German company Loewe doesn't just make premium TVs and luxury speakers; it also has a line of high-end coffee makers, and its latest release — the Loewe aura. maticmatic — looks like nothing I've ever seen before.

The aura.matic has a black glass door that you can close when it's not in use, leaving the front completely plain. With its wooden frame and black aluminum case, it looks more like a piece of the company's audio equipment than a kitchen appliance. Open it up, though, and you'll find a seven-inch color display, a drip tray with a cup-detection sensor, and an illuminated dispenser.

The aura.matic is also equipped with twin bean hoppers, which let you switch between two different coffees on the fly. It's a feature I seldom see in home coffee makers (the Siemens EQ900 Plus is a rare example), but it's one that makes a lot of sense. I prefer to switch to decaf in the afternoon — as TechRadar's Homes Editor I drink so much coffee, I'd likely never sleep otherwise — but doing so would usually involve using up all the beans currently in the hopper then dialing in the grinder again. It's usually just not practical.

The aura.matic doesn't just have two bean containers — it also has two grinders that can be dialed in separately. If you're feeling creative, you can even create your own blend by mixing the two coffees together.

The water tank is tucked out of sight to the side of the dispenser, while the milk system uses a carafe hidden behind a door on the side to keep the look as minimalist as possible. There's a menu of 18 customizable drinks to choose from, with six user profiles so you can save your personalized recipes.

The aura.matic has a list price of £5,000 (about $6,630 / AU$9,540) and will be available direct from Loewe later this year.

Keurig is famous for its K-Cup coffee pods, but it's breaking away from the traditional capsule format with a single-serve system called Alta that uses tablets of compressed coffee with no individual packaging. According to a press release, "Keurig Alta represents the future of single-serve — and the future of Keurig," though you don't need to worry about your favorite coffee pods disappearing any time soon.

The new coffee tablets, called AltaRounds, have a recipe code printed on the surface, and are brewed using a new Alta coffee maker that uses the code to determine the right brew style, pressure, and temperature for your drink.

The concept is very similar to the pressed coffee tablets used by the Lavazza Tabli system I tested this week, but there are a few key differences. For example, Keurig's AltaRounds have a thin plant-based coating to keep the coffee fresh, prevent breakage during transit, and help generate the pressure for brewing. Lavazza's coffee tabs are uncoated, and don't have a code to provide brewing instructions.

Keurig's first Alta coffee maker is quite different to Lavazza's Tabli machine as well. The Tabli only prepares espresso, whereas the Keurig Alta also has an integrated milk frother for more complex drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. A color screen on the Alta machine walks you through a range of coffee and espresso beverages, and the system is backwards-compatible with K-Cups in case one of your favorite drinks isn't available in Alta format yet.

The switch to AltaRounds will be gradual, and K-Cups aren't vanishing overnight. Keurig Alta Coffee & Espresso is the first brand of AltaRounds, and six varieties will be rolling out after the machine's launch:

• Single Shot: medium roast single espresso
• Double Shot: dark roast double espresso
• Bold Ambition: dark roast coffee
• The House: medium roast coffee
• Fresh Take: light roast coffee
• Sweet Spot: caramel flavored coffee

Peet's Coffee AltaRounds are coming soon as well, with more brands to follow.

AltaRounds are packaged in an SFI-certified paperboard carton, and their coating is made from an NSF-certified plant-based material that includes alginate from seaweed harvested off the coast of France.. The whole AltaRound, including coffee and coating, is certified for home and commercial composting, so you can dispose of them just like ordinary coffee grounds.

A limited early access bundle is available direct from Keurig until October 15, while supplies last. Pre-orders will ship October 21. The bundle is priced at $499.99, and includes a Keurig Alta brewer, four boxes of AltaRounds pressed coffee, and glassware made by Ethan Rode of FLUR.

The price works out at approximately £380 / AU$720, but the bundle is only available in the US.

If you’re a Google Home early access user, you’ll be glad to learn that the company is rolling out an expansive roster of new upgrades for voice commands, the Google Home app, and more — as per Google’s notes.

Google Home updates are fairly consistent with Google keeping on top of refreshing its smart home services. Just two weeks ago it fixed Gemini’s follow-up question issues as well as streaming playback bugs, which the tech giant also detailed in its Home and Nest help page.

Prior to this, Google announced it had solved issues with Spotify voice commands and smart light controls, however users claimed there were even bigger issues that needed addressing. But despite the new round of improvements, it appears Google still hasn’t been able to solve the issues plaguing users.

Voice commands

Voice command improvements are the main fixes that Google has rolled out. For starters, the company says that Gemini is more proficient in filtering out background chatter in your home when you’re making a voice request, as well as other smaller issues including reduced latency for sharper responses and more fixes to conversation follow-ups.

That said, one of the most valuable upgrades is for the Find My Phone tool, which Google says it has rolled out quality and reliability improvements to improve the experience. Additionally, language recognition for Gemini is getting an upgrade, which the company says will ‘better support households where three languages are commonly spoken’.

Google Home app

As far as the Google Home App goes, the company is rolling out more device controller upgrades, which includes more accurate smart light shutoff, redesigned camera and doorbell tiles to better distinguish active cameras, and improved offline switch status, fixing an issue where Matter switches failed to display their offline status.

Google is also rolling out Bluetooth connection and Wi-Fi pairing fixes for setting up new Nest devices on iOS and Android. Also, when you add a device to your ecosystem, the Google Home app will cache network information on your smartphone, so you can reuse them for setting up new devices in the future.

Camera fixes

For devices such as the AI-powered Nest Doorbell and security cameras, you can expect to see fixes for video history viewing, removing an error that displayed a ‘Video not available’ pop-up when trying to access footage. If you own any of Walmart’s Onn devices, you should now be able to scrub your video timelines a lot smoother.

Google is also launching new ringtone audio previews for video doorbells, which allows you to listen to snippets of chimes right from the Google Home app before setting it as your default. Google says it will be rolling out holiday-themed chimes, while different themes will become available throughout the year.

Automations

The final fix is with Automations, which Google says has eliminated a bug where multi-button switches and sub-devices were missing the names of their parent devices. It’s a small fix, but one that helps you differentiate between buttons.

Is this enough?

The transition from Google Assistant to Gemini has been far from a smooth operation, and users have been reporting severe performance issues since Google made its first steps with integrating Gemini into its smart home devices.

That said, since Google unveiled its latest update, users have welcomed the new improvements — mainly the chime sound previews and upgrades to Automations. However there's a handful of users that Google has yet to convince.

Despite the rollout of Google's upgrades users are finding themselves yet stuck in another cycle of performance issues when using Gemini for Home, and it seems to be the case more so for audio devices and voice commands.

As one user highlights on Reddit, their Google speaker turns itself off in the middle of the night when playing white noise, which, if you rely on sleep sounds to get a full eight hours, is quite frustrating to say the least. The same goes for voice commands, and as one user shared, Gemini is still having issues with switching off devices within a specific time frame.

As it stands, there's still a lot that Google has to come to grips with as it enters the final stages of the Gemini for Home takeover. While some fixes are proving to be successful, there's still work to be done before Google Home users are satisfied.

There's something for everyone here. If you're on a tight budget, or are making the leap from coffee capsules to whole beans, the compact and affordable Philips Baristina is the perfect choice for you. Interested in tinkering with brew options and understanding how different factors affect the taste of your drink? Take a look at the Sage Barista Impress With Cold Extraction. Want a fully automated machine that produces even complicated drinks with the tap of a button? The Philips Café Aromis is the coffee maker of your dreams.

Many retailers are offering special discounts for International Coffee Day too, and you'll find the best deals on each coffee machine below as well.

Philips Baristina

The Philips Baristina is the most affordable bean-to-cup coffee maker I've ever tested, and easily one of the best. In fact, I recommend it so frequently, my colleagues are probably quite tired of hearing about it. It makes brewing espresso with fresh coffee beans just as simple as using Nespresso capsules or K-Cups, and opens up a whole world of speciality coffee without requiring any specialist skills.

Load your coffee beans into the top of the Baristina, fill the water tank, and you're ready to get started. Push the filter handle into the machine, hit the start button, and it will automatically grind just the right amount of coffee, tamp it down, and then slide the handle underneath the brewing group, which will extract your shot using the ideal water temperature and pressure. When it's finished, just tap out the used coffee grounds, wipe out the filter, and you're ready to go again.

Unlike most bean-to-cup coffee machines, the Baristina doesn't have a case that covers everything up, which helps keep everything clean and hygienic. There's no enclosed space for stray coffee grounds and moisture to build up, so maintenance is a breeze.

The biggest downside of the original Baristina is the lack of a steam wand, which means there's no way to prepare lattes and cappuccinos. However, the machine is available bundled with a good quality standalone milk frother for a small additional cost, and earlier this year Philips launched the Baristina Latte, which has an integrated steam wand.

Read our full Philips Baristina review

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series

At the other end of the scale, we have the Philips Café Aromis — the company's flagship bean-to-cup coffee machine with a huge array of hot and cold drinks options, excellent milk frothing, and app compatibility that makes customizing your brews a breeze. It's gorgeous as well, with its sleek silver chassis, crisp touchscreen, and a natural wood cap on top of the dispenser to complete the look.

Drinks are almost infinitely customizable, and the cold menu is a particular highlight. Unlike some bean-to-cup coffee makers I've tested, which just dump a shot of hot espresso over ice, the Aromis can extract coffee using water straight from its tank for a mellow flavor akin to traditionally made cold-brew. It also has separate milk carafes for frothing hot and cold milk, and each one can be disassembled into three dishwasher-safe parts for easy cleaning. So, there's no need for scrubbing milk residue from pipes and hoses.

It's not the only bean-to-cup coffee machine with its own app, but it's the only one I've used where the app offers something useful apart from a quick-start guide and warranty details. The Philips HomeID app makes it easy to create personalized user profiles, and even had a clever chatbot-style feature that asks you questions about your flavor preferences and then tweaks the coffee maker's settings accordingly.

The Aromis is definitely one of the more expensive espresso machines I've reviewed this year, but its price tag isn't excessive considering just how much you're getting, and you could easily pay half as much again for an alternative from a different brand.

Read our full Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series review

Sage Barista Touch Impress With Cold Extraction

This bean-to-cup machine (which is sold under the brand name Sage in the UK, and Breville elsewhere for complicated reasons) is an upgraded version of the original Barista Touch Impress, and like the Philips Café Aromis, it offers genuine cold extraction for smooth-tasting iced coffees (as well as delicious hot-brewed espresso).

Unlike the other two bean-to-cup machines in this list, this one is semi-automatic, which means that although you don't have to get your hands dirty, it gives you some control over the coffee-making process if you want, introducing you to barista skills in a friendly, easy-to-follow way. You'll discover the effect of each variable on your finished drink (including dosage, grind size, tamp pressure, and brewing temperature), and the machine will offer feedback and suggestions if it doesn't taste quite right.

The Puck Impress System, which tamps your freshly ground coffee with a pull of a handle, is particularly satisfying and greatly reduces mess compared to tamping by hand. Unlike the Breville Oracle Jet below, I didn't have any issues with static electricity making coffee cling to the grinder.

The Barista Touch Impress offers both manual and automatic milk steaming options too, so you can have your foam dispensed into your finished drink, or prepare it yourself and have fun practicing your latte art.

Read our full Sage Barista Touch Impress With Cold Extraction review

The RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro is one of the best smart scales designed for ease of health monitoring for the entire family, fitness enthusiasts who want metrics on their body fat and muscle, and general users desiring to track their body composition over time.

The smart scale delivers 28 metrics, which, for this price, is rather impressive. There’s also a pregnancy and baby mode, which offers safe measurements thanks to its zero-current technology (as opposed to most smart scales, which use electrical currents sent through the body to determine body composition). The only features I was left craving were heart-related, including heart rate and blood oxygen.

