Tersano lotus LBU100 Sanitizing System
by Tersano lotus
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List Price: Our Price: $189.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $128.96 (click here) Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Tersano lotus LBU100 Sanitizing System
Customer Review: Have you read all the negative reviews? I still love it, and this is why:
Summary: 5 Stars
Dr. Mercola recommended this system on his website. I took that at face value and purchased it once we were Stateside this year. We now live in the Middle East and purchasing organics is nearly an obsolete option (we aren't going to pay $7 per pound of grapes or $4 each apple- a majority of our food consumption is produce), so I had been praying about this issue. I could tell that, no matter how much I washed my produce, even with Thieves soap, that it just wasn't the healthiest, and I've looked into the teaspoon of bleach option and disliked that option after my research. Once we got back to the M.E. with our system, and I used it, it kept making it to between 97% and 99%, and giving me an F1 error code. So, I dug into more researching. It took hours to read through ALL of the 1 and 2 product ratings and responses here on Amazon. I became worried on one hand that this machine wouldn't work well, but, on the other hand, I found some good advice and counter-arguments from other satisfied users. I both implemented those suggestions and called Tosano to get some feedback.
Here was the pertinent feedback:
1. Your water must be super dirty if the sanitizer won't finish a cycle.
2. F1 error code means the system is working. There is a reason this error code is given, and it's a safe guard.
3. The system doesn't work well with items containing seeds, lots of dirt or heavy wax because they tend to get trapped in the little spinning mechanism.
4. Tosano recommended using just the spray bottle and a little white vinegar to see if it would cycle my water. It did.
Here's what I've discovered:
1. My municipal water in Bahrain is probably highly contaminated. We do not drink this water, but it doesn't work well in this sanitizing system either. The system is not intended to purify water, it is meant to use "good enough" water (which all municipal water supplies are supposed to be, but each area has different people tending to their water, and some may not be doing a good job of making sure your water is clean) to sanitize food. When I used filtered water or bottled water, the system worked. I'm not all bent out of shape on this matter, as others have gotten. I bought this to be a food sanitizer, and am grateful that it works as such! We plan to get a Berkey and use that to purify our water, and then be available to use for this system. We already spend about $800/ year on bottled water for drinking alone, so this will be a well-worthwhile investment for us anyhow!
2. Berry seeds did get trapped in the little spinning mechanism, making it unable to function. How can people get upset about that? Perhaps they can make a bit of a mesh filter for another model one day that will alleviate this issue. However, until then, I simply run a bowl full of water on the system, and put berries, lettuce, etc. in a separate bowl. When the water is 100%, I pour that over my pre-rinsed berries or lettuce and let it have a good soak. Voila- clean, fresh and delicious, and no F1 error.!
3. If your system is not functioning properly, there's a man named Steve who commented on almost every 1- and 2- rating who REALLY wants you to call customer service. He'll even take your calls personally. I think he's part owner and developer in this company and has a passion for what he's doing. That passion may rub you the wrong way when you're reading through his comments, however, I'm thankful that he's involved in developing and constantly improving this system.
4. If the system gives you an F1 error code, then there's a reason. Figure it out. The machine is worth it, and very useful!
Here's what I LOVE:
1. The taste, look, smell and of purely, chemical-free cleaned produce! It's outstanding! I would even use this in the States for the produce I got at organic co-ops, for sure. It REALLY cleans and even seems to revive my produce, and it's delicious. Some say it gives a longer shelf life, but we eat our produce quickly. If it hasn't been grown in your own garden, then it's already been off the tree/ vine/ bush/ etc. for a while. Eat your produce quickly, and eat lots of it! ;~D
2. We had carpet cleaners come last week. After they left, a residual stain arose on one spot that they cleaned. That happens, but this was unsightly. It was about 2 x 4 feet in size in my bedroom, and I know it wasn't caused by our family. Perhaps previous tenants? Anyhow, I got a spray bottle of this ozonated water, and figured I'd try it out. I couldn't believe it when the stain disappeared as I sprayed it! I have used it on other stains as well with excellent results. Sometimes it took 2 applications, but I didn't rub or blot or anything- just sprayed, and it's gone. These were all old stains. If I had a new stain, I'd follow the manufacturer's suggestions fully with the blotting, etc. I use Oxy Clean on my children's clothes, and plan to see if this water will have a similar stain-treating effect. That would save me TONS of money (and luggage space, as I buy in bulk when in the States)!
