If you want to up your coffee game at home, the Breville Bambino Plus is a fantastic addition, being compact enough to fit into any kitchen, while also being more than capable of brewing a delicious shot of espresso.

And right now it’s received a huge discount of AU$230 at Amazon, bringing it down to AU$499. That’s a great price, and normally I’d be singing its praises from the rooftops, but you can save even more by getting yourself an exclusive code from our dedicated Breville coupon page, then head directly to the maker and apply that unique one-time code at checkout.

Follow those steps and you can get the Bambino Plus for the even lower price of AU$449.10. Do note that the biggest saving only applies to the Stainless Steel, Black Truffle and Sea Salt colours. You can still get other colour options from Breville for AU$494.10 using the same discount code.

If you’ve ever thought going hands-on with an espresso machine would be too difficult to master, then the Bambino Plus is here to bust that myth. While it may look like a manual machine, it’s realistically a semi-automatic model.

You will need to adjust the grind size depending on whether you want a single or double shot, and then tamp the coffee grounds yourself, but Breville has preset the machine to grind the optimum amount each time.

To make things even easier, it benefits from the company’s Auto MilQ system to automatically foam milk, whether it be dairy or plant-based. To be honest, I was a little surprised to learn it had this feature, as I thought it would have been reserved for Breville’s more expensive models.

Our Breville Bambino Plus review gave it a strong 4.5 stars out of five when we originally put it through its paces. We called it a “fantastic machine that’s packed with smart features to help you make the smoothest and professional-looking coffee around”. We appreciated the fast heat-up time and the level of customisation on offer.

As with any coffee machine, you’ll need to keep on top of maintenance to keep it working at its best, and it won’t suit pod users, but that’s all there is to criticise. For many people, it’ll be one of the best espresso machines you can buy if you want a capable and more affordable choice compared to some premium options.

In a small kitchen where storage is at a premium, I figured a portable blender would serve me fine. I quickly realised how limiting it was for my needs — as a home cook, I needed more than just smoothies for my breakfast.

After looking at several options, I got the Braun Multiquick 5 and haven’t regretted that purchase once. It might come with a few different attachments, but it’s still compact and powers well above its size would indicate.

I can still make smoothies, but now I also make soups, sauces and other dishes that I’ve been meaning to try now I have a hand blender.

Actually, hold on, there is one small regret that I do have: I paid full price for it and regret not waiting for the massive 57% discount available right now. If, like me, you’re looking to up your kitchen antics with something small and affordable, grab this EOFY deal on the Braun Multiquick 5 for the bargain price of AU$79 at The Good Guys.

With smoothies, the Multiquick 5’s motor can easily crush and blend frozen fruit and fibrous greens like kale.

Its heat-resistant immersion blender shaft attachment allows me to just stick (pardon the pun) the blender directly into a hot stock pot to blend or puree ingredients to make soup or sauce, saving me cooking time.

Even though the attachments can’t be stacked and need to be stored separately, the full package still earns its spot in my kitchen in spades as the blender shaft, whisk, masher and vegetable chopper don’t take much room.

Granted, the Multiquick 5 would be too small for some households, but it’s serving me very well and, honestly, given how versatile it is, it’s excellent value at this price.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the Dreame Z50 Station vacuum cleaner when it first launched earlier this year, but its spec sheet was impressive. With industry-leading 330 air watts of suction power, I was hoping it would clean better than the 315AW Dyson V16 Piston Animal... and, boy, did it impress!

It put that high suction to good use and, in my Dreame Z50 Station review, I couldn't help but say it can put both Dyson and Shark to shame. My only complaints were its overall weight (it's the heaviest stick vacuum I've ever tested) and its steep price tag.

However, that premium price is now a lot more achievable as Dreame has discounted it down to AU$999 (from AU$1,499) directly on its site. You won't find the Z50 Station sold at other retailers, so this offer can be easy to miss and yet it's the one EOFY deal you shouldn't — I consider the Z50 Station to be one of the best vacuum cleaners in Australia right now.

Admittedly you'll get a Dyson for less than AU$999 (like the Dyson V15 Detect now AU$799 or the Dyson Gen5detect for AU$898), but the Dreame Z50 Station easily justifies the higher price for a couple of key reasons that even the best Dyson vacuums can't compete with.

Firstly, that suction power of 330AW. I admit that this spec isn't a standard used across the industry and a lot of that suction capability is dependent on the airflow through the machine, but Dreame seems to have done it well. From the design of the floorhead that can suck while moving back or forth to the volume of air moving into the onboard dust cup, the Z50 definitely is very sucky indeed. In my tests, it cleaned up messes in one move, two at the most, a touch less than any Dyson I've reviewed personally!

Then there's the self-emptying functionality that's a default part of the machine. The Station is just as powerful and can empty the dust cap as soon as the stick vac is placed onto the dock. I did notice that a thin layer of fine does get stuck around the top rubber washer inside the dust cup, but it's remarkably easier to dismantle the handheld unit for regular maintenance — a lot easier than Dyson's design of the dust cup in my opinion.

I should call out the telescopic tube that, again, you won't see on a Dyson. Oh, and said tube is bendy too, so you can get under furniture (you'll need to buy a separate attachment from Dyson to do that).

You will have to consider the ongoing cost of the dust bag but, given its 3L volume, you may not need to throw it out as often as smaller bags and it could prove economical.

If you've got the budget, this is arguably the best premium cordless vacuum I've tested this year and I would absolutely skip the Dyson for this one.

• Alexa+ has turned a little scary in one household
• A simple counting task enabled a creepy voice
• Some other users are reporting similar bugs in the AI

If you're already worried about the potential dangers of AI chatbots, this one probably isn't for you: an Amazon Echo user has reported Alexa+ "breathing and making guttural sounds" while engaged in the supposedly innocent task of counting to 40 (in Spanish).

There's video evidence on Reddit (via Android Authority), and it's pretty spooky to listen to — so only click the play button if you're sure you want to hear a disembodied AI-generated voice that sounds somewhat possessed.

According to the user who posted the video, they asked Alexa+ to count up to 40, which prompted the strange sounds. It's not an ideal response, especially as there were two five-year-old kids listening who just wanted a simple countdown.

Apparently, the original poster was then able to get the same thing happening on a separate Amazon Echo in another room. "Needless to say, the Alexas in my house are now unplugged and I've reported the whole thing to Amazon," they report.

A little bit too expressive

My Alexa started breathing and making guttural sounds while counting my kids to sleep. I have it on video. from r/amazonecho

While it's possible that some kind of user error or AI fakery has produced this video, it's odd that it would happen on two different devices — and there's at least one other user in the Reddit thread saying they've experienced something similar.

It's almost certainly down to a bug in Alexa+: the new and upgraded AI assistant is intended to be more conversational and more expressive, and in this case it seems to have gone too far (in the same way that AI chatbots can introduce hallucinations and tangents when writing out text).

When pushed, Alexa+ itself said that "something in my environment" must have caused the glitch, though it's not clear what that something might be. Perhaps it's the ghost of Alexa past, which Alexa+ has now replaced.

The Reddit reactions describe the speaker as "haunted", "terrifying", and in need of an exorcism, though the fix is likely to be no more complicated than a tweak to the Alexa+ AI model from Amazon's side.

• A Google Home Speaker is revealed in an early unboxing
• The sound quality and app interface are reportedly impressive
• However, the power cable can't be removed from the device

The brand new Google Home Speaker is about to finally go on sale, but an early unboxing video posted online reveals a design decision made by Google that a lot of users are likely to be less than pleased about: the power cable can't be removed.

You can check out the unboxing over on Reddit (via Android Authority), which shows off the aesthetics of the device that we've known about since the first official reveal last October — as well as giving us the revelation about the power cable.

The Nest Mini device that the Google Home Speaker is more or less replacing does have a removable USB-C power cable, which means when it's not in use, you can tidy it away more easily. On the other hand, the Nest Audio — another speaker now discontinued since the new model arrived — has a fixed power cable.

It seems that a removable power cable is something that quite a few smart speaker owners care about. "This is a nightmare for repairability, for which I am a massive proponent," writes the original unboxer.

Some positives, one negative

As per the information supplied in the video, the Google Home Speaker comes with a USB-C cable that's around 5 feet (1.52 meters) in length that can't be unplugged. There's a 30W power brick on the other end that can be removed.

On the plus side, our unboxer reports that the sound quality from the speaker is good, that the app component has a "cool" interface, and that setting up the device is straightforward — apparently it takes less than 10 minutes.

As with the Nest Mini, there are apparently touch controls available on top of the speaker, as well as hidden lights to report status information and volume levels. On the whole the first impressions from this user are positive ones.

It's just the power cable situation that's drawing criticism: "the non-removable cord killed it for me" writes one poster (who is apparently worried about cats playing with the cord), while the original poster says they're "extremely disappointed in the engineers". Another comment takes a dim view too: "The reason is always money."

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Price & release date

• List price: $1,299.99 / £999.99
• Released March 2026

The Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal comes in at $1,299.99 / £999.99 — while it’s far from cheap, it’s pretty good value for what it offers. That being said, there are other robot vacuum cleaners with equally impressive features and better software at a similar price point.

Plus, you’ll need to maintain some parts of the vacuum; in particular, refills for the multi-floor cleaner ($13.99 / £14.99) and the odor-neutralizing puck ($9.99 – $14.99 / £7.99 – £15.99), as well as the usual replacement for things like side brushes and mop pads. Over time, these can add up, but you’ll scarcely find a robovac that doesn’t come with added costs at similar prices these days.

• Value: 4/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Design

Out of the box, you’ll find the vacuum, base, power chord, an anti-odor puck, one refill bottle of Shark’s multi-floor cleaner, two side brushes, plus the usual array of instructions and warranty documents.

The base stands at 17 x 18 x 14 inches / 43.2 x 45.7 x 35.6 cm, and comes in either black or white — mine was the latter, and I think it looks a lot more premium than the tackier black colorway. Enclosed in the lid of the base are the 2.74-litre / 96.65oz clean and 1.18-litre / 41.62oz waste water tanks, which lift out easily thanks to the retractable handles, as well as the bagless dirt compartment — I really appreciate that Shark opted for this so there’s one less thing to routinely replace.

You can remove the container with the press of a button situated on the side of the dock, and it’s also HEPA-filtered. There’s also a set of two filters you’ll need to clean every 1-2 months, depending on how often you use your robot vacuum, and a slot for one of Shark’s anti-odor pucks should dusty smells be an issue for you.

The vacuum itself is a fairly standard, rounded 2-in-1 robot vacuum, but a little tall and hefty at 5.35 inches / 13.6cm tall. The top houses its raised puck for LiDAR sensing, which works in tandem with the front of the device, where the cameras and other sensors, including a camera as well as LED and UV lights, to navigate your home and spot messes ripe for cleaning.

If you’d rather not use the app, you can use the four touch-sensitive buttons to activate mop and vacuum modes, send the vacuum home and connect to the Wi-Fi. A soft bumper surrounds the edges of the vacuum to prevent damage from any collisions, which are remarkably rare thanks to its top-tier obstacle avoidance, and you can remove its dust bin and mop plate from the rear of the device.

On the underside, you’ll find the wheels, brush bar, side brush, and a singular, flat mop pad. These aren’t my favorite type — a rondel will typically offer a deeper clean, better post-clean drying and less water waste. However, Shark has designed the robot vacuum to wiggle this mop pad to agitate dirt, which goes some of the ways to make up the difference.

Of note is that the vacuum seems to be a total dust magnet. I have mine placed beneath a desk, where I wouldn’t expect excessive levels of dust — however it’s constantly lined with a thick layer of the stuff.

• Design: 4/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Performance

Setup for the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal is pretty simple; using the app, you’ll connect the vacuum to your Wi-Fi, give it a name (I loved some of the suggestions like Clean Latifah), and after that, the robot vacuum will run its first mapping pass. Broadly, mine was accurate; my apartment has a slightly tricky layout for robot vacuums, including a half-tiled, half-carpeted kitchen-living room, and lots of doors to dodge.

After this first pass, the app will offer you a second mapping run, this time to detect flooring types. If you plan to regularly mop hard floors and have carpets or rugs to avoid, make sure to get this out of the way during setup; I couldn’t find any way to update this map after the fact.

Cleaning tests

I performed my standard pickup tests using oats, cornflour and brown rice to compare performance to other robot vacuums I’ve tested, and the results were a mixed bag. When setting the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal off for a standard, vacuum-only clean, I was immediately impressed as it zig-zagged across my floors, leaving them visibly refreshed — plus, it’s pretty quiet in action.

On hard floors, it excels thanks to a combination of its side brush, solid suction and the jet of air it blasts at hard-to-reach debris, ensuring floors are spick and span post-clean. On carpet, it’s slightly less impressive, especially in the edge cleaning department, but it still does a decent enough job. Its pickup of larger debris was very impressive on carpet, leaving little to nothing behind, but there was a small amount of powdery debris left behind on my medium-pile rugs — hair, however, is no problem, be it human or pet.

Next up, I tried a regular combination clean with vacuum and mopping, and that’s where my experience with the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal became a bit more mixed. The robot vacuum first fills its water tank at the base, proceeding to concurrently vacuum and mop your floors rather than splitting out the tasks. This helps to save time and battery; however, it does increase the risk of soggy carpets.

To avoid this, the robovac will lift its hind to keep the mop pad from drenching carpets — this reduces its effectiveness on carpets, though, as it crushes the side brush, and sometimes, while navigating, it will spin round and spit water across the floor, too. However, once it reaches hard floors, the results are pretty impressive; the mop pad agitates spills and stains with a back-and-forth scrubbing motion, and will reach into corners to make sure every spot is well-cleaned.

It does use a lot of water, though, and especially if you’re cleaning up larger spills, that means the PowerDetect UV Reveal can leave a streaky mess in its wake. I noticed this even more so when there was lots of debris to vacuum up during the clean; the PowerDetect UV Reveal left a clump of soggy oats behind like an owl pellet as well as white streaky marks across the floor, but I wouldn’t typically recommend regularly using your robot vacuum to collect large volume spills anyway. I have especially reflective kitchen tiles, so I noticed this a lot; on my less shiny bathroom tiles, it wasn’t as much of a problem.

Powering up to a higher suction or mopping setting does result in a more thorough cleaning job, especially on carpets, but it’s worth noting that this seems to make the excess water usage more noticeable.

Object detection and navigation

When the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal works, it really works, but I encountered a fair few bugs and limitations that do impact its overall effectiveness — for example, when doing a combination clean, it sometimes skips cleaning certain areas and rooms, or neglects to clean areas I’ve specifically asked it to.

Its LiDAR scanner makes accurate room maps, though they’ll be a bit odd-looking if you have lots of furniture at floor level. That’s unavoidable, to a degree, but I wish it had investigated those areas more closely to find the real edges of the walls; that way if furniture moves around your home, you wouldn’t need to remap.

Its object detection is incredible — perhaps too good, as the robot vacuum avoided my low-hanging (but not floor-length) curtains like the plague, giving wide berth to even the most inconsequential of obstacles. Generally, it’s not too much of a problem, but improved smarts would mean there’s slightly less preparation required pre-clean to ensure your entire floor gets cleaned properly. I was also massively impressed by the ease with which it lifted itself over and cleared thresholds, chair legs, and the like, leading to quicker cleans.

UV detection

After its standard cleaning cycles, the robovac will return to its base, but the cleaning isn’t over quite yet. It’ll issue an ominous warning once it’s refreshed itself: "I detected stains. I'm heading back out to aggressively attack them."

Here’s where the magic of the PowerDetect UV Reveal is really on show; as it cleans, it flares a blue UV light, with which you can see for yourself the stubborn and sometimes invisible stains on your floor, which it will then return to after a standard cleaning run. It was pretty cringe-inducing to watch it navigate areas I hadn’t cleaned recently and see just how much grime was there.

Dock

After the job’s complete, it’ll return for a final time to the base and begin the mop pad maintenance process quietly in the background with just a low humming noise, washing it with hot water before drying it to reduce contamination. In my testing, the robovac lived up to its estimated 3-hour battery life; a 45-minute clean on standard settings dropped the battery by 25%. A full recharge takes roughly 4 hours, and the vacuum won’t perform new tasks when at less than 20%.

• Performance: 4/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Software and app

The app is quite restrictive when it comes to home and schedule customization; you can only have one map, so multi-floor cleaning isn’t possible, no-go zones are always rectangular and you can only create two schedules per day.

I also noticed that the robot vacuum would often get confused when it initiated a clean, forging straight to the corner of my living room and spinning there for a good few minutes before figuring out its path to the hallway. On closer inspection, this happened most frequently when I sent it to clean somewhere other than its home room; for some reason, it wanted to head straight through my wall instead of around and through the doorway.

I couldn’t find a quiet mode, either, meaning if you ever wanted to use the vacuum at night or when little ones are sleeping, they might awaken to an ominous threat from your robovac.

These issues, among other software quirks, make for the primary complaint I have surrounding the Shark PowerDetect UV reveal; its app and on-board smarts hold back an otherwise high-performance robot vacuum.

• Software: 2.5/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Specs

Should I buy Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal?

Buy it if…

You value well sanitized floors
With its UV detection, the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal offers peace of mind and broadly great results, especially in the mopping department… if you can handle slow-drying floors.

You have pets
Again, the UV detection comes in clutch here for invisible pet messes, but it’s also a deft hand at hair collection.

You have a large home
With its great battery life and efficiency, the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal is unlikely to run out of juice before finishing the job even in larger homes.

Don’t buy it if…

You have lots of wooden floors or shiny tiles

While it’ll clean these floor types within an inch of their life, the residual water and cleaning solution could warp or damage wooden floors and leave streaky marks on particularly reflective ones.

You have lots of carpet
Don’t get me wrong, this is an accomplished vacuum for carpets, but if you want to do combination cleans, you might end up with a few soggy spots left in its wake.

You want to vacuum multiple floors — or other smart features

I liken the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal to a power washer in the hands of a caveman; it’s only as good as the software allows it to be, and with frustrations like single-floor mapping, ignored instructions and

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Also consider

How I tested the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal

I tested the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal for two weeks in my home, completing my standardised pickup, edge cleaning and mopping tests in addition to simulating tests for features like UV detection. I used the app, making a map of my home and testing various features like scheduling and room-by-room cleaning tasks, closely observing the vacuum when in use to note any navigation or performance issues during testing.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed June 2026

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: two-minute review

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro makes crafting coffee and espresso drinks easy. The espresso is the real deal, a true 9-bar espresso brew with crema. It also brews regular drip coffee and a kind of rapid cold brew for iced drinks. From there you can froth your milk of choice, dairy or non-dairy, hot or cold, to create the beverage you get out of bed for.

A dozen pre-sets give you one-touch simplicity. Grind iQ chooses the grind size and dose based your beans. But if you prefer to tweak your settings to your personal taste (strength, grind, temperature, size, froth type,) you can save up to two separate user profiles. The Ninja AutoBarista Pro comes with two bean hoppers so you can easily swap out two different kinds of beans in seconds. Plus there is a chute just for pre-ground coffee, so you always have that option.

I tested out all 12 of the espresso and coffee drinks on the pre-set menu: Espresso, Lungo, Americano, Latte, Cortado, Cappuccino, Flat White, Drip Coffee, Over Ice (coffee), Iced Latte, Cold-Brew (coffee) and Cold-Pressed (espresso). They all came out great, though I noticed that the hot coffee drinks aren't super hot. I'd say they are immediate drinking temperature, not blow-on-it-and-sip temperature.

There is some simple cleaning and maintenance involved, but the machine does perform automatic rinses and has an interior fan to keep things as clean as possible before you have to do anything.

Wake up and have an incredible barista-style coffee drink with just the touch of a button or two. I don't know about you, but this is all I can manage before having coffee in the morning!

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: price and availability

• Available at Ninja's website and Best Buy
• Retails for $949.99 (£718 / AU$1,354)
• Will come in several color options

As of this writing, you can buy the Ninja AutoBarista Pro on Ninja's own website and third-party stores for $949.99/ £899.99. That works out at about AU$1,350, but at the time of writing it's not yet available in Australia. The color shown in my photos, stainless steel, is the only color currently available, but three other colors are coming: Midnight Blue, Oat Milk, and Bronze.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: specs

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: design

• Professional barista look
• All-inclusive machine
• Touch screen

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro looks like what its name would suggest: an automatic professional barista. Which is pretty much exactly what it is. It's designed to be simple to use and the most efficient way to get the coffee or espresso drink you crave.

The coffee hopper clicks into place on top of the machine. The Ninja AutoBarista Pro comes with two hoppers, so you can keep two different kinds of coffee on hand and easily swap out the hoppers as needed. Each time you put new beans in the hopper, you can run a "Grind iQ" cycle, which allows the machine to automatically dial in the perfect grind size for your beans. There is also a pre-ground coffee chute.

From the top, you can access the water reservoir if you prefer to add water that way as opposed to removing the whole tank and bringing it to your water source.

A large 80-ounce water reservoir sits on the right side of the machine. Inside the reservoir is a water filtration tablet, which should be changed out every two months. The tablet holder has a dial you can set, visible from the outside of the tank, as a reminder of when to change out the filtration tablet.

The left side of the machine has a removable door; inside the door is the brew unit. About once a month, you'll need to pull out the brew unit and give that a thorough rinse and the machine interior a wipe-down.

On the front of the machine is a large touch screen where you make your selections. Underneath that are the dual dispensing spouts, adjustable coffee cup platform, milk wand, and milk jug. The machine does rinse itself regularly, and the milk wand purges itself after use, but you'll need to empty out the drip tray once every few brews. Of course you need to clean the milk jug, steam wand, puck bin, and bean hoppers as needed. Periodically, you'll also need to run a cleaning cycle and descale cycle.

Before using the machine for the first time, you'll need to test your water's hardness with the included test strip. You'll have the opportunity to enter your water's hardness level during setup.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: performance

• Create just about any hot or cold coffee or espresso drink
• Froth your hot or cold dairy or non-dairy milk
• Very easy to create custom beverages

When I wake up in the morning, what gets me out of bed is the thought of that first cup of coffee. The last thing I want to do is have to go through a multi-step process to get that caffeine kick. The Ninja AutoBarista Pro makes it so easy to get an excellent cup of joe quickly. There are 12 preset coffee and espresso drinks, but each one can be customized to your preferred bean strength, brewing temperature, and drink size. I tried all 12 of the drinks at least once and they were all very good. I used a dark roast coffee for my testing and started with the default settings on everything.

The temperature on the hot drinks was not what I'd call super hot. I found it immediately drinkable, but if you like your coffee to come out hotter than that, you might be disappointed.

I started with just a standard espresso using the default settings, which is a 2.5:1 water to grounds ratio. This was very strong, as expected. The Ninja AutoBarista Pro does produce a crema on its espresso drinks. I made a cold-pressed espresso, which you brew over ice. It brews at a lower temperature and does take longer than brewing a standard espresso, which makes it taste a bit smoother and less bitter. It's still a very strong espresso drink. I tried a lungo, which is a longer pull than the standard espresso, but still a very strong drink with the default settings. I made an americano, which is an espresso with extra water added. This was still strong but good.

When you make milky drinks, you pour your milk of choice into the jug, choose dairy or non-dairy, and the Ninja AutoBarista Pro properly steams and/or froths your milk for your selected beverage. Then it's up to you to actually pour the milk into your espresso.

I made a cortado, which is espresso plus enough steamed milk to cut the bitterness. It does indeed do that, it's very good even with the almond milk I used. I made a flat white, which is an espresso plus steamed milk, more milk than a cortado but less than a latte. I also made this with almond milk and it was good. Then I made a latte, which has a bit more steamed milk plus a bit of froth. I used skim dairy milk this time with great results.

The cappuccino, which is espresso plus equal parts steamed milk and froth, was foamy and amazing. I used the default settings and skim dairy milk. This might have been my favorite hot beverage. I also made an iced latte, which is cold-pressed espresso plus lightly frothed milk. This turned out slightly foamier than I expected for an iced drink, but it was delicious.

In addition to the espresso-based drinks above, the Ninja AutoBarista Pro also makes drip coffee. The standard size cup is eight ounces, but you can make it larger or smaller as you like.

The default drip coffee setting was a little weak to my tastes, but that was easily adjusted and I made a stronger brew the next time.

The Ninja's AutoBarista Pro's cold-brew setting isn't a true cold brew. That would take hours. It does, however, brew at a lower temperature for a smoother, sweeter taste and a still-warm-but-cooler brew. The first time I tried this, I thought I selected 4 ounces but it seems to have been 40 ounces. I just stopped it before my mug overflowed. The taste was very nice and smooth. I did it again and brewed six ounces, which came out great.

I made an Over Ice coffee and it wasn't bad, but kind of weak compared to the Cold-Brew.

• Performance score: 5/5

Should you buy the Ninja AutoBarista Pro?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: also consider

How I tested the Ninja AutoBarista Pro

I spent a couple of weeks in a very caffeinated state. I brewed and drank every beverage on the touch-screen menu at least once: espresso, lungo, americano, latte, cortado, cappuccino, flat white, drip coffee, cver ice (coffee), iced latte, cold-brew (coffee) and cold-pressed (espresso). I performed standard maintenance on the machine, such as emptying the drip tray every few brews, cleaning the milk wand and frothing jug after every use, and removing and rinsing the brew unit.

First reviewed June 2026

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone: two-minute review

The Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone arrives in an increasingly crowded robot vacuum market, yet it still manages to stand out thanks to a handful of genuinely innovative features. Chief among these is the OmniCyclone docking station, a bagless dust collection system that uses Dyson-style cyclonic technology to capture detritus without relying on pricy disposable dust bags. As a result, it's a great system for anyone with molting dogs or cats, as long as the bin is emptied on a fairly frequent basis.

The X12's floor sweeping credentials aren’t exactly anything to write home about, mind, especially its performance on hard floor.And while its navigation is mostly precise and systematic, I have seen evidence of it occasionally missing some areas.

However, it's the mopping system that really sets this machine apart. Rather than dragging two damp spinning pads around the floor and potentially smearing dirt all over the floor, the X12 employs an extendable roller mop that is continuously supplied with clean water, while simultaneously collecting dirty water into a separate tank. The result is a far more hygienic clean, particularly on hard floors where conventional robot mops can often leave a thin film of grime in their wake. This model also has a unique FocusJet system that squirts water on deep stains before mopping them up, but I simply couldn’t get it to function as it should.

No question, the X12 OmniCyclone is extremely well engineered and packed with clever technology, but me thinks it might be worth a trip back to the drawing board to fix some of its frustrating anomalies.

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone: price & availability

• List price £1,249 / €1,399 / $1,499.99
• Launch date April 2026
• Availability Worldwide

In the UK, the Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone’s retail price is £1,249 but you can purchase it right now direct from Ecovacs or Amazon for a knockdown £949. At this price, the odd glitch in its performance makes it a lot more justifiable. However, if you mainly want a robot vacuum to collect dry debris from hard floors, the X12 still remains difficult to fully recommend, even at this lower price point.

As of writing, US buyers don’t get the same rosy deal as those in the UK – it sells direct from Ecovacs or Amazon for the full price of $1,499.99 – though you can be sure that big discounts will be applied in the not-too-distant future. The same applies to most of Europe, too, where the X12 OmniCyclone is retailing at a quite considerable €1,399.

If the Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone feels too specialized for your needs. or you’ve been put off by some of my reported performance issues, there are several strong alternatives on the market. For instance, the Roborock Saros 20 (£1,249) offers a much more balanced blend of hard-floor vacuuming, carpet performance and premium mopping. Likewise, the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete is also an excellent all-rounder with particularly strong obstacle avoidance and cleaning coverage. Finally, don’t discount this model’s predecessor, the Deebot X11 OmniCyclone, which delivers much of the X12’s roller-mop appeal and bagless convenience for a lot less money (£699 to be precise).

• Value score: 3/5

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclon:: specs

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone: design

• Excellent dock with cyclone emptying
• Impressive roller mop system
• Pre-spray system isn’t reliable

I’ll admit that, in this day and age with so many robot vac brands and models on the market, it’s difficult to get too excited about yet another robot vac-and-mop unless it’s bringing a smorgasbord of new tech to the table. Thankfully this one introduces at least three tantalising features that I personally haven’t seen in a robot vac before, and you can read about these below.

As with all robot vacs, setup was very easy because there are only three items in the box: the dock, the robot and the clip-in ramp for the dock. Everything was self-evident, although I will add that there was a surfeit of protective cellophane wrapping on almost every inch of the dock and robot, and I guarantee you will find a piece of cellophane still lurking somewhere that you completely missed on unboxing a few weeks earlier.

Once it was plugged in and ready to go, I launched the Ecovacs Home app and added the robot to my account and Wi-Fi network. I then sent it out on its first mapping run so it could acquaint itself with its new home, and it took a spritely 10 minutes to map my entire floor space of four rooms. The resulting map on the app looked clean and precise and intuitively layout out, though I did have to merge and split some rooms, which is very common and easy to do.

Robot design

The Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone may, at first glance, resemble the vast majority of hybrid robot vacuum leaners, but its engineering sets it apart from much of the competition.

The first thing I should address is that, at 3.85 inches (9.8cm) in height, the X12 won’t be able to scoot under low-slung furniture like the squat Roborock Saros range. However, as is the case with the Saros 10R, this model uses solid-state direct Time-of-Flight LiDAR to navigate so it doesn’t come with an ugly LiDAR turret, and that keeps its height to an acceptable level for most low furnishings.

Aside from its dToF-based navigation system, the X12 also utilises Ecovacs’ AIVI 3D 4.0 which combines an RGB camera and depth sensors with AI processing to detect, identify and manoeuvre around most household obstacles. The camera can also be used to send a live stream to the app and it’s the sharpest image I’ve seen from any robot vac, not that you’ll use it much.

And then there’s something called TruEdge 3D Edge Sensor 2.0, which combines vertical and horizontal lasers to allegedly detect irregular edges, skirting boards, and recessed areas for improved edge cleaning.

Most robot vacs have a pair of manual controls on top of the robot so you can perform a full clean at the touch of a button or, more importantly, tell it to end its cleaning without having to reach for the app. Sadly, this model only has a single on/off button that you press to continue cleaning after a hiccup in its navigation, and press and hold for three seconds for it to return to dock. I personally prefer having two buttons: one to turn it on and off, or pause it mid clean, and another to end the task and return to dock. Had I not checked the manual, I’d never have know its on/off button served two functions.

Heading to the undercarriage, the X12’s single tapered six-inch brush roller makes a very fair fist of dealing with hair tangles by coaxing it towards the tapered end where it’s sucked into the vacuum path. The roller itself is comprised of four soft rubber paddles for carpet beating and two bristled paddles for hard floors.

I’ve been watching suction-power stats of robot vacs for some time, and over the past five years they have has exploded from an average of 2,000–2,500 Pascals to between 20,000 and 36,000Pa for today's flagship models. Mind, suction stats are largely a marketing ploy because real-world cleaning relies much more heavily on brush design and airflow. This model boasts 22,000Pa which is about average for its price range.

One of this model’s most distinctive design elements is the extendable roller mop, which automatically extends one inch beyond the robot's chassis to clean along skirting boards and into 90-degree corners that are often left untouched by standard robot mops. I much prefer a roller system like this over twin spinning mop pads because the roller is continually washed during operation, with contaminated water extracted and transferred to a dedicated dirty-water tank while fresh water is supplied to the roller. This ensures that muck is removed rather than redistributed over other sections of flooring.

The X12’s carpet protection is equally innovative because a protective sleeve rotates beneath the roller, effectively isolating the damp roller and preventing unwanted moisture from transferring to carpet. The mopping system is theoretically further enhanced by Ecovacs’ unique FocusJet Stain Pre-Dissolving technology, which allegedly targets dried-on spills before mopping. This system is said to improve cleaning performance on stubborn messes, but I’ve found it to be very hit-and-miss, which even Ecovacs admits to in a warning written just below the app’s FocusJet setting.

I don’t have any tall thresholds in my home but if you do, you’ll be pleased to learn that the X12 comes with something called TruePass Adaptive four-wheel-drive Climbing System that will, according to Ecovacs, help the robot to scale single thresholds of up to one inch (2.4cm) in height and "navigate continuous double steps of up to 1.57 inches (4cm) with ease".

I wouldn’t say that this model’s battery capacity is especially noteworthy, at least when used extensively. However, Ecovacs says the battery can be restored by 13% in just three minutes to help elongate its operation time if the robot is being pushed to the limits, so that’s a very good thing.

Like quite a few high-end hybrid robotic cleaners, the X12 also uses an AI Agent to "autonomously map your home, identify floor types via intelligent scene recognition, and then schedule and execute a weekly cleaning plan". I personally always turn AI off because I’m human and have a brain capable of setting my own schedules, thank you very much.

Score ref: 3.5/5

Dock design

The Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone’s charging dock combines an impressive range of automation features with styling that looks more like a miniature Art Deco skyscraper from Batman’s Gotham City or Fritz Lang’s Metropolis than a household appliance.

Rather than relying on disposable dust bags, which may need replacing on a two-week basis if shedding pets are in the home, the X12’s dock uses cyclone technology to suck dust and debris from the robot’s small bin into a large 1.69-quart (1.6-litre) collection chamber. To empty, simply unclip it, take it to the kitchen bin and slide down the blue lever. Voila, the debris falls out of the bottom just like a Dyson vac.