During testing, almost all results were within reasonable variation compared to the more expensive Withings BodyScan 2. Seven of the metrics are clearly displayed on the large color LCD display, with the full array of data presented in the easy-to-use Starfit app. If you can’t justify the extra spend, then the 8E Pro is a solid alternative to the top-range Withings.

Setting up the smart scale was easy thanks to the step-by-step guide in the app and a strong Bluetooth signal. I liked the ability to create multiple profiles so that every member of my family could use it. I also appreciated that it automatically detects who is standing on the scale, based on its previously recorded measurements.

The scale itself is well-built with 6mm tempered glass and gold-colored electrodes. The black plastic material used throughout the base and handlebar is solid and robust, with no concerns that damage would be done to the internals.

The display is a TFT-LCD, which delivers when it comes to clarity, brightness, and definition. Unfortunately, the display is covered by a thin layer of plastic that is flexible enough to allow a user to press it in and touch the screen itself, potentially causing damage.

All in, the RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro is a respectable smart scale that delivers accurate results inside a solid, compact body. If you can forgo heart health measurements and don’t mind a cheap-feeling display in comparison to the rest of the scale, then this smart scale will deliver everything you need.

RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro: Specifications

RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro: Price and availability

• $219.99 USD / £218 GBP
• Not available in Australia
• Expensive but premium quality

RunStar sells a wide range of smart scales, with the budget-friendly RunStar 4E at the bottom end and the 8E Ultra at the other. Sitting just below their most premium Ultra offering is the RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro, to use its full title, at $219.99 USD / £218 GBP, although this is often significantly discounted, at times going as low as $129.98 / £168.

A similarly priced and specced alternative is the Withings BodyFit. Both are DEXA-validated, although the BodyFit claims to be “ideal for GLP-1 drug users who are prioritizing keeping muscle while losing fat.” If you’re looking for even more superior results and are happy paying a premium for it, then the Withings BodyScan 2 is a good choice.

• Value score 4/5

RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro: Design

• Large color TFT-LCD display
• Well-engineered retractable handlebar
• Eight electrodes and USB-C charging

The large 5 x 7 cm color screen displays seven key metrics: weight, heart rate, BMI, body fat, muscle mass, bone mass, and body water. Each metric is measured and presented one at a time before providing a full read-out of all seven metrics at the end. The display is clear and bright, although only protected by a thin layer of clear plastic, which is unfortunately so flexible that it presses in quite significantly when forced.

To measure 28 different metrics in total, which include the initial seven displayed on the scale plus additional metrics viewable in the app, the 8E Pro uses eight electrodes: four for the feet and four for the hands. These are positioned to accommodate a wide range of people with varying feet and hand sizes. The retractable handlebar used to connect your hands performs adequately and, when not in use, attaches to the base via magnets.

The bulk of the scale is made from strong plastic and covered in a thick 6 mm tempered glass, which protects the unit and houses the four foot electrodes. At the bottom of the base are four large rubber feet, which ensure the device remains in position at all times.

The overall design looks and feels premium, with the gold-colored electrodes setting the scale apart from cheaper and more basic alternatives. The unit contains a single non-removable lithium polymer battery that is recharged via USB-C. A full recharge lasts for three months. Despite regular use from five family members, we experienced zero issues with wear and tear.

• Design Score: 4.5/5

RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro: Features

• 28 metrics with DEXA validation
• Measurements across five body zones
• Delve deeper into the metrics with the Starfit app

RunStar says every metric reading is DEXA-validated with ≥98.5% correlation. Accurate results and precise body composition tracking are produced thanks to the advanced dual-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). This smart scale provides the features and accuracy for users who want to work towards a specific weight, track their health, and hit their fitness goals.

Unlike cheaper whole-body smart scales such as the RunStar 4E, the 8E Pro records measurements and provides analysis across five key body zones: arms, legs, and trunk. Providing weight and muscle data across five key areas of the body enables users to quickly see if their body is imbalanced and work towards specific goals for targeted areas of their body.

As well as viewing seven metrics on the display, if you sync the device with the Starfit app, you can see the full set of 28 metrics alongside more detailed tracking and analysis. The app is easy-to-use and laid out intuitively. If you plan on using the smart scale with multiple people, then up to 24 profiles can be set up using the app.

Other features include the ability to sync with Apple Health, Google Health and other major platforms as well as generate printable, clinic-grade reports. Finally, the 8E Pro operates with zero current, so it’s safe to use during pregnancy and with babies.

• Features Score: 4.5/5

RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro: Performance

• Accurate results
• Reliable data compared to the more expensive Withings BodyScan 2
• Metrics are clearly laid out

To provide comparison data, I took measurements from the Withings BodyScan 2 at the same time as the 8E Pro. Both are DEXA verified, with the BodyScan 2 validated up to 99% and the 8E Pro up to ≥98.5%. The two smart scales measure a similar set of metrics and are easily compared through the two apps.

Beginning with weight, I weighed in at 61.4 kg, which was only 170 grams different from the Withings. As for BMI, a reading of 19% wasn’t far off the 18.2% reported by the comparison scale. The 8E Pro is quick to deliver these measurements and does so prior to all other body composition metrics.

As for fat-related readings, the 8E Pro provided measurements for visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, and body fat percentage that were all within reasonable deviations compared to the Withings. When I came to measure body fat mass, I was surprised to find that it was the Withings that threw up problematic readings, and the 8E Pro proved significantly more accurate.

Accurate and acceptable readings continued for muscle rate, lean body mass, body water percentage, and basal metabolism. The app provides independent fat and muscle breakdowns for arms, legs, and trunk. Despite these being clearly presented as an overlay on a 2D illustration of a person, I much preferred the 3D graphic that is present in the Withings app.

The 8E Pro delivered similar results to the BodyScan 2 in almost all areas. Considering the 8E Pro costs half the price of the BodyScan 2, I think the RunStar is a useful and viable alternative for anyone wanting accurate results at a more affordable price.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro: Scorecard

RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I used the RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro across several weeks and set up multiple profiles so my four other family members could use the scale at the same time. This meant testing was carried out on both adults and children. We used the app in combination with the smart scale and were able to track our progress over time. I compared its metrics against the DEXA-validated Withings BodyScan 2.

First reviewed: September 2026

Some capsules are relatively easy to recycle — Nespresso pods, for example, are made entirely from aluminum, and Nestlé has well-established recycling program to handle them, but other brands use capsules made from a combination of metal and plastic, which is much more difficult to process. Whatever the material, though, there is still a considerable amount of waste, which takes resources to recycle, and some of which will inevitably end up in landfill.

Using ground coffee or whole beans is a much less wasteful way to prepare an espresso, but it also takes longer, and although it's a fun hobby for some of us, not everyone is interested in getting into the technicalities of brewing a balanced shot.

That's where the Lavazza Tabli system comes in, using tablets made entirely of freshly ground coffee. Each one gives you exactly the right amount of coffee for a single serving, so there's no weighing required, and there are no loose grounds to make a mess of your counter. The whole process is just as clean and simple as using coffee pods, but without the empty capsules to worry about at the end. It seems like such a simple idea, it seems surprising it's not hit the mainstream before — but how does it compare with other brewing methods?

The Tabli coffee maker launched in the US in July, and is now available in the UK as well. It's one of the most affordable coffee makers I've tested this year, with a list price of $139.99 in the US and £199 in the UK (though it's currently discounted to £133 at John Lewis.

It's an unusual-looking machine, as you can see in the photo above, and relatively large for a single-serve espresso machine. It measures 12.9 x 6.5 x 15.4 inches / 327 x 165 x 390mm (H x W x D) with a 1.3 quart / 1.2 liter water tank on the back, and comes in a choice of three colors: black, white, and walnut brown.

The interface is as simple as that of any capsule coffee maker. There are three soft-touch buttons on top for selecting your drink size (single, double, or lungo) and the upper section slides open smoothly to reveal the brewing basket for inserting your coffee tablet.

The Tabli machine has a removeable drip tray, so you can use it with espresso cups, or larger mugs if you'd prefer to use your freshly brewed shot as the foundation for a longer drink like a cappuccino. However, if that's how you like your coffee, you should be aware that the Tabli doesn't include a steam wand, so you'll need to purchase a standalone milk frother like the Smeg Mini Milk Frother or Dreo BaristaMaker.

Used coffee tabs drop into a container behind the drip tray, just like used grounds would in a conventional bean-to-cup coffee maker. The grounds are dry to the touch, and are suspended in a basket so you can easily tip them into a food waste caddy, then pour away any water left behind after the Tabli rinses itself (there's no need to perform a rinse cycle yourself)

Tabli coffee tabs come in card boxes, and are held in molded paper trays, much like egg cartons. There is a thin plastic film over the top of the tray, but it's the bare minimum necessary to keep out moisture. Everything else is easily recyclable in regular household waste.

Some capsule coffee makers are cheap to buy, but end up proving surprisingly expensive in the long run due to the price of the pods. Bosch Tassimo machines, for example, are very affordable, but the pods are some of the priciest around.

Thankfully that's not the case with the Tabli system. A box of 12 tabs costs £5.89 in the UK, which is about 49p per drink, and very reasonable. You can also pick up a multipack of eight boxes for £40, which brings the cost per drink down to 42p.

Tabs are given a strength score on a scale of 1-13, and although there are currently only six types available, if the system proves successful I'm hopeful that Lavazza will increase its range.

There aren't any of the elaborate flavors you get with Nespresso or Tassimo pods; all Tabli tabs are made using nothing but compressed coffee, with no additives, and in my opinion that's no bad thing.

I've tried two Tabli varieties so far (Qualità Rossa and Qualità Oro), and both produced a smooth-tasting, easy-drinking espresso without the astringent taste I associate with most coffee tabs. I'll be interested to see how they compare to the Espresso Ristretto, which has a higher intensity score of 12/13 and should have a punchier flavor.

This isn't Lavazza's first experiment with shaking up home coffee-making. Last year the company released the Lavazza Assoluta — a good-looking espresso machine that lets you experiment with different beans without getting into the tricky business of optimizing grind size and temperature. Install Lavazza's mobile app on your phone, scan the barcode on your bag of coffee, and the Assoluta will adjust its own brew settings accordingly.

It was an interesting idea, but so far the Tabli strikes me as a better concept, and one that doesn't require any extra work on the user's part. I'll continue to put the machine through its paces over the coming weeks, and will bring you a full review very soon.

If you're looking for a new espresso machine, De’Longhi is a brand that should be on your list. It lives and breathes coffee via an extensive range of fully automatic and manual espresso machines — and better yet, right now TechRadar readers can save 15% on the purchase of any machine with our exclusive De’Longhi coupon code.

Just head to our dedicated De'Longhi coupon code page, click on the very first green 'Get Code' button and copy the resulting code to your clipboard. Then, head to the De'Longhi website, shop for what you'd like, and paste the code into the field at checkout.

Now, we have one quick word of advice before you pull the trigger on your purchase: De’Longhi also has a specific code of its own — SPRING20 — which can be used to save 20% on three specific machines that are exclusive to its online store: the Eletta Explore (ECAM450.65.S), Magnifica Start (ECAM22061W) and Magnifica Evo (ECAM29083TB).

Also note that right now, every De'Longhi coffee machine purchase comes with a free essentials pack valued up to AU$140, depending on which specific the machine you buy.

With such a huge range of bean-to-cup coffee machines available to shop, you'd be forgiven if you didn't know where to start. As the resident coffee expert for TechRadar Australia, I’ve picked out a selection of my favourites that have my stamp of approval.

