Showing posts with label remote wireless thermostat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label remote wireless thermostat. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Johnson Controls A19AAT-2C Freezer Temperature Controller Reviews

Johnson Controls A19AAT-2C Freezer Temperature Controller
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
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Since my chest freezer dials only allowed for temperatures of freezing and below, or 50 and above, I had no way of keeping my kegs cold enough to where I like my beer (35-40 degrees).

But this device has been outstanding. To limit the frequency of which it turns on, I placed the thermometer in a glass/bottle of water. That way, when the liquid gets to cold, that's when the thermostat kicks in and turns the freezer back on until the liquid is at the desired temp. Also saves the compressor so it's not kicking on as much.

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This works!

My hubby and I live 100% off grid, we are using a small solar system, we needed a way to refrigerate our food without draining the battery bank (or our financial bank), in the beginning we simply used a small dorm sized cube refrigerator but that used a lot of power, we didn't use it very often.

I learned about converting a chest type freezer into a refrigerator using an external thermometer and decided to give it a try. We purchased this external thermometer here on Amazon (it's one of the cheapest prices I've found), we already had a small chest type freezer, we hooked it up and in the beginning it ran quite a bit, but once it got down to the temp I set, it shut off and now only runs about a couple of minutes an hour.

The way it works is simple, this is an external thermometer, you place the probe (that copper colored thing) into the freezer box, I placed mine about a foot from the bottom. Next you plug the freezer into the external thermometer, then you plug the thermometer to your power supply, set the temperature of the thermometer and you are good to go. I originally set it on 40F, then later dropped it down to 35F, I have used a point and shoot laser thermometer to test the inside temps of the freezer once it reached my set temp, and it is pretty accurate. Be careful with the probe, it can get kinked, carefully unwind it and place it inside your freezer box, some chest freezers have a drain hole in the bottom, you can run the probe through that, mine didn't have a drain hole so I just ran it in the back through the door opening, the copper wire is small and doesn't interfere with the door closing.

This works great for us, I decided on the non-digital thermometer because typically digital items don't like being hooked up to modified sine wave inverters (though this setup might not be a problem, it's digital timers that really have trouble), and it wouldn't take any extra power or need a separate battery in the unit, I set it on 35 degrees F and it works like a charm. There have been a couple of nights when we didn't have much power (several cloudy days in a row), our system ran low on power and we had to shut it down for the night, the freezer box kept the food plenty cold enough overnight, the next day when the sun came up, we turned it back on and had no problems.

Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:

1. It works great, the unit runs for a few minutes each hour. My dorm-sized cube refrigerator would run for 5-10 minutes every half hour (+/-), more often if I opened the door...

2. It's efficient, since it's a chest type freezer, when I open the lid, the cold air stays inside the box, and being a "freezer" it's much more insulated, think about grocery stores with their open freezer and refrigerated chests, cold air sinks and even without a lid, the food stays cold.

3. It doesn't take up much room, that's important when you live in a small sky castle...

Cons:

1. Being a chest type freezer, opening from the top, it is more of a challenge to store food inside, no shelves, I use plastic baskets, 2 medium sized stacked together and 2 smaller ones stacked together for the bottom of the unit. I just have to get creative about how I put my food in the box.

2. Another drawback to opening at the top, you can't stack anything on top of the unit, at least not for any length of time, you will have to move anything on top before you can open the lid. I placed a table next to the freezer that is the same height, that way I have somewhere to put things that I am placing in and removing from the freezer.

3. Condensation, these freezers do create condensation on the inside, so from time to time I have to take everything out and wipe it dry. I tried keeping towels in the bottom, but that was a mistake, the towels make a great substrate for growing mold and that smells horrible, so no more towels, I just wipe it out once a week or so... I also try to remember to wipe the sides when I'm getting something out of the fridge.

Wretha

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I bought this to control the temp of my mini-fridge that I use to lager beer in. Basically you plug this unit into the wall and plug your fridge's power plug into it. The thermostat probe is placed inside the fridge and basically shuts off the power to the unit when a certain temp is reached. Because of the way this unit works, you have to set your fridge to the coldest setting. This unit would also be great to turn a deep freezer into a fridge.

Keep in mind if your fridge isn't capable of getting to the temp you set then it will run all the time and possibly damage the compressor on your fridge. Also keep in mind the probe placement is important. If you put the probe in the fridge next to where the cold air blows into the compartment, its going to kick off the fridge before the entire compartment has reached the right temp.

