A coffee advent calendar is a fun way to get into the festive spirit without breaking the bank – as these two buys from Nespresso and GRIND prove. For £29.95 (via GRIND) and £40 (via Nespresso) respectively, these calendars will infuse your morning coffee with a touch of cheer come the month of December. But which one is the right fit for you? I got my hands on both to find out.

While Nespresso's calendar is catered towards the owners of the best Nespresso machines, GRIND have three options available: old-style Nespresso pods, ground coffee and whole beans.

Here's a closer look at what each of these affordable calendars is offering ahead of the most generous time of the year, just in case you're thinking of treating the coffee lover in your life!

The first thing to know is that while Nespresso's calendar is available both for those who use Vertuo pods and the older version, GRIND's calendar is only available for those using the smaller original pod. From there, the two calendars are pretty different, as I realised when I got my hands on them.

Here's a table breaking down the crucial differences between the two calendars.

If space is at a premium in your home, the first thing to note is that the GRIND calendar is much more compact than the Nespresso, especially once both are unfurled. Especially as Christmas can be a cluttered time already, it's worth bearing in mind for any potential gift recipients.

Grind's offering is more colourful than Nespresso's with its depiction of a bustling old-timey general store, packed full of coffee treats and other foodstuff. Nespresso's design is much more pared back, with elements of detailing from Swarovski on the inner edges contrasting the lime green colour.

The doors to the Nespresso advent are an array of different sizes, reflecting the variation of treats on offer inside (including a travel mug for the final day, which ordinarily costs around £25 on its own). Grind's are much more uniform, as well as smaller, as it's just the 26 pods on offer here.

The different flavours on offer might be the biggest draw for any potential buyers. Grind's flavour menu includes a whole host of 'dessert-style' pods which I think sound absolutely fantastic. From House Baileys to House Sweet Miso blends as well as Pumpkin Spice, there's plenty of different notes built around an espresso base to trial.

Nespresso's offering features five flavoured blends using the brand's Barista Creations style, ranging from roasted caramel to hazelnut and of course paying homage to pistachio – the flavour of the year.

Both of these calendars make for an affordable yet impressive Christmassy treat, but the real decision comes down to what you're looking for in a coffee-based gift. The Nespresso option is best if you're looking to capitalise on a full-sized gift along with the pods while Grind's offering is a little easier on the wallet. The preference in design will be personal, but the playfulness of Grind's version has taken my fancy for sure.

Do you see either of these calendars as good gift ideas?

As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, I'm in the lucky position to have tested every single one of Ninja's bean-to-cup coffee machines (all of which are on sale at fantastic prices this Amazon Prime Day).

Yep, I've tried them all – from the shiny, new Ninja Luxe Café Mini (which is just perfect for small kitchens) to the OG Luxe Café Espresso Machine. And every single one has ranked among the best bean to cup coffee machines I've ever tried.

The combination of user-friendly controls (straight from the best Ninja air fryers playbook) and features that usually cost a lot more to have (like auto milk frothing) make Ninja's line of machines incredibly good value. Even if you're a beginner, they allow you to master the art of coffee at home and make drinks that will simply wow guests to your home.

My favourite of the bunch has to be the Ninja Luxe Café Mini 2-in-1 (was £479.99, now £399 via Amazon). It gives Sage machines a run for their money while remaining compact enough for small kitchens. If you need something bigger, you can find the rest of my top-rated picks below compiled into a table so that you can compare them easily.

Now that you've got the basics down, you can get a closer look at what each machine looks like (for the all-important styling of your kitchen) and get the low down from my testing of each machine.

How I tested the best Ninja coffee machines

I've been testing coffee machines for Ideal Home for five years now, which has given me plenty of experience with a huge range of products from a variety of different brands. I tested Ninja's first-ever coffee machine release here in the UK and have had my hands on all of the upgrades and new launches ever since.

Our guide to how we test coffee machines has the full detail on our process, but Ninja coffee machines have a language and suite of features of their own. They are far and away the most user-friendly machines I've ever tried – reviewers often comment on how their machine turned them into a coffee lover after having no prior experience. And the range of drinks on offer make them very family friendly. You can mimic coffee shop drinks very easily.

They also offer features that real coffee experts are used to paying much more for in high-end machines, including automatic tamping and a huge number of milk frothing settings.

It’s a cosy season, AKA one of the best times of the year to get going in the kitchen (especially if you dig comfort food). And cosy home cooking is made all the easier with one of the best slow cookers at your fingertips.

If you haven’t already been won over by the brilliance of a slow cooker, then I’m going to convince you to try. Especially as Lidl will be stocking the classic Crockpot for just £18.99.

I swear by my Crockpot slow cooker for autumn cooking - actually, scratch that, I use mine all year round. And if you’ve been on the fence about getting one, here’s why I think not only are they worth it, but you’ll struggle to find a better price than at Lidl.

Lidl can be a goldmine for finding our favourite brands at low prices. You will often find the best mops and even the best vacuum cleaners nestled amongst the Middle Aisle bargains. And I was particularly excited to see that the 3.7L Crockpot slow cooker was joining the line-up.

Landing in stores on 11 October, this Crockpot slow cooker is perfect for cooking for up to four people at once, or batch cooking. It has three heat settings - low, high and warm - to take any complication out of cooking, and the stoneware bowl is also suitable for your oven and dishwasher.

I was given my Crockpot by my mum at university. It’s the one thing she sent me off with, and now it’s the one thing I recommend for anyone else leaving the nest. Call it slow cooker maths, but I quickly found that batch cooking via my slow cooker considerably cut down my food bills, reduced takeaway consumption and saved me time. Plus, when you consider how much it costs to run a slow cooker, you learn it’s actually the cheapest kitchen appliance to run.

Not to mention that I’ve had my slow cooker for around seven years, and it still cooks like a dream. It takes up little room in my small kitchen, and it’s so easy to clean, too. As I write, my slow cooker is currently cooking batches of chicken tikka masala, which I prepped on my lunch break and will provide lunches for myself and my partner this week.

I have considered upgrading my slow cooker to the Ninja Foodi Possible 8-in-1 Slow Cooker (£116.99 at John Lewis), because it offers more cooking functions such as searing, baking and cooking, which widens the cooking possibilities in my kitchen.

The Crockpot will only be available in-store, so if your local Lidl sells out or doesn’t have it, I’ve tracked down a few more affordable options you can shop for online.

If you haven't got a slow cooker, now is your chance to fix this - and Lidl is making it so affordable to do so.

Air fryers are not pretty things, on the whole, but Our Place's new Wonder Oven Pro (available from today for £295) might just be able to change your mind on the aesthetic value of these ever-useful appliances.

When the brand's first-ever take on one of the best air fryers, the Wonder Oven, was released in 2024 it kickstarted a trend for better looking appliances with wider colour options. As per my review, though its charms are hard to resist, it is very small and therefore suitable for one to two people only.

That's where the Wonder Oven Pro comes in with a much bigger capacity and jazzed-up controls (compared to simple knobs on the original). Here's a full look at this devilishly sleek new appliance from one of my favourite cookware and tableware brands.

Our Place is a brand best known for its colourful (and practical) Always Pans, which have a shape that make them so useful for everyday, multifunctional cooking. It's also my go-to for tableware, as well as making my favourite pan ever: the Always Pan Titanium Pro.

Compared to its compact predecessor, the Wonder Oven Pro has a huge capacity to make use of for all kinds of at-home cooking – 30 whole litres of space!

This is designated across three racks inside the oven, which is similar to the popular style of toaster ovens you often find on worktops in North American kitchens. And there are eight cooking modes all in all: air fry, bake, roast, toast, grill, reheat, proof and dehydrate. That last one will be particularly handy as Christmas gets closer so that you can make candied orange slices at home all December long.

A very impressive upgraded user interface will be another big draw for anyone looking to upgrade their existing air fryer set up too. It features digital controls including a timer and adjustable temperature element as well as buttons for each of the aforementioned pre-set programs. These are great for anyone who is new to air frying to allow them to get to grips with timings.

As with its smaller counterpart, this oven also features a steamer element. Situated on the top lefthand corner, the steamer element should help inject moisture into your food during cooking rather than leaving it dry. It's particularly good for foods like salmon and plenty of different veg.

One of my favourite things about the original Wonder Oven was the huge range of accessories that its kitted out with including an air fryer basket, which is perforated to allow your favourite foods to get that all-important crisp.

It's the same story with the Wonder Oven Pro, which includes that same air fryer basket, a bake pan, wire racks and crumb tray. Also available to buy separately will be the brand's Baker's Kit and Chef's Kit, which give this oven even more uses in your kitchen.

Of course, colour range is always a huge draw with any Our Place product and I'm sure that these three striking shades will be a hit with anyone looking to brighten up their worktops. Hopefully there are even more colours to come, too!

Aldi is selling a Premium Capsule Coffee Machine for under £35 and, sorry Nespresso, it’s perfect for getting your caffeine fix on a budget.

The best coffee machines are no longer exclusive to your local coffee shop, with many coffee lovers now integrating these appliances into their kitchens. But with models often costing upwards of £100, they can be expensive.

If you’re looking for a budget coffee machine that also lets you make delicious coffee at home (curbing your takeaway coffee habit), here's why this Aldi Specialbuy is one you don’t want to miss.

This isn’t the first affordable coffee machine Aldi has dropped. Previously, we’ve seen a stunning retro espresso machine, which even included a milk frothing wand. However, if you’re more of a coffee novice, or simply prefer a simpler set-up, their latest capsule machine might be a better choice.

Available in stores now, Aldi says its new capsule machine lets you achieve ‘barista-style coffee’ at the touch of a button. Compatible with Nespresso Vertuo pods, it has a 650ml water tank and heats quickly, meaning all you have to do is add your pod, press start, and wait for delicious coffee to be dispensed.

'If you want to experiment with making your own coffee at home, Aldi's new pod machine is the most cost-effective way I can think of to make a start. At £34.99, it's a total bargain, but it also emulates recent Nespresso machines with its sleek good looks. It won't hit the mark for coffee aficionados, obviously, but if you want to see whether buying a coffee machine will be worth it for you, this is an excellent gateway purchase,’ commented Molly Cleary, Ideal Home’s Kitchen Editor and in-house coffee expert.

Aldi compares it to Nespresso’s Vertuo Pop (£99, Amazon), a compact, easy-to-use machine that is perfect for beginners. Our review praised its compact size, which makes it a great choice for offices and small kitchens. As with all the best pod coffee machines, it makes quality coffee easy to achieve, without much effort. But with a 600ml water tank, our reviewer found it could only make two cups of coffee. As the Aldi machine is 650ml, don’t expect it to cater to the whole family either.

At £34.99, the Aldi machine is expected to be a little basic, so if you consider yourself a bit of a barista, you may want to consider investing in a better model. The Aldi capsule coffee machine is only available in-store, so it sells out or is not stocked at your local store. I've found a few more affordable pod machines you can shop for online.

Would you be willing to try Aldi's coffee machine or are you a bit of a coffee snob?

When I was growing up, my mum swore by her Kenwood Chef stand mixer for her weekly batch baking. In those days, Kenwood stand mixers, while excellent at what they did, weren’t known for their good looks. Thankfully the brand launched the kMix in 2007 (which has long been Ideal Home's top pick of the best stand mixers), the ideal choice for home bakers who wanted an aesthetically pleasing mixer.

Almost 20 years later, the kMix is still going strong, and there are numerous colours and finishes to choose between, from pastel colours to metallics. This new look is an update from the kMix we reviewed back in 2021, so we thought we'd give this new version a spin to see if its still the mixer to beat.

It’s one of those appliances that’ll take pride of place on your kitchen worktop. I tried a muted matte cream coloured kMix at home, to see how well it copes with everyday home baking recipes.

In a nutshell

Kenwood has a long standing reputation for making some of the best stand mixers around and just because this is the pretty version, doesn’t mean they’ve scrimped on quality or functionality.

The kMix can cost anything from £300 to £480 depending on the colour and finish you choose, so it’s not a flippant purchasing decision. That said, for regular bakers, it’ll quickly become the workhorse that takes the effort out of every recipe you whip up.

During my review I used each of the three main attachments. The whisk speedily tackles egg whites, while the K-beater is adept at creaming butter and sugar and beating the rest of the ingredients into a cake mix. Lastly, the dough hook takes the effort out of kneading bread dough.

It’s simple to use and all the parts are dishwasher safe. And if you choose one that comes with a stainless steel bowl (some come with a glass bowl) the main bowl is lightweight, durable and easy to lift.

Who reviewed this stand mixer?

Unboxing and first impressions

There weren’t really any surprises when I took it out of the box. It’s certainly weighty, but I expect that of a stand mixer, otherwise it’s in danger of walking itself across the worktop when mixing heavy doughs.

The main mixing attachments are either stainless steel or aluminium and the model that I had for the review came with a stainless steel bowl. Some of the kMix models come with a glass bowl. Personally, I prefer the more lightweight and durable stainless steel option. And I love that the bowl has a handle, something my current stand mixer lacks.

There’s a lever at the back to release the tilt head from its locked position. It doesn’t spring up on its own though, you do have to help it up. In this position it's easy to twist the attachments in and out of place. Then you have to press the lever again when you want to drop it back down.

The speed control dial is very self explanatory, the first setting is a slow fold function. Then you can move up through the six speed options, it couldn’t be simpler. It’s also worth mentioning that the bowl twists into the base so that it’s locked into position during use.

On the front of the tilt head there’s an attachment outlet, hidden beneath a cover. It’s only used if and when you purchase compatible attachments. And there are plenty to choose from, ranging from pasta makers to a mincer, grater, and even a juicing attachment.

In the box there’s a handy spatula and also a splashguard that attaches to the tilthead and helps stop ingredients from ending up on the worktop if you’re a bit heavy handed with the speed dial.

What is it like to use?

On the day the kMix was delivered, I’d planned to make an apple crumble for a weekend treat. But I was itching to make use of the newly unboxed mixer, so I decided to pivot, and found a recipe for apple crumble cake.

The apple crumble cake consists of a layer of cinnamon flavoured sponge cake, topped with a layer of apple puree, followed by a crumble layer on top. I doubled the cake recipe so that it was a four egg mix, that way I could make a few apple cupcakes too.

I used the K-beater, which did a great job of creaming together the butter and sugar, creating a light and fluffy mix. Like most mixers, you have to scrape down the sides a few times during the various stages of making a cake batter and the included spatula comes in handy for this job.

I added the four eggs one at a time and it mixed them in well. Then, before adding and mixing in the flour, I installed the plastic splashguard to prevent any flour clouds from billowing up into the air. I didn’t need to worry though, turning the dial up gradually meant the flour mixed in effectively without any trying to escape the bowl.

On the whole the cake batter was light and airy and well mixed. The kMix worked exactly as I expected and I particularly loved having a handle on the bowl. It made tipping the mix into a cake tin much easier.

Whilst making the cake mix I noticed the K-beater was hitting the base of the bowl slightly on every rotation. So once I’d cleaned it, I followed instructions in the manual to adjust it. I had to find my own spanner, but it was easy to make a small adjustment to the knut on the K-beater so it no longer hit the base of the bowl during use.

Mixers aren’t one of the appliances that can be called whisper quiet. This one wasn’t any noisier than others I’ve tried though. When I measured the sound as it mixed on speed 2 it was 75dB. Then when I cranked it up to max speed the sound level went up to 85dB. It's a bit noisy on this higher setting, but I’m okay with that given how much arm ache it’s saving me from.

I tried out the dough hook when making a batch of bread dough for pizzas. Regardless of whether you’re making pizza or a loaf of bread though, the recipe I used was for a standard amount of bread dough (500g of flour and 300ml of water). So it meant I could see how the dough hook would cope with an everyday bread recipe.

After dissolving my yeast in water, I bunged everything into the mixer, with the dough hook and the splashguard in place, then set it going on the slowest speed. I had to stop it once to scrape the sides down, but apart from that, the dough came together nicely in a few minutes.

My recipe required 5-10 minutes of kneading, so once the dough was mixed, I left the mixer on the slowest speed setting for 10 minutes to do the kneading for me. There’s a bit of play in the tilt head of the mixer, so it jogged up and down as it kneaded the dough, making some clunky noises as it did so. Though compared to 10 minutes of an exhausting arm workout doing the kneading by hand, it’s very easy to put up with.

I’ve reviewed mixers in the past that have moved around on the worktop when mixing something heavy like bread dough, luckily this one stayed firmly in place. I did have to take the splashguard off while it kneaded the dough, the movement of the tilt head was rattling it and since it was no longer needed, it made sense just to take it off.

On the whole, making my dough in the mixer was far easier than doing it by hand. Plus the dough was nicely kneaded and the pizzas turned out perfectly. They rose well and had a light and airy crust, so I couldn’t ask for more.

Since I was reviewing this mixer during the very same week that Nigella joined The Great British Bake Off and the first episode aired. It only seemed fitting to revisit a recipe of hers that I’ve enjoyed in the past. So I used the whisk attachment to make Nigella’s chocolate olive oil mousse.

The big balloon whisk made short work of creating stiff peaks from four egg whites. On the maximum speed setting it took just a couple of minutes to create white fluffy clouds of aerated egg white.

After removing the egg white, I used it again to whisk the egg yolks and sugar together to a pale creamy consistency. Four egg yolks and 50g sugar is quite a small volume, but because the whisk reaches right to the bottom of the bowl, this wasn’t an issue, and it took just a few minutes.

I did the final mixing by hand, since it requires gentle folding with a metal spoon to mix the fluffy egg white with the chocolate and egg yolk. But it was the mixer that did the bulk of the work and the mousses were incredible.

What's it like to clean?