Fully automatic coffee machines

Manual coffee machines

The Chefman Coffee Station Pro is a great idea. People like their coffee brewed in different ways, and it's easy to end up with two or even three coffee machines on the counter to accommodate households with multiple coffee drinkers. For example, my husband usually drinks drip coffee, but occasionally likes an espresso. I rotate between drip, espresso, and iced coffee, depending on my mood and the weather. I also like my Nespresso machine, since the capsules are available in some interesting flavors I occasionally enjoy. I also drink a lot of tea, so an instant hot feature is welcome. We don't often drink lattes or cappuccinos, but when our kids or guest come to visit, they often do. We could easily end up with three different coffee machines (plus a frother and a tea kettle) in our coffee nook, but the Chefman Coffee Station Pro can do all that and more.

Sounds like a dream, but unfortunately it doesn't do everything well, or even acceptably. For example, it doesn't brew Nespresso capsules fully or correctly, resulting in a weak and tiny brew. If you don't need every single feature, this machine might be a perfect fit for you because it does a lot of things well. I tested everything and found that it did some things far better than others.

Chefman Coffee Station Pro: price and availability

• Available on Chefman's website and other retailers
• Retails for $399.99 (about £300 / AU$570)
• Just one colorway, black and silver

You can buy the Chefman Coffee Station Pro on Chefman's website as well as brick-and-mortar and online retailers like Best Buy and Target. The retail price is $399.99, which is about £300 / AU$570, though it's not currently sold in the US and Australia.

Chefman Coffee Station Pro: specs

Chefman Coffee Station Pro: design

• Smaller than you might expect
• Has storage for accessories
• Ten in one machine

The Chefman Coffee Station Pro is designed efficiently so it has a lot of features in its reasonably-sized footprint. The machine provides ten different brewing methods: espresso (with grounds or Nespresso capsules), cold press espresso, latte, cappuccino, milk frother, K-cup pods, carafe of drip coffee, drip over ice, cold brew, and instant hot water. You control everything with a touch-screen interface.

It comes with everything you need to make all of the beverages listed above. The big 100-ounce water tank fits onto the back of the machine. On the coffee side, you get a coffee filter holder and a reusable coffee filter basket. If you prefer, you can use paper filters instead. There is also a K-Cup adapter for brewing K-Cups. The glass carafe holds anywhere from four to twelve cups of coffee and it rests on a warming plate (which has a "hot" indicator light.) When you're brewing a single serve K-Cup rather than using the carafe, there is a fold-down cup platform with a removable rubber trivet for resting a mug.

On the espresso side, you get a portafilter with three different filters you can put inside. There's small filter for brewing single espresso, a larger one for double espresso, and an adapter for Nespresso capsules. You get a two-sided espresso tool, one side is a measuring scoop and the other side is a tamper. The included 16-ounce milk reservoir can be removed when not in use.

The Chefman Coffee Station Pro stores its own accessories cleverly. It has a hook on the side to store the portafilter and a compartment on top to store other accessories.

When you first set up the Chefman Coffee Station Pro, you'll want to set the clock for the correct time. There is a Delay Brew feature so you can set the machine up when you go to bed and you'll have a hot carafe of drip coffee waiting for you in the morning. The Keep Warm feature will keep your carafe hot for up to two hours.

There is a hot water spout, which runs separately from the coffee so you don't have to worry about stale coffee taste mixing with your hot water. This is perfect for making hot chocolate, tea, and other hot beverages with ease. I suppose you could even use for making instant ramen or really anything you might need hot water for. It's worth noting that it's hot but not boiling.

As with any coffee machine, it does need to be cleaned regularly. Since this one has so many features, there's more cleaning that needs to be done. Every time you use it, you'll want to wash any accessories you use, run a clean cycle on the milk frother wand, and wipe down the exterior as needed. Of course you'll want to remove the milk reservoir and refrigerate any unused milk right after use.

On a weekly basis, empty and wash out the water tank, empty and wash the milk reservoir, run a clean cycle on the espresso side, and flush the frother system if you're using it daily. Every month or two, you'll want to do a deep clean of the frother's internal parts.

Roughly every 100 cycles (or 50 for hot water), you'll need to descale the coffee, espresso, and hot water systems. The owner's manual included detailed instruction on how to do all of that, plus you can find videos on Chefman's YouTube channel for guided instruction.

• Design score: 4/5

Chefman Coffee Station Pro: performance

• Fairly easy to use
• Most of the features work well
• Some features don't result in good coffee

In my testing, most of the drinks I made came out really well. Some came out ok, and some came out actually undrinkable.

Espresso

The espresso came out fine and it had a nice crema. It was pretty easy to do, just measure your grounds with the provided scoop, pour your grounds in the portafilter with the appropriate filter inside. Use one scoop in the smaller filter for a single espresso or two scoops in the larger filter for a double espresso. Tamp them down firmly with the included tamper, and then twist the portafilter into place. Select your drink from the touch-screen menu and you'll have espresso in just a minute or so. I used a carefully measured flat scoop, and found the espresso to be rather weak, but your tastes may vary.

Espresso with Nespresso capsule

Using the Nespresso capsule basket in the portafilter, you can brew any Nespresso or Nespresso-compatible capsule. Note that this is only for the small original line capsules, not the larger Vertuo line capsules.

This was a big fail, in my opinion. The capsule was only pierced partway, there was water left in the portafilter, and the resulting brew was sour and weak and had very little crema. It was not worth drinking.

In the photo gallery below, I compare the results of brewing the same kind of Nespresso capsule in both the Chefman Coffee Station Pro and my actual Nespresso machine. In both machines, I brewed it as a small or single espresso. The Nespresso machine results are on the left and the Chefman on the right in both photos.

Latte and cappuccino

Technically, a latte and a cappuccino are pretty different. Though they are both espresso drinks with frothed milk added, the proportions are different. A cappuccino is one third espresso, one third steamed milk, and one third milk foam.

A latte is one-third espresso and two thirds steamed milk with a light layer of milk foam on top.

You can probably tell from my photos above, they don't look all that different. They didn't taste all that different, either, though they were both delicious.

I also tried just frothing some milk and then brewing an espresso separately and putting them together. Again, it just made a lovely foamy milky beverage.

Cold-pressed espresso

This was just a fail, in my opinion. It was so weak that I couldn't even drink it. Again, that's just my taste, yours may be different.

Note that pretty much every time you do a cold-pressed espresso brew, the machine will prompt you to run a cooling cycle on the carafe side first in order to prime the machine for cold press. It's not a big deal, but you'll have to factor in the extra time and place a container under it to catch the flushed water.

K-Cup

Using the included K-Cup adapater on the carafe side of the machine, you can make any K-Cup you like. I actually thought the Chefman Coffee Station Pro did a great job with this one. I'm not generally a fan of K-Cups but this machine brewed it as well as any Keurig machine I've tried. Note that unlike a Keurig machine, you are using a separate adapter part that you'll probably want to wash each time you use it before putting it away. So it is an extra step.

There is also an option to brew the K-Cup pod as cold brew. But I can't recommend it, unless you like a super weak iced coffee. I used the same kind of pod, but look at the difference.

Drip coffee in carafe

The drip coffee came out great. It was easy to do, just like any traditional drip coffee machine. I used the metal and plastic reusable filter, but you could use a paper filter if you prefer. You have the option to set up a delayed brew, so you can get everything ready the night before and have a hot, fresh carafe of coffee when you wake up. The metal plate under the carafe can be set to keep your carafe warm for up to two hours, and an indicator light will let you know that it's hot.

Cold Brew

The Cold Brew feature brews your coffee slower, cooler, and with less water in order to extract the most flavor and give you less ice melt. This came out very well. It does take longer to brew, and it does usually require running a cool cycle first, but the results are tasty.

Over Ice (in carafe)

The Over Ice funtion is a little different from the Cold Brew. It's brewed into the carafe just like regular hot coffee but a bit stronger to compensate for ice melt. This worked fine, and it wasn't watered down too much. However, it was less smooth than the Cold Brew method and more bitter to my taste.

Hot Water

Hot water comes from a separate spout, not through the coffee system. It works fine and just tastes like pure water with no hint of coffee taste.

I selected maximum temperature setting, but water measured just 163°F/73°C. So, it's certainly hot enough to make hot cocoa, certain delicate teas, and perhaps your instant ramen. But it's not that all that close to boiling water, which would be 212°F/100°C.

• Performance score: 3/5

Should you buy the Chefman Coffee Station Pro?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Chefman Coffee Station Pro: also consider

How I tested the Chefman Coffee Station Pro

I brewed and drank every kind of coffee beverage the Chefman Coffee Station Pro makes. I brewed a Nespresso capsule and a K-cup. I brewed espresso from grounds, both hot and cold-pressed. I frothed milk (barista-style pistachio milk) and added a shot of espresso. I made latte and cappuccino. I brewed a carafe of drip coffee. I made cold brew and coffee over ice. I used the hot water feature, tasted it, and measured the temperature.

First reviewed September 2026

And right on cue, Breville — the brand responsible for many of the best coffee machines in Australia — has discounted a number of its top-performing models to commemorate the occasion. And TechRadar readers can save an extra 10% on already discounted machines with our exclusive promo code.

In fact, our exclusive coupon code can be used to any Breville appliance, not just espresso machines either — it will work site wide!

Just head to our dedicated Breville coupon code page, click on the very first green Get Code button and copy the unique one that's generated just for you. Head to the Breville website, shop what you'd like, then use the code at checkout.

It’s all about the coffee today though, and to help with any purchasing dilemmas you might have, I’ve picked out a few of my favourite Breville espresso machines that get the TechRadar seal of approval.

And that brings me to Shark.

Now going under the banner of SharkNinja, the latter has been competing with Dyson for yonks and seems to be consistently making alternatives that aren't just more affordable, but also work very well indeed.

Like the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty, which is my #1 pick of the best stick vacuum in Australia. It's currently sold out on the SharkNinja website despite a AU$799.99 price tag, but it's still available on Amazon for a much lower AU$462.10. That's sadly not the lowest price I've seen for this model — that was just over AU$438 when Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 started on September 29 — but I'd easily recommend it at around the AU$600 mark as that's how good I think it is.

• Follow our dedicated live coverage of the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 sale for more deals and discounts

Now, I haven't tested the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty myself, but I trust my colleague Ruth Hamilton who did — she's also quite the floorcare expert. According to her, the PowerDetect "came out top in my cleaning trials, beating even Dyson's priciest vacuums to the cleaning crown”.

Like all pricier options, the PowerDetect can automatically adjust suction when it detects different floor types and how dirty the floor is. In fact, it will do so even when it senses it's close to a room edge. Moreover, the floorhead's design allows it to suck just as well when moving backward as it does on a frontal push.

The free-standing self-emptying charging dock is also a fabulous feature at this discounted price, and it doesn't even need replacement dust bags. The box in the dock is easy to empty every now and then, plus it's fully washable too. You can purchase ongoing odour neutraliser pucks so bad smells don't build up inside the vacuum, but that's optional — just keep it clean and you won't need to spend the extra cash.

You can roll with this one too

Hold on for a sec longer as that's not the only vacuum recommendation. The heftily named Shark Cordless Vacuum with Self-Cleaning Brushroll (IZ102) is always popular with our readers and stock typically runs out quick when it gets a discount.

And it's now at a record-low price of just AU$189 (or AU$10 less than what it was during July's Prime Day sale). We haven't tested it ourselves at TechRadar, but something has got to be said about the 4.3-star average rating it's got with hundreds of Amazon customers giving it 5 stars. It's even got 72% positive ratings on Product Review, so it must be doing something good.

Honestly, at this price, this no-frills stick vac is perfect for those quick cleans, whether that's inside the house or the shed. Hey, even use it in the car or boat.

If neither Shark tickles your fancy, I've handpicked more of the best October Prime Day vacuum deals, which includes a Dyson going for just under AU$290. I've also included some good robot vacuum deals, as well as upright, handhelds and corded barrel types. So there's plenty to choose from and no need to wait for Black Friday 2026 sales in Australia to pick up a new vacuum cleaner.

Well, Amazon has me rethinking everything with a, quite frankly, huge price drop on the stellar Philips Baristina — now just AU$359.