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This thermostat control is very easy to use. You just plug your refridgeration device of choice in -I am using a small wine refrigerator that I am using for aging hard cheese that I make -and set the desired temp on the dial. I have a digital thermometer monitoring the temp inside, and the temp stays just where I want it, within 3 degrees of the set temp. This control unit seemed to have the best price point when I was looking for this product.

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I'm not using this for home brewing, but to use a chest freezer as my regular household refrigerator. It's much more energy efficient, partly because the cold air stays in place when you open it, and partly because it's better insulated. Until manufacturers start making home refrigerators in the chest configuration, the best you can do is trick a freezer into operating at higher temperatures. This product does the job. I stuck the outdoor sensor of my digital thermometer inside to check the temperature, and the dial was right on, with maybe three degrees of fluctuation each way.

If you use a chest freezer as your main refrigerator, be sure to get one with lots of baskets! Another issue is condensation. Upright fridges typically catch the water and drop it into an evaporation pan. Freezers don't have this, but they do have a drain hole. I keep the drain hole open all the time and stick a rag where the water comes out, and then use the rag to clean the floor.

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Saturday, November 8, 2014

Reviews of Metal Fan Heater with Thermostat

Metal Fan Heater with Thermostat
Customer Ratings: 2.5 stars
List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $36.97
Today's Bonus: 26% Off
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This is a great heater if you are a hands on like to fix it to save money like me. Most people throw these heaters away if the caution light comes on thinking its no good anymore. BAD IDEA i just took a vacuum and cleaned the heater out and then under the thermostat control there is a spring that you have to press in on and move the resistor back in its original position. You will hear a *click* that tells you its reset. However if you dont know what you are doing DO NOT TAKE THE HEATER APART. Call customer service. Easx fix for me and a good heater.

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The heater works fine for an occasional "I need to heat a very small space quickly" situation. We bought a pair of them to heat our living room (the only room in the house without forced air heat) for the few hours we were in that room. We would alternate using one on one day and then the other one. They had enough power to do the job. However, after about 4-6 weeks of operation, inevitably one of the two would stop working (the caution light would come on and the fan and heater would stop running). We've replaced 3-4 of them since November.

Bottom line: Good heat production. Completely unreliable for anything other than brief, occasional use.

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So... I've wavered on this for months. Finally, I decided to see if I could really lay it all to rest. It just doesn't seem that good. So tonight I was cold. I had it on a table top, and I hugged it. I mean... I HUGGED it... I wrapped me and my jacket all around it, touching the face to my body. Then I held my hand ON the face. At 1300w it was easy to do. At 1500w I could hold it there for about a minute before it started to get uncomfortable. I decided to call their support #. They say on their manual in big letters: ATTENTION IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS OR QUESTIONS, EMAIL OR CALL ... BEFORE (underlined) YOU RETURN THIS PRODUCT TO THE STORE WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. I called the 800 #. I quickly reached a pleasant voice who immediately put me on hold. I finally hung up and called back. I reached the same voice. She asked if I wanted support. I said I did. She told me to give her some info and support will call me back in typically 24-48 hours. This is a joke, right? Oh no, she said. OK. I'm done. Back to Freddie's we go.

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Thursday, October 2, 2014

Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats Reviews

Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $39.95
Sale Price: $34.12
Today's Bonus: 15% Off
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Works like a charm.

Connect the Heat Mat monitor's power cord into the wall, then connect the seedling heat mat's power cord into the monitor.

To set the degrees is very easy. Hold down the button "SET" until the numbers are blinking. Then using the up and down arrows, set the desired temperature then press the "SET" button again to stop the blinking. Also press down the "UP" button for 6 seconds for readings in Fahrenheit or hold down the "DOWN" button for 6 seconds for readings in Celsius.

There is a little wire with a plastic white tip that hangs from the monitor.

Push the white part into the soil for temperature reading.(Once temperature is set, do not be alarmed when your heat mat reaches its maximum temperature you set it to then the Heat Mat monitor temperature will go up and down 3 degrees to prevent over heating)

This is very helpful for starting seeds.

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I am using this mat to keep a constant temperature on my Kombucha brew. Using a standard heating pad, this theromstat does the job. I'm very pleased with it. I can keep the temperature at 79 degrees and not have to have a heating pad constantly on. Keep the suction cup clean so it doesn't pop off the glass and a thermometer handy to monitor the temperature.

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Just like a few other reviewers on here, I bought these for my under tank heaters on my two python tanks. They are very, very effective at regulating the temperatures accurately. I compare the temps on this product with my digital thermometers and they work great.

