Bodum The de Chine 34-Ounce Glass Teapot Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was initially attracted to this teapot beccause of the glass infuser; plastic infusers can turn brown after just a few uses (polycarbonate is a little better), so I decided to give it a try. The good news is that, yes, because the thing was made of glass, it did not stain.

The bad news was... that it was made of glass. Thin glass. This means that it can't retain the heat needed to extract the full flavors of some black teas, but this is something I can live with as I drink mostly oolongs and herbal.

Also, perhaps because of the glass, instead of holes in the infuser, water enters through little slits. This makes cleaning this thing a PAIN! Tea leaves get stuck in this slits, and the only way I could get them out was to actually floss the slits with dental floss! I can barely be bothered to floss my teeth! Another flaw in the product is the fact that the little lid falls off whenever you try to pour out the last 1/4 of the pot. This is often pretty jarring, considering it is made of glass. If you're a little too close to the edge of the counter, you could easily end up with a shattered top. It's not like it's easy to hold on, either. The little nub on the top of the pot gets... well, steaming hot, so it is uncomfortable at best to touch it for any extended amount of time.

The real kicker that broke the camel's back (or the infuser, in this case) came on a fairly chilly morning (I had left the window open in the kitchen, too). I put the leaves in, poured in the water stright of the boil, and crack! The infuser had cracked on the bottom between two of the slits. It's not broken... yet, but I really can't use it anymore. I like milk, honey and/or sugar in my tea, but not glass shards!

So anyway, I can't really reccomend this product at all. To sum up:

Pros:
- Pretty
- Glass infuser doesn't stain
- Infuser has enough room to let most kinds of tea bloom

Cons:
- Doesn't retain heat well
- Infuser is a PAIN to clean
- Lid falls off during routine pouring
- Infuser can break under thermal stress

Click Here to see more reviews about: Bodum The de Chine 34-Ounce Glass Teapot

Product Description:
Brew your favorite loose leaf tea with ease in the stylish The de Chine Teapot with glass infuser.Just put the tea into theinfuser , add hot water, and let the tea steep to your liking.Because The de Chine is all glass, you can see the tea brewing, which allows you to let it steep just to your liking. Once it has finished brewing, just remove the infuser and serve.The lid acts as a trivet for the used infuser to eliminatedrips on your table or countertop.The de Chine is made from heat safe borosilicate glass.The 4 cup size is 32 ounce and yields 4 - 8 ounce cups of tea.

Get 5% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Bodum The de Chine 34-Ounce Glass Teapot now ?

Dirt Devil Dynamite Plus Upright Vacuum Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I got this vacuum for thirty bucks so keep that in mind. There are units out there that cost ten times that. So how does the Dynamite Plus stack up?It sucks!Very, very well.I don't think I have ever used a vaccum that had such powerful suction. I bought a Dirt Devil cordless unit (the one that no one seems to like) about a year ago and it was garbage. I wondered if anyone really needed cordless while in the confines of their own home. Most likely not. Why not trade the dubious benefits of cordless for maximum sucking power? For the price there is proably no vacuum made that is more powerful. So why only 4 stars? Despite a vacuum that seems well built, convenient, light, bagless, portable, etc., there is one thing that is insanely ridiculous about the Dynamite Plus' design. All of that powerful suckiing power shoots right out a front grill of the vacuum.Like a tornado!!!!The first time I used it was in the kitchen it it literally blew all of the photos and notes off my refrigerator. The next time bordered on slapstick comedy if I could have considered it funny. I was vacuuming the hearth of my fireplace and the tornado-like exhaust fan blew ashes from the fireplace all over my living room!!!Who in their right mind would design a vacuum with a jet engine strong exhaust fan right in front pointing at the very dust and dirt you are going to vacuum?Final thought ... the plastic recepticle fills up very fast. I vacuumed what I thought was a clean tile floor in the kitchen and the dirt container was full. I emptied it and vacuumed my staircase and the dirt bag was full.Is this a bad thing?How can it be? The Dynamite Plus is sucking in dirt that I didn't even know existed. That's the whole reason I vacuum. So I would rate this as the best bargain of any vacuum I have ever seen except for that silly design flaw. It's not at all a reason to not purchase this vacuum. You just have to know how to avoid pointing it at things like fireplace ashes. Bottom line is I have never owned a vacuum with as much suction. This thing is dirt cheap for what it does.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dirt Devil Dynamite Plus Upright Vacuum

Product Description:
Blast through your cleaning chores with the Dirt Devil Dynamite. This upright bagless vacuum features Dynapower technology, which teams a powerful motor with a revolving brush to lift and suck more dirt. A stretch hose and on-board tools make above-the-floor cleaning quick and easy.A HEPA filtration system traps 99.99% of common airborne allergens, and an easy-to-empty dust container means you'll never have to buy another vacuum bag again. The appliance weighs just 9 lb. and has a 30' cord to keep you moving from room to room.

Get 29% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Dirt Devil Dynamite Plus Upright Vacuum now ?

Holmes HM5305-UC Warm Mist Humidifier Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I believe this item has received unfairly low ratings from other purchasers.Perhaps these reviews are from purchasers who have never owned a humidifier before, or who didn't bother to read the directions.I have owned three different humidifiers over the years, and this one has been overall the best.

I would agree the tank shape could stand some redesign. Like most humidifiers, you turn the tank upside down to refill, thus the top of the tank is best designed to conform to the shape of a tub or sink, so that it stays upright on its own while filling.This one does not do that, but it is still possible to prop it against the end of the tub to refill.