Every removable accessory from the bowl to the splashguard is dishwasher safe, which makes cleaning hassle free. After making cake and chocolate mouse mixtures, I popped everything in the dishwasher. When cleaning up after making bread dough, the bowl and dough hook were quick and easy to wash by hand.

The mixer I had for the review had a matte finish, and I wondered how easy it would be to clean. But after making chocolate mouse and realising I’d managed to smear chocolate all over it, I’m happy to say it all came off with a quick wipe. What’s more, the matte finish doesn’t show smears or fingerprints as much as a glossy finish would.

How does it compare to competitors?

The obvious comparison in terms of appearance is the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer. Depending on the exact colour and finish you’re looking at, the two brands are comparable in terms of price and bowl capacity as well as accessories included. However the 300W power of the KitchenAid is substantially less than the 1000W motor in the Kenwood kMix.

If you’re a very serious baker, you may wish to consider the Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker which can now be found for under £400 if you shop around. It’s not as pretty, but it packs a 1200W motor and integrated weighing scales, to simplify the process.

Should you buy the Kenwood kMix?

The thing is, yes you can make cakes or whisk up egg whites and cream using an inexpensive electric hand mixer, but in my opinion you’ll get better results with a decent stand mixer. Because when you take arm fatigue out of the equation, you’re less likely to rush, and more likely to cream, mix, or whisk your ingredients for the correct amount of time, thereby leading to better results. So can a stand mixer turn you into a star baker? Probably not, but it’ll definitely help.

The kMix is a great choice, it’s powerful enough for most home bakers and it’s well made and good looking to boot. If you want to start an at-home baking business, you’ll need to look at Kenwood's more professional models. But for general use, the kMix is a great choice that’ll take the hard work and effort out of baking home made treats.

It's not often that I get seriously excited over a toaster, but Sage's new model promises to be an absolute game-changer for your kitchen.

I'm sure we've all suffered from the downsides that some toasters bring - unevenly toasted bread, burnt edges, and crumbs that get caught and ultimately pose a fire hazard. The Sage Eye Q puts an end to this thanks to brand new technology that toasts to your preferred level, rather than chancing it based on a preprogramed time.

Here's how it works, and why you should consider investing in what is quickly becoming one of the best toasters.

In a world first, Sage has developed a patent-protected Eye Q Optic Sensor, which monitors the colour change of the toast, so that it stops when the chosen colour is reached.

What's better than perfectly toasted bread every time? Regular toasters are somewhat of a guessing game when it comes to assessing which marker on the dial will achieve your perfect toast-level, and this level will change depending on what you're toasting.

Sourdough, for example, has a much higher toasting point than fruit bread, and with Sage's Eye Q toaster, keeping the dial on your favourite level will mean that you achieve the same level of toastness across the board, without burning.

To get into the nitty gritty, the sensors monitor the colour change up to 10 times per second using dual wavelength green and infrared LEDs. This means that the toaster automatically stops once the selected shade is reached.

I've now tried this toaster on sourdough, crumpets and white bread, and can confirm it has achieved a deep golden colour each time.

It's the first of its kind, and it's paving the way for kitchen appliances that work for your lifestyle and allow you to crack on with daily tasks with minimal thinking.

While the standout feature is the patent technology, there is a premium feel wrapped into all of the details of this toaster. The non-stick ceramic-coated top repels crumbs and stays rust-free, so you don't have to worry about a dirty toaster sitting out on show.

It also has a smooth automatic lift and lower function, and it's amazing how much calmer that feels as opposed to the typical pop function that often flings toast out onto the worktop.

You can also program it back into a traditional 'timed' mode, so if you're craving the old-school approach, it's still there as an option.

This toaster comes at a higher price point at £249.95 for the 2-slice and £349.95 for the 4-slice, but it's high-end from function through to style.

Shop more toasters

While upgrading cookware will be transformative in your kitchen, if you're looking for a larger kitchen refresh then these 2026 trends that have staying power for 2027 will provide plenty of inspiration.

Over the years I’ve reviewed dozens of the best air fryers and I’m very accustomed to boring black box appliances that look very unremarkable on my kitchen worktop. So when I heard Smeg was launching its first ever standalone air fryer, I was hoping for something fun and colourful.

The Smeg AFC01 Air Fryer might be a bit late to the game, but with four colour options to choose from, combined with streamlined curves, it offers a very different aesthetic to its competitors. And it’s this kind of design that might mean it was worth the wait.

In a nutshell

The Smeg AFC01 offers all the colourful curviness that’s synonymous with the brand, but without looking kitsch or overly retro. It’s a modern take on classic Smeg styling, and I think it looks great. Green or blue are the only options for those who want some colour in their kitchen, since the other two options are black and white.

In addition to standard manually controlled air fryer settings, there are seven presets to choose from. Some of the presets include a steaming function, whereby you add water and steam is produced to help lock in moisture within certain foods. I was disappointed that the steam function can only be used within the presets and isn’t a standalone function.

I love that it doesn’t take up much space and that the removable accessories are dishwasher safe. The 7.3 litre capacity sounds roomy, but in reality, this isn’t a family size air fryer, it’s ideal for a two person household.

The heating element is halogen and as such the performance was very mixed, with some foods like fish fillets cooking fast, but disappointing chips, and a whole roast chicken that was very uneven in colour. It did well with simpler foods like halloumi, vegetables, and chicken thighs.

Product specs

• Capacity: 7.3 litres
• Presets: Chicken wings/legs, meat, fish, shrimps, chips, vegetables, roast chicken
• Dimensions: 31 x 32.2 x 31cm (h x w x d)
• Weight: 5.6kg
• Colours available: black, white, emerald green and storm blue,
• RRP: £199.95

Unboxing and first impressions

My first impressions after I’d removed the air fryer from its compact box and fully recyclable packaging, was that the sleek curvy design is unlike any other air fryer. It doesn’t take up loads of space, so would be great in smaller kitchens, plus, it looks super cool.

The lower section has a matte look and feel, while the black sections above are glossy, it’s a nice mix. The upper part hinges open when you press the big button on the front beneath the Smeg logo. Then you can lift out the removable basket via its silicone handles. The basket and its rack insert are made with PFAS free ceramic non-stick coatings.

It’s worth pointing out that there’s an air vent at the back, so you can’t have it pushed right to the back of the worktop when in use. Furthermore, due to the way the lid hinges open, you can’t push it against the wall, or you won’t be able to open it.

Since this air fryer includes a steaming function, there’s a small water container that pulls out of the very top. Also on top, the touchscreen control panel gives access to all the available settings.

There are seven presets to choose between. I was a tad surprised that when in manual mode, you can only access the air fryer function. Steaming meanwhile is incorporated into some of the presets, but it’s not a standalone function.

The temperature is adjustable between 40 - 200C in five degree intervals. The timer adjusts in one minute intervals between 1-60 minutes. And although the various food presets come with predetermined time and temperature settings, you can still adjust them within the same parameters.

The touch controls are simple and straightforward to get to grips with. There are audible beeps when the buttons are pressed, but by following instructions in the manual, the sound can be turned off.

Uniquely for an air fryer, there’s also the option to set it up for delayed start cooking. You can set a timer to start cooking anywhere from 5 minutes to 24 hours later. It’s one of those features that is nice to have, but in reality I don’t think many people will use it.

What is it like to use

The first time I tried this air fryer, I simply air fried one piece of frozen breaded fish on the manual mode. I selected 190C and it took 22 minutes to both crisp up on the outside and get hot enough in the centre.

A similar piece I’d heated a couple of days earlier in my usual air fryer, took just 17 minutes. So the Smeg was a little slower, but the fish was tasty nevertheless and the crumb was nicely crisped. I measured the sound at 53dB, confirming it's very quiet in use.

Next up, I had some halloumi kebabs that were essentially halloumi slices on a stick with a spicy coating. The packaging didn’t have air fryer instructions, so I winged it and put them on a 200C.

I kept an eye on how the halloumi was cooking every time the light came on. It quickly became frustrating that the internal light cycles on and off. I wanted to be able to switch it on as needed, instead of hanging around waiting, or otherwise opening the air fryer up to check on my food. In the end though, the halloumi kebabs cooked nicely and were ready in 14 minutes.

I used the vegetable preset to roast some peppers and red onion that I intended to add to a pasta dish. The recommended weight for this preset is 250 - 600g so I chopped up enough to hit that 600g upper weight limit.

The vegetable preset cooking time is 20 minutes, but I needed to add a further five minutes to create the roasted appearance and texture I was looking for. And even then, the peppers didn’t char much around the edges like they would do in my usual air fryer.

Chips are an air fryer staple, and since there’s a chip preset, I had to try it out. The manual says there’s a minimum of 250g and a maximum of 600g recommended for this preset. After cutting up enough for two portions, I weighed my raw chips and at 540g was comfortably within the weight guidelines.

I guess, if you’re cooking more, you can simply add a few minutes to the preset time to compensate for a larger quantity. The manual also says that you should shake or stir several times during cooking for the best results.

During the preset 27 minute cook time, I gave the chips a shake twice and was really pleased that the basket’s silicone handles stayed cool, so I was able to lift it out easily to shake the chips.

It’s a long cook time in comparison to what I’ve experienced when cooking chips in other air fryers, so I was surprised when the timer went off, that the chips weren’t ready. They were all very pale and the thicker ones were still a bit hard.

I started the preset again and ended up cooking the chips for a further 20 minutes, which is a total cooking time of 47 minutes, a really long time for an air fryer. By this point the inside of the chips was fluffy. The outside was somewhat crisped and a bit hard and dry on the ends. Overall they weren’t as good as chips I’m used to making in an air fryer, so I was disappointed.

The fish preset is one of the four that offers the combined air fry and steam function, called ‘juicy and crispy’. The time and temperature on these steam settings can’t be adjusted, so I popped in two salmon fillets and started the 15 minute timer.

I put the salmon skin side down initially and then turned it over after seven minutes. I ended up taking it out after just 12 minutes, since it was nicely cooked by this point. I would keep it skin side up next time, to try and get the skin crispier, but the meat itself was moist and flakey.

When I dug into the manual, I discovered that the whole roast chicken preset is designed for a 1kg chicken, which is pretty small. The smallest chicken I could get in my local supermarket was 1.2kg, so I chanced it, knowing that I may need to add extra time.

There was plenty of space for the chicken in the basket, but I can see why a bigger chicken wouldn’t work, the top would probably sit too close to the heating element.

I didn’t do much to the chicken, just rubbed it with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper and started the roast chicken preset. There’s no information provided that suggests you need to do anything during the cooking time, so apart from occasionally glancing through the viewing window, I just left it

The preset time is just 45 minutes, and given that my chicken was over the recommended weight, I wasn’t surprised when I checked it at the end of the timer, and it wasn't quite hot enough. It only needed an extra five minutes though.

The finished chicken was moist and tender, but the meat towards the tops of the legs was dry and overcooked. The browning was also very uneven. It was too pale at the back and quite dark in one area on the top.

On the whole it was a tasty and well cooked chicken, ideal for a speedy weeknight dinner, but probably not perfect enough to serve up on the table to guests.

Separately, I tried cooking bone in chicken thighs on the chicken preset. The manual says you can add 1-8 thighs, but my five pieces (1kg pack) took up most of the space so any more might be a bit too crowded.

There is an option for the ‘juicy and crispy’ steam function, but again the manual advises using this for wings and legs, whereas for thighs it suggests the ‘crispy’ air fryer option. I went with the suggestion and started the thighs skin side down.

The preset time is 30 minutes, I turned the thighs after 10 minutes and checked the temperature after 22 minutes. At this point they were cooked through, but I left them in for the full 30 minutes in order to achieve a well crisped and browned skin.

Again, I’d say 30 minutes is a lengthy cook time for an air fryer. However, the taste and texture was good and they cooked very well. The only thing to note is that the thighs towards the back, which is directly beneath the heating element and fan, did brown more than those at the front. So for even browning, you may need to rotate some foods.

Cleaning

Thankfully, the removable basket and rack are dishwasher safe. They fit nicely into my dishwasher and clean up well. What’s more, the ceramic non-stick coating is very effective and when I opted to wash it by hand, it came clean without any hassle or scrubbing.

The shiny black plastic areas do mark easily with fingerprints. These include the control panel and the front part of the lid, that I often pressed to close it. They’re easy to clean so it’s not an issue on that front, but I just noticed I had to wipe these areas after most uses, to keep it looking pristine.

My review sample was the white colourway. I accidentally got a splatter of ketchup on it that I didn’t notice until an hour later when I came back into the kitchen to clean up after dinner. When I wiped it away, there was no obvious staining, which was a relief.

Comparisons

At around £70 less, it’s worth looking at the Ninja MAX PRO AF180UK. Its 6.2 litre capacity might be marginally smaller, but during testing I still managed to roast a 1.5kg whole chicken, with excellent results. In fact, I really struggled to find any downsides during my review, the performance was excellent. The main drawback in comparison to the Smeg, is that it’s not as stylish.

And if you’re still looking for something a bit different to the standard black box style air fryer, the Ninja Crispi range stands out. The Ninja Crispi Pro XL was well liked by Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor. There are plenty of sizes to choose from in the Ninja Crispi range, and there are several colours available, which will please people looking for a pop of colour on the kitchen worktop.

Should you buy the Smeg AFC01 Dual Flavour Air Fryer?

The Smeg AFC01 has left me with such mixed feelings. On one hand, I really do love the design and how it looks in my kitchen. If you’re not a massive cook, and the look of your kitchen is very important to you, then it’ll absolutely appeal.

On the other hand, if you want an air fryer for speedy cooking and top-notch performance, then I have to admit, there are other models, with much better performance, that’ll suit your needs better. This one uses a halogen heating element and doesn’t offer the same level of performance of more traditional air fryers.

On balance, my main complaints are that browning could be uneven and cooking could, at times, be very slow in comparison to many other air fryers. So it really comes down to weighing up your needs and priorities.

Ice cream makers have become somewhat of a craze, especially this summer just gone. And I totally understand why: have you recently been robbed (in broad daylight, mind you) by your local ice cream man? It's no longer a cheap treat, that's for sure.

Well, thanks to a good ice cream maker, you can create your very own smooth desserts, using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and your fridge. And not only will it cost a fraction of the price of a Mr Whippy, but you actually know exactly what you're eating or feeding to your kids.

Now, I know what you're thinking: where on earth is one of the best ice cream makers supposed to live, especially come winter? I thought the same — as someone who tests appliances for a living, I cannot afford to lose another inch of worktop space.

Well, there's a new ice cream maker on the market, and instead of requiring countertop space, it's tiny enough to fit in a cupboard. Enter: the Nutribullet Chill, which also comes in 3 stunning colourways. I used its 5 programmes to test its churning capabilities, and this is what I thought.

In a nutshell

The Nutribullet Chill is a compact ice cream maker for smaller kitchens or anyone who can't dedicate countertop space to an ice cream maker (understandably!). It has a short cord, too, but do note this if sockets in your kitchen are sparse.

It offers 5 pre-set programmes that are easy to use, while it takes between 3 -4 minutes 30 seconds for each setting to work. It does require you to be prepared, as each dessert needs pre-freezing for 24 hours before churning. Each tub (you get 2 included) offers a generous serving, at almost 500ml, while you also get a recipe for each setting included in the manual.

These tubs are dishwasher-safe after use, plus there's a countdown timer on the machine so you know when your treat is nearly ready to enjoy. After using each programme, I would recommend the frozen yoghurt setting and the ice cream mode the most. These performed the best, in my opinion. I didn't like the smoothie bowl or sorbet modes at all.

The machine itself is nice and compact but admittedly loud while in operation. It suction-cups to your worktop so that it won't jump around whilst churning. It also beeps once finished to alert you, and it does churn well, so expect your desserts to be smooth — you'll want to enjoy them ASAP

Overall, it's a great ice cream maker for small kitchens but still comes in at the same price as the Ninja CREAM (which we awarded five stars to in our reivew). It's fuss-free and easy to use, as well as simple to clean. Just be wary that it's noisy.

Who reviewed this ice cream maker?

Unboxing

Due to its compact size, this ice cream maker arrived in a somewhat small box. It was fairly weighty but not heavy enough to require 2 people to lift.

Inside the box came another box, which housed the main unit, two lids, two pots, a blade and a blade cover. These were all wrapped in plastic packaging. This packaging is 4LDPE, so it's recyclable depending on your local authority.

It comes with a fairly simple instruction manual, which shows how to insert the tub into the machine, and it features 5 recipes — 1 for each function.

What's it like to use?

Overall, it's fairly fuss-free to use. You might need to refer to the manual for first use when it comes to inserting the blade block and shaft into the tub. It offers the following modes: Ice Cream, Sorbet, Gelato, Smoothie Bowl, and Frozen Yoghurt. Simply press one and then press the middle button to start.

I really liked that the machine offered a countdown timer, but to be honest, it never took a really long time to churn anyway. It's handy that it beeps once ready in case you're busy and forget about it.

The blade shaft does become hot to the touch, especially towards the base, so be careful when removing it after your dessert is churned. Your hands might not naturally grab it, but it's something to note.

The tubs fit in a standard freezer drawer, too. While churning, I used a decibel monitor to find the noise level of this machine. The ambient reading in my kitchen was hitting 35dB, but whilst the machine was churning, it read 98dB. I wouldn't be using it around any sleeping children, that's for sure.

Whilst I was testing this ice cream maker, I did like its safety features. You need to press the unlock button on the machine to release the tub once finished. It also displayed an error message at one time, which told me that the blade wasn't inserted correctly.

Making ice cream

I followed Good Food's classic vanilla ice cream recipe, which does take a lot of prep, but it makes up for it when it comes to the taste. I froze it for at least 24 hours, as per the manual, and served it in bowls. It would easily serve 4-5.