A few things some people would like to know:

These are set it and forget it thermostats. You put in the maximum temp (i.e, 90 or 92) degrees and this thermostat will automatically kick on if the temp gets 2 degrees less (88 or 90 degrees respectively). This means you are not going to get too much variation in the warm spot hide which is a great thing but you CAN NOT change this variance. I don't see a real reason you need to though.

The probe cables are perfect length and since they are designed for soil applications, they can be buried in substrate. They also have a suction cup if you need to monitor ambient air instead.

TIP: Though some people say you should bury the probe and it should make have DIRECT contact with the UTH, I tried this out and I didn't like it. I am more concerned with the overall micro-climate in the hide or on the surface of the substrate so I just let it lay level with the substrate. That way, if the snake is colder than usual, they will coil in the hide and will give the thermostats a reading that is cooler than the actual temperature. This means the UTH will kick on a little longer than normal and warm the snake back up to a nice temperature.

These thermostats are very heavy duty and can handle a large electrical load (1000 watts). Since most undertank heaters are 24 watts or less, you can definitely use this stat with multiple tank heaters. It has a three-prong connector on it and heavy-duty power cords/connectors.

There isn't a reason you can't use this with visible light heaters but I would imagine it would be annoying to have the constant on/off. Use it with ceramic heaters or heat tamp instead. For the visible light heaters, use a dimmer or proportional thermostat. The same goes for incubators. Get a proportional thermostat for your incub.

PS. Gave it 4/5 stars because it's not a proportional thermostat, but for the money you know what you're getting! Definitely recommend!!!

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This was just what I needed to keep my seed soil at a proper warmth to promote growth. When used in conhuction of a seedling heating pad, it makes growing from seeds a snap. It was easily set-up and easy to adjust as I added different types of seeds. It kept the seeding tray at a constant 81-86 degrees until my peppers had sprouted. Later it kept it at around 75 degrees. The click it makes when coming on and turning off is quiet and no disturbing to the conversation.

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This thermostat works great and turned a poor farmer like me into a succesful grower so far. I set the thermostat 2oF above what I wanted it and when the temp drops to where I want it, it kicks the heat mat in to keep seedlings at or 2oF above my temp range desired. VERY easy to set and use and can be set at any temp a plant seed would like to sprout at. :D

I would reccomend this thermometer to anyone that wants to sprout seeds. Your mat will not overheat your seeds this way and you don't have to sit and monitor your seeds all day and night... just set and forget. ;)

By the way you should see how many seeds I sprouted on my first attempt useing this thing... gonna have a HUGE garden full of alll kinds of herbs... Parsley, Oregano, Tomatos, Cilantro, Asperagus, etc. I have tons of seeds my first time out sprouting and growing at an incredible rate now. :D

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Thursday, April 10, 2014

Review of SoleusAir 8,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner , # SG-WAC-08ESE-C

SoleusAir  8,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner , # SG-WAC-08ESE-C
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $384.00
Sale Price: $259.99
Today's Bonus: 32% Off
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Overall, I am happy with this air conditioner. It does a good job of cooling my entire 1Bdr apartment (which is about 500 sq. feet). You can set the temperature and set it to Energy Saving mode and it will turn itself on and off as needed. Very nice indeed.

A/C is fairly loud, but not as loud as Kenmore 8000 BTU it has replaced. It doesn't wake me up at night when operating on energy save/low fan setting, so it's tolerable.

Controls are a little bit confusing at first and you should really read the manual to figure out exactly how each mode works. The remote is also a bit of a letdown as it seems to work half the time.

Pros:

Star Energy Certified

Maintains Set Temperature

Cools 1Bdr Apartment

Price

Cons:

Fairly Loud

Confusing Controls

Temperature Display in Fahrenheit Only

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I bought this unit for a couple reasons:

For back up air to use with my LP generator in a pwr outage (should pull 740 watts on the generator)

To help cool my bedroom so I can sleep in this heat! I work midnights and my central air is not keeping my bedroom cool enough for me to sleep during the heat of the day. Plus the backgound noise will be a nice sleep machine...

