Tried & Tested

Nespresso, Aeroccino+ Milk frother

"An automatic milk frother the Nespresso Aeroccino+ allows coffee lovers to create barista quality cappuccinos or iced coffee recipes quickly and stylishly. The new Aeroccino+ produces cold and hot milk froth at the touch of a button."

What we thought: In terms of setting up the Aeroccino+ was as simple as plug in and go. If you're a regular coffee drinker this might just be the perfect product for you, makes cold milk froth in seconds and hot milk froth in approximately 20. What's great about the Aeroccino is that it's completely silent when in use, so you don't get the loud churning noise some kitchen machines have. The pouring spout can make it a tad messy but the frothy milk tastes great when added to coffee, if you prefer buying your coffee from coffee shops then the Aeroccino+ makes it taste practically the same. But the it doesn't stop at coffee, the Aeroccino+ can be used to make milkshake froth, hot chocolate, iced lattes, or anything that you think you can add frothy milk to!

1001 Carpet Care

"With over 50 years of carpet care experience, 1001 provides the most effective range of solutions for tackling everyday stains and spills, cleaning large carpeted areas and floors and everyday freshening of carpets and upholstery."

What we thought: We love this range! Formulated especially for carpet and upholstery, wood floor and spot stains. We particularly love the products brought out for households with pets as well as the No Vac foam range, which was so simple to use and instantly left our carpets smelling fresh and fragrant. One of our testers, mother of three small children and one labrador, swears by Troubleshooter Ultra to help remove ground-in carpet dirt and stains such as red wine, ink, coffee and mud. We'd recommend investing in at least one item from the 1001 range as it'll be sure to make your domestic life easier, not least for when you spill that glass of red wine on the sofa - we've all been there, and unless we have 1001, we've probably still got the stubborn stain to prove it!
Reviewed April 2008.

RSPB's 'Bag for Good'

Fed up with so-called 'eco-friendly' products that may be good for the environment but do nothing for your fashion credentials?

Well now you can have both with the RSPB's 'Bag for Good' from January 2008.

For just £4.99 you can help Europe's largest wildlife conservation charity whilst carrying your belongings in style.

Green celebrities like Autumnwatch presenter Kate Humble are already carrying the cotton bag, and helping to reduce the millions of plastic carrier bags that go to landfill sites every year.

100% of the profits from bag sales go directly back into the RSPB's range of conservation work, from creating habitats on UK nature reserves to saving the albatross in the southern ocean.

La Cafetière Aqua Optima Kettle

"The unique Aqua Optima five-step, fast flow filtration system inside the kettle removes up to 95% of lead, 80% of chlorine and also reduces high levels of herbicides and pesticides, which can remain in water even after boiling."

What we thought: The kettle was really simple to set up and at full capacity, the water boiled in just over 3 minutes. The 1.7L capacity of this kettle is a good standard size and the transparency of the water tank means you can see at a glance how much water remains in the kettle.

The say "one Double Life filter lasts for up to 60 days or the equivalent of 200 litres" - fitting it works in a similar way to a cartridge in a water filter jug. What I thought was nifty was the cartridge life indicator to remind you when the cartridge needs replacing.

A couple of small observations: Whilst the dual handles were very comfortable to use, they seemed to rattle slightly against the aluminium as the water approached boiling point. I found the lid a little awkward to lift up each time the kettle had boiled, and I did almost burn my hand from both the steam coming up through the middle of the kettle (as the lid is removed completely during re-filling) as well as on the aluminium shell whilst trying to re-fill the kettle.

The design of the kettle may not be to everyone's taste but there's no denying that it is rather eye-catching in brushed stainless steel and wouldn't look out of place in a modern kitchen. And if you're looking for a good quality solid kettle that produced clean filtered water at the click of a button then this could be the answer to the perfect cuppa!

Reviewed December 2007.

OXO Good Grips Christmas helpers

OXO do a fantastic range of kitchen items, especially designed to make Christmas Day cooking as stress-free as possible.

What we thought: We tried the turkey baster, gravy separator and meat thermometer in our bid to create the perfect pre-Christmas meal!

