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I tested the Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station and it’s ideal for power users – if they can afford it
10:02 pm | August 16, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Anker Prime TB5 14-in-1 Docking Station: 30-second review

The Anker Prime Docking Station is a powerful unit with plenty of ports that employ the latest standards, serving the needs of creatives and other power users.

It’s rather elegant for a docking station, thanks to the premium grey metallic finish and vibrant blue light ring, which is bright enough to notice without causing distraction.

Build quality is also impressive, rivalling the best laptop docking station constructions. Every panel is solid, and the rubber feet are robust and provide plenty of dampening and protection.

However, its tall, square form could be inconducive to certain setups, since it might not fit under monitor stands and shelves. This is less of a problem for typical docking stations with their thin, rectangular shapes.

My other gripe with the Prime Docking Station concerns its power button, which isn’t very tactile and can be awkward to use. My presses would sometimes fail to register, and I wish the hold time was shorter when powering it down.

There are plenty of ports on the Prime Docking Station (14 in total), including upstreaming and downstreaming USB-C ports at the back. Both of these employ the Thunderbolt 5 standard and can also provide charge: the former at 140W and the latter 15W.

What’s more, the two downstreaming ports can support dual 8K monitors (6K when connected to macOS devices), and either can be used in conjunction with the HDMI port or the DisplayPort. Only two external monitors can be used at the same time, though, and the HDMI and DisplayPort can’t be used simultaneously, either.

The front two USB-C ports provide a combined output of 45W, which is sufficient for fast charging numerous devices. Other ports include three USB-A ports, readers for SD and TF cards, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

All of these ports function well, providing fast and stable data transmission and multi-device charging. However, there were a few occasions where my external displays lost signal for a second or so, or failed to display altogether, usually when booting up my laptop for the first time of the day.

This required a simple re-plug of the upstreaming cable to remedy, and these occurrences weren’t frequent enough to disrupt the overall experience. What’s more, I believe at least part of the blame lies with the poor multi-display optimization of Windows 11, rather than with the dock itself.

The audio jack, on the other hand, is somewhat of a let down, failing to deliver as much bass and fidelity as when connecting my headphones directly to my laptop.

The main drawback of the Prime Docking Station, though, is the price. At $400 / £400, it’s seriously expensive, and only worth the outlay if you’ll actually be using two 8K or 6K monitors, and have multiple devices to charge and peripherals to connect at once.

Anker Prime TB5 14-in-1 Docking Station: Price & availability

Rear three-quarter view of Anker Prime Docking Station (14-in-1, 8K, Thunderbolt 5) with various cables attached, on desk with green background

(Image credit: Future)
  • $399.99 / £399.99 (about AU$610)
  • Available now in the US and the UK
  • High-end of the market

The Anker Prime Docking Station costs $399.99 / £399.99 (about AU$610) and is available via Anker's website here, as well as online retailers including Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

While there are many docking stations in the same ballpark, there are also plenty of cheaper alternatives. This includes the Kensington SD5000T5 EQ, which costs considerably less despite having a comparable spec. It also has a slimmer design to boot – no wonder we think it’s one of the best Thunderbolt 5 laptop docks around.

  • Value: 3 / 5

Anker Prime TB5 14-in-1 Docking Station: Specs

Compatibility:

USB-C

Number of Ports:

14

Ports front:

2x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x audio jack, 1x SD card reader (left side), 1x TF card reader (left side)

Ports back:

AC power input, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x 2.5GbE Ethernet

Downstream power:

2x 15W USB-C (Thunderbolt 5)

Upstream power:

140W USB-C (Thunderbolt 5)

Size:

4.6 x 4.6 x 3.0in / 116 x 116 x 75mm

Weight:

38oz / 1,086g

Accessories:

USB-C cable (Thunderbolt 5)

Anker Prime TB5 14-in-1 Docking Station: Design

Rear of Anker Prime Docking Station (14-in-1, 8K, Thunderbolt 5), on desk with green background

(Image credit: Future)
  • Solid build quality
  • Premium looks
  • Divisive boxy shape

The Prime Docking Station certainly looks sleek, with its dark grey metallic body, which is nicely complemented by the blue light ring around the top edge. This is bright enough to add interest, but dim enough to avoid being a distraction. Even the rear vents are stylishly designed, and help to make it fit for any professional environment.

While it’s pleasingly thin across its width, the Prime Docking Station is quite tall and thick across its depth. This might prove to be an issue for those looking to slot it underneath their monitor stand or similar, as I doubt it’ll fit comfortably under all of them.

There’s no denying the premium construction of the Prime Docking Station, though. It’s extremely solid and sturdy, and the four rubber feet are certainly thick enough to dampen any operating vibrations and protect your desktop surface.

The power button, however, is a slight misstep. It doesn’t feel very tactile, and it can be hard to tell when you’ve actually pressed it properly. There were numerous occasions when I thought I’d pressed it, but it failed to actuate.

  • Design: 3.5 / 5

Anker Prime TB5 14-in-1 Docking Station: Features

Front three-quarter view of Anker Prime Docking Station (14-in-1, 8K, Thunderbolt 5), on desk next to black laptop with green wall in background

(Image credit: Future)
  • 14 ports
  • Thunderbolt 5 support
  • Blue light indicator

The Prime Docking Station has three Thunderbolt 5 ports, all located on the back. One is for upstreaming and also provides 140W of PD charging. The other two are for downstreaming and each supports 8K monitors (or 6K if used with a macOS device). They’re also capable of transferring data at 120Gbps and charging at 15W.

Also on the back is an HDMI port and a DisplayPort, although both can’t be used at the same time. If two connections are present, the latter will take precedent. Thankfully, either of these ports can be used in conjunction with one of the Thunderbolt 5 ports for dual-display setups. Unfortunately, though, the Prime Docking Station can’t support three external monitors.

Rounding out the rear interfaces are two USB-A ports, each of which is capable of data transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps. On the left side you’ll find TF and SD card readers, the latter of which accepts most form factors.

The front of the Prime Docking Station features two more USB-C ports – each with a data transfer speed of up to 10Gbps and a combined 45W output – and one more USB-A port, again capable of transferring data at 10Gbps. A 3.5mm Aux jack is also present for connecting headphones and other output devices.

The aforementioned blue light ring isn’t just for show: it also acts as a status indicator. It remains solid when the Prime Docking Station is powered on, and flashes twice when the upstream port is connected and in Thunderbolt 5 or 4 mode.

When the Prime Docking Station is running intense workloads involving high data transmission speeds, such as when gaming with high resolution monitors, a moving pattern is displayed. The light can be turned off altogether by pressing the power button once, while holding it for five seconds turns the entire unit off, which is slightly too long to be convenient in my view.

Accompanying software is available for the Prime Docking Station, but it’s very basic, used merely to download firmware updates and view the manual, which can also be downloaded as a PDF.

  • Features: 4.5 / 5

Anker Prime TB5 14-in-1 Docking Station: Performance

top view of Anker Prime Docking Station (14-in-1, 8K, Thunderbolt 5) with blue light on, with white background

(Image credit: Future)
  • Seamless connectivity and charging
  • Minor external monitor issues
  • Awkward power button

Given the spec of the Prime Docking Station, it’s no surprise overall performance is fast and seamless. One of the immediate drawbacks of this power, though, is the fact that AC power is required at all times, so you’ll need a spare outlet nearby.

The Thunderbolt 5, HDMI and Displayport interfaces all provide stable connections to external monitors, although there were a few occasions where one of my connected displays would go black for a couple of seconds before coming back. There were also times when neither one of them was recognized, requiring me to reconnect the upstreaming cable to my laptop.

However, this could be a fault of my laptop rather than with the dock, as Windows 11 devices are known to be somewhat unreliable when handling multiple displays.

Front three-quarter view of Anker Prime Docking Station (14-in-1, 8K, Thunderbolt 5), on desk with green background

(Image credit: Future)

Connected peripherals, on the other hand, worked flawlessly in my experience. Mice and keyboards worked and charged just as well as if they were connected directly, and the same can be said of the read and write speeds of the SD card I inserted into the reader.

The audio jack, however, proved somewhat of a disappointment. Low end frequencies were noticeably weaker through my headphones, and overall fidelity seemed slightly compromised, too.

When dealing with high workloads, such as … multiple USB ports simultaneously, the Prime Docking Station does produce some fan noise. Mercifully, though, this isn’t loud enough to disturb, and neither is the small amount of heat that’s generated.

  • Performance: 4 / 5

Anker Prime TB5 14-in-1 Docking Station: Report card

Value

This is one expensive docking station, and only worth it for those who’ll make the most of what it has to offer.

3 / 5

Design

It’s very well engineered, but that cube shape might prove incongruous for certain setups.

3.5 / 5

Features

With plenty of ports employing the latest standards, power users should be pleased.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Peripheral connections and multi-device charging are taken in its stride, and there are only a few minor hiccups when using multiple displays.

4 / 5

Overall

The Prime Docking Station is a powerful unit, but one with a somewhat cumbersome design and a price tag that only makes sense if you plan on using it to its fullest potential.

3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Anker Prime TB5 14-in-1 Docking Station?

Buy it if...

You want good looks and build quality
It’s certainly smart and sophisticated, and feels as premium as it should do at this price.

You want powerful interfaces
The multiple Thunderbolt 5 ports will please power hungry and 6/8K dual-monitor users.

Don't buy it if...

You want something thin
It may be compact in terms of length, but it’s quite tall and thick, which might not fit so well with certain setups.

You want to save money
The Prime Docking Station is far from cheap, and unless you really need all of its power and capabilities, there are better value alternatives.

Also consider

Kensington SD5000T5 EQ
If you need Thunderbolt 5 ports but are on a tighter budget, the SD5000T5 EQ is a sound choice. This is a fast and well-made unit, as well as being versatile thanks to its 11 ports. Like the Prime Docking Station, the SD5000T5 EQ also requires power from an outlet.

Read our full Kensington SD5000T5 EQ review.

IOGear Dock Pro
Our pick as the best docking station overall, the IOGear Dock Pro is a great all-rounder. There are no less than four HDMI/DisplayPort interfaces, and it can be powered with a PSU or via a USB-C cable. We did find it can get quite hot after a while, and there’s only one USB-C port on the entire unit, but these are about the only drawbacks.

Read our full IOGear Dock Pro review.

I just spent a week with the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, and now I don’t want to give it back
6:33 pm | August 12, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360: Two-minute review

There's no denying that the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 is a premium laptop. Everything about it screams 'high-end', from the sleek chassis to the fantastic performance. Is it one of the best ultrabooks? Having spent a week using it for this review, I feel confident saying so.

Of course, such premium design quality means a premium price tag to match, with even the base configuration starting at an eye-watering $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615). That's a high asking price, but the Book5 Pro 360 puts a lot of work into justifying it.

For starters, the overall performance here is strong. The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor powering this laptop performs admirably across a wide range of workloads, even capable of handling triple-A games with the help of resolution upscaling. The battery life is also truly top-notch.

In terms of build quality, the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 feels like it belongs among the best laptops, with a premium feel to the chassis and a sturdy 360-degree display hinge (making it a prime candidate for one of the best 2-in-1 laptops). With a good range of physical ports and a gorgeous AMOLED display to boot, this is one laptop I was seriously reluctant to send back once my testing was complete.

The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 photographed on a white desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Price and availability

  • Starts at $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615)
  • Available now in the US and UK
  • Only one configuration available in the US

Starting at $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615), the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 doesn't have a wealth of configurations to choose from. In fact, US shoppers can only purchase one specific model, which features a 1TB SSD, 16GB of RAM, and an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU.

If you're in the UK, you can pick up that same configuration for £1,799, or a slightly less powerful version with 512GB of storage and a Core Ultra 5 chip for the aforementioned £1,599 price tag.

It's some pretty steep pricing, especially in the UK - although as always, it should be noted that British pricing includes tax, and there's no telling how the current tariff situation will affect the actual retail price in the States. I've seen costlier laptops, and the Book5 Pro 360 lives up to its price tag, but this isn't one for the faint of heart (or slim of wallet).

Sorry to our readers over in Australia, as it seems that Samsung hasn't seen fit to bring any of the Galaxy Book laptop series to the land down under (at least, not according to its own online store). That means you'll be looking at third-party importers if you want to get your hands on a Book5 model.

  • Price: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Specs

Here are the specs for the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360:

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 specs

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 (model reviewed)

Starting Price

$1,699 / £1,799 (around AU$2,615)

CPU

Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 256V

GPU

Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics

RAM

16GB

Storage

Up to 1TB SSD

Display

16-inch WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) AMOLED 120Hz touchscreen

Ports

2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm combi audio jack, HDMI 2.1, microSD

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

3.73lbs / 1.69kg

Dimensions

14 x 9.9 x 0.5 inches / 35.5 x 25.1 x 1.37mcm

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Design

  • Best-in-class build quality
  • Excellent display
  • Tablet functionality is merely alright

Upon first unboxing it, the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 immediately feels like a high-end piece of hardware. It's just half an inch thick, and there's not an ounce of wasted space here; the chassis is carefully sculpted around the 16-inch display, with a tiny bezel that also houses the 1080p webcam. The whole thing feels durable and well-constructed.

Despite featuring a full-scale keyboard that features a numpad on the right-hand side, typing on the Book5 Pro 360 never felt cramped in my testing. The individual keys are sufficiently spaced and offer a decent amount of travel for a thin-and-light ultrabook. There's a fingerprint reader for more secure logins, and you can also use Windows Hello to unlock the laptop with facial recognition.

The trackpad is very responsive with a robust click and no noticeable flex in the housing, even with firm presses - although as usual, I'd recommend connecting a third-party mouse instead. I didn't notice any issues with the palm rejection while typing, which is always a relief.

The 360-degree hinge that lets you flip into tablet mode is pleasingly sturdy (no annoying wobbles here), though I'd perhaps say that tablet functionality is the weakest feather in Samsung's cap. The Book5 Pro 360 is simply a bit too large and heavy to really work as a tablet device; don't expect this to beat any of the best tablets in that regard.

The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 photographed on a white desk.

(Image credit: Future)

That being said, the touchscreen is fantastic; a 3K AMOLED display with excellent brightness, sharpness, and color reproduction. The Samsung S Pen comes bundled with every Book5 Pro 360, and while I'm no artist, it seems to work very well, which could be a potential boon for digital creatives. It would be nice if the S Pen could be garaged or snap magnetically to the chassis, though.

In terms of physical connectivity, the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 features a great selection of ports: two Thunderbolt 4-enabled USB-Cs, one USB-A, HDMI video output for connecting a second screen, headphone jack, and even a microSD card reader - a worthwhile inclusion for photographers. Wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, exemplifying the cutting-edge nature of this laptop.

The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 photographed on a white desk.

(Image credit: Future)

I also have to discuss the software side of things, since virtually every laptop manufacturer these days is dead set on cramming as many proprietary apps into their laptops as possible. These can range from somewhat useful to borderline malware, and are often among the first things I uninstall on a new device.

Mercifully, Samsung's integrated software is largely unobtrusive, and can be ignored entirely after the initial setup if you're so inclined. The tools on offer are best employed by users who already own another Galaxy device, with the Multi Control feature letting you access your Samsung phone or tablet directly from the laptop. You can even use a Galaxy Tab as a second screen, although I didn't have one on hand to test this myself.

