Share Randy's profile
Randy
Randy's stats
- Review count88
- Helpfulness votes201
- First reviewOctober 15, 2013
- Last reviewNovember 17, 2023
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.5
Reviews comments
- Review comment count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentNone
- Last review commentNone
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count4
- Helpfulness votes5
- First answerNovember 28, 2016
- Last answerOctober 21, 2021
- Featured answers0
- Best answers2
Enjoy your morning java with this Ninja coffee brewer. Its specialized extraction technology maximizes the flavor of your hot or iced brew, and its Auto-iQ One-Touch Intelligence feature lets you choose the size of your drinking vessel so it delivers the exact amount of water. This Ninja coffee brewer has a removable reservoir for easy refilling.
Posted by: Randy
from Parker CO
We like to be able to brew a single cup of coffee on our own schedule, so have been using a Keurig for a couple of years. The convenience of the Keurig is nice, but it just isn’t the same as a fresh-brewed cup of coffee. There’s always that slight plastic taste to most K-cup pods. The Ninja combines the convenience with the fresh brew. Our review is largely a comparison to the Keurig. Even though we’re all about the individual cup of coffee, we did try brewing a carafe as well. We also tested the iced coffee feature.
Pros:
- Brews hot enough to really get a rich cup of coffee. If you have to foo your coffee before you can drink it, that’s a good sign.
- Taste is highly influenced by the coffee you have, so it is hard to say how much the Ninja contributed beyond the brew heat. I like a very bold cup of coffee. I expected to have to use the Rich Brew setting to get a regular cup of coffee to my liking, but the Classic Brew did just fine (I did use the higher number of scoops recommended).
- Warming tray keeps the carafe hot. Booklet says it will stay on for 2 hours. We didn’t leave it that long, but unlike many coffee makers with warming trays, the coffee in the carafe stayed at brew heat (most warming trays do just that – keep it warm, not hot). This was impressive. 45 minutes after brewing, the coffee was as hot as it was when it just finished brewing. It was even still warm an hour after turning the warmer off (so beware that it is not an instant cool down).
- System is smart enough to know when the carafe is not on the warming tray and does not turn it on. I have a tall coffee cup that I set on the warming tray (not the cup stand) and the warming tray did not come on.
- Ninja lived up to its promise regarding iced coffee. I did brew it in such a way that it tasted as rich as the same cup not over ice (see Con note about instructions).
- Brews hot enough to really get a rich cup of coffee. If you have to foo your coffee before you can drink it, that’s a good sign.
- Taste is highly influenced by the coffee you have, so it is hard to say how much the Ninja contributed beyond the brew heat. I like a very bold cup of coffee. I expected to have to use the Rich Brew setting to get a regular cup of coffee to my liking, but the Classic Brew did just fine (I did use the higher number of scoops recommended).
- Warming tray keeps the carafe hot. Booklet says it will stay on for 2 hours. We didn’t leave it that long, but unlike many coffee makers with warming trays, the coffee in the carafe stayed at brew heat (most warming trays do just that – keep it warm, not hot). This was impressive. 45 minutes after brewing, the coffee was as hot as it was when it just finished brewing. It was even still warm an hour after turning the warmer off (so beware that it is not an instant cool down).
- System is smart enough to know when the carafe is not on the warming tray and does not turn it on. I have a tall coffee cup that I set on the warming tray (not the cup stand) and the warming tray did not come on.
- Ninja lived up to its promise regarding iced coffee. I did brew it in such a way that it tasted as rich as the same cup not over ice (see Con note about instructions).
Cons:
- Does take a little longer to brew than the Keurig. Single cup was 3 ½ minutes to the Keurig’s 2. That time does NOT include preheat. Half carafe took 10 minutes
- Preheat takes a good 3 minutes. Just hit the preheat and then prep your coffee so the wait doesn’t feel as long. There is also no beep when preheat is done as the instructions indicate. So, just watch for when “pre-heat” turns to the time again.