The baster is long enough to suck up as much juice as possible from the tray and worked well to ensure the turkey was regularly fully basted. However, the bulb (and it's collar) did continually come away from the tube making this a rather tricky task. We also felt that suction control wasn't great as the baster wasn't able to hold the juice for very long.

The fat separating measuring jug was impressive. It performed as expected and the 4-cup capacity easily handled all the juice from one bird. Pouring wasn't messy and the jug was very comfortable to hold. More an observation rather than a negative but the holes at the top are quite large, which meant little bits were able to get through, gicing the gravy a non-smooth texture that some might/might not prefer.

We found the meat thermometer a really useful tool in our quest to ensure the bird was cooked to a safe temperature. With the recent turkey scares in the news this part of the cookery process is vital. The great thing about this tool is that it's so simple to use (insert, wait a little while, then take the reading) and you can use it all year round to ensure a variety of different meats are cooked to perfection.

Black & Decker® GT100 Hedge Trimmer

"The lighter weight body coupled with the ergonomic t-bar shaped handle means you have a hedge trimmer which is not only easier to grip and control, but also more comfortable during continued use. These simple but effective changes have created the ultimate hedge trimmer for even the most amateur of gardener."

What we thought: I've used older hedge-trimmers and the fail-safe manual trimmers in the past and found the updated version a real relief. They cut through relatively thick branches, which is an excellent bonus. Ensure you've got safety goggles on and wear gloves for extra protection and for flying leaves. It saved me so much time compared to doing it manually. The only thing that I struggled with was the weight - but I can be a bit of a wimp with these things. It just means that it's harder to reach above. Great value product that is definitely worth the very reasonable price tag.

New Kleenex Ovals ®

"Providing an inspiring choice of four vibrant and stylish designs, the modern Kleenex® Ovals range is suitable to display in any room, from kitchen to bedroom or bathroom to living room. Whether you need to blow your nose, remove your make up or clean your glasses - you'll now always have a tissue to hand in a box you'll be proud to display."

What we thought:
We love this range in the office. We love the curvy, shiny and slightly harder wearing cardboard packaging. The designs are what makes this though - 4 in total. The tissues are the ususal good quality - lovely and soft and easy to get out of the different shaped hole.

The range looks great in your home and can really help to set off your decor - a great guest bedroom accessory. It seems mad that no-one has already done this. We'll definitely be buying Kleenex® Ovals in future.

Kleenex® Ovals are available at selected retailers.

OXO Good Grips Food Mill

What we thought: Any new gadget in my kitchen has to justify its space and the packaging for the OXO Good Grips Food Mill certainly made it sound very versatile. Its ability to make soups, mashed potatoes and baby food is proudly emblazoned on the box. The problem is I have a blender and a potato masher, which work just fine when making soups and mash. I'm not sure that I need any further kitchenware for either of these jobs.

I decided to test the food mill by making mashed potatoes. The food mill comes with a choice of discs so that you can choose how smooth (or chunky) you want the food to be, and I used the largest of the discs for this job. Its very simple to fix the disc into place, and once set up, the gadget has feet that extend over the bowl below making it look like a 1950s space ship has crash landed in your kitchen. I used potatoes which were very soft and they emerged from the food mill smooth and lump free, much nicer than when bashed with my usual potato masher. However, it was only afterwards that I realised that the food mill is not the easiest thing to clean, and getting all of the muck out of the discs was fairly laborious. The packing is ominously silent as to whether you can whack it into a dishwasher; if you could, it would encourage me to use the food mill on a regular basis.

I also used the food mill to make tomato sauce, and this time I used the fine disc. The benefit here is that not only can you control how smooth you want the tomato sauce to be, but the unwanted seeds & skin from the tomatoes get left behind in the food mill. These did interfere with the blade but because it is possible to turn the handle of the food mill both clockwise and anti-clockwise, you can easily release the disc if it becomes jammed. Again, despite my previous experience, I could not help but roll my eyes at the amount of parts that needed cleaning. Going to the supermarket would have been quicker.

If you don't mind the extra labour involved, the food mill makes mashed potatoes and sauces a total doddle. If you are lazy and/or have a small kitchen, you may find that this gadget is not priority, especially if you have a blender. That said, you do feel a bit like Nigella telling people that you own a food mill.