As a dog- and cat-owner, I’m a big fan of this type of system because it not only reduces ongoing costs — and environmental waste — but it also helps maintain strong suction performance between the robot and the dock while vastly reducing any issues of clogging that can sometimes occur if the robot has collected too much pet hair.

The dock also houses two large clean and dirty water reservoirs (3.7 quarts/3.5L and 2.85 quarts/2.7L apiece) for the roller mop system which minimises the need for frequent refilling or emptying. It also incorporates two cleaning-solution tanks, including a dedicated one that’s used by the X12’s FocusJet system to tackle dried-on spills and stubborn marks before mopping.

As with most premium hybrid robots, the dock’s maintenance is almost entirely automated so the station washes the roller mop using heated, pressurised water, extracts dirty water into a separate tank and then dries the mop with hot air to reduce rancid odours and bacterial growth. Ecovacs has also equipped this dock with some self-cleaning functions, including automatic cleaning of the washing tray and dirty-water system.

Score ref: 4.5/5

• Design score: 4/5

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone: performance

• Top-notch dock performance
• Very good roller mopping to the edge
• Disappointing hard floor performance

Navigation performance

After a very successful initial mapping run, the X12’s navigation seemed a bit wayward for the first few excursions but improved as the robot seemingly learned the quickest route from room to room.

However, I have been perplexed by some of its behavior in our furniture-cluttered lounge which is a mixture of hard wooden floor and thin rugs. It doesn’t help that the app has so many customizable floor-cleaning options that you’re forced to experiment and the surfeit of carpet settings alone is enough to drive you round the twist as you fiddle and mess about with options like ‘clean carpet first’, ‘avoid fringed carpets’, ‘carpet recognition’, the list goes on.

Possibly as a result of some setting I may have incorrectly adjusted, the X12 has never performed a complete clean of the lounge, at least according to the image of its trail on the app. At first I had ‘AI Agent' turned on, and I never trust AI when it comes to automation because you never know what it’s going to do next. Besides, I prefer to be in control of my gadgets. Anyway, after 15 minutes of online research I noticed a tiny grayed-out ‘exit’ word just below the AI Agent option that had been there all the time. So I turned AI Agent off and breathed a sign of relief. Did it make a difference to its lounge-cleaning navigation? Not much, as far as I can tell.

I’m not really sure what it doesn’t like about my lounge, but for some strange reason it usually misses cleaning the 15 inches of wooden floor gap between two thin rugs and it doesn’t completely vacuum under my sofa, even when I’ve lifted the valence. Instead, it performs one pass under the front edge of the sofa and then leaves.

And another thing… When it started my most recent lounge-cleaning attempt there was a dog bed on the floor, which it deftly skirted around. But when I removed the bed while it was cleaning nearby, I expected it to notice the sudden lack of bed and proceed to clean that area too. But no, it simply went home.

The X12 also has a habit of stalling at the edge of every rug before moving forward. It heads towards the rug at full speed and as soon as a wheel detects a slight incline – we’re talking millimeters here – it stops dead while it assesses the situation before proceeding to cross the rug. No great shakes but it was something I noticed that rarely bothers other bots. Thankfully and despite these slightly confounding anomalies, the X12 has behaved perfectly well in every other room with full clean-ups as one would reasonably expect.

Score ref: 2.5/5

Obstacle avoidance

If the X12’s overall navigation has room for improvement, there’s no such issue with its obstacle avoidance. For this test I set its AIVI 3D obstacle avoidance to ‘high sensitivity’ and used a number of dog toys but also placed two cigarette lighters and a small remote. I was very impressed by how quickly it negotiated a path between them with no collisions to report. At other times the X12’s obstacle avoidance has been set to ‘standard’ and even in this setting it has never ridden slipshod over anything, so I call that a result.

Score ref: 4/5

Vacuuming

I set up two vacuuming tests, one on hard floor, the other on carpet rug using a mix of rice, oats, icing sugar and granola. Test one was on my kitchen hard floor and unfortunately it was a bit of a failure. While this test was extreme, it was no different to every other robot vacuum test I perform on hard floor. Firstly, the act of creating a zone using the Scenario option was far too complicated, but I got there in the end. I went for the full vacuum power, deep clean and two-passes option to give it a better chance.

When it arrived at the zone, it first drove straight over the detritus with its motor off, which was a strange thing to do. It then proceeded to start its cleaning run and collected some of the debris, but left far more behind than it should have done. It also seemed to work haphazardly and made just one pass along the skirting board without cleaning up any of the ingredients. When it finally left the scene, the floor looked in quite a state so I reached for the Dyson Gen5detect, which cleaned up everything in one pass.

I couldn’t tell if this disappointing result was due to sub-par suction power – at 22,000Pa it should pick up debris much better – or if the brush bar is badly designed, but the results for this hard floor test were unacceptable. However, I should add that, during its day-to-day sweeping, I’ve never had too much cause for concern because it has always vacuumed the kitchen and most other hard floor areas efficiently enough. Perhaps I pushed it too far for this test.

Thankfully the rug test was more successful, though I wouldn’t say it was exceptional by any means, especially considering that I had maxed out all the settings. The first horizontal pass clearly showed that it had collected most of the crumbly debris, but it took a return pass and another two vertical passes to leave it fairly clean. I say fairly because most robots leave behind some detritus in a test like this, which is why you should never get rid of your cordless stick vac or any other form of manual vacuum cleaner. While robots are great for keeping on top of things, homo sapiens is thankfully still way more advanced than any robot when it comes to household duties.

Score ref: 2.5/5

Mopping performance

Despite having the X12’s FocusJet activated since installing the product, I have never actually seen it in operation, which has really confused me because I thought that the moment the robot spots a large stain area it jet washes it first to break up the stain and then mops it. But maybe that’s not the case — answers on a postcard please.

For my kitchen mopping test I squirted some tomato ketchup on the floor and adjusted the cleaning settings to Vac and Mop (for some bizarre reason there is no mop-only feature), standard water dispensing, Deep Cleaning, and two passes. As I anticipated given all the mopping tech on this bot, the X12 performed well in this test; indeed better than most spinning mop systems I’ve tested. Yes, it was a bit erratic in its chosen path, but it eventually cleaned the mess up and left far fewer smears than I have normally experienced.

Did it use the FocusJet on this unmissable ketchup stain? No, it simply approached the stain and duly mopped it without once using the squirty jet thing. And yet it did squirt water at least twice on an area with no stains whatsoever.

I personally don’t see a need for this water-spraying function because the task of cleaning a specific stain is a lot quicker if you just grab some kitchen towelling or a proper mop and bucket and do it yourself. The mere fact you need to reach for the app and make an educated guess where the stain is on the map and then wait five minutes while the robot gets ready to trundle over to what you hope is the correct spot, is way too long a process in my opinion. And even when it gets there, there’s no guarantee that it will actually use the water spraying system in the correct place, or even use it at all.

Score ref: 3.5/5

Dock performance

The X12 OmniCyclone's charging dock is among the most capable and innovative docking stations I’ve come across. Its bagless OmniCyclone dust collection system has performed particularly well, emptying the robot's onboard dustbin with no clogging to report, though I will admit that I have set it to empty the bot’s bin several times during its daily routines. Yes, I have had to take the bin to the kitchen bin twice in a month for emptying but even this has been a breeze. In fact, it has a better emptying mechanism than a lot of cordless stick vacs I’ve reviewed.

The dock also automatically washes the roller mop using heated water, removes the dirty water into a dedicated reservoir and then dries the roller with hot air to help prevent unpleasant smells and mould growth. And like most premium models, the dock’s self-cleaning functions also do a grand job of helping to keep the removable washing tray free from accumulated muck.

Score ref: 4/5

Battery performance

The X12’s 4,000mAh battery has a charging time of around two and a half hours. My lounge is roughly 12m² and, according to the app, the double-pass vacuum test in my lounge took 28 minutes to complete, while missing the space between two rugs that I have already mentioned above. After this run the battery showed 54% remaining, which seemed a bit low to me. Anyway, I then set it off to do two vacuum passes at full suction in the kitchen (around 17m²), after which the battery showed just 15%. As a result it headed back to the dock for a top-up before heading out again 20 minutes later to complete the task.

I’ve also noticed it heading back for a near-full top-up midway through an entire house clean and this suggests that the X12 might not be the best model for larger homes. Granted, one is rarely bothered by how long it takes a robot to clean a whole home, but there will be times when you need a quick cleanup in an emergency only to discover that the X12 is too busy charging itself from an earlier task.

Score ref: 3.5/5

• Performance score: 3/5

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone: app functionality

• Relatively easy to navigate
• Far too many custom options
• Some annoying programming traits

At first I thought the Ecovacs Home app was one of the most intuitive and well laid-out robot app I’d come across – ‘very easy to navigate’, I said in my notes. However, in hindsight I think it’s too complex and confusing for its own good. Don’t get me wrong, I love an app that provides loads of customisation but this app tips it into anorak territory with so many custom options available that it’s difficult to know where to start.

This is especially noticeable when you select ‘Robot Advanced Functions’ because advanced they most certainly are. Yes, some are self explanatory but when you tap ‘Carpet Settings’ you’re met with two pages of settings relating to every carpet-cleaning scenario imaginable. As a result you can find yourself in a rabbit hole of experimentations that take ages to carry out because it’s a robot and robots always do things at their own pace – very slowly.

On the plus side, the app does cleverly divide all settings into Robot and Dock, and provides instant access to one’s pre-programmed routines, or Scenarios as Ecovacs calls them. However, it might take you a while to find the area where you create them, and when you finally get there and create your series of personalised routines and name them accordingly – like ‘Lounge Vac’, ‘Kitchen Mop’, etc – don’t just click on ‘done’ because there’s also a faint ‘save’ button on top and if you don’t click that, you may be back to square one. Also, as mentioned above, I had issues trying to turn off Agent Mode which I simply don’t trust, especially given the amount of engineered wood flooring in my home.

This is far from the worst robot app I’ve ever used. In fact it’s quite similar to my favourite Roborock app for functionality and personalisation. But as I said above, I think the IT department went a bit over the top when they designed this app and ended up providing too many options.

• App functionality score: 3/5

Should you buy the Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

How I tested the Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone

I tested the Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone across a typical mixed UK home environment, combining hard flooring, rugs and high-traffic kitchen areas. The focus was on real-world performance rather than lab conditions, including everyday debris such as crumbs, dust, huge amounts of pet hair and sticky spills. I ran multiple cleaning cycles using the highest levels of vacuum and full mopping modes, observing how well it handled edge cleaning, room transitions and obstacle avoidance. Particular attention was paid to its roller-mop system, water delivery and the behaviour of the Focus Jet and OmniCyclone dock during emptying and refilling.

I also assessed its noise levels, maintenance demands and app control usability over repeated use. The aim was to determine whether its headline mopping innovations genuinely translate into better everyday cleaning performance. It mostly did in this regard but there’s definitely room for improvement regarding its overall navigation and hard floor sweeping.

First reviewed June 2026.

Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S review

The Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S is a device that came to me when I needed it most. It was a sweltering day in the UK — a nation with little in the way of air conditioning, but lots of humidity. But as I sat there at my desk sweating profusely, my editor handed Dreo’s new misting fan to me, and I have to say, it’s been a lifesaver.

But what exactly is the Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S? Well, it’s a device designed to deliver “mess-free cooling,” and is best-suited for desks and tables. I’ve spent the last three weeks with Dreo’s fan, and have used it at my desk, at the kitchen table, and even in a controlled testing space at Future Labs. And for the most part, it’s proved to be quite an impressive performer — though it’s not totally without its flaws. So, here’s how I’d rate my experience overall.

First of all, let’s talk about who this fan is for. In my view, this is best suited for someone who’s sat at their desk and wants a personal fan, but one they can also set on a bedside table on hotter evenings too. I’d not necessarily recommend it to keep the whole family cool on the sofa, though — it’s still pretty compact, and the fan head is relatively small, meaning you don’t get the huge amount of coverage that some of the best fans can provide.

So, how does the 516S fare when used at a desk? In my case, it was great. I found the mist setting to work exceptionally well, and it added a nice degree of coolness without making any mess or feeling too intense. There were 12 speeds to select, and it was easy to switch between the three mist levels depending on how hot I felt. What’s more, it can oscillate 150 degrees horizontally, up to 20 degrees up, and 10 degrees down, making it easy to tailor coverage to your specific space. Dreo states that the 516S can cool a room by 3C / 5.4F at a max speed of 8m/s.

Setting up misting is pretty straightforward too. Simply fill up the detachable 1.3L water tank, slot it into the fan, and you’re good to go. You have to flip the tank upside down before inserting it, and this can lead to a bit of minor leakage, but I never found this to be a big issue. The tank is also large enough to keep misting for hours on end — 12 hours, according to Dreo — and I never felt that I had to refill it too regularly. And if you’re not in a misty mood, then fear not — it’s easy to switch over to a fan only mode, which works nicely too.

Even when using the mist mode, I found the fan to run pretty quietly, which was especially useful when trying it out at night. I didn’t find it difficult to drift off to sleep with the fan at a middling speed, and it certainly couldn’t cut past my Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones when trying it during the workday. One caveat, however, is that the Turbo mode — for those who want maximum power — can get fairly noisy. This could frustrate some when trying to watch TV or listen to music, but the mode did still work well when I needed a thorough blast of cold.

There are a number of other ways to customize your experience, though, such as a timer, a humidity preference setting, and a child lock system. Such options can be accessed through a number of control methods: touch controls, a remote, voice commands, or a companion app. This level of versatility is always welcome, and the inclusion of Alexa and Google voice assistants is pretty neat, especially given the 516S’s modest price — more on that later.

I will say, however, that the physical touch controls are… a little temperamental. Sometimes I found myself pressing a button over and over again trying to get it to function properly. That’s pretty frustrating, and often pushed me to reach for the remote instead. It’s no dealbreaker, especially with the various alternative control methods, but it’s worth noting all the same.

Before we sum up, let’s talk about design. This fan is decent-looking, with an easy-to-clean plastic exterior, attractive lighting on the control panel, and a transparent water tank, so you always know when it’s time for a refill. There’s also a practical carry handle, and you can easily dismantle the fan if you need to make a fix. The power cable is integrated, and you won’t be able to use this fan wirelessly, but for the cost, that’s understandable.

Speaking of cost, the 516S will typically set you back $99.99 / £99.99 (about AU$140), which in my view, is a very fair price. Sure, there are cheaper options available in this size-class, but you get mess-free and effective misting, a wide range of speeds, and a wide number of control methods, all without having to break the bank. So if you’re looking for a fan to use at your desk, or a personal cooling solution while watching TV for instance, I think the Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S is well-worth considering.

Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S review: price & release date

• List price of $99.99 / £99.99 (about AU$140)
• Released in April 2026

The Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S has a fairly modest price tag for all of the tech it crams in. It’s typically available for $99.99 / £99.99 (about AU$140), although I have seen it discounted with some online retailers. The fan released in April 2026 as part of Dreo’s 2026 summer lineup.

Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S review: specs

Should I buy the Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S review: also consider

How I tested the Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S

• Tested across a three-week period
• Made use of all settings and features
• Used at home and in a controlled testing space at Future Labs

I spent three weeks testing the Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S, using it at home on my desk and the kitchen table, and even trying it in a controlled environment at Future Labs.

During this time, I tested out all of the various features, sifted through the multiple connectivity and control options, and made sure to try the fan both with and without misting activated. During the majority of the testing period, I was using the fan on high temperature days with high humidity, making for a natural and authentic testing process.

More generally, I’ve tested tons of gadgets here at TechRadar across the course of multiple years. I’ve covered home and lifestyle products, audio gear, video games, and more as part of our dedicated reviews team.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: June 2026

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review

The Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 is the latest tower fan from the British brand, and it offers up not only excellent cooling with owl-like oscillation, but also air purification.

That makes the Find+Follow Purifier Cool particularly helpful for those with asthma or allergies when they don't want dust, pollen and other particulars floating round their home.

But the party trick here is in the ‘Find+Follow’ name, and it’s what sets it apart from its predecessor, the Purifier Cool PC1, while also kicking the Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 to the curb.

This particular cooling and air purifying fan features a small camera that can identify people in its field of view, and then follow them round a room, ensuring the breeze is always directed where it’s needed.

It’s a good looking fan, but all this comes at a steep cost — $849.99 / £549.99 to be exact. With many of the best fans coming in at a lower price point, Dyson has its work cut out to justify the premium cost of its latest offering.

Things get off to a positive start with the fan arriving in suitably protective packaging that’s almost all cardboard — the main piece of plastic is a large bag over the fan itself. It’s easy to unpack, and setup via the free My Dyson app is straightforward.

You’ll need both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled on your phone, allowing you to get the fan connected to your device, as well as your home network. I liked the ‘Getting started’ video in the How To section of the app: it’s just under two minutes long and walks you through the core functions of the fan.

Controls in the app are nicely laid out, with easy access to on/off, fan speed, and oscillation. There’s also auto and night modes, a timer setting to turn off the fan after a set duration, and the ability to switch from fan to diffuser mode, if you want to purify the air in your home without the main fan being active.

Shifting focus back to the fan itself, it stands tall with its large, oval bladeless design sitting atop a gold pedestal that hides the air purifying tech and HEPA H13-grade and K-Carbon filters. Dyson claims the filter “captures 99.95% of particles such as viruses and bacteria, as well as pollen, pet dander and mould spores”.

It not only cleans the air, but the K-carbon filter can remove smells and gases, handy if you’ve been over-enthusiastic in the kitchen and want to get rid of that burning smell. I found it did a pretty good job of getting rid of the burnt toast smell in the morning quicker than leaving it to dissipate on its own.

There’s a power button just above the circular display on the base of the fan, but Dyson doesn’t provide any further controls on the device itself. Instead you need to use the remote, which magnetically clings to the top of the fan for simple storage, or the app to adjust settings.

You can also link the PC3 to your smart home, allowing you to use Google’s Gemini or Amazon’s Alexa voice assistants to control the fan. Linking it to my smart home setup also allowed me to control the Find+Follow Purifier Cool from the Google Home app as well as the My Dyson app.

The display on the fan is subtle, and from a distance it can be difficult to read due to its small size, but you can get all the info displayed here in the My Dyson app.

You can adjust the information the display shows by clicking the ‘i’ button on the remote, allowing you to cycle through visuals for various data including; indoor air quality, indoor humidity, indoor temperature, and remaining filter life. It’s useful stuff, but it’s better viewed in the app.

I was particularly impressed with the range of oscillation on offer, with the ability to rotate 45, 90, 180, and 350 degrees. Pop the Find+Follow Purifier Cool in the middle of a room and it’ll reach almost every area.

This was particularly useful when it came to placing the fan in a bigger room, as the huge angle of coverage provides far more flexibility. In my large, open-plan living space I could position it towards the center and have it reach most areas — although there was one small shortcoming: the length of the power cord.

At 1.8m it’s similar to many other rival fans, but as there are 350 degrees of movement, this is a fan you might be more inclined to position further away from a wall outlet to get maximum benefit. I was able to plug it into my kitchen island, allowing it to stand well away from a wall, without the cord or an extension cable draped across the floor — but your home’s setup will be different, so it’s worth considering where you’ll be plugging it in.

Once on, Dyson’s clever bladeless design delivers smooth air flow that feels like a natural breeze moving through your home, rather than the harsh buffeting you get from some other propeller and tower fans.

Coupled with its quiet operation — especially at lower fan speeds — you might find yourself forgetting it’s even on. My partner questioned whether I’d left the back door open as she felt a breeze, but it was simply the Dyson’s caress of the air is so gentle that it didn't feel artificially generated.

In our open-plan living space, I needed a fan speed between eight and 10 to really feel the effect during the warm weather, when sitting around four to five meters from the fan. In my small office (16m²), a fan speed of three was enough to keep me feeling cooler, with the Find+Follow Purifier Cool positioned a couple of meters away.

At its highest speed setting of 10, the Find+Follow Purifier Cool was still relatively quiet at 40-60dB, allowing you to comfortably have a conversation without the need to shout over the noise. Halving the speed sees the sound generated dropped to 20dB (similar to a mosquito), while at its lowest speed I got a reading of around 15dB, just slightly louder than normal breathing (10dB). If you’re looking for a quiet fan, the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool is a strong contender, but the Duux Whisper Flex 2 has it beat, just.

The quiet operation meant I was able to keep the fan on overnight in our bedroom, with the low level hum not loud enough to disturb my sleep. My partner is a lighter sleeper, and after an initial adjustment, they were able to sleep with it on as well.

And then there’s the Dyson's Find+Follow party-trick. Enable this mode by pressing the button on the remote or in the app, and the fan will scan the room looking for people. Once it’s detected a person, it’ll direct air flow towards them. Get up and move around the room, and the purifying fan will oscillate to maintain air flow in your direction. It doesn’t rotate particularly quickly, but it’ll keep moving until it picks you up again.

If you leave the room briefly, the Find+Follow Purifier Cool will wait patiently in a ‘dormant’ state for your return. The fan will continue, but movement will only resume when you re-enter the room and it picks you back up.

When there’s clear sightlines in an uncluttered room, the Find+Follow AI does a reasonably good job of tracking movement, delicately rotating as you move about. However, I found if I passed too closely and too quickly, it wouldn’t always continue tracking me, even though I was still within its range of movement. This feature works best in large, open-plan spaces where you don’t need to pass too closely to the fan itself. In smaller rooms, the AI tracking can struggle a little more.

In cases where you leave the room for more than an hour, the system will switch to Auto mode, where the fan’s sensors will adjust the settings to reach the target air quality for the room.

For those concerned about the privacy implications of this technology, Dyson says the: “AI vision system never identifies anyone and only detects presence. Images are processed instantly within the machine, deleted and never leave the device.” And you can turn off the follow mode at any point using the remote, app, or smart home voice assistant.

When it comes to maintenance, Dyson’s bladeless design makes things super simple, with the wipe of a damp, lint-free cloth all that’s required. You do need to keep an eye on the air intake holes on the base though, as I found pet hair from my two cats would build up over the course of a few days. Dyson suggests using a soft brush to remove this debris.

The Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool is a highly accomplished purifying fan with useful modes, impressive features, and a fun — if slightly creepy — follow mode that a subset of users will find beneficial. Though I wouldn’t say the addition of this tracking camera does enough to fully justify Dyson’s asking price.

I’ve no problem saying that if you have the money, and are looking for a true flagship purifying fan, the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool absolutely delivers. It’s supremely easy to set up and use, while the performance matches other high-end multi-purpose rivals. But if you’re bulking at the list price, there are plenty of reasonably priced fans — and Dyson purifying fans without Find+Follow — that provide similar levels of performance for less.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review: Price & release date

• Premium price tag of $849.99 / £549.99
• Costs considerably more than its closest rivals
• Available in the UK and US from June 2026; not on sale in Australia

The Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool has been on sale since May 2026 in the UK, and went on sale in early June 2026 in the US but it's unfortunately not currently available in Australia. You can buy it via Dyson directly and a number of major third-party retailers.

The Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool costs $849.99 / £549.99, making it one of the more expensive fan and purifier combos on the market. It’s not Dyson’s most premium purifier (that’s the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde), but it is the firm’s most expensive fan, nudging out the $499.99 / £399.99 Hot + Cool HF1.

While the Find+Follow comes with its eponymous following camera tech, that has added $300 / £100 to the retail price of the Purifier Cool PC1 it replaces. The PC1 is still available though and is generally discounted too, if you want similar cooling and purifying results without the person-tracking tech.

If you’re not fussed about the heating or air purifying features, Dyson’s cheapest comparable fan is the Cool AM07 tower at $399.99 / £349.99, although this older model is sometimes discounted.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review: Specs

Should I buy the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review: Also consider

How I tested the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool

• Used the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool for a week
• Used it in the bedroom, office and main living space
• Tested various modes, including Find+Follow and Sleep

I used the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool at home in the UK during a week of very warm May weather (28-31C / 82-88F). I set it up in my open-plan living space, master bedroom, and small home office, to experience how effective it was in different locations.

I tested the range of modes the fan has to offer, including auto, sleep, and Find+Follow. I operated it with the remote, via the My Dyson and Google Home apps, and I even asked Gemini via the smart speakers in my home to adjust fan speed and turn the unit on and off.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: June 2026

Coway Airmega 100: one-minute review

The Coway Airmega 100 is a small, cylindrical air purifier. It's designed for rooms up to around 63 square meters, packing an impressive Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 244 cubic meters per hour and a three-stage filtration system (pre-filter, True HEPA and deodorization filter).

Design-wise, it's a compact white cylinder that's light enough to carry one-handed and small enough to sit on a desk or tuck into a corner. The touch controls on top are simple and intuitive, with an air-quality indicator ring that shifts color based on what it detects.

Performance is where this purifier really shines, though. It's remarkably quiet even for one of the best air purifiers, especially in sleep mode where it drops to just 20 dB, and the auto mode does a good job of ramping up when it detects something in the air. There was also a noticeable reduction in surface dust after a few days of running it, and cooking smells triggered the sensor quickly. While it won’t eradicate stronger smells completely as a purifier with pellet-based carbon filters would, it still performs brilliantly when it comes to everyday dust, pollen and pet dander.

As you’d expect, there are some downsides, though, such as a lack of any Wi-Fi connectivity or app control. A quick look at the Amazon reviews will highlight a number of reports of replacement filters being hard to source in the UK, and while build quality is perfectly fine, it does feel a bit budget in places. Nevertheless, at around £110 / $84 on sale, it represents exceptional bang for your buck.

Coway Airmega 100 review: Specs

Coway Airmega 100 review: Price and release date

• Available now
• List price: £109.99 / $83.99 / AU$199

The Coway Airmega 100 is available to buy now in the UK, US and Australia. It sits at the affordable end of the air purifier market, and even at its full UK RRP of £149.99 / $129.99 / AU$199, it undercuts most comparable models from Philips, Blueair and Levoit, and it's a fraction of what you'd pay for anything from Dyson. At the time of writing, the unit can be picked up direct from Coway for a sale price of $83.99 / £109.99.

Replacement filters cost a very reasonable £27.99 / $39.99 / AU$59, especially compared to the £69.99 you'll pay for the larger Airmega 350's filters. Coway says they should last around 12 months, though in dustier environments you may need to swap them more often.

One thing to flag: a few buyers have reported difficulty finding genuine replacement filters on Coway's UK site, with stock appearing to come and go. Filters are available on Amazon, but some buyers have reported sketchy availability from Coway’s official web store, so it's worth keeping an eye on this if you're planning to keep this long-term.

Running costs are minimal too. With a 25W motor, you're looking at pennies per day even if you leave it running around the clock.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Coway Airmega 100 review: Design

• Compact and minimal, fits anywhere
• Touch controls are simple and intuitive
• Feels a little cheap, and there are no carry handles

The Airmega 100 is essentially a small, white cylinder measuring just 8.66 inches / 220mm across and about 15.75 inches / 400mm tall. This compact size means it can easily sit on a bedside table, a desk, or the floor in a corner and, at 6.61 pounds / 3kg, it's light enough to pick up and move around to put wherever you need it with ease. The minimal white finish might leave a bit to be desired, but it’s nice enough and will blend in with pretty much any room without drawing attention to itself.

As for the touch panel on top, this is a straightforward design that makes it super easy to navigate, sporting haptic buttons for fan speed, sleep mode, timer, light on/off and a control panel lock. Wrapping around the 360-degree fan grille is an air quality indicator ring that changes color from blue (clean) through green and yellow to red (polluted), giving you a quick visual check on air quality status without needing to press anything. I found the whole thing easy to get to grips with, no manual needed.

If I had to pull out a negative, I’d say build quality is where the Airmega 100 lets itself down a bit. It looks nice enough from a distance, but up close the plastic feels a bit on the cheap side. It's not flimsy or poorly made; it just doesn't have that reassuring heft you get from pricier models. There are also no carry handles, which is a minor gripe given how light it is, but still feels like something Coway could have added without much effort.

Air is drawn in through inlets at the bottom and expelled upwards through the top grilles, so, like its bigger sibling the Airmega 350, don't expect it to double up as a fan. This device is for cleaning air, not cooling you down.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Coway Airmega 100 review: Features and performance

• Impressively quiet, especially in sleep mode
• Auto mode reacts quickly to changes in air quality
• Carbon filter won't tackle strong cooking smells

For such a compact air purifier at such a low price, the Airmega 100 performs surprisingly well. The three-stage filter (pre-filter, True HEPA and deodorization) does a top job of capturing dust, pollen and pet dander, and I noticed a genuine drop in surface dust after just a few days of running it in my open-plan living and dining room.

The auto mode is the standout feature here, though. With a built-in PM2.5 sensor, it’s able to monitor air quality in real time and adjust fan speed accordingly. Start cooking, spray some deodorant or disturb some dust, and the ring will shift color before the fan kicks in. Then, once the air clears, it’ll settle back down. It's properly hands-off, and works really well.

Noise levels are also excellent. In sleep mode, the Airmega 100 drops to a claimed 20 dB, and I can confirm it's near-silent. I ran it overnight in the same room and totally forgot it was there. Even on its highest speed, it's not what I'd call loud, topping out at around 52 dB — that's roughly dishwasher territory, so for a bedroom or home office it's ideal.

The one area where the filtration falls a bit short is when it comes to strong odors. The deodorization filter uses a carbon-coated fiber rather than the pellet-based activated carbon you'll find in pricier models. While it handles light smells and general stuffiness fine, don't expect it to neutralize strong cooking smells or smoke from a burnt pan. For everyday dust, allergens and general air quality improvement, though, it's perfectly capable.

As with its older brother, the Coway Airmega 350, there's no Wi-Fi connectivity, app nor smart-home integration on the Airmega 100. This means you can't check air quality stats remotely or control it from your phone. That's not ideal, although — unlike on the pricier models — it doesn’t feel as much of a missing feature here. Still, it still feels like something Coway should be thinking about, as a basic app showing air quality trends and filter life isn’t exactly a cutting edge feature these days.

Nevertheless, the purifier’s timer options (you can choose between one, two, four or eight hours) and the control panel lock are both pretty useful additions. And there's a mood-light feature that provides a soft glow for bedroom use, which is a nice touch.

• Features & performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Coway Airmega 100?

Don't buy it if…

Coway Airmega 100 review: Also consider

How I tested the Coway Airmega 100

I used the Coway Airmega 100 for several weeks across different spaces in my home, from my home office to open plan living room and dining area. I tested all fan speeds and modes, monitored the sensor's reaction to cooking, dust and general household air, and assessed the build quality, noise levels, filter access and overall usability throughout.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read more about how we test

• Google is officially retiring its range of Nest Audio speakers
• That includes the Google Nest Audio and the Google Nest Mini
• They’ll be replaced by the Google Home Speaker when it launches shortly

It’s fair to say that there’s a lot of expectation around the Google Home Speaker — after all, it’s the company’s first smart speaker in six years and we’ve been waiting since its August 2025 announcement for it to arrive. But its launch next week spells bad news for the Google Nest Audio range, as we’ve just heard that it’s finally being sent off to retirement.

Speaking to Tech Advisor, a Google spokesperson said: “As we continue to build the future of the smart home, we are refining our portfolio of Google Home and Nest devices. As part of this evolution, we have ended production of the Google Nest Mini and Google Nest Audio.”

Yes, that means both the Nest Mini and the Nest Audio are out of stock on the Google online store and instead redirect to the page for the Home Speaker. Not only that, but Google is apparently phasing out the Nest branding for its speakers and displays, with Home taking its place.

Interestingly, Google Gemini for Home — the tech giant’s artificial intelligence (AI) model tailored for smart home usage — is compatible with all existing Google speakers and displays, meaning it will continue to work just fine on Google Nest audio devices.

What this news means for you

It’s not all bad news for Google Nest speaker owners. Google said it remains “deeply committed to our smart home ecosystem and to the millions of people who use our products every day.” To that end, “Existing Nest Mini and Nest Audio devices will continue to be fully supported with regular software updates, security patches, and customer care,” the company added.

With Gemini for Home still working on Nest products, you’re not missing out if you already own one of these speakers, at least from an AI standpoint. And while Google’s online stores no longer stock the Nest Mini and Nest Audio, you can still find them at third-party retailers.

But considering the age of the Nest Mini and Nest Audio — they first launched in 2017 and 2020, respectively, with neither device being updated since the latter date — it’s perhaps unsurprising that Google has finally called time on these speakers. With the Google Home Speaker set to land any day now, we’ll soon see if their replacement is up to scratch.

• Google has confirmed the launch of its new Google Home Speaker
• You can pre-order now, with the device expected to ship from June 25
• The speaker comes with basic Gemini features, but you'll need a Google Home Premium subscription to use advanced tools

Since Google first teased its next smart speaker back in August 2025, we’ve been keeping an eye on all the latest rumors around the new Gemini-powered Google Home Speaker —and now its official launch date has finally been confirmed.

Pe-orders for Google's first smart speaker in six years, which will replace the company’s Nest Audio, and Nest Mini, are open now. According to the Google Home Speaker pre-order page, shipping will commence on June 25.

The new Google Home Speaker is priced at $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$199, and comes in four colors: Jade, Berry, Porcelain, and Hazel. All four of those shades are available in the US, but Porcelain and Hazel are the only options for users in the UK and Australia.

