US - Organizer

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition review: new materials and signature quality combine for excellent comfort

6:00 pm | October 31, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: AU, EU, UK, US | Comments: Off

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition: Two-minute review

The Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition is a new variant of the classic chair from the brand featuring some brand-new materials. While there’s a familiar chair under the hood, these materials elevate this edition a little beyond its brethren in terms of sheer comfort.

The new soft materials - which Secretlab refers to as NanoGen Hybrid Leatherette and NanoFoam Composite - are legitimately excellent and make for an extremely comfortable chair. The former is an exceptionally soft leatherette that’s a joy to touch, and a material that Secretlab claims is its toughest and plushest yet, offering enhanced stain resistance. latter is a supportive yet delightfully comfortable composite that feels like it has memory foam qualities when you lean back into it. Overall, it does make for some of the comfiest chair materials I’ve experienced in years.

As comfortable as these new materials are - and they really are, don’t get me wrong - I don’t think they’re so good that a regular Titan Evo would feel uncomfortable comparatively. The reality is that a regular Titan Evo is still going to be a great gaming chair, provide excellent support and comfort, and come in a chunk cheaper. This is the NanoGen’s biggest challenge; to justify the jump in cost and convince most people to get it.

More generally, though, as a premium chair, the price is still quite aggressive in the face of the competition. With the likes of the Herman Miller x Logitech Embody and the Razer Fujin Pro coming in substantially more expensive.

Aside from the materials and price tag, the NanoGen shares almost everything else with the now well-established Titan Evo line - everything that makes that chair our pick for the best gaming chair money can buy. From an easy-as-pie construction to a robust and weighty build, plus a host of support- and comfort-enhancing features like excellent armrests and a robust set of adjustability options to a slick and chic finish to every part, the NanoGen Edition channels everything great about the Titan Evo under its new hood.

As a result, all in, the NanoGen largely justifies the price tag and its position as one of the most comfortable gaming chairs. It’s a superb chair and the new materials are not just gimmicks - they make a wonderful difference in terms of comfort and support.

The Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition chair on a grey floor with grey curtains behind it — (Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition: Price and availability

List price: R size: $799 / £669 / AU$1,099; XL size: $849 / £719 / AU$1,199
Available in Pure White and Pure Black only
Available in US, CA, EU, AU, NZ, SG, MY; coming soon to the UK

Coming in at the above prices, this new Titan Evo does come in notably higher than other models adding $250 / £200 over a regular Titan Evo size, and a jump of $200 / £180 for the XL size.

Whether the materials alone are worth this extra investment will likely depend on your preferences, needs, and budget. However, even at this early part of my review, I wouldn’t go as far as saying that the NanoGen Edition makes the other Titan Evo chairs obsolete or ‘uncomfortable’ by comparison at all. As a result, this new edition has its work cut out for it to really warrant and justify the higher price tag.

However, this still comes in much cheaper than the likes of the Herman Miller x Logitech Embody and the Razer Fujin Pro and offers that trademark Secretlab premium gaming chair feel and experience.

In turn, the NanoGen Edition is still much more expensive than the AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL, a spacious chair that could provide some stern value-based competition.

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition: Specs

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition: Design and aesthetics

White look is very chic
Signature Secretlab design and build quality
An equally office-friendly aesthetic

At a glance, the NanoGen Edition looks identical to a Titan Evo chair. The chair has a simple, restrained, and chic look in the white finish sent to us for review, and I can imagine the black chair looking equally as slick and perhaps even more office-friendly than the white.

There are no wild flourishes adorning the all-white finish on our chair and it’s a symphony in clean white leatherette material. However, the slight chink in this is the inclusion of a grey armrest and headrest, which are soft and comfortable, but next to the white of the rest of the chair have an almost dirty look. It’s not a huge detractor by any means but something that’s noticeable given that ultra-clean finish elsewhere.

The overall design is straight from the Titan Evo line too, so with that in mind, the build quality and feature set are excellent. It is so well built and robust that you can have serious confidence in this, no matter your seating preference or how aggressively you might shoot about your space.

The fabulous castors are as smooth as ever, on the wide wheelbase that provides excellent stability given its (quite large) footprint. The armrests are also a delight. The NanoGen Edition chair features Secretlab’s PlushCell Memory Foam Armrest Tops on its all-new heavy-duty full metal 4D armests, both of which are superb.

There are so many customization options with the armrests themselves - which also offer a great range of adjustment, 50% more than previous iterations - that I’m still tinkering to get the perfect setup weeks into testing. They are sturdy as heck too, while the armrest tops are wonderfully comfortable, swallowing up your elbows in soft cushioned goodness.

The magnetic fixing of the armrest top means you can swap out to another material too should you wish at another time adding further customizability. The only other way it could get even more customizable would be to attach the new Secretlab Ergonomic Recliner.

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition: Comfort and adjustability

Wonderfully soft materials
New foam is extremely comfortable
Plenty of adjustability

In short, the Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition is one of the comfiest chairs I’ve sat on. The new NanoFoam within the chair and the NanoGen Leatherette material that finishes it combined with the brilliant design, build, proportions, and frame of a Titan Evo make one seriously comfy chair.

Sinking into the seat or back and being embraced by the NanoFoam finished in that super-soft new leatherette is really something - and also offers something different to the Secretlab Titan Evo SoftWeave chairs. I’m looking forward to it remaining my go-to daily driver when I'm in the office, but it won’t quite displace the Herman Miller Embody I have at home.

The NanoGen Edition shares the majority of its adjustability options with the wider Titan Evo line so if you’re familiar with those chairs at all, then you’ll be right at home with this one too. Given that I’m used to a shorter chair in the Embody, I have found that if you’re a sloucher or someone who doesn’t totally sit right back into their chair, you’ll need to get used to that - there’s no use to the chair unless you actually lean and sit into it after all.

Working from the ground up, underneath are the usual levers for seat height adjustment and tilt adjustment. On the seat itself, you have a lever for the back recline (which can go all the way to…), on the side, there’s the wheel for the built-in lumbar support (a joy to have), and then there are the armrests.

I have found these to be a particular highlight; as someone who leans a lot on their elbows, the memory foam material was extremely comfy straight away, but the excellent range of adjustability means you won’t be short of different positions for support either. Finishing it off, the magnetic cushion for your head is a soft delight too, but you can remove it if you prefer.

As we know from the brand, it’s all supremely easy to adjust - though you may find yourself tinkering for weeks, like me, chasing that perfect setup.

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition: Assembly

Takes around 30-45 minutes solo
All tools provided
Magnetic parts make it easy

Unlike other premium chairs, such as those from Herman Miller which can roll straight out of the box ready to go, the Secretlab NanoGen Edition does require some construction. Coming neatly and securely flat packed, my XL version was a bit weighty in its box but I could easily slide it around our office carpet on my own to get it in position.

The actual construction of the chair doesn’t take long at all, even on one's own with an XL size. There are essentially only three parts to it - the wheelbase, the seat, and the back - which makes it easy to process which parts slot into others. My time was about 30 minutes all in (maybe 45 if you count some checking of the instructions), though if you’ve built a Secretlab chair before, expect your time to be lower.

The large-scale instructions on the box are easy to follow and consist of only a few steps, with some minor ‘sub-steps’. You also get all the tools included in the box which is excellent. Magnetic armrests and covers to hide screws are then the icing on the cake and make finishing the chair’s build easy as pie.

The screws are easy to attach and tighten even for someone with small slightly-different hands like mine, and the only time I really found it awkward was when aligning the backrest to the seat. Otherwise, there’s no awkward alignment for bits or the need for a flashlight, and it’s eminently doable on your own - plus you get to squeeze and caress that exquisite material up close all the while.

Should you buy the Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition?

Buy it if...

You’re after some supremely soft and comfortable materials for your gaming chair
The NanoGen material and NanoFoam within this chair make for excellent comfort. The chair is supremely soft and comfortable on your posterior and back, and the brilliant armrests complete the whole package.

You want the latest in materials from Secretlab
If you were already sold on a Secretlab chair, and are now on the lookout for the best and latest materials going from the brand, then the NanoGen Edition is for you.

You want a chair for long work and play sessions
Combining the comfort of the new materials as well as the pedigree of the Titan Evo means this chair is a joy for long periods of work and play, and the easiest of recommendations for those looking for something for hours of comfort.

Don't buy it if...

You’re not sold on paying more for the materials
The materials on the NanoGen edition are superb but the jump in price means the ‘regular’ Titan Evo could represent better value for your money if you’re not convinced about the new materials and their fancy names.

You’re on a tight budget
Yup, it seems like an obvious point to make but as good as they are Secretlab chairs still require a healthy investment - and one that only increases with the new NanoGen materials.

Also consider...

If you’re still not convinced by the NanoGen Edition, then these two other chairs could be worth considering.

Secretlab Titan Evo 2022
The ‘regular’ Titan Evo chair is still an absolute belter and our pick for the top gaming chair overall you can buy right now. It shares a lot with the NanoGen Edition but crucially comes in a bit cheaper and is still an excellently comfortable gaming chair. If you want comfort from Secretlab but are looking to save money, then the regular Titan Evo could be the way to go.

For more information, check out our full Secretlab Titan Evo review.

AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL
If you’re looking for a larger chair but want to maximize value and get some great comfort-focused features at the same time then the AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL is a fine alternative. Featuring incredibly comfortable and plus materials as well as all the trimmings from lumbar support to 4D arms, it's a great value proposition.

For more information, check out our full AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL review.

How I tested the Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition

Tested over the course of multiple weeks
Compared to other gaming chairs from the likes of Herman Miller
Tested in all positions

I tested the Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition by deploying it as my go-to, daily office chair, and used it over the course of four weeks.

I used it for long stretches of work and also some handheld gaming, and gave each feature and element of the chair a thorough testing in all seating positions, from leaning back, to cross-legged, and everything in between.

Fortunately, I was also able to directly compare it against other chairs we have in the office, notably a Herman Miller Aeron which is currently being reviewed too.

Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE: two-minute review

The Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE is a laser and LED smart projector capable of projecting 4K Dolby-Vision-enhanced imagery up to 200 inches. It was first released in the US, followed by the UK in August and September 2024 for a list price of $1,299.99 / £1,299.99.

It's cheaper than its predecessor, the Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K, which has an extra 400 ANSI lumens of brightness, and a full laser light source, compared to the 4K SEs laser and LED HybridBeam. The Nebula Cosmos 4K SE has plenty to boast about though, with Google TV built-in, offering effortless access to popular streaming apps like Netflix and Disney+, and many other useful apps, as one would expect from Google. There’s decent support for external content too, with HDMI and USB-C ports making it simple to connect a disc drive or laptop.

The Nebula Cosmos 4K SE has a stated brightness of 1,800 ANSI lumens – this is some way short of most of the best 4K projectors. Our testing didn’t provide results to get excited about, with measurements taken including 122 nits peak brightness, which wasn’t radically different from the BenQ v5000i, and grayscale accuracy of 8, plus a color accuracy of 3.4.

Coverage of the UHDA-P3 color gamut came in at 88.9%, with BT.2020 reading 76.3%. The input lag measured up, with 35ms of lag in Game Mode Standard, and 18.5ms in Game Mode Extreme.

A close-up of the lens and sensors on the front of the projector. — (Image credit: Future)

Real-time autofocus, auto keystone correction, and auto screen fit worked well when projected onto small targets, but I found I had to manually alter the four keystone points to get the image to sit centrally (just about) on my 100-inch screen. I could only watch at 60 inches, as I lacked the space to have the projector the required 7.8ft / 2.4 meters away from the screen. If you have your heart set on getting the full movie theatre experience without having to shell out on a house extension, I’d recommend taking a look at our pick of the Best ultra short throw projectors instead.