Reviewed September 2007.

Pest Shield from JML

"Pest Shield uses a specially designed microchip which emanates a harmless signal that interferes with the nervous system of pests such as rats, mice and cockroaches. It will keep them well away from your home and most importantly, protect your family!"

What we thought:
What I love about this product is that it's not toxic making it children-, animal- and environment-friendly. All you have to do is plug it in and it starts working immediately. There is a green light that simply tells you it's powered and a flashing red light that shows it's working. There is also a very useful night light that you can turn on.

I live in a semi-detached Victorian cottage so it comes with its fair share of creepy-crawlies! I have to say that this is something that is quite hard to measure, but I have noticed more spiders popping up out of the range that the pest shield covers. I think you definitely need one upstairs and one downstairs to be fully effective. However, for £19.99 it's a much safer and cheaper option than bring any pest-control companies in.

Ambi Pur 3volution

"Revolutionary electrical plug-in...using a unique fragrance system to release three constantly changing perfumes in a continuous cycle, every 45 minutes."

What we thought:
This air freshener couldn't be simpler to assemble - you simply remove the caps from the refill bottles, click into place in the unit, plug into the wall socket and wait for the release. The wide selection of fragrance trios means that you'll never get bored with or immune to the same smell, with each fragrance given 45 minutes of "airtime", each working in harmony with the other two. There are also various fragrance combinations available catering for different times of the year and different tastes. It's also safer than a candle as you can leave it on when you go out or go to bed. As I don't like fragrances to be too overpowering, what I particularly liked was the ability to monitor the smell strength, thus indirectly making the appliance last that extra bit longer. (They say if you leave the unit on the lowest setting, the refill should last 90 days).
I felt the unit itself was a little plastic-y and perhaps slightly intrusive, but hidden behind a sofa, bed or a table, it shouldn't impose on a room's style at all.

Available online and from all good supermarkets/independent retailers.

Screwpull LM-400 Corkscrew

"Innovation at Its Most Stylish. This 'best ever' corkscrew combines a stylish exterior with advanced corkscrew technology".

What we thought:
If you are looking for the perfect gift for the man that has everything; or for something different for a wine-lover, look no further. Every lover of wine deserves a decent corkscrew and there's no denying it, the Screwpull LM-400 Corkscrew is an item of beauty.

Presented in a stylish leather-look case, complete with matching foil-cutter, anyone would beam with delight on receiving this as a gift. The smooth, streamlined style of the sophisticated corkscrew is an attractive addition to the drinks cabinet. Finished in black nickel, the cork-screw doesn't just look good, it does a great job. It took me seconds to pop it on top of the bottle, pull down the sturdy lever and whip the cork out in a jiffy.

Yes, the Screwpull corkscrew is expensive. At £99, there is no doubt it's rather a treat. But it looks expensive, it's very heavy and feels expensive and for something ultra special, with a guarantee of 10 years, it's certainly money well spent.

OXO Good Grips Garlic Press

What we thought: There are garlic presses and then there are garlic presses. Some look fancy and others are even brightly coloured. But finding one that actually crushes garlic to smithereens and then doesn't require industrial cleaning to remove all the mess is not simple as you might imagine. My previous garlic press was case in hand: it gave the unfortunate clove a gentle squeeze before letting the blighter escape round the edges of the top of the press. Very little garlic actually emerged through the supposed exit. To add to the woe, cleaning it was fiddly and, because of its unfortunate crushing malfunction, invariably you would spend the rest of the evening with a knife trying to prise out unwanted bits of congealed goo from the press.
Then I tried the OXO Good Grips Garlic Press. It has thick black non slip handles and the press fits so neatly into the body of the press that the garlic has no option but to go through those little holes and emerge, triumphant, crushed! Most satisfying is the mini hairbrush on the back of the press, which folds into the dirty press and pushes out the yuck. It took longer to cut the garlic press out of its packaging than it did to crush the garlic and then clean the press. It appears that this garlic press really is a breed apart from other garlic presses.

Reviewed by Jenny, July 2007.