I'm a single female in my mid 50's, and I was able to install this unit by myself in approx. 30 minutes. Granted, I read the instructions ahead of time (downloaded the manual off internet), and had a good plan on how to do it correctly. I'm fairly intelligent & have good common sense and am used to doing things myself, so this might of helped too. My house is only 10yrs old, so no special circumstances to deal with like with a trailer, storm windows, or older home issues. It pretty much just slipped right in like the instructions said. It was a little heavy (50#), but I managed. It naturally tilted downwards (outside) at a proper angle for drainage and I was able to verify this with a level showing 1/3 bubble, as described in the instructions. The only weird thing was I was able to screw the top of the unit & top of the side panels into the bottom of the window, but the way my window frame is, the unit doesn't sit flat on the sill, there is a lip that coveres the bottom of the window, so I cannot screw the bottom of the panels in (holes at wrong angle on bottom of side panels like an "L" shape"). I need to cut a 1x2 piece of board and screw it to the sill, so I can screw the bottom of the side panels down tight. I'll get the that this weekend....as of now, I was able to tuck the side panels into the frame of the window and it is tight enough until I get to it. I cut some memory foam I had left over, and insulated the side panels and it is pretty air tight at this point.

I only use half the house (mstr bed & bath, Kitchen & living room) the rest of the house is guest room, bath & office I rarely use. The central air thermostat is back by the guest bedroom, and set this small unit to 77 in energy-saving mode, and it is keeping my part of the house nice and comfy! The remote control is set to the "I Feel" mode and I set the remote on shelf by my head in the bed, so the unit goes by the temp where the remote is (& my head), not the where the unit is, this is an awesome and clever option that I LOVE! In the energy saving mode, the unit turns on and off as needed. It is quiet enough that it does not wake me while I'm sleeping (this surprised me!), I can easily adjust the temp (if needed) while lying in bed by simply hitting the or + button on the remote contol.

This is one of the smallest 8k units I've seen, so it's easy to move around if needed.

Con's, and it's not a huge deal...is the filter is okay. It's kind of a nylon filter in a plastic frame, that you can take out and vacumme or wash. So I'm going to cut a thin foam "prefilter to put in front of it, to help cut down on dust to keep the air a little cleaner, and the inside of the unit a little cleaner too. The unit does have a "check filter" light on it to remind you to check the filter every month...so that's nice. Also, there is a lot of light that comes thru the vent the air blows thru...and also shows thru the side panels...I don't think it's an opening to the outside, just reflective light. As a day sleeper this was problematic. I like it dark & cold to sleep deep. I cut pieces of memory foam to cover side panels, and then ended up covering the window (and memory foam) with aluminum foil to block out that light. I could not do anything about the vent light (don't want to block the cold air vent). So I guess I'll have to get an eye mask.

I will update this review if I run into any issues with the unit, but it's looking and acting good so far. One of the best things I've purchased on line, and of course... shipping and service was awesome (as usual)!

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Bought Unit about 6 weeks ago.

It comfortably cools a 12x20 room that does not close off from other rooms

Runs on standard 15 amp circuits.

This is the only company I could find with a unit that actually shuts off the fan when cooling temperature is reached. It's nice not to have the fan running constantly when the unit is on.

With energy saver the fan also slows when within a degree or two of set temperature, and then shuts down when set temperature is reached.

Fan on high circulates more cold air than our old old 12,000 btu unit

Noise is average, not too bad. Quieter than our old units.

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Bought this unit at our local Menard's. Got the unit unpacked and installed in less than an hour. It is a very good air conditioner it blows out ice cold air anytime the compressor is running, and does a great job of air recirculation when the temperature is satisfied and just the fan is running. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat with no hesitation but if you're going to use this in a bedroom, there are a couple of things you light sleepers need to keep in mind....

This unit is LOUD. Even on the lowest fan settings, this unit is going to keep light sleepers awake for a while until they get used to the noise. Soleus got the EER up so high on this unit by using an oversized condenser and shoving lots and lots of air through it. The result is a loud noisy fan moving lots of air around, which creates lots of motor noise.

2 more drawbacks to this unit they used transparent white styrofoam to separate the evaporator ductwork from the outside, which lets lots and lots of outdoor light thru into the room you're using this unit in. If that wasn't enough, the LED's on the control panel are REALLY BRIGHT and in a dark room, it really lights things up. So, expect this to be a source of significant light if you need a completely dark room to sleep in.

The remote is weird, as are the controls on the unit. The other reviews have it right read the manual before you use this unit you'll be much better off.

So, it's noisy and lights up the room, but it is a great air conditioner. Time will tell if it's reliable.

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I like this unit a lot. The remote works great, and it doesnt vibrate. However, after about two years the blower motor is starting to howl, meaning a bad bearing. I have called the technical support line repeatedly and have emailed. All I want is a replacement motor.

First the support number is only open 9 to 6 pm Pacific time. As soon as you enter #4 for their consumer division, you are immediately sent to voicemail. I left a message, and of course no call back. Emails seem to be facing a similar fate.

