Haan FS20 Plus Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer

I live in a neighborhood where EVERY home is "green built certified" this means that, to have that certification, the builder built no homes with carpet. All the main floors are polished concrete and the upper floors wood. The bathrooms all have tile and/or slate in every home.

Because of this, as you could imagine, steam mops are quite the neccessity...not only because they get the hard surfaces better than anything else, but because they are also "green" and clean chemical free. I''ll be honest, for us...that''s a bonus but we weren''t cleaning chemical free before. We like chemical free for our pet''s paws but I''ll confess I was mopping with chemicals before I got my steamer and just kept the pets out of the room while doing it because, up until then, I couldn''t get it clean any other way.

Okay, so that said...we decided to have a steamer show down to compare 5 different steamers because my friends and I knew as long as we are in these homes we are gonna have to have a steamer to get all these hard floors clean...we may as well figure out which one to buy next go round. Because my own home is graced with 2 cats, 3 dogs, and two gregarious cooks, my kitchen floor (which had not ever been cleaned by a steamer since my steamer had just arrived) was the testing spot.

Mind you, I vaccuum twice per week and do a mega mop twice a week. I THOUGHT I had pretty clean floors in spite of my pet capacity.

I thought wrong. These picked up dirt so well it''s scary

So here''s the results:

1. steam mops are the mac daddys of clean floors. What these things picked up was tremendous and no comparison to my vigorous prior constant major mopping.

2. So now I''ll break down the elements of each mop we used and then go into more detail about each at the end.

We tried out:

"S": The shark by Europro

"E" The Envirosteamer by Eureka

"H" the haan steamer

"M" the Monster

"B" The Bissell Green Tea

CORD LENGTH: so you don''t have to stop and unplug and replug in somewhere else:

Shark ( will be referred to as S):20 feet

Envirosteamer (will be referred to as E): 25 feet

Haan: (will be referred to as H)19''8"

Monster (will be referred to as M): 25 feet

Bissell (will be referred to as B) 17 feet

STEAM TEMPERATURE: this is a primary element. The hotter the steam, the more dirt picked up and hot steam will also kill parasites, mold and mildew and loosen more dirt:

S 110 degrees. lame

E 220 degrees. very hot

H 212 degrees. very hot

M 266 degrees. hottest...although the envirosteamer and haan seemed plenty hot enough. The shark didn''t clean nearly as well and this was one reason. 110 degrees just isn''t going to melt off stuck on grime.

B 125 degrees. Note that, because of this low steam temperature the manual said that if I wanted to sanitize the floor or pick up caked on spills, I had to hold the steamer on the spot for 15 seconds but no more than 20 because that could damage some floors. Now I don''t know about you, but if I can sanitize with one swipe of the other steamers because of their sanitizing temps my floor will be done WAY faster but I don''t have a timer to worry about the extra 5 secons where my wood floors could get damaged. My sink water is hotter than this so it would take less time to use a regular mop if I have to hold the steamer on every spot of my floor for 15 seconds to santize. Just sayin

BUILD:

We found how it was made corresponded with issues with the steamer. The Shark, for example, was quite flimsy and they actually sell replacement handle kits because so many people have issues with the handle breaking! We know this because my neighbor''s shark broke and the store had a replacement handle kit on the shelf because he said "it happens often". That''s an extra cost.

Envirosteamer: Was 5.4 lbs which made it lightweight but strong enough that you didn''t have to press down to clean. Very well made and strong parts

Haan: not made as well as the envirosteamer but it''s more expensive so this was a surprise. A bit flimsy and you need to press down on it more to clean at 3.15 lbs.

Monster: hefty and well made at 9 lbs but a bit too heavy unless you want a good workout. (Note: They have changed the Monster handles on the mops now and they are all plastic and people are having breakage issues)

Bissell: It''s 8.4 pounds but that includes a water filter that you have to get for this one (see notes below)

WATER CAPACITY: Very important because having to stop and add more water just adds on to the time you have to spend cleaning, especially if you are cleaning a hallway or livingroom or some other area that has no sink:

S: only holds 10 oz of water. Lasted for 10 miinutes of cleaning

E: holds 20 oz. of water. Lasted for over 20 minutes of cleaning (we stopped at 20 and it was still going)

H: holds 11.83 oz of water. Lasted for 13 minutes of cleaning

M: holds 17 oz. of water. Lasted for 15 minutes of cleaning

B: holds 13 oz of water, lasted for 12.5 minutes of cleaning AND you have to undo and remove the tank from the machine every time you fill it up then hook it back on and the steam tank is on the handle rather than the base so the steam doesn''t flow directly out after heating up which may explain why it''s not as hot once it leaves the machine. The way this mop is made the water flows past heating elements which can, according to Bissell, develop calcium deposits on it so this is the only mop where, because of this, you also have to use a water filter with it and replace the water filter when there is build up which means and extra 12 bucks every few months. The better mops are made to heat the water in a metal tank so this is not an issue and you pour the water directly into the tank.

STEAM HOLES: We found a difference although you''d think they''d all be the same. The shark only had one hole that the steam came out of so it wasn''t cleaning things on the edges, just in one spot. All the others had steam coming from bottom and sides.

SIZE: The taller it is the less stooping, the wider the mop head, the more it covers

S: 40"Hx12"Wx7"D

E: 50"Hx13.25"Wx6.75"D (the fact that this depth was smaller made it reach under applicances better...it fit better under things)

H: 50.5x11.5x7.5

M: 48x12.7.5

B: 45.25H (this was uncomfortably short) x11 x8.4 (even though this didn''t fit under cabinets because of the depth it did swivel the best)

Conclusion of comparison: First it must be pointed out that, in order to use the shark and the Bissell, you had to keep pumping the water. This was the most annoying feature of anything...the others just steamed on their own and didn''t wear out your fingers. Hated this feature of the shark and Bissell. We liked that the Monster and the Shark and Envirosteamer and the Bissell came with 2 cleaning pads rather than one. The Haan only came with one at the time of the review (I double checked since when she bought hers it was also only one and as of today, that hasn''t changed) so that ups the price even more because I can''t imagine only wanting one to clean. All worked well on sanitizing mattresses and showers. too.

But the winner picked by all of us unanimously as the mop we want to have for our next steam mop order?

The Eureka Envirosteamer. It picked up the most dirt, was made as well as the Monster but was less expensive, held the most water, emitted the most very hot steam so it sanitized as well, lasted 3 times as long with one water resevor fillup as the others, and had a cord as long as the monster. BUT if you have carpets than I would recommend the Monster because it has a carpet attachment that allows you to steam clean your carpets and it picked up pretty close to the same amount of dirt as the Eureka Envirosteamer, and had close to the same features...a bit heavier though but that may make it last even longer. It is costlier, but to clean 2 surfaces I would think that might make it worth it.

UPDATE: The Haan just started including 2 pads with the mop according to the product description page. Not that this changes our opinion since it didn''t work as well and the parts were flimsier, but it should be noted that this issue of not having enough cleaning pads has now been resolved and is equal to the other mops.

ANOTHER UPDATE: 1. The Shark came out with a new machine that holds more water and has a longer cord BUT it still only heats the water to 110 degrees so it won''t sanitize or get rid of trapped grime at this "bathwater" temperature.