- (Because I think these time factors actually contribute to a good cup of coffee, I am not dropping my rating. It is just something to be aware if you’re a Keurig user and don’t want to wait any longer for your cup-o-joe).
- The beep DOES NOT mean done. It continues to drip 30-60 seconds after the beep. The beep is just that the brewing is done. The green instruction booklet does not mention this, but the other included material does. I learned the hard way, so just be a little patient after the beep to let the drip finish.
- There are no explicit instructions for iced coffee, just to fill your container with ice. You essentially brew like you would a hot coffee, but need a container larger than what you’re brewing. So for a cup, a mug twice as large as what you normally brew a single cup in if your regular brew fills that cup (if your regular cup is 8 oz., then fill a 16 oz. container with ice).
- Does take a little longer to brew than the Keurig. Single cup was 3 ½ minutes to the Keurig’s 2. That time does NOT include preheat. Half carafe took 10 minutes
- Preheat takes a good 3 minutes. Just hit the preheat and then prep your coffee so the wait doesn’t feel as long. There is also no beep when preheat is done as the instructions indicate. So, just watch for when “pre-heat” turns to the time again.
- (Because I think these time factors actually contribute to a good cup of coffee, I am not dropping my rating. It is just something to be aware if you’re a Keurig user and don’t want to wait any longer for your cup-o-joe).
- The beep DOES NOT mean done. It continues to drip 30-60 seconds after the beep. The beep is just that the brewing is done. The green instruction booklet does not mention this, but the other included material does. I learned the hard way, so just be a little patient after the beep to let the drip finish.
- There are no explicit instructions for iced coffee, just to fill your container with ice. You essentially brew like you would a hot coffee, but need a container larger than what you’re brewing. So for a cup, a mug twice as large as what you normally brew a single cup in if your regular brew fills that cup (if your regular cup is 8 oz., then fill a 16 oz. container with ice).
My Best Buy number: 2646987813
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+32points
32of 32voted this as helpful.
Improve your audio experience with this Samsung three-channel soundbar. This unit, which has a built-in subwoofer, channels high-resolution full-spectrum sound and eliminates the need for an extra bass speaker. Use 4K pass-through to connect your Blu-ray player or other UHD device to the Samsung three-channel soundbar for stunning multi-channel audio and a clear picture.
Customer Rating
5
Amazing Soundbar, Great Upgrade from TV speakers
on June 21, 2017
Posted by: Randy
from Parker CO
TV's these days have excellent picture quality but a lot of them suffer from below-average speakers with lousy sound. The Samsung 3-Channel Hi-Res Soundbar will upgrade your sound from lame to amazing in just minutes. Connection was easy using the optical cable and once I turned it on I was stunned, particularly by the bass. I don't know how Samsung does it, but this long, slender soundbar puts out some serious bass! This soundbar replaced our previous soundbar system which had a separate subwoofer and honestly produced more bass than this sound bar. But the overall sound coming from this one is better than our previous system, the bass is more than adequate, and the ugly speaker wires from our previous system have been eliminated.
Excellent stereo sound is produced and if you want surround you can always purchase the separate satellite speakers. The remote is easy to use and I love the digital read-out on the speaker that shows you the volume and bass settings when you are adjusting them. I didn't end up mounting it on the wall since it fits in front of our TV perfectly, see picture. I think Gilligan was stunned by the sound, too :)
Excellent stereo sound is produced and if you want surround you can always purchase the separate satellite speakers. The remote is easy to use and I love the digital read-out on the speaker that shows you the volume and bass settings when you are adjusting them. I didn't end up mounting it on the wall since it fits in front of our TV perfectly, see picture. I think Gilligan was stunned by the sound, too :)
Overall, this is a very impressive soundbar and a great upgrade over my previous system as well as eliminating all of those ugly wires.
