Sunbeam FPSBCML900 Cupcake Maker, Pink

I got this cute little appliance a few days ago to ease myself into baking. I am a good cook, but I have no baked goods in my repertoire (my only dessert is crepes!). Cupcakes are both adorable and very versatile, so I thought I'd start there. The recipes I looked at online seemed nice, but I am someone who doesn't like waiting for the oven to preheat and then scrubbing pans. So, this little gizmo seemed like the right thing for me.Pros:- Foolproof. You plug it in, wait for the green light to flick on, put down cups, pour in batter, close the lid, set a 10-minute timer, and wait. After 10 minutes, insert a toothpick in the center of the cupcakes to see if the batter sticks or if it comes out clean. If it sticks, wait a minute more, check again (repeat as many times as necessary until it comes out clean). Once the toothpick comes out clean, I unplug the machine and use a rubber spatula to pop out each cupcake. Let them cool, then frost them. I wipe down the cupcake maker with a paper towel so I don't mess with the non-stick coating. So easy, a reluctant baker like me can do it!- No guesswork. There are no buttons, settings, on/off switches, nothing. Just the plug and two indicator lights. Simple!- Looks adorable. Just look at the picture and tell me you don't find it unbelievably cute!Cons:- Makes 6 cupcakes. This is really the only con I can think of. If you don't want to make several batches, try dividing your batter or only making enough for 6. For my husband and me, 6 is just fine, and I don't mind it at all. (Gorging on 24 cupcakes at once is not advisable for any waistline!) If you need to make more than 6 for functions and such, the simplicity of the process makes it much less annoying than you'd think.My experiences with it:This is embarrassing, but... Let me tell you, my first batch looked pretty pathetic, due to my own mistakes. I used coconut oil in my batter, but I didn't melt it to 76 degrees, and when I tried to mix the batter, the oil broke up in chunks, and didn't dissolve until baking. (The oil pooled in the cupcake maker forms.) I didn't pour the batter 3/4 full but 1/2 full in each cup because I wasn't sure how much they'd rise. They turned out so small. Then I frosted them immediately after I removed them (of course the frosting melted all over the paper cups). So I ended up with 6 tiny, goopy, oily lumps! I ate one (it was palatable, but nowhere near what I had planned) and stashed the rest away from the light of day in an opaque tupperware. No one was going to find these poor but sweet rejects!Undaunted, I rolled my sleeves up and tried again. This time I microwaved the coconut oil, filled the cupcake cups 3/4 full as instructed, and waited for the cupcakes to cool before frosting them. Incidentally, I decided to be a little more daring, and I used the Wilton 23-Piece Cupcake & Cake Decorating Set I bought in the same order as the cupcake maker. I used Naturally Nora Sunny Yellow Cake Mix, 19.1-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6), Pillsbury Funfetti Valentine's Frosting, 15.60-Ounce (Pack of 8), and raspberry jelly. I used the bismark tip from the Wilton set to fill each cupcake with raspberry jelly. Then I used the larger star tip to frost the top of each cupcake. Then I put large Valentine's Day sweetheart candies on each one. They turned out beautifully! My husband came home and asked where I bought the Valentine's Day cupcakes from. I asked him to try one, and he was pleasantly surprised by the raspberry jelly. Then I showed him the cupcake maker. He was so delighted (and asked when I was making more!). My mom also stopped by the next day and had one (the last one, actually, after my husband's V-day binge), and was shocked that I finally started baking (and the joke's on her, because there was no baking involved!). :)I made two more batches since then, and they have gone great. I love experimenting with different batter and fillings (Nutella, yes!), and the process is easy and fun with minimal cleanup. As you've read, I was a complete newbie and failed in almost every way possible on my first try, but the first time is always a learning experience, right? Even if you are hapless with desserts like I was, you still have hope... it looks like a giant pink-frosted cupcake, and it's made by Sunbeam!Happy (not) baking and cupcake-making! :)EDIT:With regards to the negative reviews mentioning a chemical smell... I had no such experience. My cupcakes taste just right (can't tell the difference from cakes made by friends from cake mix). If it helps, I never washed the heating plates, I used cupcake cups (didn't pour directly on the hot plate), and I only used paper towels to wipe it down after use. I also preheat it with the lid closed.