The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 photographed on a white desk.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Design: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Performance

  • Strong all-round performance
  • Intel Core Ultra chip gives local AI functionality
  • Even capable of triple-A gaming (with some tweaks)

I was seriously impressed with the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor at the core of the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360. Outside of dedicated testing, I found the laptop remarkably fast and responsive, capable of handling multitasking workloads with ease.

Although the lack of a discrete GPU means that it's not best suited for seriously intensive work like video editing or 3D modeling, it can still handle a variety of daily tasks. My usual workload involves keeping a minimum of ten Chrome tabs open at once, usually with Spotify running in the background and the occasional bit of image editing in GIMP, and the Book5 Pro 360 had zero issues with that.

The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 photographed on a white desk.

(Image credit: Future)
Samsung Galaxy Book5 360 benchmarks

Here's how the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Night Raid: 17,990; Fire Strike: 8,874; Time Spy: 3,891; Steel Nomad: 1,677
Cinebench R24: Multi-core: 588; Single-core: 124
Geekbench 6.4: Multicore: 10,630; Single-core: 2,635
Geekbench AI: Single Precision Score: 3,165; Half Precision Score: 1,412; Quantized Score: 6,286
PCMark 10: 6,767
Crossmark: Overall: 1,770; Productivity: 1,640; Creativity: 1,996; Responsiveness: 1,558
Sid Meier's Civilization VII: (1080p, Medium, No Upscaling): 34fps; (1080p, High, No Upscaling): 22fps
Cyberpunk 2077: (1080p, Low, No Upscaling): 39fps; (1080p, Ultra, No Upscaling): 23fps
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 20 hours, 3 minutes

Over on the test bench, the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 scored well across the board, with good performance in synthetic rendering and productivity tests. It's not world-beating performance (the best MacBooks will give this laptop a run for its money), but it's certainly on par with comparable Windows laptops.

Gaming performance is seriously impressive considering that it's all running on integrated Intel Arc graphics. Cyberpunk 2077 was just about playable at 1080p with the lowest graphical preset, but turn on upscaling (either via Intel's own XeSS tech or AMD's open-source FSR 3.0) and you can easily get a stable 30+ frames per second even on medium settings.

You might notice above that the recorded scores for Civilization VII - a less demanding title than Cyberpunk - look a bit low. Despite multiple attempts with different settings, I couldn't coax any better performance out of that game, and turning on upscaling actually made the framerate worse. Other games (including Borderlands 3 and Alan Wake 2) ran as expected, so it's possible there was a driver issue or similar obstacle I simply didn't have time to properly diagnose and resolve in my testing.

Lastly, the Book5 Pro 360 features a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) on its Intel Core Ultra 7 chip, designed to handle local AI workloads (like some of the functionality of Microsoft Copilot). The NPU performance is solid, but it's worth noting that for running more intensive AI tasks - like training your own LLM - you'll see better performance on a laptop with a discrete Nvidia GPU.

The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 photographed on a white desk.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Performance: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Battery life

  • Fantastic battery lifespan
  • Outlasts many competing laptops
  • Charges quickly

Samsung makes some bold claims about the 76Wh battery of the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, suggesting that it offers up to 25 hours of continuous use. It didn't quite live up to that figure in my testing, but it still delivered a very respectable 20 hours and 3 minutes of looped video playback.

We run our battery test at 50% brightness with Windows 11's 'best efficiency' power preset enabled, so that 25-hour figure actually sounds pretty achievable if you really tried to squeeze every last drop from the battery with minimum brightness and Energy Saver turned on. Regardless, it's an impressive result that comfortably defeats many competing laptops. The only one to beat it in recent memory is the 2025 Intel Core Ultra Dell XPS 13, but that laptop crucially has a much smaller (and therefore less power-hungry) display.

Charging is also fast, with power delivery via Thunderbolt 4 taking the battery from empty to full in approximately 90 minutes. The only downside is having to sacrifice a USB-C port while charging, but with plenty of other ports available, it's a very minor concern.

  • Battery: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Book5 360?

Samsung Galaxy Book5 360: Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

The bundled S Pen is a nice extra, but the price tag is still fairly high - though not entirely unreasonable for a premium ultrabook like this.

3.5 / 5

Design

Although the tablet mode is a bit unwieldy due to the large screen, this is a fantastically designed laptop overall.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Performance is strong across the board, with good gaming capabilities and a discrete NPU for AI workloads.

4.5 / 5

Battery

20 hours of battery life places the Book5 Pro 360 among the best of the best when it comes to laptop longevity.

5 / 5

Overall rating

If you're looking for a premium Windows device that beats out most of the competition, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is a strong choice.

4.25 / 5

Buy it if...

You want premium build quality
The Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 feels like an expertly engineered device, with a robust screen hinge and comfortable keyboard.

You want a fast and versatile laptop
With strong all-rounder performance and great responsiveness, plus a fantastic touchscreen, this Galaxy Book can handle almost anything you throw at it.

Don't buy it if... 

You really want a tablet
Although the touchscreen is great, the whole laptop is slightly too large to be practical as a tablet - it's fine for occasional use, but ill-suited as a dedicated tablet device.

You're on a budget
There's no avoiding it: the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 is expensive. If you want an affordable system, you'll be better off checking out our best budget laptops guide.

Samsung Galaxy Book5 360: Also consider

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
If you can make do with just a touchscreen, rather than a fully convertible laptop, the Surface 7 is an excellent choice. We found its performance very capable across multiple areas, while its design, battery life, and even sound quality are great as well. It uses an ARM processor, though, so beware of possible incompatibilities.
Check out our Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024)
For those who aren't too concerned about Windows and would be happy to make the switch to macOS, the 16-inch M4 MacBook Pro is the way to go - just bear in mind that it's even more expensive (and even more powerful) than the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360.
Check out our MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) review

Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4, 2024)

Starting Price

From $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615)

From $999.99 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,899

From $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999

CPU

Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 256V

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite

Up to Apple M4 Max (16-core)

GPU

Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics

Qualcomm Adreno GPU

Up to 40-core integrated GPU

RAM

16GB DDR5

Up to 32GB LPDDR5x

Up to 48GB unified memory

Storage

Up to 1TB SSD

Up to 1TB SSD

Up to 1TB SSD

Display

16-inch WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) AMOLED 120Hz touchscreen

13.8-inch 2304 x 1536, 3:2 120Hz HDR touchscreen

16-inch 3456 x 2234 Liquid Retina XDR display

Ports

2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x USB-A 3.2, 1x 3.5mm combi audio jack, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x microSD card reader

2x USB 4 Type C, 1x USB Type A Gen 3.1, 1x 3.5mm combo jack, 1x Surface connect port, 1x microSD card reader

3x Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C), 1x HDMI, 1x SDXC card slot, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 5.4

WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3

Weight

3.73lbs / 1.69kg

2.96lbs / 1.34kg

4.8 lbs / 2.2kg

Dimensions

14 x 9.9 x 0.5 inches / 35.5 x 25.1 x 1.37mcm

11.85 x 8.67 x 0.69 inches / 30.1 x 22.0 x 1.75cm

14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches / 35.6 x 24.8 x 1.7cm

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360

  • Replaced my usual laptop for one week
  • Performed a variety of everyday tasks
  • Ran our usual suite of synthetic and gaming tests

As I usually do for any laptop review, I replaced my daily driver (the ever-dependable HP Spectre x360) with the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 for one week, using it for both my regular work and a bit of entertainment outside of the nine-to-five.

My day-to-day workload mostly involves editing spreadsheets and text documents, researching online in Chrome, and some light image editing (usually to produce fun pictures for spicy opinion articles). Beyond that, I also used the Book5 Pro 360 for some gaming, playing Borderlands and Stardew Valley with my partner, as well as finally catching up on Dandadan season 2 on Netflix.

I've got plenty of experience in testing laptops, as I've been professionally reviewing them (along with all other sorts of computer hardware) for more than eight years. I've learned what it takes to make a good laptop, and what potential drawbacks to keep an eye out for.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2025

I’ve just tested Dyson’s multi-talented purifying fan heater, and it has some neat tricks, but I think there’s a better-value option
9:00 pm | August 9, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Air Quality Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10: two-minute review

Do you have money to spend and want to save on space? If so, the multi-talented Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater is a compact solution for combating chilly days or hot nights, while helping to purify airborne nasties, too.

The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater is available at multiple retailers in the US, UK, and Australia at a list price of $529.99 / £549.99 / AU$899, though I’ve spied the occasional discount in the US from the likes of Dyson and Amazon, who are both offering the HP10 for just under $400 at the time of writing.

The Dyson HP10 is tilted upward.

(Image credit: Future)

The price is on the steep side, considering you can get a far smarter air purifier like the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 for a similar price or sometimes less. You can also get the full-sized tower fan version, the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10, for a whole $100 / £100 / AU$100 cheaper. Neither has a heat function, admittedly, but if I had the budget, I’d be looking to buy the TP09 when it’s on offer, and buy a separate heater.

At just 30.2 inches / 77cm tall, the HP10 is a stumpier, yet slightly chunkier and heavier, version of the TP10. It’s too chonky to sit on a tabletop, and has a relatively short loop amplifier, but it makes up for this with its ability to be tilted, so it’ll cool more than just your knees – happy days.

The HP10 has a lot of skills to its name, with 10 fan speeds, a multi-temperature heating mode, and oscillation of up to 350 degrees. Thanks to its low noise level, I found it easy to sleep with the HP10 next to my bed, and found the tilting element useful for perfecting the airflow angle.

A woman is pointing the remote at the Dyson HP10.

(Image credit: Future)

Auto mode performed well during testing, though it is basic, as it only has the ability to detect and react to PM2.5 and PM10 contaminants. It’s important to note that – as is the case with many other air purifiers on the market rocking a HEPA H13 filter – just because a device may not have the capacity to detect and react to other contaminants like VOCs, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t helping to filter them out.

Overall, I really like the multi-functional format of the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater, and was impressed with its performance, so if you’ve got the budget and don’t want a particularly smart air purifier, you won’t be disappointed with the HP10. But personally, if I had the space (and the budget), I’d opt for the smarter TP09 and buy a separate little fan heater for colder days. If you’d like to take a look at other options, I suggest checking out our pick of the best air purifiers and the best fans for options we highly recommend.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 review: price & availability

  • List price: $529.99 / £549.99 / AU$899
  • Available now in the US, UK, and Australia

The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater is available to purchase at Dyson, Amazon, and multiple other third-party retailers, and has a list price of $529.99 / £549.99 / AU$899.

This isn’t a terrible price if you’ve got your heart set on a Dyson appliance and desperately want all three functions in one small package. But considering you could get the impressively performing Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying tower fan for a similar cost, or even less, or spend $100 / £100 / AU$100 less on the taller Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 purifying fan and just buy a separate heater, I’d recommend thinking over your priorities before buying.

That being said, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater can occasionally be found for less. For example, it’s “Dyson Week” on the Dyson US website at the time of writing, which has knocked the price down to a far more acceptable $399.99, and Amazon US is offering the HP10 for $399 too, so it’s worth checking if any discounts are available.

A woman is removing the outer shroud and air filter from the Dyson HP10.

(Image credit: Future)

The Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 uses the same filter as many of Dyson’s other purifier models: the 360 Combi Glass HEPA + Carbon air purifier, which has a list price of $79.99 / £75 / AU$99. Dyson recommends the filter be changed every twelve months, based on usage of twelve hours a day, so it’s important to factor this in as an ongoing cost. Most air purifiers need regular filter changes, though some, like the Shark NeverChange or the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i, employ helpful washable pre-filters in an attempt to extend the lifespan of their single-use filters.

Overall, if you’re a Dyson fan with the right budget who wants three appliances in one conveniently compact package, you’ll be happy enough with the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater. If you’d rather sacrifice a little more floor space over creating a noticeable void in your bank account, however, you may want to consider individual appliances instead.

  • Value score: 3.5 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 review: specs

Type

Purifying fan heater

Fan speeds

10

Oscillation

45, 90, 180, 350 degrees

Timer

Yes, in Night mode

CADR (Clean air delivery rate)

Requested

Filter

HEPA H13 with activated carbon

Particle sizes detected

PM2.5, PM10

Dimensions

9.8 x 9.8 x 30.2 inches / 25 x 25 x 77cm

Weight

11.7 lbs / 5.3kg

Control

Onboard power button, remote control

Additional modes

Auto, Night mode

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 review: design and features

  • Three functions in one package: cooling, heating, and purifying
  • Short in stature, but can be tilted for better airflow position
  • No smart features

With its bladeless loop amplifier and metallic details, the Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater has the classic Dyson aesthetic we know and love. The white and nickel color of the sample I tested is available in the US, UK, and Australia, but Dyson also offers a white and gold version on their UK site, and a white and silver model in the US.

At first glance, I’d say it’s a little on the short side for a tower fan, and it’s too chunky and heavy to easily fit on a tabletop, but its ability to tilt forward and backward means that the airflow can be easily directed. I think I may actually prefer this format to the taller tower fan loop amplifiers, as the airflow feels a bit more concentrated.

A woman is placing the remote control on top of the Dyson Purifier Hot and Cool Gen1 HP10.

(Image credit: Future)

Weighing 11.7lb / 5.3kg, the HP10 is surprisingly heavy for its size, and I can only assume it must be the heating element that makes it heavier than its taller siblings.

Other than the power button, there are no controls on the HP10 itself. All of the controls are accessible via the slightly curved remote, which sits magnetically on top of the loop amplifier when not in use. It houses buttons to increase and decrease the fan speed or heat level, a button to switch back to cool mode, an info button, and buttons to toggle oscillation, auto mode, or Night mode.

By pressing the info button, I could cycle through the different detail screens on the front of the purifying unit. This includes graphs showing air quality changes either recently or over a 24-hour period, PM2.5 and PM10 readings, filter status, and the ambient temperature.

At this price point, it’s a little disappointing that the HP10 doesn’t have any smart features. This means that historical data is limited to the little 24-hour on-screen graph, and control is limited to the remote.

When Auto mode is enabled, the HP10 will react accordingly to rising or falling levels of PM2.5 or PM10 contamination. There’s a timer function that can be used if you don’t want the HP10 running all day if you’re out of the house, but it’s tied in with Night mode, so it can’t be used without the display being dimmed.

The HP10 comes with a 360 Combi Glass HEPA + Carbon air purifier filter, which is an H13-grade HEPA filter and is understood to capture 99.95% of particles as small as 0.2 microns. Though the HP10 only automatically reacts when it detects PM2.5 or PM10 contaminants, it’s worth noting that its HEPA and carbon filter are still capable of capturing other airborne nasties, like VOCs.

  • Design score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 review: performance

  • Easy to operate
  • Tilt function proved useful
  • Reacted promptly to PM2.5 and PM10 contaminants

It was really easy to use the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10; all the buttons on the remote were self-explanatory, and it was pleasingly responsive and had a good range.

The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 reacted quickly when I sprayed dry shampoo toward it from around two feet away. It took just a couple of seconds to detect the contamination, instantly spiking the PM2.5 and PM10 readings, turning them purple to indicate very bad air quality. The readings were lowered to around 30 micrograms in around a minute, which is considered good on Dyson’s air quality scale.

