Back to Basics TEM500 Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher
by Back to Basics
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List Price: Our Price: $21.99 You Save: $31.00 (59%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Back to Basics TEM500 Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher
Customer Review: Better than good! I LOVE IT!
Summary: 5 Stars
Okay, if you are still reading these reviews, what in the world is holding you back? There were tons when I bought mine, so I'm sure there's even more now. What? You want my story? Okay, then. Listen: My 12 yo dd, who has some anxiety issues and needs a good shot of protein in the morning has recently begun trying to cook her own egg. With varying success. Like: one egg in four will be "just right" for her to eat. The rest get fed to the dogs, or her less-picky sister. Sometimes, her frustration will send her screaming, unfed, from the kitchen. So anyway, she went on a weekend trip with her friend and their family, to stay in their 5th wheel. They had all kinds of fun, but the one big thing I heard about all the way home was this amazing, egg-cooking toaster. Please, mom, can we buy one too? I'll never waste another egg! It cooks them perfectly! I can do it myself, yadayada. So I go online to search for "egg toaster" or something like that, thinking it'll probably be around $100.00 or so. What? It's cheap, too? What's not to like about it? Okay, let's buy it. Our toast, up until now has been being made in a 9 year old toaster oven, that takes about 10 minutes to toast, sometimes only one side. We've always been "toaster oven" folks, as opposed to "vertical toaster" people. Not anymore, okay?
So: yes, you should buy this toaster. It works well. Has all the stuff you need to make delicious toast, or eggs, or eggs and toast. Even a little plastic grate thingy to heat up Canadian bacon or whatever. I recommend cooking up a whole package of regular (American?) bacon and keep it in the fridge, or freezer, and take out a few 1/2 slices at a time to add to your sandwich, but don't heat it on the grill over the egg, cos that just steams it and it gets soggy. The heat of the toast and egg will warm it sufficiently and you'll not have limp bacon. Unless you like it that way. Canadian bacon is fantastic on it. Oh, and try it with a slice of homegrown tomato.
Seriously, dude: stop reading the reviews and buy one, already, for crying out loud. The perfect breakfast sandwich is waiting or you!!!!
Customer Review: Our favorite toaster egg boiler/poacher
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not a gourmet or a breakfast food addict and I never feel comfortable around toasters or toaster ovens but I missed this little implement, after it died on us a couple of months ago. We had one for a few years and, somehow, it turned me into a toast consumer (12-grain whole grain is my favorite). My wife used the egg thing from time to time too so, when it stopped toasting, I felt that I needed a replacement.
On features:
- Egg poaching is moderately okay. I can't say much about it because I don't eat real eggs any longer - cholesterol... you know? But it's good to know it's there and it doesn't bother anyone. The kids do make them in the morning for breakfast and they find it convenient. It comes with a little booklet that has easy to follow instructions and the kids became experts the first time they tried it.
- Same as above for boiling eggs. It comes with a 3-egg tray holder and the eggs get steam-boiled rather than water-boiled.
- Toast-making is easy and there is a nice knob that you can move from light to dark. I always select the darkest but my wife sets it somewhere in the middle. After a while, your toast pops up and you can eat it but if the slices are too small, it's sometimes hard to take them out and you better wait for a minute or you could burn your fingers.
- It's quite robust. Our first unit did not show any signs of wear and tear until the day it stopped making toast.
- Not having much to do with functionality or ergonomics, I like the shape, color, texture: no sharp angles, dark grey, no chrome.
Did I mention that the one we bought a couple of years ago died on us? It did but it gave us close to 3 years of good service so ordering a replacement was an easy decision to make.
P.S. - I noticed that prices on this item which is available from more than one vendor tend to fluctuate a lot. I suggest that you search Amazon.com for TEM500 and pick the best offer.
Customer Review: Wedding gift that lasted over 10 yrs.
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife and I received the TEM500 model as a wedding gift over 11yrs ago. It recently died, and here I am looking to buy another one. Any modern appliance that can last that long under regular use is a welcome surprise nowadays!!!
I spent many years running out the door to work, and my breakfast of choice usually is buttered toast. As a result, this toaster was used VERY frequently. I do have to say that after the novelty wore off, we did not use the egg cooking feature much at all. (a single egg doesn't fill a family very fast!) However, it made a great place to keep a small dish of butter!!!! It was definitely messy to clean up after the non-stick started wearing thin. The toaster part, though, was a flawless operation the entire time we owned and used it.
