Air fryers aren't just for small cooking tasks or one-to-two person households. There's a new wave of air fryers that come kitted out with two drawers, enabling you to cook two components of a meal at once. They offer more space than your standard, one-drawer offering, and provide an easy way to keep different foods separate, but they also go further than than that.

You can pick a different temperature for each drawer, and most will have a sync function that means the appliance will automatically figure out your timings and sync up cooking so both drawers of food are finished at once. If you have a small kitchen, there are a number of models that have the two drawers stacked one on top of the other, to provide a generous cooking capacity without eating up all your counter space. It's enough to make you want to retire your proper oven for good.

We have a general guide to the best air fryers, but in this roundup I've narrowed things down to just my favorite two-drawer options. The main name to look out for is Ninja — this brand makes a wide variety of dual-zone options of different sizes and with different functions. I've included a number of options below, but I've also featured alternatives from rival brands, including some budget-friendly options.

Double trouble

• The Do Hiemon Box will cool you down for 20 minutes
• It blasts air on you at temperatures of 5°C or 41°F
• The units are being sold to construction sites and golf courses

If you're in Japan, you have an alternative to air conditioning units and portable fans when it comes to staying cool in sweltering temperatures: a human-sized refrigerator that you can sit inside when the heatwaves get too much.

This is the Do Hiemon Box from Trusco Nakayama (via The Japan Times), and it'll blast your body with air cooled down to a refreshing 5°C or 41°F — about the same temperature as a chiller in a standard refrigerator.

It requires no installation, can be moved on wheels, and according to Trusco Nakayama it beats other solutions by cooling the entire body down evenly. After 20 minutes, the unit automatically switches off to prevent overcooling, and you're back out into the heat.

As per The Japan Times, a couple of hundred of these units have been sold across construction sites, golf courses, leisure facilities, and university campuses since the chamber went on sale earlier this year.

It'll cost you

You need a standard electrical outlet for this to work, and you also need access to the 1.5 million yen it costs (that's about $9,480 / £7,040 / AU$13,460). These personal cooling machines don't exactly come cheap.

The idea is that you get quick, temporary protection against heat exhaustion and heatstroke — a growing problem in our warming world — rather than using this as an air conditioned office or a space to relax in.

According to a Trusco Nakayama executive speaking to The Japan Times, enquiries about the fridge have come from as far afield as Germany and the US. The company is hoping to find more business at summer festivals and shopping malls.

Before long you might find yourself queuing up for a slot in the human fridge as well as for the loos at your next festival trip — another depressing sign of the consequences of climate change that show no signs of being reversed.

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: one-minute review

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo is an exceptionally small capsule coffee maker, which brews espresso using the company's own A Modo Mio pods. These vacuum-packed capsules are available in a wide variety of coffee types, roasts, and blends, but unlike Nespresso capsules, there are no elaborate brews with added flavors to choose from.

That's no bad thing in my opinion, because the Jolie Evo produces some of the best espresso I've had from a pod machine, and flavored coffees often tend to taste artificial.

The Jolie Evo is very reasonably priced too (considerably less than the A Modo Mio Smeg and A Modo Mio Deséa), though you'll need to pick up a standalone milk frother too (I recommend either the Smeg Mini Milk Frother or Philips Baristina Milk Frother) if you want to make lattes and cappuccinos.

The controls are extremely simple, with just a single button and a large lever. However, bear in mind that there's no timer, so you'll need to manually tap the button to stop the flow once the machine has dispensed the right amount of coffee.

Overall, it's an excellent compact espresso machine. For me, the only real drawback is that the plastic pods aren't particularly easy to recycle. They can only be dropped off at designated collection points, which can be scarce outside big cities.

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: specifications

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: price and availability

• List price £99 / AU$129 (about $190)
• Widely available in UK and Australia
• Listed on Lavazza's US site, but not available at the time of writing

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo has a list price of £99 / AU$129, which is about $133, but at the time of writing the machine doesn't seem to be available to actually buy in the US — even though it's listed on Lavazza's site. So it may become available in the future.

If you're in the UK, you can get the coffee maker for £49 if you subscribe to Lavazza's coffee capsule delivery service.

Even at full price, that's very reasonable for a good quality capsule coffee maker. For comparison, the Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is £249 / AU$349 (about $350), while the Lavazza A Modo Mio Deséa is £249 / AU$349 (about $330) — though the latter machine also has a built-in milk-frothing system.

If you want to make lattes and cappuccinos with the Jolie Evo, you'll need a standalone milk frother like the Lavazza MilkEasy Plus, which is priced at £79 / AU$119 (about $150) — or the Smeg Mini Milk Frother or Philips Baristina Milk Frother I mentioned earlier.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: design

• Ideal for small kitchens
• Only two controls (lever and button)
• Lever is ergonomic and easy to use

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo is easily one of the smallest coffee makers I’ve tested, measuring a mere 4.9 x 8.3 x 13 inches / 124 x 210 x 330mm (W x H x D). That’s even tinier than the diminutive Nespresso Vertuo Pop, which is 5.3 x 9.8 x 16.7 inches / 136 x 250 x 426mm. It’s ideal for slotting into small spaces, and you can even route the power cable right or left underneath the machine if you need it to sit against a wall.

The Lavazza machine looks classier than its Nespresso counterpart as well, with a smart matte finish and a large chrome handle on top. Pulling this handle up opens a slot on top of the machine. so you can slide a coffee pod inside.

Pushing it back down closes the drawer and pierces the pod, and pulling it up a second time will drop the used capsule into a small bin behind the Jolie Evo’s drip tray. The bin has a grille at the bottom that allows the pods to drain so they’re dry when you remove them for recycling, which is a thoughtful touch.

The large lever is easy to grip and requires barely any force to move, which makes this a particularly good option for people with limited strength or mobility in their hands.

The drip tray has a plastic grate that can be removed for easy cleaning, and is just the right height for an espresso cup. A standard size cup or mug will fit neatly under the dispenser with the drip tray detached.

Other than the handle, there is just one control on the Jolie Evi: a button on top of the machine, with a white light to indicate the machine’s current status: blinking means heating, and white means ready to brew.

It’s available in black and white in Australia, with a gray option also offered in the UK. It was sold in green and red too when it launched in the US.

• Design score: 5/5

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: performance

• Extremely simple to use, but there's no timer for the coffee dispenser
• It makes delicious espresso in moments
• Its pods can be hard to recycle compared to Nespresso aluminum ones

What makes the Jolie Evo different from all other capsule coffee makers I’ve tested to date is its lack of a timer for brewing different sized drinks. Once you’ve pressed its single button, the little machine will continue dispensing coffee (or hot water, if there’s no pod inside) until you either tap the button again or the tank is empty.

This isn’t ideal if you want to leave your coffee maker to handle itself while you’re preparing the rest of your breakfast, but making a double espresso takes less than a minute so it’s no real hardship.

I would recommend using a measuring cup as your recepticle, though, at least until you’ve got your eye in, because it’s easy to under or over-estimate the output. You could use a coffee scale to a perfect measure, but it would be overkill; this entry-level machine makes a very good espresso, but it’s not intended for real aficionados.

It uses Lavazza’s own A Modo Mio capsules, which are excellent value compared to most coffee pods. Different types command different prices, but you can pick up 80 Qualità Rossa pods direct from Lavazza for £24.50 (about $30 / AU$50). That’s just over 30p per drink, compared to 49p for the cheapest Nespresso Vertuo pods.

Unlike Nespresso, the Modo Mio selection doesn’t include elaborate flavored drinks; there are various beans, blends and roasts to choose from in Lavazza’s store, but each pod contains only ground coffee with no extras. That's no bad thing, in my opinion — coffee capsules with added flavors can taste unpleasantly artificial.

I tested the Jolie Evo with three of Lavazza’s coffees: Qualità Rossa, Passionale, and Qualità Oro. Each comes in a box of 16, and is marked with an intensity score out of 12 to give you an idea of what to expect. The first is a blend of robusta and arabica beans, while the other two are 100% arabica.

My personal favorite was the Qualità Oro, which produced one of the best-tasting espressos I’ve had from a capsule machine and is described as “Sweet and delicate taste, with an intense and fragrant aroma”.

It goes particularly well with milk in a white americano or (if you also pick up a milk frother) a creamy latte.

The problem with these pods, delicious though they are, is that they can be difficult to recycle. Nespresso pods are made entirely from aluminum, which is relatively easy to process once the coffee grounds are removed, and there’s almost certain to be a location nearby where you can drop off the used capsules. If not, you can mail them off for recycling with a pre-paid bag.

By contrast, Lavazza A Modo Mio pods are mostly plastic and can be recycled in the UK through the company’s partnership with Terracycle, but collection points are few and far between.

If there’s nowhere to drop off your pods, your only option is to start your own collection point, accepting pods from other people and sending them for processing yourself. Individuals can’t send their pods in the mail.

South England is relatively well-served, but at the time of writing there are only four drop-off points in Scotland, and none at all in Wales or Northern Ireland.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Jolie Evo is the right espresso machine for you, here are two others to think about.

How I tested the Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo

I used the Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo in place of my usual espresso machine for two weeks. I used three different types of A Modo Mio capsules (Qualità Rossa, Passionale, and Qualità Oro), drinking it neat as an espresso, and using the Jolie Evo to add extra hot water to make an americano.

I set up and cleaned the machine following the directions in the instruction manual, and allowed the components to air-dry before reassembly.

• For more details, see how TechRadar tests, reviews, and rates products.
• First reviewed: August 2026

Samsung Jet 95S: Two-minute review

I'm no stranger to testing powerful cordless vacuum cleaners, and have crossed paths with models that have boasted 280AW of suction before — my Dyson Gen5detect review is a case in point. The Samsung Jet 95S, announced earlier in 2026, also shares the same suction spec, but costs a fraction of the Dyson's RRP, and that wasn't the only pleasant surprise it came with. It began to impress even before I took it out of its packaging.

The box that was delivered to my door was much lighter than what I've experienced with other cordless vacuums recently, so much so that I thought it was surely missing parts. Once opened up, I didn't even need to glance at the user manual to put the free-standing dock together and assemble the vacuum — surprisingly very intuitive! And the fully assembled machine looked so much more compact that my Dyson V15s Detect Submarine hanging off its Free-Dok.

Well, 'compact' may not be the right word, but it's definitely shorter — about half the height of the aforementioned Dyson, but that's because the V15 hangs at a height. The battery pack, however, adds weight to the otherwise light stick vacuum, albeit the Jet 95S is still lighter than some of the newer Dyson's I've tested — tipping the scales at about 2.69kg with the heavier Jet Dual Brush+ floorhead compared to about 3.6kg for the Gen5detect.

Then there's the suction power which, as I've already mentioned, puts it in the same league as the Dyson Gen5detect, a stick vac that I'd readily recommend for its power. As good as the Dyson is, the Jet 95S can more than match that performance, even outdoing its more expensive competition in some of my tests, whether that's on hard floors or carpet. For example, where the Gen5detect might need two passes to suck up entangled hair from carpet fibres even in its Boost mode (maximum suction), the Jet 95S can manage it in one in its Jet mode.

And therein lies another point of difference that's impressive: where you typically get only three suction settings on most cordless vacuums, there are four on the Jet 95S, and even the lowest is better than Dyson's Eco mode.

While I can't fault its cleaning prowess, I found the main floorhead — the Jet Dual Brush+ — to lack easy manoeuvrability, even on hard floors, which means you're exerting extra energy to get the machine around your floors. That's not the case with the Slim LED brush, though, but that's designed for hard floors only and for squeezing under low-lying furniture.

The most surprising thing about the Samsung Jet 95S, however, is how much value it offers. For about half the price of the Gen5detect's RRP, you're getting the exact same suction and arguably better performance, in a more compact (and slightly lighter) setup, and no shortage of additional attachments. You even get a telescopic tube that you won't get with any current Dyson.

And while you can buy a Shark vacuum for less money, none offer the same kind of performance. So, in all honestly, it doesn't bother me that there's no additional perks here, like self-emptying or a mop attachment — the Jet 95S already packs in plenty of bang for your hard-earned buck.

Samsung Jet 95S review: price & availability

• Currently only listed on the Samsung Australia and New Zealand sites
• While NZ has no RRP listed, it's AU$799 in Australia
• Also available from authorised third-party retailers

Announced in March 2026, the Samsung Jet 95S costs AU$799 in Australia and is available to buy directly from Samsung or from select third-party retailers like The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi.

It's also listed on the Samsung NZ site, but no price is mentioned, although third-party retailers have the Jet 95S listed for NZ$919.

Compared to some Shark cordless vacuums that are constantly discounted on, say, Amazon, this price does seem high, but it is, in fact, excellent value given its spec list and performance (as you will read in more detail below).

The similarly specced Dyson Gen5detect Absolute will set you back AU$1,549 at full price in Australia, but has been regularly discounted down to the AU$950 mark and it's still more expensive than the newer Samsung. Sadly, the Dyson seems to have been discontinued in New Zealand as it's no longer listed on the officially website.

While it might be cheaper to buy a Shark, especially since the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty can regularly be had for under AU$700 and it self-empties, its suction cannot match the Jet 95S.

• Value score: 5 / 5

Samsung Jet 95S review: Specs

Samsung Jet 95S review: Design

• Waist-high free-standing dock with integrated storage
• Expandable and bendable wand; comes with several useful attachments
• Lighter than many modern cordless vacuums, but not quite lightweight

As I've already mentioned, when the Samsung Jet 95S got delivered to my home, I honestly thought the box was missing parts because it was so much lighter than what I'd expected it would be. That was unfounded because everything was neatly packed away inside and it only took a glance at the individual parts to know exactly how they all slotted into place to assemble the Jet Standing Station (as Samsung calls the free-standing dock) and the stick vacuum itself.

Fully assembled, the stand with the machine is barely waist-high — well, it is for me and I'm only five-feet tall! And that gives the whole package a very compact feel compared to newer Dysons hanging off the British brand's Free-Dok. And even though the Jet 95S uses about the same amount floor space as the Dyson, it doesn't feel... imposing.

The heaviest bits are the base for the Jet Standing Station and the removable battery pack, with the latter making what is a very lightweight stick vacuum relatively heavy and slightly less unwieldy than some compact Shark vacuums I've previously tried. That, however, is an issue with all newer cordless vacuums with removable battery packs, so I can't quite blame Samsung for it. Despite the battery, though, the Jet 95S is still lighter than the Dyson V15 Detect or newer models, tipping the scales at 2.69kg with the Jet Dual Brush+ affixed to the wand (it's about 2.5kg with the Slim LED floorhead).

Speaking of attachments: there are three motorised tools — the aforementioned Jet Dual Brush+ for carpets and hard floors alike, the Slim LED Brush for hard floors only and the Pet Tool+ for sucking up finer and shorter strands — as well three non-motorised options that include a crevice tool, dusting brush and a bendy attachment. The last tool is can be handy when you need to reach some awkward spots when using the Jet 95S in handheld mode.

The wand is even expandable, with four height levels, meaning anyone — short or tall — will find a comfortable posture that won't strain your back while you move the Jet 95S around your home. As a short person, I didn't need to expand the tube at all, but a taller friend (standing 5'5") needed to increase the height by just one level to make it more comfortable to use.

Maneuverability is a small issue with the Jet Dual Brush+ floorhead and, sadly, that's the one I found myself using the most in a test space with mixed floors (tiles in the living and dining area, carpet in the bedroom), just so I didn't have to keep swapping out the floorheads each time a did a full-house clean.

The Slim LED Brush, however, is easier to move on its little wheels, but the battery making the unit top heavy can feel like it's impeding smooth movement. That said, the Jet 95S is definitely easier on the wrist compared to Dyson's heavier models that weigh upwards of 3kg.

I don't have pets, but the Pet Tool+ has been designed to pick up strands that are typically small and thin, and easily missed by the larger floorheads, but it can also be used on upholstery.

By far my favourite attachment has to be the Flex Tool, which allowed me to get into little nooks and crannies that a straight tube would typically not allow for. You can attach it to the handheld unit or to the end of the wand, then affix the crevice or dusting tool to get to hard-to-reach spots high or low. In my case, I was able to vacuum an air-conditioning vent's grill by bending the Flex Tool at a 90º angle and attaching the small brush to the end of it. I was also able to get behind my couch from the side (rather than reaching from over the backrest) to clean up months of dust along the skirting boards.

As with many cordless vacuums available now, there's a small LCD display that shows you the suction setting and the time remaining for the chosen mode, but you don't get a breakdown of dust sizes and amounts like you do on a Dyson or even the Dreame Z50. The information on screen might be minimal, but I can't complain given how much it costs.

One design aspect that I'm still unsure about is the onboard dust canister. I was expecting it to have a bottom trapdoor that would open on the press of a button to empty (like a Dyson's bin), but that's not the case. I had to detach it from the handle, remove the filter and internal metal cylinder, then tip the canister over to empty it. It's not a difficult process, but I think I'd much prefer the Dyson method of emptying, with the option to dismantle the canister for a thorough clean every once in a while.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Samsung Jet 95S review: Features

• No SmartThings support and it's definitely not necessary
• Smart Motion is a thoughtful feature, but ultimately superfluous
• Not necessarily a quiet vacuum

The 280AW of suction might be the headline act here, but one way Samsung has kept costs down is by not adding SmartThings support here like it has for its Bespoke Jet range. Which also means the Jet 95S doesn't use Samsung's Clean Station, but I don't mind that at all, especially at its price point. And, honestly, I didn't see the need for SmartThings support in any of the Samsung vacuums I've tested (stick or robot) and the Jet 95S makes an excellent case for not needing superfluous features.

Speaking of which, there is one feature that seemingly adds value but, ultimately, ended up being something I didn't ever need to use. It's called Smart Motion and it kicks in automatically when the vacuum is left switched on but at rest — like leaning against a sofa or chair — in case you need to, say, answer the door or move a cable from the vacuum's path. It will shut down completely when still and restart automatically if you move it within a minute.

