If you’re in the market for a new desktop computer or even your first Mac, you can’t go wrong with the new iMac M6.

Even though it’s the first all-in-one I’ve tested, how easy it is to set up and use left a major impression on me the second I unboxed it and its matching peripherals. In fact, getting it up and running was so seamless that I almost prefer it over the new Mac mini M6 — and that’s coming from someone who loves building desk setups and tweaking things exactly to my liking.

From its gorgeous 4.5K display to the power of Apple’s M6 chip inside, plus its impressive six-speaker array and 12MP Center Stage camera, the iMac M6 is really all most people could ever need. Even after finishing my review, I’ve kept using Apple’s best all-in-one computer yet as my daily driver.

While the iMac M6 is almost perfect, working on it late at night made me realize one thing was missing: light. The display itself gets plenty bright, hitting a peak brightness of 473 nits in our lab tests, but the rest of my workspace around it stayed dark.

With other desk setups, I’d throw a monitor light bar on top of my display and call it a day. On an all-in-one like this, though, I didn’t want to clutter things up with extra cables or risk blocking its built-in webcam. Fortunately, BenQ’s latest monitor light bar was designed specifically for Apple’s iMac.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new BenQ iScreenBar and why it’s the first — and so far only — accessory I’ve added to my iMac M6.

Installs just like an Apple accessory

Unlike the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 I added to my desk setup last year, what I really like about the company’s new iScreenBar is that there aren’t any extra accessories like a puck controller or even a power adapter to worry about. Instead, everything you need to add this monitor light bar to your iMac is built right into the device itself.

The iScreenBar is made entirely from aluminum to match Apple’s iMac. Unlike other monitor light bars that rely on weighted clamps, it uses a magnetic mount and a braided USB-C power cable just like the iMac’s own power cord.

At 19.7 inches wide, the iScreenBar also lines up cleanly with the iMac M6’s 24-inch screen, leaving just under an inch of space on either side. BenQ was kind enough to send over the blue version to match my blue iMac M6, though both the blue and green variants won’t arrive until later in the year.

Right now, you can pick up the iScreenBar in silver, which — while not color-matched — will still look great on any recent iMac since the M1, M3, M4 and M6 all share a nearly identical design.

To get it set up, I just magnetically attached it to the back of my iMac and plugged its power cable into one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports below. To keep things neat and tidy — and to avoid covering up the Apple logo on the back of the computer — there’s a magnetic cable clip pre-installed on the cord, too.

Installing BenQ’s iScreenBar on top of my iMac M6 was about as plug-and-play as you can get, so much so that I wouldn’t blame you for thinking it’s a first-party Apple accessory.

To that point, BenQ really took the iMac’s entire design into account when building the iScreenBar. For instance, its magnetic mount is narrow enough that it doesn’t block the two microphone holes along the top edge of the iMac, while a pill-shaped cutout at the center leaves the third rear microphone completely uncovered.

With the iScreenBar securely mounted on top of my iMac, it was time to take it for a spin and see just how well it could illuminate my workspace.

Light your workspace, not your camera

Like BenQ’s other monitor light bars, the iScreenBar lights the area of your desk under your iMac without shining onto the display itself. That makes it easier on your eyes to work on your computer at night, as well as during the day.

On top of the device, there are touch-sensitive buttons you can use to turn the iScreenBar on and off, adjust its brightness and change its color temperature from 2700K to 6500K, with icons along the front edge showing what each one does.

One neat feature it carries over from the ScreenBar Halo 2 is its presence sensor — the instant I approach my iMac M6, the light bar springs to life automatically. There’s also an Auto setting that adjusts the light bar’s brightness and color temperature based on the room's ambient light.

Since the iScreenBar plugs directly into your iMac rather than a wall outlet, you can also control it right from macOS. After downloading the iScreenBar app, you can adjust everything straight from your Mac’s menu bar instead of reaching up to tap the controls. This is a first for one of BenQ’s monitor light bars, and I found the app genuinely handy whenever I wanted to tweak my lighting mid-task.