I do NOT know how it finally broke, but I did learn a few things from taking it apart to investigate:
1) There are THREE small circuit boards inside (timer/cooking selector, main power distribution board, secondary power distribution board for the egg-cooker)
2) The TOAST timer is actually a timer, not the more standard "bi-metal coil" that heats up and releases toast when hot. (that style will only be accurate for a first use, then it is already warm for the second, and toast comes out lighter each time!) This has a magnetic strip that is charged when cooking, and when the timer is done, the charge is released-popping up the toast. This also is a reason why YOU SHOULD ALWAYS USE THE CANCEL BUTTON to end cooking, NOT just forcing the lever up.
3) There are A LOT of wires running around inside this toaster, so don't get it wet, and try to keep the crumb tray empty to avoid burning smells!!
I know I got long winded, but I like knowing details behind products before buying, and am usually a little apprehensive about online buying. I hope this helps you feel like you can make a more informed decision regarding your purchase choice!!!
natebeam
Customer Review: Breakfast has been reinvented! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
When this popped up on my suggestions, I thought it looked amazing... Too good to be true, even. Usually when you buy a toaster like this, you realize too late that it is cheap and faulty. This was not the case! I have had this toaster for more than two weeks now and am using it every morning.
I pop everything in at the same time and the entire meal is ready at the same time! No waiting! The best part is that it only takes 5 minutes to make, so even if I'm on the run I can get a real breakfast! Clean up is a breeze, and this is coming from someone who hates cleaning dishes. I just disassemble the egg cooker section and rinse it in water, maybe with a splash of soap, and let it dry on the rack. If the bottom of the cooker gets too dirty, you just pour in a little vinegar and run the egg cycle and PRESTO! So clean and shiny.
I've created my own little breakfast sandwich that is quite enjoyable and I thought I would share:
- I toast two frozen waffels in the toaster. I make my scrambled eggs in the egg cooker and heat up the PRECOOKED canadian bacon above the eggs. I add cheese to the sandwich and dip it into maple syrup. It is verrrry delicious! (The sandwich is layered - bottom up - waffle, cheese, canadian bacon, egg, cheese, waffle.)
I've read some reviews about the toaster breaking and it has not happened to me even with extensive use. It's sturdy and quite reliable. I've also read a few reviews saying that the meat heater above the eggs is a hassle because it drips... but it drips on the eggs and make them even more flavorful!
I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves breakfast, or needs breakfast on the run, or anyone who likes food in general! Everyone who has seen the toaster is amazed and even more so when they try my breakfast sandwich! I'm excited to try hard boiling some eggs in it this afternoon to put on a chef's salad for dinner.
This toaster can do everything!FIVE STARS!
Customer Review: Pays For Itself In One Month - Recommended by a Former Luddite
Summary: 5 Stars
5 Stars from a Luddite? For this machine, Yes.
Ordered on Saturday and was delivered on Tuesday even with the free shipping feature. I wasn't expecting it that fast and only had wheat bread and eggs on hand. No problem at all, makes a great sandwhich.
I get up at 4:30am every work day, and leave the house by 5:00am to get to work on time. Cooking a hot breakfast in the morning was not an option, until now. That meant drive thru fast food every day. Until now. I am "Off The Fast Food Grid" now. What a great feeling!
Day 1: This morning Alarm goes off at 4:30am, I stumble into the kitchen at 4:31am - turn on the coffee pot and put two slices of bread and an egg into the toaster and turn it on. Stumble back out of the kitchen at 4:32am. At 4:55am I re-entered the kitchen, pour my cup of coffee into the travel mug - take the toast and egg out and assemble a hot delicious sandwhich and was out the door at 4:57, on time, actually a tiny bit early. The sandwhich was easy to eat while driving.
Bonus No. 1 - I didn't have to do the fast food drive thru so had more time to get to work. I am no longer a slave to "The (fastfood) Man"! No more surly early morning service from those hungover acne faced kids. I enjoyed giving the usual place a "wave" as I drove right on by without slowing down.
Bonus No. 2 - I figure I saved $2.50 on breakfast today - a $50 per month savings.
This weekend when I go grocery shopping I will add english muffins and pre-cooked sausage and Canadian bacon to my shopping list - for some breakfast sandwhich variety. This will probably decrease the savings down to about $2.00 per sandwhich - still $40 a month saved. Annualized (after purchasing the toaster) I am looking at $450, minimum, in yearly savings along with my new found freedom. How cool is that?
I am something of a Luddite, but this is one machine I love!