Erin Bashford is a senior reviews writer at Tom’s Guide. She has a Master’s in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from the University of East Anglia and 7 years of experience reviewing music and events for various publications. She has edited publications such as Outline Magazine’s Guide to Norwich, and she has written for a number of music magazines and websites such as Clash Magazine, Outline Magazine and Dork Magazine. She has a strong interest in audio gear and the music world.
As an ex-barista, Erin is passionate about coffee tech. She also loves finding the best cooking hacks and kitchen appliances, including her beloved Instant Pot.
In her spare time, you can find her reading, practising yoga, hiking, writing fantasy novels, or stressing over NYT Games.
Latest articles by Erin Bashford

Maono Wave T5 review
By Erin Bashford published
The Maono Wave T5 is a lavalier mic for beginner content creators, but due to its mediocre sound and poor ambient noise minimization, it’s not for professionals.

Keen Jasper Zionic review: The perfect hiking-slash-urban hybrid shoe
By Erin Bashford published
Editor's ChoiceThe Keen Jasper Zionics are the perfect hybrid trail shoe. With grippy rubber soles and lightweight leather, they’re ideal for wilderness and city errands.

Live in a hard water area? Use this simple hack to know when to descale your coffee maker
By Erin Bashford published
I live in a hard water area, so I should descale my coffee machine often. I use my kettle to show me exactly when to descale.

Spotify now uses AI to recap your audiobooks for you — here's why that makes me mad
By Erin Bashford published
Spotify recently launched an AI-powered audiobook 'Recap' feature. Here's why I think this is a major step back.

I just ditched Spotify for Apple Music — these 3 unique features have me hooked
By Erin Bashford last updated
Apple Music has just as many features as Spotify. You simply need to know where to look. I'm hooked on the live radio, super-niche pre-made playlists, and more.

Maono DM40 Pro review
By Erin Bashford published
The Maono DM40 Pro review is a basic gaming microphone with fantastic ambient noise reduction and gorgeous RGB capsules, ideal for beginners, but not much else.

Inoviva Slushie Machine review
By Erin Bashford published
RecommendedThe Inoviva Slushie Machine is a fantastic Ninja Slushi dupe. It performs almost identically and is $190 cheaper than the big-name option.

Meze 99 Classics 2nd Gen review: Audiophile quality, reasonable price
By Erin Bashford published
Editor's ChoiceThe Meze 99 Classics 2nd Gen are a worthy upgrade from the original model, with audiophile-worthy sound quality and an attractive price point.

2025 has been my favorite year for budget earbuds so far — here's my 3 top picks
By Erin Bashford last updated
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
By Erin Bashford last updated
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
By Erin Bashford last updated
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.

JLab Go Party review: $34 of pure power
By Erin Bashford published
The JLab Go Party speaker is incomprehensibly cheap, at just $34. While it won’t impress audiophiles, it’s perfect for house parties.

CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2 review: Best-ever $70 earbuds
By Erin Bashford published
Editor's ChoiceThe 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
By Erin Bashford published
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
By Erin Bashford last updated
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
By Erin Bashford last updated
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
By Erin Bashford published
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
By Erin Bashford published
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.

Stanley Perfect Brew Pour Over review
By Erin Bashford published
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.

Casabrews Tornado review: An electric coffee grinder for under $150? I’m shocked too…
By Erin Bashford published
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.

MHW-3BOMBER Cube Coffee Scale 2.0 review: Pure functionality from this budget scale
By Erin Bashford published
RecommendedThe MHW-3BOMBER Cube Coffee Scale 2.0 is best used as a basic coffee scale, and is delightfully affordable.

The Bartesian Cocktail Machine review: Keurig pods but for parties
By Erin Bashford last updated
RecommendedThe Bartesian Cocktail Machine takes the crown for convenience. This machine makes delicious cocktails in seconds and takes the guesswork out of mixology.

EarFun Air Pro 4+ review: Serious AirPods Pro alternative for just $99
By Erin Bashford published
Editor's ChoiceThe 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?
By Erin Bashford published
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
By Erin Bashford published
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.
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