That isn’t the only new trick, either — BenQ has also added a dedicated video call mode. While you can toggle it on manually with a button press, having the iScreenBar app installed means it kicks on automatically the instant your iMac’s webcam activates.

So your iMac’s camera can deliver the cleanest possible picture, the LEDs right in the center switch off whenever video call mode is active. Not only is this really clever, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen it on a monitor light bar. With other light bars, you have to carefully perch one of the best webcams on top of the mount — and even then, results can be hit or miss. Trust me, I know from experience.

Overall, BenQ’s iScreenBar did an excellent job lighting my desk without casting any glare onto my iMac screen, and I don’t see myself taking it down anytime soon.

Now my iMac feels complete

At $189, BenQ’s iScreenBar is definitely a premium accessory. However, given that the iMac M6 now starts at $1,499, if you have the budget for Apple’s latest all-in-one, adding a purpose-built light bar like this isn’t much of a stretch.

Alternatively, BenQ’s ScreenBar Halo 2 should also work with your iMac without blocking its camera, since I used it the same way on the Apple Studio Display XDR. At $199, though, it’s even more expensive and wasn’t designed specifically to match your iMac. And while you could pick up a cheaper monitor light bar — like the Quntis RGB Pro+ — you’ll have to slide it off to the side whenever you want to use your iMac’s built-in webcam.

As for the iScreenBar itself, it’s an easy recommendation for any iMac owner. And for those of us running a Mac mini or one of the best mini PCs with a separate monitor, here’s hoping BenQ brings these new features to its inevitable ScreenBar Halo 3.

More from Tom's Guide

• I reviewed the new M6-powered Mac mini and iMac: Here’s how to pick the right Apple desktop for you
• I tested Apple’s new Mac mini with M6 — 5 reasons to buy and 2 reasons to skip
• I spent a week with dual Apple Studio Displays and realized I’ve been lying to myself about glossy screens for years

As a Reviews Writer here at Tom's Guide, I spend most of my time testing out the latest robot vacuums. Now, they say never to work with children or animals, but that's where the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete thrives — it makes sure all the mess they leave in their wake is taken care of.

Since recommending this robot vacuum to a friend with children and pets in her home, it's great to see a $200 price drop on the flagship robot vacuum in this early Black Friday deal. You can now purchase the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete for $1,099 on Amazon.

It's an impressive gadget that's pretty much self-sufficient and can even climb over small inclines with retractable legs. It excels on hard floors and can mop up any mess with its circular mop pads.

My favorite thing about this robot vacuum is the extended reach. Most standard vacuums try their best to get ot the edges of the room, but almost always miss the corners. The Dreame X50 Ultra Complete is a little different because its side-sweeping arms and mop pads can get into all the gaps the robot can't quite get to.

Speaking of getting into small spaces, the sensor on top of the vacuum is retractable. This means that it can easily get under low furniture up to 3.54 inches high. During testing, it easily made its way under my low-lying sofa, and the LED lighting came on to guide the way.

The retractable legs are the real star of the show here. They help the robot make its way over small ledges, high-pile carpets, and even obstacles like table legs. It's a very helpful assistant to have in the house and makes cleanup after a busy day much easier.

You can find out more about the robot vacuum by reading my full Dreame X50 Ultra Complete review.

Few home maintenance chores feel more daunting than clearing clogged gutters. Dragging an extension ladder across uneven flowerbeds, leaning precariously over shrubs, and scooping wet sludge by hand is both exhausting and genuinely dangerous.

Ignoring the buildup is not an option either, as overflowing gutters quickly send rainwater pouring down your siding and pooling against your foundation. The trick to clearing your roofline safely comes down to extending your reach from the ground, removing loose debris before you add water, and knowing when a clog is too stubborn for a pole attachment.

Why you shouldn't put off cleaning clogged gutters

As damp leaves and pine needles pack together, they form a heavy dam that blocks rainwater from reaching the downspouts. That trapped water spills over the lip of the trough, soaking fascia boards until the wood rots and saturating the soil around your foundation walls, where leaks and basement dampness soon follow.

