That's a lot of pressure for a dishwasher so it's important to make sure you have one that fits your family's needs, your kitchen, and your budget. Whirlpool is no stranger to making quality appliances, and its WDT750SAKZ AI-intelligent dishwasher proved up to the challenge during my time with it.

It's very quiet, easy to use, and most importantly, it leaves my dishes sparkling clean. I do wish it could fit a few more things and the lack of smart features is a bit of a bummer, but overall I'm impressed. Read on for more details about my time with it.

Side note: when we were looking at reviewing this dishwasher, I realized it's the same one my wife and I purchased several months ago when we moved into our new home so I am reviewing it after several months of personal use with my family.

For overall rating: 86% - Recommend

WDT750SAKZ 24" AI Dishwasher: Key specs

WDT750SAKZ 24" AI Dishwasher: Setup

Unboxing and Initial Setup: Our dishwasher was delivered on a pallet and was well-wrapped with styrofoam and cardboard. All the required documentation was included which was helpful.

Installation Instructions: Dishwashers are fairly complex to install, so it's always recommended to have a professional installer do it for you. Our installation technician was contracted by Lowe's (where we purchased the dishwasher) and he was on time, efficient, and nice. The installation took him no more than about two hours and we did not have any issues.

Space Considerations: For this dishwasher to fit comfortably, you'll need a space that's a minimum of 24" wide (62 cm) x 34 1/2" (87.63 cm) high x 24" (62 cm) deep. With the door open, it's 50-47/250" (1.27 m) total.

• Score: 10/10

WDT750SAKZ 24" AI Dishwasher: Design & Features

Aesthetic Appeal: This dishwasher has a very sleek, modern, minimalist look to it which I appreciate. You can get it in Stainless Steel, Black Stainless Steel, Black, and White so you can match it to pretty much any aesthetic. The handle is the only thing that stands out on the door, but it matches the color so it doesn't get in the way. I personally prefer the handle for hanging dish towels on, but if you don't, the WDP730HAMZ is very similar and has a pocket handle. I also appreciate that the controls are on top of the door to keep the front looking clean (the only other visible feature is a small vent on the top left and a small indicator light).

Build Quality: The Stainless Steel material not only helps keep fingerprints to a minimum (a huge plus with toddlers running around), but also contributes to the solid build quality. We've not had any issues at all with the tub, door, or seals feeling cheap or loose during our time with it. The only issue we've had is that one of the endcaps for the top rack popped off and broke after a few months, but that's it. The racks also feel very high quality and we've not had any problems with them, minus the end cap.

Control Layout: All the buttons are located on the top right of the door, meaning you'll need to actually open it to access them. I prefer this layout as it keeps the look sleek, and keeps curious kiddos from interrupting the cycle. There are seven buttons. On the far left is the Cycle button to switch between Sensor, Heavy, Normal, Quick Wash, and Soak & Clean cycles. Next to that is the Delay start button. On the right are the Hi Temp Wash, Sani Rinse, Dry (Heat and Extended), Start, and Cancel buttons.

Adjustable Racks: The middle rack is adjustable and both the top and middle racks can be removed if you have larger items you need to clean. The only annoyance I have is that the silverware slides around quite easily on the top rack. If you pull it out too quickly or hit it with the door as you're closing it, then the utensils will slide around. Probably not a big deal, to be honest, but it drives my OCD nuts.

Smart Features: Everything has AI in it these days, and while Whirlpool may try to convince you of the AI smarts here, don't get too excited. It does have a Sensor Wash which can adjust the cleaning options based on the size and dirtiness of the load. But this isn't anything ground-breaking that we haven't seen on other dishwashers, it's just buzz wordy.

Delay Start Option: Yes, you can delay the start anywhere from 1-24 hours.

Ergonomics: This dishwasher is quite easy to load and unload. The racks slide quite well and the door is easy to use. It's strong enough to prevent curious kiddos from opening it up but light enough to easily use. I personally appreciate the buttons being on top of the door, as they're easy to access but also away from toddler fingers.

• Score: 8/10

WDT750SAKZ 24" AI Dishwasher: Performance

Washing Efficiency: Overall, we are quite impressed with this dishwasher. It cleaned our dishes well every time, and only occasionally did we see some stubborn bits of food still attached after a normal cycle. We normally will at least rinse our dishes before loading them, but we tested a few loads without any rinsing, and the washer cleaned them just fine as well. It was impressive to see just how well it did.

We also tested some wineglasses and our reusable plastic dishware for our kids and both came out clean and unscathed.

Drying Performance: Drying was not as impressive, unfortunately. With the normal heated drying, the loads still came out wet nearly every time. We also noticed some soap stains after normal cycles if we didn't dry them right away, but that's not entirely the dishwasher's fault. That can also be partially attributed to our lack of water filtration in our home and the detergent we use.

However, that completely flipped when we did the extended dry. When we did that, the dishes all came out completely dry every time, with no soap scum. And it only added about 30 minutes to the cycle time, so we just ended up using that setting every time.

Noise Levels During Operation: I was quite happy with how quiet this dishwasher is during use. It was never annoying or distracting to my family while in use. We normally run it at night before going to bed, but we did test it during the day several times just to make sure. We could hear it during certain times of the cycle if we were working in or walking through the kitchen, but it was never a problem. I would have no problem putting this into a studio or open living space.

Cycle Times: The Normal cycle and drying for us always ran at 3 hours and 23 minutes, not too unusual for most dishwashers in this range. For lighter loads or quicker washes, the Quick Wash Cycle cleans in just about an hour. The Heavy Cycle clocks in at just over four hours.

• Score: 7/10

WDT750SAKZ 24" AI Dishwasher: Care & maintenance

Cleaning Routine: Cleaning the dishwasher is fairly simple. Depending on how often you use it, about once a month you should empty and clean the filter. Simply washing it under running water should suffice. To clean the rest, you can either use a dishwasher cleaning tablet or place a dishwasher-safe cup with two cups of vinegar on the bottom then run a normal cycle with heat dry off. Then, sprinkle one cup of baking soda on the bottom of the washer and run a hot water cycle.

Descaling: To descale, follow the above steps for cleaning the washer, and that should remove any limescale buildup.

Regular Maintenance Practices: This dishwasher doesn't require a lot of regular maintenance. Between loads, check for any large bits of food or debris that might be at the bottom. It's a good idea to run a cycle with some vinegar or baking soda about once a month to clean out the nozzles and such, and also check and empty the filter if needed.

About twice a year, it's a good idea to check the sprayer arms and the door seals to ensure there's no excessive build-up or leaks anywhere. Other than that, you should be good to go. Truth be told though, after about a year of using it, we've never had to clean it. We've emptied the filter, but the inside has stayed clean for us.

Troubleshooting Common Issues: The most common issue you might run into is soap scale on the dishes after a cycle. This is most commonly due to either the detergent you're using or the water in your home. We do not have a water softener or whole home filtration system on our house, so we do notice some buildup from time to time. Typically if we dry and put away the dishes as soon as the cycle is done, it alleviates the problem.

If the dishwasher somehow doesn't drain properly, check the drain hose for clogs or an improper connection. For most other issues, particularly more complex issues, the best option is to call a service technician.

• Score: 10/10

WDT750SAKZ 24" AI Dishwasher: Price & Value

For around $600, or likely even less if you wait for a sale season, this is a good value. The low noise level, solid feature set, and adjustable racks, all add up to a good value for your money. I do wish it came with a standard warranty longer than 1 year, but you can purchase additional warranty coverage and most reviews, including my own personal extended time with this dishwasher, don't seem to have any issues.

• Score: 8/10

Would I buy the WDT750SAKZ 24" AI Dishwasher?

Ironically, I actually ended up purchasing this dishwasher when my family and I moved into our new home several months ago. We've never had any issues with it and have been quite happy with it. The quality is great, it cleans well and is quiet enough to not be distracting when running.

How does the WDT750SAKZ 24" AI Dishwasher compare?

If you're looking for more premium, the Samsung BESPOKE Dishwasher is a solid choice. Aside from the more luxurious design, it includes Wi-Fi connectivity and an AutoRelease Door Dry feature to help dry the dishes better.

If you need a countertop unit, this Hava Countertop Dishwasher is pretty affordable and has a lot of solid reviews.

How I tested the WDT750SAKZ 24" AI Dishwasher

In the several months we've used this dishwasher, we've used it at least twice a week, with a variety of dishes including baking trays and pans, as well as plastic child dishes.

Find out more about how we test.

Running off propane gas, this two-burner grill gives you some serious grilling capability in a minimal, lightweight package. There’s enough space on the grill to cook a bird, rack of ribs, or up to 20 burgers at once, and thanks to the PRO285’s automatic ignition, you can start cooking without even striking a match.

This all sounds great – but does this gas grill live up to its promise? To find out, I set up the Napoleon TravelQ PRO285 and used it to cook a variety of meals in my yard. Read on for my findings on the grill’s cooking performance, setup, ease-of-use and upkeep.

Before we start, it’s worth noting that this grill is designed to stand on a stable surface such as a table. Unlike some competing models, it does not have a base or stand. If that’s okay with you, we’re good to go.

Overall rating: 86/100

Napoleon TravelQ PRO825: Key specs

Napoleon TravelQ PRO285: Setup

Even portable gas grills often require a lot of setup, but the Napoleon TravelQ PRO285 is almost ready to cook straight out of the box. Open the cardboard and you’ll find the grill pre-assembled, with just the instruction manual and some recyclable packaging for company.

The cast iron cooking grids are ready to use after a quick rinse with soapy water. And there’s no stand to set up or unfold, so all that’s left to do is connect a compatible propane canister, which I found easy.

Different propane products attach in a few different ways to the regulator, so check the manual for the most relevant guidance. In my case, I simply pressed the regulator on and turned a lever to let the gas flow.

One of the first things I noticed with the PRO285 is just how light the grill is, especially with the cast iron grates removed for cleaning. It’s a really easy item to lift around the yard and onto your cooking platform, whether that’s a sturdy table or the back of a pickup truck.

The first time you use the grill, you should run it on a high temperature setting for about half an hour. This allows any manufacturing smells or detritus to burn off of the grill’s components. You wouldn’t want those aromas infusing your food.

Another task before your first use (and every use) is to season the cast iron grates with cooking oil, which will give them some protection from corrosion and prevent food from sticking. I chose avocado oil for this task, but you can use any cooking oil with a high smoke point.

Seasoning is straightforward if you have an appropriate brush to apply the oil, but it does take quite a lot of oil just to cover the entire surface of the grates, as the porcelain-coated cast iron is expansive and ‘thirsty’.

• Score: 10/10

Napoleon TravelQ PRO285: Design & Features

This grill could hardly be easier to set up and use. With no assembly required, you can have the PRO285 ready to cook within 10 minutes. To put that in context, some other gas grills I’ve tested took as long as two or three hours to set up. Meanwhile, the grill’s setup with two self-igniting burners and a single cooking surface (made up of two grates) is the height of simplicity. You can easily hear when you’ve successfully clicked the dials (and therefor the burners) into their off position.

It’s a convenient appliance to store, too. The absence of a stand or base gives the PRO285 a very small form factor relative to its cooking capacity, so it can potentially be stored on a shelf in a garage or similar space. You also have the option to keep the box and store the grill inside it between uses – but if that’s your plan, you must make sure the grill has cooled completely before storing it.

Thanks to its compact design, you hopefully won’t need to store this grill outdoors. However, if that’s your preference, use a compatible cover ($29.99, Napoleon).

In terms of aesthetics, this grill is going to appeal to users who value quality components and contemporary styling. Every part seems well made – especially the aluminium lid with its in-built thermometer. In short, it’d make a fine addition to pretty much any yard.

The grill grates have a softly curving, wavy grill pattern. Not only is this pleasant to look at, it also adds fantastic griddle lines to food. The two grates slot together seamlessly.

For grease management, there’s a small, removable drip collector that slots underneath the cook box. It works pretty well, although you will inevitably still have some mess to clean up inside the box and on the burners after cooking.

If the PRO285 has a weakness to its design, it’s probably in the scope of its features. For example, the grill grates are not height-adjustable and there’s no cooling rack. The lack of these ‘nice-to-have’ features will limit you a little in terms of how you cook with the grill.

But as a simple, effective, and portable option, the PRO285 does a great job. Everything works as it should, and the ergonomics are on point, from the easy-to-open lid to the very robust side handles, which you can use to carry the grill when it’s cool.

You get a pre-attached gas hose and regulator with the PRO285, which is a win for convenience. Take care to ensure the hose and regulator are not in contact with any of the hot surfaces of the grill, and that the hose does not trail beneath the drip pan.

Of course, you will need to obtain your propane cooking gas separately. Make sure the gas product is compatible with the grill, with a valve that can connect to the regulator before each time you cook. The user manual provides the relevant technical data and instructions.

• Score: 8/10

Napoleon TravelQ PRO285: Performance

I was really impressed with the PRO285’s cooking performance. During my tastebuds-on testing, it cooked a variety of foods including burgers, chicken legs and vegetables evenly and thoroughly.

With only a relatively small cook box to heat, the grates got hot enough to cook within about 15 minutes – although you might want to wait a little longer if you need a super-hot cooking surface. Consistency of temperature across each grate was very good, with the burner tubes each directly heating a wide area.

The grill produces a fair amount of smoke from the cooking oil that falls into the cook box and drip collector, which I’d consider a good thing in terms of flavour. At the same time, I didn’t get too many flare-ups with leaping flames. For me, that’s just the right balance of control and added flavour.

Speaking of which, the best thing about reviewing a grill like the PRO285 is tasting the food it cooks. I got great griddle lines on veg and meat – especially on eggplant slices – and some lovely charring on truffle-oil-and-balsamic chicken legs, in particular. The grill cooked beef burgers very evenly and thoroughly, and it crisped up burger buns nicely, ready to serve.

Using the PRO285 is incredibly straightforward, just so long as the gas is properly connected. The main thing to worry about are the two burner tubes – one heating the left-hand grate, the other heating the right-. These are operated via a pair of foolproof temperature dials, both of which have automatic ignition. You push the dial in, turn it to a high setting, and this ignites the relevant burner.

The temperature got really high, really soon after I added my meat or veg to the grates. Using both burners at different heat settings allowed me to simultaneously cook different ingredients at different temperatures, which I found really useful – especially when I wanted to sear and crisp up my veg, while cooking meat more slowly and gently.

As is often the case with portable gas grills, the integrated thermometer was good at taking the air temperature within the cook box, but it’s not much use for assessing the temperature of the grates during heat-up. So, you’ll get a low reading before you start cooking your food – and then the measurement shoots up after the meat hits the iron.

• Score: 8/10

Napoleon TravelQ PRO285: Care & Maintenance

None of the PRO285’s parts are dishwasher safe, so you’ll need to wash components like the grates and drip collector by hand. While this isn’t exactly fun, it’s part of the deal with most gas grills.

On a positive note, the grates are easier to clean than some competing designs. Their softly-profiled wave-shaped bars are easier to get at with a scouring pad than, say, the troughs in a grate with a v-shaped design.

The drip collector has a disposable foil insert, so you can swap it out when it becomes too oily to clean and reuse. This is a useful feature, but the downside is that you’ll need to keep buying replacement inserts ($3.99 for a 5-pack, Napoleon).

To keep the appliance hygienic and safe to use, you’ll also need to keep the cook box clean between uses. Thankfully, the shallow design makes it easy to reach inside with a cleaning cloth, once you’ve removed the grates.

One important ongoing maintenance task is to occasionally check for a loose connection between the grill and the gas hose, as this could potentially cause dangerous gas leaks. Napoleon advises that users should always disconnect the gas regulator from their propane canister after each use. The user-friendly gas regulator makes that easy to do.

• Score: 9/10

Napoleon TravelQ PRO285: Price & Value

At $299, the PRO285 offers excellent grilling performance and quality relative to the price you pay. So long as you're happy with the portable design (which does not include a stand or base), then this grill is as good as it gets for under $300.

In terms of cooking capacity, the 285 square inch cooking area of the PRO285 is advertised as providing enough space to cook 20 Burgers at once. You could try this, but they’d have to be small patties, and it would be very difficult to reach them with a flipper. My view is that you’re getting plenty of capacity here for a family-sized cookout, but you might need a larger grill if the neighbors are invited too.

• Score: 8/10

Would I buy the Napoleon TravelQ PRO285?

If I wanted a new portable gas grill that cooks effectively and doesn't cost too much, then the PRO285 would definitely be on my shortlist.

Having a solid, raised surface to cook on will be important for getting the best out of this grill, due to the lack of a stand. It's a great choice for tailgating or camping, but it will be awkward to use at home if you don’t have a suitable table or structure in your yard.

With that said, while the PRO285 is primarily designed for use on a table top or a similar surface, it can be bought with an optional stand ($199, Amazon) that will make it easier to use around the yard, especially if you don’t have a suitable stable surface to elevate the grill.

If you like to smoke food on your gas grill, you can do this with the PRO285 – but probably not using a stainless steel smoker box, as there isn’t enough room to accommodate this type of accessory. Instead, you’ll need to wrap some soaked aromatic wood chips in foil, place the loosely wrapped bundle inside the PRO285’s cook box and heat it until it smokes, before adding your food to the grill.

Ultimately, this grill is all about convenience and portability. Sure, you could get a model with extra burners, grates or cooking features, but the PRO285 is going to be a much better choice to take on the road, or store on a shelf when you don't need it.

How does the Napoleon TravelQ PRO285 compare?

If you want something fairly similar to the PRO285 that comes with a fold-down stand, you could try the Weber Traveler Portable Gas Grill ($399), but bear in mind that the Weber model has only one burner.

Meanwhile, for a more premium and permanent option to set up in your yard, the three-burner Napoleon Rogue 425 ($749) would be a fine choice.

How I tested the Napoleon TravelQ PRO285

I tested the Napoleon TravelQ PRO285 over a period of several days in my yard. I prepped the grill and connected it to propane gas, following the manufacturer's instructions, and then used it to cook a selection of meals including beef burgers, grilled vegetables and marinated chicken legs. I tried grilling at various temperatures, using the grill's burner dials to control each of the two burners individually.

Discover more about how we test.

With 11,000 Pa of Vormax™ suction, the L40 Ultra lifts dirt, dust, and debris from carpets and hard floors alike. Its extendable side brush and heated mop washing system ensure a thorough clean, and odourless operation while AI-powered navigation scans and maps your home in 2D or 3D for efficient coverage.

The L40 Ultra promises to vacuum and mop for up to 75 days without emptying or refilling. You can also easily control it from your phone, adjusting settings, scheduling cleans, and setting no-go zones.

We put the L40 Ultra to the test in a busy family home with pets to see how it performs on everyday messes. If you're looking for a top-tier cleaning companion, this could be your robot vacuum. But if it’s not quite what you're looking for, check out our guide to the best robot vacuums for pet hair or best wet/dry vacuums for more great options.

Overall rating: 98%

Dreame L40 Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop review: Key specs

Dreame L40 Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop: Setup

Setting up the Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum and mop was simple and seamless. The vacuum arrived in a well-protected box with custom packaging that kept everything organized.

I found all the necessary components inside, including the robot, base station, side brush, mop attachments, cleaning tool and detergent sample. You also get two dust bags and an extra roller brush, which cuts loose hair and prevents it from getting bunged up in the main suction tube. This is ideal if you have pets like I do.

The self-cleaning and auto-empty features are easy to set up, and attaching the side brush and mops was super quick—they just clicked straight in.

The clean and dirty water tanks fit smoothly into the base station. The entire setup, from unboxing to the first clean, took about 20 minutes.

First, connect the robot to Wi-Fi and download the app using the QR code provided. Then, fill the clean water tank and add the detergent to the separate reservoir.

A full user manual and a quick start guide are provided, so you can be up and running in around 20 minutes to half an hour.

Once you've downloaded the app, it's worth taking time to figure out all the options available. The countless customizable features will take some getting used to. However, you can also start off with the CleanGenius mode, which, according to Dreame, uses 'intelligently recommended cleaning parameters' that identify areas with more debris and dirt.

During tests with sticky sauces and flour and oat debris, it did tend to hone in on those areas and tackle them first.

I tend to start the vacuum and then play with the app while it is cleaning, testing the different cleaning modes and other options. You'll need to set some customizable options, such as the wetness levels of the mops, before a clean.

It's important to allocate enough clear space around the base station so the L40 can find its way home. I'd say it needs a little more than most robot vacuums.

My usual setup in my narrow galley kitchen caused a lot of confusion for the L40, which roamed around instead of docking.

Things were much improved when I relocated the base station to my living room, which offered more space around the base station - around a yard or so.

• Score: 10/10

Dreame L40 Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop: Design & Features

The Dreame L40 Ultra blends seamlessly into a modern home with a sleek, minimalist design that looks and feels like a premium robot vacuum.

Available in a clean, crisp white finish, it won’t look out of place in a stylish living space. Its smooth, rounded shape, matte finish and glossy grey panelling at the front give it a polished feel, and the unusually slim base station (13.5 inches) has a compact, modern look.

However, you may need to measure the space available before buying, as it's generally taller than other robot vacuum base stations - at just under 23.5 inches high. While not everyone will like the size and design of the base station I found it elegant.

The L40 Ultra is solidly constructed from durable hard plastic, and the white matte finish of the base station helps to disguise fingerprints, although you may need to wipe it down more often if it's in a busy kitchen, like my sample product. The robot itself is lightweight enough to move if needed but sturdy enough to handle bumps and obstacles without issue.

The underside of the Dreame L40 Ultra features a central brush roll to lift dirt from hard floors and carpets.

An extendable side brush positioned near the edge helps sweep debris from corners and along baseboards into the main suction path.

The large wheels provide good clearance, allowing the vacuum to transition smoothly between different floor types. The two mop pads are positioned toward the back.

The advanced sensors are pretty impressive to watch in action as the L40 Ultra carefully navigates around furniture, obstacles and pets, avoiding collisions and getting into tricky spots without getting stuck. It also has cliff sensors to prevent it from taking an unfortunate tumble down the stairs, so it's a good choice if you have different levels in your home.

The low profile allows it to glide under furniture easily, even with the camera on top and while it’s mostly hands-free, it’s light enough to pick up and move if needed.

Navigating the controls is a breeze, whether you prefer to use the buttons on the device or control everything from your phone. The Dreamehome app is well-designed and fairly easy to use, allowing you to set up cleaning schedules, choose different modes, and mark off areas you want the vacuum to avoid. In fact, there's a setting for almost anything you can think of, including taking pictures of your pets when the robot comes across them, a special curtain-lifting arm and more.

• Score: 10/10

Dreame L40 Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop: Performance

Over a few weeks, I tested the Dreame L40 Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop in my busy family home. With long-haired cats, a Golden Retriever and an almost-teenage boy obsessed with soccer in a muddy season, it had plenty to contend with on an everyday basis. However, I also assessed its performance by testing how well it coped with sticky, dried-on messes, sauces and large amounts of debris, such as oats and flour.

On its first run around my home, the L40 was impressive at positioning itself and mapping out the area quickly and accurately. Once underway, the excellent edge cleaning kicks into gear with an extending side brush that pops out when the robot hugs the room's edges. This increases the cleaning area and means you don't have to sweep the baseboards after it's finished (unlike many other robot vacs).

If you set the L40 only to vacuum, the robot handily unclips the mops and leaves them in the base. If you want it to vacuum and mop, it will prettily lift its skirts and raise the mops clear of the carpet, so you won't have wet rugs or carpet fibers to contend with (although I found a little dampness on deep-pile carpets).

The vacuum suction is impressive, and you have multiple modes to choose from, including Quiet, Standard, Turbo, Max, and Max+ Mode. I tended to run things on Turbo or Max because of my long-haired fur babies, which did a great job at removing pet hair and litter from carpets and hard floors. I did find that the robot sometimes scattered dry debris around, which it didn't always pick up, such as a pile of dry oats. But for everyday cleaning, I can't fault it.

Mopping is a dream. The L40 Ultra utilizes two large water tanks (4.5 liters and 4 liters for clean and dirty water respectively) and a specialized cleaning solution to sanitize the mop and washboard with 149°F hot water. The mops performed brilliantly at removing stains and sticky liquids, such as honey and dried-on sauces, as well as mopping up puddles of milk and water.

Once the mopping is done, the L40 uses hot air drying on the cleaned mop heads to reduce odors, too. The massive water tanks mean there's no need for the unpleasant job of emptying the dirty water tank after every clean.

The app offers a wide range of cleaning modes, wetness levels, and routes you want the robot to take. For example, you can choose from one of 32 moisture levels for the mops or one of four routes from the quickest to a deep clean route.

You can set it to vacuum, mop, vacuum and mop simultaneously or after vacuuming. You can also create a completely customized cleaning for different parts of your home.

I found dividing rooms impossible, though - it continually told me I hadn't positioned the dividing line correctly, which was a source of much frustration! I imagine I'll get to grips with this option with a little more time, though many of us don't need this level of granularity when cleaning our homes.

However, I can't fault the navigation and mapping. When you lift the robot and place it in a new area, such as a different level, it rapidly maps out the area and adds it to the app for you.

I also loved that I could turn on the camera anytime and see my home from ground level with pets nervously watching on in the background. This is a fantastic additional security measure if you're away from home and just want to check-in.

You can also add a setting in the app where your robot takes pictures of your pet - so pet lovers will have a lot of fun with this feature.

Mapping also identifies up to 100 objects, from pets to smaller obstacles such as shoes and electrical cables, popping little icons here and there where these items have been located.

I found the battery life to be excellent compared to other robot vacuums. The L40 successfully mopped and cleaned the entire 226 square feet lower level of my home twice (which took around an hour) without returning to the base station for a recharge. The robot will return to charge when the battery level drops below 15%, but I haven't yet reached that level without turning the vacuum's charging off.

If you have a larger family home or use the more powerful suction and deep clean options, you may expect more interruptions during a clean for recharging. Still, with up to 194 minutes of cleaning time in Quiet Mode, you may never experience a recharge mid-clean with the L40 Ultra.

Self-cleaning and drying is a hands-free experience. While the robot gives a great big whoosh when it sucks the debris from the onboard dustbin and into the base station, this lasts for mere seconds. The mop cleaning and drying is replaced by a lower volume mop cleaning.

• Score: 9/10

Dreame L40 Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop: Care & maintenance

Keeping the Dreame L40 Ultra in good shape doesn’t take much effort, but a little regular maintenance can go a long way in keeping it running smoothly. While the vacuum’s auto-empty feature handles most of the dust disposal, it’s still worth checking the dust bin from time to time, especially if you have pets or a lot of fine debris in your home. Giving it a quick clean helps prevent buildup and ensures the system empties efficiently.

The filter is another important part of the vacuum’s performance. Over time, dust and dirt can clog it, which can reduce suction. Cleaning it every couple of weeks helps maintain strong airflow, and if it starts looking worse for wear, replacing it every three to six months keeps everything working at its best. Letting a washed filter dry completely before putting it back in is crucial—otherwise, you risk damaging the vacuum.

Like any battery-powered device, the L40 Ultra benefits from a little battery care. Keeping it on the charging dock when not in use is the easiest way to ensure it’s always ready to clean, but if you’re storing it for a longer period, it’s best to fully charge it first and top it up every few months to avoid battery degradation. Keeping the charging contacts clean also helps prevent any issues with the vacuum not docking properly.

If you do run into problems, most of them have simple fixes, and the manual has a good troubleshooting section to refer back to. If the vacuum won’t charge, checking that the dock is plugged in and cleaning the charging contacts usually does the trick. Connection issues can often be solved by restarting your router or updating the app, while navigation problems may mean the sensors need a wipe or the mapping data needs a reset.

For long-term storage, keeping the vacuum in a cool, dry place and covering it to prevent dust buildup will help maintain its condition.

• Score: 10/10

Dreame L40 Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop: Price & Value

The Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum is priced at $1,499.99, though it's currently available at a discounted rate of $1,199.99. You can purchase it directly from Dreame's official website, dreametech.com, and other retailers like Amazon.

The upfront cost positions the L40 Ultra in the higher end of the robot vacuum market, and Dreame offers a standard one-year warranty on the L40 Ultra, with options to extend the warranty by one or two years for an additional $69 or $139.

You'll get a small sample of the detergent with the L40, but be mindful that you'll need to replace this - a 1L bottle on Dreame's site is $17.99. If you've had robot vacuum mops before, you'll know they usually have a bespoke cleaning detergent, which is often pricier. Whether you use a cheaper cleaning detergent is up to you, but it could affect your warranty if you do.

While the L40 Ultra is priced above models like the Eufy X10 Pro Omni ($799.99) or similarly priced to other premium brands such as the Samsung Jet Bot AI ($1,299.99), the multiple settings, high-quality camera capabilities, and mopping functions justify the extra investment in my opinion. Plus, there are often seasonal discounts and shopping events, such as Black Friday, where you can get a better deal.

• Score: 10/10

Would I buy the Dreame L40 Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop?

If you have a large home or pets or need a reliable, near-hands-free cleaning solution, the Dreame L40 Ultra is an excellent choice. Its superior suction, smart navigation, and advanced mopping make it ideal for busy households that want the convenience of automated cleaning without lots of emptying and maintenance. However, if you're on a tighter budget or have limited space for the base station, you might find better value in other models.

How does the Dreame L40 Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop compare?

The Dreame L40 Ultra is a high-performing robot vacuum that delivers strong suction, efficient cleaning, and a sleek design. However, it may be a bit pricey for budget-conscious shoppers.

The Eufy X10 Pro Omni is cheaper than the L40 Ultra and combines effortless vacuuming capability with mop cleaning. The 8,000Pa suction power may not be as strong as the L40s, but I found it to be just as effective in sucking up pet hair and mopping floors, plus it self-empties and self-cleans just like the L40.

If you're after an even slimmer base station and similar premium obstacle avoidance and don't mind losing the mopping function, the Samsung Jet Bot AI+ Robot Vacuum offers the latest automated technology to clean your home. It empties itself at a sleek charging station that doubles up as a dustbin. All of this can be automated or manually controlled from your phone, either via the app or voice assistants such as Google or Alexa.

The Eureka J15 Pro Ultra offers exceptional suction power, precise mapping, and smart functionality. Its self-cleaning base, hot water mop washing, and anti-tangle technology stand out for busy homes with pets or kids. It's similarly priced to the L40 Ultra but comes in black if that's a color option you'd prefer.

How I tested the Dreame L40 Ultra Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop

I tested the L40 Ultra for three weeks in my busy family home, complete with a Golden Retriever, two long-haired cats and multiple litter trays. I used it every day to vacuum and mop hard floors and vacuum carpets in the living room, kitchen and hallway.

I also assessed its performance on liquids and debris types on hard floors, including thick sauces, sticky honey, milk, spilt cereal, oats, and flour, to see how well it coped with everyday spills and sticky messes.

Discover more about how we test.

GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense: Setup

The GE Profile Smart Mixer arrived double-boxed, and the exterior box appeared in excellent condition. When I removed the interior box, one corner seemed to have sustained damage before it was shipped, but there was no damage to the mixer itself.

The mixer was held in place by two large blocks of Styrofoam and packing tape. All of the components were taped securely, and since the Styrofoam was so thick, the damage to the box corner hadn't affected any of the components or the mixer.

Since the mixer weighs 44 pounds, unboxing it was a challenge. I had to tip the exterior box at varying angles and gradually pry the interior box out. The interior box was easy to open, but removing the mixer itself again required some prying and pulling because of the weight. Once out of the box, I cut the tape, removed the attachments, and pulled the Styrofoam off of the mixer.

The mixer includes a quick start guide and a 19-page owner's manual. The quick start guide is full of very clear, well-designed diagrams that walk you through setting up the mixer. It also highlights some key features, like how to use the scale and timer functions. It does a great job at simplifying the assembly so you can start using the mixer quickly.

The mixer requires minimal assembly. Installing the bowl is simple. The mixer lift arms lower when you press down on their ends, and the bowl just fits over the pins.

Installing the attachments is also very easy. The attachments can just be pushed up into the output shaft. They lock into place with an audible click, and then they're securely held until you release them by pulling down on the shaft. Installing them required a bit of twisting at first, but now that I'm familiar with the design, I can install them using one hand in about three seconds.

When setting up the mixer for the first time, you must wash the attachments and the mixing bowl. The instructions highlight the importance of ensuring the mixer is unplugged and turned off when installing the bowl and the attachment.

The first time I installed the bowl, I didn't have it completely mounted on the pins, so it moved as soon as I turned the mixer on. Ensure the bowl is fully and securely mounted before using the mixer.

Once the mixer is assembled, you can plug it in. The plug is on the larger side, which gives you a secure grip, and I found it was easy to plug in and unplug.

While you can use the mixer's manual settings immediately, if you want to use the Auto Sense techniques or guided recipes, you'll need to pair the mixer with WiFi and the SmartHQ App. The quick start guide includes a QR code to easily access and download the app. Then, the app guides you through the process of pairing the mixer.

I found it very easy to pair the mixer with the app, and the entire process, including downloading the app, setting up an account, and pairing the mixer, took about five minutes.

This mixer is full of helpful features. The controls are easy to use, and you can adjust the mixer speed by using the app or turning the dial at the top of the mixer. The mixer also features large buttons to operate the scale, timer, and reverse settings at its top. The buttons have a slightly rubberized surface, making them easy to operate, even if your hands are wet.

Additionally, the mixer features a digital screen, which displays its operations and settings. The app features numerous Auto Sense techniques and guided recipes, which feature preset mixing options to take the guesswork out of using the machine.

• Score: 8/10

GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense: Design & Features

The GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense is a sleek, modern-looking machine. I tested the mixer in black, though it's also available in silver and white. Any of these colors can complement many kitchen decor schemes, but keeping the black mixer clean is probably the easiest.

The digital screen and the lights illuminating the area below the speed dial enhance that modern look when in use. The whole mixer body is one piece, and it would fit in very well with kitchens full of smart appliances or those with a minimalistic style.

However, this mixer is large. It weighs 44 pounds, so it's not something you would want to store in a cupboard and then repeatedly lift onto and off of a counter.

I would consider it a permanent fixture on your counter, and since it measures 17.07 inches high, you'll need significant height on your counters to store it. It's a better choice for a larger kitchen where you have plenty of counter space, and it would not be a good choice for a small kitchen where counter space is at a premium.

This mixer is made in the USA and is crafted from die-cast zinc, a robust and corrosion-resistant material. The mixer's heavyweight suggests this is a quality, solid machine built to withstand heavy-duty use.

The mixing bowl and attachments are crafted from solid stainless steel, making them durable and dishwasher-safe.

The motor features a 540-watt motor, meaning it's strong enough to handle large mixing jobs and heavy, dense doughs. It's also equipped with Auto Sense technology, which allows the mixer to monitor texture and viscosity changes via the motor torque feedback. The mixer can optimize mixing performance using that information to avoid over-mixing and undermixing.

The seven-quart bowl capacity is very generous, and even larger recipes seem small in this bowl. My sugar cookie recipe, which makes three dozen cookies, didn't even take up half the bowl. The generous capacity means you can make large recipes or even double or triple your standard recipes to save time.

Three included stainless steel attachments make this mixer a versatile choice. A beater is suitable for stirring wet batters, blending frosting, mashing potatoes, or creaming butter. A dough hook is designed to mix and knead dough. The wire whisk is designed for whipping cream or egg whites.

The mixer's connectivity with the app makes it very easy to use, even for individuals new to baking and hesitant to try recipes requiring precise or advanced techniques, like baking a pavlova. The app can guide you through these recipes step-by-step, and mixing presets take the guesswork out of these recipes.

The mixer lacks any head tilt function, which I found a real drawback. While the plastic bowl shield includes a space to help direct ingredients down into the bowl, it was difficult to fully tip even a small one-cup measuring cup without contacting the mixer head. The ability to tilt the mixer head back would be a real advantage and make it even easier to use.

One of the major benefits of this mixer is that you can use it with the app and take advantage of its smart features, or it can function as a traditional mixer without all of the technology. The physical controls are user-friendly and easy to operate, and the speed dial gives you just enough resistance for controlled operation while still being friendly to someone with limited hand strength or arthritis.

The bowl features a generously sized handle, which makes it easy to lift and carry. However, the bowl arm lifts aren't the easiest to operate; you'll have the most control and power when you press down or lift on them both at once, but it can be difficult to reach the far side lift around the mixer. It also needs to be repeated that this mixer's weight is a disadvantage since simply moving it across the counter can be difficult for anyone with arthritis or physical limitations.

• Score: 8/10

GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense: Performance

Mixing Efficiency: I tested the mixer on several types of cookie dough, cake batters, butter, waffle mix, and whipped cream, using both the preset functions and a traditional mixer. It performed very well during all of these tests.

The guided Lemon Bliss cake recipe takes you through every step of preparing the cake batter. The directions are very clear and user-friendly, and I believe someone with little baking experience could make the cake using the guided recipe.

The mixer's settings are automatically set through the recipe and sent to the mixer, so I never had to manually adjust the mixing settings or time. The mixer mixed the cake batter very thoroughly, though I had to scrape the bowl repeatedly. The cake was delicious but dense.

The Auto Sense Techniques were also incredibly easy to use. In making butter and whipped cream, I simply followed the directions and put the ingredients into the bowl. Then, the mixer mixed at the appropriate speed and duration until these foods were ready. I didn't have to worry about monitoring texture or overmixing at all, and the results were delicious.

I was particularly impressed with the homemade butter, which is, in all honesty, the best butter I've ever tasted. It very quickly transitions from a liquid to a solid ball, but the mixer itself is so solid that it has plenty of power to handle that transition without rocking or moving.

I also made seven batches of cookies, including a sugar cookie recipe which makes three dozen cookies. The mixer's large capacity easily handled this big recipe, and I suspect I could have doubled the recipe if I'd wanted to. All of the cookie dough mixtures were thoroughly mixed, although I did have to repeatedly stop and scrape the bowl. Though the mixer has a reverse function that helps to untangle dough and thoroughly mix ingredients, I found there was still dough left up on the bowl sides that I had to remove.

The one issue I repeatedly encountered was when I had too little dough in the mixer for it to be able to thoroughly blend it. For example, my chocolate chip cookie recipe begins by blending sugar and butter. The mixer bowl is so large that these ingredients didn't thoroughly blend until I added in more. This wasn't an issue with larger recipes in which I started with greater amounts of ingredients.

I'm very impressed by the mixer's versatility. It's best suited for larger recipes but also efficiently blends smaller recipes, including a relatively small amount of whipped cream.

Lack of power was never an issue, even when making butter or mixing a tougher sugar cookie dough. Similarly, the mixer can easily handle light batters, like waffle mix.

The attachments contribute to that versatility. The included dough hook is ideal for doughs, while the beater is suitable for most cookie doughs and cake batters. The whisk is capable of whipping cream, giving you plenty of options in terms of how you use this machine.

The mixer is loud, likely because of its powerful motor. I measured its peak volume while mixing butter at the top speed to be 70 decibels. To carry on a conversation in the kitchen while using it in that setting, I would have had to nearly shout.

It's much more tolerable when mixing cookie dough at slower speeds. At the fourth speed, it measured 50 decibels, and I could have easily spoken over the noise.

The Auto Sense Techniques and guided recipes are very convenient, especially if you're not a confident baker or want a little backup when you try a new recipe or a new technique. I never would have attempted to make butter without the Auto Sense feature, but it made the process very easy and the results were great.

Additionally, the mixer features a built-in scale that can measure ingredient weight in grams, pounds, kilograms, and ounces. It's easy to use, and you can zero out the bowl and then add ingredients directly to the bowl to be weighed. It saves you the need to have a separate kitchen scale, eliminating an extra step.

The timer function is also helpful. The timer increases by 15-second increments, though you can press and hold the timer button to increase the time by one-minute increments. Once you start the timer and set the mixer to your desired speed, the mixer will automatically turn off once the timer ends. The feature allows you to focus on other tasks without worrying about overmixing a recipe.

• Score: 9/10

GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense: Care & maintenance

After each use, you can clean the bowl and attachments in the sink or in the dishwasher. The main mixer unit can be wiped down with a damp cloth, and I found that the surface can be easily wiped clean without any residue left behind. GE recommends that you store the mixer in a clean, dry place after it's cleaned.

The attachment output shaft also needs to be cleaned after each use. It should be wiped down to remove excess flour and can be cleaned with a warm, damp, soapy cloth to remove any remaining dough.

GE doesn't provide any additional instructions for long-term maintenance. However, to prolong the mixer's lifespan, be sure to monitor it carefully for any worn parts that might need to be replaced and follow the usage instructions carefully.

If the mixer makes strange noises, check to make sure that you haven't put more than the recommended amount of ingredients in the mixing bowl. Strange sounds can indicate that the mixer is malfunctioning, so you should immediately unplug it and visit geappliances.com for additional support.

If the display screen shows a cooling message, it indicates that the motor is overheated. You should turn the speed dial to the Off setting and wait for the display screen to show "Ready," indicating it has cooled and is ready for use.

The mixer is so heavy that it's really only practical to store it on a countertop in between use. You may want to invest in a cover for it to protect it from dust.

• Score: 10/10

GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense: Price & Value

The GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense was originally priced at $799.95 but currently costs $599 from GE. It's also available for $599.95 from Williams Sonoma and for $598.96 from Sur La Table.

It appears to be the first smart mixer on the market, so at the moment, it's in a class of its own. I would compare its overall quality to the KitchenAid 7 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer, which retails for $649.99 from KitchenAid.

Overall, the GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense offers good value to anyone who bakes regularly. When compared to the KitchenAid model, it is competitively priced, and it also offers smart features, which the KitchenAid model does not.

• Score: 10/10

Would I buy the GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense?

Overall, the GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense performed well. It thoroughly mixes dough, cake batter, butter, and whipped cream, and its large capacity and multiple attachments make it versatile. The Smart Sense technology simplifies preparing different recipes, and it makes baking user-friendly, even for beginners. The technology may also encourage more experienced bakers to try new recipes and techniques, increasing the chance of those attempts being a success.

While the mixer performs well, it does have drawbacks. Since the head doesn't tilt back, adding ingredients to the bowl can be a little challenging, even with smaller measuring cups. Its 44-pound weight is a significant drawback, meaning you'll most likely need to store the mixer on your countertop. Plus, this is a larger machine, so it's not a good fit for smaller kitchens with limited counter space.

Overall, this mixer is a solid buy, but for very specific individuals and situations. If you have lots of kitchen space and are just getting started with baking or want to expand your baking skills, it can be a worthwhile investment.

How does the GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense compare?

If the GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense isn't right for you, there are plenty of alternatives. The KitchenAid 7 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer offers the same large capacity and is backed by a KitchenAid's fantastic reputation for performance and reliability.

For a more affordable model with a slightly smaller capacity, consider the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer. This mixer features 10 speeds and a tilt head design, so it's easy to add ingredients.

You can also get a modern look that resembles the GE Profile's with the Cuisinart Precision Master 5.5-Qt. Tilt-Head Stand Mixer. This mixer has excellent reviews and still offers the capacity you need to make smaller and larger batches of dough.

How I tested the GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense

I tested the GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense in my home kitchen for two months. During that time, I tested the Auto Sense Techniques, including making homemade butter and whipped cream. I also made guided recipes, including the Lemon Bliss cake and Holiday Butter cookies, and then I used the mixer to prepare my own recipes, such as chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, and Belgian waffles.

Discover more about how we test.

