a horrible nightmare of noise and movement. The spin mechanism also needs to rest after so many cycles to keep it from burning out so if your laundry isn't spinning, turn the machine off for about 20 or so minutes before coming back to it. Not as convenient as a regular machine but the safety feature keeps you from messing up your machine accidently.

For ESPECIALLY dirty clothes like muddy work clothes (my husband is in construction) rinse the clothes at about 6. Drain the dirty water because it will probably be close to black and then wash at max time with your detergent of choice. Then follow up by a drain and rinse at 9 because the water will again be nasty and the rinse helps get suds out. You might need a couple of wash or rinse cycles for especially gross clothes. Then load the dryer a bit at a time, hanging up clothes that are mostly dry because the machine won't get them totally done since it's just spin and no heat.

Regular dirty clothes can be washed like normal but will need a rinse cycle because of suds and don't forget to put delicates on gentle with bras in a lingerie bag.

That's all I can think of for now. I recommend reading the instructions anyway because there's some useful information like keeping your machine on a sturdy, level surface and whatnot. I'll try to post photos later of what mine looks like set up in my kitchen in case what I've said wasn't clear.


Two things before reviewing:

(1) This item was received as a sample product for either a reduced cost or for free. If this is an issue, please skip the review.

(2) There IS a video on this product detailing how it works and everything about it. Simply put in my user name and the product's name and search for it on a specific video-related site. (I cannot put the exact name in, but YOU can search and find the TUBE, or channel, if you get my meaning). It is very thorough and will break down the what and how to better assist with your decision.

The reason for not uploading here is because this site currently allows only 100MB videos max. To make that meaningful, you either need a video that is VERY short or a video with quality considerations around 240P or even lower. Personally, I would rather you watch something in 1080P and see what I am talking about.

Now, looking at this model, let's talk about situating it first. This is lightweight, so you can move it just about anywhere, with only a few needs really limiting the placement. The needs I mean are power, water, and draining. All of these can easily be met in a bathroom, a dorm area, or in a RV, plus other places. The main limitation is the drain, because it is shorter.

With controls, you have two water inlets on the upper left and upper right, with three dials located between them. The first is you wash timer, the second your setting (delicate, normal, drain), and the third your spin timer. I go into the setting preferences on each within the video, but note that the lower settings on timers are for delicate items, the mid-range numbers are for normal, and the higher ones are for your thicker/more absorbent items like towels and possibly jeans. The water inlets go to their adjoining sides, and you basically need to start with the water connected to the left side.

With use, you are talking about a compact item with washing and spin capability. Your cycling will basically go wash, spin, rinse, with a periodic need for rewash in there if your items are foul. Now, for washing, you are basically using a washer with an agitator inside instead of a tub, meaning it spin-spins to one side then switches versus a giant moving tub. This does a good job and allows it to be more compact, plus some of the pieces are less inclined to break. For spinning, you place each item inside, making sure they are not bunched, and select how long you want them to cycle contingent on the aforementioned criteria.  You can also drain while doing this and prep for another cycle, or for rinse depending on how you want to rinse. During spin, you will have some water drainage, too, and you can either drain it OR you can pump it back into the tub if your clothing was not heavily soiled. Before rinsing, you need to decide if you want to rinse on the spin side or on the tub side, and you should clean the tub accordingly.

This is very much like using a smaller version of a washer. The motor inside also makes it drain easily and especially so when you compare it with something like a gravity drain, which is worlds slower.

We are also talking an Ivation product, which I have had GREAT success with. Ivation makes nice items and they have always had good service for me. I have owned quite a few, too, and so many different types ranging from vacuums and lamps to items like this, a steamer, safes, and beyond.

Again, look up the video for more detail.