My Best Buy number: 2646987813
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Take your favorite music anywhere with this Nyne Rock boom box. It has two midrange speakers, two tweeters and a subwoofer, and its rechargeable lithium-ion battery lets you play tunes for up to 8 hours. This Nyne Rock boom box is Bluetooth 4.0 compatible and connects to a mobile device via NFC one-touch technology.
Customer Rating
4
Great speaker, Tremendous sound
on June 21, 2017
Posted by: Randy
from Parker CO
I own a Nyne Bass speaker and was looking to upgrade since its several years old. The Nyne X-Series definitely filled the bill. Its larger than my other speaker, has a nice rugged look to it, and I love the fact that its water resistant so we use it outside on our patio. The bottom line for me is sound, and this speaker produces tremendous sound. The highs and mids are outstanding and if you want it loud this one will deliver. But honestly I found the bass to be a bit lacking. The bass is there, but it doesn't really 'boom' like the Nyne Bass speaker does. Now if Nyne could just combine the two, they would have the perfect speaker. Overall, a great speaker with impressive sound and excellent volume.
My Best Buy number: 2646987813
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Get high-fidelity audio with these wireless Audio-Technica headphones. Mic and volume switches are built into the earcup for convenient control, and its NFC functionality enables touch pairing to connect with your favorite Bluetooth wireless devices. Memory foam earpads on these over-ear Audio-Technica headphones offer sound isolation and a comfortable fit.
Posted by: Randy
from Parker CO
I have numerous bluetooth headphones and these are middle of the range for me. The sound is good, they are comfortable to wear, the bluetooth connection works quickly, and the controls are easy to use. They do not produce base as well as other headphones I have but the highs and mids are good.
My Best Buy number: 2646987813
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
-3points
0of 3voted this as helpful.
Adjust lighting levels easily with this universal Belkin Wemo Wi-Fi smart dimmer switch. It lets you schedule operations and set timer rules via the Wemo app, and it works with any dimmable LED, CFL or incandescent light bulb. This universal Belkin Wemo Wi-Fi smart dimmer switch is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice control, and requires no hub for easy installation.
Posted by: Randy
from Parker CO
I really like this light switch and its functionality. Setup was a breeze, the instructions were clear and precise for my setup. I had no issues with installation, downloading and connecting with the Wemo app, or establishing a connection with my Wifi network. Once connected it worked perfectly with near instantaneous response when turning on our light fixture or dimming with the app on my phone. And the light switch looks great to boot. We have a Nest thermostat so I connected the Wemo to the Nest, again, no issues whatsoever in connecting the two together via the app.
Overall, perfect execution in installation, app usage, and functionality. This is a great product and I hope Belkin eventually produces a 3-way switch. We have lots of them throughout our home and I will definitely be upgrading once they are available.
My Best Buy number: 2646987813
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Enhance your on-the-go audio experience with this Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Bluetooth speaker, which is ideal for outdoor use. This speaker, which pairs wirelessly with a range of smart devices, plays music for up to 10 hours at a time. Use this waterproof Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Bluetooth speaker, which floats, in the pool or on the beach.
Customer Rating
4
Love it! Nice sound and highly portable
on April 19, 2017
Posted by: Randy
from Parker CO
I've had the UE Wonderboom for a little while now and it is very impressive. Its smaller than I thought it would be when I ordered it, see the attached picture (I have medium-sized hands). Even though its small it pacts a powerful punch and puts out a lot of sound. And it has a surprising amount of base for such a small device, not overwhelming by any means, but it definitely puts out some base. I find the sound to be slightly "tinny", though, which is why I'm knocking off a star. The claims of 100 feet bluetooth connection are true, I measured it and I was still connected, and I've gotten 10 hours of continuous play out of it so again I was impressed. I haven't had a chance to test out the waterproof feature but I know my daughter is excited for Summer and wants to take it to the pool with her friends. Once she gets her hands on it I doubt she will want to give it back it so I'll be buying one for her birthday. Overall, a great portable bluetooth speaker!