The ice cream setting on this machine took 3 minutes 30 seconds to churn. The result was tasty, but very smooth. Arguably, this was still a little firmer than the Gelato setting, which was very soft. Still, once churned, this ice cream will need to be enjoyed ASAP.

After churning, we did notice that there was a very thin layer of ice cream left in the bottom of the tub. The blade mustn't have been able to reach down to the bottom of the tub. This had softened by the time we came to eat it, so it wasn't really a huge issue.

Making sorbet

Again, I made Good Food's classic lemon sorbet recipe, which is incredibly simple yet tantalisingly sharp. After freezing for 24 hours and churning for a whopping 4 minutes and 30 seconds, using the dedicated sorbet setting, it was soft. I mean, it was still frozen and cold, but it was very sloppy. This could only be enjoyed in a bowl and couldn't be rolled into a scoop for a cone.

Taste-wise, it was great, and I could've eaten the entire tub. It's just a shame it was so soft. I probably wouldn't use this machine to make sorbet again, but I don't usually eat sorbet, so this doesn't hugely bother me.

Making gelato

I followed the vanilla bean gelato recipe which was featured in the Nutribullet manual. This took all of minutes to make and just 4 ingredients — which I had in my pantry/fridge already. I'd definitely make this recipe again, mostly for how convenient it was to mix, since it didn't require blending or pre-boiling. It was pretty much mess-free, too. Better yet? It took just 3 minutes 20 seconds to churn.

This was a total hit with my family, and I managed to make it stretch to serve 8 cones! It was admittedly quite soft, so it needed to be eaten ASAP, but everyone loved its taste.

I noticed a layer of ice cream stayed on the blade, as you can see below. It wasn't the end of the world, but it did make things a little messy. Next time, bearing this in mind, I'd use this gelato recipe, but maybe try the ice cream setting instead. This mode seemed to make the dessert a tad firmer.

Making a smoothie bowl

I used the Nutribullet smoothie bowl on the recipe card for this, and although it required pre-blending, it tasted great. TBH: smoothie bowls aren't really my thing, so I probably won't use this setting again. But it's nice to know that it works.

This setting took 4 minutes 30 seconds in total. After, the smoothie was surprisingly not soft. It was hard, crumbly and chunky. It wasn't anything like you'd use in a smoothie bowl. This could have been down to the recipe, but this was provided by Nutribullet.

Taste-wise, it was very powdery, which put me off. I wouldn't make this recipe again.

Making frozen yoghurt

I followed Nutribullet's smoothie bowl recipe for this one. Although it required a good few ingredients, I had most of them already in my pantry. These ingredients needed to be blitzed in your trusty blender before being frozen in the tub for 24 hours.

I used the dedicated frozen yoghurt programme, and I was seriously impressed. It churned for 5 minutes in total, and I was left with a soft but still-scoopable dessert that I would definitely make again. Despite thinking that I wouldn't be a frozen yoghurt lover, this machine has convinced me otherwise.

Again, there was a little leftover frozen yoghurt in the blade that I easily scooped away and into a bowl.

What's it like to clean?

There's minimal cleaning required after using this ice cream maker. Both of the tubs and the 2 lids are dishwasher-safe, as is the blade. The blade cover shouldn't get dirty if you only use it over a clean blade.

It's worth checking underneath the blade after each use, as you might find that there's some leftover dessert in there that needs a wipe. Otherwise, that's it! Simple.

How does it compare to other competitors?

I've reviewed 5 ice cream makers, but this one in particular I will be keeping. Mostly because of its compact footprint, which means I can store it in a cupboard, but also because I found it super simple to use.

In comparison to other pre-freeze models like the Ninja CREAMi and the Russell Hobbs Chilluxe, both of which were used on either side, this machine does make slightly softer desserts. But this didn't exactly put me off using it, as I'll always enjoy my treat straight after churning, anyway.

Price-wise, you would probably expect it to be a little more affordable since it's smaller, but this retails at an average price of £200. You can sometimes find it on sale.

Should you buy the Nutribullet Chill?

If kitchen space is a premium and you know that you won't use your ice cream maker all of the time, then this is a great investment. For me, I love that it can fit in the cupboard above my oven, and I can grab it out when I know we're having dinner guests over; in the summertime, I can move it to my worktop as it's not hugely cumbersome.

I also love that it comes with two tubs, so you can have one in your freezer and the other ready for your next creation. There's also the fact that it's easy to use, and it offers a countdown timer so you know when your dessert will be ready; plus, it beeps when finished.

Cleanup is minimal, and its blade cover is a game-changer, as not only does this make it safer, but it also means it looks nice on your worktop, too.

I'd avoid this ice cream maker if you also want to use it to make sorbet, as it admittedly over-churned this and made it extremely soft. It was fine to eat in a bowl but too soft for scooping. The ice cream it created was soft, too, but it was completely edible and a total hit. The frozen yoghurt was definitely my favourite as it was perfectly scoopable yet still soft.

Lakeland has unveiled a shiny new range of espresso machines, including a stainless steel bean-to-cup model that retails for just £299.99 (via Lakeland).

Usually, one of the best bean to cup coffee machines will set you back at least £500, especially if kitted out with a good quality milk frother. That means this own-brand Lakeland option certainly looks like a great pick if you're on a budget (or if you're shopping for a Christmas present for the coffee lover in your life).

Here's a closer look at this three-machine line up, which starts at £109.99 for the most basic espresso machine option.

The two espresso machines in this line up would be a great investment for anyone who wants to try their hand at making coffees at home for the first time. Perhaps as an upgrade from one of the best pod coffee machines, they will require you to either use ground coffee or pick up one of the best grinders.

If you're not sure what size coffee machine you're ready to invest in, one of these affordable picks may also be a better option thanks to their small footprints. Thinking about how much worktop space you have to give up is key according to our expert's advice on buying a coffee machine.

For me, the real star of this line up is the Barista Deluxe Bean-to-Cup model. Given its price tag, it looks like it might be a rival to ProCook's range of affordable machines, which have sold out on multiple occasions.

It's a bean-to-cup model, which means you grind and tamp your grounds all within the same machine – making for a very neat and tidy worktop and a very fresh cup of coffee.

It has 30 different grind settings, so that you can play around with it depending on which type of beans you have in and 'intelligent temperature control for consistent flavour' according to Lakeland.

It has a simple button interface running along the control panel at the top, but I think the overall effect is quite pleasing - especially if you're a fan of stainless steel appliances.

My everyday coffee machine at home is the Sage Barista Express Impress (which retails for £729.95) and I'd hazard a guess that this much more affordable machine definitely provided some inspiration for this Lakeland version.

One thing that this Lakeland version lacks over Sage's bestseller is an integrated tamping system. Instead, once you've ground your beans with the Barista Deluxe, you'll then use a tamper to even them out before you pull your shot of espresso.

Both feature a manual milk wand however, unlike the Ninja Luxe Café (which I think is the best value coffee machine on the market given its features) which has automatic frothing modes.

Given the bargain price tag of these Lakeland machines, there'll certainly be an appetite for those looking to invest in a bean-to-cup machine for a little less. Can you see the appeal in a compact all-in-one model like this?

Smeg, the Italian appliances brand behind the most coveted toaster and kettle of the century, has unveiled its first ever standalone air fryer, available to buy from today via Smeg for £199.95.

With its compact size and classic Smeg detailing, it's made for small kitchens too – always a win in our books. And while it's definitely not cheap, the price point is around what you'd expect to pay for one of the best Ninja air fryers on the market.

So, if you already have the Smeg toaster and kettle duo of dreams, then adding this air fryer to your collection might be the next natural step. Here's everything I noticed about Smeg's take on this ultra-useful appliance when I saw it in person.

The most striking thing about this air fryer is how neat and tidy it looks. I think that's probably down to the fact that the opening is situated at the top of the appliance, leaving the front completely unobstructed. That means when it sits on your countertop, all you see is the Smeg lettering, rather than baskets or grills.

With a soft-close mechanism, lifting the lid on this air fryer does have a premium feel and inside you'll find a deep dishwasher-safe frying basket with two handles.

The heat and fan element of the air fryer sit inside of the lid (but are hidden from view when shut). The touch control panel, which is also not visible when not in use, sit neatly within a thin strip on the exterior of the appliance.

From that panel you can pick between the 7 preset programs available. These buttons will give you set timings and temperatures for 'chicken wings/legs, meat, fish, shrimps, chips, vegetables and roast chicken'. You can also set your own preferences manually if you're already a dab hand at air frying.

The feature that most impressed the rest of the Ideal Home team when they saw this air fryer in person was the clever window built into the lid. It allows you to check on the progress of your food inside without opening the air fryer and losing all of the heat inside.

There's always an appetite from fans of the brand for more Smeg colourways so it's no surprise the brand has launched their air fryer in an array of different shades from the offset.

The colours on offer are Matte Storm Blue, Matte Black and Matte Emerald Green. For those who swear by white kitchen appliances, there's also a Matte White – though this has already sold out on the Smeg website. You can sign up for updates for when that colour returns.

The appeal of matte over shiny appliances will be huge for those who want to hide their air fryer in plain sight. And, fingers crossed, the front should stay squeaky clean given that food will be put into the air fryer from the top.

Another quirk of this air fryer is the 'Juicy+Crispy' cooking mode, which is made possible thanks to the steamer element hidden in the lid. You can pop water in here and inject moisture into your food whilst it's cooking while still achieving that signature air fryer crisp.

Given that one colourway is already sold out, it's fair to say that this air fryer looks like it's going to be a very popular choice from Smeg. Can you see the appeal in this unique air fryer for your kitchen?

Ninja's most innovative air fryer is now double the fun with the unveiling of the Ninja CRISPi DualZone 8-in-1 Function Glass Air Fryer (available for £299.99 via Ninja).

The CRISPi has quickly become one of the best Ninja air fryers out there, with its design that shuns non-stick plastics and is simply perfect for stuffing away into a drawer. But one of its major downsides, as I mentioned in my review, is that its capacity makes it suitable for one or two people only.

That's all changed with this double drawer version, which can cook two foods in two different ways and has an impressive 7.6 litre capacity in total – the same as the brand's bestselling OG Ninja Dual Zone. Here's a closer look at this glass version, which I'm sure is about to become a very popular choice for kitchens looking to get rid of plastic.

The functions on offer with this air fryer combine all of Ninja's best, I think. As well as Air Fry and Max Crisp (which is essentially just a very hot air fry mode), there's also Dehydrate, which will come in very handy around Christmastime. It's incredibly handy for dehydrating fruit (including oranges) for decoration as well as cocktail and meal garnishes.

As we get into autumn, another mode that I'd be very excited to try out is Prove. This setting modifies the temperature of the air fryer to foster the perfect conditions for rising your bread – perfect for cosy season and weekends spent baking!

The ability to use the Keep Warm setting will also be good given that this is a dual function air fryer. It means that once one side of your cooking is done, you can use the Keep Warm option on the other side and plate up everything at the same time hot.

The dual functionality is a real game changer for family cooking. The Match Cook button means that you only have to program everything in once and the Smart Finish tech makes everything ready at the same time.

The glass walls on this air fryer make it a very fun addition to a kitchen if you're cooking anything that rises or melts as you have a front row seat to the whole process. The two containers also have the benefit of being ready to be stored straight away – they come with lids so that you can pop them straight into the fridge once your leftovers have cooled down.

The bottom of each container also has a protective heat-proof layer, which means you can serve from both containers straight onto granite, laminate, solid wood or marble surfaces without risk of damage.

Another benefit of glass air fryer containers is the total ease of cleaning. In my time testing air fryers I found that the CRISPI base fared best when popped into the dishwasher.

The colour range has caught my eye too as I'm always a big fan of appliances that aren't just a default black colour. Rose Quartz, a pastel pink, and Bone (a steely sort of grey) are also on offer if either of those will suit your existing kitchen colour scheme better. Can you see the appeal in a glass air fryer?

Olivia Attwod has revealed she ditched her air fryer and microwave in favour of the new Ninja CRISPi Microwave, Air Fryer & Oven (£359.99).

Sitting down with Olivia to discuss all things at home, she explained to me that Ninja’s latest appliance had meant she could save space and reduce clutter in her kitchen. And honestly, small kitchen dwellers may want to pay attention as I think she’s onto something.

While the best air fryers and microwaves have long been an essential part of any modern kitchen, an excess of appliances doesn’t always work in small or minimal spaces. Offering multiple functions, Ninja’s new microwave plans to solve this problem.

Chatting to Olivia about her recent partnership with SharkNinja, as well as things relating to her own interior style, she explained to me she preferred her home to be tidy, organised and neutral. A calming space.

‘I feel like a microwave is something that most people have in their home, but a lot of people honestly have had the same microwave for way longer than they should have. It's probably not performing as well as it should have. It’s probably quite unsightly,’ she explained.

‘And the second thing most people have now is an air fryer. So the Ninja Crispy Microwave basically combines the two, and I love clear surfaces. Like I like I'm a no clutter girl. So I think when you combine two appliances, it looks sleek. You've then created more space for yourself on your countertops. It's just a no-brainer.’

If, like Olivia, you’re someone who doesn’t like clutter, opting for a three-in-one microwave will help make room and save space in your kitchen. I personally have a tiny kitchen, and thus far I’ve opted for a Ninja Food Air Fryer (£159.99 at Argos) instead of a microwave. But I have to say I’m considering a swap after this latest launch.

That said, essentially £360 is a lot of money to drop on a kitchen appliance (especially if your current appliances don’t need replacing). Luckily, if you’re not looking to upgrade, there are plenty of appliance storage ideas to help reduce clutter, such as opting for deep drawers, or even using appliance covers if yours look unsightly in your kitchen.

The Ninja CRISPI Microwave, Air Fryer and Oven is currently being tested by Ideal Home’s trusted and expert review, so we’ll be able to tell you if it’s Ideal Home approved very soon. But, from a small kitchen perspective, I’m with Olivia -I can see it quickly becoming one of those things people with tidy kitchens always have.

Small kithen essentials

Olivia Attwood has partnered with SharkNinja to promote the new Ninja CRISPi Microwave which is available from today (2 September).

Ninja has a shiny new release for those looking to save on worktop space: the 3-in-1 CRISPI Microwave, Air Fryer & Oven (now available for £359.99).

It's the latest in a line of multi-hyphenate appliances which combine the two most convenient products in a kitchen: the speed of the best air fryers meeting the ease for reheating leftovers of the best microwaves.

Despite sounding great on paper, as Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, I've so far been disappointed in the microwave/air fryer hybrids we've tried so far. Here's why I'm hoping this new iteration of the best Ninja air fryers is going to be the exception to the rule.

If you own a Ninja air fryer already, you'll know that this is the brand to go for if you want to maximise cooking power. With temperatures up to 240°C, that certainly looks like an advantage that will carry over with this clever combination buy.

Though this is advertised as a 3-in-1 (air fryer, microwave, oven) there are actually a whopping 13 functions available on the interface of the appliance. Eight of those are for microwaving to your hearts content, and 5 of them will be very familiar to those who love their existing Ninja air fryer.

Those five settings are: Air Fry, Max Crisp, Air Roast, Air Bake and Air Broil (which is the American term for grill). I own the Ninja Double Stack and the high heat and power of the Max Crisp setting means it's never out of use in my household.

Using the microwave and air fryer elements separately is one thing, but the setting that has me most intrigued is Fusion Crisp. This button allows you to whip up 'fast meals with a crisp finish'.

Once pressed, your device will begin by microwaving your food and then move onto auto finishing with air frying. That should, in theory, allow you to 'go from frozen to crispy in minutes'. If it works well, this should make this microwave air fryer the most time-efficient buy in your kitchen.

Another winning feature of the original Ninja Crispi is present within this new version too: the introduction of glassware to help with efficient meal prep. With a 5.2 litre capacity and a matching lid, it's perfect for saving on washing up. Capacity-wise, it can fit a 3kg chicken, according to Ninja, making enough food for up to eight people at a time.

Simply cook in it within the Crispi and then pop any leftovers straight into the fridge when you're finished. And though it doesn't come as standard, it looks as if you'll also be able to separately invest in a steamer lid too – perfect for veggies, rice, dumplings and more.

Though it was released today (the 2nd of September), Ninja will always send their products ahead of time to reviewers. At the time of writing, this 3-in-1 has already gleaned a 4.7 star rating from 160 user reviews, which is a promising sign.

Our review of this innovative new Ninja is currently in the works so that we can let you know whether it's Ideal Home approved for your home. Could you see this type of appliance working in your kitchen?

The Ninja Crushboss System is an upgrade on the Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto IQ which is already well liked for its multi-functional capabilities, not to mention it’s long-standing residency on our list of the best food processors.

At £239.99 the CrushBoss is only £40 more expensive than the previous model. It comes with similar accessories, but the menu of functions includes more smart capabilities, more blending speeds, and a more sophisticated user interface.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on it just before it launched, so I used it in my home kitchen to see whether this combination appliance really can save you space and money by combining three food and drink prep machines in one.

In a nutshell

The Ninja CrushBoss System is a multi-functional, space saving appliance that works as a blender, food processor, and cup blender. At £239.99 it’s a great value option compared to buying all three appliances individually, what’s more, it’ll free up valuable storage space too.

Clever detection technology means it always knows which accessory you’re using, and offers the appropriate presets on the menu. Furthermore, the SmoothSense mode takes the thinking out of blending smoothies, soups, and other lump-free blends.

I found it really easy and intuitive to navigate through the menus using the big wheel on the front. And I love the safety feature that means it won’t operate unless the accessories are locked in position, and the lids are also locked in place.

In use it was fast and efficient, it excelled at virtually every task I threw at it and it’s quickly becoming a real workhorse in my kitchen. The accessories are all top-rack dishwasher safe, but the larger jugs and cup didn't fit on the top rack of my dishwasher, so be prepared to hand wash these larger parts.