I read several reviews before buying this that were VERY misleading.  So here is the STRAIGHT story.  This ice maker works brilliantly for our purposes. The ice cubes are not HUGE but they aren't wet either.  The quantity of ice it makes each time is not huge but it makes ice that is perfect for cooling a beverage or making a cocktail and it does so quickly and continuously  We bought this for camping.  We like whisky on the rocks.  Our friends like ice tea or gin and tonic, etc.  The ice is perfect for this use.  Once you fill it with water and choose the size of ice desired the machine continuously makes ice until the water is used up or you turn it off.  There has not been a time yet when one water fill has not provided us all the ice we needed.  I estimate one fill up will produce about 75 of the larger ice cubes.  There is NOT a big difference between small, medium and large ice.  Not sure why you would choose small.  It makes about 8 1-1 1/2 inch diameter ice cubes every 10-13 minutes.  After 2 rounds of ice making we build our drinks and there is plenty of ice for round 2 by the time we have finished the first round.  The ice is left in the front compartment of the Della which is cooled by the machine but will not stay frozen for a long time.  Ice will start to slowly melt an hour or so after you make it.  Unused ice will simply melt and the water returns to the reservoir ready to be turned into ice again.  There is an audible alert when water level is too low to make another batch of ice.  It comes with an ice scoop to easily remove the newly made ice from the front storage compartment.  Machine itself is lightweight and has a small footprint.  Be aware!  If you move it from one location to another you need to wait 30-45 minutes for it to reset so it can be used again The machine needs to be relatively level and completely stationary.  Not perfectly level, as we use ours in a small Aliner camping trailer.  Once we go from one place to another we pull the machine from the cabinet and on to the counter by the sink. The trailer is never perfectly level and sometimes has a small, noticeable grade.  After 45-60 minutes we turn it on.  The first batch of ice sometimes takes 20-25 minutes to make,  After that the ice is made more frequently as indicated above. It is quiet, easy to use and most importantly, makes real ice that you can really use.  I would not recommend this if you are trying to make ice to replace what was in a large cooler.  The capacity and production rate will not support this.  It might work to supply your small 6 pack type cooler.  We have made ice for soft sided coolers we put in a backpack for a day hike. Perfect for this application. It isn't going to work on a boat to ice down caught fish.  Boats are to unstable for this to run and again the capacity will not support.  But if you want to have cool drinks for several people or host a campground cocktail party the Della ice maker is genius.  I can see this working for tailgating also as long as you have a power source.  We would definitely buy this again but I doubt we will have to.  This is a quality appliance and has already worked flawlessly on many camping trips.


I certainly like the concept of thus product.  Nobody likes climbing into their oven for a bit of the scrub.  This liner is easy to use, simple to clean and can save you a lot of backache.  I'll admit that the product differed in what I expected in that I was expecting these to be more like silicone baking mats used for cupcake molds and what not.  Instead this product feels more like a heavily laminated piece of paper.  This doesn't affect the performance in the oven, but does make for easier cleanup.

That pan liner worked decently well too.  It was clearly the same material, but a bit thinner.  The idea here was that you wouldn't have use oil or fat in the pan.  The performance of the pan liner was so so.  I think it would depend heavily on what you are cooking.  The product photo shows a ribeye witch would probably work well.  But for a dish that requires a lot of manipulation in the pan (i.e. eggs, stir fry, sauteed onions) this liner may not work super well.  Being light it moves around in the pan as you try to move the food and makes things somewhat difficult.

I did cook a decent looking omlet for the kid without the use of any oil.  There was a bit of sticking and I had to lift the liner as I removed the egg, but it went decently well.

There is one unresolved issue that I contacted the seller about and will update my review as soon as I get a response.  On the list of instructions there is a warning at the bottom about not using these products if you have birds in the house as it may cause harm to the animal.  So what then does it do to people?  I do not want to speculate on this so I will await the seller's response.  But this could be a determining factor in whether or not I use this product long term.

Update 7/14/16:
I contacted the seller in regards to the harmful to birds comment.  They explained as I would have thought.  Being a teflon coated sheet there are issues when being exposed to high heat conditions (500 deg F and up).  For this same reason one is not supposed to use any nonstick cookware at high temperatures.  If you do the teflon barrier breaks down and releases gases that could be somewhat harmful.  Most of us have been doing this our entire lives and are non the wiser which is why I bumped my rating up to 5 star from 4 star.  As long as you follow the directions (don't use above 500 deg F) you should be fine.  If you do, some gases can be released.  The part I wasn't aware of has to do with birds having a higher efficiency cardiovascular system which would result in a greater affect for them.  This is why they brought canaries into mines.  So I commend House of Habitat for putting a warning on a teflon coated product where I have never seen one on other teflon products in the past.

On a side note I would also like to state that they were very speedy in response to my query.  Also the content of the letter was very well written and explained.  I somewhat anticipated a brief response but clearly the rep took her time with the reaponse.  All customer relations should be done so well.  If anyone interested should care to see the response they should send a request and I'll gladly post it.

Disclaimer:  I received this product at a reduced rate for reviewing purposes.  This however did not influence my review nor did I receive any compensation for this review.


No, I had not heard of this brand either when I went out looking for a refrigerator to replace my 30 year old GE.

Our problem is space. Even though I certainly wouldn't mind a huge Viking or something, the reality was around 18 cu ft. I went all over the place, looked at every brand and found that most companies spent their best efforts on the bigger models.

