Best Soleus Air SG-WAC-25HCE Window Air Conditioner with Heater, 24,500 Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $779.99
Sale Price: $776.20
Today's Bonus: $3.79 Off

I installed this unit four weeks ago for the first time, I had ordered it late last year trying to get an apartment ready for my daughter. Installation per the instructions went very well and the unit began to cool the 750sqft apartment quite well in the Economy mode.

In less than two weeks, the unit quit working. The fan will blow however the compressor will not kick in or cool. I have had the wiring checked by an electrician and know there is no problem with the power to the unit. I am now faced with shipping this 120 pound item back to the factory at a cost of in excess of $150 if I want to have any warranty consideration. Not something I had hoped I would need to do with less than a month of use.

What has happened to quality with product today?

Update, 8 months later.

The factory sent me a brand new unit after I returned only the plug. It has performed well since that time thru the entire summer in Dallas Texas with temps in excess of 100 for several days. So far this winter the heater portion of the unit has worked equally well.

Based upon the new unit, I would increase my rating to at least 4 stars.

Thank you.

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I can't stand Soleus products. Get you a G.E. or Frigidare. Stay away from this company! I have had 3 products from them and all of them have failed within a year or two.

Review of BISSELL Lift-Off Full Sized Carpet Cleaner, 94Y2

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $349.99
Sale Price: $265.82
Today's Bonus: 24% Off

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program We have pets and children, so we've had a few Bissell "Spot Bots" and carpet shampooers in the past. We've also had opportunity to rent machines from retail stores and have used professional carpet cleaning services a few times. The "Spot Bot" and Bissell Pro-Heat that we've used most extensively, worked well, but we looked forward to the opportunity to try this system because something that combined the portability of Spot Bot, with the power of the Pro-Heat seemed ideal.

Our expectations were pretty high for this machine, and we weren't disappointed at all. Both as a portable machine and as a full blown carpet shampooer, it does an exceptional job. It cleans carpet and upholstery even better than the previous Bissell machines, and is easy to use. I really liked having the portable spot cleaner combined with the carpet cleaner both because of the space savings, but also because of simplicity. It is really nice to only have to keep one machine clean, which is sometimes a messy job depending on what you've been using it for.

I think that this is now the best home system on the market, especially at the sub-$300 price point. The Hoover systems were always very similar to the Bissell Pro-Heat, but the improvements in this "Lift-Off" model push Bissell ahead in our opinion. It is certainly better than the Rug Doctor rental systems that are nowhere near as good as even the Pro-Heat.

The things we really like about this system are:

Combined design makes for easy storage, use, and clean-up. We really like the fact that our days of having two separate systems are over.

Power and cleaning. This system does a great job on stains and on full floor cleaning. It is a noticeable improvement over the effectiveness of the Pro-Heat, and even that did a very good job.

Price. A good Spot Bot and a good Carpet Cleaner typically each cost what this machine is priced at separately. You really are getting two machines for the price of one.

Suction. I think that the reason this machine works so well is that they have really improved the suction. It sucks almost all of the dirt, solution, and water back into its tank, leaving the carpet almost dry just a few minutes after you finish.

I highly recommend that you consider this machine.

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Factors

I had an old Sears/Kenmore carpet cleaner based on a wet/dry vac and it was monstrously heavy and noisy. It did not have rotating brushes, but did remove dirt fairly well. When the water pump broke, I needed something else. The Amazon reviews for the Hoover models are better than any of the Bissells, but upon closer inspection there are a substantial number of Hoover owners who report shearing off the brush plastic drive-shaft after only a few uses. This is a $30 replacement! Consumer Reports (Oct 2010) says that all the larger Hoover and Bisssell cleaners clean equally well, but that Bissell models are somewhat quieter. They also report that Bissell vacuums are more reliable than Hoover (and I suppose carpet cleaners will be similar). Furthermore, Bissell has a 2 year warranty and Hoover has a one year warranty (although in some Amazon reviews, Hoover owners report only a 90 day warranty!). The Bissell Lift-off Deep Cleaner model 27F6 (red) was on sale at Target so I took a chance it would clean OK and be reliable.

NOTE: Bissell lists 4 model numbers for this unit (94Y2, 27F6,35K3 and 73H5). They appear to differ mostly in the attachments included. The Amazon model is 94Y2, but it appears identical to 27F6 except is green, but it does NOT appear to include the "deep reach tool" I so love (see below)!

The Manual

You would think that for the $$$$ I spent Bissell could have included a good manual, but no. The manual is spartan with murky illustrations. It took me longer than I would care to admit to figure out where to put in the 4 screws to assemble it. There are seemingly 4 obvious holes for the screws, but these are not correct. The actual holes are somewhat hidden even though they are "marked" with almost invisible arrows. The cleaner disassembles cleverly for cleaning and storage, but it is a challenge to figure out how to do this from the manual illustrations. The quick start guide has color pictures, but they are tiny, tiny. Larger more detailed color pictures would be very desirable. Come on how expensive could this be?

The Lift-off Portable Cleaner

The unit is made so the carpet cleaner section easily lifts off the base (by pressing a pedal) to convert into a portable spot cleaner. I thought that this was just a gimmick, but I was wrong! It is the best part of the Bissell cleaner. The lift off cleaner with its 6 ft flexible hose fits PERFECTLY ON STAIR TREADS and it is light and easy to move. THIS IS GREAT! Start at the top of the stairs and slowly work your way down a stair at a time using the included "deep reach tool" (may not be included in the Amazon unit). Remember to keep the tool pressed firmly against the rug when releasing cleaning solution or it will spray all over your pants!! The results on my hard to clean carpeted stairs with somewhat matted carpeting were remarkably good. The "deep reach tool" has a brush plus hard plastic prongs to dig into matted carpet and raise the pile. I'll admit that I only did the matted down parts of the stairs, and now these formerly dirty parts have a noticeably higher pile (about 1/4 inch)! It looks almost new (almost) and the result has so far lasted a day with light traffic. So I now may have to do the rest of the stairs so that the "clean" parts will look as good as the formerly matted parts. The "deep reach tool" itself is not easy to clean out.

UPDATE 11/8/11: Stair treads still look good after 1 week. The carpet has not yet returned to its formerly crushed/matted state after 1 week of use.

Water Removal

Water removal really depends on the carpet type. Deep pile carpets retain more water than others. With a ceiling fan my deep pile carpets took 2-3 hours to dry, but in areas without the fan the carpets took 8-10 hours. I can't blame Bissell since even a potent high hp wet/dry vac was not able to get out any more water. It is not clearly indicated in the manual, but the Bissell has a overflow preventer that shuts off the vacuum suction if the dirty water level becomes too high or if the cleaning solution is empty (or close to empty kind of annoying). If so, you will have to correct the problem and then turn the vacuum on again. All carpet cleaners (especially rentals) dribble a bit of cleaning solution (from solution left in the tubing) when shut off. The Bissell is somewhat better in this regard.

Carpet Cleaning

Consumer Reports says that all the larger Hoover and Bisssell cleaners clean equally well and I am satisfied with the results from the Bissell. If my carpets were dirtier, the results would have been more dramatic, but the dirty water was indeed dirty. Some carpet cleaners have one water tank for the dirty water with the clean water placed in a bladder located inside the dirty water tank. The Bissell Lift-off Deep Cleaner has two removable tanks which I think is better. The dirty water tank is easy to remove and dump. The clean/soapy water tank is easy to fill (although harder to dry out for storage) and contains 3 quarts (6 lbs). I did not use the included bottle of Bissell cleaner solution since I used up an older bottle of carpet cleaner I had sitting around (it seemed to work well). The tanks have to be emptied often, but if Bissell had made these tanks bigger then the unit would (of course) weigh more and be harder to move. I feel the current size is a good compromise.