A woman is holding the remote control for the Dyson HP10 in the palm of her hand.

(Image credit: Future)

The strength of the airflow was fine for its size, but noticeably less than the larger tower fan models. I could feel a cooling breeze from two feet away on fan speed one, four feet on speed five, and 10 feet on top speed ten.

I felt the benefit from the heat mode pretty quickly. The screen showed a little thermometer with the current room temperature noted, and I could raise or lower the temperature a degree at a time using the plus and minus buttons on the remote.

The particle sensors on the side of the Dyson HP10.

(Image credit: Future)

Night mode worked as expected, with the fan speed dropping to four and the display dimming, either permanently or on a timer of up to eight hours. I liked that I could still increase the fan speed in Night mode, as that means no choosing between light pollution or overheating on a hot night. Being able to tilt the HP10 was also really helpful when setting the airflow to the right angle at bedtime.

The HP10 was lovely and quiet, with a volume of just 30dB when running on fan speed one, 41dB on speed five, and 53dB on speed ten when I tested it. These readings were very similar to those recorded from the TP09 and TP10, with the HP10 operating as quietly as a soft whisper on its lowest setting, and about as loud as moderate rainfall at its highest.

  • Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10?

Section

Notes

Score

Value for money

The multi-functionality and great performance of the HP10 means you’re getting okay value for money here, but you could get better value for money by purchasing a cheaper Dyson purifying fan and teaming it with a separate fan heater.

3.5/5

Design & Features

The HP10 is a great space-saver, and although it may be a little on the short side, the tilt function makes it easy to direct the airflow. At this price, though, I’d really expect it to have some smart features.

4/5

Performance

All three of the HP10’s functions performed well; it heated up quickly, had strong, cooling airflow, and reacted promptly to contamination during testing.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want to save space
One clear benefit of the HP10 is that it packs three efficient functions into one compact appliance. This means you can control the heating, cooling, and purifying with just one remote, and it’ll only take up one power outlet.

You want a good degree of oscillation
The HP10 offers four different oscillation angles of 45, 90, 180, and 350 degrees. This, combined with the manual tilt function, makes it easy to position the airflow where you want it.

You want something simple to use
Thanks to the clearly labelled and responsive remote and the large LCD screen, it’s satisfyingly easy to operate and review data from the HP10.

Don't buy it if...

You want something smart
I’d have hoped for some app support at this price point, but the HP10 has no smart features, sadly.

You want a purifier that’ll react to VOCs
The purifying element of the HP10 works well, but the auto mode’s detection and reaction skills are basic, as it’s only capable of detecting PM2.5 and PM10.

You’re on a budget
It’s no secret that Dyson appliances tend to come with a premium price tag, but you could be getting better appliances for less if you buy them separately.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 review: Also consider

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09

Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10

Type

Purifying fan heater

Purifying tower fan

Purifying tower fan

Price

$529.99 / £549.99 / AU$899

$749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999

$429.99 / £449.99 / AU$799

Fan speeds

10

10

10

Additional modes

Auto, Night mode

Auto, Night mode, Diffused mode

Auto, Night mode

Oscillation

Up to 350 degrees

Up to 350 degrees

Up to 350 degrees

Filter

HEPA H13 and activated carbon

HEPA H13 and activated carbon

HEPA H13 and activated carbon

App support

No

Yes

No

Dimensions

9.8 x 9.8 x 30.2 inches / 25 x 25 x 77cm

8.7 x 8.7 x 41 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm

8.7 x 8.7 x 41.3 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm

Weight

11.7 lbs / 5.3kg

10.7 lbs / 4.85kg

10.4 lbs / 4.7kg

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09
Thanks to its smart skills and great performance, I loved the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 when I reviewed it. At the time of writing, you can get the TP09 for a similar price, or even less, than the HP10, so if you’re not too bothered about a heater, or have the space for a separate one, I’d highly recommend checking out this alternative.

Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10
If you’ve got your heart set on a Dyson purifying fan and don’t want all the bells and whistles, then the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 is a great option. Other than the heating element, it’s basically just a larger version of the HP10, and costs $100 / £100 / AU$100 less, giving you plenty of spare cash for a separate fan heater, if you want one. If you’d like to learn more, I recommend checking out my full Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 review.

How I tested the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10

  • I used the Dyson HP10 purifying fan heater in my living room and bedroom
  • I observed its detection and purification skills
  • I evaluated the strength of the airflow and the sound levels

I used the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan heater in our photo studio, my living room, and my bedroom for two weeks. I evaluated how easy it was to operate, along with the build quality and aesthetics, and explored the available functions and features.

I tested the strength of the airflow by determining at what distance I could still feel a cooling breeze. I also observed the HP10 purifying fan heater’s detection and purification skills during standardized testing, which included spraying dry shampoo towards it from around two feet away to test how quickly it would react and clear the contamination, and I also used it passively in my bedroom and my living room.

I used a decibel meter app on my iPhone to record the noise levels, taking readings from around two feet away and ensuring the fan wasn’t blowing directly into the microphone.

I checked the timer worked as expected, and tested out the sleep mode to see whether the HP10 was quiet enough for me to be able to sleep well with it running overnight.

The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller might be the most boring gamepad I’ve reviewed, but I mean that in the nicest possible way
4:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Tags: , | Comments: Off

One-minute review

If you’re searching for a no-nonsense gamepad to use with your phone, then the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is a solid choice. It’s light on features compared to some of the best mobile controllers out there, but it delivers good performance where it counts.

It’s only available with a USB Type-C connector, but is fully compatible with both iOS and Android out of the box. It can fit a wide range of devices too, ranging all the way from the iPhone 15 or most small Android phones to bigger options like the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It even comfortably fits an iPad mini or a small Android gaming tablet like the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3.

This is a huge advantage given its compact size, as tablet compatibility is normally reserved for larger models like the Razer Kishi Ultra.

Its thumbsticks are on the smaller side, but they’re perfectly smooth and responsive. The face buttons are a little mushy, especially when compared to the mechanical ones found on the competing Backbone One 2nd Gen, but thankfully never impacted in-game performance in my testing.

Aesthetically, the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is on the basic side but elevated by small decals and red highlights. Its plastic and rubber construction is also nothing special, but it keeps the weight down and feels suitably robust for the price.

Although it lacks a headphone jack, which is a shame, the inclusion of pass-through charging is a win. It supports 18W fast charging when you’re using a compatible plug, too, which makes keeping your device topped up while you play a breeze.

The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller.

(Image credit: Future)

Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller: Price and availability

  • Only available in the UK
  • RRP of £79.99
  • Easy to find for less than £70

The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is currently available in the UK with no official word on a US release quite yet. It is available via the Acer website for £79.99 (around $100 / AU$165), but can easily be found cheaper.

At Very, for example, it costs just £69.99 (around $90 / AU$145), which is a very competitive price and comfortably undercuts the £99.99 Backbone One 2nd Gen (when that latter controller is not on sale).

Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller: Specs

Price

£79.99 (around $100 / AU$165)

Dimensions

2.5 x 4.4 x 6.2in / 64 x 112 x 157mm

Weight

0.4lbs / 195.6g

Connection type

Wired (Type-C)

Compatibility

iPhone 15 Series, Android

Software

N/A

The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller.

(Image credit: Future)

Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller: Design and features

  • Folding design
  • Compact and light
  • Fits a lot of devices

The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller clearly takes a lot of inspiration from the successful Backbone One, with a similar overall form factor and design. It’s two halves of a small controller separated by an extending mechanism that holds your phone.

Unlike the Backbone One, however, the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller can fold in at two points, making it easier to store and transport. This folding mechanism also has the benefit of increasing device compatibility, as it allows you to more easily fit it around larger phones or small tablets.

All the expected buttons are present, with a soft, rounded D-pad and conventional face buttons. The face buttons are on the spongy side, which is a shame, but by no means a dealbreaker. The start, select, home, and capture (that’s the little red one on the right-hand side) buttons, in contrast, are much more tactile and responsive and feel better to press.

The only other notable element on the front is a small indicator LED, which illuminates when your phone is connected. On the bottom of the right-hand grip, you will also find a Type-C connector that is used for pass-through charging. The controller supports 18W fast charging, making it very easy to keep your phone full of juice as you play.

At just 0.4lbs / 195.6g, it feels very light, but importantly, not cheap or poorly made. The plastic and rubber here isn’t quite as premium as that found on the Backbone One, but this seems fair given the difference in price.

The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller.

(Image credit: Future)

Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller: Performance

  • No software required
  • Small but comfortable
  • Easy to transport

The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller does not require any software. Simply plug in your phone or tablet and you’re ready to go. On one hand, I appreciate the simplicity of this. Sometimes, you really do just want something that will work perfectly out of the box without the need for any fiddling.

On the other hand, I do miss the many customization options offered by competitors. If you crave the ability to remap buttons or tweak the dead zones of the thumbsticks, for example, this is decidedly not the controller for you.

That aside, performance is good. The controller is small, but still suitably comfortable in the hands. Its analog triggers respond well in fast-paced games like Zenless Zone Zero or Call of Duty Mobile, and the mushy face buttons never falter under even the most rapid inputs. Alternatives like the Asus ROG Tessen perform noticeably better thanks to their more tactile buttons, but come in at a higher price.

The thumbsticks, while small, have a decent range of motion similar to those found on the original Joy-Con Controllers and are therefore a decent fit for most games. They do not seem to be using Hall effect sensors, though, which is unfortunate and seems like a missed opportunity for an easy win.

When the controller is not in use, its folding design and light weight make it easy to transport. I’ve been taking it around in my bag for weeks and have honestly sometimes even forgotten that it’s in there. It can even comfortably fit into the large front pockets of my coat, though your mileage in this regard may vary.

The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller.

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller?

Buy it if...

You want a simple, no-nonsense mobile gamepad
The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is one of the simplest mobile controllers that I’ve ever tested. It works out of the box with both Android and iOS, making it a good choice for those who don’t want to mess around with complicated software or extra features.

You need a compact option for a tablet
The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is one of the few models that works with the iPad mini or a small Android tablet. Its small size sets it apart from the rest, so pick it up if you want a tablet-compatible controller that’s easy to transport.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You rely on more features
Aside from its pass-through charging, the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller has no real features to speak of. Choose something else if you want remappable buttons, RGB lighting, or proper software.

Also consider

These two alternatives are slightly pricier than the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller, but offer greater functionality.

Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller

Asus ROG Tessen

Backbone One 2nd Gen

Price

£79.99 (around $100 / AU$165)

$109.99 / £109.99 / AU$179

$99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.99

Dimensions

2.5 x 4.4 x 6.2in / 64 x 112 x 157mm

7.5 x 3.6 x 1.5in / 191.5 x 92 x 40mm

6.93 x 3.70 x 1.34in / 176 x 94 x 34mm

Weight

0.4lbs / 195.6g

0.29 lbs / 136g

0.30 lbs / 138g

Connection type

Wired (Type-C)

Wired (Type-C)

Wired (Type-C / Lightning)

Compatibility

iPhone 15 Series, Android

Android

iPhone 15 Series, Android / iPhone 14 series, and earlier

Software

N/A

Armoury Crate (Android)

Backbone App

Asus ROG Tessen
The Asus ROG Tessen is a fantastic choice for mobile FPS gaming. It boasts tactile face buttons, a folding design similar to that of the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller, customizable RGB strips, and even remappable rear paddles made from durable metal.

Read our full Asus ROG Tessen review

Backbone One 2nd Gen
The Backbone One 2nd Gen is a fantastic all-round choice. It’s more expensive than the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller, but it feels more premium and is compatible with the superb Backbone App.

Read our full Backbone One 2nd Gen review

The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller.

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller

  • Tested for multiple weeks
  • Tried with both Android and iOS
  • Used in a range of games

I tested the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller over multiple months, using it as my primary mobile gaming controller. During that time, I tried it with both Android and iOS devices, mainly my iPhone 15 Plus and Porsche Design Honor Magic 7 RSR. I also tried the controller with my compact Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 gaming tablet.

I used the controller to play a wide range of games, including Call of Duty Mobile and Zenless Zone Zero, in addition to the likes of Hitman: Blood Money Reprisal, and more. Throughout my time with the controller, I compared its performance to my hands-on testing of many other mobile controllers, such as the Backbone One 2nd Gen, Turtle Beach Atom, Scuf Nomad, and Razer Kishi Ultra.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2025

I usually find Dyson prices eye-watering, but this smart air purifying fan is clearly worth the investment
5:59 pm | August 7, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Air Quality Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09: two-minute review

The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 is a tower fan and air purifier combo with smart capabilities, which allows for easy control and air data reviewing via the MyDyson companion app.

With a list price of $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99, the white and gold Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan is well-priced in the UK and Australia, but curiously costs much more for the nickel and gold colorway at Dyson US. Fortunately, I’ve spotted the white and gold model at a discounted rate from third-party retailers, with Walmart offering it for just $519 at the time of writing.

Replacement filters are on the pricey side at a list price of $79.99 / £75 / AU$99, and Dyson recommends changing them every 12 months, so it’s important to factor this cost into your budget.

A woman is using the remote to change between informational screens.

(Image credit: Future)

I really like the aesthetics of the UK model I tested, the white and gold colorway is a little more exciting to look at than the standard white and nickel we see on other Dyson purifying fans – though I must say, I consider the color of the shroud to be more copper than gold.

There are 10 fan speeds on offer, plus an auto mode that rouses the TP09 into action whenever it detects contaminants. And it's able to detect these from an impressively wide range of sources, including PM2.5 and PM10, VOCs, formaldehyde, and nitrogen dioxide.

As well as having better detection skills than cheaper Dyson purifying fans, the TP09 also boasts Diffused mode, which diverts the airflow out of the back of the loop amplifier. This means you don’t have to worry about it blasting cold air toward you as it tackles contaminants in the winter months.

The MyDyson companion app proved insightful and responsive when communicating air quality changes and when I was using it to control the TP09. It offered insight into the air quality readings and also provided access to some great additional controls, such as selecting the point to begin oscillating from, saving me from needing to adjust the position of the TP09 manually.

The TP09 reacted promptly to contaminants both in testing and day-to-day use. It was quick to notice whenever I sprayed myself with perfume on the other side of the room, and automatically increased the airflow to tackle the detected VOCs. Despite this though, it didn’t have any noticeable effect on the fragrance in the air.

The TP09 delivered an impressive performance overall. It proved easy to operate, the controls were responsive, and it was quick to react whenever contaminants were introduced. It didn’t appear to tackle odors well, but I’m yet to test an air purifier that performs particularly proficiently in this area.

Considering the range of contaminants the TP09 is capable of detecting and reacting to, plus the responsive controls, air quality breakdown and air quality history available on the MyDyson app, you get plenty of bang for your buck with the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09. I highly recommend shopping around for the best price if you’re in the US, though.

In fact, I’m such a fan of the purifying abilities of the TP09 that I could easily see it sneaking its way into our list of the best air purifiers. The fan’s very good too, but at this price point, you’re better off checking out our guide to the best fans if you’re not interested in the purifying element.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: price & availability

  • List price: $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99
  • Available now in the US, UK, and Australia

Available to buy from the Dyson website and other third-party retailers in the US, UK, and Australia, the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan has a list price of $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99. This is an attractive price in the UK and Australia, but a little high in the US.

