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Steam in the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket XXL air fryer makes fantastic meals, but it’s not without caveats

4:21 am | February 28, 2025

Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam: One-minute review

There are plenty of dual-drawer air fryers on the market these days, but not too many come with a steam function. And that’s where the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam comes in – as the name suggests, you can use the steam to not just cook meals, but it can even be used to clean the air fryer.

Cooking with steam means you can make dumplings or steamed vegetables easily, but the Philips 5000 Series XXL also has an air fryer+steam combo mode that I found to be quite handy. This not only cooks meat to perfection, retaining moisture, but also allows for crispy skin and crackling, albeit will need a few extra minutes air frying the perfect results.

In fact, pretty much everything I cooked in the Philips Series 5000 XXL turned out to be really good, although I’d recommend not bothering with the presets. They’re handy as a guide, but unless you have the exact amount of food that preset was meant for, it’s not going to cook your meal to perfection. Given its dual drawers, you can sync cook times, no matter what you have in either of them, but you can’t replicate the settings across both drawers because of their difference in size.

However, having the power of steam means you’ll need to deal with a few caveats. For starters, it’s available only for the larger drawer, so you will need to plan out what food item goes into which drawer before you start cooking. That also means steam cleaning is only available for the larger drawer and it requires you to manually scrub the basket and drawer anyway. So it’s not quite the magical solution I was expecting it to be. Well, at least both drawers, and the basket and tray, are dishwasher safe.

Given how well it cooks, though, it would be easy to recommend, particularly if you want steam cooking. You will, however, need to shell out a decent amount of cash for the privilege.

The Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam on a kitchen countertop — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam review: price & availability

Announced November 2024
Launch price of £249.99 / AU$499, but available for cheaper now
Not available in the US at the time of writing

Philips came out with two dual-basket air fryers at around the same time in late 2024 – the 3000 Series and the 5000 Series. Both also have single-drawer options, but it’s only the 5000 Series Dual Basket model that has the steam functionality.

At launch, it came with a list price of £249.99 / AU$499 in the UK and Australia, but can now be had for £179.99 / AU$349. It’s currently not listed for purchase in the US.

This review is based on the Australian model with SKU NA551/00. The model available in the UK is NA555/09 with a brushed-steel finish.

I think the discounted price is quite competitive and could be excellent value for some users, especially those who’ll really make good use of the steam functionality to cook (the steam-clean mode is superfluous). That’s not to say it’s cheap, but it isn’t too much more in some markets compared to other dual-drawer models.

For example, the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400 (has the model number of DZ401 in the US) costs $229 / £229.99 / AU$299.99 and the Instant Vortex Plus Versazone can set you back $199.95 / £199.99 / AU$399 at full price.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam review: specifications

Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam review: design

800ml removable water reservoir on top of appliance
Non-stick coating makes it easy to clean
Clear touchscreen display, but requires small learning curve to master

If you’re already familiar with dual-basket air fryers, the Philips 5000 Series XXL Steam is not going to look too different, except for one very distinct feature – there’s a small rectangular plastic reservoir on the top to hold up to 800ml of water. It’s translucent, so you can see the level as it gets used up, and it has a cloud icon to indicate what could only be billowing steam. If you don’t notice the water level going down, there’s no need to worry as a warning light will appear on the touchscreen display.

The tank can be removed and washed, and it’s best not to leave any water in there when the appliance is not in use to avoid scale build-up. The good news is that the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket XXL Steam has a descaling cycling built in, but better safe than sorry.

Like many dual-basket air fryers, the two drawers are different sizes – a larger 6L basket and a smaller 3L one. Philips says the larger drawer can fit a whole chicken in it, but you will need to make sure it’s not too large a chicken, and although the total 9L capacity sounds like a lot, it may not be enough for a family of four. And it’s only the bigger drawer that has steam functionality.

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The water reservoir on the top of the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam — The water reservoir has a cloud icon on its lid to indicate billowing steam (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The two drawers of the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam — Both drawers, the large basket and the small tray are non-stick and dishwasher safe (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The holder for the water reservoir on top of the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam — The water reservoir fits into its own little niche (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Having two drawers means the whole appliance has a large footprint, but it’s not overly large compared to other similar air fryers on the market. It is, however, slightly taller because of the water reservoir on the top.

The touchscreen display is very clear when it comes on, even if you have bright overhead lights shining down on the reflective surface. The top line of icons are the presets, below which you can choose the time and temperature for each drawer. There’s even the option to sync cooking times if you want. If you’re already familiar with air fryers, you won’t have much trouble finding your way around the functions on the display, although the steam cooking, air fry+steam combo, steam-clean mode and descaling option will be new to most people.

Unfortunately Philips doesn’t provide a proper user manual in the box – it has some diagrams, but they’re not easy to wrap your head around. A detailed manual is available on the HomeID app, which can be accessed via the QR code in the box or on the machine itself, but it’s not easy to find – after some digging, I found a link to the PDF buried in a Quick Guide article for the Series 5000 Dual Basket Steam air fryer.

The rear of the appliance is quite plain, but Philips provides cable management in the form of a clip-on brace. Above this are the two vents that, when you use steam, will puff rhythmically.

The display for a single-basket use on the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

All of Philips’ air fryers have one thing in common – the raised pattern at the bottom of the drawers. This is to help the company’s proprietary RapidAir technology circulate hot air within each basket more efficiently. This pattern also means you can’t cook directly in the drawer, as some other brands allow you to do. Both the drawers on the Series 5000 Dual Basket XXL Steam are non-stick, but no mention has been made on what the material actually is. That said, the large basket, the two drawers and the small tray are dishwasher safe.

One thing to keep in mind with the large basket: it might appear square, but it’s not. So if the basket isn’t fitting, just turn it around and slide it in. The basket has small silicone-covered feet that are prone to pressure, which can happen if you’re handwashing it. This causes the feet to move out of position and not let the basket fit back into the drawer – if this happens, you can gently reposition them.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Chicken drumsticks in the large drawer of the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam review: performance

Very useful time-sync functionality and shake reminders
Plenty of presets, but they are guides only
Not a smart (connected) air fryer

It might take you a while to get used to using steam in an air fryer, but once you do, it’s hard to not keep going back to it – I, for one, couldn’t stop experimenting with it. I used most of the functions on this air fryer and disappointments were rare – it really does cook nearly everything very well. From tender steaks to steamed dumplings, I can hardly fault it.

That said, nothing I made was using the presets. I found very quickly that unless you plan to cook the exact amount of fries, meat or vegetables the presets were designed for, you will not get the right results. The presets on the Philips 5000 Series are guides only, but you can always adjust cook time and temperature for better results.

During my testing I found that manual input of cook time and temperature was the best and, of course, you can always pull a basket out to check on what’s happening to see if any adjustments are needed. Opening a drawer will pause the air dryer – both drawers, in fact – and it automatically restarts when you push the basket back in. Time and temperature adjustments can be made while the appliance is running.

One thing to keep in mind with the Philips 5000 Series XXL Steam is that there is no preheat function here. This isn’t unique to this machine, with others like the Russell Hobbs Satisfry Dual Basket air fryer (available only in the UK) also missing out on it. A preheat would have been nice for things like cooking steaks, but I got good results even without it, albeit after a couple of attempts to get the right temperature and time settings for the perfect cook (medium for me, thanks).

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Cheese and garlic crumpets before cooking in the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam — Cheese and garlic crumpets before cooking... (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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Garlic and cheese crumpets cooked in the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam — ..and the final, slightly overdone results (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

One of the first cooking modes I tried in the 5000 Series Dual Basket XXL Steam was air fry+steam. This feature works by pumping steam and hot air alternately, so you will hear the sound change rhythmically. The chicken drumsticks that I experimented with were tender and moist, but the skin didn't get crispy. I popped them back in for five minutes more at 200ºC for just air frying, giving me wonderfully juicy chicken legs with crispy skin. The other dish I used the air fry+steam function was pork belly and, again, the meat was lovely, but I did have to use the air-fry mode to crisp up the skin. I’d imagine you could even use it to make some cakes if you want a fudgy interior, but I didn’t have any recipes (or ingredients) on hand to experiment with when it comes to baking during my testing of this air fryer.

I found the steam-only function rather useful though. Not only is it good to steam vegetables for a side, you can even make dumplings in this air fryer. The only issue here is the pre-planning. Given you have only one drawer (the larger one) with steaming abilities, you need to figure out beforehand what you should cook in it. For example, if you have a large piece of meat that you want to cook (time-synced) alongside vegetables, you’ll likely need to forgo steamed veg as the meat won’t fit in the smaller drawer. In which case, you will need to use the 6L basket twice, which isn’t ideal. However, if you’re making steamed fish with some roasted vegetables on the side, you can do them both together by putting the latter in the 3L drawer.

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Halloumi cooked in the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam — Halloumi cooked in the air fryer (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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Chicken drumsticks cooked in the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam — Chicken drumsticks cooked using the air fry+steam mode, then crisped for 5 minutes by air frying only (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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Stuffed portobello mushrooms cooked in the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam — Stuffed portobello mushrooms cooked in the Philips air fryer (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

I found that the 800ml maximum water capacity in the reservoir will last you no more than an hour’s worth of cooking time, so you may need to refill it if you have anything that needs longer cooking. This Philips air fryer also has a maximum temperature of 200ºC, which isn’t as high as some other air fryers are capable of, but I found it still produces lovely crackling anyway.

Time synchronization works well and I appreciate that there is a shake reminder too. I love me some crispy, deep-fried bitter gourd (a childhood favorite) and I didn’t even need to lay the slices down in a single layer. The shake reminders were great when I just plopped handfuls in each basket to air fry and, at the end of 27 minutes, I had a Tupperware box full of my fave snack.

I cooked halloumi in the air fryer, as well mushrooms, steak and frozen foods. No matter what I threw at it, the results were to my liking, although I will emphasize that the presets won’t necessarily be too useful for first-time users.

Steamed dumplings and air-fried skewers in the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam drawers — Dumplings steamed in the large basket alongside prawn and chorizo skewers (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

As good as the cooking is, I was disappointed by the steam-cleaning function. As wonderful as it sounds on paper, it’s not quite what Philips makes it out to be – you will need to manually wash the basket and drawer to remove all traces of grease and burnt food after a 15-minute steam cycle, then pop it back in for a 2-minute hot-air drying session. Moreover, only the 6L basket has the advantage of steam to loosen caked-in grease. Thankfully both drawers and baskets are dishwasher safe.

Given it uses water, there is a descale mode available, but I haven’t had the appliance long enough to try it and, even after three months, have not seen any deposits in the water reservoir.

So while I would love to score this air fryer higher just for its cooking performance, I have to dock marks for the caveats surrounding the steam functionality.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

The time-sync function on the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Should I buy the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam?

Buy it if...

You’d love to cook with steam in an air fryer

While most air fryers let you do more than just air fry (like bake, roast, grill and more), the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket takes it one step further and offers the steam function too. Importantly, it allows you to combine air frying and steaming, which is good for tender meat.

You want excellent results, no matter what you cook
This is a high-performing air fryer, even if you don’t always use the steam function. If you are comfortable experimenting, you’ll hit the right notes each time you cook in it.

You want to cook mains and sides together

While not unique to this Philips air fryer, the ability to make a main dish and a side simultaneously is time-saving. And you can have them both ready at the same time. This even works well if you have something steaming in the main drawer and something else in the smaller basket.

Don't buy it if...

You’re a first-time air fryer user

Not only is the user manual difficult to access, the cooking presets on this air fryer are just a guide and won’t work unless you have the exact same amount of the precise food it was made for. This cooking appliance will need some experimentation.

You can’t justify a premium air fryer

Despite being available at a competitive price, there are cheaper air fryers available. If you don’t need the steam function, you’ll be able to save by opting for a single-drawer air fryer. This also means you won’t need the extra space to store a two-drawer air fryer.

You have a large family

While the total 9L capacity sounds good on paper, the larger 6L drawer won’t fit a large chicken. In my opinion, this air fryer is suited to a 2-3 person household.

Also consider

Ninja DoubleStack

Offering two drawers but not taking up as much space, Ninja’s DoubleStack is one of a kind. In our tests, it produced some excellently cooked results, although you won’t have the power of steam here.
Read our in-depth Ninja DoubleStack review

Tefal Easy Fry Grill and Steam XXL 3-in-2 Air Fryer

Not widely available, and we haven’t tested this model yet, but it’s one of the few air fryers to offer steam cooking too. It’s a single-drawer model, so won’t take up as much room on your countertop as the Philips, but it is priced higher.

How I tested the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam

Used for five weeks to cook a variety of meals
Cooked mushrooms, steak, cheese, chicken, fish and much more
Tested most cooking functions and presets

Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam on a kitchen counter — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

For a period of five weeks, I cooked nearly all my dinners in the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam, as well as some lunches and a few snacks during the weekends. This gave me plenty of time to test several of the presets (I didn’t try the bread one though) and experiment with most of the cooking modes.

I’m not much of a baker at the best of times, but I did try to make some banana muffins in the air fryer, which didn’t quite turn out as I expected them to, but that had to do with my recipe rather than any fault of the appliance.