When it comes to the performance of the contrast and brightness when watching content, darker scenes in movies and TV shows with a dark aesthetic were plagued by pixelated grays where darker areas would otherwise be visible while watching on a TV. This isn’t entirely uncommon for projectors, as producing dense blacks is naturally difficult given how the image is generated, but I can’t say that it didn’t subtract from the otherwise fabulous viewing experience. Scenes in Damsel and Prometheus in particular showcased the Cosmos 4K SE’s ability to deliver stunningly vivid color and intricate details, no doubt thanks to the addition of Dolby Vision. This, along with the two built-in 15-watt Dolby-Audio-enabled speakers made watching movies and series with this projector a satisfyingly immersive experience. You can read further details about this in the Picture Quality section below.

In a nutshell, provided you have the space to achieve the screen size you want, you’re happy watching content in little more than a dim light, and you have the space to place this chonky example of a portable projector, I’d highly recommend the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE.

A close up of the silicone-lined handle. — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE review: price and availability

List price: $1,299.99 / £1,299.99
Available in the US and the UK
Released in August / September 2024

The Nebula Cosmos 4K SE became available in the US in August 2024, followed by the UK in September 2024, at a list price of $1,299.99 / £1,299.99. Apart from the Amazon Prime Day sales, when it dropped to $999 / £999, which Anker matched on the Nebula website, the cost of the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE looks to have remained at its usual price. At the time of writing, the Cosmos 4K SE is not available in Australia.

While unlikely to be a spontaneous purchase at this price, the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE is still miles cheaper than all but one in our choice of the best 4K projectors.

Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE review: specs

Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE review: design and features

Google TV built-in
Large but technically portable
Efficient auto-correction and calibration features

The Nebula Cosmos 4K SE just about classes as portable, though it is a bit of a chonk, weighing in at 4.5kg /9.9lb, and with dimensions of 10.4 x 8.7 x 6.5 inches / 264 x 221 x 165mm. I was able to pick it up and carry it about, but I had to be careful about it. It would be even more of a hassle if it wasn't for the helpful, and comfortable silicone inbuilt handle that protrudes from the top of the projector body.

This projector is solely mains-powered, with no built-in battery or compatible battery pack. So while you might be able to carry it outside, you'll need to have access to a suitable power outlet for al fresco viewing.

The Nebula Cosmos 4K SE uses its HybridBeam, which is a combo of laser and LED, to generate images with up to a specified 1,800 ANSI lumens of brightness. The auto screen adjustment, auto keystone, and autofocus features did a great job of projecting images that were rectangular and crisp for the most part, especially when projecting onto smaller targets, which for me in particular was the wall space next to my bed. However, I found I was limited to just 60 inches when trying to watch on my 100-inch screen. This forced me to make use of the four-point manual keystone correction, as the Cosmos 4K SE insisted on fixing the 60-inch projection to the upper-left corner of the screen each time, which looked all kinds of wrong. After some investigating, I learned that the 4K SE needs to be at least 7.8 feet / 2.4 meters away from the target to project at 90 inches or above. I was using the projector in quite a large room, so this seems fairly limiting.

A close-up of the lense and the depth sensor. — (Image credit: Future)

Anker claims that it’s possible to watch a 60-inch projection in a well-lit room with windows and indirect daylight, but unfortunately, I must disagree. The issues I’ve already mentioned regarding the contrast and black density were when watching in darkness. When I tried to watch with additional light sources any stronger than the colorful LED strips behind my TV, this contrast issue got worse, and anything more than very dim sunlight made it very difficult to see most of what was going on in whatever I was watching.

Having a light source in the room also plays havoc with the Wall Color Calibration feature, which is intended to alter the coloring of the projection so that it still looks correct regardless of the color of the wall you’re projecting against. I tested this out in our TechRadar music room, which is painted a deep teal color. When I tried this with some indirect sunlight coming from the small window far over to the right on the same wall I was projecting onto, the “color corrected” image had an off-putting blue tint to it. When I repeated the calibration with the lights off, it worked perfectly, and I was really impressed.

The Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE's remote control sits on a stone-effect surface with a pink background. — (Image credit: Future)

I found the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE easy to control thanks to the backlit remote control's handy voice assistant feature, as I could ask Google to whisk me straight to the content I wanted. The Nebula Connect app also worked well as a remote control, too.

I love that the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE comes with Google TV built-in, as in my experience it has proven to be the most efficient Android TV OS by far. As expected, it provides access to all of the popular streaming apps like Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and Apple TV, plus easy access to YouTube, naturally. It's simple to access content from external sources too, thanks to the USB-C input and the two HDMI ports, one of which is a HDMI 2.1 (eARC), supporting 4K visuals at 60 hertz, with lossless transmission.

When it comes to audio output, the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE has two built-in 15-watt speakers enabled with Dolby Audio. I didn't observe any issues with the sound quality during my testing, I was very satisfied with the quality. I would have picked up quite quickly if there were any issues that a typical user would notice – I've tested a lot of Bluetooth speakers in my time so I will spot from a mile off poor clarity or if the bass and treble are below par.

Design score: 4/5

Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE review: picture quality

Beautifully vivid color
Disappointing lack of contrast
Immersive cinematic experience

When I got my hands on the Cosmos 4K SE, I was really excited to try it out. I'd previously tested the Nebula Mars 3 Air back in my freelancing days, which I loved, so I was expecting big things from the 4K SE.

After letting it warm up for an hour, myself and my colleague James conducted tests to evaluate the projector's capabilities. The peak brightness, when viewing in Movie Mode and measured on a white 10% window pattern, was 122 nits in SDR, which isn't far off the peak brightness reading we got for the more expensive BenQ v5000i, and 119 in HDR, surpassing the reading we got for the BenQ.

The color performance figures that resulted from our testing didn't blow me away, but at this price and for casual viewing, I can forgive the Cosmos 4K SE for this. The projector achieved a Grayscale accuracy of 8, and a 3.4 for color accuracy, which was just a whisker off our target level of 3.

Coverage of the BT.2020 scored 76.3%, and the UHDA-P3 color gamut coverage was also nothing to shout about at 88.9% meaning that, although the colors were satisfyingly vivid, they weren't as rich and varied as those projected by the LG CineBeam Q, which gave an impressive reading of 98.7%. These test figures were obtained while viewing in HDR Movie Mode. The input lag in Game Mode Standard was 35ms, and in Gaming Mode Extreme was 18.5ms, which supports Anker's claims of the 4K SE being low latency with under 19ms of lag and should satisfy the majority of casual gamers.

A close-up of the projector's ports. — (Image credit: Future)

In terms of the brightness and contrast when viewing there were mixed results. In lighter scenes, the whites and colors were satisfyingly bright and dazzling, but the handling of the contrast in dark scenes left a lot to be desired. The first film I watched on the Cosmos 4K SE was Damsel on Netflix, starring Millie Bobby Brown. I can easily jump straight into all the positives, as I was stunned by the beautiful imagery that the projector delivered, but I'll get the negative out of the way first. It was clear fairly early on that there was a contrast issue.

When the main character Elodie enters a dark cave, all detail is lost around her, with stonework being replaced with grey pixelated sections. Achieving a quality deep black can prove difficult for projectors, especially those that don't possess full laser optical technology – with a 238:1 contrast ratio reading from the Cosmos 4K SE, it’s hardly surprising that it didn’t perform brilliantly in this area. Aside from this, there were so many scenes that took advantage of the projector's strengths, likely due to the presence of Dolby Vision. The scenes involving the luminescent grubs and the crystal caves were visually stunning, with the vivid colors and clarity making Damsel a delight to watch.

During the opening sequence of Prometheus, the level of brightness was impressive, as was the color density. The delicate details on the spaceship as it came in to land were visible and clear, as were the pores and veins on the Engineer's face. The level of intricacy in the DNA scenes when the strands were getting affected by the black pathogen highly impressed me too. The scene that really caught my attention, though, was when David has a drop of Chemical A0-3959X.91 on the tip of his finger. The close-up shots of this were visually stunning, so much so that I started to calculate quite how I could incorporate a projector screen into my living room on a permanent basis. Despite the darker scenes in Maleficent and Damsel noticeably lacking contrast, similar scenes appear to be handled better in Prometheus; they still weren't perfect, but darker details were more visible.

A close-up of the power button. — (Image credit: Future)

Despite my undeniable admiration of the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who regularly enjoys programs with a darker aesthetic. Series like Marvel's Daredevil take a real hit due to the lack of good contrast, making the scenes appear grainy and low-quality.

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, playback was smooth during intense fight scenes, with the images remaining crisp and high quality, despite the fast movement. The detail is fantastic once again, with the intricate weave of the fabric of Hawk Eye's suit clearly visible.

Despite my undeniable admiration of the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who regularly enjoys programs with a darker aesthetic, even when watching in the dark. Series such as Marvel's Daredevil take a real hit due to the lack of good contrast, making the scenes appear grainy and low-quality, which is a real shame considering the projector's fabulous performance in other areas.

Picture quality score: 4/5

Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE review: value

Good picture quality for the price
Delivers a satisfying at-home cinema experience
Uses Laser and LED hybrid optical technology

At $1,299.99 / £1,299.99, the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE is $400 / £400 cheaper than the previous model, the Nebula Cosmos 4K, despite the 4K SE having a large projection range, Google TV built in, and Dolby Vision. This price difference is likely due to the 400 additional ANSI lumens and, more importantly, due to the original 4K utilizing a laser light source, compared to the 4K SE's laser and LED HybridBeam, which could explain its lackluster brightness.

Overall, the viewing experience was fantastic when in a dimly lit room, and the sound quality was spot on. It was like having a pop-up cinema, with beautifully vivid colors and no problems with fast-paced scenes. The downsides can't be ignored, however, with a lack of contrast in some darker scenes when watching in the dark, and a distractingly bad lack of contrast and brightness issues when watching in the light, despite viewing at the projection size that Anker claims would be visible in a well-lit environment.

While it's pretty chunky, and not exactly an attractive addition to the decor unless it's situated in a casual TV and gaming den, it feels suitably robust for the price. While the size and weight initially made me question its apparent portability, this weight pales in comparison to other 4K projectors such as the Samsung The Premiere 9, and the carry handle definitely makes moving it about a simpler task. If the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE might upset your Feng Shui, then fear not, as more attractive alternatives are available, such as the LG CineBeam Q, which you can learn a little more about in the Also Consider section below.

Value score: 4/5

A close up of the front face of the projector. — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE?

Buy it if

You don’t want to spend several thousand
While $1,299.99 / £1,299.99 is still a high price to pay, you get a lot of bang for your buck with the Cosmos 4K SE. Built-in Google TV, competent auto-correction features, and impressive imagery and sound are well worth the cost if you can spare it.

You want popular apps at your fingertips
The advantage of the built-in Google TV is the ease of the interface and the distinct lack of bug and lag-related issues that I’ve experienced with so many Android-based OS. It’s satisfyingly simple to get set up, so you can get to streaming content without the frustration.

You want an immersive cinematic experience
Picture this, relaxing comfortably in the dark, bag of popcorn in hand, as you watch a feature-length film in 4K on the big screen, all from the comfort of your own home. The stunning visuals and immersive sound the 4K SE delivers are worth splashing out on.

Don't buy it if

You want the big picture but have a small space
A short-throw projector the Cosmos 4K SE is not. You need at least 5.5ft / 1.69m of space to achieve a screen size over 60 inches, which, for me personally, is a must, as I love the big-screen experience.

You want an easily portable projector
While it wouldn’t be difficult to maneuver for most, this projector is big and weighty. The carry handle makes life easier, but if you’re going away for the weekend it’s going to take up valuable trunk space, and there’s no way you’d want to lug it around on public transport.

You don’t want to be kept in the dark
Although Anker claims that you can watch a 60-inch projection in a well-lit room and indirect daylight, I found that watching with just one small window a few feet from the projection on an overcast day caused the quality to reduce drastically, the projected image looked washed out, and darker scenes that lacked contrast in optimum conditions became practically invisible.

Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE review: also consider

Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K
The 4K SE’s older sibling is almost identical in size and weight, and while it doesn’t possess some of the more desirable features, such as Dolby Vision and Google TV, it’s brighter and utilizes laser DLP optical technology, rather than a laser / LED hybrid. Check out the full Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K review.