Another update: I haven''t tried it yet but was told about an even better mop than the Eureka Envirosteamer but I can''t personally afford it...still, it''s worth mentioning in case you can. It''s called the Ladybug XL2300 and is a canister steam mop. It heats the water to 298 degrees (woah!) so it''s a super sanitizer but it''s over a thousand bucks. It also comes with 6 towels. I didn''t include it in my review because I haven''t ever tried it and I wanted to only include mops I personally tried but it''s got great enough stats that, even though it''s out of my price range, I thought I''d pass it on as a super sanitizer.

Also: Don''t spend money buying extra pads for the Eureka. I was in a pinch and used a kitchen dish towel...the rectangular kind...just clip on both ends. It worked just as good or better...because they are thinner so the steam penetrates faster and therefore reaches the floor hotter. However, I would recommend still only using the thick pads that come with it for your wood floors just to be safe. But the super hot steam penetrating the dish towel worked excellent on tile and hard floors. Also, you can flip both the towel and the pads that come with it on the Eureka to double the usage...when it gets dirty, just flip it over and use the other side. I use several old dish towels with this but I like best the kind that just have a bit of texture but no squares sewn on them...but they all work great. So do the pads.

I did extensive research on the steam floor cleaners. I had seen the Haan info-mercial a long time ago and also saw the Shark one as well. My research was well worth it. The Haan has definately proven itself. I have hardwood floors on the entire first level of my home and they came out looking great. My ceramic and travertine in my upstairs bathrooms looks great also. I even tried the carpet attachment on the landing and in one of the bedrooms and I can really tell a difference. You do not need to fill too often and the area of steam is in way excess of the other steam cleaners on the market. It is light and easy to use. I also did my homework on price and Amazon even beat out QVC.

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The Haan Steam Cleaner w/carpet attachment is fantastic. It''s so easy to use, lightweight, and cleans tile floors so clean. I pulled off the pad after it cooled down and there was more dirt than I thought my floors had. I tried the carpet attachment on a greasy footprint that is just in front of my garage door. It cleaned it up pretty good, but I just scrubbed it with a little dawn dish soap to remove any lingering grease. Looks much better, but I''ll try it again after it dries. Why didn''t I buy this earlier? I''m glad I caught the info commercial. I couldn''t stand the smell and sticky floors that the Swifter left behind. Plus, no more filling up my garbage with disposable pads. The Haan pads are washable! I''m going GREEN!

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VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I purchased my unit to remove stubborn spills and stains from our radiant heated tile and hardwood floors. We have one large (105 lb.) dog (four dogs when our daughter brings her three for a visit) and two teenagers still at home. So there are always spills and stains on the floors. The radiant heat is great, except it really bakes on spills. The worst of them, and this is the primary reason I purchased the unit, is baked on dog drool. Whether from giving the dogs treats, or from residue on dog toys, that stuff has proven to be almost impossible to remove by conventional means--at least not without spending an inordinate amount of time working on them. I tried conventional mopping, scraping with a razor blade, and even using a car buffer to rub them out. Nothing worked satisfactorily. The Haan removed them all easily! The kids spill little blobs of milk on the dining room hardwood floor as they traverse through the room, and we also had a lot of trouble removing those after they "cooked." Using the products recommended by the manufacturer of our wood floor would only remove them after a lot of scrubbing, and often you had to "hit" those several times to get them removed. Again, the Haan removed them easily.

I had researched this purchase by reading beforehand the buyer''s comments posted here. One of the comments I saw a couple of times concerned the leaving of streaks on the floor after cleaning. I observed this also, but noticed that it was due to the pad being excessively soiled. Our floor was cleaned by vacuum before steaming it, but it was still heavily soiled. The pad collects that grime and when it reaches a certain "saturation" point, it simply smears some of that grime around, thereby leaving streaks. I tested this theory after noticing that after cleaning our large kitchen for quite some time, I was beginning to see some minor streaking being left behind. I examined the pad, which was brown with soil. I changed it to the clean spare pad, and the streaking stopped. Based on this, I''m confident that as we use this steamer and the floor gets increasingly cleaner, streaking will be minimized if not absent altogether.

We have not tried the Sanitizer Tray yet, so we cannot comment on its efficacy.

Suggestions/Criticisms

The handle on my unit will not stay locked in the upright position when at rest. Even when the handle is retracted to its shortest length or the cord is not coiled for storage. It''s not a "show stopper" for me, just an aggravation.

Power cord management is just weird they way it''s implemented. The design is poor and results in the cord often not being managed at all--it just falls out of whatever clips or guides are present. Again, it''s not a big deal. I solved some of that with some nylon cable ties.

Grout lines don''t really get cleaned as the pad fibers are not long enough to get down in those little trenches--at least on our floors. It might be kinda neat if there were a special pad with a design just for that. I see some vinyl floors that also have rather deep embossments where this might also be an issue.

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The steam mop does everything it claims to do. I am glad I also got the carpet attachment. I have not used it on carpet yet, but I have used it on my mattress, since I have dust allergies. If you are purchasing this item I would HIGHLY recommend also getting 4 extra pads. (It comes with only two.) If you don''t switch the pads freqently they become saturated and don''t work nearly as well. The six pads get me through one full tank of water. My floors feel very clean and look great! Also, no more sprays or chemicals to buy or run out of! Recommended 100%!

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Klimaire 18,000 Btu 17 SEER Save 19% Off

Last week I completed installation in my 2-car attached garage, which is in the process of being purposed as a wood shop. Mine is a typical tract-home attached garage, about 21 x 22, roughly 450 sq ft, located in Northern Virginia. The back and side walls are insulated as is the attic and I have a single garage door with insulated foam core. I installed the indoor component of the split on the back wall with the compressor directly behind it on the outside.

First the positive I gave it 5 stars for functionality. There are a couple of "cons" below but I''m so thrilled by how it works, the pros (for me) totally outweigh them.

I love this unit, did I say that??. While I may be the butt of a few jokes in the neighborhood... it is AWESOME to have air conditioning in the garage!! This weekend it was in the 90s and humid and my garage was, get this -68 degrees!! I wont run it down to 68 normally but I wanted to see if it could do it.. and it was no problem. Yesterday my wife was doing yard work and opened the garage door several times. I was amazed! Once the temp gets near the target setting, the unit backs off to a (very) quiet level just maintaining. The wife opens the big door to get the mower and for 4-5 minutes the door is open. When she leaves, I notice the Klimaire automatically kick it up to make it up. I was working in the middle of my garage and while I obviously felt the heat encroaching when the door was opened, because of the automatic speed increase, I could also feel the cold air blowing from the back and it never got uncomfortable in the middle of the garage. Once the door was closed it only took a few minutes to recover.

Now the "cons" (or at least warnings)...

These may be a bigger deal to some than they were for me. After researching it, none of this surprised me. And considering the money saved going this route vs buying a marked-up unit from an AC dealer/installer was worth the risk to me.