However, I also cooked various meats in the two drawers to test the roast, air fryer and air-fry+steam combo functions. These included a scotch fillet, chicken thighs and legs, a pork belly and beef sausages – the latter in the smaller basket.

The vegetables I cooked – both air fried and steamed – included broccolini, potatoes, cauliflower florets, carrots and snow peas. I also cooked some halloumi and portobello mushrooms.

In addition to cooking, I also tested the steam-clean mode a few times. I hand-washed the baskets and drawers most of the time but, when space allowed, I even put them in my dishwasher. The only function I couldn’t test during my review period was the descaling as there were no visible marks to tell me if the feature was working optimally or not.

ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner review

Product info

The UK model I’ve tested has since become unavailable to purchase, with no details to suggest when it might be back in stock. There are identical-looking car vacuums available under a different brand, but we cannot guarantee that these would perform the same.

The US model is still available and looks identical. However, the specifications may vary from those of the UK model I’ve tested.

The ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner is a cable-powered and easy-to-wield handheld vacuum cleaner that comes with some helpful accessories and a storage bag. It has a list price of $36.99 at Amazon, and was available in the UK until recently, with no hint of when it may be back in stock. There’s a variety of budget handheld vacs available on Amazon, and results can be somewhat hit-and-miss, but in the case of the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner, it’s a low-cost vacuum that’s worth the money.

I must admit, the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner appealed to me straight out of the box simply because it has rose gold buttons on – clearly I’m easily pleased. Aside from this detail, I was happy with the overall aesthetic and the materials used. It mostly comprises not-too-cheap-looking matt black plastic, with a smoky black translucent dust cup that makes up the front end of the vacuum. ThisWorx hasn’t provided a capacity for the dust cup, but it doesn’t look much smaller than the dust cup of the Temola TS20BS Cordless Handheld Vacuum.

A close-up of the rose gold power button and dust cup release. — (Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)

I liked how the air outlet vents have been somewhat made into a feature, as they’re fin-like and curved. The integrated handle is easy to hold and while at 2.4lbs / 1.1kg it’s not as light as other car vacuums I’ve tested, it’s still light enough and easy to wield. The rose-colored buttons are clearly differentiable and easy to use. There’s a simple slide switch engraved with a power button symbol and a rounded button that releases the catch holding the dust cup when pushed.

While many users prefer a wireless vacuum, I found the 16ft / 4.8m power cord offered plenty of length to vacuum my whole car. It plugged into my car's 12V outlet easily, and this constant power meant that I wasn’t limited to a 10-15 minute run time as many cordless of the best handheld vacuums are. The dimensions of the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner are fairly average, measuring ‎13.4 x 3.9 x 4.3 inches / 340 x 102 x 109mm, so it was small enough to use in my footwells. For harder-to-reach areas, the extension tube and flathead nozzle came in handy, as this allowed me to get down the sides of the seats. This car vac also comes with a brush head, spare HEPA filter, filter cleaning brush, a storage bag, and a hanging car freshener, too.

There is a black and orange storage bag on a grey stone surface with ThisWorx printed on the front. — (Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)

I consider it a bonus when a handheld vacuum comes with a storage bag. The one that comes with the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner could not only hold the vacuum and the accessories but it was easy to carry as well. The quality isn’t fantastic, I must say. The material is thin and looks like it could get easily torn, so I can’t speak of its longevity, but it was convenient over the week I tested this car vac.

Getting the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner ready to rumble was pretty easy. There was no charging time to factor in thanks to its corded design, and I just needed to follow the instructions that stated I’d need to remove and reinsert the HEPA filter. The user manual stated this may be difficult to do at first, and they weren’t wrong, but after that point, it was easy to put back in place and remove. I liked that there was a plastic bar across the center of the filter, as this made life easier when it came to removing it, which is especially useful as the filter needed to be removed each time I needed to empty the dust cup.

The handheld vacuum has been dismantled into three pieces. — (Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)

Despite only having one power setting, the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner had no issue vacuuming up the oats I’d spread over my car’s floor mat. It picked up basically everything in its path on the first pass, spare a couple of smaller particles, but it picked these up quickly when I went back over those spots. It performed well when vacuuming up the mixture of fine biscuit crumbs and flour, too, but there were some very fine particles within the pile that it wasn’t quite powerful enough to suck up.

This was the perfect opportunity to try out the extension tube and brush. Both ends of the hose look similar, but there’s a helpful arrow on the end that should be inserted into the vac. Both accessories were easy to fit in place, and the brush enabled me to clean up the finer particles, although it took a few passes, making it more effort to use than the Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro Plus, the overall champion of our best car vacuum, but this is understandable considering the substantial price difference.

Three accessories of the handheld vacuum are positioned around a tall cement block. — (Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)

The position of the air outlets was good, as the fin-like vents were positioned on the sides of the vacuum and blew backward, so I didn’t have any issues with the stream of air shooting oats and biscuit crumbs around my car, as happened when I tested the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless.

I tested ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner in a full car clean, and my driver's footwell was no easy task. I was pleased to find the suction was strong enough to get small bits of leaf debris and gravel out of my car's carpeting, something weaker vacuums I’ve tested struggled with. This car vacuum tackled the leaves and bits of gravel well, although I needed to empty the dust cup halfway through as the one-inch leaves unavoidably covered the filter. It took a few minutes, and I needed to finish off with the brush to get the finer debris out of the carpet pile, but overall I was pleased with the results from the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner.

In a nutshell, I’d happily spend $36.99 on this handheld vacuum cleaner. It looks nice, is easy to hold and, in my opinion, the corded power is a bonus as I don’t need to wait for it to recharge if I want to do a thorough clean. While the storage bag is a little on the cheap side, it still proved useful, and the accessories were a suitable quality for the price. If you’d prefer a named-brand vacuum, take a look at our selection of the best car vacuums, handheld vacuums, and cordless vacuums to learn about our favorites.

ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner specs

Should I buy the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner?

Buy it if...

You don’t want to risk running out of juice
Many people love a cordless vac, but if, like me, you like to spend time doing a thorough job, this corded design means you won’t be cleaning against the clock.

You want something easy to store
Whether you’d keep this handheld vac in your car or in a cupboard, the small size and storage bag make it easy to pack away when you’re not using it.

Don't buy it if...

You want a cordless vac
Corded vacs can have their limitations, especially if you own a motor home or a large vehicle. If this is the case for you, then a cordless handheld vacuum would be your best bet.

Don’t buy if you want control over suction power
While this vacuum had a good level of suction, there may be situations where you require more or less power. If so, a handheld vac with different suction modes might prove more efficient.

ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner review: also consider

Temola TS20BS
The TS20BS is satisfyingly lightweight and easy to use. It's cordless, has two speeds to choose from, and even has a helpful LED light for better visibility when vacuuming awkward spaces. The only downside to this efficient car vacuum is that there doesn't appear to be separate filters to purchase, so that's something to bear in mind. If you'd like to learn more about this Temola vac, check out my full Temola TS20BS review.

How I tested the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner

I used the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner to clean my car
I assessed its ability to vacuum both large and fine debris
I tested the included accessories

I took a close look at the design and materials used for the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner. I put it through its paces against the TechRadar vacuum testing process in my car. This involves testing a vacuum's ability to pick up fine and coarse particles, namely oats, and a mixture of flour and fine biscuit crumbs.

I assessed the fit of the accessories and used each of them to see how effective they were. I also looked at how easy and efficient the dust cup emptying process was.

First reviewed January 2025
Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

Cuisinart’s Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker is cheaper than the Ninja Creami Swirl, but its results left me a little cold

2:30 pm | February 23, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Comments: Off

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: one-minute review

If you can't get your hands on the Ninja Creami Swirl, the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker could be the next best thing. It isn't as advanced as the Ninja machine, but can produce a smooth and creamy dessert once you get used to its quirks.

Preparing your ice cream is straightforward, and Cuisinart provides a good online recipe book to get you started. However, you have to keep a very close eye on the machine to ensure you stop it when your mix reaches the right temperature. Stop it too late and you'll have to wait for it to melt, or pull the churning mechanism out and scoop your ice cream out with a spoon. It's not the end of the world, but a timer would help avoid such issues arising.

The miniature hot plate for keeping sauces or melted chocolate warm is a nice touch and works well, but I'd argue that there's no need for three different topping containers – particularly since the design of their dispensing mechanism means most candies are too large.

It can be fun to use, but it would be difficult to justify spending on the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream maker unless you eat frozen desserts several times a week. It's reasonably priced and often available at a discount, but it takes up a lot of valuable space in your kitchen

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: price and availability

List price $179.95 / £200 / AU$249
Sometimes available at a discount
About half the price of Ninja Creami Swirl

The Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker has a list price of $179.95 / £200 / AU$249. It's available direct from Cuisinart's online store, and from third-party retailers such as Amazon. It's sometimes available for a discount, and you'll find all today's best prices below.

For comparison, the Ninja Creami Swirl comes in at almost twice the price at $349. At the time of writing (February 2025), international prices and availability had yet to be announced.

If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, the ice cream maker attachment works in a similar way to the Cuisinart, using a frozen bowl and a rotary motor to churn your ingredients while they freeze, but it lacks a soft-serve dispenser. It retails for $99.99 / £149 / AU$209.

Value score: 4.5/5

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: design

Bulky, not very attractive
Excellent mini hotplate for sauces
Topping dispensers aren't ideal

The Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker is a large appliance, and at 17.7 inches / 45cm, it only just fit beneath my kitchen wall cabinets. Its footprint is relatively small though (9.4 x 11 inches / 24 x 28cm), which is more compact than a lot of coffee makers. You might not want to keep it on the kitchen counter at all times, though; its white plastic chassis is functional and easy to clean, but not a thing of great beauty.

From a mechanical perspective, it's quite simple. There's a double-insulated bowl that you freeze ahead of time, which cools your ingredients to freeze them as they're churned. When your ice cream is ready, simply switch off the motor, open a tap on the bottom, and the finished dessert pours out in a smooth stream (provided you've judged the timings correctly).

There are three removable topping containers on the top right of the machine, which I initially loaded with candy. Unfortunately, I later realized that they were only capable of dispensing very small items such as sprinkles due to the size of the mechanism inside. Toppings such as M&Ms or nuts will be too large, which is a shame. All three toppings are dispensed through a single funnel, which propels them into your ice cream as it pours. During my tests this mostly worked well, but some sprinkles ended up overshooting.

The Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker also has a small hotplate on the left-hand side of the bowl, with a little saucepan that you can use to melt a sauce to pour over your finished ice cream.

Design score: 3.5 / 5

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: performance

Cuisinart's website has a good selection of simple recipes for the Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker, all of which can be adapted to suit your tastes. I started with the fresh strawberry ice cream, which is a mix of double cream, milk, hulled strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar.

You need to keep the bowl upright while it freezes, but I found it fitted in my freezer's deepest drawer quite easily, and I was able to stuff it with small frozen items to make good use of the space until I was ready to use it.

You'll need to blend your mix (take a look at our roundup of the best blenders, if you've been thinking about upgrading) then chill the mix for at least four hours before you start churning.

Once your mix is cold, it's time to begin. The frozen bowl fits easily into place inside the machine, then the lid with the churning mechanism clips on top. Once it's all in place, you start the machine using the switch on the left; make sure the lever is pushed up into the "closed" position, and pour your mix through the L-shaped hole in the top. I forgot to check the lever on my first attempt, which was a messy mistake.

The mini hotplate is activated by turning the control dial all the way to the right, and during testing it worked very well. It provides gentle heat while your ice cream churns, and will melt a cube or two of chocolate by the time your dessert is ready.

Unlike the Ninja Creami Swirl, the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker relies on gravity to dispense your ice cream, so it needs to be just the right consistency. If you allow the mix to chill too long, it will fail to flow through the dispenser, and eventually the churning mechanism will stop turning. This won't break the machine, but you'll need to wait for the ice cream to thaw a little before you can continue, or remove the lid and churning mechanism (which can be tricky if the ice cream has become stiff) and scoop out the dessert instead.

For best results, don't churn for longer than 20 minutes. If I wasn't sure that I'd achieved the right consistency, I found it helpful to turn off the machine, then use a spoon to scoop some of the mixture out of the bowl to assess its thickness. A programmable timer would be a good addition to avoid accidentally over-chilling the mix.

I also found that the blades didn't quite reach all the way to the edge of the bowl, which created a layer of hardened ice cream that wouldn't dispense. This was difficult to remove with a spoon without thawing everything completely.

Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker

Buy it if

You eat a lot of ice cream

Large single-use appliances such as this are tricky to justify unless you'll be using them frequently. If you're more of an occasional dessert fan, an attachment for your stand mixer may be a more economical choice.

You have kids

Custom ice creams with different toppings will definitely appeal to youngsters (or to your inner child).

Don't buy it if

You're easily distracted in the kitchen

This isn't the kind of appliance you can set and forget. You'll need to watch the consistency of your ice cream closely to make sure it's just right.

You have a small kitchen

This is a bulky machine that will take up a lot of room on your counter, or in a cupboard.