If you buy this unit, use it lightly because you will not be able to find anyone to assist if it fails. Go with a Frigidaire or something where you can get parts.

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Thursday, March 13, 2014

Reviews of KRUPS EA8250001 Espresseria Full Automatic Espresso Machine

KRUPS EA8250001 Espresseria Full Automatic Espresso Machine with Built-in Conical Burr Grinder, Black
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $1,200.00
Sale Price: $699.99
Today's Bonus: 42% Off
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I just received this Krups Espresseria automatic machine. I have a Jura ENA 4 at my work so I will try to make some comparisons to them. The Jura is about the same price and they both have very similar features. I was so excited when I found out I would be receiving this Krups machine so that I can make my cappuccino at home too! I am a coffee fool so I make alot. With winter coming up this will be well used. Ok I have been using the Jura for some time at my work and it has been a very nice machine and is easy to setup, clean, and use. The Krups is no exception here as it is very easy to setup. Just fill the water container, bean hopper, set language, ML or OZ for liquid measurement, water hardness and ready to go. I use beans I buy here on Amazon. They are eight Oclock brand 50 % decaf. I chose the fine grind setting and brewed my first Cappuccio in less than a minute and the froth was superb. The coffee taste and strength is every bit as good as the Jura maybe alittle stronger with the Krups. I like that the machine is fully programable for different fill levels of coffee. You can fill one or two cups at a time. The nozzle height can be adjusted for taller cups but will not accommodate tall cups without sliding the drip tray out. The Jura can accommodate tall glasses no problem. The steam wand worked very well with no mess and produced a very nice froth and is fully adjustable for many positions. I really liked the spill tray as it has a float in it that rises to let you know when it is full. The Jura does not have this. Both machines come with a water filter to help reduce the bad flavors and reduce machine descaling frequency. The both come with a starter pack of cleaning tablets. As with any coffee espresso machine it will need cleaning to keep the flavor and machine working properly. It looks like the Krups requires less frequent cleaning. Both the frothing nozzles need cleaning frequently. All in all this is a very nice machine that will see alot of use. Oh yeah I was kind of surprised when I opened the box and noticed a small amount of coffee grinds in the machine. I called Krups customer service and was promptly advised that the machines grinders are tested during the assembly. I found no mention of this in the owners info so I was surprised but it is very nice to know that the machines are quality tested before shipping them out. Oh I should note that Jura does mention in there instructions that small traces of coffee grinds may be found in there machines for the same reason. Well I will try to make some comparisons now.

The Krups you can only use whole beans and no preground coffee.

The Jura has a bypass doser that allows you to use preground coffee.

The Jura does not come with a milk container and must be bought separately for about 80-100 dollars.

The Krups does come with its own stainless steel milk container even though it is not mentioned or shown in any of the pictures. I was really hoping it did come with it. Yeah!!

The Krups is made in France and not Mexico or China.

The Jura has a removable bean container.

The Krups does not have a removable bean container so no quick swapout of beans. Must run them all trough machine.

They both hold about the same amount of old grind cakes at 14.

The Jura needs to be cleaned every 180 cycles.

The Krups needs to be cleaned every 360 cycles. Big plus here!

The Jura takes about 44 minutes on the cleaning cycle.

The Krups take about 22 minutes on the cleaning cycle.

Both have an energy saving mode that is programable.

Both can be changed from ML to Oz for fluid measurement.

Both Krups and Jura come with a 2 year or 6000 cup warranty.

My likes about the Krups are slightly stronger coffee than the Jura.

Less frequent cleaning demands with the Krups.

Krups comes with its own Stainless milk container so you can fill it and put back in fridge when not using. The Jura you must purchase the milk container for 8-100 dollars.

Krups has a drip tray float to remind you when it needs cleaning out.

The Krups costumer service department was very quick and responsive when I called them. Oh yeah and they were all American so I could understand them.

The Krups has a better look for a home than does the Jura in my opinion.

I like being able to see how full the bean container is on the Krups without looking down in it unlike the Jura.

My dislikes abouth the Krups are no removable bean container. So when you want to change coffee beans to another brand you must cycle them through where as the Jura you can remove the bean container and empty it out.

Cannot use preground coffee as an option where as you can on the Jura.

The Krups nozzle does not raise as high as I would like to accommodate taller cups but can if you slide the drip tray out first.

So bottom line would I recommend the Krups Espresseria machine??? Yes I defiantly would!!!

