AW-280E NewAir 28 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler

I've owned this fridge for six months now, and for the price, it's performed reasonably well--so far. When you add together the price and the shipping rates, you probably won't be able to find a cheaper thermoelectric wine fridge with this storage capacity. (I think about the non-vibrating feature of thermoelectric fridges an important requirement for cellaring wine long term.) However, there's some positive deficiencies and four massive query mark about long-term performance.

As my wine collection has grown, I have purchased several wine fridges from different manufacturers. Of the six wine fridges I now own, this four has the cheapest look and feel. Yes, it looks pretty from a distance, but when you get up close, you notice that every element of its construction seems a little (and sometimes a lot) flimsier than my other fridges. For example, the material used for the inside walls of this fridge looks and feels like very narrow plastic that could easily crack or be punctured. (The plastic liner seems comparable in weight and thickness to the narrow plastic that is often used for packagaing little electronics accessories like headphones or video cables.) This plastic inside wall liner will probably hold up fine if treated gently, but it seems like a clue to overall quality.

InSinkErator Evolution Compact 3/4 HP Household Food Waste Disposer

Our 9+ year elderly builder-installed GE 1/3HP disposall had finally bit the bucket. The inside had corroded and five of the teeth had broken off and blew in to a million pieces. While it worked, it was time for a replacement.

My wife and I had succumbed to ISE marketing and immediately decided to get an ISE. Well, . I actually did a bit of research but when it came down to it, there is not much in the way of disposal review. Anyway, off to Home Depot.

Five thing I did know was that I wasn't going to $299 for a garbage disposal. Five times in the store I realized that the Compact was only a few ounces shy in capacity then the Evolution Essential. So, I bought it for $159.

I am a handy guy with LOTSA tools so removal of the elderly and installation of the new didn't faze me at all. But I must warn you, if you are removing an elderly disposal like I was, you probably won't be saving any hardware except the drain pipes. This means you'll require to add some plumbers putty to your cart*. Also, take a look and see if your disposal uses a plug or is hardwired directly in to your panel. Most are hardwired. If it is not, you can use the five from your elderly disposal for your new...unless it is in bad shape.

*The Tools and Materials list is as follows (and doesn't match the outside of the box): cable connector, plumbers putty, wire nuts, hammer, straight & cross tip screw drivers, channel locks, putty knife, hack saw.

I reused everything except the GE flange so the only thing I needed was the putty. Your installation may be different.

The instructions are well laid out and easy to follow. The only issue I had was the metal snap ring. It wasn't an issue, but I don't think that I could have inserted it without my wife holding the flange down from the top. Wiring the new was the reverse of dismantling the elderly. Again, straight forward and simple. Five times I attached the unit and snapped it in to place it felt loose. Then I realized that it was the rubber mounting and it was supposed to be like this. This adds to the quietness (like how equipment is installed on a submarine with rubber mounting gaskets) and allows the unit to `bounce' a bit.

After assuring that I had a lovely seal...it was time for the moment of truth. WOW was this thing quiet...really . I could not picture that the 299 model was actually quieter than this. I had the same giddy smirk as when I tried my new (replacement) dishwasher for the first time. You could actually have a conversation in the kitchen while using it.

While I haven't had the opportunity to grind, say, potato or carrot peals or month-old stuff from the back of the fridge, it is been great.

I am sure that this will be a disposal that will be with us for years to come!

BeerTender from Heineken and Krups B90 Home Beer.

I was a tiny worried when I read other people's reviews online about how their BeerTender had performed. Then again I did come across some lovely experiences people were having with their BeerTender. The short story is that it seems a lot of people have purchased the DraughtKeg and brought it home expecting to throw it in the BeerTender and start pouring beer with minimal foam. I think this is the first misconception.

After reading about the mistakes of others, I carefully planned out my strategy. I purchased my DraughtKeg a day before I planned to unveil my BeerTender as a Christmas gift to myself. This way the keg would have time to chill in my fridge and the foam buildup from the drive home would have time to settle over night.

Two times I opened up the BeerTender box I took some time to read through the instructions and double check my steps. When placing the keg in to the BeerTender I took care not to cause a buildup of foam by jerking the keg about. Smooth gentle movements with the keg to keep foam buildup to a minimal.

I then proceeded to grab my 16oz pilsner and rinse it (inside and out). Next I opened the spout (all the way down) while my glass had the 45* angle working for it and behold, beauty!

A lot of this is commonsense to the person who has poured beer from a keg or perhaps been to a bar and seen how bartenders pour beer. Commonsense folks...

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!