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: also consider

Ninja Creami Swirl

The hugely popular soft-serve ice cream maker isn't available outside the US at the time of writing, but it's definitely more advanced than the Cuisinart machine (particularly its dispenser).

KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker

If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, this freezable bowl and churning attachment will do basically the same job as the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker, for less cash. You don't get the dispenser nozzle, though.

How I tested the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker

I used the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker to prepare several recipes from Cuisinart's website, including soft-serve ice cream and sorbet. I tested the hotplate with different types of chocolate, and tried various sprinkles and candies in the topping dispensers.

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

First reviewed February 2025

This dinky hair dryer blew me away with its powerful airflow, scalp-friendly modes, and super-cute design

10:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Hair Care Home Small Appliances | Comments: Off

Laifen Mini hair dryer: two-minute review

The Laifen Mini is a scaled-down, mini hair dryer that offers the kind of power and features you'd expect from a full-sized option. It has the same streamlined silhouette as the majority of the best hair dryers on the market these days – it has a minimalist barrel, with most of the weight in the handle – but the whole unit has been shrunk down to a more portable size. The fact it comes with a carry bag suggests Laifen has travel in mind here, but I'd happily consider it as a main hair dryer if I was short on space.

It's lightweight and comfortable to use, with the (new with this model) matte finish adding grip as well as bumping up this model's style credentials. In terms of modes, there's the standard temperature and windspeed options, but also a couple more advanced modes. One will cycle hot-to-cold every two seconds, and is designed to protect your scalp and also set your locks as you style, and the other is a child mode that uses lower pressure and is better for delicate hair.

Although neither were required for my own styling routine, they both work as advertised and offer a more specialized option for those who want them. In the auto-cycle mode, it took two and a half minutes to rough-dry my hair to 90 per cent dry – a little longer than my full-sized dryer, but still very acceptable and impressively efficient for a travel-sized option.

There are some potential downsides, though. The cord is short and the fact there's currently no compatible diffuser will frustrate curly haired customers. I also found the controls a point of irritation – you set the mode using a series of long or short button presses, and you'll need to memorize these because the only way to note the current mode is by watching the glowing ring on the dryer's barrel and remembering what each color sequence means. It certainly looks cool, but it isn't the most efficient way to convey information.

Those frustrations aside, this is a very strong addition to the Laifen lineup. It's also affordably priced for the features it brings, sitting in the mid-range bracket and delivering strong performance, versatility and a cool look for that price. That's the short version – read on for my full Laifen Mini hair dryer review.

Laifen Mini hair dryer review: price & availability

List price: €129.99
Available: Europe, UK (via EU site)
Launched: September 2024

The Laifen Mini was unveiled at IFA in September 2024, and at time of writing is available to buy in the UK, other European territories, as well as South Africa. The UK situation is a little odd because it's only available to buy via the Laifen EU site and the price is listed in Euros, but Laifen has confirmed it's available for UK shoppers here, and you can specify that it come with a UK plug.

At time of writing, Laifen didn't have any information on if/when the Mini might be launched in the US or Australia – although when my teammate saw the dryer at IFA she was told the differences in voltage were a barrier to launching in the US.

At list price it costs €129.99 – roughly $135 / £107 / AU$213 – although it was reduced to €110.49 at the time of writing. This puts the Laifen Mini in the mid-range price bracket for hair dryers, and I think it's decent value for what it offers. It's a step up on basic in terms of features; it feels robust and good quality; and the design has a premium vibe.

Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Laifen Mini hair dryer specs

Laifen Mini hair dryer review: design

Stylish, small and lightweight build
Comes with magnetic concentrator and carry bag
Controlled via button and slider on handle; cord rather short

The Laifen Mini is a shrunk-down version of the brand's popular Laifen Swift hair dryer. Originally, that was part of a wave of new dryers with designs heavily inspired by the then-hot-new-thing, the Dyson Supersonic.

The new addition still has that streamlined shape with the weight in the handle and a minimal barrel. However, it now looks less like a knock-off and more of its own thing, and I'm a big fan of Laifen's styling. It's the first Laifen dryer to add a matte coating – this brings the double benefit of improving grip while also avoiding that cheap-looking shiny plastic look. It's available in four muted, pastel colors (arguably more on-trend than the tropical tones still favored by Dyson).

Laifen Mini hair dryer, bag and concentrator — The Mini comes with a Concentrator and carry bag (Image credit: Future)

My review model is Glacier Blue (a grey-blue), but it's also available in Jungle Green (an olive-toned color), Coral Pink (really more baby pink) and Arctic White. It arrives with one styling attachment – a concentrator that snaps on and off magnetically. Other Laifen dryers have a compatible diffuser that can be purchased separately, but that isn't an option here.

To help with portability it comes bundled with a carry bag in either grey or brown (color chosen at random). It's just big enough for the dryer, cable and attachment to nestle inside, and is magnetic all the way along the top, making it super easy to open and close.

Laifen Mini hair dryer in its travel case — (Image credit: Future)

At 5.9ft / 1.8m, the cable is on the short side. That might be annoying if you're planning to use this as your main dryer, but it does make sense as a travel option. There's a rubbery cable tidy for when you want to pack the dryer in its bag.

For reference, most full-sized dryers have a cable that's around 8.5-10ft (2.5-3m) long. However, it's worth flagging that Laifen in general is stingy with its cables – the full-sized Swift has the same length cord as this Mini version.

Controls & modes

Controls are via two switches on the handle. There's a slider to turn the dryer on and move between the two different windspeed options, indicated by icons (0, I, II). The second button is used to set the mode.

Close up of controls on Laifen Mini hair dryer — (Image credit: Future)

Here's where things become a little confusing, because different modes require different press types:

Long press: temperature cycling mode
Two short presses: child mode
Single short press: shift between low, medium and high temperature

A ring around the barrel will glow different colors to indicate temperature; but other than that, there's no way to determine which mode you're in.

When the dryer arrived, Laifen had added a wrapper to the handle with instructions printed on it, and I was grateful that I took a photo at the time for reference – because once it's gone, you'll need to rely on your memory to know what's going on.

The temperature control is described as "smart", but that just means there's a sensor inside to prevent overheating, which I'd hope wouldn't happen anyway. Like most modern dryers, bar the ultra-budget models, it releases ions as it dries, to discourage frizz.

Design score: 4 out of 5

Laifen Mini hair dryer review: performance

Good amount of power for a travel-sized dryer
Controls are fiddly and require memorizing
Lightweight and comfortable to hold and use

The Laifen Mini is comfortable to hold, with a well-balanced design and good grip thanks to the matte coating. It's lightweight enough for use over long periods, and packs a decent amount of power for a travel-sized dryer. I tested it out on my armpit-length, naturally wavy hair, and my drying times were slightly longer than when using my Dyson Supersonic Nural, but not unreasonably so.

While the dinky size and helpful carry bag make it perfect for taking on trips, I think this would also work as a main hair dryer for someone who's especially short on storage space. The power and functionality are similar to what you'd get with a full-sized dryer; the main compromise you're making is the length of the cord (bear this in mind if your power outlets aren't helpfully placed close to your mirrors).

Laifen Mini hair dryer with concentrator attachment on — (Image credit: Future)

In terms of attachments, the provided concentrator snaps on and off easily and feels secure in use. It's just a shame there's no compatible diffuser for curly haired customers.

Modes in use

Let's take a closer look at the operation. There are two windspeeds; most modern dryers offer three, although I think two will be fine for most people's needs.

You're also slightly more limited than usual on temperature options. Most dryers these days will come with three temperature options plus a separate cold shot button. Here, you just have a medium, hot or cold temperature mode. The band around the barrel will glow yellow, red or blue respectively in these modes.

I was fine with having to cycle through temperature setting to access the cold mode, although others may prefer the more usual approach of a separate, dedicated button. Laifen's approach is easier for prolonged cold setting use, because it doesn't require a button to be held down.

If you're styling your hair or are particularly concerned about scalp health, you can opt for a temperature cycling mode, in which the Mini will switch from hot to cold every two seconds. At the same time, the band will gradually transition from pink to red to purple to blue. The aim of this mode is to prevent your scalp from becoming too hot, and to set your style as you're drying.

It took around two and half minutes to get my hair to 90 per cent dry in this mode. In comparison, with the Dyson Supersonic Nural's "auto" mode it takes around two minutes. I didn't find the automatic temperature cycling that useful for my styling needs or routine, but I appreciate the option is there if you want it.

Laifen Mini hair dryer glowing orange, yellow and pink — (Image credit: Future)

A new addition with the Laifen Mini is the child mode. This isn't a child lock, but rather a mode designed for drying children's hair.

Laifen states that in this mode the dryer "maintains the same airspeed as regular modes, but the wind pressure is reduced, making the air feel gentler on the skin". Activate child mode and the dryer will stay at either 38ºC at low speed, or 48ºC in high speed, and the ring will pulse yellow.

Laifen Mini hair dryer with blue glowing ring — (Image credit: Future)

I appreciate that Laifen is offering up more than just your standard modes here. While they won't all be useful for everyone – and for my styling routine, I found myself mostly sticking to the high windspeed, high temperature option – I appreciate the options are there to cater to different customers' needs and priorities.

However, I do have a slight issue with the labelling – or lack thereof. I'm all for a minimalist design, but the only way to know which temperature mode you're in is to sit and watch the lights (and remember what they mean). Unless you have a great memory, switching modes will probably be a process of trial and error for some time.

Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Laifen Mini hair dryer?

Buy it if...

You want a hair dryer for travel
The compact build and helpful carry pouch make this the perfect companion for weekends away – and it packs a good amount of power for its size, too. All of these qualities make it a good choice if you're short on dressing table space as well.

You want a dryer for children / delicate hair
Unusually, the Mini comes with a child mode that reduces the wind pressure for use on delicate hair and scalps.

You want a stylish and advanced dryer on a budget
This is one of the best-looking hair dryers I've seen, and while it isn't the techiest option on the market, it packs some cool added features for an affordable price.

Don't buy it if...

You value simplicity
The controls here aren't super clear, and not everyone will want temperature cycling or a child-friendly mode. If you'd prefer a simpler design with your standard temperature and windspeed sliders, there are plenty of options to choose from.

You're annoyed by a short cable
The cord here is short, so if your power outlets aren't ideally placed – or you like some freedom while you style – this isn't the best choice.

Laifen Mini hair dryer review: alternatives to consider

Dyson Supersonic Nural
It's significantly pricier and more hi-tech than the Laifen Mini, but if you want to push the boat out, the Supersonic Nural is the crème de la crème of hair dryers. This full-sized option comes with an extensive range of attachments, and boasts a Scalp Protect mode that senses how far it is from your head and raises or lowers temperature accordingly.

Read our full Dyson Supersonic Nural review View Deal

T3 Fit

The T3 fit is another lightweight, travel-friendly option. It's simpler than the Laifen Mini with fewer modes and (in my opinion) a much less stylish design. However, the cable is longer and there's a compatible diffuser if you want one.

Read our full T3 Fit review View Deal

How I tested the Laifen Mini hair dryer

I used the Laifen Mini as my main hair dryer for two weeks. For reference, I have armpit-length, naturally wavy hair. According to my hairdresser, the strands are fine but there are a lot of them. For this review, I tested all the different modes, recorded how long it took to rough-dry my hair from wet to 90 per cent dry in maximum windspeed and temperature mode, as well as in temperature cycling mode. I assessed how comfortable it was to use, and how straightforward the controls were. In all of these areas, I compared my experience with the Laifen Mini to other dryers including the Dyson Supersonic Nural (which I use as my everyday dryer) and more basic, cheaper models.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2025

I’ve tested a lot of coffee machines, and the Siemens EQ900 Plus makes the best macchiato I’ve tasted

9:00 pm | February 22, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Coffee Machines Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: Europe | Comments: Off

Siemens EQ900 Plus: two-minute review

The Siemens EQ900 Plus is one of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines for those who enjoy a latte, cappuccino or macchiato thanks to its excellent milk-texturizing system. It brews a very good espresso, too; but for me, the milk frothing is definitely the standout feature, and easily compares with the results an experienced user can get with a manual steam wand – with none of the effort.

Another key selling point of the EQ900 Plus that differentiates it from most of the best coffee makers is the fact that it has two hoppers, which make it easy to switch between different beans or roasts on the fly, or change to decaf in the evening. Some other bean-to-cup coffee makers I've tested (models from KitchenAid, for example) have a chute that you use to insert a scoop of ground coffee when you want something different to what's in the hopper, but this system is more convenient. The only downside is that the hoppers aren't removeable, plus the extensive set of cleaning and maintenance programs don't include a function for emptying beans and grounds from the machine, which makes it tricky to purge the system.

Latte macchiato prepared using Siemens EQ900 Plus coffee maker — The Siemens EQ900 Plus is one of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines around when it comes to milk texturizing (Image credit: Future)

The machine offers a system called "beanIdent" that lets you describe the beans you've loaded into each hopper (including type, roast, and blend) and then adjusts factors including water contact time and grind size to suit. It also encourages you to tinker to achieve the flavor you prefer. There are two customization modes (Comfort and Barista), with support for 10 user profiles.