Given the power and mode buttons are so well within reach of the thumb, I found I was just switching the vacuum off if I needed to set it aside for a minute or two. And given its novelty, most users will likely even forget the feature exists. However, for those who are wont to just leave their vacuum idling against a chair or table, the Smart Motion feature will kick in and help conserve some battery life.

Dynamic suction is available, of course, which means you can just keep using the Jet 95S at its default setting (Mid) and let it do its thing. It's not really quiet, though, hitting about 89dB in the Jet mode in the Decibel X app on my iPhone in an otherwise silent room.

• Features score: 4 / 5

Samsung Jet 95S review: Performance

• Excellent and quick vacuuming on hard floors and carpets in all settings
• Most messes can be cleaned in a single forward motion
• No loss of suction on either floorhead even when pulling the vacuum back

Samsung really knows how to optimise suction power to the best effect — it did it with the Bespoke range of cordless vacuums where I said the suction lived up to its 'Jet' name in my Samsung Bespoke Jet review. The South Korean electronics giant has done it again with the cheaper Jet 95S, taking full advantage of the airflow moving with up to 280AW (Airwatts) of power.

As I've already said, that's the same amount of suction the Dyson Gen5detect boasts, although it's not industry-leading. The Dyson V16 Piston Animal has 315AW while the Dreame Z50 Station goes further with 330AW, and Samsung's own Bespoke Jet Ultra offers 400AW. It's not about the number, though as, ultimately, it's the air flowing through the machine that will determine how well the vacuum functions — and the Jet 95S performs remarkably well.

With four suction modes at your fingertips (literally) — Min, Mid, Max and Jet — I found that the default setting of Mid was the best option and was happy to leave it as such for all my tests and regular cleaning. This mode adjusts suction automatically, whether that's when it detects different floor types or detects excess dirt.

Regular daily cleaning jobs were a walk in the park for the Samsung, sucking up visible dust, debris and hair even on the lowest (Min) suction setting on hard floors. It took a Mid setting on a very dirty carpet (covered in crumbs and hair) for it to get clean, but without having to repeatedly go over the same spot — just one or two passes were enough.

To put the Jet 95S through more serious testing, I used it to clean up a thick layer of coffee grounds and a mixture of oats, chia seeds, tea from a tea bag and freeze-dried raspberries — between them, they indicate a variety of dust and debris sizes that a typical household would need cleaning up.

On hard floors in my test space (matte-finish tiles) and set to the default Mid suction mode, the coffee grounds were sucked up in a single movement — forward to clear the middle of the dirty patch and back again to suck up another strip.

I was expecting it to take a full front-and-back pass to clear out the mixture but, again, it surprised me by picking up different-sized dirt in just a single forward motion, leaving a clean strip of floor in the middle of the patch. I noticed no scattering when larger particles hit the plastic frame of the floorhead either, which makes cleaning even easier.

The same mix of oats, tea dust, chia seeds and fruit on carpet gave the Jet 95S a little more of a challenge, but that translates to needing a forward and backward pass to clear a strip (as compared to just a front swipe on hard floors).

Step it up a notch and both the Max and Jet settings can blow any of the competition out of the park. My biggest pet peeve is hair strands getting entangled in carpet fibres that don't necessarily come off even when vacuuming on, say, Dyson's Boost mode or the highest suction on a Shark, but I found 100% hair pickup during my testing of the Jet 95S. I also found no tangling within any of the motorised attachments.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Samsung Jet 95S review: Battery life

• Maximum runtime of 60 minutes with non-motorised tools
• Quite average battery life with motorised floorheads
• Relatively quick recharge time, with handy battery life indicator

Battery performance, however, is quite average, with Samsung rating it for a maximum runtime of 60 minutes with the non-motorised attachments. That almost tracks, with my tests giving me 56 minutes on the Min mode (lowest suction) when the crevice tool was attached to the handheld unit.

With the motorised Jet Dual Brush+ floorhead and using the default Mid suction setting, I maximum I was able to eke out on a relatively clean floor was 37 minutes. This number will vary depending on how often dynamic suction kicks in, but it's not bad at all and quite competitive with other brands.

Move it up to Max and a full charge got me 10 minutes with the Jet Dual Brush+, while Jet barely give me 7 minutes. Again, it's on par with what I've previously experienced with Dyson and Shark alternatives.

Like I've previously mentioned, the Smart Motion feature might help some users conserve a little battery life but, in my opinion, it's neither here nor there and superfluous.

The Jet 95S took about 3 hours to top up from 21% to full, which is relatively quick compared to Dysons that offer the same 60-minute runtime (which average around the 4-hour mark), but I love that there's an indicator light above the handle that changes colour while it's charging.

It follows the traffic-light system where it's red when levels are low, yellow (more like orange) when it's come up to mid levels and green when it's fully done. This visual indication is handy when you need to complete a job in a larger home and don't necessarily need to wait for a full recharge.

• Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Samsung Jet 95S?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

I might have scored the Samsung Jet 95S full marks, and I'd easily recommend it over anything else I've personally tested, but it's always good to have options. If you'd like a few alternatives, I've listed a few below at different price points for you to consider.

How I tested the Samsung Jet 95S

I used the Samsung Jet 95S in my own one-bedroom apartment for about two months, cleaning every 2-3 days. However, I did put it through TechRadar's standard tests by sprinkling oats and tea dust from a tea bag. Additionally, I also created mixtures with chia seeds and pieces of freeze-dried raspberries to emulate different debris sizes that a standard home might encounter. This mixture was used on both hard floor — matte tiles in this case — and a mid-pile carpet.

Separately, I even vacuumed a handful of coffee grounds from tiles for additional testing.

To test its hair pickup, I collected my own strands from my brush and scattered them over the mid-pile carpet in the bedroom and walked over them for a couple of days to ensure they were well embedded into the fibres. I also scattered some breadcrumbs and biscuit crumbs on the same carpet, allowing them to also sink in over a couple of days.

Thankfully the Samsung Jet 95S was able to suck them all up and leave the floors in my home clean.

Read more about how we test vacuums

[First published August 2026]

Shrinking kitchens in modern homes mean appliances are working harder than ever to earn a place on your counter. It's not unreasonable to expect your blender to double as a food processor, or your microwaves that moonlight as air fryers are now commonplace. Panasonic, however, has combined two gadgets I never thought I’d see wed: a bread machine and an ice cream maker.

I traveled to Sauce, a cooking school at the Langham Hotel in London, to get hands-on with the new Panasonic Mini Bread and Ice Cream Maker, plus a selection of other multi-talented appliances. I tied on my apron alongside a mix of journalists, influencers, and (unusually for this sort of event) their family members — including several young kids.

All the dishes on the menu combined to make a meal for a family to enjoy together without having to adapt elements, or cook separate things for children — and the recipes were so straightforward even the little ones could help out (with the assistance of a step stool).

First, we saw a demonstration of the intriguing bread and ice cream machine, then got to grips with it ourselves. When I first received details of the event, I assumed these were separate appliances and that the invitation contained a typo, but no, this compact device can indeed do both. It makes some sense when you think about it — bread requires kneading, and ice cream needs churning, which are very similar mechanically — so why not?

As with most bread makers, preparing a loaf is a simple matter of pouring your ingredients into the machine, selecting a program, and then leaving it to handle the requisite kneading, proving, and baking.

The particular loaf we made was enriched with butter (thereby increasing the proof time), and studded with mixed seeds. Since we only had a few hours, we didn’t get to see our own loaves through to completion, but there were several finished examples available to try, and they were delicious spread with a little butter — crusts crisp and centers springy.

We then saw a demo of the ice cream making process, which starts with chilling the two-in-one machine’s churning bowl in the freezer for at least eight hours. When the bowl is frozen, remove the bread tin from the machine, slot in an adapter, and then simply place the ice cream bowl on top. Pour in your prepared ingredients, hit the button on the control panel, then close the lid and let the machine handle the rest.

The result was light and flavorful (and we were advised that if you’re not vegetarian, adding a little gelatin to your ice cream mix will give an even creamier texture). The frozen yogurt was a particular winner, and a welcome treat on a hot summer day, and one you can prepare in a couple of minutes provided the bowl is frozen ahead of time. Want something fruity? You can make your own compote to swirl into the mix, or just add a spoonful of jam.

Next, we got stuck into some hands-on cooking with a Panasonic 4-in-1 Air Fryer Combi Microwave Oven. Despite looking no larger than a standard microwave, this appliance also serves as a convection oven and air fryer, and is packed with preset programs that combine these different cooking methods.

It’s a bit of a cliché to say that a multi-purpose appliance could replace your conventional oven, but with its tiered trays and large capacity, I think this one genuinely might for smaller families.

Of the two recipes we tried in the Combi Microwave, my personal favorite was a miniature baked cheesecake — just the right size for a snack or small dessert. You could even devour it during your morning commute if you didn’t have time for breakfast, and make yourself the envy of your fellow travelers.

The basic ingredients had already been blended together before we arrived (using a Panasonic blender, naturally), but I was very pleased to realize that they included banana. If you’re anything like me, you have a frankly ridiculous stash of overripe bananas in your freezer, and cheesecake is a very welcome change from banana bread.

All we had to do was pour the mix into the molds, add a scattering of fresh berries, and pop them in the combi microwave for a few minutes. The finished cheesecakes were delicious — perfectly set, finished much faster than you could manage in a regular fan oven, and with a lightly caramelized top that you couldn’t achieve in a standard microwave.

I will definitely try them again — I don’t have bar-shaped molds, but I do have a set of silicone muffin cases that could serve the same purpose.

Katsu-style cornflake baked fried chicken was next on the menu, made using fresh chicken breast coated in well-seasoned buttermilk and egg, then covered in a mixture of crushed cornflakes and flour (again, with plenty of seasoning). We arranged the coated chicken pieces on the microwave’s crisper plate, and within a few minutes they were cooked through without being dry in the center, and deliciously crisp outside, all with no added fat.

They were perfect alongside a freshly-cut salad, and rice prepared using Panasonic’s new multi-cooker. Rice cookers have been quietly finding their way into more and more kitchens over the last couple of years (and we’ve started reviewing more of them here on TechRadar), so it makes sense that Panasonic is launching a new model in the UK soon as well — with Fuzzy Logic Technology that adjusts cooking on the fly.

It’s hard to choose a favorite, but ultimately I think the bread and ice cream machine was my top pick of the appliances we tested. It’s just such an unusual combination — and better yet, I learned it includes a mochi paddle so you can make your own chewy and delicious treats filled with ice cream or red bean paste. All that, plus freshly made, crusty bread? I’m sure I can find a little extra space on my kitchen counter…

Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S review

The Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S has an advantage over traditional fans. While traditional fans provide what feels like a cooling breeze in the sweltering heat, they don’t in fact actually cool the air around you. That’s where the Dreo's clever misting technology comes in, reducing the temperature inside your home.

The brand claims the 765S can drop the temperature in a room by up to 6 degrees Celsius (roughly 11F), which makes all the difference when the mercury is rising.

It’s not the only misting fan on the market — for example the Shark FlexBreeze sits proudly atop our best fans list as I write this — but with super-quiet operation and bold room-cooling claims, can Dreo topple it from its top spot? I’ve put the 765S through its paces to find out.

Setup is pretty simple, but do take a moment before you remove the fan from its packaging. You need to remove the weighted base plate first, then prop the fan tower up on the edge of the box so you can fix the base to the bottom. It clips onto the bottom of the tower and is secured with a screw, included in the box.

There's a variety of protective packaging around the fan that needs to be removed before operation, including cardboard and plastic in the water tank. It’s worth taking your time to check you’ve removed all the various stickers, plastic film and cardboard protection — I did miss a couple of things initially.

Stand it up, plug it in and then setup is ready to be completed via the free Dreo app. App setup is as easy as the physical. Create an account, pair the app with the fan, enter your Wi-Fi password, and you’re good to go.

And the app is pretty good: it's clearly laid out, although it only offers basic controls (on/off and timer) on the main screen. For any deeper controls, you have to tap the picture of the fan. It’s not difficult, but I’d like to see a few more options without having to tap into another menu.

Fortunately, you're not solely reliant on the app, as there are touch controls on the top of the fan, plus you get a remote (and the two AAA batteries required to power it) included in the box.

With the remote, you can control the power, fan speed, fan mode, oscillation, misting and timer. It feels a little cheap in the hard with a basic plastic shell — Dyson’s remotes are far more premium, plus they magnetically cling to the top of the firm’s fans — but it’s functional and feels sturdy.

It’s annoying that there’s just one fan speed button on the remote though, forcing you to cycle through all speeds levels to get your desired one. I’d rather have up and down buttons for faster control.

When filling the water tank, it slides out from the front of the fan, and comes with a fold up carry handle to make transportation easier. You might think you don’t need it as you carry it empty to the sink, but once filled to the max level line you’ll find it surprisingly heavy. If you have a shallow sink, you might find filling a little cumbersome due to the size and shape of the tank.

The 765S's design is sleek and modern, with a pillar shape that tapers towards the top. The circular display on the front is bright and easy to read, even from across a room.

And at the bottom of the tower the water tank itself hides a fun feature. Power the fan on and you’ll notice a funky ambient light. It’s not just decorative, as the color can indicate the current humidity in the room. Blue signals humidity of 70%, while orange means the air is dry, at 30% or less. Green signals a comfortable humidity between 30% and 70%.

However, you can just have it illuminated in a color of your choice instead, with no link to the fan's performance or the room’s humidity.

There are three other lighting modes to choose from: constant, breath, and cycle. Constant allows you to pick a color of your choice for the light to be, while breath will see your color selection slowly pulsate. Cycle, as the name suggests, will cycle through a range of different colors, fading from one to the next. I found this to be a handy party mode when I had guests over and we were listening to music.

But what’s it like as a fan, I hear you scream? The good news is: pretty darn good.

At fan speed two, you can comfortably feel a breeze from four meters away, and it’s very quiet at this level, making it perfect for chatting with others, working, or watching TV. Even at its highest speed (12), I got a peak reading of 65dB directly in front of the machine, which is equivalent to normal conversation. It’s quieter than that when you’re sitting away, allowing you to speak to others without the fan being a distraction.

When it’s warm and you are looking for a breeze to take the edge off, this is all you really need. Higher fan speeds are useful when the fan is placed in larger, open-plan spaces, while the misting function is only really required when the mercury starts to soar.

But when the temperature does rise, the misting function is excellent. There are four misting vents — two on each side of the main airflow vent that runs down the middle — and they’re angled slightly up so moisture is directed into the air, rather than at the floor / furniture.

And it surprised me in two ways. Firstly, there’s hardly any increase in noise when the misting function is on, which means you could leave it on overnight in your bedroom and not be disturbed. Second, I was impressed with how fine the mist produced was. The ultrasonic atomizers used in the 765S produce a 17um ultra-fine mist — this means it evaporates quicker, preventing damp building up on objects nearby.

I could sit comfortably just a meter away from the fan, enjoying the cooling breeze without a sensation that it’s lightly raining. What’s even better is the misting function actually delivers on the claim that it reduces the temperature in your room.

During my tests, I saw a degree knocked off the room temperature after just 10 minutes of misting. It instantly makes a difference, and I was able to set a target humidity so the fan wouldn’t just keep pumping out water unnecessarily.

Keeping the fan running continuously for several hours, room temperature dipped by another degree, but I never saw more than a 2C drop during my weeks of testing. That’s some way off Dreo’s “up to 6 degrees” temperature reduction claim, and I’m not sure what sort of ideal scenario is needed to achieve this in the real world.

Still, a reduction in temperature is always a win, and the misting adds an additional layer of cooling, keeping me comfortable in what otherwise would have been a stuffy home office.

Dreo says the 6L water tank will last for 24 hours (or more) of run time when the misting mode is enabled, and I’m inclined to agree. I ran the 765S with misting turned on for a variety of different durations, and even during longer four to five hour sessions the water level reduced only marginally.

One slight frustration though was the limited oscillation angle. The 765S can only rotate 90 degrees. For many that’ll likely be enough, but having recently tested the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool that has 350 degrees of movement, the Dreo feels a touch restrictive.

If you live somewhere hot and dry, the TurboCool Misting Fan 765S will provide all-day misting without breaking a sweat. Dreo claims the TurboCool Misting Fan 765S can reduce temperatures by up to 6C and although I didn’t get this level of cooling, it did make a significant difference in the rooms I tested it in, making them far more comfortable to work, relax, and sleep in.

It’s not going to deliver the same cooling as air conditioning, but the 765S offers an excellent middle ground between AC and traditional fans. It can genuinely reduce the heat in the room, keep humidity at a comfortable level, and does it all so quietly you might even forget it’s there.

Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S review: Price and release date

• The TurboCool Misting Fan 765S costs £199.99 / $199.99
• It’s available now via Amazon in the US and UK
• A cheaper, table-top version is also available

The Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S is available for a list price of £199.99 / $199.99, having gone on sale in April 2026. That’s the same price as its core rival, the Shark FlexBreeze, giving it a fighting chance in the market.

If you’re after a more compact offering, Dreo also has the table-top TurboCool Misting Fan 516S for £99.99 / $99.99. Meanwhile the TurboCool Outdoor Misting Fan 711AS — also £199.99 / $199.99 at Amazon — is, as the name suggests, designed for use both indoors and out. So if you’re looking to keep things cooler whether you’re in the garden or in bed, this is the one to go for.

Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S review: Specs

Should I buy the Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S review: Also consider

How I tested the Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S

• Used the TurboCool Misting Fan 765S for several weeks
• Tested in rooms of varying size and temperature
• Tried out the various modes, including misting

I used the Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S for several weeks in my home, testing it in rooms of varying size and temperature. I used it in my lounge to see how effectively it could cool a modest room, had it running overnight in the bedroom to experience how loud it is when sleeping, and in my open-plan kitchen/diner for large space use.

I used the included remote, the free smartphone app, and the on-device buttons to find out how easy it was to control. I also used the misting function in the day and at night to test its cooling credentials.