Essentially, the best rice cookers are also the best steamers, so it makes sense for a product to do both. It was only a matter of time before such a hybrid was created. Nutribullet is, of course, known for its popular and highly rated blenders, so I was intrigued to try out the EveryGrain Cooker.

With two picky children at home and a hubby who is very much a meat and two veg/ spaghetti Bolognese type, rice isn't often on the menu, aside from when we make a homemade curry (for which we most frequently opt for brown rice, for its nutritional value and nutty flavor.)

Because of this, and our ingrained family routines, I found that at first, it was a challenge to get my head around the fact that the EveryGrain also steams other grains in addition to different kinds of rice (white, Jasmine, brown, black, red, Basmati, etc.) from ancient grains like farro buckwheat, quinoa, millet, barley, amaranth, spelt, teff, texmati (which I don't think I've ever even heard of) and most wonderfully oats (we're a family of porridge lovers!)

Moreover, not only does it cook all kinds of grain (EveryGrain for a reason) it also steams fish, such as salmon or white fish, and chicken, as well as all types of vegetables, from starchy veggies, like white or sweet potatoes and squash, to summer squash like zucchini, leafy greens like spinach and bok choy, plus broccoli, cabbage, green beans, mushrooms, and asparagus. Honestly, the list is endless. Included is a handy sheet with a guide to the rice and grain cooking times, and on the reverse side, it details the steam timings for each type of vegetable or protein. These tables are also included in the manual.

It is an excellent appliance to add to your kitchen because of its versatility. This is especially true if you enjoy meals with rice and salads with quinoa or other grains or if you're looking to cook at home with a little less oil than roasting, grilling, or frying. Steaming fish, chicken, and veggies is an excellent way to preserve the nutrients and flavor for juicy and tender results.

Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker: Key specs

Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker: Setup

I was super impressed with the stylish packaging and recognizable branding. The product feels luxe and suggests a focus on nutrition and health, which is comforting and reassuring.

If someone is new to understanding nutrition, reading food labels, and eating more mindfully, it can be overwhelming, so owning an appliance such as the EveryGrain is an excellent resource for building confidence around learning to cook more healthily from scratch. This sentiment is communicated well throughout the Nutribullet branding and packaging.

Everything is neatly arranged and safely packaged without too much packaging. Most of the packaging is also recyclable, which is excellent.

The EveryGrain Cooker has a cooker base, a 10-cup cooking pot, a steaming basket, a measuring cup, and a rice spatula.

Everything is super easy to assemble. I hand-washed the cooking pot, steaming basket, measuring cup, and spatula before use and dried them.

I placed the cooking pot in the base and followed the instructions to steam two cups of rice. It was as easy as that—straightforward.

The interior of the cooking pot also features guidelines for water levels depending upon the quantities of rice or grains you're cooking. The setup is minimal before the MultiGrain is ready to use.

As mentioned, the EveryGrain comes with a cooking time guidelines sheet and a manual. The manual includes instructions, the cook time guidelines again, an in-depth explanation of the control panel and the various cooking modes, and some mouth-watering-looking recipes, cataloged by meal and demonstrating the versatility of the EveryGrain.

Recipe highlights include Amaranth with steamed eggs, mushrooms, and pea shoots, peaches and cream oatmeal, apple cinnamon steel-cut oats, sweet potato millet porridge, Middle Eastern Tabbouleh, Buckwheat pilaf, Salmon and brown rice bowl with bok choy, Steamed shrimp with veggies and ginger basmati rice, a California sushi roll, and Mango coconut sticky rice and arroz con leche for dessert. Yum!

There are endless possibilities, and these recipes serve as inspiration to help you on your way.

It's easy to understand the cooking modes, which serve to cook numerous types of grains.

The modes include White Rice for Jasmine, Basmati, or Sushi; Brown Rice for brown, black, and red rice; Grains for ancient grains such as amaranth, farro, spelt, buckwheat, and millet; Oats for steel-cut or rolled oats to make creamy porridge; Quinoa for - you guessed it - quinoa and other seeds; Steam for veggies, fish or chicken; Keep Warm for grains and Delay Start to plan up to 12 hours.

The Delay Start mode is ideal if you're planning to cook rice for dinner in the morning or if you want to wake up to hot porridge first thing. You can set it to overnight.

The manual contains specific instructions for each cooking mode, which is essential to read. For instance, the Keep Warm function should ideally not be used for meat, fish, or veggies, as they may overcook or dry out. Therefore, it is only for rice and grains.

• Score: 8/10

Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker: Design & Features

I don't like to think of myself as a brand-led person, but I'm not going to lie: I like the sleek, stylish appearance of EveryGrain and enjoy the branding. Again, the branding is powerful with Nutribullet; there is something very aligned about the ethos and focus on nutrition, combined with the efficacy and performance of the products, so massive points immediately for that.

It looks visually appealing on the countertop. It's not too large or overwhelming, and it's not heavy at all, so it would be easy to store away in a cupboard if you didn't want to have it out on the counter all the time.

Being dark grey, it does stand out and doesn't necessarily complement the beige in my kitchen, but I don't mind that.

If you don't have a large kitchen, which most people don't, you'll probably want to store your food away, so consider storage or countertop space. For most people, it would likely depend on how frequently they'll use it.

The EveryGrain feels well-constructed, and Nutribullet prides itself on durability. The cooking pot is PFOA-free and non-stick-coated. All the accessories are made of dishwasher-safe plastic; however, the non-stick cooking pot is not dishwasher safe (neither is the base, but as an electrical appliance, that's understandable).

EveryGrain's capacity is significant because of its size. Its 10-cup capacity accommodates up to five dry scoops of rice or grains at a time, as the grains expand as they cook.

You can also cook rice or grains while adding fish and veggies as and when needed for the recipe you are following. This is very convenient, especially if you're only cooking for one or yourself and a partner.

Additionally, it's ideal for cooking five cups of rice for an evening meal for the whole family, for instance. It's simple and easy to focus on the main dishes on the stovetop or in the oven while EveryGrain takes care of the rice for you.

The cooking times vary for each type of grain, protein, or veggie you choose, so it's key to read the manual to pick the correct mode. The controls are easy to understand and intuitive to use.

This steamer is versatile and cooks many foods, including vegetables, meats, grains, and desserts.

The external cooker base doesn't heat up for safety, so there is no risk for little hands. The lid has an intuitive—and fun—push-button opening function, which you can only access from above and with intent. Therefore, children are unlikely to be able to access it, especially high up on a countertop.

• Score: 9/10

Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker: Performance

There's no doubt that if you want light, fluffy, mouth-watering rice that tastes restaurant-quality, there's no beating a good rice cooker, and the EveryGrain is no exception.

I enjoy the eating experience of white and brown rice much more than when cooking it in a pan with boiling water. In general, it's lighter and fluffier. The same goes for porridge and other grains.

The settings make it easy to ensure the perfect result with any grain you're cooking.

At first glance, it does take a little longer to cook the rice in the rice cooker, but only by ten minutes or so, give or take. You can set it and forget it, and there's no worrying about taste tests or running over to the stove to stop the water overboiling, etc.

There's also less mess because everything is contained, and I think something about the containment gives it that fluffiness—it's almost like a pressure cooker but not as intense.

I also noticed that the cooker developed a rice film at the bottom after the cooking time, but that was because the rice had not been washed.

The film that develops is simply a mixture of the water and starch from the rice.

For that reason, professional chefs often recommend rinsing rice three or four times before cooking, but we had some leftovers and weren't bothered by the film.

In the future, I will try to thoroughly rinse the rice as recommended for best results, regardless of how you cook it.

Regarding veggies, the settings are so easy to use, and everything steams beautifully.

Follow the specific instructions for chicken and fish, as results can vary depending on the weight.

The manual advises using a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken's internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

I would also avoid cooking veggies or rice with raw chicken due to the risky nature of chicken when raw, but I wouldn't hesitate for fish. So long as it's cooked thoroughly, it's perfectly fine.

A certain amount of flavor transfer is expected if you choose to cook marinated fish with veggies, for instance, over rice, quinoa, or other grains.

Fish, particularly salmon, has a strong flavor. Any herbs, spices, or oils you use in a marinade or rub can easily transfer as the food steams, but I don't mind. If it bothers you, you might wish to use it only for one type of food at a time.

But plain veggies don't tend to release as much additional flavor into the rice as they would if they were marinated.

• Score: 9/10

Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker: Care & Maintenance

The EveryGrain is so easy to clean. The only downside is that the cooking pot is not dishwasher-safe. However, because it's nonstick, it's a matter of moments to immerse it in hot, soapy water and wipe it down.

The other accessories are dishwasher safe, besides the cooker base as an electrical appliance.

After every use, I would clean all of these elements apart from the base. Of course, switch off the power, unplug it, allow it to cool, and remove the cooking pot to wash it up.

Should the base interior require cleaning occasionally, switch it off, unplug the appliance from the power source, and allow it to cool before wiping it down with a slightly damp but not wet cloth. I wouldn't advise cleaning with sprays or abrasive materials; only clean if necessary.

As mentioned, the EveryGrain is light and relatively compact, so it should fit nicely into most kitchen cupboards. If suitable, it could also be stored in a utility room or on a garage shelf.

If you use it daily, I would leave it out, as you would with an air fryer or a microwave. Ultimately, it's a personal choice, but I can't see any potential storage issues, as it's durable and lightweight.

• Score: 7/10

Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker: Price & Value

The Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker retails at Nutribullet for $69.99 and, at the time of writing, at Amazon for $74.99 and Home Depot for $79.99.

Because of the versatility of EveryGrain and the brand name, I believe this is a fair and reasonable price. It's affordable, and, for many people, it could become a staple everyday kitchen appliance—a very convenient one.

The average price point for food steamers and rice cookers varies considerably in the USA; food steamers cost $30 to over $100, and rice cookers cost $20 to $200 or more for a high-end model.

As the EveryGrain does double duty, I think it's a no-brainer.

• Score: 9/10

Would I buy the Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker?

Yes, having tested the Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker, I would wholeheartedly spend my own money on this appliance. I know its versatility, performance, efficiency, ease of use, and convenience for busy households.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys rice-based dinners, from curries to stews and chillis. It would also be useful for anyone who works from home and regularly makes quinoa, barley, or farro salads for lunch, for instance. Finally, it would be helpful for those who wish to steam more vegetables and fish for health and nutrition reasons.

It's scientifically proven that steaming vegetables is the healthier cooking option. Water-soluble vitamins, including vitamins C and B, are preserved and retained in the vegetables more readily than if they are boiled. This is because the veggies are not directly submerged in the water and because steaming requires lower temperatures.

How does the Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker compare?

A comparable model is the Zojirushi 10-Cup Micom Rice Cooker, which utilizes unique technology to adapt the cooking times to suit the rice as it cooks. However, it is much more expensive, at around $187.

We have also reviewed the Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker, priced around $99 and offers similar versatility.

How I tested the Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker

When reviewing the EveryGrain Cooker, I considered every aspect of the packaging, instructions, and product during the unboxing and set-up process.

I considered its visual appeal, design features, and functions and tested its performance in cooking and steaming numerous types of food.

I tested this appliance for over a month at home with my family of four, and despite little niggles such as the slightly longer cooking time and my error in not washing my rice before cooking, we have enjoyed the EveryGrain, and continue to use it several times a week for our meals.

Thoroughly recommend!

Discover more about how we test.

LG Smart InstaView Refrigerator: Key specs

LG Smart InstaView Refrigerator: Setup

Luckily fridges are one of those appliances where it’s the total norm to have someone haul in, install, and set up for you. Not only is that because they are quite heavy and cumbersome, but because they need specific water hookups, such as in this case, two ice machines.

I did have an issue with this set up, as the initial installers only hooked up one of two, so I did not have ice coming from the dispenser (only the bucket in the freezer) and had to call again. So if you do choose this fridge, ensure the installer is knowledgeable about its unique needs compared to older/other fridges.

Once installed, there’s a bit of a learning curve — you might not realize right away you can knock twice on the fridge door glass to turn the light on, to see if you need more milk soon. Necessary? No. Fun? Definitely.

• Score: 8/10

LG Smart InstaView Refrigerator: Design & Features

The design elements are quite unique, and have visitors asking, “Wait, what does this do?” Here’s what I noticed.

The peek door

It came to be known as the peek door in my home. You can “peek into” the fridge via a window that just opens to show the three sections usually on the full door of a fridge. You know, where you keep those sauces you never use, and might have some coffee creamer from a year ago (no? Just me?). This is where high use items should be kept, in my opinion, for easy access. For my family, this is milk, jelly, cream, syrup, and similar highly used condiments. It’s especially helpful so my kids don’t tell me they can’t find anything. “Seriously? It’s in the peek door!” The only downside is that without rearranging you can’t choose anything very bulky or tall for this area.

The snack drawer

Like many modern fridges, there is a snack drawer at the perfect height for kids. As a parent, I’ve always used this section for foods I’m fine with kids accessing in a grab and go fashion anytime they want, such as cut up fruits and vegetables, yogurt, cheese, drinks, and other items. This drawer is well designed, opens and closes easily, and has intuitive sections that align with how we naturally stock the fridge.

The freezer

The two level freezer has a pullout drawer to allow for more visibility in the fridge. This gives users the ability to see all of their options without bending over, moving stacked objects, and wondering why they never eat all the food in their fridge. Unlike some other fridges I’ve tested, the drawer and the inner pullout section all open and close very easily. There is a bin of ice on the left side that is the second icemaker’s output, and is helpful in a large setting such as a part to have.

• Score: 9/10

LG Smart InstaView Refrigerator: Performance

Temperature Performance

This fridge is, well, FRIGID. I had to lower the temperature multiple times, which had a small learning curve. I think of the buttons as having a “shift” button on a keyboard — there are multiple functions for each button, and you have to access that second row of options to get to some of them. In the first few weeks, I found frozen cucumbers, strawberries, and other produce, while I learned that this fridge’s definition of cold and mine are slightly different. But, once I played with the settings, I found a happy medium that kept my food cold, not rock hard.

Ice Maker and Water Dispenser Performance

The ice maker and water dispenser on the top front of the fridge is one of the most poorly designed features. It confuses guests, who frequent the water dispenser, and I may even eventually have to put a little sticker on the options to denote their meaning. The problem is that instead of pushing the button for what you want (ice vs. water, for example) you push the button in the front to move the “select” function over to ice. So, many a guest have been sprayed with water thinking ice was coming out.

Additionally, I have very few glasses that are able to catch all the ice cubes shooting out of this thing. Instead, unless you are using a very wide cup, some always end up on the floor. I think the designers should adjust the angle of the ice dispenser internally, so that the average cup catches the ice cubes — though my dog does enjoy catching them as half of them fall to the floor.

However, the ice maker has been more reliable overall than some, though it does take a few seconds to wake up and begin dispensing ice.

Smart Features

Ever wish your fridge would match your next party theme? Me neither, but this one does. The fridge pairs with the “Thin IQ” app that allows you to set timers and colors for your fridge light, inside that peek door, for a specific ambiance in your kitchen. It’s one of those extras that can feel kitschy or cool depending on the day — on an average Tuesday morning rolling down in pajamas to set up my kids’ breakfast, it sure doesn’t matter if my fridge light is purple or red. But, my kids have enjoyed knocking on the fridge to get the light to turn on.

• Score: 7/10

LG Smart InstaView Refrigerator: Care & Maintenance

Owners are encouraged to use a non-abrasive and non-flammable cleaner to maintain both the interior and exterior of the refrigerator. While the refrigerator and the freezer both defrost on their own, LG does recommend cleaning both portions of the appliance to prevent odors. A mixture of baking soda and water may be helpful on the inside walls of the fridge to further eliminate odors.

The exterior of the refrigerator should be cleaned using a damp microfiber cloth in the direction of the grain. This will help prevent scratching and streaking. Door gaskets and liners should also be wiped down using a soft cloth with mild detergent. Like most stainless steel appliances, I did notice that the fridge picked up all of my children’s handprints, but they were easily wiped with a microfiber cloth as LG suggested. The glass peek-through door also showcased fingerprints but nothing that required heavy scrubbing.

Finally, LG recommends cleaning the condenser cover and vents with a vacuum cleaner. This will help prevent dust buildup and ensure that the fridge runs optimally.

• Score: 9/10

LG Smart InstaView Refrigerator: Price & Value

This LG refrigerator can be purchased through the LG website for $3099. The company frequently has price reductions and rebates, so it’s worth visiting their website for the latest pricing. You can also purchase this refrigerator through Home Depot and Best Buy. Both businesses currently list the price at $2699.99.

Additionally, the refrigerator can be purchased through locally-owned appliance businesses. Price and availability may vary.

• Score: 7/10

LG Smart InstaView Refrigerator: User Reviews

Many of the owners of this refrigerator appreciate its spacious storage, noting that the height of the shelves are useful for a variety of products. Additionally, the Flex Drawer was a great asset for active households–easily switched between refrigerator or freezer storage depending on storage needs. The overall quality of the appliance was spoken highly of, and reviews indicate that owners feel they have a top-of-the-line appliance for the money paid.

Some reviewers did note that they felt the app wasn’t as functional as they’d hoped, and while the glass window on the door was helpful for some, it was a consistent positive for owners. Additionally, the dual-zone ice maker caused problems for some with owners sharing it didn’t consistently make ice or the ice produced tasted like plastic.

Would I buy the LG Smart InstaView Refrigerator?

If you're looking for a sleek, modern refrigerator with advanced technology, this model could be perfect for you. Its flat-panel doors offer a contemporary aesthetic and customizable storage. The Flex Drawer adapts to your changing food storage needs, allowing you to easily switch between refrigerator and freezer space.

For tech enthusiasts, this refrigerator is equipped with ThinkQ capabilities, keeping you informed about usage patterns, door status, and maintenance needs. Plus, you can customize the LED lighting inside to match your mood.

However, if smart technology isn't important to you, you might want to consider other options. While it's not necessary to operate the fridge, you may end up paying for features you won’t use. Additionally, the freezer’s two-tier organization could be inconvenient, as the absence of a drawer divider means you may have to dig around for your favorite snacks.

How does the LG Smart InstaView Refrigerator compare?

While this model offers a lot of great storage, if you need slightly more storage, LG does offer a similar model with a 30.7 cu. foot capacity. The main difference between the two models is the presence of the Flex Drawer, which disappears with the larger capacity fridge.

Additional brands also offer a flex drawer option for a slightly smaller price tag. GE offers a similar size appliance with a 4 zone temperature drawer for $2599. Samsung also offers a similar model for $1999.

How I tested the LG Smart InstaView Refrigerator

For more information on how we review products, click here.

Key things I paid attention to during my review of this fridge were:

Unboxing: I noted details about the packaging and how the fridge arrived. Were there scratches on the appliance and was packaging recyclable? I also reviewed the instructions to ensure that the company provided detail and clarity so the appliance could be used in short order.

Performance: I tested the fridge using my typical food products and temperature needs. I evaluated how my produce and perishable items did in the fridge and if the temperature stayed consistent or had times where it got too cold or too warm.

Cleaning, Storage, and Maintenance: With a family of 7, I paid attention to the storage options and their usefulness to my young family. I also noted the ease of opening and closing the fridge–even those times when I might have a baby or toddler on my hip. It was also important to me to evaluate how easy it was to remove all those little fingerprints from the front of it, or how quickly a spill could be contained on the fridge shelves.

If you live in a wintery climate (like me), you can relate to the following; clearing snow off your car in the dead of winter is one of the least pleasant things in… life. A common tool for this task is a portable snow brush that people often leave in their cars. The problem with this, is you usually get your hands snowy, wet, and cold. And it's really easy to brush snow onto your shoes, getting your feet wet. That’s where the Echo eForce DPB-2500 can shine - snow removal without all the hassle a brush brings.

The Echo eForce DPB-2500 is cordless and battery-powered. Take it out of your garage, blow off the snow on your car while your car is warming up, and no snow on the hands or feet. Well, that’s the idea anyway. But would it actually suffice as a snow removal tool? Is it powerful enough to remove heavy accumulations of snow? Or would you be better off just brushing the snow off? These are all the questions we answer throughout our testing.

Note: Below we evaluate the Echo eForce DPB-2500 on its performance and suitability for winter conditions. We aim to provide an outside-the-box look to snow removal this winter.

Echo eForce DPB-2500: Key specs

Echo eForce DPB-2500: Setup

There isn’t much to setting up the Echo eForce DPB-2500. The blower comes mostly preassembled, and all that’s needed is to charge the 5Ah battery and insert it into the designated slot located just behind the handle.

The battery takes approximately an hour and half (90 minutes) to fully charge. This was a little longer than stated on the website, but more on that in the performance section below. Once the battery clicks into place, the blower is ready to go for leaf…, I mean, snow removal.

• Score: 10/10

Echo eForce DPB-2500: Design & Features

At nine pounds with the battery installed, picking it up and moving it around was no problem, though extended use can lead to some hand and arm fatigue, which I came to find while cleaning off the car, but again, more on that later.

One of our favorite features is the locking trigger, allowing you to lock the trigger in place, so you don’t have to continually hold it down. This creates a convenient and consistent flow of air. And when you need to call upon more air blowing power, a turbo button jacks up the blowing power a notch to remove that heavier bit of snow accumulation.

But you can’t lock the turbo. That sits atop the trigger and needs to be pressed with your thumb as you hold the leaf blower.

The build quality is largely made from plastic, but it feels sturdy. We noticed the blower tube is well-proportioned and distributes its weight nicely - it's not top-heavy or overly handle-heavy. This helps maintain a good balance in your hand while in use.

• Score: 9/10

Echo eForce DPB-2500: Performance

Remember, my testing focused on the Echo eForce DPB-2500’s performance as a snow removal device for clearing snow. I put it to the test after a storm left about five inches of snow accumulation. Its primary use case was how well it would remove snow from a vehicle.

I was pleasantly surprised by how it was able to remove that much snow. At that point, it wasn’t a matter of whether it could clear the snow, but how long it would take.

With only using the Echo eForce blower, though it took 10-15 minutes to fully clear a Subaru Impreza Hatchback. Lifting it to reach the roof started to become tiresome. I often had to switch arms due to fatigue as I held up the blower to get the roof.

With that portion of the testing concluded, while it could remove up to five inches of snow, the time-consuming nature almost makes it not worth it. Now, if there were only a couple of inches of snow, it left me with no doubt that it would breeze through it. Your hands and feet would remain dry and your car would be cleared off in half the time.

As for snow removal on a flat surface, it's a little more of a mixed bag. Blowing air onto the snow isn’t as directional as a snow blower tossing in the area you choose. The Echo Leaf Blower did blow snow out of the way, but it certainly scatters far more than snow removal with a snow blower or shovel.

Ideally, you probably shouldn’t use a leaf blower as a snow removal device on any more than a small surface like a porch. It certainly cleared a path, and was much less labor intensive as a shovel, but not as clean as one either.

As far as the battery is concerned, with a mix of turbo mode and full power, the blower lasted 31 minutes, and when I pinned the throttle down for continuous use the run time was extended to 33 minutes.

This indicates that turbo mode, though slightly more power-intensive, is still efficient. Charging the battery required about 1.5 hours, which is a bit longer than the 75 minutes listed on the website.

Overall, the blower isn’t designed for heavy-duty snow removal, (heck it’s a leaf blower, not a snow blower), but I found it to be a useful tool for quick snow removal more ideal for lighter snowfall.

• Score: 6.5/10

Echo eForce DPB-2500: Care & Maintenance

The best thing you can do is ensure the blower is dry after each use. Take a towel and wipe down the blower to dry before it is stored away.

When it comes time to store the Echo eForce DPB-2500, don't store it with the battery installed. Also, don't store it by a window where it receives direct sunlight for long periods of time. Keep it in a dry place.

Be sure to remove the battery. And if you are going to store it for long periods of time, don't charge the battery fully or store the battery completely drained.

• Score: 10/10

Echo eForce DPB-2500: Price & Value

The Echo eForce DPB-2500 is available through major retailers such as Home Depot and Amazon as well as the Echo website. Pricing typically falls around $129 for the tool-only option, $199 for the battery and standard charger, and $249 for the battery with rapid charger.

• Score: 9/10

Would I buy the Echo eForce DPB-2500?

Yes, why not? It was powerful enough to blow away several inches of snow, and obviously, has other use cases come summer and fall, making it a versatile yard tool for all seasons.

That being said, its weight can become a factor during prolonged use. If you are going to use it for snow removal, the lighter the snow, the better.

How does the Echo eForce DPB-2500 Compare?

When compared to a top contender like the Greenworks 80V Jet Blower, the Echo eForce DPB-2500 is the more affordable of the two options (tool only). The Greenworks model offers more power but the DPB-2500 has a longer tested run time.

Compared to the Enhulk 930 CMF leaf blower, the Enhulk is more powerful, and has better battery performance, but is heavier.

Overall, you save a little bit of cash going with the Echo and standard charger, yet you’ll still reap the benefits of good performance.

How I tested the Echo eForce DPB-2500

Testing included clearing snow from a car and walkway after a storm that left about five inches of accumulation. Battery life was measured during mixed-use and continuous runtime at full power. I also measured performance based on efficiency, ease of use, and portability during our snow removal testing.

Discover more about how we test here.

While we were considering typical summer and fall yard tools in this new light, we decided to abandon the snow shovel this winter and turn to another unconventional match for tackling snowy walkways and patios: the Echo Pro Paddle Attachment powered by the Echo eForce DPAS-2100. Though primarily used and marketed for summer yard projects, like edging your yard (the trimmer) and removing debris like rocks and pine needles from grass (the Pro Paddle), we tested this combination as a winter tool instead.

Now, we get it; the idea of using a pro paddle for snow removal might seem… odd, but it makes total sense functionally. The Pro Paddle Attachment is designed to sweep heavy debris like rocks from your yard without damaging grass. From that premise alone, we knew it wouldn’t damage a walkway, deck, or patio and, theoretically, should be powerful enough to toss snow.

We couldn’t help ourselves – we were too curious to see how this summertime combo would stack up against more typical snow removal tools. Could this combo provide the portability and versatility of a cordless system while offering enough power to deal with snow-covered patios and walkways? Could this eliminate the need to mess with gas or yank cords to start the blower? Or stain your back as you lift and toss heavy snow with a shovel? Read on to find out how Echo Pro Paddle Attachment and Echo eForce DPAS-2100 did in our winter tool testing.

Pro Paddle Attachment: Key specs

Echo eForce DPAS-2100: Key specs

Pro Paddle Attachment and Echo eForce DPAS-2100: Setup

The setup was straightforward. All you need to do for the motor is attach the additional handle grip to a comfortable position. The installation's critical part is ensuring you correctly put the drive shaft into the Paddle and motor. If not, the device will toss debris towards the user, which is dangerous. By following the instructions carefully, it was simple to ensure the drive shaft was correctly installed and turned clockwise (which seems counterintuitive because it's spinning towards you but scoops and throws snow away from you).

Once the Pro Paddle was installed, the battery needed to be charged and inserted into the back of the motor.

• Score: 8/10

Pro Paddle Attachment and Echo eForce DPAS-2100: Design & Features

The Pro Paddle and DPAS-2100 combination weighs over 20 pounds when fully assembled, with most of the weight concentrated at the paddle’s front. That was the first thing I noticed - this device felt heavy. The typical allure of battery-powered yard devices is that they are lightweight. This was anything but.

Additionally, if you think of all other traditional snow blowers and throwers, the throwing mechanism – the spinning part of the design that lifts the snow, and in this case, the Paddle – is typically covered by a housing. This paddle is exposed. This warrants extra caution, as the spinning mechanism is powerful, and nothing can protect your hands or feet.

Thankfully, the motor does have a trigger safety mechanism that prevents accidental starts. You have to kick the stand forward with one finger and then pull down on the trigger to start the Paddle.

• Score: 5/10

Pro Paddle Attachment and Echo eForce DPAS-2100: Performance

With roughly five inches of snow accumulation on my back patio and walkways, the Pro Paddle Attachment had plenty of snow to remove. While it technically worked to clear snow, there is a significant caveat. Unlike a snow blower, which can throw snow from side to side, the paddle lacks directional tossing capability. The Pro Paddle would scoop up the snow but continue tossing it about a foot forward – in the path you’re trying to clear. If your path had a perpendicular end, let's say a patio that meets grass, then you’re golden. The Pro Paddle can push it forward to the end. But if you’re on a walkway or sidewalk, just keep pilling snow. Without directional throwing capabilities, the device's ease of use as a snow removal tool was limited.

The machine’s weight and rotational resistance made matters a bit more challenging. The clockwise rotation, designed to scoop and toss debris, pushes back against your forward motion. Think of it as trying to walk up an escalator moving downwards (a bit extreme, but you get the idea). You can feel the resistance. That, combined with the heavy 20-pound weight, made clearing snow difficult after about 10 minutes, unlike shoveling snow, but not as easy as standing behind a snow blower.

Another worthy note is the skidding sound it makes as you work it across the ground to lift snow. It kind of sounds like skidding tires. It doesn’t sound like a conventional snow removal tool. So much so that my neighbor came out of his house to see what I was doing; it’s not any louder than a typical snow blower, but it does sound different when used.

As for run time, the battery life averaged 27 minutes under continuous operation in our testing. We could charge the battery on both the standard charger and the rapid charger. The fast charger does cut the charging time down significantly, only taking a little over a half hour to charge. You can expect to wait closer to 75 minutes for it to charge without it.

• Score: 4/10

Pro Paddle Attachment and Echo eForce DPAS-2100: Care & Maintenance

The Pro Paddle Attachment feels sturdy. Although the paddle is made of soft rubber, the gear casing and pole are metal and feel solid.

After you've cleared the snow, it is always a bright idea to completely dry the machine before it is stored. The Pro Paddle has a metal gear housing. Moisture leads to rust, which eventually ruins your machine.

Finally, the drive shaft requires lubrication with gear oil (Lithium Base Grease, Mobil SCH634 Synthetic Gear Oil, to be super specific) every 25 hours of operation. But if you only use the device to clear off decks or small services, theoretically, it could be a couple of years before that is required. Of course, that depends on use.

• Score: 8/10

Pro Paddle Attachment and Echo eForce DPAS-2100: Price & Value

The DPAS-2100 is available through Echo’s website and Home Depot. The Pro Paddle Attachment is available through Echo’s website, Home Depot, and Amazon. The motor typically retails for $249.99, while the Pro Paddle Attachment adds $349.99 if ordered through the Echo Website. You can find it on Amazon for a small discount of $329.00.

• Score: 3/10

Would I buy the Pro Paddle Attachment and Echo eForce DPAS-2100?

I see the intrigue here. It is a one-size-fits-all yard tool with several attachments. While it may be a king of summer, it didn’t quite work as well as I'd hoped for snow removal. That and the combined price make it close to $600, where you can find a more than capable battery-powered snow blower in that price range.

How does the Pro Paddle Attachment and Echo eForce DPAS-2100 compare?

Compared to the Snow Joe 24V-X2-SB22, the Pro Paddle combo has difficulty matching up. Neither has self-propulsion, but the Snow Joe is much easier to push around. It also has directional throwing capabilities, which the Pro Paddle lacks.

A more apples-to-apples comparison is the Enhulk 20V Snow Shovel. The Pro Paddle has a wider clearing path and can handle deeper snow, but the Enhulk can toss snow directionally. It just can’t handle more than a few inches. But the Enhulk is also lighter, easier to maneuver, and significantly cheaper.

How I tested the Pro Paddle Attachment and Echo eForce DPAS-2100

I used the device to clear about five inches of snow after an overnight winter storm. We evaluated its ability to clear patios and walkways, noting its effectiveness, ergonomics, and battery performance. Runtime tests included pinning the trigger to run the machine nonstop until the battery died and timing how long it took to recharge.

It won’t cook an entire roast, a big bag of frozen vegetables or French fries, or even more than a few chicken drumsticks. But it does well if you keep portions small and don’t overlap items. People with limited space, mainly vertical underneath an upper cabinet, might appreciate its compact, square, simple shape.

However, a few design elements could be improved, such as the fact that, like some others, the drawer falls when you pull it out. It's not on a track like some air fryers. This product is a must-have for cooking for one to two people or just reheating leftovers.

Midea 5.5 QT Air Fryer: Key specs

Midea 5.5 QT Air Fryer: Setup

My first impression of this product was how cute it was! It was smaller and more square than other bulky fryers I’ve tested, so I wondered if it would perform as well.

I also noticed that the material and glass front at the bottom seemed very high-quality and well-constructed. However, I was concerned about the length of the cord and had to carefully choose where to set it. For example, it didn’t reach around the edge of the island counter and down to a plug halfway to the ground.

These minor limitations gave me pause, but I was excited to get cooking when I saw special features like the +1-minute button for easy time-increasing and the favorite setting to remember your most frequently used time and temperature.

• Score: 7/10

Midea 5.5 QT Air Fryer: Design & Features

The Midea 5.5 QT HeatExpress Air Fryer is compact, measuring 13.5 x 10.7 x 11.8 inches. Unlike some of the air fryers I’ve tested in the past, this one fits nicely on my counter without feeling like I’ve wedged it underneath my upper cabinets.

I also loved that it was lightweight (9.8 lbs!). It makes it portable, which I appreciate when transporting food for my big Greek family gatherings.

However, my favorite design feature of this air fryer has to be the “Favorite” button. Think of it like a pre-set channel for your cooking preferences. It stores your preferred temperature and time, so a single button makes cooking those dino nuggets three times a week incredibly seamless. I also liked the “+1” feature, which added a minute to the cooking time without waiting for the end of a cooking cycle to decide if the food needed additional time.

In terms of its exterior, it is sleek and modern, though I admit I’m not as crazy about the glass window on this model as it shows smudges. With five kids in my house, I’d prefer one less thing to have to wipe down when it comes to fingerprints.

The design also lacks in a few other areas. Compared to other air fryers I’ve had, this Midea model's power cord seems shorter. While it wasn’t a deal breaker for me, as I could find a space where the air fryer could be close to an outlet, it might be for those with smaller kitchens or fewer outlets available.

I also noted in the design that the drawer can be difficult to remove. While the air fryer does have some grippers on the bottom of it, most of the time, because of the wiggling required to remove the drawer, I found that the entire unit moved too–something that is less than ideal when you have hot food and kids running around the kitchen.

• Score: 8/10

Midea 5.5 QT Air Fryer: Performance

As someone experienced in testing air fryers, I like to cook potatoes to determine if the product can do much more than simply crisp up the outside of denser food. As anyone who has eaten potatoes knows, they can sometimes cook well on the outside but not entirely on the inside, especially if you rush them.

So, I tested the “bake” setting of the air fryer to determine how well I felt the potatoes (small sweet potatoes with cuts in them) cooked. I also tested them on air fry, and while both worked well, the air fry setting resulted in a crunchier outside. The potatoes were cooked around the same length as in an oven or a bit quicker. However, it worked more quickly to cut them into small pieces and periodically shake the basket to mix them up better.

This air fryer has a nonstick base. This is essential when cooking various meats, anything with a glaze, or crisping up fried eggs. Food can easily adhere to the bottom during the frying process if it doesn’t have a well-performing, nonstick surface.

I tested the nonstick functions using a vegetable medley covered in a sauce (which included a little sugar, making it stickier). Although the vegetables caramelized into a lovely glaze in the air fryer, I had no issues removing them at the end. The nonstick surface performed well.

As a parent cooking for a large family, sometimes I need to cook more than just a few pieces of chicken. So, I tested the air fryer to see how it would perform when there were two layers of food, such as chicken tenderloins.

As with some other air fryers, but not all, this didn’t go too well. The bottoms of the bottom row and the tops of the top row were cooked well, but the basket frequently needed to be mixed up or shaken a bit so everything cooked evenly.

I did appreciate, though, that underneath the air fryer, an inch or so of space allows air to fry the food properly from the bottom with enough clearance.

• Score: 8/10

Midea 5.5 QT Air Fryer: Care & maintenance

When cleaning an air fryer, there’s nothing worse than a problematic basket to remove stuck food. Fortunately, this Midea air fryer didn’t have either when maintaining a clean cooking surface.

The non-stick cooking basket makes cleaning up a breeze. Unlike some competitors, the basket doesn’t require extra time to scrub away cooked food, and it’s also dishwasher safe to save you cleaning time and energy.

The company recommends that owners clean the basket as soon as possible to avoid damaging the nonstick coating. Erosion can occur if oil or food particles are left behind. They also recommend that owners avoid using hard or sharp items like a wire brush to clean the air fryer, as this will prevent the air fryer from getting scratched.

Additional recommendations include wiping out the air fryer with a soft cloth and using a neutral detergent. This will help prolong the machine's integrity. If you notice any chipping of the non-stick surface on the basket, it’s best to replace the basket or appliance.

Not every machine is perfect, but here are some solutions to common problems:

Uneven cooking: If your items are being cooked unevenly, consider shaking them in the basket halfway through cooking time. This will help ensure that the food continues to cook evenly and that heat is evenly distributed.

Difficulty sliding the basket into the appliance: It’s important not to overfill it, as doing so can make reinserting it difficult. Also, ensure that the basket is placed in the appliance correctly.

Items aren’t crispy: Not all foods are created equal regarding air frying. Ensure the foods you’re preparing are made for the air fryer, not traditional deep frying. You also might want to lightly brush oil, such as canola oil, on your foods to help them crisp in the air fryer.

This air fryer is smaller than others so that it can be stored in a kitchen cabinet, pantry, or countertop. When storing it on your countertop, please unplug the appliance after each use to prevent fires.

The manufacturer also recommends not to store additional items on top of the air fryer, as this can damage the appliance's exterior.

• Score: 9/10

Midea 5.5 QT Air Fryer: Price & Value

The Midea 5.5 QT HeatExpress Air Fryer is currently available through Amazon for $63.53. It is also available online through Target, Home Depot and Walmart.

Prices vary by retailer but most stay within the $60 to $80 range for this specific product.

• Score: 8/10

Would I buy the Midea 5.5 QT Air Fryer?

Consider buying this air fryer if you need a quick-cooking appliance that heats up quickly. Its Heat Express Technology ensures even cooking. Its modern design is aesthetically pleasing and doesn't take up much counter space, making it ideal for one or two people and perfect for cooking single items like fries or wings.

However, if you prefer cooking full meals at once or have limited kitchen outlets, this might not be the best choice. Its capacity is small, meaning you can’t prepare meals for larger families, and the short power cord can complicate placement in your kitchen.

How does the Midea 5.5 QT Air Fryer compare?

For larger families, I would recommend a model like the Midea Dual Zone Air Fryer or the Toshiba 7.7-Quart Air Fryer both of which I have tested and reviewed myself.

Check out our Top Ten Reviews favorites in our buying guide for the best air fryers.

How I tested the Midea 5.5 QT Air Fryer

Here’s how we test, including the following for this product:

Unboxing

When I unboxed the air fryer, I noticed the packaging had protected the product well. The instructions were clear, though the simplicity of the buttons and product design suggests they are unnecessary.

Assembly

The product arrived assembled and ready to use. However, as with any cooking product, washing the parts that will contact food before beginning use is advised. I plugged it in and was ready to go.

Performance

To test the air fryer, I cooked various foods my family would typically eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I tried the numerous settings on the product but used the actual “air fry” button most frequently. I also attempted to add more cooking time and tried various time frames and temperatures.

Cleaning, Storage, and Maintenance

As with many air fryers, cleaning the air fryer was easy. I tested this by removing the tray, washing it with soap and water by hand, drying it, and returning it to its compartment. Storage testing involved ensuring that it would fit under upper cabinets, as people will likely use it on a kitchen counter.

Finally, I determined that it is lightweight, allowing people to quickly move it to a pantry or other storage area. It also didn’t need any maintenance.

Founded in Detroit in 1909, Eureka built its reputation on innovative vacuum designs - and the J15 Pro Ultra is no exception. This high-tech robot vacuum has features to simplify cleaning, from simultaneous mopping and vacuuming to intelligent sensors that map out your home.

The self-cleaning J15 Pro Ultra promises to navigate your home precisely, avoiding obstacles while delivering a thorough clean with an impressive suction power of 16,200 Pa. Plus, you can control everything from your smartphone, from setting cleaning schedules to blocking off no-go zones and keeping track of its performance.

We tested the J15 Pro Ultra in a busy family home with pets and kids to see how it compares in design, usability, and cleaning power. If the J15 Pro Ultra isn’t quite what you’re after, check out our guide to the best robot vacuums for other great options.

Eureka J15 Pro Ultra : Key specs

Eureka J15 Pro Ultra: Price & availability

The Eureka J15 Pro Ultra retails for $999.99; however, it's often discounted and can be picked up even cheaper when on sale. It's available directly from Eureka and other retailers, such as Amazon.

Its price places it in the higher price bracket for robot vacuums, reflecting its advanced features and premium design. However, Eureka also provides a 2-year warranty on parts and labor, reassuring you of the expensive outlay.

At this price, the J15 Pro Ultra is more expensive than models like the Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner ($699.99) and the Eufy X10 Pro Omni ($799.99), both of which include features such as self-emptying bases. However, the J15 Pro Ultra justifies its cost with precise mapping technology, super-strong suction, and excellent app-based controls, which allow custom cleaning schedules and real-time video 'patrol' monitoring.

While it may not suit every budget, the J15 Pro Ultra is a solid choice for those looking for a reliable and highly capable robot vacuum, mainly if smart functionality and performance are priorities.

Score: 7/10

Eureka J15 Pro Ultra: Setup

Setting up the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra was straightforward and hassle-free. The vacuum arrived securely packaged in a sturdy box neatly organized in custom-molded cardboard. Inside, I found all the essential components, including the side brush, base station, robot, and versatile multi-voltage power adapter.

The power adapter was incredibly convenient, with sliders to switch between US, UK, and EU plug types. This made it easy to get started without worrying about compatibility.

Attaching the side brushes and mops was also simple; all components snapped into place quickly without any tools. The clean and dirty water tanks are also easily handled and slot smoothly into the base station.

The instructions are clear and helpful, but most of the assembly feels self-explanatory. From unboxing and setting up the app to running its first exploratory cleaning cycle, it took me about 15 minutes to get the J15 Pro Ultra set up and ready to go, although I had to wait around an hour for it to charge up fully. The process was quick and effortless, making a great first impression.

Score: 9/10

Eureka J15 Pro Ultra : Design

The Eureka J15 Pro Ultra is thoughtfully designed, featuring a sleek, modern aesthetic that blends seamlessly into any home. Available in black or white, its matte finish looks great and helps resist fingerprints and smudges.

Unlike traditional round robot vacuums, the J15 Pro Ultra has a rounded-square design, which allows for tighter cleaning along edges and corners. At 4.61 inches, it has a slightly taller profile than most robots. This is because it also uses a LiDAR navigation tower and RGB camera, which enhance its mapping capability and object detection.

The base station complements the vacuum well, although it may be a little bulky for smaller homes, measuring 15.6 × 18.0 × 18.4 inches. However, this is because it houses two 0.8-gallon water tanks—one for clean water and one for dirty water, providing an all-in-one solution for self-cleaning. The station also supports key features like automatic mop washing with hot water, hot air drying for the mop pads, and powerful suction for debris collection. While it lacks an automatic cleaning agent refill, the setup more than makes up for it with its efficiency and reliability.

Pairing the J15 Pro Ultra with the Eureka app via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is pretty simple, guided by a QR code under the vacuum’s hinged cover. The process takes around five minutes. The app is well-designed, making it easy to customize cleaning schedules, zones, and modes. You can even set AI cleaning functions, such as adjusting mopping temperature based on humidity and temperature or strategically cleaning key areas when it identifies liquid or particle spills - more on how that fared in our testing.