Then, I saw a Fisher and Paykell. It was the right size, had a beautiful simple design and the use of interior space was better than others in its size range. It had the desired bottom freezer, the controls were simple and made sense, the trays for fruits and vegetables were easy to access and the glass shelves could be adjusted, removed and cleaned easily.

Style-wise, I was drawn to the clean, curved door design made of smooth metal rather than textured plastic. I needed white, but the stainless is extremely good looking. F&P also now offers models with dispensers in the door.

Note that the doors are not reversible so you have to order the left or right door version.

The glass shelves extend from side to side and slide into little slots. It is easy to slide them out for cleaning or adjustment. Surprisingly, the little plastic dams that surround almost all glass shelves these days are absent on the ends of these shelves. I strongly suggest that you get a couple of shallow plastic trays to hold meat or other drippy things. That is probably a good idea for any fridge, actually.

There is no dedicated meat compartment I suspect a special separate compartment would break up the interior and isn't really needed anyway. The wide expanse of shelves is what makes this interior special.

We took out one of the shelves to free up space for big and tall things.

There are two little lidded compartments in the door that we use for butter and cheese. They are not very big and certainly could have been designed to hold more in the same space they occupy.

The fruit and vegetable trays are lidded and separate, with little adjustable vents to control the humidity. They slide nicely, access is good and cleaning is easy.

We like the bottom freezer. It uses a system of separate drawers, rather than one big bin. This is a good high-end touch and the real drawer sliders make it nicer to use. The bins on other models seemed terribly cheap in comparison.

The lighting in the fridge section is fine. The drawer system for the freezer part precludes a lighting system, at least one that wouldn't be impossibly complex. But, the bins slide out and it is easy to see in them under normal kitchen light.

On another site, a reviewer complained that a glass shelf broke. They do look a little vulnerable as they are so long and thin. However, we stored two turkeys on one shelf with no problems. Tempered glass is very strong and I would think problems would be rare.

There were also a couple of complaints about noise. Our kitchen is like a  stage where every sound is projected into the adjacent living room. Still, I can hardly hear it and it is rarely even on anyway. This may be a princess and the pea situation. In our case, the old fridge was 20x noisier, so this is fine.

Operation-wise, we are very happy. The fruits and vegetables do indeed last much longer than before, the ice cream (even Ben & Jerrys) is hard and the ice doesn't stick.

One oddity is that even when the feet are adjusted to tilt the unit back a bit, the doors will not close all the way on their own. The formidable gaskets hold it back. But not to worry. The door-open alarm will not let you forget. It will probably rid your house of rodents and insects.

We are happy with this fridge. It looks great, has about as much utility as possible in its size range and works well. I am hoping it will be reliable.


Note: I bought the black one, but I know most people prefer stainless steel, so I thought I would post this review for both fridges.

We are very happy with our fridge. It is huge on the inside, and very bright, and the shelves are sturdy and there is plenty of room to organize the fridge the way you like. The freezer is nice and roomy and the only thing I do not like are the 2 wire baskets at the bottom. I have a hard time pulling them out since items peek through the wire mesh and get caught with the items in the basket underneath or on top.

But the nicest feature is the fact that the ice maker is on the SIDE, on the freezer door. The only caveat is that you have to make sure not to place anything on the top shelf to block the connection to the side ice maker, but there is plenty of space on the top shelf, so it is not too big of a problem. According to manufacturer's specs, there is no more cubic feet in this model than the older one that had the ice maker inside the freezer (The model LG LSC27910SB and this one both have 10.24 cubic feet of space). However, I prefer have shelf space rather than a side drawer space. Plus, the pull-out ice bin on the side is really nifty and compact, and slides easily in. It is clear plastic so you can see how much ice is in it.

I also really like the tall dispenser. At first, I thought it was gimmicky until I had company and had to fill 2 pitchers of water several times through the evening. No tilting and trying to fit the pitcher under a short dispenser! It really is a nice feature. And if you have a fragile pitcher, there is a water button that you can use instead of pushing against the dispenser.

Finally, the digital display looks really cool. The numbers and symbols are this pretty blue color (not red, which would have been horrible), and after you get used to pressing the buttons to change the settings and not the display (for some reason, we kept doing this when trying to change the ice setting from crush to cube or vice versa), it is very handy. Aside from the forementioned button for Ice Type, there are buttons for setting the temps of your refrigerator (40 degrees for us-- at 38 degrees the juice froze) and freezer (0 degrees), a button for "Ice Plus", a feature that revs up the ice machine and makes more ice cubes faster (but don't forget to turn it off when you have enough ice!), and a button to change lock the display and deal with the alarm (an alarm can go off after 30 seconds to warn you you have left the door open). Also, the display of the temperatures is not the actual temperature of the fridge or freezer, which would have been really cool, but the settings.