Cleaning Solution Usage

You will go through the cleaner solution in a hurry! Some people are concerned about the amount of solution a carpet cleaner uses. Actually, more is better. Remember that a small amount of water will always remain on the carpet (no matter how good the carpet cleaner is). Now look at your dirty water tank some of THAT muddy water is remaining on the carpet! The more solution that is used in cleaning, the more dilute the dirty water should become, and thus less dirt will remain on the carpet. Also keep in mind that the slower you go (and the more thoroughly the cleaner cleans) the more cleaning solution will be used. People who report they only use a little solution are probably going too fast. When your carpets are relatively clean, you can go faster and use less solution. If you are worried about cost, just use a cheaper carpet cleaner solution (they probably work all the same anyway). Bissell recommends 2 oz of their 2X concentrated cleaning solution per tank.

Rinse Cycle

Many carpet cleaner models from Hoover and Bissell have a switch to change from cleaning to rinse. The Bissell Lift-off Deep Cleaner does not have this so if you want to rinse you will have to clean the carpet first and then change to water to rinse the carpet. Doing so will probably be faster than to rinse after every pass anyway. Bissell does not recommend rinsing. Also consider that most modern cleaning solutions contain ingredients designed to protect the carpet that you may not wish to rinse off (such as ScotchGuard protection). When used as directed and after the carpet is dry it is impossible to tell if you have rinsed (no discernible residue). I don't rinse.

Weight is NOT a problem

Some other Amazon reviewers here have suggested that this Bissell is heavy. No. I would say instead that it is very light! Here's why. All Hoover and Bissell cleaners are fairly heavy/bulky and difficult to carry. This cleaner is very easy to move because you merely lift off the portable cleaner from the base. Now you have two easy to carry parts (base = 12 lbs; portable cleaner = 13.5 lbs). Carry the base and portable cleaner separately upstairs, then press to click back together (make sure both sides click) and fill the tank with cleaning solution (6 lbs). Easy!

Fiber Bunnies (balls)

All carpet cleaners (both Bissell and Hoover) with active spinning brushes liberate a few fibers from your carpet and roll them into fiber balls. Assuming you don't clean your carpets daily, this should not contribute to carpet wear. Be aware that the rotating brushes on your vacuum cleaner also do the same, but you never see the bunnies because the vacuum cleaner immediately picks them up. Carpet cleaners have a vacuum slit too small to pick up the bunnies so you will see them scattered over the floor. If this will greatly distress you, do not get get a cleaner with rotating brushes (but of course the rotating brushes improve cleaning performance).

Durability and Maintenance

To be determined. As mentioned above, the cleaner disassembles cleverly for cleaning and storage, but the "deep reach tool" does not seem easy to clean out. I will try to update.

Etc.

Another reviewer here got her unit through Amazon's Vine program. You may notice that I am also sometimes a Vine reviewer, but I bought this unit ($$$$) and this review is not a part of the Vine program. As the other reviewer explained, Amazon does not pressure Vine reviewers to write good reviews.

Best Deals on BISSELL Lift-Off Full Sized Carpet Cleaner, 94Y2

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have never owned my own carpet cleaner, to be honest. When we've felt the need to shampoo carpets in the past we've always rented the machine from our local grocery store (what a beast!) but this Bissell deep cleaner is one fine machine!

Upon opening the box I was a little overwhelmed (it's a large box and a complicated looking device), but I was quickly put to ease by the actual simplicity of operating this cleaner. Assembling was simple: take a screw driver and screw on the handle. Took me just a couple minutes (and I am NOT a "handy" type, but the husband wasn't home and I was too anxious to wait). There were two instruction booklets, one was a quick start type with pictures and just a couple pages, the other was a full several page manual. I appreciated both. In reality, it was easy to get this cleaner up and running. Once you get to know it and learn the basics, it's a snap.

In the box was a little bottle of Bissell's cleaner, which I appreciated since I didn't have any on hand but I wanted to try this sucker out right away. Filling the tank is pretty easy, as well as emptying the dirty water. When I first started running the machine I was concerned that the water wouldn't last long, and this machine would guzzle the water & cleaner. That was not the case! It seemed to push a lot of water out into the carpet, but the tank still lasted quite a while so it is well designed in that area as well.

First I tried out the spot cleaner. Can I just say I adore this cleaner's 2 in 1 capabilities! LOVE that I can spot clean an area rug, the upholstery, and the car with ease! And YES, I've done all three such things already all went off without a hitch. I'm especially impressed with how clean it got my grandparents old Ethan Allen upholstered chairs from the 1960s. It took intimidating spots out of my area rug without any hesitation, and the ability to shampoo my car out without a handful of quarters at some overpriced car wash is NICE.

I was also very pleased with the upright-style cleaning job it did. At first I was concerned it got my carpet overly wet, but when it dried fairly quickly (within an hour or two, with a ceiling fan on) I was happy. With the hand-held nozzle on the spot cleaning portion the top is clear plastic, so you can literally SEE all the dirt coming up out of your carpet. You fill the tank up with clean water, plus a couple ounces of the Bissell carpet cleaning solution, but when you're done cleaning you can SEE the filthy water. I'll be honest, I'm a little shocked at how dirty our carpets were, but also makes me feel SO good about seeing all that dirt come right out. This machine has some powerful suction, too.

I have to say, you need to be physically capable of running this machine in order to get the best use of it. Most adults can handle it just fine, I'm sure, but it is like a large vacuum. Also, in order to use the spot cleaner on rugs and carpets, you should be able to get down on your knees and be able to scrub with the spot cleaning device. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this machine for a weak elderly person or someone who is not completely physically able.

Overall, while I think this carpet cleaner looked large and intimidating to start, it's practically my new best friend. I'm serious I have a toddler and a baby who just learned to crawl. I'm loving being able to go through my house and scrub that dirt out from our carpets. Unlike the grocery store rentable cleaners, I was surprised to find that the Bissell doesn't seem to cause that awful "just cleaned the carpets" smell, either. I can smell a little bit of that scent, but it's just seeming more fresh than it ever has in the past with those other machines.

This is absolutely a product I would recommend to someone looking for a versatile carpet cleaner. I feel like you just get the best of both worlds with this 2 in 1 style. The spot cleaning portion is brilliant, but the upright style also gets the job done. We're very happy with this machine!

Post-edit: Since posting this review a few fellow Amazon customers have asked questions about this cleaner, please see the comments section on my review for ever more information. And feel free to ask additional questions, also!

Honest reviews on BISSELL Lift-Off Full Sized Carpet Cleaner, 94Y2

I have a lot of experience with steam cleaners. My mom, an avid cleaner, owned no fewer than six machines during the time I was old enough to use them (around 12) until the time I moved out of the house ten years later. I've used both Hoovers and Bissells and a Spot Bot (not included in the machine count above). When it was time to buy a steam cleaner of my own, I gravitated to the lift-off because I wishfully thought that this machine could be both an upright and hand-held steam cleaner, but unfortunately, the compromise of mobility makes this a bad upright machine.

The machine's biggest draw back is its very small tank capacity. The tank is tiny and if you have a room with any real dirt or size, you are going to be refilling it often. I refilled it three times for one very dirty 12x12 room. The dynamics of the machine is also a little weird since all the weight is at the bottom of the machine. You have to push it a little harder to get it going and it's a little difficult to see how the brushes are spinning/how much water is being sucked up because of the shape of the lift off unit.