1. The Mini-Split Warranty Myth

After looking at a lot of product literature, poking around HVAC contractor forums, etc... one thing I have taken away is this: Though all the mini-split systems on Amazon and Ebay are promoted as "simple to install" and within the scope of an experienced do-it-yourselfer [which I agree with], the fine print clearly states that if you do, you will likely void the warranty. Most warranties require that the installation be done by "certified" HVAC technician. The supposed work-around to this is to do all the installation grunt work yourself (hang the inside unit, cut the holes, run the lineset, etc), then call your neighborhood AC guy to come out and hook stuff up, leak test, evacuate the lines, then VOILA!.. you are in business for a couple hundred bucks with a full warranty!.. NOPE... Every warranty fine print I''ve read (including this Klimaire) wants you to register the warranty with the particulars of the installation tech/company who will then be responsible for performing any warranty repairs down the road. Good luck finding any decent HVAC firm that will do that, they won''t. It doesn''t mean that you can''t find an HVAC tech to do the check-out and evacuation as a side job, and I recommend that. But your not likely to find one to sign up for being responsible for the warranty when they don''t supply the system and get the mark-up they are legitimately entitled to. So, resign yourself up front to no warranty or buy from a dealer/installer. You''ll have to decide for yourself if it''s worth the risk.

2. The DIY Installation

Again, after much surfing and reading I decided to tackle the installation myself. It seemed to me to be within the grasp of most competent do-it-yourselfers. Mine was pretty straightforward with only a 4inch frame and siding wall separating the two parts. I only used a 16ft line-set and frankly I wish it had been 10ft. You''ll notice that these systems are packaged with different lengths of line-set. The variety is obviously to fit different install scenarios, but an important thing to remember is that the amount of refrigerant charge shipped in the compressor is matched to the line-set length. Altering the length of the line-set after the fact technically changes that balance. So in my case if I shortened the line-set to 10ft I would be creating an overcharged condition and conversely if I had a 25ft line-set lying around and used it... it would be undercharged. I''m not certain how big a deal either of those scenarios might be, but I decided to try to make sure I installed the line-set it was shipped with without alteration. Not wanting to have the line bundle running vertically down the outside of the garage, I ran it inside the wall and had it come out a hole down about 12-15 inches off the ground, then I had to run it 4-5 feet horizontally before bending out to the unit. I wasn''t thrilled to have a 5 ft run but its low enough that the plants easily hide it. The lesson here is to put some serious thought into how long a line-set you''ll need. When I started planning the install (after receiving the unit) I cut a piece of Romex to the length of the line-set and played with different configurations before deciding the best place to park the outside box. I was pretty surprised how long 16ft was.

The inside and outside parts were pretty straightforward to install. As several reviewers of other units mention, the trickiest thing with the line-sets is bending the larger diameter tube. I spent the money on a fairly good tubing bender, the one that has the two handles and has sized channels for 3-4 different diameters. I think it cost me about $60 on Ebay, but it was worth every cent and the bends went flawlessly. I will probably just re-sell that on Ebay. I also picked up a flaring tool which I never used and will also resell.

So now I was at that "certified tech" part. For those whose successful install reviews I''ve read, I''m certain I must look like an idiot to you. But really, I have done some fairly sophisticated DIY stuff... lots of electrical, some major plumbing, several tile baths and couple of decks... but this humbled me. From all the reading I did, I was certain that I could do this myself if I was just careful. So I invested in few necessary tools. I bought a cheap vacuum pump on Ebay for about $100, a digital vacuum gauge for about $110 (required to read the necessary deep vacuum down to 200 microns), a set of manifold gauges for about $90 I think and a 410 adapter fitting (on Ebay for about $14). And trust me, you will need that adapter, no matter what the manifold gauges say. Mine said they were specifically for 410A (and that usually means the gauges cover a higher pressure max than the older refrigerant required)...but they did not fit the service valve out of the box. So... do the math... I am out close to $300 for tools I''ll likely never use again. Pretty sure I could have found a Craigslist HVAC guy looking for side-work for that, but some of us just like to try to do it to see if we can do it... anyway that''s me.

So I dive into playing HVAC tech and spent most of a morning realizing I''m not an HVAC tech. I spent a fair amount of time on the internet trying to figure out which ports on the manifold I should hook up to. Then another couple of hours trying to decide where the vacuum gauge should be hooked in there, suspecting for quite a while that someone must have forgotten to include the specific part I needed. Once I did get it connected correctly enough to actually get a reading on the vac gauge, imagine my excitement as I watched the digital display steadily decline from like 1900... 1840...1810...1790...1750...1710...1693...1643...1609...1588...1557 1557. 1558 .1557 .1557 WTF??? It has to down to 200 !!! Messed with the pump, oil, connections for another 2 hours... never got it go below 1200. I finally gave up trying to monitor the vacuum and to get a tighter connection I removed everything but the pump, connected it directly to the service port, let it run for an hour continuously, crossed my fingers, disconnected the pump and turned the control valves to release the gas into the lines. After much additional research, I''m pretty sure my problem was cheap Ebay vacuum pump. So I guess I should have dropped at least another $50-$70 on a better pump.. or maybe donated it to homeless HVAC guys.

The end of the story is so far a good one, the unit came up smoothly and works great did I mention I love it? I''m pretty confident I''ll recover most of the $$ for the tools. But whats eating at me is that I don''t really know how good an evacuation I got on the lines... so after all this.. I am probably gonna have a guy come out an check it out for me.

I am very pleased with this purchase, if I were to do it again, I would pay a pro to do the final checkout for cash, but again resign yourself up front no warranty.

UpdateOct 30, 2012

I am still loving this unit!! It cools the garage in no time and makes summer projects a joy. And on a couple chilly days this fall and all last winter...nice and toasty! No problems at all.

UpdateFeb 20, 2013

(Still in love!!) I thought I would update this since we''ve had some seriously cold days this winter, several in a row in the 20s and a couple of dips into the teens. I was really not expecting much heat output at those temps from a heat pump because, after all, not much heat left in 15 degree air. (And in fact purchased a 220 amp garage heater for those bitter days, not installed yet)

BUT....I have been pleasantly surprised! On a 20 degree day; while it won''t get the garage to 60-70, it does get it fairly comfortable (I''m not sure exactly how warm it got, definitely above freezing. I do know my wife complains when it''s not on and she goes into the garage to gets stuff from the spare fridge!).

The bottom line for me (re: heat) is that having this unit in my garage warms enough to solve two concerns; 1) I added a sink a few years ago and have had to use heat tape to prevent frozen pipes and 2) I do woodworking and have a cabinet full of finishes, paints, etc., that can be affect/ruined by freezing. Now I set this to about 40 and I no longer have to worry about either.

Hey, Guys. I bought two units, the KSIM009-H219 and the KSIM018-H217. Research led me directly to the Klimaire distributor in Miami (I''m in Jacksonville) where they responded to my call for info. I bought directly from the dist where they cut me a break on the shipping for the two. Ordered on Thursday, they shipped on Monday SAIA freight and arrived in Jacksonville the next day where I picked them up at the terminal. Packaging was spot on, no issues.