Hisense PX3-Pro
A far pricier option, but if you want a top-quality, ultra-short-throw projector, then this could be the one for you. It’s not portable like the other alternatives listed here, but it performed well in various lighting conditions, delivered bright, rich colors, and a higher standard of contrast when compared to the 4K SE. Why not take a look at the Hisense PX3-Pro review to find out more.

LG CineBeam Q
If you want a projector that’s not a space invader, and can even make an attractive addition to your decor, then the LG CineBeam Q would be a good fit. While it’s not perfect, with limited brightness and poor audio quality, it looks stylish, projects in good-quality 4K, and can provide access to popular streaming apps, whether you’re watching at home or on your travels. If this has piqued your interest, there's plenty more detail in the full LG CineBeam Q review.

How I tested the Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE

Tested at home and in the TechRadar music and TV testing rooms
Tested in different lighting conditions
Measurements were made using Calman color calibration software

I got the Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE setup and had an explore around the available features, apps, and settings. I tried out the various display presets to determine the most satisfying option for casual viewing. I watched several films, series, and online content to establish how well the projector handled the different aesthetics. I tested the visibility of the projection by watching in total darkness, minimal lighting, and daylight.

My colleague, TV expert James, and I, measured the white balance (grayscale), gamma, and color point accuracy using Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software. The results provided Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen) for each category, providing us with figures to assess the projector’s overall accuracy.

We also ran tests to obtain measurements of the peak light output in both standard and high dynamic range modes, and measured the coverage of DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color space, to obtain readings that determine how well the projector can render the extended color range. Finally, we measured the contrast ratio, determining the brightest white to the darkest black that the projector is capable of displaying, and the input lag, which is an important reading if you’re looking for a gaming projector in particular.

Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam review: two-minute review

The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is suitably priced at $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$129. It offers a range of customizable features and can rotate and tilt, providing a good insight into the goings-on at home.

The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is available in black and white for all regions, but the US has the added benefit of Blush, Charcoal, and Starlight color options, too. As the name suggests, the rotating and pivoting mount beneath the camera allowed 360-degree panning and 169-degree tilting, providing a larger viewing area than static cameras.

The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam has many things in common with the Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen), which at the time of writing holds the top spot in our selection of the best indoor security cameras. Although its days may be numbered, as the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam can do the same job, plus is capable of viewing a far wider area.

The privacy cover worked well, cutting off the camera feed and audio instantly whenever required, then sending word via the Ring app, meaning I’d know straight away if it was being tampered with.

The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam sits on light-colored wood surface against a pink background. — (Image credit: Future)

There is no way to store recordings locally, so if one wanted to see an occurrence after the fact, paying for a subscription would be the only way to do this. Without a subscription, the Ring app can still send instant notifications, show a live view, and access the two-way talk feature.

The pan and tilt functions worked well, and I got a clear view thanks to the 1080p HD resolution, but the Color Night Vision didn’t live up to its name. Unlike some cheaper cameras, the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam had no problem handling movement, with no visible pixelation or lag, but it’s a real shame that the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is missing motion-tracking.

The audio wasn’t exceptional, but I was still impressed with the quality on the live view and recorded footage; conversations were easy to decipher and I didn’t find the sound not aligning with the image at any point.

The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam isn’t the cheapest option out there, but it’s suitably priced for the features and app support it offers. It’s regrettable that there’s no way to store footage locally so an extra fee is required for access, and that Ring has missed a trick by not including a motion-tracking function, but overall it’s good value for money.

If you’re in the market for something different, such as an outdoor-suitable camera or one with motion tracking, we have some highly-rated recommendations in our pick of the best security cameras.

Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam review: price and availability

List price: $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$129
Availability: US, UK, and Australia
Release date: mid 2024

Released in 2024, the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam has a list price of $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$129, putting it toward the premium end for a single indoor camera. However, with its ability to sync with multiple other Ring home security devices, great picture quality, and good audio, it’s not overpriced. The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is available at Amazon, Ring, and other third-party retailers.

Something to bear in mind when considering the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is that there is no option to store recordings locally, so if you want to review footage after the event has happened, you’ll need to pay for a subscription. You do get a complementary 30-day subscription to Protect Plus, though. If you intend to use your Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam without a subscription, you’ll still have access to Instant notifications, the live view, and the two-way talk feature via the Ring app or website, plus a one-year limited warranty.

Value score: 4.5 / 5

Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam subscription options

Ring Protect Basic:
Up to 180 days of video storage, download up to 50 videos at once, snapshot capture, package alerts, person alerts, and rich notifications.
Price: $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$4.99 per month, or, $49.99 / AU$49.95 per year per, Ring device.

Ring Protect Plus:
Has the same benefits as Protect Basic, plus (no pun intended) advanced video features, enhanced notifications, Home and Away modes, and extended warranties.
Price: $10 / £8 / AU$15 per month, or $100 / AU$150 per year. Covers all Ring devices at one location in the UK and Australia, or all Ring Home cameras and doorbells at one location in the US.

Ring Protect Pro (currently US only):
Offers everything in Protect Plus, as well as 24/7 alarm monitoring, alarm cellular backup, 24/7 backup internet with optional extra data, digital security by Eero Secure, and Ring Edge with local video storage. Please note an additional purchase of the Ring Alarm Pro is required to make use of some of these benefits.
Price: $10 per month or $100 per year, for all Ring devices at one location, US only.

A close-up of the pan and tilt mount and USB-C port. — (Image credit: Future)

Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam review: specifications

Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam review: design and features

360-degree panning and 169-degree tilting
Efficient privacy cover
No motion-tracking

In the UK and Australia, the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is available in either black or white. I’m a little jealous of our friends over the pond because in the US there are additional options like Blush, Charcoal, and Starlight, which is a cream color.

Setting up the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam was blissfully quick and simple, in essence, all I needed to do was install the Ring app, scan the barcode on the back of the camera, connect it to my phone via Bluetooth, and then connect it to the Wi-Fi. Voila.

Unsurprisingly, as Ring is owned by Amazon, the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam can be linked to an Amazon account, and accessed through devices like the Amazon Show 8 (3rd gen).

Being able to access the camera through a browser is a big plus in my book because it enabled me to see the live view and recorded footage on a bigger screen. I had no problem viewing things on my phone though, as it was easy to zoom into areas on the app, on both live and recorded footage.

The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is shown attached to the wall and ceiling mount. — (Image credit: Future)

The camera itself doesn’t look dissimilar to the Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen), except now it has the new mount that allows it to, you guessed it, pan and tilt, offering a far broader coverage when viewing live. The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam has a couple of placement options, either on a flat surface, or attached to the wall or ceiling using the included mounting plate, bracket, raw plugs, and screws.

I was surprised there isn't a motion tracking feature on the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam; some older and cheaper indoor cameras have this function. It’s curious to me that the camera has the benefit of being able to see almost anywhere, but there’s no way for it to be set to track a potential intruder (or a mischievous pet) unless it’s moved manually using the directional arrows through the app.

Despite this, the motion sensors proved effective on the lowest sensitivity setting out of the three available. I would quickly get a ping on my phone and Apple Watch whenever a person was spotted in the space, and I was able to set privacy and activity zones so that I wouldn’t get constant notifications when I was testing the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam in our busy office.

A close-up of the connectors of the wall and ceiling mount and the base of the Ring Pan-Tilt indoor camera. — (Image credit: Future)

Customizable home and away modes are available as part of the Plus subscription, so I could change the settings using just one button on the dashboard. By default, Home mode is set to stop detection motion, and recording, and Away mode enables these settings again.

The attached privacy cover was easy to open and close, instantly disconnecting the video and microphone feed when shut and notifying me whenever it was shut or reopened. In addition to this, for added privacy, there was another handy feature available that enabled me to disable the microphone at all times so only visual footage was captured.

In all, the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is feature-packed and well-designed, but I can’t help but wonder why Ring neglected to include a motion-tracking feature, considering the scope of view this camera has to offer.

Design and features score: 4 / 5

Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam review: performance

Good quality audio and video
Notifications kept me well informed
Efficient activity and privacy zones

The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam kept me in the loop with all the comings and goings at home and in the office, and once I’d mastered the settings, I could pretty much be left to do its own thing.

Speaking of the settings, the app wasn’t the most user-friendly in that respect, but otherwise, it’s responsive and worked well. There seemed to be a few ways to access similar things, and occasionally it took some hunting around to find a specific setting that I wanted to change.

Setting up the privacy and activity zones was straightforward; unlike some other cameras that can be limited to square zones, the Ring app offers a six-point selection area, so I had a bit more control to fit the zones around awkward spaces. There was one occasion when the app had a wobble, and got stuck on updating the snapshot to apply the zones onto, but the simple trick of turning the app off and on again solved the issue. These zones did their jobs well in action and helped to stop constant notifications of a person being detected, as I was working within view of the camera.

A close-up of the top of the camera and privacy cover. — (Image credit: Future)

The recordings were easy to access through the history button on the dashboard. Each recording was labeled; for example, it stated if it was recorded through live view, or a person was detected, and the device the recording came from, which would come in handy if I had a complete Ring setup. The event history can easily be filtered from tabs at the top of the screen, making it easy to view certain event types, such as motion or person detection, device types including alarms and smart lighting, and single devices.

I was pleased with the picture quality on the live view and recorded footage. A slight fisheye distortion was present toward the edges due to the wide lens, but apart from this, the images looked clear and high-quality. The camera handled movement well, with no lag or pixelation.

I tested out the siren, which was easily enabled by pushing a button on the app via the device's home screen; this caused the camera to make a loud security alarm sound, which I imagine could be capable of scaring off an unwanted guest.

A view of the camera and privacy cover against a pink background. — (Image credit: Future)

The name Color Night Vision is a little misleading; in low light, say, when shutting the blinds and turning off the lights in the office, it enhanced the colors on the live view really well, but we had the ambient light from our monitors to help this along. In full darkness, the feed is black and white just like many other night-vision-enabled cameras. The image quality is still great, but it is not in color like the name of this feature suggests.

I was pleased with the audio quality, other than a little bit of tinniness. Words and activities were easy to identify, and I didn’t experience any issues with the alignment of the audio and footage; whereas with past cameras I’ve encountered misalignments between what’s happening on screen and the audio recordings.

Overall, the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam did a great job, though I’d have preferred to have the ability to track motions, rather than staying static. A decent amount of customization options were available for me to fine-tune, and it detected and recorded everything I expected it to, providing me with a high-quality visual and satisfactory audio representation of what had been going on in its vicinity.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam?

Buy it if...

You want a good view
With the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, you get a better view of its surroundings thanks to its 360-degree rotation and 169-degree tilting, making it a better option than static cameras for keeping an eye on things.

You want a built-in alarm
If you’re looking at the live view and you spot something untoward, this camera has a siren built in that can be enabled through a button on the app. It makes a lot of noise, so should make for a good deterrent.

You want to see the details
The picture quality is really good on the live view and recordings, and it’s possible to zoom in with both. The footage didn’t display any lag or pixelation from movement either, which is a big plus.

Don't buy it if...

You require motion-tracking
Surprisingly, the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam doesn’t have motion-tracking capabilities. Considering its impressive viewing range when moved manually, it seems that Ring really missed a trick here.

You don’t want to pay a subscription fee
While the subscription makes sense if you have a range of Ring security devices, giving access to stored footage in one place, if you want a one-off camera for a single purpose, it would be beneficial to have a local storage option such as a microSD card.

Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam review: Also consider

Wyze Cam v3
A good alternative if you want to store footage without needing to pay, the Wyze Cam v3 has the added benefit of local storage of up to 128GB via a microSD card. However, the footage is limited to twelve seconds without a subscription. It also offers sound detection, though its sensitivity is limited, and audio quality was unsatisfactory. It also has IP65-rated water resistance and a rubber sleeve around the camera's inlet, so it can be used outdoors too. You can see the full review of the Wyze Cam v3 here.

Imou Rex 3D
Another alternative with local storage is the IMOU Rex 3D. It offers 355-degree rotation plus 90-degree tilt capabilities, so is a great option to consider if you’re looking for well-performing motion tracking, something that the Ring Pan–Tilt Indoor Cam is sadly lacking. Unfortunately, this camera only appears to be available in the UK at present, although it looks to be available from third-party retailers in the US. Why not take a look at how the Imou Rex 3D performed in the full review?