3. There was some uncertain odor in my van. I sprayed the entire van and the odor disappeared.
4. Using the micro fiber cleaning clothes provided, and the spray bottle, I cleaned: windows, sinks, door handles, grease from my stove, etc. I loved how wiping my faucets off left them shiny. They looked brand new! I don't get that using a sponge, chemicals and a regular towel.
5. I plan to use this system for meats as well! I did not even know it could be used that way when I bought it. Awesome!
I would highly recommend this item, as I've found it to be very helpful and I'm thankful for what it is. However, don't go into it thinking that if it doesn't function perfectly, it's a piece of junk. It may not like your yucky water (we never drank American tap water). It won't like seeds or dirt particles. You should pre-rinse produce that grows close to the ground, very well. This machine is not to rinse and clean your veggies, it is to sanitize them, and it won't function properly if debris gets caught in the system. So, buy it to be a food and household sanitizer. You're the dirt rinser. Also keep in mind that produce may be dirtier than meets the eye. There's lots of hidden dirt in lettuce, spinach broccoli, etc. You'll have to rinse these veggies. It may not like highly waxed produce, some say. Where we get ours from, there isn't much wax, but I did see wax loosening from a lightly waxed apple. I could see that lots of wax would clog the system, so be careful.
This item may not last forever. It's built to last "5-10 years," but comes with a solid 1-year warranty. I would recommend you not to be impatient when dealing with customer service at Torsano. It may be frustrating to get error codes, but there's probably a reason for them besides a defective machine. Work through those issues and get it to work for you. I have seen very satisfactory results, which fall in line with the manufacturer's claims, and those things are well worth the $150 spent, even if it only last 6-12 months! Great investment for healthy results. I hope my review helps you to make an informed decision with reasonable expectations.
Customer Review: A wonderful product
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a physician and a homemaker. I am always looking for safe, effective, easy ways to clean. This product has been the answer for me in the following ways:
1.) Washing fruits and vegetables. Now I am finally following Rachel Ray's advice to wash everything when I bring it home from the grocery store. I pile in as much as the bowl (included with the system) will hold and rinse it briefly under the faucet to remove loose dirt. Then I fill the bowl with cool tap water and place it on the base. As I write this, I am processing 5 avocados, 4 tomatoes, and 2 peaches in the bowl. The cleaning cycle takes about 4 minutes, then you leave the produce in the water for another two minutes. The base unit counts down the time so you know when you're done. Finally, I use the bowl's lid, which has a built-in strainer, to drain the bowl.
There are a number of advantages to this method of washing produce. For me, the most important one is that I know that the produce is truly clean when the final beeper goes off. In the past I was never sure when I could stop rinsing my produce. This method is also a time-saver, since I can wash quite a bit of produce in each batch, and I can do other things while it is processing. Washing the produce when I bring it home from the store also makes it last longer, because the bacteria which cause decay are destroyed. Additionally, when I drain the water from the bowl into my sink, the super-oxygenated water helps to sanitize the sink. Finally, I don't have to wash the bowl, because it is sanitized with each use.
2.) Sanitizing my kids' orthodontic retainers, and the family's various toothbrushes, nail clippers, nail files, etc. I use the bowl for this. I wish I had had this when my kids were babies, because according to the instruction book it can be used to sanitize pacifiers, baby toys, and other baby paraphernalia.
3.) Sanitizing my kids' shower shoes and gear when they get back from camp or a field trip. I use the spray bottle, which is included with the system, for this. First I rinse the gear in my utility sink or with the hose outside. Then I fill the spray bottle with cool tap water. I place the bottle on the base, and start the processing cycle which takes about 2 minutes. Then you have 15 minutes to use the super-oxygenated water, after which it starts to break down into oxygen and water. The base unit counts down the 15 minutes, so you know when your time is up. I spray everything and let it dry in the sun.
There are several advantages to this method of sanitizing gear over my old way of using bleach and other cleaners. First, it is extremely effective. Second, there is no residue left on the gear (again, the super-oxygenated water breaks down into oxygen and water), so there is no rinsing. And third, I do not have to wear gloves.
4.) Cleaning my refrigerator inside and out. I use the spray bottle for this. I especially love the fact that no residue is left in the refrigerator, and there is no odd cleaning-product smell either.
5.) Kitchen countertops, sink, and cabinets. I have an under-mounted sink, and the thought of all the bacteria growing in the space between the countertop and the sink used to really bother me. In the past, I would fill my sink with hot water and bleach, but now I use the spray bottle. It is quick and easy, requires no rinsing, and there is no bleach smell or concern about getting bleach on my clothes. Plus there is a strong environmental benefit to avoiding bleach and the plastic bottles that bleach comes in.