My Best Buy number: 2646987813
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Clean carpets, couches and stairs easily with this adaptable Dyson Ball Animal vacuum. Various attachments, including a tangle-free turbine tool, a multi-angle brush and a stair tool make pet hair removal quick and simple. The Dyson Ball Animal vacuum comes with a generous 35-foot cord, making it ideal for larger homes.
Posted by: Randy
from Parker CO
I’ve been skeptical about Dyson vacuums. I have seen the commercials showing all the technology in their products which makes them look impressive but I was not quite sold. I thought our vacuum seems to have plenty of suction and cleaning power, how much of an improvement could a Dyson really be? Well, after using this one I have come to this conclusion: Dyson is the real deal. Its cleaning power is amazing, especially on carpet. It is very maneuverable, I l love the way it glides on the ball which makes it easy to turn. It also lays down much flatter than our previous vacuum which allows us to get underneath our bed and vacuum where our dog likes to sleep. It is far less bulky and lighter than our Bissell which it is replacing.
To prove whether or not the Dyson Ball Animal 2 is really that good, I waited for our housekeepers to finish cleaning our home and I went to our bedroom and vacuumed with the Dyson to see if I could vacuum up anything after the cleaners had already vacuumed. Attached is a picture, and this was only our bedroom. It picked up bunches of our dog’s hair out of our carpet even after our cleaners had already vacuumed. Well, I am sold!
The Dyson Ball Animal 2 does command a steep price tag so time will tell if it is justified in the long run (and it does come with a 5 year warranty). But the cleaning power of this vacuum is incredible, and it is certainly the best vacuum cleaner I have ever used.
My Best Buy number: 2646987813
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+18points
30of 42voted this as helpful.
Make your home an internet haven with this versatile Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system. Three identical tri-band dual-stream AC2200 routers, each equipped with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor, deliver lightning-fast internet. Equipped with Bluetooth 4.0/LE, this Linksys Velop wireless Wi-Fi system is simple to set up and pairs easily with computers, tablets and smart devices.
Customer Rating
5
Impressive! Node placement is important
on January 11, 2017
Posted by: Randy
from Parker CO
Here’s our setup: we live in a two-story home with a full basement, approx. 4,000 sq ft. My home office is in a corner of the basement which is where our cable modem/router combo is located. We have a main floor master bedroom which is on the opposite side of our house from my basement office, and wifi coverage has always been poor in that bedroom. Wifi on our second level is a bit better but still significantly degraded.
Now on to the Velop system: Setup was simple, just download the Linksys Smart Wifi app and it will walk you through the setup. After connecting the first node to the modem and it was up and running, I figured I would relocate it to our master bedroom, but the node kept losing its connection with the router. Mistakenly, I thought that once the node was activated I could then unplug it and move it to another location in my home. What finally occurred to me, and was not clear to me when following the setup instructions, is that the first node MUST remain connected to the modem via Ethernet then the other nodes can be added to create the mesh network. Once I went back to the app and went through the process of connecting another node this became clear.
I placed the second node in our master bedroom and ran several before & after speed tests. Our internet service provides speeds up to 120 megabits per second. My ‘before node’ speed test in the bedroom resulted in 27mbps. After setting up the node in the bedroom my ‘after node’ speed test showed…wait for it…20mbps. Huh? Turns out I placed the node in an area where the 2nd node could not communicate with the 1st node that is connected to the router in order to establish the mesh network. Once I relocated the node to a more central location on our main level, my ‘after node’ test showed a whopping 119.8mbps. Impressive! I then went ahead and added a 3rd node upstairs; ‘before node’ speed test showed 39mbps, ‘after node’ test resulted in 100mbps (114mbps peak). I will do some additional testing and relocating of the 3rd node and I'll bet I can increase the speed even more.