Google has been keeping us on our toes in recent months when it comes to its anticipated new speaker and, as per a leak from Best Buy Canada, we had the speaker pegged for a late-June launch. When Google officially announced the device in October 2025 following its tease, it unveiled a slew of new upgrades, starting with its design.

Much like the Apple HomePod Mini and Amazon’s Echo Studio hub, the Google Home Speaker adopts 360-audio, which Google says you can pair with a supported Google TV Streamer device to create an immersive home theater audio setup. It comes with a 3D-woven fabric finish, and a light ring on its base to let you know when it's listening and responding — but the biggest upgrade is its Gemini powers.

For years, Google Assistant has been the company’s voice assistant for its smart hubs, but the Google Home Speaker is its first flagship device with Gemini capabilities, designed to be even smarter when responding to complicated requests and queries. It all sounds great on paper — but there’s one notable catch.

While the Google Home Speaker will come with basic features such as reminders, smart home controls, and quick answers, you’ll need to subscribe to one of the Google Home Premium tiers (Standard or Advanced) to use Gemini in its entirety — and additional outlay I imagine most potential users won't be happy about given the up-front cost of the speaker.

One of the advanced features locked into Google Home Premium Standard tier is Gemini Live, a conversational chatbot you can talk to, interrupt mid-sentence, and ask follow-up questions of about all kinds of topics. Whether you need a substitute ingredient for a specific recipe or are looking for outfit inspiration for an event, Gemini Live will have you covered.

The advanced features don’t end there however. With a Google Home Premium membership you’ll get additional storage for footage from security cameras and video doorbells that are integrated into your setup. If you’re signed up to the Advanced tier you’ll also get access to Home Brief, a tool that summarizes your footage highlights and gives you more detailed descriptions of the events that occur on your cameras.

It's not all bad news, because Google is offering six months of Google Home Premium for free when you purchase the new Google Home Speaker before September 30.

If you want to continue your time with Google Home Premium, you’ll have to pay a subscription to one of its tiers. Standard is $10/ £8/ AU$15 a month, while the Advanced tier is $20/ £16/ AU$30. You can read more about what each tier has to offer on the Google Home Premium sign-up page.

• Aura has added Google Photos support for its digital photo frames
• Albums / individual photos can be uploaded to frames from linked accounts
• Aura Frames can also be pre-loaded with existing Google Photo albums

Aura features heavily in my best digital photo frames guide. In fact, I have two of its frames in my home; the Ink with its natural, print-like E Ink display, and my absolute favorite, the punchy and classy Walden. Now, as a Google user, those frames just got better with the addition of Google Photos integration.

To add the feature, you'll need the Aura app (which is super handy for syncing frames anyway). In the app, select the 'Add Photos' option, tap 'Connect' on Google Photos, sign into your Google account, and then select which albums / individual photos you'd like to add. It's as simple as that.

Those photos will be added to your frame, and any new photos added to albums later will be included automatically.

Aura frames are collaborative too, in that you can invite family and friends to add their own photos to a frame, from anywhere in the world through the cloud. There are plenty more ways to add images besides the Aura app and now Google Photos, including iCloud, email, web and even by text message.

I've enjoyed personalizing an Aura frame as a gift before; photos can be pre-loaded to a frame, and that now goes for the new Google Photos integration too.

Photos shared, the proper way

I regularly find myself huddled around a phone with my wife and children when curated memories pop up from our Google Photos albums. We've got years worth of memories stored in a Google Photos account, with new photos added automatically.

As much as I love the spontaneity of our family slideshows around the small screen of a phone, there's something that little bit more special seeing those photos in a slick wall-mounted frame or one on a sideboard.

This Aura update, therefore, massively improves my experience with Aura frames, especially for displaying family memories. Most Aura frames also play video with sound, but not the Ink frame, which has the most authentic print-like quality, but is photo-only.

If you're totally new to digital photo frames, I've included links to the best deals for my favortire Aura frames below, and for more buying advice, check out my digital photo frames guide.

• The process makes espresso-strength coffee in under three minutes
• It brews at room temperature via ultrasonic waves
• The process reduces energy use by up to 75%

Scientists have come up with a way of making coffee at room temperature, and it's much faster than any cold brew: where that takes 12 to 24 hours, this new method makes espresso in less than three minutes. The secret? Ultrasound.

As Francisco Trujillo, senior lecturer at the School of Chemical Engineering in Sydney, explains, "As someone from Colombia, I like to think coffee is in my blood — and I'm proud to come from a country known for producing some of the best coffee beans in the world. So perhaps that's why I have spent a lot of time in my laboratory with my team asking a simple question: does espresso really need hot water?"

The answer, it seems, might be no. According to Trujillo, the ultrasonic espresso has "the same richness, the same boldness," and a quarter of the energy usage. In taste tests 100 coffee drinkers couldn't tell the difference between traditional and ultrasonic espresso, and in some cases they preferred the latter.

How does an ultrasonic coffee machine work?

Instead of heat, Trujillo's coffee machine uses ultrasound: sound waves at a frequency much higher than our ears can hear. By placing a transducer against the side of a traditional espresso basket and vibrating it at high frequency, the vibrations create a phenomenon called acoustic cavitation where little bubbles form and collapse in the water.

As Trujillo explains, "When these bubbles collapse near coffee particles, they produce microscopic jets and forces that act a little like scrubbing brushes. They pit and fracture the surface of the coffee grounds, helping flavor compounds, oils and caffeine move into the water much faster than they normally would at room temperature."

It's not quite a simple as giving your coffee a good shake. The team found that the brewing ratio was crucial, with too much water making too weak an espresso and too little making espresso extraction difficult. The size of the coffee grind also made a difference.

For now this is just an experiment, but Trujillo can see multiple applications for the technology: in coffee machines at home and in small coffee shops to save energy, but also in ready to drink coffee priducts. "A concentrated room-temperature coffee could be used directly in bottled drinks, milk-based beverages or cold coffee products. It can also be shipped as a concentrate and diluted later."

I don't think the best bean-to-cup coffee makers have anything to worry about just yet, and in all honesty I'd rather stick with my thermoblock coffee machine because three minutes to make a coffee is about two minutes too long for me first thing in the morning. But it's fascinating and could mean a whole new generation of to-go drinks in the not too distant future.

If you're not a wash-and-go type of person, you need a travel hair dryer — and if you pick the right one, you might never go back to your full-size one. I recently switched my mini travel styler for the light and breezy T3 Afar, and I was so impressed, I've realised it's all I need — and you might too.

My first travel hairdryer (a little Remington model) was very simple — it had one speed and one temperature, but it folded down small enough to stick in a bag with relative ease, and it was a big improvement on the offerings in most hotels.

Hotel dryers usually fall into two categories: either they blast you with a jet of desert air, or they’re so underpowered that they only wheeze warmly in your general direction. You’ll usually find the holiday hairdryer in a drawer, nestled in a drawstring bag, but if you’re unlucky, then the dryer might be tethered to the wall using a coiled cable like an old phone handset. Want to style your hair over by the window, in the natural light? Not a chance.

Even a basic travel dryer will make your life easier and your hair happier, and today's portables are a far cry from my fold-away Remington. Now you can expect adjustable heat and speed to protect your scalp, and ionic technology for smoother results (the only thing flying away should be you).

Opting for a travel dryer doesn’t mean simplifying your styling, either. The T3 Afar is available with an optional diffuser for drying curls, and the Dyson Supersonic Travel (which launched just a few weeks ago) is compatible with all regular Supersonic and Supersonic Nural attachments, including the wide-toothed comb and concentrator nozzles.

The best travel dryers also offer universal voltage, so the appliance automatically adapts wherever you go. You might need to pop a small plug converter into the dryer's carry case, but that’s all.

All of this comes in an appliance that’s small, lightweight, and tough enough to survive being thrown around in a suitcase. They’re so good, in fact, that after trying the T3 Afar, I realized that I simply didn't need anything else.

A travel hair dryer has advantages at home, too — particularly if you live in a small apartment where storage is scarce. Having only a travel dryer means I can stash it in my nightstand rather than leaving it out, and the Afar has a handy cable tidy to keep everything neat, too. No more tangled cables for a hungry robot vacuum to try to swallow.

Finally, if you're still not convinced, travel dryers are usually less expensive than their full-size counterparts, too. The Dyson Supersonic Travel is $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$449, while the standard Dyson Supersonic Origin is $419.99 / £279.99 / AU$599. The T3 Afar is $199.99 / £159.99 (about AU$280), while the bigger T3 Airluxe is $224.99 / £199.99 (about AU$320).

Next time you're looking to replace your hairdryer, you should seriously consider making it a portable one. Your hair and wallet will be happier for it.

Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen): two-minute review

A video doorbell is a parcel monitor, a deterrent, and a low-key surveillance node pointed at your own front step, and Ring has spent the better part of a decade making that proposition feel normal.

The second-generation Battery Doorbell Plus is the company sharpening its best idea: taking the head-to-toe doorbell and giving it the resolution it always deserved.

Where ordinary doorbells frame a visitor's torso and chin and little else, the Plus shows a tall, square 1:1 field of view — 140 degrees in both directions — that takes in the person, the doorstep and whatever's been left on it.

This generation shoots in 2K Retinal resolution (1920 x 1920) with HDR, so you can identify a courier, read a label and confirm whether the parcel is on your step or your neighbour's — and a 6x Enhanced Zoom lets you pinch in without the image collapsing. It's the spec that separates a useful doorbell from a novelty, and the upgrade that justifies picking the Plus over Ring's cheaper Battery Doorbell.

Night performance has been rethought, too. Rather than dropping straight to grey mush after dark, the Plus uses true-color low-light sight to hold onto colour in dim conditions, only switching to adaptive black-and-white night vision once it's dark.

Two-way talk with noise cancellation does the doorstep-conversation job cleanly. The other quality-of-life change is the Quick Release Battery Pack: instead of unmounting the whole unit to charge, you pop out the battery, recharge it and slot it back.

Installation takes under 30 minutes, connecting to Wi-Fi through the app and mounting with the supplied tools, then lining it up so the head-to-toe view actually reaches the floor. No hub required. If there's a grumble, it's a small one: in 2026, a $179.99 / £149.99 / AU$249 doorbell still charges over Micro-USB rather than USB-C, so you'll be hunting for the right cable.

On the upside, it runs dual-band Wi-Fi 6, so a 2K stream holds up better than Ring's older 2.4GHz-only doorbells, with Ring recommending a 10Mbps upload to keep it smooth.

Then there's the Ring tax, in two senses. Financially, person alerts, package alerts and saved recordings all live behind a Ring subscription; without one, the doorbell is reduced to real-time alerts and live view, which rather undersells a 2K camera.

Philosophically, buying Ring means accepting its history of police-data partnerships and the broader unease about Amazon-owned cameras pointed at public pavements. None of that is new, and none of it stops the hardware being good, but a review that ignored it wouldn't be doing its job.

Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen): price & availability

• List price: $179.99 / £149.99 / AU$249
• Announced March 2026
• Available in the UK, US, and Australia

Sitting in the upper-middle of Ring's range of video doorbells, the Plus costs more than the $99.99 / £79.99 / $149 standard Battery Doorbell and less than the $249.99 / £219.99 / AU$399 Battery Doorbell Pro, which steps up to Retinal 4K and 3D motion detection.

With a list price of $179.99 / £149.99 / AU$249, the Battery Video Doorbell Plus isn't an impulse buy, but Ring discounts aggressively and its doorbells routinely sell well under list, so few people pay full price for long.

You should also factor the subscription into the lifetime cost. Plans start affordably for a single device and climb for multi-device households. Although the doorbell functions without a subscription, the experience is hollow: you'll be notified that something happened without being able to review what. Treat the subscription as part of the purchase, not an optional extra, and the value equation looks honest.

• Value score: 4/5

Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen): subscription plans

Features such as instant notifications, Live View and Two-Way Talk are available out of the box and for free on all Ring devices. A Ring subscription (branded Ring Protect) allows you to review, save and share your videos.

With a Ring subscription, starting from $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$4.95 per month per device, you can store unlimited Ring footage in the cloud for up to 180 days, to rewatch, download to your own device or share with friends and family. Person and package alerts also require a subscription.

You get a 30-day trial subscription when you first set up your Ring device. Video storage defaults to 30 days, with the option to extend it to up to 180 days.

Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen): specs

Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen): design

• Well-built
• Quick-release battery
• Hub-free wireless install

I’ve never been the biggest fan of Ring’s bulky designs, but the second-gen Plus is a bit more suitably restrained: a slim, rounded slab that won't embarrass a period porch or a new-build alike.

Build quality is reassuring, and the button has a satisfying press, though for UK and Australian customers it only comes in a single Nickel Silver finish, so there's no matching it to your door furniture the way some rivals allow.

The most practical design feature is the Quick Release Battery Pack. On older Ring doorbells, recharging meant unscrewing and removing the whole device — exactly the sort of faff that leads to a flat battery and a fortnight of excuses. Here you release the battery alone, charge it and reinsert it, with the doorbell staying put.

Buy a spare — the standard pack or the new Quick Release Ultra Battery Pack — and downtime drops to seconds. If a permanent supply suits you better, it hardwires to existing doorbell wiring for continuous trickle charging.

Setup follows Ring's well-worn path through the app, and crucially needs no separate hub or bridge. The only thing to get right is the angle: head-to-toe view only delivers its full benefit if you mount the doorbell so the frame reaches the doorstep, so it's worth spending a minute on placement rather than slapping it up at eye level out of habit.

• Design score: 4/5

Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen): performance

• 2K Retinal head-to-toe view
• True-colour low-light
• Subscription gates smartest features

Fitted to a typical front door, the Plus does the important things well, and the move to 2K makes the difference obvious. The higher resolution and tall, square frame capture a visitor from hairline to doormat, so you see the face and the parcel in one shot.

The 6x Enhanced Zoom lets you crop in on a label or a face without the picture completely falling apart. Motion alerts arrived promptly during testing, live view loaded quickly, and two-way talk was clear enough to hold a proper exchange with a courier rather than barking over each other.

It might split opinion, but Ring uses AI-powered features to identify and announce who is at your door. Instead of generic motion alerts, I received AI prompts such as “A person is walking in the room with a vacuum cleaner”. I loved it, my cleaner hated it, and well, I guess that’s the point.

After dark, true-color low-light sight holds onto color under external lighting, so a late-night clip is worth reviewing; only in near-total darkness does it fall back to adaptive black-and-white.

It’s worth noting that I tested this sample on an internal front door, but one with intermittent infrared communal lighting at night, so the low-light functionality became incredibly useful when the lights cut out. Being battery-powered and available with Ring’s additional adhesive stick-on mounting kit makes it suitable for rental properties, too.

Connectivity is more of a quiet improvement: dual-band Wi-Fi 6 gives the 2K stream more headroom than Ring's older 2.4GHz-only doorbells, with Ring recommending a 10Mbps upload speed to keep things smooth.

The performance ceiling, though, is set by the subscription. Person and package alerts — the difference between 'motion detected' and 'a parcel has arrived' — require a Ring plan, as does the ability to go back and watch what you missed, with recordings held up to 180 days.

Without a plan, the doorbell still rings and still streams live, but it stops short of the intelligence its hardware is clearly capable of. As a generational upgrade, it's a real one: 2K Retinal, HDR, sharper zoom and better low-light all land, so first-gen Plus owners have a genuine reason to look, even if a working 1536p unit is still perfectly serviceable.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen)

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen): also consider

If you're not sure whether the new Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus is the right option for you, here are two other doorbells to think about.

How I tested the Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen)

• Tested at a domestic front door
• Assessed video, head-to-toe framing, zoom, night vision and audio
• Trialled the subscription experience

I used the doorbell outside to assess image quality, but mainly mounted the doorbell on an internal front door and used it as my main entry camera, paying particular attention to whether the head-to-toe view and the new 2K sensor delivered on the promise of capturing parcels and people together.

I checked live-view responsiveness, pushed the 6x zoom on faces and labels, held two-way conversations with visitors, and reviewed low-light and night clips after dark.

I've reported on Ring's privacy considerations because they're a material part of the buying decision, not a footnote.

For more details, see how we test, rate, and review products at TechRadar.

First reviewed June 2026

Fitting a video doorbell is an excellent way to boost your home security, but if you rent your home or live in an apartment, they're just not possible. That's where the catchily-named EZVIZ EP4 Wire-Free Peephole Door Viewer comes in. This little 4K camera fits in your front door's spyhole, and provides you with all the best features of a video doorbell without any drilling or damage.

Installing the EP4 is incredibly easy, and I managed to complete the whole process in around 10 minutes thanks to EZVIZ's handy video guide (the video shows an earlier model, the CP4, but the process is identical). The most time-consuming part was waiting for the EZVIZ app to download on my phone.

The peephole camera comes in two parts: the camera that fits on the outside of your door, and a 5.5-inch color screen that sits on the inside. There's also a set of six screws (don't worry, there's no drilling involved), a charging cable, and two small plastic plates that keep the camera's connector and charging port covered.

To get started, unscrew the peephole from your front door and put it somewhere safe. You might need to use a pair of pliers to get this started, but it seems mine was never installed very well to begin with, and it came away effortlessly.

Now measure the thickness of the door and select the right pair of screws (my door is relatively thin and required the shortest ones), screw them a little way into the back of the camera, and push them through the peephole, along with the data cable. You can wrap them in a rolled-up piece of paper to make this easier, but I found I didn't need to.

Take the mounting plate off the screen, slide it onto the screws, and tighten them up (making sure that the screen is level before turning them all the way). Then just push the data cable into the screen and cover it with a plastic plate, slide the screen into position, and press the power button for three seconds.

Select your language when prompted, pick your Wi-Fi network, and enter the password when prompted. Then just install the app, create an account, and scan the QR code that appears on the camera's screen to initiate pairing. This only takes a moment, and once it's connected, the camera is ready to use.

EZVIZ provides you with a seven-day free trial of its cloud storage service, which you can extend to 30 days by entering your payment details, but you can skip the fees by installing a microSD card (up to 512GB) instead. The app makes it easy to pick which type of storage you want to use.

From the app you can see a live video feed from your camera, capture a still image, or start recording. The EP3 records in 10-second clips, which is ample time to identify the person at your door and see what they're up to.

The EP3 can also start recording automatically when it detects a person (sending an alert to your phone as well, if you like), and can identify specific individuals using a feature called 'Familiar Faces', which is currently in beta. Upload a picture of someone you know, and the camera will use on-board AI to alert you when they're at the door.

It's an interesting idea, and great if you often have friends over, but at the moment it only seems to be possible to switch alerts on when a Familiar Face is recognized. You can't ask the camera to ignore certain people, so if you've added yourself, you'll get alerts telling you that you're at the door. Hopefully that's something EZVIZ is working on.

The EP4 also offers two-way talk, so you can use the mobile app speak with the person at the door — using your own voice, or a voice-changer if you want to stay anonymous. I noticed a delay of about five seconds on two-way-talk, which is better than some of the best video doorbells we've tested on TechRadar over the years.

I'll share a full review soon, but so far I'm very impressed by what I've seen of the EP4. It was incredibly easy to fit, and is an excellent option if you can't alter your door. Once EZVIZ has refined the facial recognition feature, I think it'll be onto a real winner.

Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Lite: two-minute review

Smart locks in Britain have always been the awkward cousin of the smart home. American buyers get deadbolts and endless choice; we get multipoint mechanisms, lift-to-lock handles and a nagging sense that retrofitting anything to the front door will either void the insurance or fall off.

Yale's answer with the Linus L2 Lite is to keep things small, cheap and reversible — and, crucially, to build in Matter over Thread so the lock works with whatever smart home system you already rock.

The L2 Lite is a compact, round-knob unit that mounts on the inside of your door over the existing thumb-turn. Your key still works from the outside, which matters both for emergencies and for landlords.

Inside the Yale Home app, you get the modern smart-lock toolkit: digital keys and PIN codes you can share and revoke, an activity feed of who came and went, Auto-Unlock that opens the door as you approach with your phone in your pocket, and KeySense — a button on the knob for a quick press-to-lock or a long-press delayed lock as you leave.

Because it supports Matter over Thread alongside Bluetooth 5.4, the L2 Lite joins Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa or Samsung SmartThings locally and responds fast, no Yale-specific bridge required — provided you already own a device that acts as a Thread border router, such as a recent Apple HomePod or Amazon Echo.

If you don't live in a Matter ecosystem and still want to lock the door from the pub, you'll need Yale's optional ConnectX Wi-Fi Bridge, sold separately. There's no Wi-Fi baked in, unlike the pricier Linus L2.

Living with it, the L2 Lite is reassuringly unremarkable in the best way. Installation took 15 minutes, it disappears against the door, and KeySense quickly becomes muscle memory.

It runs on three CR123A batteries — not the sort of cell you keep in a kitchen drawer. There's no USB-C top-up, and it lacks DoorSense, so it knows whether it's locked but not whether the door is actually shut.

There's no Apple Home Key tap-to-enter either, which makes sense for an interior-only design but will disappoint iPhone devotees.

Get past the spec-sheet gaps, and the bigger question is door compatibility, because this is where UK smart locks live or die, and the L2 Lite is fussier than its friendly styling suggests.

Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Lite: price & availability

• List price £129.98 (about $170 / AU$250) compared to £220 (about $290 / AU$420) for the regular Linus L2
• Launched December 2025
• Available in black or silver

With a list price of £129.98 (about $170 / AU$250), the Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Lite undercuts the standard Linus L2 by a meaningful margin while keeping most of the day-to-day features. That makes it one of the cheapest routes to a Matter-over-Thread smart lock in the UK, though at the time of writing it's not available worldwide.

Pleasingly, there are no subscription fees to concern yourself with, but there are some other cost caveats.

CR123A batteries are included, and Yale rates them for up to six months, but replacing them is more expensive and less convenient than AAs. Second, if you're not in a Matter household, the ConnectX Wi-Fi Bridge is effectively mandatory for remote control, setting you back another £70.

Reassuringly, pairing the lock with a Yale Platinum Three Star cylinder brings a £3,000 Total Trust Guarantee if it's ever breached. That compares to £5,000 offered by smart lock rival Ultion Nuki. Its base model, the Ultion Nuki Go, costs £239 with Wi-Fi built in.

• Value score: 4/5

Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Lite: specs

Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Lite: design and installation

• Compact design
• Reversible install
• Door compatibility tricky

For something doing a serious security job, the L2 Lite is endearingly low-key. It's a small round knob in black or silver that sits on the inside of the door over your existing thumb-turn, and from the outside, there's no sign anything has changed.

The casing is plastic, which sounds cheap but feels solid enough in the hand. Installation lives up to the drill-free promise. In my case, I was carrying over an Ultion cylinder left in the door from a previous smart-lock install, and the supplied two-piece thumb-turn adapter eventually made the swap painless.

Fix the mounting plate around the cylinder, clip the adapter over the thumb-turn, attach the lock and calibrate it in the app. Because nothing is drilled and the cylinder isn't replaced, it comes off just as cleanly if you're renting or wary of committing.

The catch is what counts as a compatible door. The L2 Lite works only with lift-to-lock mechanisms; your cylinder needs to protrude at least 3mm on the inside, and it explicitly won't work with split spindles or auto-engage multipoint locks.

Plenty of UK front doors are lift-to-lock multipoint and will be fine; a meaningful number aren't. Use Yale's online compatibility checker before you buy, and note that if your current cylinder doesn't fit the bill, Yale's Linus Adjustable Cylinder is designed to solve exactly that.

• Design and installation score: 4/5

Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Lite: performance

• Fast operation
• KeySense and Auto-Unlock useful
• Battery and DoorSense omissions niggle

Day to day, the L2 Lite locks and unlocks reliably, on command, without fuss. Paired into a Matter home, it responded quickly to app and voice commands, and Auto-Unlock greeted me at the door as advertised, sensing my approach over Bluetooth.

KeySense, the press-to-operate button on the knob, turns out to be the feature I used most: a quick press to lock behind me, a long press for a delayed lock as I gathered bags and left. One practical wrinkle on lift-to-lock doors: you still need to lift the handle as you leave, or KeySense has nothing to throw the bolts into.

Matter over Thread is always appealing, and it works. Through Apple Home, the lock appeared as a native tile, automations fired, and there was no bridge-dependent lag.

Sharing access is painless — digital keys and PIN codes go out to family or a cleaner and can be revoked from the app, with an activity feed confirming who came and went.

Want a code or fingerprint on the door rather than a phone? It pairs with the additional Yale Smart Keypad 2 or the Yale Dot.

The motor isn't silent, throwing a businesslike whir as it turns the cylinder, though it's no louder than rivals. The omissions are what stop a higher score. The lack of DoorSense means it reports whether it's locked, but has no idea whether the door is actually closed, which undermines the 'Is the house secure?' peace of mind.

The CR123A batteries are a recurring irritation rather than a dealbreaker, and the absence of Apple Home Key means no tap-to-enter with an iPhone or Apple Watch from outside. None of it spoils the core experience; it merely reaffirms this isn’t the flagship.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Lite?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Lite: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 is the right smart lock for your home, here are two others to bear in mind.

How I tested the Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Lite

• Installed on a domestic door
• Tested via Matter, Bluetooth and the Yale Home app
• Assessed installation, daily reliability, KeySense, and Auto-Unlock

I fitted the L2 Lite myself to gauge how true the drill-free claim is, swapping it onto an Ultion cylinder already in the door via the supplied two-piece thumb-turn adapter. I lived with it as a daily lock, locking and unlocking by app, voice and the KeySense button.

I paired it with Matter to test hub-free operation and response times, and used Auto-Unlock on repeated approaches. I shared and revoked digital access, checked the activity feed, and paid particular attention to the consequences of the missing DoorSense and the CR123A battery choice. Battery longevity can't be verified in weeks, so I've reported Yale's six-month figure alongside my shorter-term experience rather than guessing. For more details, see how we test, rate, and review products at TechRadar.

First reviewed June 2026

KitchenAid KF4: two-minute review

The KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF4 is a new addition to the company’s lineup, and though it looks very similar to earlier models like the KF3 and KF6, it’s considerably smaller and a great choice for compact kitchens. It also offers particularly good noise shielding, and during my tests it proved quieter than its siblings when grinding and brewing.

It has the same Intelligrind system as KitchenAid’s larger machines, making it easy to achieve the correct dosage for your chosen coffee. With just a few manual tweaks of the grinder (which can be adjusted via a dial), you’ll soon be enjoying consistently delicious, well-extracted espresso.

The KF4’s automatic milk system lets you use that espresso in delicious lattes and cappuccinos, and while it’s optimized for dairy, it worked perfectly well with barista-style oat milk as well, producing foam that was almost as thick and creamy, and just the right temperature.

It’s a shame, then, that the KF4’s ‘iced’ espresso and coffee options didn’t deliver the results I’d hoped. Many espresso machines offer cold extraction, which takes longer to brew but delivers a drink with a mellow flavor that’s easily turned into an iced latte or enjoyed on its own. The KF4 brews its ‘iced’ drinks at a lower temperature than usual, but the resulting coffee is still hot enough to melt ice within a minute or two, leaving you with a drink that’s diluted and lukewarm.

Otherwise, this is an excellent mid-range automatic espresso machine that’s solidly made, easy to use, and simple to keep clean. Its components aren’t dishwasher-safe, but its excellent set of maintenance programs means keeping everything hygienic (including the milk system) is a piece of cake.

KitchenAid KF4: specifications

KitchenAid KF4: price and availability

• Launched April 2026
• Available in US and UK
• List price $1,299.99 / £899 (about AU$1,850)

The KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF4 launched in April 2026 with a list price of $1,299.99 / £899, putting it in the middle of KitchenAid’s range of automatic coffee makers. That’s about AU$1,850, but the KF4 isn’t yet available in Australia.

If you like the look of the KF4 but your budget won’t quite stretch that far, take a look at the KitchenAid KF3. It's very similar to the KF4 but has a slightly smaller range of drinks and no milk carafe. Instead, you place the end of the milk tube in a glass or cup, which is a less elegant solution, but one that cuts the price to $999.99 / £749 (about AU$1,420).

For comparison, KitchenAid’s top-end fully automatic espresso machine, the KF8, is priced at $1,999.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,599, while the lower-specced KF2 is $799.99 / £699 (about AU$1,140).

• Value score: 4/5

KitchenAid KF4: design

• Smaller than previous KitchenAid automatic espresso machines
• Milk system is easy to use and clean
• No components are dishwasher-safe

The KF4 looks very much like KitchenAid’s previous automatic coffee makers, but with one significant difference: it’s much more compact. The KF6 measures 10.2 x 14.3 x 18.6 inches / 260 x 363 x 473mm, while the new KF4 is 7.68 x 6.3 x 18.7 inches / 195 x 160 x 475mm (H x W x D). This allows it to slide into a much narrower space, making it a great option for bijou kitchens.

Otherwise, the KF4 follows the same design language as other KitchenAid machines with its boxy shape and rounded corners, and a choice of porcelain white or matt black finishes. However, the company has made a few thoughtful tweaks here. The brushed stainless steel at the top of earlier models has been replaced with plastic, for example, and the metal around the edge of the drip tray has a satin finish. The overall look is sleeker and more modern, and the area surrounding the display is no longer susceptible to gathering unsightly fingerprints.

The 3.5 inch / 8.8cm color touchscreen is supplemented by six buttons: four that provide quick access to the menu, profiles, rinsing cycles, and machine settings; one that initiates brewing; and one that cancels the current drink. The screen has a noticeably lower resolution than other espresso machines I’ve tested recently, such as the Philips Café Aromis, but it’s clear and responsive.

The bean hopper is generously sized, and unlike many other brands, KitchenAid’s designers have opted for an opaque lid with a silicone seal. This means you can’t check how many beans are left at a glance, but ensures that your coffee isn’t exposed to unnecessary light and air, thereby keeping it fresh longer. The lid is fully removable rather than hinged, which makes the hopper easier to access if you keep your coffee maker underneath a wall cabinet, and it has a chute for a scoop of pre-ground coffee if you want to mix things up. A suitably-sized scoop is provided with the machine.

The drip tray is deep, helping prevent spills, and has a large spout at the back for easy emptying. Used coffee grounds drop into a removable bin in the center, and during testing I was pleased to see that this was a very tidy process. Some espresso machines manage to spread wet grounds all over the drip tray and the interior of the case, but not the KF4.

The water tank is large too, and feels very sturdy. It has a hinged lid and a recessed handle, making it easy to remove, carry, and slide back into place without spilling. The KF4 is also supplied with a water-testing strip and water filter. The tank is quite narrow, so reaching inside to fit the filter can be tricky, but this doesn’t need to be done too often.

The KF4’s milk system is the same as that of the KF8, with a lidded carafe that connects to the machine via a silicone tube. Lift a small cover on the side of the KF4’s coffee dispenser to reveal a socket, push one end of the hose into place, then attach the other to the carafe. It’s not as neat as the Philips LatteGo system, where the milk carafes are made from three simple pieces of hard plastic, but the KF4’s rinsing and cleaning programs help keep everything hygienic. The milk carafe can be stored in the fridge between uses, but none of the removable parts — including the milk system, drip tray, and grounds container — are dishwasher-safe.

The height of the dispenser can be adjusted to accommodate different-sized cups, with a good range of movement that suits everything from an espresso cup to a 350ml coffee mug. The movement isn’t as smooth as with the latest machines from Philips and De’Longhi, which is a shame, but that's a minor quibble.

• Design score: 4.5/5

KitchenAid KF4: performance

• Consistently well-extracted espresso
• Good milk foaming, despite lack of dedicated plant milk mode
• Four user profiles, which can store four custom drinks each
• ‘Iced’ drinks are brewed at a lower temperature, but are still hot

Most importantly, the KitchenAid KF4 brews an excellent espresso. Its Intelligrind system selects the best dose for your coffee beans, and it’s easy to tweak the grind size for the optimum extraction. It produced very consistent results during my tests, and once I’d dialled in the best grind size for each type of coffee, I could be confident that it would always taste great.

Milk-foaming is great as well. Although there’s no option specifically for foaming plant milk, as there is with the KF8, I found it performed perfectly well using barista-style oat milk. I got the thickest, silkiest foam when using full-fat dairy milk, but plant and semi-skimmed milk were both fine as alternatives. However, it’s worth knowing that, unlike some other coffee makers I’ve tested recently (including the De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic and Philips Café Aromis), the KitchenAid KF4 can only produce hot milk foam, so iced lattes and cappuccinos are off the menu.

There are four user profiles, which will be plenty for most households. The downside is that each profile can only store four custom drinks. I found that the default volumes of espresso and milk were quite small, so I would have preferred to be able to create a lot more bespoke presets for quick access.

I was disappointed with the KF4’s two iced drink options (iced coffee and iced espresso). Many modern coffee makers — from the budget-friendly De’Longhi Dedica Duo through to the prosumer Jura J10 — offer cold-extracted espresso. This uses ambient temperature water direct from the tank and produces a drink with a more mellow flavor than hot espresso, which is ideal for iced drinks with or without milk.