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

During my years as a TechRadar Homes Editor, I tested an awful lot of vacuums. But the one that's been my constant companion throughout has been the Dyson V15 Detect. It's not a review sample — my partner bought it, and it's the vacuum we've been using at home for the past 21-plus months. It's been used to clean hard tile floors, carpets, lots of stairs, and a whole heap of dog hair.

The V15 is not the newest Dyson vacuum. It came out in 2021 and there are now two newer flagship models: the Gen5detect (launched 2022) and the V16 Piston Animal (2025). However, despite not being the latest-and-greatest, it's still the model that sits atop our best Dyson vacuum guide.

So after nearly two years of regular cleaning with the V15, would I still recommend it? How does it match up against the rest of the best cordless vacuums on the market — and specifically, the newest models from Dyson's great competitor, Shark? Here's my long-term review.

Smooth mover

Let's start with what I love about our Dyson dust-sucker. The suction is excellent, and the Auto mode (where the suction will increase or decrease depending on how much dirt is detected on the floor) is a very welcome addition. I use this mode almost exclusively, and it can be relied upon to do a thorough job of clearing whatever debris has gathered on the floor. I haven't noticed a drop in cleaning performance over our two years of use.

The V15 is also extremely easy to maneuver. Our home has lots of stairs, and plenty of nooks and crannies where dust and hair like to collect and lurk, and the V15 Detect does a great job of getting into all of them. I love how easily and smoothly the head pivots, and the fact it can lie completely flat to the ground for cleaning under beds.

Many of the newest Shark vacuums have a hinge on the vacuum wand, which enables it to bend forwards for cleaning under furniture. It works well, but adds bulk to the wand, and the whole thing is slightly unwieldy in its folded state. For my home, the Dyson setup works perfectly well, but if you're lacking in maneuvering room, perhaps Shark's 'MultiFlex' / 'Flexology' solution would be a better fit.

I'm also a huge fan of the Dyson V15's secret crevice tool. It's hidden in the wand, so I'm never without it. Our house is tall and thin, with four floors, and this built-in tool means that if I spot a dusty corner at the top of the house, I don't have to traipse all the way down to the utility room to fetch a detail tool to deal with it. As far as I'm aware, this feature is exclusive to Dyson at the moment.

Having tested a number of vacuums from Dyson and various other brands, I'm always struck by how consistently high quality and well-built the Dyson vacs feel. There's a strong attention to detail in the design, and they feel sturdy and reliable. That's still true of the V15 after nearly two years of use.

Lasers and data

Now on to a couple of features that have divided opinion within my household. The V15 comes with a couple of different floorheads: the Digital motorbar head, which has bristles and is designed for use on any floor type, and the Fluffy optic head, which is entirely soft and built for use on hard flooring. The latter is equipped with a green light to illuminate dust.

I'm very on board with the Fluffy floorhead. I love that it feels gentle on our tiled kitchen floor (and doesn't clatter over it as most vacuum cleaner heads will), and I appreciate the way the light draws attention to dust and hair lurking in dingy corners. I find it very satisfying to then whisk that dust away, and always feel I'm getting a far more thorough clean than I would without this feature.

However, my partner is not so enamored with the Fluffy floorhead. He feels the Digital motorbar floorhead works perfectly well on hard floors, and it's not worth the hassle of swapping the heads over.

Then there are the real-time dust reports on the screen. I find these endlessly fascinating, and I enjoy seeing the dust hotspots causing the bar graphs to spike. However, when I asked my partner for his thoughts, it became clear that not only was he not paying them any attention, but he didn't really know what they were. Is is possible the general public is just not as invested in the intricacies of vacuum cleaning as I am? Maybe.

Bulking up

Moving on to the down-sides of the V15. The most significant complaint I have with it is that V15 Detect is that it's pretty heavy. Further to that, the weight is concentrated in the main motor section, which itself is rather elongated in shape. That makes it rather unwieldy, and especially when used in handheld mode.

All of Dyson's newer vacuums (I'd say from this model onwards — so the V15, the Gen5detect and the V16 Piston Animal) suffer from this weight distribution issue.

Looking to Shark's range, the fancier models, such as the PowerDetect Cordless, are actually heavier overall. However, the motor/handle section is more squat in shape, and there's more weight through the wand and into the floorhead. That means more even weight distribution, which can make for a more comfortable vacuuming experience.

A triggering issue

Another big complaint I have with the V15 is that it's trigger-operated, with no option to lock it for continual running. I find that irritating when I'm using the vacuum for long periods, or trying to get into awkward corners while keeping the trigger compressed.

I prefer the setup on Dyson's newer models, where there's a one-press power button. However, that's still not perfect — it requires you to have a hand free to turn the machine on and off, because the power button is not reachable from your holding hand.

Most modern Shark models use button operation, and just like the Dyson designs, you can't reach the button from your holding hand. My ideal design is one where the vacuum is trigger-operated but with a lock for continual running. No Dyson vacuum has this setup, and neither do any of Shark's newest stick vacs, although that brand's range is so sprawling you might find a trigger-plus-lock design somewhere.

One comment that I hear sometimes about Dyson stick vacuums is that they don't always last as long as customers expect. Our V15 is still going strong after just under two years (which is actually at the lower end of how long cordless vacuums are meant to last, although most people would probably hope for longer).

Prior to that, my partner had a Dyson Cyclone V10, which lasted over five years. At that point the battery conked out, and replacing it only fixed the issue for a few months. I think that's a decent lifespan for a vacuum, but your mileage may vary.

Is it worth it?

After two years using my Dyson V15, I'd still recommend it. Its cleaning powers are excellent with no signs of fading, its special features genuinely useful, and I love how maneuverable it is.

I personally also prefer it to Shark's newest models. I cover my main thoughts on this in my Shark vs Dyson article, but as a short overview, it's special features feel superior — Dyson's laser lights are far more effective than Shark's headlamps, and its Auto mode feels more precise. The Dyson also pivots more smoothly and the overall design feels sleeker and more high-end.

However, it's not a clear-cut decision. The Shark PowerDetect Cordless offers the best outright cleaning performance of any vacuum I've used, including all the Dyson models. Shark's models also arguably deliver better value for money — although its higher-spec models still sit in the premium price tier.

The bottom line? After using the V15 for a couple of years, and testing multiple other vacs from different brands including Shark, I'm still something of a Dyson fan-girl. When our at-home vac finally bites the dust, we'll probably end up buying another Dyson, although I will still be checking out what Shark has to offer...

Ninja Luxe Café Mini Espresso Machine: two-minute review

The Ninja Luxe Café Mini Espresso Machine is a compact version of the Ninja Luxe Café. It doesn't require an enormous amount of counter space, especially considering that this single machine grinds your whole beans directly into your filter, weighs your grinds, brews your espresso or drip coffee, and froths your milk. You won't need any other coffee accoutrements on your counter.

While I did brew some absolutely delicious coffee with the Ninja Luxe Café Mini, there is definitely a learning curve. In fact, I wouldn't say I have mastered the espresso settings yet, even after brewing many cups. Even with the identical espresso settings, sometimes I get just an ounce or so and sometimes I get a lot more. Drip coffee comes out consistently well; no issues there. I also had some trouble frothing the milk; with just a minimum amount of milk in the jug it overflowed onto the counter.

Note that even though this is a semi-auto machine, you do need to have some manual strength and dexterity to get the portafilter properly into place. Be ready for some trial and error. If you're prepared to take on a project, I think you'll be well-rewarded for your efforts.

Ninja Luxe Café Mini Espresso Machine: price and availability

• Widely available both in store and online
• Retails for $449.99 USD (£338.50 GBP, $643.73 AUD)
• Only sold in the black and chrome colorway

You can find the Ninja Luxe Café Mini Espresso Machine at many brick and mortar stores and websites, including Amazon, Best Buy, Kohl's, Target, and Ninja's own site. It retails for $449.99 USD (£338.50 GBP, $643.73 AUD) and comes in just the one color, black and chrome.

Ninja Luxe Café Mini Espresso Machine: specs

Ninja Luxe Café Mini Espresso Machine: design

• Efficient design gives it a smaller footprint
• Aesthetically pleasing, goes with any decor
• Five brew styles

The Ninja Luxe Café Mini is efficiently designed to house everything you need to make just about any sort of coffee drink in a relatively small package. When you first unpack it, you will need to determine your water hardness with the enclosed test strip and set your machine accordingly. Run a flush cycle and then you're ready to start brewing.

The machine has a conical burr grinder, a brewing system that makes both espresso and coffee, and a steam wand. It comes with two filter baskets:, a smaller 'double' and a larger 'luxe' basket (unlike most espresso machines, there's no basket for pouring a single shot).

Place the basket into the portafilter, the funnel on top of that, and then slide it into the grinding cradle. Choose your brew style. The machine evaluates your beans and determines a recommended grind size. Turn the grind dial to meet the recommended number and hit the grind button.

Once your ground coffee is the basket, remove the portafilter and tamp down the grinds with the assisted tamper. It has a spring inside so you'll apply just the right amount of pressure.

Then you can remove the funnel, place the portafilter under the Ninja Luxe Café Mini's group head and turn it until it locks into place. This takes some manual strength and dexterity, and the machine's relatively light weight means you have to brace it in place so it doesn't slide around, though it does get easier with repeated use.

You can manually select your level of strength (represented by one, two, or three beans) and temperature or just use the default. When you're done brewing, dispose of the puck of used coffee grounds, and clean the dirty components.

There is also a milk jug and steam wand. To use it, turn the manual valve on the side from brewing mode to frothing mode. The owner's manual includes detailed instructions of how to get the most froth from your milk of choice.

You'll need to clean the tamper, funnel, basket, portafilter, steam wand and jug after each use. You'll also need to empty and clean out the drip tray every few brews, and every time you froth milk. Additionally, you'll need to descale the machine periodically. However, there is no obvious way to get in and clean the grinder. That part never gets wet, but coffee oils will build up there over time.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Ninja Luxe Café Mini Espresso Machine: performance

• There is definitely a learning curve
• You need manual strength and dexterity
• Brew amounts are not consistent

Overall, I think you'll find that the Ninja Luxe Café Mini will make you some great coffee and espresso drinks. There's definitely a learning curve, but if you have the patience you'll figure it out. Of bigger concern was that sometimes the brewing seemed to just stop short of a full yield, and I'm not sure why. The same beans brewed at the same setting just didn't always yield the same size espresso. This only happened to me while brewing espresso; all three of the drip coffee settings yielded perfect results every time.

There are five different brew settings: Espresso (which is actually a double espresso), Triple (espresso), Classic (drip coffee), Rich (a richer drip coffee), and Over Ice (drip coffee brewed at a lower temperature). I tested all five of them multiple times.

Espresso

The smallest drink you can make is a double espresso, there is no single espresso setting on this machine. The owner's manual says to throw away the first espresso you brew each time you put new beans into the hopper because it takes a couple of brews for the machine to dial in correctly. I tasted it anyway and yes, you should toss it. After that first one, the espresso tasted good though sometimes it would randomly give me a shorter brew. I did notice that I consistently got a beautiful crema.

Triple espresso

The experience of brewing the triple espresso is just like brewing the regular (double) one, only you use the Luxe basket instead of the smaller one. Again, the machine would sometimes give me a tiny brew. Pictured below is one of the smaller triples; other times it was much larger. Otherwise, the espresso was good and always had a lovely crema.

Classic

The Classic drip coffee setting yielded consistently good results. In addition to adjusting the grind size, brew temperature, and strength if you like, you can also choose to brew 6, 8, 10, or 12 ounces of coffee. The user experience of brewing the drip coffee is the same as brewing espresso, except that you skip the tamping step. The machine does something totally different on the inside. You get no crema. And when you go to throw the puck away, it's very wet, as opposed to the drier, crumbly puck you get with espresso.

Rich

The rich drip coffee setting works just like the classic, only it yields a richer brew. I find I prefer the classic, as I found it a bit smoother and less bitter, but your tastes may differ.

Over ice

The drip coffee over ice setting might have been my favorite. I found it very smooth and it didn't taste too diluted from the ice.

Steam wand

I found that it took some practice to get the milk frothing just right. I tried just leaving the jug in place and frothing it from there, and it works ok but doesn't produce much foam. I tried following the instructions about angle and movement in the owner's manual, and got too much foam.

The wand will purge itself right after frothing, and you'll want to wipe off the milk from the outside of the wand right away. Otherwise it sticks on there pretty good, requiring a bit of scrubbing to get it off.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Should you buy the Ninja Luxe Café Mini Espresso Machine?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Ninja Luxe Café Mini Espresso Machine: also consider

How I tested the Ninja Luxe Café Mini Espresso Machine

I brewed and drank every drink on the menu: (double) Espresso, Triple (espresso), Classic (coffee), Rich (coffee), and (coffee) Over Ice more than once. I used two different kinds of beans for each beverage, first going all the way through the menu with a dark french roast and then again with a medium-dark roast. I frothed two different kinds of milk (almond and skim dairy) several times and added the milk to espresso shots. I cleaned all of the parts that touch the coffee after each use.

First reviewed July 2026

If you love coffee, you’ll be very aware of the impact of factors like grind size, water temperature, and infusion time, but there’s something else that’s often overlooked. A double espresso is at least 90% water, and the minerals and other substances it contains can have a huge impact on the overall taste.

I’m a big coffee-drinker (which is just as well, since I test over a dozen coffee makers every year for TechRadar), and I’m planning to buy a water filter to take my brewing to the next level — but what should I look for — and what should you consider if you’re thinking of taking the plunge into filtered water too?

To find out, I spoke to Andy McPhilbin, Head of Aquaphor Professional for UK and Ireland, and Genevieve Upton, beverage industry expert and Head of Water Filtration at Our Taap.

Why does water matter?

“Water quality can have a considerable impact on how coffee tastes, with chlorine, mineral composition, alkalinity and pH all influencing the final flavour profile,” says Upton.

“Most tap water supplied to UK homes is disinfected using chlorine-based compounds. Residual chlorine can react with components in coffee and tea, contributing bitter, medicinal or chemical notes that may overwhelm the more delicate characteristics of the coffee. Boiling water can reduce the levels of chlorine, though it can also create other unwanted flavours, such as by reacting to a plastic kettle.”

She explains that the mineral composition and pH of the water also play an important role when it comes to how your coffee tastes.

“Slight differences in acidity, together with the concentrations of minerals and buffering compounds, influence extraction efficiency and the balance of flavors in the final cup. As water companies vary their supply sources throughout the year, you might notice that the same beans, brewed in exactly the same way, taste different from season to season.”

In fact, using unfiltered water doesn’t just mean your coffee tastes sub-optimal - it could cause your expensive coffee machine to break down — and it won’t be covered by the manufacturer's warranty..

“The warranty only covers manufacturing defects, and unfortunately, hard water is not a manufacturing defect,” explains McPhilbin. “So you can turn something that is a very efficient espresso machine into something very inefficient within a matter of weeks. You get a millimeter of scale forming within a matter of six weeks.

“Now, is that important? It is, because you want the life of the machine to be good, but also you've got little injectors which put the right amount of water into that espresso. If they're blocked, you're not going to get the right amount of water. You're going to have the wrong taste. It's got to be precise.”

What types of filtration are there?

Our Taap specializes in home water filtration Its latest system is the Our Taap Home Water System II — a countertop unit that connects to your mains water supply, and uses a triple filtration system with UV purification to remove contaminants while retaining minerals.

Aquaphor makes water filters for commercial and home use, including under-sink systems, pitchers, and even water bottles. Its most advanced systems for home users are the RO-101, RO-102, and RO-202, all of which use reverse osmosis (RO).

This involves forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane that removes chlorine, bacteria, viruses, pesticides, and microplastics. Standard RO filters also strip out minerals, but Aquaphor’s systems can optimize the concentration of calcium and magnesium so they’re just right for coffee — something McPhilbin says “really is a science”.

“The mineral content is measured in TDS [total dissolvable solids], and we want that TDS to be somewhere in the realms of between 80 and 120 [parts per million],” he explains. “We have a couple of ways in which we do it, but generally we can either feed more minerals in it by making it tuneable, or we can take them out as well by turning it the other way. But if you have too little, you can cause corrosion, and if we have too much, we're going to get limescale. So we try to hit that sweet spot, which is 100 parts per million in the middle there.”

Our Taap’s filters use granular activated carbon filtration, which Upton says “is particularly good at removing chlorine and some of its by-products, which can mask the more delicate flavour notes in coffee.”

“By reducing these compounds, the water has a cleaner, more neutral taste, allowing the natural characteristic of the coffee beans to come through. Whether you’re brewing with a cafetière, pour-over or espresso machine, using filtered water can help create a smoother, more balanced cup with greater flavour clarity.

"It's worth remembering, however, that activated carbon filters are designed primarily to remove chlorine and certain organic compounds rather than minerals,” she adds. “As a result, they have little effect on the calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate levels that influence water hardness, alkalinity and extraction.”

Under-sink or countertop?

So which type of filter is right for you? Do you need an under-sink reverse-osmosis system, or would a countertop filter be better? McPhilbin says the decision will mostly depend on how much filtered water you need.

“I think it's down to capacity more than anything,” he says. “Our jug filters have twice the capacity of the competition because we use a unique media called Aqualen, which is a patented media based on ionic exchange and carbon, so you're getting a dual-purpose piece of filtering equipment there. Reverse osmosis has a massive capacity, and [the filter] is not something [you’re] changing all the time.”

Upton says your choice of filter will also depend on the problem you want to solve.

“If your tap water has a noticeable chlorine taste or smell, a filter with activated carbon is usually the best place to start,” she says. “This technology is available in everything from filter jugs to more advanced under-sink or countertop systems, with plumbed-in options offering great convenience for households that use filtered water regularly.

“If you’re dealing with limescale build-up in kettles or coffee machines, it’s important to choose a filter that specifically reduces water hardness, as not all filtration systems are designed to do this.”

I know I live in a hard water area (the limescale in my kettle is proof) but even if your tap water is soft, McPhilbin says a water filter is still a good investment.

