Back to Basics TEM500 Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Back to Basics TEM500 Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher
Customer Review: Mine Mine Mine!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I debated and debated over whether or not I should get this happy invention. A toaster oven is so much more practical, I thought. When my toaster oven broke down, I told myself already have a very nice european toaster, this is a frivolous purchase . But then i saw it for about $12 (new) at Sears.com. With tax and shipping and extended warranty it was still under $20. I debated, should I buy two for $30? Nah, what if it sucks? I barely justified this purchase by saying that I could always give it to a buddy or share it with the office if I don't use it enough.
Now that I've got it, I am kicking myself that I didn't buy more because it works wonderfully. I call it my magic toaster. I brag about it. I use it several times a week. I love it and it isn't going anywhere. It is mine mine mine.
The fact that it can "boil" eggs is so fabulous. So much easier than watching a pot and scrubbing it out afterwards.
Tips and comments:
1. Soft boils beautifully. After hard boiling if you take it out right away, the yolks may still be a bit soft. For truly hard boiled, leave it in the steamer a few minutes longer. Don't add extra water because it will boil over.
2. Turn the steamy vent away from your cabinets to prevent moisture damage. Consider doing a facial as you wait - just kidding!
3. Be very careful when removing lid from egg when finished. It can get very hot and the temperature of steam is higher than that of boiling water.
4. Used distilled water in the well. Regular Crystal Geyser drinking water still results in residue.
5. Don't use soap on the egg poacher pan. I coat mine with a touch of butter before using. When I am done, I rinse the inside out with hot water and gently wash the outside with dish soap. Eggs still slide out.
6. Enjoy!
Customer Review: First review ever
Summary: 4 Stars
I've never written a review for an item on Amazon.com but I feel that this product deserves the praise. The main review covers just about everything so I thought I'd touch on a few things that it didn't.
I use this at the office. I have a mini fridge that I use to store the eggs and meat, and a nearby water cooler to retrieve the water needed for cooking.
I bought this as a good incentive to eat breakfast each day as I used to have to walk out to the break area, scramble and microwave my eggs, waiting, stirring, reheating, and so on. Then I would have to heat up the meat. This process generally took anywhere from 5 to 7 minutes, not including getting the ingredients together, and walking to and fro, and cleanup.
The first time I used this product I was very impressed. It worked just as advertised. I've tried various food combinations with excellent results. Egg Beaters work well, just don't overfill it. I use "I Can't Believe Its Not Butter Spray" in the egg poaching tray, and it works much better then Pam or other cooking sprays.
The only downside I've come across so far is with bacon. While it does an OK job of heating it, I prefer my bacon to be pretty crisp, but unfortunately that just isn't possible with this machine. As I had feared when purchasing, due to the fact that the egg and meat are heated by steam, the bacon (I use pre-cooked turkey bacon) stays pretty limp and soggy. Don't get me wrong it's still tasty, just not crispy.
Cleanup is always a breeze. I wipe down the lid, trays, and pans with a paper towel as I remove the contents, throw away the paper plate and I'm back to work in no time.
I've been using this machine daily Monday through Friday for breakfast for about two weeks now, and I believe it to be one of the best purchases I've ever made.
Customer Review: I love it ...but...there are issues with parts
Summary: 4 Stars
This toaster is very cool and convenient. I can have a look alike to the egg mcmuffin in about five minutes. The best part is that I can put it all together, start it, and walk away until it's done-it's cut down a lot of time on my morning routine.
I receieved the black version (there is a 'Paula Deen endorsed' version offered by this same company). I hand washed all the removable pieces and followed all the directions carefully. The results were just great. The toaster combo times it so that when the egg is fully cooked, the toast pops up so you don't have to worry about one getting cold before the other part gets done. For the most part, I only use egg and toast. I did try putting meat on the top tray (fully cooked store bought bacon)this morning and was pleased that it did heat it up but noticed it dripped into the egg. This is not a problem for me but it also drips a bit more moisture from the steam into the egg as well.
One thing I am really disappointed with is the tray that you poach the egg in. The non stick coating is already cracking and peeling off (of course I don't feel that it is truly non stick if you have to coat the tray with pam spray before cooking). I noticed some bits of it in the cooked egg when I slid it out of the tray. That is definitely not something I want to eat. I don't know why it has started doing this considering that it never comes into direct contact with the heating element. I have followed the instructions completely and always hand washed or wiped out the parts after use. Really liking this machine's output and ease of use, I want to keep it around for a long time. I will be contacting the company today to see if I can get a replacement for this part. I will update on the customer service, if any, after I call.
Customer Review: Works great!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this item for a little over a month. I've used it probably 12 times. It works excellent!
Although, I did read many other reviews and I learned how easily the non-stick surface can wear off. So, to prevent this, I only use very soft utensils on it. Like a cheap, wooden chop stick that I got from the Chinese Restaurant which can easily stir up 1 egg. Plastic forks or spoons can be abrasive so I don't use them. So far, I haven't had one scratch on it. -knock on wood-
I put standard bread in it and English Muffins and it comes out perfect every time. I don't recommend using the meat tray because it's not quite as easy to clean. I also highly recommend you buy yourself a gallon of distilled water (50 cents). This will prevent the mineral deposits from building up on the stainless steel heating element. They're not easy to get off once they're on there.
Get out the bread, the butter, the jelly, crack the egg, mix the egg, pour water into the tray, push "egg & toast" and push the toast lever down. Then put your meat in the microwave (because it's much easier to clean), come back in 5 minutes and put it all together and eat it.
Clean up is easy, just rinse out the mini skillet .DON'T wipe it with anything abrasive. That includes towels, paper towels, etc. I let mine air dry). Plus there is a tray in the bottom that comes out to make cleaning the bread crumbs out pretty easy.
I honestly believe that I can now make a better Egg McMuffin then McDonalds can. I love this thing and I'm glad I took the chance on it.
If you're looking to feed more people be sure to look around for the double capacity one. It holds 4 slices of bread and 2 eggs and 2 meats. I should have bought that one instead.
Customer Review: Amazing time and money saving device!
Summary: 5 Stars
I inherited a four slice toaster that only worked with two slices, so I opted to upgrade to something fully functional and with a smaller footprint. I chose the Back to Basics Egg-and-Muffin toaster as my replacement.
The Back to Basics Egg-and-Muffin 2 slice toaster is a great little breakfast tool. Within four or five minutes I have a nice egg-McMuffin knockoff without the inconvenience of driving to a fast food joint and without the expense. What I would pay for one breakfast sandwich eating out comes close to the cost of six English muffins and a dozen eggs, add a couple bucks more if you want to add cheese. You're looking at maybe $7.50 for six days worth of breakfast sandwiches.
Cleanup is also a breeze. Rinse the steamer lid, dry a couple extra parts, wipe the excess water out of the steaming tray, and then sponge off the egg pan. In less than five minutes you're ready to make tomorrow morning's breakfast. :)
I haven't tried the meat heating attachment as I don't use pre-cooked breakfast meats.
My only complaints are:
- Regular bread is a bit too tall for the toast slots. So about a quarter inch of bread isn't fully toasted. Kind of an odd design oversight.
- The setting for how browned you like your toast, at least on my unit, is very light in most cases. I have to slide the browning dial over almost all of the way to lightly brown an English muffin.
The toaster has a full year warranty, so if anything breaks down you'll be covered for at least the first year.
Even if this toaster were to break down after the first year, I'd gladly buy another. It's almost the next best thing to sliced bread.