UPDATE:

Ok so I have been using it for some time now and love it more than ever!! My wife too!! When just making a good old fashioned coffee the creama is so rich and yummy. I love it. I am still experimenting with all the minor adjustments you can make to custom tailor it but so far I like the grind set on very fine for a very robust flavor but not bitter at all. I am also loving the included milk container for the milk froth. It is very nice to be able to just fill it, use it, then put back in the fridge when done. Jura makes you pay extra for there milk container so nice job Krups!! Well just wanted to give an update as to how things are going here. Thanks

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program We're a 2-3 cup a day coffee household. This doesn't include all of the weekly trips to the coffee shop while at work for more specialized drinks. Prior to getting this espresso maker we simply brewed flavored coffee at home with cheap and disposable coffee makers. We were of course overjoyed to welcome the Krups EA8250001 Espresseria Full Automatic Espresso and coffee Machine into our kitchen. Here are my thoughts;

Pros

+ All in one unit. Stores, grinds, brews and disposes of your coffee. No outside water lines needed.

+ Stainless Steel milk frothing bottle provided. Very nice!

+ Auto clean/rinse cycle. Only needs complete cleaning once every 360 cycles!

+ Modern and sleek black look. Also, very compact in size for an espresso machine.

+ Easy to use digital interface and quick set up.

+ Water proof service guide stored inside a side slot of the machine.

+ Steamer nozzle also dispenses hot water for tea/hot chocolate drinkers.

+ Extremely quick brew time. Less than 2 minutes.

+ Energy efficient and has an auto-off timer.

+ Made in France (not Taiwan or China like many products today).

+ 2 year or 6,000 cup warrantee.

+ Machine alerts you on all cleaning/replacement functions.

+ Tool provided for easy installation of the unit's water filter. Especially useful if you have larger hands.

Cons

Incredibly expensive.

Milk frothing bottle and attachments are a bit cumbersome to use and clean.

Water filters are $18-20 each and need to be replaced every two months.

Unable to use flavored or pre-ground coffee. There's no bypass chamber to change beans. Once your coffee is in the machine it's in there until you use it.

Frother is rather rigid and has limited flexibility. It's also difficult to use on a countertop, especially with larger mugs. You need to have it on the counter edge to even get a larger cup out.

Can be rather noisey, especially early in the morning. Water tank can rattle quite a bit when brewing the coffee.

Clock display doesn't stay on when you're not using the machine.

Water dispenser tray platform is a bit small and while the coffee nozzles do raise, it's not really enough for larger coffee mugs.

Some crucial pieces of the machine are plastic (coffee nozzles, parts of the frother etc.). I would prefer them to be metal as the plastic feels like it could crack from the heat.

The Krups EA8250001 Espresseria Full Automatic Espresso and coffee Machine is something most people would never buy but would love to receive it as a gift. I'm sure there are many of these machines on wedding registries from couples with crossed fingers. For the price this machine should definitely be considered an investment. Spending this much on an espresso machine is difficult to justify. However, if you can afford the purchase price it definitely does what it's supposed to. I can absolutely say that I'm the envy of all my coffee drinking coworkers and friends. I know our household will get many years of use out of it.

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This could seriously be the best thing I have ever purchased. It is expensive, but man, it is great to wake up and push 3 different buttons a total of 5 different times and have an excellent cup of cappuccino. It could not be easier. Set up is a breeze. The machine tells you when you need water or a new filter. You can see the coffee beans. There is no mess to clean up. When it is time to empty the spent grounds (about every 10-15 cups) a message comes on, you pull out a side drawer, dump it in the trash, empty and rinse the water tray and ... voila.

We bought this assuming that it would not replace our regular drip coffee maker. But we completely stopped using the coffee maker and instead have cappuccino or cafe creme every day. The automatic cappuccino foamer is really quite clever and easy to clean. We have found that you need milk fat to make a decent foam so use whole milk or add a little 1/2 n 1/2 to whatever reduced fat milk you use and it will make a good foam. It takes a few experiments to see how long you need to let the steam run to get the right amount of milk foam to mix with the strong espresso. We have finally landed on 15 seconds. The machine always comes back to whatever setting you used last, so once you get a setting you like you can pretty much just push a few buttons and your coffee is ready in less than 2 minutes from the time you power up the machine.