The KF4, on the other hand, takes the same approach as the Philips LatteGo 5500 Series by asking you to add a handful of ice to your cup and then pouring a shot of hot espresso over the top. KitchenAid says that the ‘iced’ espresso and coffee are brewed at a lower temperature than usual, but during my tests they were still hot enough to quickly melt the ice in my cup, leaving me with a diluted, lukewarm drink. I’ve come to expect better results from KitchenAid’s machines, and it was disappointing.

These two ‘iced’ options occupy two spots in the KF4’s menu that could be used for other drinks. The KF4 doesn’t have a preset for brewing a cortado, for example, which is a shame since it’s a favorite of mine.

There’s better news when it comes to noise shielding. KitchenAid’s fully automatic coffee makers are some of the quietest on the market, and the KF4 is no exception. In fact, it’s one of the quietest machines I’ve ever used, averaging 72dB while grinding and 60dB while brewing.

Maintenance is refreshingly simple and thorough as well, with a choice of quick and deep cleaning options. The machine rinses itself upon startup and shutdown, prompts you to empty the drip tray and grounds container regularly, and asks you to rinse the milk system after each use. When it’s time for a more intensive clean, open the settings menu, and you’ll find options for washing the milk system and brewing unit with special cleaners. The KF4 is supplied with cleaning tablets for the brew unit, though you’ll need to buy descaler and milk system cleaner separately. There’s also an option for evaporating all the water in the machine, which is a brilliant feature I wish all automatic coffee machines had. It makes it easy to keep everything hygienically dry, and is particularly helpful if you’re going to be storing or shipping it.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the KitchenAid KF4?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

KitchenAid KF4: also consider

If you're not sure whether the KitchenAid KF8 is the right espresso machine for you, here are two other options to keep in mind.

KitchenAid KF4: how I tested

I used the KitchenAid KF4 for two weeks, in place of my usual espresso machine. I used it to prepare a wide range of drinks with and without milk, using two different types of coffee to see how the machine would adapt, and how easy it was to dial in the grinder. I tested the milk system with barista-style oat milk, and both semi-skimmed and whole dairy milk. I ran the machine's cleaning programs as directed after each use, and used the brew unit cleaning and evaporation cycles at the end of testing.

First reviewed June 2026

Last month, AeroPress launched a new premium manual coffee grinder with an all-metal construction, titanium-coated burrs, and 60 grind sizes so you can get the perfect extraction whether you make your coffee with an AeroPress or not.

The AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder (which is available from AeroPress in the UK and the US) looks stunning, and after using it for a week to prepare my usual drinks (including espresso and drip coffee), I can say with confidence that its performance matches its style.

Once you remove the grinder from its cushioned box, you'll be struck by just how solid it feels. This is clearly a device that's built to last, and it's beautifully engineered inside and out. The package also includes a soft case to protect it in transit (though it won't scuff easily), and a dual-ended cleaning brush for everyday maintenance.

You'll also find a small metal attachment that you can use to turn the grinder with an electric drill. I've not tried this yet, and it sounds a little extreme, but I can definitely imagine it being useful if you have limited strength or mobility in your hands.

Remove the catch container from the bottom of the grinder, and you'll find a gold-toned dial for adjusting the grind size. Not sure which to use? The manual includes a chart showing the ideal size for different brewing methods (though it comes preset to a medium/fine grade ideal for an AeroPress).

The hopper can hold up to 25g of beans, so you can easily make drip coffee for one or espresso for two, and its wide opening makes loading easy. AeroPress advises against using frozen beans, as these are harder to grind.

The easy-turn handle is magnetically held against the body of the grinder, keeping it secure in transit. When it's time to grind, just lift it off, slot the arm onto the top of the grinder, add your beans, and you're ready to begin.

The large, circular hand-piece makes grinding near-effortless, providing a large surface to spread the pressure as you turn it, and rotating smoothly so you don't need to reposition your grip.

Each time I open the catch after grinding, I'm amazed by the evenness of the grind — easily on a par with much more expensive electric burr grinders. I've used my share of hand-cranked grinders before, and I've never seen results this good before, particularly from a grinder this compact.

When you've finished, use the brush to sweep stray grounds out of the catch and off the burrs. The grinder unscrews so you can access them easily and keep them rolling smoothly for years to come.

Everything packs neatly into the storage bag, but if you're an AeroPress fan, it also fits snugly inside the body of your favorite coffee maker (with the exception of the AeroPress Premium). The resulting package might not be light enough for backpacking, but it's certainly easy enough to carry when car camping, picnicking, or on vacation.

The AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder has a list price of $199 / £199 (about AU$372), though I'm hoping that we might see a discount for Amazon Prime Day in just a few days' time. You'll find all of today's best deals below.

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra: two-minute review

The De’Longhi Eletta Ultra is a fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine. Not only does it offer a range of more than 50 drink presets, it's capable of cold extraction, enabling it to produce cold brew in just a few minutes. And with up to four user profiles, you can save your drink preferences for the morning, lunch or afternoon, ensuring your coffee is tailored to your taste at different times of day.

Not only is its 3.82 x 2.20 inch / 97 x 56mm touchscreen bright and crisp, it’s incredibly easy to navigate, making selecting your coffee a cinch. Thanks to its 1.9 quart / 1.8 liter water tank and 8.82oz / 250g bean hopper you can brew a fair few drinks before needing to top it up. Its design is a little boxy for my tastes but its clean lines and brushed metal finish means it will look relatively unobtrusive in most kitchens.

One of the first things that struck me about the Eletta Ultra is that it has an impressive array of features. First off, it has 52 different drinks presets, which is truly wild: that includes everything from a ristretto through a babyccino to cold extracted coffees like cold brew. It even offers regional specialities I’ve not seen from some of the best bean-to-cup coffee makers like the Portuguese galão or the heart-hammering black eye.

The vast majority of these presets are also customizable, allowing you to tweak things like their length, intensity or even add an extra shot, then save it to one of four personal profiles. Not only that but should you prefer a stronger coffee in the morning or a little bit less intensity in the afternoon the Eletta Ultra lets you save custom preferences to each profile for Morning, Lunchtime and Later in the Day. That’s an impressive level of personalization available.

But how does the De’Longhi Eletta Ultra perform? Well, it’s certainly got a decent engine under that hood. I found its boiler usually warms up in the morning within around 30 seconds, which is faster than a lot of bean-to-cup machines and a fraction of the time many prosumer devices take. And unlike some coffee makers, it doesn’t make an absolute din when in use; using a sound level meter, I clocked it at about 58dB, which is honestly very quiet compared to most of the competition.

Despite how easy the Eletta is to use on paper, it honestly took me quite a while to dial in the right settings — the machine felt a little mercurial at first, flipping straight from underextracting to overextracting as I refined the grind. Eventually though, I hit on the right grind size, intensity and length to start pulling consistent shots and the resulting espresso was certainly satisfying enough, albeit lacking a bit in some of the richness and full body I’d expect from a machine at this price.

I’m not an expert milk frother, I’ll readily admit, so I definitely appreciate how simple the Eletta Ultra makes steaming the white stuff. To whip up milky coffees, all I had to do was hook up the hot or cold carafe to match the drink I was making, set it to Light, Creamy or Thick and the machine did the rest. But while this made whipping up cappuccinos and lattes for my colleagues a snap, the resultant foam wasn’t quite as velvety smooth as from some machines, leaving some larger air bubbles intact.

One of the big draws of the Eletta Ultra for me is that cold extraction functionality. As someone who regularly has to spend an interminable 18 hours waiting for my home-made cold brew to steep, discovering I can make cold brew on demand is like a cat learning how a can opener works. But while the cold brew this machine extracts looks delightful, it’s far too watery for my tastes, lacking the complex fruitiness and natural sweetness I’ve come to expect from a great cold brew.

Fundamentally, if you’re looking for convenience or a cornucopia of different kinds of coffees, the De’Longhi Eletta Ultra is an appealing package. You can dial up your preferred take on a whole host of drinks in seconds and trust that you’ll get a pleasurable beverage out of it. But if you have exacting standards for your coffee, you might find it falls just a few inches short of the wonderfully extracted espresso a machine like the Breville Barista Touch Impress with Cold Extraction (known under the brand name Sage in the UK) can offer.

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review: price & availability

• Launched on February 26, 2026
• Available in the UK but not yet in US or Australia
• List price of £1,149.99 (around $1,550 / AU$2,260)

The De’Longhi Eletta Ultra in the UK on February 26, 2026 — it’s not yet available in either the US or Australia but given other Eletta models are available in those regions, it’s probably safe to assume it will make it there eventually.

Currently you can pick it up for a list price of £1,149.99 (around $1,550 / AU$2,260). As far as bean-to-cup machines go, that’s definitely up the pricier end of the market but it’s not excessive given its feature set. The similarly full-featured Breville Barista Touch Impress with Cold Extraction retails from $1,499.95 / £1,199.95 / AU$1,999, while the fully automatic Siemens EQ900 Plus has a list price of £2,199 (about $2,800 / AU$4,300). So the Eletta Ultra is roughly what I’d expect to pay for a machine of this spec.

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review: specs

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review: design

• 52 drink presets that can be customised across four profiles
• Bright, easy-to-navigate touchscreen display
• Fairly unremarkable looks

The De’Longhi Eletta Ultra is a big machine without necessarily being hulking — at a size of 9.25 x 17.91 x 14.96 inches / 235 x 455 x 380mm, I’d say it appears slap bang in the middle of the best bean-to-cup coffee makers. And it’s similarly average in terms of its capacity: you can fit up to 1.9 quarts / 1.8 liters into the Eletta Ultra’s water tank, meaning you should get a fair few brews out of it before you have to refill it.

Meanwhile, loading its hopper could not be easier — you can squeeze up to 8.82oz / 250g of beans into it just by pouring them into the top of the machine. My only slight reservation here is I generally like to mix and match my beans from day to day and these kinds of integrated hoppers are almost impossible to empty, which stands in sharp contrast to machines with a screw-in hopper like the Breville Oracle Touch. You can at least add a dose of grounds in the chute at the front of the hopper should you fancy a one-off taste of something different.

When it comes to aesthetics, I find the Eletta Ultra clean and sharp, if a bit bland. On the one hand, its 3.82 x 2.20 inch / 97 x 56mm touchscreen display is impressively bright and detailed, making swiping through settings and drinks profiles a breeze, while its metallic finish certainly would fit in well with most kitchens. However, its looks are a little boxy for my taste and I prefer the more traditional barista-style look offered by something like the Breville Oracle Touch or Ninja Luxe Café.

As this is a fully automatic bean-to-cup machine, there’s not really a huge number of additional accessories you need — the huge toolkit of portafilters, tamps and brushes that manual machines ship with doesn’t really apply. However, the Eletta Ultra does come with warm and cold milk-steaming carafes, ensuring your hot drinks stay piping hot and your cold drinks don’t come out lukewarm.

One thing the De’Longhi Eletta Ultra does have in spades, however, is features. It offers an almost overwhelming selection of drinks, with 52 available in total — whether you fancy classics like an espresso or a flat white, regional specialties like milchkaffee or cafe con leche or even cold drinks like cold brew or iced cappuccino, you should find your ideal tipple here. And, as is increasingly common with automatic machines, each of these is fully customizable, allowing you to set your ideal length and intensity and save them to one of four personalized profiles.

But the smart features don’t stop there. De’Longhi’s Bean Sense feature is designed to help you get the best out of your beans; dial in whether you’re using Arabica or a blend, your bean roast level, current grinder level and the Eletta Ultra will pour a test espresso, before tweaking its boiler temperature and suggesting the ideal grind to tailor extraction to your coffee. Additionally, each personalized profile allows you to tweak your settings for three different times of day — you can save different preferences for individual drinks for Morning, Lunchtime and Later in the Day.

I definitely appreciated being able to tailor my coffee this way. My tastes tend bolder for most drinks, so I liked being able to set the intensity and boiler temperature a little higher for my personalised versions, while there’s no version of me throughout the multiverse that would drink a cold brew in any size that isn’t large. While my biggest shift from AM to PM — the fact I switch from caffeine to decaf — isn’t something a machine without dual or interchangeable hoppers can cater to, I can see for a lot of people it would be useful to add extra shots earlier or dial down the intensity later. So all-in-all, I’ve got a lot of praise for the De’Longhi’s feature set.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review: performance

• Heats up fast and runs quiet
• Produces competent but not exceptional coffee
• Super easy to use and clean

Producing your favorite coffees using the De’Longhi Eletta Ultra is an absolute breeze. Punching in your preferences and selecting your brew really only requires a few taps and swipes, which is fantastically convenient when you’re in a hurry. And the range of drinks available is impressive. But I do think some of this breadth comes at the expense of producing core coffees with substantial depth of flavor.

Heating up the Eletta Ultra’s boiler for the first time took around 30 seconds. That’s pretty fast, all told, with many machines of its ilk taking closer to a minute, although some would argue it’s worth allowing these machines a little longer to fully warm their components. De’Longhi has also made a lot of noise (ironically) about how much quieter the Eletta Ultra is than other machines — and it is not wrong. Using a sound level meter, I clocked it at roughly 58dB, which is a fair margin quieter than a lot of machines I’ve tested.

Quick though the machine is to run, it can take a little longer to optimize its output. I’m used to a bit of dialling in when first getting used to the quirks of a coffee machine but I did find the Eletta Ultra more idiosyncratic than even the most eccentric barista.

The first shot I poured was massively underextracted: it had a beige crema and I could see the bottom of the mug, which does not scream ‘rich espresso’ to me. After refining the grind in stages, I managed to get it from Miller Lite flavorlessness to the level of gas station coffee, where it was running a little too fast and still not quite hitting enough pressure to eke out more robust flavors. But when I upped the intensity and dropped the length of the shot to 30ml, it started dribbling out… then stalled entirely. The only way I could get it to extract properly again was slowly increasing the coarseness of the grind until I ended up back where I started.

Weirdly, at this point, the Eletta Ultra began extracting pretty decent coffee. Even with a relatively cheap supermarket brand of beans, it started pouring rich, consistent espresso with that nice buff-color crema I’m used to. Trying it out with some mid-range beans, Pact’s Decaf Casa Loma, the resultant espresso was a pleasant caramel flavor with a velvety mouthfeel. Don’t get me wrong — it’s not quite the powerful punch I’ve come to expect from some manual machines but it’s not bad either.

Milk-based drinks were a similar story. I whipped up a range of drinks for some of my colleagues down at TechRadar’s testing labs, including a cappuccino, a macchiato and a flat white. The process could not be more straightforward: once you’ve selected your drink profile, all you need to do is set the hot or cold milk carafe to either Light, Creamy or Thick and it will pump out frothy milk to order. But the general reception to these drinks was good rather than great — for example, the cappuccino foam landed slightly on the frothy side, with slightly too large bubbles to create a beautifully smooth foam.

As a big cold brew drinker, I was most excited about trying out the Eletta Ultra’s cold extraction presets. And it does produce some absolutely gorgeous-looking cold brew — pumping out a little at a time, it produces a subtle gradient from light to dense toward the bottom of the glass. But when I made my first batch, the ice was fully melted by the time the machine had finished pouring, suggesting it’s more lukewarm brew than truly cold. And I honestly wasn’t wowed by the finished product — I’ll admit that my standards for cold brew are Gordon-Ramsey-esque so it is a high bar to clear but, even on intense mode, it lacked the smooth, fruity potency I’ve come to expect from my cold coffee.

As someone who spends half his time tweaking variables to get the best out of his beans, I could definitely see the allure of the Eletta Ultra’s Bean Sense tech. However, I sometimes found in practice that, far from improving the coffee, the settings it selected marred its flavor. For example, because I was using a relatively dark roast, the Bean Sense process automatically set the boiler temperature to medium and recommended I used a coarser grind — but this just led the coffee to taste weak and underextracted. I’m sure it sometimes offers useful insights but if you have a specific flavor profile in mind, you may find yourself overruling it as much as you do following its guidance.

Keeping the Eletta Ultra clean is a breeze, although a full, internal clean is a slightly more involved process. In regular use, you really only need to remember to empty its purged coffee grounds box each day and it automatically purges its steam wand after every use. For a more thorough clean, its drip tray and milk carafes can be disassembled and washed by hand or in a dishwasher, while the water tank requires cleaning by hand. Deep cleaning requires cleaning tabs but the machine will provide a QR code for ordering them and guide you through the steps on screen.

All told, I think the Eletta Ultra’s approach to coffee is workmanlike, rather than artisanal. It’s able to produce a fantastic array of drinks with very little fuss and it’ll knock you up a well-constructed coffee without an enormous investment on your part. But you’re getting a townhouse, not the Guggenheim, and so you need to set your expectations accordingly.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the De’Longhi Eletta Ultra?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review: also consider

How I tested the De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review

• Tested it over several weeks
• Created and customized a range of drinks
• Tried it out with a range of different beans

I tested the De’Longhi Eletta Ultra over a period of several weeks. After calibrating the machine’s boiler temperature and grind size by extracting multiple shots of espresso, I tested out its capabilities by brewing a wide range of drinks, including espressos, Americanos, lattes, cappuccinos and cold brew. I also tried it with a range of beans, from mass-market supermarket beans to higher-quality microlot coffee.

On top of this, I tested many of its smart features. Not only did I experiment with creating personalized settings for each drink, changing its length, intensity and number of shots, but I also tried out the De’Longhi’s Bean Sense feature to see how it impacted multiple different drinks. Finally, I measured the Eletta Ultra’s noise output when extracting coffee with a sound level meter.

In terms of my own experience, I’ve been a daily coffee drinker for more than 20 years. I’ve experimented with countless different brewing methods during that time, whether that’s manual espresso, a stove-top moka pot, an Aeropress or cold brewed in mason jars. When it comes to testing experience, I’ve been reviewing and writing about tech for over a decade.

• First reviewed: June 2026
• For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

• A Google executive has teased the new Google Home Speaker's imminent arrival
• The new smart home hub could go on sale as soon as next week
• It would be Google's first smart speaker in six years

We've been waiting for Google to announce a new Google Home Speaker since the device was teased at the tech giant's Made by Google event almost a year ago, and now it looks like it could be arriving — and within a matter of days.

In an email sent out yesterday (June 11) to Gemini for Home early access testers, Google thanked participants for their feedback, which it said resulted in over 2,500 bug fixes and a wider launch to 20 countries in 10 different languages. Google has also been consistent with software updates, which also saw the return of the much-loved Continued Conversation feature.

As noted by 9to5Google, Chief Product Officer for Google Home & Nest, Anish Kattukaran, sent out the email to users stating the following:

“I’m writing to you from my living room, surrounded by the same speakers, displays, thermostats and cameras in many of your homes. With over 100 of my own smart home devices connected around me and my family, I am deeply aware of the incredible potential and occasional inconveniences of smart home life”.

Since the early access program launched, it’s garnered a staggering 3.5 million sign-ups from users who’ve wanted to get a taste of what the new Google Home Speaker will have to offer, and Kattukaran is still encouraging users to send feedback.

But he signed off his email with what looks very like confirmation that the new Google Home Speaker will be announced next week.

At the bottom of the email, Kattukaran says “for those of you who have been patiently waiting for a certain speaker… keep a very close eye on your inbox next week,” which I think can only be referring to the launch of a new Google Home Speaker.

I imagine that, like us, you’ve also been keeping your eyes peeled for signs of the new speaker since the company officially announced it in October 2025.

At the time, Google teased a "spring 2026" release date, and it could still meet that deadline, technically, as while most people go by the meteorological definition of spring, which is March-May in the northern hemisphere, astronomical spring doesn't end until June 21.

As of now the new Google Home Speaker is prominently displayed at the Google Store, where you can sign up to be notified by email when it goes on sale — and we've had a hint as to when that might be. Best Buy Canada recently slipped up when it listed the device along with a June 25 release date label.

Shortly after, Nest Mini and Nest Audio speakers started mysteriously vanishing from the Google Store and third-party retailers, which suggested a new speaker was on the way.

It’s been six years since Google came out with the Nest Audio and a lot has changed in the realm of the best smart home devices on both the hardware and software fronts, so the bar is set high. But from the feedback from Gemini for Home users and the device features list on the Google Store, there’s a chance that Google could actually hit this one out of the park.

I've been using my Amazon Echo Pop for the best part of two, nearly three years, and it's served as the ideal smart speaker to cover all my basic needs. It's not a complex device, which has its perks, but I feel I've used it to its full extent, and I'm looking for that extra something. Perhaps the new Google Home Speaker will be my sign to finally take the plunge and upgrade.

Automatic coffee makers are a brilliant time-saver, preparing your favorite latte or lungo at the press of a button, and handling all the grinding, brewing, and steaming while you get on with making your breakfast, styling your hair, or just chilling on the sofa for a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, you can easily lose that time later on when the machine needs cleaning.

Handling the whole coffee-making process inside a plastic box seems like a great idea (out of sight, out of mind), but the heat, moisture, and organic matter (i.e., coffee grounds) make the dark, steamy interior of your espresso machine an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and mold.

Got a strong stomach? Here's what an unloved, unwashed brew unit will eventually look like, courtesy of the aptly-named subreddit r/MoldlyInteresting. "Heirloom culture fermented brew," observed one Redditor. "Aged in the dark. Price per cup: $35.00 USD."

It doesn't have to be that way, though. Emptying the drip tray and grounds bin daily and cleaning the machine according to the instructions in the manual are the first and most obvious steps.

However, manufacturers are now starting to add features that will help even further. Ninja just launched a coffee maker with a built-in fan, as you'd find in a PC case, which provides ventilation, and the KitchenAid KF4 has an excellent maintenance option that evaporates all water from the system in a satisfying cloud of steam.

It's a feature I wish all coffee makers had, and it's fantastic if you're planning to put your automatic espresso machine in storage, are moving house, or just want to be sure it's not full of stagnating water for two weeks while you're away on vacation.

After choosing the 'evaporate' option from the KF4's menu, you'll be prompted to remove the water tank (which you can wash and leave to air dry), then attach the hose for the milk system to the side of the coffee dispenser, push the other end into a hole in the drip tray, and place a large container under the dispenser spout. Then, stand back and watch as a surprising amount of water boils away, leaving everything perfectly dry and inhospitable to microorganisms.

I'm currently testing the KF4, and will publish a full review very soon. Stay tuned to see whether it can earn a place in our roundup of the best espresso machines.

• Philips is launching a ceiling light that mimics the look of a real skylight
• It automatically adjusts daylight temperature as the day goes on
• The skylight looks very realistic, but lacks smart home support

Philips is one of our favorite home lighting brands, and it’s launching a new ceiling light that mimics daylight and creates the effect of a skylight — and it looks spectacular.

The Philips Skylight is designed to replicate natural lighting and outdoor environments indoors, using a blend of advanced LED and Philips’ NatureConnect technologies. Signify, Philips’ manufacturer, says the skylight is “inspired by the natural brightness, depth and rhythm of sunlight”.

It’s a great option for windowless rooms if the design of your roof doesn't allow you to fit a skylight, or you want to save yourself the hassle and expense of having one fitted.

Before now, Signify limited the Philips Skylight to professional settings (offices, medical environments, and so on), but now the ceiling light will be available for everyone when it launches later this month in most regions (Signify says the Skylight be available in the US in September).

The Philips Skylight comes in four models: the Philips Skylight Medium, Philips Skylight Large, Philips Skylight VitaUp Medium, and Philips Skylight VitaUp Large, with prices starting at 499.99 euros (about $580 / £430).

Each variant comes with a slim ceiling profile for mounting, a remote control, five preset lighting scenes, and Philips’ Day Rhythm tool which automatically adjusts color temperature and brightness throughout the day. All models have an IP44 rating, meaning the Philips Skylight can be fitted in bathrooms and other humid environments.

The VitaUp models come with an integrated UV-B module built to support the body’s natural vitamin D production indoors. This also includes a handful of safety measures, including automatic shut-off which happens after eight hours.

In images shared by Philips, the Skylight's outdoor light imitation looks surprisingly convincing, and there are obvious benefits for wellbeing. More people are spending more time indoors and out of natural daylight, so devices like this are becoming increasingly sought after.

However, despite its cleverness, the Philips Skylight is not a Hue product. Philips produces some of the best smart lights out there, but its new ceiling light doesn't offer smart connectivity. This means it doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi or work with Matter over Thread, so you can't integrate it into your existing smart home setup, and you’ll have to use the included remote to control it manually.

Given how impressive the Philips Skylight looks, and its price tag, that's a shame. Let's hope Philips adds smart home connectivity to a future version.

• The Nest Mini and Nest Audio smart speakers are unavailable on the Google Store
• Third-party retailers are still listing them, but the options are limited
• It could be Google's way of preparing for the arrival of the new Google Home Speaker

The long-awaited Google Home Speaker is getting closer to a full launch — and another strong clue is that company’s older models are becoming increasingly difficult to buy.

Suddenly, Google's Nest Mini and Nest Audio speakers have been vanishing from online retailers, which was first spotted on Google’s US store. Not only does the listing for both models read "out of stock", but it also says that both devices are "unavailable".

As for Google’s Canada store, it’s the same case, however customers in the UK and Australia can sign up to receive an email notification if it ever comes back into stock.

Outside of the Google store, it’s even more of a challenge to find them in stock. At the moment, availability is sparse, but there are still ways for you to get your hands on one. In the US, Amazon is your best shot at scoring the Nest Mini, while Best Buy is listing the Nest Audio in its clearance sale for $74.99.

If you’re based in the UK, Amazon is the only retailer listing the Nest Mini in stock for £69.99, but stores such as Argos, Currys, and Very no longer list either model. There are also limited options if you’re in Australia, but there are still some kicking about on Amazon.

Will the Nest Mini and Audio be back?

It’s not completely surprising that Google has paused the sales of its smart speakers as it prepares to launch its next-gen device, but whether the Nest Mini or Nest Audio will go back on sale after the Google Home Speaker launches is unknown.

Since Google has spent quite a bit of time rolling out Gemini tools to the Nest Mini and Nest Audio, it wouldn’t make sense to completely stop production and sales for these models, and since Google is notifying UK customers when they'll be available again, it gives us more reason to believe they’ll be back sooner or later.

The Nest Mini and Nest Audio speakers have been Google’s flagship smart hubs for the best part of seven years, and now it seems as though the company is getting ready to embrace the new Google Home Speaker as their successor — but it’s been quite the process.

The new Google Home Speaker first appeared during last year’s Made by Google event, and was officially announced in October 2025 with a launch scheduled for Spring 2026 (or sometime between March and May for those in the southern hemisphere).

While Spring has passed and no such speaker has been released, Best Buy Canada listed the device saying it would be due on June 25. Google still hasn’t confirmed this, but its new smart hub is very much in sight, and it would be great news if this were true.

EOFY sales in Australia aren't just about work-related deals — nothing is stopping you from picking up something for your home or yourself when there are savings to be had.

So if you've been eyeing something from Dyson, you're in luck because the British brand is hosting its own EOFY sale that's slashing up to AU$651 on some of its top-selling products.

You don't have to buy directly from Dyson if you don't want to, though. Other authorised retailers are also discounting Dyson's tech and I've hunting down some of the best prices on a variety of premium vacuums and hair stylers. I'm also keeping an eye on Dyson's purifier fan heaters for good discounts, so watch this space.

I'll be tracking all the best Dyson EOFY deals through June, so you can bookmark this page and check back to see if there have been any price drops or new items discounted — you'll get the most up to date information right here.

Top Dyson retailers

• Dyson: up to AU$651 off select items, including exclusive models
• Adore Beauty: save on Dyson hair styling tools
• Betta Home & Living: discounts on select stick vacuum cleaner
• eBay: the official eBay Dyson store with more savings for Plus members
• JB Hi-Fi: save on select vacuum cleaners
• Myer: vacuums, heaters, fans, purifiers, hair tools – the lot!
• Sephora: discounts on Dyson's hair tools
• The Good Guys: find deals on vacuums, purifiers and hair tools

• Want to save more on Dyson products? Check out the latest Dyson promo codes and coupons.

Best EOFY 2026 Dyson deals

Vacuums

Haircare tools

Fans, heaters and air purifiers

Other Dyson deals

Dyson EOFY 2026 sale: key information

We've been waiting a long, long time for Siri to get the AI glow-up it sorely needed, but at WWDC 2026, it finally happened: Siri AI is real.

That wasn't the only thing Apple announced at its annual developer conference, but it's fair to say that it was the main event, with more than half of the relatively short (only 75 minutes!) show dedicated to it.

Still, there were several other notable reveals both on stage and afterward. Here are the big things we learned.

1. Siri AI is the smarter, AI-powered Apple assistant we've been waiting for

It’s been a long two years, but we're nearly at the end of the winding road leading to Apple’s AI-powered, next-generation Siri — or at least we will be soon.

At WWDC 26, Craig Federighi ushered in Siri AI, an entirely next-generation personal assistant that delivers on what Apple originally set out to do at WWDC 2024, while adding some new tricks and a slightly updated look.

There’s a lot here to unpack — check out our first thoughts on the new Siri AI for more — but whatever you think of it, Siri AI is a big upgrade.

The assistant will now extend out from the Dynamic Island on the iPhone, creating a more integrated experience. Apple has also greatly expanded Siri’s world knowledge and contextual understanding, plus it's also multimodal: it can see what’s on your screen to gain broader context for a given request, and it can use your camera view as a set of eyes to help answer questions or respond to queries in real time.

That’s just scratching the surface. For instance, Siri’s voice has been updated to sound more expressive (see more on that below), and the assistant can now be customized to better suit your preferences.

Safe to say it took a while, but if you’ve already taken the leap and downloaded the Developer Beta, you can join the Siri AI waitlist now.

• READ MORE: Apple just gave 'Siri AI' its biggest upgrade ever — whether iPhone users asked for it or not

2. But Siri AI isn’t coming to the EU… because Apple says it needs to protect your privacy

The 27 EU countries won’t get Siri AI in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 because of the EU’s “extreme interpretation of the DMA [digital markets act]” that means that if it offers Siri AI’s features there that access your personal data (but process it on the device), it must also allow other AI tools on your iPhone to access your data too, but with no restriction on where that data goes (other than the EU’s data laws, of course).

Apple says it tried to create workarounds that balanced the EU’s aim for less lock-in with Apple’s aim of privacy, to no avail: “Apple designed a solution called Trusted System Agent — an intermediary that would allow virtual assistants to safely access the same features and capabilities as Siri AI for devices in the EU… The European Commission said no.”

• READ MORE: iOS 27 and Siri AI compatibility explained — confirmed device requirements for Apple's new software updates

3. You’d better buy a new device if you want the best version of Siri AI

The new Siri AI is going to quietly have two different flavors. The regular version is available on iPhone 15 Pro or later, iPad mini (A17 Pro) or later, iPad models with M1 or later, Mac with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 10 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3.

However, Apple says that its “most powerful on-device model and the features it enables, like expressive voices and more advanced dictation”, are only available on super-new devices. That means iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPad (M4) or later with at least 12GB of memory, a Mac with an M3 or later with at least 12GB of memory, and Apple Vision Pro (M5).

All of this means that a lot of pretty recent and expensive devices are being left behind by Siri AI altogether, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 14 Pro, and the original Apple Watch Ultra. The brand-new MacBook Neo isn’t powerful enough for the best Siri model, either.

4. You can make Siri AI’s voice way less annoying…

…or more annoying, if you want! The point is that it’s now really customizable, in a way that rivals Alexa+ by letting you make your voice assistant your kind of vibe.

You can choose from five basic (and much more natural) voices, and then you can change the pace and expressivity within each of those voices.

Fast and simple expression for efficiency’s sake? No problem. Slower and more expressive because the kids like interacting with it? Go for it. It should help make you want to interact with Siri’s voice more — at least it would, if it were actually coming to Apple’s HomePod smart speakers…

5. Apple's also expanded its AI-powered photo editing chops

If you’re a fan of Clean Up in Apple Photos, you’re going to be pleased to know that Apple’s expanding its AI-powered photo tools… though it’s not a throw-anything-at-the-wall approach, as the design is that these tools respect the original photo.

Firstly, Clean Up will be faster and able to tackle larger removal jobs, and will sit alongside two new features. Extend will let you stretch the borders, and only the borders, of an exciting image. This can help you achieve a rule-of-thirds shot with a portrait or rebalance an image.

More intriguing is Spatial Reframe, which, with a pinch-to-zoom or a twist of your finger on the screen, lets you adjust a shot's perspective. It’s really neat, and the demo looks impressive, as it lets you adjust the camera's position after you’ve taken the shot.

6. All of which means that Apple’s changed its approach to AI and images

Before today’s upgrade to Siri AI and Apple Intelligence, Apple was pushing the line that its approach to AI images was unique. It told us it wanted to preserve the original moment when it came to photos, so it didn’t try to make any AI image generations or image edits look too realistic, and the images you could make with Image Playground looked like AI images, not real ones.

Now, with the new Apple Intelligence features, Apple seems to have abandoned that approach entirely, and with new features such as the Extend, Clean Up, and Spatial Reframing described above, it's letting you make AI enhancements to images that look very real indeed. Image Playground now also features the ability to create realistic images.

So why the switch? Well, maybe that now that Apple has had longer to get user feedback, it has realized that this is what people actually want from AI images, or maybe it’s that until it switched to its new Gemini-powered foundation models for its AI, it really didn’t have the ability to deliver this level of realism. Either way, it's a big change in approach.