If you’re in the US, then I’d highly recommend shopping around. While the nickel and gold model is pricey on the Dyson website, at the time of writing, I’ve spotted the white and gold Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 for much more reasonable prices at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, with the latter offering the TP09 for just $519.

A woman is removing one half of the filter from the TP09.

(Image credit: Future)

When shopping for an air purifier, it’s always a good idea to check out the prices of replacement filters, so you don’t get a nasty shock when it comes time to switch them out. Dyson recommends changing the HEPA H13 filter every twelve months, based on it running twelve hours a day. As a replacement filter for the TP09 has a list price of $79.99 / £75 / AU$99, it’s worth factoring this cost into your budget.

If you’ve got your heart set on a Dyson purifying fan, but don’t have the budget for this model, I’d recommend taking a look at the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 Purifying Fan instead. However, if you can afford the extra spend, it’s worth it for the benefits of the air quality data, app control, and the diffused mode.

  • Value score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: specs

Type

Purifying tower fan

Fan speeds

10

Oscillation

45, 90, 180, 350 degrees

Timer

Yes

CADR (Clean air delivery rate)

Requested

Filter

HEPA H13 and activated carbon

Particle sizes detected

PM2.5, PM10, HCHO, VOCs, NO2

Dimensions

8.7 x 8.7 x 41 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm

Weight

10.7 lb / 4.85kg

Control

Onboard power button, remote control, app, and voice control

Additional modes

Auto, Night mode, Diffused mode

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: design and features

  • Attractive design and colorway
  • Diffused mode for purifying when you don’t need cooling
  • Capable of detecting and reacting to a wide range of contaminants

With its large loop amplifier, it doesn’t take a second look to know that the TP09 purifying fan is a Dyson. The materials look and feel good quality, and the overall build feels satisfyingly sturdy. I’m also a big fan of the white and gold colorway, though I’d say it’s really more of a copper tone than gold, personally.

A clever combo of a bladeless tower fan and an air purifier, the TP09 offers a solution to a niggle I had with the cheaper Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 model, which was that I couldn’t make use of the higher purifier settings without being blasted with air from the fan. This solution comes in the form of Diffused mode, which diverts the airflow out of the back of the loop amplifier, so I no longer feel like I’m making it face the corner in shame when I want to make the most of its purifying capabilities.

A woman's hand is holding the remote.

(Image credit: Future)

The setup process was fairly easy, though at a weight of 10.7 lb / 4.85kg and with no carry handles, I’d definitely recommend pulling the side of the box down before sliding the TP09 out, rather than trying to lift it out as stated in the online manual. Curiously, Dyson included a leaflet that’s only printed on one side to communicate that they’ve moved the setup process online to save paper.

I’d also really like to see brands like Dyson doing more product and transit testing to see whether they can cut back on their use of plastic wrap, as individually wrapping both halves of the air filter, the entire tower fan and the outer cardboard box in plastic feels somewhat excessive.

catalytic filter, HEPA H13 filter, and the outer plastic shroud are arranged on a tabletop.

(Image credit: Future)

The TP09 uses the same H13 HEPA filter that’s used in most of their newer models, including the cheaper ones, but adds a permanent catalytic filter, which continuously traps and converts formaldehyde (HCHO) into water and CO2. Another big difference between the TP09 and cheaper models is its ability to detect and react to more than just PM2.5 and PM10 – which are particles up to ten microns in size, including smoke, bacteria, and dust – as it can also detect and react to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen dioxide, too.

The large and well-lit LCD screen on the front of the purifying unit made it easy to keep an eye on the overall air quality or the level of individual pollutants. I could cycle through the different readings using the satisfyingly color-matched remote, which also allowed me to enable diffused mode, auto mode, and night mode, as well as adjust oscillation angle, and airflow speed.

  • Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: app

  • Shows a week's worth of air quality data in 15-minute intervals
  • App remote control is responsive
  • Provides extra options for timer and oscillation

It’s quick and easy to get an insight into the air quality in the room on the MyDyson app, thanks to the helpful graph that shows the overall air quality in fifteen-minute intervals over the last week. It specifies the most dominant pollutant at the time, which is useful for working out exactly what’s causing any drops in air quality. There are also graphs available to show the level of each pollutant, as well as for ambient temperature and humidity.

The app offers lots of detail on what various terms mean; for example, it lists the different air quality ratings, explains what each one means, what action should be taken, and gives details on each contaminant type it detects. It also provides the ranges of the pollutant readings, such as a reading of 0-35 micrograms per cubic meter being considered Good, and 151-250 being Extremely Poor.

One thing that anyone purchasing the TP09 (or any of Dyson’s air purifiers, really) needs to do in the first instance is to make sure that continuous monitoring is turned on, as it is switched off by default. Without doing this, your air purifier won’t consistently collect data. It’s simple enough to enable, either in the machine settings within the MyDyson app, or by holding the Auto button on the remote for roughly five seconds, until the LCD screen on the device confirms the setting has changed.

Three phone screens display different parts of the MyDyson app: the timer function, the dashboard, and the oscillation function.

(Image credit: Dyson / Future)

Along with providing plenty of data on the air quality inside my home, I was also able to keep up to date with what was going on outside. After entering my location into the MyDyson app, I had access to a simple-to-read dashboard detailing the external temperature, humidity, grass pollen level, plus PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 readings.

The level of controls on offer was fantastic. There are basic settings for power, auto mode, oscillation, and fan speed available on the main TP09 dashboard, but further controls became available after pressing the remote icon. This gave me access to all of the controls I had on the remote, but with far more flexibility. For instance, there's a timer that’s separate from Night mode and offers a wider duration variety. There's also an option to choose which position the TP09 begins its oscillation from – this is a fabulous feature to have, as it saves having to go and manhandle the fan if it’s not quite in the right position.

  • App score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: performance

  • Easy and straightforward to operate
  • Detects and reacts to a wide range of contaminants
  • Fast detection and reaction speeds

The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan was satisfyingly easy to operate throughout my weeks of testing it. Controlling it was simple and stress-free, as both the remote control and the controls on the app were straightforward and very responsive.

I didn’t have much luck when setting up voice control, but I can’t say if this is a fault with the appliance or the third-party apps I was using. I could voice record Siri shortcuts, and they would appear in the Shortcuts app on my iPhone, but my voice commands failed to work.

I had a bit more success when using my Alexa Echo Dot (5th Gen); it was easy to add the Dyson skill on my Alexa app, and I could turn the purifier on and off, and ask to increase or decrease the fan speed. However, I couldn’t get it to switch to Auto mode or oscillate; instead, it would state the action request was not supported on the Dyson machine, which is disappointing at this price point.

A woman is pressing the power button.

(Image credit: Future)

From a fan perspective, the airflow was nice and smooth, and the strength was as I’d expect from one of Dyson’s bladeless tower fans. I found I could feel a noticeable breeze from around 3ft / 1m away on the lowest setting, 8ft / 2.4m on setting five, and 13ft / 4m on top setting ten.

The TP09 was speedy to react when I sprayed dry shampoo towards it from roughly 2 feet away, raising the PM2.5 reading to Severe almost instantly and upping the fan speed in response, swiftly returning the air quality reading within a minute of the contamination being detected.

The TP09 was quick to notice whenever I sprayed myself with perfume in the mornings, too, even though I was on the other side of the room. After promptly bumping the airflow up to setting five, it gradually lowered fan speed over the course of an hour. It didn’t have an impact on the fragrance in the air, which I was happy with in this instance, as my bedroom smelled pretty. But considering this alongside the performance of the TP10, which has the same filter, it looks likely that it’d struggle to make any noticeable effect on cooking smells without manually running it on a higher fan speed for a longer period of time.

A close-up of the TP09's sensors.

(Image credit: Future)

I found it easy to sleep with the TP09 placed on the other side of my small nightstand, both in Night mode – which lowered the fan speed if I was running it higher and turned off the display – and when in standard Auto mode.

The decibel readings I got from the TP09 were, unsurprisingly, very similar to those of the TP10; with readings of 33dB on fan speed one, 43dB on speed five, and 52dB on speed ten. This means that its volume levels were similar to that of soft music at its quietest, and moderate rainfall at its loudest. The key difference between the two models is that the TP09 was not as quiet when in auto mode, as its superior detection skills meant that it didn’t relax and sit idling like the TP10.

Overall, I was very happy with the performance of the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan, thanks to its prompt contamination detection and great level of detail and fine-tuning available in the fantastic companion app.

  • Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09?

Section

Notes

Score

Value for money

This isn’t a bad price for a Dyson tower fan combined with a good spec and well-performing air purifier. It offers more value for money than some of the slightly cheaper models that don’t have the skills to detect more than just PM2.5 or PM10.

4/5

Design & Features

I love the premium-looking aesthetic and colorway of the TP09, and I’m pleased with its features, too. It can detect and react to a wide range of contaminants, and has a useful Diffused mode so it won’t blast me with cold air when purifying in the winter months.

4.5/5

App

The MyDyson app offers a good level of insight into ambient and local air quality readings, both inside and outside the home. It also worked well as a responsive remote control, which offered useful additional settings.

4.5/5

Performance

The TP09 delivered an impressive performance overall. It proved easy to operate, the controls were responsive, and it was quick to react whenever contaminants were introduced.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a purifier that can react to a wider range of contaminants
If you can afford one, it’s always better to opt for an air purifier that can detect more than just PM2.5 and PM10, as reduced air quality is often caused by other contaminants like VOCs, so having a purifier that’s reactive to these changes makes it easier to improve the air quality in your home.

You want to keep an eye on your air quality levels
With an overall air quality graph and others dedicated to each contaminant, it’s easy to get an overview of your home's air quality throughout the day and pinpoint potential sources of contamination.

You want settings you can fine-tune
The MyDyson app gives you access to a wider range of timer durations, allows you to choose exactly where the TP09 starts oscillating from, and offers scheduling too, so you can set it this Dyson up just as you’d like it.

Don't buy it if...

You want something cheap and simple
This is a pricey purifying fan, and you could buy a cheaper tower fan and air purifier separately if you’re happy with a more basic air purifier that requires more manual intervention.

You want a desktop-sized air purifier
The TP09 is tall and heavy, and would likely be overkill if you just want to freshen the air in a small home office.

You don’t want a tower fan
If you’re only really interested in a high-tech air purifier, then you’d be better off looking at something like the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde instead.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: Also consider

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09

Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i

Type

Purifying tower fan

Purifying tower fan

Air purifier

Price

$749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99

$429.99 / £449.99 / AU$799

$169.99 / £169

Fan speeds

10

10

3

Additional modes

Auto, Night mode, Diffused mode

Auto, sleep mode

Auto, night mode

Oscillation

Up to 350 degrees

Up to 350 degrees

N/A

Filter

HEPA H13 and activated carbon

HEPA H13 and activated carbon

HEPASilent and activated carbon

App support

Yes

No

Yes

Dimensions

8.7 x 8.7 x 41 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm

8.7 x 8.7 x 41.3 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm

18.9 x 10.6 x 10.6 inches / 48 x 27 x 27cm

Weight

10.7 lbs / 4.85kg

10.4 lbs / 4.7kg

7.5 lbs / 3.4kg

Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10
If you’re looking for a cheaper Dyson model, the TP10 is a very similar size and weight to the TP09, and uses the same HEPA 13 filter, but is only able to detect and react to the presence of PM2.5 and PM10 contamination. While it isn’t compatible with the MyDyson app, the large integrated display makes it easy to check the status of the air quality in the room. For more details, head over to my full review of the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10.

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i
If you’re looking for a stand-alone air purifier that’s more cost-friendly, but still smart, then this lightweight air purifier from Blueair is worth your consideration. It’s ideal for smaller rooms like bedrooms or offices, and offers an insight into the ambient air quality and remote control via the companion app. If you’d like to learn more, take a look at my full Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review.

How I tested the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09

  • I used the Dyson TP09 purifying fan in my living room and bedroom
  • I observed its detection and purification skills
  • I evaluated the strength of the airflow and the sound levels

I used the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan in our photo studio, my living room, and my bedroom over the course of a few weeks. I evaluated how easy it was to operate, along with the build quality and aesthetics, and explored the available functions and features.

I tested the strength of the airflow by determining at what distance I could still feel a cooling breeze. I also observed the TP09 Purifying Fan’s detection and purification skills during standardized testing, which included spraying dry shampoo towards it from around two feet away to test how quickly it would react and clear the contamination, and to see how it tackles odors. I also used it passively in my bedroom and my living room over a couple of weeks to see how it performed and how well it would report readings over time.

I used a decibel meter app on my iPhone to record the noise levels, taking readings from around two feet away and ensuring the fan wasn’t blowing directly into the microphone.

I checked the timer worked as expected, and tested out the sleep mode to see whether the TP09 was quiet enough for me to be able to sleep well with it running overnight.

I spent months with the Breville Oracle Jet and it delivered speedy, flavorful espresso with minimal effort every time – but you pay for its convenience
2:52 am |

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

Breville Oracle Jet: two-minute review

The Breville Oracle Jet is a serious contender in the world of high-end espresso machines, offering an impressive mix of automation and precision. Designed to cater to both beginners and seasoned coffee enthusiasts, this high-tech machine helps simplify the often-fiddly process of making high-quality espresso, offering consistent results with minimal effort.

The key difference between the Jet and its immediate predecessor – the Oracle Touch – is that this newer model has adopted Breville’s fast-heating ThermoJet boiler technology. This means that the Jet’s ready to extract a coffee shot in around 30 seconds after being powered on, rather than the 3 or more minutes you’ll have to wait with the Oracle Touch and its older-style dual boilers.

One of the Oracle Jet’s standout features is its high-precision burr grinder. With 45 settings, it allows for ultra-fine adjustments to the grind size so that you can get the consistency you need from your coffee beans. This is a really valuable feature, especially since I’ve found many of the best espresso machines require a lot of trial and error to get this right, which wastes time (and coffee). The Oracle Jet really doubles down on this, providing real-time feedback on extraction, and guiding you in getting the perfect shot every time.

A side-on view of the Breville Oracle Jet coffee machine with a hand inserting the portafilter into the grind outlet.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

While the automatic tamping system serves up a uniform coffee puck time and time again, I found that the grinder could be a little messy, occasionally leaving stray grounds on the portafilter and even on the worktop around the machine, but it’s nothing a quick wipe won’t sort out.

The machine makes up for this minor inconvenience with its sizeable, intuitive touchscreen, which makes the entire brewing process not only feel super premium, but truly effortless. It walks you through drink selection, grinding, extraction and milk frothing in a really fluid and enjoyable way, making it almost impossible to get a bad coffee. And the Auto MilQ steam wand automatically textures milk to the right consistency for your drink of choice, even adjusting settings based on whether you're using dairy or plant-based alternatives – a rare but certainly welcome feature in the world of home espresso makers.

A close up of the Breville Oracle Jet coffee machine's LCD display, showing controls for grinding, shot volume and milk type and temperature.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Despite its many conveniences, Breville’s impressive machine does have some drawbacks. It’s quite bulky and heavy, so you’ll need ample kitchen worktop space. And the lack of simultaneous brewing and milk steaming means that if you’re making multiple drinks, the Oracle Jet can be a little slower than its dual-boiler predecessors, such as the Oracle Touch. And, of course, the $1,999.95 / AU$3,399 price tag makes it a considerable investment.