I only wrote about the oh-so cute coffee machine earlier this month, when it was AU$444. Shortly after that it dropped to AU$419. Both excellent prices. Now Amazon has dropped the price further, it simply has to be the espresso machine deal of the year in my book.

• Follow our dedicated live coverage of the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 sale for more deals and discounts

I’ve made no secret of my love for the Baristina, and if only my partner didn’t drink such huge mugs of coffee, I would have one perched on my kitchen countertop. It’s my pick for the best budget coffee machine in Australia — even at full price — thanks to its ease of use, made possible by its rather genius ability to move the portafilter from one side of the unit to the other.

In short, it combines the best of bean-to-cup machines with the convenience of capsule models, as it handles all aspects of the coffee-making process while putting on a show.

Once you’ve inserted the portafilter into its first position, the Baristina will grind the correct dosage of beans before automatically moving it across to the brewing position. It’s quite remarkable and entirely unique.

As its price would suggest, there are a couple of compromises you need to make. Firstly, it can only brew a 40ml espresso or a 110ml lungo — there’s no extensive menu of drink options to choose from here — and you can’t adjust the grind size, which could potentially introduce a bit of an obstacle.

By this, I mean that you’ll likely need to conduct some trial and error with coffee bean varieties if you find your espresso tastes over- or under-extracted.

And for all the milk-based coffee drinkers out there, you need to know that there’s no way to steam milk. However, a colour-matching Philips Baristina milk frother is available separately.

In my mind, these are minor niggles that are either non-issues or can be easily resolved. The combination of good looks, intuitive features and consistently well-extracted espresso more than makes up for them. If your kitchen is crying out for an affordable coffee machine, the Philips Baristina is ideal.

Want more suggestions?

If you’re in the market for a coffee machine, but the Philips Baristina doesn’t seem like the model for you, you’re in luck, as there are multiple coffee machine deals in the Prime Big Deal Days sale. If it’s some quick recommendations you’re after, look no further.

Vacuums of all kinds have been bestsellers on Amazon for a long time but, in recent years, robot vacuums have gained in popularity. However, one trend has not changed — we love ourselves a cheap buy and, if there's a vacuum that can be had for around the AU$200 mark, we're all for it. And that's totally fine as we've tested some affordable stick vacs that are quite remarkable.

The good news is that I've dug up a fair few options across all types of floorcare machines for you, including some of the best vacuum cleaners in Australia. Of course, I've also gone looking for some the best robot vacuums in Australia and the best stick vacuums, giving you plenty of options to choose from.

So, no matter your needs — whether you're a pet-friendly household or have only carpets — there's a vacuum cleaner that's right for you and there's no need to pay full price.

It would be good for you to be a Prime member when shopping these deals as they're exclusive discounts for subscribers. If you're a first-time customer, Amazon will give you a 30-day free trial and you can cancel any time.

• For more deals and discounts, follow our live coverage of the best Amazon Prime Big Deal Days offers

Best Prime Big Deal Days vacuum deals

Stick vacuum deals

Robot vacuum deals

Wet-dry floor washer deals

Upright vacuum deals

Corded vacuum deals

Handheld vacuums

The R1 is the least flashy of the bunch. It doesn't have the grime-illuminating UV light of the R3, nor the mildly baffling triangular-ish mop pads of the R2. In fact, it doesn't have mop pads at all. The Dyson R1 — or the Dyson R1 Nurovi Dry, to give it its full name, is a vacuum-only model, and in many ways it's the robovac I think has been missing from the market.

Bigger but not better

Over the past few years, robot vacuums have been getting more complicated, bulkier (especially in the case of the docks), and more expensive. A lot of that is tied to the mopping functions. Docks have become giant all-in-one clean stations that top up the bot's water tank, wash its mop pads with hot water, and dry them with hot air.

The robots themselves increasingly have roller mops — which makes them taller than they'd need to be than with the now-out-of-fashion flat pads. Some of the incoming flagships even have the mechanics to produce steam.

In contrast, remove the wet cleaning functionality and the whole system can be streamlined considerably. The dock doesn't need to hold two giant water tanks, or all the mechanics involved in producing heat. The bot can be truly specialized for vacuuming, without having to worry about tanks and rollers and how you get the wet bits out of the way when they're not wanted.

And yet, in recent years, it's become really quite tricky to find a good robot vacuum that doesn't have all the mopping extras built in. In fact, "vacuum-only premium models" was one of the overdue robot vacuum innovations one of TechRadar's main reviewers bemoaned at the close of 2024. It's a gap that has continued to bug me as we near the end of 2026.

Rug danger

The Dyson R1 Nurovi Dry does away with the mopping — and all the paraphernalia that comes with it — in favor of keeping things simple, and focusing on vacuuming. I spoke with Nathan Lawson McLean, a Dyson senior design manager who works across the brand's home products, at the Nurovi launch, to get his insights on the new additions.

"We are super aware that when we look across the robotic market, you've got really different needs," he tells me. "You've got some people that are super familiar with robots. They want wet and dry. They want self-cleaning machines. They want rollers because they deep clean every single day."

However, that's not true for all people or all households. "[Some people] simply don't need it because mopping is not part of their routine," Lawson McLean continues. "They want something that's small, effective, the right price point, and sympathetic to their home. And maybe not a great, big, bloody dock like you might see some robot vacs have."

There's also, he concedes, some trepidation around automated mopping in general. "There are many people who — I know for a fact, through user trials — don't trust robotic vacuums [with mops] with their carpets," he adds. The R1 is a great solution for those customers. "[It can] perhaps even be a bit of an entry gateway to robotic vacuums, converting those people that don't really see the value of wet and dry robots just yet."

Suction master

Earlier, I described the Dyson R1 Nurovi as 'simple', but I don't mean it's basic. Although I can't vouch for the real-life performance until we've tested one out, the specs and features look solid. 21,000Pa of suction is very respectable, there's an extending side sweeper, and an anti-tangle brush bar.

There are even a couple of features that elevate it from the competition. Dyson has built in a Piezo sensor that monitors dust levels and adjusts suction power in response (presumably similar to the setup in its stick vacuums such as the Gen5detect, which I have tried and was impressed by).

I am also intrigued by the 'Twin-capture system' — essentially a semi-sealed off suction area at the top of the suction inlet, designed to create (as Lawson McLean describes it) "a highly concentrated and efficient airflow path that's sealed down to the floor". This section will lift ultra-fine particles, while the more open main roller area can handle chunkier crumbs and debris.

Rather unusually in the robot vacuum market, it doesn't use dust bags, so that's one fewer thing you'll need to remember to buy. The one thing I was initially disappointed about is the fact that Dyson hasn't used some of the dock space freed up by removing the mopping parts to supersize the dustbin. The R1 has the same dust capacity as the R2 — it's just missing the second and third 'pillars', where the water tanks live.

However, Lawson McLean is adamant that this column will provide ample space for the vast majority of people. Officially, it's meant to last 100 days, but his view is that only the owners of especially hairy pets will need to empty it that often. "From the early prototypes we started testing in the beginning of the year, I don't think I've emptied it once. It might be a bit disgusting, but it's still filling up."

It might not be especially flashy, but the R1 Nurovi checks a lot of boxes that many big robovac brands have been neglecting lately, and I think it could be the bot the market has been crying out for.

Dyson has given its top-tier hair stylers a makeover with a new color combination called Plum and Copper, which features rich red, peach, and ginger tones that shift in the light for a cozy, festive feel — just in time to add to your Christmas wish list

The stylers getting the Plum and Copper treatment are the Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x, the Dyson Airstrait, the Dyson AirWrap id, and the Dyson Supersonic Nural. To finish the look, there are also plum-colored attachments for your hair styler.

Earlier this month, my colleague Ruth Hamilton had the chance to join a conversation with the company's Head of Engineering Jake Dyson (son of founder James Dyson), who discussed the company's approach to colors just after the launch of the new Dyson CameraJet toothbrush.

"This blue [on the toothbrush] is inspired by Yves Klein, who's an artist that my father really likes," said Jake,. "He wasn't allowed to use the same blue, but we created our own. And the first vacuum cleaners have purple in them, because of the lavender from the south of France, which is something he loved as well."

In fact, the company has a whole team dedicated to colors, materials, and finishes (CMF), which specializes in the materials and look of its products. Interestingly, it doesn't just use ideas from successful projects — it has also applied ideas from failed products like the Dyson electric car to its health and beauty devices.

When not working on new devices like the CameraJet, the team applies its knowhow to updating existing products. For example. in February, the company released a limited-edition summer solstice-themed Ceramic Apricot and Topaz colorway inspired by "'the astronomical, visual and psychological resonance of the longest, brightest day of the year." Although we thought that have been overselling the look just a little, we still loved the peppy shades of orange and pink.

Copper and Plum is a more classic look, with soft, warm metallics, but the company's creatives have been no less creative in their descriptions.

"Dyson's Plum and Copper colorway is inspired by Kyawthuite, known for its mesmerizing color and near-mythical rarity. Soft red hues echo the mineral's core, deep burgundy traces reflect its natural grooves, and a luminous copper captures its radiant depth," said Alice Chen, Dyson CMF Designer. "This special edition range is a statement piece that truly celebrates Dyson's luxury craftsmanship."

The Plum and Copper stylers won't have "near-mythical rarity", but as a special edition, the colorway won't be around forever — so you might want to make an early start on your Christmas shopping.

Thankfully, Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days has you covered if you’re in the market for a high-quality fan at affordable prices — whether you’re looking for one with automations, misting or to help circulate cool air from your air conditioning unit, there’s something for everyone here.

Sure, a Dyson bladeless fan like the Hot+Cool HF1 or the Find+Follow Purifier Cool are tempting, but you don’t need to spend several hundred dollars for a quality fan. I also wouldn’t recommend getting something ultra-cheap that will struggle to hold up after a few summers, either.

To help make things easier for you, I’ve put together some of the best deals I’ve found below from the likes of Philips, Shark, Vornado and more.

• Follow our dedicated live coverage of the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 sale for more deals and discounts

• Follow our live coverage of the Prime Big Deal Days sale

Prime Day 2.0 as we like to call it here at TechRadar Australia, kicked off earlier this week on Tuesday, September 29, and will come to a close on Monday, October 5. That means you still have plenty of time to take advantage of the many offers available and add a shiny new coffee maker to your kitchen.

Some standout highlights of the sale so far include the gorgeous Philips Baristina dropping to a record low of just AU$359 in both colour options and the Philips 4400 LatteGo getting an additional AU$175 coupon to make it even more affordable. There are, of course, other models to choose from, with all the big-name and trusts brands in coffee offering deep discounts, including Breville and De'Longhi. Some prices are similar, or even slightly less than their previous Prime Day price. Some others have, perhaps unsurprisingly, increased. Whether that means they'll come back down again as we move through the sale remains to be seen.

I'll be keeping this page updated throughout Prime Big Deal Days, and as experience has taught me, new deals can appear at any moment, so be sure to check back regularly.

Best Prime Big Deal Days 2026 coffee machines deals in Australia currently live

Automatic coffee machines

Manual & semi-automatic coffee machines

Capsule coffee machines

Portable

Coffee machine accessories

Which is why we’ve named the cleverly designed Ninja DoubleStack XXL as our pick for the best overall air fryer in Australia, and you’ll be pleased to find that it’s also hit its all-time low price of AU$170.05 for Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.

• Follow our dedicated live coverage of the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 sale for more deals and discounts

On the DoubleStack's performance, TechRadar Lifestyle Managing Editor Josephine Watson said in her review, “Everything I cooked came out just as good as I’d expected, with perfectly crispy chicken wings without the need for a drop of oil, and gorgeous fluffy fries with the perfect amount of bite.”

Watson also liked the useful inclusion of extra stainless steel racks, which can be slotted in above the main crisper plate to provide more cooking surface area.

