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Recall: Glue Guns by Dollar Tree Stores Due to Fire, Burn and Shock Hazards

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Name of Product: Crafters Square Hot Melt Mini Glue Guns

Units: About 253,000

Retailer: Dollar Tree Stores Inc., of Chesapeake, Va.

Importer: Greenbrier International Inc., of Chesapeake, Va.

Hazard: The recalled glue guns can short circuit, causing the gun to smoke and catch fire. This poses fire, burn and shock hazards to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Dollar Tree is aware of seven incidents in which these glue guns short circuited resulting in two injuries, including electrical shock and burns.

Description: The glue guns dispense hot glue and are intended for craft projects. The recalled glue gun is black with a yellow trigger and is approximately 4 1/2 inches from the back of the gun to the tip. Attached is a 44-inch electrical cord. “Crafters Square” and product number 818261-72 or 818261-75 are located on the guns’ packaging.

Manufactured in: China

Sold at: Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks, Only One $1, and Deal$ stores nationwide from February 2007 through August 2007 for about $1.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled glue guns and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dollar Tree Stores Inc. at (800) 876-8077 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.dollartree.com

Picture of Recalled Glue Gun

 

Purchasing a Toaster Oven

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If you are like me, you prefer a toaster oven to a pop-up toaster in your kitchen. A toaster oven is more versatile. To begin with, the oven can warm pastries and muffins and toast thick sliced bread that a pop-up toaster can’t handle. A larger toaster oven can hold a small casserole or cake, can roast a small chicken or even broil a steak. They can heat up frozen meals- french fries or a serving of pizza. They add less heat to a kitchen than a full size oven, which is nice in the summer. Although you might do some of these tasks in the microwave, the toaster oven browns foods, crisping them, which the microwave can’t do.

Now that you’re convinced of the necessity of owning a toaster oven, you need to choose one. Here are some things to look for when you’re shopping:

Capacity:

Smaller ovens (12″wide x 10″tall x 12″ deep)hold four slices of bread; larger ones (20″ x 10″ x 15″) can handle six.

Settings:Krups toaster oven

The most basic models have a “toast” setting, but most have more, including light, medium and dark settings. For other settings, most have the capacity to bake and broil and some can heat up to 450 degrees.

Also look for features such as preset functions for pizza or bagels which are kid friendly, electric touch pads for setting the temperature or timer, digital displays for setting precise heating and non-stick or porcelain interiors which are easier to clean.

Be sure to measure your counter space, some of the premium toaster ovens can be large and all require an extra four inches behind them (They can’t be flush against the wall) to allow for heat dissipation.

Another feature appearing on taoster ovens is convection cooking. Convection cooking uses air to circulate the heat, cooking food faster and more evenly. It is used for roasting and baking.

The really is a toaster oven for every budget. Some samples (We have not reviewed these particular models.) are:

Black & Decker Model TRO962 Toast-R-Oven with Convection Cooking, about $30black and decker toaster oven

Tefal OT806000 Avante Elite 1600 Watts Toaster Oven with Convection Cooking , about $80

Oster Model 6292 , about $100

Krups Model FBC5 Toaster Oven with Convection Cooking about $200

Appliance Odometer

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Here’s more from the great thinkers at halfbakery.com.  I really enjoy these ideas.

Keep track of instances/hours of kitchen appliance use:

I’m using my CostCo rice cooker bought a few months ago for the 3d time right now; it cost $30, so at the moment, I’m right at a $10 surcharge for each 4-cup rice serving, which is pretty expensive. However, in the medium term, I think it will end up saving me money on food, by helping me meet my resolution to spend less money on restaurant meals, and I’d therefore like to keep track of how often I use the cooker. However, I only know how often I’ve used it because that number is so low; I don’t have regular “rice days” either, so I can’t just multiply Mondays to arrive at a usage figure. So: I propose an electronic odometer which clicks forward a notch for every complete cycle (for a rice cooker or other 1-task appliances) or which simply keeps track of “active cycle” times for other items which are used more as-needed (blenders, washing machines, microwaves). Knowing how often particular things are used would be good in increasing household efficiency, and would be more aesthetically pleasing (though less visceral) than carving notches each time …

I have an air popcorn popper that would be a good candidate for this gadget.  I also think it would be fun to see how often the power tools that are so important really get used.

What do you think?

Deep Fryer Reviews

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Every small appliance has its moment, and the deep fryer’s moment might just be now. Even Thanksgiving turkeys are getting tossed (quite carefully-hot oil, you know) into the deep fryer. The Los Angeles Times reviewed six new deep fryers, of which, the smaller models could fry about one cup of, say, mushrooms; the larger models could handle about as much as four cups of, for example, hand-cut fries at a time. They range in price from $20 to $130. The machines were assessed based on the quality of fried food each made (In this case, battered zucchini sticks using canola oil.) , the ease of use and cleanup, safety, whether special features were useful and effective and whether the fryer was a good value.

“All six machines offered up crispy zucchini in three minutes or less and were easy to assemble and operate. But some had safety and/or cleaning issues. And choosing the right machine for your kitchen depends on how much room you have and how many servings you want to prepare at one time.”