It makes great cupcakes and muffins - makes them fast and they always look great. However, I have 2 major issues with this tool which have kept me from using it more than a few times.First, it is EXTREMELY HOT. It was billed as a great tool for children who are starting to cook. Don't let a child anywhere near this thing. It is extremely hot and you have to work hard to extract the cupcakes without burning yourself.The appliance does make the cupcakes faster than the traditional oven...but only if you just want 6. Meaning, if you want 12 cupcakes you'll spend the same amount of time (or less), using a traditional cupcake sheet in an oven.

Bought this for myself and it arrived today. It is super cute! :D It did have an initial smell when I first plugged it in...that horrible Teflon-y smell. Went away pretty quick though.First batch of cupcakes turned out great! Could not believe how fast it was. 10 minutes! I'm not used to baking this quickly! By the time the machine was preheated I was done mixing the batter, then by the time I had finished whipping up some frosting the cupcakes were done!They were pretty easy to remove using a soft silicone spatula.(didn't want to scratch the finish) I used cupcake liners and they came right out. Put them aside to cool while I heated up dinner and by the time dinner was dished up they were cool enough to frost. Dinner and dessert in 20 minutes. :DBought another one for my daughters birthday so she will be able to make cupcakes and muffins with my Granddaughter. It's so nice being able to create things in the kitchen without heating the whole house up. And this actually baked them better than my regular oven, no high or low spots. Very impressed!Fun little machine! :)*Edited to add: I found that you can freeze cake batters. No need to resize batters or alter recipes. Just make your favorite box or home made batter, make as many as you want and freeze the rest of the batter in a gallon freezer bag! I have kept mine frozen for up to a week so far and they bake up as if they are just mixed. You can then either let the batter thaw out, snip a corner, and pipe right into your liners,... or scoop it in frozen. Allow an extra 1-3 minutes bake time if using frozen batter.(test doneness with toothpick) Also if you make and freeze batters ahead of time you can quickly bake up a batch (or just 1) and in just a few minutes you have cupcakes without all the dishes! How cool is that?!! :D*7/10/14- Still using and loving this little cupcake maker. It has turned into my favorite kitchen toy! I love giving these as gifts too. I like to make banana bread muffins and zucchini muffins in this little machine. Muffins seem to do better without a liner, I just do a quick mist of cooking spray and let them bake for 13-15 minutes. They need to cook a bit longer due to the thicker batter, nuts, and raisins. Muffins also freeze well. I like to toss them into a large freezer bag and keep the extras in the freezer. Just 30 seconds in the microwave and you have a quick on the go breakfast treat. You can add all sorts of things in them too like dried fruits, oats, coconut,...just whatever sounds good. And this doesn't heat the house up like using the regular oven, perfect in summer weather. :)*9/28/15 - This is a great little machine, if mine ever breaks I will not think twice before replacing it! I love that the cupcakes and muffins come out even. In my oven I would have to rotate the tins halfway through cooking, and they still came out uneven with crispy edges. This cupcake machine cooks evenly and they all come out perfect. I tried to cook brownies, they took way too long but it was possible. For full sized cupcakes and muffins this little machine can't be beat!

This machine is dangerous!! The entire unit heats up to the baking temperature! The outside is not heat-proof. Do not buy this for a child (or anyone). I bought it for my 7 year old granddaughter but I am throwing it in the trash because I don't want to sell it or donate it to cause more injuries.

I've used to make dozens of cupcakes on three occasions so far. This appliance makes perfectly even, moist and lovely cupcakes every time. PROS: 1) Yummy cupcakes! 2) Heats up quickly. 3) Easy to clean. 4) Nothing sticks - even when cooking without baking cups. CONS: 1) There is no built-in timer or indicator that cupcakes are done baking. You have to set your oven or microwave timer to remove the cupcakes at the 10-minute mark. 2) This device is hot all over (on the exterior) from warm up to final cool down. Don't let your curious toddlers within reach and wear mitts if you need to move the appliance down the countertop. HINT: Cupcakes made with paper cups rose up higher than those made without. Not sure why. They tasted great either way, but looked much better when made with the baking cups.