Installed myself, but I''m no stranger to mechanical stuff. I think an installation of this sort for a newbie would be a challenge since there''s so many disciplines involved. The biggest challenge is working with the supplied lineset and making sure you don''t damage it or run short since you don''t want to modify the length. Careful planning always pays off here. After the typical hookup, I vacuumed the lines for about two hours on both units, opened the liquid line a bit to charge the vacuumed lines and evap up to atmospheric pressure, opened both packing valves and buttoned everything up.

At this point checked for leaks with a leak detector solution and found I had leaks on three out of four connections. Some serious tightening solved those problems and I''d say that was the most surprising, it takes more than you''d think it would. I worked with a plumber for several years as a young pup and the answer to "how tight should this be?" was "till it stops leaking."

After flipping the breaker on the disconnects I started each system and have simply been amazed at how quiet and seemingly efficient these units are. I think you could run them both on power from a hamster in a wheel. Matter of fact, I did connect both of these units to my gen-set so we''ll have cooling in those two rooms when the storm hits. Less than 4 amps on the small unit and 7 on the large unit. Amazing.

My thoughts on reviews. Anyone that is considering making a large purchase such as these will do some research and inevitably run across negative reviews and there are those here as well. But, any company that is putting forth the effort to bring items like this to market is not doing it to fail. Sure there are issues and problems that can and do arise, but that''s from any company, with any product. More often than not problems stem from a language barrier, and this is where patience, compassion and persistence will help solve most problems. If you''re looking for trouble, you''ll probably find it. Those with a bad experience will rush to warn while those with a good experience will simply enjoy and move on so one needs to see all reviews in that context.

Of course most AC guys in the states hate messing with something they did not sell you, or something they are not familiar with. Most everyone is biased in one way or another. Knowing that and wanting to learn something new can make a project such as this rewarding if you do it yourself. Of course it''s all at risk, and they''ll be no shortage of people with a God complex to warn you of that fact.

All in all, I''d say that if you''re a good car mechanic and know your way around the construction of a house and have an understanding of home wiring beyond the basics, you''ll be happy.

Of course, mine could fail tomorrow.

Feel free to write me with any questions and I''ll try to help.

All the best, Don

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DeLonghi BCO120T Combination Coffee/Espresso Machine Save 7% Off

I received this machine as a christmas gift, I like having the option to make expresso/cappacino but it just didn''t work well from the start. It leaked water from the bottom and now it has just stopped working. This is my second Delonghi that stopped working after about 8 months of ownership.

I purchased this item April 27th the espresso portion never worked right the temperature of the espresso was lukewarm at best. The coffee maker worked fine until about a week ago. Now the coffee maker has stopped working completely after less than 90 days!

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This was a wonderful machine at first. Then I slowly started seeing water on the counter...then on the floor. Now it just stopped working after 3 months. Not worth wasting the money on this. Their customer service was worthless and they have very limited repair facilities.

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I bought this product as a Christmas present for my wife. Now I''m in the dog house. Well, not really. Fortunately she likes coffee and not espresso, and the coffee is pretty good with this unit. But I like espresso with cream, and this machine does a poor job of doing espresso. My previous machine was a small pump espresso machine. This one is a steam espresso maker. There is a big difference that makes you wonder why anything other than a pump machine is ever built. Pump machines make an espresso that tastes creamy and rich. The espresso world term is crema. Anybody that wants a real espresso maker needs to get a pump espresso maker. There are relatively inexpensive ones out there, so keep looking and stay away from this one. The only reason I picked this one was that I like having a combination unit that both my wife and I could use, and not knowing about steam espresso makers, I thought I''d take the chance. Personally, I can''t even drink this espresso. It just tastes bad. I''m sorry I was swayed by it''s looks and 2 in 1 use. For me it just wasn''t worth the purchase. I could have bought a better stand alone coffee maker for my wife that would have been much better and stayed happy with my old reliable pump. Live and learn.

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I received this coffee machine as a gift after moving cross country. I drink espresso/cappucino daily and drip coffee only occasionally, and I really loved my friend''s Caffe Nabucco machine of the same brand. I love this gift. It is a coffee center, giving me several options for my own coffee needs (I like my coffee better than all those other coffee shops.) The frother is a nice addition, although it isn''t practical if you are in a rush it needs immediate cleaning. The drip side and the programmable timer is an improvement over the previous model and really handy. I use it daily and have not had one problem in three months with any part of the machine.

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Lennox WB2-17/WP2-18 Humidifier Replacement Water Panel

These were exact replacements at a discounted price. Arrived ahead of schedule and installation was a breeze. Lower price allows you to replace them more often for better humidifier performance.

This pad works well in my Lennox humidifier. I have used these pads in the past but I used to get it from my HVAC company who charged a premium for the same. I have begun buying them myself and keep it handy during the annual HVAC service. The technician is happy to replace it for me and being the right pad for my humidifier it fits like a charm.

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The filters arrived in a reasonable time and as expected. This is a simple replacement filter. There were no problematice issues with the order.

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Steramine Quaternary Sanitizing Tablets

Price was good and delivery quick. The tablets are handy to use they just take a few minutes to dissolve. They satisfy local Health department for food equipment sanitation

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EPO36 Hamilton Humidifier Replacement Filter

Exactly as shown. There were no directions as to what position to install, dark spot up or down. I saved the metal rails and may sue them in the second filter,

This filter is a perfect replacement for the OEM filters at half the cost. They do not have the aluminum edges that the OEM filters have but that doesn''t matter.

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Like others have said, make sure you get all you need to install this right. The EP-036 only works with the Hamilton Humidifier Model 10 HF. Hamilton has their own web site (hamiltonhomeproducts.com) where you can find the product manuals and pictures of what the real product looks like with it''s side rails. It is important that the pad be inserted in the right direction (black mark at the top on the original product) so the water flows through the pad correctly.

I''ve also had to replace the solenoid on my unit twice now, and I replace the pad each year but it continues to work great. It makes the whole house feel warmer, totally does away with static shocks, and helps to keep the hardwood floors in my house in great shape.

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The order came fast and worked fine in my Hamilton humidifier after I caulked the metal edges from the previous filter on.

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My previous filters had no metal frame. This one came with metal around it with perforations. I thought the perforations would work fine but like another reviewer, I found water all over my floor around the furnace. After removing the metal frame and putting the un-framed filter back in, it works great. This is very hard to find and I''d buy another. Hope this helps cross references these filters (as far as I know): EP036, 10HF, H7504, RH7504, FH-182.

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Miele Active HEPA Filter Save 15% Off

I upgraded the Miele filter that ships with vacuum to this one. I am really glad that I did. This weekend a guest made a commit that they are usually alergic to dogs"you must have a really clean house".

This is a genuine Miele filter. It does what is it supposed to do. The charcoal does help reduce pet odors but not eliminate them.

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This retrofit HEPA filter is so costly that a 3rdparty industry has sprung up (eg the Filtrete), and even Miele itself offers a cheaper version.

However, at this point this seems to be the only real deal, a part which upgrades your vacuum to true HEPA standard. It perfectly fits in my Carina vacuum and seals in with a rubber gasket.

Of all the antiallergen efforts I made, this was the most immediately measureable: No sneezing when I turn the vacuum on; in fact I find it produces a pleasant sweet-ish (for lack of a better word) scent. Would/will buy again in a heartbeat; price aside this is a 5-star part.