Still, for those who want top-tier espresso without the hassle, the Breville Oracle Jet delivers. It offers barista-level quality at the touch of a button, making it what I believe to be one of the most advanced and user-friendly coffee machines on the market today.

Breville Oracle Jet: price and availability

  • Available to buy now, priced at $1,999.95 / AU$3,399
  • Sold under the Sage brand in the UK
  • More expensive than most competitors

Arriving in Breville’s home territory of Australia first – where it's currently priced at $3,399 – the Oracle Jet launched in July 2024, and then made its way to the US a few months later, where it carries an MSRP of $1,999.95. Available from the brand's official web store as well as many major retailers, it comes in Truffle Black, Stainless Steel and Sea Salt White in Australia, while buyers in the US get additional Damson Blue and Olive Tapenade (aka green) options.

Compared to Breville’s other high-end models, the Oracle Jet sits between the Barista Touch Impress ($1,499 / AU$1,999) and the flagship Oracle Touch ($2,799.95 / AU$3,699), making it quite definitively a high-range option.

While there are few other espresso machines on the market that offer the Oracle Jet’s exact mix of features, the Oracle Jet holds its ground well when stacked up against other semi-automatic rivals. There’s the Ninja Luxe Café ($499 / around AU$750), which offers a semi-automatic espresso setup with some smart features at a fraction of the price in select markets (currently unavailable in Australia), but lacks the same precision and customization.

Meanwhile, the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch ($1,000 / AU$1,299) is another alternative featuring a touchscreen and automated milk frothing in a smaller footprint and at a much lower cost, but it doesn’t feature the same level of automation around grinding and tamping, or the cold brew functionality of the Oracle Jet.

  • Value score: 4/5

Breville Oracle Jet: specs

Dimensions

19.2 x 15 x 14.5 inches / 48.8 x 38.1 x 36.8cm

Weight

26.9lbs / 12.2kg

Grinder

45-setting burr grinder

Drink options

11, including espresso, latte, cappuccino, cold brew, and hot chocolate

Milk frothing

Automatic, with presets for dairy and plant-based milks

Water tank

2qt / 2.3l (front-fillable)

Smart features

Auto grind adjustment, Wi-Fi updates

Breville The Oracle Jet: design

  • High-end build with sleek finish
  • Intuitive touchscreen for easy navigation
  • Clever built-in features like hidden wheels

The Breville Oracle Jet is a serious piece of kit. Right out of the box, everything about it screams premium, and given the lofty price tag you’d be right to have high expectations, too. With a brushed stainless steel finish on the variant sent to me for this review, it has a sleek, pro feel that will certainly look the part in any kitchen, provided you’ve got the space for it.

That’s the thing – this isn’t some compact coffee maker you can tuck away in the corner of your kitchen. It’s around 20 inches wide and 15 inches deep (or 50cm x 40cm), so you’ll need a fair amount of free worktop space to fit this beast in comfortably. It's also pretty weighty, weighing in at over 26lbs / 12kg, so you might even need someone to help you lift it out of the box.

Once you've got it set up in the desired spot, it’ll be hard not to immediately fall in love with the 5-inch touchscreen, which dominates the front of the machine for good reason – it’s your guide through the entire coffee-making process. Whether you’re brewing a classic espresso shot or frothing milk for a cappuccino, the Oracle Jet provides clear, easy-to-follow instructions through text and images. There's even a preset for espresso martini!

There's light and dark modes for the interface, which is a nice customization touch to suit your kitchen lighting. The interface is smooth and responsive, which is a relief since the screen on Breville’s last machine, the Barista Touch Impress, could be frustratingly sluggish at times. It now works as expected, making swiping between different drink options a dream.

A slightly acute front-on image of the Breville Oracle Jet coffee machine sitting on a brown wooden table.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

One of the Oracle Jet’s most thoughtful features is the front-fillable 2qt / 2.3L water tank. If you’ve ever had to awkwardly shuffle a big ol’ espresso machine around just to access and refill the water tank, you’ll definitely appreciate this design feature, as it means you just need to lift up a front flap and pour from a jug straight from the tap. There’s also a window just above the drip tray so you can clearly see the water level, but you’ll also receive alerts on the touchscreen when the tank needs refilling.

Another handy feature is the addition of hidden wheels on the machine’s underside. Given its size and weight, you might expect the Oracle Jet to be a hassle to move, but a simple swipe of the lever under the drip tray lifts the machine onto its 360º wheels, making it incredibly easy to slide around and reposition. It’s a small detail, but one that shows Breville has really considered usability for its customers.

The grinder and portafilter system also boast brilliant build quality, with automatic grinding and tamping, which takes much of the guesswork (and the effort) out of making espresso, but I’ll talk more about that in the performance section. The 58mm portafilter is barista-standard for even extraction, but it also feels well built and weighty in the hand, like it should.

The Auto MilQ steam wand is another standout. It automatically textures milk to the consistency required for whichever type of drink you’re making – and the neat thing here is that you can input the type of milk you’re frothing, whether that’s your standard dairy or plant-based alternatives like soy, oat or almond. Coffee-brewing control freaks will be pleased to hear they still have the option to steam manually, too.

However, the machine’s one main drawback is that unlike previous Oracles, you can’t brew and steam at the same time. If you’re making multiple milk-based coffee drinks, you’ll have to wait for one process to finish before starting the other, which can slow things down compared to its predecessors. This is due to the machine’s single ThermoJet heating system. Unlike dual-boiler machines, which have separate boilers for brewing and steaming, the Oracle Jet uses one heating element for both tasks.

If it’s a dealbreaker for you, Breville’s slightly pricier (but not quite as smart) Oracle and Oracle Touch machines do feature a dual-heating system, so these might be worth considering if you frequently make a large number of coffees.

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Breville The Oracle Jet: performance

  • Automatic grind and tamping give top results time and time again
  • Fast heating and smooth espresso extraction
  • Cold brew and iced coffee options

The Breville Oracle Jet is built to take the hassle out of home espresso, and after using it for a few months in TechRadar's Sydney office – incidentally replacing the Breville Oracle Touch, I can confidently say it delivers on that promise. From grinding to milk frothing, almost everything is automated, making it ideal for anyone who wants great coffee without the hassle.

Let’s start with the grinder. It has 45 settings, which means you can seriously fine-tune your grind size to suit whatever beans you're using. The smart thing about this is that the machine even tells you if your shot is under- or over-extracted, so you know whether to adjust the grind next time. This is a game changer if you’ve ever struggled with dialling in a manual espresso machine and haven’t been able to nail the extraction.

The automatic tamping system also works really well here, as it means you don’t have to worry about pressing too hard or too softly – you just let the machine do the work. That said, it does have a habit of leaving a few stray coffee grounds behind, which isn’t a huge deal but means a bit of extra clean-up.

When it comes to pulling a shot, the dual ThermoJet system heats up almost instantly, so there’s no waiting around like with cheaper machines. I found espresso extraction to be smooth and consistent, with rich, balanced flavors – whether you’re using high-end beans or just grabbing something from the supermarket. I used the standard Woolworth's espresso beans easily available in Australia where this machine was tested (costing AU$18 per kilo) and these proved equally satisfying in my morning coffee, offering a lovely full-bodied and smooth taste. I suspect this was down to the machine making the most of how they were brewed.

The real-time shot timer on the touchscreen is also worth a mention. It’s probably one of my favorite features on this machine – turning green if your shot is timed well or red if something’s off, giving you immediate feedback. Impressive!

The Auto MilQ steam wand also adds to the top performance experience of the Oracle Jet. The milk textures it produces are always silky smooth, and ideal for making latte art if you’re into that (not that I could produce anything worth looking at, but that’s down to my lack of skills). While manual milk frothing is an option, most people will probably prefer the automatic setting and it produces great results.

One of the more unique features on the Oracle Jet is its cold brew and cold espresso modes. Cold espresso is perfect for iced lattes, keeping the flavors bold without melting the ice too quickly. The cold-brew function isn’t quite the same as traditional overnight steeping, in that it uses room-temperature water to perform a slow multi-minute extraction, but it still produces a smoother, less acidic coffee in a fraction of the time (and effort) that it takes to make the real thing.

Cleaning is another area where the Oracle Jet makes life easy. Despite the mess the grinder can sometimes make, it has automatic cleaning cycles for the steam wand and internal components, so there’s not much hands-on maintenance. You’ll still need to rinse the portafilter and wipe down and empty the drip tray, but overall, it’s much lower effort than most espresso machines that I've tested.

  • Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Breville Oracle Jet?

Buy it if

You want barista-quality coffee without the effort

The Oracle Jet automates most of the process, ensuring consistent results every time.

You’re happy to pay extra for a top quality appliance

If you’re one for appreciating the finer things in life and don’t mind paying extra for the privilege of a well-built and stylish machine, then you’ll be right at home with the Oracle Jet.

You love cold coffee

The cold brew and cold espresso functions are rare on machines of this type.

You want smart guidance

The real-time extraction feedback and grind adjustment tips help you master espresso-making and makes you feel like a pro with very minimal effort.

Don't buy it if

You’re on a budget

At nearly $2,000 / AU$3,500, the Oracle Jet is certainly not a casual purchase. It’s an investment that will last you years to come, so it's definitely more aimed at those who are serious about creating barista-quality coffee at home.

You need a compact machine

It’s large and it’s pretty heavy, so not ideal for smaller kitchens or those tight on space.

You want to brew and steam at the same time

The single ThermoJet system used for brewing and milk steaming means they can't be used simultaneously, so not ideal for those who want to make a swift cup of coffee before dashing off to work.

Breville Oracle Jet: also consider

Ninja Luxe Café

Price: $499 (around AU$750)

A more affordable bean-to-cup option that still offers some automation, including guided espresso pulls and an automatic frother. However, it lacks the fine-tuned grind settings and high-end build of the Oracle Jet, and it’s not currently available in Australia.

Read our full Ninja Luxe Café review

Breville Barista Touch Impress

Price: $1,499 / AU$2,299

A slightly less expensive alternative from Breville with many of the same automation features, including Auto MilQ milk frothing and guided espresso adjustments. However, it lacks the cold brew and cold espresso options and the digital display just isn’t quite as swift as that on the Oracle Jet.

Read our full Breville Barista Touch Impress review

De’Longhi Eletta Explore

Price: $1,899.99 / AU$1,799

An accomplished bean-to-cup coffee machine that’s perfect for coffee lovers who don’t have the time to maintain an espresso machine. Plus, it can make both hot and cold beverages and comes with everything you might need for a fully operational caffeination station.

Read our full De’Longhi Eletta Explore review

How I tested the Breville Oracle Jet

I used the Breville Oracle Jet for just over a month at home, making two coffee drinks per day using a mixture of high quality Lavazza decaf and fully caffeinated coffee beans. During testing, I noted flavors, consistency, temperature, time to brew, and noise levels. Beyond drinking the espresso and coffee black, I tried the different milk frother presets with both dairy and plant-based milk, observing the foam levels and differences between settings. In the end, I tested almost every setting on the machine and observed how it performed during every step.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed: August 2025]

Compact, well-made, and dependable, the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer is the perfect choice for small households
10:00 pm | August 3, 2025

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

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: one-minute review

German manufacturer Bosch has been a long-standing name in home appliances since it released its first refrigerator back in 1933. So, it's no surprise that the company finally took the plunge into the lucrative air fryer market with the release of the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer.

You'd perhaps forgive Bosch for having some teething issues with its first-ever air, but the Series 6 has very few. Instead of prioritizing a surplus of extra cooking programs, modes, and features, the Series 6 offers a more streamlined experience, focusing on the quality of life features and cooking programs the average user needs rather than unnecessary add-ons.

Food cooked using Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer

The Bosch Series 6 doesn't have dozens of modes, but those it does offer produced consistently good results (Image credit: Vic Hood)

There are eight cooking programs, which cover the most typical food types cooked in an air fryer: Keep Warm, French Fries, Poultry, Meat, Fish, Vegetables, Bread, and Small Pastries (because who doesn't love an air-fried croissant?) We found each program to cook food consistently well, though some tweaking may be required for taste, especially when it comes to meats.

These programs are straightforward to use thanks to the air fryer's clear touch controls, while a handful of quality-of-life features make the Series 6 a joy to use. Its illuminated drawer and window allow you to check food without letting out heat, its Shake alert lets out clear, loud chirps, and its included grill rack and skewers allow you to grill food with ease. It's also generally easy to clean with minimal elbow grease and fairly compact given its 7.2-liter capacity.

Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer with drawer open

The included grill rack and skewers make cooking easy (Image credit: Vic Hood)

While the Series 6 is a great appliance overall, it's not perfect. It's one of the louder air fryers this reviewer has tested (hitting 68dB in some cases), and removing the aforementioned metal grill rack and skewers from the basket safely can prove a bit of a struggle. We'd also have loved for the aforementioned grill rack to be securable within the basket to prevent rubbing on the non-stick plate. We also found that it struggled to balance keeping chicken moist inside while crispy outside.

These are minor issues, however, and the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer provides an excellent experience otherwise. Though it is perhaps more suited to smaller households or those who only wish to cook one food item at a time.

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: price and availability

  • Price: £159.99 (roughly $212.58 / AU$329.16)
  • Available in the UK, but not available in the US and Australia
  • Regular discounts bring it down to around £100

The Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer offers top-tier quality for its budget price tag. At £159.99 (roughly $212.58 / AU$329.16), it costs £40 less than our current best budget air fryer, the Russell Hobbs Satisfry Dual Basket Air Fryer (though it offers less capacity), and is considerably more affordable than premium options, such as the Ninja Double Oven and Dreo ChefMaker.

Unfortunately, this appliance isn't currently available in the U.S. or Australia, but those in the UK can purchase it from Bosch directly or a range of trusted third-party retailers, such as Argos and Amazon.

If its current price tag is a little over your budget, don't fret. Regular discounts at Bosch and other retailers see this air fryer's price dropping to around the £100 mark, saving you nearly £60 on the usual RRP.

  • Value score: 5/5

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: specifications

Review model

MAF671B1GB

Number of baskets

1

Number of cooking programs

8

Cooking programs

Bread, Fish, French Fries, Keep Warm, Meat, Small Pastries, Poultry, Vegetables

Extra functions

Shake signal

Smart control

No

Wattage

1,800W

Capacity

7.6 quarts / 7.2 liters

Temperature range

104F-392F / 40C-200C

Time range

1 min-2 hours, up to 8 hours on keep warm or 40C-80C

Dimensions (including handles)

12.4 x 12.2 x 15.3in / 314 x 309 x 388mm

Dishwasher-safe

Yes

Weight

13lbs / 5.9kg

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: design

  • 7.2-liter capacity, but fairly combat
  • Illuminated drawer basket with window
  • Removable handle
  • Comes with metal grill rack and five skewers

The Bosch Series 6 offers a 7.2L capacity in a relatively compact design (compared to its competitors). The body of this air fryer is glossy black, with a silver rim around the top, a single drawer basket, and a removable handle. The touchscreen interface is easy to use, with the temperature adjustable in five-degree intervals.