How I tested the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam

I tested it for a week at home and in a busy office
I tested the sound and video quality, live and recorded
I tested the ease of setup, usability, privacy settings, and motion detection

I reviewed how easy the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam was to set up, and tested its panning and tilting capabilities.

I tested the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam in our busy TechRadar reviews office along with a quieter area of my home to establish how sensitive the motion detection was, and how efficient the privacy and activity zones were.

I tested the frequency of notifications and reviewed live and recorded footage, paying close attention to the visual and sound quality, and evaluating how well the camera handled movement.

I observed how well the Night Color Vision worked in different environments, testing how well it performed in darkness and with varying levels of ambient lighting.

I compared the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam against our previous camera reviews, and benchmarked it against other indoor cameras I am currently testing.

Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker: two-minute review

Product info

This model has slightly different names and product codes in different territories:

US: Ninja Combi All-in-One Multicooker, Oven, and Air Fryer SFP701B
UK: Ninja Combi 12-in-1 Multi-Cooker, Oven & Air Fryer SFP700UK

For this review, I tested the UK version. There are minor differences between different countries' models – see specs section for a comparison.

The Ninja Combi is a billed as an all-in-one multi-cooker that can be used like an oven, an air fryer, or even a stovetop (hob). In fact, it offers an intimidating range of modes beyond those, but the headline here is that it has a steam function, which can be used on its own or as part of any of three 'Combi' settings, which combine steaming (for moisture and tenderness) with another cooking mode. It's also designed to be able to cook complete meals – protein, carb, veggies – quickly, and all in one go.

It's sized like a tall microwave, with a sideways-opening door and two internal trays. Inside the cooking cavity, there are heating elements at the top and bottom, and a convection fan at the back to circulate the hot air.

In practice, figuring out sheer number of modes and which one to use for what can be intimidating. There are 12 different options on the UK version I tested, and even more if you're in the US. I suspect that once you've spent a bit of time using the Combi, it'll become clearer which mode suits what meal.

In my tests, the standalone modes all worked efficiently, with expected results. I was especially impressed with the air fryer mode, which got my veggie sausages hot all the way through and nicely browned in double-quick time. It took a little more trial and error to work out the more unusual Combi Meals mode, especially with regards to timings if you're straying away from the set menus in the provided meal booklet. The ability to add steam is unusual, but it does help keep things moist – although the Combi will emit a lot of steam in these modes, so you'll need to put it in a well-ventilated spot.

Aside from the complications that come with navigating all the modes, the Combi is very well designed and straightforward to use. The button controls require no explanation (the giant switch that you flip to shift from standard modes to ones with steam is unnecessary but kind of satisfying). The display offers up useful information, including letting you know when preheating is finished, and alerting you if you've forgotten to add the water tray for steam cooking. There are also some genuinely helpful touches, like how the inside light will come on in the final minute of cooking in some modes.

At $229.99 / £279.99, it's up there with the most expensive options in our best air fryer guide, but this does a lot more than just air fry. While it's not cheap, I actually think it's decent value for money (in the US at least), given the wide range of functions and high build quality. That's the short version; read on for my full Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker review.

Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker review: price & availability

List price: $229.99 / £279.99
Launched: April 2024
Available: US / UK

The Ninja Combi launched in spring 2024, and is currently available in the US and the UK. You can buy direct from SharkNinja, or via various third party retailers.

At time of writing, in the US when you buy direct from Ninja the Combi comes bundled with accessories like a compatible baking pan, Dutch oven and cooking utensils. The list price is $229.99. In the UK, the list price is £279.99, with no accessories bundled in. That's noticeably more expensive than the US option.

Based on TechRadar's price bands, we'd consider anything over $250 / £200 to be a premium air fryer, but this is a slightly different prospect because it offers such a wide selection of functions on top of just air frying.

In the US I think it's really very good value for money, but it's less so in the UK. I'd probably recommend waiting for a discount if you're shopping in the UK – I've seen it drop to £249.99 in the process of writing this review, and I hope more discounts will be in the pipeline when this model gets a little older (the Black Friday sales can be an especially good time to shop for small appliances).

Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Ninja Combi specs

Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker review: design

Cool, curvy shape, opens sideways via a chunky handle
Space for two internal trays
Large, intuitive button control panel, plus SmartSwitch

The Ninja Combi looks like kind of like a tiny, curvy oven with a control panel stuck to the front. The door opens sideways, and cooking trays slot into the cavity. You can fit two of these in at once. The cavity is, apparently, large enough to fit a 6lb chicken or a 10-inch pizza.

With the UK version I tested, there was a baking tray, crisper plate (with cutouts) and deep, ceramic-coated 'Combi Pan' included. It's not terribly clear what's included with the US version – the 'What you'll get list' just specifies a baking pan and Dutch oven with glass lid, but I'd expect there to be a crisper plate included too, because how are gonna air fry without one of those? These plates and pans are dishwasher-safe.

Crisper tray and baking tray inside cooking cavity of Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker — (Image credit: Future)

The control panel uses buttons rather than a touchscreen. There are separate up and down arrows for temperature, time and cooking function. There's also a general on switch, a start/stop button, and a lightbulb that enables you to illuminate the inside of the Combi when you want to check on progress. A small, illuminated LED display provides information.

Those are the less exciting controls. The cool bit is the SmartSwitch on the top right of the Combi. If it's pointing upwards, the appliance is in Combi Cooker mode, and if it's pointing sideways, it's in Air Fry / Hob mode. The position of the switch will determine which of the options on the main display panel are available for selection. As such, it's in no way necessary to the function of the cooker, but it is satisfyingly chunky and very flickable.

Chunky 'combi' switch on Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker — If the switch is up, you can select any of the Combi cooking modes; if the switch is sideways, you can select the regular cooking modes (Image credit: Future)

The exact modes offered by the Combi depends on your territory, but you can rest assured that both the US and UK versions have covered plenty of bases. Here's a run-down:

'Combi' modes: Combi Meals, Combi Crisp, Combi Bake, Steam, Rice/Pasta, Proof (Prove)
'Air fry' modes: Broil (Grill), Air Fry, Bake, Sear/Sauté, Slow Cook
Extra US version modes: Toast, Pizza, and Sous Vide

If you use any of the 'Combi' modes, you need to add water to the deep Combi Cooker pan. This will create steam in the cooking chamber. If you use it in Steam, Rice/Pasta or Proof (Prove) modes, it'll keep the food moist and prevent it from drying out. On the Ninja website, it also states that this steaming function can also be used to safely and rapidly thaw frozen food – useful if your meal planning abilities, like mine, leave something to be desired. However, there's no dedicated Defrost mode.

If you use the Combi Multi-Cooker in any of the modes prefaced by 'Combi', the appliance will combine the steam function with another cooking mode, for results that are moist yet crispy. That's my understanding, anyway - it's surprisingly hard to make sense of.

The 'Air Fry' modes are more self-explanatory, although the name itself is baffling, because Ninja is just using it to mean 'modes that don't include steam'.

Control panel on Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker — The Combi offers a wide range of cooking modes, accessed via the control panel (Image credit: Future)

My review model came with a recipe booklet that helped demystify things somewhat – if I hadn't have had that, I'd have been lost. This booklet is also downloadable online (via a QR code on a sticker on the Combi) along with videos and other information. Other appliances I've used add this kind of thing to an app, but I'm very happy not to have to download yet another thing to my phone to use the Combi.

Screenshots from online guide to Ninja Combi cooker — The companion booklet is very useful, and there's also plenty of info available online (Image credit: SharkNinja)

On the UK model I tested, the temperature officially ranges from 120C to a generous 230C. It'll actually go lower for proving / proofing – it kicks in at an automatic 35C in that mode. You can set cooking durations up to a hour and 15 minutes, although if you're cooking above 200C, you can only cook for 30 minutes.

Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker review: performance

Combi modes require trial and error, but yield good results
Air fry mode is excellent, and other 'standard' modes all work well
Emits a lot of steam, and condensation tray can't be easily emptied

Let's start with a general look at how usable the Combi is. You can fit plenty of things inside, with the stacked trays making the most of the internal space. Ninja says it can cater a meal for eight, and while that seems a touch optimistic, I'd be confident cooking for four to six. It's not too noisy in use, although the bleeping did throw me off a bit. It'll sometimes emit what sounds to me like a 'you've done something wrong' bleep, but is actually an 'everything's fine' bleep.

The display is great for providing all the basic information you need. So when it's preheating, it'll say PRE, and when the cooking is all done, it'll say END. There's no guessing as to what's going on and no need to consult an app to check on progress. When you switch it off, it bids you BYE. It'll also tell you when it's time to add food, and if you try and launch a steam mode without the Combi Pan in its slot, it'll sense that and give you an error message.

Peppers cooking inside Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker — You can switch the light on/off manually, can it'll come on automatically for the last minute of cooking (Image credit: Future)

I like the fact there's a light to see inside the cooking chamber, although its positioning means that if there are two trays in there, you'll only be able to see the top one. The light will switch on automatically when the door is open, and sometimes (I couldn't work out a pattern) for the last minute of cooking, too.

The control panel is self-explanatory and very easy to use. The most challenging bit of figuring out which setting you need. I also appreciate that you can reset the timer mid-cook, if you see that things are going to take longer than you'd initially predicted. The Combi will come up with suggested temperatures and times for each mode, and you can adjust up or down from there.

Condensation building up on the door of the Ninja Combi cooker — Condensation will build up when the Combi is preparing to use any of the 'Combi' cooking modes (Image credit: Future)

In steam cooking modes, the Combi takes a few minutes to get the steam going before it starts cooking. During this time, dashes appear on the display, and the Combi emits a very quiet grumbling. Initially it can seem like nothing is happening, but after a while condensation will start to appear on the inside of the glass door. Once it's nice and steamy, the actual cooking will kick in (noticeably noisier than heat-up, but not overly loud in general) and the timer will start.

It's worth flagging that in any of the modes that include steaming (and a few of the others, too) the Combi emits a lot of steam from a vent on the right of the machine - far more than I get with my regular air fryer. You will want to make sure it's positioned somewhere well-ventilated, or near an extractor fan. Ninja is clearly aware of this because it's addressed in the troubleshooting section of the guide booklet, where it makes it clear it's normal and expected.

GIF showing steam coming from Ninja Combi in use — (Image credit: Future)

The steam that doesn't escape condenses on the inside of the viewing window. Ninja has added a little channel where water can collect, so your worktop doesn't end up soaked. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to empty it. After every few uses, I'd have to dip a dry cloth in, let it soak up some liquid, carefully wring it out, then repeat until dry. Not ideal.

Liquid channel, full of water, on Ninja Combi multi-cooker — This channel quickly fills up with condensed water, and there's no way to easily empty it (Image credit: Future)

Combi cooking modes

One of the USPs here is the ability to 'combi' cook. There are three dedicated Combi modes, and it's not immediately clear what the difference is between them. These are the 'best for' suggestions for each, as per Ninja's accompanying recipe booklet:

Combi Meals: cooking proteins, grains / pasta and vegetables at the same time
Combi Crisp: whole roasts, fresh/frozen proteins, vegetables, crusty breads
Combi Bake: homemade batters, boxed mixes, soft-baked breads, delicate baked goods

I think the Meals option is when you're cooking different elements at the same time, the Crisp is for things you want to turn out crispy, and the Bake is for when you want things to turn out soft.

I started by testing the Combi Meals mode. Broadly, the process is: your carb (rice or pasta) goes in the Combi Pan with water, your protein goes on the Bake Tray, which slots in above. In the final 6-7 minutes of cooking, you can add any veggies you want to steam into the Combi Pan alongside the carb.

In the recipe booklet, there are suggestions like salmon with brown rice and steamed broccoli, or tomato pasta with meatballs. I decided to make brown rice, veggie meatballs, steamed courgette and leek, and roasted tomatoes.