In colder months, standing water inside a blocked gutter also freezes solid, adding enough weight to pull brackets loose from the roofline or form damaging ice dams under your shingles.

Here are three simple ways to clear your gutters cleanly while keeping both feet firmly on the ground.

The easy way to clear gutters from the ground

1. Pull dry debris out with a wet/dry vac gutter kit

Blasting leaves out with a leaf blower works over open grass, yet it creates a mess over decks, patio furniture, or flowerbeds. A gutter attachment kit for a standard wet/dry shop vac keeps that debris contained while letting you work safely from the lawn.

Brands like Craftsman sell these universal kits at hardware stores and Amazon. Each kit includes three or four rigid plastic extension wands that click together into a 10-to-14-foot pole, topped with a curved, U-shaped nozzle.

Hold the assembled pole like a pool skimmer, hook the curved nozzle over the gutter lip, and switch the vacuum on to pull dry leaves, twigs, and grit straight down into the canister beside you.

Work in short sections along the wall, lifting the hook over each gutter bracket as you walk, and wear eye protection and gloves in case stray debris drops from above.

2. Lift stubborn clumps with a telescopic gutter scoop

If your debris is too damp for a vacuum to lift, grabbing a hose right away will only turn the leaves into heavy, wet paste.

Instead, attach a curved gutter scoop or stiff brush to a telescopic extension pole suited to your roofline height. Work in short sections and focus on lifting material up and out of the channel rather than pushing it toward the downspout, which only packs debris tighter into the outlet.

If you cannot see over the lip of the trough, clipping a small pole-mounted inspection camera to the shaft lets you spot any leftover buildup without guessing.

3. Flush the channel gently with a curved hose wand

Once you have removed the bulk of the leaves, you still need to clear fine shingle grit and confirm that water can actually escape down the pipe.

Hook a curved garden-hose attachment over the gutter lip and run a gentle stream of water rather than a high-pressure blast, which can loosen gutter brackets or force water up under your shingles. Work toward the downspout to wash remaining dirt away.

If water starts backing up over the edge, turn the hose off immediately rather than adding more water, as a persistent blockage inside the downspout elbow usually needs to be cleared by hand.

When ground-level tools aren't enough

Extension poles and vacuum kits handle routine single-story maintenance easily, yet they have clear limits. If your roofline sits beyond a standard 24-foot reach, never stand on a chair or makeshift platform to bridge the gap.

Ground tools also struggle with years of packed mud, heavy branches, or thick mats of wet pine needles. Skip the DIY approach and call a professional if you face severe clogs, overhead power lines near the roof, interior water leaks, or gutters pulling loose from the fascia board.

More from Tom's Guide

• When to clean your gutters in fall (and why doing it too early backfires)
• How to clean pine needles out of gravel paths — without raking up rocks
• 3 ways to keep your neighbor's grass on their side of the fence

Aluminum foil is a kitchen staple, and I'm not sure what I'd do without it. Okay, that is a tad dramatic, but it does come in super handy when I'm wrapping up my leftovers or protecting my pans.

There are even 7 surprising uses for aluminum foil that you might have never heard of that I use from time to time.

Despite having it in my kitchen for years, I've never really questioned why one side is distinctly shiny, while the other is dull. In fact, I've always just assumed that shiny side always goes down – and I'm not even sure why. But that doesn't make me right... or does it?

Whether you're a shiny-side-up or shiny-side-down kind of person, I'm going to settle the debate of which is actually right once and for all.

Why aluminum foil has two sides

Before we get into resolving the debate though, I think it's important to explain exactly why aluminum has two different sides – and it's actually weirdly simple. To turn aluminum foil into the thin sheets we end up buying from the shops, large rollers pass two layers through at the same time to create that ultra-thin form.

This doubling effect means that the side that meets with the roller ends up with a shiny finish and the other side that presses against another layer ends up being dull. And that's it.