These results convinced me that the Velop system works extremely well, as long as you ensure the nodes are properly placed and communicating with one another. Great product, Linksys!
My Best Buy number: 2646987813
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Arlo Pro takes the worrying out of life with the 100% Wire-Free indoor/outdoor home monitoring system. Arlo Pro includes rechargeable batteries, motion and sound-activated alerts, 2-way audio, a 100+ decibel siren, and 7 days of free cloud HD video recordings. Arlo covers every angle to help keep you safe and protected.
Customer Rating
5
Great system, especially w/ satellite internet svc
on December 17, 2016
Posted by: Randy
from Parker CO
I purchased the first Arlo system when it came out in 2014. It was a major upgrade from Netgear’s previous Vuezone system (which I also had) due to the HD cameras. This new Pro system is much like the original but with some very nice upgrades. I love the rechargeable battery feature and not having to buy new batteries every few months. The two-way audio is another new feature that will come in handy along with the “smart siren”. The siren is actually located on the base station and not the cameras. It can be triggered manually by using the app or via motion detection. The siren is very loud (100 decibels), however since my router, and therefore, the basestation are both located in my basement, I am not sure how effective the alarm will be should the need arise. But I know it scared the heck out of my dogs when I was testing it so I hope it does the same for any would-be intruder. Free cloud storage is also a great bonus. With the Basic account you get 7 days of video up to 1 gigabyte recorded to the cloud which is more than ample for me since I monitor what’s going on constantly.
Setup was very easy and since I already had an account I simply needed to add the new base station, sync the cameras, and everything was up and running. Took maybe 20 minutes.
The feature I like best about this system is how much internet bandwidth it requires to operate. The cameras only use internet bandwidth when they sense motion and begin recording or when I turn them on to view the cameras remotely. Since our property is located in the mountains we only have access to satellite internet and our monthly bandwidth allowance is a mere 10 gigabytes per month. Before I got the Arlo system I considered the Dropcam/Nest cam but I discovered that their cameras stream constantly. According to the Nest website, the average monthly upload bandwidth usage of one Nest cam set at 1080p resolution is a whopping 140 gigabytes. Therefore, just one Nest cam would eat through all of our monthly bandwidth allowance in about 2 days rendering the cameras useless. Conversely, the Arlo cameras only begin recording based on the motion settings I’ve established or when I want to view remotely so they do not stream 100% of the time like the Nest cams do. According to Netgear’s website, an Arlo camera set on “Best Video” consumes about 700-750 kilobits per second, so each 10 seconds of recorded video takes up only about 1 megabyte of bandwidth. For this reason alone, this is the best system I’ve found to work in conjunction with our satellite internet service. But with all the features this system gives you, the ability to customize camera schedules individually, and the outstanding video and pictures the cameras produce, this is a fantastic security system for the money.
My Best Buy number: 2646987813
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Make hands-free calls and listen to music with these Sony wireless in-ear sport headphones. The wireless design frees your range of motion, and the microphone makes conversations more convenient. Listen to music for over 8 hours on a single charge with these Sony wireless in-ear sport headphones, which are moisture-resistant for use during strenuous workouts.
Customer Rating
5
I'm all about that bass
on November 28, 2016
Posted by: Randy
from Parker CO
I’ve had many sports-oriented headphones over the years. Typically the mid and high tones are good but bass is usually lacking, sometimes virtually nonexistent. Since “Extra Bass” is in the name of this product I was expecting good things from these headphones, and they definitely delivered!! Hands down the best bass I’ve ever heard from a wireless sport headphone.