Frozen veggie balls and uncooked rice in the Ninja Combi multi-cooker — Your rice or pasta goes in the bottom tray with water, while your protein goes on the top tray (Image credit: Future)

I was at a bit of a loss as to how long to cook it for or at what temperature. There is a guide in the recipe booklet, but I needed to adjust both the quantities and rice type (they specify 'easy cook'; I only had regular). The booklet suggests setting the cooking time based on the protein, that clearly wasn't going to work here.

In the end, the balls and tomatoes ended up cooking way quicker than the rice, and I had to take that tray out and extend the rice cooking time. I also had to add more water as the rice had dried out.

Tomatoes and raw vegetables being added into the Ninja Combi cooker mid-cook — Vegetables to be steamed are added later in the cooking process (Image credit: Future)

All of this to say, figuring out combination meal timings is tricky, and I suspect will take some trial and error. It's more straightforward with something like the Ninja Double Stack air fryer, where you can set different temperatures and durations for each drawer, and leave the appliance to figure out when to switch each one on so they're done at the same time. But that's a regular air fryer, so you'd be sacrificing the steaming possibilities.

Timing mishaps aside, I was pretty impressed with the results of the Combi Meals setting. The veggie balls ended up evenly browned and crispy on the outside, and the tomatoes roasted up nicely. The rice and veggies were tender and slightly crispy on top. I guess if you want to avoid any crispiness, you want to just use the steam mode.

Other functions

During my review period, I also tested out the Combi's other functions, and I didn't have any issues with any of them. I used the bake function for a range of heating-up tasks, and it performed reliably well. I'd like to give a special shout-out to the dedicated Air Fry mode, too. With other multi-cookers I've tested, this function has been a let-down (leading me to suspect that 'air fry' has just been added to the list because it's a buzz-word in cooking right now, rather than it being something the appliance has been designed for). That was not the case with the Combi.

Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker with browned sausages inside — (Image credit: Future)

It took my veggie sausages from frozen to cooked at least as quickly as my dedicated air fryer – despite the fact that the cooking cavity here is larger. They were hot through and browned evenly on the outside. I'd have no qualms recommending this model to someone for whom air frying was a particular priority.

Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker?

Buy it if...

You regularly make meat + veg + carb meals
The Combi function is designed for you to be able to check off these three elements all in one appliance, rather than having to crack out, say, a hob, grill, and steamer.

You want to be able to steam food
The point of difference here compared to an air fryer or big oven is that there's a dedicated steam function, which is great for vegetables.

You've had your eye on an air fryer but are short on space
The Combi's air fryer mode is excellent, so if you've been lusting after one of those but don't have the space to justify a single-function appliance, it could be a great choice. The wide range of functions, including proof/prove, grill/broil, steam, and slow cook let you explore different cooking styles, without compromising on the essentials.

Don't buy it if...

Your kitchen lacks ventilation
In any of the Combi cooking modes, the Combi emits quite a lot of steam. It really needs to go near a window, or at least an extractor fan.

You want minimal effort
Cooking different food types at once does require a bit of figuring out. A dual-basket air fryer, which lets you cook foods at different temperatures and will sync up the timings for you, is less fiddly.

Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker review: also consider

Not sure if the Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker is right for you? Here are a couple of alternatives to consider.

Samsung Combi Smart Microwave oven
This multi-cooker adds microwave functionality to the list, and boasts a sleek, minimalist look. There's smart control via a companion app, and the option to instruct it via voice assistant too. However, it's nowhere near as efficient at air frying as the Ninja Combi, and while the capacity is technically larger, you don't have shelves to maximize use of the space. It's also UK-only.

Read our full Samsung Combi Smart Microwave Oven review

Ninja Double Stack
It's a dedicated air fryer so you won't get the wide range of cooking style options, but the Double Stack is arguably better suited to cooking two things at once. You can set individual temperatures and cooking durations for each drawer, and use the sync function so the machine will work out timings so both are ready simultaneously.

Read our full Ninja Double Stack reviewView Deal

How I tested the Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker

I used it regularly for around a week
I tried out the various different cooking mode options
I compared the results to my dedicated air fryer and oven

I used the Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker regularly for a week before writing up this review, testing it on everything from bread, to ready-made pie, to veggie sausages. I assessed the results in terms of texture, evenness of cooking, and browning (if relevant). I also compared the results and timings to what I'd expect using my usual method of cooking, be that a dedicated air fryer, oven, or stovetop.

To test the 'Combi' functions, I used the Combi to cook variations of the kinds of meals suggested in the companion booklet – i.e. those that feature a rice/pasta, vegetable, and protein component. I judged how well it cooked each of those individual elements, and if the steam function made a difference to the texture of the results.

I also considered how straightforward and intuitive the controls were, if there were any features I felt were confusing or missing, as well as maintenance aspects such as how easy it was to clean.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2024

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: fantastic-sounding earbuds with a few issues in the feature set

4:00 pm | October 21, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC, US | Comments: Off

Edifier Stax Spirit S10: Two-minute review

Since I started testing the Edifier Stax Spirit S10, I’ve dropped the words 'planar magnetic' into conversation when describing them a few times. Given the number of blank looks I received at the phrase, I feel it’s important for me to explain it, given that it is the key selling point of these premium earbuds – and they may still enter our best earbuds buying guide as 'best planar magnetic buy' or similar.

A planar magnetic driver is a kind of flat headphone or earbud driver that's fragile, expensive and typically bigger than dynamic (cone-shaped) drivers, but it can offer a wonderfully balanced, detailed sound with less distortion – when done well. Planar earbuds are, as opposed to the homophone, definitely not plainer than dynamic ones.

The vast majority of devices touting planar magnetic drivers are headphones, including Edifier’s Spirit Stax S3 and S5, so the trick the company has pulled with the Stax Spirit S10 is using this tech for a new set of wireless noise-cancelling earbuds.

Cue earbuds lovers asking what audiophiles already know: “Do the Stax Spirit S10 sound good?” The answer is a resounding yes: they sound fantastic for true wireless earbuds, offering better audio than beloved rivals from Apple and Samsung. The dynamic range is wonderful, with pronounced bass and crisp treble, and I found them great for listening to anything from acoustic pop to synthwave and post-rock. The maximum volume could do with being a touch higher, but beyond that, it’s impossible to fault the sound of the Edifiers.

So why don’t the Edifier Stax Spirit S10 deserve a five-star review? Well, it’s hard to give a five-star review to a product with a five-star price like the Edifiers, given how high expectations are when you’re paying more for them than rival AirPods and Galaxy Buds. But that’s not the reason that the Edifier sheds a whole star.

The real reason is that the S10 have a few rough edges in the usability department that many rivals do better. My first gripe was pairing: they literally wouldn’t pair to my phone to begin with (leading me to blow the buds off for another pair I was testing initially, and it was only when I was about to hit ‘send’ on a message to my editor to tell her that the buds weren’t working that they finally decided to get their act together). Of course, this was just my personal experience – I'm unable to promise you'll have the same issues when trying to pair a set to your phone or tablet – but as someone who's tested literally scores of wireless earbuds, it's unusual and note-worthy for buds to simply refuse to pair to my trusted source devices.

All through the testing period, they were slow to connect to my phone, and the odd droppage here and there when I was out and about got in the way of my listening.

Lastly, the S10 are the first of Edifier’s Stax Spirit devices to have Active Noise Cancellation. But you might not be able to tell, because it’s incredibly light-touch. There are various modes to pick from, but even the strongest struggled to filter out moderate chatter in my office, and the adaptive mode was, there’s no other word for it, ‘janky’.

The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 in front of a sunset. — (Image credit: Future)

It’d sometimes change modes when I was sitting still, leading to a noticeable change in my audio despite not affecting the noise levels beyond it too much – and it changes dramatically. I wish there was an antonym for ‘seamless’ in a tech context; whatever it is, that’s how the adaptive noise cancellation sounds.

Edifier also triggers my pet peeve of audio companies: having multiple different pairing apps. I spent half of the testing period with Edifier Connect on my phone, thinking that the Stax Spirit S10 didn’t have an app, and it took me a while to realize that I actually needed to have downloaded EDIFIER Connex. Come on, Edifier!

Audiophiles are probably used to overlooking annoying quality-of-life issues in the quest for perfect sound, and the Stax Spirit S10 will be an enjoyable stepping stone in that journey. A comfortable fit, support for a nice range of codecs and other branded technologies, plus a distinctive look all help me overlook the strange quirks of the buds.

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Price and release date

Announced in September 2024
On sale in the US
Cost $299 (roughly £230, AU$450)

Edifier announced the Stax Spirit S10 in September 2024 and released them shortly afterwards, so they’re available to buy in some regions right now.

In the US, you can buy the Spirit S10 for $299 – that price converts to roughly £230 / AU$450. I can’t find them on sale from trusted retailers in the UK or Australia but Edifier does sell gadgets in both regions, so we could see it roll out the earbuds to those places in the future.

As you can tell from this price, the Edifiers are premium earbuds aimed at discerning buyers. They match in price the Technics EAH-AZ80 which top our list of the best earbuds and cost more than the AirPods Pro 2 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro (individually).

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Specs

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Features

5-hour buds battery, 18-hour with case, when ANC is on
Noise cancellation leaves a lot to be desired
Some connection issues

The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 offer all of the features you’d expect in premium headphones… but they don’t all work perfectly.

The battery life is an example. Edifier doesn’t offer a battery estimate for the buds themselves, but says the case will offer 18 hours of playback with ANC on or 28 with it turned off. That’s not a huge number compared to competitors.

In my own testing, the Spirit S10 buds didn’t even last for five hours of playback when ANC was turned on – that’s one of the weakest battery lives I’ve tested in earbuds (it's close to that of the much cheaper AirPods Pro 4 with ANC, with noise-nixing deployed). They got to 4:55:17 until one earbud ran out, and the other was left on 6%. Based on Edifier’s case predictions, I’d estimate that the buds would last for 7 hours of listening if you don’t use ANC.

I didn’t find the battery-sapping ANC that great either; it did a fairly poor job at cancelling background noises. In my office it only succeeded in taking the edge off low-level surrounding chatter or the hum of the microwave, and alongside busy roads and railways it barely made a difference.

There are several different ANC modes: high, medium, ambient sound, wind reduction, adaptive and off. I stuck to high due to the fact that, as I said, it still didn’t feel like much, however I fiddled around with the others too. In adaptive, the modes would change for seemingly no reason, making quite dramatic and sudden shifts from time to time – this was often more than a little distracting.

The ANC is controlled by the tie-in app: EDIFIER Connex, which isn’t Edifier’s only audio app, confusingly. I tried to set it up with Edifier Connect for a while, which isn’t the right app.

Connex lets you play with an equalizer (and two presets), toggle noise cancellation, turn on a high-latency gaming mode, change the function of the on-bud buttons, turn off (or on) wear detection, change your audio codec and do a few other functions which we see in wireless earbuds. There are also a few extras which you don’t: you can change how sensitive the bud buttons are, which I appreciate, and also change the volume of low battery and connectivity prompts.

Something else I need to raise is that I had real connection problems when first setting up the buds – I could pair them once, but after that my phone just couldn’t find the buds, The way I solved the problem (admittedly after a week) was by unpairing the device and re-pairing it several times.

Also, even once the buds worked well, they’d always take a short while to connect to my phone. It wasn’t dramatic, but I’d always have to wait a few seconds before listening to music, wondering if they'd dropped out again. I even accidentally played my playlist out loud a few times, before getting wise to the fact that pairing from the case takes the Stax Spirit S10 a while longer than most earbuds I've tested.

Features score: 3/5

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Design

Clamshell case which holds the buds
Thick stems give a distinctive look
Buds stay in the ear well

The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 come in a ‘clamshell’-style case, which you open up to reveal the buds within. This case weighs 56g, is just a hair bigger than a golf ball, and has a USB-C port for charging. It’s definitely not the smallest headphone case I’ve seen, but it protected its contents well.

The earbuds themselves are fairly distinctive looking due to the width of the stem; you’re not going to confuse these for AirPods any day. The large size doesn’t really add to the ‘bulk’ of the buds, so it’s not an issue – it didn’t affect their ear grip from my experience – and it screams to people “these are serious earbuds for serious audiophiles!”.