The fryers are listed in order of preference:

The favorite fryer was one of the mid-size, mid-price models, the Presto CoolDaddy cool-touch deep fryer. It has a sleek, modern look, and its oil tub is nonstick and removable, making cleanup a breeze. Zucchini fried in it for two minutes was tender and moist, tucked inside a light, crispy crust. The mid-size Presto CoolDaddy deep fryer, with its sleek black plastic “cool-touch” exterior and nonstick interior, has a 1,500-watt heating element housed under the removable oil tub. There’s a charcoal antiodor filter in the lid. A large window lets you keep an eye on the food. A clever mechanism allows an exterior handle to lower the basket into the oil when the fryer lid is closed, to prevent splattering. When the cooking is done, the handle raises the basket back up so the excess oil can drain off. It retails for about $50.

Though it’s not much bigger than a toddler’s shoe box, the Cuisinart Compact Deep Fryer has a 1,000-watt heating element, which is permanently affixed to the underside of the die-cast frying tub. The housing unit is brushed stainless steel, with black plastic cool-touch handles. The lid and cooking basket are dishwasher-safe.

The square oil tub has a spout to pour out the used oil. The tub is not removable; to clean, you fill the unit with water and baking soda and boil. Great results in a machine that takes up very little counter space. A nice design feature allows the oil to drain from the elevated basket before it is removed. Warning: Be careful to touch only the handles; other surfaces get hot enough to burn a finger. This also retails for about $50.

The T-Fal Family Deep Fryer has a 1,500-watt heating element housed under the removable, nonstick oil bowl. There’s a large odor-control filter and a viewing window.

This is a mid-size machine, but it can handle as much food as some larger models. Like the T-Fal family deep fryerPresto, it has the same clever basket-lowering and -raising mechanism. The entire exterior remains cool. Smooth operation and easy cleanup. The only drawback was that when the lid was popped open after cooking, the steam that had collected on the inside splattered into the oil below. About $50.

The large Waring Pro machine can fry more than 2 pounds of food in its 1-gallon removable stainless steel oil container. The 1,800-watt heating element is inside the cooking unit. Three mesh frying baskets are included, with collapsible handles for storage. There’s an on/off toggle switch and a built-in timer.

If your goal is to fry large quantities of food, then this machine gets the job done. The immersion-style heating element makes for quick oil temperature recovery time, a good feature if you’re cooking for a crowd. But you can’t wash the heating element. Larger is pricier at about $130.

The stainless steel Euro-Pro can fry about 1 1/2 pounds of food at a time. The 1,800-watt heating element is inside the oil container, with the food. The control panel is an easy-to-use digital display. After you set the desired temperature, the machine beeps to let you know when it’s ready to start frying.

For such a high-tech machine, there should be a safer way to lower the frying basket into the hot oil. You have to manually maneuver it, prompting this warning from the manufacturer: “Lowering the frying basket too quickly can result in the oil overflowing and splashing.” About $80.

Rival’s Cool Touch Deep Fryer looks like a mini rice cooker. Its 1,000-watt heating element is under the permanently affixed fry tub. There are dual filters to reduce cooking odors, and the lid can be removed for cleaning. This fryer does not come with a food basket. Instead, there’s a heat-resistant slotted spoon for putting in and taking out the food.
This is a basic, no-frills machine. The small price and size are nice, but cleaning the nonremovable bowl was challenging. Following the temperature guidelines in the owner’s guide produced overcooked food. You may have to experiment to find the right temperature and frying time. About $25.

All deep fryers come with many warnings about the dangers of cooking with hot oil. You have more control with a deep fryer than you would on the stove, so read the directions, be careful of hot fryers (and oil), then enjoy some crispy fried treats.

Appliance Ferris Wheel

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I just came across the site www.halfbakery.com, which as the name suggests, is a site where people can share and discuss their half-baked ideas. One I particularly liked is for an appliance ferris wheel that stores small appliances under the counter and brings them up to be used at the touch of a button.

The main body of the device (and most of the appliances) remains hidden under the worktop. Ok, I’ll have to sacrifice some cupboard space, but chances are that the space was being taken up by the long-forgotten appliances anyway.

Press the ‘Forward’ or ‘Back’ button on the worktop, and the wheel whirs into motion, only stopping when you take your finger off the button.

Fresh coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice and some freshly baked bread, anyone?

There was some follow-up discussion about the cords getting tangled as the wheel turned, but I just figured the appliances would remain unplugged with coiled cords until needed.

Let’s see, mine would have the coffeemaker, toaster, mixer, food processor, blender, bread machine… it’s going to have to be a big wheel.

Cuisinart Waffle Maker Review

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My family,  like many enjoys pancakes or even better- waffles- on Sunday mornings.  Crispy on the outside, puffy, tender golden brown waffles.  I’ve been making them for years using my almost eighteen year old Toastmaster waffle iron and we all love them.

Just recently, the old Toastmaster started having a bit of trouble with waffles sticking to the pan.   Good excuse to review a new waffle maker.  I dislike giving a completely negative review, so I will say that the Cuisinart waffle maker has a lovely stainless steel exterior and comes with complete instructions, including some recipes.