The drawer is illuminated, meaning a light (which you can turn off and on at the touch of a button) comes on when you remove it, and thanks to an oven-like window, you can easily check your food without stopping the cooking process.

Fries cooking in Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer

The drawer is illuminated, and the fryer has a clear window so you can check on your food during cooking (Image credit: Vic Hood)

The included physical user manual is thorough, making it easy to set up and use this appliance – even if you're a beginner. A physical food guide is also included, which provides a rough cooking guide and tips for each of the air fryer's eight programs. We do wish the food guide were slightly more detailed and included more food types, especially when it comes to cooking vegetables.

The food guide does come with a QR code, though, that leads you to a Quick Start Guide that features a handful of excellent recipes for this specific air fryer. We just wish there were more of them.

Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer drawer open

The basket and its crisper plate are dishwasher-safe, though we generally prefer to hand-wash anything with a non-stick coating (Image credit: Vic Hood)

This air fryer also comes with a metal grill rack accessory and five skewers that fit into the grill rack. These are a welcome addition for grilling, but we found removing the hot grill rack difficult after cooking due to the depth of the basket and its metal design. We also wish the grill rack could be locked into the basket's plate to avoid it moving around and potentially damaging the plate's non-stick coating long-term.

While the 7.2L basket is a bit bulky, it's easy to hand wash with minimal elbow grease – though, inside the window is slightly trickier to reach. Fortunately, the basket and its plate are dishwasher-proof, though we at TechRadar tend to recommend hand washing anything with a non-stick coat.

The main design drawback of this air fryer is its volume. We logged a max 68dB reading when the appliance was running at its maximum temperature, making it loud enough that we couldn't hear our kitchen TV and could hear it from our living room next door. This is particularly loud for an air fryer (based on those we've tested) and several decibels louder than the 63dB Bosch claims.

  • Design score: 4/5

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: performance

  • Quality performance across cooking programs
  • Useful Shake alert
  • Some foods could be crispier

We found the Bosch Series 6 air fryer performed consistently well across its eight cooking programs: Bread, Fish, French Fries, Keep Warm, Meat, Small Pastries, Poultry, and Vegetables.

We started our testing with 500g of frozen fries , utilizing the air fryer's French Fries preset, while tweaking the time slightly as recommended by the food guide. After 23 minutes, we had fairly evenly cooked fries (a couple were slightly over for my taste), but overall, the fries were fluffy inside and golden outside.

Following the frozen fries, we tried 700g of handmade fries, soaked and with one tablespoon of oil, on the same setting, using the exact preset time and temperature. Again, the fries were fluffy inside and golden outside but could have been a little crispier. Unlike other air fryers, however, the Bosch Series 6 didn't leave our fries with overdone ends – a common issue we've encountered with testing.

Next, we tested the grill and skewer accessories. We loaded up each of the five skewers with chicken, onion, tomato, and peppers – but may have overloaded them a little as the five skewers struggled to fit beside each other. My advice: make sure your cuts of veggies and meat are smaller to avoid this.

Food on skewers inside Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer

Make sure the meat and vegetable pieces threaded onto the skewers aren't too large (Image credit: Vic Hood)

The skewers sit on indents in the grill rack, which is placed in the basket. We've mentioned our issues with the grill rack generally, but despite the overcrowding, we found our skewers cooked well on the Poultry preset, though some of the vegetables were becoming overdone and the chicken slightly overdone, so we had to remove them a few minutes early. You likely need to adjust this timing based on what you skewer.

We also tried cooking a couple of chicken breasts on the grill rack (with some seasoning and a tablespoon of oil) on the Poultry preset. They came out slightly dry and with not quite enough crisp on the outside for our taste, but overall very tasty.

We had this same crisping issue with drumsticks prepared using a Bosch recipe and dry-rubbed wings (my go-to Cosori recipe), both cooked well and were juicy inside, but the skin didn't crisp up quite enough. The pre-baked petit pains we cooked on the Bread preset, too were soft inside, but not quite crunchy enough outside.

The Bosch recipes are a great starting point for this air fryer, and we particularly enjoyed its roasted cauliflower and egg omelette muffin recipes (both turned out perfect). The apple turnover recipe, while very tasty, resulted in turnovers with overly soggy bottoms – though that's likely down to chef error on my part.

Other presets may require some tweaking of the timings. Sausages on the Beef preset were slightly underdone after seven minutes, which may be down to the fact that they were chunky Cumberlands.

Vegetables, too, like most air fryers, require some experimentation. The food guide isn't very detailed on how long to cook certain vegetables and just covers "Grilled Vegetables." While this was the perfect preset for my chantanay carrots, my broccoli, onions and peppers needed to be removed early to avoid becoming too charred. Again, this is something we've encountered with several air fryers.

Now, if you've read our air fryer reviews before, you'll know we love an air fryer that can bake. The Bosch Series 6 can manage that feat for small cakes and muffins, so we used our usual Ninja muffin recipe with the Muffin preset to test its capabilities. It was perhaps the best result I've had for this test, with the muffins perfectly golden on top, not too dry inside, and little to no overspill.

Overall, the Bosch Series 6 performs brilliantly; however, you may need to experiment a bit to get the right balance of crispness and doneness for certain foods.

  • Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Bosch Series 6 air fryer?

Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer report card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

This air fryer is excellent value for its price tag, and thanks to regular sales, you can pick it up for closer to £100.

5/5

Design

The design is pretty compact for its 7.2L capacity, plus it's easy to use and clean. While the accompanying grill rack and skewers are welcome accessories, we wish they could lock into the basket plate and were easier to remove after cooking. This is also one of the louder air fryers we've reviewed.

4/5

Performance

Performance across all eight cooking programs is solid, though some foods could be slightly crispier on the outside. You may need to experiment a bit for optimal results on certain presets.

4.5/5

Buy it if

You want a decent capacity air fryer, but haven't space for a dual-basket

The Bosch Series 6's 7.2L capacity is pretty sizeable, and while it's not compact enough to be counted as a small air fryer, it's nowhere near as big as some competitors. Plus, the handles are detachable, making it slightly easier to store.

You're looking for a solid, budget air fryer

With its £159.99 price tag, the Bosch Series 6 is already great value for money, but regular discounts see that price knocked down to roughly £100, making it an ideal choice for those on a £100 budget.

You want a streamlined air frying experience

The Bosch Series 6 is a great entry-level air fryer for those who want a straightforward, streamlined experience. It comes with enough features to make it pleasant to use without overwhelming you with extras.

Don't buy it if

You want to cook more than one food at once

The Bosch Series 6's capacity means you can fit a decent amount of food in, but if you've got a larger household that plans to make larger quantities or food or you want to cook more than one type of food at once, you may struggle with this.

You want a bunch of extras

This is down to personal preference. While this air fryer comes with a grill rack, it only air fries, and the cooking programs cover the basics. If you want features like smart control, synced cooking, or different cooking modes (like grilling and steaming), then this may not be the best choice for you.

How I tested the Bosch Series 6 air fryer

I used the Bosch Series 6 air fryer for a week, cooking a wide variety of foods including fries, sausages, fresh vegetables, and pastries. I tested all the air fryer's various modes and cleaned the air fryer in line with the instructions provided in the manual. For more details, see how we test, rate, and review products at TechRadar.

Compact, well-made, and dependable, the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer is the perfect choice for small households
10:00 pm |

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

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: one-minute review

German manufacturer Bosch has been a long-standing name in home appliances since it released its first refrigerator back in 1933. So, it's no surprise that the company finally took the plunge into the lucrative air fryer market with the release of the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer.

You'd perhaps forgive Bosch for having some teething issues with its first-ever air, but the Series 6 has very few. Instead of prioritizing a surplus of extra cooking programs, modes, and features, the Series 6 offers a more streamlined experience, focusing on the quality of life features and cooking programs the average user needs rather than unnecessary add-ons.

Food cooked using Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer

The Bosch Series 6 doesn't have dozens of modes, but those it does offer produced consistently good results (Image credit: Vic Hood)

There are eight cooking programs, which cover the most typical food types cooked in an air fryer: Keep Warm, French Fries, Poultry, Meat, Fish, Vegetables, Bread, and Small Pastries (because who doesn't love an air-fried croissant?) We found each program to cook food consistently well, though some tweaking may be required for taste, especially when it comes to meats.

These programs are straightforward to use thanks to the air fryer's clear touch controls, while a handful of quality-of-life features make the Series 6 a joy to use. Its illuminated drawer and window allow you to check food without letting out heat, its Shake alert lets out clear, loud chirps, and its included grill rack and skewers allow you to grill food with ease. It's also generally easy to clean with minimal elbow grease and fairly compact given its 7.2-liter capacity.

Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer with drawer open

The included grill rack and skewers make cooking easy (Image credit: Vic Hood)

While the Series 6 is a great appliance overall, it's not perfect. It's one of the louder air fryers this reviewer has tested (hitting 68dB in some cases), and removing the aforementioned metal grill rack and skewers from the basket safely can prove a bit of a struggle. We'd also have loved for the aforementioned grill rack to be securable within the basket to prevent rubbing on the non-stick plate. We also found that it struggled to balance keeping chicken moist inside while crispy outside.

These are minor issues, however, and the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer provides an excellent experience otherwise. Though it is perhaps more suited to smaller households or those who only wish to cook one food item at a time.

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: price and availability

  • Price: £159.99 (roughly $212.58 / AU$329.16)
  • Available in the UK, but not available in the US and Australia
  • Regular discounts bring it down to around £100

The Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer offers top-tier quality for its budget price tag. At £159.99 (roughly $212.58 / AU$329.16), it costs £40 less than our current best budget air fryer, the Russell Hobbs Satisfry Dual Basket Air Fryer (though it offers less capacity), and is considerably more affordable than premium options, such as the Ninja Double Oven and Dreo ChefMaker.

Unfortunately, this appliance isn't currently available in the U.S. or Australia, but those in the UK can purchase it from Bosch directly or a range of trusted third-party retailers, such as Argos and Amazon.

If its current price tag is a little over your budget, don't fret. Regular discounts at Bosch and other retailers see this air fryer's price dropping to around the £100 mark, saving you nearly £60 on the usual RRP.

  • Value score: 5/5

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: specifications

Review model

MAF671B1GB

Number of baskets

1

Number of cooking programs

8

Cooking programs

Bread, Fish, French Fries, Keep Warm, Meat, Small Pastries, Poultry, Vegetables

Extra functions

Shake signal

Smart control

No

Wattage

1,800W

Capacity

7.6 quarts / 7.2 liters

Temperature range

104F-392F / 40C-200C

Time range

1 min-2 hours, up to 8 hours on keep warm or 40C-80C

Dimensions (including handles)

12.4 x 12.2 x 15.3in / 314 x 309 x 388mm

Dishwasher-safe

Yes

Weight

13lbs / 5.9kg

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: design

  • 7.2-liter capacity, but fairly combat
  • Illuminated drawer basket with window
  • Removable handle
  • Comes with metal grill rack and five skewers

The Bosch Series 6 offers a 7.2L capacity in a relatively compact design (compared to its competitors). The body of this air fryer is glossy black, with a silver rim around the top, a single drawer basket, and a removable handle. The touchscreen interface is easy to use, with the temperature adjustable in five-degree intervals.

The drawer is illuminated, meaning a light (which you can turn off and on at the touch of a button) comes on when you remove it, and thanks to an oven-like window, you can easily check your food without stopping the cooking process.

Fries cooking in Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer

The drawer is illuminated, and the fryer has a clear window so you can check on your food during cooking (Image credit: Vic Hood)

The included physical user manual is thorough, making it easy to set up and use this appliance – even if you're a beginner. A physical food guide is also included, which provides a rough cooking guide and tips for each of the air fryer's eight programs. We do wish the food guide were slightly more detailed and included more food types, especially when it comes to cooking vegetables.

The food guide does come with a QR code, though, that leads you to a Quick Start Guide that features a handful of excellent recipes for this specific air fryer. We just wish there were more of them.

Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer drawer open

The basket and its crisper plate are dishwasher-safe, though we generally prefer to hand-wash anything with a non-stick coating (Image credit: Vic Hood)

This air fryer also comes with a metal grill rack accessory and five skewers that fit into the grill rack. These are a welcome addition for grilling, but we found removing the hot grill rack difficult after cooking due to the depth of the basket and its metal design. We also wish the grill rack could be locked into the basket's plate to avoid it moving around and potentially damaging the plate's non-stick coating long-term.

While the 7.2L basket is a bit bulky, it's easy to hand wash with minimal elbow grease – though, inside the window is slightly trickier to reach. Fortunately, the basket and its plate are dishwasher-proof, though we at TechRadar tend to recommend hand washing anything with a non-stick coat.

The main design drawback of this air fryer is its volume. We logged a max 68dB reading when the appliance was running at its maximum temperature, making it loud enough that we couldn't hear our kitchen TV and could hear it from our living room next door. This is particularly loud for an air fryer (based on those we've tested) and several decibels louder than the 63dB Bosch claims.

  • Design score: 4/5

Bosch Series 6 air fryer: performance

  • Quality performance across cooking programs
  • Useful Shake alert
  • Some foods could be crispier

We found the Bosch Series 6 air fryer performed consistently well across its eight cooking programs: Bread, Fish, French Fries, Keep Warm, Meat, Small Pastries, Poultry, and Vegetables.

We started our testing with 500g of frozen fries , utilizing the air fryer's French Fries preset, while tweaking the time slightly as recommended by the food guide. After 23 minutes, we had fairly evenly cooked fries (a couple were slightly over for my taste), but overall, the fries were fluffy inside and golden outside.

Following the frozen fries, we tried 700g of handmade fries, soaked and with one tablespoon of oil, on the same setting, using the exact preset time and temperature. Again, the fries were fluffy inside and golden outside but could have been a little crispier. Unlike other air fryers, however, the Bosch Series 6 didn't leave our fries with overdone ends – a common issue we've encountered with testing.

Next, we tested the grill and skewer accessories. We loaded up each of the five skewers with chicken, onion, tomato, and peppers – but may have overloaded them a little as the five skewers struggled to fit beside each other. My advice: make sure your cuts of veggies and meat are smaller to avoid this.

Food on skewers inside Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer

Make sure the meat and vegetable pieces threaded onto the skewers aren't too large (Image credit: Vic Hood)

The skewers sit on indents in the grill rack, which is placed in the basket. We've mentioned our issues with the grill rack generally, but despite the overcrowding, we found our skewers cooked well on the Poultry preset, though some of the vegetables were becoming overdone and the chicken slightly overdone, so we had to remove them a few minutes early. You likely need to adjust this timing based on what you skewer.

We also tried cooking a couple of chicken breasts on the grill rack (with some seasoning and a tablespoon of oil) on the Poultry preset. They came out slightly dry and with not quite enough crisp on the outside for our taste, but overall very tasty.

We had this same crisping issue with drumsticks prepared using a Bosch recipe and dry-rubbed wings (my go-to Cosori recipe), both cooked well and were juicy inside, but the skin didn't crisp up quite enough. The pre-baked petit pains we cooked on the Bread preset, too were soft inside, but not quite crunchy enough outside.