Refilling the machine is easy, removing and lowering the portable unit is easy and I'm sure it's great as an upholstery cleaner. But if you are looking for an upright machine first and a spot cleaner second, then buy two machines, because the Lift-Off is definitely a compromise for large spaces.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for BISSELL Lift-Off Full Sized Carpet Cleaner, 94Y2

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have owned a Hoover brand carpet cleaner, rented Rug Doctor carpet cleaners and had my carpets professionally cleaned. I own 3 dogs who occasionally have `accidents' inside, a pre-teen daughter prone to spills, and a husband who thinks the house is self-cleaning. Berber carpets in the living, hall and dining areas, as well as a home gym. The bedrooms have an older shag carpet. I've never used a machine spot cleaner before, and love the idea of a machine that gives you two cleaners for the price of one.

Enter Bissell's Lift-Off Deep Cleaner...

The Machine:

It's a heavy one 30+ pounds. Moves remarkably well though, despite its heft. The Lift-Off portable section is about 15 pounds by itself. The directions are somewhat sparse but by looking at the labeled diagrams and reading the short `how to's' you can figure it out.

No diagram for the Lift-Off specifically is in either guide and the directions for portable spot cleaning mode are somewhat poor. I could get the Lift-Off portion off, but found reseating it to be a bit of a struggle, with the directions offering no help. Eventually I ended up at the Bissell site watching videos for guidance. That did help, and I'd recommend checking it out prior to using this Bissell product.

A Quick Start Guide and a Bissell User's Guide are included in the package, along with the deep cleaner and a starter 8 ounce bottle of Bissell's 2x Professional Deep Cleaning Formula.

The portable Lift-Off is where the dirty water container and the water/solution tank is housed. It sits on top of the rolling base with the brushes. A foot pedal on the left (as you face the machine) releases the Lift-Off for use. The cord containment is wrapped around the Lift-Off portion, and the hose for the Lift-Off is wrapped around the opposite side of the Lift-Off from the cord. The place where you attach one of two attachments to the Lift-Off hose is upright towards the right back (facing machine) of the Bissell. Overall, it is a very efficient design.

The on/off switch is on the Lift-Off and operates the entire Bissell Deep Cleaner. You need to depress it and let the machine sit running for one minute prior to using it after you add the water/solution tank when it's filled and ready to go. NOTE: The Bissell is noisy sort of like a small jet engine, so you may want to wear ear protection if using this machine for a long time.

The `trigger' is on the handle. You have to install the handle prior to using the Bissell. This takes 4 Phillips head screws (included) and a long-handled Phillips head screwdriver (not included). Patience is key when doing this one. The screw holes are not visible, but the holes are marked with arrows on the black plastic handle. You have to feel your way until the screws seat and start to work their way in. A mildly frustrating endeavor, but it worked eventually and the handle is securely fastened to the unit once these screws are in place.

The Bissell Formula:

Bissell recommends you use only their formulas in this machine. The current Bissell formulas are 2x's as concentrated as before leaving you to believe you'd need less to do the same job. Honestly, I'm not sure if that's the case, but the formulas are 2x's the price of non-concentrated formulas!

I managed to find a 64 ounce bottle for the 50 ounce price at my local store. I had planned on buying the solution from Amazon with the buy 3 get one free (4 for 3) promotion, but even with that promotion, it was cheaper to buy it locally. So check solution prices before you buy. I also got a Bissell Pretreat spray for over 50% less than it was on Amazon at a local store.

Several Bissell formula choices are available: Bissell 2X Professional Deep Cleaning Formula, 48 ounces, 78H63, Bissell 2X Fiber Cleansing Advanced Formula, 24 Ounces, 62E5, Bissell 2X Pet Stain and Odor Advanced Formula, 24 Ounces, 99K5, Bissell 2X Multi-Allergen Advanced Formula, 24 Ounces, 89Q5, Bissell 2X Natural Orange Extract Advanced Formula, 24 Ounces, 83P3, and Bissell 2X Lavender Essence Advanced Formula, 24 Ounces, 34B5. I suggest if you plan on cleaning a larger than 500 sq' area, you pick up more solution than the starter 8 ounce that came with the Bissell Lift-Off Deep Cleaner.

The Bissell 2x Professional Deep Cleaning Formula smells very fresh. Strong while cleaning your carpets, but that softens as the carpets dry. By the time it dried completely, it was barely there for me, but a faint clean scent remained. If you are highly sensitive to scents, you may want to avoid it though, and try the Allergen formula.

Warning: regarding Professional Deep Cleaning Formula strength if you don't want your hands to get chaffed, don't let your skin touch the solution or solution/water mixture. I'd suggest wearing rubber gloves while emptying and filling tanks I didn't and my hands paid the price.

Carpet Deep Cleaning:

I chose to test drive this model in our home gym. Daily use in this room, but not heavy traffic. I vacuumed well with a Dyson DC28 Animal vacuum first. Some spots and high traffic areas were visible on the carpet, and were sprayed with Bissell Tough Stain PreCleaner, 22 ounces, 4001 5 minutes prior to deep cleaning.

To begin you use 2 ounces (1/4 cup) per tank full of Bissell Formula solution (your choice) into hot tap water to the line on the water/solution tank. I suggest using a funnel not included) for this task, and putting the water in first, as if you put the solution first you will get a lot of foam. Swirl to mix. Place tank into spot on machine. Turn on the machine to pre-heat for one minute prior to deep cleaning or spot cleaning.

Solution will be dispensed quickly if you follow the directions of pulling the trigger and holding it as you move the Bissell forward and back, and then releasing the trigger and going back and forth to extract the solution.

Some carpets may only need you to hold the trigger down going one way, as on the Berber it was easy to see the carpet got a good dose of water and solution the first time this would have saved on solution and multiple tank refills too. Bottom line: this thing really sucks down the juice so be prepared to fill the water/solution tanks many times for a large area!

For approximately every two water/solution refills, you need to empty the dirty water tank. At least that was the case for me. There is an audible change that indicates the unit is sucking air the dirty water tank may or may not be to the `full' line (mine wasn't there yet), but it's full and time to dump the dirty water. Grit may also be visible on the red filter as you lift off the tank, and you would want to wipe it off as it affects suction and performance of the machine.

Grit and carpet fibers tended to collect on the bottom of the machine behind the rollers as it cleaned even after a thorough Dyson vacuuming. I took this to mean that the `deep cleaning' was doing its job and pulling out the deeply embedded gunk.

Deep Cleaning Results:

Almost immediately the room you're cleaning smells better. Amazing how much odors are picked up in carpets even with daily vacuuming

Most pre-treated spots (dog vomit old stains) seemed to disappear after cleaning the spot 2x's with 5-6 slow passes over the stain in several directions. Larger traffic areas that were pre-treated and received the same treatment still showed a slight discoloration, but were much lighter right after cleaning. The water was black with dirt, so I wasn't surprised.

As the spots dried, they were lighter, but still visible. Bissell suggests on their website that if this occurs, you use the Pretreat spray again and let it sit overnight before trying the Lift-Off spot cleaner. I will update my review after trying that one, but for now suffice to say that older spots may or may not come off the carpet, even with a pretreatment. You should see a positive difference if not elimination of new spots however.

Spot Cleaning with Lift-Off:

I tried the Lift-Off spot cleaner on heavily stained spots on Berber inside my home, inside my car, and on my couch's upholstery. I must say I was more impressed with this part of the unit, than the deep cleaner.

Carpet spots in house: These were all dog vomit (mainly bile, some with blood old Lab is sweet, but at 12 she's got a fussy tummy) spots, which have previously been cleaned with both OxyClean and Spot Shot. Neither worked well.

Carpet and Upholstery in car: coffee spills, chocolate stains, general dirt. About 8 years worth of general grime.

Couch Upholstery: general dirt and home odors no visible spots or stains.

I pre-treated all spots on the carpets for 20 hours with Bissell's Pet Stain and Odor pre-treater (found locally, but not on Amazon). Vacuumed the area to be cleaned and then mixed the Bissell Professional Deep Cleaning Formula with hot water. I pre-heated the machine for 1 minute and then spot cleaned three spots on the carpet.