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The filter was the exact one I needed. Easy to order and it came promptly. However, I could have simply bought it from my local dealer at the same price.

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With tight cash flow, I hesitated getting this filter but I am so glad that I did. If you are like me and can''t handle dust getting up your nose when you vacuum, this filter is for you. I hated spending the money but I love how well it works. There is no other that compares for my Miele.

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Heavy Sediment Water Filter Save 3% Off

Easily installed, easily washed and lasting for a long time. Do wish the mesh was a little smaller but this is working superbly as a pre-filter to remove sediments from my water system. I do have a second micron filter and this was great as now the micron filter is not clogging up as fast as before. IT is working great.

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Clear2o CWX100A Hose Extender Save $0.02 Off

After purchasing the Clear2o CW pitcher, I was disappointed that the hose provided was not long enough to efficiently fill the pitcher. This hose extension was perfect and worked with a minimum of fuss. It would be nice if they would include the extension with the original pitcher.

I have always been completely sold on the Clear2o water pitcher having tried all other faucet/pitcher water filters. The only problem I had with the Clear2o was the filling part...the hose from pitcher was too short and made the attaching to faucet awkward. But then they came out with the hose extender and the pitcher is perfect!!! The hose is long enough to fill your coffee pot (IF the appliance sits fairly close to your sink like mine does) and refill the pitcher afterwards without unhooking. You can have a sink full of dishes and still refill pitcher, use the water from it, and refill again without having to clear out your sink. I use filtered water for ALL cooking, making tea, coffee, etc. I even give my pets filtered water twice daily because our city water is so bad here. The filters last a lot longer than anyone can imagine, and they are not that expensive as compared to oter products. With this hose extender the Clear2o is a win-win situation if you are wanting/needing a water filter pitcher.

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Our Clear2o water pitcher is easy to fill because of this hose extender. We can leave the pitcher on the counter while refilling.

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This extender is indispensable and should be standard on the Clear2o water purification pitcher. It could use 3 or 4 more inches itself, but I love it.

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After seeing several reviews of the Clear2O water filter system that commented about the hose on the pitcher being too short, I decided to order the inexpensive hose extender. The extender is about 2 feet long and definitely overcomes the problems sited in the other reviews. The only reason that I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 is that the attachment mechanism is not quite as smooth operating as I would like. But the extender is inexpensive and completely effective.

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Allergy Machine Air Purification System Save 17% Off

I have severe chemical sensitivities. I''ve tried almost every filter on the market that is supposed to take fragrances, etc. out of the air, but I''ve found none that lives up to their promises like the ones with the carbon filters by Austin. I have this in my home and it is certainly worth every penny I spent. Any perfumes or other fragrances that enter my home are taken care of pretty efficiently by this. For my 1100 sq. ft. home I keep this one in my bedroom and the Healthmate plus (also by Austin Air) in the living room and together they really keep the air clean. In fact, I usually cannot tell if there is a skunk nearby unless I open a door or a window...and my house is certainly not air tight.

The main difference between this one and the Healthmate Plus is that the Healthmate Plus works the best on chemicals/fragrances in the air where this one is a good all purpose filter that also takes fragrances out of the air. This is why I keep it in my bedroom I have a dust allergy and while the Healthmate Plus is certainly good at taking dust out of the air but we chose the Allergy Machine for my bedroom.

There are three settings, low, medium and high. High is pretty loud, but not an irritating sound; low isn''t too loud, but it is certainly not silent. You don''t hear the motor, rather it is the airflow coming out that makes the sound. It is, what I consider, a gentle "white noise" sound.

It has wheels (they don''t lock) that move very well and I''ve never had one fall off. In fact, I find these machines very well made not shabby and I''ve had them for five years. They are made of metal and not plastic and I''ve never had to air one out.

If you buy this for chemical sensitivities make sure it is the one with the carbon zeolite filter. If it is missing that one (and therefore about $100 cheaper) the other filters can become contaminated with fragrances and don''t air out quickly. We accidentally didn''t order the right filter the first time and found out the hard way; after days of airing one out outside with the filter running on full it didn''t improve. We then ordered the carbon zeolite filter and were pleased that my husband didn''t have a hard time taking this apart to replace the filter; it wasn''t completely easy as the filter isn''t really light, but it was certainly doable.

One thing you should do is to vacuum the holes on the outside once in a while because they will start getting a little clogged up with dust after a couple years (or less if you don''t vacuum or dust often).

The filter is good for four years and if you contact the manufacturer before then needing a new one (we use ours ALL the time and so needed to replace ours after three) they will, as of a few months ago at least, prorate a replacement.

Overall, I''m very pleased and would highly recommend this.

I fell for it but it''s absolutely all hype! Machine has all the filters for every possible air problem...bound to make the air cleaner, right? Designed for 360-degree "intake", which sounds good, but I challenge anyone out there to demonstrate the efficiency of it. After reading reviews on lots of air purifiers, saying they do nothing more than make a lot of noise, I believed the hype on this one and paid the high price. Used it for a couple weeks and could not see that it was making any difference, tried to prove that it was. I set the unit, operating on "high", in middle of room with afternoon sun shining through windows. Sunlight illuminated tiny dust particles, not visible otherwise. Observed that the machine had no effect on dust particles in ambient air at all, not even those nearest the unit, except in front of the air outflow. Then lit a candle and held it a foot away from the unit on the side opposite the air outflow, blew the candle out and watched the smoke gently float toward the ceiling. Word of caution: This unit is expensive (your cost) to return in order to get your money refunded.

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This product is excellent and keeps the room clean and has three speeds very effective...would recommended it to anyone looking to keep their household air clean and fresh. Very durable construction..no weak plastic..solid metal.

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Austin Air Machine is a great purchase. It is a little bulky. One of the wheels was slightly bent on the frame. There was a sticker on the bottom of the filter that said "hema" filter instead of "hepa" and made me feel like I bought a foreign product or one made by FEMA!!

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this filter has performed admirably in the two years of use that i''ve had. i bought it new, and it has run ceaselessly since then.

if i could ask for any improvement, i''d want it to be a bit quieter at full speed. but i leave it on low all the time anyway, so it doesn''t matter.

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Watts 116079 Standard Faucet Save 18% Off

• Standard non air gap faucet
• Meets all low lead NSF requirements
• Multiple colors available for custom kitchens
• Fits all under counter water filter systems
• Uses 1/4" Supply Tube

The faucet works fine, easy installation, but the color is a lighter shade of rubbed bronze than you usually see. I know rubbed bronze colors vary but this has a little copper shade to it. I still kept it though, even though it doesn''t completely match my sink hardware.

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For the price, as nice a "bronze" as you are going to get. I looked high and low for a bronze water filter tap and this was as good as I was going to get without spending hundreds. Went in just fine and 4 months later seems to operate smoothly. I like the feature that locks of lever into place so you can fill a pot without standing there. I have found bronze finishes vary so much between manufacturers and our tap was a "Venetian Bronze" so I did not find it a matching problem and I am usually very picky about these things. In these mix and match kitchens these days where the island does not match the rest of the cabinets, I don''t think this is a stand out. Watts has a whole range of filtering options, so research that carefully to decide what level of filtering you want (huge price range too)

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Upon renovating my kitchen I installed new silgranit sink and a rubbed bronze taps system. However I did not want to reinstall my stainless steel water faucet.