You can even set your preferred drinks as "favorites", much like the favorites list in your web browser, which is welcome and something I'd like to see in more coffee machines. I appreciate not having to browse through a menu to find my carefully created custom cappuccino setting.

Coffee menu on Siemens EQ900 Plus coffee maker screen — The EQ900 Plus encourages tinkering, and Barista mode offers full control over the brewing process (Image credit: Future)

The smart cleaning programs are another key selling point of the EQ900 Plus, and bring another point of difference over the standard EQ900. The Plus has a hatch above the milk tank where you insert two tablets – one for cleaning and one for descaling. You'll be prompted to do this when setting up the machine, and it means you can run a full cleaning cycle whenever the machine needs it without having to hunt around for the necessary supplies or remove the brew unit to add a tab.

One of the biggest problems I find with bean-to-cup coffee machines is that the time you save grinding beans and adjusting brew settings is offset by the time spent maintaining the machine, so this smart cleaning is a welcome feature. However, I'm not sure it justifies the price difference between the EQ900 and EQ900 Plus. At the time of writing, the EQ900 Plus is only available for the full list price of £2,199 (about $2,800 / AU$4,300), whereas the standard EQ900 can be found for as little as £1,300 (about $1,600 / AU$2,600) on sale.

Siemens EQ900 Plus: price and availability

List price £2,199 (about $2,800 / AU$4,300)
Not widely available outside Europe
Can be found more cheaply if you shop around

The Siemens EQ900 Plus launched in October 2023, and has a list price of £2,199 (about $2,800 / AU$4,300) – although note that it isn’t widely available outside Europe. That puts it firmly at the top end of the price bracket for home bean-to-cup coffee makers, at about the same price as the Breville Oracle Touch (or Sage Oracle Touch, as it’s known in the UK).

The EQ900 Plus definitely feels like a premium machine with its stainless steel build, huge color touchscreen, smart cleaning, and advanced customization options. However, for a more affordable version consider the standard Siemens EQ900 (without the automatic maintenance system), which has a list price of £1,799 (about $2,300 / AU$3,600) and can be found for as little as £1,300 (about $1,600 / AU$2,600) if you shop around.

There's also a version of the EQ900 with a single hopper, priced at £1,599 (about $2,000 / AU$3,200), which may be preferable if you only enjoy one specific bean. Personally, I appreciate having the choice.

You'll find all of today's best prices for the Siemens EQ900 Plus below.

Value score: 3/5

Siemens EQ900 Plus: specifications

Siemens EQ900 Plus

Premium brushed metal build
Two bean hoppers
Intensive self-cleaning system
Cleverly designed milk system

The Siemens EQ900 Plus is a premium bean-to-cup coffee machine with a brushed stainless steel case and a huge 6.8-inch full-colour touchscreen. It’s the most impressive display I’ve seen on any coffee maker I’ve tested so far, and is even capable of displaying smooth animations (when you’re not using it to swipe through the drinks menu and tweak the various beverages to your liking).

At the top you’ll find two hoppers that you can fill with two different types of coffee beans. Some other coffee machines I’ve tested (the KitchenAid KF6 and KF8, for example) come with a chute to which you can add a scoop of pre-ground coffee if you fancy a change, but this twin-hopper system is even better. Some coffees (such as those with notes of caramel) are well suited to milk, while fruitier beans work better black – with this system you can choose the best one for your drink on the fly. You could also keep one hopper full of regular beans for the morning, and the other full of decaf for after lunch. A blue light will illuminate when one of the hoppers needs refilling.

Image 1 of 2

Beans loaded into Siemens EQ900 Plus coffee maker — The machine has two bean hoppers so you can switch between different types and roasts on the fly (Image credit: Future)

Image 2 of 2

Empty bean hopper warning light on Siemens EQ900 coffee maker — A blue light warns you when a bean hopper is empty (Image credit: Future)

The EQ900 Plus’s water tank is hidden on the left of the machine, and can be lifted out for filling using the integrated handle. It has a generous 2.3-liter capacity, and can be fitted with an optional filter to reduce limescale build-up to improve the taste of your coffee. Note that there’s no transparent panel, though, so you can't see the current water level at a glance.

Milk is stored in a smaller tank that sits on the right, just underneath containers for descaling and cleaning tablets. It’s unusual for a coffee machine to keep descaling and cleaning tablets on-board, but it makes sense and means you don’t have to hunt around for the packet when it’s time for regular maintenance. This is the EQ900 Plus's main point of difference with the standard EQ900.

Brew unit inside Siemens EQ900 coffee maker — Removing the water tank and side panel lets you access the brew unit for rinsing (Image credit: Future)

Most fully automatic espresso machines have a separate container for milk that sits beside the machine. Here, a tank slots into the side of the chassis, delivering a much neater design. The lid means you can also keep your milk in the fridge between uses.

The drip tray slides out easily for cleaning, with a removable grille at the front and a slim section at the back that makes pouring clean and convenient. Used coffee pucks are dispensed into a bin that sits in the drip tray and can be lifted out for easy emptying.

Design score: 4/5

Siemens EQ900 Plus

Eight coffee profiles, plus two milk and two hot water
Coffee presets are easy to customize and save to your profile
Excellent milk frothing
Espresso is good, but crema not as stable as some

Some automatic coffee machines present customization as an optional extra, but it’s at the heart of the experience here. There are two control options, Barista and Comfort, depending on the degree to which you want to tweak your beverages; but all users are encouraged to tinker with their drinks to create something bespoke.

Operating modes on Siemens EQ900 Plus coffee maker — The EQ900 Plus offers two modes of operation: Comfort and Barista (Image credit: Future)

Barista mode offers the most control, allowing you to choose whether beans are taken from the left or right hopper, choose the correct cup size, and tweak the strength (1-9), grinding level (1-6), contact time (for instance, how long the water is in contact with the grounds), milk ratio, and brewing temperature. Comfort mode is simpler and designed for more casual coffee fans, only letting you set the aroma (mild, balanced, or distinctive), strength (light, normal, strong, or extra strong), and cup size.

Once you’ve created a custom drink (which is easy thanks to the sensitive touchscreen), you’ll be prompted to save it to a profile (the EQ900 Plus supports up to 10, so everyone in your household and their guests can create their own) and give it a name. Typing on the EQ900 is surprisingly easy; the screen is large enough to accommodate a full QWERTY keyboard, making the whole experience much less frustrating than it could be.

You can even choose a background color, so you can see at-a-glance whether your profile is the one selected, and save your most frequently made drinks to a favorites menu, accessible via a quick tap of the star button under the screen. Preset drink options include:

Espresso
Espresso doppio
Caffe crema
Caffe grande
Caffe XL
Cappuccino
Latte macchiato
White coffee
Foamed milk
Warm milk
Hot water (enough for a cup of tea)
Coffee pot (a larger amount of hot water for pour-over)

The crema wasn’t quite as thick as that created by the KitchenAid K6, which is a cheaper machine, and it didn’t last as long either, despite being brewed using the same beans (purchased fresh that day).

However, milk texturizing was impressive, with the Siemens EQ900 quickly turning whole dairy milk into a generous layer of long-lasting foam. A powerful jet of steam creates the perfect foundation for your cappuccino or latte macchiato.

You can slide the dispenser up and down easily, and unlike many bean-to-cup coffee makers, it’s easy to remove it for cleaning – just pull it towards you to detach it, then disassemble the components and wash them all with warm water and dish soap. Once done, push it back into place.

During testing, I found the water tank a little awkward to refit when filled to the maximum mark; you have to position the bottom of the tank, then align the top while also folding the handle down. The water tank and milk container are also tricky to clean and dry inside, since there’s very little space for your hand. The machine has a cleaning setting that removes all water from the interior, but you'll still need to thoroughly hand-dry the tanks before transporting or storing the machine.

Drip tray from Siemens EQ900 Plus coffee maker — You'll receive a warning when it's time to empty the drip tray, but not necessarily when the coffee grounds bin is full (Image credit: Future)

The machine notified when the drip tray was full, but didn’t push out an alert to inform me that the used coffee grounds required emptying. Most bean-to-cup machines deliver a warning after making about four drinks, but that wasn't the case here, and I ended up with some grounds stuck to the area above the drip tray when I pulled it out. It's a minor flaw, but a surprising one for a premium machine.

The beanIdent system is interesting, and lets the machine adjust its own settings to suit your two different beans so it can determine the optimum setting for each one. Once you've loaded the two hoppers, you tell the EQ900 Plus the type of bean you've chosen for each one (arabica or robusta), the roast (light or dark) and the blend, and it will set factors including grind size and water temperature automatically.

Of course, your preferences may be different from those of the engineers and experts at Siemens, so you can tweak these settings to suit your tastes. Nevertheless, they provide a very useful starting point.

Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Siemens EQ900 Plus

Buy it if

You enjoy milky coffee drinks

The Siemens EQ900 Plus is the best bean-to-cup coffee machine I've tried to date for texturizing milk, producing a thick, silky, and stable foam every time.

You have a large household

The EQ900 Plus encourages you to tinker with settings to create your ideal drinks, and lets you save them to one of 10 user profiles, with quick access to your favorites at the tap of a button.

Don't buy it if

You're on a budget

The standard EQ900 is much better value if you don't mind losing the smart cleaning feature. It still offers the same excellent customization and milk texturizing.

You favor one particular coffee bean

The twin hoppers are excellent if you want to switch between two beans on the fly, but if you're loyal to one particularly type and roast, you won't get best use out of them.

Siemens EQ900 Plus: also consider

Not totally sure that the Siemens EQ900 Plus is the right coffee maker for you? Here are two other bean-to-cup machines to consider:

KitchenAid KF6

Its milk texturizing doesn't quite match that of the Siemens EQ900 Plus, but the KitchenAid KF8 is a more affordable machine and brews one of the most delicious espressos I've ever had, with thick and stable crema.

Read our full KitchenAid KF6 review

De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo

This is our favorite manual bean-to-cup machine, and an excellent introduction to the world of espresso. It's cheaper than the KitchenAid KF6, too, making it excellent value.

Read our full De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review

How I tested the Siemens EQ900 Plus

I tested the Siemens EQ900 Plus using fresh coffee beans from local coffee shops Mokoko and Clifton Coffee (one in each hopper), and chilled whole milk. I used each of the machine’s preset drink options, experimenting with settings in Comfort and Barista mode, and creating a custom profile.

I also ran all of the machine’s basic and intensive cleaning programs, washed and dried the dispenser, milk tank and water tank, and ran the frost protection program to remove water from the machine's internal circuits. For more details, see how we test, review, and rate on TechRadar.

First reviewed February 2025

The Ninja Crispi isn’t your typical air fryer – and its unique design makes it worth the price

10:00 pm | February 17, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Air Fryers Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Comments: Off

Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System: one-minute review

The Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System is just that. It is indeed an air fryer, and not really more than that, but the design is utterly unique. Rather than cooking in a plastic drawer, your food goes on a metal tray in a glass cooking container with built-in plastic handles and feet. The heating element, which Ninja calls the PowerPod, is placed onto the glass container. When your cooking is complete, simply remove the PowerPod and place the glass container right onto the table for serving.

If you have leftovers, you can just put the included lid on your glass container and stick it in your fridge. The glass containers come in multiple sizes and the PowerPod has an adapter so it will fit on each container perfectly. There are four cooking modes: Bake, Air Fry, Max Crisp, and Recrisp. Each runs at a different temperature range, so you have some flexibility.

Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System: price and availability

List price: $159.99 (about £127 / AU$251)

You can purchase the Ninja Crispi directly from Ninja’s website, where it’s available in a number of bundles containing multiple glass containers. You can also purchase extra glass containers in three different sizes separately: $29.99 for the six-cup container, $39.99 for the 2.5-quart container, and $44.99 for the four-quart size. The standard $159.99 system, which I tested, comes with the large four quart and the small six cup glass container. It’s available just about everywhere that sells air fryers online and in person, such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and many more.

Value score: 4.5/5

Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System: specifications

Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System: design and features

Heat comes from removable Crispi PowerPod
Four cooking functions
Looks functional rather than attractive

The cleverly designed Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System is a really a cooking pod, called the PowerPod, and a collection of glass cooking dishes. The cooking dishes, which Ninja calls TempWare Containers, withstand high cooking temperatures and are made just for the Ninja Crispi. You must use Ninja’s TempWare Containers; the PowerPod won’t work on other dishes. A built-in plastic piece adds handles and feet so you can place the dishes on any countertop. Each cooking dish comes with a metal crisper plate that nests inside and keeps the food off the bottom so air can circulate around it.

Ninja Crispi and dishes nested — (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

Place your food into one of the glass dishes on the crisper plate and place the pod on top. The PowerPod fits the small six-cup dish perfectly on its own. If you’re using the larger four-quart dish, you’ll need to use the included adapter for the PowerPod. Choose your cooking function mode: Recrisp (380°-400°F), Bake (375°-400°F), Air Fry (400°-425F), or Max Crisp (425°-450°). Select your cook time by pressing the - or + buttons. Press the start button to begin.

As with most air fryers, you will usually need to flip your food over halfway through the cook time. To pause cooking, simply remove the PowerPod and it will power off automatically. To re-start cooking, place the pod back onto the glass container and hit the start button once again.