Because the brush on the attachment head seemed a bit wimpy for the stains (it's good, but these are 'ugh' stains...), I used a cleaning brush I have at home to scrub the area after putting the water/solution mix on to the area, then extracted the water via the Bissell portable. The power of extraction was GREAT you have to tip the head of the attachment down, but it's easy to get the feel for it. Several passes in several directions left the area dry in 3 hours.

One tip while using the Lift-Off tilt the head down and over the area to be cleaned and hover about 2" over the area as you pull the trigger to dispense the solution. This covers a pretty wide path, and then you simply release the trigger, drag the attachment head securely over the stain to extract it. You do have to apply medium pressure to the head of the attachment and angle the head to get the maximum extraction of water and solution.

The stains in the carpet? Well, they are still there, but like the stains in the gym that were cleaned with the upright they are more faint. A huge improvement and I would have to credit the pretreatment, the Bissell Professional solution and the pull of the portable for this result. I intend to be more vigilant about immediate accident clean-ups now that I have this portable unit, and would imagine that if found in quickly and pre-treated with Bissell's Pet products, new stains will be eliminated.

The car upholstery and carpet looked great. Brightened up my light gray interior on my 4Runner and smells nice too. Very quick and easy to use in the car. No more worries about muddy feet mucking up the carpet!

The hands-down winner in the portable testing was the couch. I didn't think it was really dirty, but it had a cooking and pets smell to it. That's completely gone and the navy blue fabric with threads of lighter colors, is now brighter and fresh looking. The muddy gunk I got out of it was amazing, and the Bissell was so easy to use, I'm actually looking forward to using it on all my furniture before and after the holidays.

Overall Rating for the Bissell Lift-Off Deep Cleaner: 4 out of 5

The deep cleaned carpet looked fresher, brighter and smelled great. I think it did `deep clean' by comparison to the Hoover branded home cleaner and the Rug Doctor machines which just swirled things around on the top of the carpet and left a lot more water behind, for longer drying times.

The heat, the Bissell solution and great water extraction from Berber carpets, all left behind a good result. As good as a professional cleaning? No, but better than most home cleaning units and rentals I've tried, and you have the convenience of two machines for a lot of different jobs, and it all works well.

Really loved the Lift-Off portable though. It's a 5 out of 5 in my opinion and a surprise. I will use it a lot and because it doesn't suck down the solution and water quickly at all, it will save me a ton money in spray-on carpet and upholstery cleaners that never worked well anyway.

If this Bissell had been able to eliminate old stains on my carpets, had better directions and a bigger water/solution tank it would have been a 5 star machine overall. Can any machine do that? I'm not sure, but I'll continue to look for it!

The Bissell Lift-Off Deep Cleaner is a great home unit for people with new carpets and furniture that they want to keep clean with semi-annual cleansing and spot clean-ups.

For those of us with older homes, less time for carpet cleaning, messy families, pets and old stains, it's good, but not great in terms of a carpet cleaner. A solid, quality product with much to offer, it's not a magic elixir to what is ailing your old carpets. While I had high hopes that stains would disappear with just a bit of extra effort as seen in the Bissell promo video, I've not found that to be true.

As for upholstery and fast clean ups of new messes, and cleaning your car...the portable Lift-Off cleaner is fantastic. A bit heavy, but you don't have to hold it while it does its job.

Suggestions for Bissell:

1. Bigger Water/Solution Tank: the small tank of water/solution mix is quickly depleted while deep cleaning. I could only get a strip of carpet about 4'x6' completed and then I'd have to refill the tank. That seemed far too frequently to be running to the sink, but probably not all that unusual for most home cleaning units.

2. Incorporate Videos: include a DVD of the helpful videos from the Bissell website, or improve the Lift-Off Deep Cleaner User's Guide.

3. Easier Handle Attachment: figure out how to have the handle attached before it ships to the consumer. A tricky assembly, even with only 4 screws.

Is it worth the price? That depends upon the consumer. If you want an awesome spot cleaner and a good deep cleaner for sure it's a deal. Particularly if you have a newer home with kids and pets.

If you only really see yourself using a deep cleaner, you may want to consider other Bissell Deep Cleaners which also have heat, but are less expensive. Like this one: Bissell ProHeat Upright Deep Cleaner, 25A3.

Take a look at the photos I've posted to see product photos, and before and after shots of carpet deep cleaning.

UPDATE: 10/8/13

Still using this cleaner and loving it! Durable, powerful, and well made.

Cheap Vornado TVH500 Whole Room Vortex Heater

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $169.99
Sale Price: $114.75
Today's Bonus: 32% Off

I have owned a few of these hot air fan heaters and this is by far the best. I have a large apartment with about a 12' high ceiling and I can notice the "vornado action" moving a feather hanging from a dreamcatcher at the corner of the ceiling with the fan sitting on the middle opposite side of the floor. This shows me that the fan is truely pumping the air around as it is heating and it is not just a gimmick or false claim. Other fans I have had did not do this and took like an hour to heat the room. The Vornado takes the chill out of the room within 15 minutes and is nice and warm reaching thermostat temperature by 30 minutes (most of the time depending on how cold it is.) What's even more impressive is that it is also so quiet I don't even know it's on sometimes!

However, since nothing is perfect here are a some design suggestions for the manufacturers:

1) The Sony remote problem is true, I have the same problem but thankfully my bed blocks my TV remote's "line of fire" so it rarely turns down the heater but it has on several ocassions--Vornado should have picked a more obscure signal to use for the remote.

2) The remote needs to be more ergonomic so it's easy to hold and there should be indentations on the buttons so that you know what to press when fumbing in the dark--as it is now it's too small and impossible to tell if you're even holding it in the right direction.

3) The fan is so quiet it would be nice if the red "on" light would actually turn green so that you know it's on.

4) The blue LCD display is way too bright--it's like having 2 nightlights on in the room...very annoying and I wish it was darker since there is no need for it to be so bright (I'd put black tape over it but then can't see the temperature).

Overall though, only buy this if you are truely a design freak, it is beautiful and the quality of the metal housing is well worth the price if you are willing to drop that much money on a heater to just look stylish.

In terms of function though you can get the exact same results by buying the much cheaper (about half price) original Vornado without the remote. A friend of mine has this original Vornado which is what inspired me to buy mine. There is also a "clone" type heater competing with the original Vornado made by Holmes and I suspect the performance of that one is going to be very comparable and also a bit less expensive. Hope this helps you decide!

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We purchased the Vornado Touch Stone Vortex Heat 500 about a month ago. We have a room that is consistently colder than the other rooms in the house. We don't understand WHY it is colder since it was an addition, attached to the main central air /forced air heating unit, is actually BETTER insulated with more up-to-date windows, but is about 6 degrees colder (warmer in the summer) than any other room in the house. I plugged the Vornado in and the room is actually WARM! I am very impressed with this little, very quiet... you can't hardly tell it is running!... machine. I would definately recommend it to anyone that has this problem. We DO have a Sony TV/Remote, but the TV is in another room and doesn't affect the use of the machine. Actually, I leave ours on all the time and don't even need the remote. If this is the case I would go with the pp suggestion with getting the version without the remote. Had I realized that it was just as powerful I would have saved a few dollars and gone with the remoteless one for our use. HIGHLY recommend this item. I am very pleasantly surprised at how well this little unit works.

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We have been using this heater for about 5 months now in our infant daughter's room. Up until last night, the product was fine. Last night we could smell a burning smell from outside of her room coming from the heater! The heater has never been moved and is always set to the same temperature so we are not sure what happened. Needless to say, this was extremely scary and we won't be using it anymore! All reviews I've read for the product are generally good so perhaps this is a fluke.

The LCD light on the top is also very bright and annoying it never turns off.