The water dispenser requires a filter that the manufacturer recommends be replaced every 6 months, and they have a display with a monthly digital countdown for that! We have not decided whether we will replace it every 6 months, and if we do not, there is supposed to be a way to reset this timer so it won't bother you if you don't.

We bought the black one, and we love it. The handles are longer than the older model and look very sleek. The only odd thing about the black is that the doors are smooth black, the but the rest of the fridge is that textured black that fridges usually come in. At first, it drove me crazy, but now I do not notice it.

We are very, very happy with this fridge and would recommend it. We got it from our local big box hardware store (only one of the national stores carry it, the other does not carry LG), and we bought the extended warranty just in case. It was worth the $99 for 4 years of peace.


first of all as someone else mentioned all the bad reviews are from people that have little knowledge of homebrewing. This system by no means is plug n play or should i say..its not plug n go. By spending an extra $25 this system is great ($15-ish for 5ft hose and $5-ish for digital thermometer and $5 for some putty...keep reading for explanation). But by spending an extra $150 this system works like a champ and a top of line kegerator!!

MOD#1  This system is more European than American. Its like a mix. They used Euro fittings so i just replaced the entire 2-1/2" black Column Tower with a Chrome one and "Standard" (USA) fittings (this was $60)...i admit replacing the colomn was not needed but it just looked nicer and i wanted to customize / my handles.

MOD #2
Avanti supplied a 3 foot hose which is way short and at least a 5 foot hose is needed for proper "foam control" between the temp/beer/co2 mix. The #1 reason for foam is pople not having properly dialed in the co2/temp to the specific beer. Anyways be sure to get a 5' x 3/16" I.D. hose with 3/16" tailpiece and hex nut connection - available at micromatic or beveragefactory or your favorite brewery part seller. this should about $20 shipped

MOD #3 This is not needed either but i recommend buying a good external temperature controller if you want "better control" of the temperature as i noticed the stock temperature controller would fluctuate 4 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit on average however there were times i seen it fluctuate by as many as 8 (8 was rare). i bought this "Johnson temperature controller" from Micromatic [...]
Without a doubt though please do yourself a favor and go to your local fishstore and buy a digital thermometer with a chord for $5 and stick it in your kegerator to make sure you have a good temp.

****** TIPS for those buying this Avanti unit: *******

TIP #1 KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED!!! if u keep opening the door its like BBQing and opening the lid...you are letting all the warm air in!!! SO KEEP IT CLOSED!!
TIP #1.5 MAKE SURE TO SEAL OFF all "Air-holes" in other words make sure no air can come in or out of the unit when it is close, i sealed the hole off in the back (the hose hole) with some silly putty type putty that they use for posters from office depot.

TIP #2 REPLACE THE STOCK HOSE with 5ft

TIP #3 Buy a cheap digital thermometer (the one with the chord) as this will save you the headache of guessing temp. I bought one at Pectco/Petsmart in the Fish section. Dial in your temp

TIP #4 Make sure you have the right temp/Co2 mix for your specific beer

TIP #5 let the keg sit inside the kegerator at the desired temerature for 48-72 hours to let the keg "settle in", if you try to use it right away then don't be surprised by foamy beer. LET THE KEGGED BEER SETTLE!

TIP #5 after all that if u still have foamy beer its something you are doing wrong but its not the machine. check this site to troubleshoot [...]


We didn't know what to think about Bosch when we came across this oven/rangetop (in white), but were immediately struck by the retro look, 5-element broiler, and knobs easily-accesible on the *front* of the range.

The price is quite reasonable for the quality and look. So we took the leap and purchased a floor model. This is a great oven!

It suggests a 40-50 amp circuit breaker. We used a 50-amp breaker with a 30 ft. run of 8-gauge wire and the 3-prong pigtail connector from Home Depot (heavy-duty, $24, slotted -- not the one with an L-shaped prong). It is 30" wide at the widest point and fit into an opening just an eighth of an inch wider than 30". There are leveling adjustments on the legs and comes with a floor mount to slide one of the back legs into to stabilize the oven, which jiggles slightly when the door is opened, without it.

The result is plenty of juice to to heat with. The burners heat up to a glowing red within 5 seconds. Impressive, compared to the old electric range we replaced with this Bosch.

The Controls:

The dials are great. Easy to turn, and for the two burners with multiple rings, allow the size of the hot part of the burner to be controlled.