Ninja Crispi controls — (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

The standard bundle comes with the largest glass dish, which has a four quart capacity, and the smallest one, which holds six cups. Ninja also makes a medium 2.5-quart glass dish, which is sold separately. Any of the glass dishes can be purchased separately, and there are different bundles you can buy with varying dish combinations. The handles and feet allow you to use the dishes for serving the food; there’s no need to transfer it to another container. All of the cooking dishes also come with an air-tight lid, so you can use the dishes for storing food as well.

Cleaning the Ninja Crispi is easy. You don’t need to clean the PowerPod, just the glass containers and crisper plates. They are even dishwasher safe, though it is easy enough to just wash them by hand. Though it’s not mentioned in the literature, I was able to use paper air fryer liners which made cleanup even easier.

Design score: 4.5/5

Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System: performance

Though there are four cooking modes, the Ninja Crispi is truly an air fryer. The Air Fryer, Max Crisp, and Recrisp modes all worked pretty much as expected. The Bake mode, however, was a bit disappointing. I tried baking several items, all of which turned out fully browned on the top and raw in the middle. Since air frying in general requires flipping for even crisping, I’m not that surprised that the baking mode wasn’t great. I think baking would be fine for something quite thin, like cookies or very small mini muffins. If you want to make something thicker, like full-sized cupcakes, you’re better off using a regular oven. Of course, most people don’t buy air fryers in order to bake.

Ninja Crispi air frying vegetables — (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I eat a lot of fresh roasted vegetables, so I air fried broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers, brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes. I used both Air Fry and Max Crisp modes. There is a learning curve, but once I got the hang of it, the veggies turned out delicious with just the barest spritz of oil. You definitely want to remember to flip your food, at least once during the cooking process. When I didn’t flip it, the food did not cook evenly. The Ninja Crispi is very, very fast. It’s a good idea to check your food frequently to make sure you don’t burn it. Even with careful flipping and checking, vegetables tend to brown (or blacken) quickly in some spots before all of them are fully cooked. Raw vegetables tended to come out more blackened and crisp rather than tender.

Ninja Crispi with air fried cauliflower and red peppers — (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

My favorite vegetable cooked from its raw state was the diced sweet potatoes. They were crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. The next day I used the Recrisp mode to heat up the leftovers, which turned out great.

Ninja Crispi with air fried sweet potatoes — (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I made a bunch of veggie burgers, as well as protein waffles, veggie tots, falafel balls, and veggie “chicken” nuggets. They all turned out wonderful and crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. I didn’t need to add any oil to any of these convenience foods.

Ninja Crispi with air fried veggie burger, veggie tots, and red peppers — (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I hosted a Super Bowl party and air fried some frozen french fries for my guests. The fries disappeared so quickly, I ended up air frying another batch immediately! They were perfectly crisp and evenly browned on the outside and soft and fluffy in the middle. I did nothing to doctor them at all, no oil or seasonings, and they came out just right.

Ninja Crispi with air fried french fries — (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

My family got in on the air frying fun. My youngest is a more adventurous cook than I, and they made some panko-crusted and seasoned tofu squares. The tofu was delicious! As expected, it was nice and crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. They didn’t even have to press and dry the tofu first. I’m a vegetarian but my husband eats meat; he used the Ninja Crispi to quickly and easily cook some chicken breasts. They got nicely browned on the outside (flipping half-way through cook time is a must) and cooked all the way through.

Ninja Crispi with air fried tofu — (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

As I mentioned above, I did try Bake mode. First, I made some pancake bites in a little silicone baking dish. The tops browned but the rest was still raw. I actually pulled off all the tops, flipped them over, and put them through another bake cycle. That worked fine. I also baked a (rather thick) protein air fryer cookie with the same results. I did the same thing where I pulled off the top, flipped it over, and put it through another cycle. Again, it was fine that way. So if you do use Bake mode, just be sure your items are very thin.

Ninja Crispi with air fried pancake bites — (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System?

Buy it if

You want to minimize cleanup and hassle

Put your food in one specially designed glass dish. Then air fry, serve, and store your food without having to move it to another dish. You only have one dish to clean. Easy peasy!

You want multiple cooking modes

From low heat to high heat: Recrisp, Bake, Air Fry, and Max Crisp.

You want portability

You could easily keep the PowerPod at the office, for example, and just bring the glass container with your food inside ready to air fry each day.

Don't buy it if

You want something pretty to keep on your counter

The Ninja Crispi just looks functional. It has a lot of parts (stackable, but still) so you’ll need some storage space.

You want the cheapest possible no frills air fryer

There are certainly cheaper options out there.

You plan to do a lot of baking in your air fryer

If that’s the case, you might prefer a toaster oven-air fryer combo appliance instead.

Ninja Crispi: also consider

If you're not sure about the Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System, here are some other options to consider...

Ninja Double Oven Air Fryer

Cook two different items two different ways at the same time in this two-compartment air fryer oven. This is a good pick if you want to bake and air fry with the same appliance, which is why it earned a place in our roundup of the best air fryers.

Read our full review here.

Russell Hobbs Satisfry Dual Basket Air Fryer

Just want a regular air fryer? This two-basket version does the job, twice, earning it the title “best budget air fryer” on our list of the best air fryers.

Check out our full review here.

How I tested the Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System

I tested Recrisp, Bake, Air Fry, and Max Crisp modes multiple times
I used it daily for two weeks to cook a variety of food
I cleaned it after each use

Although I’m a foodie, I’m kind of a lazy cook. As a wife and mother of three, I used to put more effort into crafting a variety of nutritious meals from scratch when my kids were little. Now that they’re grown, I still want to eat healthy meals, I just don’t want to take the time to cook them. The Ninja Crispi certainly helps me get food on the table fast. My family (my husband, my adult child, and I) used the Ninja Crispi daily, sometimes multiple times in one day, for two weeks. We made loads of fresh veggies, plus veggie burgers, veggie chicken nuggets, french fries, frozen waffles, breaded tofu, falafel, veggie tots, chicken breasts, pancake bites, and a protein breakfast cookie. I cleaned it after each use, which was quite easy. I did use paper air fryer liners sometimes, which made cleanup even easier.

KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6: two-minute review

The KitchenAid KF6 is a fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine, and it does its main job exceptionally well: brewing a delicious, rich espresso with the best crema I’ve ever seen.

It offers a wide menu of espresso drinks, each of which can be customized and saved to a custom profile. In addition, it includes an automatic milk-frothing system for options including cappuccinos, caffe lattes, and macchiatos. Unlike the higher-end KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8 we reviewed in 2024, there’s no separate profile for plant-based milk.

Macchiato made using KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6 — Macchiato is one of seven customizable espresso drinks on the menu (Image credit: Future)

In addition, it's one of the quietest coffee machines we’ve tested here at TechRadar, with a pump that’s barely any louder than your refrigerator. The only significant noise happens for a moment during grinding and milk frothing, and it’s over in a second or two.

Thoughtful touches include a brew group that purges itself automatically between drinks to ensure you always have fresh beans ground to the correct size (like a barista would purge their grinder); a chute so you can make an occasional drink using a different bean to the one in the hopper; and a comprehensive set of cleaning functions that make maintaining the machine as simple as using it.

It’s also less expensive than you might expect. Fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee makers are never going to be cheap, but the KF6 costs far less than the KF8, with only a few compromises – and it’s often available at a discount, too.

KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6: price and availability

List price $1,199.99 / £1,299 / AU$1,799
Far less expensive than KitchenAid KF8
Often available at a discount

The KitchenAid KF6 launched in 2024, and is available to buy directly from KitchenAid, or from third-party retailers. It has a list price of $1,199.99 / £1,299 / AU$1,799, but you can often find it more cheaply. For example, at the time of writing it’s discounted to $999.99 in the US and AU$1,599 in Australia for Valentine’s Day.

It certainly isn't cheap, but fully automatic bean-to-cup machines never are due to their complexity; plus the KF6 delivers plenty for the money. It's far less expensive than its higher-end sibling, the KF8, which has a list price of $1,999.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,599. While the KF6 makes a few compromises to keep the cost down, it remains an exceptional coffee maker; in my opinion, it's much better value than its big brother. We’ve rounded up today’s best prices for you here:

Value score: 5/5

KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6: specifications

KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6: design

Sleek and modern look
Takes whole beans and grounds
Automatic milk texturizing system

The KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6 is a sleek, modern-looking coffee maker, with a matt finish and brushed stainless steel accents. It's available in three colorways: stainless steel, cast iron black, and porcelain white (the latter of which launched in January 2025).

Its screen measures 2.4 inches diagonally (6cm), which is smaller than that of the KF8, but it’s still bright and clear, with plenty of space for reviewing and tweaking your drink settings. You operate the machine using a set of touch-sensitive buttons positioned beside the display, and the power button is located discreetly on the left-hand side of the case.

Using buttons to select drink preferences on KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6 — The KitchenAid KF7 is controlled using a set of touch-sensitive buttons arranged around its small color screen (Image credit: Future)

The bean hopper is accessed via a hatch on the top, and has a central dial that twists to lock and unlock it. The hatch has a rubber seal to help keep your beans fresh. Next to the hopper, you’ll find a small chute where you can insert a scoop of pre-ground coffee if you want to use a different bean from time to time. This is particularly handy for those who prefer to switch to decaf in the evening; the machine will detect if the chute has been opened and automatically offer you the option of using ground coffee rather than beans when you next select a drink (a thoughtful touch). The KF6 arrives with a scoop to make this easier.

The KF6's water tank has a capacity of 2.3 quarts / 2.2 liters, which is the same as the other espresso machines in KitchenAid’s fully automatic series, and has a folding handle that makes it easier to carry it to the sink. You also get a water-testing strip, so you can decide which water hardness setting to choose, and a water filter that screws into the bottom of the tank. Additional filters are available to purchase directly from KitchenAid, or from Amazon.

KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6 with water tank removed — The water tank is easily lifted out of the side of the machine, and comes with a filter that screws into the bottom (Image credit: Future)

The dispenser slides smoothly up and down to accommodate different-sized cups, and can dispense coffee and milk into one or two cups.The drip-tray beneath slides out smoothly when lifted slightly, and contains a removable bin where used coffee pucks are deposited. The tray has a spout shape at the back to avoid mess when emptying and rinsing.

The KitchenAid KF6 has an automatic milk-frothing system, but unlike the KF7 and KF8, it doesn’t come with a dedicated container. Instead, you just place the end of the tube into your own jug or cup of milk. The results are the same; the only difference in practise is that you can’t pop the closed container into the fridge between uses. However, unlike the higher-end KF8, the KF6 doesn’t have a separate profile for plant-based milk. You can still use it to heat and texturize oat, soy, or almond milk, but the system is optimized for dairy.

Drip-tray and bin for coffee grounds from the KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6 — Used pucks are dispensed into a removeable bin that sits inside the drip-tray (Image credit: Future)

The only downside to the design is that I noticed a few small scratches on the stainless steel drip-tray after testing, which must have been caused by the bottom of the glass and ceramic cups I was using. They were noticeable only when observing up-close, however; you’d never see them in ordinary use. I was just a little surprised it happened so quickly.

Design score: 5/5

KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6: performance

Makes exceptionally good espresso with thick crema
Good choice of customizable drink presets
No profile for plant-based milks

The KitchenAid KF6 is very simple to use and, most importantly, makes a gorgeous espresso – rich and delicious, and with exceptionally thick crema that even earned praise from team coffee aficionado and reviews editor Josh Russell, who noted that his manual espresso machine couldn’t produce similar results.

The KF6 doesn’t have quite such an extensive menu of presets as the KF8, but still offers plenty of choice. There’s scope for customizing the strength, temperature, volume, and body of each drink, too. The options offered by the KF6 are:

Espresso
Cappuccino
Caffe latte
Macchiato
Latte macchiato
Americano
Coffee

The KF6 can also dispense hot water and warm milk. However, unlike the higher-end KF8, it doesn’t offer a cooler water option for brewing green tea, or foamed milk without coffee for a babyccino.

Espresso made using KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6 — The KitchenAid KF6 produces an incredible espresso (Image credit: Future)

When I tested the KitchenAid KF8 in 2024, I found that the default settings for a cappuccino and latte didn’t produce as much milk foam as I like, and it was the same with the KF6. Thankfully, both machines let me adjust the volume of the drink to add more milk, which resulted in thicker foam. It’s easy to play around with the options before making your espresso drinks, and once you’ve set your preferences, you can save them to one of four custom user profiles. The KF6 supports six profiles, but four will be plenty for most households.

The KF6 is Quiet Mark certified, meaning it has been designed with noise reduction in mind. It’s definitely quieter than most of the best espresso machines I’ve tested. It reached 75db for a second or two while foaming milk (similar to a vacuum cleaner) and 66dB while grinding coffee (about the noise of a normal conversation), but averaged a mere 44dB while the pump was in operation (a very gentle hum).