I could not find a bronze single faucet lever (with or without the filter system )in any of my local stores. It was easily found on AMAZON and delivery was 2 days and the cost was great even with shipping. Cost was comparable to the old stainless steel faucet I had purchased two years ago.

Very impressed Thank You Amazon

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Had to wait a bit for this one to come back in stock. I bought it to match an oil rubbed bronze faucet set bought here. They match perfectly.

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Easy to install, works well, but looks very cheap. Its just brown and black, doesn''t look like oil rubbed bronze at all and does not match fixtures that really are o.r.b

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DuPont WFQT390005 QuickTwist 3-Stage Drinking Water Filtration System Save 33% Off

• Includes Two 7000 Series Carbon Filters and One 9000 Series Microbiological Filter, Perfect for Eliminating All Types of Debris
• Filters Up To 1,000-Gallon
• Water Faucet Included with Undersink Water Filter System
• Less Waiting-High Flow Rate for 1-Gallon Per Minute
• QuickTwist Change System

I purchased this product via Amazon to replace an older 4-stage, OMNI reverse osmosis water filtration system. The OMNI unit always provided great tasting water from the ground well. I decided I didn''t like the tank under the sink (it started rusting externally) So, I discarded the OMNI when the DuPont System arrived. What a mistake! While the DuPont system installed easily without any leaks, I discovered it does not filter out all water taste issues. Customer service at DuPont verified that it cannot filter out any sodium tastes that may be in your water. It does filter out viruses and biological entities. I''m sure it filters out rust and sediment too, since there are 2 carbon pre-filters. But for my situation, the system does not work. So, I purchased another reverse osmosis unit. I must say that Amazon does have a great return policy for situations like this, which I greatly appreciate!

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Rive 12-Ounce Hour Glass Bottle

After using 4 of these water bottles for 2 months, I finally put them in the recycling bin last week. I liked the size (12 oz), the shape of the bottle, and the silicon slipcase, but the caps were HORRIBLE. One of the 4 leaked immediately and another started to leak in a few weeks. Worse, no matter what I did, drinking from these caps was like drinking from a dribble glass. Small amounts of liquid would puddle on the top and dribble with the next sip. Finally, even though I followed instructions and washed both the bottles and caps by hand after each use, after about 6 weeks, all of the caps became very difficult to twist open/close for drinking.

I really want to use glass bottles for some things, like juice, but this Rive Elan design just doesn''t cut it. For now, I''ll stick with my trust-worthy stainless steel Klean Kanteen bottles for everything and continue the glass water bottle search.

Why is it so hard to make a reuseable bottle that doesn''t leak? This bottle is a nice size and shape that fits my hand. I loved it the first week, then it started to leak. It leaked a little the second week but by the third week it was a full 2-3 tablespoons of water at each drink. Every time I took a drink it leaked when I tipped the bottle up and the water ran through the gasket on the cap. The caps are the problem. They are thin, cheap, plastic and do not hold up to even minimal use. I also have a 16oz Rive bottle and after one week of use that one leaked too. I had only hand washed them so it wasn''t a dishwasher problem.

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I really like the size of this water bottle. I am not one that wants a huge amount of water. It is a perfect size for me. It fits in my purse quite well and doesn''t leak. I will be using this bottle a lot. Love all the different colors!

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I LOVE the glass water bottle and the design. I do NOT like the small amount of water it holds, I am continually refilling it. However, I was willing to overlook all of that because it does fit in your hand nicely and looks really cool. What I can NOT handle is when I go to drink out of it water pours all over my shirt and pants while I''m at work. Do NOT recommend.

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Ragalta White Countertop Thermo Electric Water Cooler Save 50% Off

I have returned this product three times. I know, who would be stupid enough to try something like this three times? The first time the heating unit melted after being plugged in for about 10 minutes. The second time the tubes inside weren''t even connected which we found out after putting water in to flush the system, huge mess. And then the next day, the water heater melted...again. I called customer service and they were very nice so I decided to try again. This time the water heater won''t even come on!! called customer service and the very nice woman suggested that it must be user error. When she ascertained that we were using the piece of crap correctly, she said "well you have to understand, you bought one of our lower end models." Are you kidding me!!! I didn''t know that the "lower end" model was just for decoration!!!!

This dispenser failed right out of the box. After filling with water and plugging the device into the outlet, the heater elements appeared to burn up. The device produces no hot water.

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I purchased this item and within 4 months the cooling part of it failed. It took over a month for the manufacturer to send a replacement unit. 2 months later, I walked into the office one morning to find that one of the faucets had started leaking over night and soaked the carpet. I definitely would not recommend this item.

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The unit leaked out water as fast as it went in. After opening up the back it was noticed that the filler hose was broken off and the electronics were just hanging inside loose. The unit didn''t appear damaged on the outside.

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Hi ..... I just bought one of this water dispenser I recommend every one don''t think to buy one like this because you will lose your money and extra trash in your house and you pay money for it first.... I was happy because my water dispenser iwas leaking but I found one cheap ican buy it so I paid $81 for this piece of s*** since I plug it in and iput the water bottle ifound all the water is on the floor. What do you think ican do ther is no return or any thing to get my money back..... Please no body buy this trash

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Home Water Distiller: Waterwise® 8800 Countertop Water Distiller Save 7% Off

I have owned this distiller for 10 years now; bought it from sears as a kenmore brand but is identical to the 8800. I run 2 gallons a day on average. A few things to know:

1. It produces heat, I keep mine in the the laundry room with the exhaust fan going while in use. It gets hot in there.

2. Will comfortably do 2-3 gallons a day. It takes about 4 hrs to complete one cycle and needs to cool completely before the next one starts. The delay start feature works great for the cooling on back-to-back cycles.

3. I have hard water and get by with cleaning once a month. After each cleaning the boiler looks like new. I use he water wise cleaning product.

4. Excellent customer service. No issues until 7 years in and it just stopped. Called water wise and explained my model was a kenmore unit, they were willing to send me the parts but recommended I send it to them, for refurbishing. I did and it came back looking like new for about $150 which was the cost of all new parts plus $25 labor.

5. It''s been 3 years since refurb and no other problems.

I have used other units before this one and found the 8800 to be far superior in functionality as well as durability.

A grossly overpriced device that basically just boils water and condenses steam. Marketed by a company operating out of a Post Office box using slick-paper direct mail advertisements that are long on unverifiable customer testimonials and short on any really useful product performance information. They don''t mention that the sealing gasket of the model 8800 is life-limited and will eventually leak or break (although it may be expected to outlive the warranty), and it is not readily obvious that they provide no way to order online, or by mail, any replacement part, or that they even acknowledge that one exists.

