Latest articles by Erin Bashford
2025 has been my favorite year for budget earbuds so far — here's my 3 top picks
In 2025, I've tested 3 of my favorite budget earbuds. Brands like JLab, CMF by Nothing, and EarFun have blown the competition away for under $100.
Black Friday has come early — the CMF Buds Pro 2 are one of my top budget earbuds and they're £20 off right now
I tested the CMF Buds Pro 2 recently and immediately fell in love. Right now, they're down to just £40 in this early Black Friday deal.
Drip coffee is hard to get wrong, but this budget machine failed my taste tests
I tested the Gevi 10-Cup Drip Coffee Maker with Grinder, and it's safe to say I'll never use it again. Here's why it's a complete and utter misstep.
I tested this $34 Bluetooth speaker, and it’s one of the most affordable ways to rile your neighbors
The JLab Go Party speaker is incomprehensibly cheap, at just $34. While it won’t impress audiophiles, it’s perfect for house parties.
I thought budget earbuds couldn’t get any better, but these $69 hi-res buds just proved me wrong
The CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2 perform well above their pay grade. These excellent earbuds sound amazing, boast premium features, and have great ANC.
Gevi 10-Cup Drip Coffee Maker with Grinder review
Gevi 10-Cup Drip Coffee Maker with Grinder is disappointing. It makes bitter yet watery coffee thanks to the low-quality grinder. I can’t recommend it.
Spotify's recent missteps drove me to Apple Music — and I can't believe it took me so long
I swapped Spotify for Apple Music, and now I can't believe I didn't switch earlier. Apple Music has lossless, Replay, and great UI.
I wasn't expecting much from $99 earbuds, but these brand-new buds are honestly AirPods-level-good
I recently tested my most-anticipated earbud release of 2025, and it did not disappoint. The EarFun Air Pro 4+ are serious AirPods competition.
I just tried Stanley Cup's drip coffee maker — here's my verdict
I tested out Stanley's camping pour-over coffee maker (with a built-in filter!) and was weirdly impressed, but I can't quit my classic Hario V60.
The coffee world would have you believe you need loads of expensive coffee accessories, but I'm an ex-barista, and I disagree. You just need these 2 things
The coffee world believes you need $1k worth of coffee accessories to make real espresso, but they're all wrong. You only need two things for 10/10 coffee.
You might know Stanley from its iconic water bottle, but I just tried its pour-over coffee maker — I'm weirdly impressed
Stanley Perfect Brew Pour Over isn’t as perfect as its name might suggest, but it’s great for campers and outdoor enthusiasts who need coffee on the trail.
I finally found an electric coffee grinder under $150 — but I can only recommend it for one type of home barista
The Casabrews Tornado is a very unique coffee grinder. It’s just $139, which is majorly cheap for a burr grinder, but you get what you pay for.
I added this super-affordable coffee scale to my home brewing setup, and it’s ideal for beginner baristas
The MHW-3BOMBER Cube Coffee Scale 2.0 is best used as a basic coffee scale, and is delightfully affordable.
Yes, robot mixologists exist now: This Bartesian machine is like a Keurig but for cocktails
The Bartesian Cocktail Machine takes the crown for convenience. This machine makes delicious cocktails in seconds and takes the guesswork out of mixology.
I tested these $99 earbuds — and I’m being so serious when I say they’re genuine AirPods Pro competitors
The EarFun Air Pro 4+ are the best budget earbuds I’ve ever tested. With delicate, balanced treble and a rich midrange and bass, these are the buds to beat.
This $170 super-budget soundbar + subwoofer has me torn: Is it excellent value or a waste of money?
This week, I tested the Creative Stage Pro, which is a $169 soundbar + subwoofer combo with a budget price and a dream. Is it worth it? I'm so torn.
I tested this 'Keurig for cocktails' that will get your holiday guests talking — there's just one thing holding it back
I recently tested the Bartesian Premium Cocktail Machine, which is like a Keurig but for booze. I made loads of cocktails, but it's got one major flaw.
A soundbar and subwoofer for $170? I couldn’t quite believe it either, but the Creative Stage Pro is surprisingly impressive
Creative Stage Pro goes where very few soundbars go: a soundbar-and-subwoofer for $170. It’s surprisingly impressive, but can’t contend with premium options.
Spotify? I don't know her — here's why I'm switching to this audiophile-approved streaming service
I want to quit Spotify, so I'm on a mission to find the next best music streaming service. In this episode, I'm trying out Apple Music.
This Ninja Crispi dupe was so close to being life-changing — but it has one fatal flaw
I tested the Kismile Roasti, a glass air fryer vying for Ninja's crown. Although I wanted to love it, one major flaw was holding it back.
I ditched Spotify for this niche audiophile streaming service for a month — and I might be ready to go back
I stopped using Spotify last month and have stuck to Qobuz for over four weeks now, and I still don't know which music streaming service I want to go with.
I thought screen-free wearables were a gimmick — but this budget fitness tracker has converted me
I tested the Amazfit Helio Strap for 3 weeks, and I never want to take it off. I'm obsessed with the screen-free subscription-free fitness tracker.
I tried a subscription-free Whoop alternative — and it ticks all the right boxes
The Amazfit Helio Strap is a fantastic budget-friendly no-subscription Whoop alternative, bar a few activity-detection-related hiccups.
