6007 MiArepa Maker

My wife and I have tried a couple of arepa-makers in the past, including the Oster Tostiarepas, and for the past few years we personally prefer this one. It makes 7 arepas (3 large and 4 small) in 15 min. Arepas are a little thinner, with more crust, which we prefer. Have not experienced issues with crust sticking around. My only complaint is that the lifespan of this small appliance seems too short; only about 12 months. However, we do use it almost daily. Anyway, honestly my wife loves it. We are going through our third one with no major regrets considering the convenience and time savings for us. We paid between $50 and $60 for the first two, and now managed to buy the last one for only about $30 with PRIME (and delivered home on a Sunday), which is very reasonable. I would consider paying a little more for better quality though.

So I'm on my 4th or 5th one of these now, I just got it a few weeks ago. And the timer knob broke after the FIRST TRY. I tried calling their tech support line today and their mailbox is full. Can anyone recommend a better arepa maker? I'm done with this one, it's time to start shopping around for another brand for me. --Previous review-- I bought my latest Miallegro arepa maker on Feb 3 (today is April 22). This is my 3rd one and this is the shortest time it's taken to break. So I'm unhappy. I have to say I really like this arepa maker WHEN IT'S NOT BROKEN. The arepas come out perfect each time (though there are variations between builds, you have to get to know your own. My previous one needed warm-up time while my new one would burn the arepas if I gave it the warm-up time) and they're delicious. Back to my unhappiness. The latch broke yesterday after I've used the arepa maker maybe 10 times in the last three months. It is flimsy and I'd gladly pay extra if they would make one that doesn't break; there's no excuse for this type of low quality. Other quality issues: The time markings rub off pretty quickly, the inside scratches quickly, and the knob can come off when you turn it. Why is the latch important? It keeps the dang thing closed so that the arepas cook correctly in place. Otherwise, they expand a bit and create a hollow burnt area inside the arepa. I should not have to put an extra heavy pan on top to keep the arepa maker closed! Update: And OF COURSE I've exceeded my return window! "Return Window expired on March 9, 2013."

The shape of the arepas in this thing is great, nice and thin, and it cooks fast too. There are only 3 cavities that I would consider to be "regular size" arepas (same size as other 4 cavity units), the other 4 cavities are considerably smaller (maybe 65% the size of a regular arepa). The good part is the heating system, from a cold start, I had 4 arepas ready in approx 10mins, its got plenty of heating power, also the arepa molds are a nice shape, very flat on top and bottom, not dome shaped like other units. There are a few flaws with this unit that I think are deal breakers though. The main one is the latch, it is made like junk. On an arepa maker, the latch is very important, as it keeps the plates in tight contact with the arepa so it cooks quickly and evenly. The first time we used the unit, once it started heating up and the arepas started to expand a little bit, the pressure broke the latch retainer, which is a thin piece of very brittle plastic that is designed for high temperature (but cracks like it is made of glass). The other weak point is the blue knob on top, its really a mechanical timer that turns the heating on and off. Very sloppy and low quality. Overall this thing is built like &*#@. The unfortunate thing is that most of the better made units (ie Oster 6 cavity, Bene Casa 6 cavity, etc) are really unavailable at the moment (no one has stock and doesn't know if/when they will ever get more), so this thing is pretty much one of the best large unit currently available (I've heard the IMUSA has issues where it does not cook fully, the Brentwood is not as good as the oster), and there are not many other choices which is really sad because I could not honestly recommend this unit.

I couldn't wait to get this product out of its box and try it out! I think it works great! Its not drying for the arepas they are thoroughly cooked in the time specified (which is greatly reduced from the stovetop time!) I was a little concerned when I read other reviewers say that the button breaks. However, my belief is that with a little care it shouldn't break at all. I noticed that it is a bit delicate but not completely fragile so with a gentle hand there should be no reason for the button to break. My only complaint is that now I have no excuses to make arepas more often!!

When I initially bought it I was happy, however, at the fourth time I used it, the knob broke and I wasn't happy anymore, for two reasons. One, without the nob, the arepas don't cook properly and two, when I have tried to call the company to get a replacement for the knob, nobody answers the phone, a nice message providing the name of the "person" who will return your call comes up and ask you to leave a message so they get back to you as soon as they can, well they never call you back! I have called at least 10 times and no answer. Button line, the product is okay, if the materials were better, or you obtain any customer service. It is sitting in the kitchen hoping one day I get it fixed. I do not recomend this product, it is a waste of money!

Hay que abrirlo para ver si estan las arepas

I've owned two of these and we use it for commercial purposes. The first one lasted approximately 4 months then broke down. It was quickly replace by Amazon support. Overall, the unit heats up quickly and makes perfect arepas. Like any non-stick surface, it is best to season the new unused surface. Thereafter, there is little need to use products like PAM.