I liked the little ‘Flex-arm’ that pops out when the J15 Pro Ultra approaches the the edges. Not only is it super cute, but it also means it’s getting as close as 0.05 to the walls. The main roller brush also features innovative ‘FlexiRazor’ blades that prevent hair tangles by cutting any hair—a great feature if you live in a home with pets or long-haired family members!

Score: 8/10

Eureka J15 Pro Ultra: Performance

Over two weeks of testing the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra at home, I assessed its performance on liquids and debris types on hard floors, including thick sauces, sticky honey, milk, spilled cereal, oats, and flour.

The Eureka J15 Pro Ultra handled particles like flour and oats exceptionally well. Its rotating front brush swept debris under the robot for vacuuming. While it took a few passes to clear everything (as is familiar with robot vacuums), not a single particle was left behind.

Edge cleaning was particularly impressive, thanks to the retractable mops at the back of the unit and the 'Flex-arm,' which allowed it to get remarkably close to edges—closer than any other high-end robot vacuum I’ve tested.

In spot-cleaning mode, the J15 Pro Ultra efficiently tackled a puddle of spilled milk and a streak of tomato sauce, repeatedly turning in the area to mop up the liquid. Although thorough, it had to return to the base station three times for mop cleaning, which felt excessive and extended the overall cleaning time. However, it’s reassuring to know the J15 Pro Ultra uses hot water to clean its mops and avoids cleaning your floor with dirty tools—an especially handy feature for homes with pets or children. After cleaning, the vacuum marked the spillages on the map with a green tick, indicating completion.

The mapping technology is remarkably detailed. It even identifies items like the bin, the pet bowl, and my feet in the kitchen—something I’ve never seen in other robot vacuums.

The app offers multiple cleaning modes, such as deep clean, quick clean, and fully clean, and includes customizable options like "after-dinner cleaning" or "sweeping before mopping."

The J15 Pro Ultra performed impressively on carpets, efficiently removing pet hair and debris. It even informed me that it was cutting any tangled hair during self-cleaning.

The vacuum integrates seamlessly with voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa via the Eureka app. It uses automatic LED headlights to illuminate its environments in low light levels, underneath a sofa, for example, or in the evening.

It maintains an impressively low noise level of around 45 dB during operation, ensuring it won’t disrupt your household routines. However, noise levels rise during self-cleaning - up to 65 dB when self-emptying and 55 dB while washing the mops.

Its navigation is smooth and precise, effortlessly maneuvering around furniture and obstacles without getting stuck. Unlike every other robot vacuum I’ve tested, which often needed rescuing from rugs or chair bases, the J15 Pro Ultra handled these challenges flawlessly.

While you can go for days without manually emptying the dust bin cartridge or the dirty water tank, emptying both is easy. Simply lift out the dirty water tank and pour away, while you can access the dust bin cartridge by lifting the flap on the robot unit itself.

If you’re looking for a powerful, stylish, and user-friendly robot vacuum that excels at vacuuming and mopping, the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra is an excellent choice.

Score: 9/10

Eureka J15 Pro Ultra: Maintenance

Regular maintenance is essential to keeping your Eureka J15 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop running smoothly.

Clean the base station, dust collector, and other key parts as the manual recommends. This helps prevent build-up and maintain strong suction power.

For items like the roller brush and side brush, weekly cleaning is recommended, while deeper cleans every few months - like rinsing the water tanks and wiping down the debris tray - help ensure long-term performance. Keeping up with these simple maintenance tips will ensure your robot vac stays efficient and your home stays clean.

Score: 8/10

Eureka J15 Pro Ultra: User reviews

The Eureka J15 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop has a mix of feedback on Amazon but manages to hold on to an impressive 4.5 stars out of 5.

Many users appreciate its self-cleaning base, strong suction, and efficient vacuuming and mopping, particularly in households with pets. Features like the self-emptying base, hot water wash, and anti-tangle technology are often praised. One user said, 'The hot water washing and anti-tangle technology have been game-changers, saving me so much time,' while another noted, 'The suction power is impressive, effortlessly removing pet hair and debris.'

On the other hand, some reviewers have reported minor performance issues. A few users found the suction on carpets and hardwoods inconsistent, with one saying, 'It struggles to pick up larger debris from carpets, leaving some dirt behind.' Some users have also encountered difficulties with the LiDAR navigation system, with one user stating, 'After just 15 minutes, the robot stopped due to a LiDAR error. I’ve read similar complaints online about LiDAR units getting stuck.'

Would I buy the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra?

The Eureka J15 Pro Ultra is a strong choice if you want a high-performance cleaner that vacuums and mops simultaneously, with powerful suction and precise navigation. Its self-cleaning system adds convenience, but the high price might be a drawback. It's an excellent option for those seeking premium, hands-off cleaning, provided your budget allows, but you can find similarly impressive robot vacuums for a few hundred dollars less.

How does the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra compare?

While the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra does a great job cleaning carpets and hard floors, it comes with a hefty price tag. Other wet/dry vacs may be a smarter bet if you're on a budget, such as the Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum. It vacuums and mops hard floors simultaneously, saving you precious time on cleaning. With 45 minutes of runtime per charge, it’s a handy choice for quick clean-ups, though it won't handle carpets like the J15.

If you want something similar to the J15 Pro Ultra but want a better user experience on the app, the Eufy X10 Pro Omni could be correct for you. You can set no-go zones, cleaning intensity, cleaning mode (mop or vacuum or Smart clean, which uses both intelligently), cleaning schedules, and much more. You can also connect it to your Amazon Alexa, a doddle. However, the Eufy doesn't boast the same powerful suction as the J15 Pro Ultra.

If you're after something a little more stylish than the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra, the Yeedi Mop Station Pro features a glossy white design and many of the same features. However, it can't store multiple maps, and the mops don't reach the edges.

How I tested the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra

At Top Ten Reviews, we are committed to providing our readers with honest and reliable reviews of products, including the best wet and dry vacuums. Our expert reviewers conduct extensive research and thorough testing to ensure we recommend only the best products to our readers.

Our reviewers possess experience and industry knowledge, allowing them to identify and analyze the most critical features of every wet/dry vacuum. They then test these products, evaluating setup, performance, ease of use, maintenance, and more, to deliver comprehensive and consistent reviews.

We test each wet/dry vacuum to ensure our reviews are accurate and reliable. We aim to provide readers with authentic and trustworthy reviews to help them make well-informed purchase decisions.

For more information about our testing protocols, please visit our comprehensive guide on how we test.

The 6.3 cu. ft. Smart Gas Slide-in Range with InstaView® ProBake Convection®, Air Fry, and Air Sous Vide’s wide variety of abilities might even take you a while to fully grasp, as it has so many capabilities that you will likely have to spend time getting to know each other.

I was immediately impressed with the range's look, which resembles something you’d find in a professional chef’s home kitchen—before you open it to reveal a shiny royal blue inside the door and oven. The fifth burner with a skillet option is a game changer for any pancake or sandwich fan, providing significant additional cooking space on the stovetop.

One of the most unique features is a knob to turn the oven itself on and off near where the stovetop burners are. This takes some getting used to, and as someone with little kids, I wasn’t a big fan of their access to that.

Overall, the range is innovative and has comprehensive abilities that you’ll come to appreciate more with each unique meal you cook on it. For more, take a look at some of the best gas ranges in our guide.

LG LSGL6337F 6.3 Cu. Ft. Smart Slide-In Gas True Convection Range: Key specs

LG LSGL6337F 6.3 Cu. Ft. Smart Slide-In Gas True Convection Range: Setup

The delivery service brought the range in, and I immediately noticed its unexpected blue lining inside. It’s quite pretty and hides unsightly dirt, stains, and marks that a typical oven might show more easily. The outside is black or “print-proof” stainless steel, which hides marks slightly better than other options. However, I wouldn’t call it completely print-proof.

The setup wasn’t as involved as I’ve seen with other ranges, and the installers were finished in just a few minutes. They simply slid the range into place, plugged it in, and tested it out. Everything was seamless. However, due to the product size, it did take two people.

I first noticed how much higher the burner grates were than my previous gas oven, how large the center burner and cast iron-style flat pan could cover it, and how it didn’t smell as gassy as my last range.

There were quite a few protective stickers that don’t come off in one piece, and better markings of where those are would be helpful because I cooked with some on before I realized they were there.

• Score: 8/10

LG LSGL6337F 6.3 Cu. Ft. Smart Slide-In Gas True Convection Range: Design & Features

If there’s one thing that stands out about this range's design, it’s the blue interior of the oven! This unique design element is unexpected and gives it a fun, retro vibe. With its easy-to-wipe-down interior and seven various rack settings, the oven leaves you feeling like you just might be able to be a professional chef.

I also really liked the various oven heating options, including its ability to be a convection oven. When I’m short on time, it’s been a great alternative to traditional baking for getting a meal on the table.

The overall design of the oven portion of this range is pretty user-friendly, but I admit I’m not as crazy about the knob control for the oven, especially as a mom of four curious boys. While the knob doesn’t automatically turn on the stove without pressing the start button along with it, it does make me a bit more nervous at its accessibility to young hands in my busy kitchen.

The stovetop has five burners, with one burner in the middle that has been great for making grilled cheese sandwiches alongside various soups one night for supper. I love having that middle burner going with a griddle/flat top and still using the remaining four burners without losing space for other cooking needs.

Just like the oven knob, I’d like for the stovetop knobs to be a bit less accessible or easily turned on. The knobs don’t snap in place like my previous ranges have, so it leaves me double-checking a lot to make sure that no gas is leaking unintentionally. The graphics for which knob goes to which burner/oven could also be a bit clearer for users, especially if you’re a bit taller than I am. I often find myself having to back up to have a better look at which burner knob I’m operating.

• Score: 7/10

LG LSGL6337F 6.3 Cu. Ft. Smart Slide-In Gas True Convection Range: Performance

- 8 minutes to preheat oven

- Keep warm after cooking function

- Sync mechanism between over-the-range micro and range

- Thin Q App: offers smart features and care alerts

While this might not seem important, it is when it’s as easy as knocking on the window. With just two knocks, you can see into the oven and check how crisp your chicken is coming out of the air fryer or how long your muffins still need to be. I didn’t use the light on my previous oven because it didn’t have this incredible option, which kids also loved. It helped them learn to cook safely without opening the oven to check on food.

I compared how long it took me to boil bow-tie pasta on my stove versus a friend’s older oven. It was around 3 minutes quicker, at just over 5 minutes, to cook a box of pasta in around 4-5 cups of water versus around 8 minutes at her house. This can likely be attributed to the stove's quick boil function, with the option to heat things more quickly, so spaghetti night doesn’t have to wait.

I also “raced” my friend with an older oven to see how quickly this one would reach 350 degrees in a preheating competition. Notably, this oven shows specific progress in preheating, while theirs does not. It took seven minutes to preheat to 350 degrees with this oven and closer to 10 for her oven. Again, this saves time and efficiency.

If you are a grilled cheese connoisseur, you know it takes the right pan to make the perfect sandwich. I made three at once, using the middle burner and the cast iron skillet-style griddle, a long rectangular pan that easily comes on and off. While some of the sandwiches closer to the burner did cook more quickly than others, overall, it was a positive experience with crunchy but not burnt sandwiches. I’ll just have to get used to positioning them where the burners are or aren’t.

• Score: 9/10

LG LSGL6337F 6.3 Cu. Ft. Smart Slide-In Gas True Convection Range: Care & maintenance

One of the things I was most impressed with was the ease of cleaning this range. The stovetop grates come apart in three pieces so that you can immerse them in the sink for washing. While I did struggle to put them back together after washing them, it’s nothing that LG couldn’t make a bit easier, with some minor markings letting you know which piece goes where.

I also liked that I could remove the burner for easy cleaning and that there were no weird edges along the stovetop where food could get trapped.

Maintaining the stovetop requires some elbow grease, as it doesn’t use the same wipeable material that LG is known for in other appliances.

The oven comes with two cleaning options: EasyClean, completed by the stove in 10 minutes with a little bit of water you spray on the interior, or a full self-clean option that allows for a deeper clean (and a bit more work from you). As someone a bit intimidated and avoidant of all the cleaning chemicals it seems you can use for ovens, spraying with water and wiping it down was a welcome and simplistic relief, which made me want to clean it more often. That prevented build-up and was helpful in the long run.

• Score: 8/10

LG LSGL6337F 6.3 Cu. Ft. Smart Slide-In Gas True Convection Range: Price & Value

This range can be purchased through the LG website for $1999. It can also be purchased through major retailers such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Best Buy. The product does seem to be in and out of stock, so if one retailer doesn’t have it, you might be able to find it at another.

Though it might be a hefty price for some, it seems to replace numerous other appliances, such as toasters and air fryers, confection ovens, and microwaves. I’m impressed with its versatility, which makes it worth the price.

• Score: 7/10

Would I buy the LG LSGL6337F 6.3 Cu. Ft. Smart Slide-In Gas True Convection Range?

You should consider the LG LSGL6337F 6.3 Cu. Ft. Smart Slide-In Gas True Convection Range if you often cook for large groups, its five stovetop burners are perfect for big meals. If you appreciate sleek, stainless steel appliances, this range is visually appealing, featuring a fun blue interior. Ideal for those who enjoy diverse cooking methods, it offers options like convection and sous vide for exploring various techniques.

Also, if you worry about front-facing knobs near the oven door, especially with young children around—consider child safety knob covers. Additionally, it's not the most budget-friendly choice; some may find its many features excessive and unnecessary.

How does the LG LSGL6337F 6.3 Cu. Ft. Smart Slide-In Gas True Convection Range compare?

Take a look at some alternative gas ranges in our buying guide to the best gas ranges, which features trusted and renowned brands including GE, Maytag, Whirlpool and LG.

How I tested the LG LSGL6337F 6.3 Cu. Ft. Smart Slide-In Gas True Convection Range

Here’s more information on our process and how we test.

Unboxing: I noted details about the packaging, including its recyclability and quantity. I also reviewed the instructions to ensure they were detailed and precise.

Assembly: I tracked the assembly process, determined whether it required more than one person, and assessed if heavy lifting was necessary.

Performance: I tested the range using various cooking settings. I baked cookies to evaluate heat distribution, air-fried frozen fries to check crispness and cooking time, cooked a steak with the sous vide setting, and broiled vegetables, among other cooking tests.

I also tested the controls for responsiveness and noted the ease of operation. I evaluated the cooking results for even heating and consistency.

Cleaning, Storage, and Maintenance: I measured the range to confirm it fit in its intended space. I cleaned the range to evaluate the process’s ease and frequency.

I consulted professionals for advice on maintaining the range, especially its gas components and other advanced features.

LG’s NeoChef Countertop Microwave with Smart Inverter is a roomy 0.9 cu ft. product that could fit an entire roast, casserole dish, and much more than a large dinner plate.

While many positives about this product make it the best compact microwave, it’s also relatively large and may take up more countertop space than some people have, mainly due to its depth front to back. I have a countertop where a coffee pot, toaster, and air fryer live, and this microwave would never fit in that space because it’s simply too deep.

In addition, the opening mechanism, which is a two-part system, presents some accessibility issues. It will likely prevent small children's hands from reaching in and grabbing something too hot. However, it can also present some convenience and access issues for adults, though the child lock function can be disabled if needed.

LG NeoChef™ Countertop Microwave with Smart Inverter 0.9 cu. ft. MSER0990S: Key specs

LG MSER0990S 0.9 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave: Setup

The microwave arrived in a well-packaged box. Admittedly, due to its cumbersome size and 25-lb overall weight, I couldn’t lift the microwave myself, but I appreciated that it was protected in styrofoam.

I was also impressed at how easy the microwave was to remove from the packaging once my husband and I got it to our kitchen. Some appliances arrive covered in tape, and you spend much time trying to scrape them off, but that wasn’t the case with this LG microwave.

The only set-up required before use was installing the turntable, which was pretty simple overall. This microwave comes with a 12” glass plate, and I liked how easy it was to place it on the turntable without those annoying divots and notches that can sometimes make reinserting the plate difficult.

The microwave is extremely sleek-looking with its stainless steel exterior. It does seem as if the top of the microwave might be easily scratched, as I noticed a few marks on the top of mine due to my family seeing it as another surface to place cups and plates.

• Score: 9/10

LG MSER0990S 0.9 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave: Design & Features

I liked how large this microwave's interior was and the various-sized dishes I could put in it for cooking or reheating.

The hexagonal design of the turntable and its wheels are great for ease of cleaning the plate, and it also seems more stabilized and accommodating of taller items than the typical 3-wheel turntable.

While this microwave's buttons are super easy to see and read, some functions aren’t intuitive and can be confusing. Certain buttons seem to have dual jobs depending on how long you hold them. While it makes sense to accommodate display space, it feels almost like a “shift” button to access additional functions, and that can be frustrating if you want to heat something in a busy kitchen or on a tight schedule.

Regarding child safety, LG took it seriously with the child lock on this microwave. Given that it has to sit on a countertop, which is easier for young children to access, the company utilizes a 2-step process for opening the microwave door. There is a button on the side of the microwave that you must press first before pressing the open button on the front.

While I didn’t struggle opening it and appreciated knowing my kids might not think of a two-step process, I worry that someone like my mom, who has arthritic hands, might struggle a bit, given the location of the buttons and the pressure required. This feature can be disabled if desired, so those who don’t worry about kids accessing the appliance could forgo it if preferred.

One of the features I appreciated about the microwave had less to do with the microwave’s functionality and more to do with ease of getting product support if needed. The microwave has a QR code that is easy to access and gives you direct information on product model numbers, LG support, and additional product resources.

In a world where you can be bombarded with manuals and registration paperwork, it was nice to quickly access key information.

• Score: 8/10

LG MSER0990S 0.9 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave: Performance

The microwave uses sensor heating, which means it uses humidity-sensing technology to help determine when food is ready. These pre-programmed settings mean you don’t have to try and figure out the best power level or time for your cold piece of pizza or leftovers from three nights ago.

Although it has the Smart Diagnosis and Sensor Cook functions, it makes a slight buzzing sound and seems louder than other microwaves.

This product has two areas that appear for venting purposes, one on the back. So, even though it’s already bulky, it might be best to give it some room on all sides of the countertop to ensure proper ventilation.

Upon starting the microwave, a slight buzzing sound seems a bit more distinct than other products, though it’s not loud enough to be a big issue.

During my testing, I tried out what we will likely use our microwaves for—reheating meals. I warmed up a bowl of chili and part of a sandwich, using multiple functions, such as guessing at a specific time and checking the food.

I also practiced other buttons, such as auto reheat, which allows you to use specific functions for various foods to better tailor the cooking settings to your meal. My lunch heated quickly, in minutes, without overheating or hot or cold spots.

After years of testing kitchen appliances, I’ve determined that microwaves' popcorn functions are accurate (or lack thereof). Most popcorn bags are standard size and contain similar amounts of popcorn, but some microwaves can do the job in under two minutes, while others take four.

The accuracy of the popcorn button tends to speak to the accuracy of the machine as a whole. Luckily, this machine performed well, cooking the popcorn in just over two minutes without leaving excessive unpopped kernels behind.

• Score: 7/10

LG MSER0990S 0.9 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave: Care & maintenance

LG’s microwave uses an EasyClean interior, which means that for most messes, you simply need to wipe it with a damp cloth. This limits chemicals and scrubbing. However, the company advises heavier messes or build-up on the microwave interior may require more scrubbing.

I had no issues with typical care and maintenance or spills that seemed too daunting to clean with a simple damp cloth. Even residue stuck to the microwave plate is easily removable if you take it out and soak it in warm, soapy water, although the plate might even be too big for some sinks.

• Score: 9/10

LG MSER0990S 0.9 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave: Price & Value

The LG NeoChef™ Countertop Microwave with Smart Inverter is available directly through LG for $149 ($179 MSRP). Other retailers that sell this microwave include Best Buy and Home Depot. Depending on your location and retailer, model numbers may vary slightly, but overall features of the microwave should not. The microwave is priced reasonably, especially for its size and progressive technology for even sensing and heating.

• Score: 8/10

Would I buy the LG MSER0990S 0.9 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave?

The LG MSER0990S 0.9 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave is excellent if you're looking for a high-quality appliance; this microwave is durable and well-constructed. Its modern design and stainless steel exterior make it visually appealing. Additionally, the sensor cook menu options simplify cooking by heating food evenly and efficiently.

However, counter space is a concern, as this larger model occupies a significant amount of space. If you find multi-function buttons challenging, know they have a learning curve. If these features frustrate you, consider exploring other options that might better suit your needs.

How does the LG MSER0990S 0.9 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave compare?

If you're not convinced that the LG NeoChef is for you, why not consider a few of TTR's best-rated microwaves, including models by Toshiba, Breville, and GE, to name a few?

How I tested the LG MSER0990S 0.9 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave

We test for the features and functions that consumers will want to know from when they get the box to when they eat the food they prepared. Here’s what we considered for this microwave:

Unboxing: We observed the packaging, which was mostly recyclable and minimal in quantity. The included instructions were detailed and precise enough to follow without confusion, though they weren’t needed for much.

Assembly: The assembly took approximately 5 minutes from start to finish and required just one person. Besides putting the microwave box on a counter, no heavy lifting was needed, and the process was straightforward.

Sound Test: Overall, the noise was fine, though we also listened for abnormal sounds such as buzzing or rattling. With louder products, we tested using decibel meters.

Performance: We test the microwave functions using a variety of foods that consumers typically use to heat, defrost, and cook in microwaves. We test aspects such as how evenly the food cooks, how quickly it takes, and ease of use when getting the microwave to the proper settings.

Cleaning, Storage, and Maintenance: We test how simple it is to clean the inside and outside of the product, noting whether it requires substantial elbow grease, specific products, or other specifics.

Find out more about how we test here.

Shark is one of the most prominent names in the vacuum space thanks to an excellent reputation for creating quality, long-lasting midrange options from robot vacuums, corded to stick, and handheld vacuums. The Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL is “Shark's most powerful cordless hand vacuum,” so I was excited to try it out.

It’s hard to argue against the design of the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL. It’s ultra-sleek, lightweight, and compact. What more could you want? I rarely felt fatigued using the handheld vacuum, and it was easy to maneuver just about anywhere, including tight spaces. A handy little charging dock comes with the vacuum and also includes slots for the two attachments: a crevice tool and a pet tool. I love how organized it kept everything, but it was a little top-heavy.

When it came time to test the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL, it picked up smaller messes like dog hair, food crumbs, kibble, leaves, and rice with ease. However, the vacuum didn’t fare as well with debris ingrained in carpeting and rugs, and when the dust cup was full, performance dropped. Unfortunately, that dust cup was tiny, so I had to empty it sometimes multiple times during cleaning.

The crevice tool and pet tool worked as expected. Both were easy to install and felt secure in place. My preferred tool of the two was the crevice tool, as it made reaching tighter, smaller spaces even easier. The pet tool has a nonremovable brush that attracted more dog hair on the bristles than the actual dust cup, which was a slight annoyance.

During my trial period, I always had to limit what I planned on cleaning since the 15 minutes of battery life in standard mode wasn’t even enough time to vacuum my car. Boost mode dropped the runtime to 9 minutes. I barely used that mode anyway, as I didn’t notice a major difference in performance.

Although the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL has some flaws, most are common issues that plague handheld vacuums. Its sleek design and solid suction power more than make up for those slight problems. So, if you’re considering purchasing this vacuum, be sure to read my full review below.

Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL: Key specs

Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL: Price & Value

The Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL retails for $149.99 but can often be found on sale. At the time of writing, it is available directly from the Shark website for $119.99. The Wandvac Power Pet can also be found on Amazon.

Given the powerful suction for such a compact, sleek vacuum, the Shark Wandvac Power Pet is a sound investment for households with pets and kids. However, it’s one of the priciest handheld vacuums available from Shark. So, if you’re looking for something similar at a lower price, Shark has the standard Wandvac. Just be prepared to sacrifice some performance prowess.

Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL: Setup

The Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL came in a lightweight, compact box. Inside the shipping box was another one of similar dimensions highlighting the handheld vacuum's features. After opening the second box, I found all the components were packed neatly inside.

Everything I expected to be in the box was included: a user manual, the handheld vacuum, two attachments – a crevice and a pet tool – and a charging dock that arrived in two separate pieces. Slightly more environmentally friendly packaging would’ve been appreciated, as plastic was used to protect parts. At least, most of the packaging was recyclable.

Almost all the components were ready to go out of the box, so it was a simple, straightforward assembly. Most should be able to do it without even looking at the instructions. All I had to do was slot the two charging dock pieces into each other, plug in the dock, and then add the attachments and handheld into their designated locations. All in all, my vacuum was docked and charging in under five minutes. I let it fully charge before starting its first clean.

It was impressive how quickly Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL came together, and I loved how well-built and lightweight the handheld vacuum feels. The dock seems a little flimsy, but I still love the convenience of having all the components stored in one place.

Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL: Design & Features

The sleekness of the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL took me aback. Its lovely dark blue colorway blended perfectly with my home, while the dark gray charging dock featured three slots—one to hold the vacuum and two for the crevice tool and pet tool attachments.

Even with the attachments installed, the dock kept compact dimensions, making it easy to tuck the entire setup in a corner out of the way when not in use.

Although I love how conveniently the charging dock stored all the components, the design was a little top-heavy and prone to falling if it got accidentally hit. I never ran into this problem, but I’d recommend keeping the setup away from children and pets.

At least dealing with a power cable causing even more instability wasn’t a problem, as under the dock are two cable channels: one on the side and one at the back.

The real star of the show is the actual handheld vacuum. With dimensions of 2.7 x 2.4 x 15.4 inches, it’s quite slim. Many handheld vacuums I’ve tested have wider bodies, but I could squeeze this one into tighter spots behind cabinets and under car seats. The crevice tool made it even easier to get deeper into those tight spots. Just know that since the vacuum has smaller dimensions, the dust cup’s size was sacrificed; its 0.1 qt capacity is tiny.

That compact build is coupled with a lightweight design. At just under 1.5 pounds, I rarely experienced arm fatigue using the vacuum. The only time I ever felt any strain was lifting the vacuum above my head to clean dust off the blinds, which would occur no matter how heavy the vacuum was. The feathery weight means this vacuum doesn’t have the biggest battery. I only got about 15 minutes of cleaning out of the vacuum on each charge.

The Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL has an easy-to-hold handle with a small notch for extra grip. I wasn’t too worried about it falling out of my hands whether I was lifting it or had it angled, but I would’ve loved some additional texture or rubber on the handle for a slightly more secure grip.

Controls were kept simple on this handheld, with only a larger power button to turn on the standard deep clean mode and a similar size boost button for tougher messes. Both were easy to reach and activate with your thumb, even while wearing gloves and worked exactly as expected. I had no issues with the buttons during my entire testing period.

It was easy to tell the Wandvac’s buttons were on, as each would light up. Of course, the loud noise, which became even noisier in boost mode, was also a dead giveaway. The standard mode measured at about 70 dB during testing and the boost mode averaged about 75 dB. That sound level is similar to freeway traffic or a phone ringing, so it’s loud and distracting, especially to those in the same room as the vacuum. My dog was afraid of it and would run away.

Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410B: Performance

I put the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410B through a series of tests using large concentrations of dust, dog fur, rice, and oats on various surfaces throughout my home to observe its suction power.

Starting on a carpet, I spread the debris across a small area and left the vacuum on its standard deep clean setting to observe how much debris was picked up after one minute. The dog fur and dust were suctioned up almost immediately while the rice was nearly gone after only 30 seconds of vacuuming.

Unfortunately, a few oats were ingrained in the carpet and weren’t removed. That issue could be partially due to the 0.1 qt dust cup filling up after only a minute. Performance noticeably dropped after that occurred. Still, even after emptying the dust cup and heading back to the carpet, all the oats were not picked up. Doing the same test in the vacuum’s boost mode delivered similar results.

I moved onto the bathroom tile with the same debris, observing how the cleaning went. It was even quicker this time around, as it only took about 30 seconds to fill up the dust cup. I emptied it and went back to pick up a few grains of rice that got thrown around and some oats required a second pass to get out of the tile cracks. Again, just like on the carpeting, the boost mode didn’t make a huge difference on the tile.

Finally, I tested the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL on upholstery by spreading the same debris across a few couch cushions. The pick-up wasn’t as quick as the tile. Instead, the performance was similar to that of the carpet, which took about one minute for the dust cup to fill up with debris. However, I didn’t face the same ingrained oats issue as the carpeting, as the vacuum eventually removed everything from the couch.

Beyond those more rigorous tests, I used the vacuum for everyday cleaning tasks. Without any attachments, I vacuumed pine needles and a bunch of twigs from under the Christmas tree. Some twigs didn’t fit fully into the dust cup and stuck out the nozzle of the vacuum. I was impressed the vacuum managed to pick up these larger items, but it did cause some debris to fall out due to the flap of the dust cup being left slightly open.

Still, whether it was flour, leaves, or kibble, the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL managed to pick up all smaller-sized debris without issue. However, it just didn’t have enough suction power to get the ingrained dog hair and pine needles out of the rugs.

Next, I opted to use the pet tool on my fluffy dog’s bed, the living room couch where she often lays, and a comforter – another one of her favorite spots. Slotted into the vacuum, the pet tool felt ultra secure, even without the option to lock it into place.

Starting with her dog bed, I noticed a good amount of hair getting picked up, but when I looked at the dust cup, barely any fluff was inside. Instead, it all ended up stuck in the brush, which I had to remove myself.

The couch and comforter had similar results. Other “pet tools” I’ve tested in the past had the same problem. It could be due to my dog's thick and clumpy fur rather than finer hair on breeds like labs and goldens.

Unlike many pet tool attachments I’ve used, the brush on this one isn’t removable. I usually prefer a brushless option, making it more of an upholstery tool. Still, it removed pet hair well, just not in the way I would’ve liked. It also still managed to pick up a few crumbs, glitter from holiday decor, dried leaves, and dirt from various couches and chairs.

My preferred tool attachment of the two was the crevice tool. It’s basic but works exactly as expected. Birdseed had spilled all around my sliding glass door, getting into all its nooks and crannies. With the crevice tool attached, the vacuum had no issues picking up the birdseed in all the different slots of the door frame. However, there wasn’t enough suction power to get out some dirt and debris that had been caked in the door frame longer.

With it nearing the end of the fall season, tons of leaves, grass, and debris littered the floors of my car. So, I brought out the Wandvac with the crevice tool attached to get cleaning. The vacuum picked up almost everything in just a few passes. I could easily get under and beside the car seats thanks to the compact body. However, some debris ingrained in the rugs was left after I finished.

I also used the crevice tool to grab some dust and webs from behind furniture and other hard-to-reach areas. Even without being right on top of the debris, the vacuum managed to suction it up.

All of these test results are better than average for a handheld vacuum. Sure, the suction power is far behind a corded upright vacuum or a cordless stick option. But given the compact size, it’s pretty impressive.

The Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL had no problem easily tackling smaller, everyday messes. The biggest issues I faced with this vacuum were ingrained debris and the tiny dust cup filling up fast, causing performance to dip. I also found the boost mode didn’t make a major difference in cleaning performance.

A major pitfall of any cordless handheld vacuum is battery life, and the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL isn’t any different. After a full charge in the standard power mode, the vacuum lasted 15 minutes. The power light began to blink around a minute before it died as a warning; there wasn’t any other battery indicator light.

That runtime is pretty average if not better than average for handheld vacuums. Still, there was barely enough time to do a full car cleaning, but to quickly pick up a spill, it’s plenty. Boost mode dropped the battery life to just 9 minutes, so only expect to get a couple of spots in your home vacuumed before needing to recharge.

For recharging, the vacuum easily slotted right into the dock and automatically started charging. The power button light pulsed on and off to indicate charging. When finished, a dim white light glowed in the same spot before shutting off a few minutes later. The total recharge time was about 3 hours, which wasn’t a crazy amount of time but still long to wait if you were unable to finish a cleaning task.

Maintenance on the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL was standard. Again, the dust cup is tiny, so I had to empty it often – usually after every cleaning if not multiple times during a cleaning. The dust cup easily pops open for “one-touch” emptying.

However, I still usually had to dig my hand in there to get debris stuck behind the filter. Other than emptying the dust cup, the filter needs to be removed and rinsed every few months to keep up vacuum efficiency. Luckily, it comes out easily.

Would I buy the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How does the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410B compare?

The Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL is an excellent handheld vacuum, but if you’re after something slightly more budget-friendly, grabbing the original Shark Wandvac may be the way to go. It offers a nearly identical vacuum, charging dock, and attachment options while costing about $30 less. However, you’ll lose out on some suction power and battery life going for the cheaper option.

If you’re okay sacrificing the compact, lightweight design of the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL, the DeWalt 20V Cordless Dry Hand Vacuum is a powerful option. This handheld vacuum is heavy, weighing over three pounds, but it can take on just about all debris in its path thanks to strong suction power. Plus, the loads of attachments and accessories make cleaning even easier. Given it’s the DeWalt brand, the vacuum is especially well-suited for workshops.

Want an ultra-cheap vacuum that picks up smaller messes just fine? Check out the Black+Decker Dustbuster Cordless Wet & Dry. I got a chance to try out this vacuum, and it did a decent job cleaning up lighter messes in my car and house. The wet functionality came in handy for muddy spots left by my dog. However, cleaning the dustbin is more of a task due to the wet contents. It also has a shorter battery life and a clunkier design than the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL.

How I tested the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System

I tested the Shark Wandvac Power Pet WV410BL at my parents’ house and in their cars for several weeks over the holidays. Beyond general cleaning of things like crumbs under cabinets, dog hair on furniture, dust from blinds, and pine needles from under the Christmas tree, I did more rigorous testing of the vacuum using heavy concentrations of dog fur, oats, and rice on different surfaces. I also tried out both attachments in various cleaning situations. Using a decibel meter and timer on my phone, I observed noise levels and battery life.

Find out more about how we test.

Part of Kenwood's Go collection, it is designed to be compact enough to fit into smaller kitchens. Plus, with its built-in handle, it's super portable and easy to stow away in a cabinet if you don't want to keep it on the counter.

In this article, I will reveal my findings after testing the appliance at home for a month, examining its value for money, design and features, performance, and pros and cons.

Kenwood KZM35.000GY Go Stand Mixer: Key specs

Kenwood KZM35.000GY Go Stand Mixer: Setup

The Kenwood Go Stand Mixer is incredibly well packaged. It comes in a thick cardboard box with protective packaging inside. Each item is wrapped in plastic, and the components are well organized. The mixer also comes with a user manual and safety guide.

Inside the box is everything you need: the mixer, which was easy to lift out thanks to its built-in handle, the three tools, and a splash guard.

I just had to plug the mixer into a power socket and add the desired accessory to get started. At first, I wasn't sure how to attach the splashguard, but I soon figured it out after a quick look at the manual.

I quickly washed the stainless steel bowl with soapy water before clicking it back into place. The appliance's front-facing controls make it easier to operate.

• Score: 9/10

Kenwood KZM35.000GY Go Stand Mixer: Design & Features

I'm a big fan of Kenwood products. I already own the brand's washing machine and fridge freezer, synonymous with high-quality design. The Go Stand Mixer is no exception. It's modern but nods to the retro with its classic design and muted color scheme (Storm Blue or Clay Red, pale blue, and rose gold to you and me). I've been reviewing the Storm Blue model, which looks brilliant in my kitchen.

It's compact and smaller than standard mixers, making it ideal for smaller kitchens as it doesn't take up too much counter space. At 11.8 inches tall, it is about 1.9" smaller than its big sister, the Kenwood kMix, and it's a lot lighter, too (6.3kg vs. 9.1kg). It's designed to be portable, and the meaty built-in handle and dimensions meant I could easily move it from my kitchen cabinet to the counter when I wanted to use it.

Another thing I love about this appliance is that it's multipurpose and can be used with other Kenwood gadgets, like the personal blender from the Kenwood Multipro OneTouch food processor. You can attach the mini blender to the stand mixer by removing the lid to make smoothies or blend liquids for baking.

It is also well-built and is made from durable and lightweight metal. All the components feel sturdy.

It has a powerful 800W motor and a decent 4L capacity stainless steel bowl, which Kenwood says can make up to 48 cupcakes, pizza for four, or a two-tier cake.

It comes with three tools—a K-beater, a stainless steel whisk, and a dough hook—all adjustable so they can reach the bottom of the bowl. The mixer also has a rotatable splashguard, which is handy if you want to use it without the risk of getting messy. The splash guard also has a built-in measuring spoon.

• Score: 9/10

Kenwood KZM35.000GY Go Stand Mixer: Performance

It may be small, but the Kenwood Go is mighty and impressive. From whipping cream to kneading olive bread dough, it has six-speed settings, including a helpful pulse feature.

It has an automatic shut-off feature to prevent overheating and powering down if the mixer runs at a single setting for too long.

One thing worth mentioning is the bowl's 4-liter capacity. This makes it better suited to small to medium-batch baking, so if you want something to make larger cakes or items, you might need a more significant appliance.

In testing, I used the dough tool to knead my bread, and it was done in under five minutes with seriously less elbow grease! Next, I used the whisk to whip egg whites for vanilla meringues. Again, they were perfect peaks in just a matter of minutes. I also creamed butter and sugar for vanilla cookies with the K-beater, and this was efficient and ready to mix in with the dry ingredients in just 30 seconds. Usually, this is a tedious job by hand, so I was pleasantly surprised at how labor-saving this was.

I'm impressed by how versatile and fast this appliance is. It is attached to other Kenwood products, such as the personal blender from the Kenwood Multipro OneTouch food processor.

I also love how easy it is to attach and detach the tools. They all click into place and stay solidly in place. Another notable draw is that it's quiet and produces no distracting sounds.

I used the whisk to whip egg whites to make vanilla meringues for my daughters. I was impressed by how quickly it formed stiff peaks. I also like that you can easily lift the main shaft to remove the bowl and whisk without getting covered in ingredients.

As someone who never makes bread, I think this might now change, given how ridiculously easy it is with the Kenwood Go. I made olive bread (my youngest daughter's favorite) and used the dough tool to get started.

It took under five minutes to knead the bread mix into the desired consistency, and it was easy to detach the dough hook ready to wash it, too.

I tested the Kenwood Go by creaming sugar and butter for my cookie dough, and it did not disappoint. I used the high-speed setting, and the ingredients were creamed in under 30 seconds, with a perfectly smooth consistency.

• Score: 9.5/10

Kenwood KZM35.000GY Go Stand Mixer: Care & maintenance

The safety guide has cleaning instructions, and Kenwood recommends switching off and unplugging the appliance before you start.

Wash any grease stains off the exterior and feet with a clean, damp cloth.

The stainless steel bowl is dishwasher safe, or you can clean it by hand. Never use a wire brush, steel wool, or bleach to clean it. Vinegar can remove limescale. The tools and splashguard are also dishwasher-friendly, or they can be washed by hand and then dried thoroughly to prevent water spots.

To maintain the longevity of your stand mixer, check for wear and tear and replace any worn parts. If the motor overheats or makes an unusually loud noise, unplug the machine immediately. Ideally, get your mixer serviced regularly, especially if used frequently, as routine maintenance can significantly extend its lifespan.

The stand mixer is small enough to store on your counter if you have space or keep it in a kitchen cabinet. The handle makes it easy to move around.

• Score: 8.5/10

Kenwood KZM35.000GY Go Stand Mixer: Price & Value

The Kenwood Go Stand Mixer costs $285 in the US and £249.99 in the UK. It's available from Kenwood, Amazon, and other major retailers.

It's about half the price of a standard-size stand mixer, but bear in mind that it is smaller. Considering its versatility, quality, and brand reputation, I would say it is good value for money.

• Score: 8.5/10

Would I buy the Kenwood KZM35.000GY Go Stand Mixer?

Time and labor-saving, the Kenwood Go is a stylish addition to any baker's kitchen. It makes light work of most baking tasks with its powerful 800W motor that is refreshingly quiet. If you want to invest in a new stand mixer, this compact gadget is the perfect partner for budding cooks.

Ideal for smaller kitchens and people with limited counter space, it's portable, so easy to stow away when not in use. The only downside is that it might not be big enough for larger households.

How does the Kenwood KZM35.000GY Go Stand Mixer compare?

If you want something slightly cheaper, the Hamilton Beach electric stand mixer is more affordable and comes with similar accessories to the Kenwood Go.

Or, for something a bit bigger, you might prefer the Breville HeatSoft Electric Stand Mixer, which has a 5.2L bowl and is only $134.99 on Amazon.

How I tested the Kenwood KZM35.000GY Go Stand Mixer

I tested the Kenwood Go for a month in my kitchen. I used the mixer with all of the tools, including the splashguard. I made egg whites for meringues, bread dough, creamed butter and sugar for cookies, and other cake mix. I used it on multiple occasions to check it was consistent and noted noise levels.

Find out more about how we test.

This product, available for under $200, has a pull-out drawer-style top portion and a miniature stove in the bottom section, complete with three types of changeable racks. For example, you can swap the cooking sheet type option for a wire rack to warm up your pizza. The “sync” function is by far the most helpful and realistic I’ve seen in a small appliance (and I’ve tested many) as it times up your two separate dishes to finish simultaneously by adjusting the cooking temperature. No more warming up one side while the other gets cold and swapping them to do it again in one area fryer space.

I tested this air fryer using around seven different types of food, performing various functions such as reheating, toasting, and air frying. I found most of the features and functions intuitive and helpful, except for a slight learning curve with the settings and buttons and a bit of a challenge cleaning the lower section of the air fryer. Based on weeks of testing, here’s how to determine if this product is for you.

Keep reading to see how I did with the cooker, and for more, check out our guide to the best air fryers.

Midea Dual Zone Air Fryer: Key specs

Midea Dual Zone Air Fryer: Setup

I was a bit concerned when I first saw and opened the box for this air fryer. It seemed enormous, boxy, heavy, and difficult to transport. Compared to the smaller air fryer I’ve used and loved for years, I wasn’t even sure it would fit quickly enough on my counter, both height and width-wise.

Unboxing was simple, however, and it was well packaged, arriving without any dents, scratches, or other issues. The materials were typical for these appliances needing extra protection, with styrofoam style protectors and a large cardboard box. Instructions are included, though you barely need them except for a few less apparent functions. The unboxing process did require more than one person, but only because I have a bad back, and it was too heavy to unbox alone.

Once set up, it looked sleek and a bit more stylish than some of the more rounded options, yet still quite big for some people’s counter space options. It has a slanted display area, which is helpful if it is under an upper cabinet to ensure you can fully see all the possibilities. I moved on to see if it would deliver on its claims of being a powerhouse and doubly convenient air fryer.

• Score: 7.5 out of 10

Midea Dual Zone Air Fryer: Design & Features

The air fryer’s design is significant but for a solid reason—two spacious components, each with a five- and six-quart cooking area, offer double the space of a typical single air fryer. However, it’s quite the opposite of a compact air fryer and would be best for multiple people or those who plan to use it for numerous functions and multiple dishes per meal.

The product is ergonomically well designed, in a sleek black with white digital display text. This high contrast makes it quite simple to read, unlike my current air fryer, which has tiny silver notches to indicate time. Instead, this air fryer uses extensive, clear, visible information to ensure you know your selection.

The bottom section is somewhat less straightforward to handle than the top section, with a large vertical handle you pull out and (gently) slam back in. The bottom section took a bit more effort to learn how much force to properly close it and sometimes required a redo.