The Bosch recipes are a great starting point for this air fryer, and we particularly enjoyed its roasted cauliflower and egg omelette muffin recipes (both turned out perfect). The apple turnover recipe, while very tasty, resulted in turnovers with overly soggy bottoms – though that's likely down to chef error on my part.

Other presets may require some tweaking of the timings. Sausages on the Beef preset were slightly underdone after seven minutes, which may be down to the fact that they were chunky Cumberlands.

Vegetables, too, like most air fryers, require some experimentation. The food guide isn't very detailed on how long to cook certain vegetables and just covers "Grilled Vegetables." While this was the perfect preset for my chantanay carrots, my broccoli, onions and peppers needed to be removed early to avoid becoming too charred. Again, this is something we've encountered with several air fryers.

Now, if you've read our air fryer reviews before, you'll know we love an air fryer that can bake. The Bosch Series 6 can manage that feat for small cakes and muffins, so we used our usual Ninja muffin recipe with the Muffin preset to test its capabilities. It was perhaps the best result I've had for this test, with the muffins perfectly golden on top, not too dry inside, and little to no overspill.

Overall, the Bosch Series 6 performs brilliantly; however, you may need to experiment a bit to get the right balance of crispness and doneness for certain foods.

  • Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Bosch Series 6 air fryer?

Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer report card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

This air fryer is excellent value for its price tag, and thanks to regular sales, you can pick it up for closer to £100.

5/5

Design

The design is pretty compact for its 7.2L capacity, plus it's easy to use and clean. While the accompanying grill rack and skewers are welcome accessories, we wish they could lock into the basket plate and were easier to remove after cooking. This is also one of the louder air fryers we've reviewed.

4/5

Performance

Performance across all eight cooking programs is solid, though some foods could be slightly crispier on the outside. You may need to experiment a bit for optimal results on certain presets.

4.5/5

Buy it if

You want a decent capacity air fryer, but haven't space for a dual-basket

The Bosch Series 6's 7.2L capacity is pretty sizeable, and while it's not compact enough to be counted as a small air fryer, it's nowhere near as big as some competitors. Plus, the handles are detachable, making it slightly easier to store.

You're looking for a solid, budget air fryer

With its £159.99 price tag, the Bosch Series 6 is already great value for money, but regular discounts see that price knocked down to roughly £100, making it an ideal choice for those on a £100 budget.

You want a streamlined air frying experience

The Bosch Series 6 is a great entry-level air fryer for those who want a straightforward, streamlined experience. It comes with enough features to make it pleasant to use without overwhelming you with extras.

Don't buy it if

You want to cook more than one food at once

The Bosch Series 6's capacity means you can fit a decent amount of food in, but if you've got a larger household that plans to make larger quantities or food or you want to cook more than one type of food at once, you may struggle with this.

You want a bunch of extras

This is down to personal preference. While this air fryer comes with a grill rack, it only air fries, and the cooking programs cover the basics. If you want features like smart control, synced cooking, or different cooking modes (like grilling and steaming), then this may not be the best choice for you.

How I tested the Bosch Series 6 air fryer

I used the Bosch Series 6 air fryer for a week, cooking a wide variety of foods including fries, sausages, fresh vegetables, and pastries. I tested all the air fryer's various modes and cleaned the air fryer in line with the instructions provided in the manual. For more details, see how we test, rate, and review products at TechRadar.

This compact lawnbot saved me from a summer of strenuous mowing
11:00 am |

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

Mammotion Yuka Mini: two-minute review

Product info

This model is available in a few slightly different variant:

US: Mini S, Mini 600H, Mini 800H
UK: Mini 600, Yuka Mini 800
AU: Mini 800, Mini 600

For this review, I tested the Mini 600 UK version. There may be minor differences between different countries' models.

The Mammotion Yuka Mini is a relatively compact, simple and affordable robotic mower for small to medium-sized lawns. There are a few different options, but for this review I tested the Mini 600 (called the Mini S in the US) for yards that are 0.15 acres / 600㎡ in size.

While it's far from the fanciest lawnbot on the market, it handled various obstacles impressively well. My parents' yard comprises uneven areas, trees, awkwardly placed beds, and a brook; but none of these posed an issue for the Yuka Mini during tests. It navigated accurately, avoided unexpected obstacles impressively well, and never got lost or tried to take a swim.

I was also extremely happy with the mowing itself. It left the yard looking far neater than if I'd cut it manually, with the grass evenly trimmed and faux-stripes created by the logical mowing route. It operated quietly enough that I could happily read a book nearby, and while not exactly lightning-fast, it has proved sufficiently speedy to tackle the lawn size for which it's designed in an efficient manner.

The impressive performance is hampered somewhat by the brand experience. The app feels basic and a little unintuitive. The instructions provided for setup aren't clear enough for lawnbot newbies – who should also note that finding a good spot for your charge station and RTK receiver is key. During tests I also found the bot would sometimes lose connection, needing to be carried back to within Wi-Fi range before it could be instructed.

Nevertheless, once I'd managed to get everything up and running, I found myself forgetting the minor pain of setup very quickly. I really can't overstate how much time and effort this little bot has saved over the past few weeks, and the lawn looks neater than ever. Overall, for the price it's a very solid investment.

That's the short version; read on for my full Mammotion Yuka Mini review.

Mammotion Yuka Mini 600 in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

Mammotion Yuka Mini review: price & versions

  • List price: from $1,099 / £849 / AU$1,499
  • Launched: February 2025
  • Available: US, UK, AU, Europe

In the US, you have a few options in the Yuka Mini range. The equivalent to the model I've reviewed here is the Mini S, which costs $1,099 and is designed for yards of 0.15 acres / 600 square meters in size. Alternatively, you can opt for a H-series model, which can deal with taller grass. In that line is the Mini 600H for $1,099 or the Mini 800H for $1,299.

In the UK and Australia, you have the Mini 600 (reviewed here) for £849 / AU$1,499. If you have a slightly larger garden, you can go for the Yuka Mini 800 for £1,049 / AU$1,899. I've spotted discounts in all territories; it's not too difficult to avoid paying full whack if you're patient.

While not an especially cheap purchase, I think it offers decent value for money. Build quality is solid and performance is reliable, and this compact lawnbot really is a big effort-saver.

In terms of rival brands, Husqvarna's bots are geared towards larger yards. At time of writing, it has its Automower 115H (which can mow up to 0.4 acres) for $699.99, then prices hop straight up to $1,999.99 for the Automower 415X (up to 0.37 acres).

The Eufy E15 is suitable for yards up to 0.2 acres and is much pricier, at $1,799.99 / £1,499. However, it's a different kind of bot because it uses self-drive car tech rather than satellites to navigate, and therefore is significantly easier to set up.

  • Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Mammotion Yuka Mini specs

Product:

Yuka Mini S (US) / Yuka Mini 600 (UK)

Recommended lawn size:

0.15 acres / 600㎡

Max lawn size:

0.2 acres / 800㎡

Cutting width:

7.5in / 19cm

Cutting height:

0.8-2.4in / 2-6cm

Drivetrain:

2-wheel drive

Max zones:

15

Incline ability:

50% / 27 degrees

Waterproof:

IPX6

Lawnbot size (L x W x H):

20.7 x 16.3 x 11.1in / 52.5 x 41.3 x 28.1cm

Lawnbot weight:

23.4 lbs / 10.6kg

Mowing area per charge:

0.04 acres / 150㎡

Charge time:

90 mins

Mowing time per charge:

55 mins

Mammotion Yuka Mini review: design

  • Relatively compact, lightweight bot with five cutting blades
  • Comes with an RTK receiver and charge station (garage roof is extra)
  • AI-equipped, front-mounted camera for object avoidance

The Mammotion Yuka setup comprises three elements: a charge station, an RTK receiver and the lawnbot itself.

Let's start with the robot. It's fairly compact in size, with a plastic upper shell and two chunky, deep-tread wheels to help it traverse uneven ground. On the top is a large control panel that includes a knob to manually adjust cutting height, some simple press buttons, and a big red emergency stop button. There's also an AI-powered camera to help with object identification and avoidance. The whole thing is waterproof to IPX-6 (i.e. it will be fine even in a downpour).

Flip it over and you'll find two smaller front wheels and a spinning cutting deck that holds five ultra-sharp blades. Mammotion has thoughtfully included a ridged grip section at the front and back – well away from those blades – to enable you to safely and securely pick up the robot, if you need to move it past an area that isn't accessible by driving. It's compact and light enough that most able-bodied people should be able to carry it without too much trouble.

The battery tucks in the back of the bot and is detachable, should you need to replace it further down the line.

Mammotion Yuka Mini 600 in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

The charge station is where the bot returns to dock. It's a black plastic base with raised charge contacts, and plastic ground screws are provided to secure it into the ground. It's potentially worth investing in a "garage roof" to provide protection; despite being waterproof, prolonged exposure to the elements will surely limit the lawnbot's lifespan in the longer term.

You'll want to think about where the charge station will live before buying. It can't go just anywhere, but the literature that comes with the lawnbot isn't great at explaining this. The charge station needs to be somewhere relatively flat, with a clear route to mowing areas, and access to a power outlet. While it doesn't need line-of-sight to the lawnbot (it will communicate via radio signal), it does need at least some view of the sky, so that the bot can talk to the satellites when docked. I struggled to find somewhere suitable initially.

Mammotion Yuka Mini 600 in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

Finally, the RTK station. This essentially helps make the satellite positioning data more accurate, and is important if you don't want your bot to end up in a flower bed. It looks like a small-ish rounded dome with an antenna protruding downwards – not too obtrusive, but I set it up in my parents' garden and the feedback from my mum was that she wished it wasn't white, because it sticks out too much and spoils her view. (I think she has a point.)

You'll also want to figure out where the RTK station will live before making your purchase. It's best positioned high up, with a clear view of the sky in as many directions as possible. It also needs to be connected to a power source.

There is an option that means you don't need to install the RTK receiver. The Yuka Mini can map and navigate using a "NetRTK and 4G module" – at the time of writing it's free to use, but this added functionality typically comes with a subscription fee. I did not test this option, and I'm not sure if it's suitable for any garden or if there are requirements.

  • Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Mammotion Yuka Mini review: performance

  • Neat, even cutting and impressively quiet in use
  • Navigation was accurate throughout my testing period
  • Setup and initial use can be confusing if you're not familiar with lawnbots

Moving on to how well the Yuka Mini performed in practice. I'll start with setup, and the results of my cutting tests.

Setup

The Yuka Mini was the first robot lawn mower I'd tested, and I found initial setup rather painful. Information is lacking from Mammotion (I feel this area could do with improvement), so if you're in this boat too, prepare to do a bit of independent research before embarking on setup. The key things are to find a good spot for your charge station and RTK receiver, as I've discussed above.

With that done, it's a case of mapping your space. There are two options here: manual (for complex mowing areas) and automatic (for simple areas with clear boundaries). My parents' yard, where I tested this bot, includes various grassy areas. The main one includes uneven areas of green, large mid-lawn beds, and has a brook running down one side, so I mapped it manually.

This involved driving the bot carefully around the perimeter of the lawn, using my phone as the remote control. Once I was done, I added no-go zones around any fixed obstructions (trees, beds, patio areas) within the lawn, again by driving over and around them. If you're used to robot vacuums, this mapping process feels much more old-school, but there's no denying it's pretty fun.

Mammotion Yuka Mini 600 in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

The yard at the front of the house is simpler, with no waterways for the bot to fall into, so I took a chance on automatic mapping. I was impressed – the lawnbot mapped the space quickly and figured out the borders of the beds accurately. Note that you can't map very small areas.

I added routes between connected areas, to enable the bot to find its way back to the base. For some areas – for example, that front yard – it wasn't possible to create a path back to the charge station. I was still able to map and mow these areas, but I had to carry the robot back to the charge base area once it was done, and it would yell at me that the robot was tilted as I did so.

Mammotion Yuka Mini 600 in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

Cutting and navigation performance

I was very impressed with this robot's cutting performance. It mowed each lawn zone neatly and evenly, leaving faux stripes in its path. It appeared to take a logical path, too, mowing in parallel lines over the main body of each lawn area and then looping around the perimeter to catch the edges.

There were very occasionally narrow strips between lines that remained uncut, but these could be taken care of by remote-control mowing after the task was complete, or (more commonly for me) left to be caught on the next mowing session.

The Yuka Mini also proved very quiet in operation, and significantly quieter than a traditional mower. I was able to happily sit on a sun lounger on the patio and read my book while it took care of the adjacent lawn – surely, the ideal scenario anyone is hoping for when they purchase one of these.

Mammotion Yuka Mini 600 in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

Once everything was set up properly, I didn't encounter any issues with navigation; the lawnbot never got lost or ended up somewhere it should not be, and it reliably returned to its base once a task was complete – or if it ran out of juice mid-mow. It had no trouble traversing really quite steep ground, and was able to mow quite close to the sloped edge of the brook without taking a dip. (Initially, I left a large border for fear the Yuka Mini would go for a swim, but once I'd used it for a while and seen how well it navigated, I shifted the perimeter closer to the water.)

Object avoidance is solid, too. If I stood in front of the bot while it was mowing, it would duly pause and make its way around me before continuing.

  • Performance score: 4 out of 5

Mammotion Yuka Mini review: app

  • App is fine but on the basic side, and lacks some fine-tuned controls
  • Not the most logical layout, with some functions hard to find
  • Functional, once you've figured out the quirks

Most control for the Yuka Mini comes via the companion app. Overall I found it fine, but not amazing. I'm more used to testing robot vacuums, and in comparison to most of the robovac apps I've used, the Mammotion app felt a little clunky and simplistic. Settings aren't always where you'd expect to find them; there were some spelling errors in the text (not the end of the world, but indicative of a lack of care); and the instructions weren't always clear.

For example, the bot is apparently designed to straddle the edges of paths, so you don't end up with an uncut border. I expected this to be an option you could toggle on or off in the app, but it's not. (It's only suitable for paths that are perfectly flat, and the ones in my test yard don't fit this requirement.) There's a decent range of adjustment options, but they're a little tucked away and not accessible if the bot has lost connection to the internet.

Screenshots from Mammotion Yuka Mini app

Click to see large version (Image credit: Mammotion)

The map is also very simplistic; just a cutting area, with nothing else specified. I imagined you might be able to indicate a tree, a flower bed or a pond – if not to adjust how the lawnbot behaves at that border, then at least to help you understand where you are on the map. This is not an option, however.

I found if I was a long way from the lawnbot, the app would regularly lose contact. If the robot wasn't cutting at the time, I'd have to carry the bot back to within Wi-Fi range before I could instruct it. If it was cutting at the time, it would continue on with its task, but I couldn't watch its progress. This felt a little risky, although I guess I'd only be getting very basic information anyway.

All that said, once I'd figured out where things were, the app was usable and did what I needed it to. Middling marks.

  • App score: 3 out of 5

Should you buy the Mammotion Yuka Mini?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Not cheap, but relatively affordable in the market, and there are deals to be had. Product feels high quality.

4 / 5

Design

Relatively compact and lightweight lawnbot. Navigates using satellites and an RTK receiver, although there is also a paid-for 4G navigation option.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Neat, quiet and thorough mowing, and reliable navigation and object avoidance. Setup a little confusing.