6.) Bathrooms. In the past I used cleaning products that smelled terrible and that warn you to only use them in a well-ventilated area. It made bathroom-cleaning a dreaded chore. Now I use the spray bottle, and the job is quick and easy. I live in Florida, where mold and mildew are a big problem in the bathroom. We have had a particular problem with mildew growing in the toilet tanks (up where the flush mechanism is). This has been difficult to keep under control in the past, because bleach damages the rubber portions of the flush mechanism. The super-oxygenated water has not caused any damage, but has been extremely effective against the mildew.
I like the fact that no residue is left behind on surfaces, and the bathroom is truly sanitized. I will also note that although I have arthritis in my hands, the spray bottle is easy to use.
Other reviewers have mentioned getting an error code when trying to use the Lotus system. I have also had error codes in two situations, but I figured out how to deal with them.
The first error code I have encountered occurs when there is no water in the base. During processing, water circulates between the base and the attachment you have chosen (either the bowl or the spray bottle). Between uses, clean water remains in the base unit. However, when you are first starting out, or if you have emptied the base unit, it takes time to get water into the base unit. This is when I have had an F4 error code. I remove the attachment, fill the blue reservoir on the base with water, and then put the empty bowl on the base unit. Using a large measuring cup, I pour cool tap water directly over the valve system in the bottom of the bowl to get water to go through the valve into the base. Then I turn on the processing cycle and see if it will go. If not, I repeat these steps until it does. Normally you do not have to worry about this, because clean water will be left in the base between uses.
The second situation where I have encountered an error code is when washing fruits that shed tiny seeds or hairs, such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and kiwi. I belive that there must be a sensor in the base that reads the water as dirty, and halts the processing. Even when I pre-rinsed these fruits, I still got an error code because you can't get rid of all the tiny seeds and hairs. I dealt with this situation by emptying the "dirty" water out of the base. Next, I get clean water into the base as described in the previous paragraph. Then I put clean water in the bowl and process it in the usual way. At the end of the processing cycle, I remove the bowl from the base and add the fruit to it. I let the fruit sit in there for two minutes before draining. This way, no seeds or hairs circulate through the base to create problems. This is actually the method that the instruction book suggests for meat, poultry, and seafood.
I highly recommend this product, and plan to give it to family members as Christmas gifts. Please note that I am not associated in any way with the company that makes this product.
Customer Review: love it, but a few things you might want to know first
Summary: 5 Stars
I first learned of the Tersano Sanitizer in the January 2008 issue of "Fine Cooking", in a review of this and other ozone-based cleaners by the respected scientist and author Robert Wolke. Since I eat a lot of raw fruit and salads I was interested because of all the news stories about contaminated produce (and in our industrialized food chain, a contaminated batch from one farm infects a huge amount of food). So intrigued but not in a rush to spend $150, I read thru all the posted reviews (and comments to reviews, since a company spokesman leaves comments - especially on negative reviews). So why am I adding another to the pile? There are a few things nobody else has mentioned that I think are worth knowing before buying this unit.
The most important thing, of course, is does it work? I'm not a biologist so I can't offer a professional opinion as to germ killing, but it clearly to me seems to be doing something plain water doesn't. For example, after a dinner with wine if the glasses dry out there is a red film left that water and even soap don't easily remove. But a spray of the Tersano-treated water and it dissolves away. It also seems to kill mold and dissolves grease splattered on the stove.
But you've read about cleaning elsewhere. Here are the new observations. First, if you're planning on using this, figure its going to take some extra time. For example, you come home with some fruit, some lettuce and salad fixings. The Tersano comes with a large bowl for cleaning food, but it might hold 6 or 7 apples. So wash those, then repeat with the next fruit, then the lettuce stuff. Each cycle takes 2-3 minutes to prepare the bowl water and then its supposed to sit for 2 more minutes, then drain/dry and put the items away. Each cycle takes me 5-6 minutes, so I can spend 15 minutes just getting stuff cleaned and put away. Granted its now clean and wasn't before so that's valuable, but you should ask yourself if you're going to commit this time each time you bring home groceries. To me it's worth it.