• Score: 8.5 out of 10

Midea Dual Zone Air Fryer: Performance

The large top cavity is nearly ten inches apart, allowing more space to spread food, such as vegetables, meat, or french fries, that need breathing room to cook thoroughly. With enough clearance to move it freely, you can make a whole pizza, pie, or even a small chicken in the basket section. I tested an entire bag of sweet potato fries, a food notorious in my previous smaller air fryer for not obtaining that air fryer famous crunch everyone wants. There were too many layers of the same food because the basket was too small. So, in this case, I noticed there were around two levels of fries, not one, but not many on top of each other. I believe this contributed to reasonable cooking time, in under ten minutes, with enough crispiness.

I’ve said it dozens, maybe hundreds of times in my decade of parenting — eat before the food gets cold. Yet, inevitably, it does anyway. This area fryer solves that issue for at least two foods you prepare. Since testing it, I found it to easily replace the functions of the microwave, toaster, stovetop, oven, and other appliances. The sync function, which can be enabled or disabled, ensures your food is finished simultaneously on either level by adjusting the temperature to a similar cooking time. This worked, for example, on a broccoli and chicken meal, the makings of a stir fry. Both were ready in time with the Sync function, and I didn’t open either door to keep both items waiting until everyone showed up and found their plate.

One of my favorite uses of an air fryer is to liven up day-old meat, giving it a nice crunch and fresh vibe again. So, I tried this with day-old pulled pork, nearly undercooked the first time we ate it. I placed it in the pull-out drawer section of the air fryer and first chose “reheat” before realizing I’d just have the same limp meat at the end as I did already. So, I switched mid-cycle, which was relatively easy, to “air fry” instead. I topped it with barbecue sauce, creating a sweet and crunchy glaze during the air frying process. It was piping hot within five minutes and didn’t stick to the appliance either, even with additional sauce added.

• Score: 9 out of 10

Midea Dual Zone Air Fryer: Care & maintenance

Cleaning the air fryer was straightforward. The basket and tray were easy to remove, and they were dishwasher-safe, which saved time. I noticed no grease buildup, but I wiped it down after each use. However, the bottom section was a bit tougher to clean than the top section, as there’s a significant coil running through that area, which I noted.

The air fryer was a bit bulky for storage but still manageable. I checked the manual for maintenance tips, and there weren’t any complicated requirements—just regular cleaning and checking of the parts. Overall, keeping the air fryer in good shape seemed easy and low-maintenance.

• Score: 8 out of 10

Midea Dual Zone Air Fryer: Price & Value

The Midea Dual Zone Air Fryer is available through Amazon for $179.99. However, with Amazon dropping prices and coupons at various points throughout the year, you might find it at a lower cost. The price seems incredibly reasonable for the power this air fryer has and is comparable to air fryers of similar capacity and function.

• Score: 8.5 out of 10

Would I buy the Midea Dual Zone Air Fryer?

This product is perfect if you want to cook multiple dishes simultaneously in your air fryer. Its sync function allows dishes to cook simultaneously. The air fryer is quiet and powerful, cooking faster and more efficiently than a traditional oven or toaster. In addition to air frying, it also bakes and broils.

Because it's bulky and tall, it's not ideal for kitchens with a counter space or low upper cabinets. In addition, the lower section doesn't clean as well, which makes it less convenient for those who like fast and easy cleanup. A traditional toaster is smaller and easier to use.

How I tested the Midea Dual Zone Air Fryer

It was nice to see the packaging was minimal and mostly recyclable when I unboxed the air fryer. I was able to set up the air fryer with no tools or assistance and it was ready to use in minutes thanks to its lightweight design. I found it to be as loud as a quiet conversation at its highest setting and almost silent at its lowest setting.

For the performance test, I cooked frozen fries, chicken wings, and vegetables at different temperatures. The results were evenly cooked and crisp, with no burning or sogginess. The preheat and cooking times were fast, and the controls were easy to use.

Find out more about how we test.

As someone trying to prevent chemical exposure to my five kids, I appreciated the non-toxic metal interior and composition that comes in contact with the food. Also, the product helps train you on exactly what to do with a large sticker at the top decoding the various buttons’ meanings, so you can get used to how to use it without guessing whether to push the chicken or fish button.

Keep reading to see what I thought, and head to our guide to the best air fryers.

Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer: Key specs

Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer: Setup

The Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer arrives nearly wholly set up, with just the tiny tray to add to the bottom of the frying bin. Some substantial tape holds the drawer in place, but aside from those two steps, it was ready for use upon arrival. It did take a bit of trial and error to determine which direction the tray inserts into the basket, but it wasn’t a barrier to getting started quickly.

I immediately noticed that the tray insert had a feature I hadn’t seen in other air fryers: padded bumpers that prevent clanking and ensure a more secure fit when you insert the tray. This nice-to-have feature makes the process slightly quieter and means the tray doesn’t scratch the inside of the bin.

With an easy-to-use key on a large sticker on top, you can jump right into cooking your food without any previous knowledge of what to do next.

• Score: 9 out of 10

Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer: Design & Features

If you’ve ever tried to move an air fryer, you know they can be bulky and unwieldy. Enter the transport handles. While it might seem like a tiny feature, the transport handles on each side of the fryer midway make it much safer to move it around or throw it in the car to transport to a friend or relative’s dinner party. Similarly, the tray comes in and out with a handle, which is helpful for quick removal without grabbing a corner of the tray to remove it.

When you pull out the bin to check or remove your food, the drawer doesn’t have a track to support the bin's weight, so the bin flops down if you pull it out too far. Thus, you have to remove the bin entirely to access the food. Some competitors have a track that supports the bin even when pulled out. While this isn’t a big problem, you should be a bit more prepared to set the hot bin on a heat-proof surface if you remove the drawer.

There are 12 preset options to cook specific types of food, called “preset menus,” like fries, wings, chicken legs, etc., but you can also easily customize your cooking time and temperature however you want. This is more than other air fryers I have tested, and it gives buttons that aren’t as common but are still helpful. For example, it offers a “memory button” shaped like a heart that helps you quickly access your favorite settings you have used in the past. So, if I plan on making my kids chicken nuggets multiple times per week, and I want to quickly set my exact temperature and time again, this is much simpler than setting it again every time.

The Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer has multiple safety features, including an auto shut-off if it overheats, which didn’t happen during testing. In addition, the fryer won’t start if the drawer is misaligned, so you can correct it and start again. The product is large, well-made, and sturdy, and it looks sleek and modern with a matte black finish and a silver handle.

• Score: 8.5 out of 10

Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer: Performance

As a mom to five kids, I constantly look for bigger, roomier, and more helpful kitchen appliances. This air fryer allows me to cook just one batch of food rather than using it multiple times for one meal, which is a huge time saver. It has a roomy, rounded, square-shaped bucket, and the tray insert doesn’t steal too much space height-wise like other options I’ve tried. However, there is still sufficient room below the tray to drain excess liquid, grease, and fat from the food — the company shares that your food will have 90% less fat than other cooking methods.

I was surprised to see how long this air fryer took to preheat, but it seems it’s simply being more “honest” or precise than others that appear to start instantly (but are preheating anyway without calling it that). So, a few minutes of patience will allow you to start cooking your food at the proper temperature.

IQ adjusts the cooking time based on your preferred temperature. For example, if your wings get hotter than expected, the cooking time will be reduced. A built-in sensor detects the temperature of the food and the cooking area, so you are much less likely to burn or undercook your food if you use the preset buttons that trigger this function.

While it can be difficult to gauge an air fryer’s “power” or efficiency, I found it to cook the food sufficiently in the expected time and was powerful enough to cook many types of food. The company promotes its accuracy as a 1% variation in temperature, a solidly reliable statistic that feels reassuring enough when your guests are showing up soon, and you don’t need surprises.

The cleanup on this air fryer was easy, and the tray didn’t cause excessive sticking or residue left behind — though I am a fan of using a cooking spray to ensure this isn’t a problem anyway. Also, the brand shares the lining is non-toxic. It’s simple to pop the tray out and hand wash the bin and the tray or throw them in the dishwasher.

• Score: 9 out of 10

Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer: User reviews

Users of this Toshiba air fryer appreciate its power. Many note that the food tastes better than anything their microwave or other air fryers could produce (or reheat). They also like the ease of cleaning up and note that the capacity is excellent for a family.

An Amazon reviewer appreciated being able to transfer the food from the air fryer without having to use additional utensils, saying, “I researched several brands of air fryers, and Toshiba had many advantages, but a small but significant issue was that I could dump the food out of the drawer without the grate falling out. Several others show the food being removed with tongs because of the grate.”

A couple of reviews noted some confusion with the dials and buttons on this air fryer, saying there was a bit of a learning curve to know which temperature and mode worked best for certain foods. One Amazon review said, “There is an online manual with the listing, and I’d suggest that people review it before using it or complaining that it is too complicated.”

Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer: Price & Value

The Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer is available on Amazon for $58.49 and at Target for $89.99.

• Score: 9 out of 10

Would I buy the Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer?

With its large capacity, the Toshiba 7.7 Qt. Air Fryer is a great kitchen appliance for families of 5-7 people. It features smart technology to prevent overcooking and thoughtful design elements such as transport handles and a tray removal handle. If you have it, it's worth the counter space. It's usually $130, but it's sometimes on sale for $50 during Black Friday.

It's a great choice if you're looking for a reliable air fryer with a single function. However, you'll need to look elsewhere if you want a combination product with multiple cooking methods.

How does the Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer compare?

If you’re looking for a larger air fryer with similar features, the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 is an additional option, coming in at a 10 QT capacity. This air fryer has two 5 QT drawers, Ninja’s Smart Cook System, and six cooking functions. It’s also another excellent option for large families or cooking for large groups.

For those who don’t need an air fryer as large or lack counter space, the smaller Toshiba 5.5 QT Air Fryer offers the same features as the 7.7 QT but at a smaller price and size. Like its larger counterpart, it has eight cooking modes, as well as Toshiba’s Heat-Q and Menu-IQ Technology.

At a similar price point is the Chefman TurboFry Touch Air Fryer. This air fryer has an 8 QT capacity and is around $70 on Amazon. It has a dishwasher-safe basket and a “shake alert” halfway through cooking to ensure that foods crisp to perfection. Similar to the Toshiba, it has automaticshut-offf and digital control,s and reviewers appreciate the ease ofcleaningh the appliance.

How I tested the Toshiba 7.7 QT Air Fryer

I tested the air fryer by cooking numerous side dishes and main dishes for my family for seven weeks. I chose various foods, from raw meat to breaded meat that needed to be warmed up or “crisped.” I cooked vegetables, warmed up waffles that weren’t “crunchy” enough for my picky toddler, and more. I analyzed the cooking time, final product, and ability to program the air fryer to do what I needed.

Find out more about how we test.

The four-slot toaster, which comes with a matching kettle, will win over design fans who want their kitchen appliance to fit in with their decor while doing a decent job. De’Longhi has a firm reputation for making excellent gadgets, so you know you can trust the quality. However, it’s pretty expensive compared to similar products by other brands, which may put off some people.

In my honest review, I’ll outline key details, including price, setup, design, performance, care, and maintenance, so read on to find out how I found the De’Longhi Ballerina Seta toaster and if I’d recommend it. Read on to find out what I thought.

Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Key specs

Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Setup

Unboxing the toaster is a pleasant experience, and it’s very well protected, with all the components easily accessible. It comes with a user manual and instructions.

This is a straightforward appliance to set up - once you’ve taken it out of the box, you just need to remove the protective plastic cover off the plug and connect it to a power supply. The toaster has feet on the bottom of the machine to keep it stable on the counter.

I did a test run toasting my daughter’s favorite ‘toastie’ white bread. This had no issues, and the toaster worked perfectly on the first attempt. It’s easy and intuitive to use.

• Score: 9/10

Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Design & Features

As you’d expect from De’Longhi, this is a stylish kit. This textured toaster is supposed to recreate “the smooth waves of precious silk while being reminiscent of the gentle movements of a ballerina,” according to the brand.

It looks pretty on my kitchen counter, and I like the modern style, but I’m not sure it makes me think of silk or ballerinas. It’s pretty bulky, so it’s probably not the best choice for anyone with limited counter space.

It comes in two color options: silk blue and silk cream.

The Ballerina Seta toaster is very intuitive and easy to use. It comes with precision controls designed to brown, defrost, and reheat. So, if you want a frozen bun to go with your burger, you can use the defrost function to have it ready when the BBQ is finished.

Inserting and removing the bread is easy, and the extra wide slots are handy, especially as I often buy unsliced bread so that the thickness varies. The high lift feature also means you can quickly raise the toast out of the toaster to avoid burning your fingers when you remove it.

The lever is easy to press down, and the buttons light up when used, so you know they work.

The De’Longhi toaster also has a fully removable crumb tray to make cleaning easy and prevent build-up in the toaster.

It’s well-made despite being plastic and looks stylish on the counter. My only real gripe is that the plug could be a bit longer, limiting where you can put it in your kitchen.

• Score: 8/10

Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Performance

I tested a range of bread types to see how the De’Longhi Ballerina performed, and it was consistent throughout. I tried the defrost function first on some frozen white bread. It came out nicely defrosted with no issues - perfect for making sandwiches at the last minute!

I also tested the frozen setting on an English muffin, which worked well. It was convenient and seemed more consistent than defrosting it in the microwave.

The brown setting worked well, although, with seeded or wholemeal bread, I sometimes had to put the toast down for a second and go on the first setting to get that brown crisp I liked. It toasts quickly, too. It’s nice and quiet, too.

This toaster is fast and effective at browning white bread, although I did have to pop it down twice on seeded whole wheat to get the crispiness I like. I like that it has wider slots and an extra lift function, so you can get the toast or items out without risking burning your fingers.

I toasted a protein bagel on the lowest setting (one), and it came out quite hard; however, on regular bread and bagels, there wasn’t an issue, and it browned evenly and consistently. It only took a couple of minutes to produce an even color.

I defrosted an English muffin and some frozen white bread, which was efficient with both items. It was swift and way more effective than my usual microwave defrosting method.

The toaster comes with two crumb trays that help avoid build-up. They are easy to remove by slotting them out, and then you can clean them with warm, soapy water.

• Score: 8/10

Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Care & maintenance

When cleaning a toaster, this appliance is straightforward to maintain. You simply unplug it and let it cool down. Then, slide out the two crumb trays underneath the toaster and empty them in the trash. The crumbs are easy to remove and are not challenging to clean. The trays slide out quickly, and then you can wash them with warm water and washing-up detergent, but they are not dishwasher safe. Then, you can wipe the outside of the toaster with a damp cloth and dry it thoroughly with a tea towel.

The only thing I would say is the stainless steel top of the toaster shows crumbs and grease marks quickly, so you may have to wipe it clean more often than most. There is a slight gap between the plastic casing and the metal interior of the appliance, which is prone to catching crumbs. When not in use, storing the toaster on your kitchen counter is safe if you have the space.

• Score: 7/10

Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Price & Value

The De’Longhi Ballerina Seta 4-Slot Toaster retails at $86 and is available from De’Longhi, Amazon, John Lewis, AO, and other major retailers.

It’s pretty expensive compared with the other four slot toasters, but De’Longhi is a reputable brand so that you might be paying above the odds for the name.

• Score: 7/10

Would I buy the Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster?

This is a smart, well-designed, and functional toaster that looks as good on your counter as it performs. I appreciate the four wide slots with an extra lift function so you can get your toast and baked goods out without the risk of burning.

It’s easy to use, clean, and maintain and toasts evenly without issue. It’s slightly expensive compared to other four-slot toasters, and the plug is a bit short to my liking, but it’s a reputable brand, and design fans will appreciate the style factor.

How does the Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster compare?

For a similar price, you can get the Cuisinart 4-slice toaster from Walmart (on sale at $38.99, down from $49.95), which comes with a 7-setting shade dial, reheat, defrost and bagel controls and wide toasting slots.

If you want something more state-of-the-art and have a much bigger budget, you might like the Revolution Cooking Touchscreen Toaster R180. This touchscreen-operated smart toaster works very well, which it should do, given its high price of $349.95.

How I tested the Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster

I tested the DeLonghi toaster for one month in my own home. I have two young daughters, so we get through a lot of bread, and they love toast, so we use the appliance at least once a day, if not twice.

I tested a few different types of bread - thick white bread, bagels, protein bagels, seeded sourdough, and potato waffles. I also tried the three distinct functions and the toast shade dial from 1-5.

Find out more about how we test.

Shark has been around for decades, creating quality midrange home products with many vacuums. Whether you’re after a robot, handheld, upright, or cordless, Shark has you covered, and the Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System IP3251 is one of the brand’s latest releases.

I used this vacuum over several weeks at my parent’s home while visiting for the holidays, observing how well it cleaned the space. Given their home consists of a wide variety of flooring and gets dirty quickly thanks to a furry dog, the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System IP3251 had its work cut out.

This cordless vacuum is more unique than most, thanks to an auto-emptying dock that consistently empties the vacuum’s dust cup. Even with that handy extra feature, the entire system was still quick to set up. However, it’s bulky and not great for smaller spaces.

As for cleaning performance, I was impressed by the suction power of this vacuum. It’s the best I’ve experienced in a cordless vacuum. The Shark Cordless PowerDetect cleaned up almost everything on hard floors and carpeting, even during more rigorous testing. I loved its Detect modes, which sensed higher concentrations of debris, edges, and more, making cleaning even more straightforward. Be prepared occasionally for tricky maneuvering on carpeting and rugs, as the Floor Detect mode was inconsistent. But if you have furniture to reach under, the MultiFlex Wand is convenient and prevents back strain.

Overall, the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System IP3251 performed excellently and is perfect for messier homes with pets and kids. Larger homes may need to be cleaned in sessions, as the average battery life is about 25 minutes in Detect mode. Still, chances are you won’t be disappointed in this cordless vacuum. Read on to find out more about my experience with it.

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System: Key specs

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System: Setup

The Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System IP3251 arrived in a large, bulky box. Ideally, it’s a two-person job to get inside, as I struggled to do it solo. After opening the box, I was greeted with another more colorful box of similar dimensions displaying the vacuum’s features. Inside, all the components were neatly arranged with limited wasted space. Most of the materials used for packaging were recyclable, but I would’ve loved to see less plastic for protecting parts.

All the components were accounted for upon review. The sheer amount of parts is a little overwhelming, especially since I couldn’t find an instruction manual. I’m unsure if Shark didn’t include the manual or if I misplaced it.

Instead, a single sheet of paper with an overview of the setup process and use basics was included. Luckily, many parts featured removable stickers on assembly and how-tos to make life easier. Even without the instruction manual, I still set up the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System IP3251 in less than 10 minutes, and the whole process was fairly straightforward.

After assembly, I placed the dock and charging post close to an outlet and out of the way. The system is bulky, making it an eyesore in smaller spaces. The dock also features storage for the two handheld vacuum attachments to prevent them from getting lost. I placed the cordless vacuum onto the charging port, and the dock immediately (and loudly) emptied the vacuum’s dust cup and began charging. Shark recommends fully charging the battery before its first use.

I was impressed by how easily everything came together, and I was happy to see how securely the cordless vacuum docks into the charging port. Even if my dog knocks into it, I’m confident the vacuum will still stay in place. Based on first impressions, the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System looked ready to deliver.

• Score: 9/10

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System: Design & Features

The Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System isn’t compact. Its dock is big and bulky, making it better for larger homes. As someone prone to losing accessories, I’m glad Shark included storage for the 8" Duster Crevice Tool and Pet Multi-Tool, while the 2-liter dust bin on the dock meant I never had to empty it during my testing – a huge boon. The dust bin also features an odor-neutralizer cartridge to prevent odors. Many of Shark’s latest vacuums feature this nice smelling technology, but I find it gimmicky and wouldn’t be something I replace after it runs out.

The cordless vacuum easily and securely slots into the dock and charging port to empty and charge. It’s on the taller side of stick vacuums, measuring 45.64 inches, and isn’t the lightest option, weighing 7.96 pounds. So, I experienced some fatigue during longer cleaning sessions. Much of the weight can be attributed to the handheld vacuum component, so it’s incredibly top-heavy and won’t stand independently.

However, when I didn’t want to put the cordless vacuum in the charger, the handy MultiFlex wand fully bends for safe storage. It was as simple as clicking a button, and the wand snapped back in place just as quickly. Of course, that wand also ensured the floor nozzle could reach under lower furniture like beds, chairs, and tables without me straining my back. It removed a shocking amount of dust and debris under my couch that I couldn’t with my regular corded vacuum.

That floor nozzle features two brush rolls that have done a surprisingly great job at preventing hair warp. They still look brand new after several weeks of use, and I only needed to clean them once, which is impressive considering the large chunks of dog fur, hair, and debris that cover my floors daily.

This is one of the first Shark vacuums to feature DuoDetect technology. The floor nozzle has forward and reverse debris pick-up. Yes, most vacuums tend to pick up debris in reverse, but this one has unique teeth to pull in more debris when reversing. It seemed to work fine in my testing, but it’s nothing revolutionary.

My favorite feature of the floor nozzle is the lights. They’re in the front and the back of the vacuum and helped illuminate dust and debris I would’ve otherwise missed. Those lights are part of Sharks’ Detect technology that can be found in a range of its vacuums. Other modes include Dirt Detect to increase suction in dirtier areas of your home, Edge Detect for dynamic detection of edges to increase suction when in the nooks and crannies of your space, and Floor Detect for optimizing the brushes based on the floor.

The vacuum must be in Detect mode to use all of the Detect features. It’s easy to activate, as Detect mode is the standard setting when you turn on the vacuum. The power control is a big purple button on the top of the handheld portion of the vacuum. During testing, the button was temperamental, sometimes taking several presses to activate. But once it did, everything was smooth sailing.

There are two other power modes on the cordless vacuum: Eco mode and Boost mode. An easy-to-reach trigger-like button was inside the vacuum handle for swapping between the three modes. Each mode worked exactly as expected. At the top of the vacuum was an easy-to-read panel that displayed what mode I’d activated for convenience: a leaf indicated Eco, a white circle for Detect, and a red circle for Boost mode. The panel also featured a handy battery indicator with a white bar to show how much charge was left. It would start to blink when power was running low. I didn’t find it that noticeable during testing. So, several times, it stopped right in the middle of cleaning.

If you’re looking for a quiet vacuum, you’ve come to the wrong place and should probably invest in a robot vacuum instead. Using a decibel meter, I measured the vacuum, averaging about 70dB in Eco Mode, which is about conversation level. Still, it was enough noise for my dog to want to go outside. In the highest operating mode, the vacuum hit 80dB, bordering on the level of a blender. However, the worst noise offender is the dock. When emptying the dust cup, it struck about 85dB and managed to scare me multiple times. Plus, be prepared for it to empty the dust cup twice. Luckily, if you don’t want the dust cup emptied, the dock features an easy-to-turn-on control at the side of the charging port to prevent emptying.

Navigating the Shark Cordless PowerDetect around my home had its ups and downs. It took on hard floors like a champion, easily maneuvering with an excellent turn radius exactly where I wanted it to go, like directly against walls and furniture. But carpets and rugs were a hit or miss. Sometimes, the brush rolls activated, causing the floor nozzle to breezily move around with minimal effort on the low-pile and medium-pile carpet. Other times, those brush rolls wouldn’t activate, and it was an intense arm workout just getting it to move a few feet on a rug. Unfortunately, the Floor Detect feature of this Shark vacuum was flawed.

• Score: 8/10

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System: Performance

I’ve tested a range of vacuums during visits to my parent's home. Everything from robots and handhelds to cordless and uprights have roamed their floors, and the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System IP3251 had one of the best performances. Cleaning the range of hard floors with tons of low pile rugs and the fully carpeted upper floor was no easy task. Add in a furry dog constantly covered in dirt and leaves, holiday decor leaving behind glitter and pine needles, and lots of baking, and this vacuum had its work cut out.

Before any rigorous testing, I wanted to see how the vacuum performed during average, everyday cleaning tasks. Leaving it in the default Detect mode, I pushed the vacuum around the lower level of my parent's home.

It picked up everything in its path on hard floors, including large chunks of dog fur and dirt. Moving it along the edges of the cabinets, I never heard the advertised Edge Detect mode increase suction. But even without it, almost every crumb was removed from those harder-to-reach areas. Luckily, I listened to the suction increase when more significant concentrations of debris were detected, indicating the Dirt Detect feature was working. It consistently activated throughout testing, picking up extra debris I may have missed.

When I maneuvered onto low pile rugs, it was a hit or miss as to whether the brush rolls would activate using the Floor Detect feature. But when they did, almost everything was removed except for pesky, super-ingrained dog fur and pine needles. Even the powerful Dyson upright vacuum I have couldn’t remove that debris, so I can’t even fault the Shark Cordless PowerDetect for that. However, due to that powerful performance, I’d occasionally vacuum up rug edges, which would cause the brush rolls to stop. I’d need to restart the vacuum to get them working again.

As I made my way to the upper level of my home, I used the vacuum on a few carpeted stairs; it worked marvelously and was far easier to manage than an upright vacuum. On the carpeted second floor, the Floor Detect feature worked much better, and I was shocked by how well it cleaned. After just one minute, the dust cup was full of dust, fur, and hair. I hadn’t even noticed that debris was there. Plus, the vacuum even left those lovely carpet lines, letting you know it was freshly cleaned.

One extra handy feature of the Shark Cordless PowerDetect is its MultiFlex wand. With the press of a button, the floor nozzle went under my couches, chairs, and tables without needing to bend over or strain my back. The debris left in the dust cup afterward was astounding, so I know it worked exceptionally well. However, the floor nozzle was a little too tall to fit under a few furniture pieces.

Using the two other suction power modes available on the Shark Cordless PowerDetect, Eco and Boost, I did similar testing. It’s important to note that some Detect technology won’t work in these modes. Eco mode performed surprisingly well, removing almost all visible debris on hard floors and carpets. However, I noticed less dirt and dust in the dust cup at the end. I would also occasionally need to run over spots a few times to pick up all the dust. Boost mode had a similar performance to Detect.

Like most cordless vacuums, Shark Cordless PowerDetect can also be used in handheld mode. It comes with two attachments, a Duster Crevice Tool and a Pet Multi-Tool. I used the Duster Crevice Tool to get crumbs under couch cushions and clean dust from the baseboards. The Pet Tool was used to get some hair off chairs and couches. The tools felt secure, slotted into the handheld vacuum and MultiFlex wand, and worked as expected. However, I would never let these attachments be a reason to purchase this vacuum. It also felt cumbersome after only a couple of minutes of cleaning.

Beyond everyday cleaning tasks, I put the vacuum through more rigorous testing using heaving concentrations of debris, including dog fur, dust, rice, and oats. I observed how quickly and easily the vacuum picked up the debris on each power level.

Starting on hard floors in Eco mode, I spread the debris around. The vacuum picked up everything except dust and a few rice granules in the first pass. A second pass removed everything. Detect and Boost mode yielded slightly better results. I did the same testing with the same concentrations of debris on carpeting. In Eco mode, only a bit of rice was left after one pass, but a couple more cleaned everything up. Boost and Detect saw almost everything vacuumed after just one pass.

The results of these tests prove just how powerful the suction is on the Shark Cordless PowerDetect. It blows robots and other cordless vacuums I’ve reviewed out of the water. That suction power is bordering on a corded upright vacuum. Thanks to the powerful pickup, it’s an excellent option for those with pets and kids, and the tetherless design is insanely convenient for larger, multi-story homes.

That said, any cordless vacuum's biggest downfall is battery life. Shark claims Cordless PowerDetect gets about 70 minutes of runtime on the Eco setting in handheld mode. Based on my testing, I’d say this is pretty accurate. Using a combo of the floor nozzle and attachments, the battery lasted just over an hour in Eco. In Detect and Boost mode, that time dropped significantly. I only got about 25 minutes of cleaning time in Detect mode and 11 minutes in Boost with the floor nozzle attached.

Those results were average to slightly better than average regarding battery life in cordless vacuums. If you have a larger home, that won’t be enough time for a complete cleaning, mainly if you stick to the default Detect setting. Unfortunately, charging on the dock isn’t quick either. I had to wait almost 5 hours for the vacuum to be fully juiced. Again, this is average but a pain if you want to finish a cleaning session.

• Score: 9/10

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System: Care & maintenance

Maintenance on the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System IP3251 is far easier than any other cordless vacuum I’ve tested. That’s all thanks to the auto-emptying dock. Most cordless vacuums come with smaller dust cups that must be emptied manually every few cleanings. That’s not a worry on this Shark vacuum, as the dock removes the debris from the dust cup of the vacuum and deposits it right into the dock’s 2-liter dustbin. The dustbin only needs to be emptied every couple of months, so I haven’t even needed to empty it during testing.

When that dock’s dust bin eventually needs to be removed, a button is pressed to remove the entire bin for tossing the contents into the garbage. It's a bagless option, so you’ll never need to worry about buying bag replacements like other auto-emptying systems.

The dust cup on the vacuum isn’t the largest capacity, and it was stuffed with debris past the max line after the first cleaning. Even though it was full, the vacuum still managed to pick up perfectly fine without getting clogged.

After cleaning, I placed the vacuum on the dock. The dust cup emptied almost immediately. You’ll know it’s happening, as the dock is extremely loud during the process. After the initial suction of debris from the dust cup, a second suction occurs to ensure all the debris is out of that dust cup. In my few weeks of testing, it consistently emptied almost everything from the dust cup.

Only once did I need to empty the dust cup manually, as some hair was stuck. It was an absolute struggle to figure out how to open up this dust cup. I ended up turning to the instruction manual online. After I finally got it open, everything went smoothly. However, I wasted five minutes of my life attempting to open it.

Other maintenance on the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System IP325 is standard. Filters and brushes will occasionally need cleaning or replacing. Luckily, the brush rolls are pretty great at keeping hair at bay. The base station also has an Odor Neutralizer Cartridge that must be replaced every six months. But as mentioned, I think it’s pointless and would be something I skip.

• Score: 8/10

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System: Price & Value

The Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System IP3251’s retail price is $499.99 but is often on sale for at least $100 less. It can be bought directly from the Shark website or retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

Given the cordless vacuum’s excellent suction power, handy Detect modes for easier cleaning, and great all-around performance, it’s a solid value, especially if you manage to grab it on sale. The price does fall at the upper end of the midrange tier, but this vacuum differentiates itself from others in a similar price bracket thanks to the auto-emptying dock. Very few cordless vacuums come with this handy feature that makes maintenance more hands-off.

However, if you don’t think you’ll need the auto-emptying dock or don’t have the space for it, the Shark Cordless PowerDetect is available without a dock for $50-70 less, depending on the sale. It’s the same vacuum that comes with the system so that you won’t be sacrificing any of the vacuum’s features.

• Score: 8/10

Would I buy the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System?

The Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System has four automatic detect modes that pick up debris efficiently, the MultiFlex Wand allows users to reach under furniture, and simple controls make suction adjustments easy.

It's pretty loud during operation, especially when the dock empties. It doesn't do well on rugs, but it works well on corners and edges. The suction power is really strong and rivals some corded vacuums.

The battery lasts 25 minutes in default mode and over an hour in Eco, but may not be enough for larger homes since it takes five hours to charge.

How does the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System compare?

The Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System IP3251 is a pricier midrange cordless option, but if you’re willing to sacrifice the dock and a few features, there are plenty of budget-friendly options. I had the opportunity to test the Shark Cordless Pro Vacuum IZ562H. It has a similar Dirt Detect mode that increases suction in dirtier areas of your home for over $100 less than the Shark PowerDetect. Just be prepared for less suction strength, no flexible wand, and a slightly shorter run time.

I reviewed the Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Stick Vacuum for an ultra-cheap alternative and was impressed. Sure, the vacuum is pretty barebones, so it won’t have the suction power, Detect modes, or auto-emptying dock of the Shark Cordless PowerDetect. But it works perfectly fine for lighter messes on hard floors. It’s even rocking handy lights on the floor nozzle to highlight dust and debris. However, the biggest perk is it’s often on sale for less than half the cost of the Shark Cordless PowerDetect.

Want the absolute best vacuum around? A TopTenReviews expert reviewed the Dyson Gen5detect Absolute, giving it high marks thanks to its wealth of features and top-notch performance. It offers dust detection similar to Shark, powerful suction, a sleek design, and a wealth of cleaning tools to clean every nook and cranny of your home. One feature you won’t find is an auto-emptying dock, Shark has the upper hand on that along with price, as Dyson’s vacuum has an eye-watering retail price of just under $1,000.

How I tested the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System

I reviewed the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System IP3251 in my parent's home for several weeks while visiting over the holiday season. Their floors include laminate, hardwood, tile, low-pile rugs, and medium-pile carpet. Our extremely furry dog (Keeshond) also lives here, leaving clumps of fur, dirt, leaves, and crumbs everywhere.

During my testing, the vacuum performed average, everyday tasks. I did more rigorous testing of the power modes on the hard floors and carpeting with concentrated debris, including oats, rice, dust, and big fur clumps. Using a decibel meter on my phone, I also observed noise levels and monitored battery life with a timer. Beyond the floor nozzle, I tried the two attachments in various situations.

Find out more about how we test.

Other smart features you never knew you could want in a microwave suddenly become indispensable once you have them. For example, you can easily sync your LG smart range or cooktop to auto-activate the microwave’s light and vent above it. 

The microwave’s design is unique. It has a large, slim, “zero clearance” door that allows flush installation against a wall or cabinet. The entire panel is the door, which opens with a wide swing, so watch your head. While the brand promotes a “print proof” door, my five kids beg to differ—and there soon was just as much smudging as usual.

Finally, this microwave connects to an app to access those smart functions, though it can work perfectly without it if you can’t stand the thought of yet another app on your phone, mainly to reheat food. Keep reading to see my full verdict, and for more information, visit our guide to the best over-the-range microwaves.

LG MVEF1337F 1.3 Cu. Ft. Low-Profile Over-The-Range Microwave: Key specs

LG MVEF1337F 1.3 Cu. Ft. Low-Profile Over-The-Range Microwave: Setup

The delivery professionals who set up the microwave and removed my old one above the range did the unboxing process. They took around 30 minutes to complete the project, with two delivery people involved. They brought in the large box, which took both of them to carry, and unboxed it, removing packaging and styrofoam-type protection, and there were no marks or scratches on the product upon arrival.

The assembly involved two people mounting the microwave and securing it above the range. I immediately noticed that this wider, lower profile, and shorter (top to bottom) microwave left a large gap where my previous microwave was. So, if you select this one, you should account for what part of the wall won’t be covered by it. Now, I have a few inches of exposed wall that isn’t tiled like the rest of the backsplash area.

Its technical abilities required some learning but appeared spacious and would be a powerful reheating tool in my kitchen. That proved to be true.

• Score: 7 out of 10

LG MVEF1337F 1.3 Cu. Ft. Low-Profile Over-The-Range Microwave: Design & features

This product is long, lean, and requires less space than other microwaves. A key design difference most users will notice immediately is that the entire front panel of the product opens, including the buttons you use to choose settings. This is different from others that typically have a button panel remaining on the right when the door is open. This takes a bit of getting used to and means the door swings out much more expensive than usual. But it’s also the reason for such a big interior to the appliance, which means some seriously efficient heating and lots of room for larger meals. 

It is black with a mirror-like finish, so you might find yourself touching up your hair while waiting for breakfast to heat up. It’s designed to be smudge-proof, but I found it to be everything but that. It clearly showed where someone had touched the buttons or pushed them closed.

It’s easier for kids to use (with adult supervision) because you don’t need to do anything fancy or particular to open or close, like squeezing a lever or button. However, it has a bit more of a learning curve when determining which buttons to push, as the microwave’s code shows which numbers are for which types of foods. 

Overall, the design is intuitive, engaging, and accessible for most people. It also gives greater specificity to the cooking process, with numerous options for reheating.

• Score: 8 out of 10

LG MVEF1337F 1.3 Cu. Ft. Low-Profile Over-The-Range Microwave: Performance

This microwave cooks faster, evenly, and more efficiently than any microwave I’ve tested. It doesn’t heat food as superficially as some, where the top of your chili is piping hot, but it’s cold in the middle. Instead, the entire meal is evenly heated to the perfect temperature in less time than expected.  

I tested this by warming a meal with multiple food groups, which included leftover pizza and chicken. I chose the “chicken” option for the smart sensor, highlighting one issue — if you are using this and must select the type of food, sometimes there isn’t a perfect description of what you are heating. But that didn’t seem to matter much, and in several minutes, the meal was properly heated but not overdone.

I have five kids, the youngest of which is a baby who likes to wake up at the sound of a blender, microwave, washer and dryer, or even the dishwasher turning on. So, it made sense to test the sound levels of this microwave in a real-life setting to determine if moms around the country could warm up their coffee so that they could finally get to drink it when the baby goes down for a nap without issue.

I was happy to report she did not wake up, and the microwave is very quiet. I sometimes had to check if it was on and functioning until I got used to the quieter sound.

I find reheating soup exceptionally annoying because it often has hot spots that burn your mouth and cooler spots that make you want to throw it back into the microwave. This is another situation where the smart sensing technology performed well, heating the soup to the perfect temperature. I did have one complaint with the sensing technology: you don’t know how long it will take to finish heating. When I put in the soup, it didn’t display a countdown such as “five minutes” but instead showed what type of food I was heating up. This was a bit of an inconvenience when it came to timing it up with other food groups in the meal so that all of them would be ready on time.

The microwave was easy to wipe down, and the glass plate was sturdy but easy to remove, wash, and reinsert. However, consumers should note that the front will take as much effort to clean as a mirror and will likely need more maintenance than other microwaves.

• Score: 9 out of 10

LG MVEF1337F 1.3 Cu. Ft. Low-Profile Over-The-Range Microwave: Price & value

The microwave is sometimes out of stock on LG’s site, such as at the time of this article. However, it is available from other vendors, such as Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowes, and others, so you will likely find it quickly even when LG’s site doesn’t have it available.

The price is typically around $450 but varies with sales. Since you can expect to spend a similar amount on other smart over-the-range microwaves, it’s a fair price for what it can do.

• Score: 8 out of 10

Would I buy the LG MVEF1337F 1.3 Cu. Ft. Low-Profile Over-The-Range Microwave?

The microwave's sleek, unique design doesn't sacrifice capacity, so it's a visually appealing addition to your kitchen. With its intuitive functionality, it's the perfect choice for busy households. Its smart features can be seamlessly synced with your range and cooktop if you own other LG appliances. It might take a while to install due to limited availability.

Because of its size might leave a gap in your over-the-range setup, and the mirror finish needs frequent cleaning, especially if you have kids.

How I tested the LG MVEF1337F 1.3 Cu. Ft. Low-Profile Over-The-Range Microwave

The TopTenReviews protocols and scoring system helped me evaluate the microwave's unboxing, installation, sound test, performance, and cleaning. I was impressed with the well-packaged contents, which kept the mirror from scratching, and the detailed instructions. The installation team was efficient and detail-oriented. The microwave was quiet compared to my old one, so it's perfect for households with napping kids.

Thanks to its humidity-sensing technology, this appliance excels at reheating and cooking various foods, which ensures even heating. Cleaning the interior was easy, but maintaining the outside's mirror appearance was not.

With so many small appliances in one, it’s the perfect machine for first-time homeowners or anyone looking to set up their kitchen, as well as cooking fans who love to cook and want to make food prep stress and mess-free.

Made by an established brand, you can expect quality and durability, too. Despite all its accessories, it still has a decent value for money at £199 / $399 AUS.

Kenwood Multipro Onetouch 3-in-1 Food Processor and Blender: Key specs

Kenwood Multipro Onetouch 3-in-1 food processor and blender: Setup

The Kenwood Multipro OneTouch 3-in-1 food processor and blender is incredibly well packaged, and each element comes protected with cardboard during shipping. It's easy to open, and all the parts are well organized.

Inside the box are a safety brochure and a user manual, mainly images demonstrating the combination of each element. There are very few written instructions, but because this appliance is so intuitive, it's incredibly easy to assemble each part. It's also good to see plenty of safety warnings on the blades.

To secure the bowl or blender in place, put the 'drive shaft' in (more on this later), then click it on top and pull the handle to the left. The machine won't start until this has clicked into place.

The digital controls are easy to follow, with images above each main preset (dough, puree, mix, next to the main food processor icon and ice crush, blend, and clean next to the full-size blender). In the middle is your weighing scales control panel, and to the right are your custom and pulse buttons, plus the three speeds (low, medium, high). It's all incredibly intuitive and easy to use.

• Score: 9 out of 10

Kenwood Multipro Onetouch 3-in-1 food processor and blender: Design & Features

As with all Kenwood products, the MultiPro OneTouch is well designed, but I wouldn’t say it stands out for style - it looks like most food processors if I’m being brutally honest.

But the controls are straightforward, with the image icons spelling out which button you need for which purpose.

It has three speeds and a pulse button, which is pretty standard, plus the six presets. It doesn't have a start/stop button, but to do either function, you just press the preset or speed button you are using. I'd probably prefer a start/stop button, but it will not be an issue once you get used to it.

Some people might find the color images on the color control panel cluttered, but I found it helpful.

The appliance comes with all the primary attachments you'd expect, including a serrated knife blade, 2mm and 4mm slicing/grating discs, a double whisk, a dough tool, and a citrus juicer.

I liked the express serve lid attachment you use with the slicing/grating discs. It uses a chute to propel the sliced or grated food into a container. However, when I tested it, I found the carrots shot out rather wildly, and not all landed in my bowl under the chute.

Another thing I love about this multi-functional food processor is that it has a full-size blender and a slightly smaller 'personal blender' attachment - a timely replacement for my ancient NutriBullet.

Plus, a citrus press accessory attaches to the food processor bowl so you can make fresh orange juice in the morning. It's easy to do, and my daughters loved the fact we could make fresh juice so fast.

Design-wise, every large attachment has to be twisted into position on the base. Before it starts, the lid must be twisted and locked for the food processor bowl and the blender (a standard safety feature). What I did find slightly annoying, however, is that the measurements on the side of the bowl and blender go to the left rather than the front. It's not a huge deal, but you must look around the appliance when pouring liquids or ingredients that need measuring when it's clicked in.

One thing that I did find slightly odd is the 'drive shaft', the long spindle attachment you place in the base before adding the food processor bowl, doesn't click or lock in, so it can feel a little wobbly. Often, when I took the bowl off the food processor, the drive shaft would come, too, and fall on the counter, which is a bit annoying.

The base of the food process is 8.7 x 10.9 inches, and the height depends on the accessory you are using. The tallest is with the blender, which makes it 16.9" high, so you will need to consider this if you keep it on the counter under a kitchen cabinet.

It's not overwhelming on the counter, but you will need a lot of cupboard space to house all the accessories. It comes with a little bag for the grating discs, and it would have been nice to have a similar, bigger bag to keep all the elements together.

With a 1000W motor, it can handle all the various mixing tasks, and the 3L food processor bowl and 1.5L blender means you can quickly batch prep.

Being able to weigh ingredients directly into the food processor bowl and blender jug is a real game changer, and I love that you also have the option to use it just as a digital scale.

Plus, with the express serve attachment, you can grate and slice food straight into a blow, so you can get much food prep done without stopping.