“Most of the water in the UK is chlorinated, and that can affect the taste quite a lot,” he says. “And it might be that you've not got enough minerals in it to get the best taste.”

If you’re not sure about the type of water you’re working with, there are online tools that can help you understand its composition.

“The Our Taap Water Confidence Index is a great way to look up your postcode and understand what’s in your local water and how this impacts taste, scent and quality, so you can find the best filter for your needs,” says Upton.

According to the Confidence Index, I’m lucky - my tap water is better than 93% of UK postcodes. However, it is moderately hard (as I expected), with a normal level of chlorine and an elevated level of overall minerals. I’m still deciding exactly which type of filter to choose, but considering these results and my penchant for espresso, I’m leaning towards under-counter reserve osmosis with mineral balancing. What about you?

Air stylers are very much the hot hair tool of the moment. When Dyson's first Airwrap hit the shelves in 2018, it felt like we were immediately hooked. We watched, entranced, as this wand-shaped styler grabbed a limp piece of hair, span it around, and left a perfect curl in its wake. And all without any extreme heat? It felt too good to be true.

And maybe it was. When I spoke to Dr Julie Chung, co-founder of major haircare brand T3, she advised that we take a much more cautious approach to the air styler phenomenon than we're used to hearing.

"This device is not for all hair types," she tells me. "And for any company to say, 'Oh, this is for all hair kind', 'this is for every single woman', it's simply not true."

She talks about how cool air-styler tools look on social media, but how, after the initial curl-creation magic has been captured, many women will find the styles just don't last on their hair.

"The more that I would watch women use this device on social, the more I saw women being very, very upset that they spent $600 on a device that created a curl for maybe a minute. They'd be in the mirror, it looks great, then they turn away for two seconds, look back and the curls have fallen," she recalls of the early days of air stylers.

One size does not fit all

Dr Chung is clear that even T3's own air styler — the Aire 360 — isn't for everyone. "Curls in general… it depends on the woman's hair type," she explains. "Some women can use a Dyson Airwrap with no product and be able to curl their hair and it'll stay. But that's because these are women whose hair tends to hold a curl really, really well.

"A woman with fine hair, for example, will dm me and say, the Shark didn't work. The Dyson didn't work. Should I get the Aire 360? And I would tell her, no. Just like Brandy Melvilles [a fashion brand that's been criticized for only offering clothing in one, small size] one size does not fit all. I can't even get the shorts over one leg."

So you might have hair that will naturally hold an air styler curl with no further effort required. Or you might need to add product, and take time to cool and set the air-styler curl.

Alternatively, a curling iron might give you much better and longer-lasting results (Dr Chung is also of the belief that 'heat has been demonized incorrectly — but that's a different subject), or you might need to use a curling iron to create ribbon curls. Dr Chung mentions T3's CEO, whose hair won't even hold a curling iron curl, and who needs a hot-roller set.

Your needs will be shaped not just by your hair texture, Dr Chung explains, but all manner of other aspects, from your lifestyle to the kind of climate you're living in, to your hair cut, and whether it's been colored, and the products you're using on it. There's a full spectrum of needs, and a full spectrum of tools.

She adds: "I've always said this to both consumers and editors alike: I can help you find the tool that will work for you, but that one tool that you're looking at, that some companies say it's for everybody. It's not for you. "I'm not going to sell you something that you'll come back and say it didn't work because I knew it wasn't going to work. I don't think that's some mind-blowing concept."

The hot topic — no pun intended — in haircare gadgets right now is heat. More specifically, the evils of heat, and how it's a one-way street to fried locks and frizz. So when I spoke to Dr Julie Chung, co-founder of haircare brand T3, I was surprised to discover she has a rather different take.

"Heat in general has been sort of demonized incorrectly," she tells me. "Women always think, 'Oh heat is terrible for my hair, I'm just gonna let it air dry, I'm gonna shower and just sleep on it.' Hair is actually in its most fragile state when it's wet. It tends to be much easier to break — that tensile strength is decreased and it's more likely to snap. And not to mention when you air-dry your hair, usually the hair is very frizzy and it tends to look even unhealthier if your hair is already in a dried out state."

That focus on hair health is nothing particularly new. "Women have always been obsessed with trying to find the healthiest option," Dr Chung tells me. "You know, people pursuing this idea of healthy heat is something I'm seeing [right now], but that's something that I've seen for 20 years."

However, the conversations have been buoyed up by the arrival of air stylers like the Dyson Airwrap. They've been heralded as the solution to all our heat-damage fears, but Julie is skeptical about that, too.

"The air styler category has grown quite big and there's this notion that air curling is better than curling iron curling, which I don't necessarily agree with," she continues. "I think it's right for some women in terms of ease of use, but I think curling irons can be just as healthy as air styling. It really depends on how many passes you go through in the hair, how adept the woman is with her styling."

So hot tools aren't inherently terrible, which is good news, because — as Dr Chung is at pains to point out — air stylers won't work for everyone. If your hair type isn't the kind to happily hold a curl that's been created by just a waft of a breeze, and you do decide to swap your air curler for a hot tong or enlist the help of a straightener to create ribbon curls, then it's worth finding a good one. Julie suggests paying attention to the kind of heat and how it's being delivered.

"The key there is ceramic. So in our Aire 360, for example, we have a ceramic coating instead of plastic because we know that ceramic is a better conductor of heat," Dr Chung explains. "We have a specific proprietary ceramic blend that evenly heats the plates without any hot spots. So it has a gentle delivery of heat along with far-infrared heat, which is a gentler heat as well."

Big air, better hair

What about hair dryers — those are safe, right? Wrong. Here, too, Dr Chung has opinions that seem to butt up against those of other makers, with their fixation on packing the most power possible into their dryers.

"The biggest secret sauce — which isn't even a secret because I talk about it so openly, but even now our competitors do not want to embrace — is the fact that you do not need heat to be at the highest setting, and you do not need the highest velocity," she insists. "This is something that stylists sometimes need in order to do a quick blowout very quickly, but the average woman cannot and should not be using high velocity heat every day."

Dr Chung talks about how people will often add a concentrator "without really thinking", then use a round brush and really focus the heat in, with the aim of smoothing out the hair. "It's extremely damaging when done repeatedly", she warns.

Similarly, if you regularly pop your dryer on full-blast when rough-drying your hair, so it feels "like a wind tunnel where your hair is flying all over the place", that's not great either — and not just because the wind tunnel effect will kick up static.

"It'll dry your hair, yes, but will make it extremely dry and not just dry your hair, but take all the moisture out of your hair without sealing the cuticle," she explains.

The brand has found an innovative way to avoid this, without sacrificing efficiency, and the concept dates right back to T3's debut product. "We had this idea called Soft Air, where we delivered a larger volume of air at lower heat, so it would dry your hair very, very quickly, but without stripping it of all its moisture."

She explains how the team shaped the concentrator and the barrel of the dryer so that the air wasn't expelled in a dense stream, but instead came out in a larger volume, occupying a larger space. The idea of Soft Air is that it could still dry hair efficiently, but without the need to max out on power or temperature, and when combined with ions helps to decrease static frizz.

I've been trying out one of the brand's dryers (the T3 Afar) and the air delivery feels noticeably gentler — almost unsettlingly so — and less concentrated than any other hair dryer I've tested. It's slower to dry my hair than the likes of the Dyson Supersonic Nural, but it does leave my locks feeling softer and with less frizz than usual. So maybe Dr Chung is on to something. Excuse me while I dig my curling tongs out of storage.

KitchenAid KF3: Two-minute review

The KitchenAid KF3 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine is the middle child of the company’s 2026 release of a trio of compact bean-to-cup coffee machines, sitting below the KitchenAid KF4 and above the KF2. Because of its slim build, it’s a great option for smaller kitchens, but it can easily service a larger household thanks to four customizable user profiles and a solid selection of over 15 coffee-based drink recipes.

It benefits from KitchenAid’s IntelliGrind system — also featuring on the company’s larger machines like the KF8 and KF6 — that automatically determines the best grind size depending on the beans you pour into the top-mounted hopper. During my testing, I found it consistently delivered a well-extracted and tasty espresso.

The KF3’s automatic milk system uses a hose that you need to place into your own container (the KF4 uses a similar system but includes a container), letting you make a variety of drinks including lattes and cappuccinos. Despite not claiming to work with non-dairy milks, I found it delivered a good level of foam when using a barista-style oat milk.

KitchenAid has given the KF3 a couple of iced coffee recipes too. As with the KF4, and other machines I’ve tested such as the Philips LatteGo 4400 Series, you need to put some ice cubes in your glass or cup first, and KitchenAid claims that the machine will brew espresso at a lower temperature. However, when checking the temperature of a regular shot at 'medium' temperature and an iced-espresso shot with a food-grade thermometer, both registered at around 40ºC / 104ºF, meaning the iced espresso was still hot enough to melt the ice, resulting in a lukewarm and diluted drink.

The other slight niggle I have with the KF3 is that it goes through water quite quickly as it performs a rinse cycle on startup and shutdown. I can understand the latter process to clean out the internals, and the rinsing of the milk hose to keep everything hygienic, but the start-up rinse cycle seemed unnecessary. Fortunately the rear-mounted water tank is quite large at 1.8L, but if you have a larger household or you drink a lot of coffee each day, you'll be refilling it regularly.

Overall, however, the KitchenAid KF3 is a fantastic mid-range automatic espresso machine that’s well made, brews delicious drinks and is ultimately easy to maintain. In fact, I'd say that it does more than enough to compete with the best coffee makers.

KitchenAid KF3: Specifications

KitchenAid KF3: Price and availability

• Launched in UK and US April 2026, Australia in July 2026
• List price $999.99 / £749 / AU$1,349

The KitchenAid KF3 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine launched first in the UK and US in April 2026, and eventually made its way to Australia in July 2026. It has a list price of $999.99 / £749 / AU$1,349, meaning it’s one of the company’s more affordable machines, while being classified a mid-range option in the grand scheme of things.

Only the lower-spec KF2 is cheaper at $799.99 / £699 / AU$1,099 if you want an automatic machine, while the Semi Automatic Espresso Machine is cheaper still, although that naturally requires a bit more hands-on involvement.

The top-tier model in this latest series, the KF4 ($1,299.99 / £899 / AU$1,599) offers much of the same functionality as the KF3, albeit with a wider selection of recipes, a bigger touch display and ships with a milk carafe.

The similarly specced Philips LatteGo 4400 Series is also worth considering in this price range, with its list price of $799.99 / £599.99 / AU$1,199.

• Value score: 4 / 5

KitchenAid KF3: Design

• Compact size makes it great for smaller spaces
• Milk system is simple to use and clean
• No dishwasher-safe components

At first glance, the KitchenAid KF3 looks very similar to other models in the company’s lineup, from the KF4 and up to the KF8 (there’s currently no KF5). It’s more compact than the KF6-8, but the same size as the KF4 and KF2, at 14.2 x 7.7 x 18.5 inches / 361 x 196 x 470mm (H x W x D), making it easy to slide onto a kitchen counter. And slide it you can, as there are two small wheels on the bottom at the rear, so you can lift from the front and move it forwards and backwards with ease.

Looks-wise, it adopts a similar aesthetic as the rest of its siblings. It’s boxy, with rounded corners, and is available in either Porcelain White or Matte Black. To cut manufacturing costs, KitchenAid has ditched the predominantly metal build of the larger models, replacing it with plastic. It still looks and feels very much a premium product though.

The clearest indicator that lets you know this is the KF3 is the small 2.4-inch / 6cm color display. The KF2 doesn’t have one at all, while the KF4’s color screen is larger and touch enabled. It’s a relatively low-resolution screen compared to the likes of the Philips Café Aromis, but is still bright and clear, and the use of color helps to identify the drink you want to make.

The KF3's display is flanked by 10 touch buttons: four that provide quick access to user profiles, drinks menu, rinsing cycles and machine settings; two to initiate and cancel brewing; and four to cycle forward and back through menu options, return and select.

The top-mounted hopper is large enough to accommodate 250g of coffee beans and, as with the other compact machines in the series, it features a removable opaque lid with a silicone seal. This means you can’t easily see the amount of leftover beans (there’s a clear audible indication if it doesn’t have any to grind) but, then again, the beans aren’t exposed to light and air, keeping them fresher for longer.

Furthering its benefits for smaller kitchens, the lid is removable rather than hinged means it’s easy to fill the hopper if you have the KF3 positioned under a wall cabinet. There’s also a small chute for pre-ground coffee, and a scoop is included in the box.

The 1.8L water tank slides in and out the rear of the machine and has an integrated handle to make the process simple, although I personally prefer the side-mounted tank on the Philips LatteGo 4400 as it makes refilling a little bit easier. However, the KitchenAid’s tank features a hinged lid, so more often than not I would leave it in place and pour water in from a jug.

KitchenAid supplies a water filter with the KF3 that it says is good for around two months of use. It was initially a little fiddly to install, but the included coffee scoop doubles up as a tool that clips onto the filter, giving you the extra length needed to screw it into place.

The drip tray is deep and extends virtually the full depth of the KF3, and has a large spout at the back for easy emptying. Used coffee grounds are deposited into a removable bin in the center that can be tipped out when full — you'll see a notification on the display when it's time to do so.

The KF3’s milk system uses a silicone hose that connects to the side of the dispenser located on the front of the machine. You need to insert one end of the hose into a small socket, while the other end drops into a tall glass or bottle. KitchenAid offers a sealed container with a double-ended hose as an optional extra for $59.99 / £39 / AU$59, which is included with the KF4 by default.

The KF3 features a thorough rinsing cycle for the hose to ensure it’s kept clean, but note that none of the removable parts are dishwasher safe.

Lastly, the height of the coffee dispenser can be adjusted to suit a variety of cup sizes, including large mugs and tumbler glasses. I found I needed to use a little bit of force to move it, but this is a minor niggle.

• Design score 4.5 / 5

KitchenAid KF3: Performance

• Well-extracted espresso time after time
• Good, but not great, milk foaming
• ‘Iced’ drinks still hot
• Four customizable user profiles

The best thing about the KitchenAid KF3 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine is that you can confidently rely on it to deliver an excellent espresso with every use. The IntelliGrind system automatically determines the best grind size depending on your chosen beans to ensure it brews a tasty shot with good crema. I used medium-roast and dark-roast beans during my testing period and I was more than satisfied with the results in each case.

The fact that you don’t have to worry about grind size makes this a fantastic option for coffee novices who aren’t sure how to get the best results. If you're not entirely satisfied, then you'll find a lever hidden behind the side compartment (which provides access to the brewing unit) that you can use to adjust grind size to a finer or coarser level. I ultimately left it at the default setting in the middle.

That being said, the KF3 does give you the option to adjust the strength and body of the espresso. Strength is denoted on a scale of one to three, with the difference being the dose of coffee that’s ground into the brewing head — 7g being the lightest strength and 14g being the strongest.

You can also select light, medium or strong body, which relates to the rate at which water flows during extraction. A strong-bodied coffee, for example, takes the longest, as the water flows through slowly to extract the most amount of flavor.

You’re also able to adjust the volume of coffee delivered for each drink and the water temperature.

Auto Milk is KitchenAid's milk-foaming system and it works well, although I’m of the opinion that a steam wand will always produce superior results. I was, however, pleased to find that it worked well with plant-based milks, despite not having a dedicated option. Coffee machines that cater specifically to plant-based options, such as the KitchenAid KF8, will heat it to a lower temperature compared to dairy for optimal results.

When I made a cafe latte using a barista-style oat milk, I found the KF3 produced a good level of foam with a silky texture, and at a drinkable temperature. I achieved similarly good results with full-fat dairy.

There are four user profiles on the KF3 for you and your household to store their own drink preferences. While the KF4 lets you name them, they’re fixed at User Profile 1, 2, 3 and 4 here.

KitchenAid understands that iced drinks are popular, even at home, and has given the KF3 dedicated presets for cold coffees. In theory, the shot the machine dispenses is brewed at a lower temperature, although you do still need to put ice in your cup or glass, but that didn't seem to be the case in reality.

I used a thermometer to measure the temperature of both a regular espresso shot and an iced espresso shot and found them to be similar. The regular shot was around 50ºC when brewed at a medium temperature, while the iced shot was around 45ºC. I conducted this test twice, with the same results both times.

As such, the iced espresso shot was still too hot and melted the cubes in my cup relatively quickly, resulting in a diluted drink. If you like your cold coffees, you'd be better off considering other machines like the De’Longhi Dedica Duo and the Jura J10 that offer proper cold-extracted espresso.

The KF3, like other KitchenAid espresso machines, is QuietMark-certified, indicating it should be whisper-quiet in use. That’s something I can certainly attest to, as I recorded around 70dB while grinding and 60dB when brewing, using the decibelX app on my iPhone and standing next to the machine in a relatively quiet space. That puts it on par with the KF4, although we found the flagship KF8 to be quieter still with an average of 44dB during the entire coffee-making process.

Keeping the KitchenAid KF3 clean is incredibly simple. Not only does it automatically complete a rinse cycle on startup and shutdown (which, as I mentioned does mean the water tank can empty relatively quickly), but it will also prompt you when it’s time to empty the ground container and drip tray. It will also ask you to rinse the milk system after every use. You can skip this process at first, but when you turn the machine off — or it automatically shuts down after a predetermined amount of time — it won’t do so until the hose has been flushed.

There are further and more thorough cleaning procedures within the settings menu for washing the brewing unit with special cleaners, and a couple of tablets are included in the box. You will need to buy descaler and a milk system cleaner separately.

There’s also an option to evaporate all the water from the system entirely, which my colleague Cat Ellis has previously expressed as being a feature she wishes all automatic espresso machines had. This is particularly useful if you know you’re not going to be using the machine for an extended period of time and keep it hygienically dry for the duration.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the KitchenAid KF3?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

KitchenAid KF3: Also consider

If you're not sure whether the KitchenAid KF3 is the right espresso machine for you, here are three other options to keep in mind.