I followed all the instructions exactly, including seasoning the griddle plates before the first use.  All the waffles stuck to some degree.  As expected the first ones stuck the most.  I used the temperture setting three as recommended in the manual, and it did seem better than the others.

The manual says to use 1/2 cup of batter.  This is not enough batter for the pan and is certainly not enough to spread with a spatula as it instructs.  You can see in our photo the misshapen results of using a spatula.  We followed the instructions exactly.What does work is to use about 2/3 of a cup of batter and pour it carefully in a circle around the griddle, ending with a bit in the center.  This produced our only decent roundish waffles.  Of all our test waffles, only one came out round and the size of the pan. 

The maker itself feels flimsy, the hinges wobble and it does not sit securely on the counter.  I wish I could say this was a keeper, but it’s not even close.  My old Toastmaster waffle iron, with the occasionally sticking waffle is unquestionably better than this new one.

Product description:

Bakes one large traditional-style waffle
Five-setting browning control
Regulating thermostat
Red and green “ready to bake/ready to eat” indicator lights
Nonstick baking plates
Brushed stainless steel housing
Instruction/Recipe book
Limited 3-year warranty

Retails for around 29.99

Draw Yourself a Relaxing, High-Tech, Bath

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Taking a bath is relaxing, checking in frequently to see if your bathtub is full or getting the water temperature right is not. The Ondine Ess Tub-Electronic Faucet, a bathtub and shower system with an electronic touch pad will prepare your bath for you.

You can set the water level to half-full tub, full tub and a 10 seconds refill. So, there’s no more need to watch closely for an overly full tub. If you’re busy, no problem! Just press a button on the control module and walk away. When you come back, the tub will be full — or half-full, if you like — and just the temperature you prefer. The system automatically shuts off the water at the desired volume and remembers favorite temperatures for up to three household members. The unit also runs 10-second refills to supplement your soak. If the water cooled while you were roaming, no problem, just use the re-fill option. The Ondine’s Ess Tub-Electronic Faucets shower system will take care of it all. If you get one with an optional audio system, you can take care of sounds using the same touching pad.

The Rose Parade Uses Blenders!

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During the last few days of December, volunteers show up by the hundreds to decorate the floats that will be on display during the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.  One of the regulations for the floats is that they must be completely covered in plant matter.  No paint, wallpaper, plaster or cardboard is allowed to show, only flowers, seeds, bark, leaves, stems, grasses, beans, etc. 

Rose Parade Float under construction
My family and I visited the construction barns only two days before the parade and the volunteers were hard at work.  Even ropes were being dipped in glue and then onion seed to turn them black and to qualify them to be on the pirate ship float.

The Port of Los Angeles had many parts of their float being assembled and we discovered that the beautiful white color of The Love Boat came from crushed rice.pc300193.JPG
That’s where appliance.net perked up and we asked how they crush the rice—BLENDERS!  It is a staff position to provide  massive quantities of crushed rice.  I tried to get the decorators to name a favorite blender, but they declined. 
pict5922.JPG
It seems that blenders aren’t just for the kitchen anymore and that creative uses for our everyday appliances are around if we keep our eyes and ears open for them.   Who knew we’d find blenders at the Rose Parade?

Slow Cooker Tips

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The wind is blowing here, the temperature is dropping and we’re expecting rain.  On days like this we look forward to hot, comforting dinners.  A slow cooker (Crock-pot is one brand) is a convenient way to have that satisfying dinner ready when you come home at night.

Here are some helpful tips for making your slow ccoker dinner simple and tasty.

  • Less tender cuts of meat such shoulder, chuck roast, brisket and poultry legs work best for slow cooking.
  • Fish and seafood are not well suited unless they are added during the last hour or so of cooking.
  • Ground meat is also not recommended as the texture changes during long cooking and becomes mealy.
  • Slow cooking tends to intensify flavors, especially black pepper, chili pepper and garlic.  Dried herbs may loose some flavor with long cooking times and fresh herns are best if added right near the end of the cooking.
  • It’s not necessary, but flouring and browning meat for stews will add a richer flavor and color and will help to thicken the sauce.  Be sure to scrape the browned bit from the bottom of the pan to add to the pot.
  • Plastic liners are available in the foil aisle of most major grocery stores.  They make clean-up almost nonexistent.
  • To ensure even cooking, be sure to fill the cooker at least halfway, but not to the brim.  also, try not to stir as it will break up the vegetables.
  • It generally works best to place the vegetables (chunks of carrot potato and onion, for example) on the bottom of the pot followed by a layer of meat.
  • Meals can be made even easier by prepping many of the ingredients the night before and then just adding them to the pot straight from the fridge the next morning.

One of my family’s favorite slow cooker meals is exceptionally easy.

Bar-B Que Beef

Place chunks of carrot, potato, and onion on the bottom of the slow cooker,
cover with a layer of beef short ribs or stew meat. Cover with one bottle of your favorite bar-BQue sauce and an equal amount of your favorite beer. Cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Vary the amounts to suit your personal needs and tastes.