Milk being dispensed into macchiato using KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6 — Unlike the KF8, the KF6 doesn't have a mode optimized for plant-based milk (Image credit: Future)

Sometimes, the convenience of a bean-to-cup coffee machine is offset by the hassle of maintaining it, but this isn't the case here. All of KitchenAid’s fully automatic espresso machines offer a great selection of cleaning and maintenance functions, and you’ll be prompted when it’s time to run each one.

After each milk-based drink, you’ll be advised to run the "easy milk rinsing" program, which uses water from the tank to flush the lines. To keep things hygienic in the longer term, the "deep milk cleaning" function uses a cleaning solution to give everything a good wash and remove proteins and bacteria.

There’s a quick option for rinsing the brew unit, plus a deep-cleaning mode that requires you to remove the brewing unit and insert a cleaning tablet to remove any build-up of oils that could start to impact the taste of your drinks.

Service door opened on KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6 to show brewing group — Remove the panel on the right-hand side to access the brew group for cleaning (Image credit: Future)

The KF8 also offers a function that purges all coffee from the hopper and brew unit (ideal if you want to switch to a different bean), and one that evaporates all water from the system (great, if you won’t be using the machine for a while or need to transport it). You may need to use a cloth to absorb a little leftover water from the dispenser once it’s done, but the evaporation system works very well.

Generally speaking, I found the differences between the KF6 and the KF8 to be quite small. Although there are fewer drink options, the ones I use frequently are still available (and customizable). The absence of a special container for milk barely affects the experience at all, and the smaller screen is still ample for displaying your various options.

The only thing I really missed was the plant milk option from the KF8, which yielded particularly silky micro-foam when used with almond milk. If you rarely use plant milk, it’s well worth considering opting for the KF6 instead – the experience is just as good; it handles dairy equally well; and it brews an exceptional coffee.

Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6

Buy if if

You love espresso

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this machine produces truly great espresso, with masses of golden crema. It's delicious, and it will be perfect every time – with no skill necessary on your part.

You want minimal hassle

The joy of a bean-to-cup machine is its ease of use and consistency, and the KF6 excels in both areas. It makes preparing your favorite coffee a piece of cake, and is refreshingly easy to clean and maintain.

Don't buy it if

You prefer plant milk

There's nothing to stop you using the KF6 with your favorite plant-based substitute, but it's optimized for dairy. Unlike the KF8, there's no profile for soy, almond, oat and other alternatives.

You're on a tight budget

The KitchenAid KF6 is great value for a fully automatic bean-to-cup espresso machine, but if money is tight then you'd be better off choosing a manual espresso machine instead.

KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6: also consider

Not sure whether the KitchenAid KF6 is the right espresso machine for you? Here are a couple of other options that you might like to consider:

De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo

This is our favorite manual bean-to-cup machine, and an excellent introduction to the world of espresso. Plus, it's less than half the price of the KitchenAid KF6.

Read our full De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review

Breville The Barista Impress Express

This espresso machine gives you the choice of manual or semi-automatic operation, and for those who lack the experience of grinding and tamping coffee, Breville's Impress system helps you create the perfect puck.

Read our full Breville The Barista Impress Express review

KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6: how I tested

I tested the KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6 using fresh coffee beans from local coffee shop, Mokoko, and chilled whole milk. I used each of the machine’s preset drink options, experimenting with the volume, temperature, strength, and body settings, creating a custom user profile.

I also ran all of the machine’s cleaning programs, including the intensive profiles for cleaning the milk system and brewing group, and evaporating water from the whole system. For more details, see how we test, review, and rate on TechRadar.

First reviewed February 2025

Bag of coffee beans beside KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF6 — (Image credit: Future)

This lightweight stick vacuum boasts Dyson-like features for a quarter of the price

1:17 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances Vacuums | Comments: Off

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless: two-minute review

Ultenic has certainly upped the ante with the U16 Flex Cordless vacuum, launched in August 2024. As you may have already guessed from the name, the most notable feature is the U16 Flex’s flexibility. Thanks to a clever bendable elbow feature in its wand, this cool cordless does all the bending for you – making light work of pushing the floorhead deep under the furniture.

That's not the only feature borrowed from today's best cordless vacuums. The floorhead has 'GreenEye technology'; essentially bright green LED lights that help you track down less obvious dirt, dust and dander... as well as adding a bit of space-ship coolness. There’s a tangle-free roller brush that actually works, three power modes, six-layer HEPA filtration and a funky illuminated display panel that adds more spaceship vibes.

Operation is one-touch, by which I mean you don’t have to hold the power button in to keep it going, which is always a relief to my poor RSI-ridden hand. Ultenic promises the battery will last up to a full 60 minutes. I managed 54 in my tests, but that's still very respectable.

For all these features, you may well be expecting a price tag along Dyson lines, but perhaps the most astonishing aspect of the U16 Flex cordless is its price – if you shop smart, you can pick one of these little beauties up for under $200 / £200. It's absolutely one of the best budget vacuums I've tested.

I test it in out my four-bed home over the very busy Christmas and New Year holidays, and it did a sterling job on hard flooring (of which we have plenty). I loved how lightweight it was, and the power lasted plenty long enough to whip round downstairs before the next gaggle of guests descended.

However, there's one concession you'll need to make for that mind-blowingly bargain price. To get carpets clean, Normal mode won't cut it; you'll need to call on the maximum 'Turbo' mode. Unfortunately, the U16 can only manage 12 minutes of cleaning in this mode; not long enough to make it around my mostly-carpeted upstairs. So this one is only really suitable for people with mostly hard floors in their home.

Now you’ve read the short-and-sweet version, keep going to discover the full highs and lows of using this budget-friendly cordless in my full Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless review.

Ultenic U16 Flex cordless vacuum — Everything that came in the box for my review model (Image credit: Future)

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless review: price & availability

List price: $219.99 / £219.99 (but discounted everywhere)
Launched: August 2024
Availability: US / UK

The Ultenic U16 Flex cordless vacuum is a straight-up bargain. If you’re on the hunt for a lightweight player without dropping a small fortune, this sleek little number is worth a look.

Officially, purchasing direct from Ultenic the list price is $219.99 / £219.99, which is in TechRadar's lower-mid price bracket for vacuums. However, at time of writing, it's discounted there and on Amazon, so you can expect to pay more like $150-$180 in the US, or £160-£170 in the UK. That's firmly in the budget bracket.

Sadly, Australians are out of luck because it’s not available there yet. But for everyone else, this vacuum delivers mid-range performance for a low-end price-tag. It’s got power, it’s lightweight, and it’s brilliant for getting into all those low-level nooks and crannies.

If you’re after a cordless vac that’s stylish, effective, and doesn’t leave you eating instant noodles for a month, the Ultenic U16 Flex has got your back.

Value for money score: 5 out of 5

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless specs

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless review: design

Lightweight, with flexible wand for getting under furniture
Intuitive LED display and good bin capacity
Slightly plasticky build quality

Landing on my doorstep in a compact box, with a fair number of plastic bags and foam padding, it wasn’t especially eco-friendly looking on the packaging front, but the Ultenic U16 Flex was very well protected. After pulling out and unwrapping all the elements, I found it was super easy to put together without any need to look at the quick setup instructions.

In red, black and a hint of purple, the Ultenic U16 Flex cordless vacuum gives me '80s throwback fear. The design has hints of early Dyson, too – that purple cyclone-like filter chamber looks very familiar. Overall, it's lightweight and easy to use; you won’t be breaking a sweat lugging it around.

The build quality feels a bit on the budget side – kind of plasticky and a bit clunky to connect the wand to the floorhead, but given the price that's not a dealbreaker. It's sturdy enough to get the job done without worrying it’ll collapse mid-clean.

Ultenic U16 Flex vacuum review — (Image credit: Future)

The main design highlight for me was the flexible wand, which can be released to bend forwards. It's an idea borrowed from today's best Shark vacuums (like the PowerDetect Cordless), and a game-changer for reaching awkward spots – like under the couch where crumbs and dust bunnies love to party. It bends and twists like a pro, making those hard-to-reach areas not so hard-to-reach. Combined with the lightweight build and searing green LED lighting in the floorhead (this one inspired by the far-pricier Dyson V15 Detect and Gen5detect), it was perfect for quick zips around the house.

Oddly, the control panel isn’t nearly as sexy as the previous model, the slightly cheaper U12 Vesla (which I have also put through its paces) but it’s still nicely styled and techy-looking. There's one button for switching between power modes, so you don’t have to overthink anything while you're cleaning. Plus, the battery indicator is super clear – no guessing games about how much power you have left in the tank.

The main floorhead is solid enough, with decent swivel action that lets you glide around furniture. It's also shallow enough that it doesn’t get stuck under my sideboards, like competitors' models have. It only comes with one detachable crevice tool, but let’s face it, that’s the one we all use – I’ve got a cleaning cupboard full of weird and wonderful (and never used) nozzles from various ghosts of vacuums past. If you do need the gentler approach of a bristled nozzle, for furniture or upholstery etc, one slides out in handheld mode, which is handy because it’s always there, close to hand.

The Ultenic U16 Flex features a generous dustbin for the cordless sector, with a 95ml capacity. I could vacuum round our 4-bed home at least twice before needing to empty it, and given that we have two very hairy spaniels and two messy kids so that’s pretty impressive. When it’s time to dump the contents, the process is simple – just press the release button, and the lid flaps open. You can then empty it directly into the trash with minimal mess – and I never had to get my hands dirty digging out any stuck muck.

The Ultenic U16 Flex’s charging wall mount is space-saving and convenient. I didn’t fix it to my wall because it wasn’t staying, but I could check how well the vacuum slots in and out and always appreciate a mount where the charging is automatic once docked – no need to fiddle about manually inserting the charger port. If you prefer, you can also slide the battery out and charge it away from the vacuum, which would be handy if you don’t have a socket where you want to store your cleaner.

Overall, the U16 Flex is designed to offer everything you need, with a few cool extras on top. It might not feel as premium as some high-end brands, but nor do you have to sell a kidney to buy it.

Design score: 3.5 out of 5

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless review: performance

Excellent maneuvering, and great on hard floors
Easy to empty and clean
Battery-sapping Turbo mode needed for carpets

Let me start by saying that the Ultenic U16 Flex cordless vacuum isn’t great on carpets. It’s not the worst I’ve tested, but if you have wall-to-wall carpets throughout and like to feel the power of dirt lifting through from the floorboards underneath, this is not the vacuum for you.

Those with mostly solid floors, like me, should keep reading, especially anyone who is really feeling the cost-of-living crisis right now (also me!). The Ultenic U16 Flex has three power levels: Eco, Normal (which is the default startup setting) and Turbo.

In Eco mode, which gives you the maximum battery life, it did a perfectly good job of sucking up dog hair, crumbs and small particles of dust/dirt from my solid floors (in the busiest rooms of our home: the open-plan kitchen, hallway and utility). However, it wasn’t great at dealing with bigger debris like hay and shavings (we have horses, and half the yard seems to come home via the kids’ socks). Normal was much better and so it was the mode I used most of the time on my hard floors.

On carpet I felt like I was wasting my time in Eco mode. Normal was okay, but I also had to call upon the battery-depleting Turbo mode for carpets. The vacuum only lasted around 12 minutes in Turbo mode. This was okay if I was only cleaning the downstairs, where there's just one room that's carpeted, and it's small. However, it wasn't long enough to clean the four carpeted bedrooms upstairs.

The Ultenic U16 Flex took a little longer than I’d expect to complete a full battery recharge – around four hours. I could have done with a spare battery to tackle upstairs though.

The real star of this vacuum, though, has to be the flexibility. The floorhead swivels and moves really smoothly and I can glide around my furniture without getting the floorhead stuck. I never felt like I was doing battle with the vacuum, and my hand/arm never ached, even when testing the battery to its maximum use in Eco mode (I clocked 52 minutes).

The flex wand is also a total game-changer. It bends low so I don’t have to, stretching under areas that I can normally only reach by getting down on my hands and knees. That almost never happens so it was quite satisfying/disturbing to see how full the bin got when I tackled under the island and kitchen sofa.

Plus, the attachments are really easy, if slightly clunky, to pop on and off. I’ve been using the crevice tool on the end of the long wand for the edges of my baseboards and getting cobwebs up high, and it worked perfectly – again without making my arm ache.

In handheld mode, the Ultenic U16 Flex really shines for quick and targeted cleaning jobs. It’s lightweight and easy to handle, making it perfect for tackling stairs, upholstery, or even light spills in your car (just don’t expect thorough detailing – for that you might need to invest in one of the best car vacuums).

With the crevice attachment, you can reach tight spots effortlessly, like between couch cushions or the corners of stair treads, without contorting into awkward angles or straining your wrists. In handheld mode, the suction is the best you’ll get from this cordless, easily picking up crumbs, and dust. I’d have like a mini upholstery head attachment, ideally with power brush, for really getting those deep-grained pet hairs out of my couch cushions though. TechRadar's best vacuum for pet hair list has some alternative suggestions here.

When it comes to noise, the Ultenic U16 is pretty average for cordless vacuums – not too loud but not super quiet either. In the lowest power it recorded 71 dB on my decibel meter app, in Normal it was 74 dB and in Turbo it went to 82 dB, which is comparable to a food processor or blender. It’s not silent, but it’s definitely quieter than I expected for the price. The good news was I could vacuum in Eco without making my spaniel bark his head off, which is a huge win and a rare feat. He still lost his cool when I dialed up to Turbo, though.