The only major downsides mentioned were that the form factor won’t be able to accommodate some of the larger food items that a more conventional two-basket air fryer can, and its relatively high price. This discount, however, takes care of the latter concern in spades.

More air fryer deals

Don’t need that much capacity? Or are you keen for something different entirely? Thankfully, that’s not the only standout air fryer deal we’ve found on Amazon Prime Big Deal Days and you have a few options to choose from. From the glass-bottomed Ninja Crispi to the multifunctional Philips Air Fryer 5000, we’ve got you covered.

Anker has unveiled its Edge 5.0 lineup of smart home devices, but the new Eufy Video Doorbell S4 that apparently comes with VR viewing of who's at your door is the latest inductee to the weird tech hall of fame.

The device, which also comes with the Chime 2, is available to pre-order now and is expected to ship at the end of October, but it’s quite a costly addition to your smart home setup priced at $299.99. Still, despite its price and arguably unnecessary headline feature, its expansive roster of features could putit among the best video doorbells.

Aside from being subscription-free with 4GB of built-in memory — which you’d hope for given its asking price — the device’s VR viewing sets the S4 apart from rivals such as the Philips 7000 Series, our overall best pick. According to Anker, the S4 is the world’s first video doorbell with such viewing capabilities, and it sounds pretty insane, but very much impressive.

When the doorbell detects someone at your door, you’ll get a videocall-like notification from the Anker Eufy app which will open a video 180-degree field of view (horizontally and vertically). This gives you an ultra-wide view of the front of your home at all times, removing the need for additional security cameras.

Once you’ve launched the live view in the Anker Eufy app, you can move your smartphone — or VR headset, naturally — to look in different directions and see things from different angles. Clever, right? But that’s not the only smart feature.

As far as camera tracking goes, the S4 records 3K video in 3072 x 3072 keeping a subject’s entire body visible, while Eufy’s AI-powered OmniTrack technology locks onto the person in the frame, following them as they move around. The doorbell then uses Auto-Framing to crop the panoramic view, keeping them in the center at all times.

Detection accuracy, smart hub compatibility, and more

With the new Eufy video doorbell, Anker has put a huge amount of effort into ensuring the device is capable and sensitive enough to monitor your home’s entrance.

A common mishap with video doorbells is false alerts, sending a wave of worry through you when there was nothing to really worry about. To reduce these false alarms, the S4 uses a combination of radar for longer-range detection, while sporting dual PIR sensors to help differentiate human movement closer to your front door.

When it comes to smart home compatibility, Anker’s new video doorbell can be integrated into your existing ecosystem whether you’re running on Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit, though there are a few things to keep in mind.

For those of you using Apple HomeKit, you’ll need to have the Eufy HomeBaseS380 hub to get set up. Additionally, VR viewing and OmniTrack is only available through the Anker Eufy app, so third-party platforms will only show a fixed live view.

The Qrevo 2 Pro is the latest robot vacuum and mop combo cleaner from Roborock and includes detachable mop plates to help ensure it doesn’t get carpets wet while cleaning.

Cleaning performance is a match for some of the most expensive options on the market with its mopping being as good as I have ever tested making it a fantastic pick for the price.

It is relatively tall so it can’t clean under low furniture and its hard floor cleaning isn’t flawless but it is an excellent option, especially when on sale.

Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro: price & availability

• List price: $799.99 / £649.99 / AU$1,199
• Launch date: August 2026
• Availability: worldwide

The Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro sits right on the line between premium and mid-range robot vacuums, with a list price $799.99 / £649.99 / AU$1,199. However, almost immediately after launch I have already seen it get a significant discount to $549 / £549.99, tipping it firmly into the more affordable category — especially considering the features and performance.

Even at full price it sits below the Roborock’s Curv models and produces similar results (although it doesn’t have the AdaptLift chassis for getting over higher thresholds between rooms) making it an excellent value pick. If you’re looking to spend less, the Roborock Q7 is a good alternative although it has much lower suction power and doesn’t have an auto-empty dock.

A branded floor cleaner compatible with the Qrevo 2 Pro is available on Roborock’s website but they don’t push this hard and after testing it without it, it’s definitely not required.

What you will need to buy are disposable dust bags as these are thrown away once full. A three-pack costs $39.90 in the US, and a six-pack is £31.99 in the UK, so this needs to be considered in the running costs. I have tested Roborocks with cheaper unbranded dust bags in the past and not encountered problems, but check model compatibility before ordering.

You can also buy replacement brushes, mop pads, filters and other parts in case anything breaks.

• Value score: 5 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro review: design

• Smart-looking robot and dock
• Can’t get under low furniture
• Smart home integration

Available in all white or black (currently only available in white in the UK and Australia) it is pretty unfussy in terms of design with the dock a bit squarer than the slightly bulbous base stations of Roborock’s Curv series.

The robot is circular, measuring 14 inches wide with a 6-inch cleaning opening underneath for picking up dirt.

The lidar scanner the robot uses to navigate sits in a cage on top of the robot, increasing its height and reducing its clearance so it won’t be able to vacuum under low furniture like a sofa, unlike Roborock’s Qvrevo CurvX with its retractable lidar scanner.

Setting the dock up is easy, involving just attaching the ramp to the front of the dock, filling the clean water tank and plugging it in. The more difficult part may be finding a place for it as it needs to sit on a hard floor with at least 1.5 inches either side and 27.5 inches of clear space in front of the dock. It also needs to be within reach of a power socket and somewhere you won’t trip up over it or mind looking at it everyday.

Smart home integration is included with it compatible with the Matter standard, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro: performance

• Excellent mopping on maximum settings
• Good vacuum performance
• Did get caught on charging cable

Set up is simple, you will need to find an appropriate spot for the dock on a hard floor with plenty of space either side. You then download the app, pair the robot and then you can send it on a discovery run around your house to build a map.

Once it has scanned the space you can then edit the map to combine or divide spaces into rooms, mark areas as no-go zones, manually designate floor types and mark things like curtains and furniture. I found that aside from ensuring the rooms are divided correctly I didn’t have to make any changes to get it to work well, with the carpeted areas successfully detected.

After setup you can use the app to kickstart cleans of the whole map, one or more selected rooms or a designated zone clean you can mark on the map. As well as ad hoc cleans you can set routines for different types of cleans from deep intensive cleans, to specific after dinner cleans of smaller zones or light maintenance vacuuming without mopping.

As the Qrevo 2 Pro has detachable mops, rather than vacuuming and mopping room by room it first goes around the carpeted areas of the whole space you are cleaning first. Once that is complete it returns to the dock to reattach the mop heads before cleaning the rest of the hard floors.

Cleaning performance is OK on hard floors, although it can lead to some spreading of larger debris as the edge cleaning arm sent rice grains skittering across the floor. It did better with fine particles, although there was still some tea visible on a pass on the standard cleaning settings.

It handled larger particles much better on carpet, picking up almost every single grain of rice, although there was some tea left after the first pass.

As with most robot vacuums, its edge cleaning wasn't great on carpet, but the sweeping brush does well to move material into the vacuum’s path on hard floors..

Before

After

During the obstacle avoidance tests it did well to identify the shoe and sock, staying clear as it cleaned around them but it did go over the charging cable, getting it stuck in the cleaning brushes and needing me to rescue it before it could continue cleaning.

During my mopping tests on first pass it did a reasonable job taking up a fair bit of the ketchup although there was a hint of the soy sauce remaining. Trying a second clean on maximum water flow and cleaning settings it did a fantastic job cleaning off even the dried on patches of ketchup.

Before

After

While the most intensive cleaning took some time and left the floor relatively wet, it was some of the best mopping I have ever seen from a robot. You do need to delve into the settings to get the best performance and it probably is only practical for small zone cleaning but it's still a lot less effort than getting out a mop and bucket.

On regular cleaning settings it can manage around five regular rooms before needing recharging so depending on your home it may need to recharge before completing a full clean. Recharging takes around four hours.

Before

After

It’s not loud in operation, registering around 60db while cleaning on carpet. The dock emptying is a little louder, topping out at 69db (around the level of normal conversation), although this is pretty brief so shouldn’t be too disruptive.

The Qrevo 2 Pro uses dust bags so emptying it of dirt is quick and neat, although that does add ongoing costs to using it. You will also need to empty the waste water and refill the clean water tanks regularly which is easy to do (as long as you leave enough clearance room above the robot) as these lift out of the dock and then can be unclipped open for emptying or filling.

Smart home integration worked well for starting a whole house clean but I did have a little trouble using the room clean function for custom named rooms. Naming a room one of the default names such as Kitchen or Living Room worked fine, but a custom name such as Utility Room sparked a whole house clean instead.

While custom room names would be helpful, even getting default room cleaning to work is not a guarantee with any of the robot vacuum cleaners I have tested so, relatively, this is a success.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro: app

• Easy setup
• Clear house map
• Can set frequent types of clean and schedule cleans

The app is simple to use, although I did find it can sometimes get a little lost if you select your cleaning mode too quickly, meaning you have to move to another mode and back again before getting the options you need.

Once you select the robot you are shown the map of your home and have four tabs to select the type of clean you want, 'Full', 'Room', 'Zone' and 'Routine'. 'Full' starts a clean of the whole map and to the left of the play button there is a button for adjusting the type of clean including whether you want to vacuum and mop, just vacuum or just mop. There are also controls for the level of suction, waterflow, amount of times you want the robot to clean the area and the intensity of the cleaning pattern.

Room allows you to select one or more rooms to clean, while Zones lets you pick multiple rectangular sections of your chosen size on the map for it to clean, allowing you to spot clean specific sections of floor.

'Routine' is the final option and allows you to create shortcuts for regular types of clean that will then be available from the opening screen on the app. This is useful for setting up things like zone cleans that focus around a dining table following a meal or if you want a predefined deep clean compared with a light maintenance clean.

Despite the name, 'Routine' doesn’t include any scheduling functionality by default. That is hidden somewhat in the settings menu, but can be used with scheduled cleans (if your home doesn’t regularly have bits of Lego on the floor like mine does).

• App score: 5 out of 5

Should you buy the Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

How I tested the Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro

I tested the Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro over a period of over two weeks, using it as an everyday cleaner of a busy household.

As well as day to day use I put it through a series of tests, assessing its performance picking up fine particles and larger debris on carpet and hard floor by having it clean an area with a set amount of rice and tea sprinkled on the surface. Edge cleaning was also tested using tea on the edge of a carpet and hard floor area.

Mopping performance was tested by having the robot clean up a spill of soy sauce, as well as tackling a patch of dried ketchup. After an initial pass on regular settings, this was then retested with cleaning settings set to maximum.

First reviewed September 2026

AeroPress has just launched a new premium version of its classic coffee maker: the AeroPress Premium Walnut Brewer, with real wood components to tie into your kitchen color scheme.

The new brewer has a plunger and flange made from high-grade walnut wood, and comes with a solid walnut coffee scoop and stirrer. Like the AeroPress Premium, the new walnut brewer has a chamber made from tough borosilicate glass, with laser-etched markings to help you pour just the right volume of water. Other components, including the filter cap, are made from stainless steel and aluminum.

To match the new coffee maker, there's also a new walnut-clad version of the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder. The AeroPress Walnut Manual Grinder has a large handle made from natural wood, with a matching catch container to hold your freshly ground beans.

I had the opportunity to test the all-metal coffee grinder when it launched earlier this year, and it was by far the best hand-operated grinder I've ever used. I was particularly impressed by the quality of its titanium burrs, which grind extremely evenly, and can be adjusted for 60 different grind sizes. The large handpiece sits comfortably in the hand and is easy to turn, though there's also an attachment for an electric drill if you have limited mobility in your hands.