The oven, timers, and warming drawer are controlled by touch-type controls and a single dial at the back of the range. We had trouble with the Timer button registering a push, but that may be a fluke with this model only. A repairman is on his way to check it out.

To turn on the oven requires 3 or 4 pushes, turns of the dial. Not bad. Get's fast with practice. And it's very nice to be able to set the "done" time and cooking time and have the oven figure out what time it needs to turn on to have the meal ready at the given time.

The warming drawer has two settings, is stainless steel, and may be used independently of the oven, if desired.

We are very pleased with this oven. We like the look (again, we prefer the white) and how it generally operates.

However:

- The buttons are a bit difficult to press, requiring many attempts to get it to "take" (e.g., timer, light, cooking mode)

- The cooktop lights near each dial when hot. Although that might be a useful feature for some, this cooktop is missing any LEDs indicating that the burner is ON. That means, you *cannot* tell at a glance whether the burners are on -- the lights just mean that the burners are hot. So you're constantly having to manually check each one, to see whether the little black line is exactly in the UP position. A simple LED on each burner dial would solve this and it's a surprising omission. The way these burners work, they're either 100% on, or completely off. The dial only dictates the percentage of time that they're on full power. So at a glance, you cannot tell whether the burner is OFF, or just in-between full-glow mode.

- The top is pretty difficult (nearly impossible) to keep clean.

  The smallest amount of food, or even the bit of residue on the bottom of your pots from your previous burners will cause the most horrible-looking black rings to be "welded" onto the cooktop surface. There is a special non-abrasive cleaner that must be purchased to get it off (that won't scratch the glass cooktop like Comet would). Each time a burner is used to heat anything but water, it will leave black marks under the pan that take a few minutes to get off with special cleaner and a razor blade.


After much research we decided to replace our 20 year old Jenn Air downdraft dual fuel range, with the GE CAFE dual fuel range. I was not happy to see the old stove go as it had been old reliable. I also was reading all the pros & cons available on a new range. So much info out there. I even questioned repeating the dual fuel. I do not so far miss the downdraft, It was a good venting system, but allowed drafts on cold winter days. My old stove looked like new on the outside, but was rusting from the inside out. Questioning my choice I went with dual fuel again. Now, very happy I did. We did have to add a charcoal filter to the Microwave venting because it is now the only way to vent. After reading reviews of new Jenn Air stoves I was dis alusioned. Apparently they don't make them like they use to.

So,the GE Cafe caught my eye. If I purchased another Jenn Air downdraft, I could not have a 2nd oven. That was a feature I have wanted for a long time. I also loved the look of the stove top. The stainless is bright as opposed to a black top. I love that I have 5 burners. Another feature that attracted me. This design uses the entire stove top, which gives far more cook top space. All my appliances are now stainless. I have mastered keeping stainless looking like new with very little effort. Also there are no seams on the stove top making it a breeze to clean.
The new range far surpasses the old. Burners are very high performance. You boil with ease or simmer no hassle on even the high output burners. The oven appears to be far more spacious then my old range was.

 I was thrilled at the convection making the recipie conversion for me and the crusty bread result. It did require reading the manual to realize why it would only acheive a 350 temp as opposed to the 375 I was entering. I also used the time bake function which was right on correct. My range is so very new to me that I have not tried the small oven as of this date. Since I will make the most use of it as a warming oven for Holiday meals, I'm sure I will be pleased. Ther is not a self clean on the draw oven, so I do not plan on any messy cooking in that oven. I did not like the dual larger oven slide in model. Both ovens lost space for large capicity and the larger oven was on the bottom. Somehow I could not see myself happily removing a turkey from that level oven. I have not yet exoerienced the hot control knob issue.

So after reading too many reviews. Talking too two many people. Racking my brain with pros & cons. Both myself and my husband agree that our new GE Cafe Range is a welcome addition and so far a really good choice. I also purchasaed the extended 10 year warrenty. Read to many reviews not to. It is amazing me with it's functions and gives that high end look that attracted me to it in the first place. Hoping for many years of use.

  After owning and using my GE Caf for about 1 year I just wanted to add my in use thoughts....Still pleased with performance. Will admit it took some getting use to. With hotter burners and high energy oven I had to make adjustments on my cooking times and approach. I actually burned stove top dishes and oven broiling. There is a learning adjustment. Also I must admit I am a bit disappointed in the bottom oven. It is actually a draw and it holds very little. I would say it is only useful as a warming draw. It is not an even heat as the larger oven and it will not bake small bake goods evenly.