Cat Ellis

Cat Ellis

Homes Editor

Cat is TechRadar's Homes Editor specializing in kitchen appliances and smart home technology. She's been a tech journalist for 15 years, and worked on print magazines including PC Plus, Official Windows Magazine, and PC Format before moving online. She's also a Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) certified barista, so whether you want to upgrade your smart lights or pick up a new espresso machine, she's the right person to help.

Articles by: Cat Ellis

Woman sitting on sofa making a disgusted face while holding a cup of coffee

Are you one of the 39% of coffee drinkers who still use instant? Upgrading to one of these three cheap coffee machines will deliver a better-tasting brew

By Cat Ellis published

A Deloitte survey has revealed that granules are still the most popular choice.

Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone air fryer and Ninja Double Stack air fryer on teal and pink background

Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone vs Ninja Double Stack XL: choose your perfect air fryer

By Cat Ellis published

Two drawers are better than one, but do you want them side-by-side or stacked?

Cosori air fryer on pink and purple background

The best small air fryers 2025: tested by kitchen experts

By Cat Ellis last updated

Updated Top-rated compact air fryers that are perfect when you're cooking for one or two people.

Breville Barista Impress espresso machine with brass accents in white and green

Breville just gave its best espresso machine a makeover, and I think I'm in love

By Cat Ellis published

It's classy, it's brassy, and it'll look perfect in your kitchen.

Nanoleaf 4D lighting kit and box on teal background

The best Ambilight alternatives 2025: enhance your home theater experience

By Cat Ellis last updated

Updated The best Ambilight alternatives for immersive movies and games without replacing your TV.

Mostly blue image shown on TV with Philips Hue Play Light Bars beside it

Philips Hue Play Light Bar review: a fun and flexible addition to your home theater setup

By Cat Ellis published

Got a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box? This compact light will add a new dimension to your movies and games, wherever you put it.

Philips Somneo wake-up light on blue background

The best wake-up lights 2025: sunrise alarms tested by experts

By Cat Ellis last updated

Updated Rise and shine with a natural-looking gradual sunrise and soft audio effects.

A living room kitted out with Philips Hue Smart Lights in various lamps

Got Philips Hue lights? A free software update could turn them into motion sensors

By Cat Ellis published

Occupation detection with no extra hardware required.

Split image showing Nest Secure smoke alarm on the left, and person using smartphone to unlock Aqara smart lock on the right

The Google Home app is getting a big update, and it's good news for your security

By Cat Ellis published

Nest Protect and improved support for Matter-compatible smart locks incoming.

KitchenAid KF6 espresso machine in Porcelain White

KitchenAid just gave you a new reason to upgrade your espresso machine

By Cat Ellis published

All the company's espresso makers are now available in smart Porcelain White.

Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine with milk pitcher

Smeg Mini Pro Espresso Coffee Machine review: a beautiful manual coffee maker that lets you call the shots, but at a price

By Cat Ellis published

Smeg's latest espresso machine gives you a taste of the barista experience at home, if your wallet can take the hit.

Philips Hue Twilight Lamp in Bedroom

Forget AI, there's only one thing I want from Philips Hue this year

By Cat Ellis published

An assistant that can design custom mood lighting sounds fun, but it's not my top priority.

kitchenaid stand mixer in color of the year

I took a pie-making course, and it changed everything I thought I knew about pastry

By Cat Ellis published

Four key baking lessons I took home (along with a heap of delicious pies).

Three coffee makers demonstrated at CES 2025

5 hot coffee innovations from CES – from condensing espresso machines to super-fast cold brew

By Cat Ellis published

The best new tech we've seen at CES 2025 coming to your kitchen counter soon.

A hand holding a Garmin watch next to the CES logo and a Switchbot robot vacuum

CES 2025 live: all the latest news from the world's biggest tech show

By Mark Wilson last updated

CES 2025 is now well underway and we're live at the show – here's all of the latest tech news.

Nanoleaf 4D V2

Nanoleaf's Ambilight alternative is now even easier to install – no more corner brackets

By Cat Ellis published

CES 2025 Nanoleaf 4D V2 comes with a lightweight, bendy light strip, and supports wider screens.

KaraPod coffee machine with cup of coffee and glass of water suspended beside it

This coffee machine brews espresso using water condensed from the air in your home

By Cat Ellis published

CES 2025 It's an interesting idea – just don't think too much about where that water might have come from.

Dreo ChefMaker during testing

This AI air fryer turns your grandma's old recipes into smart cooking programs

By Cat Ellis published

CES 2025 Scan your favorite recipes from your cookbooks and let the Dreo ChefMaker 2 handle the tricky conversions.

Woman using Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential installed on wall

Ecobee's new smart thermostat could save you money on heating – and it's half the price of the latest Google Nest

By Cat Ellis published

CES 2025 The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential helps you schedule heating and cooling, and spot opportunities to cut energy consumption.

Screen grab of AI assistant in Philips Hue app

The Philips Hue app is getting a big upgrade this year, with a new generative AI assistant

By Cat Ellis published

CES 2025 Details are scant so far, but Signify claims it's the start of "a new era in smart lighting".

4000 Series Matter-Compatible Smart Deadbolt installed on door

Philips' first Matter-compatible smart lock works with Apple HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant seamlessly

By Cat Ellis published

CES 2025 The company is also releasing a lock with palm-recognition and video.

SwitchBot Lock Ultra retrofitted on two different types of door lock

Switchbot's new renter-friendly smart lock can be retrofitted onto almost any door – even yours

By Cat Ellis published

CES 2025 With 16 unlocking options, including Apple HomeKit support.

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro mounted on exterior wall

Ring is giving two of its best security cameras a free video-quality upgrade this week

By Cat Ellis published

CES 2025 The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro is one of two cameras getting a 2K upgrade

Yukai Engineering's Nékojita FuFu robot cat clipped onto the side of a steaming coffee cup

This adorable little robot cat will stop you burning your tongue on hot coffee

By Cat Ellis published

CES 2025 From the company that brought you last year's finger-nibbling Amagami Ham Ham.

Runners racing in Paris Marathon with Eiffel Tower in the background and badge at top left reading "Get fit for '25"

I'm running the Paris Marathon this year - here are three pieces of tech I'm using to cross the finish line

By Cat Ellis published

You don't need the latest watch or the most expensive shoes to train for a marathon PB - just the right ones.

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