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Salad Spinner

What we thought: I'm a contemporary girl at heart and the stainless steel finish on this salad spinner makes it the perfect functional accessory for my oh so modern kitchen. I always find that washing salad in a bowl in the sink never fully drains off all the water and consequently any dressing that goes on means I tend to end up with a watered down rather limp salad. This salad spinner is the ideal solution. Incredibly simple to use - just place the washed salad (which can include all sorts of things like lettuce, cucumber sweetcorn, carrot and chickpeas) inside the spinner's inner draining bowl, attach the lid and push down the central mechanism to beginning the spinning process. A couple of pushes were sufficient to leave washed salad dry and most importantly looking fresh, crisp and tasty. The OXO Good Grips salad spinner is available in two sizes and two finishes (stainless steel outer casing and an all-plastic version). I guarantee, once you've used one, you'll wonder what you ever did without one!

Reviewed July 2007.

Steam Bee

The Steam Bee is both "lightweight and easy to use" and claims to "sanitise and eliminate the need for using harsh chemicals... killing off any nasty bugs lurking around your house."

What we thought: I had been wanting a steam cleaner for some time and tried this one out around the house. This bright yellow handheld steam cleaner might appeal to gadget fiends who like to brighten up their cleaning as well as the house. JML have produced this household tool which gives "powerful continuous steam to sanitise and clean" and no detergent is required. The black cup at the base of the head unscrews and is filled with water. The top of the "head" has a nozzle through which the steam is directed towards the cleaning area and there are 4 attachments included which direct the steam in various ways.
On first sight, this cleaner looks like an elongated bee's head from the Antz movie. First of all the kitchen tiles around the sink and hob area - the grouting was very discoloured. I found that to make a difference, the nozzle had to be held very close to the surface and then the dirt layer melted off quite effectively. However, it was hard going and I needed to refill the small water container quite frequently. I also easily steamed off pieces of sticky tape on the fridge and kitchen doors, but a glued on edge of melamine came away from the shelf edge. It worked well on the white skirting boards. I tried to clean the sticky burnt food off the hob area, but it was not very successful and would need a lot of time. There is an attachment for cleaning window glass, but you would probably need an extension lead to reach them. Same for the bathroom. Although is seems to have a good range of uses, it actually made more work from the refilling and cleaning up the excess dripping water.

Pros: Useful for cleaning tiles and lightly stuck-on dirt and sticky stuff. Good for cleaning mess off the edges of the dishwasher door. The steam sterilizes as it cleans, so is good for worktops, chopping boards, children's plastic toys and pet smells. Best of all, detergent is not needed.
Cons: The water reservoir is too small and for larger jobs it needs frequent re-filling. The tool doesn't work very well when held upside down as the steam turns into water, the tool tends to drip heavily. The steam caused the glue to melt on one of the melamine shelf edgings.

Reviewed June 2007.

Multree pure silk duvet

"A silk duvet from Multree can change your world by transforming the way you sleep."

What we liked: I love it. It is pure luxury and indulgence and as we spend a huge amount of time in bed it really is worth the money and I can see it lasting a long time. Being 100% pure silk, it is 100% hypo-allergienic, which is perfect for people with asthma, skin and dust allergies as well as allergic rhynitis. I tested the spring/summer version but you will need the thicker version for winter. I'll be investing in the pillows and bedding for sure.
What we weren't so keen on: Not a lot although it did take me a short while to get used to the feel of silk so it may not be to some peoples liking.
Reviewed November 2006

Magic Eraser

Said to "eleminate all the scuffs and marks around your home in an instant...usable on any surface." The blurb on the box also says that this sponge needs only slightly dampening with water - no detergent at all, and will eliminate marks and stains in an instant. It claims to remove dirty marks from doors, paintwork, metal surfaces, vinyl, car dashboards, and will even clean off burnt on food from pots and pans.