Walnut is a growing trend in premium kitchen appliances, with wood-accented models flying off the shelves. KitchenAid's Evergreen stand mixer went viral after its launch in 2024, the ever-popular Ratio Eight Coffee Machine got a real wood upgrade in May 2025, and the walnut-clad Café Leon Dore / La Marzocco Linea Micra espresso machine sold out almost immediately in November — despite its eye-watering price tag of $11,660 (about £8,810 / AU$16,620).

Thankfully the AeroPress Premium Walnut Brewer and AeroPress Walnut Manual Grinder are significantly easier on your wallet. They are priced at $249.95 each, and are available today from AeroPress.com and Williams-Sonoma. That works out at about £190 / AU$360, though global release details have yet to be announced.

Their launch comes just in time for International Coffee Day on October 1. Stick with TechRadar for more coverage of the latest coffee makers, tips and recommendations on the day itself.

Shenzhen-based firm Reolink is a well-established brand in the home security market having gained a solid reputation for well-built, user-friendly cameras and video doorbells at an affordable price. I’ve reviewed quite a few models for TechRadar in my time and have generally been very impressed. One particular favourite is the recently launched Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam which combines a solar panel with two powerful spotlights either side of the main unit, as well as a loud onboard siren.

Like the Solar Floodlight Cam, the OMVI 3i also features powerful spotlights (there are eight in total) plus an ear-piercing 110dB siren. However, the key difference is that rather than relying on solar power combined with a built-in lithium-ion battery that can be recharged, the much bulkier Reolink OMVI 3i is mains-operated only and can’t be powered by battery or solar. This means it will have to be located near an AC power supply which isn’t always possible outdoors.

Two versions are available, a wired Power of Ethernet (PoE) version and the Wi-Fi model that we tested. Unlike some cheaper models, the OMVI 3i supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi — though the 5GHz frequencies are recommended for outdoor use. Practically identical to one another, both models are very bulky, requiring careful mounting on a wall using a drill in conjunction with brackets, screws and wall plugs provided.

Whereas most security cameras rely on cloud-based processing to identify objects, this latest Reolink features powerful integrated edge AI. This onboard intelligence allows the camera to easily distinguish between people, animals, and vehicles, letting you independently adjust sensitivity settings for each category to help dramatically reduce false alarms. Particularly clever is the smart tracking option alongside advanced package detection, which can alert you if a parcel is removed from a specific zone - making it a potentially useful tool in the fight against porch pirates.

When viewing footage via the easy-to-use app, two screens are displayed – one from the top panoramic camera producing a 180-degree image from two separate lenses and the other from a motorized pan-and-tilt camera that can rotate horizontally up to 355 degrees and vertically up to 50 degrees. Rather usefully, if you spot something untoward on the panoramic display such as an intruder, you can simply identify the area with your finger and it will then hone in on that area using the pan-and-tilt camera underneath.

Finally, where security camera manufacturers usually make their money is in selling you a monthly subscription to store your video footage in the cloud. Not only is this a potential cybersecurity risk, it can also get very expensive over time. With the Reolink OMVI 3i, there’s the choice between storing on a MicroSD card slot (not supplied) or subscribing to Reolink’s cloud service from just £2.71 (about $3.60 / AU$5.10) per month (yes it’s a strange amount). And because this OMVI 3i is mains-operated, the camera can record 24/7 if you want it to without having to worry about the battery losing its charge. This makes it ideal for business as well as consumer use.

Reolink OMVI 3i: subscription options

Reolink Cloud, Single Device Plan: Up to 30-day cloud video history, one camera, unlimited cloud storage, unlimited rich notifications, AI Video Search. £2.71 (about $3.60 / AU$5.10) per month.

Reolink Cloud, Standard Plan: Up to 30-day cloud video history, up to five cameras supported, unlimited cloud storage, unlimited rich notifications. £2.87 (about $2.80 / AU$5.40) per month.

See https://cloud.reolink.com/cloud-plan for further details

Reolink OMVI 3i: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $329.99 / £259.99 / AU$439
• When is it available? Available since June / July 2026
• Where is it available? UK, US, Australia, and select global markets via Amazon and Reolink’s official store.

When you consider everything that the Reolink OMVI 3i camera has to offer, including dual panoramic lenses, a 4K pan-and-tilt mechanism, integrated edge AI and powerful spotlights, this security camera simply is fantastic value for money — especially as it’s pretty well built too. A few years ago, a device like this would have set you back nearer to £400 in the UK where I'm reviewing it, yet at the time of writing Amazon is offering it for just £220.

And while there are of course cheaper models on the market, none that I’ve seen offer anywhere near the same levels of performance. In fact, the Reolink OMVI 3i substantially undercuts commercial-grade monitoring systems, making it the ideal choice for small businesses/shops that want to use it for monitoring their premises.

Furthermore, even if you opt for cloud storage, the subscription fee isn't that bad coming in at under £3 a month. Better still, you can avoid ongoing costs completely by buying your own MicroSD card for local event logging, 24/7 continuous recording, or audio capture, making it a remarkably cost-effective long-term investment.

• Value score: 5/5

Reolink OMVI 3i: design

• Triple-lens configuration (10MP panoramic top lenses + 4K 8MP PTZ bottom lens)
• Heavy-duty weatherproof (IP66) housing with drilling template included
• Mains-powered only

Unlike many modern compact outdoor security cameras, the OMVI 3i is one heck of a big beast! Tipping up the scales at 2.4lbs / 1.1kg for the Wi-Fi variant and 2.9lbs / 1.3kg for the PoE version, it’s a really bulky unit. Installation isn't the easiest either. Because of its weight and the way it protrudes from the wall, it requires a very secure mount. It’s not a camera you can casually stick up with a couple of small screws. Instead, you’ll need a drill, screws, wall plugs and the mount to ensure it stays firmly anchored.

Using the template provided I drilled holes for the sturdy mounting bracket, placing the unit high up on my outside wall overlooking the garden. But there’s no getting away from the fact this is a big unit designed for high performance rather than looks. Another major problem is that it needs to be plugged into the mains. Thankfully I already have a mains socket outdoors, but if you don’t, you will run have to connect the cabling to a plug indoors.

Essentially the design comprises two main elements — the upper part with twin lenses for panorama mode and the single lens pan-and-tilt camera underneath. Round the back of the unit is a waterproof rubber flap housing a MicroSD card slot and reset button. The maximum supported MicroSD card size for the Reolink OMVI 3i (both WiFi and PoE versions) is 512 GB. Alternatively you can subscribe to store recorded footage in the cloud or buy a Reolink NVR (network video recorder).

• Design score: 3.5/5

Reolink OMVI 3i: performance

• SyncTrack enables the Pan-Tilt camera to automatically lock on and follow subjects
• Integrated edge AI for people, animals and vehicles
• Removed item alerts and 24/7 continuous recording capability

When it comes to performance, the Reolink OMVI 3i Wi-Fi is certainly one of the best I’ve ever seen. Freed from battery limitations, it can focus completely on offering high-definition recordings from the triple-lens set up, rather than having to compromise on image quality to save battery power.

Indeed, visual performance is exceptionally strong. The 4K 8-megapixel pan-and-tilt camera delivers crisp, high-definition clarity that lets you easily zoom in on distant facial features or car number plates. Furthermore, the 10MP panoramic lenses on top provide an ultra-wide 180-degree overview, delivering the ultimate 'best of both worlds' setup where nothing escapes your field of vision. When an event occurs in the panoramic overview, you can simply tap or click on a specific area within the wide feed, and the 4K PTZ camera will instantly 'pinpoint' and swivel to that exact spot, zooming in to provide close-up detail without losing track of the broader context.

Even at night, picture quality remains exceptional. Infra-red night vision provides sharp monochrome clarity, while the multiple integrated spotlights proved amazingly powerful, bathing my garden in light late at night to ensure color recordings. Also on board is a powerful 110dB siren for startling unwanted trespassers, as well as two-way audio so you can tell intruders to get off your land!

But that’s not all. Particularly impressive is OMVI 3i’s built-in local AI processing. Rather than relying on sluggish or privacy-invasive cloud servers, the camera runs intelligence directly on the device. This allows it to distinguish between people, animals and vehicles with impressive accuracy. You can also independently fine-tune the motion sensitivity for each category, which dramatically cuts down on the nuisance false alarms that plague many security cameras.

Although I didn’t test the feature, removed-item alerts enable you to get a notification if a parcel is lifted from a marked doorway zone (handy in the fight against porch pirates!) while if you want continuous coverage, you can set the camera to record 24/7 or configure it to record audio by default.

Yet despite these standout strengths, the camera’s performance is not entirely without flaws. One small issue I encountered during testing is that the software stitching between the two top cameras for the 180-degree panorama occasionally fails, disrupting the seamless wide-angle view (this can be corrected with software within the app). Additionally, while the automated tracking of people, vehicles and animals is generally smooth, fast-moving targets can cause the pan-and-tilt mechanism to stutter or momentarily lose tracking if they dart across the frame too quickly.

Finally, because the camera captures such a massive, wide-angle view, it does demand careful positioning. If you have limited private space, its lenses can easily spill over into neighboring properties or public walkways, requiring you to use the detection exclusion zones software provided.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Reolink OMVI 3i?

Buy it if

Don’t buy it if

Reolink OMVI 3i: also consider

How I tested the Reolink OMVI 3i

• I used the camera outdoors for seven days
• I set it up myself using the fittings provided by the manufacturer
• The security camera was installed facing my back garden.

Usually when testing outdoor security cameras, I like to install them on my summer house which doubles as a home office and gym. This gives me a great view of the garden back towards the house. However, for the Reolink OMVI 3i I had to change things around for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, the size of the camera meant that I couldn’t be sure that the wooden-built summer house would hold the weight. Secondly, although I have power inside the summer house I would have needed to run power quite a long way to the outside of the building which wasn’t possible with the cable provided.

So, instead, I opted to drill the camera bracket into the wall outside my kitchen and face the camera the other way towards the end of the garden. This had the added advantage of the camera not being visible to the neighbors. I tested the camera for several days and nights, using the onboard AI to capture people and animals in the garden, though thankfully no intruders made it into my heavily fortified property.

First reviewed September 2026

Doorbell brands usually sell you the hardware cheap and charge you monthly for the privilege of seeing the footage. Aosu has gone the other way, and for that alone the R1 Ultra is worth your attention.

Video clips go to the AosuBase Mini, a small plug-in box that lives inside your house and does three jobs at once — Wi-Fi bridge, indoor chime, and storage. It holds 8GB and keeps a rolling 60 days of footage.

There is an optional cloud subscription, AosuProtect+, but unlike Ring's arrangement, the doorbell isn't hobbled without it. You get alerts, live view, two-way talk, custom detection zones, and full playback for nothing other than the purchase price.

Detection is another strength. Rather than relying on a passive infrared sensor and hoping, Aosu layers radar and AI human recognition on top, which lets it judge distance and intent — approaching versus passing, lingering versus walking through.

There's also a Tone button hiding in the two-way talk screen. Tap it, and you can answer the door as either 'uncle' or 'clown', with Aosu's straight-faced explanation that this disguises your voice for privacy.

The uncle setting artificially deepens voices, transitioning women and children to something resembling a man to deter would-be intruders. Clown goes all high-pitched and distorted to mask your identity.

Fortunately, the latter falls on the right side of sinister, so you can forget scaring off trick-or-treaters with imitations of South Park’s Mickey Mouse.

Where Aosu gets ahead of itself is resolution and framing. The sensor is 2560 x 1920, which is 4.9 megapixels in a 4:3 frame. That’s sharp, and a step up from 2K doorbells at this price, but not the claimed ‘UHD’, which would be 3,840 x 2,160.

The asserted 60% improvement over standard 2K only holds if the 2K you're comparing against is Aosu's own 3MP doorbell. An earlier version of the identical claim, on the identical camera, said 40%.

Field of view should be taken with a pinch of salt, too. Aosu says 166 degrees, but that's the corner-to-corner measurement. In reality, it's 133 horizontal by 103 vertical, shot in a shallow 4:3 aspect ratio and no head-to-toe image tricks.