It pays to experiment with beans also. We use a mix of 1/2 decaf cafe Britt which is nice and dark and adds an earthy flavor, and 1/2 regular caf Lavazza Super Crema because that seemed to be a consensus good espresso bean. The Lavazza is a medium roast. So now we have the coffee we like, and cappuccinos better than any we can get in a restaurant or coffee shop (always way way too much milk). I am confident we would never use a manual machine. My hats off to people who do. If you are like me and want a great espresso, cappuccino or cafe noisette every day, you will love this machine

Honest reviews on KRUPS EA8250001 Espresseria Full Automatic Espresso Machine

This is the best super automatic espresso machine out there based on my own, super-nerdy formula: "(rich flavor * ease of use) / cost." Dorky, yes, but you're talking to someone who came up with decisionking.com and previously has used a one-touch Tassimo machine in USA, one-touch Philips machine in Spain, and a few other cheap espresso machines including the manual kind. I am a resident of Spain and a US citizen, so I appreciate a good european style "cafe con leche."

The advantages of this Krups machine are that: 1) it's the most compact machine, 2) it's very simple to operate 3) it has the lowest cost of the different super automatic brands (as of 10-26-2011), 4) and it can use oily beans unlike the other different brands of machines. 5) Also, it runs the longest between cleaning cycles (360 cycles) compared to the other brands. The resulting coffee is, of course, rich and smooth and full of flavor. That being said, it is important to note that coffee flavor seems to be more related to the quality/freshness of coffee beans used rather than the machine itself.

The disadvantages of this Krups machine are its high cost (relative to my cheap coffee machines before) and no bypass doser. But both of these disadvantages are minimal especially when you compare the Krups cost to the other super automatic espresso machines. On the other hand, a bypass doser is important for that quick decaf, one would want to make for late night after dinner.

Bottom line is: I'd give this device 4.5 stars since it does not have the bypass doser. But if you want an easy to use, minimal maintenance, one-touch espresso machine, that is compact and costs the least of the super automatics then I think this Krups is the machine you want to invest in.

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So, I've had this machine for about a month now, and I'll echo much of what others have said: it makes an awesome cup of espresso (especially if you've got good quality espresso roasted beans, but that goes without saying). The fully automatic nature of the machine makes it a dream to easily get a good cup of coffee, and I'm fiendishly excited that I can reduce my outlays to Starbucks.

The one "complaint" that I had about the machine was that the auto milk attachment didn't get hot enough (i.e. it got up to around 110 degrees F), so I started nuking my coffee to get it to a good "americanized" coffee temperature. But, I found a solution: when you hit the steam button and the milks starts pouring into your cup, pinch the plastic tube so that it sputters--this will allow more steam to get into the mix, thereby heating up the milk more. The result? Milk that gets to about 140 degrees F!! Perfect stuff. Also, BTW--I've successfully used almond milk from the start, so if you want to go healthy and tasty, then you have a good non-dairy, non-soy option. Cheers and enjoy!

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Thursday, February 13, 2014

Reviews of Whynter 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner with Heater

Whynter 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner with Heater
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $679.99
Sale Price: $548.49
Today's Bonus: 19% Off
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I have a home office in an attic that's sun-baked in the summer and drafty in the winter, and this powerful heater/air conditioner can quickly bring the space to a comfortable temperature year-round.

Unfortunately, the unit is quite loud. The AC fan (which runs continuously even when the compressor is off) is so loud I have to turn it off when making a phone call. And the heater (which turns off completely when not in a heating cycle) makes such a jarring noise when it comes on that I jump out of my seat every time. Since the AC noise is more constant, it wouldn't be a problem if it were further from my desk, but if I had this in a bedroom there's no way I'd be able to sleep with that heater noise. (Update: after using this for a year, I rarely notice the sound of the heater turning on in my office setting.)

Also, despite the unit being marketed as not needing a water tank or drain for air conditioning, it does occasionally leak water onto the floor. Placing a cookie sheet or an improvised aluminum foil pan underneath is an easy solution, but it took me a while to notice what was happening.

Despite these concerns, I'd buy the same unit again due to its environmental features. The dual-hose design makes it more efficient, and the coolant doesn't harm the ozone layer. Unless the noise would be a problem in your situation, I'd recommend it.