You want your aluminum foil to provide a barrier, help your food retain moisture when cooking, ensure the heat is distributed evenly by reflecting and conducting it and to just help with the overall clean-up when the food is ready to serve. But, does having a dull and shiny side actually make any difference when it's used in the kitchen?

Shiny side up or down?

Whether you're creating a tent for large roasting meats, a packet to trap moisture and flavors, covering pots and pans or simply wrapping up a sandwich, I'm here to tell you it actually makes no difference if you use the shiny side or the dull side. It's just cosmetic.

In fact, some brands even state on the packaging that the aluminum foil will perform exactly the same, no matter which way you use it. And while there's a debate about the shiny side being more capable of heat reflection, it's a difference so small that it's not worth talking about.

While I have this innate urge to keep the dull side hidden, it's purely an aesthetic choice – and that's where it pretty much ends. There is one exception to the rule though and that's if you've purchased an aluminum foil that specifically states that it's 'non-stick'.

For this, a coating is often applied to the dull side of the foil meaning you want to the treated side to be touching your food to reduce the chance of burning or tearing (check your specific product for details on which side that is though).

But ultimately, having both a shiny side and a dull side is merely a product of the manufacturing process. Whether you use one or the other is entirely up to you. But, if you want to keep debating it with friends and family, watch out that they haven't already read this.

More from Tom's Guide

• Why are people sticking aluminum foil on their walls in winter? I asked the experts
• 11 aluminum foil hacks to clean, cool, and keep pests out of your home and garden
• People are putting aluminum foil in their washing machines — I asked an appliance expert if it’s safe

Fall is in full swing, and if your yard looks anything like mine, you’re probably busy clearing scattered leaves while tending to a tired lawn.

What makes it look so worn down are probably the sparse, empty spots across the yard — which leaves me asking: is it too late to plant grass seed in November?

Luckily, I called on some lawn experts to shed some light on this and offer their advice on achieving a lush, resilient lawn even in this colder season.

So before you get ready to sow, here is what you need to consider before grabbing your seed packet and getting started.

Is it too late to plant grass seed in November?

While November is typically not the right month to sow grass seed, this can also depend on your regional climate, local soil temperatures, and grass seed type.

For instance, with cool-season grasses (such as Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue), you should only overseed once the temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

“It’s not necessarily too late — but it is more of a riskier time to do so,” advises Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress. “If you are planting grass seed this month, timing is everything, and it will depend on what the weather is like where you are.

“The soil temperature is the most important thing, as the seeds will need a mild environment to germinate, and you'll need the soil temperatures to be consistently around 46.4 °F to 50 °F or above for germination.”

On the other hand, warm-season varieties like Bermuda grass, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass, and Bahiagrass begin going dormant as the weather cools down. As a result, planting them during cold spells reduces their chances of growing. This is especially the case during colder snaps and the risk of frost.

"Seed should be planted at least 6 weeks before the area's first hard frost, so it has time to germinate and build some root growth before winter dormancy sets in," advises Matthew Koch, Ph.D., research and development at ScottsMiracle-Gro.

"Regions that experience a milder fall, also known as the Transition Zone (roughly Kansas through the Mid-Atlantic, including areas extending toward the Carolinas), might be able to have one final feeding before winter, but it is entirely dependent on the local climate, growing conditions, and grass type."

However, if the soil is too cold, experts suggest waiting until warmer weather begins during springtime. “I’d recommend waiting until the spring, adds Bonnett.

"There’s no benefit in rushing to sow grass seed if it’s not going to have the right conditions to germinate and establish well.”

Top tips on how to overseed in November

So if temperatures haven’t yet dropped, what is the best method for overseeding a lawn? To give your lawn an optimal head start in establishing healthy grass, experts suggest sowing a fast-germinating seed mix.

“If the conditions are mild enough, choose a fast-germinating grass seed mix such as one containing perennial ryegrass,” adds Bonnett. “This will help give your lawn the best chance of establishing.”

Of course, preparation is essential, so start by eliminating weeds, clearing leaves, and leveling the ground with a rake before you start seeding.