• Score: 8 out of 10

Kenwood Multipro Onetouch 3-in-1 food processor and blender: Performance

I must say I'm impressed with the performance of this appliance - it's fast, efficient and stress-free. It kneaded my bread dough in under five minutes, made a lump-free smoothie (with frozen berries and ice) in seconds, and orange juice in under a minute. It is a little loud on the Mix setting (80-90dB - about the same as a lawn mower), but I am impressed with how smooth it mixes.

With so many accessories, this versatile machine does all the heavy lifting, from kneading dough to mixing cake batter.

It's all very intuitive to use and assemble, and it's so time-saving and labor-reducing that I will be making this part of my daily cooking routine, especially when it comes to food prep, such as slicing and grating. I particularly love the integrated scales.

When mixing cookie (or cake) batter, the Kenwood Multipro OneTouch 3-in-1 does not disappoint. My daughter and I decided to make some chocolate and mini marshmallow cookies and it was such a quick operation I must admit I was over the moon as it's usually such a painstaking operation with my old blender.

We started by grating the Cadbury's Twirl bars, which were annihilated in seconds. I removed the chocolate into a separate bowl and creamed the butter and sugar.

Finally, I mixed the flour, sugar, eggs, and baking soda. The batter was smooth in seconds, although it was pretty loud on mix mode (I measured 90dB on my decibel counter app - about the same as a lawn mower or a shouted conversation).

We added the chocolate and mini marshmallows by hand and baked them - they came out perfectly. This was a welcome relief for someone who does not love baking with kids (too much mess). How easy and stress-free it was.

As someone who never makes bread, this Multipro made this task so simple that I will try it again. I cheated slightly, used a ready-made bread mix my brother gave me, and used the dough tool accessory in the food processor bowl. It took around five minutes to complete the task, which was an easy experience.

Before making the smoothie, my daughters and I tested the ice crush, which was so powerful that it turned it into a fine powder or slushy (my kids were jumping up and down excitedly!). We then added frozen mixed berries, some mango and passionfruit yogurt, a small banana, and a glug of cow's milk. The Kenwood Multipro OneTouch whizzed everything together in seconds with no lumps. Because we didn't add much milk, it turned the mix into a berry soft serve - again, my daughters were so excited at the prospect we could now make our ice cream, so it was a win-win all around.

We carried out a similar test on the personal blender, which looks a bit like a NutriBullet in design and is just as powerful and effective. It's a great accessory if you want to make a smaller portion.

I used the express serve chute when slicing the carrots and placed my bowl underneath to catch the slices. It cut the vegetables with ease and speed, although I did notice that some of the carrots fired out in different directions, missing the bowl (although maybe my choice of bowl wasn't big enough...). This was an efficient way to slice vegetables, especially if you want thin slices.

When I want to juice citrus fruits, I usually just use my faithful dollar store plastic juicer but using the Kenwood Multipro OneTouch citrus press was much quicker and easier. I found I got way more juice out of the oranges, which was straightforward to clean afterward.

• Score: 9 out of 10

Kenwood Multipro Onetouch 3-in-1 food processor and blender: Care & maintenance

As with any investment, regular cleaning and maintenance will help extend its lifespan, and the Kenwood is relatively easy to clean, although there are a lot of parts!

Keep your food processor and accessories performing their best by giving them a light clean with a damp cloth after each use. But always make sure you first switch off and unplug your appliance before cleaning it.

Take extra care when removing blades and sharp cutting discs. The bowl, lid, and pusher are dishwasher safe, as are the blades and disc, but you can also wash them with soapy water.

The machine also has a 'Clean' setting, so you can fill the processor bowl or two blenders with a bit of water and detergent and get the bulk of the food debris off before another little rinse in the sink. This was useful and made things much easier when it came to cleaning the appliance after use.

But remember, never immerse motorized parts in water, don’t let the cord or plug get wet, and don’t use abrasive products that are likely to scratch metal or plastic - I find an old toothbrush or one of those thin straw pipe cleaners that comes in handy when cleaning hard to reach spots between buttons.

De’Longhi says certain foods can discolor the plastic, which is normal and won’t affect performance. After cleaning, ensure you dry the lid, bowl, and various individual tools thoroughly before re-assembling your food processor for storage.

For long-term maintenance, regularly checking and replacing worn parts is worthwhile. Signs that you need to replace things include dullness or damage on the blades, as dull blades can strain the motor and reduce performance. Replace or sharpen them as needed. Following the manufacturer's guidelines, you can also apply lubricant to the motor and any mover parts. This can help prevent wear and tear on components and reduce friction.

You can also inspect the motor and gears for any damage, blockages, or signs of wear.

This is a significant appliance with many mini appliances, so you'll need a massive amount of counter space to store it, or you might prefer to leave most of the elements you don't regularly use in a kitchen cupboard or utility room.

• Score: 8 out of 10

Kenwood Multipro Onetouch 3-in-1 food processor and blender: Price & Value

The Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch Food Processor and Blender retails at £199 / $399 AUS and is available directly from Kenwood in the UK and Australia, as well as Amazon.com. It hasn’t yet been launched in the US. This gadget can replace multiple appliances, so I think it is excellent value for money. When you look at similar-priced food processor-blender combos, it offers many more accessories.

• Score: 9 out of 10

Would I buy the Kenwood Multipro Onetouch 3-in-1 food processor and blender: Verdict

The Kenwood Multipro is the ultimate multi-tasker that makes kneading dough, crushing ice, juicing, and even cleaning up afterward super easy. The presets are easy to use, the appliance is powerful and fast, and it's all so intuitive that you barely need the instructions.

The only downside is there are a lot of accessories to store, and if you are keeping it on the counter, you will need some height under cabinets to use the full-size blender. It's well-priced for what you get and works well, saving time and labor for food prep.

How does the Kenwood Multipro Onetouch 3-in-1 food processor and blender compare?

If the Kenwood Multipro isn't for you, for a similar price you can get the Ninja BN800UK Auto IQ Food Processor and Blender ($199.99 on offer at Amazon.com) but it doesn't have as many accessories - it's missing a citrus press, whisk and integrated scales.

For those with a smaller budget we are big fans of the NutriBullet Triple Prep System NBKS50100, available for $169 at Amazon. It comes with two NutriBullet personal blenders, a full-size blender and a food processor.

How I tested the Kenwood Multipro Onetouch 3-in-1 food processor and blender: Testing process

I set up the Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch on my kitchen counter for one month while I worked my way through the different appliances and attachments.

When I was food prepping I used the integrated weighing scales, as well as tested the presets on the control panel. I used the blending, whisking, grating, slicing, and chopping functions and noted how well the parts fitted together and whether or not they were easy to clean.

I considered if any features were hard to use or didn't work as well as expected, and I also used a decibel noise meter to test how loud the appliances were, noting how many parts of the processor there were that needed storing.

Find out more about how we test.

This large dryer is sleek and minimalistic, with a glass door, touchscreen buttons, and a cycle knob that can run through up to 24 preset programs and 20 drying settings. Any kind of drying program you can think of, this LG dryer has – a drying option for jeans, bedding, towels, and even AI Dry and Steam Fresh. Yes, that’s right. It can steam freshen your wrinkled clothes and pillows, and AI can be used to determine the drying time and temperature of a load. With the LG ThinQ app, I could remotely start, stop, and adjust the settings of every drying session.

Considering all those features, the price is excellent, even if the AI Dry option struggles with large and/or mixed fabric loads. Keep reading to see how well this dryer performed and why it's a great companion to the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer, WT8600CB.

If you're looking to purchase one of the best dryers available, we have you covered.

LG 7.3 cu.ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer: Key specs

LG 7.3 cu.ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer: Setup

Since the LG 7.3 cu. ft. The Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer was ordered through the LG site, and I received free in-home delivery. There is an install fee of $39.99, which is my route. It’s well worth it, in my opinion.

If you order through Best Buy or Home Depot, you can pick the dryer up at the store or deliver it with or without the installation service. Either way, both stores charge a delivery and installation fee. Order directly from LG and take advantage of the free in-home delivery and a lower-priced installation fee.

I was able to schedule the installation day that I preferred. Upon arrival, one of the delivery people set to work unhooking my old washer and dryer while the other unpackaged the LG washer and dryer.

The products were assembled, so they had to move the washer and dryer in place. They even added new ductwork. While they didn’t show me how to use the washer and dryer, the delivery drivers provided me with the instruction manuals and told me to call customer service if I had any issues (none ever arose). The entire process took about 30 minutes.

Whether installing the dryer yourself or with the free in-home delivery, you should ensure a four-hole outlet. I should also note that the dryer shares the water facet with your washing machine so that you can utilize the steam feature.

Users can download the LG ThinQ app and connect it to the dryer. I highly suggest doing this as it allows you to adjust the dryer's settings in the app, receive notifications when a cycle is done, and even remotely start and stop the dryer. I had no trouble downloading the app and connecting the dryer with Wi-Fi. It took only a few minutes.

• Score: 9 out of 10

LG 7.3 cu.ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer: Design & features

In one word, the LG 7.3 cu. ft. Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer is “sleek.” The dryer only comes in matte black, which is better than white, as white shows scuffs and dust (trust me, my old dryer was white). The black glass door and the glass touch display are incredibly unique.

The glass door is placed on the front of the dryer, allowing me to set my basket underneath the door and pull out the clothes. The drum is made with NeverRust stainless steel. At 7.3 cu. ft., the dryer is quite large. I easily fit a king-size comforter inside and 17 towels (and there was still room left).

I’ve never seen a lint filter like the one in this LG dryer. It’s thin, but when you pull it out, you realize it’s like a basket you can unclip and open to remove the lint. It’s easy to remove the lint with your fingers. The dryer reminds you to remove lint from the dryer before every use and after several uses to clean the lint filter with water.

The cycle selector knob has an LCD screen that allows you to cycle through various programs – Normal, AI Dry, Timed Dry, Bedding, Towels, Delicates, Quick Dry, Antibacterial (high temp, very dry cycle), Permanent Press, Steam Fresh, Heavy Duty, and Airy Dry.

The date and time appear on the screen when the dryer is unused. Upon turning on the machine, the screen has seasonal-inspired images and messages like “It’s Winter!” These images change occasionally (you can also choose your favorite image in the app). There is a check button on the bottom of the knob that lets you make your dryer selections.

On either side of the knob is a glass touchscreen with the power button on the left side. A settings button, wrinkle care, and energy-saving button are on the far right side of the control panel. To the left of these buttons are the temperature and dryness settings. To adjust between the temperature settings of low, medium-low, normal, medium-high, or high, I only need to tap “Temp.” and the options appear on the knob's screen.

The dry level options are damp, less, standard, more, and very. Timed dry options are 10-minute increments between 10 and 100 minutes. The settings button displays the following options: low static, drum light on, remote start, control lock, cycle list edit, and damp signal.

You can use this dryer with the LG ThinQ app, meaning you can start and stop the dryer remotely on your phone and choose a cycle, temperature, steam, damp signal, energy saver, low static, and wrinkle care setting. Even if you don’t use the app to set a drying cycle, it will notify you when the dryer has finished the job.

Additional drying programs are absent on this dryer, like steam sanitary, super dry, jeans, blanket refresh, low temp dry, overnight dry, easy ironing, small load, large load dry, X Large load dry, wrinkle prevention, and rack dry. If I want them to appear on the dryer, I have to go into the app and add them.

The app also tells me how much energy I've used and tracks all the cycles. A Smart Diagnosis feature is also on the app to utilize in case of troubleshooting problems.

• Score: 9 out of 10

LG 7.3 cu.ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer: Performance

Using the LG 7.3 cu. ft. Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control has been a joy. Size-wise, I had no trouble fitting king-size comforters or duvets, pillows, rugs, jeans, towels, or sweaters in the dryer. I’m single, so I don’t need a 7.3 cu. ft. dryer, but it was convenient to simply do a single large load a week and be done with it.

I tested as many programs as possible and found that the dryer was moderately quiet – between 60 and 65 dB – no matter the program I used. To be fair, I know some dryers are more silent, but the dryers I've used in the past were much louder, so I was glad that this one is on the quieter side.

I typically used the following drying programs: Normal, AI Dry, Timed Dry, Bedding, Towels, Quick Dry, Jeans, and Steam Fresh. It was better to dry like materials with like to achieve the best drying results. Sometimes, when I used the Normal or AI Dry feature on a large load with a mix of clothing types, bulkier items like jeans would come out damp at the end of the cycle. Using the Jeans program to dry my jeans produced excellent results, as did the Towel program when I dried 17 towels in a load.

If I had to choose between Normal and AI Dry, I would select Normal Dry. For one, it takes a few minutes for the AI to detect the fabric type. I also found that the AI Dry function sometimes programmed a longer drying time than was necessary. For instance, I steamed and cleaned some pillows that were slightly damp afterward. So, I used AI Dry, which set the timer to 34 minutes. They were completely dry when I pulled the pillows out at 27 minutes. Once, I even used the AI Dry program on a small load of mixed fabrics, and there were still a few damp clothing pieces by the end.

I was surprised that the Bedding feature didn’t fully dry a comforter and a king-sized duvet (which I dried separately). I had to time dry the duvet for ten more minutes and the comforter for another 30 minutes. This may have been my fault because I set the temperature and dryness level to "normal." If I’d put them to "high" and "very," then perhaps the comforter and duvet would've dried entirely. I’ve since learned that sometimes, when items came out slightly damp, it was a user error on my part and that I should have used a higher dryness level and temperature setting.

My favorite program is the Steam feature. I bought a steamer a few years ago and highly prefer it over an iron. But now that I have this LG dryer with a Steam Fresh program, I can steam clean my clothes hands-free.

I put a very wrinkled dress in the dryer to test it and pressed the Steam program. I could see the steam forming inside the dryer. The cycle ran for 10 minutes. When I pulled the dress out, I discovered that most of the wrinkles had disappeared, and the dress was ready to wear. There were a few wrinkles around the buttons, but honestly, I don't think anyone would've noticed if I wore the dress and went out in public. Now that I have this feature, I can throw clothes into the dryer and steam them as I run around the house, getting ready without stopping and using an actual steamer.

All in all, I was impressed with how the LG 7.3 cu. ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer works. It’s changed my laundry drying game, and I don’t know if I will ever return to a dryer without all these features.

• Score: 8.5 out of 10

LG 7.3 cu.ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer: Care & Maintenance

Maintenance is relatively easy for this dryer. After every drying cycle, you must empty the lint filter. I use my finger to remove the lint reasonably quickly, but if necessary, you can use a vacuum to clean the filter, water, and soap. The app and the machine notify you when you might need to wash the filter with water and then let it air dry before reinstalling.

The only other maintenance required of this dryer is cleaning the exterior of dust and dirt. You should occasionally clean the inside of the drum with a damp cloth.

• Score: 9 out of 10

LG 7.3 cu.ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer: Price & value

Considering the smart and AI features – and the stylish look alone – I expected this dryer to be more expensive than it is. It typically sells for $1,299, but the price was reduced to $999 during my testing period. The high-quality design, many programs and settings, and the Steam feature make this price tag more than fair; it’s a downright steal.

This LG dryer is currently available on the LG website, as well as Best Buy and Home Depot. All three are offering additional perks at the time I’m writing this. For instance, Best Buy is offering a $75 gift card when you buy this LG dryer, while Home Depot will extend the limited warranty from 1 to 2 years at no cost, provide a $50 rebate, and take off $100 if you buy an LG washer and dryer set. LG offers further discounts for bundling appliances and a $100 credit for laundry and drying cleaning service from Rinse.

• Score: 9.5 out of 10

Would I buy the LG 7.3 cu.ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer?

Even though it doesn't come with a hands-on demonstration, the LG DLEX8600BE dryer excels in setup with convenient delivery, installation options, and a user-friendly process. Though it lacks additional drying programs, its design combines sleek aesthetics, practical functionality, and advanced technology.

Because of the large capacity, versatile drying programs, and Steam Fresh feature, performance is good, but some user experimentation and minor AI Dry inconsistencies need to be fixed for optimal performance. With easy-to-use features and a lint management system, care and maintenance are easy, though cleaning may need to happen a lot.

While slightly cheaper alternatives may lack the same features, this dryer offers exceptional value with competitive pricing, high-quality features, and additional retailer perks.

How does the LG 7.3 cu.ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer compare?

If you love the LG brand, you could always consider the LG 7.4 cu. ft. Ultra Large Capacity Smart wi-fi Enabled Front Load Electric Dryer, DLEX4000B. It has a lot of the same features as the LG 7.3 cu. ft DLEX8600B Dryer that I tested but differs in the design. The programs and settings are visibly labeled on this dryer, and many more buttons might be overwhelming to some.

TopTenReviews chose the GE GFD55ESSNWW 7.8 Cu. Ft. 10-Cycle Electric Dryer is the best overall dryer for its phenomenal sensor drying and large size – 7.8 cu. ft. It lacks a steam function and only has ten drying cycles. At least it’s about half the price of the LG I tested.

The Maytag MED7230HW 7.4 Cu. Ft. Smart Electric Dryer does have a steam function and app connectivity, and it’s more affordable than the LG 7.3 cu. ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer. While it may have fewer drying programs, at least its moisture-sensing technology is praised, especially regarding heavy loads.

How I tested the LG 7.3 cu.ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer

I used the LG 7.3 cu.ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer for about three weeks. I tried various loads during that time, including various clothing types, from jeans to sweaters, bedding, and towels. I made sure to use different preset programs and settings, too. In doing this, I better understood how to best utilize this dryer for my drying needs.

Learn more about how we test.

The LG WT8600CB 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer is sleek and ultra-modern but incredibly spacious with high-tech features like a glass touchscreen control panel and an automatic detergent dispenser. You can control the washing machine through an app and even utilize an AI wash feature (in addition to 27 other washing programs) that determines the settings necessary to clean a specific load. Tack on the built-in faucet that lets you pre-treat stains easily, and this washing machine has all the tools to make for a good wash.

Admittedly, all the bells and whistles are a bit loud, and it can take some time to figure out how to use the settings to achieve the best results. Even so, I wouldn’t go back to my old washing machine now that I’ve experienced this futuristic LG washing machine. Keep reading to learn more about the tests I ran on various fabrics and loads and my overall opinion of the machine.

If you're in the market to find one of the best washing machines, you're in the right place; we can also help you with some of the best washer deals.

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: Key specs

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: Setup

LG offers free in-home delivery for this washer, and for only $29.99, they’ll install it, too. This was the route I took, and I’m happy that I did. Order it through other stores, but you’ll have to pay a delivery and installation fee.

I could schedule my delivery date and time, and the drivers contacted me before arriving. They uninstalled my old washer and dryer before installing the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer and the LG 7.3 cu. ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer.

The installation took about 30 minutes and was quick and efficient. I highly recommend going this route. Otherwise, you’ll have to follow the setup instructions in the guide. The setup process isn't complicated, but you'll have to unpackage the washer, connect the water inlet hoses, plug the power cord into an outlet, and level the washer.

When the delivery drivers left, I connected the washer to the LG ThinQ app with the convenience of QR codes and Wi-Fi. It took only a few minutes to complete.

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: Design & features

I am a massive fan of matte appliances now that I've tested the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer. There is something inherently sleek in the matte black look of this washing machine – and it doesn’t hurt that it contrasts with the full-width SlamProof glass door placed on top of the machine and the simplistically-style control panel.

Inside the washer is a stainless steel 5.5 cubic-foot tub. Without an agitator, there is plenty of space for large loads. I could fit a king-size comforter and 17 towels in the drum and still have about a quarter of space left.

LG designed the tub to be angled, allowing you to quickly and ergonomically reach for clothes at the bottom. At the top of the machine is the ezDispense Automatic Dispenser, which has a port for softeners and detergents. Once you fill up these ports (I don’t use softener), the machine will automatically dispense however much detergent or softener you need based on the wash cycle. The machine (and the app) will inform you when you’re low on either product, though you can always see the amount in the port thanks to two viewfinders on either side of the dispenser.

When powered off, the only visible thing on the black control panel is the knob which displays the date and time. To turn on the machine, you have to press the power button on the glass touch screen to the left of the knob. That’s when a seasonal splash screen pops up on the LCD knob screen. (Since I tested it during the holidays, a snowman appears on the screen. I can change the app screen whenever I wish.)

The knob cycles through the different wash programs and settings. A check mark button on the bottom of the knob allows users to choose an option. To the right of the knob is where you can adjust the temperature, spin, and soil by clicking on the words that appear on the screen. To the right of those buttons are four more buttons: Faucet, Settings, Deep Fill, and Delay Start.

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: Performance

The LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer offers a lot in a sleek and modern package. There are a whopping 28 different preset wash programs: Bright Whites™, Rinse + Spin, Juice&Food Stains, AI Wash, Baby Wear, Bedding, Econowash, Baby Bibs, Overnight Wash, Deep Wash, Delicates, Dresses, Heavy Duty, Kids Wear, Large Load, Normal, Perm. Press, Quick Wash, Small Load, Spin Only, PreWash+Normal, Sweat Stains, Swimwear, Towels, Tub Clean, Waterproof, X Large Load, and Single item.

Only 14 of the 28 programs are pre-loaded to the washing machine. I can add or remove the programs that appear on the washer through the app.

Before doing a load of laundry, I filled up the ezDispense reservoir with laundry detergent. I love the convenience of this automatic detergent dispenser as I’m never sure if I’m using too much or too little, and I hate how the detergent often spills on the washing machine or makes the dispenser cup sticky and gross. The automatic dispenser is entirely out of my hands until the washing machine and/or app notify me that it needs refilled.

I was very excited to use the water faucet feature. I don’t have a sink near my washing machine (which is in the garage), and it can be a hassle to pre-wash stains on clothing items in my kitchen and then take them into the garage to be washed. With this washing machine, I don’t have to do that anymore. Once I press the faucet button on the control panel and open the top door, water pours forth from inside the drum, allowing me to pre-treat a stain before washing the clothing item. The water shuts off automatically when I close the glass door.

With 5.5 cu. ft., I can fit considerable loads in this washing machine. I could easily fit a king-size comforter and 17 towels in the washing machine and still have a decent amount of room left.

One of my favorite aspects of the washing machine is how quiet it runs. The sound was 59-64 dB, depending on the spin speed. Admittedly, some washing machines are quieter, but my previous washing machine could be heard at the front of my house (the washing machine was in the back of the house in the garage), so this sound rating is a blessing.

I used several wash programs to see how well the washing machine works. This included AI Wash, Normal, Bedding, Towels, Quick Qash, and even Juice&Food Stains. Sometimes, I stumped over which program was best for a particular load of clothes. Other times, I wasn't sure if I made the right decision regarding temperature, spin speed, or soil level. In the past, I’ve rarely used anything other than cold water, normal speed, and average soil, no matter the load. However, using this washing machine has shown me that perhaps I’ve not been washing my clothes as well as I can because I didn't take the time to figure out the best combination of settings for an efficient wash.

Admittedly, so many options can be overwhelming, and I sometimes don’t make the right choices. This is not to say that my clothes weren’t clean, because I think they were, but I’ve realized that sometimes cleaning fabrics with fabrics or loads that are medium-heavy rather than heavy can result in a better wash. I'm also a bit more likely to play around with temperature settings and spin speeds.

You can always select AI Wash if you don’t want to consider which settings to use. Under this setting, the washing machine determines the load size and the materials and chooses the wash time, temperature, speed, and soil level. It’s pretty convenient.

No matter what wash program I used, what stood out the most was how well this washing machine wrings out the water – especially from bulky items. If I tried to wash my king-size duvet cover in my old washing machine, I’d have to run the Rinse & Spin cycle multiple times because the duvet would be soaked with water that dripped if I took it out of the machine. That’s not the case with the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer. Whether I was washing my king-size comforter, duvet cover, 17 towels, or a heavy load of diverse fabrics, the washing machine always finished the job by completely wringing out all the water.

The most significant question users will have when using this washing machine is how well it cleans stains. To test this, I bought a plain white tee and stained it with different items: avocado oil, siracha, mud, coffee, red wine vinegar, red juice, and blueberries. I let the stains set for a few hours before I washed the test tee on Normal with cold temperature, the spin set high, and the soil set on medium heavy. The wash took one hour and five minutes. I washed the tee with a heavy load of various clothing items. I did not pretreat it with any stain-fighting products.

After I washed and dried the tee, I pulled it out and found it still had stains. While the red wine vinegar washed out thoroughly and most of the avocado oil had disappeared, the other stains were quite visible.

I rewashed the test tee with my duvet cover a few days later. Those were the only two items in the wash. I used the Heavy Wash program and set the temperature to warm with a high spin and a deep clean. I was glad to see that the juice stain disappeared completely. The other stains had lessened but were still noticeable.

Finally, I pretreated the tee with a spray stain remover, washed it on Quick Wash with a small load of clothes, and used the Juice & Food Stains setting with a high temperature, medium spin, and heavy soil setting. The wash took two hours long. From the first time I washed the tee to the final time, it's clear that the stains diminished, but not as much as I would've liked.

I can’t tell if this washing machine doesn’t do well with removing stains or if I’m not using it in the right way to remove stains. For testing purposes, I didn’t pre-treat the stains with a stain remover product or pre-wash them with water before washing them the first or second time. Normally, I would do both of these things for a better result. I’m also aware that washing stained clothes with cold water doesn’t favor the stain-fighting process.

This washing machine is a tool, and it will probably take me months to play with all the settings to see what works best and what doesn’t. I will concede that this washing machine may not be the best at removing stains, but I’m inclined to also believe that human error or human choices can affect whether a stain is removed completely or not.

All this is to say that I like using the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer. Washing my clothes is a lot easier and requires less work, and that’s exactly what I want in a washing machine.

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: Price & value

The LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer is currently priced at $999 on the LG site, which is $300 off the retail price of $1,299. It’s available at other retailers like Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Best Buy, with Best Buy and Lowe’s pricing it at $998.

With so many smart features, including app connectivity and 28 washing programs, I believe this is an incredible price. When bundled and bought with the LG 7.3 cu. ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer with LGEasyLoad Door, AI Sensing, and Turbo Steam on the LG website, you can save even more.

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: User reviews

At the time of writing, there are only 31 reviews on the LG site (4 stars), 38 on Home Depot (4.7 stars), and 77 on Lowe’s (4.5 stars), with an average of 4.4 out of 5-star ratings overall. It should be noted that some reviews on the Home Depot and Lowe’s sites are pulled from the LG website.

Overall, the reviews are very positive, praising the washer for its large tub, sleek look, and a wide array of wash programs. Many love the ease of selecting the AI Wash program without considering the settings. The ezDispense reservoir is liked for the same reason.

Lower star ratings mostly have to do with technology. Some people have experienced glitches in the app or the washing machine and have struggled with customer service. Others find the large number of wash options overwhelming and the glass touch screen and knob selector confusing.

Would I buy the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer?

The LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer is a great washing machine overall. Installation and setup are easy, and it can handle large loads with a diverse set of 28 different wash programs. Not to mention, you can pre-treat stains with a built-in faucet. While it may struggle with stains, this might be partly due to human error, thanks to a slightly overwhelming number of wash settings and options. With AI wash and app connectivity, cleaning your clothes is much easier with this washing machine.

How does the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer compare?

The LG 4.5 Cu. Ft. Smart Front Load Washer was chosen as the best overall TopTenReviews washer of 2024. Admittedly, it’s a better choice for one or two-person households since it’s only 4.5 cu. ft. and stackable. Like the washing machine I tested, it has app connectivity but doesn’t have as many wash programs, settings, or even AI washing. The design differs, too, in that this one is a front load and has a lot of writing and buttons on the control panel.

Price-wise, the Asko W4114CW 2.8 Cu.Ft. Front Load Washer is more expensive than the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer. This is surprising because it’s not as big and has no built-in faucet. But at least it has 22 wash programs and lets you customize the wash mode, temperature, and spin speed. Unlike the LG, Asko’s detergent drawer is compatible with powder, liquids, and pods.

In terms of design, the Maytag's Smart Top Load Washer with Extra Power is more similar to the LG I tested. It’s 5.2 cu. ft. and has innovative features. Thirteen Wash programs are less than the LG’s 28, but for the less tech-savvy person, that’s more than enough and less overwhelming. In terms of stain fighting, the Maytag is like the LG in that you’ll likely need to pre-treat.

How I tested the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer

Over a few weeks, I used the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer in my house in Texas. I made sure to test the pre-set programs and settings with a variety of load sizes, materials, and items. Everything from maintenance to in-home delivery has been analyzed or tested.

Read more about how we test.

During Black Friday 2024, we saw some fantastic deals on coffee machines, with many of the best pod coffee makers and espresso machines reduced significantly, and bean-to-cup coffee makers are ever-popular and coveted items for purchasing around the fall and winter sales. If you’re in the market to buy one of the best coffee makers, you’re in the right place.

De'Longhi Rivelia coffee machine: Key specs

De'Longhi Rivelia coffee machine: Setup

The Rivelia arrived in a large box with plenty of packaging to secure and support the machine. It was rather heavy and challenging to maneuver the box myself and lift the machine onto the work surface, but possible. All the accessories and parts external to the machine arrive in individual plastic bags and containers.

It took me around twenty minutes to unpack and set everything up before even switching on the machine, and there was a lot of packaging to recycle after unpacking.

Following the instructions and using the QR code to access the digital instructions, setting up the machine, and making coffee was reasonably straightforward.

Once the machine is plugged in and after you follow the first few instructions, the full-color display and interface guide you entirely through installing all the components, from the water tank to maintenance and cleaning.

The machine also creates personalized profiles for each user and remembers that user's favorite beverage. Before long, I was making my first coffee.

• Score: 8 out of 10

De'Longhi Rivelia coffee machine: Design & Features

The De’Longhi Rivelia boasts three iF Design Awards 2024 for Product Design, User Interface, and User Experience categories for its intuitive performance and customization options for users. The Rivelia also holds a Red Dot Award 2024 for sought-after product design.

With its softly curved edges, it’s certainly stylish and contemporary in design. It’s also available in a range of neutral shades, giving it a sleek and elegant aesthetic.

Its slim design is also great for smaller kitchen spaces. However, I feel it sticks out quite far on the worktop surface, so I positioned the Rivelia on the edge of the bar top surface in my kitchen for the best look and ease of access.

If you have a small kitchen space or limited worktop surface, there may be better options than this.

The innovative Bean Switch System has two coffee bean hoppers, so you can easily switch your coffee beans to explore different varieties and intensities.

This feature also minimizes the exposure of the ground beans, keeping them as fresh as possible for longer. As a personal preference, I also enjoy the look of the beans in the hopper above the coffee machine.

The design is solid and durable; every element performs as expected, and the quality is impressive.

I really enjoyed the full-color display and intuitive interface. However, I personally prefer coffee machines that look more classically barista in style, as if straight out of an Italian caffè bar.

Personal aesthetic preference and the depth of the machine aside, Rivelia’s design features really stand out, especially given its multiple awards.

• Score: 9 out of 10

De'Longhi Rivelia coffee machine: Performance

I tested my favorite Americano daily throughout the testing process and consistently enjoyed excellent coffee. I could taste subtle differences in the flavor of the beans, and I attributed that to the Bean Adapt Technology, which was impressive.

I noticed that the first cup brewed was not significant in flavor and intensity, but thereafter, every cup was fantastic, so I put that down to the machine, warming up when grinding the beans and brewing the coffee.

Occasionally, I also selected adding more coffee before the water automatically followed.

I regularly frothed dairy and non-dairy milk, though, with only one milk carafe, it required frequent washing. The display always reminded me to store the carafe in the fridge to keep the milk fresh. If I failed to do this, the milk would spoil quicker than it would if it hadn’t been added to the carafe.

The milk-frothing process does expose the milk to some steam as it heats the milk, which may impact its freshness. So, I opted to add only as much milk as I required for each beverage at a time unless I was making multiple drinks at one time.

I also regularly used the water spout, which is stored in a compartment at the top of the machine and can be swapped over with the milk carafe, depending on whether you wish to add hot milk or water to a drink.

I often frothed a whole cup of hot milk for hot chocolate, which I would add to my mug before selecting the milk option. The results were delicious, and I felt they rivaled those of popular hot chocolate makers available on the market.

I would stir my hot milk with my hot chocolate mix to ensure everything was incorporated. Of course, the Rivela cannot blend hot chocolate together as a hot chocolate blender would, but the quality of the LatteCrema technology did most of the work to make some of the best hot chocolate I’ve ever made at home.

We also made espressos, lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, and more from the extensive list of hot and cold beverages that Rivelia can make, which we enjoyed and appreciated the nuances of each style of coffee beverage. However, in all honesty, the vast menu is somewhat wasted on my husband and me as we know how we like our coffee and enjoy the same cup of coffee each day, which I suspect is true of a lot of people.

That said, I have impressed some of my friends and family, who enjoyed requesting their coffee shop favorites from our at-home coffee bar.

If you know you enjoy one kind of coffee and rarely venture outside of your comfort zone, you may find that the extensive list of options is redundant and overwhelming. However, if you regularly entertain, throw dinner parties, or invite friends over for a catch-up and a coffee, you may find the drink variations really exciting, and it would render the price point even more impressive in terms of value for money.

Even with the few hiccups mentioned and my personal preference, I was very impressed with the performance of the Rivelia; I felt as if I had my own barista in the kitchen, and it was really comforting to know that every morning I would get to enjoy another fantastic cup of coffee. The quality of the machine is excellent; it’s durable and reliable; the brewing performance of the machine was top-notch, especially as both my husband and I could taste the subtle differences in flavor from bean to bean.

We have settled with our favorite go-to bean for now: the Lavazza Rossa. It includes a blend of 70% Brazilian Arabica and 30% African Robusta coffees and is characterized by a medium-strength, full-bodied flavor with chocolatey notes and intense aromas. We are excited to try more artisan coffee beans and always look for specialist coffee beans whenever we visit new places, delis, etc.

Most importantly, the coffee flavor and texture are delicious and smooth, and the milk is warm and silky soft. Rivelia consistently delivers delightful coffee, and I’m extremely impressed with its performance.

• Score: 9 out of 10

De'Longhi Rivelia coffee machine: Care & maintenance

Depending upon the frequency and quantity of use, the water tank requires refilling at least once, occasionally twice daily.

The milk carafe also needs to be cleaned daily and between different kinds of milk if you intend to swap between dairy and non-dairy.

The machine prompts the user to switch the milk froth setting to the clean option, which essentially rinses out the system with hot water; however, deeper cleaning of the milk froth and components is advisable daily.

The Rivelia also intuitively prompts the user to clean out the grounds container and drip tray every day or two and will not allow drinks to be prepared if these steps aren't completed. A deep clean of the machine is also recommended per week.

I do believe that the Rivelia requires more time, energy, care, and maintenance than a kettle and an instant coffee would, but for barista-style coffee that tastes that good, it's absolutely worth it. I find the process is already habitual and not really a hassle for the quality of the results and the joy we get from it.

Ultimately, I would expect the extra five minutes to clean out, refill, deep clean, and maintain on a daily and weekly basis from any similar bean-to-cup coffee machine, and quite honestly, I have been impressed that the care and maintenance processes are as simple, streamlined, intuitive, and quick to complete as they are.

If you find yourself in a rush in the mornings, it may not be for you. However, if you're like me, you may wish to simply schedule an extra five to ten minutes to brew and enjoy the best cup of coffee ever—I think it's worth it.

• Score: 7.5 out of 10

De'Longhi Rivelia coffee machine: Price & Value

I personally prefer the quality and efficiency of a bean-to-cup coffee machine over a pod-to-cup or drip coffee maker. Although many people consider the standout models to be too expensive, what if you could enjoy barista-quality coffee at home for the same price as buying coffee from a coffee shop? After a year of use, the machine could essentially pay for itself.

To illustrate, the De’Longhi Rivelia has a recommended retail price in the UK of £899, but it is currently available on Amazon for £649. This price is £79 less than what the average millennial spends on coffee shop coffee per year. While the De’Longhi Rivelia is not yet available in the USA, many similar models we have reviewed are, including the De’Longhi Eletta Explore. We hope the Rivelia will soon become available in the USA and Australia.

On paper, spending hundreds on a bean-to-cup coffee machine may seem extravagant, but if you enjoy a daily cup of coffee from your local artisan shop, investing in a reliable machine like the De’Longhi Rivelia can save you money in the long run and allow you to savor delicious, barista-style coffee from the comfort of your home every day.

De'Longhi is a trusted and reliable manufacturer of coffee machines and kitchen appliances. Their bean-to-cup coffee makers are among the most luxurious options on the market. The Rivelia is one of the more affordable models from De’Longhi, priced more reasonably than premium lines such as the PrimaDonna Elite and mid-range models like the Eletta Explore. The Dinamica and Magnifica models are similarly priced, yet all of these machines are known for their excellent quality. A bean-to-cup coffee and espresso machine will always be significantly more expensive than pod-to-cup or drip coffee machines.

What truly sets the Rivelia apart at its price point are its impressive smart features, including Bean Adapt Technology, which adjusts the grind settings to suit the coffee beans, and LatteCrema Hot Technology, which produces luxurious and silky milk foam from both dairy and non-dairy options. The adjustable froth setting is an additional feature I appreciated.

It’s also worth noting that the Rivelia is a multi-award-winning coffee machine, boasting three iF Design Awards 2024 for Product Design, User Interface, and User Experience, thanks to its intuitive performance and customization options for users. It has also received a Red Dot Award 2024 for outstanding product design.

If you value smart features and appreciate De'Longhi’s reputation for excellence in brewing coffee, it's likely you will enjoy this model, especially given its price point. Moreover, if you're a regular visitor to coffee shops, investing in a machine like the Rivelia could save you money over time.

• Score: 8 out of 10

Would I buy the De'Longhi Rivelia coffee machine?

Overall, the De'Longhi Rivelia coffee machine ticks many boxes for me. I absolutely love the innovative technology features, and the best part is having such delicious barista-style coffee first thing in the morning in the comfort of my home.

Before testing this machine, I was skeptical that it would be worth the expense, but having tested it for over a month, I know I have already gotten so much value from it and will continue to do so despite not being a regular coffee shop frequenter.

Aesthetically, I think I would prefer it if it wasn't quite so deep in terms of the amount of space it takes up on the counter. My personal preference is for a coffee machine that looks a little more barista-like. However, those points aside, I can't really fault the De'Longhi Rivelia.

I would highly recommend this coffee machine to coffee aficionados and anyone who regularly visits a coffee shop. For a one-time investment in the De'Longhi Rivelia, you can enjoy years of barista-style coffee for a lot less, especially after one year of use.

After testing it, I would personally invest my own money in the De'Longhi Rivelia. However, if you have a very small kitchen space, this may not be the model for you.

How do other De'Longhi coffee machines compare?

As the De'Longhi Rivelia is not yet available in the US or AU, if you're interested in picking up a similar model, you may enjoy the De'Longhi Eletta Explore or the De'Longhi La Specialista Maestro, which we also reviewed.

Each offers slightly different features at varied price points, but what is consistent is the quality and reliability of De'Longhi coffee makers.

How I tested the De'Longhi Rivelia coffee machine

I tested the De'Longhi Rivelia coffee machine at home for over a month using numerous varieties of coffee beans.

My husband and I consistently tested our favorite drinks and all other beverages offered, both for ourselves and friends and family who visited during that time.

I tested all the beverage options, hot and cold, the water spout, the Bean Adapt Technology with both bean hoppers, and the LatteCrema Technology with fine milk froth, using both dairy and non-dairy milk.

I evaluated the De'Longhi Rivelia based on its overall results, ease of use, versatility, control panel, cleaning, and maintenance, plus the taste and texture of the coffee produced and the machine's consistency of performance over time.

Find out more about how we test.

Plenty of great models are out there, and we've rounded up some of the best tillers, but they are not all created equal. And if you don’t have larger garden beds or drier soil, you might be fine with a small, compact one.

However, consider the Troy-Bilt Colt FT 208cc Front Tine Tiller for larger gardens. It’s an impressive machine with four 12-inch tires up front powered by a 208cc OHV Troy-Bilt engine. It’s got more than enough power to till up just about any size or type of soli,d and the adjustable cutting depth makes it easy to prep your garden for a wide range of plants.

However, all that power means that it’s fairly big, the gas engine is loud, and it’s a bit pricey. But this is a great option if you’re looking for something to tackle even the more challenging garden beds around your home.

The Troy-Bilt Colt FT 208cc 24” Front Tine Tiller: Key specs

Troy-Bilt Colt FT 208cc 24” Front Tine Tiller: Setup

Troy-Bilt packages the tiller well, but there was more Styrofoam than I felt necessary. They could have eliminated a decent amount of it. The tiller is also a bit heavy, so keep that in mind when unboxing it.

Once it’s out of the box, there’s not too much assembly needed. The tines go on either side with lock pins to keep them in place. Just follow the directions to put them on facing the right way. One nice design feature of this tiller is that you can run it with only two tines instead of four if you have a narrow space to till.

Once the tires are on, you must attach the depth-adjustment pole on the back of the engine and the handlebar above that. You will likely want a ½” socket or ratchet wrench to help tighten all the bolts. Engine oil is included, but you must supply your gasoline.

Once assembled, it’s clear the tiller is very well built. The metal is all heavy-duty, and nothing feels loose or cheap. This tiller means business, and Troy-Bilt designed it for that.

Troy-Bilt Colt FT 208cc 24” Front Tine Tiller: Design & features

The Troy-Bilt Colt FT 208cc 24” Front Tine Tiller is well-designed. From the start, it's easy to tell this machine is well-made with high-quality components. Due to its somewhat large size and the odd nature of tillers in general, this tiller can be tricky to store. The handles don’t fold down, so you might have to get creative if you don’t have much storage space.

It’s also a bit heavy. The heavy-duty tires make it easier to maneuver around, which is good because you won’t want to pick this up if you don’t have to. At 40” H x 29” L x 26.5” W and 122 lbs., it’s not the easiest to push around the yard. If you don’t have much space around your garden beds or have more difficulty moving equipment like this, you might want to look at a smaller tiller like the Echo TC-210.

I appreciate two features of this tiller. First, you can adjust the height of the tiller to allow for deeper cuts in the garden bed. You can set it at 13, 22, or 24 inches, depending on what you need. Second, you can remove the outer tines and lock the inner tines in place to use them in more narrow parts of the garden.

• Score: 9/10

Troy-Bilt Colt FT 208cc 24” Front Tine Tiller: Performance

In my testing, the Troy-Bilt Colt FT 208cc 24” Front Tine Tiller performed better than expected. We first used it in our garden box with moist, well-maintained soil, and it did a fantastic job.

Next, we took it to the side of our house, where the soil was dry and had been overgrown for a while. None of the weeds were more than a couple of inches high, but the tiller pulled them up with no problems. Once the weeds were up, we went back over the area to dig some furrows, and again, it did a great job.

More importantly, we both appreciated how easy it was to use. The engine always started for us without problems, and neither of us had trouble driving it around the yard. Adjusting the tilling height is as simple as removing the lock pin, setting the bar higher or lower, then replacing the lock pin.

For us, the only real downsides of this tiller, apart from the difficulty storing it in our tiny storage shed, were typical downsides of gas engines. There’s all the fumes, the hassle of just dealing with using and storing gasoline, and the noise level.

Maintenance is also fairly simple. The tines come off easily for cleaning in between uses, and the gas engine will require typical engine maintenance, such as new spark plugs when necessary. When storing for the winter or long periods, it’s a good idea to drain the fuel tank completely or leave just a bit of TruFuel to keep it protected during the winter.