KitchenAid KF3: How I tested

I used the KitchenAid KF3 for two weeks, and having already spent time with the KF4, I was well versed with what to expect from the slightly lesser-specced machine. I prepared a wide range of drinks with and without milk, and used two different styles of coffee beans to test the IntelliGrind feature on the KF3.

I used a barista-style oat milk and full-fat dairy milk to test the automatic milk-foaming system, and ran the machine’s recommended cleaning cycles.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2026

Whether it’s a vacuum cleaner, a hand dryer, an air purifier, or a fan, Dyson products rarely look like anything else on the market — and that’s particularly apparent at the company’s campus in Malmesbury, southwest England, where images of recent launches decorate the walls like modern art. The sprawling complex, in a particularly beautiful patch of Wiltshire countryside, is home to Dyson’s global Research, Design and Development (RDD) center, and the Dyson Institute, where students from around the world study while working alongside engineers on live projects. I visited the center to meet the company’s Chief Engineer Jake Dyson — son of founder Sir James Dyson — and learn more about the company’s approach to design.

Jake Dyson didn’t join his father’s business immediately; instead he set up a workshop and made a name for himself in the world of industrial lighting. Sitting in his office, I asked whether his experience in that sector had contributed to his work at Dyson today.

“Yes, it comes down to identifying problems and solving them,” he explained. “When LEDs first entered the market, I realized people weren’t cooling them properly. The promise of LEDs is that they should last a lifetime, but in reality they were being treated like disposable lightbulbs. I visited Osram in Asia, and they explained that if you keep the diode temperature below about 50C [120F, you can maintain brightness, color quality, and lifespan. That became my goal.

“I looked at how satellites manage heat. In space, temperatures swing from extremely hot to extremely cold, so they need precise thermal control. I applied similar thinking by designing systems that passively dissipate heat. For example, the heat moves away from the chip and is cooled by airflow, maintaining a stable temperature even at high power. That process, spotting a problem and solving it, is what drives everything.”

That problem-solving approach has always been the driving force behind the Dyson brand, and explains its unusual portfolio of products; its engineers have never been afraid to venture into new areas when there’s a problem to be solved.

“Sometimes it comes from frustration," said Jake Dyson. "'This product is rubbish, how can we make it better?’ Other times it’s curiosity: ‘Why does this work the way it does?’”

Problem-first design

James Dyson’s book Invention: A Life of Learning Through Failure, describes how the problem-first process led to the creation of many of the company’s most iconic and recognizable products — starting with a humble wheelbarrow. Dyson and his wife Deidre were renovating a house in Gloucestershire, England, and wanted to create a garden, but the traditional tools proved frustrating.

“I used a navy barrow in anger and its limitations became increasingly clear,” writes Dyson. “Cement slopped out of it. Its tubular legs sunk into the ground. It was hard to steer. Its sharp edges damaged doorframes. The more I used it, the more I realized that nobody had really thought about these problems or bothered to fix them.”

After much experimentation with shapes, materials, and manufacturing processes, the result was the Ballbarrow: a molded plastic bucket on a steel frame, with the conventional wheel replaced by a pneumatic ball made from EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate). This spread the weight of the load more evenly on soft ground, and was easier to maneuver than a wheel — and in bright orange, it looked unlike anything else at the time.

The product itself was a success, but due to a series of poor business decisions, Dyson senior eventually lost control of the company he had founded around it, Kirk-Dyson, and was ultimately kicked out by the other shareholders.

“I had lost five years of work by not valuing my creation,” he wrote. “I had failed to protect the one thing that was most valuable to me.”

It was a painful experience, but one he learned from as he pressed on with identifying and solving problems — starting with the creation of the first cyclonic vacuum cleaner, which he designed after realizing that dust bags don’t just serve to collect dust — they also act as filters that block airflow, drastically reducing suction power.

“I remembered the same clogging problem on the calico cloth with the powder coating in the Ballbarrow factory and the giant cyclone we had made to solve it,” he wrote. “What if I could develop a much smaller version and replace the clogging bag in a vacuum cleaner?”

Thousands of prototypes later (5,127 to be precise), he had the world’s first bagless vacuum — and a vast collection of patents to protect it.

Dyson’s understanding of airflow and cyclonic technology has informed almost all of the company’s subsequent products; but like the vacuum, each one started with a problem. The Dyson Airblade hand dryer was created to reduce waste paper towels; the Airmultiplier fan solved the issue of ‘choppy’ air from conventional fan blades; the Pure Hot+Cool purifier was made to tackle indoor air pollution; and the Supersonic hairdryer solved the problem of heavy and uncomfortable hairdryers with weighty motors.

In every case, the form of the finished product was dictated by the problem it was designed to solve — even if the result looked totally unlike established versions of the device.

“That’s why Dyson products often look unusual; they’re built around their function,” said Jake Dyson in his Malmesbury office. “They’re also beautiful. A hair dryer has a hole through it because of how the airflow works. Fans and other products expose their engineering principles through the way they look — we’re not hiding how things work, we’re expressing it.”

Creative color

Those unusual designs are often set off by equally unusual color schemes, which tend to highlight buttons, switches, removable canisters, and other functional parts.

“We have a team here, CMF, which is colors, materials and finishes, that look into the appearance but also materials of our products," said Jake Dyson.

The CMF team doesn’t just draw on experience from successful projects, but also failed ones like the cancelled Dyson electric car, which provided finish and material ideas for many of the company’s health and beauty devices.

Most recently, CMF lent its expertise to Dyson's first hand-held fan — the Dyson HushHet Mini Cool — which launched just in time for a series of heatwaves in the UK. It sold out almost immediately, and after testing it myself, I can see why; it’s compact, much more powerful than its closest rival, the Shark ChillPill, and more affordable to boot.

“We’ve seen strong demand [for the HushHet Mini Cool], and it’s one of those products where people don’t initially realize they need it but once they try it, they understand the value,” said Jake Dyson. “It’s designed to be reusable, not disposable like cheaper alternatives. I've seen people with the cheap plastic fans that break very [easily], but we wanted ours to be well engineered, durable, quiet and efficient.

“We’re working on scaling production, but demand has been very strong, so availability can sometimes be limited. That said, it is coming back to market.”

So what does the future hold? The company is investigating ways to use AI where it will actually add value, helping machines interpret data and make better decisions, and Jake Dyson says that "vision systems and new product directions" are the most exciting areas for him.

"We’ve historically been very strong in mechanical engineering motors, airflow, performance. But now, adding cameras and vision systems allows machines to detect what they’re looking at, understand it and act accordingly.

"That opens up entirely new categories of products and capabilities, so we’re moving from purely mechanical devices to machines that can see, think, and respond, and that’s where the next wave of innovation is coming from."

It'll be fascinating to see which problems the company will be looking to solve with those new technologies, and there's no way of knowing what the next generation of Dyson products will look like as the company expands into new areas. We'll just have to wait and see — but it's definitely not going to be boring.

As noted in my Ninja Creami Swirl review, with the right ingredients, your frozen dessert can help you meet your protein goals. I have tried dozens of recipes and found that I really don't care for the taste or texture of the ready-made protein shakes and powders that many high-protein recipes call for. Plus, they are quite expensive, often around $3 / £2.50 / AU$4.50 per serving, not counting any other ingredients you might add.

Many recipes also call for pudding mix, which is supposed to help with texture, taste, and added sweetness, but I'm not a fan of those either, so I searched out some options that provide a decent amount of protein without any of those products — just real food.

Just yogurt

The obvious option is just to take a tub (or two) of your favorite yogurt, dump it into the Ninja Creami pint, and freeze. Spin it on the Yogurt setting and you get a nice ice cream texture. The key is to use a yogurt that you really like, because the flavor doesn't magically change into ice cream, just the texture! The image above is two tubs of simple vanilla Greek yogurt. Keep in mind that freezing anything dulls the sweetness, so you might want to add a touch of your sweetener of choice before freezing, or add a sweet mix-in, such as cookies or chocolate.

Cherry-vanilla yogurt

Yogurt (or cottage cheese) and fruit is always a great combo. One of my favorites is this simple recipe:

Cherry-vanilla frozen yogurt:

3/4 cup dark sweet frozen cherries

1 cup Greek vanilla yogurt

Blend first and then freeze for 24 hours. Spin it on the Frozen Yogurt cycle. If desired, add more cherries for the Mix-in cycle.

I rarely actually blend mine first, but it's probably better for your machine if you do. This is a favorite I make over and over, and it's simply delicious. Sometimes I add 1/4 tsp of almond extract before freezing for a heightened flavor. I also sometimes add more protein and texture by running a small handful of nuts in the Mix-in cycle.

Pear-vanilla yogurt

This one sounds a bit odd, but it's so good.

Pear-vanilla yogurt:

2 tubs of Greek vanilla yogurt

1 tub pears

No need to blend, just mix and freeze for 24 hours. Spin on the Frozen Yogurt cycle.

Canned fruit is very soft, which is why you don't need to blend it. You can use any fruit here, it doesn't have to be pears. They all work well. You can try different yogurt flavors, too. Canned pineapple with coconut yogurt is a tasty combo, for example. And if you don't have tubs like I used, you can just measure out a roughly 2:1 yogurt to fruit ratio to the max fill line.

Chocolate Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

I have tried many chocolate 'protein ice creams' and haven't yet hit on that perfect recipe. This one is pretty good, with great texture. Be sure to taste it before freezing, in case you want to add more sweetener. User a sugar-free sweetener if you want to cut calories. If you prefer whole foods, try honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup. You could even just use a few dates.

Chocolate Cottage Cheese Ice Cream:

1 cup cottage cheese

3 tbsp cacao powder

2-3 tbsp sweetener of choice

2 tbsp almond butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend well and freeze for 24 hours. Spin on the Light Ice Cream setting.

Add nuts, cookies, and/or chocolate on the Mix-in cycle if desired. I mixed in a few chocolate chips. If the cottage cheese is too salty for you, or you just don't like the taste, you could use milk or Greek yogurt instead. You can even do some combination of the three. The cottage cheese does give a nice texture, but you don't need the full cup to get it. Even a quarter cup helps.

And more

I have several high protein recipes in my recent article, healthier recipes for your Ninja Creami, including a pistachio ice cream recipe I particularly like and a banana nut ice cream I eat quite regularly. I also have some high protein options in my article about eating ice cream for breakfast!

I know my recipes tend to be dairy-forward, because that's what I like, but there are other options out there. I've seen bean-based and tofu-based recipes, but haven't had the guts to try them.

There are other additions to you can blend into any favorite recipe, such as hemp seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds. Just a tablespoon added to any recipe will increase the protein and other nutrients without doing much of anything to the flavor of your ice cream.

Following the launch of Dyson's first ever compact hair dryer, the Supersonic Travel, I spent four weeks putting it through its paces, including during a trip to San Francisco — you can read about this in depth in my Dyson Supersonic Travel review.

What I kept coming back to was how similar it seemed to Dyson's Supersonic Nural, despite there being a $150 / £150 / AU$300 gap between the two. Both use the same motor and the same intelligent heat control technology. Both use the same magnetic attachment system, meaning any nozzle or diffuser from either machine works on both. And both deliver the same smooth, frizz-free finish that Dyson has become known for.

I've tested many of the best hair dryers on the market, and Dyson consistently sits near the top. So if the technology is this similar, what exactly are you paying the extra cash for — and is the Nural worth it? I tested the two side by side. Here's what you need to know.

Dyson Supersonic Travel vs Supersonic Nural dryer: efficiency

On sheer drying power, the Nural wins. It's a full-size dryer with full airflow, and on my fine, mid-length hair it dried in around two and a half minutes on high heat. The Travel took around four minutes in the same conditions.

Four minutes is fast for a travel dryer — faster than every hotel dryer I've used and faster than some standard home dryers too. The finish was smooth and shiny every time, which is the more important result. But the gap is significant, and if you have thick or long hair that already takes 15 or 20 minutes at home, you'll feel it a lot more than I did.

Both have a 110,000 RPM motor, and both use a built-in thermistor sensor that continuously monitors air temperature to prevent heat damage and protect your hair's shine.

Interestingly, the cheaper Travel measures temperature more frequently than the pricier Nural — over 100 times per second versus 40. However, where the Travel uses it as a protective measure, the Nural uses it in more advanced ways for its Scalp Protect Mode. This mode uses a network of Nural sensors and an infrared beam to measure the distance between the dryer and your scalp in real time, automatically reducing heat and airflow as it gets closer to maintain a consistent 131 F / 55 C at the roots.

Winner: Dyson Supersonic Nural

Dyson Supersonic Travel vs Supersonic Nural dryer: design & comfort

Both the Nural and Travel look unmistakably like Dyson products. They have the same cylindrical head, narrow handle, and magnetic barrel as the entire Supersonic range. I tested the Travel in Ceramic Pink/Rose Gold and the Nural in Red Velvet/Gold, and both have a stylish soft matte finish.

The biggest and most obvious design difference is in size.

The Nural weighs 1.5lbs / 684g and measures 3.8 x 3 x 11.3 inches / 9.8 x 7.7 x 28 cm. The Travel is 32% smaller — at 2.7 x 2.8 x 8.7 inches / 6.8 x 7.1 x 22.2 cm — and almost half the weight. This makes it small and light enough to drop into a handbag without rearranging everything around it and I carried the Travel to San Francisco in a tote bag alongside my laptop and it barely registered.

Both put airflow and temperature buttons on the rear of the barrel, with LEDs above each button showing your current setting. On the Nural, these LEDs change color as you cycle through settings to make it easier to see, at a glance, what setting you're on. The Travel's stay white, making it harder.

Beyond this, the Nural offers four heat settings plus three airflow speeds. The Travel has three heat settings and two airflow speeds. On the Travel, its cool shot requires sliding the power button upward past its 'on' position. This will be familiar if you own a Dyson Airwrap i.d but if you don't, this feature won't feel obvious the first time you use the Travel.

The Nural gives you meaningfully more control over both heat and airflow, which matters if you have multiple hair types or needs in your household, or if you regularly switch between drying and styling with different attachments.

Cord length is 9.2ft / 2.8m on the Nural and 6.6ft / 2m on the Travel, and neither folds. The Travel's cord is longer than I'd like for a machine sold primarily on portability but this longer length does make it easier to use in a hotel room when the plug socket aren't always in the most useful places.

Winner: Draw – even though the Nural has some standout design benefits compared to the Travel, they fit different needs: the Nural is better designed for home, while the Travel is better for everywhere else.

Dyson Supersonic Travel vs Supersonic Nural dryer: special features

The Travel's standout feature is auto-voltage. It adapts automatically to any supply between 100V and 240V without the need for a converter or a switch. I used it in San Francisco with a standard plug adapter and there was no drop in power, change in noise or overheating.

The Nural counters with Scalp Protect Mode, which uses proprietary sensors to detect proximity to your scalp and automatically drops the air temperature. When you pull the dryer away, it returns to your selected setting. This setting works in the background, and over months of daily use I haven't once scorched my roots on a high heat setting. For anyone with a sensitive scalp, fine hair, or hair growth concerns, it's a functional benefit rather than a convenience feature.

The Nural also has Attachment Learning, which recognises which nozzle is fitted via RFID chips and remembers your preferred settings.

For example, if you swap to the diffuser, the Nural will automatically drop to your usual diffuser heat and speed. The Pause Detect feature then cuts the airflow when the dryer is put down and resumes when you pick it back up.

The Travel has neither of those features but it is compatible with the entire Supersonic and Supersonic Nural attachment range. If you already own the Nural, you can pack your existing nozzles and diffuser and use them on the Travel.

Winner: Dyson Nural – the Travel's auto-voltage is the most widely practical feature across the two dryers but the Nural is a much more advanced choice.

Dyson Supersonic Travel vs Supersonic Nural dryer: specs

Should I buy the Dyson Supersonic Travel or Supersonic Nural dryer?

Buy the Dyson Supersonic Travel if...

✅ You travel frequently and your hair matters to you: Hotel dryers are a lottery. The Travel gives you consistent Dyson-quality results wherever you are.

✅ You already own a Dyson Supersonic or Nural: The attachment compatibility means you're not buying a second set of nozzles – just a travel body for your existing routine.

✅ You have fine or mid-length hair: The reduced airflow won't be an issue for finer hair types. Four minutes is still fast, and the intelligent heat control means the finish is just as good as you'd get from a full-size dryer.

Buy the Dyson Supersonic Nural if...

✅ You want the best Dyson for home use: Full airflow, smarter controls, color-coded LEDs and five attachments make this the more complete package for everyday drying.

✅ You have a sensitive scalp or fine hair at the roots: Scalp Protect Mode works in the background and over months of daily use, the difference in root and hair health is noticeable.

✅ You dry your hair every day: The Nural's Attachment Learning and Pause Detect are small features that add up to an easier daily routine.

I test over a dozen of the best coffee makers every year here at TechRadar, but having a small kitchen means I have to be very picky about which I choose to buy myself. The problem is, I love both drip coffee and espresso equally. I'd happily pick up a compact espresso machine and a quality drip coffee maker such as the Breville Luxe Brewer Thermal, but that would mean sacrificing valuable food prep space and, potentially, not having enough work surface available for rolling pastry and kneading dough.

Of course, a kitchen with no space in which to make pies or bread would be tragic — but, thankfully, it doesn't have to come to that because the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System can handle all my espresso and drip coffee-making needs in one convenient package.

I first tested the DualBrew System (known as the Ninja Espresso and Coffee Maker Barista System in the US) about nine months ago, and it's still the most impressive two-in-one coffee system I've ever used. It isn't a particularly glamorous appliance to have sitting on your counter — it's designed for function rather than looks — but it's enormously practical and has clearly been designed by people who know and love their coffee.

On the left of its roughly cuboid-shaped body, you have a fully featured drip coffee maker, with a standard-sized brew basket and toughened glass carafe. It has all the features you'd expect from a good-quality standalone brewer, including different intensity settings (regular, rich, or over ice) and a timer to start brewing when you wake.