Suction tests

When I ran our standard vacuuming tests – one with flour to mimic fine debris, and another with oats for larger particles – the results were exactly as I’d anticipated. The Ultenic U16 did well on the hard floors and failed on carpets.

The flour test was completed on our engineered wood flooring, and I found I had to switch to Turbo mode to get the best results, but it only took two passes to achieve a clean strip of flooring.

Next came the oats test, again on engineered wood, and I was surprised to discover that I could get all the oats up as easily in Eco mode as I did in Turbo. In fact, the Ultenic U16 Flex made really light work of clearing away the entire spill, with a little help from the spaniels!

Moving into the snug to check out performance on carpet (a short-pile wool number), and the flour test was an absolute fail. Eco mode barely touched the flour and even in Turbo I had to do a bazillion passes and then call in the big guns (my Miele Duoflex cordless) to get the job done.

The oats test was a bit better on carpet, but I still had to spend a lot of time going back and forth over the same spots. Then I had to get the crevice nozzle out to suction up the strays that had snuck into the threshold joint. I nearly ran out of power before my carpet was clean again.

Maintenance

I found the Ultenic U16 easy to clean and maintain. The bin pops open really easily and empties straight out – no fishing about with sticks to unblock clogs. The HEPA filter is also simple to access, which is a bonus for those who hate vacuum maintenance.

You just detach the dustbin by pressing the release button and the filter is easy to spot and pull out. Wash it under a running tap and leave to dry – there’s a spare so you’ll always have a dry one to hand. Another bonus of this cordless is the hair-evading brush in the floorhead, which didn’t get wrapped in any hair, string or random threads during the entire test period.

Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless review: battery

Battery lasts 12 mins in Turbo, 52 mins in Eco
4 hours to fully recharge the battery
Removable and swappable battery

The Ultenic U16 Flex provides a practical balance between performance and battery life, especially in a home with mostly solid floors like ours. In Eco mode, the vacuum lasted a generous 52 minutes. That's not quite as long as the hour promised by Ultenic, but it's still plenty of time to tackle everyday messes in busy areas like my open-plan kitchen and hallway.

Most of today's best cordless stick vacuums will offer a maximum of 50 or 60 minutes' of cleaning (and a couple offer up to 70 minutes), although of course the suction in that mode will vary from model to model.

In Turbo mode the battery lasted just 12 minutes. It's not unusual for a stick vacuum's maximum suction mode to drain power that quickly, but the fact I had to use Turbo mode quite a lot when tackling carpets wasn't ideal.

Recharging takes around four hours. The U16's battery is removable and spares can be purchased if you want to extend the cleaning times further.

Battery life score: 3.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless?

Buy it if...

Your chiropractor is on speed dial

Anyone with limited strength, RSI or back pain will really appreciate this flexible, lightweight vacuum that makes cleaning tight spaces and under furniture a breeze.

You like to see what you’re cleaning

The bright LED lights in the floorhead of this thing are really exceptional, possibly the best I’ve tested – no dirt, hair strands or dust will escape your attention, even in the darkest of corners.

Analogue is your thing

Those who value simplicity and convenience, with easy-to-use features and quick attachment swaps will love the lack of nonsense tech and complicated controls. Turn it on, vacuum, empty and repeat. Simple.

Don't buy it if...

You covet a champagne lifestyle

If you’re all about luxury and expect a premium feel this is not the vacuum for you – it’s functional, but the plasticky build might not vibe with your high-end tastes.

Carpets are everywhere

You need heavy-duty suction power for deep-pile carpets; this one’s definitely better for hard floors.

You like a quiet life

If you are noise-sensitive and crave near-silent cleaning – or have a newborn or irritable neighbours, the sound levels may disappoint. It’s not super loud, but it’s no whisper either, especially on max power.

How I tested the Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless

I tested the Ultenic U16 Flex cordless vacuum for four weeks during the festive season, during which we hosted far too many family gatherings than was good for our livers, and a child’s birthday, too. Our home is a Victorian, four-bed detached property that is mostly open-plan downstairs. We don’t have any thick-pile carpet, but we do have virtually every other type of flooring – porcelain, terracotta, luxury vinyl, engineered oaks, wool carpets and lots of flatweave rugs. I used this cordless as the only vacuum during the testing period, in every room and up the stairs, checking out the various attachments as I went. I also conducted controlled tests using flour and oats on hard floors and carpet, monitored the sound levels using an App on my iPhone and timed battery use and charging.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners.

First reviewed January 2025

ProCook’s semi-automatic espresso machine is one of the best I’ve ever used – and one of the most affordable, too

12:00 pm | February 7, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Coffee Machines Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: UK | Comments: Off

ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine: two-minute review

The ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine is a semi-automatic coffee maker sporting a smart design, a beginner-friendly interface, and an impressive set of features that belie its entry-level price. At £399 (about $500 / AU$800), it's one of the most affordable bean-to-cup coffee makers I've tested, and also one of the best.

With its integrated burr grinder, manual steam wand, and centrally positioned display, it looks similar to premium semi-automatic machines such as the Breville Barista Touch Impress; but there are some key differences. For example, parts of the ProCook machine's chassis are made from plastic rather than metal, reducing both the weight and cost; its screen is crisp monochrome rather than color; and it has a manual steam wand rather than an automatic milk frothing system.

ProCook Barista Bean To Cup Espresso Coffee Machine on kitchen counter — The ProCook Barista Bean to Cup is a good-looking semi-automatic espresso machine, with a case made from a combination of brushed stainless steel and silver-toned plastic (Image credit: Future)

None of those factors will be a problem if it will be your first espresso machine, and you're after something that will perform well and guide your hand while you get to grips with the process. Just select your preferred drink using the clear, high-contrast screen and set of four buttons, customize it if you like, and the ProCook Barista will guide you through (almost) ever step of the process.

There are a few quirks along the way. For example, the machine doesn't reveal that after pulling the lever for the steam wand, you'll have to wait half a minute for the steam to actually begin, even if the machine has already heated to temperature. neither does it tell you to tamp your ground coffee, instead directing you to transfer the portafilter straight from the grinder to the group head – a potentially messy mistake.

Those are small quibbles, though; overall, the ProCook Barista is a likeable, fun introduction to the world of espresso-making that demystifies what can sometimes be an intimidating craft.

The biggest drawback is that it's currently only available in the UK. If you live elsewhere, take a look at my list of alternative recommendations further down this guide.

Person selecting drink using ProCook Bean To Cup Espresso Coffee Machine — There are six coffee drinks to choose from, each of which can be customized (Image credit: Future)

ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine: price and availability

Only available to buy direct from ProCook in the UK
Currently priced at £399 (about $500 / AU$800)
One of the most affordable bean-to-cup machines we've tested

The ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine is available to buy now direct from ProCook in the UK for £399 (although its usual price is £599). It isn't currently available in other countries. This is very good value, and cheaper than anything in our guide to the best bean-to-cup coffee machines.

If you're on a tighter budget, the ProCook Espresso Coffee Machine is an entry-level espresso maker in the same series priced at £199 (usual price £249). It has a similar LCD panel and manual steam wand, but lacks the built-in grinder of the Barista machine. It's available bundled with a standalone grinder for £269 (typical price £349).

There's also the premium ProCook Barista Elite Bean to Cup Espresso Coffee Machine, which has a full color display rather than monochrome, and an automatic steam wand with heat sensor. It's available for £599 (usual price £999).

Value score: 5/5

ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine: specs

ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine: design

Chassis is made from a combination of plastic and brushed metal
Controlled using high-contrast monochrome display and four buttons
Excellent integrated conical burr grinder with easy adjustments

With its centrally positioned display and brushed metal finish, the ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine bears a passing resemblance to semi-automatic espresso machines from Breville, but there are some significant differences. Firstly, the ProCook machine's chassis isn't made entirely from stainless steel, but has strategically placed plastic panels that reduce both the weight and cost, without having a significant impact on aesthetics.

I certainly welcomed the lighter build when moving the ProCook Barista into position in my kitchen (at 21.38lbs / 9.7kg, it weighs a lot less than most similar espresso machines). The only downside is that plastic doesn't conduct heat well, which means you can't use the top of the ProCook Barista as a cup warmer (the circular depression I initially took for a cup holder is actually just a place to store the tamper).

ProCook Bean To Cup Espresso Coffee Machine bean hopper — Turning the bean hopper adjusts the grind size, and pressing it down while twisting lets you remove it to clean the burrs (Image credit: Future)

The tamper and portafilter handle are also light in the hand. They don't feel as sturdy as those you'd get with a pricier machine, and if you're particular about your accessories then you may prefer to invest in a heavier metal tamper that will help you apply more even pressure. However, the lightweight handle here could be a benefit for people with limited strength or mobility in their hands and wrists.

The bean hopper can be twisted to change the grind size, with markings on the side showing the difference your selection will make to the speed of extraction. It's a small but helpful touch for users grinding their own coffee for the first time.

You can remove the hopper by pressing down as you turn, then take the top off the grinder assembly to clean it using the stiff-bristled brush provided. The machine won't prompt you to do this, but it's a good idea to clean it regularly to avoid build-up of debris in the burrs.

ProCook Bean To Cup Espresso Coffee Machine burr grinder opened for cleaning — The machine comes with a stiff-bristled brush that's ideal for cleaning the burr grinder (Image credit: Future)

The ProCook Barista's display is large and clear, with the decent contrast ratio making it easy to read, no matter the level of lighting in your kitchen. It doesn't offer touch controls; instead, you scroll through menus and select options using four buttons –two either side of the screen.

It's a system that works well and is extremely straightforward to use, although I was surprised to find that there's no simple way to exit a menu and go back to the previous screen. For example, if you selected "single espresso" but have changed your mind and actually want a double, you can't go back to the drinks menu – even if you haven't started grinding the beans yet. Instead, you have to restart the machine. It's a small quibble, but was unexpected considering how much thought has gone into designing the interface.

ProCook Bean To Cup Espresso Coffee Machine with water tank removed — The generously sized reservoir is easy to lift off the back of the machine, and has an integrated handle for carrying (Image credit: Future)

The 95oz / 2.8-liter water reservoir is easy to lift off the rear of the machine for filling. Note that it doesn't have a filter, and ProCook doesn't sell any separately. As such, you may want to use pre-filtered water to avoid minerals changing the taste of your coffee and to slowdown the build-up of limescale.

Design score: 4.5/5

ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine: performance

Default brew settings produce consistently good results
Experimentation is encouraged, even for new users
Steam wand is particularly well designed

Some espresso machines come with an inch-thick instruction manual, but not the ProCook Barista. In fact, I found no manual in the box at all, because this machine simply doesn't need one. Just load up the bean hopper, fill the water tank, power it on, and you'll be guided through each step of the coffee-making process with clear on-screen instructions and diagrams.

There's no setup process to go through before you can start brewing; the machine takes you directly to a menu of drink options. There are six coffee drinks to choose from (single espresso, double espresso, cappuccino, latte, flat white, and americano), plus hot milk and hot water – the latter of which is dispensed via the steam wand.

You can stick with the default settings for each drink, or press and hold the "select" button to pick your own grind time (which correlates to dosage), water volume (to suit the size of your cup) and water temperature.

Grinding notification on screen of ProCook Bean To Cup Espresso Coffee Machine — The on-screen instructions are clear, but don't attach the portafilter to the group head without tamping first (Image credit: Future)

Note, however, that the instructions do miss a couple of steps. For example, you're told to insert the portafilter directly into the group head, with no mention of tamping the grounds, so a little familiarity with making coffee will be helpful.

The machine also doesn't mention that after pulling the lever on the right-hand side, you need to wait a little while for it to actually start. This wait time is actually quite helpful, giving new users a window to get themselves and their milk jug in position; but if you're used to other espresso machines then you might mistakenly believe that the wand isn't working.

Person steaming milk using ProCook Bean To Cup Espresso Coffee Machine — The cool-touch steam wand is a joy to use (Image credit: Future)

Like many manufacturers of coffee machines, ProCook advertises the pump's maximum pressure of 15 bars, but this isn't really relevant, and the machine will use the industry recommended nine bars when actually brewing. One thing I particularly like about the ProCook Barista is that it displays the exact pressure on-screen during the brewing process, so you can see the impact of your chosen beans, grind size, and tamping technique before you taste the finished drink.

During tests, the default settings provided consistently good results (although I did gravitate towards using my own metal tamper rather than the plastic one provided). The machine encourages experimentation, which is great for those new to espresso, who will find it interesting to see how tinkering with individual properties, such as water temperature, grind size, or bean type, can have a noticeable effect on flavor.

The steam wand is a pleasure to use. It has a cool-touch exterior, which I hadn't expected for an espresso machine at this price. It maintains good pressure, giving you plenty of time to stretch and heat your milk, and its angle makes it easy to achieve a good "whirlpool". It’s controlled using an arm on the right-hand side of the machine, which is pleasingly tactile; simply pull it forward to start the steam and push it back for hot water, as directed by the on-screen instructions. The only potential drawback is that there’s no control over the steam pressure, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing for a machine designed not to overwhelm beginners.

