Back to Basics TEM500 Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher
by Back to Basics
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Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Back to BasicsBrand: Back to Basics
Model: TEM500
Color: Black
Product features:
- Innovative 3-in-1 appliance functions as toaster, egg cooker, and meat warmer
- Makes a breakfast sandwich in 4 minutes; wide toaster slots; light to dark toast settings
- Automatic shut-off for individual toasting and poaching functions; cancel button
- Easy-to-clean control touchpad; removable crumb tray; cord storage; measuring cup included
- Measures 7-1/5 by 15-1/4 by 8-1/6 inches; 1-year warranty
- Progressive International Microwavable Egg Poacher
- Progressive International Silicone Oven Mitts 2-Pack, Red
- Progressive International Microwavable Four Egg Poacher
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Back to Basics TEM500 Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher
Customer Review: Now maybe I won't burn the house down making breakfast!
Summary: 4 Stars
Before buying this, I read all the reviews, and I'm only going to add what hasn't been noted by others except to say "Yes, you really should read the instruction booklet cover to cover before you use this the first time." Why? Because some of the complaints people had about this product were clearly due to the fact that they did not read the instructions! Be sure to flip to the badly placed "Cleaning" part first!
The best thing I like about this sleek appliance is that it shuts itself off. Control freaks might not love it (although, to me, I'd think the Cancel button would afford them the requisite control). Those who don't read the instructions might break it by manually forcing the toaster arm up to stop it from toasting instead of pressing Cancel. Other than that, the trickiest but most fun part is playing around to see what water amounts and food combinations appeal most to you.
The programmed auto-shutoff feature is greater (and safer) than I imagined. I'm not completely adle-pated just yet, but I'm very bad about sticking a skillet on the stove, walking off to do something else, then returning only when the smoke alarm has gone off and the house is filled with smoke. So having this little "bot" toaster/egg cooker that knows I've forgotten all about it protects me from myself. The worst thing that can happen is my food will get cold before it dawns on me to check on it.
Another thing: I'm not the type to leave well enough alone. Whether it's software or hardware, I'm always pushing things past the limit of what they were designed to do. I soon discovered that I can have a healthy little lunch of a slice of whole-grain bread and a handful of nicely steamed fresh broccoli or frozen brussels sprouts. Toss in a piece of fresh fruit from the fruit bowl, and I can feel like I've been so good without having to drag out the steamer, wait for the water to boil, etc.
Another thing I tried, after one reviewer mentioned using a ramekin in hers when the teflon peeled off her egg tray, was to fill the smallest (1-cup) pyrex bowl in my round storage set with Excalibur-dehydrated cooked brown rice (my version of healthy "quick" rice) and the requisite amount of water to reconstitute it, then steam it using a little more water than is required for four hard-boiled eggs. This makes enough for two side servings of rice for me and my husband, and I could have thrown in other dried veggie flakes and chunks if I'd wanted to. Because I'm into dehydrating foods for long-term storage and want to be able to reconstitute cooked foods in only cold water if I have to, this is a real boon. I'm far more likely to use those dried stores on a day-to-day basis if I can very quickly reconstitute measurable servings without having to use the microwave oven (which I don't want to do).
The recipes in the manual, as one reviewer mentioned, also confused me. Can you poach TWO eggs at once, I wondered? Well, yes; yes you can. You just have to add more water than it calls for if you want them medium-poached and not runny. That little teflon skillet-tray holds two medium (and maybe even two large) eggs just fine. You just have to experiment with how much water you need to cook them McMuffin-firm.
I can also boil enough eggs for quick egg salad sandwiches, and they do peel very easily when you use that sharp poker thing on the plastic water-measuring cup that comes with this. But I can't seem to remember to avoid that poker, and that thing can make you BLEED. So I quickly measured out how much water is required for my various egg-cooking and veggie-steaming tasks and transferred those amounts to my little OXO angled stainless steel measuring cup. Now, if I'm going to boil eggs, I'll pull the plastic measurer/poker out of the drawer and poke, then put it right back in the drawer so I won't forget and stab myself with it.
So, what's not to like about this B-to-B "bot"? The footprint is considerably smaller than our older four-slice "wide slot" overkill toaster, and the bot's two slots are actually wider than on our old one. I like that it sits longways toward the back of the countertop, leaving me more room for doing other things. The black-and-stainless look matches our Keurig coffee maker. The materials are cheaper than the Keurig's, of course, but it didn't cost several hundred dollars either.
If Back to Basics ever decides to redesign this neat little critter, I hope they'll make the stainless steel portion of the water tray removeable and dishwasherable. If they wanted to release a higher-end special edition of it, making the various cooking trays out of stainless steel with a tempered glass top, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. This is going to be one of those "use all the time" items in our household.
Description of Back to Basics TEM500 Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher
And you thought the drive-thru was fast! Make your favorite breakfast sandwiches --- at home -- in minutes. The Egg & Muffin Toaster brings innovation to the toaster category by combining the functions of a toaster and an egg poacher into one easy-to-use appliance. It even heats your breakfast sausage or bacon! The Egg & Muffin can be used solely as a full functioning toaster or poacher or can be used simultaneously to make the ultimate breakfast sandwich in just 4 minutes!. Simply add the necessary ingredients and start the machine.Toasters
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