4 / 5

App

Rather basic, slightly unintuitive and lacks fine controls, although generally does what you need it to do.

3 / 5

Buy it if...

You have a small to medium-sized yard
The Yuka Mini I tested is designed for spaces of around 0.15 acres / 600㎡ in size, and there's also a version for up to 0.2 acres / 800㎡. The relatively compact design won't overwhelm a smaller yard.

You're looking for something affordable
A lot of lawnbots cost thousands, whereas this bot is far more affordable – especially if you snag one of the semi-regular deals.

Don't buy it if...

You want the crème de la crème of the range
This little bot performed great in my tests, but it isn't as advanced as the Mammotion Luba 2, which has all the latest bells and whistles you could hope for.

You have a very large yard
The bot I tested is designed for yards of around 0.15 acres / 600㎡, although alternatives in the Yuka Mini range can manage up to 0.2 acres / 800㎡. There are plenty of options that cater to bigger yards, offering wider cutting decks and longer runtimes, if that won't suffice.

You're a total technophobe
I found setup a little painful, and the basic app and lack of clear instructions from Mammotion don't help. If you want a lawnbot that will do it all for you, take a look at the Dreame E15.

Mammotion Yuka Mini: alternatives to consider

Mammotion Yuka Mini 600

Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD 1000

Recommended lawn size:

0.15 acres / 600㎡

0.25 acres / 1,000㎡

Max lawn size:

0.2 acres / 800㎡

0.3 acres / 1,012㎡

Cutting width:

7.5in / 19cm

15.7in / 40cm

Cutting height:

0.8-2.4in / 2-6cm, mechanical

1 - 2.7in / 2.5-7cm, motorized

Drivetrain:

Two-wheel drive

All-wheel drive

Max zones:

15

10

Incline ability:

50% (27°)

80% (38°)

Waterproof:

IPX6

IPX6 & IPX7

Lawnbot size (L x W x H):

20.7 x 16.3 x 11.1in / 52.5 x 41.3 x 28.1cm

27.2 x 20.2 x 10.7in / 69 x 51.3 x 27.3cm

Lawnbot weight:

23.4lbs / 10.6kg

37.7lbs / 17.1 kg

Mow time per charge:

55 mins

120 mins

Mammotion LUBA 2 robot mower

The LUBA is an altogether fancier, more tech-packed option from Mammotion. There are various versions that can manage large yards, and it offers longer runtimes and four-wheel drive for trickier terrain.

Read our full Mammotion LUBA 2 robot mower review.

How I tested the Mammotion Yuka Mini

I set up the Mammotion Yuka Mini in my parents' yard, which includes three main grassy areas. There are various obstacles, including patio areas, beds in the middle of the lawn, trees and a brook. I set it up using the instructions provided (supplemented by my own research, when that didn't go to plan), mapped the area, and ran several mowing tests over the course of a few days. It was then used as the primary mower over the course of the month that followed, with me visiting regularly to check on progress. I assessed it based on the neatness of cutting, accuracy of navigation, and ease of use.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed July 2025
I tested the Philips LatteGo 5500 Series, and it’s the perfect espresso machine for one or two people
6:00 pm | July 26, 2025

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

Philips LatteGo 5500 Series: two-minute review

The Philips LatteGo 5500 Series is a compact fully automatic espresso machine that's a solid choice for couples and individuals. It has a relatively small water tank and bean hopper that's perfect for making a couple of cups, so you won't have large quantities of coffee and water going stale.

The built-in ceramic grinder offers some super-fine grind settings, and with just a little adjustment you should be able to brew consistently well-extracted espresso, which you can enjoy alone or as the foundation of over 15 different drinks. The most popular options (such as cappuccino and americano) are accessible via buttons beside the color display, while others can be found by tapping "other drinks" and selecting either hot or iced beverages.

It's worth noting that the LatteGo 5500 Series doesn't offer cold coffee extraction. Instead, you're prompted to add six to eight ice cubes to your cup, and the machine pours over a shot of hot espresso (followed by cold-foamed milk, if appropriate for your chosen drink). The results are OK, but you don't get the same mellow flavor you do from coffee infused using cold water, and the melting of the ice means drinks usually made without water can taste weak.

Philips LatteGo 5500 Series

The LatteGo milk system works well, producing a thick and creamy foam from plant or dairy milk (Image credit: Future)

For me, the most interesting feature is the LatteGo's automatic milk-foaming system. Unlike most other coffee makers I've tested, the 5500 Series has a milk carafe that clips onto a steam nozzle on the front of the machine, and is designed to be filled while attached.

This might seem odd at first, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Not carrying containers of milk across the kitchen means less risk of spillage, and this carafe isn't intended for storing milk in the fridge between brews. Instead, it has markers on the side that show you exactly how much to add for different drinks, meaning there won't be any left at the end, and the carafe can be washed out, ready for next time (either by hand or in a dishwasher). It's a smart system for making just one or two drinks.

You do have to be very careful with how you position your cup, though. There's no way to adjust the LatteGo system's spout, and your cup needs to be further forward on the drip tray than you'd expect. Move it over the red water-level indicator, then a bit further still to avoid your milk spilling over the edge.

Overall, this is a well-made bean-to-cup machine for small households (or ones with just one coffee-drinker), and it does the basics very well. It wouldn't be my top choice if you want to make cold drinks regularly, however. For that, you'd be better opting for a machine that can handle cold extraction, so your drink isn't watered down. Take a look at my list of the best cold-brew coffee machines for some suggestions.

Philips LatteGo 5500 Series: price and availability

  • List price $1,099.95 / £649.99 / AU$1,194
  • Available globally
  • Often discounted in the UK

The Philips LatteGo 5500 Series is available globally, and has a list price of $1,099.95 / £649.99 / AU$1,194 (although it’s often reduced to £549.99 in the UK). It’s the top-tier model in the LatteGo series, with 20 hot and cold drink options compared to 12 drinks for the less expensive 4400 Series. You’ll find all today’s best deals on the LatteGo 5500 Series listed below.

That price is about standard for a compact bean-to-cup espresso machine, and is roughly the same as the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch. However, the La Specialista Touch offers greater control over brewing options, along with both manual and automatic milk-foaming.

  • Value score: 3.5/5

Philips LatteGo 5500 Series: Specifications

Name

Philips LatteGo 5500 Series

Type

Fully automatic bean-to-cup espresso machine

Dimensions (W x H x D)

9.7 x 14.6 x 17in / 24.6 x 37.1 x 43.3cm

Weight

17.6lbs / 8kg

Water reservoir capacity

1.9qt / 1.8 liters

Milk frother

Yes (automatic)

Bars of pressure

15

User profiles

4 (plus guest)

Philips LatteGo 5500 Series: Design

  • Well suited to individuals or couples
  • LatteGo system is easy to use and clean
  • Simple button-based interface

At just 9.7 inches / 24.6cm wide, the Philips LatteGo 5500 Series is one of the narrowest espresso machines I’ve tested to date. It's ideal for tucking into small spaces – particularly because the water tank slides out of the front, so you only need to access the side of the machine when it’s time to clean the brewing group.

Although it has four user profiles (plus a guest option for visitors), this machine is best suited to individuals or couples who only want to make one or two drinks at once. Its 1.9qt / 1.8-liter water tank is quite small, and the optional (but recommended) water filter supplied with the machine takes up quite a lot of space, effectively making it smaller still.

At first that sounds like it could be a problem, but when you’re only making a couple of drinks at once it’s fine, and refilling the tank regularly is always a good idea. Most of your coffee is made of water, so you want to keep it fresh.

As the name suggests, one of the LatteGo 5500 Series’ key features is its milk system, which comprises a small carafe that pushes onto a steam nozzle on the front of the machine. Unlike every other automatic espresso machine I’ve tested, you fill this container while it’s attached to the machine. This feels odd at first, but it actually makes sense; no carrying containers of milk across the kitchen means no potential for spillage.

Markings on the side of the carafe show how far to fill it for different drinks, whether you’re preparing one or two cups. The idea is that you’ll use all the milk in one go. Unlike most other machines (such as the Jura J10, for example), the LatteGo’s carafe isn’t airtight. Nor is it intended to be stored in the fridge with milk inside between uses. Instead, you add just the amount of milk you need, then wash it out for next time (either by hand or in the top drawer of the dishwasher) to keep everything fresh.

The bean hopper doesn’t have a huge capacity either. Again, this is no bad thing for a machine intended for just one or two people, because it means you won’t have unused beans hanging around for too long.

The hopper has a tinted plastic lid to help stop light degrading the flavor compounds in the beans, and an airtight seal to keep them fresh. The seal also helps muffle the noise of the machine’s ceramic grinder. Indeed, this espresso machine is one of the quietest I’ve tested, with both the grinder and milk system making very little noise.

The grind size is adjusted using a small dial inside the hopper. I would have preferred this to be on the outside for accessibility, but that’s a minor quibble. For me, the bigger issue was the height of the hopper, which made it tricky to open and refill when the machine was under a cabinet. The machine is quite light, but if you don’t have much headroom, you’ll have to shimmy it out when it’s time to refill.

Just in front of the hopper, you’ll find a chute for adding a scoop of pre-ground coffee if you’d like to switch to something different, such as decaf for after lunch.

The drip tray is nice and deep, which again helps to avoid spillage, with a pouring spout at the back for easy emptying, plus a level indicator so you can see at a glance when it’s time to empty it. There’s also a deep detachable container for used coffee grounds, and the LatteGo 5500 Series will alert you when it needs emptying.

Philips LatteGo 5500 Series drip tray

The drip tray has high sides to prevent spillage, and there's a generously-sized container for used coffee grounds (Image credit: Future)

This alert will appear on the machine’s TFT display, which is surrounded by a set of buttons that provide quick access to the most popular drink options. The rest are accessed by pressing the "More drinks" button, which presents you with a choice of two lists: one for hot beverages, and one for iced.

Selecting the "Setting"' button will reveal more comprehensive brewing options, including the ability to change the temperature, plus various energy-saving settings such as toggling the lights above your cup, and determining how long the machine should wait before powering off.

It was refreshing to see that the machine’s packaging was mostly cardboard, with only a few plastic bags for components. Even the best coffee makers are often packaged in large pieces of polystyrene

  • Design score: 4/5

Philips LatteGo 5500 Series: performance

  • Brews well-balanced espresso once grinder is dialled in
  • Iced coffee isn't cold-extracted
  • LatteGo milk spout is somewhat awkward

The LatteGo is very simple to use, and the buttons around the display will be all most users need on an everyday basis. Select a beverage, and you’ll be able to tweak a few options to determine the strength and volume of your drink, then the machine will handle the rest.

There’s no equivalent of De’Longhi’s BeanAdapt system for configuring the brew settings to suit your chosen coffee, but adjusting the grinder and tweaking the options when preparing your coffee should allow you to create consistently well-extracted espresso.

Each time you change the brew settings for a drink, your adjustments will be saved to the currently selected profile (red, blue, yellow or green). You can switch between profiles by tapping a button on the left of the screen, and there’s an extra guest profile, so visitors don’t accidentally override your custom cappuccino settings.

Person selecting user profile on Philips LatteGo 5500 Series coffee maker

There are four colored profiles to store custom drink preferences, plus a guest profile so visitors don't override your favorites (Image credit: Future)

You can use the LatteGo system with any type of milk you choose. During my tests, whole and full-fat dairy milk foamed well, as did oat milk – although the results were less impressive when using one of the iced drink options, which dispense cold milk. An iced cappuccino had some foam on top, but not very much compared to the same drink brewed hot.

I particularly like that the LatteGo system is so easy to keep clean. The carafe comes in two parts, which are easy to unclip, and there are no awkward tubes to clean. Milk never enters the body of the coffee machine either, so you don’t need to worry about bacteria breeding inside.

My biggest complaint about the LatteGo 5500 Series (and it’s one that’s easily avoided) is that you can’t change the angle of the milk spout, so you have to position your cup just right to avoid milk spilling down the side. The perfect position is much further forward than you might expect, and your cup needs to be completely covering the red level indicator on the drip tray.

It helps to use quite a wide cup for your milky beverages; otherwise, you may not be able to position it just right for both the coffee dispenser and the milk spout, causing one or the other to miss.

Iced coffee is one of the biggest trends in home espresso machines right now, so it’s no surprise that the top-tier LatteGo comes with plenty of options for chilled beverages. Select one and the machine will tell you how many ice cubes to add to your glass or cup, then pour coffee and milk on top.

However, it’s worth noting that the espresso used in the LatteGo 5500 Series’ iced drinks isn’t actually brewed cold. It’s hot, and relies on the ice to bring the temperature down. This means it doesn’t have the same mellow flavor profile as true cold-extracted coffee, and you may find that your drinks taste watered-down due to the melted ice. You can get around this problem by increasing the strength of the shot, but it’s something to be aware of.

Philips LatteGo 5500 Series dispensing espresso onto ice cubes

The machine doesn't make cold-extracted espresso, instead dispensing hot-brewed espresso onto ice cubes to make chilled drinks (Image credit: Future)
  • Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Philips LatteGo 5500 Series?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Typical price for a fully automatic espresso machine, but there are other great options available more cheaply if you shop around.

3.5/5

Design

Very compact and well suited to small households. Milk nozzle position can't be adjusted,.

4/5

Performance

Easy to use and maintain and brews excellent espresso. Hot drinks are very good, but iced options are diluted by hot espresso melting ice cubes.

4/5

Buy it if

You're brewing coffee for one (or two)

If you're only brewing in small quantities, a large bean hopper and water tank will just allow the beans and water to go stale. This compact machine is a smarter choice, and the LatteGo system helps you measure out only the milk you need.

You have a small kitchen

This is a particularly narrow machine, and you don't need to access the sides to remove the water tank, so you can push it up against a cabinet without any issues.

Don't buy it if

You want cold-brewed coffee

The LatteGo 5500 Series makes perfectly acceptable iced drinks, but the espresso is extracted using hot water and cooled by pouring it over ice. For mellow coffee extracted using cold water, take a look at my list of the top three coffee machines for cold-brew.

Philips LatteGo 5500 Series: also consider

If you're not sure that the Philips LatteGo 5500 Series is the right coffee maker for you, here are two other options for your consideration.

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic

If you're serious about iced coffee, the Primadonna Aromatic offers true cold extraction that creates a similar flavor profile to coffee steeped overnight in the fridge. It also has two milk carafes (one for foaming hot milk and one for cold) – and you can adjust the angle of their spouts. No puddles of milk here.

Read our full De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic review

KitchenAid KF6

Looking for something more stylish? The KF6 is a great-looking bean-to-cup machine with a sleek, streamlined chassis and simple touch controls. It brews sublime espresso too, but it's a pricier proposition than the Philips LatteGo 5500 Series.

Read our full KitchenAid KF6 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Philips LatteGo 5500 Series

I used the Philips LatteGo 5500 Series with my favorite espresso blend from a local coffee roaster, bought fresh that week. I tested the water hardness using the strip supplied in the box, and fitted the water filter in the tank following the instructions provided. I used fresh water each time I began using the machine.

I tested the LatteGo system using fridge-cold whole and semi-skimmed dairy milk, as well as barista oat milk.

I tested the machine's various hot and cold drinks, using the amount of ice specified by the machine for chilled recipes.

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

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