However, there are also some great additions, such as a drip-stop system that means you can safely remove the carafe partway through brewing without making a mess, as well as a fold-down drip tray so you can brew directly into a travel cup rather than the carafe if you want your coffee to-go in the morning.

Some drip coffee makers use of a double-walled insulated carafe to keep your drink at the ideal temperature after brewing, whereas others use a hotplate. The DualBrew System is in the latter camp, but unlike any other drip coffee maker I've tested, it has a smart hotplate that doesn't just heat your coffee consistently, but instead turns on and off to help maintain the right temperature without stewing your brew. It also turns off automatically when you take the carafe away.

Espresso is handled on the right-hand side of the machine. The DualBrew System uses Nespresso Original-style coffee capsules, which means there's a huge array of different beans, blends, and roasts to choose from. Nestlé no longer owns the patent to this type of capsule, so any company is free to package its own freshly ground coffee in these little pods.

Personally, I like to use capsules from my local roastery, and an espresso made using these pods in the DualBrew System tastes almost identical to the same beans prepared with a manual coffee maker.

There's a choice of three drink sizes, and the espresso machine has an adjustable-height drip tray so you can use any cup you want. When you're done, the spent pod drops into a bin, ready to be emptied later.

The only downside of the DualBrew System is the lack of a steam wand (which makes sense, since there's no pressurized boiler here). Instead, there's an electric whisk that folds out from the rear of the machine. This doesn't heat your milk, but the DualBrew System offers a handy guide that advises how long to heat your milk for in the microwave, and how to whisk it for different espresso drinks. It's not the same as steam, but it's fine in a pinch when you don't have much space.

If that's a deal-breaker, a standalone milk frother such as the Dreo BaristaMaker or Smeg Mini Milk Frother will deliver more authentic results, and is small enough to tuck into the corner of a cabinet when it's not in use.

If you love coffee in all its forms but don't have acres of countertop space to spare, the DualBrew System provides everything you need in a single, neat package — and it's affordable, too. At the time of writing, it's available for $249.99 / £179, down from a list price of $279.99 / £249.99. You'll find all today's best deals at the bottom of this article.

Can't decide what kind of coffee you'd like in the morning? De'Longhi has just launched a new coffee maker that can prepare both hot and cold espresso drinks — and even drip coffee if you're in the mood for something different. The De'Longhi Magnifica Duo offers a menu of 20 preset drinks, which you can choose with a quick finger-tap.

If you want to fine-tune your coffee, there are three user profiles, which let you save drinks with custom size, intensity, and temperature settings.

The Magnifica Duo is a successor to the Magnifica Evo Next, which our reviewer Josephine Watson awarded four stars out of five. The Duo has a similar look, and should be just as simple to use, but with the ability to prepare authentic cold-extracted espresso as well.

Unlike some other bean-to-cup coffee makers, which pour a shot of hot espresso over a cup of ice, the Magnifica Duo extracts espresso using cool water directly from the tank and passes it through the freshly-ground coffee beans more slowly to achieve a mellow, but still well-rounded flavor without bitterness.

Not only that, the Magnifica Duo also has a pair of swappable carafes for preparing hot and cold milk foam, so you can easily make iced lattes and cappuccinos. It's the same LatteCrema Hot and Cool system used by the De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic, and is quite ingenious.

With the Hot and Cool system, milk never enters the machine itself, so you don't need to worry about any buildup inside, and each carafe can be disassembled into a few dishwasher-safe parts for quick and hygienic cleaning. It works with both and plant-based milks too, and in my experience testing the Primadonna Aromatic it delivered excellent results with both.

The De'Longhi Magnifica Duo is available now for $999.95 in the US, and £699.99 in the UK. That's about AU$1,350, though it hasn't launched in Australia just yet. I'm hoping to test it soon to see whether it can earn a place in our roundups of the best coffee makers and best espresso machines.

• The Jura E10 is a new premium espresso machine from the Swiss brand
• It offers hot and cold brewing, syrup-infused foam, and Light Brew mode
• It's available now for £1,425 (about $1,910 / AU$2,720)

Jura, known for its luxury espresso machines, has just launched a new coffee maker that packs a staggering array of advanced brewing features into a surprisingly compact package. The new Jura E10 offers hot and cold brewing, syrup-infusion for flavored drinks, and a new timer that means the machine can start brewing when you wake so your favorite coffee is ready and waiting the moment you wake up.

The feature set sounds very similar to that of the Jura J10 I tested last year, which is still one of the most advanced coffee makers I've ever used. It poured a perfectly-extracted espresso, and its cold-brewed espresso was mellow and flavorful.

Its milk system was excellent as well, whether using hot or cold milk, but what impressed me most was the Sweetfoam system that mixes the syrup of your choice into the milk as it's dispensed.

Flavored coffees are usually made by pumping syrup into the cup before adding coffee and milk, which means the flavor is concentrated at the bottom. With Sweetfoam, the syrup is evenly distributed throughout the whole drink, which means you get the full flavor with every sip, and only need to use a very small quantity. You can use regular or sugar-free syrup, and during my tests I found it had the added benefit of stabilizing the milk foam so it lasts and lasts.

Perfect for small kitchens

Like the J10, the new E10 offers a huge menu of hot and cold drinks, but now they're organized into a color-coded menu that makes it easier to find the one you want.

These options now include Light Brew — a new feature not available in the J10 — which uses a smaller dose of coffee and a lower brewing temperature to prepare a drink with a less intense flavor that's ready to enjoy straight away.

The coffee-timing feature means the machine will start brewing your coffee automatically exactly when you want it to — a feature you'd normally only see on drip coffee machines. However, it's worth noting that this is only available if you also pick up the Jura Wi-Fi Connect V2 module, which adds wireless connectivity to your coffee machine and costs an additional £49.95 (about $70 / AU$100).

All of these brewing functions are packed into a surprisingly slim package that will slot more easily into small kitchens:

The Jura E10 is available now direct from Jura and a handful of third-party stores for £1,425 (about $1,910 / AU$2,720). It's currently only sold in Europe, but the rest of the E range is available in the US, so I'm expecting it to launch there in the coming months.

Dimplex FlexBlade Multi-Directional Bladeless Fan: two minute review

The Dimplex FlexBlade isn't your traditional tower fan, although you can use it as one. It's bladeless, Dyson-style, so it delivers smooth airflow without the buffeting of a bladed fan.

The design is very flexible, enabling you to use it as a T-shaped floor fan, a vertical pedestal fan, or any angle in between. Air comes out of two wide vents, and those vents can be rotated 90 degrees in either direction so that you can have wider airflow or cool two areas simultaneously. That could be useful in shared spaces such as offices, although as the fan's stand isn't telescopic, one of you will get a cool back while the other gets cool legs.

The FlexBlade looks like it'll be extremely powerful but the strength of airflow drops off quickly with distance, so at full power with both blades pointing forward it felt like a breeze at three meters. It's fairly quiet, though, and delivers similar airflow and noise levels to our trusty Dyson Hot+Cool fan.

This isn't the most powerful floor fan we've tested by any means but it does move a decent amount of air and that flexible design makes it useful for multiple applications, such as the bedroom at night and home office or living room during the day.

Dimplex FlexBlade fan review: price and availability

• Launched June 2026
• UK only
• £199.99 (about $160 / AU$230)

With fortunate timing, the FlexBlade launched during a month of record-breaking heat in the UK. The Dimplex FlexBlade Multi-Directional Bladeless Fan launched in the UK in June 2026 with a recommended retail price of £199.99 (about $160 / AU$230). It isn't currently available in Australia, and Dimplex doesn't sell its home cooling products in the US.

I'm writing this as more really hot weather is toasting the UK, so I need to temper my usual buying advice with the fact that for many people the only criteria for a fan right now are 'will it cool me down?' and 'is it in stock?', to which the answers are yes and at the time of writing, yes. But I would point out that Dimplex dropped the price to just £123 for Amazon Prime Day 2026, so if you're not reading this in sweltering temperatures you can expect similar discounts in the cooler months when demand sags.

Value for money: 4/5

Dimplex FlexBlade fan review: design

• Horizontal and vertical adjustment
• Horizontal oscillation
• Simple but effective controls

I can't talk about the design of the Dimplex FlexBlade without addressing the elephant in the room, or rather the Shark: the Shark TurboBlade cooling fan, which seems to have inspired Dimplex's designers. Both have a propeller-esque T-shaped design with two independent, rotatable bladeless vents. Both can pivot from horizontal to vertical mode. Both project air up to 20 meters. Both have a magnetic remote control. Both have a quiet sleep mode. And both have multiple speed settings: 10 for the Shark and five for the Dimplex. I think the Shark is a little nicer looking, more flexible thanks to its telescopic pole and less top-heavy — the Dimplex wobbles a bit when you touch it — but it's also £50 (about $70 / AU$100) more expensive when it's not in the sales.

The FlexBlade arrives in six parts: the main motor unit, a two-part riser with a heavy base, and the two vents. It's simple and quick to put together – the only tool required is the provided Allen key for securing the base — and the remote attaches magnetically to the top of the unit so it's always handy.

Controls are kept to a minimum on the fan itself: power/speed, oscillation and timer. The remote is simple too, with the addition of dedicated speed up/down buttons, a full speed button and a sleep mode button to put the fan into its lowest power state overnight.

The T-shaped, two-vent design delivers a lot of flexibility. You can't adjust the 1.1m height of the main motor unit but you can position the two blades vertically, horizontally or in between, and you can rotate them independently up to 180 degrees to push air in two opposite directions at once. The rotating blades are a little stiff but not awkwardly so. The blade adjustments are manual but the fan itself can oscillate automatically, delivering horizontal oscillation of 30, 60 or 90 degrees.

Design: 4/5

Dimplex FlexBlade fan review: performance

• Oscillation and adjustable vents
• Quieter than similar rivals
• Best experienced reasonably close

The Dimplex promises airflow in excess of 6m/s with a 20-meter range and 90-degree sweep, but at full power with both blades pointed directly at me from three meters away it felt like a very mild breeze. At that distance and with the blades arranged vertically the remote control was very hit and miss.

The Dimplex is a bit quieter than the Shark – Dimplex's figures say it's 36dB at its lowest setting and 58dB at full pelt, compared to the Shark's 40dB to 66dB – but it still gets loud at higher fan speeds with the telltale whoosh we've come to expect from bladeless fans. It's not Dyson hand dryer loud at full power, though; it's more like a hair dryer on a very low setting.

I compared the Dimplex's airflow to two other room fans: a Dyson Pure Hot + Cool and a Meaco Sefte 10-inch air circulator. Both the Dimplex and the Dyson are bladeless and moved air a similar distance with similar noise levels, although the Dyson's wider diffusion mode made its output quieter at the expense of focused air. But the Meaco was quieter than both and delivered significantly stronger airflow across a large living room.

Performance: 3/5

Dimplex FlexBlade fan review: should you buy it?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Dimplex FlexBlade fan review: also consider

Dimplex FlexBlade fan review: how we tested

I tested the FlexBlade for a week at my home in Scotland during July 2026's UK heatwave. Scotland escaped the worst, because while England boiled the temperatures here were milder, peaking at 27ºC / 80.6ºF. That's hot enough to need a powerful fan but not so hot that I was crawling into my freezer or taking cold showers fully clothed.

I work from home in a long downstairs room that gets sunshine from both directions during the day, and that means it's often warmer inside than out – especially in the evening, as UK homes are typically made to retain heat rather than reflect it. I tested the FlexBlade as a daytime fan in my living room/office and as a bedroom fan overnight to see if it could keep me cool during the day, cool my family in the evening and help me sleep better at night.

First tested July 2026

Laifen T1 Pro: two-minute review

On first impressions, the Laifen T1 Pro wows. Open the box and you're greeted with Apple-inspired packaging, while the shaver itself immediately looks the part. Its CNC-machined unibody aluminium body looks and feels genuinely premium and, if you're used to cheaper shavers like the Philips OneBlade – my usual razor – it's impossible not to grin at the magnetically attached shaving head, which somehow manages to feel genuinely futuristic.

Modern conveniences like USB-C charging, an aeroplane mode to stop the power button being pressed in your bag while travelling and IPX7 waterproofing all add to the premium feel. Based on the spec sheet and those first impressions, you'd be forgiven for thinking the Laifen T1 Pro was one of the best electric shavers on the market.

The problem is that, with a shaver, the only thing that really matters is the shave itself, and that's where the Laifen T1 Po disappoints. I shave twice a week and have fairly coarse stubble, and despite repeated attempts the T1 Pro simply couldn't deliver a comfortable shave and often snagged on my hairs, which was painful and left me with patchy stubble. You have to limit your expectations a bit with single-blade razors, but I've been getting an effective shave with my Philips OneBlade for years, and often I found myself reaching for it to finish up and get the hairs that survived the T1 Pro's efforts.

This leaves the Laifen T1 Pro in an awkward position. It's beautifully designed and genuinely pleasant to use in every respect until it comes to shaving, but if I have to reach for a second razor to finish the job, the premium build and thoughtful features become little more than a nice distraction. I'd love to see Laifen revisit the shaving head in a future model because the engineering elsewhere is genuinely impressive, but as it stands I can't recommend the T1 Pro.

Laifen T1 Pro: price and availability

• List price: $149 / £149 / AU$246
• Launched: September 2025

The Laifen T1 Pro launched in September 2025. Listing prices vary but are consistent with other premium shavers. In the US it's currently selling for around $129, in the UK it's £149 and in Australia it's $239. However, it doesn't come with a case, cleaning materials or anything else so it may feel steep in comparison

• Value score: 2/5

Laifen T1 Pro: design

• CNC-machined aluminum feels premium
• Magnetic head feels futuristic and makes cleaning a breeze
• USB-C means you're just taking one cable away with you

The Laifen T1 Pro makes an excellent first impression. Unlike the plastic-bodied shavers that dominate the market, the T1 Pro is built around a CNC-machined unibody aluminium chassis that immediately feels more like a premium gadget than a bathroom appliance. The fit and finish are excellent, while the magnetically-attached shaving head snaps satisfyingly into place and makes cleaning refreshingly simple.

Laifen has also packed in plenty of thoughtful features. USB-C charging means one less proprietary cable to keep track of, an airplane mode prevents the power button from being accidentally pressed in your luggage, and the IPX7 waterproof rating means you can use the shaver wet or dry before simply rinsing it under the tap to clean it up.

The compact dimensions work in the T1 Pro's favour. It's comfortable to hold despite the lack of any rubberized grip, and the aluminum body never felt slippery during my testing, even during a heatwave when I was, perhaps a little sweatier than I'd like to admit. Its low weight, just 3.3oz / 93g, makes it easy to use precise movements in the tricky areas like the jawline and around the mouth — areas that can be difficult with larger, clunkier, shavers.

It's a minor thing, but I found myself squeaking with joy each time I opened the little cap at the bottom of the razor to reveal the USB-C charging port. It's a small thing, but the cap fits so neatly in and comes away so delicately it sparks joy every time I charged it.

In many ways, the T1 Pro feels like the product of a company obsessed with industrial design. From the premium materials to the magnetic shaving head and clean, minimalist aesthetic, there's very little to criticize about the hardware itself.

• Design score: 4/5

Laifen T1 Pro: performance

• Foil snags on coarse hair, which is painful
• The shave is patchy and inconsistent
• Long-lasting battery means you'll only need to charge occasionally

Ultimately, the Laifen T1 Pro lives or dies by the quality of its shave, and that's where it struggles. I have fairly coarse facial hair and typically shave twice a week, which proved to be a challenge the T1 Pro never really overcame.

Rather than cutting cleanly through my stubble, the shaver frequently pulled at beard hairs, making each shave less comfortable than it should have been. It also struggled to achieve an even finish. Even after several passes, I was often left with patches of missed stubble that required further attention. The trimmer head was more prone to this snagging, but the shaver head didn't eliminate the problem and also left my skin irritated.

The T1 Pro's light weight makes it easier to use, but its small size means covering your face takes longer than with a larger foil shaver. As a result, multiple passes quickly became the norm, and each additional pass increased the likelihood of the shaver snagging on thicker patches of hair.

I repeatedly found myself reaching for another razor to finish the job. Not only did it clean up the areas the T1 Pro had missed, but it also did so more comfortably. That's difficult to overlook given the T1 Pro's premium price.

The 120-minute battery life is excellent and should last most people several weeks between charges.

Unfortunately, The Laifen T1 Pro looks and feels like a premium electric shaver, but in my experience it simply doesn't deliver the shave the design promises, which makes it impossible to travel with because I also have to toss a second razor into my bag.

• Performance score: 1/5

Should you buy the Laifen T1 Pro?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Laifen T1 Pro: also consider

First reviewed July 2026

When I wrote my Ninja Creami Swirl review, I decided that the main reason that anyone should consider buying a Ninja Creami machine is so that they could make frozen treats that match their health goals. Whether you are trying to avoid processed foods, cut calories, reduce sugar, avoid dairy, or cater to any other specific dietary needs, any Ninja Creami model can make you a healthier version of ice cream or sorbet. I've tried tons of recipes, and here I'm sharing the ones I like best, specifically without artificial sweeteners. You can alter any recipe to best suit your own preferences.

Just fruit

Canned fruit makes the easiest possible sorbet. Just open a can of your favorite fruit, pour it in, freeze for 24 hours, and spin it on the Sorbet cycle. Canned fruit is so soft that there's no need to blend before freezing. I used a can of mangoes in 100% juice here. If you want more protein, you could add some yogurt or milk of your choice; I suggest a 2:1 fruit to dairy ratio.

I had a ton of watermelon left over from a recent party, so I threw some into the Ninja Creami container. Again, watermelon is a soft fruit so I didn't blend it first, but I did squash it down a bit to release some of the liquid so it would freeze as a solid block. The resulting sorbet had a lovely texture, but it really wasn't sweet enough for my palate so I'd recommend adding some honey before freezing. You could also add milk for some protein, or coconut water for extra electrolytes.

Banana date nut (or chocolate) ice cream

Here is the recipe I used, but there are many alterations you could make here. If you don't want nuts at all, you could use cacao powder instead of nut butter for a chocolate flavor. Or use both for a chocolate-nut option.