Also while cleaning food its easy to end up with a bunch of bowls on your counter. The Tersano unit will tell you if the water isn't clean at the end of the cycle, so you really need to rinse lettuce, parsley, etc. well before using the unit. Its an eye-opener to find out how much dirt is in stuff that looks clean and that you've just run under the tap (which is how I used to clean greens before); I find I need to dunk it in a bowl of water and swirl, often 2 bowls worth, before the food is really clean. And you'll probably want a salad spinner out too so you can dry the lettuce before putting it away, otherwise it'll get moldy. So that's another bowl on the counter in addition to the Tersano unit. Bottom line is the unit really does sanitize food and you're putting it away clean, but its taking some time and effort.
As for cleaning, I really LIKE that I can spray it around my kitchen and not worry about splattering any knives or things in the drying rack, or on the sink in my bathroom without having to first move toothbrushes and so on. Read the label on cleaners and you'll understand why splatter isn't a good idea with chemical spray cleaners. But again, there's a catch. The bottle of 409 isn't that big and is right there under the sink. With the Tersano the ozone water only keeps for 15 minutes, so you need a fresh bottle each time you're going to use it. It only takes the unit about a minute to prepare the spray bottle, which is faster than the food bowl. But the Tersano isn't small, so be sure your kitchen has room letting you put it somewhere where you can get to it quickly. If you have to unstack and move a bunch of things, you may be less willing to pull it out when you should be using it.
One bonus not mentioned in the literature is that the water seems to be purified by the machine so it doesn't leave spots when it dries. I was spraying my sink and was quickly getting tired of drying the chrome faucet, so I decided to just let it go. To my surprise when the mist dried the chrome didn't have spots. I'm just using ordinary tap water that usually leaves spots, so I'm curious to hear if other people are getting spot-free drying also.
While the literature says it can replace harsher cleaners, I tried it and it doesn't always work. On some dirt spots the treated water didn't really allow them to come that clean even with some scrubbing, but when I hit it with 409 the spots dissolved right away. This has only been in a few places, most others the Tersano water does a great job, but I wouldn't throw away all your other cleaners until you've found out whats going to work for you.
Lastly, if you look at the pictures on the amazon site they show it with a mesh holding the fruit under the water. You need it because apples and other fruit tend to float, lettuce bobs above the surface, etc. That mesh is NOT included with the unit you buy. Since I read thru the reviews, I knew the company would send me one free if I called and they were really nice and did just that.
To sum up, I'm glad I got this. I use it a lot. I'm happy to be using it when I can instead of harsher chemicals.
Customer Review: Like it so far, then it leaked and broke
Summary: 4 Stars
My hubby bought me this from Costco as he knows I like to clean things and like to be greener and healthier. After reading the instructions three times, I tried it out. I love it for produce that I buy from the store. I have had the F1 error message, but had no problems emptying the water, rinsing the produce again, and then refilling the bowl. The second time I had no problems at all. I think the main problem with the reviewers is that they are not reading the instructions and not rinsing and scrubbing where applicable, the foodstuffs that you intend to sanitize. This product does not make life easier in terms of the amount of effort and time you spend wiping and spraying and rinsing out the towels. However, I don't mind putting in the effort if it means that I don't use toxic chemicals in my home around my toddler, and also that I don't hurt our planet with disposable products that contain chemicals as well. Using it to clean and sanitize surfaces requires that you spray, wipe, rinse the towel, spray again and wipe and then one more time. So there is a lot of rinsing the towel and wiping. I enjoy using it to clean the kitchen counters after putting away groceries that were in bags that were previously in the dirty shopping cart. I also use it after preparing any raw meat or poultry. It makes me feel better knowing that I won't make my family sick from not cleaning the counters as well as I could. I can't imagine not having it to sanitize, or having to go back to using Pine-Sol or disposable wipes.
So far the unit works well for me. It takes some time to get all the produce cleaned and sanitized after returning from the store, but I do notice that they last much longer in the fridge. Also, the taste is better and fresher.
As for the spray bottle, I use it to deodorize various rooms in the house and the diaper pail, which gets really stinky. It works great on odors such as the bathroom and doggie smell, and I also use it daily to clean the kitchen trash can outside, the bathroom faucets, light switches, and kitchen drains. If you use it as much as I do, you will never have a slimy stinky kitchen drain!
Another plus is that I feel safer using this instead of Pine-Sol in areas and on things my child handles a lot.
The only big downside I had was that the sprayer that came with the unit stopped spraying a fine mist after a while, no matter how much the end cap part was turned. I couldn't turn it anymore, but it only produced a course spray. This is the one that has four holes in the sprayer cap. My husband bought a separate sprayer to be used on non-food type things, and that sprayer had only one hole and it still produces a fine mist. This newer spray bottle is clear with a blue trigger nozzle. The one that came with the bowl unit is a tinted clear blue.