“Scatter the seed evenly and gently rake it into the top layer of the soil. Keep the area slightly moist but avoid overwatering, especially in November when rainfall is more frequent. If the ground is already wet or waterlogged, avoid planting.”

For more top tips, check out how to overseed your lawn in fall for the best results in spring.

More from Tom's Guide

• I used four different tools to get rid of leaves in my yard, and this is the one I recommend
• I tried the 'tarp burrito' method to clear leaves from my yard — and it's a game changer
• What to do if your neighbor's tree is dropping leaves in your yard — according to an expert

Few holiday disappointments sting quite like bringing home a vibrant Christmas cactus (or the spiky-leaved Thanksgiving cactus often sold alongside it in November), only to watch every unopened bud drop onto the table three days later.

While it is tempting to reach for the brightest, most open display at the garden center, plants pushed into early bloom in warm greenhouses rarely survive the shock of a typical living room without shedding their flowers.

A fast inspection right at the display bench is all it takes to separate a thriving winter showstopper from a stressed plant about to fail. Before heading to the register, run through these three simple checks.

How to pick a Christmas cactus that blooms all winter

1. Pass on the plants already in full bloom

While a pot bursting with open flowers looks like the obvious winner on the display stand, it rarely delivers the longest show at home. Specimens forced into early bloom under warm nursery lights tend to fade fast once moved into cooler, drier rooms.

Instead, look for a plant loaded with tight, swollen buds showing just a blush of petal color at the tips, ideally with only one or two open flowers to confirm the shade.

As Jocelyn Ho, plant expert at Palmstreet, explained to my colleague Camilla, “Tight, small buds mean more bloom time ahead. A few open flowers are fine, but not too many so the plant has time to grow and shine.”

Make sure the buds feel securely anchored to the stem tips. Loose buds that detach at the slightest brush, or a ring of fallen buds sitting on the potting mix, are a clear warning sign of draft exposure or erratic watering.

2. Skip anything with dull pads or soggy display trays

The flattened, leaf-like segments give you an immediate snapshot of how well the plant has been cared for. Healthy specimens feature deep green, glossy segments that feel firm and plump to the touch. Dull, reddish, or limp foliage points to prolonged underwatering or light stress.

While you're examining the pads, lift a few trailing branches to check the undersides and joints for cottony mealybugs or scale insects before they hitch a ride home.

Also check the potting mix by gently pressing your finger into the surface: it should feel lightly, consistently damp. Because holiday cacti are tree-dwelling rainforest plants rather than arid desert dwellers, bone-dry soil causes rapid stress, while soggy mix triggers root rot.

3. Give the base a gentle nudge to rule out hidden root rot

The main stems at the center of the pot reveal whether the root system beneath the surface is actually intact. Look down into the base of the plant to confirm the stems are plump, upright, and sturdy.

Wrinkled, soft, or shriveled tissue near the soil line usually means the plant spent weeks sitting in cold, waterlogged peat that has already compromised the roots.

Walk away from any pot showing brown calluses, translucent soft spots, or main stems that wobble loosely when gently nudged. For the fullest display, choose a compact, bushy plant with plenty of branching segments rather than a spindly, stretched specimen that has been starved of light at the back of the shelf.

More from Tom's Guide

• Everything your Christmas cactus needs in November for a gorgeous flush of December blooms
• How to keep your Christmas cactus producing gorgeous blooms every year
• 5 signs you've overwatered your Christmas cactus — and how to fix it

There's nothing more frustrating than a smart TV that takes forever to load an app, gets bogged down by menus or constantly recommends shows you have no interest in watching. And if your TV still has a perfectly good picture, replacing it just because the software feels outdated seems like a waste of money.

But what if you could give your existing TV a refresh without spending anything?

A free AI setup could help you clean up unnecessary apps, simplify your home screen and adjust settings that might be slowing things down. Better yet, it runs locally on your computer, so you don't need another subscription or a cloud-based AI assistant.