7. Siri AI in Vision Pro gives us a glimpse of what Apple AI Glasses could be

One of the most interesting examples of using Siri AI was in Vision Pro, where the user could look at a floating virtual browser window with a shopping site and ask a question about how a product would fit into their life, and the system knew what they were looking at and could give a totally context-aware answer.

It’s thanks to the eye-tracking camera in the Vision Pro, and it’s easy to see this as being the long-term goal for the much-fabled Apple Glasses. Cameras on smart glasses right now see so many things at once; it’s not an elegant system to just ask a question about what you’re facing — you could actually be looking at 20 different things.

Combining cameras on the outside of the glasses with eye detection would mean that your eyes become a way of directing the AI to one specific thing — literally, your focus becomes the software’s focus.

We’re a long way from moving it out of goggles and into glasses, but it’s easy to see that this is the future… maybe.

8. The next macOS is… Golden Gate

Seeing what Apple’s crack marketing team comes up with as a name for the next version of macOS is now something we look forward to annually, and after a bit of a runaround between the team and Craig Federighi — including some excellent visuals— we finally learned that macOS 27 is called macOS 27 Golden Gate.

It will arrive with some changes to Liquid Glass, mainly a slider to adjust the overall transparency level (more on this below). This is good news, especially since on the Mac it could be a bit hit-or-miss in macOS 26.

As with the other platforms, Apple is also taking the opportunity to fine-tune a bunch of macOS features under the hood to make it feel a bit smoother. And as the name hints, there’s a really nice new wallpaper on the horizon. Lastly, Siri AI will be supported here on Macs — or at least those that can support it, of course.

• READ MORE: macOS 27 Golden Gate announced at WWDC 2026 — here's everything you need to know

9. Search on Apple devices is about to get much better

Apple's on-device search is getting a major overhaul for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, with a fully revamped experience in Spotlight, Photos, and Mail that should make it far easier to find what you're looking for.

The key, Apple says, is the 'device index' — essentially Apple's catalog of everything on your device, whether in Photos, Mail, or saved somewhere. This index has been made "more stable, more efficient and more comprehensive of content both old and new," Apple says, and that in turn should mean you get better results when you search — and that you get them more quickly.

It's a quality-of-life improvement rather than a big update, sure, but it's the kind of thing that Apple has traditionally excelled at getting right, so it's no bad thing in our eyes.

10. macOS 27 is the end for Intel Macs

As you might expect, Macs with Intel chips won't support Siri AI — but there's worse news still for owners of those devices: Apple confirmed that macOS Golden Gate is the first version of the software to work only on Apple Silicon.

Yes, it’s the end of an era for sure, with the announcement meaning that the clock is officially ticking down for the many, much-loved Intel Macs out there.

Apple will keep updating previous versions of macOS for a while with core security updates and basic maintenance, and macOS 26 in particular will get quite a few releases along these lines — but this will be it for new features, and we can expect Intel versions of software to stop being supported in many cases, too.

• READ MORE: Apple quietly kills off support for Intel Macs and MacBooks

11. AirPods are finally getting an EQ

It seems incredible that we’ve never been able to tinker with AirPods’ sound profile, given that they’re approaching 10 years old as a product. But a custom AirPods EQ is finally coming as an option in iOS 27.

You’ll be able to use a super-simple interface to adjust the frequencies, with a waveform on the screen, and you can play a song right from that interface as you’re changing things to hear instant results.

• READ MORE: AirPods are finally getting a custom EQ in iOS 27, this is not a drill!

12. Apple admitted it got it wrong on Liquid Glass (sort of)

Apple was very proud of itself when it launched its Liquid Glass design update last year, using superlatives such as "delightful", "elegant," and "beautiful" to describe it. Well, exactly a year later, it seems it wasn't quite so elegant or beautiful after all.

That's because iOS 27 and Apple’s other software updates will introduce a new slider that lets you adjust how transparent the Liquid Glass elements are, from completely clear to fully opaque.

Now, Apple didn’t actually say it had got it wrong the first time round with Liquid Glass; obviously not. Instead, it said that all users are different, and so it was offering the slider so that people could choose what worked best for them. But come on — a fully opaque Liquid Glass is not Liquid Glass. It's, I don't know… solid perspex or something. Still, if it makes iOS easier to use, then we won't complain.

• READ MORE: 7 new iPhone features coming to your phone in iOS 27 — from the new Siri AI to big Liquid Glass upgrades

13. Apple is taking online safety very seriously

Apple took a surprisingly large chunk of time out of its presentation to focus on parental controls, highlighting new tools that allow parents to manage which apps children can access, how long they can spend on different apps, and encouraging app developers to adopt tools it has developed to help keep kids safe online.

It also showcased new tools to protect children from messages from strangers and from explicit content, and Apple placed such importance on the topic that Tim Cook even used his closing remarks to discuss it yet again.

These announcements come in the wake of governments all over the world focusing on legislation designed to protect minors online, with this segment feeling like Apple proving it’s ready to proactively respond to parents' concerns rather than waiting to get pushed by laws.

14. Apple's Password app is about to get better still

Apple might be using its next-generation of Apple Intelligence to power one of the most useful features ever, and it will likely make you switch to the Passwords app if it works as promised.

It’s already a safe haven for all your usernames and passwords, and when the time comes to change the latter, the app easily creates a new one. It will even warn you when it might be time to update, for instance, if your password appears in a data breach.

Now, though, with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, the Passwords app will actually handle the step of changing the password for you on whatever service it’s for. We’ll need to see exactly how this works, but I've been dreaming of this for years.

15. tvOS is getting some small changes

Apple didn’t really mention tvOS in its keynote, but there are some changes coming to the Apple TV 4K. These include a bunch of speed improvements — including when launching apps, using Control Center, and connecting over AirPlay — plus a few smart home upgrades, including Thread 1.4 and on-device processing of HomeKit security camera footage.

There will also be a redesigned Podcasts app, support for Hi-Res Lossless in Apple Music (previously limited to the Lossless tier), and the ability to use AI to auto-generate subtitles for shows that don’t have them, which is one feature we’ve been hoping for for a few years.

Notably lacking from the list? Siri AI. It seems like it would be really useful, enabling you to ask all kinds of questions about movies you’ve seen, where you know an actor from, what kind of show you watch next… but there are rumors that a new Apple TV 4K is coming later this year. Perhaps that will have a beefier processor capable of running the new and smarter assistant.

16. But Home is missing out almost entirely (again)

Apple made a few soft-touch improvements to Apple Home, with grouped event notifications, searchable AI-generated summaries for security camera footage, and improvements to Shortcuts — but that was about it.

Did we get Siri AI for Home? We did not. Were we surprised? We were not. And unless we get new hardware in September, it seems unlikely we'll see any genuinely worthwhile updates to the platform now.

• READ MORE: Siri AI’s new voice customization could have trumped Alexa+, but scant HomeOS updates stall the win for Apple

17. Tim Cook signed off as CEO, but without much screen time

This was Tim Cook's final WWDC as CEO — and presumably his final Apple event, given that John Ternus will have taken over by September. It was therefore a little strange that he spent so little time on screen, with Craig Federighi and a cast of a thousand (just about) Apple employees instead taking us through the updates to Siri and iOS.

Nor did Ternus appear; this is perhaps not surprising, given that he's a hardware guy, but all the same, it felt like Apple missed an opportunity to mark the end of one era and the beginning of the next.

Again, there was plenty of that kind of thing around Apple's 50th birthday earlier this year, and maybe Cook (and Ternus) didn't want to take the focus away from Siri AI. And let's face it, he's always been more content to let Apple's devices and software do the talking, rather than hogging the limelight himself. Either way, it is the end of an era — and one that Ternus will have a tough job to surpass when it comes to success.

Dyson Supersonic Travel: two-minute review

As the name suggests, the Dyson Supersonic Travel is a scaled-down, travel-friendly version of Dyson's now-iconic Supersonic dryer, redesigned to fit in your luggage. It's 32% smaller and 25% lighter than the original, weighing just 0.7lbs / 330g, and it automatically adapts to any voltage between 100 and 240V without any fiddly switches or converters.

It offers the same 110,000rpm motor and intelligent heat control technology as seen on the full-size Nural, measuring air temperature over 100 times a second to avoid extreme heat damage. You get three heat settings and two airflow speeds, controlled via buttons on the cylindrical head and LEDs show you which setting you're on, at a glance.

The Travel ships with a magnetic smoothing nozzle in the box but is also compatible with any and all existing Supersonic Nural attachments, which is a useful detail if you already own the Nural or if you need a range of alternative nozzles.

In testing, drying was noticeably faster than a typical hotel dryer, and faster than some cheaper, regular hair dryers. It took around four minutes on my fine, mid-length, curly hair and the results were smooth. Dyson is upfront that airflow isn't quite as powerful as its full-size range and it is noticeable, but not a dealbreaker for my hair type. I imagine it will soon frustrate anyone with thicker or longer hair, though.

The price is where things get complicated. At $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$449, the Supersonic Travel sits at the very top of the travel dryer market. The ghd Flight+ does the same basic job, albeit it with some more fiddly controls, for $129 / £79. The most like-for-like is the Dreame Pocket Pro and even that only pushes the price to $159.99 / £149.

By almost any normal dryer standards, the Supersonic Travel is a well-designed, well-built and powerful contender in the hunt for the best hair dryers. It more than holds its own and there are very few sacrifices to make. This performance goes a long way towards justifying the higher cost, but even then it's still a tough price pill to swallow unless you're a frequent traveler.

Dyson Supersonic Travel: price & availability

• List price: $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$449
• Availability: US, UK, Australia

The Supersonic Travel sits at the top end of the travel dryer market – and then some. It's almost three times the price of the GHD Flight+ and twice the price of the Dreame Pocket Pro. In fact, it's not too far off the price of the original Supersonic, which still retails for $399.99 / £279.99 (although is often on sale for less).

It is, however, notably cheaper than its siblings and Dyson's flagship models, the $449.99 / £399.99 / AU$749 Supersonic Nural and the Supersonic r that retails for $549.99 / £449.99 / AU$799.

The Supersonic Travel is available from Dyson, as well as Amazon, Boots and Cult Beauty in the UK; Amazon and Best Buy in the US; and JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman in Australia.

The most obvious budget alternative is the ghd Flight+ at £79 / $129 / AU$159 – a foldable travel dryer with dual voltage, albeit without auto-adapting voltage (you need to use a coin to switch modes) and no wider attachment compatibility.

The Dreame Pocket Pro ($159.99 / £149) is a more interesting comparison: it's lighter (at 300g), similarly auto-adapts to global voltage, and comes with a more generous attachments bundle. It's also foldable, whereas the Dyson model isn't.

Neither the GHD or Dreame models match the Dyson for brand heritage or the intelligence of the heat control system, but both are meaningfully cheaper.

• Value for money score: 3 out of 5

Dyson Travel Supersonic specs

Dyson Supersonic Travel: design

• Classic Dyson-style cylindrical head design
• 32% smaller, 25% lighter than Supersonic
• Three heat settings, two airflow speeds, controlled via buttons on head
• Universal voltage auto-adapts from 100–240V
• Reviewed in Ceramic Pink / Rose Gold with styling concentrator

The Supersonic Travel is unmistakably a Dyson device, from the pink and rose gold accents to the same circular head above a narrow handle.

The biggest difference, visually, is in size. The Travel is 32% smaller (2.7 x 2.8 x 8.7in / 6.8 x 7.1 x 22.2cm) and and 25% lighter (0.7lbs / 330g) than the original Supersonic, but doesn't lose any of the essence. I'd be as bold to say it's the best-looking travel dryer I've ever tested.

Despite the size difference, the dryer still feels well-balanced. It doesn't fold in half like the GHD Flight+ or Dreame Pocket Pro, to name two rivals, but the whole design is sleek and compact enough to drop into a handbag or carry-on regardless. The only thing that really gets in the way is the chunky 6.6ft / 2m cord.

There's no travel case in the box, which at this price feels like a miss, particularly when the ghd Flight+ includes one at a fraction of the cost. Even a bag as standard, to protect what is far from a cheap dryer, would suffice but instead you have to pay an additional $39.99 / £45 for the privilege of a travel pouch.

To account for the lack of handle space on the Travel, versus the larger Dyson models, the controls are more concentrated on the head.

On the back of this cylindrical head, the airflow button sits on the left with the temperature button on the right. Each button has a row of LEDs above it – two lights for high speed or heat, one for the gentler settings. These LEDs also flash white if the filter needs cleaning, and red if there's a fault. The power button is then a slider on the back of the handle and this slider is used to control the cool shot.

If you've ever used a Dyson, these split controls will be familiar but they do take a little getting used to compared to other, standard dryers. To enable the cold air, give the slider a nudge upwards from its 'on' position. It isn't clear or obvious that you need to do this, unless you have an Airwrap and are familiar with how Dyson maximizes the use of its switches, and ended up being one of the only features on the Dyson Travel that didn't feel natural. Also the LEDs are great on paper, because you can see which setting is selected at a glance but given that they're on the rear of the head, it's not as intuitive as it sounds either.

The removable filter cage sits at the base of the handle and pulls down onto the cord for cleaning. You can remove the entire filter and wash it with water and this is a small but welcomed touch. It also means the Travel should last longer, which at this price is a blessing.

In the box is a magnetic smoothing nozzle, and thanks to Dyson's heat shield technology, the surface of this nozzle stays cool to the touch even during use. It's not exactly a wide default attachment range, especially at this price and the fact the Dreame Pocket Pro ships with five attachments.

However, you're unlikely to want to take lots of attachments when travelling, and the Supersonic Travel is compatible with the full Supersonic and Supersonic Nural attachment range, which is super useful if you already own either machine, and semi-useful if you can afford to buy any of them separately.

One thing to note, even though the Supersonic Travel automatically adjusts its voltage based on the country you're in, Dyson recommends using an adapter rated to 1,300W across the full voltage range rather than a universal adapter. It's not a dealbreaker but will help preserve the life of the Travel for longer.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson Supersonic Travel: performance

• Dries faster than a hotel dryer; notably quick for a compact machine
• Intelligent heat control measures air temperature 100 times per second
• Noise level: [XdB] in testing

The Supersonic Travel was tested daily over four weeks, including a trip to San Francisco where the universal voltage got its first real workout.

It's not the fastest dryer I've tested, but it was notably, and surprisingly, powerful for such a compact device. Drying time on my fine, mid-length curly hair ran to around 4 minutes on high heat and high airflow – faster than I expected from a machine this size. If you have thick or long hair, expect to be there for longer but even then, I can promise it will be faster than a hotel dryer and with more heat protection.

Speaking of protection, Dyson's intelligent heat control is one of the reasons the results hold up so well. With temperature measured more than 100 times per second, there's no scorching or uneven heat distribution – just consistent, controlled drying. The finish was always smooth with minimal frizz and enough volume to feel close to an at-home result. Over the review period my hair also felt softer.

The styling nozzle helps further with this. It guides the airflow for precise smoothing and shaping and clicks on magnetically. You can rotate it during styling, which is a bonus if you're trying to get different angles in a cramped hotel bathroom, but it never came loose. It's a delicate balance of movement and security that Dyson is great at across the Supersonic range.

One of the more compelling arguments for the Supersonic Travel's price is the attachment compatibility. Any attachment from the Supersonic or Supersonic Nural range clicks straight onto the Travel's magnetic barrel. This means if you already own either machine at home, you can simply pack whichever attachments you need rather than adapting your routine around whatever comes in the box.

I tested the Travel with the Gentle Air attachment alongside the Nural's Styling Concentrator. The Gentle Air attachment diffuses the airflow slightly for a cooler, softer result. This is useful for fine hair that doesn't need aggressive heat, and is particularly good for a second-day refresh, but I found I didn't have much of a need for it given the Travel's already lower, more gentle airflow.

My favorite attachment to use with the Travel (and any Dyson Supersonic model for that matter) is the Flyaway Smoother. It uses Coanda airflow to attract and flatten stray hairs on a finished style, and it works incredibly well. Especially on fine, naturally curly hair; the difference between a finished blow-dry with, and without it is noticeable. My only complaint is that it's a large attachment which doesn't lend itself well for travelling.

Despite these attachments originally being designed for the larger Supersonic models, the magnetic connection felt as secure on the Travel as they do on the Nural; clicking on with the same snap as on the full-size machine, and rotating smoothly during styling without any loosening mid-use.

Plugged in at my hotel in San Francisco with a country adapter, the Supersonic Travel performed exactly as it did at home. There was no perceptible difference in power or overheating. You can often tell when a dryer isn't performing at full strength when abroad by a drop in noise but this also wasn't noticeable with the Dyson Supersonic Travel. Another pleasant surprise.

Speaking of noise, the loudest the Travel got during my tests was 87dB on high speed, and the lowest was 83dB on low speed. The machine is certainly not silent, but it's comparable to – and in many cases quieter than – the sort of dryer you'd find mounted to a hotel room wall. It also carries over the slightly softer-pitched sound found on the wider Dyson range (of vacuums and hairdryers) which is less jarring on the ears than the decibel rating may suggest.

Elsewhere, maintenance is minimal. The filter cage requires periodic cleaning when the LEDs flash white, which involves removing it, washing it under a tap, and leaving it to dry naturally before reinserting. It's a six-step process that Dyson details clearly in the manual and it's not difficult at all.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

How I tested the Dyson Supersonic Travel

I tested the Dyson Supersonic Travel hair dryer over four weeks on my fine, mid-length naturally curly hair.

I used it as my only dryer at home and took it on a trip to San Francisco. Testing included daily use across all heat and speed settings, use with the styling concentrator on wet and damp hair, and real-world travel use with a country adapter in a US hotel room.

I measured noise levels using the DecibelX app and compared drying times against my usual full-size dryer.

• First reviewed May 2026

• There's a mix of hair hacks here covering different hair types, styles, and levels of effort (and skill)
• Most can be done with things you already have at home — very little specialist kit is required
• If you only learn one, make it the super quick ponytail hack
• Heatless styling and smarter drying techniques can make a real difference to curl definition and frizz

TikTok's algorithm is very good at making a 30-second clip look like a hair revelation and my ego repeatedly tells me I can do styles that my clumsy fingers and fine hair say otherwise.

In an attempt to break this cycle and stop myself defaulting to a rushed messy bun each morning, I've spent the past month putting the most viral TikTok hair hacks to the test.

The results were mixed — some have changed my life; others have tested my patience — and below is my shortlist of hacks that cover different hair types, styles, effort and skill.

Most of these also use things you'll likely already have at home too and if I can manage them, I believe anyone can!

The superquick ponytail hack

A low ponytail is probably the first look most people master when they're learning how to style their hair. It's a simple classic but it can err on the side of boring after a while.

If your hair is thin, the low pony can end up looking flat, or if you've got shoulder length hair, you can end up looking like one of the founding fathers...

This hair hack, from Ava Scudillo, has been viewed more than 9.5 million times and takes just minutes.

• Put the top half of your hair loosely in a clip (any clip will do)
• Split the remaining hair in two and pull each side over your shoulders
• Let down the clipped-up hair
• Twist and wrap the two shoulder sections around the back of your head and pull forward again
• Re-clip the top half
• Bring the sections to the back and secure in a hair tie
• Let the clipped up hair fall into place

It suits slightly longer hair, just because you need to be able to keep sections separate but it worked well on my mid-length hair and you don't need skillful fingers. If you can work a clip and a hair tie, you can master this hack! Plus it's meant to look chic and undone, so no precision needed.

The high-volume half-up hair hack

A slightly trickier hair hack than Ava Scudillo's, but this style from influencer Audrey Victoria — once mastered — looks much more professional than the skill level would suggest.

It's also ideal for elevating an everyday half-up hair do or adding volume to a ponytail if you have thin hair.

• Put half your hair up in a tie, and leave half hanging down
• Loosen the tie slightly and create a small gap just above where the ponytail sits
• Pull the base of the ponytail through this gap to create a twist
• Create another smaller half-up ponytail just below the original
• Now pull that second ponytail up through the original gap created with the first

The most fiddly part is the little twist at the base of the first ponytail but anyone who grew up in the '90s will be familiar with this technique and it only takes a couple of practice attempts.

To make this even easier, I recommend practising the twist on a single ponytail first before adding in the second. Just so you can get a sense for how it should feel in your fingers.

Like the quick ponytail hack, the outcome is meant to look undone and borderline messy so it's another forgiving style.

The short hair claw clip hack

Claw clips are one of the easiest hair tools to use and can turn a regular ponytail into a styled up do in seconds.

However, this only really works if you have enough hair to flow and fall down the sides of the clip. If your hair is thin, or short it doesn't have the same effect.

That's why this hair hack from Katy McBride is so genius. It gives the illusion of having much more hair and is almost as quick as the original method.

• Create a half-up, messy ponytail/bun
• Create another ponytail at the bottom of your hair
• Pull the bottom ponytail up and secure in place beneath the messy bun with the claw clip

If you want to make this look even more dramatic, pull bits of hair out of the messy bun or loosen the whole thing to give it more volume.

The hair-behind-your-ears hack

Wearing your hair down is great until the strands get in your eyes or tickle your face.

Tucking it behind your ears is one solution but it either doesn't stay put, or you're left with an ear-shaped kink when it inevitably falls forward again. Securing with bobby pins is another, but being able to see the pins can often ruin the overall vibe.

TikToker Melise Krem has the perfect hair hack that solves this problem.

• Separate two strands at the front of your face, on either side of your parting
• Secure both with tiny hair ties ideally in the same colour as your hair
• Loosen each tie slightly and create a small gap just above where the ponytail sits
• Pull the base of the ponytail through these gaps to create a twist
• Tighten each tail so the tie sits behind your ear
• Bring the rest of your hair forward

The beauty of this hack is that it works for almost all hair lengths, unless you have a pixie cut or similar of course.

A separate hack is to use a flat iron or curling tong to remove the tiny hair ties. Instead of pulling the tie out (and a chunk of your hair with it), put a hot hair tool near the tie and the heat will cause it to snap. You don't need to even touch it in most cases, and you can then just throw the broken tie away.

Easy heatless curls – that are actually easy

I've lost count of how many times I've tried to master the heatless curl trend, which involves wrapping your hair overnight so you wake up with ready-to-go curls.

I've bought various heatless curl kits too, but either I can't get my hair to wrap neatly enough, or it's impossible to sleep with all the clips and twists. Especially because I'm a side sleeper.

Thanks to this TikTok from Alexandra Haraldsson, though, I think I've finally cracked it. All you need is a couple of pairs of clean socks.

• Separate your hair into sections – the number and size will depend on how many curls you want and how many socks you have
• Place the toe part of the sock at your roots and clip into place
• Wrap a section of hair around the sock – the tighter the wrap, the tighter the curls
• Once you reach the end of the sock, turn it inside out so that it sits over the curl you just created. The elasticated top of the sock should keep it in place, or you can secure it further with a bobby pin
• Repeat for the rest of your head and go to sleep
• In the morning, remove the socks and voila!

If you're using cotton socks, your hair may be slightly frizzy when you uncurl it.

I solved this by putting a few drops of hair oil in my hands and running my fingers through each curl. Avoid using a brush as this can make the frizz worse (in my experience.)

If your hair is still slightly damp, use a diffuser or a hair dryer on the lowest speed setting.

The ultimate fake French braid

I don't have the skill, the patience or the type of hair that makes French braids look so effortless and beautiful, but even I can manage this fake French braid hair hack from Logan Rae Hill.

Instead of trying to fiddle with three strands, you start this braid with two at the front of your face and then twist all the way back until you reach the end.

• Separate two strands of hair at the front of your face
• Twist one over the other
• Add more hair to the first strand and twist it over the second
• Add more hair to the second strand and twist it over the first
• Continue until you get to the nape of your neck and run out of extra hair to add to the strands
• At this point, twist each strand once on itself, and then wrap the twisted strand over the other
• Repeat until you reach the end of your hair and secure with a hair tie

This looks (and sounds) much trickier than it is. The key is to make sure the twists at the beginning are tight and as flat as possible, but you can be more carefree and loose as you move backwards.

You can also go back over and loosen each section after the hair is tied, if it's sitting too flat or you want more volume.

The hardest part is trying to keep the strands equal in thickness but even then, that can add to the overall look so it's not something you need to worry about.

Plopping for the ultimate curls

If you have curly or wavy hair, you've likely heard of the term plopping. Even if you haven't actually attempted it.

Rather than rough drying your hair with a towel and potentially knocking out the natural curl, or adding frizz, plopping involves flipping wet hair forward onto a microfiber towel or cotton t-shirt and wrapping it up.

The idea being that the gentler drying reduces frizz while also keeping your curls defined.

As Kiana Davis demonstrates in the TikTok above, it's relatively easy to do too.

• Put your towel or t-shirt on a table
• Lean forward and "plop" your hair on top
• Wrap the base of the t-shirt or towel around your forehead
• Gently gather your hair inside the rest of the towel/t-shirt and loosely wrap it around your head
• Once dry, or damp, remove the towel/t-shirt

It helps to add as much hold into the hair as possible before plopping, in the form of gels or mousses, to maximise the definition, maintain moisture to reduce frizz, and keep the curls in place once you've removed the towel.

You can plop for half an hour, or overnight, depending on your plans and if, when you remove the towel, your curls are still damp you can diffuse with a hair dryer, or leave to air dry.

• Suitable for peepholes from 14mm to 50mm diameter
• Wireless operation and local microSD storage
• UK and Europe: £159 / €249

If you'd like a smart video doorbell but don't have anywhere to put one — or permission from your landlord to make any permanent changes — then the new EP4 door viewer from EZVIZ looks like an excellent alternative. It's a smart video camera that delivers all the key features of the best video doorbells, but instead of screwing it into the door, frame or wall you simply replace the door's existing peephole.

Because it's wireless and doesn't require additional mounting, if you're moving elsewhere in the future you can simply take it out and pop the original peephole back in again.

There's another key benefit here: the EP4 supports local storage. If like me you're trying to avoid signing up for yet another subscription service that's a big plus.

EZVIZ EP4 Wireless Peephole Door Viewer: what it does, what it costs and where to get it

The EZVIZ EP4 comes in two sections: the camera, and the viewing screen. The camera is designed to replace peepholes between 14mm and 50mm in diameter, so it should fit most existing peephole doors, and it has a rechargeable 7,100 mAh battery so you're not going to be recharging it every few weeks. My video doorbell battery is 5,000 mAh and I usually get two-ish months from that in a fairly busy street.

The camera streams 4K video to the portable viewer, which has a 5.5-inch touch screen. There's a live view and a two-way talk mode, AI-powered face recognition, human shape detection and infra-red detection, and you can customize the detection sensitivity so it's not alerting you of irrelevant passers-by. Local storage is via microSD card, with support for cards up to 512GB.

The camera features a wide 155 to 160-degree field of view with automatic distortion correction so your visitors don't look like they're auditioning to be in an emo band's video. There's no night vision here, although that shouldn't be an issue for internal doors in apartment blocks and similar spaces.

EZVIZ sells through Amazon, and the EP4 is available now for an RRP of £159.99 on Amazon UK.

In Europe the RRP is €249 but I'm already seeing it discounted to €189. Pricing and availability for the US and Australia hasn't been announced just yet.

Dreame AirStyle Era: two-minute review

The Dreame AirStyle Era is an eight-in-one multi-styler that works as a dryer and creates smooth, curly, bouncy, or straightened styles from a single device.

On paper, it looks like one for TechRadar's best hair styler roundup, and it's the follow-up to the seven-in-one AirStyle Pro, addressing some of that model's most obvious gaps. Namely, adding a diffuser for the first time, and replacing the Pro's flyaway attachment with a U-shaped straightening nozzle.

The auto-wrap curl barrels remain the headline act. The 360-degree airflow draws hair in automatically and produces bouncy, natural-looking curls without the need to manually wind sections around a barrel.

For fine to medium hair, the results are impressive, and at $349.99 / £349 / AU$699 the Era undercuts the Dyson Airwrap by $250 / £130 / AU$150 while producing comparable curl results as an Airwrap alternative. The smoothing brushes perform well too, and the diffuser is a welcome addition for anyone with naturally curly or wavy hair.

The issues are harder to ignore, though. The maximum temperature of 176F / 80C — unchanged from the AirStyle Pro — will be a limiting factor for anyone with thicker or longer hair. You could rope in one of the best hair dryers for that first stage, but that rather defeats the point of an all-in-one tool. The straightening nozzle is also more fiddly than expected, not to mention time consuming.

None of these are dealbreakers on their own, but together they add up to a tool that falls slightly short of its potential. The Era is still the most complete multi-styler Dreame has produced, and the most attractive multi-styler I've tested, and at this price it's a worthy Airwrap dupe, but it needs to be better than it is in a few key areas to make a truly compelling case.

That's the two-minute version; read on for my full Dreame AirStyle Era review.

Dreame AirStyle Era review: price & availability

• List price: $349.99 / £349 / AU$699
• Available: US, Australia and UK
• Launched: May 2026

The Dreame AirStyle Era costs $349.99 / £349 / AU$699 and is available directly from Dreame and Amazon in the US, Dreame in the UK, and from Dreame Australia as well as from several third-party retailers.

It sits closer in price to the $279.99 Shark FlexStyle in the US (which costs AU$499 in Australia), but is more akin in terms of features and attachments to the $599.99 / AU$849 Dyson Airwrap. It's the follow-up to Dreame's seven-in-one AirStyle Pro, which had a higher list price of $399.99 in the US but was rarely sold at that, while the latter's list price is lower in Australia at AU$599.

(There are also other, cheaper Dyson Airwrap dupes, but few come with the auto-wrap curl barrels of these four stylers.)

In comparison to its predecessor, the AirStyle Era swaps the Flyaway Attachment of the Pro for a U-shaped straightening nozzle and adds a diffuser for the first time, addressing one of the glaring gaps in the original's feature set.

It's also had a meaningful upgrade under the hood — the NTC temperature sensor now checks 1,000 times per second compared to 300 on the AirStyle Pro, which in practice means more consistent heat distribution and less risk of spikes that could cause damage.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Dreame AirStyle Era specs

The UK listing features different specifications than the US page – 28°C/55°C/80°C for temperatures and 50m/s, 57m/s, 65m/s for wind speeds. We tested the US model so use the US figures throughout.

Dreame AirStyle Era review: design

• Pink and bronze colorway with pebbled leather-texture grip
• Eight attachments covering drying, curling, straightening, smoothing and diffusing
• Twist-on mechanism same as the AirStyle Pro but more secure
• Comes with a storage box and bag

The Dreame AirStyle Era follows the same basic design as its predecessor (and all other multi-stylers for that matter) – a tube-shaped dryer onto which you twist different styling heads.

It comes in a single pink colorway, not too dissimilar to the pink Dyson Airwrap i.d, with bronze accents at either end, and a soft pebbled leather-texture grip running the length of the handle.

It feels and looks solid and luxurious, and at 0.64lbs without the cord, it's light enough that your arm doesn't start aching even when working through a full set of curls.

The controls consist of two buttons with LEDs that let you cycle through the two heat settings. and three wind speeds. The cool shot is built into the top of the on/off slider rather than given its own dedicated button, and you enable and disable it by sliding up once for on, and sliding up again for off.

These controls sit at a natural thumb position on the handle and toe a delicate line between being easy to control mid-style and difficult to press accidentally. This is much rarer on stylers than it should be.

At the base of the handle is a removable dual intake filter— an inner stainless steel mesh that keeps fine hair and particles out of the motor, and an outer mesh that prevents tangling.

A small cleaning brush is included for maintenance, and the filter is straightforward to remove and reattach. Attached to this filter is the cord that runs to 9.2ft / 2.8m with a 360-degree anti-tangle swivel at the handle end.

Each of the eight attachments twist on using the same mechanism as the AirStyle Pro, but unlike the heads on the older model, the Era's attachments securely lock into place because they're also magnetic. This was a major complaint in our AirStyle Pro review and I'm glad it's been resolved.

In terms of the attachments, the line-up is as follows:

• Fast dryer: A concentrated nozzle for quick drying
• Straightening nozzle: U-shaped head with dual airflow channels that direct air downward to smooth and straighten without heating plates
• Diffuser: Bowl diffuser with prongs for dry curls without disrupting them
• 32mm auto-wrap barrels (x2): One for left curls, one for right; 360-degree airflow draws hair in to create curls without manually winding sections
• Soft smoothing brush: Spherical teeth designed for fine, fragile, or chemically treated hair
• Hard smoothing brush: Conical teeth for coarser, thicker, or heavily product-styled hair
• Round volumizing brush: Wider tooth spacing to reduce tangling, with perforations to diffuse airflow and create lift at the roots

The two additions — the straightening nozzle and diffuser — address the most obvious gaps in the original AirStyle Pro's feature set.

If you wanted smooth, straight hair or defined natural curls from the Pro, you needed separate tools entirely. The Era fixes that, and the result is a kit that not only covers the full range of everyday styling needs, but it makes it the only styler that can truly rival the Dyson Airwrap in terms of scope and scale.

Elsewhere, everything ships in a leather-textured storage box that keeps the attachments organized and easy to find, plus you get a travel bag if you need something more portable.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dreame AirStyle Era review: performance

• Fast dryer attachment works well on fine to medium hair; may struggle with thicker, longer hair
• Auto-wrap curling barrels produce good results but swapping between directions is fiddly
• Straightening nozzle is less effective than the flyaway attachment it replaces

I started, as Dreame recommends, by removing most of the water in my hair with the fast dryer attachment. Like all multi-stylers of this type, you need to get hair to around 80% dry before switching to any of the styling attachments for best results, and the fast dryer handled that first stage well enough on my fine, shoulder-length hair.