The other problem which is minor is that the insert that holds down the produce in the bowl has these ridges, which I think are okay. But the problem is that if you turn the knob to close the drain holes on the lid, put the lid on the bowl, and then when you turn it to open the drain holes to drain the water out, the insert turns with the knob and those ridges sometimes damages and bruises the produce that is touching the insert.
Other than those two reasons I really enjoy using this product and haven't had any mechanical problems. I believe I received sometime in March 2008 and been using it everyday since then.
UPDATE: April 2010
Our old unit broke about a year ago. It started taking longer for it to reach 100. Then, it leaked from the bottom. One morning, I found that all the water leaked out and went all over my counter, down the front, and warped four of the drawer fronts (solid wood ones). We contacted customer service and after detailing what the problem was, they told us that it would resolve itself. Which it didn't. We bought a new one, which didn't work. We kept getting a error code about the voltage. So that one was returned (to Amazon). Then we bought another one, and it worked. However, this third unit, though it goes to 100 and seems to work, I have noticed there isn't the ozone smell that I noticed before, so it seems like it's just regular water.
Customer Review: idea seems sound - but unit didn't last even 24 hours
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased this unit from Sharper Image after having checked into the validity of oxygenized ("ozone-activated") water on the web; the validity seemed real. And the two batches of fruit I washed didn't become moldy sitting out in a bowl (now for 2nd week) as unwashed citrus can; so that little 'anecdotal' home test may lend some credibility.
The problem was that after doing 2 batches of produce, the unit failed (Tersano coached me that the unit was acting normally, I think it failed; and, I want to be clear - I didn't overload the unit - the two batches consisted of 7 small tangerines and then 8 more small tangerines; the third batch where the trouble started was 7 baby summer squash, same size as the tangerines; I also used cold water from the tap as instructed, and filled to the fill line exactly - and I would add that I made especially sure of these things with great exactitude after the problems started; I even tried it with only 4 small/baby squash).
Upon the third batch and forever thereafter I got the F1 error message. I called the help # (Tersano) and they said that the F1 message means that the sensor ("[a finetuned microchip computer]"brackets for paraphrasing) was indicating that contamination wasn't brought down to the 100% pure level (the readout on the unit gives you a % number that increases until it gets to 100% whereupon it stops and then runs a timer for the produce to sit in the oxygenated water for 2 minutes; my unit consistently got stuck at values between 97 and 99% and after being stuck there for a couple of minutes gives the alarm beep, flashing red light F1 mssg whereupon your only option is to reset the unit). I was asked if the produce I was cleaning was stuff that grows close to the ground or berries as these will consistently cause this behavior in the unit - a very serious flaw in my opinion - because to have to respond to an alarm beep and F1 error message for all batches of berries, lettuces, herbs, cabbages, celery, etc, etc, etc is irritating.
I was also told that for such produce, you just have to run it through the system several times (they said, "you shouldn't have to do more than 5 or 6 times"). I was still getting F1 after the eighth run-through. At this point I began to suspect that they were full of $h**, so I ran a bowl of plain, cold tap water and still got the F1 error business. That's when I decided to dry it, repack it, and return it for a full refund - which I did.
Some final thoughts/details:
1. I am practically addicted to gadgets that are technically oriented to make life easier/cleaner/safer - and so the day I was due to take it back - I hooked it up and tried it again. It started it's cycle and shut down after several seconds and would never do more than this with several attempts. I never dropped or harmed the unit in any way; perhaps I just had a faulty unit, although after reading the other review about F3 and F1 errors, I have deep suspicions about the resilience of these units.
2. The 'ozone smell'. The unit comes with a 'filter' that you must use; it looks like a small Brita filter. From what I understand ozone will only last for about 15 minutes. I noticed that the 'ozone smell' lasted for hours. I am wondering if the 'filter' imparts an ozone-like smell?
3. Finally - there is some data available that suggests strongly that ozone is toxic to the human organism (either to ingest or to breathe). This shouldn't be a problem with this unit as the 'ozone' in the water dissipates after about 15 minutes - but if that lasting smell isn't fake - but actually ozone, then I'm breathing it for a couple of hours after using the unit. Makes me wonder. I wish the unit worked and held up. I love the idea of this device - but based on my experience, the unit's resilience is doubtful and its integrity are in question.