For most of my testing period, the Spirit S10 were reliable at sticking in my ears. This was even the case through most of a gym session, until I hit the treadmills, so I wouldn’t recommend them for running with. They also fell out when I was doing certain stretches on mats so, again, these aren’t work-out buds unless you’re doing slower and more upright exercises.

The stems bear touch controls which you can customize in the Edifier app, but you’re meant to ‘pinch’ to trigger the control and I could never work out the right place to squeeze to get a reliable result.

You’re getting IP54-rated protection with both of the buds – this means that they’re mostly protected against solid particles (sand or dust), but can only survive splashes of water. Don’t wear them swimming, then.

Design score: 3.5/5

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Sound quality

Planar magnetic drivers provide fantastic balanced sound
Equalizer gives lots of customization over sound
Max volume could be higher

Any downsides that come from planar magnetic drivers (here 12mm ones) are easily outmatched by the positives: The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 sound really, really fantastic.

I most appreciate the balanced audio you’re getting from the S10. You can hear every line of music as though they’re spread out in Avid Pro before you, and they’re all totally equal, from the lowest rings of the bass guitar to the screechiest soprano; the whisper of the hi-hat and the sniffs of the cold-addled drummer are all even.

Such a balanced mix helps you appreciate the song as it was intended to be listened to, as Edifier isn’t blowing up the bass until it drowns out everything else, or positioning the treble as so dominant that you’d think every song is acapella.

If you like your music a certain way then there is an equalizer in the app (hidden in the ‘Sound effects’ menu) which lets you listen to the default balanced mix, Dynamic (ie bass-heavy), Electrostatic (treble-heavy) or a customized mode with an in-depth equalizer to play around with. However I found the default Original mix so great that I preferred it during testing.

Don’t worry about any distortion here, as another effect of planar magnet drivers is that it’s far less frequent. In fact, I didn’t notice any distortion during testing, however that may be partly because the Stax Spirit S10 don’t go very loud.

At the maximum volume, I found the S10 to put out music at a comfortable listening level… when I was at home in my quiet flat. Out and about, I’d often find myself struggling to make out parts of a song, especially with the lackluster ANC doing the bare minimum to cancel noise. If I had to commute into an office much more than I do, I’d probably opt for alternate earbuds. These aren’t the worst buds I’ve tested for volume issues, with the Nothing Ear still wearing that – crown? – but the Edifier really could do with being a touch louder.

True audiophiles (or technophiles) will appreciate the range of tech standards and codecs that the S10 support. These earbuds connect using Bluetooth 5.4 and support Snapdragon Sound, Google Fast Pair, aptX Audio, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LHDC, LDAC and Hi-Res Audio Wireless. To use these better-quality protocols, you’ll need a streaming service that offers them (not Spotify), plus a source that can support them in addition to just using the Edifier buds – but if you want the highest resolution a wireless connection can bring, these earbuds will not be a barrier.

Sound quality: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review: Value

High-price earbuds with sound quality to match
Feature set needs to improve for better value

To answer simply on whether the Edifier Stax Spirit S10 offer value for money: of course they don’t. No premium earbuds do, not when great-sounding alternatives exist for under $100/£100/AU$200.

The nature of tech is that you get diminishing returns as you slide up the tower of price, and so the Stax Spirit were never going to offer you competitive value for money, and they’re not designed for shoppers on a budget.

Sure, they sound better than rivals, but they also cost more than these competitors too. Plus the feature set doesn’t work perfectly, and beyond the audio output there are no killer features here worth paying top dollar for. The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 are for audiophiles who have money to spend on their passion, don't care about ANC, and don’t need to get the most efficient value for their money.

Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Edifier Stax Spirit S10?

Buy them if...

Don’t buy them if…

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Also consider

Technics EAH-AZ80
Triple device multi-point connectivity, LDAC support, supreme fit and excellent call-quality are just four reasons to buy these earbuds. The excellent sound is one more – but there's no dust ingress protection and they're just as pricey as the Edifiers, despite a May 2023 release date. See our Technics EAH-AZ80 review for the full scoop

How I tested the Edifier Stax Spirit S10

Tested for 4 weeks
Tested at home, in the office and on walks

The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 enjoyed a prolonged testing period; I used them for roughly a month to write this review, which meant I could really put them through their paces. I used them alongside an Android phone, mostly – so I could benefit from their support for LDAC.

I tested the buds at home, in the office, commuting between the two and on an international holiday; most of my listening was on Tidal or Netflix, but I tried other music and video streaming services as well as calls, podcasts and more.

My tech reviewing history for TechRadar spans more than five years now, including lots of earbuds – and a few pairs of Edifier headphones.

First reviewed in October 2024

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer review: a top-notch gadget with some frustrating drawbacks

5:00 pm | October 20, 2024

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

Cosori Dual Blaze TwinFry 10L Air Fryer: one-minute review

The Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer is a solid choice of air fryer for those with larger households or who entertain on a regular basis. With its basket able to be used as one large (albeit slightly narrow) space, or split into two separate zones, this is a versatile appliance that will make mealtimes much easier. What's more, thanks to its handy app, you can control the device from your phone and set the two baskets to separate cooking times and temperatures. Thanks to Sync Cooking, you can even set two foods to finish at the same time, or with Match Cooking, set two baskets of separate foods to cook at the same settings.

We largely had great results across this air fryer's six cooking functions, but found a few disappointing outcomes with basics like vegetables. Considering this device's hefty price tag, we'd expect close to perfection every time.

Despite this, the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer is a convenient, solid family air fryer - as long as you have the room for it.

Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer with drawer open to show baskets — (Image credit: Vic Hood)

Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer: price and availability

Price: £289.99 (about $380 / AU$560)
Available in UK from Amazon
Unavailable in US and Australia at the time of writing

The Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer has an eye-watering price tag of £289.99 (about $380 / AU$560), putting it at the higher end of air fryer prices. Amazon UK does appear to drop the price occasionally by around £40, however.

This air fryer seems to have limited availability right now. I've only been able to find it at Amazon UK, with even the Cosori website directing me to the third-party retailer. Whether that's because of limited availability or air fryer enthusiasts snapping up stock, I'm not sure, but I found no mention of it on Cosori's Australian and US sites.

Value score: 4/5

Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer: specifications

Cosori Dual Blaze TwinFry 10L Air Fryer: design

Easy-to-use interface
Sleek, matt black design
No windows
Large capacity, but bulky

The Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer is a mammoth of an air fryer, at 33.8 x 51.8 x 31.3cm. If you've got limited counter space, you may find its size (accounting for the 13cm space requirement at the back) quite imposing in your kitchen. If you choose to store it away when you're done, you're going to need a big cupboard.

The air fryer has a sleek, matte black design and an easy-to-use digital interface, where you can choose from one of six cooking functions and easily set the required temperature and time for its zones. The appliance's basket is very versatile: you can use it as one large, 10-liter basket (the Grandzone), or two separate 5-liter baskets (Dual Zones) - with a divider breaking up the sections - or just use one of the 5-liter baskets. These sections are able to be controlled separately using the air fryer's interface or via an app (which I explain more in the next section).

Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer on kitchen counter — (Image credit: Vic Hood)

While the Dual Blaze TwinFry is easy to set up and use, I did have some gripes with its bulky design. For one, it makes it very frustrating to clean as, while the basket, crisper plates, divider, and included tongs are dishwasher safe, you need a pretty big dishwasher to fit that basket in.

If you opt to hand wash it instead, you need to contend with its size - which I found very tricky. In addition, this bulk can make it challenging to get certain foods out of the basket/s, especially if you have two separate foods being cooked. While the tongs allowed me to easily pick up wings from one side, I had more difficulty finding the angle and device that would remove the chips from the other - without accidentally scraping the non-stick basket coating.

Likewise, when I wanted to shake my roasties on one side, I accidentally shook my roasting beef joint on the other. This air fryer definitely would have benefited from two separate baskets that can connect as one instead - and a window.

Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer control panel and display — (Image credit: Vic Hood)

Design score: 3.5/5

Cosori Dual Blaze TwinFry 10L Air Fryer: performance

Convent app compatibility
Great results for most foods…
…but some basics were a bit disappointing

The Cosori Dual Blaze TwinFry 10-Litre Air Fryer is miles better than the manufacturer's disappointing TurboBlaze - which I reviewed around the same time. While it doesn't have the same number of functions, the results are (mostly) much better and it's much more convenient.

The Dual Blaze TwinFry can be paired with the VeSync app on your phone, which is easy to set up and allows you to control the time and temperature of the Grandzone and Dual Zones from your phone. While the app's list of recipes is limited, and I wish it would give a bit more guidance on cooking times, its Sync Cooking and Match Cooking features are brilliant. With Sync Cooking, you can put one type of food in one basket and a different one in the other basket, then using the app, set each basket's individual cooking times and temperatures.

Fries and wings cooked using Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer — (Image credit: Vic Hood)

The air fryer then ensures the two baskets finish cooking at the same time, starting the one that takes longer first then automatically turning on the second when the first has its amount of cooking time left. It makes cooking a meal with different components much easier: just throw everything in, set the app, and track it from there. Match Cooking, on the other hand, lets you put different foods, with the same amount of cooking time and temperature, in each basket.

Sync Cooking cut down the time of testing considerably, letting me add chicken wings to one zone and fresh fries to the other, with both finishing at the same time. The wings were crispy and succulent and my chips were crispy on the outside, but fluffy inside - perfection, with little hassle.

Beef and vegetables cooked using Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer — (Image credit: Vic Hood)

Frozen fries, on the other hand, weren't as successful, with smaller chips dropping through the crisper plate and the ends burning a bit on those that survived. Similarly, with the Roast setting, I found my broccoli florets had burnt ends, but my carrots worked well, and the Dehydrate setting left my oranges still pretty juicy after four hours. I largely followed the instructions of the included Quick Start Guide booklet, but it's somewhat limited and I advise not always taking it at face value.

While my broccoli was a bit disappointing, the Dual Blaze TwinFry really proved its worth when making a roast. I was able to pop potatoes for roasting in one zone and my beef joint in the other, using Sync Cooking to ensure they finished around the same time. The beef came out to perfection, medium-rare inside but with a flavorsome crust on the outside, while my roasties were crispy on the outside but fluffy inside. Toast, too, was a breeze to make.

Beef cooked using Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer — (Image credit: Vic Hood)

And while the design is quite imposing, the air fryer isn't that loud when on, clocking in around 62 decibels on average. It did mean we had to raise our voices a bit to talk, but no more than most kitchen appliances. Those with small children, or are clumsy like me, will be pleased to hear the outside of the air fryer doesn't get too warm either, only around 25C - cool enough to touch without getting burned.

Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer?

Buy it if

You have a big household or enjoy hosting

The 10-liter capacity of this air fryer makes it a solid choice for those who need to cook bigger meals.

You regularly make meals with varying components

Sync and Match Cooking make it easy to cook different foods, without having to keep your own timer or anything going cold. View Deal

You don't need a bunch of bells and whistles

Other air fryers have a lot more functions, but the Dual Blaze TwinFry doesn't need them. It has fewer options, but does them well.View Deal

Don't buy it if

You've limited kitchen space

This big boy takes up a lot of room, so may be less suited to those with less counter space - or a small sink for washing up.View Deal

You're on a tight budget

This air fryer doesn't come cheap. If you're on a tight budget (or don't think you'll use it enough to justify the cost), then you can find other great options for less.View Deal

How I tested the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L Air Fryer

I used the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry 10L for several days, cooking a wide variety of foods including fresh and frozen fries, chicken wings, fresh vegetables, and cake. I tested all the air fryer's various modes (including dehydrate, which I used to dry orange slices) and used all of the mobile app's features. I cleaned the air fryer in line with the instructions provided in the manual. For more details, see how we test.