Who tested the Ninja CrushBoss?

Unboxing and first impressions

True to form for most Ninja appliances, the CrushBoss System came well protected in completely recyclable cardboard and paper packaging, so there are no unwanted trips to the dump with a load of polystyrene.

The motor base is the size of a typical blender base and it has four suction cup feet that instantly grab and secure it to my worktop. The main blender jug is a great size and the lid has a pouring spout so that you can pour out liquids without having to remove it altogether.

The stacked blade for the blender has no less than six blades at different heights, so it really looks like it’s been built for the job of serious blending. By holding the top, the blade can be removed from the jug for easier cleaning of both the jug and the blade.

I really like the look of the tumbler cup and can imagine taking it out and about when I want a smoothie on the go, or a protein shake in my gym bag. It’s got a large handle and a secure flip top lid.

The tumbler cup has its own blade assembly, which is designed to work efficiently with the shape of the cup. And the smartly designed large straw has a clever rubbery bit at the bottom, allowing you to push it down when you want to close the lid.

The last main accessory is the food processor bowl and lid. The lid has a large 13cm feedchute, but the double pushers mean there’s also a smaller feed chute if you leave one in place.

Unlike some complicated food processors I’ve come across, this lid clicks seamlessly into place and the bowl clicks intuitively onto the motor base. You can choose between the four blade stacked chopping blade or the plastic equivalent that’s for dough.

The multiblade disc houses the interchangeable grating and slicing discs. You get one grating, one slicing, and one crinkle cut disc. But others are also listed in the instruction manual so may be available to purchase separately.

The base detects which accessory you’re using and then offers the relevant presets on the menu. There’s an on/off button as well as a pulse button. All other presets and processing speeds are accessed via the big wheel on the front.

The centre of the wheel is the screen and you press this to select a programme and start blending. It then displays a countdown timer or the speed. There are between 3-5 presets depending on which accessory you’re using, as well as smart sensor programmes, and manual speed selection. So I’m pretty sure there are enough options to cover most uses.

What is it like to use?

Tumbler cup

For single serve smoothie style drinks, you can blend everything in this cup. I made a banana chocolate smoothie by adding soya milk, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, peanut butter, cacao powder, frozen banana slices, and ice cubes.

A card that came in the tumbler gives advice on the order you should add different ingredients in. Once in position on the base, I selected the SmoothSense automatic programme.

It spent a few seconds sensing the ingredients before going into the Power Blend mode. All-in-all the process was completed in 52 seconds. The drink was beautifully smooth, all the powders had blended in well, and the frozen banana and ice had been completely pulverised. It was pleasant to drink using the straw.

My sound meter recorded 90dB during the blending process, which is loud, but most blenders are. And it’s only for a short burst.

The process was similar when I made a fruit smoothie with fruit juice, frozen berries and yogurt. The ingredients were turned into a delicious smoothie in around 50 seconds, impressive given the size of some of the frozen strawberries.

There were some tiny seeds in the smoothie, giving it a somewhat gritty texture, but rarely have I made a berry smoothie in a blender that’s capable of completely obliterating these tiny seeds.

The final smoothie I tried was a green kiwi and spinach smoothie containing two kiwis, a lump of frozen spinach, some frozen banana slices, a spoon of chia seeds, soya milk, and yogurt.

Once again, it was pulverised to a lump free smoothie in just over 50 seconds when using the SmoothSense auto programme. I really enjoy drinking out of this tumbler cup, both using the straw and drinking straight from the lid. The large handle is also super comfortable to hold.

Food processor bowl

It just so happened that I was planning a pizza night the day after this appliance showed up on my doorstep, so as soon as it was unboxed, I put it to work making the dough.

I added all of my pizza dough ingredients to the bowl, with the dough blade in position. Then I selected the dough programme on the menu. It blended the ingredients for 30 seconds and successfully combined them into a smooth dough.

I had hoped it might knead the mixture for a while, so after the initial dough programme, I went into the manual speeds and switched on the low speed setting. I let it run for one minute, but turned it off and completed the kneading by hand. It was starting to shake a bit as it kneaded the dough. Luckily the suction cups on the base keep it firmly rooted to the worktop, nevertheless, I didn’t want to damage it.

Homemade slaw is one of my summer staples and grating everything is much easier with a food processor. For my beetroot slaw, I grated a whole carrot by chopping it in half and placing the pieces side-by-side in the feed hole.

I used the shredding blade with the disc preset on the menu, and the carrot was grated in around 4 seconds. Similarly a whole peeled beetroot took around 3 seconds. Both times there was a small piece of ungrated vegetable left, but honestly it’s so fast I don’t care. And to avoid waste you can finely chop these ungrated pieces and add them in anyway.

The crinkle cut attachment is an unusual addition if you ask me, I’d rather have two different thickness slicing or grating blades, but I gave it a go nevertheless. This time I pushed half a cucumber through the feed hole. The crinkle cut slices were about 5mm in thickness and took just a few seconds.

The slicing disc is ideal for quickly prepping vegetables. It sliced up my carrot so fast I barely had a chance to press start and stop on my timer. The slices weren’t perfect, but rarely is there a circumstance when I want or need them to be 100% uniform. It was fast and easy, and that’s good enough for most slicing jobs. Though some perfectionists out there might disagree.

In contrast, the slices were very uniform when I sliced a whole kiwi. In seconds I had seven uniform 5mm thick slices of kiwi and just a few pieces of waste.

Homemade houmous is one of the things I regularly use my current food processor for, and I wanted to see how this one managed. After adding all of the ingredients, I decided to trust the SmoothSense smart programme to take care of the blitzing.

Including the sensing part of the blend, my houmous was blended to a smooth paste in 70 seconds, I was very pleased with the result. After tasting it, I added in some extra salt and spices, then used the handy pulse button to mix the seasoning in without over blending the mixture.

When tomatoes and a pepper needed roughly chopping for a recipe I used the main blade with the Chop preset. It's a speedy 12 second pulsing programme that resulted in slightly uneven pieces, but it’s okay for a rough chop for things like soup and sauces, and definitely saved me time. If you’re hoping for evenly diced vegetables though, you’ll be disappointed.

Blending jug

There’s only a couple of recipes included in the booklets that come in the box. One of them is for a chunky salsa that you make in the blender, so I gave it a try. It’s as simple as adding all the ingredients to the jug and selecting the PrepIQ Mince preset.

It’s a very speedy 11 second programme that pulses the ingredients. At the end though, I could spot a large chunk of green chilli pepper that still needed to be processed. So without even scraping down the sides, I set it going on the mince programme for a second time.

The second go did the trick and created an excellent salsa. It probably wasn’t as chunky as the recipe intended but it wasn’t pureed and all the little chunks were exactly the same size, making it look very professionally made. It tasted great too.

There isn’t a dedicated ice crush preset, so I chose the variable speeds for this job. I emptied a whole ice cube tray into the jug and started it on speed 2, which is one of the slower of the ten speeds on offer.

Unsurprisingly, ice is no match for this six bladed blender and in just five seconds, the whole lot was pulverised into a snowy dust. I poured this into a glass and added milk and espresso for a homemade frappe style drink, and it worked as a great alternative to a slushie machine.

At the time of testing, we were experiencing a heatwave and standing in the kitchen making a hot soup couldn’t be lower on my list right now. A recipe I’d saved for gazpacho, on the other hand, had been calling to me.

Once the vegetables and all ingredients were in the blender, I turned on the SmoothSense auto blend programme. It blitzed the soup for 90 seconds, turning it into a completely smooth liquid that poured nicely from the spout in the lid.

On the menu there’s a preset called Large Chop that’s only an option when using the blender. I needed to chop an onion, so I peeled and quartered it before starting up the quick eight second pulsing programme.

The size of the chopped onion was smaller than I expected and there were a few rogue bigger chunks, but if you hate chopping onions, this eight second preset will absolutely save you a job. I might just stick to manually pulsing it next time, so I can control the size of the pieces.

What's it like to clean?

While I appreciate the fact that absolutely everything except the motor base is dishwasher safe. The guidance is that it should all be cleaned on the top rack, and I don’t know about your dishwasher, but I can’t fit a full size blender jug on the top rack of my dishwasher.

It’s not just the blender jug though, neither the food processor bowl, nor the tumbler cup fit on the upper rack of my dishwasher. Furthermore, I don’t love filling the dishwasher with loads of sharp blades. So while I did occasionally put some of the parts in the dishwasher, I mostly opted to wash everything by hand.

Blender and food processor parts are always fiddly to wash, and these are no more or less fiddly and dangerous than other sharp bladed appliances. But as long as you’re careful, it’s not too much of a drama. I recommend a long handled brush as the best way to clean anything sharp, whilst keeping your fingers out of harm's way.

How does it compare to competitors?

An obvious comparison is the predecessor model, the Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto IQ. Choosing this lower tech option will save you £40, but it’s only worth it if you don’t mind having fewer blending speeds and a more limited menu of automatic programmes.

The other alternative is that if you don’t want the food processor capabilities, you can buy the exact same appliance as a standalone blender for £154.99.

Should you buy the Ninja CrushBoss System?

In my opinion this is a great value system that performs well and offers plenty of functionality. It is a lot to store, but in comparison to having three separate appliances, it’s a really great space saving solution. So, the key thing to think about is whether you really do want or need all three appliances in one bundle.

In testing, I was impressed with the performance across the board. If I’m nitpicking, the only thing I could really fault it on, was that it didn’t always chop things into even sized pieces. And it’s a stretch to say that everything is dishwasher safe, when it’s unlikely to fit on the top rack of most people's dishwashers. But, if you can get over these small hurdles, it’s a great all-rounder.

Retro is back in a big way in 2026, and our kitchens are proving to be the best place to try out the trend. Whether it's through 70s-inspired colour palettes or 90s-style floral tiles, there are so many ways to add retro appeal. But small appliances are the simplest way to add a quick vintage-inspired look.

This Dunelm kettle is the perfect example of how to get a retro kitchen scheme without overhauling the design, and without spending a fortune. For just £25, you can update the small appliance that sits on your worktop and gets used every single day - it's a small price to pay.

It also looks just like the Smeg kettle which is a favourite on the Ideal Home team. While the Smeg kettle is ranked as one of our best kettles, it comes with a higher price tag.

The Smeg kettle is famous for the retro appearance which turns a sleek small appliance into something a little bit more traditional. If you have a classic kitchen scheme, then choosing ultra contemporary appliances can often look out of place.

While this Dunelm kettle has a chic stainless steel trim, the cream colour means that it looks undoubtably traditional, so it will blend into the background when left on show.

If you prefer a softer, more classic kitchen look, then making sure the smaller details, like a kettle, align will make a huge difference to the overall space.

'I wrote last week about how retro small kitchen appliances will never go out of style. If that timeless look is something you want to achieve on a budget, then I can't think of a better pick than this Dunelm one. It's also got handy features including quick boiling and an external capacity gauge – two things that never go amiss when making a cuppa!', says Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, Molly Cleary.

Many kettles in this price range are lacking when it comes to style. For £25, this retro kettle is a no-brainer for anyone wanting to kit out their kitchen with timeless pieces.

Alternatives

As we head into autumn, now is the perfect time to upgrade your kettle ready for plenty of cups of tea. While you're planning for the new season, these kitchen trends with staying power for 2027 might provide further inspiration.

Lavazza's new milk frother has been saving me a small fortune this summer. The price of a takeaway coffee is always a contentious topic and in London, where a latte can set you back at least £4, adding ice for an extra 50p definitely adds up.

So I've been shunning iced lattes on the go for ones made at home with the help of my bean-to-cup coffee machine (which is a godsend for saving me money year round). And with the help of this slimline milk frother, I think I've managed to make better coffees too – especially with the help of the cold milk froth setting.

Here's what I've been enjoying about this new addition to my coffee corner, which is currently on sale for half of its RRP over at Amazon for £49 down from £78.99.

Cold foam on coffee is a big deal over in the US, but less known here in the UK. In some case it's sweetened with syrup, but it mainly consists of a frothed, aerated cold milk which when combined with a shot of espresso makes for a delectable summer drink.

Most milk frothers, until recently, didn't have the capability for hot and cold frothing. That means that a standard iced latte at home just consisted of coffee and cold milk – unless you had a do-it-all automatic coffee machine like the De'Longhi Eletta Ultra with its incredible cold frothing abilities.

The cold milk foam option on Lavazza's new frother has been my favourite part of testing it altogether. Don't get me wrong, the foam it can whizz up for lattes and cappuccinos is impressive but it's the ability to create that cold foam effect that I've been living for this summer.

As well as combining beautifully with a shot of espresso over ice, it has a great level of air to it that means it rises right to top of my glass creating a gradient effect. Its operation is super quiet and it's proven very easy to keep clean thus far too. All you have to do is give the whisk and the non-stick interior a thorough wash in the sink (definitely NOT the dishwasher) and leave to dry.

The slim profile of this frother means it fits neatly alongside my coffee machine, the Sage Barista Express Impress, too. As mine is an older generation Sage, it doesn't have the capability for cold milk frothing so these two together have made the perfect pairing in recent months.

The drawbacks of using this frother that I've picked up on so far is that the maximum fill line on the interior can be tricky to make out in certain lights and that it can only really froth enough milk for one coffee at a time.

Plus, as someone who is slowly trying to transition to all-white kitchen appliances, I wish there was more choice of colour. If you feel the same way, the new Philips Baristina might be a more palatable colour choice (£84.99 via Amazon).

Others who swear by a totally-clear-countertops kitchen might prefer a handheld whisk altogether. Nigella Lawson swears by a £10 handheld version from Aerolatte for her morning matcha.

A dedicated coffee corner has been high on my kitchen wish list for years. As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor I have the privilege of poring over pretty pictures of coffee stations every week, but I've never had the chance to curate one myself.

After moving into a new flat a few weeks ago I've finally found a space that I can sit my bean-to-cup coffee machine and all of its fixtures on. Now space isn't a problem; what I can consider to be the real challenge is actually making it look good.

Luckily, I have the Ideal Home team for inspiration, whose ideas I'm raiding as inspiration for my own coffee corner. Here's everything I'm going to buy to spruce up my space.

1. Coffee mat

The foundation of my coffee corner is a wooden unit, which is situated under built-in shelves. As the wood is prone to getting marked or stained, the first thing on my shopping list is a practical one: a coffee mat.

When I lived back with my family I bought this mat from Amazon (£12.99) to sit under my Ninja Luxe Café and it worked really well to protect my worktop from leaks. I'm switching from stripes to this checkerboard design this time around with this similar pick (£9.99 from Amazon) but the aim is the same: to keep from any stray water from causing long term damage.

My everyday coffee machine, the Sage Barista Express Impress, has an assisted tamper which saves me much complication. If you have a standard espresso machine where you have to tamp those grounds yourself, you might benefit from a tamping mat instead. ProCook's £6 version can sit on the edge of your coffee station and will help you to apply even pressure to your portafilter. It has a handy groove for your tamp, too.

2. Organised extras

Ideal Home's Editor Heather Young offers us endless inspiration with her gorgeous kitchen, including her newly-organised coffee station hidden away within her pantry.

The first thing she's employed in there is this Lazy Susan from Amazon (£17.99) which she's using to display her 'bowl of sugar, pot of teaspoons and collection of syrups' so she has everything she might need for a caffeinated treat when she opens up her pantry.

The second is her newly installed set of mini shelves, which you can find for £19.99 from Amazon, which Heather says has made everything 'much more accessible'. This organiser has a great height to it, which allows for tall jars to be stored alongside coffee beans and tea bags.

Having a dainty little sugar pot, like this one from M&S (for £6) is definitely something I'm going to be copying, as well as the Lazy Susan idea for my new pantry. It's going to make it so much easier to get my coffee essentials in the morning.

3. Curated shelving

The biggest problem I have to solve is how to style the shelves above my coffee machine. Open shelving is a divisive topic at the best of times, but my Editor Rebecca's piece on why she had to get rid of her display pantry made me realise this is definitely not a trend I can buy into.

I find styling shelves difficult enough without worrying about accumulating dust or collecting clutter by accident, so I'm aiming to keep the space above my coffee station as curated as possible.

On my wish list, inspired by a kitchen from the pages of the magazine, is a classic Roberts radio in a pastel colour (like this one from John Lewis, £150) so that I can listen to music while I potter around on the weekend as well as a glug jug (like this one from Oliver Bonas, £45) and some artwork. I've got my eye on this handpainted trio from Dunelm (£45) but I also like the idea of something personal like this gorgeous pick from Papier's new collection from Glassette (£26).

4. Matching mugs

Building a strong mug collection is key to a coffee station that gets compliments. I've started strong with the addition of Fable's espresso cups (£52), which fit so neatly on the top of my espresso machine, but I'm looking to add multiple pairs of mugs that share a similar feel.

I've loved these Night & Day mugs from Our Place (£47.99) for many a year, so it might be time to finally take the plunge. Dunelm's new-in section, particularly with these playful resin coasters (£12) is also calling my name...

With these upgrades, I'm hoping my coffee station will soon start to take shape. Do you have any non-negeotiables for your morning brew?

Timelessness versus trends is the eternal debate of those who love poring over interiors. But one area in which retro designs always win out is with small kitchen appliances. With an aesthetic borrowed from the 50s and 60s, essentially all of the best toasters and kettles on the market have rounded, pastel silhouettes that are picture perfect for kitchen counters.

Smeg is synonymous with the retro kitchen look. As well as their standard small appliances, they have an incredibly capable range of bean-to-cup coffee machines available in a gorgeous range of colours that no other brand comes close to. Here at Ideal Home we've reviewed a huge number of Smeg coffee machines. The EGF03 Espresso Machine is our top-rated choice after our review and by far the prettiest option, too.