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Toastess DLJK459 Delfino Stainless Steel Cordless Kettle Save 35% Off

EXPERIENCE: WOW, that''s all I can say, seriously though, this is a top of the line electric tea kettle. First of all, I love stainless steel, as it looks nice, and is also functional in that it won''t rust. Using this kettle couldn''t be any easier, let me explain why. The kettle is cordless, in that you can separate it away from the power base. This allows you to easily fill it in the sink, and there is a reservoir window, located near the handle, to show you the level of water. It can boil between 0.5L all the way up to 1.8L of water.

All I had to do is press the button on the top of the handle, which released the fill door on the top of the kettle, I then filled it up to the 1.0L mark. What is nice about this kettle is, that it has a filter in the pour spout. Now all I have to do is place the kettle back onto the power base, it can go on it any which way, since it''s a 360 degree connection. Then all I have to do is press down on the power switch, located towards the bottom of the handle. Another nice feature is that the kettle, when turned on, will illuminate the reservoir window, so you can see how much water is still left in the kettle.

It will boil 0.5L of water in about 1:30-minute, 1.0L in about 2:30-minutes, 1.5L in about 4:30-minutes, and 1.8L in about 6:30-minutes. I don''t know about you, but I think that''s pretty fast! Think about it, a normal tea pot, fully filled, on your stove, will take about 10-minutes minimum to reach boiling point on the "HIGH" stove setting, and possibly even longer. It will take your microwave at least 3-minutes to boil 1-cup of water, and at least 6 or 7 minutes to boil 2-cups. Yes, I think the Delfino electric kettle wins the race!

The kettle contains a concealed element, which I believe to be a safer rout, and it allows for easier cleaning, as opposed to older kettle models. The kettle comes with built in safety features as well. It doesn''t matter how much water you put into the kettle, when it reaches boiling point, it automatically shuts off. And whenever you take the kettle off of the power base, it also automatically shuts off.

CONCLUSION: I never used to be into electric kettles in the past, I thought they were not necessary. But this stainless steel Delfino kettle from Toastess, has made me a believer. Its safer to use, faster to use, and easier to use, what more could you want? Its list price is for $52.00 dollars. I highly recommend this electric kettle, 5-stars!

I already had an Aroma AWK-115S Hot H20 X-Press 1-1/2-Liter Cordless Water Kettle at home and liked it a lot. When I needed another kettle for the office, this Toastess just happened to be on sale. Even though the sale price was still above Aroma''s regular one, I was curious to find out whether the big price difference was justified.

It was not. The two kettles are similar in construction and identical in function. In fact, this Toastess is a little slower than the Aroma, which is no speed demon itself. The seat of the Toastess is also a little wobbly. The auto-shutoff switch is too quick to trigger, and the water would boil for just 2 seconds, not enough time, in my opinion to kill all the germs. In all, I would definitely go with the Aroma even if the two are priced the same.

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Bought this kettle for my parents as a Christmas present. We''ve been using it several times a day for two weeks and it has worked beautifully. Looks great on the counter and boils water amazingly quickly. It''s a bit noisy when it''s heating the water, but it boils so quickly that the sound isn''t even a problem. Cordless and auto-off features are great. Better than the other electric kettle I have at home. Would definitely recommend!

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I order one it worked great, then within a week, I see a puddle of water around the kettle, and between the kettle and the base. Find that it is leaking at the seam below the name. Return to Amazon (easy). New one arrives, and within a week, I can see the water marks on the base, and water seeping out the seam on this one too.

Now we choose to keep it, it does work well, and holds lots of water.

DO NOT STORE WATER IN IT for any length of time.

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I bought the kettle for my brother who is a big tea drinker after I received my first elecric tea kettle from my daughter and just loved it. He has nothing but praise for this kettle. He says the kettle size and cord length are perfect and the automatic shut off, the best feature, has worked every time. We don''t know why it took us so long to find these kettles as we have burned up some expensive stovetop tea kettles and pots over the years. I have a Utilitea variable temperature kettle which seems to be "out of stock" since Christmas time but I have not brewed any tea which requries a lower temperature. My only complaint with these kettles is that the water level viewer is made of plastic so when heated you are drinking the poisons from the plastic. Glass should be used. To limit my exposure, I fill my kettle just for 1 cup of tea so the water barely reaches the plastic.

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Krups XP7225 Compact Fully Automatic Espresso Machine

We bought this machine from Williams-Sonoma and liked it so much that we stuck with the coffee through four separate units, each of which failed within three weeks for a different reason. My wife and I each drink 2-3 shots of espresso per day, for a total of 6-8 cycles of the machine (including self rinsing): this is within their warranty rate of 10 cycles per day. We use non-greasy beans and reverse-osmosis water, both of which are recommended by the manufacturer. At first I thought we just got unlucky -every factory makes a few lemons -but after four machines and four independent failure modes I''m convinced they''re just poorly built.

For coffee : 4-5 stars. When they work, these machines are just adjustable enough for us you can adjust the grind, the water temperature, and the water volume independently to "sight in" your ideal shot. For reliability: -4 stars. I would give this product just a single star, but the titanium fronted one comes with a terrific milk-frothing assembly that makes great, silky foam every time. That alone is worth a second star.

Machine #1: worked for three weeks, then mysteriously failed with an error code "DE" on the screen. Krups support was baffled.

Machine #2: worked for 1.5 weeks, then the burr grinder broke motor would turn but wouldn''t grind coffee.

Machine #3: DOA on initial plug-in, entered an infinite loop of "calibrating machine" cycles. (I think an internal sensor was jammed).

Machine #4: worked for 3 weeks, then mysteriously started spewing acrid, electrical-insulator smoke.

I suggest a Delonghi Magnifica they can be found for under $1k and are actually designed to be maintainable or a semi-auto with built-in burr grinder (Breville makes one).

Loved it for the four weeks it actually worked. Krups had us send it to their service center. It came back after a month, still leaking out the bottom. Called Krups again and they wanted us to send it back to the service center once more-when it just came back from there with no change?! I said I didn''t want to do that again, that the unit is clearly defective (hey, we tried) and now it''s time for a replacement or a refund. The customer service agent said no, that my only option was to send it back to their service center.

If you are selling a defective product, and you know it, at least try to keep your company''s reputation intact by taking responsibility for it, you know?

Finally, amazon agreed to take it back and refund our money. Anybody recommend a good DeLonghi?

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Today I received my Krups XP7225 Compact Fully Automatic Espresso Machine after doing hours and hours of research. I liked the things I read about itsmall size, some control over output, flavor, crema, dependability compared to other models of interest.

I have to admit that I don''t usually drink espresso. I prefer to add milk to my coffee. I like to enjoy a latte or cappuccinno. I do not add syrups or sweetenersno flavorsno sugar.

So, I really need to bring out the sweetness of the milk, and to do that I need to get the milk to at least 140 degrees. When the milk hits 140 degrees the natural sweetness of milk bursts through, and you can enjoy a reasonably sweet and creamy beverage without using sugar, and fend off osteoporosis at the same time. I learned from a barista in Rome that lattes and cappuccinos do not have to be loaded with chocolate or caramel to taste sweet and delicious. You just have to know how to produce proper steamed milk! I had fun learning how to do make a great espresso drinks in Italy, and I long for the quality I enjoyed there. (or at least as close to it as I can come in the U.S. midwest)

Unfortunately, the Krups 7225 does not have enough staying power to heat the milk properly before or after brewing a shot of espresso. I wish it had an additional heating element! I followed the set up, rinsed the machine, did the initial run through, prepared 2 cups of espresso, and as directed, threw them out and began to make my first latte.