This cleaning aid, called a 'magic' eraser is in fact a solid looking block of white foam sponge about 30x12x3 cm.. It comes in a packaged in a cardboard box and you just simply cut a chunk to size with a knife or scissors as you need it. I do wonder what it is made of!
Well, the house needed freshening up, so I set to work to test its claims. First of all, I cleaned the tiles along the worktop - excellent job and the sponge really did well on the grout between the tiles, whitening it up a few shades. My stainless sink came out beautifully shiny and the dark brown staining completely disappeared. Disappointingly, the calcium deposits around the taps were still there. I then tackled the glass oven and microwave doors - a good result overall.
Next the marks on the painted walls and skirting boards. This was very successful and mucky scraps and stains just vanished. Kitchen melamine cupboard doors - although it is not recommended to use the sponge on shiny surfaces, I did try it on my matt textured door fronts and they came out very well. On to the hob and greasy surroundings. Not so good - the sponge didnt deal well with grease at all and bits of sponge started to come away. Next, the inside of the fridge - very good, although I suspect it has dulled the shiny surface a little. I then had a go with a couple of stainles steel pots - a slight improvement in removing some staining.
By now the sponge was half its original thickness and was leaving a crumbly residue on the surfaces, and the grease from the hob area had somewhat damaged its progress. Overall, it has done a good job during the couple of hours of use and I could get another 2 or 3 sponge-sized pieces from the remaining piece. I do suggest though that you do not take its advice to clean light switches with it - something to do with water and electricity not going very well together!

Pros for me are:
a. You can cut off chunks to your own specification and on first using it, it has firm pointed edges. Useful being able to cut pieces to your own shape to get at awkward corners.
b. It does clean sinks, paintwork, tea and coffee stains from teacups, fridge interiors very well, and I was pleased with the way it tackled tiles and dirty grout.
c. You only need to dip it in water. No other cleaning agent is needed.
d. It shined up metal teapots and taps.
The cons for me are:
a. The price at £3.99 - I wouldn't buy it again at that price although I would if it was half that price.
b. It doesn't last long enough and starts to disintegrate fairly soon especially if you press on it to remove marks and the firm rigidity goes quite soon.
c. It doesn't like to clean grease and lumpy burnt-on food makes it disintegrate.
d. It does not get rid of calcium deposits easily.
Reviewed April 2007.

Incredible Oven Glove

This glove claims to "protect your hand from temperature up to an amazing 350°C...designed to give ultimate dexterity and maximum control."

Here is a glove with a difference. On the box it claims to be contact heat resistant up to 350°C, and ideal for barbecues, grilling etc. It comes in one size to fit all and is machine washable. It claims to be good against frost burn when handling deep freeze items and offers protection when putting logs onto a fire, and useful for camping, caravans, boats and fireworks. It also comes with a one year guarantee.

What I liked:
I thought the glove was well constructed, being tightly knitted and double layered and could be used on either hand. The inner knitted layer is made from cotton and the outer knitted layer from a special insulating material called 'Lenzing FR'. When I needed the glove it was fairly easy to slip on.
The heat resistance was very good and I did not feel any strong heat during the time my hand was in the oven. I think it was more useful in the freezer, pulling out and rearranging packets and boxes, although you can only use one hand. Either a pair of gloves should be supplied, or a single glove and a single oven pad together would be more useful.
It would definitely protect your hand against accidental burns from hot oven grids and grills. It gives you more control when holding a spoon or knife as opposed to an oven mitt or pad. It was very good for handling deep frozen items, which may burn your hand in the freezer. It's very well constructed and washable, and would also be very useful when changing a hot light bulb. Probably a very useful item to have to hand next Guy Fawkes day!

What I disliked:
Only one glove is supplied. A full oven tray with a turkey is heavy and as you generally use both hands you would need protection on the other hand too. As a pack, two gloves, or one glove and an oven pad would definitely be more useful.
The product needs to come in several size options. I do have quite large hands and although it fitted snugly around the wrist and palm the fingers were a good 2 cm too long for me and in fact got in the way when I was baking a chicken in the oven and wanted to hold the hot tray without dipping the finger ends into the liquid fat. Having realised that, if there was a regular oven pad to hand I would grab that first. But if you have ever been burnt through touching a hot oven grid you should definitely think of putting the glove on.
It would not protect you against steam (e.g. handling a pressure cooker).
You would have to make the effort to put the glove on rather than just grab an oven pad.