• Score: 9/10

Troy-Bilt Colt FT 208cc 24” Front Tine Tiller: Price & value

At the time of writing, this tiller is available from Troy-Bilt and Tractor Supply for $699. Home Depot has it for about fifty dollars less, at $649, but that’s still a lot of money for a garden tiller. If you’re a homesteader or do a lot of serious gardening where you rely on it for food or to make a living, then it may be worth the investment.

$700 is too far above some other tillers with similar power and features, but you’ll still have to decide if your use case and the added quality and durability of Troy-Bilt equipment are worth the investment.

• Score: 7/10

Troy-Bilt Colt FT 208cc 24” Front Tine Tiller: User Reviews

Across more than 300 reviews I found for this tiller, it averages about four and a half stars. Most customers appreciated many of the same things I did about it: it starts easily and has plenty of performance and power for most small-to-medium-sized garden spaces. Many of them commented on the tiller's high-quality build, with one from Tractor Supply saying, “Very versatile and capable little tiller. Not too heavy or awkward, which allows me to cultivate the various small areas in my three vegetable gardens.”

Of the poor reviews I read, nearly all mentioned that the handlebar broke off from the main shaft within the first few uses. Many of them claim the welds holding the handlebars on are not very strong; however, they were still impressed with the quality and performance of the engine. I never had any issues with the handlebars, but it was mentioned often enough that I felt it important to note.

Would I buy the Troy-Bilt Colt FT 208cc 24” Front Tine Tiller?

Overall, the Troy-Bilt Colt 24-inch tiller has a lot to like. The powerful engine will till almost any soil, and the easy start means you can use it all day without frustration.

Still, it's quite heavy, so it might be a bit harder to push around the garden, and you still have to deal with all the hassles of gas-powered engines. Plus, it's quite expensive.

However, if you're after Troy-Bilt quality and powerful performance, you won't be disappointed.

How I tested the Troy-Bilt Colt FT 208cc 24” Front Tine Tiller

I tested this tiller in several places around my home. First, I used it in a 12’ x 4’ garden box with moist and well-maintained soil. Then, I used it on a larger patch of dry soil that was overgrown with weeds up to about two inches high.

Learn more about how we test.

I tried this robot vacuum combo in my home for several weeks, seeing how it navigated and cleaned my space.

The setup was straightforward, and after connecting to the SharkClean app, a map of my home was successfully created. However, the app has some limitations compared to others I’ve tested. So, if you have a multi-story home, you may want to look elsewhere. Even with a lacking app, the robot traversed my space with ease. It rarely got stuck, even when I left tassel rugs and cords in its path. It’s some of the best navigation I’ve seen in a robot vacuum.

As for cleaning, the Shark PowerDetect performed admirably, even during more rigorous testing. It picked up large concentrations of debris like oats, rice, and sugar in just a couple of passes. The only time its performance dipped was when removing sugar granules out of a medium pile of rug and crumbs from under my kitchen cabinets. When mopping, the back-and-forth motion of the mop removed lighter spills like coffee or mud. However, more caked-on debris was left behind. Its performance was on par with other midrange vacuums I’ve tested with similar feature sets. The only major downfalls are mediocre battery life, and the vacuum suction and mopping water levels can’t be adjusted.

Luckily, the NeverTouch Base is true to its name, as I rarely had to touch it during my testing. I especially loved that Shark managed to keep compact dimensions while still packing tons of functionality into it. The station successfully emptied the robot's dust box every time and never had any issues filling the water tank. The mopping pad also lived at the base station when only vacuuming was performed with fans to dry the mop pad, successfully preventing odor.

The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Base is one of the best robot vacuums for those with smaller homes and light cleaning needs. It cleans up most messes and traverses spaces easily, all with just the touch of a button. Interested in grabbing this robot vacuum/base station combo? Be sure to read my full review below, where I deep-dive into the good and the bad.

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Base: Key specs

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1: Price & value

The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Base retails for $899.99 but is often on sale for significantly less. At the time of this writing, it was available directly from Shark for $549.99 and can be found at retailers including Amazon and Target.

If you can grab this robot vacuum and base station combo on sale, it’s a solid option. It performs double duty with vacuuming and mopping, while the base makes everything more hands-off. The midrange price is comparable or lower than other robots with similar feature sets. Plus, the base station differentiates itself from many other robot vacuums with its bagless, self-emptying base, making maintenance even easier (and cheaper).

You also have the option to upgrade to the NeverTouch Pro Base to get mop pad washing in addition to the auto-emptying and self-refilling available with the Never Touch Base. However, I think it’s not worth the significantly higher cost.

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1: Setup

The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Base came in a smaller-than-expected box that was easily manageable all by myself. After opening the shipping box, I was greeted with another colorful box full of information regarding all the features. Inside that box, I found a large card with instructions for a quick setup. Under the card were the robot vacuum and base station’s components; the box perfectly fit the contents. Although some plastic bags were used in the packaging, I was pleasantly surprised that cardboard kept the components safe rather than styrofoam, making it slightly more environmentally friendly.

The box included the robot vacuum, NeverTouch base, ramp, two side brushes, an extra mopping pad, Odor Neutralizer Cartridge, and mop cleaning solution. Luckily, it’s not an overwhelming amount of products. However, I did seem to be missing a side brush; it’s not a huge deal and could’ve just gotten accidentally tossed. Still, everything looked pristine, and I was excited to try out this vacuum.

Set-up is fairly straightforward, and the instruction card walked me through the process with handy visuals. I placed the NeverTouch base on a flat, hard surface with plenty of open space and access to a power outlet. Putting everything together was on par with many other robot vacuums I’ve tested. The Odor Neutralizer Cartridge and bagless dust bin on the base station were the only real unique features. It took around five minutes for the robot vacuum to be in the base station charging, preparing for its first clean.

After preparing the components, I connected the robot to Wi-Fi using the SharkClean app. I already had an account, but creating one only takes a few minutes. From there, the app walked me through connecting the robot to Wi-Fi. In my first attempt, the robot wouldn’t connect. Luckily, the app gives you scenarios to fix the problem, and on the second attempt, the robot is connected.

When the vacuum charged up to 100%, I sent it out on its maiden voyage. Although it vacuums and mops, it only vacuums when doing the initial mapping of your home. Unfortunately, after the first map is created, the robot needs to go back out again to note carpeting and rugs, which I found annoying. But when that’s finished, the Shark PowerDetect is ready to vacuum and mop your home.

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1: Design & features

The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum has a design similar to most robot vacuums, with a sleek grayish-black color scheme that should go well in most spaces. However, after the first cleaning, it was already full of scuffs and scratches, and dust became visible on it after only a few days as well.

Its circular shape has a diameter of about 14 inches and a height of 3.9 inches, which makes it a little too tall to fit under furniture like couches. Still, it had no trouble reaching under a bookshelf and lounge chair. But its height became a major problem under the lip of my kitchen cabinets, making the EdgeDetect cleaning feature that’s advertised pretty useless in the most needed area of my home. After every cleaning, the crevices were still littered with crumbs.

On top of the robot are three buttons for control and a lovely LED strip that glows colors with different effects to indicate battery levels, problems, cleaning modes, and more functions. The three buttons include one for dry vacuuming your home, another for mopping and vacuuming, and a final one that sends the vacuum home. In testing, each of these buttons worked exactly as expected. It was all fairly straightforward, given the limited button options. However, the app is needed to select certain rooms, schedule cleanings, and make other customizations.

Speaking of the app, the Shark Clean app is severely lacking compared to apps from other robot vacuum manufacturers. Sure, it does the basics fine, but forget about creating multiple maps, adjusting the vacuum suction level, changing the mop water levels, and checking on the life span of components.

On the underside of the vacuum is a 5.69-inch cleaning path with a main roller that tends to wrap hair, so regular cleaning is necessary. A side brush helps to move stray debris into the cleaning path. Large back wheels also lift the backside of the vacuum pretty high, aiding in the NeverStuck technology.

The most unique feature is the mopping pad component, which automatically detaches from the robot and lives in the base station while the robot is performing vacuuming tasks. The base station even features a quiet fan to dry the mopping pad, preventing odors during my testing. Unfortunately, the station doesn’t wash the mopping pad like some more advanced offerings.

In addition to housing and drying the mopping component, the NeverTouch Base automatically empties the robot’s 0.33 qt dust box into its bagless dust bin, ready to hold up to 60 days of dirt. It’s rare to find a robot vacuum base station with no bag, so avoiding the extra expense of replacing the bags down the road is nice.

Like most of Shark’s vacuum lineup, the base also features an Odor Neutralizer Cartridge. It’s a pointless gimmick that smells nice for about one minute after the robot is emptied into the base but serves no real purpose. It’s an item I’d never replace after it runs out.

The base station’s compact size is my favorite feature, measuring 19 x 13.4 x 14.3 inches. It’s great for those with limited space. I was shocked by how much capability Shark managed to pack into it.

Of course, the vacuum also charges at the NeverTouch Base. During my testing, the vacuum would take around three hours to charge back to full from 15% battery, which is average. Without fail, when the robot vacuum hit 15% battery, it would return to the base. When completing vacuuming and mopping tasks, I found the robot would last about an hour and a half before reaching 15%. Unfortunately, this was never enough time to fully clean my two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. The robot does pick up where it left off after it finishes charging. Its battery life is acceptable, but I’ve seen better. Still, those cleaning smaller spaces should find the battery life sufficient.

Perhaps most importantly, how noisy is the robot vacuum? I’m happy to report it measured at only about 65dB. I’d compare it to the noise of a window air conditioner. I noticed it initially, but it’s just a quiet hum that quickly becomes background noise. I could work and watch TV as it went around my space. When the mopping pad was attached, there was a slight clicking of the pad going back and forth, which was a little more distracting, and the wheels occasionally squeaked on the wet floor. As someone who is extremely noise-sensitive, I could ignore it. The only time I was startled by the robot was when the vacuum emptied into the base station, hitting closer to 75dB–about the same level as your average corded vacuum cleaner.

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1: Performance

The Shark PowerDetect’s first vacuuming of my home created a map of my space. The initial map was accurate, but most rooms needed to be adjusted by adding walls and no-go zones. Still, almost every spot of my space was accounted for on the map. It was slightly annoying that I had to send it out again to make notes of carpet and rugs before it would mop. I feel this should’ve been done during the initial mapping. After the second mapping, my rugs and a few pieces of larger furniture were accurately noted.

Whenever I selected specific rooms or spots to be cleaned in the app, the robot managed to get to the space and clean it without fail. I was impressed, especially considering a robot vacuum I tested a few months ago, which cost almost three times as much, would constantly get lost and go to the wrong rooms. However, communicating with the robot through the app during a cleaning was a hit-or-miss. I tried to pause it and send it home several times, but nothing happened.

Watching the Shark PowerDetect traverse my home, I noticed it did a great job covering almost every inch of space as best it could. As I mentioned, it’s EdgeDetect technology wasn’t the best. So, some debris didn’t get picked up closer to walls and obstacles.

When it came to larger obstacles like chair legs, dressers, and other furniture, the vacuum got relatively close and usually avoided running fully into them. On occasion, it did ram into a few things. As for smaller obstacles, like a hand weight or sock that I placed directly in its path, sometimes the Shark PowerDetect would back away and completely avoid it, while other times it’d tap and attempt to push the object out of the way.

Though it’s generally best practice to remove cables, looser rugs, and random items like clothes and shoes out of the way of any robot vacuum, I wanted to see how the vacuum faired when dealing with these everyday obstacles. It got tangled in a few cables and rolled up some rugs, but the robot freed itself each time without my intervention. I noticed the backside lifted quite high, which helped. Nothing even got stuck in the main brush (other than hair wrapping around). Shark’s NeverStuck technology was quite impressive.

In my three weeks of testing, I needed to assist with the robot vacuum only twice. Once, it lifted itself onto the leg of my standing desk, and another time, it couldn’t dock into the base station. Even out of the dozen or so robot vacuums I’ve tested, the Shark PowerDetect proved to be one of the best at navigating a cluttered space.

The Shark PowerDetect’s navigation is solid, and luckily, so is its cleaning performance. During average vacuuming tasks, it managed to pick up almost all debris in its path. Mopping was equally great. The mopping pad will swing back and forth for a good scrubbing action. Although, I think oscillating mopping pads work best for the deepest clean. Still, the mop cleaned mud stains and coffee spills like a champ. More caked-in food and messes remained, but it's perfect for lighter messes and dust.

It’s important to note that when you want to mop and vacuum your entire home, the robot will first vacuum all the carpets and then come back to add the mopping component. Cleaning takes more time than with other robot vacuums I’ve tested, as most just lift the mopping pad when going over rugs and carpets. At least the vacuum was excellent at recognizing a rug versus a hard floor.

Beyond everyday cleaning, I did more rigorous vacuum testing on hard floors and rugs using a heavy concentration of oats, rice, and sugar. First, I spread the oats around my laminate floor and sent the vacuum for a spot cleaning. During the initial pass, some oats were picked up while some were thrown about – mostly due to the side brush. Luckily, the vacuum automatically returned and did a second pass-through, which picked up almost everything. The vacuum performed similarly with both rice and sugar on the hard floor.

As for testing on a medium pile rug, the oats and rice were almost fully picked up after a second pass-through. However, a good chunk of the sugar granules got ingrained in the rug and left behind even after multiple cleanings. These results aren’t dissimilar to other robot vacuums. So, if your space is mostly carpeted, a regular corded vacuum with more suction power is usually your best option.

After each cleaning or when the dust box got full during cleaning, the robot emptied into the NeverTouch Base. I checked the robot's dust box after emptying, and it successfully removed all the debris. The water reservoir on the base station also automatically filled the vacuum tank. After three weeks of use, that water tank is still half full. Therefore, the “NeverTouch” technology is very true to its name.

The maintenance is minimal. When I emptied the dust bin on the base and filled the water reservoir, it took all of one minute. Down the road, some filters, brushes, and the mopping map will need to be replaced–something that happens with every robot vacuum. But for the most part, cleaning your home is hands-off other than pressing a button on the robot or your app.

Would I buy the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How does the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 compare?

The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Base is similar to the Shark Detect Pro Self-Empty Robot Vacuum I reviewed in 2023. The latter is an excellent option for someone who doesn’t want the mopping functionality offered on the PowerDetect 2-in-1. Plus, it’s significantly less expensive. At the time of writing, it’ll set you back about $200 less. Even without the mopping functionality, the Detect Pro still has a bagless, self-emptying base station similar to the DirtDetect Technology of the PowerDetect. However, I found the navigation and object detection slightly less impressive on the older model.

If you’re after a feature set and price similar to the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 from a different brand, I tested the Yeedi Cube, and it may be for you. It comes with vacuuming and mopping features, but the base station cleans the mopping pad. You don’t need to worry about washing the mopping pads yourself. The Cube’s battery life also outdoes the Shark’s for extended cleaning time.

For those with an unlimited budget looking to take the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Base’s features to the extreme, I reviewed the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo. Its base station towers over Shark’s and costs almost three times as much but has everything you can think of, including an attached handheld vacuum that empties into the base station and mop cleaning station. The robot vacuum itself comes with oscillating mops and even a camera. Plus, the Ecovacs app is far superior to the SharkClean app.

How I tested the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1

I reviewed the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Pro Base in my two-bedroom, two-bathroom home over several weeks, sending it out often for full home vacuuming and mopping along with smaller tasks like certain rooms or spot cleaning. My floors consist of hard laminate with various low pile and tassel rugs scattered throughout. Beyond vacuuming everyday debris like dust, food crumbs, and hair, I also put it through more rigorous tests with larger concentrations of oats, rice, and sugar. A dB meter app on my phone allowed me to measure noise levels during usage.

Learn more about how we test.

To be clear, though, the Cosori 5.0-Quart can make a LOT of rice, not just plain white rice. It can also dish up the lightest, fluffiest jasmine, sushi, brown, quinoa, and even mixed grains – some of which have been known to make Michelin-starred chefs weep. So, if it’s the rice you struggle with most, and you cook a lot of it, this could save the day or curry night.

Additional features include its clear LED display, which is intuitive to use without laboring over an instruction guide. It’s also extremely easy to clean—especially the inner pan, which has the best non-stick coating ever. I also loved the ‘stay warm’ function and delay timer, which was handy for feeding my family when they came home at different times after school clubs.

I tested the Cosori 5.0-quart rice cooker in my home for two weeks, cooking as many dishes and using as many different functions as possible to feed my hungry family of four.

Keep reading to learn how the Cosori 5.0-Quart rice cooker performed, and check out our best food steamers guide to see what else is available in this popular countertop appliance category.

Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker: Key specs

Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker: Setup

Delivered in a large box, the Cosori 5.0-quart Rice Cooker was well protected by polystyrene and neatly stacked to minimize packaging. My first impressions were very promising. It’s a weighty appliance that feels robustly made, and the glossy black design is simple yet stylish enough to leave out on the countertops.

Inside the box is the main unit, a non-stick inner pot, a measuring cup, a rice paddle, a steamer tray, and a folder with instructions and other paperwork. Assembly was as simple as inserting the pot, attaching the inner lid, and plugging it in.

Before first use, I had to peel off the handy Quick Start Guide covering the LED display panel. Then, all the components and accessories must be washed to rinse off any dust. Cosori recommends an empty run in steamer mode to sanitize the interior and remove any of that ‘new appliance’ odor before putting edibles inside – the (straightforward) instructions are on the Quick Start sticker.

The initial setup, including unpacking, cleaning, and familiarizing myself with the control panel, took less than 20 minutes. Once the Cosori 5.0-Quart is plugged in, the LED display springs to life with a loud beep, and navigating through the cooking modes is intuitive. Overall, I found the initial setup process a breeze despite having never used a rice cooker before, so beginners should have no problem getting on with the cooking business.

• Score: 8/10

Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker: Design & Features

Essentially a black cube with rounded corners and a steel-trimmed top, the Cosori 5.0-quart rice cooker is sleek and unassuming and not dissimilar in looks to a small air fryer, albeit without the drawer handle. Several guests asked me what on earth it was! The neutral color and simple shape mean it would suit most kitchens. While it didn’t take up a lot of space on my countertops, the lid has to open up fully to pull the inner pan and steamer basket out, so you probably wouldn’t want to store it directly under wall cupboards or a shelf unless you had space to pull it forward while cooking.

Note that the power cable is quite short (37 inches), so it must be positioned close to a socket. With no wall sockets to spare, I ran an extension cable to use it on my island, but that’s not a safe long-term solution. It would take around half a shelf of a standard base unit if you wanted to store it inside a kitchen cabinet.

In terms of build quality, Cosori has done a great job in making it feel solid and robust. The black plastic exterior is smooth, and the control panel is flush, making it easy to wipe clean. The internal components are all stainless steel, and the main pan has an excellent non-stick coating and a water guide chart inside to measure ingredients easily. I did manage to burn the spatula paddle, melting the plastic, which wasn’t ideal, but that was more user error – I am certain I shouldn’t have left it resting on the base of the pan while in full saute mode!

The 5.0-quart capacity is generous and ideal for cooking enough rice for larger families. For those who like to cook in batches, its max capacity of 10 cups of dried rice is easily enough to feed ten adults, possibly more. In other modes, like steam, soup, and saute, I’d say it’s better suited to a family of four people. I managed to steam a whole broccoli, half a cauliflower, and four carrots in the steamer basket, which is plenty for a roast for my family of four but wouldn’t have been enough for guests.

The preset buttons are marked on the display panel, and you use the mode button to flick through them to the one you want. It took me a minute to understand this scrolling technique—my instinct was to use it as one big touchscreen, but it’s not.

The timer is a delay style that you set by adding hours according to the time you want the cooking to complete rather than start, which I am used to with my breadmaker. A Keep Warm function also allows you to keep contents warm (158°F) for up to 24 hours. The cooker will also automatically activate Keep Warm after every function, except Saute and Cake – handy if you’re not quite ready to serve or, in my case, have wandered off and started doing something else entirely!

Cosori recommends downloading its VeSync App, setting up a user account, and adding your device. I followed the advice, but it’s not that enthralling. I might be missing something, but I could only see a few extra recipes (14 in total) and a tool to save your recipes. I liked how you can change the number of servings required, and it automatically adjusts the ingredients. The Cosori 5.0-Quart is not wi-fi enabled, so although the App requested access to my Bluetooth settings, it can’t control or monitor the rice cooker.

• Score: 8/10

Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker: Performance

What’s a little weird about this rice cooker compared to other countertop cookers I have used (i.e., slow cookers, air fryers, etc) is there’s no ability to adjust the cooking times in rice mode. For example, if you put in one cup of white short-grain rice, the display will have an estimated cooking time of 51 minutes. Because it uses Fuzzy Logic (sensors that monitor and automatically adjust progress as it cooks), the time can change slightly as it goes along. The actual cooking time is rarely more than a few minutes out and usually shorter rather than longer than advertised. Still, I find the imprecision annoying, making it hard to correlate the timings of other dishes. This might be standard practice for a rice cooker, but it’s not ideal if you like everything to finish cooking simultaneously.

Overall, I found the cooking results very good, whether in steam, saute, rice, slow cooking, or soup mode, so the Fuzzy Logic does work well. With the exception of a total fail with rice pudding, everything was cooked beautifully and exactly how I would want it—not too hard, not too soft, just right.

However, I have to say right now that you should be prepared to wait for your dinner, especially regarding rice. On my hob, I can knock up a pan of basmati rice for four people in 15 minutes – sure, it’s sometimes a little sticky (so I run it under the boiling water tap) – but generally, 15 minutes is perfect. So, if I do a stir-fry or sweet and sour simultaneously, I can get dinner cooked and on the table in 30 minutes. The quickest rice I managed in the Cosori 5.0-quart rice cooker took 45 minutes for one cup, which was enough for two people, and that’s longer than I have spare for cooking on a school night.

Steaming is quicker, and it will steam vegetables to how I like them (al dente) in 10 minutes (as long as they're chopped small), and I could knock up fresh soup in 30 minutes. Sauteing is quick, although the cooker takes longer than I’d like to heat up. However, I’m used to an induction hob, and nothing heats faster than induction. Again, there are no temperature controls, so you just have to put up with the searing heat, which is great for browning meat, but you need to be careful not to burn onions when softening them.

There are no noise concerns with this appliance. If you hear anything at all, it’s just the gentle sound of steam or stew bubbling—nothing that disturbs kitchen life.

Test 1: Rice

I began with the basics—plain white long-grain rice—and turned to the user manual for guidance. The process was refreshingly straightforward: measure the desired rice cups, rinse thoroughly in a sieve, and transfer the grains to the inner pot. Next, add water to the corresponding level marked inside the pot, ensuring the perfect water-to-rice ratio for the quantity you’re preparing.

Once the inner pot is inside the rice cooker, I close the lid and press the White Rice button on the front panel (long-grain rice is automatically selected). Then, I hit Start. If you prefer, you can set the delay timer—up to 24 hours—by pressing the ‘+’ button before starting. While the process was straightforward, I encountered an immediate hiccup. Cooking for just my husband and I meant I only needed one cup of rice, but the water level markers for white rice start at two cups. After consulting the user manual again, I found a handy Grain-to-Water ratio chart for single-cup portions across all grain types. For white long-grain rice, the required water was one ¼ cup.

As mentioned, cooking rice is not a quick process in the Cosori 5.0-Quart rice cooker. The user manual lists the cooking time as 35-45 minutes for 1 cup of rice, 45-55 for 5 cups, and an astonishing 55-65 minutes for 10 cups of rice. Brown rice always takes longer to cook than white, but in this machine, you’ll be looking at 60-70 minutes for one cup’s worth—enough to feed two people. Madness.

When the timer beeped to signal the rice was ready, the results looked promising. A quick fluff with a fork confirmed it—this was a noticeable upgrade from my usual saucepan attempts. The rice was perfectly light and fluffy, with just the right balance of moisture and texture—neither too wet nor too claggy.

For our next rice-based meals, I opted for two cups—perfect for four—which allowed me to use the convenient water level marker inside the inner pot. We experimented with white, brown, and jasmine rice, which were as delicious and well-cooked as anything we enjoyed in restaurants.

The only rice dish that failed during the two-week test period was short-grain rice for a rice pudding. I followed Cosori's recipe (on the App), and it must have boiled over because when I got home, milk had clearly spilled out the steam vent, and the contents were concrete-like. However, I did leave it on Keep Warm for two hours after it had finished cooking, as I got unavoidably detained in the pub, so there was an element of user error in play!

That little whoopsy aside, my only real problem was with the cooking times, which were all extremely long, and there was no option to adjust them. This lack of customization might be a drawback for those who prefer slightly drier rice or moister.

I also checked out the Quick Rice setting and was disappointed to find it wasn’t worth cutting corners. It still took a tedious 35 minutes to cook 2 cups of rice, and it wasn’t nearly as nice as waiting it out.

• Score: 5/10

Test 2: Steaming vegetables

There is only one basket for steaming, so to simplify life, I chose carrots and broccoli as they are vegetables I’d usually steam together for 10 minutes in my hob-top pan steamer. The basket is steel with plenty of holes in the bottom and sides to ensure even steaming and good airflow around the vegetables. Like any steam cooker, you need to be careful not to overload the basket, but there was plenty of room to steam enough vegetables for a roast dinner for our family of four, plus grandma!

It would have been nice to have two tiers, but there’s quite a lot of room in the basket, so I had space to sling in some mange tout or similar when there were six minutes to go.

All you need to do is fill the inner pan with water to the wiggly steam line (I used boiling to speed it up), put the steamer basket in, put in the vegetables, press steam mode, and set the cooking time. The default is 10 minutes. You can also use the Delay Start for up to 24 hours, a handy feature if you are short on time and want to come home to freshly cooked veg. I used this function when I had a chicken and jacket potatoes in the oven on a timer – setting it up so everything would be ready when we got home from afterschool clubs.

The pre-heating takes five to six minutes, despite using boiling water, which again is slower than I am used to. The 10-minute steaming time I selected produced perfectly cooked carrots that retained their shape, color, and flavor and were not too soft. The broccoli wasn’t nearly cooked enough, though, and needed an extra five minutes, which was awkward because I had to pull out the cooked carrots before I could set the broccoli going again. Luckily, I have a warming oven to keep them warm while the broccoli catches up to speed. On a second test run of broccoli and carrots, I cut the broccoli much smaller and tried to get the sizes more even, and 10 minutes did the job. Just.

• Score: 6/10

Test 3: Soup

Homemade soup is one of my favorite lunch options, especially in the winter months, and it was also the perfect opportunity to test out the sauté mode. Following the Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup recipe in the book supplied (which has 35 recipes in addition to those on the App), I set the machine to sauté mode, adjusted the time to 10 minutes (as directed), and pressed start.

As always, the cooker took about five minutes to preheat, but once the countdown began, the base was too hot—almost burning the garlic, carrots, celery, and onions. Continuous movement with the spatula was required, and I’d have appreciated the option to turn the temperature down.

Next, the herbs, chicken, rice, and liquids (broth and lemon juice) were added, and I shut the lid, pressed soup mode, and pressed start. The default time is 30 minutes, but I did at least have the option to adjust this time if required. Completion was signified with loud bleeps, and then the rice cooker automatically switched to keep warm mode (this is true of every mode except steam and cake), which is a handy function for keeping the food hot until you’re ready to serve.

Then, all I needed to do was shred the chicken and add some frozen peas, and it was good to go. The flavor was quite zingy. Maybe dial down on the lemon if that’s not your thing, but our kids scoffed it down, and everyone agreed it could go on our winter menu again.

• Score: 8/10

Test 4: Slow cooking

I was quite excited to test out the slow cook function as I’ve never had a dedicated slow cooker, and my friends raved about how useful they are for quickly getting healthy food to hungry kids after school. Again, I used the sauté function to brown the chicken in my slow cooker curry recipe, and this time, I accidentally burnt the spatula because I'd left it resting inside. Oops. Burnt plastic aside, the chicken browned nicely, and then all I needed to do was load the rest of the ingredients, press Slow Cook mode, adjust the time to six hours, and press start.

According to the user manual, slow cook mode is set at 212F, but when I checked in on progress a couple of hours in, everything was boiling away madly, and the cooker was blasting out steam. I couldn’t see an option to turn down the heat, so I reduced the time to three hours – before the vegetables were ruined and the sauce had boiled dry. I then used the sauté mode to reheat the curry when it was time to eat, although I suppose I could have left it in keep warm mode. The resulting chicken curry was delicious and full of flavor, and the meat was moist and tender enough but not exactly falling off the fork. I’m not sure this appliance works in quite the same way as a regular electric slow cooker–for one, it lets out a lot more moisture while cooking– and the lack of temperature control doesn’t make it very flexible.

• Score: 6/10

Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker: Care & Maintenance

Thanks to its thoughtful design, cleaning the Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker is refreshingly simple. Most removable parts—the inner pot, steam basket, and utensils—are dishwasher-safe (top rack only), taking the hassle out of post-cooking cleanup.

The cooker is easy to wipe down with a damp cloth, and the smooth, flat control panel eliminates tricky crevices where dirt or bacteria can hide. You need to regularly empty and rinse the steam cap inside the internal cover plate to ensure everything stays hygienic, but it is straightforward.

Maintenance is minimal, but if you plan to store the cooker between uses, ensure it's thoroughly dry (including the steam cap and inner lid) and avoid stacking items on top to keep it in prime condition.

• Score: 8/10

Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker: Price & Value

The Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker is very reasonably priced at $99.99. If you buy it directly from Cosori, you can get 10% off your first purchase, making it an even more appealing $89.99. However, it’s only $84.99 on Amazon, so we recommend you head straight there.

In the UK, it has an RRP of £119.99, but at the time of writing, it was on sale for £89.99 at Amazon.

• Score: 8/10

Would I buy the Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker?

There’s a lot to love about this stylish countertop appliance, the design being a big bonus. And it delivers decent rice, easily as good as that served in a quality Chinese restaurant. Suppose you have never mastered this in a pan or are already a rice cooker convert and are just in the market for a new machine. In that case, the Cosori 5.0-quart rice cooker is a worthy contender, not least because its price represents excellent value for money.

Most people will also appreciate the extra cooking functionality on offer – sauté, steam, slow cook, etc – that ensures it earns space on your countertops. Speaking of space, if you regularly struggle for space on your hob, this smart appliance will provide the equivalent of an extra hob zone/burner, which could make all the difference when cooking for crowds.

I am happy with the rice I cook in a saucepan, not just because it cooks much quicker than in the Cosori 5.0-quart. However, I am impatient, so the slow progress was a big problem for me. If I were to dedicate a spot on my countertop to another small appliance, I’d prefer something that saves time rather than one that takes longer than my current cooking methods.

How does the Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker compare?

The Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker is well-priced, well-made, and intuitive to use, which helps it hold its own in the competitive rice cooker market. Compared to premium models like the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy, which has an excellent reputation for precision and efficiency, the Cosori offers many more cooking modes, and the rice it cooks is hard to beat in terms of fluffy, moist perfection. I’d argue the Cosori is much more attractive, too, but as ever, it falls short when it comes to speed – its cooking times are noticeably longer.

If you are looking beyond grain cooking, you might be better off checking out the best instant pots. The Instant Pot Duo Plus, for example, offers amazing functionality and a 6-quart capacity for less money. Admittedly, it’s not as sleek, but you’ll get pressure cooking, a yogurt maker, steam, sauté, and, of course, rice cooking–so there is plenty of bang for your buck.

How I tested the Cosori 5.0-Quart Rice Cooker

I tested the Cosori 5.0-Quart rice cooker at home for two weeks, checking out as many functions and modes as possible while cooking our regular family meals. I followed the user guide and quick start information supplied by Cosori to ensure my experience was the same as any would-be buyers’, and I cooked up three types of rice: soups, slow-cooked curry, rice pudding, and a whole lot of steamed vegetables.

This is in addition to general evaluations, such as how straightforward the rice cooker is to set up, its noise level during operation, user-friendliness, storage convenience, and ease of cleaning.

If you’re not quite sure which one to get, I recently spent some time with the Echo TC-210 tiller and can say there are a lot of reasons to put it on your list. With its small, lightweight size and useful features, it’s a great place to start looking.

It’s not perfect, though. The compact design lacks enough power for heavier weeds and thicker soil, and being gas-powered means it’s arguably worse for the environment than an electric one. Plus, getting up and running sometimes can be a bit finicky.

It may not be one of the best tillers, but there are still plenty of good things about it, so read on to see if it fits your garden well.

Echo TC-210 Tiller: Key specs

Echo TC-210 Tiller: Price & availability

Echo's TC-210 tiller is currently available on its website for $399, and Home Depot and Amazon have it on sale for $399 as well. This puts it in the middle of the price range for a good tiller these days, which honestly seems a tad overpriced for me, considering how small it is. Echo does make quality power equipment, however, so overall, it’s not a totally unreasonable price.

Echo TC-210 Tiller: Setup

Opening the TC-210 box, you’re greeted with the tiller front and center. It was pleasantly surprising to see a lack of plastic or Styrofoam in the box, yet it seems like the tiller could get jostled around too easily during transit. Mine wasn’t damaged at all, but it feels like it could be packed more snugly.

Assembly is simple and easy. You simply need to attach the support bars and handles using the provided bolts, nuts, and washers. You’ll need a 7/16th-in. wrench to fully tighten the bolts, but everything else you need is included. The times also come preinstalled, so you don’t have to worry about that. The whole assembly process took me less than half an hour.

Once assembled, I was a bit surprised at how small it was. Granted, a 20-cc engine is not very big, but the whole thing was still much smaller than I expected for a garden tiller. The small size and light weight means it’s quite easy to transport and store, and it’s still well-built even for a small engine.

Echo TC-210 Tiller: Design

As mentioned, the Echo TC-210 is quite compact for a gas-powered tiller. It stands about 40 inches high, is just over 13 inches wide, and is about 44 inches long. It’s only about 20 pounds (without fuel), so it’s very easy to maneuver around your yard. The convenient carrying handle near the engine is positioned so I can carry it one-handed.

The compact design is both a good and bad thing, in my opinion. I love how easy it is to maneuver around my yard, and I don’t tire of pushing it around for a while. But the downside is that there’s less weight pushing the tines into the ground, and the smaller engine means there’s less power driving the tines as well.

I’m also not a huge fan of the handle design. They angle down from the support bars at a pretty steep angle, and the trigger is mounted upside down at the bottom of the handle. So, instead of squeezing with your top fingers as you might expect (and is the norm on almost all other yard equipment I’ve used), you’re squeezing it with your pinky. I get they were aiming for greater convenience, but it becomes a bit awkward for me. The safety cutoff switch is right above the trigger, so that’s easy to get to if needed.

The included kickstand is also pretty weak. I had to ensure I rested the tiller on it just right so it wouldn’t fall over, and it sat low enough that it got in the way a lot while I was tilling. However, you can adjust its position, so if you need to make deeper trenches or just want to keep it out of the way, you can.

The best part of the design is the tines. They are designed to slide off easily, so you can clean out any weeds. Simply pull out the cotter pin and slide off as one unit from either side of the shaft.

Echo TC-210 Tiller: Performance

First things first: starting up the TC-210 is hit-or-miss. After priming it, it took several pulls to start the engine, and once started, it would cut off within a few seconds, more than half the time. At first, I chalked this up because it was a new engine that needed some warming. But even after running it for 20 minutes or so, when trying to restart it immediately, we had the same problems.

We were always able to start it eventually, but more than half the time, it took us several tries before it would finally catch and run consistently. Even when we revved the engine to warm it up, it would still cut out a few times before catching.

The first place I tested it was on a large dirt area on the side of our house. Since we lost some trees there earlier this year, we decided to clean up some weeds and dead leaves and turn them into a garden bed. The ground was also quite dry due to a lack of rain. The TC-210 did a decent job of tilling up the dirt, but it could only get a few inches deep with the kickstand adjusted low and even pushing on it a bit to help it dig in.

Next, we tried it on a much smaller garden box in our backyard that is regularly maintained and watered. The TC-210 performed much better there, more like what you’d expect from a good gas tiller.

Maintenance on the TC-210 is easy. Simply clean off the tines when done using it and store them alongside the rest of your outdoor power equipment. If you’re done using it for the season, it’s a good idea to drain the gas or fill it with just a bit of TruFuel to keep it from drying out while in storage.

Would I buy the Echo TC-210 Tiller?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if…

How I tested the Echo TC-210 Tiller

I tested this tiller in three locations and soil conditions around our yard. The first was on dry ground covered with weeds and dried leaves, and the other two were garden boxes in our backyard with well-maintained and watered soil.

Learn more about how we test.

The Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner is the brand's first dedicated wet floor cleaner. It uses powerful motorized rollers instead of vacuum suction to offer hygienic cleaning for hard floors, effectively removing wet and dry debris in a single pass. It uses clean water throughout the washing process without a cleaning solution and can cover up to 3,121 square feet with just one tank. Its lightweight and ergonomic design allows for effortless gliding and easy maneuverability, even in tight spaces under furniture.

I used the Dyson WashG1 on various floor-cleaning tasks around my home, including everyday cleaning, sticky and dry spills, and ground-in dirt. Find out how it got on and see if it's the best wet/dry vacuum for your household needs.

Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner: Key specs

Dyson WashG1: Price & availability

The Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner is available directly from Dyson and retails for $699.99, placing it firmly at the upper end of the market for wet floor cleaners. If you buy through Dyson, though, you can select a complimentary tool worth $59.99 at checkout; in the case of the WashG1, that's an extra set of Dual microfiber rollers free of charge.

The closest comparison to another Dyson product is the V15s Detect Submarine Absolute, which is currently retailing for $749.99 with a $200 discount. Dyson stresses that the WashG1 is a dedicated wet floor cleaner engineered specifically to wash hard floors instead of a wet/dry vacuum cleaner.

At $699.99, the WashG1 is more than twice the price of the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus Multi-Surface Wet/Dry Vacuum, which retails for around $299.99. However, you are paying for a brand with a global reputation for excellence in engineering and stunning design. For households with deeper pockets, these factors, plus a generous 2-year warranty on parts and labor, may make the price more palatable.

Dyson WashG1: Setup

The Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner arrives securely packaged in a double box with plenty of cardboard inserts to keep individual components secure during shipping. Everything is recyclable, with no annoying plastic bags or polystyrene packing, so you can comfortably get rid of all the packaging without contributing to landfill.

Inside the box, you'll find the main body of the Wash G1 already assembled, complete with the rollers and debris tray already in place. You do not need to put these elements together; you only have to slot the handle into place with a click.

A charger and charging dock are also included, along with a QR code to scan to download the My Dyson app and add your floor cleaner. If you already have the app, you can search for the Wash G1 and add it to your devices.

Unlike other Dyson appliances, the Wash G1 does not offer smart functionality, such as cleaning data or remote operation. Still, the My Dyson app offers advice and information videos on setting up your new appliance, user guides on operation, care, and maintenance, troubleshooting support, and access to the Dyson community and customer care experts, so it's worth downloading.

Regarding set-up, you're about a minute away from using your brand-new floor cleaner! All I had to do was slot in the handle and fill up the water tank, and I was good to go. My Wash G1 arrived with around 50% charge in the battery, so I could start cleaning immediately. On the side of the box is a simple illustrative guide to inserting the handle and filling the tank, but you can find more info on the My Dyson app or work it out yourself, as it's super easy.

You can detach the water tanks from the shaft of the Dyson Wash G1 by pressing down on the red catch button at the top of the tanks. This removes both cylinders in one go. You can then remove each tank by pushing down on the blue catch at the back (clean water tank) or the red button (dirty water tank). Both have a capacity of 0.21 gallons, which is great, as many similar floor cleaners have a smaller dirty water tank capacity, which requires more frequent stops to empty during cleaning.

Switching on and changing the modes is similarly straightforward. All the controls are at the handle. A circular display panel shows you which mode you are in, whether there are any problems with the device and some basic instructions for using it. You can also switch modes here and turn on the self-clean function.

The battery at the cleaner's base is removable, so you can charge this separately from the Dyson Wash G1 if you wish. This is a handy feature if you need to keep your cleaner in a closet without access to an electrical socket when it's not in use.

Overall, a swift and painless set-up, which is something I've come to expect from Dyson over the years.

Dyson WashG1: Design

As you'd expect, the Dyson Wash G1 is beautifully designed and emphasizes ease of use. It has a stylish colorway and a reassuringly expensive finish.

The shaft of the handle is a shimmering ultra-blue that screams luxury, while the handle and display screen are gray and black. As always with Dyson, important clipping mechanisms are highlighted in contrast colors, in this case, red.

The 65-inch cord attaching the charger base to a socket is long enough to give you some leeway on where you place your appliance for charging, but Dyson should have included a cable tidy to wrap up excess cordage and keep it out of sight.

The controls are super-easy to change during operation, and you can easily change them with the same hand you use for pushing your Wash G1.

I found the Wash G1's maneuverability to be superb. It's very smooth and effortless to control, and the appliance's lightweight nature allows you to move direction quickly, turn corners, and lift. However, it does get heavier with a full tank of clean water.

The Wash G1 never feels off balance or like it might fall over, which I've found with other vacuums and floor cleaners.

During operation, the Dyson Wash G1 is remarkably quiet, purring away at a constant 60 dB, no matter which mode you choose. It gets slightly louder during self-cleaning, rising to around 65 dB.

Compared to other vacuums and wet floor cleaners, which can reach 80 to 90 dB highs, the Wash G1 is wonderfully quiet and perfect if you have neighbors nearby or people in your household who are sensitive to noise.

The rollers at the machine's base are easy to remove and clean if necessary, while the debris tray filters out dirt and debris away from the dirty water tank. It is designed to be lifted cleanly away from the base and emptied over a garbage bin.

While I enjoy the simplicity of the Wash G1's design, I think for the price, Dyson could have employed some of their other features, such as LED lights that illuminate pet hair and other debris or a steam cleaning feature, both of which the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus Multi-Surface Wet Dry Vacuum includes at a cheaper price point.

Dyson WashG1: Performance

For my first test of the Dyson Wash G1, I did a general pass over the vinyl laminate flooring in my hallway and kitchen without focusing on specific spills or types of debris. I was immediately impressed with how well it picked up debris like crumbs, leaves, dust, and dirt. I used the boost mode for tougher, ground-in dirt, which handled it well.

The edge-to-edge cleaning is fantastic, and the vacuum glides effortlessly around corners, making it very easy to maneuver. I'd venture to say this is the best edge-to-edge cleaning I've experienced with a wet/dry vacuum cleaner.

One thing to note: there’s no alert when the clean water tank is empty, so you must watch it. However, emptying the dirty water tank is simple, as the debris gets filtered out and stored in a separate tray. Switching modes is also very easy—just press a button on the handle. Plus, the vacuum stops automatically when you set the wand upright, which is a nice touch.

The Dyson Wash G1 also cleaned the floor under the family shoe rack, always covered in pet hair, mud, dirt, and dust. With just a couple of swipes, it was sparkling clean again. It’s impressive that this vacuum doesn’t rely on suction—instead, it uses the hydration levels of the rollers to lift debris effectively.

Over two weeks of testing the Dyson Wash G1 at home, I assessed its performance on various liquids and debris types on hard floors, including thick sauces, sticky honey, milk, spilled cereal, oats, and flour. I was delighted by how easy it was to remove liquids, including sticky liquids, with just one pass and no need for the 'boost' mode.

You can see from the images below how it cleanly cuts through any spill, including milk and honey.

It did a similarly great job picking up thick sauces, spilled oats, and flour—there was no need for a second pass.