If you're undertaking a September reset in your kitchen then these retro-style appliances might be just the ticket to give your worktops a new lease of life. I've collected a range of options in every pastel shade available.

Though the best-known brand names are pricey, getting the retro look doesn't need to break your bank. With ranges emerging from names like Dunelm and Next, you can pick up a full set for your kitchen for far less than you might imagine.

If you want to nail timelessness with your kitchen appliances, there's no better bet than the vintage look.

Ninja's expansion of its coffee machines has reached new frontiers with the AutoBarista Pro, the brand's first try at an automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine.

I've tried both of the Ninja bean-to-cup machines released in the series so far, the Luxe Café and its Pro series upgrade. I think both of these deserve the title of one of the best coffee machines you can buy, especially in terms of value compared to brands like Sage. So my hopes were very high with this automatic version. Here's how I got on with it.

In a nutshell

I've reviewed a fair few automatic bean-to-cup machines now, but none quite like the AutoBarista Pro. That's because in both looks and operation it reminds me more of its Ninja Luxe Café sister machine than anything else, especially thanks to its milk frother, which uses the same jug mechanism.

The kicker though? At £900, this machine is almost double the price that you can often find the Luxe Café on sale for and though it's undoubtedly impressive, I'm not entirely sure its worth the price jump.

Things that did impress me were the Auto IQ program, as well as the colour screen and icons which definitely added a premium feel to the machine. After getting through the calibration process, which admittedly took a hot minute, the taste of the coffee was great.

It's just personal prefer but I would pick the milk jug design that features here over fiddly plastic-y tubes that you usually get with auto bean-to-cups. But it does mean it's a more involved coffee than with something like the De'Longhi Eletta Ultra, for example, as you have to pour over your own milk. A small thing, but different to just pressing one button and letting the machine to the rest.

The swappable bean hoppers will be a huge pull for those who like a decaf in the afternoon, hugely cutting down on fuss, and the advanced cleaning features will also please many making the switch from their espresso machine to this. As with the Luxe Café, the small drip tray that fills very quickly is pretty annoying.

Who tested this coffee machine?

Unboxing the product

This is a big hunk of a machine. It's 18cm deeper, 5cm wider and 13.2cm heavier than the Luxe Café, which is by no means small. It's stretches out in every dimension and will requite either a deep worktop without overhanging shelves or a dedicated coffee station. I had to test it on my dining table in my house, as I'm without either.

It's also very heavy, weighing 22kg. Set-up (or even just getting it off the doorstep) is not for the faint hearted so rope in reinforcements to get it in situ. As with all Ninja products it's wrapped up well in cardboard and other recyclable materials with a very smooth set-up process helped by a QR code sticker on the front of the machine.

I think the machine looks quite expensive overall but it's generally not as appealing as something like the Sage Barista Touch Impress which is fairly similar in terms of ability. The feedback reader, where you get instructed when grinding, is less of an interface and more of a rolling message banner. It doesn't feel premium compared to the kind of interface you get with a De'Longhi or similar, where the colour screens are very immersive.

The milk frothing wand is very wide, miles different from one you'd find on a standard espresso machine. The jug is large too, which is good for adding milk to more than one coffee at once.

You control the screen via a dial and buttons that correspond to the icons on screen. The buttons, like the rest of the screen, are stainless steel and a magnet for fingerprint marks. If I was buying this machine the stainless steel/black colour combo would be at the bottom of my list – the Vista Green or Oat White get my vote instead.

First impressions

The materials you get with the machine make setting up easy – even if this is your first coffee machine. The big hurdle to get over with set-up is calibrating the Grind IQ program, which uses quite a lot of beans and is pretty loud.

During this process the machine will grind your beans, weigh out a dose and tamp it before pulling your espresso shot. It will do this several times until it reaches what Ninja say is the optimum grind. Then you'll need to empty the grounds container, drip tray and refill the water as well as discard those starter shots.

From there, getting a coffee is straightforward (unless you want to change your beans, of course). The other big technical hitch to get over is swapping out the bean hoppers if you're so inclined for a decaf afternoon coffee or simply an alternative blend.

There's a simple locking system where you input the beans that works well when swapping over though the internal grinder will still hold some of the older beans so you'll have to use the 'purge' button in that scenario.

The ‘Morning Rush’ test

In accordance with how we test coffee machines, the Morning Rush test sees us make several coffees back to back to see how the machine fares. As this is an automatic, I found it a pleasingly easy process. The machine turns on relatively quickly but will only give you your coffee if the drip tray is empty enough. Otherwise the screen won't light up and allow you to progress.

But once you're set up, it's no issue to churn out a few black coffees in a row without complication. The machine has a thermoblock system which works well to keep the temperature consistent across multiple drinks.

The large jug means you can steam enough milk for two lattes at once or for 3 macchiatos if you're only looking for a splash of milk. So if there's four of you in your household and you all want a coffee before you head out for the day, many drinks in a row won't pose an issue.

User experience

This machine isn't marketed as a 'one-touch' convenience station as so many bean-to-cup offerings are, which is refreshing, as it is more involved than alternatives that integrate milk tanks into their main body.

Day-to-day when using this machine, you'll probably notice that it takes a minute to wake up and flush out – this is all part of the machine's automatic cleaning system. If something is awry (not enough water, grounds container too full) the machine won't let you make a coffee until you remedy it which is good for preventing build-up.

When making a latte, for example, you'd touch to turn on the machine and wait for it to finish its warm up processes. You'd then select latte from the light-up menu and pop your cup under the spout as well as load your milk in the jug for the frother.

There are three adjustable levels you can pop your cup on and there's plenty of space even for a carafe full of coffee if you fancy. You'd struggle to find a travel cup that wouldn't fit under there which is a bonus.

The coffee dispenses first from the left. Once that's stopped, the queued milk frothing process will begin automatically (with no need for you to prompt). The milk frothing is nice and quiet and relatively speedy too. All that's left to do after that is pour over your milk (practicing your best latte art skills).

The milk wand on the AutoBarista is a step up from the one I've used previously on the Pro series version of the Ninja Luxe Café. Called the FrothPerfect, it whisks and steams at the same time automatically. The five milk settings include extra-thick froth and cold foam which is great for having a variation of drinks available.

Once you're done with the milk jug, you push the wand back into place where it'll auto-purge.

Noise test

As I mentioned earlier, this is a pretty quiet machine. Both the dispensing of espresso and the frothing of milk measure at about 60dB in my home, which is a plus for those who value discreet appliances.

What's it like to clean?

The standard colour way for this machine is stainless steel. It's not my favourite as it marks so quickly but it's all down to personal preference. For me, any of the colours are much more appealing.

This machine inherits the same problem as the Ninja Luxe Café; the drip tray seems to need emptying at every turn. This is probably a good thing, as it's due to the auto cleaning systems doing their job, but it can feel annoying.

The big pro for cleaning with this machine is the removable brew group, which is accessible via a side door. All you need to do to maintain it is pull it out and rinse it on a semi-regular basis.

How does it compare to competitors?

This machine is so unique that its hard to find a direct comparison. The De'Longhi Rivelia is currently our top-rated bean-to-cup model and at around £699, it's quite a bit cheaper than the AutoBarista. Its compact size and sleek finish mean its likely more aesthetically friendly to most kitchens too.

Should you buy the Ninja AutoBarista Pro?

Ninja's easy-to-use charm extends to this clever automatic machine. It makes great coffee, is easy to use and has plenty of features built-in to make owning a bean-to-cup machine more manageable. It's not the prettiest option out there, though the colour ways make it slightly more bearable, and there are highlights that real coffee lovers wil rejoice at (the interchangeable bean hoppers and the assisted grinding).

For me it doesn't quite live up to the greatness of the Ninja Luxe Café and its Pro version successor, but it's a solid choice if you know you want a Ninja coffee machine that can pour a coffee without you needing to grind the beans yourself.

If there’s one underrated kitchen appliance that definitely deserves a spot in your kitchen, it is undoubtedly a humble rice cooker. And if you’re yet to get your hands on one of these much-loved appliances, the Aldi rice cooker Specialbuy is coming back to stores this week, and it’s only £9.99.

Landing in stores on Thursday (20 August), Aldi’s rice cooker has arrived back in stock right on time for freshers heading off to university. But I think this star buy deserves a place in every kitchen - especially if you struggle to nail perfect, fluffy rice every time.

At just £9.99, this incredibly affordable kitchen gadget is not to be missed. Here’s why we at Ideal Home rate it so highly as a kitchen essential.

The best rice cookers deserve a place in every kitchen simply because they produce perfect rice every time, take up minimal counter space and make batch cooking and meal prep easier.

It’s a kitchen gadget that our Kitchen Appliances Editor, Molly Cleary, recommends, as well as being the Christmas gift Nigella Lawson swears by - and if anyone I know is reading this, I’d like a rice cooker for Christmas, please.

'I never saw the use in a standalone rice cooker before I tried one, but now I wouldn't be without mine. I used to have Lakeland's £50 version, which also has a porridge setting, but I just swapped it out for Joseph Joseph's microwave version as it saves so much space and doesn't require another plug socket to be taken out. It takes 10 minutes to whizz up perfect rice every time, and it's only £25! I use mine every single week for meal prep,’ said Molly.

At just £9.99, Aldi’s is one of the most affordable plug-in rice cookers that I’ve seen. It’s small, as to be expected with the price, making two cups of rice at a time. Because of this, it’s an ideal choice for couples and those of us living alone.

The cooker itself is available in three colourways - black, warm grey or sage green - and includes a measuring cup and spatula. It has a three-year warranty, too, so you can expect to get a good amount of use out of it. I’ve seen this rice cooker doing the rounds on social media every time it comes back into stock ( so you can expect it to be popular), with many users stating it takes about 20 minutes to cook rice.

While I haven’t tried the Aldi rice cooker, I use Salter’s 3-tier 7.5L food steamer, which also cooks rice in 20 minutes, as well as steaming veg and fish at the same time. If Aldi hasn't caught your fancy, I highly recommend this steamer.

Alternatively, here are a few more rice cookers we recommend that you can shop online.

If you're after perfect rice every time, a rice cooker is the way forward.

At the time of writing we seem to be living through endless rolling heatwaves, and cold drinks have become the norm, so-much-so that I can’t remember what it’s like to have a cup of tea after 10am!

So it's no surprise that at-home slushie machines and ice cream makers seem to be more popular than ever. And I’m very excited to try out this newly launched ProBreeze EasyFreezy, a clever multifunctional appliance that can make slushies as well as soft serve ice cream.

Its design looks a little different to other slushie machines I’ve tried, but I got my hands on one right before the launch date, so was able to try it early to see what this lesser known kitchen appliance brand had to offer.

In a nutshell

The ProBreeze EasyFreezy Ice Cream, Slushies & Frozen Drinks Maker will set you back £179.99 via ProBreeze's website (where the code IDEAL10 can also get you 10% off). It's a hybrid appliance that can make both soft serve ice cream, and frozen slushie drinks. And while £169.99 is hardly a small sum of money, as slushie machines go, its price tag is incredibly reasonable. The Dualit Ice Cream Maker (which similarly operates without pre-freeze) will set you back £349.99 by comparison.

It offers six different frozen drink programmes as well as a soft serve programme and a clean mode. Each programme has five adjustable thickness levels so you can personalise your drinks and ice cream to your preferred thickness.

I used almost every option on this machine during a week of testing it for this review, and can confirm that every drink was delicious. It can be a bit slow to create some of the slushies, but the soft serve was ready in around 30 minutes and was exactly as soft and tasty as I hoped it would be.

The downsides are that the capacity is really only large enough for 2-3 servings of slushies. And the dispenser is simply a sliding door that opens a hole in the base of the main tub. So dispensing can be a bit messy, not to mention a bit awkward when trying to fill an ice cream cone.

Who tested the ProBreeze EasyFreezy?

Unboxing

I was frustrated to come across polystyrene in the box when I unpacked it. I do wish the brand was able to use cardboard inserts instead, as these would be easily recyclable.

I was relieved though, that it doesn’t come with too many removable parts to get your head around. Although, I did find the manual to be vague in places, so it took me a while to get to grips with how to fully disassemble the tub for the first clean. Nevertheless, once you’ve done it once, it soon makes sense.

At 5ft 3, I quickly noticed that for me to properly see the control panel on the top of the machine, I found myself standing on tip-toes. Definitely something to think about if you’re shorter than me.

There are seven pre-programmed settings on the menu, plus a clean function. Essentially six of the settings are for various different slushie drinks, and the remaining one is for soft serve ice cream.

Plus and minus buttons allow you to adjust the slushie thickness to your liking, so over time, you would probably come to learn your preferred setting for each of your favourite recipes. There are five levels to choose from and the different modes each have a predetermined thickness level as a starting point.

As far as recipes to get you started, there’s a card included in the box with recipes for vanilla ice cream, as well as a cola slushie and a fruit juice slushie. A QR code takes you to further recipes, though at the time of writing the appliance hadn’t launched and the recipes weren’t live on the website, so I used a lot of my own recipes during testing.

For ice cream, both the minimum and maximum fill amount listed is 600ml, whereas for slushies you can fill it with a minimum of 600ml or a maximum of 800ml. You also need to make sure that all recipes have at least 6% sugar.

For alcohol based slushies, the alcohol amount must be between 6-16% for it to freeze correctly. The machine will detect and display error codes if there’s either too much alcohol, or too little sugar in the liquid.

The machine beeps and displays COL when the drink or ice cream is ready. Don’t ask me what COL stands for, cold maybe? I couldn’t find any info on how long you can leave it running with slushies inside. But the manual states that for best results you should serve once the desired texture is reached. And I’m guessing that the small capacity means most people would dispense their drinks pretty much straight away.

There’s a sliding handle that opens a hole in the bottom of the tub to allow drinks and ice creams to dispense out of the base. There’s a clearance of about 15cm between the outlet and the drip tray. I’m intrigued to see if this is enough space to easily fill a cone with soft serve ice cream.

What's it like to use?

Slushie

First up I tried the Slushie function, the recipe card suggested adding cola, but I went with a ginger ale instead. Two cans of most fizzy drinks is enough to hit the minimum marker, though you do have to check that the sugar content reaches the 6% requirement, or you’ll need to add sugar.

I selected the slushie mode and pressed start. The paddle moved around slowly to begin with and then it took me by surprise when it sped up significantly. At 63dB it isn’t a loud appliance, but at times, the sound of the paddle turning is quite high pitched and I did find it grating. To be fair though, as the drink started to freeze, it dulled to a less high pitched, background hum.

The display on the top shows the current temperature, but you can only see the consistency of the mixture through a small window to the right of the handle.

The machine beeps when the drink is ready. It took 33 minutes to turn my ginger ale into a tasty slushie, which did feel like quite a long time just to create two servings. The texture was good though, cold enough to stay frozen in the glass for quite a while, but still easy to suck through a straw. Plus, it dispensed smoothly out of the opening in the base of the tub.

Milkshake

I made up my own chocolate milkshake recipe using cocoa powder, sugar, milk, and cream. Luckily a table in the instruction manual told me that for a 700ml mixture I would need 42g of sugar, so I didn’t have to do any maths to work out the correct sugar percentage.

The tips on the recipe card suggest that the frappe and milkshake functions require sugar and/ or cream to be used in the recipe. I opted to include both in this mixture for a truly indulgent milkshake.

Five minutes into the milkshake programme, I decided I probably should have added a small splash of vanilla. Luckily, the fill inlet just above the handle is designed for adding ingredients during use.

It was a bit tough to get open the first time I tried, but does become easier over time. And I love that there’s an easy option for adding in an extra ingredient without stopping the programme.

The milkshake took 40 minutes, which again, for just two portions, felt like a long wait. At the end, when I tried to dispense the drink, it was too thick and nothing came out. So I had to remove the tub and spoon it into the glasses.

The texture was a bit too thick and next time I would adjust the level to make it slightly thinner, which presumably would also speed up the freezing time. It was a delicious chocolate thickshake nevertheless, despite the annoyance of having to spoon it into the glasses.

Fruit Slushie

For this setting I simply added pink grapefruit juice up to the max line and pressed start. It took 33 minutes, and the slushies were the perfect texture. They dispensed easily into the glasses. But even though I’d filled it up to the max line, there was still only enough for two.

I’m starting to notice that in some scenarios the dispenser can be a bit messy. As you slide it open and closed, you can end up with some slushie spilled down the side of your glass.

Frappe

For a couple of coffee frappes I added two large double shots of espresso to milk, sugar, and a splash of double cream. It took 44 minutes, which was longer than I expected, though that’s partly my fault for not cooling the espresso for very long, meaning the whole mix would have been slightly warmed by the coffee.

Despite the wait though, the 600ml mixture made two perfect frappes that were just what was needed on a scorching Sunday morning. If I’d increased the mixture to the maximum 800ml, there might have been enough for three servings, but in reality, this isn’t a slushie machine for when you have guests. There simply isn’t the capacity.

Soft serve

The recipe card that comes in the box includes a recipe for vanilla soft serve, which feels like the best place to start. It’s just milk, single cream, vanilla, and sugar syrup (I used maple syrup for added flavour).

The 600ml mixture is the maximum you can make in this machine and it took 33 minutes to churn. I dispensed the soft serve into cones. There’s only just enough space to fill a cone under the dispensing hole, it’s a tad awkward but you can make it work.

The mixture was enough to fill four cones as well as a couple of ramekins, so unlike the slushie capacity, it produces enough for at least six people. Both the texture and flavour of the soft serve was on point and very enjoyable.

Margarita

I’m not sure if it was the alcohol or sugar content that was maybe slightly off, but when I used the margarita programme, it took ages. In fact, I got bored of waiting and dispensed the margaritas after 55 minutes.