By using a local AI agent, you can manage a smart TV over your home network. It isn't quite as simple as installing an app, and the results will depend on your television. But if you're comfortable following a few technical steps, it could be an interesting way to get more life out of a TV you already own.

How AI can give your smart TV an upgrade

The setup uses three free tools: Ollama, Hermes Agent and an AI model from the Qwen3 family.

Ollama runs the AI model directly on your computer, while Hermes Agent acts as the assistant that carries out your instructions. Think of it this way, instead of asking a chatbot for advice and manually following its recommendations, you're asking an AI agent to inspect your TV and potentially make approved changes for you.

For example, you could ask it to identify apps you no longer use, turn off unnecessary animations that randomly come on, or help simplify your home screen. The goal is to reduce clutter and potentially improve responsiveness, although there's no guarantee that these changes will make every TV noticeably faster.

The biggest advantage is that the AI itself can operate without sending requests to a cloud service. Once the software and model have been downloaded, you can run the setup on your own hardware without paying per prompt.

What you'll need to get started

Before jumping in, you'll need a computer capable of running a local AI model and a compatible smart TV connected to the same home network.

Android TV and Google TV are the most straightforward candidates for the original workflow because they support Android Debug Bridge, or ADB, which lets a computer communicate with the television.

LG TVs running webOS also have developer tools, but they use a different connection process. Samsung's mainstream smart TVs generally run Tizen, so you shouldn't follow Android TV instructions on a Samsung set.

Here's the basic process for a compatible Android TV or Google TV.

1. Enable developer options on your TV

Open your TV's Settings menu and look for the device information section, usually under System or About.

Find the Android TV OS build number and select it repeatedly, typically seven times, until developer options become available.

Next, look for debugging settings. Depending on your TV's software version, you may be able to enable wireless debugging and pair your computer over Wi-Fi.

Some older televisions require a different ADB connection method, so check the instructions for your specific model before proceeding.

2. Find your TV's IP address

Open your television's network settings and locate its IP address. You'll need this so your computer knows which device to connect to.

Make sure your computer and TV are connected to the same trusted home network.

3. Install Ollama and download an AI model

Visit Ollama's website and install the version for your computer. The original tutorial uses a model from the Qwen3 family.

For example, you can download and run Qwen3 8B by entering the following command in your computer's terminal: ollama run qwen3:8b

Keep in mind that running AI locally requires processing power and memory. If you're using an older computer, a smaller compatible model may be more practical, although its ability to follow complex instructions could be limited.

4. Set up Hermes Agent

Next, install Hermes Agent and configure it to use your locally running model.

Hermes is the software that translates your requests into actions. The model decides what to do, while the agent uses the tools available on your computer to perform those tasks.

You'll also need to establish and authorize the connection between your computer and television. Simply entering the TV's IP address isn't enough on devices that require ADB pairing or other authentication.

5. Give the AI its instructions

This is where the fun begins. AI engineer and YouTube creator Fahd Mirza, who demonstrated how to use a free, locally running AI agent to manage an older smart TV, has shared a free prompt on GitHub designed to help the agent inspect and clean up an Android TV.

The prompt instructs the agent to check available memory, identify installed apps and separate them into categories based on whether they're needed.

It also asks the AI to get your permission before changing anything, disable apps rather than uninstall them and keep a record of changes so they can be reversed.

One of the more ambitious instructions asks the agent to build a simplified home screen without ads or unwanted recommendations. That's an interesting possibility, but it should be treated as an experimental request rather than a guaranteed feature. Full transparency, I wasn't able to pull that one off, but if you have tried and it worked for you, please let me know in the comments.

Just start with something simple and reversible, such as asking the agent to report available memory without making any changes.

Verdict: this is worth trying

The most appealing thing about this approach is that it gives you another option before replacing a television that's otherwise working fine. There's also a privacy benefit. Since the AI model runs locally, your prompts don't have to be processed by a cloud AI provider. That doesn't mean your smart TV stops collecting data through its own apps and services, however.