I did experience a couple of niggly issues with my model, though, which I discovered during testing. The debris tray at the base of the appliance is supposed to be securely fastened with a sturdy 'lip'. Unlocking the debris tray should be a clean and simple function. However, I found that my debris tray was loose, allowing water and other debris to leak while emptying, which was super annoying and messy to clean up.

I also found that the power cord seemed a little wobbly when plugged into the unit - not the usual quality and standard I would expect from a Dyson product.

A quick search online found several other Dyson Wash G1 users have experienced the same issues, suggesting a design fault on some models. I contacted a Dyson representative to report the issue but have not heard back.

Unfortunately, these two niggles mean a point off the final performance score, which otherwise would get full marks.

Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner: Maintenance

To keep your Dyson Wash G1 in top shape, Dyson suggests a few easy steps:

1. Quick clean after each use: Empty the dirty water tank and debris tray when done. The no-touch system makes it easy—just pour out the water, rinse the tank, and it’s ready to go. Be sure to refill the clean water tank before each use.
2. Self-cleaning cycle: The Wash G1 has a self-clean mode! Just fill up the clean tank, set it on the dock, and press the self-clean option. Your machine will be freshened up in under three minutes and ready for the next job.
3. Refresh the rollers: Remove the microfiber rollers and rinse them with warm water and mild detergent every so often. Dyson suggests replacing them after about 25 hours of use, and the MyDyson app can remind you.
4. Seasonal deep clean: Every few months, rinse both water tanks, wipe down the debris tray, and give the filter mesh a little TLC to avoid limescale. This prevents buildup and keeps your machine working at its best.

Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner: User reviews

User reviews for the Dyson Wash G1 on the Dyson site are largely positive, with 4.4 stars out of 5 across hundreds of reviews. Users highlight its efficiency in tackling dry and wet messes on hard floors, while many are impressed with how well it handles everyday spills, leaving floors spotless after one or two passes.

The G1’s counter-rotating rollers, which avoid suction and rely on hydration, are also praised for their effective and quiet cleaning. This makes the machine a standout for households with pets or children who regularly create tough messes.

However, some users note challenges with maneuverability, especially in tight spaces. It struggles in confined or highly obstructed spaces and cannot clean small, tricky areas, such as between tight furniture gaps or around narrow tiles.

Another feature often mentioned is the G1’s self-cleaning function, which many find convenient after each cleaning session. It’s simple to maintain between uses, and the machine only requires more thorough manual cleaning every few uses. On the downside, a few users point out that it lacks a notification for an empty, clean water tank, so users have to keep an eye on the water level during longer cleaning sessions, something I found, too.

Would I buy the Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner?

For those looking for a reliable and efficient wet/dry vacuum, the Dyson WashG1 Wet/Dry Vacuum scores high on setup, ease of use, and maneuverability. Aside from some design issues with the debris tray and power cord, its suction power and tank capacity are great. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Dyson WashG1 provides a good cleaning experience.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How does the Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner compare?

Considering the Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner, you'll find it’s a well-designed and effective tool for keeping your floors spotless. However, it comes with a higher price tag than alternatives like the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam, which often retails around $349.99. The Bissell model is known for its steam cleaning capabilities and is frequently available at a discount, making it an excellent option for budget-conscious shoppers. Still, the Dyson might be worth the investment if you value performance and a sleek aesthetic.

The Ultenic AC1 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum might catch your eye for those who want a two-in-one solution. It efficiently vacuums and mops hard floors simultaneously, saving you precious time on cleaning. With a solid 45 minutes of runtime per charge, it’s a handy choice for quick clean-ups, though it won't handle carpets. This could be the perfect fit for your home if you’re after something lightweight and easy to store.

If you’re looking for something compact and budget-friendly, the Black+Decker Dustbuster QuickClean could be just what you need. This little powerhouse is great for tackling dry and wet messes around the house and even in the car. it’s easy to tuck away when you’re done. Remember that its 10-minute battery life might not be enough for bigger jobs. And if you're all about convenience, the Eufy X10 Pro Omni offers a hands-free experience, but be ready to spend a bit more for that luxury!

How I tested the Dyson WashG1 Wet Floor Cleaner

At Top Ten Reviews, we are committed to providing our readers with honest and reliable reviews of products, including the best wet and dry vacuums. Our expert reviewers conduct extensive research and thorough testing to ensure we recommend only the best products to our readers.

Our reviewers possess experience and industry knowledge, allowing them to identify and analyze the most critical features of every wet/dry vacuum. They put these products through a series of tests, evaluating setup, performance, ease of use, maintenance, and more, to deliver comprehensive and consistent reviews.

We test each wet/dry vacuum to ensure our reviews are accurate and reliable. We aim to provide readers with authentic and trustworthy reviews to help them make well-informed purchase decisions.

For more information about our testing protocols, please visit our comprehensive guide on how we test.

However, as with many things in life, I’ve discovered that the right equipment, such as one of the best dryers, can make the task much more manageable. Enter the ASKO Tumble Dryer. ASKO is a Scandinavian company that has been building washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and other home appliances for over 70 years. Their goal is to create state-of-the-art appliances that are also easy on the environment.

The Tumble Dryer is a fantastic companion to the ASKO Steel Seal washing machine and shares the same gorgeous design, ease of use, and range of features. However, it also shares its high price tag and lack of smart connectivity. Still, is it worth adding to your home? Read on to find out more about my time with it.

ASKO W4114CW: Key specs

ASKO T411VDW Tumble Dryer: Price and availability

The ASKO Tumble Dryer T411VDW doesn’t come cheap at $1,499. For comparison, our current pick for the best premium dryer, the LG ThinQ 7.4-cu ft Stackable Vented Smart Electric Dryer, is $1,149, and every other dryer on our list of dryers is several hundred dollars less than the ASKO dryer. However, the high-quality design, ease of use, and range of features might make it worth the investment.

Right now, the best place to find it is either from Best Buy or by checking ASKO’s website to find a local dealer near you. It comes in white or titanium, so you can match your aesthetic.

The dryer is stackable with the Asko Steel Seal washing machine, so if you don’t have much space in your laundry room, it might be worth considering getting the pair to save space.

ASKO T411VDW: Setup

I received the ASKO Tumble Dryer and the Steel Seal W4114CW washing machine, and they arrived on a pallet. My wife and I had to wrestle them into the laundry room from the garage, which, thankfully, isn’t too far away. Unless you plan to pay someone else to move it, you will need help.

Installation is doable on your own, but it’s always a good idea to call a professional if you feel slightly uncomfortable. Best Buy offers installation for about $70, and your local dealer might also have installation options. You’ll have to contact them when purchasing to ask about it.

ASKO provided all the necessary tools for the installation, but the instructions were a bit vague in some parts, so just be aware of that before you start. This washer and dryer pair can be installed side-by-side or stacked, which is how we decided to do. ASKO has designed a few accessories they call “hidden helpers” that you can put between the washer and dryer to add functionality (see below).

To install the dryer on top of the washer, you’ll first need to attach the tipping guard that comes with the dryer. First, install the bracket on the back of the washer, then install the clip on the back of the dryer. When you place the dryer on top, make sure it’s level (you can adjust the four rubber feet as needed), then tilt it back gently, just enough to slide the clip into the bracket, and you’re done.

If you go the stackable route, ASKO has designed some accessories you can install between them to save even more space in your laundry room. We got the pull-out basket, but there’s also an ironing board, basket/shelf combo, and a drawer. To install the accessories, just set them on top of the washer and the dryer on top of the accessory. Whichever one you get will have the correct size tipping guard to accommodate the extra height.

We did use the pull-out basket to hold special items, dryer sheets, and such, but if we had the choice, we probably would have gone with something like the ironing board or the drawer.

You can also change the opening direction of the dryer door by simply swapping the hinge and latch placement.

One cool feature of the dryer is its “T-style” exhaust vent, which means you can connect the duct (not included) to either side or the back.

I only mention this side note because it impacted us: If you’re installing this in a house that was built before 1991, you might need to install a different electrical plug on the back of the dryer. The one that comes with it complies with the building codes from 1991, but our house was built in the '60s and still had the older connections.

You’ll need a 30 amp, 3-prong cord, which you can easily get from most hardware stores. Replacing it is quite easy; it took me about 5 minutes with a screwdriver.

ASKO T411VDW: Design

If you read my review of the ASKO Steal Seal washing machine, you’ll know I’m a big fan of this design. It’s sleek, rectangular, symmetrical, and very minimalistic. It doesn’t stand out, and the front-load design makes for easy access. One of my favorite things about it is that all the buttons are physical.

That may sound odd, but our previous Maytag dryer had these weird capacitive-style buttons that were hard to press. The buttons and the Tumble Dryer's scroll wheel are blissfully clicking and responsive.

The top right contains all the buttons and the thin, rectangular LCD display. The power button is in the center, next to the selector wheel. Underneath the display are more buttons for adjusting the settings for each of the 13 programs. The start/stop button is on the far right.

The buttons under the display let you adjust the dryness level, anti-crease duration, load size, drying temperature, drying time, and start delay. Keep in mind that not every program allows you to adjust every setting.

The dryer is pretty compact at 23 7/16 in. wide x 33 7/16 in. tall x 30 1/4 deep. One cool thing is that ASKO keeps the dimensions of all its units almost the same, so you don’t have to rebuild or redesign your laundry space when you're ready to upgrade to a new model.

Even though it’s compact, it still has a reasonably generous drum capacity of 38.3 gallons. It is a bit smaller than our previous top-loading Maytag dryer, but it isn’t small enough that we felt we were doing much more than we used to. It holds a fair amount of laundry. We don’t have a king-sized comforter to test, but we fit eight bath towels in there with no problem. The door opening is 12 1/2 inches, so it also opens comfortably wide.

SKO T411VDW: Performance

One of the biggest things that makes this dryer so easy to use is its lack of a touch screen or capacitive buttons. Simply turn it on, select the cycle, adjust settings, and press start. As with the washer, the child lock turns on automatically whenever you start a cycle. You can pause the cycle and power off the dryer, but once you restart it, it picks right back up where it left off.

Even though it’s smaller than our old dryer, we were perfectly happy with how much laundry we could fit into it. We didn’t feel like we were doing a significantly greater amount of laundry than we were before, which is nice. The drum was still large enough to dry heftier medium-sized loads without any trouble.

We tested as many programs as possible, and they all seemed to work as described. I was impressed by the Shirts program, which adjusts the rotation of the drum to prevent shirts, blouses, slacks, etc., from creasing. I threw a few wrinkled dress shirts in, and they came out ready to wear.

One thing to note is that this is a European-style dryer, which typically doesn't add as much heat to the drying cycle as American dryers do. So, when you pull things out, they might still feel a bit damp. Things are not necessarily wet; they’re just cooler than we might be used to.

The drying performance is solid; a typical load for us weighed 21.4 pounds from the washing machine and 17 pounds after the spin cycle in the dryer.

The dryer is also very quiet. We were pleased to discover that even with our laundry room door open, we could barely hear it. My decibel meter clocked it at about 59dB, about the noise on a quiet street.

We did notice that sometimes lint would get stuck to the rim about the edge of the dryer door. We’re not quite sure why, and it never really became a problem, but it’s just something we noticed. We couldn’t weigh the amount of lint it produced because we did not have a scale that could measure that light of weight, but our most granular scale showed it was less than half a gram.

The other thing to note is that there is no smart connectivity whatsoever. You can’t connect it to your phone, and there’s no sort of wireless connection at all. This didn’t bother us, but just something to note.

ASKO T411VDW: Maintenance

The only maintenance required for the dryer is to empty the lint filter on the bottom of the door after each cycle and clean off the rim of the door and the opening when it’s dirty. Easy peasy. Because it’s a vented dryer, there’s no water collected during drying, so there’s a reservoir to empty.

Would I buy the ASKO T411VDW Tumble Dryer?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

How does the ASKO T411VDW Tumble Dryer compare?

The GE GFD55ESSNWW is our best pick for dryers in 2024, and for good reason. It’s got a large drum, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a ton of drying programs. And it’s about half the price of the ASKO dryer. It’s pretty big, however, and isn’t stackable.

If you need something reliable and get the job done, the Amana NED4655EW gets all the basics right and only costs a few hundred dollars. It doesn’t have any advanced features, so keep that in mind.

For those with a gas hookup for your dryer, the LG DLG6101W is an excellent choice. It’s inexpensive, quiet, and has a large drum. It’s more complicated to install, so you might need extra help.

How I tested the ASKO W4114CW

My wife and I used the ASKO T411VDW Tumble Dryer in our home for about six weeks. In that time, we did dozens of clothes, bedding, and towels using as many different programs as possible. I unboxed and installed the machine and tinkered with nearly every setting to get as accurate an assessment of it as possible.

Learn more about how we test.

Thankfully, a good front-load washer can help laundry feel less chore-like. The ASKO Steel Seal washing machine is a surprisingly compact washer that packs a lot of great features into its small size. Plus, it’s easy to use and blissfully quiet.

It’s pretty expensive, though, and for all its great features, a few things are missing, like Wi-Fi connectivity. I used the ASKO Steel Seal washing machine for about six weeks to wash all our family’s clothes – including my 16-month-old daughter’s and 5-year-old son’s – along with our towels and bedding. Here’s how it went.

ASKO W4114CW: Key specs

ASKO W4114CW: Price & availability

The ASKO Steel Seal W4114CW washing machine is quite pricey at $2,049. That puts it at nearly a thousand dollars more than even front-load washers such as the GE GFW550SSNWW, and it is closer to what you can expect to pay for a good washer/dryer combo these days. However, it’s packed with many features, and the build quality is outstanding, so you’ll have to decide if it’s worth the price. You can get it in the US from Best Buy or several local dealers (check ASKO’s website to find the one closest to you).

ASKO offers this washing machine model in white or titanium, which should match almost any aesthetic.

In the UK, the best bet is to check ASKO’s website to find a dealer near you. There’s no exact match for the W4114CW in the UK, but the W4096R.W.UK/1 is probably the closest comparison.

• Score: 6 out of 10

ASKO W4114CW: Setup

I received the washing machine and the ASKO Tumble Dryer together, so they arrived on a pallet. The driver dropped them in my garage, and my wife and I had to figure out how to get them into our laundry room. Thankfully, it’s not too far from our garage, and I could borrow our neighbor’s hand truck, so it wasn’t too bad.

While tedious, the installation was not overly complex and could be done without professional assistance. If you feel uncomfortable doing it yourself, it’s always best to call a professional, but it is possible to do it yourself without much complication. It took me about half an hour to get everything hooked up, and all the tools were included with the machine.

ASKO includes instructions and all the tools necessary for the installation, but I found the instructions vague in some places. I realize they tried to be as generic as possible for everyone, but they could provide more instructions.

The washer and dryer are almost the same size, meaning they can be installed side-by-side or stacked depending on your space, which is nice. The units I received included everything you need to stack them. ASKO also has a few accessories you can add to your washer and dryer if you decide to stack them that they refer to as “hidden helpers,” including the pull-out basket that I received, a pull-out ironing board, a pull-out basket/shelf combo, and a pull-out drawer.

First, remove the three transport bolts and plastic plugs from the back. After you’ve positioned it in your laundry room, adjust the feet on the bottom to ensure the machine is level. The included wrench allows you to adjust each of the four feet.

Once it’s level, you’ll need to connect the water hose. Thankfully, the W4114CW unit I got has an included heating element, so you’ll only need to worry about connecting one hose. You’ll then need to connect the attached drain hose to a sink or other drain, and they recommend that it be between 24 and 36 inches above the bottom of the washer (both hoses come attached to the back of the washer).

The washer is designed to be plugged into an ASKO dryer, so you can plug it into the wall from the dryer. If you use another dryer, you’ll need to swap out the washer's plug for one that works with the wall outlet.

Once we had it in place, we were amazed at how small the washer was. It measures 23 7/16” W x 33 7/16” H x 27 9/16” D, and even in our small utility room with a closet and water heater, we now have much more room than our old washer and dryer.

• Score: 7 out of 10

ASKO W4114CW: Design

I’m a big fan of the design of the ASKO Steel Seal washing machine. It’s a front-loading washer with a clean, modern, minimalistic design, which I’m here for. There’s no big display or tons of buttons; all the controls are laid out nicely along the front at the top. The top left corner is where you add the detergent, which supports powder, liquid, and detergent pods.

The power button is next to the detergent drawer, with the selection dial to the right. The long, rectangular LCD and start/stop button on the right edge follow. Just below the LCD are six small pill-shaped buttons for selecting the washing mode, temperature, spin speed, additional options, start delay, and dose assist.

One of the standout features of the ASKO Steel Seal washing machine is the steel seal around the door. Most other washers use a rubber seal, which degrades over time and can trap dirt and smells. The stainless-steel seal here lasts longer, doesn’t trap dirt and smells, and allows for a larger door opening than most washers of similar size.

For a washer this small, the ASKO Steel Seal has a surprising number of programs, 22.

Depending on the wash program you select, you can use the buttons under the display to customize the cycle even further. The washing mode button lets you choose between standard, green mode (saves energy, less water, longer wash time), speed mode, allergy mode (extra water, extra rinsing, longer wash time, more water and energy use), and intense mode (better cleaning, more water use, longer wash time).

You can also adjust the temperature and spin speed; some programs let you customize them even further. Depending on the cycle, you can add a super rinse, prewash, high water level, or anti-crease setting. Finally, the last two buttons let you delay the start of the cycle for 30 minutes to 24 hours and ask the machine to recommend a detergent amount for the specific cycle.

• Score: 9 out of 10

ASKO W4114CW: Performance

One of the best things about the ASKO Steel Seal washing machine is its easy use. Our previous washer had these weird capacitive buttons that I always found difficult to use, but this one is blissfully simple. Just turn it on, scroll to select the program you want, adjust any settings you want, and hit the start button.

Honestly, it’s nice not to have one on this washer in an era when everything is a touchscreen. All the controls are physical, tactile buttons. The Child Lock turns on by default at the start of every load, so the kids can’t mess with things. However, they can pause and restart the load, so it’s not entirely immune to their meddling. However, it’s much better than if there was no child lock.

Most modern washers can intelligently add the precise amount of detergent required for each load. While the ASKO Steel Seal washer I have can’t quite do that, it can recommend the correct amount of detergent you manually add. So, it’s halfway there. There’s also no Wi-Fi connectivity or any other smart features available.

This washer may look a bit small, but we were able to fit almost as much as we could in our previous Maytag top-load washer. We have two small children and a dog, so we are constantly washing clothes, towels, sheets, etc., and while we couldn’t exactly measure it, we haven’t felt as if we ended up doing more loads than before.

We don’t have a comforter, so we weren’t able to test that out, but we could reliably wash eight bath towels at a time, so it’s a fairly decent-sized drum.

An interesting fact about ASKO machines is that they all have basically identical height and width, so you wouldn’t have to redo your entire laundry space to accommodate a new machine. The only difference is in the depth, with some models having a deeper drum than others.

My wife and I tested as many of the different programs as we could and were quite impressed with the performance across the board. As far as we could tell, the differences between Universal Wash and any of the more specific modes are the temperature of the water, duration of the wash, and duration and intensity of the spin cycle.

In our unscientific testing, we didn’t seem to notice too much difference between the programs. The Universal Wash did a great job with everything we threw at it, so we never saw any significant difference when using the other programs.

We put a white rag with a few different stains on it through the normal cycle, and it turned out pretty well. Some of the deeper stains were still visible, but for the most part, the surface stains all came out fine. We were impressed.

One of the programs I was most interested in trying out was the shirts program. The idea is that it adds a steam cycle to the wash to remove any wrinkles in the shirts. I work from home, so I don’t wear many business shirts, but I have a few for date night and other fancier occasions. I crumpled these up and threw them in the Shirt cycle and was quite impressed with how they came out.

The shirts weren’t as wrinkle-free as they would have been if I had ironed them, but they were certainly good enough to wear out again.

We were also instantly impressed with how quiet this washer is. I don’t know how loud our old washer was, but this one was noticeably quieter. During the noisiest part, the spin cycle, my decibel meter only clocked at 67.2, which is no louder than a normal conversation or a modern dishwasher. At the quietest, it was only about 54 dB, which is equivalent to a light rainfall.

Regarding the spin cycle, the standard load of laundry we weighed out was 11.5 lbs. before going in and weighed 16.5 lbs. after the spin cycle.

My wife and I agree it’s the best washer we’ve ever used.

• Score: 8 out of 10

ASKO W4114CW: Maintenance

The first recommended maintenance tip is to leave the door open after each cycle to let it air out and wipe down the seal between washes.

About once a month, or every 40 washes, a “Sterile Tube alert” will display on the screen, indicating it’s time to run the Drum Cleaning cycle. The instructions say you can add a bit of vinegar or baking soda to the cycle if you want, but it’s unnecessary. It will still clean it without anything added.

Aside from that, two items can be cleaned manually. The first is the filter behind a small door at the bottom left corner. Run the Drain program to remove all the water, unplug the washer, and then use the included tool attached to the back of the washer to pop open the door and rotate the filter counterclockwise to remove it. Wash it off in the sink and replace it.

The second item is the detergent drawer. There’s a tab at the back of it you can press to slide the whole thing out. Then, rinse it off in the sink as well and pop it back in. That’s it.

• Score: 9 out of 10

Would I buy the ASKO W4114CW?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

How does the ASKO W4114CW compare?

If you have a larger family, the LG WM9500HKA is a good choice. It can hold up to 5.8 cubic feet of clothing, so you can spend less time washing clothes. It’s also Energy Star certified and cheaper than the ASKO Steel Seal. However, it’s not stackable, so if you need to save space, it’s not the best option.

If you’re looking for something with many great smart features, check out the Samsung WF53BB8700AV. It’s not quite as big as the LG washer, but it’s got more programs than the ASKO. It connects to your smartphone and even has AI features built in.

Lastly, for those looking for a simple, basic, affordable washing machine, Samsung’s got you covered again. The Samsung WF42H5000AW isn’t the biggest or smartest washing machine on the block, but it gets the job done and can often be found for around $700.

How I tested the ASKO W4114CW

My wife and I used this ASKO washing machine for about six weeks. In that time, we washed dozens of clothes, bedding, and towels using as many different programs as possible. I unboxed and installed the machine and tinkered with nearly every setting to get an accurate assessment of it.

Learn more about how we test.

The story of Ring began in 2012 after the founder asked a simple question: "What if you could answer the front door from your phone?" The invention of the brand's first video doorbell has since evolved over a decade to offer next-level features and ground-breaking innovations, and the Ring Wired Doorbell Pro is one of them.

I reviewed it for six months in my own home. I've assessed it on the ease of setup, use, maintenance, and longevity. While I haven't performed any challenging tasks, I have worked through the various features and settings, just as you would, so that I can share my honest thoughts about it. Read on to find out more.

Ring Wired Video Doorbell Pro: key specs

Ring Wired Video Doorbell Pro: At a glance

The Ring Wired Doorbell Pro, formerly known as Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, measures 11.4 cm x 4.9 cm x 2.2 cm and comes packed with features such as 1536p Head to Toe HD Video and a 150° horizontal, 150° vertical Field of View. It has been available to buy for a couple of years, either directly from Ring for $229.99 or from resellers such as Amazon and Home Depot.

While this price may seem excessive, especially when you'll also need to consider professional installation, it is regularly on sale. In 2018, Ring was acquired by Amazon, which means that the global online retailer owns all smart home devices and home security manufactured by Ring. Holidays such as Amazon Prime Day make it a brilliant time to shop for Ring video doorbells, security cameras, and accessories.

Since all these smart home devices operate from the same Ring app, you can connect all your devices to protect your whole home in one space. If you can't get to the door or answer an alert on the app, Alexa Greetings will speak to visitors and delivery drivers to advise on where a package can be left.

If you want the Ring Wired Doorbell Pro, you will just need to buy some extras. I found that relying on my phone to be charged and close by to hear the doorbell go was too much to ask, so I bought the Chime Pro for $59.99. This extended the Wi-Fi coverage and meant that I could hear when the Pro was activated. And if you're keen to store, re-watch, download, or share footage, then Ring Protect will cost $4.99 per month.

Ring Wired Video Doorbell Pro: Performance

The Ring Wired Video Doorbell, Pro setup performance, was straightforward, mainly because you'll need a professional to connect it to any existing or new wiring. Our tradesman connected the Pro to an exciting setup, so it didn't take half an hour, but this time will vary depending on what you already have in place. I then just needed to scan a QR code and follow the instructions on the Ring app to connect the Pro to my home Wi-Fi.

I was impressed from the get-go. While I initially had some reservations about the location of the Ring Wired Video Doorbell Pro, the 150° horizontal and 150° vertical Field of View and Birds Eye View meant that I could see the front door and path in front of it. Our front door faces the path, yet the wall the Pro is mounted on is a right angle to the door. The included corner kit (also available separately for $19.99 on Amazon) meant that the Pro could be installed with one of three stackable mounts to give a 15°, 30°, and 45° angle.

Whether it was day or night, I could clearly see down the path and have a full view of the person/s standing in front of our front door. I could even access the Ring app to engage with Two-Way Talk and view live footage if I wanted to.

Being connected to the app also means that I can receive real-time notifications when the Pro is activated, either by motion or by a press of the button. With battery-powered Ring video doorbells, I often found that any type of notification drained the battery, which meant that it felt like I was forever recharging it.

You can also share the device with other members of your household so that they can view live footage and engage with two-way talk. However, you won't have all the same settings as the main user, such as the ability to set customizable privacy zones and link up a Chime to the device.

If you subscribe to Ring Protect to store, rewatch, download, or share footage, you can also use Alexa Greetings. With this feature enabled, Pro will automatically greet anyone who stops by and record detailed video messages. Note: If you're reading this review in the UK or Europe, Alexa Greetings is not yet available.

Would I buy the Ring Wired Video Doorbell Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How does the Ring Wired Doorbell Pro compare?

While the Ring Wired Doorbell Pro is the brand's " best-in-class doorbell camera," there are some alternatives available that are much cheaper. The Ring Video Doorbell Wired, for example, is $49.99. It's the smallest wired doorbell available, measuring just 3.98in x 1.8in x 0.88in, yet it still manages to pack in HD video and Two-Way Talk, advanced motion detection, and real-time alerts sent straight to your phone.

Battery-powered video doorbells are also another consideration. These are easier to install, and you can take them with you should you be moving house. The Ring Battery Doorbell Pro has the same specs as the Wired Doorbell Pro and the same list price of $229.99, but it doesn't require professional installation.

Another option is, of course, to consider another brand. Blink, another Amazon-owned name offers battery- or wired video doorbells. The battery-powered doorbells, like this Blink Video Doorbell, use AA lithium batteries instead of something bulkier, and the subscription plan for viewing and sharing videos is just $3 per month.

How I tested the Ring Wired Video Doorbell Pro

Our dedicated team conducts thorough research and extensive testing at Top Ten Reviews to provide accurate and trustworthy product reviews. Our experienced reviewers evaluate products based on various criteria, including price, design, and performance. We follow comprehensive testing protocols, using in-depth methods to ensure our reviews reflect real-life usage.

Our testing covers unboxing, assembly, sound tests, performance analysis, and maintenance assessments. We use a new ten-star scoring system to rate products and provide an overall star rating. Our meticulous approach aims to help readers make informed purchasing decisions.

To assess the Ring Wired Video Doorbell Pro, I tested it for six months to ensure a comprehensive and reliable review of the set-up process, usability, and longevity.

See more about how we test.

Shark is one of the most recognizable brands in the home and beauty space. They design, make, and sell everything from vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, and air purifiers to hair dryers and hair stylers. It's also worth remembering that the brand is part of the SharkNinja "umbrella," which extends its product category portfolio into air fryers, coffee makers, cookware, and outdoor equipment.

While I don't have pets, I have long hair and a messy kid, so there's always plenty of debris to vacuum. From the set-up to vacuuming dust, crumbs, and dried bits of food (etc.!) through to general maintenance, I tested this Shark vacuum in my home for a few months. Our house has stairs with a split-level landing and various floor surfaces, including carpet, hardwood, and tiles. I used it just as you would, so I hope this review will help you decide if it is the best vacuum cleaner for you. Read on to find out.

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: Key specs

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: Price & availability

The Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum has a list price of $449 and can be bought directly from Shark or resellers such as Amazon and Walmart. At the time of writing, it was discounted by $100, and it's regularly on sale during the holidays, so I'd advise bookmarking our Shark Vacuum deals page to keep up-to-date with all the sales activity.

When it is on sale, it becomes a very attractive option. It's half the price of some of Dyson's higher-end vacuum cleaners, such as the Dyson Gen5detect Absolute, and I wouldn't say that you're going without any specs by going with this Shark Stratos. It's also the same price as the Shark Stratos cordless, so if you want to ditch the cord but retain the specifications, then it's another option to weigh up.

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: Setup

The Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum arrived in one upright box that fit the branded box inside like a glove. Both containers and all the packaging were recycled.

In the box, you'll receive a crevice tool, upholstery tool, HairPro self-cleaning pet power brush, and odor neutralizer technology cartridge alongside all the main parts of the vacuum cleaner.

The set-up process was then really straightforward. It was just a matter of slotting the pod onto the wand, attaching the floorhead to the pod, and joining the hose to the pod. While removing the odor-neutralizer capsule from a little tin and securing it into the floorhead was a bit of detail, the overall set-up time took less than one minute.

With no battery to charge, the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum was good to set out on its maiden voyage once all parts were assembled. So, first impressions? Very good.

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: Design

The overall design of the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum is impressive. It comes with several features I now love about Shark vacuum cleaners, along with a couple of new features unique to the Stratos range.

For starters, it features Shark's signature DuoClean floorhead, which consists of two motorized brush rolls. The unit glides well across carpet and hard floors, often picking up dirt and debris in one pass. Both brush rolls are also self-cleaning, meaning they'll pick up pet hair without wrapping it around the bristles.

While we're talking about the floorhead, I'd like to point out that it features powerful LED lights on the front. These reveal hidden debris and pet hair around the home and light up the pathway under furniture so you can see what you're vacuuming (try to avoid any small kids' toys).

One of the new features found in the floorhead is the anti-odor technology. Since reviewing the Shark Stratos Cordless, this has become a feature that I love LOVE. An anti-odor dial can be inserted into the floorhead of this cleaner, with the dial rotated to select an odor intensity. The purpose of this is to stop any dust cup odors from filling the air, rather than spreading an aroma around the home; although I definitely detected the latter, which, I must say, was refreshing.

There don't appear to be any alternative odors besides the sea-breeze type cartridge provided. Shark advises that these be replaced every six months. Replacement Odor Neutralizer Technology Cartridges (pack of two) can be bought for $26.99 directly from Shark.

When vacuuming around the home, you can use the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum as an upright or make it more portable with a powered lift-away. This means you can lift away the pod for motorized cleaning under furniture or up the stairs or detach the nozzle and clean above the floor. While I found this useful, the 30ft power cable meant that I couldn't stray too far away from an electrical outlet which, at times, was limiting.

The power cable can be wrapped around the side of the vacuum on two hooks; one is next to the handle, while the other sits next to the base of the dust cup. The removable dust cup offers a decent 1.48 qt capacity and can be quickly ejected without releasing any mess.

In upright or portable mode, the suction control slider on the handle allows you to choose between three-floor settings: hard floors, low-pile carpets, and thick-pile carpets or area rugs. The power button is also on the handle.

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: Performance

The Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum performs very well. It can be used on hard floors, low-pile carpets, and thick carpets/area rugs to remove all dry debris from the surface.

I used it several times per week as my primary vacuum cleaner. Most of the time I was vacuuming crumbs and dust from hard floors while we waited for carpet to be laid. For this, I had the suction control slider set on "hard floors." As far as I could tell, all debris was removed.

We also have a deep-pile area rug by our front door. I was dubious at first about the performance of the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum on this because it doesn't look that heavy, nor do I feel it. Yet the suction was just right to lift and remove any trapped debris between the piles; just try to avoid rug edges since these become wrapped around the brushbar and stop any rotation. With this success, I did not even attempt to try vacuuming a rag rug because if experience has taught me anything, these can not be cleaned (it's best to shake them off and put them in the washing machine).

Thanks to powered lift-away technology, this vacuum cleaner can also transform into a more portable vacuum. I found this especially helpful when vacuuming the stairs. I just needed to make sure that I was using the closest electrical socket so that I had plenty of cord length to get from the bottom to the top of the stairs in one vacuuming job.

I also carried out a more specific test that would be unlikely (not impossible) to get a good visual of the suction performance; a generous amount of caster sugar was scattered across our parquet flooring. I chose this because it shows up well on the floor, and the granules are similar in size to the typical debris you will have on your floors. In one sweep through the sugar, the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum picked up all sugar granules. The 10.63in cleaning width of the floorhead consumed the majority of the sugar scatter, and then I went over any granules either side of the clearing created.

Regardless of what I was vacuuming and the floor type, I measured a noise level between 70dB and 73dB, depending on whether the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum was used as a portable or upright vacuum. This noise is equivalent to that of a dishwasher or washing machine.

With all this vacuuming, the 1.48-qt dust cup soon filled up. It can be emptied by releasing it from the pod and then pressing on the trigger found at the back of the dust cup. If any debris is trapped at the top of the dust cup, then the top can be removed, but you will need to be prepared to get your hand in there to free up any compacted fluff.

I didn't see any hair wrapped around the brushbars after a few months of use, which helps with maintenance. Alongside emptying the dust cup, you must replace the odor-neutralizer capsules every six months. Replacement Odor Neutralizer Technology Cartridges (pack of two) can be bought for $26.99 directly from Shark.

Shark AZ3002 Stratos: user reviews

Customers have awarded the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum 4.4-out-of-5 stars on the Shark website. There's a mixed bag of reviews, but it looks as though those who scored this vacuum cleaner lower have been isolated issues. A lot of them concur with what I have found throughout the process of my review. For example, one reviewer says: " ... the new Stratos is a bit heavier, but generally operates the same as my earlier version [a previous Shark lift-away]. The suction is fantastic, and the hair does not clog up the roller. " Another adds: " Good suction, picked up all small details. But heavy to push while running and noisy."

Turning our attention to the user reviews on Amazon's reseller site, users have also awarded this upright vacuum cleaner 4.4 out of five stars. It doesn't look like they are the same reviews as those on the Shark website, so it's just a coincidence. Overall, customers say that they like the vacuum cleaner's suction power, cleaning power, and ease of use. They mention it's fantastic, works well on hard floors, and picks up pet hair. However, some have reported that it's weighty.

Would I buy the Shark AZ3002 Stratos?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How does the Shark AZ3002 Stratos compare?

One of the first comparisons I should make is with the Shark Stratos Cordless. It has the same technology and price: odor neutralizer and DuoClean PowerFins HairPro brush roll system, yet it's cordless. The floorhead will also detect dirt and automatically adjust the suction power. I've also reviewed it and can recommend it based on its impressive performance and versatility.

If you really want an upright vacuum cleaner, the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Complete often gets voted as the "best upright for suction." While I have not tested this one, there are claims that it can untangle the hair, deep-clean the home, and have powerful suction. Then, if you need a shop vacuum (often a canister vacuum) for tougher cleaning jobs inside or outside the home, a shop vacuum (often a canister vacuum) would be worth considering.

How I tested the Shark AZ3002 Stratos

I tested the Shark Stratos DuoClean PowerFins HairPro Upright Vacuum around my home for a few months. We have various floor types, including wooden floors, carpets, and tiles, plus a staircase with a split-level landing. I used the vacuum cleaner to pick up daily debris such as dried foods, dust, and fluff, as well as more specific tests on things that you would find in the store cupboard. The noise level was also recorded.

Learn more about how we test.

If your budget is closer to this washer’s $529 asking price, you’ll find the Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top Load Washer to do a very good job washing. You'll appreciate the removable agitator and its ability to fit in large loads and big items like comforters without trouble.

As a more mid-range / affordable pick, it misses the kind of displays that tell you how long a cycle is and is a bit loud. But I don’t need many extra features that more expensive models come with, like app support. Plus, I appreciate its form factor. As discussed in our article on top load vs front load washers, there are arguments for both form factors. However, after using a front loader that developed a persistent mold issue after a while, I appreciate this top loader and the fact that it requires less maintenance, though it offers a self-cleaning cycle.

The Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top Load Washer won’t necessarily wow, but it’s a competent and reasonably priced washing machine with a useful trick with its removable agitator.

Whirlpool WTW4957PW: Key specs

Whirlpool WTW4957PW: Price & availability

The Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top Load Washer with Removable Agitator reviewed here, which also goes by the model number WTW4957PW, is available directly through Whirlpool for $529.00. It’s available through Best Buy, Lowe’s, and The Home Depot, though the latter list it with an MSRP of $749.00. Of course, both outlets have it discounted to the same price as its direct price.

Make sure to factor in any extra charges, as hauling away the previous washing machine usually costs extra – for example, Best Buy and Lowe’s both charge $50 – and installation can come at an extra price. Best Buy charges around $90, while Lowe’s offers free installation if you pay for a $36.98 installation kit.

While its price tag is certainly attractive, its availability is pretty limited. Whirlpool doesn’t offer any top-loading washing machines in the UK and doesn’t offer this model in Australia. This is a US-only model, for better or worse.

• Score: 7 out of 10

Whirlpool WTW4957PW: Setup

Like most large appliances, the Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top Load Washer is too big for most people to transport personally, so it will most likely get delivered. So, as long as you clean your space and make sure the water hookups aren’t leaking, the setup will consist of the couriers unloading the truck, removing the old washing machine (if applicable), bringing the new one to the laundry room, and connecting it, which consists of connecting the inlet and drainage hoses.

This is a pretty simple process, but it requires a wrench if you plan on doing it yourself. The couriers also removed any outer packaging, so using a delivery to set up the washing machine also saves dealing with the box. However, some packaging needs to be removed before use.

If the washer is delivered, it will be installed for you and probably take half an hour or so. If you do it yourself, the hardest part is moving it (unless you’re unfamiliar with using a wrench), which is 119 pounds.

You might have to use a wrench on the adjustable leveling feet to ensure the washer is securely on the floor and doesn't shake about during use. The couriers who delivered the Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top Load Washer didn’t seem to check that, and it still needed a bit of adjusting.

• Score: 8 out of 10

Whirlpool WTW4957PW: Design

The Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top Load Washer is, on the face of it, fairly standard. It’s white, 27 x 28 x 44 inches, and straightforward. There aren’t a ton of tricks up its sleeve – there’s no slow close lid, viewing window, or app support, and it isn’t Energy Star Qualified (if you care about energy usage). The most significant omission is the fact that there’s no display.

There is only a line of indicators above the lid and under the controls that tell you what part of the cycle the load is on and whether it’s paused or done. But nothing indicates how much time is left on a cycle—a feature I miss from the washer it replaced.

At least the controls are pretty robust. On the left side of the top panel, you have dials to choose soil level with four options from extra light to heavy and wash temperature that let you choose cold or tap cold to hot. In the middle, you have the dial to select the type of load. There are all the usual options, including for whites and colors as well as bulky, but you also get a quick wash, which can do a load in just over 30 minutes, and a clean washer with Affresh.

That last one is useful insofar as many people don’t tend to put a lot of effort into maintaining their washers (I experienced this firsthand with the previous front-loading washing machine and its persistent mold problem). While I’m sure you can use something besides Affresh, being able to run a self-cleaning cycle is a useful and necessary feature.

To round out the controls, there are two more dials to the right. The first is for choosing rinse options, and there is an auto-sense choice. The second is for the water level, also with an auto-sense option.

There’s also a start button that needs to be pressed twice to run a load. It also acts as a pause button.

Last but not least, let’s take a look inside the drum. The washer drum is made of stainless steel, which looks durable. The removable agitator, which has a lever to remove, also seems durable but is made of plastic. Removing and replacing it is straightforward—just hold the lever and twist it.

The ability to remove the agitator opens up the amount of fabric the Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top-load washer can hold, perfect for bulky items like a comforter. In this case, the washing machine does what front-loaders do: It uses the rotation of the washer drum to make the fabric of whatever you’re washing rub against itself to clean.

I also want to mention that when opening the lid, there is a little holder for bleach, but not for anything else. You’ll have to throw any detergent and fabric softener directly into the drum, so you must keep an eye on your load if you want to introduce fabric softener halfway through.

• Score: 6 out of 10

Whirlpool WTW4957PW: Performance

When it comes to performance, the Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top Load Washer is competent. It’s not amazing, but it will get the job done. Having used it for a month with all sorts of clothes and fabric, I found it to leave clothes smelling fresh. However, pieces of clothing that were heavily soiled sometimes required a second washing.

To put a finer point on it, I tested this washer by taking a white shirt and staining it with a bunch of different substances, specifically wine, coffee, oil, cherry juice, pasta sauce, and mud. I ran the shirt by itself on the ‘whites’ setting with settings for heavy soil and warm water. Everything came out except a little bit of the wine and more pasta sauce. I reran the shirt with some bleach, changed the temperature to ‘cold,’ and removed the rest of the stains.

I also removed the agitator to wash bed sheets, queen-size comforters, and even larger loads with fine results. For instance, I put in a full load weighing almost 11 pounds without any issues. I was also able to put in six full-size towels and only fill up a third of the drum.

While there’s no agitator, the drum moves the fabric enough for it to gently rub against other fabric, still ensuring enough agitation for clean results. This is also a great option for more delicate clothes.

Also worth noting is that it does a pretty good job of spinning out most of the water in its spin cycle before finishing up, which lessens the amount of work a dryer needs to do. Plus, there is a rinse and spin cycle if you need to wash something off quickly.

The one thing to note, though, is that since this is more of a mid-range washer, not only are you missing out on some features, but it also runs a bit louder. I measured it, getting up to 60 dB. That’s not bad if you can close a door, but it’s not the quietest operating machine. I’ve regularly seen models advertised as being able to run as quietly as 53 dB. They’re also a bit pricier.

Adjusting the controls and removing and reinstalling the agitator are easy enough. Controlling the machine is fairly easy as long as you realize that the first press on the power button just turns it on, and it requires a second press to start.

• Score: 7 out of 10

Whirlpool WTW4957PW: User reviews

It looks like the user reviews somewhat align with my rating here, as users have left a 4.1 rating on Whirlpool. While the removable agitator is universally loved, users find this washing machine a bit loud and are a bit annoyed at how the power button works (pressing once does not start a load).

Plenty is also annoyed that there’s no specific compartment to put fabric softener in or that because the indicators light up, you have to watch out for or guess when to stop a cycle by adding fabric softener.

However, most people have been very happy with the Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top Load Washer's cleaning prowess.

Would I buy the Whirlpool WTW4957PW?

In terms of installation, rinsing efficiency, and spin cycle performance, the Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top Load Washer is a great mid-range option. It's a bit louder than some models and lacks advanced features, but it still does a great job. There's also a removable agitator and robust controls, so it's a good choice for many households.

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

How does the Whirlpool WTW4957PW compare?

If you were to quickly scroll through the top-loader washers on Best Buy or Lowe’s (or any other retailer, for that matter), you would see that the cheapest options are not much less than the Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top-Load Washer. For instance, the cheapest one on Best Buy is this model from Insignia, which goes for $449.99 (about £350), and that’s about as stripped down as it gets.

A lot of the best washers are quite a bit more. Take the Maytag MVW7230HC 5.2 cu. ft. Smart Top Load Washer, for instance. It has a larger capacity and a wide range of customizable settings, not to mention it can be used with an app or voice assistants. Yet, you’re paying much more for it – its retail price is $1,125. And you can tackle some pretty big loads with the Whirlpool reviewed here, thanks to that removable agitator, a feature you won’t find with the Maytag.