1/2 cup plain Greek (or vanilla) yogurt

2/3 cup water (or use milk for more protein)

2 tbsp nut butter (I use PB2 powder but any works)

1/2 large banana (or 2/3 small)

4-6 dates to taste (can skip if using flavored yogurt)

(optional) 1 tbsp hemp seeds

(optional) 1 scoop unflavored collagen powder

After blending and freezing for 24 hours, process this on the Frozen Yogurt setting. I used the hemp seeds and collagen for their health benefits, and they don't have an effect on the taste. You could skip those entirely if you like.

Pistachio ice cream

I think this is tasty, though a friend of mine remarked that while it had the texture and mouthfeel of ice cream, it "tastes healthy". Do with that what you will.

1/2 cup cottage cheese (I used 2%)

1/4 cup yogurt (I used plain nonfat Greek)

1/2 cup pistachios (I used salted but rinsed them off)

1/2 cup milk (I used almond)

4-8 dates (I used 8 small)

1/4 tsp almond extract

Honey/maple syrup/agave syrup to taste if needed (I used about 1/2 tbsp agave)

If you use unsalted nuts you’ll want to add a pinch of salt. You do need to blend this well before freezing. Taste it before you freeze it to see if you need to add honey or syrup. You want it to be slightly sweeter than you think you need, because frozen food tastes less sweet.

Process this on the Frozen Yogurt cycle. If you like, add more nuts and/or chocolate chips in the Mix-In cycle.

Açai bowl

One serving frozen açaí cubes or packet

1/2 banana

Handful berries

Juice or milk to fill line (if milk you’ll want to add a little honey for sweetness)

Blend, then freeze for 24 hours and spin on the Sorbet setting. Top with berries, seeds, nuts, granola, coconut, nut butter, cacao nibs, or whatever you like. I enjoyed mine with chia pudding, pumpkin seeds, and granola.

Real ice cream

If by healthy you mean wholesome, with no fake anything, just real ingredients, then this is the way. Credit goes to the New York Times. It's a plain base, but by adding vanilla (or any flavor) extract, cacao powder, fruit, or just about anything, including Mix-Ins, you can make any flavor you can imagine. While it's obviously not low in calories, fat, or sugar, it doesn't have any unpronounceable junk in it. It's absolutely delicious and rivals anything you can buy, anywhere.

Here is the basic recipe:

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/8 tsp fine sea salt

6 large egg yolks

In a small pot, simmer the cream, milk, sugar, and salt until the sugar dissolves, about five minutes. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks.

Whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream. Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees.) Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

Pour mixture into the Creami containers no higher than the fill line; this will be enough for two containers. Freeze for 24 hours and process on the regular Ice Cream setting.

Don't be afraid to experiment

It's worth noting that the Ninja Creami is sort of magic in the sense that it creates a lovely texture, almost regardless of what you put into it. However, it doesn't magically change the flavor, as people often hope. If you don't particularly like what you're putting in (a protein shake, for example) hoping that it will taste better after the Ninja Creami treatment, well, you'll be disappointed. You get out what you put in.

The Ninja Creami lends itself to experimentation. Even following someone else's tried and true recipe doesn't guarantee you'll like the results. But keep trying, you'll find the recipes that suit your tastes and health preferences.

• The Ninja Crispi Microwave helps avoid the problem of soggy reheated food
• It has a huge array of presets to easily handle common cooking tasks
• It's on sale in the US; international launch details are yet to be announced

Although they're fast and convenient, microwaves tend to make food soggy. That's where Ninja's new Crispi Microwave comes in, combining the fast heating of a microwave with the crisping effect of an air fryer.

Ninja's new release isn't the first combined microwave and air fryer on the market; brands including Samsung, Smeg, and even IKEA have all released their own two-in-one appliances that can defrost, cook, and crisp meals and leftovers.

There are two key things that set the Ninja Crispi Microwave apart, the first of which is its huge range of handy presets for common kitchen tasks. Not only does it come with the usual settings you'd expect for jobs like heating frozen dinners and bringing leftover pizza back to life, it also has dedicated modes for preparing soup, making popcorn, and even softening butter, taking the guesswork out of simple kitchen tasks that would usually require careful monitoring to ensure nothing melts or burns.

The second unique selling point is its use of non-toxic glass for air frying. The Ninja Crispi and Ninja Crispi Pro air fryers cook food inside resealable glass containers rather than a drawer, giving peace of mind if you're worried about non-stick coatings. The Crispi Microwave contains a deep dish made from the same glass, which has a capacity of 5.5 quarts / 5.2 liters. According to Ninja, that's big enough to hold an 8lb chicken, or four slices of pizza.

When you've finished cooking, both the dish and crisper plate are dishwasher-safe, and with no rotating plate, the interior of the microwave is easy to wipe clean.

The Ninja Crispi Microwave is available now direct from Ninja for $449 (about £330 / AU$640) in the US. International release dates and prices are yet to be announced, but we're hoping to test it soon to see whether it can earn a place in our full roundup of the best air fryers.

The Ninja Slushi is one of my all-time favorite kitchen appliances, but it's simply too large for my kitchen. Thankfully there are personal blenders that are smaller, cost a lot less, and make perfect slushies for one in just a few seconds — and here I've picked three of the best that can tackle ice and other frozen ingredients with ease.

Some single-serve blenders struggle to tackle any ingredients tougher than an apple, but each of the models here will crush ice effortlessly despite their compact size. Once you're done, you can take your drink on the road, to work — or just to the back yard for sipping in the sunshine.

Slushies made this way won't be identical to those created with a Slushi machine, but they can come close. The Slushi works by taking liquid ingredients and freezing them while stirring to create small ice crystals, whereas blenders create slush by chopping up large pieces of ice. If you want an undiluted slushie without added water, try freezing ingredients like juice or soda in an ice-cube tray. Provided you add the recommended amount of liquid to your blender's cup (usually around 6oz / 170ml) you should get a very similar (and equally tasty) result.

Ninja BlendBOSS

At 1,200 watts, the Ninja BlendBOSS has the most powerful motor of all the blenders in this list, and transforms ice and frozen fruit into slush with ease. It consists of a sturdy, unusually-shaped base (which reminds me of a UFO) and a Stanley-style cup, with a sip lid and straw that you can carry, or tuck into your car's cupholder.

It has three preset options (smoothie, ice crush, and blend) plus a pulse option so you can take control yourself. The preset programs will blend and pause in different patterns to ensure all the ingredients come into contact with the blades — and they're very effective. Our reviewer Karen Freeman reported that her smoothie with frozen berries "came out perfectly smooth [with] no chunks of blueberry skin or spinach" and the blender "turned ice into snow incredibly quickly and thoroughly" for iced lemonade. Your recipe needs to include at least 6oz / 175ml liquid along with the ice for proper blending.

Some single-serving blenders tend to jump across your kitchen counter when dialled up to full, but the BlendBOSS has a cleverly designed base with a circle of grippy silicone, plus suction cups to ensure it doesn't dance onto the floor when preparing iced drinks.

The only downside we found is that the lid of the chug cap sometimes fell down and bopped us on the nose mid-slurp, but that was only a very minor annoyance. This is otherwise a brilliant tool for making slushies and smoothies, and very reasonably priced too.

Read our full Ninja BlendBOSS review

Nutribullet Flip

Unlike the two other blenders here, which comprise a plug-in base that you keep in the kitchen and a detachable cup to take with you, the Nutribullet Flip is fully portable and rechargeable so you can whip up drinks on the move (particularly handy if you're at the gym and want a fresh protein shake, for example). Just add your ingredients to the cup, screw on the lid, flip it upside down and press the button. Thirty seconds later, you can turn it upright again and start sipping. What could be easier?

I was a bit apprehensive about drinking from the part of the blender that contains the motor, but you're in no danger at all of cutting yourself; the blade assembly is well away from the drinking spout and the motor can't activate unless the cover on the drinking spout is fully closed.

The Flip handles ice with ease, and I used it to prepare some very nice iced coffee drinks during testing. Particularly large frozen strawberries sometimes required a second blending cycle to be fully pulverized (the Flip only has one program) but nothing I tested could withstand a minute in contact with its blades. When you're done, the insulated cup keeps your slush and shakes cold for hours. You'll need to add at least 8oz / 235ml liquid along with your ice.

Something I particularly like about the Flip is that its blades are at the widest point of the cup, which means everything falls down onto them rather than getting stuck on the sides. It's especially easy to clean as well; add water and a drop of dish soap, run a cycle, then rinse.

Read our full Nutribullet Flip review

Ninja Blast Max

I awarded the Ninja Blast Max a full five stars thanks to its ability to turn even the toughest ingredients into a silky smoothie or tasty slush. Ice and frozen fruit were transformed into a frosty treat in no time at all, and tough fibrous vegetables like kale were no match for its powerful motor and super-sharp blades.

The Blast Max has a 'crush' setting specifically designed for ice, which turns rock-solid strawberries and raspberries into slushies in less than a minute. Alternatively, add plenty of ice, a shot of espresso, and a good splash of milk for a delicious iced coffee. Provided your drink includes at least 6oz / 175ml liquid, the Blast Max will handle it with ease. "The resulting blended iced coffee looked as good as anything you might get from a coffee shop, with a nice layer of foam on top and no chunks of unblended ice crystals," I said.

The Blast Max has a travel cup that detaches from the charging base for sipping on the move, with measuring lines clearly marked on the side. Ninja suggests that you might need to give it a little shake during blending to loosen any ingredients stuck to the sides that might miss the blades, but during my tests I never found that necessary.

The Blast Max is the most affordable of these three blenders right now, and no less impressive than the other two. For me, the only drawback was that, unlike the Nutribullet Flip, the Blast Max doesn't have an insulated cup to keep slushies frosty when you're on the go.

Read our full Ninja Blast Max review

Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan: two minute review

Dimplex makes lots of floor, table and pedestal fans, and the Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan is designed to address one of their weaknesses: they can only go where your plug sockets or extension cables can go. This affordable fan works as wired one via its USB-C port but also includes a rechargeable battery delivering up to 15 hours of air, or around four hours at full speed. That means you you can take it into the garden on a hot evening or take it to your bedroom and run it overnight.

The Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan doesn't oscillate but you can tilt it vertically up to 90 degrees, and it folds down almost flat so it's easy to keep in a drawer or toss into a bag. There are four speed settings here but the high speed one is not recommended while charging, as it depletes the battery faster than the USB-C connection charges it.

The fan works well and is fairly quiet, but it does make a noticeable drone at all speed settings; on a hot day, running the fan at high was very distracting. Of course all fans make some noise, but as this is a small fan with a 6.7 inch / 17cm diameter and 5.1 inch 13cm blades, you need to have it close to you to feel the benefit. In my home office the Dimplex on quiet setting at half a meter distance was noticeably louder than a much larger air circulator running at 50% speed one meter from me. If noise annoys, this may not be the fan for you.

Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: price and availability

• Launched July 2025
• UK only
• £34.99 (about $50 / AU$70)

The Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan, model DXRCFN, launched in the UK in July 2025. It has a recommended retail price of £34.99 (about $50 / AU$70), making it the most affordable model in the current range of Dimplex cooling fans and about £10 more expensive than a similarly sized wired desktop fan. It isn't currently available in Australia, and Dimplex doesn't sell its home cooling products in the US.

This fan has been cheaper – it was £25.45 during Prime Day 2026 – but I wouldn't expect to see any price cuts during the summer months in the UK.

Value for money: 4/5

Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: design

• Supremely portable
• Finger-friendly grille
• USB-C charging

The design of the fan is rather clever. It's been made for maximum portability, folding in on itself to resemble a small squashed football for travel or storage. It charges via USB-C and takes about four hours to charge fully. Because it's USB you can charge it with a phone charger or power bank, which makes it a good option for travelling. The battery is sealed inside and is not user-replaceable.

In addition to its internal bladed fan there's a circular louvred grille on the front that rotates and enhances the airflow. Although it spins quickly, the front grille is finger-friendly and won't hurt you or a child if you or they touch it (although you can lock it in place if you don't want it to spin).

The Dimplex fan doesn't oscillate, but you can adjust its vertical tilt by up to 90 degrees by moving the fan section up or down. It stays put without having to be screwed in place. Controls are simple, with just two buttons: power and speed. There's no remote control and no smartphone/smart home features.

Design: 4/5

Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: performance

• Decent airflow for its size
• Four speed settings
• Distracting sound

There are four fan speeds — quiet, low, medium and high — and I found that for my home office desk the quiet setting delivered a nice breeze without making me feel like I was in a wind tunnel. High speed was a bit intense up close but worked well from a little further away. Dimplex recommends only using High when you're on battery power as it can still deplete the battery when you're recharging it; at its lowest, quiet setting I managed 14+ hours from a single charge.

The Dimplex moves a decent amount of air for its size and it's fairly quiet in terms of its overall volume, which ranges from 36dB to 43dB. However, it does make a noticeable and constant droning sound that rises in pitch as you increase the speed. All bladed fans make some motor noise, of course, but desk fans are designed to sit very close to you, which means any noise is much more noticeable. For me it was too distracting at any speed when I sat it on my work desk, although in the bedroom at its lowest setting it didn't keep me awake.

Performance: 3/5

Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: should you buy it?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: also consider

Dimplex Rechargeable Cordless Desk Fan review: how we tested

I tested this Dimplex fan for a week during summery weather as both a desktop fan in my home office, and as a bedroom fan overnight. Both locations are in my house, where indoor temperatures were around 69.8°F to 75.2°F / 21ºC to 24ºC during the daytime and around 66.2°F to 68.0°F / 19ºC to 20ºC at night.

First tested July 2026

I test a lot of espresso machines here at TechRadar — over a dozen a year — and so far 2026 has delivered a particularly impressive crop. Whether you're looking for your first ever coffee maker or are a seasoned pro hunting for the perfect premium brewer, there's an option for you.

There are so many new espresso machines, in fact, that you might be spoilt for choice, which is where I come in. To help make your decision easier, I've rounded up this collection of the three best machines we've tested this year. Each one has been through our rigorous review process, and received a score of at least four and a half stars out of five.

If you can't see something that quite suits your needs, take a look at our complete roundup of the best espresso machines you can buy today, and the best Nespresso machines if you prefer your morning brew in pod form.

Philips Café Aromis

Release date: March 2026

Score: 5/5

This espresso machine (the Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series, to give it its full name) is a premium coffee maker that looks stunning, makes sublime coffee, and is fun to use as well. It has a menu of 50 drinks — hot and cold — and is astonishingly quiet in use too thanks to cleverly designed noise shielding.

Its milk system is particularly impressive, producing different textures to suit the type of drink you're making, and because the milk never enters the body of the machine itself, it's a piece of cake to keep clean. Just detach the carafe, disassemble it into its three hard plastic components, and wash them in the top drawer of your dishwasher. There are separate carafes for hot and cold milk, and they both work equally well with dairy or plant-based equivalents.

Espresso machines with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity are quite common, but after connecting your phone, usually all you get is a simple instruction manual. Not here. The Philips Home app is styled like an AI chatbot, and asks you a series of questions about your beans and taste preferences to help tailor the brew setting to your liking. It's certainly not cheap, but it's a superb espresso machine that earned a full five stars.

Read our full Philips Café Aromis review

Philips Baristina

Release date: February 2026

Score: 5/5

Philips has been really nailing it when it comes to espresso machines this year. The Baristina is very different to the Café Aromis, but if you're new to the world of speciality coffee, or just want something reasonably affordable, it's the better choice.

This is the smallest and cheapest bean-to-cup coffee maker I've ever tested, and it's so easy to use, it's a great option for anyone thinking of making the switch from coffee capsules. Just load your beans in the top, fill the water tank, push in the empty portafilter handle, and slide it to the right. The Baristina will grind the perfect dose of coffee into the basket, tamp it down, then slide the whole handle to the left and pull the shot for you.

It's a piece of cake, and much easier to clean than a typical automatic espresso machine because there's no moisture or debris building up inside an enclosed case. The only drawback is that it can't steam milk (unless you pick up a bundle with the standalone milk frother), but Philips has just launched an updated version — the Baristina Latte — that solves that particular issue. I'm very much looking forward to testing it

Read our full Philips Baristina review

Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2

Release date: March 2026

Score: 4.5/5

The Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 (available direct from Meraki in the US, and from Bella Barista in the UK) is the most stylish coffee maker we've tested so far this year, with its satin finish, chrome and wood accents, pivoting touchscreen display, and separate 'towers' for its twin boilers, water tank, and bean hopper. It's huge, but if you've got the space, it's worth every centimeter.

This is a manual espresso machine, but is packed with thoughtful features that make achieving a delicious brew that little bit easier. For example, there are built-in scales beneath the grinder and grouphead to help you grind exactly the right dose of beans, then weigh your extracted coffee and stop the pump at precisely the right time. There's a temperature sensor to help you avoid scalding your milk, and if you really want a helping hand, you can scan a code on a bag of Meraki's own coffee beans, and the machine will adjust its own settings accordingly.

The standout feature, though, is its dual boiler, which is something we rarely see in a home espresso machine. "Not only does it produce exceedingly well-extracted espresso over and over again, it easily froths a range of milks without losing pressure or cooling down," said our reviewer Josh Russell.

Read our full Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 review

Before I tested and reviewed the Ninja AutoBarista Pro, I had tried every kind of coffee brewing method over the years. I ground my own beans with a high-end 20-setting electric burr grinder. I researched how to get the ideal grind for each type of bean and brewing method. Grind size is important, because it determines the speed that water flows through your coffee grounds and therefore the amount of extraction.

As a general rule, you'll want a coarser grind for a French press or for cold brew made in the refrigerator. Medium-coarse works well for pour-over. A typical automatic drip machine works best with a medium grind. A moka pot works well with medium-fine. The finest settings are best for espresso machines or Turkish coffee.

How your beans are roasted also plays a part in how coarsely you'll want to grind your beans. Darker roast beans work best with a slightly coarser grind, while lighter roasts work better when ground slightly finer.