Black and Decker Dustbuster® Pivot Vac 14.4V PV1405

"A cyclonic cordless hand vac with a pivoting nose that locks into ten different cleaning positions...delivering continuous suction so there is no danger of clogging and because it's cordless you can use it anywhere in the house."

What we liked: Getting rid of dust and dirt is an ongoing chore in my home and anything that makes it easier is always welcome. This little white and brown handheld machine at first sight looks just like an unusual portable radio until you press a button on the handle and angle out the collection tube. This is a rather flat 20 cm tube with a pull out 8cm extension. This useful feature can be set at ten different angles to 200 degrees. This multi angled tube means that you get at your top shelves and awkward spaces very conveniently. It is ideal for vacuuming up all the debris that collects alongside your fridge and underneath bookcases and other heavy furniture. I also used it inside drawers, along skirting boards, picture rails, around the doors, the stairs, back of the beds, sides of the armchairs, tops of curtains and to straighten the fringes of my Indian rugs! Once I got going there was no stopping me.
On this model there is a brush attachment to clean fabric such as curtains, cat-hairy cushions and chair crevices. The Dustbuster® Pivot Vac has overnight rechargeable batteries and comes with a battery charger which plugs into the mains. Emptying and cleaning the dirt collection area is very easy. The transparent window means you can monitor when it needs emptying and you don't need to buy any disposable bags but just push a knob to open the compartment and tip the mess into your waste bin - simple and cost-effective over time. As grime builds up in the removable filter compartment, the machine is designed to be easily cleaned by just brushing or washing in water.
Surprisingly, the Pivot Vac felt rather powerful for a handheld vacuum cleaner. The provision of two speed strengths allows a gentler suction for things like curtains and the cyclonic action is very efficient on dust and crumbs. Usefully there is also a two year guarantee attached.
What we disliked: There were only two things I found against the Pivot Vac. It is quite noisy and you can't hear the telephone or door bell while you are using it, and it is a little bit heavy. Apart from this it is not a flimsy machine but has the feel of a solid workhorse and does its job well. I would definitely recommend each household get one.
Reviewed March 2007.

Cif cleaning products

"Recently voted most trusted brand by Readers Digest, Cif has delivered outstanding cleaning since its launch in the 1960's, offering a wide range of products to tackle even the toughest household jobs without damaging surfaces."

What we thought: The new CIF Stainless Steel Cleaner (500ml) at £3.49, comes in a plastic spray bottle. It is advertised to be gentle on surfaces, intensive cleaning and brilliant polishing. It says that it thoroughly degreases and removes stubborn dirt like limescale, watermarks and grease.

I have been trying it out around the house and I would generally agree with its claims. I have a stainless steel teapot and sprayed the inside (just to see what would happen) and The teapot is now very shiny inside and out. I tried it on various limescaled taps. These needed several applications of spray, but there was a great improvement. It works very well to remove fingermarks and streaks on stainless steel kitchen items and my stainless steel sink looks a lot better.

I experimented and gently sprayed the inside of the microwave, not getting spray into the holes of course, and left it a short while. With a little bit of gentle rubbing most of the burnt on splashes came away.

I normally use a cream cleaner for these jobs and this was better as it didnt leave a residue and it is not abrasive.

The only criticism I have of this spray, is that the odour is quite strong and it is quite unavoidable to breathe this in while you are using it. It made me sneeze and my nose started to run!

Available in all major retailers throughout the UK.

Ambi-Pur Candle - Blossoming Flowers

"Ambi Pur Spring Collection Scented Candle provides continuous fragrance for 25 to 35 hours. Blossoming Flowers is a pale pink wax set in frosted glass."

What we thought: This candle smelt fantastic before I had even lit it. The frosted glass really makes a difference and flatters any decor that you may have. Once lit, the candle quickly emmitted a lush refreshing smell of flowers yet not in an over powering sense. The candle lasted me a good month of ocassion use, sometimes for 4-5 hours at a time. I loved it and will definitely be adding it to my weekly shop. I'm looking forward to trying the other fragrances as I think I need one in my bedroom and bathroom now. Overall, great quality candles at a very affordable price.