It's not the hottest of stylers though, and anyone with thicker or longer hair may find themselves reaching for a standalone dryer to get there faster. This was a complaint with the original Pro and hasn't been fixed, it seems.

The auto-wrap curling barrels are where the Era earns its keep. The 360-degree airflow draws hair in and wraps it around the barrel automatically, producing bouncy, defined curls without the need to manually wind sections. The results hold well, and the curls have a natural quality that can be hard to achieve with traditional tongs. The catch is that if you want the curls to go in different directions, you need to physically swap between the left and right attachment. This isn't just tricky, because the attached barrel is hot, but it interrupts your rhythm. The Dyson Airwrap handles this on a single, multi-directional barrel, and once you've used that system it's hard not to notice the difference here.

The straightening nozzle is the most interesting new addition on paper — a U-shaped head that uses dual airflow channels to smooth and straighten without heating plates. It's more intuitive than the flyaway attachment it replaced, while producing a very similar finish, but I found it more fiddly than I'd hoped. You can only smooth small sections at a time and this takes a while, which feels like a step backwards for anyone who relied on the flyaway attachment for quick touch-ups and frizz control.

The diffuser does what it should. For naturally curly or wavy hair, it distributes airflow evenly without disturbing the curl pattern, and the results are noticeably better than using the fast dryer attachment on the same hair type. It's not doing anything the category hasn't seen before, but its absence from the AirStyle Pro was a gap, and it's good to have it here.

Finally, the brushes. The soft and hard smoothing brushes both perform well. The soft brush is gentle on fine or fragile hair, with the airflow automatically redirecting downward when attached to leave your hair feeling smooth. The hard brush handles coarser or more tangled hair well, and separates knots without pulling.

In testing, my favorite brush is the round volumizing brush. It's great for lifting roots and adding shape at the ends and it can even create loose curls.

In terms of noise levels, Dreame claims it produces 76dB, and in testing I recorded 79dB on the highest speed setting. That's slightly louder than the spec sheet suggests although not unreasonable for a tool of this type and it's quiet enough to hear music or have a conversation.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Dreame AirStyle Era?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Dreame AirStyle Era: also consider

How I tested the Dreame Airstyle Era

I used the AirStyle Era as my main styling tool for a week. During this time I used it to dry my hair, and tested all the different attachments, paying particular attention to the auto-wrap curlers.

I compared the styling results to what I managed to achieve with other similar stylers I've tested – including the Dyson Airwrap i.d. and Shark FlexStyle. I also assessed how easy the styler was to use and the effectiveness of its design and features.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed May 2026

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: one-minute review

American manufacturer Cuisinart is known for its range of high-quality kitchen appliances at affordable prices. The Power Blend Immersion Blender follows suit, offering versatility and convenience for less than $70 / £50 / AU$90.

his powerful four-in-one stick blender comes with several convenient accessories and attachments, including a food processor (with a mixing/chopping blade and reversible shredding/slicing disc), a chef’s whisk, a blending shaft, and a prep-and-store cup that makes prepping and storing foods like whipped cream and omelette mix a breeze. It’s even got an ergonomic handle design to make use and maneuvering more comfortable.

The results are impressive, with the Power Blend’s pressure-controlled speed giving you more control over its use and quickly whisking eggs, blending soups, and grating cheese.

However, it’s not without its flaws. This appliance may leave some food unprocessed or blended, and the blenders' pressure controls may not be suited to those with restricted hand or wrist movement (especially when turning it on). These may or may not be dealbreakers for you, depending on your individual needs, but they’re enough to hold the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender back from a position among our top blender picks.

• £49.99 (about $70 / AU$90) direct from Cuisinart
• Available at third-party retailers, such as Amazon and Costco
• Regularly discounted to £42.99
• Not available in the U.S. or Australia

The Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender is priced at £49.99 (about $70 / AU$90), making it more affordable than competitors such as the Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender ($79.99, roughly £60 / AU$110) and the Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6 (£99.99, or about $140 / AU$210), which is one of the best blenders on the market. Unfortunately, this product isn’t available in the US or Australia.

Considering the versatility and power of the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender, it offers fantastic value for money. What’s more, third-party retailers like Amazon and Costco tend to offer a discount, bringing the price down to £42.99 – offering more bang for your buck.

• Value score: 5/5

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: specifications

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: design

• Comfortable ergonomic handle
• Dishwasher-friendly parts
• Pressure-controlled speed…
• …that can be tricky to use with the unlock button
• Motor can become warm

The Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender has a silver base that houses its motor and an ergonomic handle design that makes it comfortable to use and maneuver – especially if you have restricted mobility in your hand or wrist. Near the top of the handle is a variable, pressure-controlled speed button (with an LED light at the very top indicating the speed) and an unlock/on button.

At the bottom of the base is an attachment release button, with attachments able to be inserted and locked in with ease. This versatile immersion blender comes with three main attachments: a blending shaft, a 950ml food processor, and a chef’s whisk. In addition, the appliance comes with a canvas storage bag to keep all the bits in and a convenient 700ml prep-and-store cup and lid – though the cup lid did come unstuck a few times for us.

The blending shaft comes with a protective blade guard, allowing it to be used in glass, enamel, and non-stick vessels, while minimising splashing, which we found very effective. It also comes with a blade storage cover to allow the shaft to be safely stored. The full-sized chef’s whisk is attached to the base with a detachable gearbox and works a treat, especially when combined with the prep-and-store cup.

The food processor features a lid with a decent-sized feed chute (that could fit a large carrot vertically) and pusher, with a reversible slicing/shredding disc and mixing/chopping blade included and easily inserted into the work bowl.

To turn the appliance on, you need to press the unlock button while pressing the speed control button, before releasing the unlock, a bit like the mechanism seen on some lawnmowers. While this is a great child-safe feature, it took us a few tries to start the blender initially. Even when we’d worked out the system, holding both buttons simultaneously was uncomfortable, especially as you need to be mindful of the pressure you’re applying to the speed control.

While testing the chef whisk feature with some eggs in the prep-and-store cup. While trying to apply enough pressure to turn the blender on, we accidentally applied too much, resulting in our raw eggs splattering all over the kitchen.

This brings us nicely on to cleaning. Certain parts of the Power Blend are dishwasher safe: the food processor bowl, pusher, chopping/mixing blade, slicing/shredding disc, and prep-and-store cup and lid. However, the blending shaft and food processor lid need to be hand-washed, and the base should be wiped down. While the blending shaft and base are fairly easy to clean, the food processor lid is less so; it can't be immersed in water, so cleaning inside the feed chute is somewhat challenging.

Another issue we found with this stick blender was the heat the motor emitted when blending soup. We used the appliance for about two minutes, occasionally stopping and starting, and the handle was warm to the touch, suggesting the motor may be overheating. As such, we recommend not using this immersion blender continuously for too long or taking breaks if the handle begins to get quite warm.

• Design score: 4/5

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: performance

• Quickly blends chunky soups
• Convenient mini food processor attachment
• Impressive whisking
• Uneven cutting and some food left unprocessed

The first thing we tested was the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender’s blending shaft attachment. After boiling a chunky 1L of homemade vegetable soup (with carrots, onions, cauliflower, potatoes, and a leek) until the veg was soft, we let it cool before blending on a medium-to-high pressure.

After around two minutes of blending, the soup was pretty smooth, but a few rebel chunks of cauliflower remained. As mentioned previously, at this point, the handle began to heat up, so we didn’t want to push it any more.

Next, we tested the chef’s whisk attachment. While the whisk seems quite flimsy, it’s pretty impressive. After cleaning up our prior disaster – and becoming more mindful of how sensitive the pressure controls are – we applied minimum pressure to our remaining eggs (mixed with milk and herbs) and had perfectly whisked eggs in a matter of seconds. It was so quick, we didn’t have time to whip out our phone and time it.

The food processor was equally impressive, though it isn’t without its flaws. We tested the mixing/chopping blade first, adding all the ingredients for a saag paste (including garlic, wilted spinach, veggie oil, spices, and coriander). It took around 30 seconds to make the paste, but it was loud: around 88 to 90 decibels. While most of the paste was mixed well, there were some less mixed parts at the bottom, under the blades, though it wasn’t enough to be a dealbreaker.

We also tested chopping a red onion with this blade, chopped into large chunks. It only took three or four short, one-second pulses of high-speed power to chop the onion. However, this was also loud – between 90 and 94 decibels – the cuts were largely uneven. We were impressed that the results weren’t overly wet, as we’ve seen when chopping onions with other powerful food processors.

Next, we tested the shredding/slicing disc, beginning with shredding (or grating) 50g of mature cheddar cut into rectangular blocks to fit the feed chute. While the cheese was grated in under 10 seconds, there was a lot of unshredded cheese on top of the disc.

We also experienced this using the slicing disc with a large carrot. While it took less than five seconds to slice the carrot, the slices were uneven, and there were some unsliced carrot remnants on top of the disc afterwards.

Overall, the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender performs well, offering a lot of versatility and largely impressive results – but it does come with a few quirks that may irk some more than others.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: also consider

If you're not sure whether this is the right blender for you, here are two other options to add to your shortlist.

How I tested the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender

I tested the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender by preparing a wide variety of foods, including eggs, curry paste, and vegetable soup. I also used its food processor attachment to shred cheese, and chop various vegetables, and compared the results with those from a dedicated food processor. I cleaned the blender thoroughly after use, following the manufacturer's instructions. For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

First reviewed June 2026.

I don't know about you, but my fridge at home is decorated with numerous snapshots of family and friends spanning many years, precariously fixed in place with souvenir fridge magnets. It's into this mix that I've recently added a few Vidabay Snaps.

A Vidabay Snap looks like an instant-film print, but it is in fact a tiny, magnetic E ink display. So, unlike an actual print, you can change the picture displayed and easily attach it to a range of surfaces.

It's optimized for iPhone (and compatible with various Android devices), and any image from your gallery can be uploaded via the (free) Vidabay app using NFC, whenever you like.

Think of Vidabay Snaps as, like, tiny digital photo frames, just set within a Polaroid-style border, and with an E Ink display that's much more basic than the fabulous Aura Ink.

Vidabay Snaps are available from the Vidabay website in white, black, yellow or red (see below), with prices starting at $29.99 for a single Snap (was $35.99) or $86.99 for a pack of three (was $99.99). Vidabay ships to most regions, including the UK and Australia, and price is calculated at checkout.

A genuine instant print from the likes of a Polaroid Go Gen 3 or Fujifilm Instax Mini 13 costs around $1 / £0.80 / AU$1,50 a go — much cheaper than a Vidabay Snap. Even pricier (and larger) formats like Polaroid I-Type are around $3 / £2.50 / AU$4.50 per print, while regular photo prints from the lab are typically the cheapest of the lot. However, the image on a Snap can be changed as often as you like.

I have a small collection of the best instant cameras, and am not short of instant prints to put on my walls (and fridge). And now that it's been a month since I got my Vidabay Snaps, I can tell you they don't hold the same magic as an instant print.

My experience using Vidabay Snaps with an Android phone has been mixed, which I'll unpack next, but there's one fundamental flaw to the product — the frames don't display the color blue (not for me, anyway), which is very limiting for color images.

However, I can totally appreciate these neat, low-cost E Ink devices for what they are, and the concept is pretty well executed. And even though they feel pricey compared to prints, I believe Vidabay Snaps are great little gifts. Let's take a look at how they work.

How to get started

To get started, you need to pair a Vidabay Snap with your NFC-enabled device — they're optimized for iPhone, but I've done the whole process with an Android phone. Once that's done, you select the desired picture from your phone's gallery, choose the paired Snap, and then hold the two devices together to upload to the frame.

Using a recent Oppo Find X9 Ultra phone, I found the NFC connection for image uploads — which takes around 30 seconds to complete — exceptionally fiddly, but persevered for around 15 attempts each time before my first success.

The trick is locating NFC in your device, and Vidabay does point out that not all Android devices will work. The company says there's a Bluetooth dock on the way, which will simplify the process and widen compatibility for Android. Until then, you'll need to check with Vidabay if your device is compatible. I haven't tried a Snap with an iPhone, but I imagine the process will be much easier.

The Snap's display flickers as the uploading image appears, and then there you have it — a lo-fi E ink (aka E Paper) image in a handy magnetic display.

E ink displays like this are typically lo-fi — don't expect fine detail or a vibrant and wide color range. Quite the opposite, they don't even display the color blue, meaning that in a photo of my son with two teammates in their blue-and-black-striped soccer gear, the jerseys were essentially monochrome. You can imagine what happened when I attempted to load a photo of a sailboat out on the water on a sunny day. The screenshot (above) demonstrates the difference in quality between an original image and how it appears loaded on a Snap.

I picked up five Vidabay Snaps and had mixed success. Three of the five loaded fine (after several attempts); the other two refused to load in color, period, and I eventually gave up.

The app could also do with some work; there's no way of recomposing / cropping the photo within the square frame, nor can you rename a frame once it's registered. I had five frames all identically named, making it extremely difficult to track which frame was which in the app. Writing a number on the back of each one with a Sharpie was my solution.

Each Vidabay Snap has a magnetic back for attaching to surfaces like a fridge. It's also fitted with NFC for image uploads and charging. Being a tiny E Ink display, it consumes next to no power – a true lo-fi product. An individual Snap can be purchased with a leatherette tag to attach to something like your bag, and this bundle costs $48.99.

If you have that sentimental person in your life who happens to be an iPhone user, then Vidabay Snap is an easy, low-cost gift recommendation. Until the Bluetooth dock lands and it proves to address my user experience issues, I'm hesitant to recommend the product for Android users.

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier: two-minute review

The Blueair Mini Restful Sunrise Clock Air Purifier is a three-in-one device — technically a four-in-one if you include the built-in USB charger — that combines an air purifier, a sunrise alarm clock and a wake-up light in a single unit. It launched as part of Blueair's Sleep collection with a clear USP: rather than cluttering your nightstand with separate devices, one appliance handles the air quality, the light and the alarm. If you've been browsing the best compact air purifiers for a bedroom, the Mini Restful sits in a category of its own.

The purification uses Blueair's HEPASilent technology, which captures 99.97% of particles down to 0.1 microns — finer than a standard HEPA filter — and my hayfever symptoms were noticeably more manageable on mornings after I'd had the Mini Restful running.

It runs across three fan speeds plus a Night mode, covers rooms up to 33m² / 355 sq ft, and is QuietMark certified. The brand claims noise levels of 21dB on its lowest setting whereas my own tests averaged 32dB, much of which was ambient.

In reality, it's whisper quiet and I could easily run it through the night without disturbing my sleep. I even forgot to switch it off a lot of the time because it's so quiet, I didn't realize it was still running.

What makes it stand out most from other purifiers I've tested is the wake-up light: a circular ring below the touchscreen display that brightens gradually over 15–30 minutes before your alarm time. This is designed to mimic natural sunrise, and you can also choose from multiple alarm sounds via the app, including birdsong, soft tones, and rainfall.

This wake-up light is impressively bright for its size and the whole appliance's design is attractive enough for you to actually want on your bedside table. I tested the Blueair Mini Restful in summer so while it helped rouse me gently, it's hard to judge exactly how effective it would be in the depths of winter, say, when a more gentle wake-up is most needed.

At 11.8in / 30cm tall and just 2.36lbs / 1.07kg, it sits comfortably on a standard nightstand, and the USB-C port at the back means it can charge your phone too, saving you even more space by eliminating the need for a separate charger.

My biggest complaint about the Mini Restful is the Blueair app, which doesn't quite live up to the rest of the device's performance. When it works, it's great — intuitive and clean. Yet there's no way to track air quality levels, and during my review period there was often a lag between adjusting settings and the device responding. This became frustrating quickly. The connectivity dropped completely three times during the four weeks of tests and I had to fully reconnect to my Wi-Fi and phone.

For anyone who suffers from allergies and has been meaning to try a sunrise alarm, the Mini Restful makes a compelling case that one device can do all of it well. But even if you already own one of the best air purifiers on the market and a separate sunrise alarm, the Mini Restful makes a strong argument for consolidating. It will definitely feel like an upgrade.

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier review: price and availability

• List price: $199.99 / £169
• Available in the US and UK

The Blueair Mini Restful is available directly from Blueair US and Blueair UK, as well as from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Walmart and John Lewis. It has a list price of $199.99 / £169, which converts to about AU$280, but at the time of writing it's not available in Australia.

On purification alone, it's easy to find cheaper options. Blueair's own £79 Blue Pure Mini Max, the £59.99 GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite and the £149.99 Levoit Core 300S are all strong compact options that cost less and if all you want is cleaner air in a bedroom, any of those will do the job well. However, none of them has a sunrise alarm or wake-up light. Nor do they charge your phone.

In fact, there is no direct equivalent on the market — no other purifier currently combines HEPASilent filtration with a built-in sunrise alarm and wake-up light in a single bedside device. This means the real question isn't how it compares to other purifiers, but whether it's cheaper and better than buying two separate devices.

On that measure, it mostly wins. The Hatch Restore 3 ($169.99 / £220) is widely considered the best standalone sunrise alarm clock you can buy, while a compact bedroom purifier like the Levoit Core 300S adds another $99 / £90 on top. That's $260 / £240 for two devices that take up more space, require two separate apps and two separate power outlets. The Mini Restful does both jobs for $199.99 / £169 in a single unit that sits comfortably on a bedside table.

The trade-off is that neither function quite matches what a dedicated device delivers. The sunrise graduation isn't as smooth as the Hatch Restore 3, and the purification coverage is limited to spaces up to 33m² / 355 sq ft. If you need serious room coverage or a flawless sunrise simulation, you'd be better served buying separately. But for a standard bedroom and anyone who wants to simplify their nightstand, the value case is very strong.

Replacement filters cost $29.99 / £24 and need changing every nine months — a running cost worth budgeting for, even though it's in line with most other comparable purifiers.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier specs

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier review: design

• Compact and attractive enough to earn its place on a nightstand
• Soft woven fabric exterior
• Touchscreen display doubles as clock face
• Controls can feel awkward at table height

The Mini Restful is one of the better-looking air purifiers I've had in my bedroom, which matters more than it might sound.

Most purifiers are designed for corners and shelves where nobody has to look at them. They're functional, but they largely earn their keep by blending in. The Mini Restful is instead designed to stand out, and Blueair has clearly put effort into the aesthetic. The woven fabric exterior, which is available in Coastal Beige or Midnight and can be removed and cleaned, feels closer to an Alexa speaker than a home appliance. For comparison, the Levoit Core 300S — a purifier I rate highly for performance — is a plain white cylinder that would look out of place on my nightstand.

At 11.8 inches / 30cm tall and 6.7 inches / 17cm across, it has a similar footprint to a bedside lamp, albeit slightly more imposing. It's taller than I had expected for something described as a bedside device and it's not as compact as I'd like (the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max, for instance, is shorter and lighter) but it does fit comfortably. I could fit the purifier and my phone charger on my nightstand without it feeling cluttered.

At 2.36lbs / 1.07kg, it's also light enough to pick up and move without any effort. The cord runs neatly through the base and plugs into a standard outlet, and at the back there's a USB-C port for charging your phone overnight. This is easy to reach without having to move the unit, and it's one of those small additions that makes a real difference to how the product fits into a bedside routine.

All of the controls sit on the top of the device, arranged around a circular touchscreen display. The display shows the time, current fan speed and filter status at a glance, and is the main interface for adjusting settings manually. It's responsive and readable in low light and the icons are intuitive — power, fan speed, display lock and purification mode are all clearly differentiated. I found I could adjust settings without turning the main light on after the first few days of use. The display can also be locked via the app if you want to prevent accidental changes overnight.

Just below the display is the light ring — a circular band that serves as both the wake-up light and a soft night light. It's a smaller lit area than you'd find on a dedicated sunrise alarm like the Hatch Restore 3, which uses its entire face as a light source, and I was skeptical that such a narrow ring could produce enough light to actually wake me. It did, and it looked elegant doing so.

Setup is straightforward. The Mini Restful arrives in a simple box with the device, a cord and a plug — thread the cord through the base, attach the plug, remove the plastic cover from the filter inside and you're done, in under two minutes.

From there you download the free Blueair app, create an account, and connect the device to your home Wi-Fi. The whole process took me around five minutes, and the app walks you through each step clearly. It's here that you'll set your alarm times, choose your wake sounds, adjust the sunrise duration, and create purification schedules.

The one ergonomic issue I found is that having everything on top means you need to lean over to adjust anything manually when the unit is at table height. It's a minor inconvenience rather than a dealbreaker, and in practice I used the app for most adjustments after the first week, but it's not ideal. Overall, this is a product that has been designed with the bedroom specifically in mind, and it shows in almost every decision Blueair has made.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier review: performance

• Powerful purification even on lowest settings
• Near-silent on Night mode and speed 1
• Wake-up light impressively bright for its size
• Sunrise graduation can be abrupt

The Mini Restful has two jobs to do — clean the air and wake you up gently — and it approaches both with more conviction than I expected from a device of this size.

I tested it over four weeks as my primary bedroom purifier and alarm clock, running it every night and monitoring air quality via the Blueair app each morning. I also measured noise levels at each fan speed using a decibel meter, and ran the sunrise alarm as my sole alarm throughout the review period rather than keeping a backup.

Starting with the purification. The HEPASilent filtration captures 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.1 microns, which is finer than a standard HEPA filter, and covers dust, pollen, pet dander and most common allergens with ease. I suffer from hayfever and the review period coincided with peak pollen season, which gave me a useful real-world test. On mornings after running the Mini Restful through the night on speed 1 or 2, I noticed a genuine difference: less of the throat tightness and eye irritation I'd normally get.

To test the purification speed specifically, I sprayed deodorant directly at the unit for five seconds on both the lowest and highest settings, then timed how long it took for the air quality reading in the app to return to normal. On the lowest setting it took around 45 minutes to fully clear. On the highest setting it took just 12 minutes — a significant difference. The app's air quality history chart, which shows readings over the past 24 hours and 30 days, is useful for tracking these changes and gave me a clear picture of how conditions shifted.

On noise, the Mini Restful is super quiet. Blueair claims 21dB on the lowest speed; my measurements put it at around 32dB. This sounds like a huge difference but the purifier is almost inaudible, even in a quiet room. Speed 2 registers around 35dB, which produces a gentle white noise that actually helped me sleep rather than disturbing me. Speed 3 is noticeably louder at around 48dB — not unpleasant, but enough that I wouldn't choose to run it while trying to fall asleep. The Night mode handles the transition well though, stepping the fan down to its quietest setting automatically, and I left it on this mode for the majority of the review period.

Blueair says the Mini Restful works best in rooms between 14–33m² / 151–355 sq ft, which will cover most standard bedrooms. I tested it in a medium-sized room and found it kept up well, with the air quality sensor registering improvements within 20–30 minutes of switching on after a day with the windows open. It won't cope with large open-plan spaces — for that you'd need something with considerably more power, like the Dyson HushJet Compact — but for a bedroom it's more than adequate.

The wake-up light is the more interesting part of the performance story. The light ring is small relative to a dedicated sunrise alarm but on its highest brightness setting it lit the room enough to wake me without the alarm sound triggering at all on several mornings. The three manual brightness levels via the touchscreen are useful, and the app's slider control allows finer adjustment if you want to dial it in precisely.

The issue is with the graduation. The light is supposed to brighten gradually over 15–30 minutes before your alarm time, mimicking a natural sunrise. For the most part it does, and on the mornings it worked as intended the experience was gentler than waking to a conventional alarm. But on several occasions — I counted at least six across the four-week review period — the light jumped to full brightness abruptly rather than easing up to it, which is jarring. It doesn't ruin the experience entirely but it stops the Mini Restful from matching the consistently smooth graduation of a dedicated wake-up light. If the sunrise simulation is the primary reason you're considering this, that inconsistency is worth noting.

Elsewhere, the alarm sounds themselves are pleasant and varied — birdsong, soft tones, rainfall — and the volume is adjustable via the app.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier review: app

• Required for full setup and alarm customization
• Doesn't show air quality levels
• Clean, well-organized interface
• Lag between app and device is frustrating
• No HomeKit, Alexa or Google Home support

Despite a small number of flaws, I can barely fault the hardware of the Blueair Mini Restful. The same can't be said for the app though, sadly.

Firstly, the Blueair app isn't optional. You can use the touchscreen to turn the device on and off and cycle through fan speeds, but doing anything of note, such as setting alarms, choosing wake sounds, adjusting the sunrise duration, creating purification schedules and checking air quality history, all require the app.

This is great when it works. The interface is clean and logically laid out, with the device status and filter life all visible without having to dig through menus. Setting a sunrise alarm takes seconds: you pick a time, choose a sound, set the brightness duration between and you're done.

The filter replacement reminder is useful; the display lock feature is a sensible addition for overnight use; and the scheduling tools are flexible enough to set different purification levels for different times of day.

However, knowing how to view live air quality readings isn't obvious, and I ended up having to Google for help. Even then, you can only see the current outdoor air reading (via the Outdoor air section on the homepage) and not a live, room-by-room chart.

Then there's the problem with lag. There was a consistent, frustrating delay between adjusting a setting in the app and the device responding throughout almost the entire review period. This could be anything from a few seconds to almost 30 seconds on occasion. Switching fan speeds via the app often took longer than just tapping the top of the unit, which defeats part of the point of having remote control in the first place.

What's more, during my four-week review period the connection dropped completely three times, requiring a full reconnection through the app each time. I'd find myself checking the app before bed to make sure the alarm was still set and the connection was still live, which is exactly the kind of friction a product like this should be eliminating.

The absence of any smart home integration is also a real gap. There's no HomeKit support, Alexa skill or Google Home compatibility, which means the Mini Restful exists entirely within its own ecosystem. For anyone who controls their bedroom environment through a smart home setup — lights, heating, other devices — the Mini Restful sits outside all of that. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's a limitation that feels out of step with both the price and what other, similar connected bedroom devices offer.

Blueair has clearly invested in the app's design and the range of features it offers, and the bones are good but the execution needs a lot of work.

• App score: 3 out of 5

Should you buy the Blueair Mini Restful air purifier?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Blueair Mini Restful is the right air purifier for you, here are two other options to consider:

How I tested the Blueair Mini Restful air purifier

• Tested over four weeks as purifier and alarm clock
• Used the sunrise alarm as my sole morning alarm
• Measured noise levels at each fan speed with a decibel meter
• Tested purification speed by spraying deodorant at the unit and timing air clearance
• Monitored air quality data via the Blueair app

I used the Blueair Mini Restful as my main bedroom purifier and alarm clock for four weeks, running it every night and monitoring the air quality readings in the app each morning.

To test purification speed, I sprayed deodorant directly at the unit for five seconds on both the lowest and highest fan settings, then timed how long it took for the air quality reading in the app to return to normal.

I measured noise levels at each fan speed using a mobile phone decibel meter and ran the sunrise alarm as my sole morning alarm throughout the review. I also tested the app's scheduling tools, the USB-C charging port and the manual touchscreen controls.

Read more about how we test.

First reviewed May 2026

Dyson is making big strides in the world of robot vacuums, and its latest robovac — the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai — uses a camera combined with artificial intelligence to tackle tough stains that other robot vacuums tend to miss, and get your floors as clean as possible. But why did Dyson choose to tackle that particular problem, and what does the future hold when it comes to household robots?

I visited Dyson's UK Innovation Campus in Wiltshire, where many of the company's advanced engineering teams work on new products and technologies, using rapid prototyping to develop and test ideas. The campus is also the home of the Dyson Institute, where undergraduate students from around the world come to learn, and work on real-life projects.

There, I sat down with Jake Dyson, the company's Chief Engineer, to learn more about his own experience, and Dyson's approach to AI and robotics.

Despite being the son of founder James Dyson, Jake hasn't always worked for the company. After a brief spell at Dyson at the age of 22, he left to pursue an independent career in industrial design. He built his own workshop and began to specialize in lighting, separately from the family business, before returning, bringing that experience with him. I asked him how that early work translated into his current endeavors.

"It comes down to identifying problems and solving them," he explained. "When LEDs first entered the market, I realized people weren’t cooling them properly. The promise of LEDs is that they should last a lifetime, but in reality they were being treated like disposable lightbulbs. I visited Osram in Asia, and they explained that if you keep the diode temperature below about 50C, you can maintain brightness, color quality, and lifespan. That became my goal."

"I looked at how satellites manage heat. In space, temperatures swing from extremely hot to extremely cold, so they need precise thermal control. I applied similar thinking by designing systems that passively dissipate heat. For example, the heat moves away from the chip and is cooled by airflow, maintaining a stable temperature even at high power.

"That process, spotting a problem and solving it, is what drives everything."

Stairs and arms

Dyson's latest robot vacuum has been designed to tackle the specific problem of tricky stains on hard floors, which other wet-and-dry cleaners fail to tackle. The Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai uses a high-definition camera and an LLM that includes over 190 different household objects and stains.

I asked Jake why Dyson had chosen to tackle such a (literally) ground-level problem when other companies are debuting robot vacuums that can climb stairs and lift objects with mechanical arms. He explained that Dyson has been tackling those more advanced problems for about 10 years already, but the solutions aren't yet genuinely useful and reliable.

Having seen some other companies' ambitious robots, I can see what he means. The Roborock Saros Z70, for example, has a pincer arm that can lift lightweight objects out of the way, but in our tests it failed to identify and move them independently, instead relying on you to control the pincer remotely. It also has a lower success rate on carpet due to what Roborock calls a "hardware limitation".

Stairs are also a major challenge. My colleague Ruth Hamilton saw two stair-climbing robovacs in action at last year's IFA tech show, but explained that the legs/treads used to navigate stairs aren't actually attached to the robots themselves (they are more like a cradle that holds the bot), which means they can't clean the stairs as they go. Only one robot managed to tackle the first step with confidence as well. According to Ruth, the other "approached this initial challenge at the speed of a geriatric turtle".

They're interesting concepts, but neither looked ready for the mainstream — and as Jake explains, they're attempting to solve a very difficult problem.

"Every staircase is different height, spacing, materials and then you add in pets, children, and people moving around. It becomes a very complex and potentially unsafe problem," he said. "Something going up and down stairs autonomously needs to be extremely reliable. It’s actually more complex than autonomous driving in some respects."

"So while it’s an interesting challenge, and being able to clean an entire home, including all floors, with one machine would be ideal, it has to meet a very high bar for safety and usefulness. Until it does, we focus on delivering products that work reliably in real homes today."

Safer decision-making

Dyson has never been shy about dropping products that don't work out (such as the CR01 Contrarotator washing machine and the Dyson car), but its work on cordless vacuums continues apace. We recently reviewed the super-compact Dyson Pencilvac Fluffycones, and just a few weeks ago the company debuted its first self-emptying cordless vacuum. I asked Jake whether he thinks robots will eventually handle all your cleaning tasks, or whether there will always be a place for stick vacuums.

"No, I don’t see that happening, at least not completely," he said. "Right now, robot vacuums are very good at regular maintenance, keeping floors tidy day-to-day. But people still want a to clean with a cordless vacuum when they do a deeper clean, as well as being able to clean surfaces other than the floor."

However, he added that the world of robotics is advancing incredibly quickly, especially when it comes to AI.

"Previously, robots could see and navigate, but they struggled when they encountered something unfamiliar. Now, with reasoning, they can make safer, more informed decisions.

"We’re also seeing rapid development globally, the US is leading in AI and ‘brains’, and China is producing robots at scale and more affordably.

"In the future robots will learn from each other via the cloud,; one robot’s experience will instantly improve others, and one robot will be able to repair a fault on another robot. That will massively accelerate development.

"However, regulation and safety will slow adoption. These technologies may be ready soon, but it could take around 10 years before they’re widely allowed in homes. Elon Musk said he thinks humanoid robots will be in many homes in three years, and I agree with him. Though they use up a lot of energy to walk for example, so a robot vacuum cleaner is much more energy efficient than a humanoid [robot] using a vacuum cleaner.

"So yes, robots will become more capable, but I think traditional tools will still exist alongside them."

Although you might like the idea of handing over all your household chores to a robot, it seems cordless and handheld vacuums will be around for a while yet — and you'll still need to climb the stairs and pick up socks yourself for now.

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool: review

Dyson’s engineers are experts in airflow — whether in vacuum cleaners, fans, or hair dryers — and the HushJet Mini Cool puts that power right in your hand. It’s a portable cooling fan that you can hold, wear around your neck, attach to clothing or a bag strap (if you buy one of the optional clip accessories) or stand upright on your desk — and it really works.

Shortly before testing the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool, I got my hands on the Shark ChillPill — a rival handheld fan that was released at approximately the same time. I was impressed by the ChillPill’s cooling ability, which is supplemented by a misting attachment and a metal cooling plate — but in terms of sheer power, the Dyson absolutely blows it away.

Watch the video version of this review below...