How I tested the Whirlpool WTW4957PW

To test the Whirlpool 3.8-3.9 Cu. Ft. Top Load Washer, I used it for over a month washing all different sizes of loads, as well as at different temperatures. I ran with and without the agitator. Clothes stained in all sorts of manner went into the wash to see how this washing machine performs.

Read more about how we test.

Gozney is a UK brand. Born out of knowledge and experience, Gozney manufactures and supplies commercial pizza ovens as well as those suitable for at-home use. In their portfolio, you'll find the Roccbox, the world's first and original stone-floored portable live-fire oven, alongside the versatile Dome and compact Arc.

I tried the Gozney Roccbox out for a few weeks over the summer months. It was gas-powered and required very little assembly. I used shop-bought dough (something I'm not ashamed of) and several different toppings, including cheese, ham, and pineapple. I even tried cooking pineapple rings in a glass Pyrex dish to see if I'd get that delicious, sweet, slightly charred edge. Read on to find out how I got on.

Gozney Roccbox: Key specs

Gozney Roccbox: Price & availability

The Gozney Roccbox is priced slightly higher than its portable competitors. For example, both the Ooni Fyra and Solo Stove have a list price of $350. The Roccbox? $499.

For the money, you'll receive the stone-floored pizza oven, detachable propane gas burner, pizza peel (worth $85), and a manual. You'll essentially get everything that you need to start cooking pizza outside, but you can also add accessories such as the pizza server (from $49.99), dough cutter ($29.99), and/or pizza scraper ($14.99) to your kit.

You can also find the Gozney Roccbox listed on Amazon for $499, where you'll receive the same as you would if you were to buy direct. This means that you'll have the choice of where to buy your (potentially) new pizza oven. Whilst it doesn't appear to be listed with any other reseller, I feel that there is enough availability between Amazon and Gozney to fulfill your craving for pizza oven ownership; the price is just a bit of a flinching moment.

Gozney Roccbox: Setup

My first impression/s of the Gozney Roccbox was that it was heavy. It also came with many separate boxes with the accessories, so "heavy" and "lots of things to figure out how to use" were amongst my first thoughts on this pizza oven.

The size of the box was well utilized. Upon opening it, I noticed a layer of styrofoam that housed a pizza paddle and booklet. Remove this layer, and you'll see the Roccbox, covered in thin protective plastic with the gas canister holder poking up beside it. Sadly, the only packaging that had any element of being recyclable was the cardboard box; all other packaging used was to be thrown into landfills.

Once I had all the boxes unpacked and the packaging in the trash, I began the set-up process. It took less than one minute to position the Roccobox on a suitable base (I made a DIY table off the ground), erect the three legs, and install the gas connecting elements. What threw me a little was connecting the gas, which freaks me out about gas. We have a large gas canister that we use to power our gas BBQ, so I roped in my husband to do the honors of moving the canister across to the Roccobox and fiddling with the connections.

It transpires that the Roccbox has a "clip-on style regulator" that is suited for smaller camping-style canisters. Other larger cylinders, like the one I had, may require a screw-in regulator, which you would need to buy separately. Swapping these over is very straightforward; it just depends on which works best for you and/or what you already have.

Gozney Roccbox: Design

The Gozney Roccbox's design resembles a spaceship; it's on three legs, with a high-top cooking space and jet-type refuelling station. It's certainly not like any other pizza oven I've seen.

Its three legs can be folded underneath the cooking space should you wish to store or move it, and the propane gas burner is detachable to aid portability. There is no handle, so don't be tempted to move it unless you have the cover securely wrapped around it. It weighs 20kg and measures 16.3 x 20.9 x 18.6 inches, so while it may not look like a tank, it's certainly not one to rush to and grab.

The detachable propane gas burner also means the Gozney Roccbox can be used as a wood-burning pizza oven. You will need to buy the Roccbox Wood Burner 2.0 ($99) to swap in with the gas burner, but if you want to master the art of cooking with wood (and/or prefer wood to gas), then it could be a good option for you.

To the right side of the Gozney Roccbox is an underfloor thermometer that fetches a dizzying temperature of 1000F/500C, and to the left side is an embossed "Roccbox" with a logo. The outer shell is available in gray, green, and black (I tested it in gray).

A 14-inch pizza will comfortably fit inside the cooking cavity on the surface of a thick stone floor in front of a gas-powered or wood-fuelled flame.

Gozney Roccbox: Performance

With everything now set up on the Gozney Roccbox, I couldn't wait to get testing. I'd read that this pizza oven can cook a pizza in 90 seconds, so I was curious to see if it did, indeed, cook me a pizza in 90 seconds.

The thing that surprised me the most when preparing for the first cook was the heat-up time. It took 40 minutes (give or take) to reach the recommended temperature of 480C/896℉. It then took a further minute or so to cook the pizza, leaving aside the time it would take to make the pizza dough for the pizza base in the first place.

While I bought pizza dough each time I made and cooked a pizza in the Roccbox, I did find that the overall time it took before it was platted up was a little excessive. It's worth noting, too, that for the first cook, you'll need to let the flame roar away for 30 minutes to "cure" the pizza stone and allow any odors to burn away.

But I guess the thing that you really want to know about the Roccbox's performance is how well it cooks a pizza. If you have a well-floured pizza dough base, then this will help you slide the pizza onto the cooking stone with the pizza peel. Without this accessory, I fear you'll really struggle to get the pizza into the Roccbox since the opening doesn't allow for much spare room.

This only happened to me once, which was once too many, but there was a time that the dough became stuck onto the stone base of the Roccbox, and all the pizza topping ended up shoved into the gas flame as I tried to maneuver the pizza. So, a floured base and pizza peel are recommended based on experience.

I tried making several pizzas with various toppings: margarita, Hawaiian, ham, and mushroom. Each time, the cook was even across the base, but the sides and toppings had varying levels of edibleness.

On the first attempt at cooking a pizza, I burnt a side of the ham and mushroom pizza. I put this down to not rotating the pizza enough in the Roccbox with the pizza peel. Once I'd learned this and to time how long the pizza had already been cooking, the other pizzas cooked a lot more successfully - and within one minute (I don't like them too crispy).

I also thought I'd try cooking something a bit different other than pizza in the Roccbox. I love grilled pineapple, so I thought it would be apt to see how well it cooked in this pizza oven. It ended up ruining a Pyrex glass dish, and the pineapple took a long, long time to get any color to it. It was still tasty, but honestly, I'd stick to grilling it in the oven.

If you're feeling adventurous with what you can cook in the Gozney Roccbox, you could also try cooking some meat or veggie dishes. There are loads of recipes on the Gozney website to follow; you may just get varying degrees of success if you have a gas-powered or wood-burning Roccbox.

Then, to clean up the Roccbox, all I simply had to / wanted to do was wipe down the front of the opening - it became sooty- and make sure the pizza stone was clear from the crispy dough and toppings. Make sure that the Roccbox has completely cooled down before any cleaning commences. This can take several hours. I then put on the water-repellent cover to protect it from the elements until I was ready to use it again. I ensured the Roccbox's top was cool-to-touch before securing the cover since it can get super hot.

Gozney Roccbox: user reviews

There's a lot of love out there for the Gozney Roccbox. On Gozney, it has scored 4.8 out of 5 stars, with many reviewers echoing my experience: "Great oven. High quality. Pizzas come out super delicious. "... I have to say it's an incredible pizza oven. Top-class pizza ready in 60 seconds is hard to believe until you actually experience it. Highly recommended!"

I also concur with this comment: "... A Little extra cooking area will also be a nice thing. Lower flame control will be helpful. But I do love this pizza oven." There were no negatives to report.

On Amazon, it has received 4.7-out-of-5 stars from customer reviews. Users, again, have had similar experiences to me; "... our second attempt at cooking pizza was far more successful than our first. This oven is compact but very well-made and easy to use. It is also easy to clean." And this is good to know; "One of the standout features of the ROCCBOX is its incredible versatility. It excels at baking perfect, authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas with a crispy crust and bubbling toppings and can also handle various other dishes. "

Would I buy the Gozney Roccbox?

The Gozney Roccbox Pizza Oven scores well in temperature accuracy and heat distribution, which is essential for delivering high-quality pizza results. Despite the oven's initial setup and usability, it's a good tool for pizza lovers. The oven's high operating temperatures require careful handling, but safety features are adequate.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How does the Gozney Roccbox compare?

The Ooni Fyra is similar to the Roccbox (in terms of portability). It measures 29.1 x 15.4 x 28.5 inches, weighs 22 lbs, has neat, foldable legs, and has a removable chimney and hopper. While it doesn't have the flexibility of being fuelled by gas or wood, the Ooni Fyra is $150 less than the Roccbox. This price point makes it a much more affordable option for beginners and for those who simply can not afford $450 for a pizza oven.

The Solo Stove Pi is the same price as the Ooni Fyra ($350), yet it is gas-powered like the Roccbox. It weighs just over 30 lbs, too, so it could make for a good option for taking to a friend or neighbor's house.

If you have the budget and more mouths to feed quickly, let us give the Gozney Arc some attention. It can be bought with a stand ($249), making it a much more permanent feature in the yard. The gas-powered Arc will set you back $599, though, but our reviewer, Jason Cockerham, felt that it'll make you feel like a "professional pizza chef".

How I tested the Gozney Roccbox

I used this pizza oven in my backyard for about four weeks. I set it up and cooked a variety of pizzas and pineapple to assess its cooking performance.

In addition to the included pizza peel and manual, Gozney also sent me their pizza cutter, turning peel, cover, and 14" pizza server. I used all of these accessories while testing the Gozney Roccbox.

Learn more about how we test.

But the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier Series Espresso Machine, Drip, and Cold Brew Coffee Maker are now my new favorite Ninja - and the best model in the series. It costs twice – and even three times - as much as the other models. However, I do think it’s priced competitively with other machines I’ve tested that have built-in grinders and can make drip coffee, cold brew, and espresso, like the De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro, KitchenAid Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine, and many of Breville’s espresso machines.

I wanted to see how it compared to the best espresso machines in design and performance.

Ninja Luxe Café: Key Specs

Ninja Luxe Café: Price & Availability

The Ninja Luxe Cafe is available on Amazon for $499 at publication. The price is also $499 on the Ninja website and $449 at BestBuy. While it’s certainly not a budget option, the Ninja Luxe Cafe is competitively priced and a good value for the money. A built-in grinder, automatic frother, and the ability to make drip coffee, espresso drinks, and cold brew beverages make this a worthwhile investment.

Ninja Luxe Café: Setup

The Ninja Luxe Cafe arrived inside a branded Ninja Luxe Café box in a brown cardboard box. The box was securely packaged to keep the contents secure during shipping. Molded Styrofoam surrounded the machine inside the box, and there were also compartments for the various accessories and parts. In addition, the machine was wrapped in plastic to protect it from scratches.

The accessories box includes the double basket, luxe basket, portafilter, funnel, assisted tamper, and milk jug. Note that no single basket is included. Initially, I thought it was mistakenly left out. However, the manual states, “Single Basket not available on all machines.” This wasn’t necessarily a problem for me since I tend to drink double shots and drip coffee. However, it should be pointed out if you want to use single baskets. Also, since the baskets have a unique design, you can’t just swap out a single basket from another espresso machine.

The cleaning accessories, including the cleaning disc, brush, cleaning tablets, descaling powder, and water hardness test strip, are in a separate box. Ninja also includes safety instructions, a quick start guide, and a recipe booklet.

After removing the parts and accessories, I hand-washed them and used the test strip to measure the water hardness. I then filled the water reservoir and performed a water flush to prepare the machine for brewing and flush out any debris.

Ninja Luxe Café: Design

The Ninja Luxe Café is incredibly well-designed. Some espresso machines can be big and bulky, but this one, which has a stainless-steel finish with black accents and trim, is stream-lined and quite functional. For example, on the left side of the espresso maker is a built-in compartment for the tamper and another for the funnel. On the machine’s right side is a compartment labeled Accessory Storage, and this hidden space holds the double basket, luxe basket, cleaning brush, and cleaning disk. These small details make it easy to track items and keep them out of the way when not in use, resulting in a cleaner appearance.

The generous water reservoir is removable, which is always a favorite feature because it makes filling, removing, and cleaning much easier. The reservoir also has convenient and easy-to-read water level indicators (minimum, 18 oz, descale, and max).

The bean hopper is also removable and has a handle, making it easy to clean. The integrated, conical burr grinder has 25 settings, and there’s also a built-in scale. Based on my beverage selection, the Barista Assist Technology recommends the appropriate grind size, provides weight-based dosing, and automatically adjusts the temperature and pressure.

The Ninja Luxe Café is also incredibly intuitive. The control panel is loaded with selections to choose from. The control panel is divided into three sections. The left section is the grind control area, including the current, recommended grind, and brew temperature control. The middle section consists of espresso options on the left (espresso, quad, cold-pressed) and coffee settings on the right (classic, rich, over ice, cold brew). This section also has volume selections: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 ounces. On the right side are the froth options. This is where I would select steamed milk, thin frost, thick froth, and cold foam.

Ninja Luxe Café: Performance

I can choose from three brewing temperatures: low, medium, and high. The temperature is usually low or medium for dark roasts and medium or high for light roasts. This month, I’ve been using Partners Ghost Town Decaf Whole Beans, Café Grumpy Decaf Peru Whole Beans, Free Rein American Dirt Ground Coffee, Proper Hazelnut Syrup, and Nestle Coffee-Mate Creamer as I’m testing.

In the photo above, you can see that the grind setting is currently at 11, but based on my drink selection, it’s recommended that it be set to 25. There’s a dial on the left side to adjust the grind size. I can also adjust the brew temperature, choose a mug size for my classic coffee, and choose my froth level.

The bean hopper has a handle. It can be removed by rotating the handle counterclockwise and locked into place by turning the handle clockwise.

The funnel sits atop the portafilter and makes it easier to grind coffee without making a mess.

My first test was to make a double espresso. (Don’t forget it doesn’t come with a single basket). After pouring coffee beans into the hopper, I inserted the portafilter with the double espresso basket (and securely inserted the funnel on top). I selected my desired drink and followed the onscreen directions to adjust it to the current grind size. For example, the recommended grind size for a double espresso is 3; for quad, it’s 18; and for classic coffee, it’s 25. Then I pressed the start grind button.

A few seconds later, I removed the assisted tamper from the side of the machine and began tamping (with the funnel in place to keep my countertop neat and clean).

The next step was to remove the funnel and place the portafilter in the group head. Then, I placed a cup under the group head and pressed the brew start button.

Sometimes, I forget to use the adjustable cup tray to lift the smaller cups, so you may see some coffee splattering.

I was impressed with the crema layer on the top and took a sip to see if it tasted as good as it looked. It was full-bodied, with no bitterness. This would be a good place to note that while I liked the Ninja Espresso & Coffee Barista System, I was never really impressed with the quality of the espresso drinks. However, it was never a big deal since I used that machine primarily for coffee.

However, the Ninja Luxe's espresso is significantly better, and with this model, the company has perfected the coffee maker/espresso combo.

For my next test, I made drip coffee. It’s the same process, except I’m selecting from the coffee side of the middle panel. Since I’m a drip coffee lover (and an espresso liker) and have always been impressed with Ninja’s coffee, I crossed my fingers that the company hadn’t sacrificed great coffee in pursuit of great espresso.

I was not disappointed. The coffee was rich and strong, and I could taste the smoothness and earthy notes.

I also made cold drinks but didn’t drink them because my taste buds are not agreeable to such things. However, I chose the ice and cold brew options just to test the performance. Based on appearance, they seemed to come out quite well.

Testing the frother was sheer joy. There’s an integrated steam wand, and the stainless steel milk jug has an integrated whisk. I made steamed milk for coffee, thin foam for lattes, thick froth for cappuccinos, and cold froth for espresso drinks. I only drink dairy milk, but plant-based milk can also be used. All these selections are on the control panel and easy to select. The best part was that the milk froths automatically, so I never had to stand there and hold anything (although there is an option for manual frothing). The steamed or frothed milk was delicious on each set – especially on the thick froth option.

I love the intelligent notifications on the control panel. For example, once, I forgot to install the funnel on the portafilter, and the onboard alert flashed “Install Funnel” in red to remind me. Other alerts include adding beans, adding water, installing the portafilter, installing the hopper, installing the jug, purging, cleaning, and descaling.

There’s also a progress bar on the control panel to let me know how much time remains. I’d prefer an actual timer, but the five bars are sufficient to let me know which phase the machine is in. Soundproof experts say the noise level is around 64.1dB when grinding (comparable to a refrigerator) and 54.7dB when brewing coffee, which is a little louder than moderate rainfall.

Cleaning is what you’d expect with an espresso machine. After each use, the portafilter is removed, and the grounds are disposed of. Then, the portafilter and basket are hand-washed. When the steam wand is in the down position, it automatically purges any milk out. On a routine basis, the drip tray is emptied and cleaned. The descaler alert comes on when running a descale cycle is time. When running a clean cycle to flush out residual oils and coffee grounds is time, the clean cycle alert comes on.

Ninja Luxe Café: User reviews

On the Ninja website, the Ninja Luxe Café has 183 reviews with a 4.6 rating. Many reviewers said they enjoyed grinding and making coffee and espresso at home. Others were impressed at all of the functions available at that price point. One reviewer thought the appliance felt cheap. On Amazon, there are 12 ratings with a 4.2 score. Again, some buyers were excited that they could purchase such a functional appliance to use at home. Others liked that there was no learning curve. One person said the grinder jammed, and another lamented that there was a steam/froth option but not a hot water option.

Would I buy the Ninja Luxe Café?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

How does the Ninja Luxe Café compare?

I was highly impressed with the Ninja Luxe Café due to its beautiful and functional design and its many conveniences. However, my favorite remains the De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro, which has a built-in grinder and adjustable dosing ranges. It also has a pressure gauge. The machine makes coffee, Americano, espresso, latte, latte macchiato, cappuccino, and hot water for tea or hot chocolate. Plus, the dual milk system lets me use the automatic LatteCrema system or manually use the latte art option (although I never do). At almost $1,000 (almost $1,200 at some retailers), it’s a high-end machine at a high price but looks like something you’d see at your local coffee house.

The KitchenAid Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine is closer in price and build to the Ninja Luxe Café, though it is slightly more expensive. However, it also has four filter baskets, and a pressure gauge, along with adjustable temperatures, a burr grinder, a steam wand, and a pitcher. The KitchenAid is also available in various colors, including Candy Apple Red, Juniper, Porcelain White, Cast Iron Black, and Brushed Stainless Steel.

How I tested the Ninja Luxe Café

I tested the Ninja Luxe Café in my home for six weeks. Typically, I made at least one beverage a day—sometimes coffee and sometimes espresso drinks. I also used various froth varieties. Aside from testing for design and product durability, I also measured performance and noise levels and noted the cleaning process.

I’m usually called upon to test mid-and high-end vacuum cleaners. However, I’ve learned that budget-priced options can also provide decent performance and offer many desirable features. These are my thoughts on the Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum. Keep reading to see how it compares to the best vacuum cleaners, and how it stacks up against other vacuums under $200. 

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum review: price & availability

The list price of the Ultenic U16 Flex is $159 which is available to buy direct from the Ultenic website. It can also be bought from resellers such as Amazon for the same price of $159. 

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum review: first impressions

The Ultenic U16 Flex arrived in a Ultenic-branded cardboard box. The contents were neatly and securely packaged with Styrofoam, with a layer of Styrofoam on top as well. Each part was individually-wrapped in plastic as well. I appreciate the attention to detail to ensure that nothing was exposed and subject to scratches during the shipping process.

The contents included the main body, battery pack, telescopic wand, long crevice tool, floor brush, power adapter, storage rack and screws for mounting on the wall, extra filter, cleaning brush, warranty card, and instruction manual.

It was easy to assemble the Ultenic U16 Flex – the battery, telescopic tube, and floor brush snap into place. I charged the battery for four hours. One feature that I like about the vacuum cleaner is the there are two charging options. I chose to put the battery in the main unit and then put the charging adapter plug in the wall outlet (to keep everything together). However, there’s an option to remove the battery pack from the main unit and then charge the battery separately. This is a convenient option if you decide to buy an extra battery, as you can swap them out and let one battery charge while you’re using the other one in the vacuum.

Score: 8.5/10

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum review: design

The bold color scheme immediately reminded me of the Dyson Outsize, as both have a red telescopic wand and the top of the main body is red on both. In fact, the shape of the Ultenic U16’s main body, and the positioning of the battery is also similar – although this is not the only cordless stick vacuum to place their battery in this position. And, since red is my favorite color, I’m certainly not complaining that the company chose this color for the U16.

It's a lightweight, attractive cordless stick vacuum that’s easy to maneuver. My favorite feature is the green LED on the front of the brushroll. This makes it easy to discover dust and other debris that may not be visible to the naked eye. My second favorite feature is the flexible telescopic wand, which bends, making it easy to vacuum under furniture.

Also, sometimes, my finger tends to get tired when I have to hold the trigger button for a vacuum cleaner to stay on. However, once I press the trigger on the Ultenic U16, the vacuum stays on until I depress the trigger to turn it off.

There are three mode settings: Eco, Normal, and Turbo. The battery life is 60 minutes on Eco mode, but keep in mind that using the Normal or Turbo modes will decrease battery life. Since my floors aren’t usually that dirty, when working quickly, I can always vacuum all of the rooms – and the stairs – on Normal before the battery runs out. The only reason it takes almost 40 minutes is that sometimes I’m a lazy vacuum-er and I’m making real-time decisions like should I move those barstools or just vacuum around them. Same for air purifiers and other items in the way. If I decide to move them, I just lie the vacuum cleaner on the floor – but it’s still running (remember the trigger stays on, and I never think I’m wasting enough time to affect the battery life, so I don’t even try to turn it off).

Score: 8.5/10

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum review: key specifications

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum review: performance

The Ultenic U16 Flex performs quite well for a cordless stick vacuum under $200. I tested it on hard floors, carpet, and even area rugs. In the past, I’ve had problems when testing an economical vacuum on the shag area rugs, and if felt like they were pulling strands out of the rug, so I would bypass this test. However, the Ultenic U16 Flex was able to smoothly vacuum them without pulling strands.

In another test, I poured ground coffee, seasoning, and coffee beans on the kitchen floor, and the vacuum made light work of removing all three.

In a separate test, I crunched some Pringles Potato Crisps on the floor to see how well the Ultenic U16 Flex would pick them up. Again, it easily removed the chips from the floor.

Since it’s a lightweight vacuum, I also tested the vacuum on my carpeted stairs, and it easily and thoroughly removed debris, and I didn’t have any problems getting into corners.

The flexible telescopic wand (which works by bending the wand 180 degrees to create an L-shape) made it easy to vacuum underneath all of my furniture. However, for some reason, there’s not the same level of control when the wand is in flex mode. It’s almost like the vacuum cleaner has a mind of its own, and it takes a little effort to control the vacuum’s direction.

This was not a particular problem for me because aside from testing, I kept the telescopic pole in its original position, since this allows it to reach further underneath. I don’t have a problem bending over, but if you’re considering the Ultenic U16 specifically for the flex feature, keep in mind that it requires a little effort to keep it moving in the right direction.

I never cease to be amazed when testing a vacuum cleaner with an LED on the front of the brushroll, and the Ultenic U16 was no exception. It picks up dust on hard floors that I can’t normally see – and serves as a gentle reminder why I always wear house shoes instead of walking around in my bare feet.

The vacuum cleaner also has an anti-tangle brush roll that resists hair, so I never had to spend any time trying to pull strands out of the brush roll.

The onboard display was easy to read and understand. It shows which mode is selected (Eco, Normal, Turbo), as well as the remaining battery life. And in case I was not paying attention, when the battery got below 20%, the charging indicator light would flash green. Also, although I never experienced this, if the floor brush gets blocked or the duct gets clogged, these icons will flash red.

When attaching the crevice tool to the telescopic wand, I was able to clean up high (for example, ceiling corners), and I could also take the telescopic wand off and use the crevice tool and brush to clean other items like my air purifier filters and HVAC vents. This level of variety adds to the functionality of the Ultenic U16 Flex.

The noise level is around 87.6, which could be as loud as the sound of a lawn mower, according to Soundproof Expert.

Score: 8.5/10

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum review: maintenance

Maintenance is a breeze. For starters, the Ultenic U16 has a 6-layer filtration system that is designed to capture 99.9% of dust, which keeps both the air and the vacuum much cleaner. I emptied the dustbin after each use, and occasionally removed the HEPA filter and lightly tapped it to remove dust. Ultenic recommends washing the filter with clean water when necessary. The roller brush can also be washed with water.

Score: 9/10

Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum review: user reviews

On Amazon, the Ultenic U16 Flex has 156 ratings and an average score of 4.6. Buyers like the suction power, ease of use, and battery life. They also like the light on the front, and how easy it is to clean the vacuum. Negative comments included the diminished battery life when in Turbo mode. One person found the vacuum difficult to use.

The Ultenic website has 25 reviews – and 24 of them are 5 stars, while 1 is 4 stars. Buyers appreciated that the vacuum was lightweight, powerful, and the battery lasted for a long time. Someone said the suction did not rival Dyson (which is what they were replacing), but found it sufficient. 

Should you buy the Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How does the Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum compare?

If you have pets, the Bissell Icon Pet Turbo is $396, but it has a sturdier build, along with a more impressive tangle-free brush roll. The LED headlight and smartseal allergen system are comparable. The Bissell Icon Pet Turbo performs better on hard floors than carpet, but it’s performance on carpet is about the same as the Ultenic U16 Flex. Run time is 50 minutes on low, and the parking brake means you don’t have to prop it up against furniture or lay it on the floor.

And if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly choice, the Kenmore CVS Go ($129) also has a bendable telescopic wand – and it’s easier to maneuver when in this mode. It’s less expensive, but only has 2 speed settings, and the run time is only 40 minutes. Performance is similar to the Ultenic U16 Flex. 

How I tested the Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum

I tested the Ultenic U16 in my home for over a month, using it on hard floors, carpet, and area rugs. I used it in Eco mode, Normal, and Turbo modes and also used it as a handheld model. Using it on a regular basis gave me the opportunity to assess quality of build, ease of use, consistency, performance, and ease of cleaning. 

Read more about how we test.

This large Samsung microwave has a whopping maximum power level of 1650 watts and can be used as a microwave, convection oven, grill, air fryer, or a combination of those functions. While the instruction manual is frustratingly limited, at least the microwave’s app connectivity is easy to use and sends notifications to your phone when your food is ready.

Over two weeks, I tested the various functions of this Samsung microwave so I could provide an in-depth review of how it works and who will benefit from it the most. Keep reading for more information.

Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA: Key specs

Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA: Price & availability

This Samsung microwave is sold for $599 at full price through the Samsung website and Amazon. However, some stores, like M&M Appliance and Orville’s Home Appliances, sell it at a discounted price of about $540. It’s currently not available through Best Buy or Home Depot.

The high price tag is probably due to the fact that the microwave has some smart capabilities and can also be used as a convection oven, grill, and air fryer. It should be noted that you could find a microwave with similar capabilities for about $250. Remember, this is a Samsung product, so it doesn’t surprise me that it costs a little more due partly to the quality, construction, and brand name.

Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA: Setup

The Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection is pretty heavy, so be careful when carrying it from your doorstep to your kitchen. After removing it from the packaging, I added the turntable and the glass plate. (The microwave itself is essentially put together.)

Although the buttons, dial, and screen are different than what I’m used to when it comes to microwaves, I was surprised by how easy it was to figure out. The dial allows you to scroll through the on-screen options and choose a setting (by pressing the dial). If I need to go to a previous screen, I just hit the return button, which looks like an arrow. I quickly set the time without issues, turned off the child lock, and downloaded the SmartThings app.

Connecting the microwave to my Wi-Fi and the SmartThings app was no hassle. The SmartThings app aids users in a few different ways. For one, I can set a cook function and time in the app and send it to the microwave (rather than use the dial to set the cook function). Whether I set the cook function through the app or on the product itself, the app notifies me throughout the cooking process of different things, such as if I need to turn the meat over or when the cooking process is complete.

What I found odd is that the Samsung instruction manual says that the microwave has Voice Control capability through Bixby, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant. Unfortunately, the instruction manual severely lacks instructions (which is ironic) on how to set up voice control. I tried to set it up through Google Assistant and the Amazon Alexa apps. The microwave did not appear when I searched for it in the apps. I even went on the Samsung website for instructions and found no information. This is a big drawback, in my opinion.

I should also add that the instruction manual doesn’t provide much information on the different cook functions. It doesn’t explain the difference between power convection and convection or what precisely the grill coil is compared to the convection coil. There is also no insight into how to best utilize the additional accessories for specific types of foods and cooking functions.

Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA: Design

I had just tested a 1.1 cu. ft. microwave, so I assumed that the Samsung wouldn’t be much larger, being that it’s 1.2 cu. ft., but I was wrong. When I pulled it out of the box, I immediately realized it would not fit on my microwave stand. I had to place it on my breakfast table for testing. While the inside of the microwave might be 1.2 cu. ft., the exterior dimensions are pretty large. Even though this is a countertop microwave, it looks like something should be mounted on the wall. Make sure to measure your space before you buy.

This sleek black microwave has a 39-inch power cord and looks more like an oven than a microwave in that the door pulls down like an oven. The front screen is a lot easier to see through than other microwaves I’ve tested, which is nice when you’re cooking.

There is a small digital screen at the top of the unit, and eight glass touch controls next to it. These glass touch controls feature four preset buttons -- Power Convection, Auto Cook, Microwave, and Air Fry -- and four other buttons -- a pause/start button, a child lock button, a return button, and a timer button. A dial allows you to move through the on-screen options and select your choice.

The interior is made of ceramic enamel and features a light and a removable 15-inch glass turntable. Samsung also provides a circular metal platter for convection cooking and two round grilling racks.

The Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection is designed to work with the SmartThings app. In terms of design, the app isn’t overwhelming but relatively easy to use. It allows you to choose a cooking mode, the power level, and cooking time and then sends that information to the microwave.

Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA: Performance

This Samsung microwave has many modes: power convection, convection, air fry, grill, microwave, grill combi, convection combi, keep warm, and defrost. I tested out each and every function by warming cups of water, defrosting meat, grilling chicken legs and fish, air frying meats and vegetables, and more.

Testing the Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection was a great experience, and there were a lot of things about it that I loved. In terms of wattage, it’s different from other microwaves. For instance, the max wattage for the microwave function is 900W, but it’s 1600W for grilling and 1650W for convection. Of course, with the microwave function, you can adjust the power level. No matter the function I used, this microwave had a dB rating of 65.

Let’s start with the most straightforward functions. Keep Warm is as it sounds: it keeps the food warm before serving it. When I pressed this function, I could choose how long I wanted the food to be kept warm at 150 degrees. The Defrost button offers preset defrost options for Meat, Poultry, Fish, or Breads/Cakes. It only gives you a weight defrost option (no time defrost option), so you’ll need to know how much something weighs to set the correct defrost time properly.

When you press the Microwave button, the Samsung product allows you to set the time by minutes and seconds with the dial. Again, this is a relatively easy function to use, and I thought it did a great job at heating various foods and mugs of water in the microwave setting.

This Samsung microwave does a great job with air frying. The food was as crispy as I'd hoped, especially when I placed the food on the grilling racks. When I pressed the Air Fry button, I could choose the temperature of the air fryer and the cooking time.

The Grill feature differs because you can only choose the cooking time, not the temperature. I loved how the Grill function made the skin of chicken legs crispy while retaining the moistness of the meat. The asparagus I cooked on the Grill feature was similarly tasty.

Does the grill function on this microwave produce the same effect as an actual grill? Of course not. In my opinion, a grill provides more caramelization, charred flavors, and grill lines. The Grill feature on this Samsung microwave produces similar results as the Air Fry function, and I know this because I cooked the same meal – chicken legs and asparagus – on the Air Fry function, too. I didn’t notice any difference in taste, dryness versus juiciness, or cook time between the Grill and Air Fry functions.

That said, I felt it took much longer to air fry and grill food with this microwave than when I used my own air fryer or grill. For instance, it took 30 minutes to air fry or grill the chicken legs to eat safely. I can cook chicken legs in my regular air fryer in about 20-22 minutes (depending on their size). Most grills I've tested cook chicken legs and vegetables between 15-20 minutes. If you can’t have a grill, this Samsung microwave is a good alternative. However, I’ve tested some indoor grills that mimic outdoor grills much better than this product.

I should also mention that there is a Grill Combi function. It uses the Grill function and the Microwave function at the same time. Unfortunately, I don’t know precisely the benefit of this except to say that it’s better to use for something like sausage that isn’t take as long to cook as, say, chicken or steak would.

The Convection feature functions as your baking option because it evenly distributes heat. You’ll set the temperature like you would an oven. I used it to cook a can of biscuits, and it worked phenomenally. I think this is my favorite function of the microwave. It cooked the biscuits two minutes quicker than it would have taken if I'd used an oven.

Power Convection is the same feature but adds more speed to the bake time. Convection Combi bakes and roasts foods quickly by combining the microwave and the convection oven. It adjusts the power level to 70 percent and asks that you set the temperature and the cooking time.

I preferred to use the Convection feature over the Power Convection and Convection Combi only because I felt like it wasn’t that different from using my oven. For me, there was more guesswork in terms of time and temperature with Power Convection and Convection Combi, and I’m not well practiced in using either of these functions. It’ll likely take some experimentation to get used to the Power Convection and Convection Combi features.

This microwave also has a range of other functions. For instance, I could turn the dial to add or reduce the cooking time while the microwave was cooking. You can also save your favorite custom cook times and functions, especially those you know you’ll want to use in the future.

Regarding cleaning, I loved that this unit had a deodorizing function, which essentially removes the odors. This function actually works pretty well, though if you keep the microwave clean, you won’t have to use it often. While the glass plate and turntable are dishwasher safe, I often cleaned the inside of the microwave with a wet rag and light amounts of dish soap.

Would I buy the Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA?

Buy it if...

 Don’t buy it if…  

How does the Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA compare?

If you want a microwave with multiple cooking features, such as air frying, broiling, and baking, but don’t want something as large as this Samsung, consider the Toshiba ML2-TC10SAIT. It’s considerably more compact, and while it has a lower wattage, at least it comes with multiple accessories and is about half the price of the Samsung.

The Panasonic HomeChef is a similarly priced alternative that can microwave, air fry, broil, and convection cook. Unlike the Samsung, it can’t grill, but at least the buttons will feel a bit more familiar to folks, and it won’t take up as much counter space.

While the Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection is supposed to have Voice Control features, but I couldn’t figure it out. That said, I was able to set up and use the Alexa Voice Control features with the Sharp SMC1169KS 1.1 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave. While the Sharp can’t air fry or grill, it’s a solid microwave with all the smart features you could want and doesn’t take up too much counter space.

How I tested the Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection

I tested the Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection for two weeks. The testing involved cooking a variety of meals, from salmon to sausage, chicken, and biscuits, using the product's various functions—air frying, defrosting, grilling, convection, microwave, and more. I also explored the microwave's cleaning procedures and smart capabilities.

See more about how we test.

I’ve had front-load models for decades. Since 2016, I’ve purchased a white LG front washing machine at a scratch-and-dent sale (the dents were imperceptible from a distance, and the machines looked like a matching pair). However, since this appliance was eight years old, I jumped at the chance to test the newer LG WM4000HBA 4.5 Cu. Ft. Smart Front Load Washer.

I tested the washer for several months, trying the various features and cycles. So, how would it compare to the best front-load washers? Read on to find out.

LG WM4000HBA: Key Specs

LG WM4000HBA: Price & Availability

The LG WM4000HBA 4.5 Cu. Ft. Smart Front Load Washer is available to buy from LG for 1,249/Sale $849 – but out of stock, Walmart for $1,033, Amazon for $1,199/Sale $1,000, and on the AJ Madison website for $1,319, on sale for $845. You can also buy it as a set with the LG DLEX4000B 7.4 Cu. Ft. Smart Electric Dryer from AJ Madison for a list price of $2,638.

• Score: 6 out of 10

LG WM4000HBA: Setup

AJ Madison coordinated the delivery and installation of the washing machine to my home – and asked if I wanted my older washer/dryer set hauled away. (I declined that offer and had those appliances picked up by someone who needed another set.) The service by the AJ Madison team was exemplary.

Since the old washer and dryer had already been removed, it did not take them long to install the new appliance. Installation is an additional $85 for the washing machine and $110 for the dryer). Some people may feel comfortable installing the appliances themselves, but that’s not something I would do myself. The installation option is selected (or declined) at checkout, and this information is passed along to the delivery team and the delivery information.

I could not download the app because my laundry closet is in a Wi-Fi dead spot. However, it’s doubtful that I would have used these features anyway since it’s just as easy to use the touch controls. Also, my brother is a retired fire chief, and he’s drilled it into my thinking that I shouldn’t be that far away from appliances while they’re operating.

• Score: 8 out of 10

LG WM4000HBA: Design

Trust me, the photos don’t do justice to the LG WM4000HBA 4.5 Cu. Ft. Smart Front Load Washer. It’s a simply stunning appliance. All of my previous laundry appliances have been white, which is not a big deal since they’ve always been in a laundry room or closet, hidden from view.  

However, the beautiful Black Steel color looks so sleek and modern that I was in the habit of routinely opening the doors to show the set to everyone who came to my home the first month or so. The tempered glass door contributes to the stylish look, and the tempered glass isn’t just pretty; it also resists scratches and shock. And since I store two of my self-standing, stainless steel cordless stick vacuums in the laundry closet, everything also matches perfectly. However, you can also get the washing machine in white, if that’s your preference.

The design is also stackable. In addition, you can purchase pedestals to make them taller if bending over is problematic. I had a large laundry room in my previous home, so the laundry machines faced each other. However, I have a laundry closet in this home, so space is at a premium. Fortunately, the machines fit quite well in the side-by-side configuration (with just a little space to slide the vacuums between them).

You’ll notice that I have a drip pan under the washing machine. That’s because over a decade ago, when I moved, the mover did not tightly reattach the washer hoses, and they started leaking, damaging my floors. So now, every washing machine has a matching drip pan.

The washing machine has dials, buttons, and a digital display panel. It’s easy to view the controls and make selections. Since it’s a smart machine, downloading the LG ThinQ app allows you to start the appliances remotely, view power consumption, see how much time is left, be notified when a cycle is complete, and diagnose appliance issues.

The detergent tray is housed in a sturdy pull-out drawer.

• Score: 9 out of 10

LG WM4000HBA: Performance

I tested the washer for several months, using various cycles and settings. Within these cycles are options for steam, pre-wash, and delay wash, as well as the ability to adjust the temperature, spin speed, and soil level settings, select cold wash, and choose an extra rinse.

I tested almost all of the cycles, depending on what I was washing – and they all worked as expected. However, my favorite was the Speed Wash cycle, which only takes 15 minutes. Note that this cycle works best with a small amount of clothes.

The Downloaded option downloads a new specialized cycle (which LG may occasionally release).

A comforter or duvet is too large to put in the washing machine; it fits, but the fit is so tight that there wouldn’t be enough room for the detergent and water to move freely.

I tested a washing machine with grape jelly, Worcestershire sauce, grape drink, and coffee stains on an old washcloth. I tossed the cloth in the washing machine, with about a quarter-size amount of my regular Seventh Generation liquid laundry detergent and about a quarter cup of vinegar. After going through the washing machine and dryer, you can barely see the remnants of the coffee stain. However, the other stains were effectively removed.

The washing machine has a light, normal, and heavy soil level and five temperature settings, ranging from tap cold to extra hot. I selected the normal soil level and the warm temperature setting for the first test. When I repeated the test, I chose the heavy soil level and the hot temperature setting. The results were the same, and I was pleased that the washing machine could clean quite well even without using hot water (which I try to avoid when possible since it wastes energy).

The spin cycle also works quite well. A load of laundry weighed 6.3 pounds before I put it in the washing machine and 8.5 pounds when I took it out.

Drainage is excellent, and I’ve never had water left over in the drain after a cycle. The drain cycle is also quiet and doesn’t appear to take as long as the spin cycle (honestly, I don’t know since I can’t hear the draining process).

The washing machine's noise level is approximately 53.6 dB, which is about the sound of moderate rainfall. It’s around 63.2 dB on the spin cycle, comparable to a refrigerator.

The cycle time is around an hour when using most regular washing cycles (like normal and bedding). Remember that the time shown on the display panel is an estimate. Based on the size of the load and the water temperature, the time may change. That’s one reason I like to use the 15-minute Speed Wash cycle. Since this cycle is not designed for large loads (and I usually don’t wait until I have large loads), I can wash and dry laundry in under an hour. Loading and unloading the machine is quick and easy.

Regarding maintenance, after each laundry day, I wipe down the washing machine's glass door and rubber door seal and then leave the door open for several hours to ensure the drum interior has the opportunity to dry out. Once a month, I run the Tub Clean cycle to remove any residue and prevent odors from forming. I also clean the dispenser drawer once or twice a month.

• Score: 9 out of 10

Would I buy the LG WM4000HBA again?

 Buy it if . . . 

 Don’t buy it if . . . 

How does the LG WM4000HBA compare?

My former washing machine was an LG front-load washer. Since I purchased them eight years ago, I’m unsure if those models are still being sold. Neither had as many features as the LG WM4000HBA 4.5 Cu. Ft. Smart Front Load Washer.

These were features that I didn’t know I wanted or needed. The set that I had worked wonderfully to clean and dry clothes—and I think I paid $1000 for it at the time. However, I do like the variety offered by the new appliance.

Another option is the Samsung Front Load Washer and Dryer Set, which includes a 4.5 cu. ft. front-load washing machine with vibration reduction technology and self-cleaning features. It also includes a 7.5 cu. ft. electric dryer with sensor dry and ten preset drying cycles. The combination set retails for $1,798 but is on sale for $1,298. It’s available in white, and the generous interior will fit large, bulky items. 

If you prefer an all-in-one combo, the LG 5.0 cu. ft Mega Capacity Smart Smart Load All-in-One Ventless Washer/Dryer Combo gives you two appliances in one. It’s expensive at $2,999/on sale for $2,499, but an all-in-one appliance is invaluable if space is a premium. It also has specialized programs for dresses, jeans, swimwear, activewear, and more. 

The Maytag MVW230HC 5.2 cu. ft. Smart Top Load Washer has a larger drum than the LG, which may make it easier to wash comforters and other large items. It also does a good job of removing various types of stains, ranging from grass to mud to mustard. Like the LG, it’s a smart washer and can be monitored via the app on your smartphone. In addition, the Maytag, priced at $798, is also considerably cheaper than the LG. 

How I tested the LG WM4000HBA

I tested the LG WM4000HBA 4.5 Cu. For several months, Ft. Smart Front Load Washer tried the various settings and features. I washed clothes, towels, blankets, and throws. I gauged design, performance, user-friendliness, and maintenance. 

It's packed with features like FlowSense Duct Clogging and Clean Filter Indicators to help make laundry drying easier. The machine also has AI technology, which will select the optimal drying settings for you, and Wi-Fi connectivity that'll link up with the LG ThinQ app so that you can start the appliance remotely, view power consumption, see how much time is left in a cycle, and receive real-time alerts.

I tested the dryer for several months, trying the various features and cycles to see if there's anything it CAN'T do and if it could be the best dryer for you. Read on to find out. 

LG DLEX4000B 7.4 Cu. Ft. Smart Electric Dryer: Key Specs