Honest reviews on Vornado TVH500 Whole Room Vortex Heater

Update 2 months after bought it it broke, the fan intermittently stops running & the heat stays on so it starts burning itself up, it filled the room with strong burning smell/smoke. NOT safe.

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I bought the Touchstone for my home office. It's a decent space to heat but I wanted to heat only that space rather then heating my whole house. The Vornado does the job. It produces a good amount of heat fairly quickly. The room gets comfortably warm in a matter of minutes. Perhaps about 10 minutes for a 10X12 room with a 8' ceiling. The heater is pretty quiet, I know it's there but it is not enough to disturb me while I am working. The remote and digital display are kind of unnecessary. In retrospect I would have bought a unit that does not have those features, if I could save money. This unit is pretty pricey. It works well, does the job but, is $$$.

Bionaire Pure Indoor Living Low Profile Room Heater Review

Customer Ratings:

Bought this heater at Costco last weekend. It's a great design, nicely made, and the remote is a very nice feature. It's about 28" long, and made of good quality matte-finish black plastic, with a black metal grill (the casing stays cool, but the grill gets pretty hot). It's lightweight and easy to move around. The fan is so quiet you can't hear it at all, even at the highest heat setting. There is a red light on the front that is on whenever the heater is connected to power; the control panel on the top has a main power button, a five-level thermostat setting (65-70-75-80-85) with red indicator light for each choice, and a 3-setting automatic-off timer (4, 8 and 12 hours). There is a separate button to activate the 'Eco-Smart' feature, which supposedly cycles the heater somehow to make it more efficient (I have no idea how to tell if it is more economical or not, but it does put out less heat with this setting turned on.)

I bought this heater to use in the office corner of a larger room, so I don't need a blast furnace, but it's not the kind of heater you can put in a cold room and expect it to warm up immediately. Even on the 'Eco-Smart' setting, it does a fair job of heating the immediate area, but it doesn't broadcast the heat very far from the source on ANY of the settings. I'd recommend this heater for a small room (bathroom, den or small bedroom). I wouldn't consider using it in a larger area, such as a family room or living room, and I'd also avoid it in rooms with especially high ceilings, because with this heater, the warmed air tends to rise straight up rather than spread out horizontally.

All in all, not a bad heater, just not a very quick one.

Note added November 19: This original post included review of the remote control which came with my unit from Costco ($45) but another reviewer noted this Amazon unit does not come with a remote. I've revised my review, but I apologize if I misled earlier readers with my error.

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I read the previous reviews and was hesitant to buy this but my wife decided to try it. Agree w the ?transformer noice which is very quiet though. Disagree that it's slow. We heat up our master bedroom which is 15x15 and takes very short time to make it comfortable. Typically all we need is to go from 69 deg to say 74 which takes no time and makes the room quite pleasant.

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This heater was in use for only 1 month but then broke. It stopped making any heat although all buttons and lights work normally. Even though it has warranty I did not want to ship it back and pay shipping and wait weeks till they fix it. So I opened it up myself and fixed it. As it turned out the problem was a faulty over temperature protection switch. The switch is supposed to be normally closed providing current to the heat element but in my case it was always open so the element never gets hot. Took me a few hours to fix it but now it works again. In addition to over temperature protection this heater also has tip over protection which works without any trouble on my unit. It turns OFF immediately after you accidentally tip it over. Other reviewer is wrong about saying that the fan is quiet. This heater does not have any fan at all. Also, another reviewer mentioned how noisy it is because of transformer. There is no transformer inside. The buzz comes from the heat element. When it gets hot it vibrates slightly. The element is attached to the side walls by only two screws, one on each side. As I had to open it, I know how cheaply it is made inside.

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I bought this at Costco for 45 bucks and did not expect a lot. It keeps my living room and open kitchen and dining area comfortable (about 700 square feet). Outside the temperature was 32 Fahrenheit. Our house is well insulated and I use insulated curtains (except for the kitchen window ) and It got the temperature up to 68 and for faster heating I turned my infrared heater on at the beginning for about 20 minutes, and the temperature increased to 72. Obviously gas is cheaper, but we are on propane, haven't received my electric bill yet, but I am very comfortable. All with all I like this heater. Its not a fast heater, so during the night I get up at 3:00 am to turn it on and it is ready by about 6:00 a.m.

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Purchased this directly from the manufacturer. Thought it was a good deal, nice, quiet heater, no fan, has thermostat, and covers a good area. However, upon trying it on the first cold night (27 deg as a low that night), I had it on for about 20 minutes, then it blew the circuit. Contacted Bionaire and the representative said that it is rated 12 Amps and most homes are 15 Amps. She said I had to remove everything else from that circuit. How is that reasonable? I'd have to trace that outlet to all other outlets, remove everything connected, and dedicate this small heater to its own 15 Amp circuit? I said that is not reasonable and asked for a refund. She immediately denied and said the only way to get a refund was for me to pay shipping to send it back. At the low price I got this, the shipping would have exceeded the purchase price. So I opted not to bother. However, I will never purchase another Bionaire heater based on that low level and unsatisfactory customer service from the Bionaire company and representative.

Discount Intermatic FD460MW 60-Minute Spring Loaded Wall Timer, White

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $48.22
Sale Price: $37.14
Today's Bonus: 23% Off

The timer I received is a 60 minute timer but it came with a 30 minute face plate. I was replacing a 60 minute timer so I was able to use the old faceplate. It was made in Tunisia. Doesn't the US make anything anymore? No wonder our unemplyment is what it is.

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Cheap Frigidaire FRA296ST2 28,500 BTU Window-Mounted Heavy-Duty Air

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $769.99
Sale Price: $746.70
Today's Bonus: 3% Off

I purchased this air conditioner and put it in the window of my office. We have several racks of servers located in the back. Previously we have had many A/C units and they have just not done the job. This unit, with a twin, were able to handle the large cooling load with no problem. Kept the interior in the mid 70's while it was over 100 outside.

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I was concerned about purchasing such an item over the internet, but it has exceeded my expectations. Bought as an addition for a church sanctuary, it was easy to install after figuring out the instructions. It cools very quickly and is very quiet. The directional controls for the air flow allow easy manipulation and control. The digital display is awesome and gives you immediate understanding of what you want the air conditioner to do. Everyone is VERY happy with our choice! Frigidaire FRA296ST2 28,500/28,000 Window-Mounted Heavy Duty Room Air Conditioner

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This unit works great and is very quiet for a window unit. The remote with timer is very handy. Fit and finish is excellent. The only weak point is the filter. It doesn't fit well around the edges, and it is a very open mesh plastic and I am sure it lets some dust get to the evaporator. I may replace it with a foam filter that will fit better and trap more fine dust. The filter is the only thing that keeps this from getting 5 stars.

The shipping box is sturdy, and the unit arrived with no damage. I am very pleased, and you can't beat the Amazon price on this item.

Honest reviews on Frigidaire FRA296ST2 28,500 BTU Window-Mounted Heavy-Duty Air

We own a 104 year old two story 2800 sq. ft. Historic home that is solid brick with absolutely no insulation. We have a window at the top of the staircase where we have installed our Frigidaire 28,5000 BTU air conditioner. With the use of several 12" Air King velocity floor fans to drive the air throughout the house, this unit cools the entire house very nicely. Whenever we tell people that we are cooling our entire home with this unit and velocity fans, they simply cannot believe it! OK, because the unit often runs longer, and at a lower temperature to accommodate all the space its cooling, it tends to be a little chilly in the small area surrounding the unit. We feel that this minor irritation, along with the added white noise from the fans that accompany it,is a very small price to pay for cooling such a large multi-room home with a total insulation value of about 3. I would also like to add that we live in a part of South Dakota, surprisingly enough, that is known for it's heat and humidity, making the performance of this air conditioner all the more impressive. I write very few reviews but I wanted others, especially those who own poorly insulated older homes, to derive the same benefit we are receiving from this well built efficient air conditioner!