First reviewed October 2024

JLab Go Pop ANC review: some of the best ultra-cheap noise cancelling earbuds on the market

6:46 pm | October 15, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC, Australia, UK, US | Comments: Off

JLab Go Pop ANC: one-minute review

The JLab Go Pop ANC have all the hallmarks of an instant budget favorite. These wireless earbuds pack in plenty of quality in the audio department, with particularly impressive bass and treble, strong active noise cancellation and a tiny, lightweight design.

By covering these core essentials, it's already hard to believe the JLab Go Pop ANC are only $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99. However, JLab has gone beyond the basics by including companion app compatibility, which lets you fully customize touch controls – a great addition for the amount you expend.

Earbuds in this price range don’t often feature ANC and although you won’t get the near-silence that some of the best wireless earbuds might offer, overall quality here is good. It’s certainly enough to keep conversations muted and loud noises dulled when you’re out in public. Similarly, sound quality – although not mind-blowing due to a relatively narrow soundstage – is still up-to-standard, thanks to energetic bass and treble output.

With a great seven hours worth of battery per bud (with ANC on), high-comfort feel and IP55 waterproof rating, you’re getting more than your money’s worth from the JLab Go Pop 4, so don’t be surprised if they appear in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds sometime soon.

JLab Go Pop ANC inside charging case being held in someone's hand — (Image credit: Future)

JLab Go Pop ANC review: price and release date

$29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99
Launches on October 15 in the US
Expected to launch in Q1 2025 in the UK and Australia

The JLab Go Pop ANC are set to launch on October 15 in the US and although there’s no confirmed release date for the UK and Australia, it seems likely you'll see them on sale sometime in the first quarter of 2025. We’ll keep you updated with full availability info as it comes.

I tested the Black color variant, but if you want to jazz things up a bit, you’ll also be able to grab them in either Fuchsia or Teal. But arguably the main draw of these wireless earbuds is their ultra-low price. They’ll be just $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99 at launch, so you’re going to be hard pressed to find better value ANC buds.

JLab Go Pop ANC review: specs

USB-C cable on JLab Go Pop ANC charging case folded in — (Image credit: Future)

JLab Go Pop ANC review: features

Solid ANC
Companion app compatibility
Customizable touch controls

The JLab Go Pop ANC surprised me in that they offer a fairly personalized user experience.

At the core of this is the JLab app, which offers a handful of tasty options. This includes customizable touch controls for each earbud, allowing you to choose between play/pause, volume controls, skip/previous track, voice assistant and EQ controls. I personally love touch controls, but if you find them irritating, fear not – you can deactivate them entirely in the JLab app.

I touched on EQ options there – and these are very good. There are three presets – JLab Signature (a fairly exciting sound with more of a bass/treble focus), Balanced, and Bass Boost. You can also alter EQ to your personal taste with a Custom option. In a similar vein, there are also Music and Movie modes to choose from, depending on the sort of media you’re consuming.

The main event, though, is ANC. You can adjust the strength of this with an in-app slider or simply switch between Noise Canceling and Be Aware mode – the latter of which lets in more ambient sound. And ANC quality itself is good overall. You’re not going to get the near-silence you'd expect from some of the best noise cancelling earbuds, though. What the Go Pop ANC can do is effectively dull external noise – I was unable to clearly make out conversations when in the office and playing music at medium-high volume. You can’t ask for much better at this price-point.

Finally, you’re getting good battery life out of these buds. They can survive for approximately 24 hours with a fully juiced charging case and you’ll get seven hours out of each earbud with ANC on. When testing this over the course of an entire work-day, I found the seven-hour timeframe to be accurate after listening at medium-high volume.

Features score: 4.5/5

JLab Go Pop ANC inside charging case, against a pink background — (Image credit: Future)

JLab Go Pop ANC review: sound quality

Sparkling treble; impressive bass
Mids not so prominent
Limited tinniness and distortion

For some super-cheap wireless earbuds, the JLab Go Pop ANC fare well in the audio-quality realm. It’s worth noting upfront, you’re not getting great audio here. The soundstage is pretty narrow and details won’t be fully realized. As you’d anticipate, there’s nothing fancy on offer like ‘lossless’ audio codecs, so if you’re an audiophile, it might be worth looking elsewhere (and perhaps spending a little more too).

But for buds like this, none of that matters all that much. For the most part, I used the default JLab Signature EQ setting and found that bass was surprisingly impactful and treble was sharp enough to add some flair to the overall listening experience.

When listening to I Want You by Moloko, instrumental separation was admittedly quite limited, with the complex mix a little constrained. However, the actual punch of the bass was still satisfying, synths had a cutting, prominent edge and there was little-to-no tinniness, even at high volumes.

I also tried tuning into Black Eye by Allie X. The track’s all-action intro was replicated well; the depth of the drum machine came through nicely and the dynamism of the bouncing bass line – which connects up to the lower-mid range – was responsive. I didn’t sense incredible agility or explosiveness when listening to this track, but for some budget wireless earbuds these replicated the intended energy accurately.

If you’re really into podcasts, these earbuds might not be ideal for you, though. Mids can be pushed a little bit towards the background, so vocal-heavy media doesn’t always sound perfectly clear. Of course, you can make EQ adjustments in the JBL app to partially offset this, but these earbuds are really at their best when leaning into their strengths in the lower and higher-end frequencies.

Audio is decent for calls, however. I made a phone call, Messenger video call and Google Meet video call and the quality was decently clear across the board. The only problem here is that higher-pitched sounds have a bit of a hiss, but this is a pretty common issue, even with a lot of the more expensive wireless earbuds out there.

Sound quality score: 3.5/5

JLab Go Pop ANC outside of charging case on a stone surface — (Image credit: Future)

JLab Go Pop ANC review: design

Pleasingly lightweight
Super-small build
Admittedly a tad cheap-looking

Something that I instantly loved about the JLab Go Pop ANC was their ultra-lightweight, compact build. These factors combine to give them a truly minimalistic profile – both in terms of feel and aesthetic. I happily kept these buds in across multiple full work days without any irritation or discomfort.

Looks-wise, I have mixed feelings here. Given their price, I wasn’t expecting beautiful quality, but I still wasn’t won over by the plastic JLab logo etched on the outside of each bud. That is me nitpicking, though. Ultimately, these are a little cheap-looking across the board, from bud to charging case, but they aren’t off-putting by any means.

Another design aspect that could be better is the color options. Don’t get me wrong, the fact there are options at all is a nice touch – but both the purple/maroon Fuchsia and the Teal colors didn’t do it for me. They lack vibrancy, but don’t have a mild, classy look either, floating in an awkward middle ground. The classic Black will be perfectly fine for most, however.

Practically speaking though, these are very well designed. The charging case is tiny, perfect for carrying in your pocket. It also has a USB-C cable that's folded inside the base of the case, which is incredibly handy for charging on-the-go (although if you were hoping for a new USB-C to USB-C cable for general use, you'll be disappointed; this one's permanently attached to its product). The buds themselves are also IP55 rated, meaning they’re both sweat and splashproof – ideal for workouts or if, like me, you live in a rainy English city.

Design score: 4/5

USB-C cable on JLab Go Pop ANC charging case folded out — (Image credit: Future)

JLab Go Pop ANC review: value

Incredibly cheap wireless earbuds
Very impressive sound quality at this level
ANC at this price-point a rarity

OK, spoiler alert, these get full marks in the value department, but honestly, reader, I expect you saw that coming. ANC, app compatibility and solid audio quality all for less than $30 / £30 / AU$70 – that’s truly exceptional.

ANC especially is a massive win for wireless earbuds in this price range. It’s quite unusual to find this feature for so little – not to mention that the actual ANC quality is admirable. In the context of its cost, the sound quality is strong here too. Sure, it’s nothing mind-blowing and audiophiles will likely find a few faults – but their exciting sound signature is still very much enjoyable.

Value score: 5/5

Should I buy the JLab Go Pop ANC?

Buy them if...

You’re on a budget but want ANC
Active noise cancellation at $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99? Go on then. There aren’t too many competitors offering ANC for this little and given the actual quality is good here too, these buds are an absolute steal.

You want some small, lightweight buds
These buds are absolutely tiny – even their case is as diminutive as it gets. On top of that they feel about as heavy as a feather, which combined with their high-comfort fit makes them ideal if you want to lock in for a long listening session.

Don't buy them if...

You’re an audiophile
Right, so as much as the sound quality here is great for the price, it’s still not going to be enough to impress audiophiles. There are no fancy Bluetooth codecs here like LDAC and the soundstage is a tad narrow. As a result, audiophiles, you’ll almost certainly have to splash a bit more cash to get the rich sound quality you crave.

You’re a fashionista first, listener second
For all their perks, I can’t lie, these buds haven’t won me over looks-wise. The plastic JLab logo on the buds isn’t the easiest on the eye and the color options weren’t my thing either. If you want to look a bit more stylish, it may be worth looking at another strong budget option, like the (still) amazing Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW.

JLab Go Pop ANC: Also consider

EarFun Air Pro 3
The EarFun Air Pro 3 are probably the closest competitor to the JLab Go Pop ANC when it comes to pound-for-pound value. With solid ANC and sound quality, Bluetooth LE Audio support and a lightweight design they hit all of the right notes. Their stem-like look might not be for everyone, so weigh up whether that more out-of-the-box appearance is for you before picking them over these brilliant JLab buds. Read our full EarFun Air Pro 3 review.

Sony WF-C700N
Right, these are admittedly a fair step-up over the JLab Go Pop ANC price-wise. However, I’ve seen these go on sale for as little as $98 / £67 on Amazon UK and US respectively – that’s great value. I personally own these buds and you get impressive, customizable sound, plenty of fun features and perfect comfort levels. The ANC here is very competent too, so given that these are budget earbuds, you’re not sacrificing much at all on quality. Read our full Sony WF-C700N review.

JLab Go Pop ANC review: How I tested

Tested over the course of one week
Used in the office, at home and while on walks
Predominantly tested using Spotify on Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

I tested the JLab Go Pop ANC over an intense week-long period, keeping the buds in for the majority of my work days. I used them at the office, while at home and when on walks to grasp the competency of ANC in multiple environments.

Although I predominantly tested these wireless earbuds using Spotify on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, I did also try using them while using both Tidal and YouTube. When listening to music, I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a wide variety of genres but also tuned in to hours worth of bangers from my personal library.

Where appropriate, I compared these to my Sony WF-C700N earbuds on metrics such as comfort, audio quality, ANC capabilities and features.

JLab Go Pop ANC in-ear — (Image credit: Future)

First reviewed: October 2024
Read more about how we test

De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: the bean-to-cup coffee machine that’ll have you bossing the barista basics in no time

6:00 pm | October 14, 2024

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

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo: two-minute review

The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine with Cold Brew is available to buy in the US, UK, and Australia. They have slightly different product names in each territory: in the US, the model code is EC9255M, and it’s called La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine with Cold Brew. In the UK and Australia, the model code is EC9255.M, and the full product name is La Specialista Arte Evo Compact Manual Bean to Cup coffee machine with Cold Brew in the UK, and La Specialista Arte Evo Cold Brew in Australia.

Specialista Arte Evo is listed at $699.95 / £549.99 / AU$699 on the official De'Longhi website. You can also purchase it from third-party retailers, including Amazon in the US and the UK, which offer discounts on occasion.

For a quality manual bean-to-cup coffee machine with cold brew capabilities, this is pretty good value, and the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo should be considered alongside one of the best espresso machines.

A compact example of a manual bean-to-cup espresso machine, the Arte Evo has dimensions of 11.2 x 14.4 x 15.9 inches / 285 x 365 x 400mm, and is a pretty weighty 21.5 lbs / 9.3 kg. I did feel that it had the potential to move around despite this, so I always tended to have a steadying hand on the machine whenever I pushed the portafilter and tamper guide in to receive the ground coffee.

A close-up of the control buttons and the pressure gauge. — (Image credit: Future)

There is a helpful small storage compartment in the top of the machine, to the right of the hopper. The My Latte Art steam arm sits on the right of the coffee-making area and can be rotated out, so I could easily get the included metal milk jug under. Located on the back of the machine, the generous 56 fl oz / 1.7L water tank was easy to remove and replace.