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I live in San Jose, California and we tend to have a few periods of warm weather (90 degrees and above). I purchased this unit to replace the other AC I had in my living room/kitchen area. This AC is put together very well (I'm girl challenged when it comes to DIY projects). In the past I had AC's where the hoses didn't fit right and here comes the duct tape. This one I didn't need to use any duct tape! Everything fit it perfectly, you can tug and pull on the hoses and their not coming out of their socket. My window size is larger than normal so I had to purchase the extended window kit, which I found on Amazon. The AC has a nice sleek look, kinda looks like a computer server :)

I turned the AC on and it was a breath of fresh air. Within 40 minutes my whole living room and kitchen were cool, at about 74 degrees when it was about 85 degrees outside. Amazing! My other AC unit would only slightly cool the living room and the heat/exhaust coming from the back end of the unit would sometimes interfere with the cooling capabilities of the machine. Not this one! The back side of it isn't extremely hot to the touch and same with the hoses, meaning the machine is running very efficiently. I even had the oven on and it didn't phase this machine. I actually had to turn it the fan lower because I started to get cold.

Others mentioned that it is noisy. I didn't notice the sound too much, but then again the sound of a fan is soothing to me.

The manufacturer did a fantastic job of packaging this machine and UPS did a great job of ensuring the product got safely to my house. The unit is heavy, but it has wheels and glides easily around my hardwood floors. I'm a very happy customer! I would definitely recommend this AC to anyone.

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This has been a very hot summer and I was going to be scared to look at the next electric bill........man I was very surprised it only went up $30.00 and this cooler was ran from 7am to 9pm every day! Rated up to 500 sf but it hold it own in keeping a larger area fairly cool, upper 70's but a lot better then the 110+ out side and the 90+ was the coolest that the swamp cooler could do during the day in my elderly fathers home. Very easy to operate as my father does not do electronics or computers very well. There will be a extra bonus now that this has a heater on it for the winter will be able to get rid of the small costly space heaters that he likes to use. This is a great buy for your money.

Honest reviews on Whynter 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner with Heater

I got this in the mail after doing research for a week straight. I think I know everything there is to know about every type of AC out there. I bought a new house with no AC and its been 90+ since we moved in. AC was priority #1 which is why I spent so long researching. 4-5 hours a day reading anything any everying related.

The issue I have is my whole first floor is one open layout with 25ft vaulted ceilings. 15x25 living room attached to a 15x15 kitchen with a WIDE opening between the two so the AC Had to do both of those rooms and the Height I thought would be a problem given the ceilings were soooo high. Add those two plus a little walkway and open stair case and were talking about 1200 sq ft plus the high ceilings.

Soooo.. I got it in the mail last night and waited 4 hours to plug in as the manual says you should do incase the shipped put it on its side. If they handle it wrong and you plus it right in you will damage the product for good. Setup pipes vertically and used carboard to jimmy rig the extra length I didnt have in the window kit.Ill fix this permanently later. Read the manual and turned it on... Disappointment ... I felt the temp coming out and the speed and thought there was NO way this was going to cool this whole area.

Cleaned up the boxes and said to my wife this thing gets one chance over night. If it doesnt work I am returning it the next day. It was on for two hours while I cleaned up and ate dinner and felt no change so I was really expecting it to now work. I locked up the house. closed all the doors , windows, any thing that would seal the room as much as possible and went up stairs to bed. Again couldnt be more disappointed and upset at this point thinking im an idiot and should have listened to negative reviews.

Woke up this morning and opened my door which is 25 feet up looking down on the living room and a gust of 60-65 degree air hit me in the face... I was shocked it cooled that high up with no other fans helping. Walked down stairs and my place was freezing when it was 85 when I went to bed. Not only that but not one drop of water in the tank so it evaporated it all. Now overnight the temps cooled which helped and the sun will wreak havoc today so I too the intake hose and unhooked it so it would be pulling in cold air from inside the house and cooling it rather than cooling the hot air outside and making it work over time. When I get home today I think the place will be nice and cool even after the sun came out because the house is sealed up and the unit is pulling 65 degreed air from inside the house and spitting it out freezing cold into an already conditioned room. Had I left the intake out I think it wouldn't cool as well during the day pulling 95 degree air.

Long story short, be patient and let the unit catch up with itself and the temps. Dont judge it.My room couldn't have been any worse for this thing to cool and it did its job like a champ. Also use the intake hose properly. Its not ALWAYS good to have it pull air from outside. Sometimes you can optimize the performance by adjusting what air the unit conditions. Right now its pulling inside air but when I go home and sun goes goes and temps get better out side ill put the intake hose back on . Hope this helps.

Im going to try and post a photo of my living room from the bedroom 25 ft up so buyers can see what this thing was capable of.

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This is a great product. I installed this at the mothers home. It is cooling a little over 500sq ft. It is doing a great job. I have seen other reviews stating that this product is loud. I found that not to be the case at all. It is very quiet. I purched this one due to the fact that it has the heater function as well. This is a great product...

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