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When this AC works, it works well. The problem is I have had it repaired two times in 6 months. They fix it for free under the warranty, but you have to take it in to the repair shop. And it is big and heavy so.... Also pay close attention to the electrical needs of this unit, not a plug 'n' play. Need to have special wiring and plug.

Discount Pleasant Hearth Electric Log

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List Price: $119.99
Sale Price: $69.00
Today's Bonus: 42% Off

This electric log works for us. The light sort of slowly pulsates. It is a little too bright but we put some real wood around it and it is much better. The crackling noises are not realistic, but you don't have to turn them on. All in all, it looks nice in the fireplace behind the screens. It doesn't call attention to itself and people don't think anything about it, assuming there is a low hearth fire in the fireplace, unless they really look closely.

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This is the most realistic looking I have seen. We placed it in a stone fireplace that we no longer use, it's perfect. Visitors believe it is real. The soung is not a genuine fireplace sound, but it can be turned off. Overall we love it.

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This is not what i expectedfor 71 bucks.....lesson learned. Do not buy items at night cause u cant sleep. Wish i could return it!!!

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I got this to use in side my gel burning firplace. The crackling fire sound is awful and sounds like the unit is shorting out so we keep the sound control off.

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This product is as advertised, although you could be led to believe that you would get an affect of flames. All it does is glow from right to left. The sound is more like gun fire than crackling wood. It can and has been turned off. It consumes little or no power (less than 4W max) so it can be left on.

The First Years Night and Day Bottle Warmer System Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $58.13
Sale Price: $24.07
Today's Bonus: 59% Off

My only complaint is figuring out how much water to use to heat the bottle. The instructions indicate the water holder should be filled to the taller fill line to heat an 8 oz bottle and the shorter fill line to heat a 4 oz bottle. Well, my 4 oz bottles are sometimes too hot or cold and you have to wait 10 minutes before using the unit again. I have had to use the faucet to correct my over or under bottle heating. I still like this bottle warmer and with practice I will figure out the correct amount of water. The night light is great and the insulated cooler is another nice feature.

I am using the Avent bottles and this system will accomodate the 9 oz Avent bottles if you use the MINI-BASKET. The mini-basket will also hold baby food jars. The 4oz bottles fit in the warming chamber with the regurlar basket.

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I can't speak highly enough about this chiller/warmer. Every night I know I will not have to go downstairs to get a bottle, warm it, and bring it back up while baby is crying.

Now, all I do is take the bottle from the chill compartment (complete with ice pack), and place it, with a capful of premeasured water, in the warming compartment and hit a button.

While I change baby's diaper, the bottle is warming, and I am ready to go. This equipment has been a godsend. Actually, I can't think of any equipment that I could live without less.

No complaints whatsoever about this great bottle warmer.

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Former reveiwers listed that the Night&Day does not fit the 9oz Avent bottles. It does. In fact if you read the instruction booklet, it clearly stated that you use the bottle/jar basket for larger wide-mouth bottles. This unit come with two baskets, one for standard and smaller wide-mouth bottles like Avent, and another to warm baby-food jars and to accomodate larger bottles like the 9oz Avent. So have no fear in purchasing this warmer, it clearly does the job!

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I've heard some say this is the best warmer available. If so, parents are S.O.L. Heating is SO inconsistent. Same amount of water with the same amount of milk will produce a different temperature every single time. Sometimes way too cold and sometimes way too hot. When the heating indicator light turns off you must be right there to pull the bottle out or it will continue to significantly warm the bottle without any water medium. Be sure to loosen your bottles cap during heating and check to see that the travel disc is not in place. Otherwise, the bottles (esp. Brown's) will overflow. If that happens cleaning the inside of the warmer is a major hassle because the milk will have burned onto the heating plate. The carrier is too short for Mr. Brown 8oz. bottles or any other of similar height. The tubes provided to premeasure water are a joke. The caps are so hard to close and open you need two really strong hands and maybe multiple tools to shut or flip the tops open. Of course, you will likely be holding your crying and squirming baby in one arm while trying to do open the cap and not spill all the water. They tried to get fancy with the shape of the tubes and cap they forgot to make them easy to use.I just can't believe that someone can't design a better "mouse trap".

To add insult to injury, the taps on the handle that are supposed to hold the top of the bottle storage compartment just broke off...

(picture provided by Amazon is not the current model. refer to the pictures posted by other shoppers)

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Okay...every new parent needs to have this product!

This saves me from making trips downstairs with baby screaming every night! This product has many wonderful features..I'll list them for you!

1. Keeps bottles cold

2. Heats bottles faster than you can change the diaper!

3. Works with AVENT system!

4. Nightlight

5. Auto shutoff

You must have this warmer! I bought one for the car too! (Doesn't come with car adapter...I bought AC adapter for the car just for this product! Saves me from having to stop a million times!)

Review of Lasko Products Cyclonic Ceramic Room Heater

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.00
Sale Price: $93.99
Today's Bonus: 53% Off

I love this space heater, because of the great design and great performance. You can put it against the wall without worries about it getting too hot. It will heat an average size room 12X12 quite quickly. it's quite energy efficient as well.

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It does the job, but when I use it on high setting longer than 30 mins or so, the cable starts to get warm on several spots. The cable looks cheap and nondurable, I wonder if it would melt or cause fire hazard if I leave it on longer. Lasko's several previous models were recalled for a similar reason, that's why I am worried. I am thinking about returning the unit.

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I tried a oil filled heater and returned it becouse of a sickning smell coming from it, then i tried a fan heater and it did not do the job for my large livingroom/diningroom/kitchen (all open)I went and got this heater and wow is all i can say, it took trial and error with other brand heaters but this one is great, i highly recommend this heater, it is safe and really throws out some heat! I live in philly and it gets cold in my old house, but this is keeping my living area toasty!

Lisa

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I am very pleased with this product. It is quiet and gives good heat in my basement den area.

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This heater is one of a kind!! I wish that I could have found one like this several years ago. I love it and will end up buying another one. I love it!!

Best pureHeat - Heater & Air Purifier Large Area 1000 SqFt 5600BTU 1500 Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $399.00
Sale Price: $299.99
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

This is an incredible heater that has kept my child's room warm for 2 winters with no problems. That room use to be very chilly in the winter as the HVAC doesn't cover it evenly. This sits in the corner and takes up no space at all. The dog even sleeps in that room and loves the warmth. I know that they are perfectly safe in there with a heater that can't possibly start a fire. I looked at some other popular "zone heaters" but this one has much nicer features (like the 12 hour timer), costs less for the same BTUs, and is the only one I could find that was so small.

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I bought one at a log home show in Essex Jct., VT two years ago. These heaters will maintain temperature and raise it within reason. They are very efficient. If you do not have humdtity up there, I believe 40%, then you should purchase the larger model that has a built in humidifier. The heat travels through the moisture. These heaters are not intended to replace a much larger heat source such as central heating or a wood stove that can raise temperature from below freezing to comfortable room temperatures. They do an excellent job of holding temperature and raising it within a much narrower range which most purchasers will find quite satisfactory. Remember its only 1500 watts maximum. That make for very inexpensive heat. With oil and gas costing as much as electricity this is a much more efficient route. If you heat the areas you are using rather than from wall to wall that alone will save you about 25% in heat. In Europe they only use focused heat because energy supplies are so expensive. Many large building like churches are not heated at all.

Before I purchased one I had already checked them all out. This is a well established firm that builds high quality highly rated products on the high end.

The air purifier which is part of the unit is worth as much as the heater so how can you lose.