The frozen margaritas had the perfect texture, so I don’t know why it didn’t sense this and signal that the drinks were ready. That said, for frozen margaritas at home, this machine can definitely deliver - as long as you’re not planning a large gathering.

What's it like to clean?

The parts aren’t dishwasher safe, but washing everything by hand after most slushies didn’t bother me too much. Filling it with water and using the clean programme was helpful in removing some residues. It was much less effective on the milk and cream based mixes though.

On the whole it disassembles easily and is fairly quick to clean. But for dairy based drinks and ice cream, it does need a thorough wash in hot soapy water and a bit more attention to detail to avoid any nasty smells developing.

It’s worth pointing out that after those more troublesome milky mixtures, I had to pay close attention to the bits of the machine that can’t be removed and washed in the sink, especially the lowest section of the cooling cylinder. There’s a small rotating cog that can remain caked in milky residue if you’re not careful. This section is really fiddly to clean and I did start to find it a bit tiresome.

How does it compare to similar products?

The Cuisinart Frost Fusion is probably one of the most direct comparisons in terms of its ability to create both soft serve and slushies. It's much faster to freeze mixtures, and the tilting handle is far more intuitive to use when dispensing soft serve and slushies. However, at almost £300 it's a significant step up in price.

If soft serve is the thing you want most, then the Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl is more of a dedicated ice cream maker that can make standard as well as soft serve ice cream, plus milkshakes. But this fancy ice cream maker is over double the price of the ProBreeze, and it can’t make slushies.

Should you buy the ProBreeze Soft Serve, Slushies & Frozen Drinks Maker?

It comes down to the size of your household and what you want from it. The 2-3 slushie serving size won’t work in larger households. However, slushies, milkshakes, and frappes are all very high in sugar, so there are plenty of scenarios where you might welcome the small capacity. In my two person household it definitely stopped us from over-indulging.

The soft serve was perfect, and with enough for six people, it’ll definitely deliver when you have a house full of kids, or even to impress the adults. I found some elements annoying, like getting it thoroughly clean after milky mixtures, and the clunky dispensing hole, plus it can be a bit slow. But in the grand scheme of things, these are all forgivable when you take into account the cost savings compared to other slushie and soft serve machines.

'Tis almost the season to start dreaming about your homemade pumpkin spice lattes. And while most of us are still on iced coffees, after the last heatwave of 2026 (fingers crossed!) passes us by, we can all start thinking of better and cosier things: autumn! Warm coffees, fluffy blankets, double layers and... did I say warm coffee?

If you've been holding out for Black Friday to invest in the best coffee machine, then you needn't wait any longer. Just head to your local Lidl and take a browse down the Middle Aisle for yourself. Come the 16th of August, it'll be bursting with pastel-coloured boxes. Yes: the pastel appliances are back! Think toasters, kettles, and even coffee machines, all in pretty shades of mint green and pale pink.

A simple solution for kitchen worktops that need some colour, the retro-inspired pastel coffee machine is definitely the best bargain of all, at only £49.99. Available in your choice of pink or green, this ground coffee maker also boasts a steam wand for frothing milk. Plus, it has a sizeable 1L water tank for when you're serving multiple coffees at once.

Landing in stores very soon, be quick to snap up yours, as when they're gone, they won't return for quite a while. And don't forget: it's never too early to think of Christmas presents...

The coffee machine comes with a 3-year guarantee. It includes a 2-in-1 coffee scoop and tamper, both coming in the box, and with only 3 buttons, it looks to be pretty intuitive and easy to clean, with a removable drip tray and water tank.

This Silvercrest coffee maker is not too dissimilar from Smeg's Espresso Coffee Machine. Except the Smeg one is a mere £450 more expensive, of course.

The Smeg one does come with a host of perks for that price tag, including a cold-brew function. It is one of Smeg's most affordable coffee machines, with the retro-style bean-to-cup Smeg Coffee costing from £599.95.

Another comparable retro-inspired coffee machine is the Swan Retro Espresso Maker, at £109.99, available in green, black, cream, or grey. Its tank is the same size as the Silvercrest model, and has a steam wand for milk frothing. You can also control its brewing temperature. The best part about it? You can use it with ground coffee or espresso (ESE) pods.

I've spotted Ninja's new slimmed down coffee machine, the Luxe Café Mini, is on sale for £399 via Amazon – £100 less than its RRP.

After testing the entirety of Ninja's coffee machine range, the Luxe Café Mini just became my new favourite bean-to-cup coffee machine from the brand after testing it, which is why this sale price is worth shouting about.

For me, the best thing about the Mini is that it solves one of the principal issues with the Luxe Café – it's ungainly size – with flair. And it does it without losing any of what makes the full size OG Luxe Café great. Here's a closer look at this deal on this wonderfully compact machine you don't want to miss.

As I covered in my first look at this machine, its RRP is set at £499.99. Notably, it's the first bean-to-cup machine from Ninja that's come out at under the £500 mark and hasn't been subject to any discounts yet - which is why this Amazon listing for £100 less is definitely worth a look.

The larger Luxe Café will set you back £549 at full-price, though you can often find it available for far less during sales periods – the best price it's dropped to according to CamelCamelCamel is £404.

If you can snag it for the £399 price, I can't recommend the Mini enough. It's smaller in every dimension – 7cm narrower, 2.9cm shorter and 2.7kg lighter than the orignal – and will suit most kitchens much better size-wise. When I talk about investing in a coffee maker with my friends and family the huge size of most machines is a massively limiting factor.

It has the features that the majority of people are looking for in a coffee machine too. It has Barista Assist tech, which helps you figure out the best grind size for your chosen beans, and the automatic milk frother means you can enjoy café-style lattes at home. With this machine, you'll be saving a pretty penny on trips to a coffee shop for years to come.

There are a few things missing from the Mini that real coffee pros might miss. There's no cold brew capability or cold milk foam – so homemade iced lattes with proper foamed milk are out. And as the machine is smaller, it has a minimised water tank and bean hopper so you'll be refilling those more often if you're getting a lot of use out of this machine.

For most people I think these won't be hugely limiting factors. If you live in a 1 or 2 person household, this exceptionally compact and capable machine will be a total joy to use. And at under £400, it's a total steal given its quality. My full review of this machine is coming very soon but if you're already sold, this is the best price I've seen to buy it at!

The best slushie machines are a recent phenomenon – bringing the tech of commercial-grade machines into the home for the first time – but they're not going anywhere fast.

Endless fun for hosting and capable of turning any sugary drink into a full-blown occasion, these slushie machines are undeniably frivolous. But they also work spectacularly well, so you can replicate the frozen margarita from your favourite cocktail bar or blue raspberry slush from your youth without a hitch.

As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, it's been my fortunate job to test these slushie machines out over the past few years (one even featured at Ideal Home's team Christmas party!). Alongside my panel of expert testers I've tried all variations of slushie makers, including multi-functional versions that also make soft serve. You can find them ranked below. If you're looking for more ways to whip up frozen treats at home, you might also want to check out our roundup of the best ice cream makers.

Best Slushie makers of 2026

• Best slushie machine overall: Ninja Slushi, £299.99 at Ninja
• Best budget slushie machine: INOVIVA Slush Machine, £189.99 at Amazon
• Best multi-purpose slushie machine: Cuisinart Frost Fusion, £299.99 at Amazon

Best slushie machine overall

Sometimes the original really is best. That's the case with the SLUSHi, which was first released by Ninja in 2024, inspiring a wave of at-home treat makers to be released by competitors.

If straightforward slush is what you're after, you can't beat the quality of the original SLUSHi (which is often subject to deals, too). From the ease of use, which is a hallmark of all Ninja air fryers too, to the array of programs which allow for frosé as well as alcoholic drinks this machine is a real treat from start to finish. The more affordable alternatives I tried were passable but they didn't match the quality of the OG in terms of ease.

One thing worth noting about the SLUSHi (and all slushie makers overall) is that it requires sugar in order for its compressor element to suitably freeze your drink. So if you're looking for a healthy treat maker, then this is not it – look at the Creami or Swirl instead.

While expensive, you'll find you get what you pay for with the SLUSHi. The one thing that may disappoint is that it doesn't have functionality for ice cream or desserts per se – that's where other options on this list might entice you instead.

Best budget slushie maker

I tried this Amazon alternative to the SLUSHi side by side to the Ninja original and I was pretty impressed with what it had to offer. Its programs and design are essentially identical to the slushie machine that started the craze and it has the same capacity which will suit those who love to host.

Despite its obvious lookalike credentials, its not quite the same quality as the original. Its slightly less attractive (though its not as if you'd want the SLUSHi to live on your worktop full time), feels somewhat less sturdy and has less instructive materials to get you started. The programs can also be a little fiddlier to get perfect.

On the whole though, it is a worthwhile alternative to the Ninja if you want to spend £100 or so less (especially if you catch it on sale on Amazon Prime Day or similar). Just don't expect the exact same quality!

Best multifunctional slushie maker

Packing more functionality into one appliance is ideal for those who want to save money and worktop space – the best multicookers are a shining example. That's what Cuisinart's Frost Fusion has going for it with the ability to freeze slushies alongside the capability to mix soft serve in under 30 minutes. You can use the same dispenser mechanism to whip up sorbet, frosé and frozen yoghurt too.

When our tester Annie tried this machine out she found that it excelled in the realm of frozen drinks. With it she made a frappé in just 14 minutes and enjoyed frosé and multiple rounds of margaritas in it too – all with great results.

Where it falls down is its capacity compared to the SLUSHi. It has a litre less space, so it's not as capable for hosting. Annie also found it didn't handle high alcohol content drinks as well as purely sugary ones.

However, for a do-it-all appliance it should be your go-to pick. The soft serve capability will dazzle any child in the vicinity while the drinks functions can be used for all sorts of events.

Our Cuisinart Frost Fusion review has the full details.

Best slushie machine for hosting

If the original SLUSHi is a flamboyance, it's hard to find the words to accurately depict the ridiculousness of the SLUSHi Twist is. But after testing out every single function (and having a lot of fun while doing it) our expert reviewer couldn't help but love this machine.

It's simply the perfect iteration of a slushie machine for hosting. With two separate tanks for drinks to cater to all (by making one alcoholic and one not, say) as well as the ability to combine two flavours together as if you're at the cinema, it's a mightily impressive buy.

Our reviewer Helen was most impressed by the smart yet simple controls as well as how fast it churned out drinks. Quiet operation was a bonus too. All in all, while this is Ninja's most expensive SLUSHi machine yet it's also the most useful if you love to host.

Our Ninja SLUSHi Twist review has the full details.

How we tested these slushie machines

We know how important it is to have real, unbiased opinions about the products that we recommend to Ideal Home readers, which is why as part of our testing protocol, we've had hands-on experience with all of the products in this guide.

When testing slushies, we spend weeks evaluating these products in our kitchens. It starts with evaluating the unboxing and start up process and continues on as we look at the consistency of each drink dispensed. We try out all of the functions that each machine has to offer as well as thinking about how loud each machine is. We can't forget clean-up either or how easy (or difficult) each machine is to store.

Below you can find out exactly who tested each of the appliances on this round up, and learn more about our testing process.

FAQs

Why do you need sugar in slushies?

The compressor element in a slushie machine requires sugar to prevent over-freezing. Without sugar or alcohol, your drink will become too frozen and could damage your machine.

Do you need to add ice to a slushie machine?

No. The compressor inside your slushie machine is doing all of the work to make your drink frozen and change its texture. Adding ice to the tank of a slushie machine is not recommended.

How long does the slushie process take?

In our tests the process of creating slushies took between 15-45 minutes. It varies from drink to drink and can differ depending on room and drink temperature.

When I packed up and headed to university back in September 2019, the one thing my mum gave me was a Crockpot Slowcooker (£31, Argos). And now, four years later, it’s the one kitchen appliance I can’t live without.

If you have a loved one heading to university this autumn, I’d argue that one of the best slow cookers is possibly the best thing to send them off with - it definitely was for me. Slow cookers are cheap to run, make meal prep a breeze, and don’t take up as much worktop space as one of the best air fryers.

I’m always waxing lyrical about my slow cooker and how much I love using it. I genuinely whip it out every week, and now it’s the kitchen appliance I’d recommend to anyone moving out for the first time.

Until I was given a slow cooker, I didn’t really see their merit, to be honest. If I’m being really honest, coming home from school to see the slow cooker was on the side was fairly disappointing. It wasn’t until I started using my own that I realised you could make a lot more than stew.

My mum firmly told me she swore by hers, and after school stew aside, I took her advice. I’ve never looked back either. As an 18-year-old essentially let loose in London for the next three years, I had better things to do than spend my evenings slaving away behind an oven, and I really didn’t have the budget to rely on takeaways.

Here, my slow cooker maths came into play. Before heading into lectures in the morning, I could simply dump my ingredients into the cooker, set it to low, and when I arrived home I’d have a hot meal waiting for me (and leftovers to feed me over the rest of the week).

At home I’d cooked for my family, but now cooking for just myself, I found it frustrating and expensive buying ingredients only to not be able to use them all up before they went out of date. But being able to quickly batch cook in my slow cooker meant I could use all my ingredients up and leftovers could be deposited in the freezer or fridge. Now, I practically worship slow cooker dump bags, which make prep even easier, and swear by the OXO GoodGrips Silicone Bags (£20, Amazon) to do so.

Slow cookers are also really cheap to run. In fact, it’s probably your cheapest kitchen appliance, making it very student-friendly. Plus, my experience of slow cookers is that they can deepen the flavour of the dish you’re cooking. I’ve learned this the hard way by adding slightly too much spice to curries and consequently blowing my own head off.

Throughout university, I used my slow cooker to make a range of dishes from bolognese, curries and casseroles to mulled wine at Christmas and joints of pulled pork for dinner parties and BBQs during the summer.

Now aged 25, I still use the same Crockpot on a weekly basis. It is genuinely my favourite kitchen appliance. And while I keep thinking I need to upgrade my slow cooker (I’ve been looking at the Ninja Foodi 8-in-1 8L Possible Cooker, was £150, now £120 at Argos), I can’t quite bring myself to part with my trusty Crockpot.

My mum was absolutely right in gifting me a slow cooker over any other kitchen appliance or utensil when I headed off to uni seven years ago. I now recommend the same appliance to all my friends and extend the same recommendation to any freshers this year.

I've been reviewing air fryers here at Ideal Home since 2022 – a dream job for someone who loves cooking all sorts of things but is very much partial to an oven chip.

It's hard to think of a cooking appliance that's had an impact as big in our kitchens in the last decade as the air fryer. Time-saving, more convenient to use than an oven, and guaranteed to give you a crispier end result, they've become a staple of homes up and down the UK.

And seeing as I get pretty much all of my home advice and vision from my esteemed colleagues at Ideal Home, I thought it was high time I took a peek at how they're using and storing their air fryers, too, for a healthy dose of inspiration. Here's how they've integrated these 'ugly' but super useful appliances into their homes.

Heather Young - Editor-in-Chief

I draw endless inspiration from our Editor-in-Chief Heather's home, especially her gorgeous kitchen which is packed full of hidden features to make everyday life easier. One of those clever hacks is how she uses her air fryer to maximise use and minimise worktop scratches.

Heather swears by the Instant Pot Duo Crisp (£229.99 via Amazon), which is a multi-cooker, arguably a better space saver than a standard air fryer. With 12 different functions in total it means she can save space over investing in many different appliances. It's a slow cooker, steamer, air fryer, pressure cooker and more in one but its footprint is relatively small.

But that's not all. To make using her multi-cooker even more convenient, Heather also added castor wheels to the bottom of the pot which allow her to move it across her worktop.

That means cleaning around it or taking it out of a storage spot instantly becomes easier, especially if you're tucking it into a pantry like Heather . If you have a hidden mini kitchen appliance garage, this under £10 hack could be a game changer for you.

Rebecca Knight - Editor, Digital

After buying her Victorian flat conversion last year, our Editor has been sharing her home improvement progress including her living room makeover and outdoor hosting upgrades. But one thing that has stayed the same is her air fryer.

'I have the Ninja Dual Zone,' says Becky. 'I know everyone says it's meant to be ugly, but I find its boxy shape and black matte finish just disappear into the background on my kitchen worktop.'

I think this Ninja air fryer remains the most popular pick in the UK despite being released years ago. And when I recently retested it to see if it still holds up against newer releases, I found that it was still as supremely powerful as I remembered.

Becky has adopted Heather's castor wheels hack too, so that she can 'push it right to the back of the counter out of the way when not in use' in her kitchen.

Holly Cockburn - Content Editor, Kitchens and Bathrooms

As my fellow Kitchens Editor who knows exactly which trends to follow, Holly is much less of an appliance or gadget fan than I am – favouring a clear worktop over anything else. Our usual dynamic is that I'll recommend something to Holly for a few years (in this case, an air fryer) and she'll take up the advice when there's one that actually looks good.

Enter: the Wonder Oven (£195 at Our Place). This was the one that finally persuaded her over to the air frying side, and it's little surprise with its pastel colour way and tiny footprint.

When I reviewed this air fryer I called it the prettiest option on the market and I think it still is even two years later. It's also a fabulous choice for anyone who prefers a screen-free appliance – this air fryer is wholly controlled by the three dials on the front.

Molly Cleary – Kitchen Appliances Editor

I've tested many air fryers over the years but the one that suits my small kitchen best is the Ninja DoubleStack in white (£269.99 from Currys). It has similar levels of power to Ninja's dual-drawer models but is much kinder on worktop space which is always at a premium with all of the cooking gadgets I'm usually testing.

The colour range of Ninja's air fryers makes them very appealing to me, alongside the sheer power. The control panel is also the easiest I've found out there.

If you like the idea of a stacked air fryer for space but you're on a tight budget then Salter's £99 alternative went down a treat with our reviewer Annie when she tried it.