Most of the workout-type headphones I’ve had in the past have clips behind the ears but these are different in that there is an “arc supporter” that acts as a brace for the earpiece. Although different I must say they fit surprising well, they are comfortable and non-irritating over long periods of use. I’ve only had these headphones for 5 days so my testing is limited, but during 2 workouts lifting weights the headphones stayed in place well and did not require readjusting, same results with an 18-mile mountain bike ride. I also did a 7 mile run with these headphones, the outside temperature was 31 degrees, so I was wearing a knit cap. When running with the cap on the headphones again stayed in place very well and required no adjusting or pushing them back into my ears. I also did a test without wearing the knit cap where I found the headphones did start to work themselves out of my ears after a few minutes. I’m 6’2” 205 pounds and not the smoothest runner so this probably had something to do with that, plus the fact that these headphones have a little more size and weight to them than others I’ve had in the past, no doubt due to the construction that produces all that bass.
I also like the fact that these headphones are water resistant, a bonus since it snowed during my run and had no effect on the headphones. The package also included 3 extra sets of ear buds, different sizes and color-coded, plus 2 extra sets/sizes of arc supporters. They worked for me straight out of the box but nice to know they can be modified.
So overall, I give the Sony MDR-XB50BS Extra Bass Sports Wireless In-Ear Headphones 5 stars for sound quality, 5 stars for use during workouts and bike rides, and 4 stars for running. If you are looking for wireless headphones for working out and want to actually hear some bass, you will love these headphones.
My Best Buy number: 2646987813
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share this review:
+7points
7of 7voted this as helpful.
Randy's Review Comments
Randy has not submitted comments on any reviews.
Randy's Questions
Randy has not submitted any questions.
Randy's Answers
Savor delicious brewed coffee in style with the new 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker. With its modern curved design, this kitchen essential brings “fresh” to your cup and to your counter. Enjoy the convenience of preprogramming with 24-hour advance presets that accommodate any schedule, so a full carafe is ready to pour without any wait time. Make up to 12 cups in the ergonomic, easy-to-hold carafe that sits on a warming plate that keeps coffee hot for 2 hours, with an automatic shutoff setting. Set the clock, brew, run the cleaning process or sneak a quick cup in the middle of a brew cycle with the Brew Pause feature. The most delicious hot coffee is fast and fresh when filtered through both an easy-clean, permanent nylon coffee filter and a charcoal water filter. Freshen up your kitchen with the new 12-Cup Coffeemaker from Cuisinart.
Is the carafe. Clear glass?
Yes
2 years, 6 months ago
by
Randy
The Farenheit Flame is great for the backyard or for your outdoor adventures. This easy to transport fire pit will add warmth and atmosphere. Designed to reduce smoke so you can cozy up and enjoy yourself.
What is the 17.5" measurement? Height? Diameter? Thickness? Radius?
Its the diameter of the stove. The height is 16 and 3/4's when installed on the base.
2 years, 7 months ago
by
Randy
Make hands-free calls and listen to music with these Sony wireless in-ear sport headphones. The wireless design frees your range of motion, and the microphone makes conversations more convenient. Listen to music for over 8 hours on a single charge with these Sony wireless in-ear sport headphones, which are moisture-resistant for use during strenuous workouts.
Has anyone used these for running? I'm worried they won't stay in my ears...
I just finished a 7 mile run with these headphones, the outside temperature was 31 degrees, so I was wearing a knit cap. When running with the cap on the headphones stayed in place very well and required no adjusting or pushing them back into my ears. I also did a test without wearing the knit cap where I found the headphones did start to work themselves out of my ears after a few minutes. I’m 6’2” 205 pounds and not the smoothest runner so this probably had something to do with that, plus the fact that these headphones have a little more size and weight to them than others I’ve had in the past, no doubt due to the construction which helps them deliver that excellent bass sound.
7 years, 5 months ago
by
Randy
Make hands-free calls and listen to music with these Sony wireless in-ear sport headphones. The wireless design frees your range of motion, and the microphone makes conversations more convenient. Listen to music for over 8 hours on a single charge with these Sony wireless in-ear sport headphones, which are moisture-resistant for use during strenuous workouts.
Can I shower while using these?
They are water resistant, not waterproof, I would not shower with these.
7 years, 5 months ago
by
Randy