When grinding your own beans, you'll have to account for both your roast and your brewing method. If your coffee comes out more bitter than you'd like, you'll want to grind your beans more coarsely. On the other hand, if your coffee comes out sour or weak and watery, you'll want your beans ground a bit more finely.

Figuring all this out and adjusting the grinder (known as 'dialing in') doesn't require a chemistry degree, but it does require some some trial and error on your part. Then along comes the Ninja AutoBarista Pro with Grind iQ, which removes the need for guesswork. Just pour in your whole beans, and Grind iQ takes it from there.

The first time you put new beans into the Ninja AutoBarista Pro's hopper, Grind iQ will determine the ideal grind size based on your particular beans. This process takes about five minutes or so, and it does expel a bit of coffee, but then it's good to go.

Whether you're making a regular cup of Drip Coffee, Espresso, Iced Coffee, or Cold Brew, the built-in stainless steel burr grinder grinds your beans just right for every cup. The machine automatically determines which of its 50 grind settings to use. No guessing or trial and error. It's just one less thing you need to think about before you've had that first cup of coffee in the morning.

• New blue, oat and green colors for the Ninja AutoBarista Pro
• It is an automatic espresso machine with separate user profiles
• Its list price is $949.99 / £899.99 (about AU$1,735)

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro Fully Automatic Espresso Machine is a new, multi-talented coffee maker that delivers excellent espresso, drip coffee and a kind of rapid cold brew for making cold drinks — and now it's available in three new colors.

The original black and stainless steel finish has been joined by versions in Midnight Blue, Oat Milk and Vista Green. They're all fairly sober colors, so for example the Vista Green is a dark, slightly metallic jade green, and that means they look subtle and classy rather than garish — which is fitting as these are premium products.

The big benefit of the new shades is that they don't have stainless steel's fingerprint magnetism: I've had many stainless steel appliances and they've all been a bit of a pain to keep shiny and pristine.

Other than the colors, the new models are identical to the original, and that's no bad thing. This is a clever coffee maker that solves a particular pain point for couples and shared kitchens.

A machine of many talents

As my caffeinated colleague Karen Freeman wrote when about the Ninja AutoBarista Pro, it's ideal for people who have completely different tastes in coffee. You can easily switch between beans and ground coffee, and you can create two different user profiles to store your brewing preferences. And setting up profiles is really simple.

We like this coffee machine a lot. In our Ninja AutoBarista Pro review we praised its "one-touch simplicity", good looks and of course, its coffee. "The espresso is the real deal," we wrote. "A true 9-bar espresso brew with crema."

The only real downside is its size: it's a pretty hefty appliance, coming in at just under 18 x 11 x 16 inches and weighing nearly 40lbs / 18kg. It's very solidly built, however, so it's likely to last a very long time.

I don't have this particular model but I do have a similarly multi-talented coffee maker from Philips, the LatteGo 5500. I think with machines like these there's an initial novelty period where you want to make all the coffees, but after that you tend to settle for a couple of favorites unless you're entertaining. And that's why we're so focused on the quality of the Ninja's espresso, because of course that's the core of all your coffee creations. In our tests the AutoBarista Pro delivered excellent espresso every time, and now it does it while matching your kitchen decor too.

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro currently retails at $949.99 / £899.99 / about AU$1,735.

I live in a two coffee-drinker household, and my husband and I don't always agree on what makes a perfect cup of coffee. Luckily, with the Ninja AutoBarista Pro, we don't have to come to a compromise. This machine lets you easily swap out two different kinds of whole beans plus whatever pre-ground beans you like. In addition, you can set up two different user profiles for each kind of coffee beverage you make.

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro is a fully automatic coffee and espresso machine. You put whole beans in, and the machine brews your perfect cup of Espresso, Lungo, Drip Coffee, Americano, Cold-Pressed, Over Ice, Cortado, Flat White, Latte, Cappuccino, Iced Latte, or Cold Brew. In my Ninja AutoBarista Pro review, I mentioned that it comes with two interchangeable coffee bean hoppers and that you could set up two different user profiles for each type of coffee beverage.

He likes extra dark roast whereas I prefer more of a medium-dark roast. Thanks to Ninja's two-hopper system, we can each have our own beans and easily swap them out as needed by just switching hoppers. It's that simple.

The first time you put each hopper in place, Grind iQ will run a cycle to determine the perfect grind for each set of beans.

Additionally, there is a pre-ground coffee chute. You can choose to bypass the whole bean hopper if you prefer to use pre-ground beans at any time.

My own personal espresso

In addition to changing out the beans, you can also save two different user profiles for each type of coffee you can make with the Ninja AutoBarista Pro.

To set up the first user profile, you select a drink, choose the brew strength, temperature, and number of shots. Press the user profile button and the User One indicator will light up. Press and hold that button for a couple of seconds until you hear a confirmation beep. Now you're all set! Do the same thing for User Two, only you'll need to press the button twice so the second user profile is indicated before doing the long press.

Once you've set up user profiles, the Ninja AutoBarista Pro will always default to User One. If you're User Two, just press the user profile button twice, so the light above User Two is lit up. Then start your brew.

This makes a heck of a lot more sense than having two different coffee machines in one kitchen in order to accommodate two different coffee drinkers' preferences. It couldn't be easier to set up and use; frankly it probably took you longer to read this article than it will take to actually do it.

Ice cream for breakfast? Well, sure, why not, especially when it's a wholesome and nutritious high-protein ice cream you make in your Ninja Creami. It might even be healthier than the breakfast you had this morning.

There are several different models of the Ninja Creami, including the Swirl, which I used. You can read my Ninja Creami Swirl review here. Any model will do for making delicious and healthy breakfast 'ice cream', the Swirl can just make it into soft serve if you like. You must freeze your ingredients in the provided container for 24 hours, so be sure to plan a day ahead.

Protein shakes

I've made a number of different protein-forward Creami recipes, but it might take some experimentation to find the ones you like the best. The simplest option is just to freeze a protein shake (or your milk of choice plus protein powder.) If those taste too plain or icy, you can doctor them with extras like vanilla extract, cacao powder, xanthan gum, pudding mix, collagen powder, cottage cheese, or fruit. You can process them on the CreamiFit setting if your Creami has that; if not, the Light Ice Cream setting will work. Personally, I’m not a big fan of protein powders and shakes. But if you do like them, you’ll like them even better as ice cream.

Just yogurt

Another very simple high protein option is to simply freeze a tub or two of your favorite flavored yogurt. That won't need any doctoring to produce a perfectly textured frozen yogurt treat. I used the Frozen Yogurt setting and sometimes also put it through the Swirl mechanism for a true frozen yogurt shop experience. Of course you can skip that step if you have a regular or Deluxe Ninja Creami and not the Swirl model. Either way, you'll probably want to experiment with mix-ins and toppings. Granola, fruit, and/or a drizzle of nut butter make nice breakfast frozen yogurt toppings. I’ve frozen a number of yogurts; my favorites have been apple pie, tiramisu, and creme brulee.

High protein base

Honestly, I have not yet found the perfect 'healthy vanilla Creami base', but I tried this concoction of vanilla greek yogurt, skim milk, and cottage cheese. Sure, it was healthy, and the texture was great, but it didn’t taste like much. The mangoes on top helped! There are so many recipes online, I’ll have to keep searching.

Simple frozen fruit sorbets

I often eat chia pudding for breakfast, a simple concoction of chia seeds, almond milk, and Greek yogurt. I recently made my usual chia pudding, but instead of topping it with fruit, I topped it with seeds, granola, and a few scoops of simple Ninja Creami sorbet. The one-ingredient sorbet was simply a can of peaches in juice, dumped into a Ninja Creami container. I processed it on the Sorbet cycle. This is delicious and works with any kind of fruit. Pears, mangoes, and pineapple are particular favorites. Of course, you can just make simple fruit sorbet for a light, refreshing breakfast.

Açai bowls

I made my own açai bowl with store-bought frozen açai cubes. I blended them with some fruit, milk, and sweetener and used the Lite Ice Cream setting. I topped mine with fruit, granola, hemp seeds, and almond butter, but you could also add coconut flakes, honey, yogurt, other seeds, nuts, or anything you like. This was tasty.

Yogurt, milk, and fruit

A simple cherry vanilla Creami, basically just equal parts milk of choice, vanilla yogurt, and cherries came out quite nicely. You could do this with any kind of fruit you like.

Just the tip of the icecreamberg

I keep thinking of more recipe ideas I want to try, there are so many breakfast-appropriate Ninja Creami recipes out there. And if you want to make a real full-on whole-milk-cream-egg-sugar ice cream and eat that for breakfast? No judgement here. Life is short — eat dessert first!

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Price & release date

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

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

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

• Value: 4/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design: 4/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Performance

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

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

Cleaning tests

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

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

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

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

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

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

Object detection and navigation

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

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

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

UV detection

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

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

Dock

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

• Performance: 4/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Software and app

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

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

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

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

• Software: 2.5/5

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Specs

Should I buy Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal?

Buy it if…

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

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

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

Don’t buy it if…

You have lots of wooden floors or shiny tiles

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

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

You want to vacuum multiple floors — or other smart features

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

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Also consider

How I tested the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal

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

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

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: price and availability

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

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

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: specs

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 4.5/5

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance score: 5/5

Should you buy the Ninja AutoBarista Pro?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: also consider

How I tested the Ninja AutoBarista Pro

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

First reviewed June 2026

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone: two-minute review

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

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

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

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

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone: price & availability

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

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

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

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

• Value score: 3/5

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclon:: specs

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone: design

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

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

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

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

Robot design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Score ref: 3.5/5

Dock design

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

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

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

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

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

Score ref: 4.5/5

• Design score: 4/5

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone: performance

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

Navigation performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

Score ref: 2.5/5

Obstacle avoidance

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

Score ref: 4/5

Vacuuming

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

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

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

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

Score ref: 2.5/5

Mopping performance

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

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

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

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

Score ref: 3.5/5

Dock performance

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

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

Score ref: 4/5

Battery performance

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

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

Score ref: 3.5/5

• Performance score: 3/5

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone: app functionality

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

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

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

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

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

• App functionality score: 3/5

Should you buy the Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

How I tested the Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone

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

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

First reviewed June 2026.

Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S review: specs

Should I buy the Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S review: also consider

How I tested the Dreo Smart Misting Fan 516S

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

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

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

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

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

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review: Specs

Should I buy the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool review: Also consider

How I tested the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool

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

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

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

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

Coway Airmega 100: one-minute review

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

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

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

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

Coway Airmega 100 review: Specs

Coway Airmega 100 review: Price and release date

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

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

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

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

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

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Coway Airmega 100 review: Design

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 4 / 5

Coway Airmega 100 review: Features and performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Features & performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Coway Airmega 100?

Don't buy it if…

Coway Airmega 100 review: Also consider

How I tested the Coway Airmega 100

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

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

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

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

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

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

How does an ultrasonic coffee machine work?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KitchenAid KF4: two-minute review

The KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF4 is a new addition to the company’s lineup, and though it looks very similar to earlier models like the KF8 and KF6, it’s considerably smaller and a great choice for compact kitchens. It also offers particularly good noise shielding, and during my tests it proved quieter than its siblings when grinding and brewing.

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

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

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

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

KitchenAid KF4: specifications

KitchenAid KF4: price and availability

• Launched April 2026
• Available in US, UK and Australia
• List price $1,299.99 / £899 / AU$1,599

The KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF4 launched in April 2026 with a list price of $1,299.99 / £899, putting it in the middle of KitchenAid’s range of automatic coffee makers. It made its way to Australia in July 2026, where it costs AU$1,599.

If you like the look of the KF4 but your budget won’t quite stretch that far, take a look at the KitchenAid KF3. It's very similar to the KF4 but has a slightly smaller range of drinks and no milk carafe. Instead, you place the end of the milk tube in a glass or cup, which is a less elegant solution, but one that cuts the price to $999.99 / £749 / AU$1,349.

For comparison, KitchenAid’s top-end fully automatic espresso machine, the KF8, is priced at $1,999.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,599, while the lower-specced KF2 (which uses a steam wand and offers fewer drink recipes) is $799.99 / £699 / AU$1,099.

• Value score: 4/5

KitchenAid KF4: design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 4.5/5

KitchenAid KF4: performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the KitchenAid KF4?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

KitchenAid KF4: also consider

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

KitchenAid KF4: how I tested

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

First reviewed June 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra: two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review: price & availability

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

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

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

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review: specs

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review: design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review: performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the De’Longhi Eletta Ultra?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review: also consider

How I tested the De’Longhi Eletta Ultra review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dyson Supersonic Travel: two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dyson Supersonic Travel: price & availability

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Value for money score: 3 out of 5

Dyson Travel Supersonic specs

Dyson Supersonic Travel: design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson Supersonic Travel: performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

How I tested the Dyson Supersonic Travel

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

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

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

• First reviewed May 2026

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

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

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

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

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

The superquick ponytail hack

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

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

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

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

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

The high-volume half-up hair hack

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

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

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

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

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

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

The short hair claw clip hack

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

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

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

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

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

The hair-behind-your-ears hack

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

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

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

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

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

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

Easy heatless curls – that are actually easy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The ultimate fake French braid

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

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

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

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

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

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

Plopping for the ultimate curls

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dreame AirStyle Era: two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dreame AirStyle Era review: price & availability

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Dreame AirStyle Era specs

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

Dreame AirStyle Era review: design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dreame AirStyle Era review: performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Dreame AirStyle Era?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Dreame AirStyle Era: also consider

How I tested the Dreame Airstyle Era

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

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

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed May 2026

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: one-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Value score: 5/5

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: specifications

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 4/5

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: also consider

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

How I tested the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender

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

First reviewed June 2026.

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier: two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier review: price and availability

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier specs

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier review: design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier review: performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The wake-up light is the more interesting part of the performance story. The light ring is small relative to a dedicated sunrise alarm but on its highest brightness setting it lit the room enough to wake me without the alarm sound triggering at all on several mornings. The three manual brightness levels via the touchscreen are useful, and the app's slider control allows finer adjustment if you want to dial it in precisely.

The issue is with the graduation. The light is supposed to brighten gradually over 15–30 minutes before your alarm time, mimicking a natural sunrise. For the most part it does, and on the mornings it worked as intended the experience was gentler than waking to a conventional alarm. But on several occasions — I counted at least six across the four-week review period — the light jumped to full brightness abruptly rather than easing up to it, which is jarring. It doesn't ruin the experience entirely but it stops the Mini Restful from matching the consistently smooth graduation of a dedicated wake-up light. If the sunrise simulation is the primary reason you're considering this, that inconsistency is worth noting.

Elsewhere, the alarm sounds themselves are pleasant and varied — birdsong, soft tones, rainfall — and the volume is adjustable via the app.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier review: app

• Required for full setup and alarm customization
• Doesn't show air quality levels
• Clean, well-organized interface
• Lag between app and device is frustrating
• No HomeKit, Alexa or Google Home support

Despite a small number of flaws, I can barely fault the hardware of the Blueair Mini Restful. The same can't be said for the app though, sadly.

Firstly, the Blueair app isn't optional. You can use the touchscreen to turn the device on and off and cycle through fan speeds, but doing anything of note, such as setting alarms, choosing wake sounds, adjusting the sunrise duration, creating purification schedules and checking air quality history, all require the app.

This is great when it works. The interface is clean and logically laid out, with the device status and filter life all visible without having to dig through menus. Setting a sunrise alarm takes seconds: you pick a time, choose a sound, set the brightness duration between and you're done.

The filter replacement reminder is useful; the display lock feature is a sensible addition for overnight use; and the scheduling tools are flexible enough to set different purification levels for different times of day.

However, knowing how to view live air quality readings isn't obvious, and I ended up having to Google for help. Even then, you can only see the current outdoor air reading (via the Outdoor air section on the homepage) and not a live, room-by-room chart.

Then there's the problem with lag. There was a consistent, frustrating delay between adjusting a setting in the app and the device responding throughout almost the entire review period. This could be anything from a few seconds to almost 30 seconds on occasion. Switching fan speeds via the app often took longer than just tapping the top of the unit, which defeats part of the point of having remote control in the first place.

What's more, during my four-week review period the connection dropped completely three times, requiring a full reconnection through the app each time. I'd find myself checking the app before bed to make sure the alarm was still set and the connection was still live, which is exactly the kind of friction a product like this should be eliminating.

The absence of any smart home integration is also a real gap. There's no HomeKit support, Alexa skill or Google Home compatibility, which means the Mini Restful exists entirely within its own ecosystem. For anyone who controls their bedroom environment through a smart home setup — lights, heating, other devices — the Mini Restful sits outside all of that. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's a limitation that feels out of step with both the price and what other, similar connected bedroom devices offer.

Blueair has clearly invested in the app's design and the range of features it offers, and the bones are good but the execution needs a lot of work.

• App score: 3 out of 5

Should you buy the Blueair Mini Restful air purifier?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Blueair Mini Restful air purifier: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Blueair Mini Restful is the right air purifier for you, here are two other options to consider:

How I tested the Blueair Mini Restful air purifier

• Tested over four weeks as purifier and alarm clock
• Used the sunrise alarm as my sole morning alarm
• Measured noise levels at each fan speed with a decibel meter
• Tested purification speed by spraying deodorant at the unit and timing air clearance
• Monitored air quality data via the Blueair app

I used the Blueair Mini Restful as my main bedroom purifier and alarm clock for four weeks, running it every night and monitoring the air quality readings in the app each morning.

To test purification speed, I sprayed deodorant directly at the unit for five seconds on both the lowest and highest fan settings, then timed how long it took for the air quality reading in the app to return to normal.

I measured noise levels at each fan speed using a mobile phone decibel meter and ran the sunrise alarm as my sole morning alarm throughout the review. I also tested the app's scheduling tools, the USB-C charging port and the manual touchscreen controls.

Read more about how we test.

First reviewed May 2026