The range of air fryers within the Ideal Home team just shows how picking the right appliance for your kitchen is a very personal thing. What are your must-have features or hacks when picking out an air fryer?

In my opinion, treating yourself to one of the best ice cream makers is virtually an act of self care during a sweltering summer. This is especially true if you buy one that freezes as it churns, like the Dualit Ice Cream Maker.

Admittedly, at almost £350, it’s an indulgence. But in addition to ice cream and sorbet, it can make yogurt and slushies too – all in under one hour from mixing to consuming. I used it during a particularly warm July week and it reinforced my love of all things ice cream.

In a nutshell

The Dualit Ice Cream Maker is expensive for a reason. The integrated compressor is like a mini freezer, so in addition to churning your ice cream mixtures, it freezes them too. In my opinion these are the best ice cream makers to buy, as nothing has to be frozen in advance, so you can make ice cream on a whim.

It’s nicely designed with a compact footprint that doesn’t take over your kitchen worktop, and the digital display is easy to navigate. With five separate functions to choose from, ice cream and gelato aren’t the only creations you can use it for. It’ll also make slushies, sorbet, and even home made yogurt.

During my time reviewing it, I enjoyed silky smooth ice creams, punchy sorbet, tasty slushies, and even tried my hand at making yogurt. All the functions worked well, though if you like to cater for bigger groups, you might find its relatively small capacity frustrating at times. And I had more success when I used my own trusted recipes over the ones included in the manual.

Who reviewed this ice cream maker?

Unboxing

It’s been a while since I've unboxed a kitchen appliance and come across polystyrene in the box. Given that most kitchen appliance manufacturers have eliminated polystyrene packaging, I was somewhat disappointed to find it. But I do acknowledge that appliances with refrigerants can require extra protection in transit.

The ice cream maker comes out of the box pretty much ready to go. The removable parts and accessories consist of the main stainless steel bowl, mixing paddle, the lid, a spatula, and a measuring cup. All of these parts require a quick wash before the first use.

The dial control coupled with the digital display are intuitive to use. There are five settings to choose from. The first is cooling, this cycle operates without the mixing paddle moving. It can be used to pre-cool mixes or cool the machine prior to making ice cream.

The second setting is manual stirring, this one can be used to stir mixtures or mix in extra ingredients like chocolate chips at the end of a cycle. The third setting is yogurt, the fourth is the main ice cream, gelato and sorbet setting, and finally there’s the slushie setting.

Once a setting is selected by pressing the dial, you can then adjust the timer. It’s very simple and the manual gives good explanations of settings. It’s worth pointing out that while the capacity of the bowl is 1.2 litres, the manual advises a maximum of 720ml for ice cream, gelato and sorbet. For slushies, you can add a maximum of 600ml, and when making yogurt it can cope with up to 920ml.

My biggest first impression is that it’s a really neat and compact size, it takes up a lot less space on my worktop than my current Cuisinart ice cream maker. I like the matte black finish, which looks subtle and doesn't draw too much attention.

What's it like to use?

Making ice cream

The manual doesn’t include many recipes, there are two ice cream, one gelato, and one sorbet recipe. So I chose to get started with the basic vanilla ice cream recipe. It’s a simple enough recipe that just involves whisking sugar and milk until the sugar dissolves, then adding cream and vanilla.

The recipe recommends setting the timer for 40-60 minutes. I set it for 50 minutes, but stopped it early after just 40 minutes. At this point the ice cream was nicely frozen, but soft enough to remove from the bowl and the paddle without force.

It needed a couple of hours in the freezer to finish firming up, but even after it’d been in the freezer overnight, it remained beautifully soft and scoopable. The creamy texture was very indulgent. My only complaint was that for me, this particular recipe is too sweet and a bit heavy on the vanilla. Both of which are easily rectified next time.

The recipe made 386g, which for context, is slightly short of what you’ll get in a typical tub of Haagen Dasz (400g). I also measured the noise level while it was churning and it was a very pleasant 59dB.

There are a couple of chocolate recipes in the manual, one for chocolate ice cream and one for chocolate gelato. The main difference being that the gelato has less cream and includes two egg yolks, so this is the one I went for.

Annoyingly, instead of listing chocolate or chocolate powder, the recipes require the use of Dualit Hot Chocolate Sachets, which I didn’t have. So I substituted this with standard 65% chocolate. The recipes also require a Dualit Milk Frother Max, so in another workaround, I heated the milk, cream, and chocolate chunks on the hob instead.

Adding warm milk to raw egg yolks is always a bit nerve wracking, but thankfully they didn’t cook and the mixture combined well. The recipe states that you can put the warm mixture straight in the ice cream maker. But this seems crazy to me, so I waited for it to cool down and chilled it in the fridge until it was about 10C.

This time I decided to use the cooling function for 10 minutes before adding the ice cream mixture. It didn’t make much difference to the overall churn time though which, like the vanilla, took around 40 minutes.

The finished chocolate gelato was less creamy and indulgent than the vanilla ice cream. It was also lacking a bit of sweetness, but that’s probably my fault for the chocolate substitution I made.

I ended up serving the vanilla ice cream with the chocolate gelato for the perfect balance in flavour and sweetness. This worked really well, but I’d also be keen to try a different recipe for chocolate ice cream/ gelato that isn’t developed for Dualit hot chocolate sachets.

As a bit of a benchmark I was interested to try an ice cream recipe I’ve made before. So I wasted no time in making my favourite coffee ice cream. It includes milk, cream, sugar coffee, egg yolks and vanilla.

I made up the mixture and chilled it in the fridge for several hours, then churned it until frozen, which again, took about 40 minutes. It turned out smooth, creamy, and just as delicious as I remembered.

While the ice cream maker freezes the ice creams, it’s still a good idea to give your tasty creation a couple of hours in the freezer to firm up properly.

I couldn’t review this model without trying a sorbet. And while I adore lemon sorbet, it is a bit predictable and I was in the mood to try something different. At the time of reviewing, Wimbledon had just finished and strawberry season was in full swing, so I looked up a strawberry sorbet recipe.

The recipe I chose was very easy to put together, I had to heat sugar and water to make a syrup, then once cooled I blended this with fresh strawberries. Lastly, you add the juice of a lemon.

The sorbet took around 50 minutes (I made the maximum 720ml capacity). And I can’t tell you how incredible it tastes. The strawberry flavour is so intense and delicious, the texture is perfect too, with no icy shards. I think I might have to ditch strawberry ice cream in favour of strawberry sorbet from now on.

Making slushies

There’s not really any slushie drink recipes in the manual. Just basic advice that says you can use up to 600ml of your favourite drink. So I made up a latte with the hope of producing a frappe style coffee drink.

I added cold oat milk and a couple of teaspoons of maple syrup to a double shot of espresso. It was a single serve portion of approximately 300ml. I poured this into the machine, selected the slushie mode and put the timer on for 40 minutes.

It took about 25 minutes, which felt quite long for one drink, but it was worth it for the delicious frappe style coffee I was able to enjoy at the end. There were no hard frozen ice crystals, it was the perfect slushie texture that could be drunk through a straw. I even topped it with a splash of double cream to make it extra decadent.

The only minor annoyance was that unlike a proper slushie machine, you have to get it into the glass through a combination of tipping the liquid and spooning the more solid bits out. But after a quick stir with a straw it’s well combined and mine stayed the perfect frozen slushie texture, without melting, right to the end of the drink.

I also tried to make a raspberry slushie using a posh raspberry cordial. This time I made 600ml, which is the maximum slushie capacity and enough to serve two people. I wasn’t sure how long it would take, so set the timer to 40 minutes again.

It took the full 40 minutes to create the raspberry slushies, which is quite a while. They were absolutely delicious though, with a great smooth icy texture that went easily through a straw. It was very reminiscent of childhood raspberry slushie drinks.

Personally I wouldn’t buy this ice cream maker purely for the slushie mode, but it’s a great option that allows you to get more functionality from an expensive appliance. And if you only want occasional slushie drinks, it’s ideal.

Making yoghurt

I eat yogurt every day for breakfast with granola and berries, but despite being the type of person who enjoys making lots of things from scratch, yogurt is something I always just pick up at the supermarket.

You can make up to 920ml of yogurt at a time in this appliance. I followed the included recipe though, which uses 550ml whole milk and 50ml yogurt. There’s minimal prep, just stir together the yogurt and milk and then pour into the ice cream maker.

The recipe advises setting the timer for seven hours when using the yogurt function. And admittedly, that’s a fair old chunk of time, but this is a set-it-and-go scenario, so it can be left to do its thing while you go about your day.

When the timer finished, the machine automatically switched to cool mode, chilling down the slightly warm yogurt. I left it to cool in the machine for around an hour, by this point the yogurt had chilled down to 8C.

I then transferred it to a tub and put it in the fridge. When I tried it on my granola the next morning, I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth creamy texture and mild yogurt flavour. It’s a bit thinner than my usual thick Greek yogurt, but works out a lot cheaper, so it gets a massive thumbs up from me.

What's it like to clean?

All the removable parts can go in the dishwasher, which is great news when they’re covered in sticky ice cream and sorbet mixtures. That said, I frequently washed everything by hand and found it all really quick and easy to wash.

The machine itself didn’t really get dirty, the odd splash of ice cream mixture was easily wiped away from the matte black sides of the machine. It’s the shiny mirrored top part that needs a bit of a buff after use to remove fingerprints and marks. But even this comes clean easily after a quick wipe over with a microfibre cloth.

How does it compare to competitors?

I previously reviewed and still own the Cuisinart Ice Cream and Gelato Professional which I love for many of the same reasons I enjoyed using this Dualit model. The Cuisinart I own has now been superseded by the Cuisinart Freeze Ease Pro Ice Cream Maker which is an upgraded version. At around £300 it’s cheaper than the Dualit with a slightly larger capacity, but the compromise is that it takes up more space.

The Ninja Creami is a totally different proposition, but since it’s significantly cheaper (around £250), it is worth considering. If space is at a premium, this is the compact choice. The big but, is that you have to wait for your mixture to freeze for 24 hours before churning. So it doesn’t give the same instant satisfaction as the Dualit and Cuisinart models.

Should you buy the Dualit Ice Cream Maker?

If you want to get serious about homemade ice cream, then it’s essential to invest in a model like this with a built-in compressor. If you’re anything like me, you’re far more likely to make up a batch of home made ice cream if you don’t have to think about pre-freezing a bowl or a mixture 24 hours in advance.

I particularly like the size and smaller footprint of this Dualit model, and it’s nice to have a few additional functions bundled in. I didn’t love the included recipes, but had great success with recipes I found online.

Other than the price tag, the only major drawback is that it doesn’t have a huge capacity. But that just means I’m more likely to make up a few batches and enjoy a variety of different flavours, so in my opinion that isn’t a deal breaker.

The Ninja SLUSHi Twist is the newest all-singing-all-dancing best slushie machine machine from the brand. There are now four Slushi machines to choose from, including the original, so there really is something for everyone.

This latest model is unique in its ability to create two different drinks at once. And even more impressive is the simultaneous dispensing that allows you to create dual colour drinks that have the wow factor.

So whether you’re throwing a celebration BBQ with boozy frozen cocktails, or you want fun colourful drinks for a kids party, this is the kitchen appliance to elevate your gatherings. But is it really worth investing over £400 on a frozen drinks maker? Well, I tried it in my own home to find out.

In a nutshell

The Ninja SLUSHi Twist is the latest innovation from the juggernaut home appliance brand that is Ninja. At £420 it’s a huge investment for something that’s only going to be used on occasion. But, if yours is the house that everyone gathers at over the summer, the investment could well stack up. It’ll provide hours of fun, tasty drinks for all the family, and get everyone talking about your hosting skills.

Each vessel can hold up to 1.42 litres of liquid. You can slush anything from milkshakes, to cola, fruit juice to cocktails. And you can create two completely independent slushies, or two complementary slushies that are designed to be combined.

I really enjoyed combining drinks, using the rotating drip tray to create a twisted drink effect is actually quite addictive. And I was impressed that the machine uses sensor technology to slush drinks to the correct texture.

The downsides are that cleaning, particularly after milky drinks, is very laborious. And the required sugar levels in the slushie mixes, makes it easy to consume a lot of sugar when using this machine. Though, the manual does offer directions for using a sweetener instead, if you prefer.

Who tested this Slushi machine?

Unboxing and first impressions

It has to be said that when the box arrived on my doorstep, I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so hefty. I opted to unpack it close to the front door for ease. And thankfully the packaging is all recyclable paper and cardboard.

The SLUSHi Twist comes out of the box fully assembled, but since most parts need washing before use, you have to disassemble it anyway. Washing and drying all of the parts is a faff, but it does help you to get to know the machine and understand how it goes together.

There are two drip trays, the one that spins so you can create twisted drinks, and this is used in conjunction with the slanted spouts. Or, for those times when you wouldn’t combine the two drinks, the straight spouts and the standard drip tray come into play.

The drip tray you’re not using can be stored on the side of the machine, but there's not an integrated storage solution for the spare spouts.

I was a bit overwhelmed by all the parts at first. But once I’d washed and dried them all and had a good read of the manuals, I felt better placed to use and understand this machine. There’s a basic user manual, a quick start guide, and a QR code that takes you to various videos and recipe information. This was all super helpful since I’m new to at-home slushie machines.

My main takeaway upon unboxing and setting up the SLUSHi Twist is that it’s big, bulky, and heavy. So I’d advise taking note of the weight and measurement stats when considering whether to buy. Because even if you don’t intend to have it permanently on the worktop, you’ll need to consider storage space as well as the ease of moving this big beast around.

The other thing worth noting is that the working capacity of each vessel is just 1.42 litres, which isn’t huge. In fact, when compared to the other Ninja SLUSHi models with single vessels, they all have a larger capacity, ranging from 1.9 - 3.31 litres. Although crucially, you can only make one flavour drink at a time in the other models.

Unlike Ninja’s other SLUSHi machines, the SLUSHi Twist doesn’t offer different programs for different types of drink. Instead, it relies on smart sensor programs to figure out the right setting for you, so you really don’t have to do any thinking. Helpfully though, you can use the snowflake buttons to adjust the texture if desired.

As someone who is new to making slushies at home, I wasn’t previously aware that sugar content is an important factor in creating a slushie. As indeed is alcohol if you’re creating alcoholic drinks. Drinks need to contain at least 5g sugar per 100ml and not more than 20% alcohol.

Thankfully, if you’ve got your drink proportions wrong, the clever inbuilt sensors will alert you to add water or add sugar to correct the balance. But a big takeaway for me was that drinks are often quite sugary, which is something to watch if you use it a lot.

To counter the potential sugar problem, the manual offers advice on using a natural low calorie sweetener called erythritol instead, but after googling it and reading about some potential negative side effects, I wasn’t keen.

What is it like to use?

Fruit juice slushies

For my first try, I didn’t want to overcomplicate the drinks, so I chose fruit juices. On one side I added a litre of smooth orange juice, and on the other side I opted for a litre of cranberry and raspberry. This meant I would be able to have a go at making a twisted drink with contrasting colours, but there wouldn’t be as much to lose as there would be if I'd started with a more expensive boozy drink and got it wrong.

I pressed the Dual Slush Assist button to start it up. It then spent about five minutes sensing the drinks to figure out the optimal texture and temperature, which incidentally was different for each side.

It's not as noisy as I thought it might be, registering just 58dB on my noise meter. Make no mistake though, if you plan to leave it on all day, it’ll be a relief for your ears when you switch off the constant drone at the end of the day.

The cranberry side beeped first to signal that it was ready, after just 18 minutes. The orange side wasn’t far behind, taking around 20 minutes. Impressively speedy if you ask me.

The excitement of experimenting with the two colours and creating different styles got the better of me, and I dispensed the whole lot in under 10 minutes of sheer joy!

Making the perfectly twisted drink, like you see in all the promotional images, will take some practice and I didn’t immediately nail it. The act of pulling the dispensing levers down with one hand, whilst also spinning the disc beneath the glass, is a bit like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at first.

I had better success creating a layered drink and also a straight side-by-side drink. It was great fun making all these different creations. Though I should say that while they looked beautiful at first, it only took a few minutes for the two colours to start bleeding into each other and the effect is quickly lost.

I’d highly recommend having a practice go like this when you first get hold of it. I poured all the fruit juice slushies into a jug afterwards and put it in the fridge. This way, I got to experiment without any wastage.

Milk based slushies

I’m a big frappe fan, so when considering milk based slushies, a coffee option was a no brainer. I used Ninja’s coffee frappe recipe. In the second side I made up Ninja’s vanilla milkshake recipe. For both recipes I went with the 4-6 serving option, though I did have to slightly tweak the frappe one to make it the right volume for this particular machine's capacity.

I used the Dual Slush Assist button again and the vanilla milkshake was ready in 20 minutes. The coffee frappe was almost at the max capacity, plus it wasn’t quite as cold as the milkshake mix, nevertheless it was still slushed in 30 minutes.

The coffee frappe was addictive and could easily become a weekend favourite. The vanilla milkshake was almost like one you’d enjoy from a big fast food chain - also very addictive.

What’s more, we had great fun combining the two. But my gosh, these are high sugar recipes and before I knew it, I’d easily consumed more than double the recommended sugar intake for an adult, just in a couple of drinks.

There’s no denying that the drinks were incredibly delicious and I enjoyed them immensely, but I would definitely need to purchase some smaller glasses to force myself into more sensible portion sizes in future.

Alcohol slushies

I couldn’t review this slushie machine without making a frozen margarita. I went in search of a classic recipe though, as I didn’t fancy the mango or strawberry versions in the Ninja recipe book. The one I landed on included tequila, cointreau, simple syrup, lime juice, and sparkling water.