With realistic use, the battery should last six months between charges. The kicker is the cell isn’t quick-release, and juicing it from flat to full takes six hours. So that means unclipping the entire doorbell and going without it for quite a while.

Aosu Video Doorbell R1 Ultra: price & availability

• List price: £139.99 / $135.99 (about AU$190)
• Launched July 2026 in the UK
• Available in the UK, US, and across the EU

With a list price of $135.99 / £139.99 (about AU$190), but usually discounted, the R1 Ultra is filed under ‘affordable’ and veers towards bargain territory if you find one hovering around the £100 mark.

At that price, the value case is strong, because the base station is in the box rather than a £50 upsell, and the 60 days of local recording would cost you a subscription almost anywhere else.

Over three years, that's the difference between a hundred pounds and several hundred more.

• Value score: 4/5

Aosu Video Doorbell R1 Ultra: subscription costs

The R1 Ultra is fully functional without a subscription. Alerts, live view, two-way talk, detection zones, and 60 days of local playback are all included.

AosuProtect+ is the optional cloud add-on. In the UK, it's advertised at £9.99 (about $10 / AU$20) a month or £122.99 (about $160 / AU$230) a year, currently discounted to £3.49 (about $5 / AU$10) and £39.99 (about $50 / AU$80). Treat the higher figures with the same suspicion as the hardware list price.

The annual price is simply the monthly rate multiplied by twelve, so there's no built-in saving for paying up front, and £3.49 lands within pennies of what Aosu charges in dollars in the US. There’s a 30-day free trial if you wish to dip your toe.

What it buys you is cloud backup rather than capability: 14 or 30 days of event recordings, playback from anywhere, faster scrubbing, and bulk downloads. AI facial recognition sits on the top tier and is offered for video doorbells only.

The argument for paying is that local storage is bound to the base station like Bilbo Baggins is bound to the ring in The Lord of The Rings. If it fails, someone takes it, or you inexplicably drop it in the fires of Mount Doom, your footage dies with it.

Aosu Video Doorbell R1 Ultra: specs

Aosu Video Doorbell R1 Ultra: design and installation

• Plain but solid
• Hub required indoors
• Battery or existing wiring

The R1 Ultra is a black plastic slab with silver flourishes similar to a Ring, and very little design ambition beyond flattering imitation.

Installation is straightforward and takes about half an hour all in. Bracket on the wall, doorbell clipped on top, base station plugged in somewhere central.

Aosu recommends mounting at 4 feet / 1.2 meters rather than eye-level, which is lower than instinct suggests but necessary if you want the frame to reach the doorstep. Worth getting right the first time rather than re-drilling.

A 15-degree wedge is included if you need to angle it towards a path or a gate, along with a screwdriver, extension wires and wire nuts for anyone hardwiring to existing 8–24V doorbell wiring.

The base station isn't optional, and it isn't outdoors-rated. It's the storage, the chime, and the Wi-Fi bridge in one. It needs a mains socket permanently, and it's rated only to 14°F / −10°C, so it lives in the hall or the cupboard under the stairs and stays there.

Detaching the whole unit from the wall for a full six-hour recharge via USB-C is a weak point, but a cable is bundled in the box.

A neat addition is pry detection. Try to lever the unit off its bracket, and it sounds a chime and pushes an alert, with footage on the base station indoors rather than on what’s being stolen.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Aosu Video Doorbell R1 Ultra: performance

• Sharp in daylight
• Strong multi-sensor detection
• Infrared-only after dark

Daylight is this doorbell’s happy place, with 5MP more than most similarly-priced rivals offer. Faces, delivery uniforms and parcel labels are legible rather than merely present.

Radar handles distance and movement, PIR picks up body heat, and the AI layer decides whether what it's looking at is a person. During testing, alerts felt instantaneous once someone reached the door.

After dark, expectations need managing. There is no color night vision and no spotlight.

Eight 850nm infrared LEDs offer monochrome up to 33 feet / 10 meters, and the manual warns mounting too close to a side wall will bounce IR back into the lens and fog the image. I’d pair the R1 Ultra with an outdoor light to make up for the shortfall.

Answering the door is well handled. Notifications arrive with a thumbnail of whatever triggered them, so you can tell a courier from a cat without opening the app, and tapping through starts a proper two-way video call rather than a one-way stream.

The 6x digital zoom lets you crop into a face or a label, though at 15fps and with a wide lens, it softens quickly.

Quick Reply issues an audible preset message when you can't talk. Somewhat boringly, they’re fixed, so you can’t edit the wording or add your own.

On connectivity, the doorbell itself is 2.4GHz only; the dual-band capability belongs to the AosuBase Mini, which talks to your router on 2.4 or 5GHz.

That's a sensible design for a battery device, but it means the camera-to-base link is on the crowded band and placement of the base matters more than usual. Plugged in 33 feet / 10 meters from my front door with the broadband router halfway, all was fine.

Live view includes a UHD/SD toggle to drop the quality when the connection struggles, and you can save a clip or a still straight to your phone's camera roll if you ever need to hand something to a neighbor or the police.

The six-month battery figure assumes up to ten events a day at 20 seconds each — about three-and-a-half minutes of recording daily. On a busy porch with a path or pavement in frame, expect considerably less.

• Performance score: 3/5

Should you buy the Aosu Video Doorbell R1 Ultra?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Aosu Video Doorbell R1 Ultra: also consider

How I tested the Aosu Video Doorbell R1 Ultra

• Fitted to a domestic front door
• Assessed daylight and infrared video, detection accuracy, and audio
• Ran entirely without a subscription

I mounted the R1 Ultra on my own front door and used it as the household's main entry camera for a fortnight, deliberately running it on local storage alone so the no-subscription claim could be tested as most buyers will experience it.

I checked live-view responsiveness and alert latency, reviewed clips in daylight and after dark, and tracked battery drain against Aosu's 180-day claim.

First reviewed September 2026

But if you still find those options a bit pricey, the Blink Video Doorbell System discounted to just AU$27.99 as part of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale, should certainly make for a no-brainer addition to your home.

• Follow our dedicated live coverage of the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 sale for more deals and discounts

In our Blink Video Doorbell review, we called it one of the easiest security systems to install, with two different mounting options to suit any household, and setting it up within the Blink mobile app with the included Sync Module Core (which serves as the central system hub) takes just three steps.

Our tester found that it has good image quality at 1440p resolution and 30 frames per second, stable video connection, a wide 150º horizontal field of view and battery life rated for up to two years via three AA lithium batteries.

There’s no included indoor chime, but you can pair this doorbell with a Blink Mini camera that’s sold separately (but you can also buy a bundle with two Blink Mini 2K+ cameras for AU$48) or connect via the Alexa app on your phone to an Amazon Fire Stick or Amazon Echo Show to let you see who’s at your door on your TV or smart display.

As mentioned above, lots of features are locked behind a subscription plan, including video recording, cloud video storage, video sharing, person and vehicle detection, even photo capture. The Blink Basic Plan applies to just one device for AU$4.95 per month or AU$49.95 per year, while Blink Plus lets you add an unlimited number of Blink devices for AU$15 per month or AU$150 per year. For most households, though, the former is a good starting point at a reasonable price, which is made even more enticing by the device’s whopping 72% price drop.

Want to explore your options? Amazon has also discounted more Blink video doorbell models and cameras here.

Security researchers at OPSWAT have detailed two high-severity flaws in TP-Link's Tapo C200, a pan-and-tilt indoor camera listed on Amazon for $26.99 and sold as a baby monitor and pet camera.

The more serious issue is that someone on the same network can log in as the camera's administrator without the password, accessing the live feed and stored recordings.

At least one other bug, which OPSWAT rates as critical in the same disclosure but does not detail, has not been published.

A localized login that requires no authentication

The TP-Link Tapo C200, as we noted in previous coverage of the incident, isn't just another security camera that happens to be vulnerable; it is one of the most popular models on the market, clocking in at over 3,000 sales on Amazon alone.

The Tapo C120, in its current iteration, sells over 5,000 units monthly, even as the advisory notes that its V1 hardware version is currently compromised until users update the firmware on their devices.

Both SKUs have received firmware updates that patch the vulnerabilities (CVE-2026-15315 & CVE-2026-15316), which are assigned 'high' scores of 8.7 and 7.1, respectively. However, according to TP-Link, CVE-2026-15316 does not affect the C120 camera.

However, the former vulnerability is the more pressing of the two and, according to OPSWAT, is particularly problematic for users because of how the C120 and C200 cameras function.

Both run a local management interface over HTTPS and use a challenge-response login designed to prove a client knows the owner's password. Khoi Tran, a graduate fellow at OPSWAT, and his mentor, Thai Do of the company's Unit 515 team, found a second verification path in which, under certain conditions, a value the camera hands out during login can be sent back and accepted as a valid authentication response.

The result is an administrator session after a small number of requests, with no password, no existing session, and no requirements for the new 'owner'. As a result, access includes live video, stored footage, and configuration changes.

OPSWAT's researchers pointed out that a C200 used as a baby monitor would expose "live video, night vision, crying detection and two-way audio."

The second flaw, CVE-2026-15316, affects only the C200 and sits in its Wi-Fi onboarding code. Sending the camera an oversized chunk of encrypted Wi-Fi credential data can crash its HTTPS service or restart the device outright, cutting the owner off from management and monitoring until it recovers.

The attacks are somewhat limited in scope: users aiming to exploit such vulnerabilities would need to be on the same Wi-Fi network, or within a certain trusted ecosystem, to begin with.

For now, users upgrading to TP-Link's newest firmware, issued for both models, rectifies both issues, but there might already be another security patch in the works: OPSWAT also found "a critical vulnerability that could allow an attacker to fully compromise the camera," which could then serve as a foothold inside the network.

It is currently holding off on publishing any details about the vulnerability as it waits for TP-Link to issue a patch that rectifies the situation. Neither OPSWAT nor TP-Link, however, has provided a timeline for when the patch will be available to end users.

There is a case to be made against stuffing AI and smart tech into every single gadget: case in point, units from Samsung's smart fridge series, which have started shutting down and leaving food uncooled in South Korea after a bad software update was pushed out.

As Notebookcheck reports, this has left users very angry — and right before the Chuseok national holiday too. A host of fridge owners are saying that after an update in SmartThings, their appliances almost immediately stopped working. No interior light, no touch pad functionality, and no refrigeration.

It looks as though the Bespoke AI 4-Door Refrigerator model is the one most affected by the serious glitch, and according to ZDNET Korea, an internal testing software version was rolled out by mistake. Samsung has acknowledged the error, paused the update, and is promising to send out engineers over the holiday break.

However, users are reporting they're only able to book engineers for after Chuseok ends, on Saturday, September 26. "Now it looks like I'll have to throw away all the holiday food I bought ahead of the break," said one disgruntled user (via Google Translate), as per SBS News in South Korea.

Turn it off and on again

Samsung isn't sharing details of how many people have been affected by this, but considering the volume of complaints, it seems to be a significant number. As yet, there's been no mention of any compensation for the fridge contents that will be spoiled — and there doesn't seem to be a fix other than to wait for an engineer.

The unfortunate fridge owners who've been hit by the bug have been resorting to dry ice and ice boxes to try and keep their food and drink cool, but all efforts to roll back the update have proved unsuccessful. Turning the fridges off and on again doesn't work, and nor does removing and reinstating them on the SmartThings platform.

It does seem as though the update was halted before it reached any Samsung fridge customers outside of South Korea, which is good news — but not much consolation for those who are affected. Losing a few smart functions is one thing, but to have the units completely shut down is… well, it's enough to make you rethink the idea of a smart major appliance.

