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: Used "to death" twice now
Summary: 4 Stars
I first bought a single egg-muffin maker, but after becoming addicted to the easy morning breakfast-to-go for myself and my husband, we upgraded to the double. While I first bought it as somewhat of a novelty, I've been using the unit to make breakfast sandwiches 5 days a week, every week, for at least 2 years.
On the downside, I'm about to order my third set of egg poaching trays, as the non-stick coating is by far the least durable part of the product. Toaster works great - understanding that the product is intended to make a great egg-muffin sandwich, not perfect double-sided standard toast. I'm satisfied with its toasting personally, but it's definitely toastier on one side. Poacher is still working fine. As others have mentioned, using the meat tray for anything remotely juicy will result in meat juices floating on top of your egg. Flip the egg out onto a paper towel and problem solved (if anything, the egg is even tastier!).
I'm more than a little disappointed that the egg poaching trays are not more durable. I was much more careful with the second set of egg trays, and hand-washed ONLY, but it hardly even delayed, much less prevented, the breakdown of the non-stick coating. The coating comes off in little bits over time, and eventually even removing the egg becomes really difficult, whether or not non-stick spray is used.
I've started looking into egg tray alternatives, but will fork out the $5 each for replacements once again. I can't help it - the convenience is unbeatable. I would and probably will buy it again!
Customer Review: Not a novelty--multiple functions you'll actually use
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first saw this toaster I was skeptical. It seemed gimmicky and I doubted how useful it would be. But I thought it was cool as a novelty item, and it wasn't very much more expensive than a regular toaster, so I took the plunge and got one.
After owning it for a year, I think that it is more useful than a regular toaster. I like to make egg sandwiches in the morning (add a little flavored olive oil for a special treat!). But what I really like is being able to make soft- or hard-boiled eggs without watching the stove. The eggs come out perfectly cooked. And being able to make 4 eggs at once means that my boyfriend and I can both have eggs for breakfast (or egg salad for lunch) with minimal active cooking and minimal cleanup.
One problem I have with the machine is sometimes if you add too much water to the egg chamber, the toast gets a little cold by the time the egg is done. I like my eggs a little runny so I add a little less water and then they're both done and hot at the same time. The other problem is that it's easy to get burned by the steam when lifting the lid on the egg chamber. Using a pot holder doesn't solve the problem completely (it gets wet, then feels hot, too). In a future version, I hope that they think of a new stay-cool handle for the lid of the egg chamber.
I would recommend this toaster even if you only plan to make eggs occasionally. It's a good value and you might find yourself enjoying eggs more often.
Customer Review: expectations = reality
Summary: 5 Stars
Just used mine for the 1st time. No disappointments here. Excellent. One of the best purchases I have made. I've recently started my own business, and I care for 2 elderly family members. I found myself more exhausted than usual until I finally realized I was eating 1 meal a day. Honestly, this is the solution for me. It REALLY does time it so the toast (today I used waffles) pop up at the time the egg is done. I put 2 slices pre cooked bacon on the warmer. I had to stand there and watch it do its thing this morning. Couldn't believe it. Very ingenious. And, for me a life saver, literally. I rarely eat fast food, and try not to eat processed food as much as possible. So now I have no excuse to miss a meal. This little bugger saves so much time and your food is hot. For me, this unit is worth every penny. Thanks to the inventors. Oh, big issue resolved - cleanup! No pans, lids. I haven't made bacon for years.. hate the lingering smell and the spatter all over the stove. Resolved. No fuss, no muss. Now that I know it works, I will try it with some smoked turkey breast. Also, the recipes in the owner's manual sound very tasty.
* If you don't like poached, you can scramble your eggs. I would recommend NOT doing it directly in the little cooking pan, but in a bowl. Still only 1 egg. But if you scramble in the little pan, it may scratch.
** If after some use this product turns negative, I will update my post.
Customer Review: Finally I can eat breakfast again.
Summary: 5 Stars
Since this product delivers exactly what it promises, I will focus on the nitpicky things. Inside the egg cooker, the egg sits on a little tray. The handle of this tray is a little flimsy, so you need to make sure that you are careful not to bend it. That being said, bending it back to its original position isn't exactly difficult.
Second, I can't quite seem to cook the egg so that the yolk is runny. They tend to turn out soft boiled. Less water doesn't seem to do the trick. It could be something I'm doing wrong, but I'll have to try and make a breakfast sandwich when I'm not in a hurry.
This is a pretty good toaster. That said, i'd like to make a note about the vendor, Beals Florida. When I ordered this toaster, I had multiple items and paid for rush shipping. This item cost 24 dollars shipping but was sent regular UPS ground. I can understand why they didn't send it rush, but not why I was still charged so much money. Beals was very understanding and credited a portion of the shipping back to my account, and Amazon quickly followed through. The shipping experience was a little rough (I'll make sure to order Beals items seperately from my rush orders from now on), but their customer service made up for it all. Very pleased with the toaster and the customer service.
Edit: Upon further review, it appears that this toaster is no longer shipped from Beals Florida. So... um, nevermind.
Customer Review: AWSOME
Summary: 5 Stars
I have made my husband the happiest man alive when I turned his boring breakfast cereal eating days into an exciting breakfast experience! One thing run toasting cycle first before you toast anything or you will get a weird plastic smell. The smell wears of after the first toasting cycle.
#1 it cooks egg Mcmuffins to perfection
#2 clean up is sooooo easy
#3 it offers a variety of other dishes to be made!
So what if the meat from heating tray drips off onto the food. I am a cook and know that this gives it much more flavor! If you are concerned just pat the poached egg with a paper towel (easy).
Recipes I have come up with:
1. Try havarti cheese instead of cheddar and put some steamed spinach on top of the egg, yummy, use with English muffin or croissant.
2. Try smoked turkey breast deli slices for lower fat, cheddar cheese and spread raspberry jam on the bottom of the English muffin.
3. Try Cheese whiz over an opened faced English muffin instead of hollandaise sauce.
4. Try an opened faced egg sandwich, use cheddar cheese, sausage patty and poached egg
and pour sausage gravy over top.
If you want a low fat cheese try a soy pepper jack found at Giant. MMM much lower fat!
The recipes are And much easier and cleaner too!!!