As for the other comments that have been made, of course it makes a gurgling noise.Water is dripping down into the base in order to be converted to steam. I have had the unfortunate experience of owning a humidifier that sounded like an 18-wheeler driving through my house--and believe me, this one is QUIET.
The only knocking noises I've heard were when the tank emptied while I was asleep and I didn't shut it off, AND I hadn't cleaned it in a very long time.

And of course the heating element is going to be hot right after you turn it off, and yes it could char a piece of wood if it came in contact with the heating element.The instructions CLEARLY STATE you must allow the heating element to cool before cleaning or refilling.I cannot imagine why someone would set something wet down on a wood table, or how the heating element came into contact with wood of one reviewer, as the heating element has a surrounding plastic framework that makes it difficult if not impossible to place anything directly against the heating element. Perhaps the user modified this plastic housing in some way.

Also, the tank cap has a mechanism that, together with the humidifier base, controls the amount of water that flows out of the tank.The only way this could malfunction and send water everywhere is if the cap was not screwed on properly (and just like a bottle of soda, if you don't screw the cap on properly, the bottle will leak), or if it is not placed on the base securely.

I have not found the recommended cleaning to be an issue.But then, I use the recommendations as a guideline, not a requirement.How much you cleaning you have to do depends on the condition of your water and your performance expectations.

The recommended "daily" cleaning is basically to remove the base reservoir and dump out any water and accumulated sediment.I actually only do this about once a week, and I have very hard water (lots of clay sediment and calcium.I cannot drink tap water, its that bad.)The recommended "weekly" cleaning is to fill the base reservoir with vinegar and soak for 20 mins, and wipe down the heating element and surrounding housing to remove any calcium deposits.I actually only do this about every 3 months.Sometimes I actually have to chisel off the calcium from the heating element!And with all this obviously poor maintenance, I have noticed no diminished performance!

I'm not sure what the 'reboot' requirement is, stated by one reviewer.The instructions clearly state that you should turn off the humidifier when you remove the tank for refilling, or when you are cleaning.This makes sense.Leaving it on without the heating element resting in a reservoir of water is like putting an empty pan on a hot stove burner.It will damage it.But turning it off for the few moments required for filling or cleaning is sufficient.No further effort is required.And I really don't understand how one is personally offended by an inanimate object.

As for the size of tank, and how long it lasts, that all depends on the settings you use, and the size of your room.The 36-hour timeframe advertised by the manufacturer is at the unit's lowest setting, as most manufacturers do.I keep mine set on low speed, with the humidity percentage at about 60%.This lasts 24 hrs.I definitely notice a humid feeling when walking into my bedroom where I keep the humidifer.My bedroom measures about 12' x 18', but I keep my bedroom door open always so the humidity isn't just staying in my bedroom alone.The packaging states accurately that this humidifier is intended to serve a medium-sized room, not a whole house or very large rooms.

I really love the fact that this model does not require filters. I've had humidifiers that require filters, and of course you can never find the filter when you need one, and they are often very expensive.I've also had a humidifier that advertised no filter required, then upon reading the fine print inside the box, learned that while a humidifier was not REQUIRED, it really needed one to function properly.

I replaced my last humidifier with this one because the lat model I owned had no controls other than on/off, and pumped out so much mist it soaked everything around it, and was a cold mist model that did not keep the calcium deposits inside the reservoir--everything that got soaked by the mist ended up with calcium residue on it that was impossible to remove.

All in all, a very good model.The only thing I would like better is a domed-top model that could rest easily in the tub for refilling.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Holmes HM5305-UC Warm Mist Humidifier

Product Description:
Perfect for medium sized rooms the Holmes Warm Mist Humidifier runs up to 36 hours per filling. No filters to replace and microban antimicrobial product protection insure carefree use.

Get 20% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Holmes HM5305-UC Warm Mist Humidifier now ?

Aquasana AQ-4000 Countertop Water Filter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Filters are much more difficult to install than I think they should be, unit consistently breaks or has a problem every few months. The white plastic filter housing has broken twice (see photo) and I've had to replace the faucet/dispenser at least once because it constantly dripped or even poured. I am now on hold to get another part since I am a "Water 4 Life" subscriber for about $100 year - which includes two filter changes and warranty. Eventually I will probably spend the time and money to get a better unit.

UPDATE 2008-11-29: After the water filter housing broke a third time, I requested that they send me another one for free which they did (no shipping charge) (I am a Water4Life customer). They seem to have redesigned this part so hopefully it will not break again.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Aquasana AQ-4000 Countertop Water Filter

Product Description:
Kirkman Labs ProBiotics-More info:Manufacturer's Website

Want to read more honest consumer review about Aquasana AQ-4000 Countertop Water Filter now ?

Brita 42364 SpaceSaver Pitcher Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This might be piling on, but we have an obligation to the community: this pitcher is junk. The lid will not stay on. Never mind trying to pour with it, just carrying it to the refrigerator without the lid falling off is a challenge. It should go without saying that Brita should be able to filter water. That's what the company does. The water is great. It will save us a bunch of money. It's the right thing to do for the environment. But come on, Brita. You're based in Oakland, CA. Get some of those smart people from Cal or Stanford to work on your design or QA or something. Manufacturing somewhere that you lost track of?

Made a video to show what I mean.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Brita 42364 SpaceSaver Pitcher

Product Description:
Unique shape maximizes refrigerator space. Flip top lid makes refilling easy. New comfortable handle improves grip. Eliminates 99% of lead. Certified to reduce mercury and copper. Reduces chlorine, bad tastes, and odors. Reduces sediment and water hardnes

Want to read more honest consumer review about Brita 42364 SpaceSaver Pitcher now ?