I use my heater in the quiet mode and seldom turn it up. Most of the time its supplies all the heat for the ground floor, 865 s.f. but the bedroom doors are closed when not in use. The first month I used it our electric bill went up $18.00.

You will find the heat to be exceedingly comfortable for an electric heater. The heater its self hardly get warm. If you are willing to follow my advice you should purchase one and see if you like it. You will. If you are expecting to use it differently you may need to go for central heating. Use the product as it was designed to be used. Leave the furnace off. If you want more even heat than purchase two or three heaters but if they are running all the time expect to pay for it. I'm going to purchase another heater this year for room down stairs in my finished basement with an exposed wall. Unless your are on natural gas, the days of cheap energy are over. Almost anyone can do this easily and safely.

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This heater is a great QUALITY product. You can tell by the construction it is well made.

It has easy handles for transport, has a heavy duty cord & plug. It can heat a 10 X 10

room EASILY. Bigger rooms are a challenge but hey, this thing is pretty small. You can't

expect it to heat a huge room. I love my heater and use it often. I trust it and find the

added bonus of an AIR CLEANER a very nice feature. In a few years, expect to replace the air

cleaner bulb if you want the air cleaning feature to be optimum. I absolutely recommend

this heater.

Honest reviews on pureHeat - Heater & Air Purifier Large Area 1000 SqFt 5600BTU 1500

Powerful and quiet heater. Well built and performs as advertised. This is a heater that functions great in a small area and exudes quality!

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I have an edenpure heater that is larger than this unit and cost quite a bit more and this heater does a much better job. It heats better on a lower setting (68) than my other heaters do at high (13-15). It is also quieter and takes up less space, this is a great value.

HeatStar by Enerco Mr. Heater 8060 NPP Overhead Radiant Heater Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $570.00
Sale Price: $380.56
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

Easy to install

Great for remote sheads without power

Just need gas supply

Recommend for farm sheads that you need heat in

Temperture controls come with it -works great to cyle heat off and on as needed

No fancy installation problems to work through

Instruction are clear

Best buy to stay warm on those cold day when there might be power outages

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Buy Oster 5965 1-1/2-Liter Electric Water Kettle, Stainless Steel

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $79.99
Sale Price: $44.99
Today's Bonus: 44% Off

I read reviews for many electric kettles and in the end chose the great Oster 5965. It had no reviews at all, but had all the features that were important to us:

Concealed Element

Short cord/cord keeper

Auto-off, no whistle

Boil dry protection

Mesh/screen pouring filter

Water level indicator

This kettle boils water quickly and my favorite feature is the Keep Warm button. Especially helpful if you tend to get sidetracked like I do. Just don't forget to turn it off! It pours neatly, looks nice on the counter, and is great when you are cooking and need boiling water. The on/off switch is a rocker button and the Keep Warm is a push button. These two were a plus for me as they are sturdy to the touch. I felt the spring type switch on the Aroma (a contender) felt flimsy and that the time would come when it would not 'catch' in the on position.

The only con is the opening for adding water is rather small. I was concerned about cleaning it, however there are directions in the manual for cleaning it with a mix of white vinegar and water, allowing it to sit overnight to remove any scale buildup.

If you have read reviews of other products where people complain that the kettle gets hot, this one is no different. But what do you expect from a steel kettle that is full of boiling water?? It's no different than if it had been sitting on the stove except that you didn't have to heat up the element and have the residual heat from the stove heating up your kitchen.

I paid $40 at Target and I recommend this Oster Brushed Stainless Steel Kettle.

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I bought this kettle to replace a plastic kettle that I've had for years. Concerns over plastic in contact with boiling water convinced me to buy a stainless kettle. There is a little plastic in the water with this kettle from the water level indicator but it is greatly reduced from my all-plastic version.

I bought this at Target because I wanted to check out the inside of it before purchase; there were no pictures online which is why I posted some at the top of this page.

It is 1500 watts and boils water fast. Also has a keep warm feature which is something I don't need. I have had no leaking water problems.

The opening is small but I can get my bottle brush inside to clean with no problem. The mesh filter pops right off. If you develop scale, just pour in a cup or so of vinegar, add some water & let it sit for an hour. I have very hard water so I do this every other week. I fill the kettle from my refrigerator water tap because that water is filtered. I had tried another pot before buying this one but I could not use my refrigerator tap; water ended up on the floor. This kettle has a nice flared spout that makes filling easy. I remove the mesh strainer when filling. I'm contemplating removing the metal bar that holds the strainer because I don't really need the strainer. The strainer hangs securely on that bar; no clicking anything to lock it. It's really simple/smart.

You'll see my little back dots on the water level indicator. (I'm referring to my photo above.) I added those with a Sharpie so I know how much water I need for everyday coffee making. I use the pour-over method to brew coffee directly in to my carafe. I use more water on the weekend, less during work week & the least when it's just me. I need things simple in the AM before I've had my coffee! The measurements are in liters on one side and cups on the other side of the indicator. This is very helpful.

Yes, it gets very hot when boiling water; it's a metal kettle with boiling water. Treat it like you would a hot pan on the stove you grab the handle not the pan. The handle is very comfortable to grip & far enough away from the body of the kettle to prevent burning. Also the kettle spins on its base so there is no need to grab the body to move it around. Just grab the handle & you're good to go. Yes, steam comes out of the spout & you may want to direct the spout facing out from under your cabinets; boiling water creates steam. Do not exceed the max water level. I tried that to see what would happen. It burped some hot water out of the spout; you could burn yourself doing that.

The "Keep Warm" feature keeps the water below boiling for up to 12 hours as long as there is enough water in the kettle. If there isn't enough water, the kettle has a "boil-dry, fail-safe device" which turns the kettle off. You just push a button to use this feature. I never use it but according to the instruction manual, the water is kept at 70 C / 158 F.

The cord wraps around underneath the electric base so it's out of the way. I always unplug this device when not in use. Just like my iron and toaster.

This is a pretty, curvy kettle; one of the nicest designs I've seen. I like the brushed stainless which looks nice next to my brushed stainless carafe.

Update 5/2013: I still use this kettle although I moved it to my cabin so it only gets used on weekends now. The kettle does not leak, still heats quickly & still looks good.

My coffee bean grinder: Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder, Black

This is my carafe:

Copco 2 Quart Thermal Capacity Brushed Stainless Steel Carafe

I brew directly into the carafe using this filter cone (pour-over method):

RSVP Maunual Drip Coffee Filter Cone for Carafes or Thermos

I use these filters:

Melitta Cone Coffee Filters, Natural Brown, No. 6, 40-Count Filters (Pack of 12)

Best Deals on Oster 5965 1-1/2-Liter Electric Water Kettle, Stainless Steel

The Oster stainless steel electric kettle lives up to its reputation in our household. We replaced our old and trusted plastic Oster electric kettle of many years good service, because we became concerned with boiling water in plastic which can leach toxins. The new design is beautiful to look at and has the added advantage of a "keep warm" feature the older model did not have. It is a bit less easy to read the water gauge, but you get used to it. It still boils water very fast, keeps it warm if you so wish and has no nasty taste or smell like so many other models you read about. It is heavenly for a tea drinker like me who drinks as many as ten cups a day!! Perfect for a fast oatmeal, instant coffee, instant soup, jello, adding boiling water when cooking soup and much more. At your finger tips, withing a couple of minutes are 1.5L of fresh boiling water. It turns itself off, swivels 360degrees. Love our Oster. Very well built and we expect to enjoy many years of good service like we did the previous Oster model.

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I loved this kettle as the other reviewers did but at six months it started leaking thru the bottom. I don't know if this is a design flaw or a fluke.

UPDATE: I contacted customer service and was sent a new kettle with a slightly different design but the same item number. The design flaws appear to have been addressed and this one has had no problems even with daily use. We've already purchased another for my daughter at college.