The Eufy Omni E35 is a near-perfect robot vacuum cleaner and mop. It fits into the Eufy range below its flagship S series, but above the cheaper C and older X series. The headline figure of 35,000 Pa suction is seriously impressive, and so too is the E35’s ability to keep itself clean by cleverly preventing fine dust from blocking the filter.

The charge dock empties the dust bin, replenishes the mopping water tank, then washes and dries the mop with hot water and warm air, for truly hands-off cleaning. Navigation is also strong, the Eufy app works very well, and the E35’s overall cleaning performance fully justifies the four-figure price tag.

The E35 lacks the fragrance diffuser, water ozonator and more advanced, AI-powered navigation tech of the pricier Omni S2, but by cutting those Eufy has created a robovac that focuses on what really matters — cleaning your floors and, crucially, keeping itself clean too.

It’s the self-cleaning that impresses most here, with the mop still looking brand-new after weeks of use, the roller free from tangled hair, and the dust bin filter not caked in dust. Add that to the E35’s strong suction and pivoting mop that stretches into the edges of every room while pushing down to scrub stains and scraping itself clean as it goes, and this is truly a set-it-and-forget-it robovac.

Eufy Omni E35: price and availability

• List price: $1,299.99 / £999 (about AU$1,830)
• Launched: September 2026

The Omni E35 is the new flagship of Eufy’s E series of robotic vacuum cleaners. It sits above the E25 and E38, but below the company’s top-end S tier and overall flagship, the Omni S2.

At £999 (or $1,299.99 in the US; Australian price to be confirmed), the E35 is £100 more than the E28, but sits comfortably below the older £1,299 S1 and £1,599 S2.

Interestingly, the E35 has slightly more suction power than the range-topping S2, and features much of the same self-cleaning and anti-tangle tech. But it misses out on the S2’s fragrance system, water electrolysis function, and more advanced vision system — all of which helps explain the price difference, and also why the newer model’s base station is more compact.

Announced at the IFA technology trade show in September 2026, the Eufy Omni E35 is available now.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Eufy Omni E35: specifications

Eufy Omni E35: design

• Charge station with dusty bag, water tanks, mop cleaning and drying function
• Self-cleaning roller mop with edge-cleaning design
• Dual detangling brushes

The Omni E35 continues Eufy’s trend of making its robotic vacuums more compact, while increasing performance. The robot itself is broadly similar to most other members of the Omni family — more on that in a moment — but the docking station is where a reduction in bulk is most obvious. It makes the X10 Pro, my go-to recommendation from just a couple of years ago, look ancient.

The E35 dock is shorter and sleeker, with a glossy plastic front, a neat bit of silver trim above the robot’s parking space, and a couple of discreet integrated handles for lifting out the clean and dirty water tanks. At about 16 inches (around 40cm) tall, and about the same depth front to back, including the robot when parked, the whole system is pleasingly compact. So much so, you’d be forgiven for wrongly thinking this is an entry-level robovac with limited performance.

Inside that compact dock there’s a charger and dust bag, two tanks for clean and dirty water, and a system that washes the mop with 60C (140F) hot water then dries it with 55C (131F) hot air. There’s also a compartment for installing Eufy’s own floor detergent (one bottle is included in the box), and Eufy says the system can operate entirely hands-free for up to 60 days. This will depend on the size of your home and how frequently you clean, of course, but it’s an impressive claim nonetheless.

The robot itself measures 4.6 in (116mm) tall and 14.2 in (360mm) in diameter, making it slightly larger in both directions than the Eufy S2, and fractionally taller than the Dyson Spot+Scrub AI. It’s also slightly taller than my trusty Eufy X10 Pro, and while the E35 managed to clean beneath all of my furniture, you’ll want to check it against yours to be sure it’ll fit.

Eufy claims a maximum threshold clearance of 1.2 inches (30.5mm), which isn’t as impressive as the Omni S2, but I’ve had no issues with it driving up from wooden floors onto carpeting.

A clever piece of design sees fine dust separated and ushered into the robot’s onboard bin before it reaches the filter. Eufy claims this ensures the E35 retains its headline 35,000 Pa suction power for longer, since the filter doesn’t get clogged up quite so quickly. After testing I found dust had started to settle in the filter, but this was easily cleaned and didn’t appear to affect performance. There’s also an anti-tangle comb to stop hair wrapping around the roller brush.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Eufy Omni E35: performance

• Excellent vacuuming
• Very good mopping
• Fully cleans and dries itself reliably

Eufy’s E series of robotic vacuums has impressed for a few years now, so my expectations were high when the E35 arrived. Thankfully, the E35 delivered. The setup process will be familiar to anyone who has used a Eufy Omni, or really any robotic vacuum cleaner, before.

Assembly takes just a couple of minutes, then it’s just a case of filling the clean water tank, installing the included detergent bottle, switching it on and following the instructions of the Eufy app. The E35 then completed a mapping expedition, driving into every room and quickly using its vision system to map the walls, floors and doorways.

Furniture isn’t automatically added to the map, as it is with the pricier Omni S2, but I’ve never cared much for that feature and would rather see the floor plan unobscured.

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As with all robotic vacuums, I had to manually adjust the E35’s map slightly, repositioning some walls and naming each of the rooms. It’s not really a failing of the vision system, just a part of the setup process. That said, the robot mistakenly added an enormous room to the sides of my kitchen and living room that doesn’t really exist. I imagine it saw through to the garden and decided that was part of the floor plan, but frustratingly phantom rooms can’t be deleted, so I binned the entire map and started again. The second map was created accurately, and remained so throughout the rest of my month-long test.

The headline figure for this robot is its 35,000 Pa of maximum suction power. This is actually 5,000 Pa more than the flagship Omni S2, and provides fantastic results on carpet and hard floors alike. Going back to my X10 Pro again – a vacuum that I awarded four stars just two years ago, and launched at £800 / $800 – and that manages just 8,000 Pa, a quarter of the new E35.

The result of all that power is deeply impressive cleaning performance. The vacuuming is especially good, with carpets visibly cleaner after using Max mode. It’s probably overkill for a little-and-often cleaning schedule, but if the battery can survive a full carpet vacuum in Max mode, why wouldn’t you use it?

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I often left it in Max for the kitchen and living room, or switched down to the middling Turbo mode for bigger cleans in a bid to avoid charging mid-task. It’s also worth noting how the robot automatically increases suction when carpet or rugs are detected.

After a fortnight of regular use — and being impressed by the E35’s performance – I began TechRadar’s specific robovac tests. Vacuuming is first tested with a crumb mix made of flour and crushed biscuit spread across both carpet and hard floors, then oats are scattered across the same areas to test its ability to pick up larger debris.

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The Omni E35’s quietest mode — which I recorded at just 60 decibels – was very fast, but left noticeable tracks of the crumb mix behind. The same happened when ramping up to Turbo mode (64 decibels) and switching to a more thorough clean. But, thankfully, the carpet was left absolutely flawless by using the ultra-powerful Max mode (67 decibels), along with the Deep intensity option and with two passes of the target area. This took longer, but the results absolutely justified the extra time and energy.

(While talking about noise levels, I recorded the dust bin emptying process at 85 dB from about two feet away.)

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The oat test is usually more difficult, because robovacs tend to flick them across hard floors with their rotating side brushes. But the E35 performed surprisingly well, with Turbo mode paired with the Deep intensity and two passes being enough to completely clear the debris. The Max power option wasn’t required. Oats scattered on carpet were tackled even more successfully, as a single pass with the least power, least thorough setting did the job perfectly.

Moving to the mop, and the Omni E35 continues to impress. It’s a similar system to that of Eufy’s flagship Omni S2, with a roller that cleans itself during use, then is washed and dried when back at the docking station. Eufy claims its HydroJet 2.0 system removes 99.99 percent of bacteria “for a TÜV-certified baby-friendly clean” – in other words, it has been assessed and certified by a group of independent German testing organizations.

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The 290 mm (11.4 inch) mop pushes down with 1.6 kg (3.53 lb) of pressure, so it isn’t merely wiping across the floor, but giving it a good scrub too, and is cleaned by a pair of scrapers eight times per second to stop dirt getting trapped in its fibers. The roller can slide outwards by 32 mm (1.26 inches), ensuring it cleans right up to the wall, while dirty water is moved away from the mop and into an onboard tank, ready to be deposited into the charge station.

Even without quantitative testing, I know the E35’s mop works extremely well, because the dirty water held in the charge station tank is properly filthy. As I found with the Eufy Omni S2, it’s worth emptying this tank quite frequently, because if you wait until it’s full you’ll be dealing with some seriously stinky water when you pour it down the sink.

During TechRadar’s standard mopping test – which involves a small amount of dried-on ketchup – the Omni E35 at first struggled to clean the stain from a wooden floor. But upping the water supply to 100 percent soon fixed this, and the ketchup was entirely lifted on the second pass.

Interestingly, the E35 does not have the ClearMind AI function of the pricier S2, which recognizes floor types, stains and different kinds of mess, then cleans appropriately. Instead, the E35 lets you decide what’s best – and, in my experience, that’s almost always a whole-room clean with the middle or most powerful suction, about 75 percent of the maximum water flow for mopping, the most intense cleaning pattern, and everything done twice.

The S2’s AI system is clever, and sees the robot work harder to clean messier areas, but the end result — at least on my carpets and wooden floors — was perfectly comparable between the two robots. It also lacks the S2’s water ozonization feature, but that’s by no means a dealbreaker.

Finally, I tested the E35’s obstacle avoidance tech by having it clean an area littered with a shoe, a sock and a USB cable. The robot performed perfectly, driving neatly around each object but not touching any of them. I was particularly impressed by its ability to dodge the USB cable, since this is something even high-end robovacs can struggle with. Eufy says the robot can recognize over 280 common household objects, and can navigate fine in darkness as well as daylight.

It isn’t perfect though. The E35 sometimes navigated too confidently, driving up and over obstacles that should be avoided. I have a vinyl record stand on the floor, the front of which stands about an inch off the ground; the E35 frequently drove up onto this, pushing some records around in the process.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Eufy Omni E35: app

• Straightforward mapping
• Good use of shortcuts
• Lacks a mop-only mode

The Omni E35 uses the same app as all other Eufy robotic vacuums, and it’s an app shared by the company’s home security products too. The app has matured nicely over the past few years into something that works very well, giving you access to just the right amount of customization without it feeling overwhelming.

The creation and editing of maps works well (albeit with the phantom room I mentioned earlier), and it’s easy to select the right parameters for each clean. Or, you can set up a clean (kitchen with intense mopping and two passes, for example) and save that as a commonly used chore. This can then be added to the home screen of the app, where it’s ready to activate with one tap.

It’s also possible to create a home screen widget, where a single tap fires up the E35 and sets it to work.

Other useful app settings include the child lock, which stops small people (and pets!) from pressing the robot’s two buttons, and off-peak charging, which you can program to coincide with cheaper overnight electricity rates. Since I have an electric car tariff, I set the Eufy to charge overnight when power is significantly cheaper.

All that’s missing is a mop-only mode. This is a little frustrating for Eufy to omit, since I’d prefer to have my robot tackle a dried-on hard floor stain with its mop first, rather than vacuum the floor. Ideally, the robot should approach such a stain in reverse, mop-first, rather than risk it transferring onto the brushes before applying water and detergent.

• App score: 4.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Eufy Omni E35?

Buy it if

I set up the Eufy Omni E35 in my own home and lived with it for a couple of weeks. During this time it was my only vacuum cleaner and mop, tackling every room of my home and cleaning up after an energetic puppy too.

After that fortnight, I conducted TechRadar’s standard robovac tests to analyze its suction, mopping and navigation skills, as well as monitoring how loud it is and checking the performance of its self-cleaning system.

Don't buy it if

How I tested the Eufy Omni E35

Hard floor cleaning test

Vacuuming oats from hard floor using Eufy Omni E35

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After

Hard floor cleaning test

Vacuuming crumbs from hard floor using Eufy Omni E35

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After