This mainly comes down to two factors: the fan’s powerful motor, which can reach up to 65,000rpm (compared to just 25,000rpm for the ChillPill), and the shape of the HushJet nozzle, which concentrates the airflow so it’s all directed right at you. Even on the lowest setting, you can really feel it; dial it up to maximum and it’s as powerful as some hairdryers I’ve used.

The sound is not unlike a miniature vacuum cleaner, but the HushJet shape works to eliminate the annoying higher frequencies that might irritate colleagues if you use it in the office, or fellow passengers on a busy commuter train. There’s even a hint of Dyson’s signature ‘bounce’ sound when you turn it off.

Accessories like a clamp (so you can attach it to gym equipment) are available to buy separately, but you get a neck strap included with the fan as standard. Slide this onto the fan (it has notches that allow it to slip past the control buttons), adjust the cord to a suitable length, rotate the fan’s head so it’s pointing towards you, and you’ll enjoy a cooling jet of air on your chest, neck and face, hands-free. Extremely handy if you’re taking stuffy public transport.

Dyson claims that the HushJet Mini Cool can run for up to six hours on its lowest power setting, but during my tests it significantly outperformed that figure, lasting almost exactly six and a half hours on a full charge.

It’s hard to fault the HushJet Mini, but a couple of things stood out during testing. Firstly, it’s easy to accidentally cover part of the air intake grille with your hand when holding the fan, which I’m sure affects its performance.

Secondly — and this is only my personal opinion — the Stone/Blush colorway makes the fan look like an exfoliating facial brush at first glance (not unlike the Braun Facespa Pro) which is a strange thing to wear around your neck and might raise a few eyebrows.

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool: specifications

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool: price and availability

• Launched May 2026
• Available globally
• List price $99 / £99.99 / AU$169

Dyson announced the HushJet Mini Cool on April 9, 2026, and it was available to buy globally a few weeks later. It has a list price of $99 / £99.99 / AU$169, which is very reasonable for a powerful personal fan. For comparison, the Shark ChillPill, which went on sale just a few weeks earlier for $149.99 in the US, or £129.99 in the UK (which converts to about AU$210, though at the time of writing the ChillPill isn’t yet available in Australia).

The Dyson HushJet Mini Cool has been in high demand since its launch, and at the time of writing (June 2026) it’s often sold out in Dyson’s official online stores. The Stone/Blush colorway is sometimes the only one available.

If you’re not planning to use your fan on the move, and want one specifically for your desk, take a look at the Dyson Cool CF1 Desk Fan, which is just as quiet but can move a larger volume of air, oscillates and has a remote control, making it a better choice if you’re sitting still (possibly working from home). It has a list price of £249.99 (about $340 / AU$470).

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool: Design

• Unique shape for a portable fan
• Nozzle focuses airflow and reduces noise
• Neck strap and charging base included

Dyson devices often look slightly unusual, taking the most practical shape for their function regardless of how vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, or, in this case, fans have traditionally looked. The HushJet Mini Cool is no exception — with its slim, tubular body and angled nozzle (which is the same shape as that of the Dyson HushJet Compact Purifier), it looks nothing like other personal cooling devices, but it’s a shape that works. The body of the fan is comfortable to hold, and the nozzle can be turned to direct the airflow exactly where it’s needed.

The HushJet Mini Cool is bladeless (like Dyson’s larger fans), ensuring the airflow is smooth rather than choppy, and its honeycomb-like mesh keeps dirt and debris out of the mechanism — though it's also supplied with a soft velvet carry case to protect it on the move.

The HushJet Mini Cool comes in three colorways: Ink/Cobalt (dark blue), Stone/Blush (soft pink, as shown here), and Carnelian/Sky (red and pale blue). Personally I prefer the latter option, which is the most striking, and it seems I’m not alone — at the time of writing all colors are selling out rapidly, but Carnelian/Sky seems to be the one disappearing from the virtual shelves quickest, followed by Ink/Cobalt.

The tubular shape, with a flat end, means that you can easily stand the HushJet Mini Cool on your desk while you work. If you’re planning to use it all day, it comes with a charging base, which provides extra stability regardless of whether the USB cable is plugged in or not.

Whichever color you choose, the fan’s case has a satin finish that feels pleasantly smooth and cool in the hand and is resistant to fingerprints, with contrasting colors for the nozzle and buttons. Dyson’s car never took off, but the company’s designers took the knowledge they gained about finishes and materials, and applied it to beauty products — which explains why they look so smart.

A row of five small white LEDs show the current power setting, and represent the battery level when the fan is charging..

Should you buy the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if

Don't buy it if

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool is the right fan to keep you cool, here are two other alternatives to consider.

How we tested the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool

• Tested for a week
• Used on trains, in the office, and at the gym
• Tested battery on lowest power mode
• Measured volume with decibel meter app

I spent a week testing the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool in various locations, including trains to work, at the office, and in the gym. I compared its performance directly against that of the Shark ChillPill.

I measured its noise level with a decibel meter app on my phone, and tested its battery life by fully charging it, then allowing it to run on the lowest power setting until it switched off. For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

First reviewed June 2026.

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven: one-minute review

The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven is an efficient and flexible cooking appliance. It has 10 cook modes: Air Fry, Air Roast, Whole Roast, Bake, Pizza, Broil, Reheat, Dehydrate, Toast, and Bagel. You can quickly cook or heat up just about anything you can fit into its extra-large cooking area.

It pre-heats in seconds, and cooks your food faster than you would expect. Obviously we like fast-working appliances, but it also means you need to keep an eye on your food as it cooks. You can't just follow the directions on the prepared food box and walk away; I found that this appliance cooked some frozen items faster than the box directions indicated.

The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven uses "Cyclonic Air Technology." It does allow for speedy all-over cooking and eliminates the need to rotate your food mid-cycle that many air fryer require. However, if you like to put foil and/or parchment paper down on your cook tray, make sure it's anchored down with food on all four corners. Otherwise, it will go flying up into the upper heat elements. Ask me how I know that.

Overall, I was very happy with the The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven. While some parts of the foods got blackened while other parts remained pale, the difference wasn't enough to affect taste. Everything I made came out delicious.

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven: price and availability

• List price: From $279.99 (about £210 / AU$420)
• Only available in the US, unless imported

The The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven is available at many major retailers both online and in stores. Find it at Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Crate & Barrel, Ninja's own website, and more. It starts at $279.99 (about £210 / AU$420) but is currently only available in the US unless your import it.

The stainless steel version retails for $279.99 while the other shades are $20 more. It comes in four colors: Stone and Gold (mostly gold,) Black (with rose gold hardware,) Stainless Steel (as seen in my photos,) and Cyberspace (dark gray with gold hardware.)

• Value score: 4/5

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven: specifications

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven: design and features

• French doors open easily with one hand
• Spacious interior fits a pizza or whole chicken
• Simple, intuitive controls

The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven looks great on the counter. The French doors give it a more upscale look and the control dials are simple and uncluttered. I feared that French doors would require two-handed opening, but that's not the case. The doors work in tandem, so pulling or pushing either door handle moves both doors. The doors are glass, and there is a lightbulb inside, so you can easily see what's cooking.

The power button is on the top left side of the control panel. On the right, a large dial spins to select mode, time, and temperature. Press that same dial to start and stop cooking. Next to the dial are four buttons: Temp/Shade, Mode, Time/Slices, and the light bulb.

The rest of the control panel is black when not in use, but lights up when you turn the oven on. It shows all of the cooking modes (Air Fry, Air Roast, Whole Roast, Bake, Pizza, Broil, Reheat, Dehydrate, Toast, and Bagel) and pertinent information for your current mode. For example, when you're toasting, the panel shows the number of slices and the shade you've chosen. If you're using one of the oven or air fry modes, the panel shows the time and temperature.

The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven does take up a fair bit of counter space, but since it replaces both a toaster oven and an air fryer, I didn't mind. It's quite spacious inside, it easily fits my favorite frozen pizza and could fit a modestly-sized chicken. Included accessories are a five-quart air fry basket, sheet pan, broil rack, and a recipe booklet. The interior cooking rack can be moved up or down to accommodate your desired foods. According to Ninja, the cooking surfaces do not contain PFAS. The crumb tray at the bottom is removable for easy cleaning.

The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven preheats in just 90 seconds and heats up to 450F / 232C. It cooks with cyclonic air, which does a couple of things. First of all, it cooks your food all over without you having to move your food around mid-cycle like you do with many air fryers. According to Ninja, the oven cooks up to 60% faster than conventional ovens and you can use 75% less fat than traditional frying in air fry mode.

This cyclonic air feature also means that if you like to place parchment paper or aluminum foil on your bake tray, you must use caution. The cyclonic air will suck it up into the heating element if you don't have it fully weighed down with food at every edge. Yes, I found that out the hard way. Luckily I was standing close by and cut the power before it caught fire.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven performance

I tested many of the Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven's cooking modes. I had to start with toast, of course. You can adjust for the number of slices and the shade you like, so it's easy to have toast exactly the way you like it. It does take some trial and error. I first did a single slice at level three and got one very dark edge. Later, I did two slices at level four and they both came out perfect.

I tested out Air Fry mode with a number of different foods. I made frozen French fries according to the package instructions (though I did end up adding a little more time) and they came out just right, crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy inside. Another time, I made frozen crinkle French fries. There were some very dark spots, but they tasted quite good.

I also made some sweet potato fries from scratch in Air Fry mode. They don't look pretty, they are covered with dark spots, but I like them that way. They were delicious, nice and soft on the inside. I wouldn't say they were super crisp on the outside, but I barely used any oil. The more oil you use, the crisper your food turns out.

I made tofu in Air Fry mode, with just a simple baking soda coating. It turned out beautifully, nice and crispy on the outside and soft inside.

I made frozen veggies several times, in a number of different modes including both Air Fry and Air Roast mode. I find that the 'air' modes dried out the frozen vegetables a bit, which was what I wanted. Frozen veggies can be quite soggy when cooked in other ways, and I was very happy with how they turned out.

I also made a one-pan meal in Air Roast mode. This included a veggie burger, frozen vegetables, and fresh vegetables. This came out great and only took 15 minutes.

I didn't roast a whole chicken, but I did make a couple of chicken breasts in Whole Roast mode. They came out perfectly, nice and juicy, and I can't think of an easier and faster way to make chicken breasts.

I made frozen pizza in Pizza mode. The first time, I followed the box instructions without watching, and it cooked so fast that it was nearly black at the end (though not too burnt to eat.) The second time, I watched it more closely and stopped it before the time the box indicated. This time it came out great. It's a bit dark around the edges, but it's a big, thick pizza and it was perfectly cooked in the center.

I made some very simple 'bagels' in Bake mode. The dough is just Greek yogurt and self-rising flour. These came out amazing — golden brown on the outside and fluffy inside.

I tried out Reheat mode on two different restaurant leftovers: chicken parmesan and a quesadilla. Both reheated beautifully in just five minutes, without getting burnt or dried out at all.

I was continually surprised by how quickly the Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven cooked a variety of foods. While some foods did get a bit blackened around the edges, they never tasted burnt. Everything I made was thoroughly cooked in the middle and tasted great.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven: also consider

If the Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven isn't for you, here are some other options you might consider.

How I tested the Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven

• I tested many of the different cook cycles
• I used it pretty much daily for a month
• I cleaned it as needed, which wasn't often

I cooked, heated, and reheated a variety of foods, both frozen prepared foods and fresh food from scratch. I used the Air Fry, Air Roast, Whole Roast, Bake, Pizza, Reheat, and Toast cycles multiple times. Over the course of a month, I used it daily, often multiple times per day. I made both fresh and frozen vegetables many, many times. I heated up frozen pizza. I made french fries, both from scratch and frozen, multiple times. I baked two-ingredient "bagels" many times. I reheated a couple of different restaurant leftovers. I air fried some tofu. I made chicken breasts and veggie burgers several times. I toasted bread just about daily.

Read more about how we test.

First reviiewed June 2026

• Shark has launched a new Luxe Collection of robot and cordless vacuums
• The range features muted colors, satin finishes, and metallic accents
• It was designed in partnership with designer and TV personality Jeremiah Brent

Robovacs are perfect for keeping your home tidy between deep cleans, but they're not very attractive. Even the best robot vacuum is usually a piece of black or white plastic that sits in a matching dock, and is something you'd probably prefer to hide away if possible — some owners even build miniature garages to keep their bots out of sight. Now, Shark has come to the rescue with a robot vacuum that looks more like artwork than an appliance.

The company has teamed up with interior designer Jeremiah Brent of design studio AD100, who you might remember as the interior design expert on seasons 9 and 10 of Queer Eye. He's used his expertise to help develop a new version of the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal 2-In-1 Vac & Mop that looks much more appealing than the original, while cleaning just as well.

We awarded the PowerDetect UV Reveal 2-In-1 Vac & Mop four stars out of five in our review, and were particularly impressed by its obstacle avoidance, edge cleaning with extending mop pads, and its ability to lift itself over thresholds. It's not much to look at though, which is unfortunate for such a conspicuous appliance.

Now, however, the same vacuum is available in four subtle new colors — Evergreen, Ivory, Espresso, and Deep Harbor (navy blue) — all of which have co-ordinating satin-finished metallic trim.

These new Luxe Collection robot vacuum is available for the same list price as the original black model ($1,299.99, which works out at about £970 / AU$1,820), though it's worth noting that the black version is currently discounted to $949.99 (about £710 / AU$1,330) in Shark's online store.

At the time of writing, the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal 2-In-1 Vac & Mop Luxe Collection is only available in the US, but I'm hopeful it will be ready to clean homes globally very soon.

Cordless and chic

If you're fed up with an ugly cordless vacuum occupying space on your wall, the Shark Luxe Collection also includes a more stylish version of the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean & Empty. This lightweight vacuum with its flexible head now comes in four extra colors (Oatstone, Harbor Slate, Sagewood, and Walnut), which are again finished with muted metallic accents.

Each vacuum has a list price of $499.99 in the US, or £499.99 in the UK (about AU$700). They're not currently available in Australia, but will hopefully roll out there before long.

Our tester Tim Gee gave the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean & Empty four and a half stars in his review, saying: "It did a great job picking up fine dust and larger debris in our tests on carpet and hard floors, has good edge cleaning, and can easily be moved around the house making it an ideal occasional cleaner."

Last week, Ninja launched its first automatic espresso machine — the Ninja AutoBarista Pro. It offers a menu of 13 customizable drinks, with hot and cold brewing and automatic milk frothing. However, it's also much more expensive than the company's previous flagship coffee maker, the Ninja Luxe Café. Not sure which one is right for you? I'm here to sketch out the key differences between the two, so you can make the best choice. I'd also recommend taking a look at TechRadar's complete guide to the best coffee makers, so you can weigh up your options from other brands, such as De'Longhi, Breville, KitchenAid and Philips.

Price and availability

• Ninja Luxe Café Premier: $599.99 / £549.99 / AU$799.99
• Ninja Luxe Café Pro: $749.99 / £699.99 (about AU$1,040)
• Ninja AutoBarista Pro: $949.99 / £899.99 (about AU$1,320)

There are two Ninja Luxe Café models, one of which costs considerably more than the other. The original Ninja Luxe Café launched in June 2024, and was followed a few months later by the Luxe Café Pro, which has a lever on the side for tamping down your coffee grounds, plus extra coffee- and milk-frothing options.

To differentiate between this new machine and the original, the company renamed the original coffee maker the Ninja Luxe Café Premier.

The Ninja Luxe Café Premier has a list price of $599.99 / £549.99 / AU$799.99, while the Ninja Luxe Café Pro is $749.99 / £699.99. That works out at approximately AU$1,040, but at the time of writing the Ninja Luxe Café Pro isn't available in Australia.

Now that they're a couple of years old, you'll often find both models at a discount, particularly during sales events like Amazon Prime Day — Amazon just confirmed its next Prime Day event for June 23-26 — and Black Friday.

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro was released in May 2026, priced at $949.99 / £899.99. That's about AU$1,320, but again, this machine isn't yet sold in Australia. At the time of writing (June 2026) the AutoBarista Pro is brand new, so it hasn't received any price cuts yet. You'll find today's best deals on all three coffee makers below.

Features

• Ninja AutoBarista Pro brews coffee at the press of a button
• Ninja Luxe Café requires you to get a bit more hands-on
• Both steam milk automatically, but you need to pour it yourself

The Ninja Luxe Café is a semi-automatic coffee maker, while the Ninja AutoBarista Pro is fully automatic. Both take whole beans and let you make coffee with no prior experience, but the Luxe Café is a little more hands-on.

The Ninja Luxe Café grinds your coffee into a portafilter, which you then move under the brewing group (the part of the machine that dispenses hot, pressurized water). With the AutoBarista Pro, the entire brewing process happens inside the machine, so you only have to press a button and wait for your drink to be dispensed.

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro has two bean hoppers, so you can switch between coffee types on the fly (particularly handy if, like me, you prefer to drink decaf in the afternoon), whereas the Ninja Luxe Café only has one.

Both machines have steel burr grinders. The Ninja Luxe Café has 25 grind settings, while the AutoBarista Pro has 50 settings, giving you more control over the rate at which your coffee is extracted — and therefore the final flavor. Both machines guide you to help achieve the optimal grind size for your chosen coffee, but the AutoBarista Pro takes into account extra factors such as the age of the beans, tweaking the settings accordingly.

Both machines are capable of brewing espresso and drip coffee (which is quite unusual), as well as cold-brewed coffee. Both can also produce creamy foamed milk for lattes and cappuccinos, with different texture settings. Alternatively, you can raise the steam wand of either machine a few degrees and steam milk manually.

Neither coffee maker will dispense milk into your cup; whether you use the auto foaming function or use the steam wand manually, you'll need to pour it in yourself. This is particularly unusual for a fully automatic coffee maker, but has the advantage that you can experiment with pouring latte art.

Maintenance

• Both machines are designed for easy cleaning
• AutoBarista Pro has a fan to keep components cool and dry
• Both have user-friendly descaling programs

Fully automatic coffee makers usually take more effort to maintain than semi-automatic models because of the heat, moisture, and coffee grounds inside the case, but all of the AutoBarista Pro's removable components are dishwasher-safe, and there's a fan inside to keep everything cool and dry (something I've never seen before on a coffee machine).

The Ninja Luxe Café is also easy to keep clean; just wash the portafilter and basket, clean the drip tray, purge and wipe down the steam wand, and flush the group set with hot water to keep it fresh.

Conclusion

• Ninja Luxe Café for price
• Ninja AutoBarista Pro for convenience

If price is the most important factor, then you can't go wrong with the Ninja Luxe Café. It's an excellent coffee maker that gives you far more features than many other models in the same price range. Personally I'd choose the Premier model rather than the Pro. Although the tamping lever is a nice addition that's satisfying to use, and means you're never in contact with loose coffee grounds, tamping coffee by hand isn't hard and I don't think it's worth an extra $150 / £150.

If time is more valuable to you, and you want a machine that can brew your coffee while you tackle other tasks, the Ninja AutoBarista Pro is a better choice, handling the whole process for you. It's also easier to keep clean and hygienic than most automatic coffee makers, so you won't have to sacrifice time later in the day washing components by hand and drying the interior.

I've been reviewing robot vacuum cleaners since Ecovacs Robotics brought its first Deebot to Australia about a decade ago. So I like to think that I've learnt a few things about what to look for when buying one — knowledge that I've used to curate the best robot vacuums in Australia right now.

The manufacturers don't make it easy, do they? They make every spec sheet sound glowing, but you get what you pay for, especially when it comes to robot vacuums. It's understandable that you'd want an affordable model, and there are plenty that make sacrifices to keep costs down — you just need to be able to understand what those sacrifices mean for your personal use case.

In the same vein, you don't have to spend thousands on a robovac, although you will get the top-of-the-line models at premium prices that offer plenty of smart features. Some of those, like agentic voice assistants and Matter connectivity, aren't really necessary, but you might want pet-specific features that cheaper models won't have. But not all expensive models are reliable cleaners.

So, what's a good robot vacuum to buy then? On paper, the Ecovacs Deebot T50 Pro Omni sounds good at half price, but my experience with it was very disappointing, but we found the older and cheaper T30 family to be better.

Now, you're not expected to know what's good and what isn't, so I've picked a few models that I think are worth considering right now, and they're all discounted. They do pretty much the same things — vacuum, mop and clean themselves, so you don't need to do much yourself — at different price points. Where they vary is suction power, but I've listed a variety that should cover carpets and pet needs too.

Follow my live coverage of Amazon's Mid-Year Sale for more vacuum cleaner discounts.

My top robovac deals

What to look for in a robot vacuum

I picked the above robot vacuums based on my own or a colleague's experience of either trying the exact model or a related one that's very similar. When we test robovacs here at TechRadar, we look at specific things like cleaning prowess, battery life, dock performance and much more.

Allow me to break it down into easier terms for you here, so you can choose the best automated cleaning machine yourself from my four picks or any other model you might have been eyeing.

1. Suction power
It's in the name — a robovac's primary function is to vacuum, and for that it needs good suction power. Gone are the days when 6,000Pa was considered class leading. Now it's upwards of 20,000Pa. Now, while the higher suction power is a good thing, a robovac's cleaning prowess is also dependent on the airflow inside the bot to ensure it's able to suck up even fine particles and push them through into the onboard bin. If you have carpets, definitely look for high suction specs, but hard floors will be cleaned easily with less.

2. Mopping
Practically every robovac available today can mop as well, so you're paying for the feature anyway, but how well they're able to do so varies. Older models barely wet the floor, but newer models allow you to set a water-flow rate to suit your floor type. Some models that use circular mop pads can apply a little scrubbing motion and a tiny amount of downward pressure to tackle some stains, but I've found that roller mops perform better. However, robovacs with rollers are the premium kind, although models like the Roborock Saros 10 listed above can mop really well with its pads. Just make sure you pick one that can extend both pads outward for edge cleaning.

3. Robot height & threshold clearance
Most bots have a little puck on the top that houses their navigation tech and, sometimes, a camera. This can prevent the droid from rolling under some low-lying furniture, which means you may have areas being left uncleaned. If you do have low furniture, pick a model with no puck or a retracting puck, but these are premium options. Similarly, you'll want a bot that can clear at least a 3cm threshold or you'll need to move it manually if it gets stuck somewhere. Again, premium models can now do well over 4cm.

4. Dock performance
You definitely want to make sure the mops on the bot are cleaned thoroughly after each mopping session, and then dried as well. This prevents germ growth and odour build up. Now, every all-in-one model has a dock uses warm water and air to do so, but the more effective cleaners use hot water and warm air for the same task. I'm yet to meet a dock that isn't too loud when sucking out dirt into the dust bag, though — I'd love that.

5. Navigation & obstacle avoidance
This is very important, of course. If the tech can't ensure the bot can circumnavigate around socks, shoes, toys or anything else on the floor, what's the point? So ensure you find a model with good software that allows it to travel a path that's both effective and efficient. You also want one that doesn't keep going around in circles, cleaning the same spot multiple times.

6. Battery life
This really shouldn't be an issue with most robovacs available today as most will offer a decent runtime, but you definitely want to pick one that can clean for at least 20-30 minutes at higher settings. Sadly manufacturers only list the maximum runtime based on the lowest settings, so take it with a pinch of salt as real-world use will never get you upwards of 100 minutes as some spec sheets claim.

7. Other features to consider
You want to make sure the mops can extend for edge cleaning, while a side brush will typically take care of the vacuuming part. Note, however, that most robot vacuums, no matter how expensive, can miss corners. If you have pets, there are premium models that now offer pet-poo avoidance features and higher suction power to suck up fur and dander. Even for just the family, you definitely want a bot that uses an anti-tangle central bar brush. Smart features, like voice control or Matter connectivity, are nice but unnecessary for the average user. And while some robovacs can double up as a security bot, allowing you to keep an eye on your home via its onboard camera, there are security risks with this feature — another one that's nice to have but not necessary.

8. Never pay full price
If there's one home appliance you should never pay RRP for it's robot vacuums. They're frequently discounted, which means you can pick up a really good one at a better price.

Coway Airmega 350: one-minute review

The Airmega 350 is a large-room air purifier from the South Korean brand Coway that's been quietly building a reputation outside the UK for over 30 years. It's designed to cover spaces up to a whopping 245 square meters, packing a CADR of 713 cubic meters per hour and a three-stage HEPA and activated carbon filter.

In terms of design, it's a clean, white cylinder that blends into most rooms without any fuss, topped with an intuitive touch panel and a color-changing ring that gives you a quick read on air quality. It looks good, though the plastic chassis does feel a bit cheap in places, especially the removable filter panel at the back.

Performance is where the Airmega 350 really stands out, though. It's remarkably quiet during everyday use, even compared to the best air purifiers, the sensor reacts fast to cooking smells and dust, and it cleared my living room noticeably within minutes of detecting something. Auto mode means it can run in the background completely hands-off, and Sleep mode means it can do its job while you're sleeping in the same room, since it's near-silent. I also noticed a real drop in surface dust after just a few days of running it.

The biggest downside in the Airmega 350 is the lack of any Wi-Fi or app control, which is a bit disappointing — especially at this price. You can't check stats, adjust settings remotely, or turn it off from your phone. It's also a big unit with no wheels and only one handle, so moving it between rooms isn't ideal. But if you value air-cleaning performance over smart features, the Airmega 350 is a powerful purifier that won't disappoint.

Coway Airmega 350 review: Price and release date

• Costs $249.99 / £254.99 / AU$699

The Airmega 350 is available to buy now in the US and UK. It sits in the premium end of the air purifier market, but it's not unreasonable for what you're getting. Even at its RRP of £299.99 / $339 / AU$699, it undercuts a lot of Dyson's range, sitting alongside comparable models from Philips and Blueair. What’s more, at the time of writing, the unit is on sale direct from Coway’s official web store in the UK and US for £254.99 and $249.99 respectively, making it an even better deal.

Replacement filters don’t come cheap, however, costing around £69.99 / $89 / AU$135. Coway says they should last over a year with normal use. At the time of writing, filters in the UK were available on Amazon UK but were sold out on Coway's UK site, which is a bit frustrating if you prefer buying from the brand directly. Coway says these will be back in stock soon, but it's worth keeping in mind.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Coway Airmega 350 review: Design

• Clean, cylindrical design that blends in with most rooms
• Touch controls are intuitive but feel a bit plasticky
• No wheels and only one handle for a unit this size

The Coway Airmega 350 is a tall, white cylinder that stands about 59cm high and 30cm across. It's not small, but the cylindrical shape means it takes up less visual space than a boxy purifier would, and the clean white, minimal finish means it doesn't demand too much attention, blending in well with most home decor.

The translucent touch panel on top is nicely laid out and intuitive to use. There’s buttons for mode, fan speed, timer (one, four or eight hours), a lights on/off toggle, and a filter replacement reminder. The color-changing ring around the panel shifts from blue (clean air) through green and yellow to red (high pollution), giving you quick visuals on what's going on without you needing to check a screen. Even without reading any instruction manuals, it didn't take me long at all to figure out what everything did, which is exactly how it should be.

I'll be honest, though: the unit’s build quality doesn't quite match its looks. The touch panel works well and is responsive enough, but the plastics feel a bit on the cheap side. The removable back panel that gives access to the filter clips off easily enough (perhaps a little too easily, actually) and has a slightly flimsy feel to it. It's not going to fall apart, but it does knock the premium impression down a notch when in the hand.

One thing worth knowing is that the purified air blows upwards out of the top, not outwards like a fan. So if you're thinking this might double up as a cooling device, it won't. It's a purifier, not a fan, and Coway hasn't tried to pretend otherwise here.

And finally, for those who might be looking to move this device around often depending on where they feel air purification is needed, it’s worth knowing there are no wheels on the base, and there's only a single carry handle on the back. For something this size, that's probably a bit of an oversight. On the other hand, it’s relatively light (just under 8kg) and so not too difficult to carry between short distances.

• Design score: 3.5 / 5

Coway Airmega 350 review: Features and performance

• Remarkably quiet, even on the most powerful mode
• Sensor is very responsive to cooking smells and smoke
• No Wi-Fi or app is a missed opportunity

Performance is where the Coway Airmega 350 really shines. Turn it on and the first thing you notice is just how quiet it is. On its lowest settings, it's genuinely hard to tell it's running. Even in Auto mode, where the fan ramps up and down based on what the sensor detects, the noise stays in the background. Sleep mode is practically silent, and I had no trouble running it overnight, even in the same room.

What’s more, when the sensor detects something specific it needs to react to, it does so fast. During use, I found that cooking smells from the kitchen would trigger the fan to kick up within seconds, with the ring shifting from blue to yellow or red, and within a few minutes the air would be noticeably fresher and the ring would settle back to blue. The same went for general dust and pet-related particles. It just gets on with its job quietly — you hardly notice it’s there.

The real star of the show, however, is the Airmega 350’s three-stage filter (pre-filter, HEPA and activated carbon). In my tests, I found this did a great job across the board. Coway claims it captures 99.99% of airborne pollutants, and while I can't verify that number, I can say that the amount of dust settling on surfaces in my living room was noticeably less during use. And when it comes to changing it, the filter itself is easy to access through the unit’s side panel, popping out without any tools needed.

I found that the Airmega 350’s four modes (Auto, Sleep, Eco and Turbo) cover most scenarios well. Auto is the one I used most, and it's genuinely impressive at regulating itself. Sleep dims the lights and drops the fan to near-silence, while Eco runs on low power until it detects something, then kicks in. Meanwhile, Turbo is for emergencies, like when you've burnt the toast, the smoke alarm is going off and you need to clean the air ASAP. It's louder, obviously, but I found it can clear the air super fast.

There’s only one major niggle in the Airmega 350, and that’s its lack of Wi-Fi and app support. In fact, there’s no smart home integration whatsoever. For a purifier at this price, that feels like a missed opportunity and it’s kind of expected for a device of this calibre these days, so it’s something I think buyers will miss. This lack of app support means you can't check air quality stats from your phone, you can't adjust settings remotely, and you can't turn it off if you've left it running and you're already out the door. It's not the end of the world, but it is an odd omission when Coway's own pricier Airmega 450 does have app connectivity. It feels like the 350 is being held back on purpose to protect the model above it, which is a bit annoying.

• Features and performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Coway Airmega 350?

Don't buy it if…

Coway Airmega 350 review: Also consider

How I tested the Coway Airmega 350

I used the Coway Airmega 350 as my main air purifier for several weeks in an open-plan living room. I tested all four modes during my time with it, which included monitoring the sensor's reaction to cooking, dust and general household air, and assessing the build quality, noise levels, filter access and day-to-day usability throughout.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read more about how we test

Apart from investing in quality stainless steel cookware, no other piece of equipment has revolutionised my kitchen more than my air fryer. Despite it being a cheap no-brand hand-me-down, my air fryer has consistently produced delicious meals and revived leftover takeaway for close to zero effort.

I could only imagine how much better my meals could get with a higher-quality air fryer, and that’s prompted me to shop around for an upgrade during Amazon’s Mid-Year Sale. It turns out that there are plenty of air fryer deals and now I’m struggling to pick just one to buy.

The good news is that I can share these deals with you, if you’re also in the same boat as me, or if you’re buying an air fryer for the first time.

From some of the best air fryers across a range of use cases to some affordable options at the top of Amazon’s bestseller list, here are 7 deals I’ve found:

I test a lot of coffee machines here at TechRadar - over a dozen every year - and there's one thing that always frustrates me. Although automatic coffee makers save you time and effort when you want to brew your drink (just press a button, wait a minute, and enjoy), the time and effort required to clean them means you lose that time later on.

With automatic coffee makers, the entire brewing process happens inside the case: grinding beans, tamping grounds, heating water, and pulling the shot. On the outside, everything looks neat and tidy, but take the maintenance panel off the side after preparing a drink, and you'll find a warm, steamy environment with at least some condensation and stray coffee grounds clinging to the surfaces. If you don't dedicate time to cleaning it all carefully and allow it to dry properly overnight, it's a recipe for mold.

It's as disgusting as it sounds — see this Reddit post if you have a strong stomach). To quote one Redditor, "If the apocalypse happens tomorrow and we’ve forgotten how to make penicillin, you’ve got that in a ready-to-drink form now!"

The new Ninja AutoBarista Pro will still need regular cleaning, but the company's engineers have specifically targeted this gross and time-consuming problem.

Wash and blow-dry

Firstly, Ninja says that the brew unit, drip and cup trays, milk jug, bean hopper, and puck bin are all removable and, even more importantly, dishwasher-safe. It's normal to be able to remove all of these components except for the bean hopper, but I've never seen a coffee maker where they're all dishwasher-safe as well. The pitcher may be, but certainly not the drip trays, let alone the brew unit. This won't just be faster and easier than hand-washing, it will be more hygienic as well.

Even better, the AutoBarista Pro has a fan fitted inside the case (just like the one in your desktop PC) that helps keep things cool and dry between brews. It's such a great idea, I'm surprised it's never been done before. Usually, I recommend leaving the side panel off your machine as long as possible to let moisture evaporate and avoid turning your expensive coffee maker into a cozy petri dish, but this will help keep things hygienic without the hassle.

The AutoBarista Pro also automatically rinses itself after each brew to keep the dispenser clear of residue and ensure your coffee tastes as good as possible.

We'll be testing the AutoBarista Pro very soon here at TechRadar, and will bring you a full review once we've put it through its paces and determined whether it can earn a place in our roundup of the best espresso machines.