One thing I missed with the Arte Evo, is that it doesn’t have changeable hoppers, so it can prove tricky if you like to switch between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. I can’t really complain about this considering the price though, as it’s mainly the more premium coffee machines that have this ability.

There are three temperature settings to choose from on this manual espresso machine, so it can be adjusted to suit whichever beverage is being made, and eight different bean-grinding settings to achieve the right intensity, and I found this useful for perfecting different coffee options.

The portafilter, single-walled filters, and cleaning brush are arranged on a stone-effect surface. — (Image credit: Future)

The Arte Evo comes with two single-walled coffee filters in a single and double dose. The filters were unusually difficult to get out of the portafilter once pushed in. I had to use a taper-ended butter knife to remove the filter each time, so this isn’t the end of the world, but care will need to be taken when attempting to remove them.

The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo was delightfully straightforward to use. The setup process was quick and simple, and thanks to the helpful tips in the quick guide it was easy to determine the perfect grind coarseness, dosage, and techniques to create tasty cups of coffee.

I’m a huge fan of this coffee machine, and I’d recommend it as the best in this price bracket, but if you think you might want some different features or you prefer a different aesthetic, you could always take a look at our selection of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines to see if anything catches your eye.

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: price and availability

List price: $699 / £549 / AU$699
Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The list price for the Specialista Arte Evo is $699.95 / £549.99 / AU$699 on the official De'Longhi website. It’s available from other third-party retailers too, including Amazon in the US and the UK, where the price is occasionally discounted.

This is pretty good value for a quality manual bean-to-cup coffee machine with cold brew capabilities, and while it may not have as many grind settings or auto-tamping as the reigning champion of our selection of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines, the Sage Barista Express Impress, this compact De'Longhi espresso machine offers cold brew and is a whole lot cheaper.

Value score: 5/5

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: specs

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: design and features

Quick and easy setup
Dishwasher safe accessories
Smaller-than-average footprint for manual bean-to-cup machines

The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo is fairly compact as far as manual bean-to-cup espresso makers go, with dimensions of 11.2 x 14.4 x 15.9 inches / 285 x 365 x 400mm. It’s understandably a bit weighty at 21.5 lbs / 9.3 kg, but this is fine as it’s a product that’s not intended to be moved around. One thing I will say, though, is that it didn’t feel quite heavy enough for me to push the portafilter and tamper guide in to receive the ground coffee without a hand on the machine to hold it in place.

One small niggle is that there isn’t the option to have changeable hoppers, which can prove to be a pain if you’ve left the beans in for too long, or if you like to switch between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, for example. It’s only really more premium coffee machines that offer this, so I can’t complain much considering the price of the Arte Evo. If you only use the amount of beans needed to avoid leaving them sitting for too long, or only use one kind of bean, you shouldn’t have any problems.

A close-up of the hopper and the conical burr grinder within it. — (Image credit: Future)

To the right of the hopper, there is a small storage compartment that could fit the filter baskets and small cleaning utensils. At first, I believed that the UK model didn’t come with a tamping mat, as it is not obviously listed on the De'Longhi UK website, but it turned out to be hidden underneath the base fitment in the accessories box. I found it really helpful when tamping my coffee, with a circular indentation for the tamper to sit in, and a shaped area for the portafilter. This also fit the tamper slot after it was removed before attaching the portafilter to the machine, so it was easy to keep things neat and tidy through each stage.

The Arte Evo also comes with a small cup support, to give those mini espresso glasses a little boost. The removable water tank is easy to remove and replace. It has a 56 fl oz / 1.7 capacity, which is plenty for a few cups of java, while also remaining light enough to be maneuvered easily.

A view of the back of the De'Longhi Specialista Arte Evo, which sits on a stone-effect surface in front of a pink backdrop. — (Image credit: Future)

The layout of the grinder, extractor, and My Latte Art steam arm is fairly standard, but the steam arm is in close proximity to where the extraction area and small cup support sit in a bid to save some space. The steam arm rotates outwards, so I could easily get the included metal milk jug under.

Inside the removable drip tray sits a red plastic water level indicator that rises through the cup grille as the tray fills up so it can be emptied before it gets too full. Speaking of the drip tray, it’s really easy to remove for emptying and cleaning. It breaks down into three parts: the cup grille, the cup grille support, and the drip tray itself.

There are three drink presets to choose from, Espresso, Americano (Long Black in the UK and Australia), and Cold Brew. The My Latte Art steam arm was easy to maneuver and I was able to use it to create smooth microfoam, as well as using it to heat and add body to the milk when mocha and cappuccino making.

A close-up view of the OK, temperature, and steam arm buttons, along with the dial to select drink types. — (Image credit: Future)

The Arte Evo has three temperature settings to choose from, so it can be adjusted to deliver the best results for whatever you’re making. It also has eight different bean-grinding settings to achieve the ideal intensity. I mostly used level five for americanos and espresso shots (which I of course used to make my beloved mochas), but I found that level six worked best for cold brews.

The My Latte Art steam arm was easy to maneuver, and thanks to the tips in the quick guide I easily created a smooth microfoam. I also used the steam arm to heat and add body to the milk for mocha making, which I did a lot of in my time with it, as it quickly became my favorite way to make coffee each day.

Design score: 4.5/5

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: performance

Simple to use
Hassle-free
Great results

Straight out of the box, the setup and coffee-making process was straightforward. The De'Longhi Quick Guide manual was easy to follow and made setting up this espresso machine a breeze. Plus, for those who are new to a manual bean-to-cup coffee machine, or you’re a visual learner, De'Longhi also has a useful how-to YouTube channel where you can see videos of their coffee machine setup processes.

After washing and drying the accessories and water tank, I put the drip tray back in place and filled the water tank before rinsing the included SoftBalls sachet under running water and dropping it into the tank. Each SoftBalls sachet lasts for three months and is designed to prevent limescale formation without affecting the quality of the coffee. After plugging the machine in and turning it on, I placed a glass bowl under the water spout before pressing okay to initiate a short rinse cycle. I then popped a filter basket into the portafilter before locking it into place, then hit okay again so that it rinsed through.

Some things to note here are that it’s tricky to get the filter baskets out of the portafilter: I had to use a taper-ended butter knife to prise them out, and in addition, it took a fair bit of elbow grease to get the portafilter to lock into place. Perhaps those stronger than me won’t have as much of an issue, but I found myself having to put my other hand on the machine to brace myself when inserting or removing the portafilter. The final part to be flushed through was the steam arm, which was just a case of placing it into the bowl and pushing the steam button on the machine.

The tamper guide, tamper, and nozzle cleaning needle are arranged on a stone-effect surface. — (Image credit: Future)

Once the machine was all set, I experimented with the grind and dose levels until I was happy with the result. This De'Longhi machine comes with a really helpful dosing and tamping guide that simply screws onto the top of the portafilter, so it’s easy to give it a few taps to help the coffee grounds settle before pushing them down with the satisfyingly weighted tamper.

The quick start guide had a helpful little Infusion Temperature Profiles box out, explaining that different beans and roasting colors require specific temperatures, informing me that Robusta coffee beans prefer a lower temperature, and Arabica beans like a higher temperature. As I was using Arabica beans, I used the maximum temperature option (level three) and selected my drink using the right-hand dial, which for my first attempt was an espresso.

A close-up view of the dose level dial, dose selection button, and indicator lights. — (Image credit: Future)

Following the instructions and tips helped me to make a pretty perfect espresso shot in a few minutes. There wasn’t quite as much crema as I’d anticipated, but other than that it was great. When trying out the steam wand on some semi-skimmed milk, I once again found the quick start guide super helpful with its additional barista tips, recommending that fresh cold milk is used and that the metal milk jug is cold. The visuals provided a little guidance, explaining where the nozzle should be placed to get the milk to froth, and these pointers helped me make some lovely foam for a cappuccino on my first attempt.

The Thermoblock heating system and active temperature control feature seemingly worked well during the brewing process, as the extracted coffee tasted spot-on every time. All three presets delivered satisfying and great-tasting results. I used the Espresso preset most frequently, combining it with steamed milk and hot chocolate powder, as I am quite partial to a mocha.

A close-up of the steam arm that sits on the right-hand side of the front of the machine. — (Image credit: Future)

I’ll admit that cold brew coffee isn’t really my thing, so I roped in my very helpful editor to do a taste test for me. I ground a single dose of espresso, which the Arte Evo mixes with 3.7 fl oz /110ml of water; alternatively, I could have ground a double dose, which would then have been used to create a 6 fl oz / 180ml sized drink. In his opinion, the coffee tasted nice, wasn't overly bitter as you'd expect from a cold brew, but it was a little too diluted for his taste.

De'Longhi recommends a grind coarseness of between four and six for cold brew. Originally I aimed for the middle with level five, so I increased the coarseness to level six following the feedback from our team's resident cold brew fanatic. He confirmed that this tweak to the settings did indeed make it stronger and, although not perfect, it was more to his tastes.

Cleaning the machine was fairly straightforward. The drip tray and grill can be removed easily and are dishwasher safe. For thorough cleaning, it’s recommended to run a mixture of white vinegar and water through the water spout, portafilter, and steam arm.

Performance score: 5/5

The De'Longhi Specialista Arte Evo sits on a stone-effect surface in front of a pink backdrop. It has a small cork-topped bottle of milk to its left, and a metal milk jug to its right. — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo?

Buy it if

You want to be your own barista
As the Specialista Arte Evo is easy to operate, and the quick start manual offers so many helpful tips, you’ll be brewing up all kinds of beverages for your family and friends in no time.

You don’t want to dedicate too much space
No manual bean-to-cup machine can be truly compact due to the nature of the espresso-making process. But De'Longhi has been mindful of how valuable countertop space is in our kitchens, which is reflected in the smaller-than-average footprint of this machine.

You want fancy coffee at home
With the La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine, you’ll have the freedom to make your own espresso, cappuccinos, lattes, mochas, cold brews, and more, right from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Don't buy it if

You don’t want to have to clean up after every cup
Whether you have your coffee black or white, there’s extra maintenance to consider when it comes to a manual bean-to-cup machine. The extracted ground coffee will need to be knocked out of the filter and rinsed, and any milk will need to be wiped off the steam arm straight away to stop it from solidifying (which it likes to do very quickly).

You want your coffee quick
The process of making a coffee with the Arte Evo isn’t particularly long when compared to similar machines, but compared to a standard instant coffee, it naturally takes longer due to the extra steps involved. It’s certainly worth the effort, though!

You don’t want to get into tweaking settings
Due to the different settings available, including dose adjustment, grinding levels, and water temperature, it may take time to perfect the settings to get the right brew for you.View Deal

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: also consider

Ninja Luxe Café
For those who want to take some of the guesswork out of their budding barista journey, the Ninja Luxe Café is a great beginner machine thanks to its grind coarseness guidance, weight-based dosage system, and automatic milk frother. It also has a slightly larger water tank, a removable hopper, and a digital display. Our reviewer was mightily impressed when they tested it out, awarding it four and a half stars. Check out the full review of the Ninja Luxe Café for further details.

De'Longhi Dinamica Plus
Undoubtedly more expensive, but the perfect alternative if you don’t want to take a hands-on approach to coffee making. It’s packed full of features, including a removable ergonomic thermal milk carafe that can be kept in the fridge to keep the milk fresh and cold. Interestingly, this machine is compatible with the De'Longhi link app, allowing you to perform some of its functions remotely. This too was awarded four and a half stars, with little in the way of negatives. Read the full De'Longhi Dinamica Plus review here.

How I tested the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo

I tested the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo over a few weeks
I repeatedly made espresso and frothed milk four days a week
I tested its variety of settings and features

I used the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine roughly three times a day, four days a week for several weeks, for the most part making mochas, cappuccinos, lattes, long blacks, and the odd cup of tea.

I evaluated how easy it was to put together, and how easy the setup process was. I made use of all of the features, paying close attention to the process, testing how easy the machine was to use, and the quality of the drinks produced. I tested all of the different coffee types available, and used all of the included accessories to see how they performed.

Finally, I investigated how easy it was to remove the washable parts of the machine and see how easy they were to clean.