In the second side, for the non drinkers, I put a bottle of sparkling non alcoholic rosé, to make a frozen rosé style drink. That’s one thing about this machine that’s really great, it gives you the option to create drinks that include everyone, so nobody is left out of the fun.

I hit the dual slush assist button again and let the machine figure things out. The frozen rosé was ready first, after just 17 minutes. The margarita took a bit longer, which wasn’t surprising since the bottle of rosé was just 750ml, while the margarita mix was around 1200ml. That said, it still only took 24 minutes.

I left it running for around seven hours on a hot Saturday afternoon and I definitely noticed plenty of condensation on the outside of the vessels, but like I said, it’s thoughtfully designed, so the condensation catcher trays did a great job of collecting all the moisture and my worktop stayed dry.

Of course, both drinks were tasty and enjoyable, real frozen margaritas at home felt so luxurious and I can’t wait to serve them at more gatherings. I did have to adjust the texture a couple of times using the snowflake buttons. It takes a few minutes to get the drink to your desired texture, but it’s worth a short wait for the perfect cocktail.

What's it like to clean?

There’s no getting away from it, cleaning is one of the biggest drawbacks of this appliance. Thank goodness for the rinse cycle. You can add warm water and use the rinse cycle to get rid of most of the drink residues. Then all of the dishwasher-safe parts will need to be popped through a cycle.

The two big vessels are bulky to wash by hand, the two augers are fiddly, and then there’s the drip tray, condensation catcher trays, and spouts, so it feels like a lot of washing up. None of the parts can go in the dishwasher.

After using milk based recipes, you have to be extra thorough to make sure it doesn’t end up with milky residues anywhere. And I found myself double washing some parts to get rid of the greasiness from cream that was in the recipes. The biggest saving grace is that in general this isn’t an appliance you’ll use daily, which takes the sting out of the clean-up effort.

How does it compare to other models?

The original Ninja SLUSHi (£299.99 via SharkNinja) was a hit with our Kitchen Appliances Editor and will definitely fit the bill if you’re likely to make one flavour slushie at a time. What's more, despite being the smallest on offer from the brand, its 1.9 litre max fill capacity is still bigger than the 1.42 litres you can put in each side of the SLUSHi Twist. And at £299.99 it's over £100 cheaper than the SLUSHi Twist.

Alternatively, if you just like the idea of a single serve frappe from time to time, you could opt for something like the Dualit Ice Cream Maker. Not only does it allow you to create delicious ice cream, but the slushie setting does the job for occasional frozen drink too.

Should you buy the Ninja SLUSHi Twist?

Much is made of its ability to creatively dispense two different drinks into the same glass, but I think the biggest and most useful feature is simply that you can slush two separate drink recipes simultaneously. For example, being able to make an alcoholic slushie alongside a non-alcoholic one is a great way to include everyone in the fun at a party.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of fun to be had mixing slushies together and creating cool looking dual colour drinks. The downside is that it’s an expensive, bulky appliance so it’s worth considering whether one of the other Ninja SLUSHi models would meet your needs.

That being said, if you want more fun, more drinks options, and to add extra pazazz to your next gathering, the SLUSHi Twist is a premium slushie machine with all the functionality and wow factor you could hope for!

Even though it sounds quite boastful, there really has been no better job than testing out one of the best slushie machines this summer. Accompanying me to BBQs, parties and family get-togethers, it’s proved to be the ultimate party essential.

Following the success of the Ninja Slushi and how much our Kitchen Appliances Editor raved about it, I’ve been dying to get my hands on a frozen drinks maker. So, when the opportunity came up to test Salter’s more affordable alternative, I leapt at the opportunity.

Not only was the Salter Slushie Maker (£179.99) easy to use, producing delicious frozen drinks quickly, but it was a real crowd pleaser, too. Now, I doubt I'll ever be found hosting or attending any summer get-togethers without it. Here’s why.

It was incredibly simple to get the Salter Slushie ready to go. Salter states you should let the machine stand for two hours before use to let the refrigerant settle, and then it’s good to go. The main thing you need to remember is that each drink serving should have at least 10g of sugar, which means you should avoid using sugar-free sodas or ingredients. Also, you must never add hot or solid items like ice cream and frozen fruit, as it can damage the machine.

For my first test, I went straight for a frozen cocktail. It was a hot Friday night, and having promised frozen cocktails at a party the following day, I wanted to give it a spin first. Opting for a frozen Cuba Libre, I added rum, ‘full fat’ cola and lime juice to the machine. Then, all I had to do was press the ‘frozen cocktail button’, and I was off.

All I had to do was wait. The machine made a little noise, but this was to be expected, and after just 40 minutes, the temperature on the control panel had dropped from around 20 degrees to -5. And the results were delicious. The slushy mix is smooth, without chunks of ice, giving that cocktail bar experience.

Since then, I’ve got to work testing the other presets - slushy, frappe, chilled juice, smoothie and milkshake. During this summer’s hellish heatwaves, I have to say that the smoothie and slushie functions were incredible for helping me and my partner stay cool.

But the Salter Slushie really came into its own when it came to hosting. Its large 1.9L capacity meant it was more than capable of hosting eight (thirsty) adults, and every single friend or family member I served a frozen drink to was impressed.

Taking it to parties, the compact size of the machine made it easy to transport. Its slim size makes it easy to fit in the car (yes, it has its own seatbelt), and so far, it has fit easily in my friends’ kitchens.

I won’t lie, it does look a little bulky in my kitchen. But I have an unbelievably small kitchen - to the point where I lack the space for one of the best air fryers - so I think this is more a ‘me’ problem than a problem with the slushy maker.

I was also impressed with how easy the Salter Slushie maker is to clean. It has a preset rinse function, which is great for loosening slushy debris, and ideal if you want to switch to a different drink recipe. Then, the slushy maker is easily disassembled for deeper cleaning.

I have found a few of the edges a little tricky to scrub due to the shape of the dispenser, but this really hasn’t bothered me. Plus, you can reassemble the machine in *literally* a minute.

The Salter Slushy is the first frozen drinks maker I’ve made, and I have to say I was impressed. While the Ninja Slushi offers frozen results in just 15 minutes, I don’t think this is enough of a pull for me to stray from Salter. Like Ninja, the Salter Slushie Maker can also keep drinks cool for up to 12 hours, has one more preset (smoothie) and is more affordable to boot.

Not only has the Salter Slushie Machine kept me cool and hydrated with delicious frozen drinks all summer, but I suspect it has improved my social life, too!

If there's one culinary topic that's bound to divide opinion, it's how to make perfect rice. While I thought I was tied to my faithful plug-in rice cooker for life, Joseph Joseph's microwave version (for £26) just switched my allegiances completely.

I've been vociferous in my love for my handy, compact rice cooker from Lakeland, which turns out grains with the ideal level of bite with minimal effort. My big complaint with it, however, is that it takes 40 minutes to complete its task, which can get in the way of a quick dinner.

Joseph Joseph's genius cooker, by comparison, which fits neatly inside your microwave (and cupboards) with a range of clever design features, took just 10 minutes to cook fluffy rice. If you don't want to invest in another appliance for your kitchen, this is a wonderful low-effort buy.

I admit I was skeptical about this gadget at first. I've seen enough memes about the 'art' of microwave cookbooks to know that this isn't an appliance famed for its culinary delights.

But I was willing to give it a go if it meant I could gain some more worktop and cupboard space back. As a full-time tester of kitchen appliances, my cooking area can go from calm to chaotic very fast.

I've tried a few of Joseph Joseph's kitchen gadgets but this bested all of my expectations. It's compact (obviously enough to fit into a microwave) and has features that allow you to measure and wash your rice as well as cook it without any extra washing up.

You have an inner and outer pot here, with the former doubling as a colander for you to wash your rice in (an essential to avoid the grains clumping together). A measuring cup is included with this cooker too, which I'd recommend using so that you can easily follow the cooking instructions in the included booklet.

My favourite part of it all might just be the rice paddle. This is used to lock the pot together when you pop it into the microwave and fluffs up your cooked rice a treat too.

This gadget is so easy to use. It's foolproof! For a serving for two people I used half a cup of rice, which I measured out then washed in the sink. The colander has a thin pop out handle so you don't have to fiddle getting it out of the main pot to take it to the sink.

For this amount of rice, eight to ten minutes of microwave cooking is required. I duly followed those timings, as well as the recommendation to let the rice stand for five additional minutes while I prepared the rest of my meal.

I left the pot locked with the spoon while it stood and after the allotted time, opened it up to find fluffy rice ready to go. It was such a speedy and foolproof process – quicker than my rice cooker and less effort than my traditional hob method (which involves waiting for it to boil from cold and then popping on a lid).

I'm a total convert to this method. Not only was it quick and easy but it means I don't have another appliance to plug in or maintain. The parts can go through the dishwasher too.

It turns out I'm pretty late to the party on this incredibly handy gadget, with it having racked up 151 reviews to accumulate a 4.5 star rating on the brand's website. Other impressed reviewers have remarked on how consistent it is for 'perfect rice every time'.

This isn't the only microwave-cooking buy that Joseph Joseph have designed. I've also discovered they have a highly-rated 4-piece stackable set too, which claims to be able to help you cook an entire meal in a microwave.

So perhaps I was wrong in my assumptions about microwave cooking after all. If it's this easy, I'll take as much of it as I can get!

Sorry traditional air fryers, glass air fryers are taking the culinary world by storm due to their space-saving and meal prepping capabilities - and Lidl is about to launch the most affordable I’ve seen yet.

In 2026, the best air fryers have a spot in every kitchen, yet most are quite bulky. But the increase in popularity of glass air fryers over the past year shows that these game-changing appliances can work in the tiniest of kitchens.

Landing in stores on Sunday 2 August, Lidl’s Glass Air Fryer is a deadringer for the Ninja Crispi (was £149.99, now £115 at Shark Ninja), and at only £49.99, It’s one of the most affordable Ninja Crispi alternatives I’ve spotted.

Having reviewed the Ninja Crispi, Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor Molly Cleary declared she’d only use the glass air fryer from then on. Its easy-to-clean glass containers were found to be excellent for making lunches and meal prep, while its compact size meant it was easy to stash away after use, too - no bulky appliance taking up precious worktop space here. Not to mention it produces unbelievably delicious and crispy results.

The convenience of glass air fryers has seen them soar in popularity, and now it’s Lidl’s turn to deliver an affordable version. If you have Lidl Plus, the Glass Fryer is £49.99, and it is £59.99 without the app discount.

It boasts a transparent glass cooking basket, allowing you to keep an eye on how your food is cooking without opening the drawer (one of the main benefits of glass air fryers over standard ones), and it promises to deliver healthy, crispy results with ease. Lidl also states the machine is easy to clean, which is a bonus. For squeaky clean air fryers, I do recommend the Astonish Air Fryer Cleaner(£2.50, Dunelm) as it is great for cutting through grease.

Lidl’s Silvercrest Glass Air Fryer has four preset programs: air fry, roast, re-fry, and keep warm. Its small glass container is ideal for one portion, while the supermarket says its large container is big enough to roast a whole chicken.

‘I was unsure of the concept of glass air fryers at first, but after testing the Ninja Crispi I was totally won over. I can't imagine a better air fryer design for a student house or a small kitchen in order to feed one or two people,' comments Molly. 'If you're on a tight budget, then this version from Lidl might be worth a try. The glass surface is much easier to clean than a usual air fryer tray and will be so easy to pop into a deep drawer too.'

Glass air fryers are a great choice for people who have small kitchens, students and anyone else who doesn’t want to give up worktop space for bulky appliances. They offer a great vantage point, where you can see how your food is cooking. The detachable glass dishes make meal prep incredibly easy, and the glass is far easier to clean than other air fryers.

Lidl’s glass air fryer will only be available in-store. So, in the case of stock issues or it selling out fast, I’ve rounded up a few more affordable alternatives to shop online.

You can always count on Lidl to deliver an affordable alternative to our favourite appliances. Will you try it?

It can be hard to strike the balance between a cluttered countertop and a well-stocked one, especially when creating a dedicated space for making tea and coffee. In my time as Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor I've learned one of the things that those with organised coffee stations always have is some kind of tray or organiser to curate their nook around.

And now, I've found a very affordable solution to do just that: enter IKEA's £5 NÅLBLECKA organiser.

This versatile organiser is one of the brand's new-in kitchenware gems – alongside a bargain £15 fridge system and £4 hideaway dish drainer. Here's why it's genius for doubling storage space either on your worktop or in your cupboards.

The reviews accumulated for the NÅLBLECKA organiser collection show off its versatility. Of course, the flexibility of these Scandi-inspired products is the reason why so many IKEA hacks flood social media feeds every week, and with a little bit of vision even a humble £5 organiser like this one can help to switch up your space.

While one user has so far remarked that they were using it as a mug holder, another has already been using it as a method to keep loose cooking items organised.

The version with a tray on the top and bottom has a 4.8 star rating out of 5 from 496 reviews, with a whole host of reviewers saying it's a great fit for cooking oils and jars that need to be within easy reach.

For a coffee station specifically, the gap underneath the £5 organiser works well as it gives space for mug stacking – especially for those oversized mugs space which need to stack together without being restricted. Up top, the tray element is a good spot for tea bags, sugar or coffee too.

If you're stuck for space horizontally on your worktop, the legs of these organisers allow them to stack together too which is great for making the most of any vertical storage space you have.

The debate on what should be left on a kitchen worktop and what should be tidied away is always alive and well at Ideal Home towers. If there's one thing we all agree on though, its that one of the the things that people with a tidy kitchen worktop always have is a clutter bucket or tray to collect loose items.

Of course, the NÅLBLECKA is a kind of elevated tray but if you want something more interiors-led, these are the picks I would opt for in the ultra-organised kitchen of my dreams.

Whether you opt for IKEA's ultra-affordable organiser or one of these alternatives, the key to a curated and less chaotic kitchen countertop is all in picking the right place to gather your must-haves. Are you all for storing things on your worktop or do you prefer to hide everything away?

Ninja has a new multi-cooker to feast your eyes on and I think it's the most capable offering I've seen from the bestselling brand yet.

The Ninja HyperHeat, which is currently down to £149.99 from £169.99, has an impressive 9 functions to get stuck into combined into one sleek appliance.

The setting I'm most excited about is rice cooking – which is something I absolutely loved when I tested what I think is the best multi-cooker on the market, the Ninja Foodi Possible. As well as that, the HyperHeat also has a pressure cooker setting, meaning that it can save you a huge amount of time on meal prep. Here's what else it can do!

The HyperHeat is so called because it has the ability to lock in high temperatures and pressure in order to speed up your cooking process. Its pressure cooking mode is one of its big selling points, alongside the other functions, which are steam, slow cook, sear/sauté, rice, pasta, simmer, keep warm & yoghurt.

If you've never used a pressure cooker before then the big thing to know is that it can seriously save you time in the kitchen. Ninja claims that with the HyperHeat you can cook up to 70% faster than with hob cooking – though you do have to reserve time for the pot to pre-heat. It locks in steam and heat to supercharge the cooking process so that stews or rice will be cooked in record time in your home.

The capacity of this cooker is tailor-made for families, too. It has six litres of space, meaning you can batch cook with it or use it for family dinners. The sear and sauté functions allow you to use the inner pot as a stand-in hob, too – perfect if you need an all-in-one appliance if your kitchen is currently out of action. That's exactly what our Senior Digital Editor, Jenny McFarlane did recently in her temporary kitchen whilst hers was being renovated.

I'm evangelical about the need for a rice cooker in every household – no matter the size – thanks to its ability to help you whip up quick meals with essentially no effort. The reviews from users so far on the HyperHeat, where it currently has a 4.6 star rating out of 5 from 29 people, are overwhelmingly impressed with the rice cooking functionality in particular.

Another benefit of this new Ninja cooker is the included stainless steel reversible rack. Reviewers have been putting this to good use in order to cook across two levels in one pot. You can steam grains in the bottom while your protein is cooked to perfection on top.

Though it might seem counterintuitive in this heat given they have a reputation for being used to make soups and stews, a multi-cooker is actually a great appliance for the hot months. With it, there's no sweating over your hob or lengthy prep times. Instead, you can throw everything into a cooker like this and quickly return to your finished meal, especially if you're using the pressure cooking setting on this appliance.

Whether you're already a multi-cooker convert or not, the HyperHeat certainly looks like an impressive new entry into the category for Ninja. Could you see yourself using this in your kitchen?

There are plenty of affordable ice cream makers hitting the shelves right now, including Aldi's Ambiano Ice Cream Machine for £69.99 and Lidl's Silvercrest version, the Premium Freezy, for the same price.

Though these ice cream machines are unbelievably cheap, as Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, I'd recommend spending a fraction more on an easier-to-store alternative that I've tested: Cuisinart's genius FreezeWand (£79.99 via Amazon).

As well as still being wallet-friendly, this is one of the best ice cream makers I've tested for a small kitchen and works like a charm for making sorbets, ice cream and a range of other frozen treats. Here's why I think it's the sweet-treat-buy to beat for most kitchens, including Aldi's budget Ninja Creami alternative.

The ice cream makers recently released by supermarkets with middle aisles we love to peruse are both modelled on Ninja's viral sensation and bestseller the Ninja Creami, which we reviewed way back in 2023. While the Ninja Creami's design has been a huge hit, it's an appliance that takes up a lot of space on a worktop. Even the most dedicated at-home ice cream enthusiast might struggle to give up the space it needs in a kitchen.

That's why I was so impressed by Cuisinart's FreezeWand design, which is perfect for compact spaces. It consists of a stick fitted with a blade that neatly fits into three 240ml pots to churn up your ice cream creation. These pots, which you use to pre-freeze your ingredients, also neatly stack together either in your freezer or in storage – another big benefit of this buy over bulkier alternatives.