• The new Google Home Speaker could be arriving on June 25
• Best Buy Canada updated its product listing with a release date
• The Google Store still reads 'Coming Spring 2026'

Just when I thought the upcoming Google Home Speaker would never see the light of day, a possible release date has surfaced — and it could be here in a matter of weeks.

A product listing for the Google Home Speaker on the Best Buy Canada site points to a June 25 release date, so if you’ve been patiently waiting for the arrival of Google’s first smart speaker in six years, you could get your hands on it sooner than you think.

Though this is exciting news for those who’ve been waiting to upgrade, it’s best to take this placeholder date with a pinch of salt before you get your hopes up. At the moment, there’s no mention of an official release date on the Best Buy US page, and Google Store also hasn’t been updated either.

As far as pricing goes, we have more information on how much the Google Home Speaker will cost depending on region. It’s listed for $99.99 / £99.99 on the Google Store, and CA$139.99 on Best Buy Canada. When it comes to color options, the speaker will be available in four different shades in the US (Berry, Jade, Hazel, and Porcelain), while the UK and Canada will only have two (Hazel and Porcelain).

Back when Google first showcased the smart speaker in October 2025, we were lucky enough to get hands-on with it to see how it differs from the Nest Audio. Its biggest upgrades are the 360-audio design (which resembles the Apple HomePod Mini), and its connectivity improvements, allowing you to group multiple Google Home Speakers which you can pair with the Google TV Streamer to enhance your audio.

That said, the Google Home Speaker will also get some major Gemini upgrades, where you can ask pretty much any topical question and make smart home commands for a more casual, conversational-like experience. Additionally, Gemini works to better understand the context of your voice commands and questions to give you more accurate answers.

To say the Google Home Speaker’s release has been a long slog is an understatement. We first caught a glimpse of Google’s next gen smart speaker during its Made by Google event in August 2025, when it teased a mysterious Nest smart speaker.

The company unveiled the smart speaker right after Amazon announced the next generation of its own line of Echo devices, and was projected for a spring 2026 arrival, which we assumed would be between March - May, and it’s been a waiting game ever since.

Google is really cutting it close with its smart speaker release as we’re officially past the expected release timeframe. Spring officially ends on June 21, meaning that if Google goes ahead with its June 25 release, it would have just missed the Spring cut-off.

While I prefer the term "thrifty," some might call me cheap. I manage expenses pretty closely, which means I don't typically sign up for subscription services on various smart home devices. But that's the only way one could experience Ring's still-in-beta Familiar Faces feature, and it is kind of a game-changer.

To be clear, I still did not sign up for the necessary Pro Tier $20-a-month service to gain access to the new facial-recognition-powered feature. Ring's parent Amazon offered to give me temporary access so I could get a feel for Familiar Faces, and I'm glad they did.

How it works

As the name implies, Familar Faces can automatically identify known and unknown faces as they appear in front of your Ring camera. Since it relies in part on video resolution to generate those IDs, you'll need at least an HD-grade video doorbell. My Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 supports "HD+" (1536p). Ring actually recommends one of its pricier 4K models for the best Familar Face performance.

Nothing changes on the hardware side, but once you enable the feature in your ring app, it'll start capturing faces.

On the Ring Video Doorbell interface, the timeline shows when an unknown face appears in front of your doorbell. Click on it, and you get a handful of face thumbnails, and then you can label it.

I must admit that once I started using Familair Faces, it felt a little weird seeing all the faces it captured. There was my mailman. Then I saw the guy who repaired my door, and I saw my neighbor when he dropped by to deliver a package that was mistakenly delivered to his home. Then there were my family members. It felt like I was spying on people.

Even so, I diligently went about labeling whomever I could, even the mailman, whom I called "Mailman." Also, unless someone comes to the front door, Familar Faces won't identify them. Ring still takes note of activities, but its ability to perform facial recognition is limited to faces a few feet away from the front door.

In some instances, I noticed that when family members appeared, Familar Faces correctly identified them. Still, it could not properly reidentify the mailman.

I was surprised that even though Ring now knows my family's faces, and my Ring Video Doorbell is connected to my Alexa+-powered Echo Show, I couldn't use Alexa+ to show, for instance, all the times my wife appeared at the front door. Instead, Alexa+ just wanted to show me all the videos from the last two weeks.

Faces in the cloud

The ID doesn't happen on the Ring device or even your smartphone. Instead, face data is encrypted and sent to Ring's cloud, where it's stored for further face matching.

You can go in and delete identified faces at any time, and then they're deleted from the cloud, too.

For the faces I've captured and identified (up to 50), I can see everyone's comings and goings, including my own. It's nice to know when my wife arrived home safely (and not confuse it with the postal service showing up). But I hesitate to show this to any of my family members who might find it invasive.

In that case, they'll probably be pleased that my Pro trial will end soon, as will my access to Familiar Faces beta. I'll lose the ability to instantly identify and video people as they approach my front door. I'll also lose access to that archive of up to 180 days of video. That, I may miss the most (all those dogs and squirrels).

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series: two-minute review

The Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series is a premium automatic coffee maker that works brilliantly by itself, and even better when paired with the Philips HomeID mobile app.

The Café Aromis offers a huge menu of over 50 different hot and cold drinks, and encourages you to tinker with brew settings to achieve the flavor you prefer with your chosen beans. You can do this via the large, bright touchscreen, or better yet, through the mobile app, which guides you through your options with an interface styled like an AI chatbot, and saves your preferences to your profile for quick access later. You can even start brewing remotely through the app.

Once you’ve got the brew settings nailed down (including tweaking the grind size using a dial inside the bean hopper), you’ll enjoy consistently delicious hot and cold drinks, with thick and creamy hot or cold milk. The machine has two milk carafes (one for each temperature) and each one disassembles into three pieces of hard plastic that are extremely easy to keep clean without any special tools or solutions.

The Café Aromis is quiet too, and during my tests it was very similar to the Quiet Mark certified KitchenAid KF6 when heating, grinding, and brewing.

It’s hard to find fault with the Café Aromis, and I only noticed a few small quirks during testing. The chute for adding pre-ground coffee and bypassing the grinder has a tendency to steam up during brewing, and must be dried carefully to avoid coffee grounds sticking to the lid. You also have to take care to allow everything to cool down thoroughly before preparing an iced drink, otherwise the milk will be dispensed with a jet of steam and the drink will turn out warm — which isn’t a problem I experienced with the Jura J10 coffee maker.

Overall, the Café Aromis doesn’t just brew excellent coffee — it makes the process fun as well, even if you have no barista experience and don’t know which brew settings you need to change to alter the taste of your coffee. As long as you can describe the flavor you like, the machine will do the rest for you and make it effortless.

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series: specifications

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series: price and availability

• Available in the US and UK, but not yet in Australia
• List price of $1,699.99 / £849.99 (about AU$2,380)
• Cheaper than many similarly-specced automatic coffee makers

Philips unveiled the Café Aromis 8000 Series in March 2026, priced at $1,699.99 / £849.99. That converts to about AU$2,380, but at the time of writing (May 2026) it's not yet available in Australia.

That's certainly not cheap, but nor is it excessively expensive considering how much the Aromis has to offer. It costs around the same as the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch, which currently sits at the top of our roundup of the best coffee makers, and is a semi-automatic model without the automation and customization as the Aromis, or the connectivity.

In terms of features, the Aromis is closer to the Siemens EQ900 Plus, which has a list price of £2,199 (about $2,800 / AU$4,300) and isn't widely available outside Europe. In that contect, the Aromis represents very good value for money.

• Value score: 5/5

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series: design

• Premium look and feel
• Large, bright touchscreen
• Thoughtful design touches

The Cafe Aromis is one of the best-looking coffee machines I’ve ever tested, with a smart brushed metal case, a huge color touchscreen, and even a little real wood on top of the coffee dispenser — a small touch that adds to the premium feel.

There are two carafes — one for foaming hot milk and one for cold — which can be disassembled into three pieces of hard plastic for easy cleaning. There are no awkward tubes to wash, and milk never enters the body of the machine, avoiding buildup of bacteria.

Every part of the machine feels solid and well-engineered. For example, the coffee dispenser moves smoothly up and down to accommodate different sized cups, and can slide extra high if you want to brew directly into a travel mug (one of the options you’ll find in the machine’s extensive menus). The drip tray is deep enough to prevent spills, and has a pouring spout at the back for easy emptying. The case doesn’t attract fingerprints like many I’ve tested.

Even the maintenance hatch is nicely designed, with a hinge so you don’t have to remove it entirely, plus a brewing unit that’s easy to lift out for cleaning. Sometimes I’ve spent a long time wondering how to replace the brew unit in automatic coffee makers, but with the Aromis it only fits one way and slides right into place.

The water tank is easy to remove and replace too, and comes with a water hardness testing strip and a water filter. The machine walks you through the process of testing your tap water and installing the filter during setup, to ensure it’s configured correctly.

The hopper sits on top of the machine, so make sure you have plenty of clearance overhead to access it. It has a tinted plastic lid with a rubber seal, which keeps out air and allows you to check how much coffee is remaining without admitting too much light, helping to keep everything fresh.

You’ll also find a chute at the front of the hopper, where you can add pre-ground coffee if you want a break from your usual beans. Just use the measuring scoop provided to ensure you get the correct dosage, and remember that you can’t adjust the strength of your drink if you do so — just the volume and temperature.

• Design score: 5/5

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series: performance

• Hot and cold espresso and milk foam
• Consistent results
• Excellent mobile app
• Quiet heating, grinding, and brewing

As I’ve come to expect from Philips, the Café Aromis 8000 Series produces consistently excellent coffee, and although you’re spoilt for choice with a menu of over 50 hot and cold drinks, they are all broken down into sub-menus so it’s easy to find exactly what you want. Start by picking hot or cold coffee with or without milk, then peruse the various options.

You’ll be prompted to select the type of beans you’re using (arabica or robusta, and the roast level), but you can always tinker with the strength and brew temperature later, tweak the grind size, and adjust the proportions of espresso, water, and milk in longer drinks.

One of the biggest selling points of the Café Aromis is its noise shielding, and during my tests it reached a maximum of 74dB while heating, 68dB when grinding, and 73dB when pumping. It’s certainly not silent, but ranks among the quietest bean-to-cup coffee makers I’ve tested; very similar to the Quiet Mark certified KitchenAid KF6.

Using pre-ground coffee worked well too, though I found that the lid of the chute tended to steam up during brewing, with water condensing on the lid, so I ended up leaving it open between brews so it could dry. It’s not a serious problem, but ground coffee will stick to any residual water, so it’s a little annoying. It’s also worth noting that, unlike some other coffee makers, the Café Aromis can’t detect when you’ve added grounds, so you’ll need to select the option manually before you begin brewing.

The hot and cold milk carafes both produce thick, creamy foam, and during my tests they worked equally well with dairy, oat, and soy milks, which is always good to see. The carafes are very similar to the one used by the Philips LatteGo 5500, but it seems that the designers have solved the problem of milk occasionally missing the cup, as I never experienced this problem with the Café Aromis. Milk arced neatly into the cup even when I didn’t place it perfectly.

The machine’s touchscreen is large, bright, and easy to operate, but for me, the Cafe Aromis really comes into its own when connected to the Philips HomeID app. In my experience, mobile apps don’t usually add much to the experience of using a coffee machine — at most, they typically give usage and maintenance instructions that you could just as easily find in the paper instruction manual. HomeID is different though, and although you can create profiles and customize your favorite drinks using the machine’s interface directly, using the app makes it much easier.

Connecting the Philips Café Aromis to HomeID is straightforward: register yourself with HomeID (or allow it to use your Google account), then give it permission to search for nearby appliances, and add the coffee maker when it’s detected. Enter your Wi-Fi password to complete the pairing, and you’re ready to go. I was prompted to give the coffee maker access to call history, which was a little strange, so I declined and there didn’t seem to be any impact on the app’s functionality.

That done, it’s time to create a profile. After entering your name and choosing a color for easy identification, pick at least four of your favorite drinks, then customize them to suit your tastes and the size of your cups. Next time you want to brew, these will all be available via quick access shortcuts, so you don’t need to spend time poking at the machine’s screen.

Unlike many mobile apps for coffee machines, HomeID also lets you start brewing remotely, which is great if you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to get off the sofa until absolutely necessary. You’ll need to verify that the Café Aromis is positioned in such a way that this will be safe, but once that’s done (and provided you have a cup in place), you can prepare a drink with a couple of taps.

It’s all very well designed, but my favorite app feature is the Barista Assistant, which helps you tinker with the taste of your drinks, even if you don’t have any coffee-making experience. The Assistant looks like an AI chatbot, and asks questions about how you’d like your coffee to taste, then changes the machine’s internal settings for you. I confess that I found my first espresso a little too strong, but I was easily able to tweak it using the Barista Assistant, which then saved my preference for future use.

The only thing that the Barista Assistant can’t control remotely is the grind size, which you can adjust yourself using a dial inside the bean hopper. This has a significant effect on flavor, so it’s worth taking some time to tinker with it if your drink tastes too sour and ‘thin’ (under-extracted) or bitter (over-extracted).

It’s important to take care when brewing cold drinks, however, and ensure the machine has had a chance to cool down if you’ve recently prepared something hot. The first time I tried to make an iced latte macchiato, the drink turned out warm because I started making it too soon after a hot espresso, and the brew group was still hot.

That, and the condensation in the coffee grounds chute, were my only two quibbles with the Café Aromis, and in my opinion they weren't significant enough to stop it earning a full five stars.

• Performance score: 5/5

Should you buy the Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Philips Café Aromis is the right coffee maker for you, here are two other options to add to your shortlist.

How I tested the Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series

I used the Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series for two weeks with my usual regular and decaffeinated coffee beans, freshly bought from a local coffee roaster. I also used Lavazza ground coffee to test the hopper-bypass function. I used the hot and cold milk carafes with full-fat dairy, and barista-style oat and soy milks.

I tested my tap water using the hardness testing strip included with the coffee maker and adjusted the hardness setting accordingly. I also installed the water filter following the manufacturer's instructions.

I made a wide range of hot and cold coffee drinks, with and without milk, and experimented with customizing them using the settings on board the machine itself, and the Barista Assistant in the mobile app.

For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

First reviewed May 2026

Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2: two-minute review

The Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 is a manual coffee machine that sits more at the prosumer end of the market. Its whole raison d'être is around helping you make barista-quality coffee by hand and, it achieves this thanks to the assistance of some smart features that help streamline the process, while leaving control fully in your hands.

As a complete package, the Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 is an undeniably polished product. It has a silhouette just sleek enough to fulfil its prosumer aspirations and its tiltable touchscreen is super easy to use. It also comes with almost every accessory you could want and each is engineered to such a high standard that they’re a real pleasure to use, especially the hefty tamper and coffee distributor.

Beneath the hood, it has hardware as impressive as any of the best coffee makers we’ve tested. Its rotary pump maintains pressure better than the vibration pump many mass market machines rock, while its dual boilers ensure the steam wand won’t start to sputter out part way through foaming your milk.

It’s the Meraki’s smart features that really set it apart from other machines though — rather than automating every part of your coffee making routine, it augments them. For example, its built-in scale allows you to grind coffee to a specific weight every time, while a second scale lets you brew your coffee by weight, making it far easier to dial in a very specific grind to extraction ratio. Meanwhile, an integrated temperature sensor in the steam wand means you can set it to cut out when your milk hits your target heat, which is easier than relying on temperature alone.

So what’s it like in use? Honestly, pretty slick. Dialing in your perfect grind and dose feels far more granular than usual, thanks to the integrated scales. Those solidly built accessories make transferring, evening out and tamping your coffee far easier, then you can easily set to extract a ristretto or long black depending on your preference. Frothing milk is rarely my favorite part of making a coffee, yet that temperature sensor allowed me to concentrate more on honing my technique.

As a result, the whole manual process felt as rewarding as ever, while producing delicious and exceedingly consistent coffee. I was able to extract just the right flavor profile out of even cheaper beans over and over, while the one brew I produced with a more premium batch really let its exquisite mango tasting notes shine through. Despite the fact I’m not a major fan of milk in coffee, even the macchiato I whipped up using its steaming wand tasted great, with just the right amount of foam to add texture without overpowering the flavor of the coffee.

Really my only substantial criticism of the Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 is its cost. Coming in at $1,799 / £1,599 / AU$2,799, it resides firmly at the premium end of the market and I imagine there will be quite a few people who balk at the idea of dropping that much on a manual coffee maker. However, cost is not the same as value: the experience of using this machine and the quality results you’ll get out of it totally warrant that price for those that can stretch to it.

Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 review: price & availability

• Available now
• List price of $1,799 / £1,599 / AU$2,799
• Available in white and black colorways

Having first been available for pre-order in March 2026, the Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 is available now. It comes in two colorways: black or white. And barring a knock box, it comes with pretty much every accessory you could need, whether that’s a tamper, coffee distributor, cleaning brush, or blind portafilter basket for backflushing.

You’ll pay a premium for this premium device though. At a list price of $1,799 / £1,599 / AU$2,799, this is an undeniably prosumer device that comes in at the top price range of the best bean-to-cup makers we’ve featured. While it’s not quite as spendy as something like the $2,799.95 / £1,915 (around AU$3,865) Breville Oracle Touch (known under the brand name Sage in the UK) or the £2,199 (around $2,970 / AU$4,100) Siemens EQ900 Plus, it’s an expensive machine and doesn’t come with as many automated features as some machines. I’d argue it’s well worth the price you’ll pay but such a premium manual machine won’t be for everyone.

Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 review: specs

Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 review: design

• Attractive, suitably professional-looking design
• Well-made accessories
• CoffeeSense only useful for Meraki beans

I’ll be upfront here: I flat out love the way the Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 looks. At 14.57 x 14.57 x 16.34 inches / 370 x 370 x 415mm, it’s hardly the sveltest machine I’ve ever tested. But the fact its water tank, bean hopper and boilers are all separate towers prevents it from looking too hulking on my countertop, while the combo of its chrome fixtures and pivotable touch screen give it just enough flair to stand out from your average coffee machine.

But it’s not just the Meraki’s aesthetics that are finished to a high standard. All the accessories packaged with it feel seriously premium, and there weren’t any glaring omissions. Everything has a reassuring solidity to it: the portafilter has a wonderfully tactile wooden handle, while the solid metal of both the coffee distributor and tamp has sufficient heft to give you real confidence when producing the perfect puck of grounds. Extra little touches like the wooden box for storing the accessories on just add that final polish to the experience.

Don’t be fooled by this focus on looks though. Underneath the Meraki’s sleek exterior beats the ferocious industrial heart of a prosumer espresso machine. Discrete boilers for the brew system and steam wand should mean that you don’t have to worry about the wand’s pressure giving out part way through steaming, while its rotary pump maintains nine bars of pressure more consistently than the vibration pump used by many home machines.

The Meraki also has a decent amount of capacity. The water tank itself has a volume of 2.1qt / 2,000ml, which I’d say is pretty average for a coffee maker — you’ll get plenty of brews out of that, even if it’s not as colossal as something like the huge 2.6qt / 2.5L Breville Oracle Touch. Meanwhile, the Meraki’s bean hopper measures 2.36 inches high by 4.06 inches diameter / 60 x 103mm. Generally I found that was sufficient to fuel around four double espressos but, naturally, your mileage will vary depending on how you like to dose your grounds.

One of the things I love about the Meraki is that it sits firmly in the camp of a manual espresso machine — there’s no bean-to-cup function here — but it comes crammed with features to make you better at pulling shots and foaming milks.

Perhaps the most explicitly ‘smart’ function is its CoffeeSense feature. This allows you to scan a tag on compatible Meraki coffee bags and it will suggest the recommended grind size, dosing weight and extraction temperature for those beans to help you get the best result out of those beans. I can definitely see how that would be a neat feature for someone who’s happy to stick with one brand of beans but part of the joy of coffee for me is trying different varieties and growers, so I’m not sure I’d get as much use out of this as some.

But it also offers other ways to make dialing in your perfect brew easier. Built-in scales beneath both the grinder and grouphead allow you to grind your beans and express your coffee by weight, giving you really precise control over each. Meanwhile, Auto mode calculates the right brew weight based on how much coffee you’ve ground, making it easy to manually fix yourself a coffee without needing too much trial and error balancing brew time and grind. These are fantastic as a guide, allowing you to really build confidence before you start improvising like a true manual maestro.

Another impressive element of the Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2’s design is its steam wand. It has a cool-touch design — although the head still gets hot so careful not to brush against it — and it’s super flexible, making it easy to get it at a perfect angle for frothing your milk. More innovatively, it has a built-in temperature sensor that allows you to stop steaming milk at the perfect temperature, rather than having to rely on touch alone.

None of these features are forced on you and they’re suitably light touch that it’s really easy to start trusting your own instincts once you’re ready. But I’ve never used an espresso machine that’s helped guide me so well between amateur and prosumer coffee making before — it’s just the right amount of support without making you dependent on its help.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 review: performance

• Great automated features that don’t take away your control
• Steams milk with constant pressure and to your chosen temperature
• Produces wonderfully well-extracted, consistent coffee

So how easy is it to make coffee using the Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2? Well, honestly, at first I found it a little unpredictable. Tiny variations in tamping pressure seemed to produce wildly different results — the first brew ran through the puck incontinently despite the fine grind I’d used, while the second over-extracted to such an extreme it made my mouth pucker like I’d licked an ibuprofen. Then I realized my mistake.

Turns out I’d slightly underestimated the Meraki’s grinder — as it’s calibrated for espresso, my default instinct to whack the grinder on one of the lowest settings was producing a silt that easily channeled or clogged the portafilter basket depending on how firmly it was tamped. After a bit of experimentation, I was able to dial in on my perfect results though, settling on a grind of 10.

Fortunately, the Meraki’s grinder perfectly suits this kind of tinkering. Not only do you have very granular control over the fineness of your grind, but the fact that you can dose using the built-in scale beneath the grinder makes tweaking the exact quantity of coffee you want super-repeatable. In automatic mode, I could simply dial in 18g for a double shot and it would stop grinding once it hit my desired dose, or I could go off-piste and simply grind it up manually using my best judgement.

Preparing the puck always felt like a breeze — all I had to do was place the portafilter on top of the dosing cup, flip it and then give it a few taps to transfer my grounds. A few twists of the coffee distributor and the grounds would be nicely distributed, meaning all I had to do was tamp it down with that wonderfully sturdy tamper. Each tool is so well put together that it’s a really satisfying process and it feels easy to get professional results.

And with that, I was ready to go — or at least once the water was heated up. While the two minutes and 10 seconds it took the dual boiler to heat up the first time is slower than some consumer coffee machines, it’s actually pretty fast compared to many prosumer units, which can sometimes take upwards of 15 minutes. Additionally, another neat feature of the Meraki is your ability to set the boiler to come on at a specific time of day, meaning it can be all warmed up and ready to go for your first coffee of the day.

Once I’d actually properly calibrated my grind and dosing, extracting properly was a breeze. In Automatic mode, I simply had to set the weight of my drink — for example, 36g for an espresso — and set it to run, whereas in Manual mode I could simply run it until I was happy with the quantity. Thanks to that rotary pump, it produced a steady stream of espresso, neither hemorrhaging coffee too fast nor letting it dribble out in fits and starts. It’s also pretty quiet, hitting just 65dB and making more of a whir than the juddering noise I’m used to from vibration-pumped machines.

Steaming milk has never really been my forte. As a black coffee drinker, I’ve never had much need to develop the knack. But the Meraki also makes this a lot easier. Not only does its dual boiler mean that it maintained constant pressure throughout steaming but, thanks to its built-in thermostat, the steam wand clicked off when my milk had reached my target temperature, meaning I could just focus on creating the right level of foam and getting it swirling. Not only did this help me whip up a passable macchiato but, when I’d gained a bit more confidence, I was able to make a decent manual latte using touch alone.

So what were the results like? Pretty sensational. Even trying with some relatively affordable decaf beans, the coffee the Meraki produced had a stable, beautifully caramel crema, just the right velvety texture and not straying too far into bitterness or acidity. Each shot I poured remained consistent, showing how easy it is to keep getting these great results. And when I tested it out with a premium bag of Dahwe beans from Ritual Coffee Roasters, the results genuinely blew me away: the flavor was flat out gorgeous, maintaining a pitch perfect balance of not being aggressively floral but confidently communicating its mango overtones.

I’ll admit that I much prefer making coffee than scrubbing up the mess I’ve made but cleaning up here is pretty straightforward. Everyday use really only requires you to purge the steam wand, then give it, the portafilter and the grouphead a wipedown with a damp cloth. Even doing the deep clean at the end of my review wasn’t particularly arduous. Cleaning the steam wand involves running it for bursts of 10 seconds multiple times while submerged in cold water. Making sure the machine’s innards stay squeaky clean is even easier — just pop in the blind portafilter basket, pop it in the machine and then select the cleaning option and a tutorial will walk you through the rest.

There’s always something deeply satisfying about making coffee yourself and that’s why I’ve always been a big fan of manual machines. But what I like most about the Meraki Espresso Machine is that it makes it much easier to take your hand-crafted coffee to the next level. Automated features don’t remove your agency — they instead support it, allowing you to freestyle more and more as your skills grow. And the end result is wonderfully extracted and thoroughly consistent coffee. So ultimately, if you like getting hands on with your coffee and money’s not an object, you’re going to get great results out of the Meraki.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 review: also consider

How I tested the Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2

• Tested it over two weeks
• Tried a variety of drinks, beans and milks
• Measured how long it took to warm up and how loud the pump is

When testing the Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2, I used it over the course of several weeks. I experimented with different grind levels, used different varieties of beans and tamped at a range of pressures to see how consistent its results were. I also tried to make a variety of drinks and steamed several different varieties of milk to see how the steam wand performed.

To understand how well the Meraki worked as a manual machine, I made sure to extract several coffees without using the automatic dosing and steamed milk using touch alone, rather than relying purely on the steam wand’s temperature sensor. When assessing the performance of the boiler and pump, I not only timed how long it took to heat up in the morning but I also used a sound level meter to record how much noise it made during extraction.

When it comes to my own experience, I’ve been making and drinking coffee on a daily basis for well over two decades. I’ve also gotten hands on with a wide range of machines, whether they’re De’longhi, Breville or Gaggia. My preferred tipple to make with a machine is a double espresso or long black, although any time the weather is not positively arctic, cold brew is my go-to.

• For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.
• First reviewed: May 2026

Capsule coffee makers get a bad rap, but if you choose the right machine and the right pods, you can enjoy genuinely delicious espresso drinks at home in two minutes flat. I'm TechRadar's resident coffee expert, and I've put together a list of the top four capsule machines I recommend if you need your coffee in a hurry.

When picking a capsule coffee maker, it's important to consider not only the price of the machine itself, but also the ongoing cost of the pods, as some brands are much more expensive than others, and unless you pick one that takes Nespresso Original style capsules (the ones shaped like a top hat), you'll be tied into a specific brand. More on that shortly.

Also take a look at the types of pods available for each machine. Some will include lots of fancy flavors, while others will just give you different espresso beans and roasts.

Finally, consider how easily you'll be able to recycle the pods. Capsules made of aluminum are much easier to process and will be more widely accepted than ones made from plastic, or a combination of materials.

Nespresso

Ninja Prestige DualBrew System

I test over a dozen coffee makers every year here at TechRadar, and the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System (known as the Ninja Espresso and Coffee Maker Barista System in the US) is one of the most versatile I've ever used. If you're an omnivorous coffee fan who loves both filter and espresso, it's a great option (albeit a little large).

On one side you have a fully-featured drip coffee maker, complete with timer (ideal for busy mornings), a large glass carafe, a drip-stop valve, and a smart hotplate that keeps your brew warm without stewing it. There's even a flip-down drip tray behind the carafe so you can brew directly into your travel mug in the morning.

On the right, you have a capsule espresso machine, which uses Nespresso Original capsules and can brew in various different sizes. Nestlé no longer owns the patent on this style of pod, so you can get them anywhere; I used the DualBrew System with pods of fresh decaf from one of my local coffee roasters, and it was almost as good as brewing with beans.

The milk whisk around the back of the machine isn't as good as using a proper steam wand (it whips in air, but doesn't heat the milk) but the rest of this capsule coffee maker is so good, I wouldn't dock it points for that. You could always pick up a standalone milk frother like the Philips Baristina Milk Frother or Smeg Mini Milk Frother if you're a latte-lover.

Read our full Ninja Prestige DualBrew System review

Keurig

Keurig K-Mini Mate

Keurig is one of the biggest names in capsule coffee makers in the US, and the K-Mini Mate (a US-exclusive model) is its smallest machine to date. It's slim enough to fit into even the tiniest kitchen (and tuck into a cupboard when not in use), but still generates enough pressure to extract full-bodied, tasty coffee from K-Cup pods.

When we tested the K-Mini Mate, we were pleasantly surprised by how rich its coffee tasted, even though it took less than two minutes to prepare from start to sip. It's very reasonably priced as well, and although it has a list price of around $90, it's often on sale for as little as $60.

This is really a coffee maker for one person, and you'll need to refill the water tank between drinks if you're brewing for a group, which can be a hassle. We also noticed some splashing as the coffee poured into our cup, but not enough to be a serious issue. If you like the sound of the various coffees and roasts available in K-Cup form, this could be the machine for you.

Read our full Keurig K-Mini Mate review

Lavazza

Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg

Lavazza is known for its great quality coffee, and Smeg for its iconic retro-style designs. Put them both together and you get a cute little capsule coffee maker that looks fabulous and brews a superb espresso in two minutes flat.

This is one of the more expensive coffee makers in this roundup, but the Lavazza A Modo Mio pods are much cheaper than some other brands. Lavazza doesn't offer fancy flavors like cinnamon bun or gingerbread — just a good selection of different beans and roasts for you to experiment with.

For me, the biggest downside of this cute little coffee maker is the fact that the pods are harder to recycle than K-Cups or Nespresso pods. Although they are compostable, they can only be processed at specialized facilities, which are relatively rare.

Read our full Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg review

Tassimo

Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly

Capsule coffee makers are always easy to use, but the Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly is even simpler than most thanks to its orange 'maintenance disc', which makes backwashing the machine effortless, keeping it clean and hygienic.

That's particularly important because unlike most coffee pod machines, the Finesse Friendly can create rich foam using pods of long-life milk. You can get plain milk for regular cappuccinos and lattes, or capsules of flavored milk designed to pair with a particular coffee capsule (like cinnamon roll latte, for example). I'm not usually a great fan of flavored coffee capsules, but Tassimo pods are genuinely tasty, and not overwhelmingly sweet.

The Finesse Friendly is cheap too, and is often discounted to £49.99 (about $70 / AU$100). The downside is that the capsules can be quite expensive, particularly for drinks that require two pods (one for coffee and one for milk). It still works out cheaper than an elaborate takeout habit, but bear in mind that this machine isn't currently available outside Europe.

Read our full Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly review

• Lidl has launched a new solar-powered battery designed for use with balcony solar systems
• It costs €299 in Germany (around $350 / £260 / AU$485)
• It has a 1,000W input and an 800W output

You may have noticed that we’re in the middle of an energy crisis, with ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran pushing prices up to levels that are increasingly unaffordable for many — and undesirable for everyone. A lot of us will be looking for ways to cut costs, and Lidl has just launched a possible solution — for those in Europe, at least.

As reported by PV Magazine, Lidl has launched a 2.24kWh balcony battery in Germany, with a 1,000W input and 800W output. It’s compatible with most balcony solar systems, so you can use solar power to charge it, and there’s even a version of it that can be controlled via an app.

The battery retails for €299 (around $350 / £260 / AU$485) — or €399 (roughly $465 / £345 / AU$650) if you want a version you can control via the Lidl Home app. While it’s currently limited to Europe, there’s always a chance it will launch more widely (including at UK Lidl stores) if it’s a success.

Given the current energy crisis and regulations in the pipeline, there's every chance that might be the case. If you have, or are considering, investing in a solar power system for your balcony, then this battery could be a good thing to pair it with.

However, it's worth noting that the battery doesn't really do anything on its own — it's designed to be part of a system. You'll need solar panels, which plug in on one side, and also a microinverter, which you sends charge to and from your house. Still, add those parts and you'll be able to store energy generated in the day for use in the evening or morning, and also use it as a backup if your energy supply is ever disrupted.

Not the only option

The battery measures 310 × 170 × 350mm and weighs around 19.8kg, making it suitable for small spaces like balconies. In theory, it should also be IP65-rated for withstanding rain showers (that's the case with the Marstek B2500-D it's based on, at least) and it also has an LED display and comes with an extension cable for solar panels.

As mentioned earlier, the panels themselves aren’t included, but we already know that Lidl plans to start selling plug-in solar panels in the UK — or you could source them elsewhere.

In any case, the battery has been met with largely positive comments on Reddit, including “amazing price”, “I want one”, and “this makes me very optimistic about the future of our energy independence.”

Still, if Lidl doesn’t bring it to your region, there are alternate options, including the Marstek B2500-D, which this is believed to be a rebranded version of, or the incoming Anker Solarbank 4 Pro (which has a built-in inverter and a much higher capacity). Like most things at Lidl, its solar battery is cheaper than a lot of its rivals – if not quite as feature-rich.