UPDATE 2: The replacement kettle is now over a year old and still working great. Whoever gets up first turns it on and it is on most of the day almost everyday with several refills. Upgrading to 5 stars!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Oster 5965 1-1/2-Liter Electric Water Kettle, Stainless Steel

Number one, the price was irresistible and it is true stainless, not cheap plastic looking stainless At the time of this writing it was $30 or so. I am so tired of sticking a measuring cup in the microwave to create hot water this is such a time saver. I use this mainly to heat water for:

1) French Press Coffee

2) Tea

3) Soups

4) Grits and Oatmeal Instant Type

5) Unexpected Entertaining

6) The new Apple Cider Powder Mixes

7) Hot Chocolate

And the list goes on. I use only distilled water in the unit which will help the life of the unit by a few years and with any luck the life of me.

It does heat up fast only two minutes when it was half full and that may be incredibly valuable if electric is being rationed because I live in hurricane alley and have been out of electric weeks at a time. Being able to "borrow" a few minutes of someone's generator definitely comes to mind. This is also a great gift for someone already in such a situation. I also love this appliance for "boil water" advisories which we are seeing more and more of in any state in the nation. So, yes, I would not worry about distilled if I really need water during a boil water advisory and I would use this kettle.

I actually bought this because I will be away from home for a few months...and in "camp" like conditions. Luxuries will be few and so this is one of my picks to be with me.

For anyone in snow conditions this unit has to be a total necessity. I will have this with me when I go on a two week ski trip this upcoming holiday season. In fact I will plan a lot of ski meals around this kettle.

Downside? Well, I initially flipped out the cord was so short however, being short seems to be a big asset now and it is attractive enough to earn its prime property location in my kitchen.

EXTRA THOUGHTS: Thermal Ware can be a huge plus. If you are doing powered soup mixes, grits, oatmeal or noodles anything, you will need some heat retention capability because boiling water is not enough for some foods.

I am liking this series to buy next and in different colors so I know whose is whose when I am making small meals.

http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Foogo-Proof-Stainless-Steel/dp/B0025Y6742

Cheap Zojirushi NP-HTC10 Induction Heating 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Pressure

Customer Ratings:

1) Note that better prices can be had offline. I bought this product for $239 at an Asian grocery store and it came with a 20lb bag of rice to boot. I imagine the invoice price is around $200. Someone's making an insane amount of profit selling this for $400+.

2) This rice cooker produces moist, fluffy, chewy, textured rice that exceeds a vast majority of the restaurants out there, including those that cook individual portions of rice in stone pots. It will spoil you and make you a snob when it comes to rice. The menu has different settings for pretty much any kind of rice you want to cook like white (soft, regular, hard), brown, mixed, rinse-free, sushi, porridge, GABA, etc. You can keep the rice warm and tasting fresh for upto 24hr.

3) Good things take time, but this cooker pushes the limit of patience, taking ~50mins for white rice, ~75min for mixed rice, and upto 3.5hr for GABA rice. Fortunately, there's a timer so you can tell it to have rice done by say 6pm, as well as an express mode (25mins) when you are starving. Though still quite good, rice cooked in express mode tends to be slightly firmer and not as impressive as the regular mode. (Minus half star for long cooking time)

4) Compared to the $10 variety I used for a number of years, this one has more parts to clean. The non-stick bowl, the inner lid, and the steam vent needs cleaning after each use as you'd expect. In addition, you need to check if any debris is obstructing any of the sensors, holes, or vents. The air intake and exhaust located on the bottom of the cooker for dissipating heat needs an occasional vacuuming. (Minus half star for extra cleaning required)

5) This unit is rated at ~1230 watts, but that doesn't mean it's using that much electricity continuously like a hair dryer. The cooker turns the heat on and off as needed like an oven to maintain internal temperature and pressure. (Since posting this review, I measured the total electricity consumed by using a Kill A Watt 4460 meter and it came out to 3 cents per use.)

6) Back to the original question, is it worth it? This is really a personal decision based on your budget, utilization, and love for rice. My thought process was I could buy 16 x 20lb bags of rice, or get this rice cooker and enjoy that 1 bag of rice like I never have before. Finding it for $200+ cheaper sweetened the deal too.

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I have never had a better more intuitive rice cooker than this Zojirushi! I am just sorry I had not purchased it sooner. It makes delicious brown rice (I have not tried the GABA yet, but I expect it to be par excelllence). The brown rice is the best that can be made as long as it is washed, as you should with all rice. I love trying new things to add to my brown rice and I am itchin' to try the GABA. I could not recommend this rice cooker with greater enthusiasm, delight and satisfaction.

I cooked Steel Cut Oats on the Porridge setting, and I could not have made it better; as a matter of fact, I was extremely pleased and mine, heretofore, never tasted as good.

Best Deals on Zojirushi NP-HTC10 Induction Heating 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Pressure

I have been cooking rice with Japanese rice cookers for decades. When my last one failed after more than 20-years of service, I decided to buy the best replacement I could find, regardless of cost. (It's easy for me to justify paying a premium for a product I plan to use on a daily basis for decades.) After much research, I chose this one because it seemed to me that the Zojirushi induction pressure rice cookers were regarded as among the best rice cookers sold in US.

I am very happy with the build quality, look and convenience features of the product. However, after buying the rice cooker, I realized that pressure cookers produce rice that is too soft for my taste. I now know that many people prefer pressure rice cookers specifically because they produce super soft rice that doesn't adhere together too much. I prefer rice with a little more body. After corresponding directly with Zojirushi, I learned that the "soft", "medium", and "hard" settings can only be used when cooking white rice on the default setting, but not in any of the other settings (e.g., quick rice) or with any other grains (e.g., brown rice) and that white rice cooked on the "hard" setting in this cooker is roughly as hard as white rice cooked in a non-pressure cooker on the default setting.

I had eight people from three families individually compare high quality white and brown rice freshly cooked in this cooker and a budget one-button rice cooker in side-by-side blind taste tests. Everyone had surprisingly strong preferences, but their preferences were roughly equally split between rice cooked in the pressure cooker and budget cooker based on texture. Those who liked super soft rice thought the rice cooked in the Zojirushi was great. Those who didn't prefered the rice cooked in the budget cooker.

I rate this cooker with 1-star, while my wife would give it 5-stars, based solely on whether we happen to like super soft rice. I like everything about the cooker, except for the texture of the rice it produces. If I had my druthers, I would swap this pressure induction cooker for a non-pressure version from the same maker. Unfortunately for me, her vote is more equal than mine, especially in the kitchen....

Honest reviews on Zojirushi NP-HTC10 Induction Heating 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Pressure

Got this Pressure Rice Cooker and used it the next day. White rice came out better than any other rice cookers I have owned. It was a lot of money, but in my opinion, was so worth the cost. You get what you pay for, and in the case of this rice cooker, I got exactly that -one excellent cooker! Had no problems with it, just followed the directions and used their provided cup to measure level cups of raw rice. It is a 5 Star all the way!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Zojirushi NP-HTC10 Induction Heating 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Pressure

The negative first: it's expensive and not for everyone (i.e. you do not eat rice a lot, and yet I am Asian).

The rest is nothing but positive. It looks good and makes fantastic rice. I don't quite understand how it does it, but this rice cooker manages to make brown rice the same consistency of white rice. If you and your family only casually eat rice, this is not the rice cooker for you, buy something a lot less expensive. If you eat rice more than once a week it is definitely worth it from my perspective. It is well designed and very easy to clean.

Cheap ICM ICM205 5 MINUTE OFF CYCLE TIMER

Customer Ratings:

I have an Aqua Cal Pool Heater, and I had this piece stolen from my unit.... some very smart pool maintenance guy since all houses on my condo has the same heater. However I had to find it very quick and found at Amazon. Works perfectly.

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