My initial attempt produced lovely foam, but the milk was much too cool to sweeten the milk. Not a good product. I returned to the manual (which is WONDERFULLY instructive) and adjusted steamer''s automatic timer. Better, but still the milk was not heated well.

Third time I let the steamer use the full cycle, then started the steamer again. It was a short wait, but my espresso was cooling on the cup warmer while I waited to generate steam again. Finally I got the milk to 140, added it to the espresso shot, and enjoyed a creamy, sweet latte. The foam was absolutely lovely, dense, creamy, sweetperfect. I just wish the machine would provide an adequate amount of steam.

In fairness, I am going to go tonight to get some mineral water and see if I can produce more steam. Today I used distilled water, hoping to avoid calcium buildup to keep the machine clean and running for years to come. I hope I can report that it makes a difference.

It is regrettable to spend so much for a machine that cannot produce sweet, frothy milk for one latte or cappucino. I feel disappointed. However, if you prefer to drink espresso or use just a little milk, this could be the machine for you.

Pro''s:

Very compact size

Easy to set up

Easy to adjust and customize for your particular taste

Easy to useexcept when steaming milk

Easy to understand manual

No more stops at the coffee shop on the way to work!

Con''s

Steam does not last long enough to produce a sweet, frothy large latte.

Less metal, more plastic than I expected.

Price seems a lot for the construction of the machine

Overall Impression:

If you don''t have a lot of space for your espresso machine, drink straight espresso or drinks with just a little milk, then stop looking and buy the Krups XP7225. However, if you''re like me and enjoy a large latte or cappuccino with sweet, creamy milk and dense, fluffy froth, this may not be the machine for you.

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I''ve been using my XP7225 for a couple of months now, and I think I can provide some insight into this machine.

Executive Summary: Great machine if you like pressure-brewed coffee or straight espresso shots. Not so great for cappuccinos as the steamer doesn''t get the milk hot enough fast enough. Bargains available online and in stores. I bought mine for $320 at BBB (with the 20 percent coupon).

Some observations:

-The Claris filter is optional. I don''t use it as it appears to cause problems for users and the troubleshooting guide mentions to remove it if you have problems. I have never had any problems going filterless. Instead, I use a Brita faucet filter to fill the machine. Also, the Claris filter costs $18 and must be changed every 2 months!

-Some users have complained about leaking. Note that the drip tray fills up from within the machine as the machine heats up. You need to empty the drip tray after each one or two uses. I am sure this is where the leaks come from. If you empty the tray often, no leaks.

-Although the milk steamer is effective to froth, the end-product is not hot enough after a one minute cycle. If you have the patience to run it for a second time, that solves the problem. However, cleaning the attachment is a pain (requires running steam through it but should also be removed and washed). I prefer to heat the milk in my cup for one minute in the microwave. This also heats up the cup nicely. I realize this is not steamed milk but rather heated milk. I really don''t have a big attachment to milk froth, but, if you do, this is not the machine for you.

-The pressure-brewed coffee is so delicious and non-bitter that I can drink it black without sugar. This is from someone who usually takes three teaspoons and lots of milk per 8 oz cup. The difference between this and a drip coffee machine is like night and day.

-I always run a rinse cycle (about 2 oz of water) after I am done with the machine and when I start it up.

-The standard size coffee is adjustable up to 4 oz. The long coffee (8 oz) is a double cycle. I mix 4 oz of steamed milk (from the microwave) with 4 oz of coffee. The result is very good and requires little or no sugar.

-The machine hates oily beans. Use a medium roast, dry bean for best results. I prefer the finest setting on the grinder. It produces lots of crema on the coffee.

Want Krups XP7225 Compact Fully Automatic Espresso Machine Discount?

I reviewed semi-automatic machines like this one along with many others. My brother-in-law had introduced me to the concept of single-brew coffee and I had the opportunity to use similar machines while over in Austria.

It took me over a year before I made the purchase and I decided on this Krups machine.

I had experienced and read reviews that the temperature on other machines was not where it needed to be. In some cases, manufacturers suggested that you warm up the coffee mug to help with that issue. I didn''t want that to be a problem so this was top on my list of important features.

All in all, I would say:

Pros

1) Hot coffee 3 settings and I have dialed it down to setting 2. Very happy

2) Reliability I am seeing a few individuals suggest that they are having issues. I specifically chose this manufacturer since I have an older manual espresso that will probably last another 20 years. Their customer service is outstanding and the warranty was respectable. Reading the reviews where there were issues sounds like someone may have had some electrical issues in their house??? Also, I could see where someone could think the machine leaks since there will be water on the counter if you don''t empty the drip tray. I have had my machine for 8 months with zero problems.

3) Selectable options including temperature, grind setting (3), Amount of coffee/espresso per serving

4) Space this is a smaller unit than some of the other brands

5) Frother Works well as long as you use skim or a lower fat milk. The milk should also be cold when starting

6) Cost other machines like this are $1,000+ (new)

7) Convenience Excellent... wife would buy another one if this one should ever need replacing

8) Ease of use I think Krups did an excellent job with the user interface and controls. This is very simple to use.

Cons

1) Selectable options do not include brew strength. This can be controlled through a combination of grind setting and serving size since the amount of coffee can not change. This should be an option

2) Plastic controls The titanium look is a plastic look. Dials could be heavier metal but nothing has broken. This is a function of cost so you get what you pay for.

3) Serving size The machine will only dispense 4 oz of coffee as a single serving. If you want a full cup, you select the Long Coffee setting which will then run through 2-cycles of the 4 ounce option. It doesn''t take long to complete but it would be nice if 1-cycle could make 8 ounces. I am not sure why I say that other than the fact that it is different than what you would expect.... Don''t put a lot of weight on this comment

4) Noise I believe most machines are loud since they are grinding beans and using pressure to make the coffee/espresso but it will be nice when the machine is as quiet as a Miele Dishwasher.

In summary, I believe most of my purchases and satisfaction are a direct correlation between the price. I think this is an excellent choice at the price point. There are machines that are made out of heavier materials and provide some options that I talk about above. They are more expensive and I had concern over reliability.

*** update on 3/4/10 (8 months from purchase) machine started leaking and I had to return for a new one. I have to say that the idea of not having this was not an option. I thought about buying one of the other more expensive versions but then came to grips with everything that I liked about this one to begin with. I guess reliability may not be one of the strengths though... I can say that we use this way too much! ****

*** update on 10/2011 I had received a new machine back in March and it is now leaking all over the counter. I called Krups and they said that this is no longer under warranty and I would need to have it repaired. If it was the first occurrence, I would pay for it but this has proven to be a defect with the unit as evidenced by others and comments. I asked Krups to honor the product given the extenuating circumstances and they would not replace the machine. I have chosen to purchase a new Delonghi Magnificia and so far it is much better given the features and functionality. It also comes with 2 years of warranty and a white glove service line which I hope I do not have to use.

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