Steam arm on side of ProCook Bean to Cup Espresso Coffee Machine — The steam arm on the right-hand side of the machine is pleasingly tactile (Image credit: Future)

Maintenance is refreshingly straightforward. The exterior of the machine can be wiped clean using a cloth, and the drip tray (easily pulled out), handle, and filters can be hand-washed in warm, soapy water. The ProCook machine arrives with a pair of cleaning brushes, plus a pin for clearing the nozzle of the steam wand if it becomes clogged.

As mentioned earlier, there's no water filter for the reservoir, and unlike pricier espresso machines from the likes of KitchenAid or Smeg, there are no settings for water hardness. You can use tap or filtered water, but whichever option you pick, you will be prompted to run the machine's descaling program once you've used it to brew 300 coffees. However, you can run it sooner if you notice that the water flow has become inconsistent, or it's making odd noises.

Speaking of noise, my decibel meter recorded a maximum volume of 75dB while the machine was grinding coffee, and 60dB while pumping water, which is about standard for a bean-to-cup coffee machine. If you want a quieter bean-to-cup machine, the KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8 averaged just 44dB in our tests.

Performance score: 5/5

Should you buy the ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine?

Buy it if

You want your first espresso machine

As a semi-automatic machine, the ProCook Barista helps you with some of the trickier parts of making espresso, while letting you tackle the fun parts (such as steaming milk). It's easy to use and explains what's happening at each stage of the process, so you can see the effect of tinkering and experimenting on your finished drinks.

You don't want to spend a fortune

This is one of the most affordable bean-to-cup coffee machines we've tested, yet ProCook hasn't compromised on components where it really matters.

You're tired of using capsules

Its integrated grinder with automated dosing means fresh coffee beans are just as easy to use as foil-sealed coffee pods.View Deal

Don't buy it if

You don't live in the UK

At the time of writing, this machine is only available to buy in the UK directly from ProCook.

You already have a grinder

ProCook also sells a version of this machine without the built-in grinder, and it's even cheaper.

ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine: also consider

Not sure that the ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso machine is right for you? Here are two other options to bear in mind.

Breville The Barista Touch Impress

We awarded the Barista Touch Impress a full five stars thanks to its excellent, consistently brewed espresso and auto milk frother that handles both dairy and plant-based alternatives with ease. However, it does cost well over twice what you'd pay for the ProCook Barista.

Read our full Breville The Barista Touch Impress review

De'Longhi Dedica Style

If you're looking for a manual espresso machine that won't break the bank or take up too much space in your kitchen, this stylish little number is the one for you. It has an impressive steam wand, and it's super affordable. It lacks a grinder, though.

Read our full De'Longhi Dedica Style review

How I tested the ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine

I used the ProCook Barista Bean to Cup Espresso Machine in place of my usual Gaggia Classic and Dualit burr grinder for two weeks. I prepared all drinks from the menu, customizing several of them to suit different-sized mugs and experimenting with heat and grind time settings.

I used coffee beans from Exhale Healthy Coffee, which were provided by ProCook, and freshly roasted beans from Clifton Coffee Roasters here in Bristol. I tested the machine using both full-fat dairy milk and almond milk, which were used cold from the fridge.

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

First reviewed January 2025

Dyson’s new handheld vacuum is a great performer, but you might be better off just buying the V8

3:01 am | February 4, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances Vacuums | Comments: Off

View at Dyson US / Dyson UK / Dyson AU

Dyson Car+Boat handheld vacuum: two-minute review

The Dyson Car+Boat is a handheld vacuum with suction and battery life that put other handhelds to shame. The reason for that is that it's not really a handheld at all; it's a V8 bundled with different attachments. At time of writing, it's the only handheld option in the Dyson lineup. I put it to the test to see how it compares to the rest of the best handheld vacuums on the market, and if it's worth the extra investment.

I'll start by making it clear that despite being called the Car+Boat, this is not a wet-dry vacuum – Dyson is just suggesting it would be well suited to that. I don't have a boat, so I tried it out on my Fiat Panda.

Overall, it fared well. The suction is powerful, picking up dust and mud with ease, and – if I unleashed Max mode – also sucking up the many little stones that had collected in my footwells. The dust cup is generously sized and you'll get three attachments bundled in. Of those, the most interesting is a small, motorized head that's perfect for tackling larger, relatively flat surfaces like seat cushions and car mats. The Crevice tool is also essential for getting into narrow gaps. Battery life is far longer than most handhelds, offering up to 50 minutes on a single charge.

The compromise you'll have to make for the extra suction and longer battery is that the Car+Boat is a little bulky and heavy compared to many of today's best car vacuums. I was also annoyed by the fact that the trigger must be continually compressed for use – this is tricky when you're trying to maneuver the vacuum into small, awkward spaces.

It's expensive, although that's partly justified by the excellent performance, and that you're getting the mechanics of a full-sized vacuum. You'll need to weigh up whether it's worth just paying a little more for a Dyson stick vacuum (which, after all, can easily be converted into handheld mode). Alternatively, for less intensive cleaning tasks, there are plenty of far cheaper handhelds on the market.

If you're looking for a more heavy-duty handheld, though, the Car+Boat is a strong choice. It's great for larger cleaning sessions, and I'd especially recommend it to pet owners who need that extra suction, and a dust cup that can handle plenty of hair. That's the short version; read on for my full Dyson Car+Boat review.

Person holding the Dyson Car+Boat handheld vacuum — (Image credit: Future)

Dyson Car+Boat review: price & availability

List price: $279.99 / £249.99 / AU$449
Launched: February 2025

The Dyson Car+Boat was announced in late January 2025 and went on sale in the US, UK and Australia at the start of February. It's available direct from Dyson as well as via a selection of third-party retailers. At list price it costs $279.99 in the US, £249.99 in the UK, or AU$449 in Australia. That puts it in the premium price bracket for a handheld vacuum.

It's no surprise that this is an expensive option, but is it worth the extra outlay? It's certainly an excellent handheld. The specs are well above most handheld vacuums, and the design and build quality are high, too. If you're on a budget, there are certainly plenty of cheaper handheld vacuums to choose from. Rival vacuum brand Shark's top handheld model – the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro handheld vacuum – is a third of the price at $89.99 / £79.99 (about AU$150).

You'll need to factor in that the Car+Boat isn't really a handheld – it's a full stick vacuum, without its wand and floorhead. That means the mechanics are in line with what you'd get with a full-sized vacuum, and you'll also want to consider if you'd be better off just buying a stick vacuum, when it comes to value for money. The base model for this is the Dyson V8, and prices for that start at $349.99 / £329 / AU$799.

Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Dyson Car+Boat specs

Dyson Car+Boat review: design

Base model is a Dyson V8
Crevice tool, Combination tool and new handheld tool included
On the bulky / heavy side for a handheld vacuum

The base model for the Dyson Car+Boat is the Dyson V8 – the only difference is the attachments included. That model launched in 2016, and as a result, you're getting a slightly older configuration and motor here. There are cylones, the motor, dust cup, and removable battery, and the attachments can easily be swapped on and off. The motor spins at 110,000rpm, and there's a whole-vacuum filtration system that can capture 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns.

Operation is via a trigger that needs to be continually depressed, and there are two suction modes (regular and Max), which you can toggle using a switch. The 0.54L dust cup is generous for a handheld, and empties by pulling the whole cyclone array upwards, at which point a flap at the base of the bin will drop open.

Person showing the bin-empty mechanism on the Dyson Car+Boat handheld vacuum — Pull the whole cyclone section upwards to empty the generous dust cup (Image credit: Future)

You get three attachments bundled in with the Car+Boat. Two are standard tools included with almost all other Dyson stick vacuums: a long, narrow Crevice tool for getting into tight spaces, and a Combination tool that looks like a wider nozzle with retractible brush surround. (More on these in my Dyson vacuum tools guide.)

The third looks like it's new to the Car+Boat, and it's a small motorized head for cleaning relatively flat surfaces like car seats, boat cushions and car mats. It includes a brushroll, and a cover that will move to sit flush with the surface as you clean, to maintain suction.

Dyson handheld tool (left) and Combination tool (right) — The new handheld-specific attachment (left) and Combination tool (right) (Image credit: Future)

It probably goes without saying, but there's no long wand or full-sized floorheads, as you'd get with the regular V8.

Dyson stick vacuum comparison

Because the Car+Boat is essentially a V8, and because all of Dyson's stick vacuums can be used as handheld models, it makes sense to briefly cover how the Car+Boat compares.

The V8 was released in 2016, and at time the launch of the Car+Boat, there are three newer vacuums in the lineup – the Dyson V11, the V15 Detect and Gen5detect – all of which have more powerful motors and longer battery life. There are further design differences: all have a more suction-efficient in-line configuration of bin, wand and motor, all have useful LCD screens to provide information, and all have a slightly simpler and more efficient bin-empty mechanism.

Although the V8 isn't the best Dyson vacuum by specs, it is perhaps the best option for handheld use. It's lighter than all the newer models (considerably so, in some cases), and more compact.

Design score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Car+Boat review: performance

Excellent suction and tools work very well
Slightly bulky in small spaces
Awkward to keep the trigger compressed in use

I used the Dyson Car+Boat to clean my embarrassingly dirty Fiat Panda, and overall I was impressed. The suction is excellent, picking up mud and dust easily, and even pulling up various small stones that had collected on the carpets. I found the Max mode useful for tackling tougher, more ingrained dirt.

The attachments are useful and, for the most part, very well designed. The Crevice tool is long enough to get right into small gaps like down the side of the seats, and the new motorized tool great for larger, flatter areas. The rotating cover works well to maintain a 'seal' around the roller and maximize suction efficiency. I found myself using the Combination tool the least, but it's still useful to have as an option.

Dyson V8 next to the Car+Boat handheld — The new motorized tool is great for flatter surfaces (Image credit: Future)

All of these tools are well designed, although not quite perfect. The brushroll can be prone to getting tangled with hair, which isn't a massive issue but is something Dyson has addressed elsewhere – its Hair Screw tool has a conical brushroll that directs hair straight into the dust cup. I think you could use a Hair Screw tool as an effective alternative to this new attachment. I also found the button that locks the brush surround on the Crevice tool into place could be a little fiddly.

The Car+Boat is on the chunky side for a handheld vacuum, and could be awkward for getting into tight spaces. I couldn't use it to dust my dash, for instance, because the motor wouldn't fit far enough under the windscreen, and it was a little tricky to maneuver under the seats, too.

Dyson Car+Boat with Crevice tool being used to clean a car — A long Crevice tool gets right into tight corners (Image credit: Future)

My main complaint is that the trigger must be continually pressed in when using the vacuum – there's no clip or switch for continuous running. That's annoying even on a floor vacuum, but doubly so here, where you're trying to shift it at awkward angles spaces. (Dyson has upgraded this to a button on the newest Gen5detect, but none of the others.)

The design is excellent for larger, flatter spaces, however. I also think it'd be a great choice for pet owners, because the suction is powerful enough to handle pet hair, and the dust cup large enough to hold relatively large volumes of it (especially compared to other handhelds). The battery life is also outstanding, but I'll get to that in a second.

Performance score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Car+Boat review: battery life

Up to a quoted 50 minutes on one charge; less in Max mode
Far longer runtimes than the majority of handheld vacuums
Battery removable and swappable

Battery life is one of the areas where the Car+Boat really stands out from competitors. Dyson quotes a maximum of 50 minutes cleaning on a single charge. That's way above average – most cordless handheld vacuums offer a maximum of 30 minutes of cleaning, but sometimes it's more like 15 minutes. 50 is in line with some of today's best cordless vacuums. Note that Max mode will bleed the battery much faster, but that's to be expected – this mode is really only for tough spot cleans.

On test, I really appreciated this longer runtime. Cleaning cars and furniture is fiddly – it takes time to do it properly, and there's nothing worse than running out of battery halfway through the job, once you've wedged yourself into a footwell. I imagine it's the same with boats.

The battery is removable and swappable, so theoretically if you wanted to extend runtimes further, then you could purchase a spare.

Battery life score: 5 out of 5

Should you buy the Dyson Car+Boat?

Buy it if...

You want to clean large areas
The long battery life and relatively large dust cup (for a handheld) make this model perfect for bigger cleaning jobs.

You're dealing with pet hair
You might not need such powerful suction if you're just clearing dust from your car floors, but if you have molting pets that travel with you, it might be worth the extra investment in a Car+Boat.

Don't buy it if...

You already have a V8
The Car+Boat is just a V8 without the floorhead and wand – so if you have that model (or even a different Dyson one) you could just use that in handheld mode.

You have a small car and are on a budget
If you don't need the long battery, there are lots of alternatives at a far lower price.

How I tested the Dyson Car+Boat

I used the Dyson Car+Boat to clean my Fiat Panda, including seats, carpets, footwells and as many nooks and crannies as I could get into. I also tested it on furniture in my home. I used all the various attachments, and compared it to other vacuums I've tested out in terms of both specs and usability.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

First reviewed February 2025

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