There are some important downsides. Developer settings can give software powerful access to your television, and an AI agent can make mistakes even when you've instructed it to ask permission first. Disabling the wrong system app could cause problems, while a factory reset may erase your settings and require you to sign in to your streaming services again. Not a big deal, but as someone who can never remember passwords, it's a frustration I felt was worth mentioning.

It's also worth remembering that removing apps or changing animations won't fix every performance problem. A TV with an aging processor or limited memory will still have those hardware limitations.

For most people, this isn't going to be easier than using the settings menu or connecting an inexpensive streaming stick. But if you enjoy experimenting with AI and want more control over a television you already own, it could help you get a little more mileage out of your current setup.

More from Tom's Guide

• Claude Code isn't just for coding — it can find what's slowing down your PC
• A lawsuit could force OpenAI, Anthropic and Google to stop building new AI models — here's what happens next
• Claude just got 3 powerful new tools — and they could replace some of your favorite apps

When it comes to cleaning tasks, I’ve always relied on my trusted white vinegar to come to the rescue. Be it cleaning surface stains or giving my windows a streak-free finish, there are so many uses for white vinegar around the home.

But why exactly are people spraying vinegar on their front doors this season? While your first thought might be to simply clean the surface thoroughly, you’ll be mistaken.

According to a University of Minnesota Extension study, diluted white vinegar can deter pests like ants and spiders from taking refuge in your home. So all of a sudden, layering it on your front door makes sense. Here’s why.

Why do pests hate white vinegar?

It seems like white vinegar can do so much more than cleaning and limescale removal; it also makes a great natural ant and pest repellent. Not only do ants have a highly sensitive sense of smell and can be overwhelmed by the strong vinegar odor, but it can also clean up ant pheromone paths — disrupting them from guiding others toward food and moisture sources.

Essentially, spraying white vinegar eliminates the chemical scent trails ants leave behind, helping to prevent an infestation in your home. Which is why it’s a good idea to target potential entryways such as around the front door frame, baseboards, and cracks.

Bear in mind that using vinegar is only a short-term fix rather than a long-term deterrent.

And this isn’t guaranteed to banish a persistent pest problem or a full infestation. In that case, it’s always best to call a professional local pest control service to handle it.

How to spray vinegar on your front door

Simply mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle to create a mild solution. Then, spray this mixture around your front door, making sure to target any small gaps or crevices where ants might enter. This process helps erase chemical trails left by ants and temporarily interrupts their activity. What’s more, it’s cheap, chemical-free, and only takes seconds to do.

Also, since white vinegar has a high acidity level, take care to protect nearby plants and sensitive surfaces from potential damage.

Alternatively, experts advise soaking cotton wool balls in peppermint essential oil before putting them around door frames. The strong fragrance will be too overpowering for such pests and will prevent them from entering.

For more pest tips, be sure to clear this one thing in their yard to prevent rats this fall.

NOTE: Do NOT use peppermint oil if you have pets as this is toxic when inhaled or ingested.

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 common places spiders love to hide in your home
• Pest experts warn you should never squash spiders in your home — here’s why
• 9 plants that repel spiders and keep them out of your home

There’s a reason why KitchenAid stand mixers are iconic. Utter the name around a group of bakers, and you’ll elicit a chorus of reverent gasps. Without a shadow of a doubt, the KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head stand mixer is the best stand mixer in the world.

But what about the new-for-2026 KitchenAid Artisan Plus Design Series Luminaire stand mixer? Sure it’ll win the award for longest, most superfluous-adjective-d name, but is it also worthy of the best stand mixer crown?

At $699/£899, the Luminaire is a pricey, “special edition” stand mixer. Every year, KitchenAid releases a design-forward version of its iconic Artisan Plus, and this year, that’s in the form of the crystalline-glass-bowl, breige (that’s blue, gray, beige) spackled Luminaire. Oh, and it’s got a little light so you can see what you’re mixing (see what you’re missing? No? Just me?). Could this new special edition KitchenAid be the perfect one for you? Find out in this KitchenAid Artisan Plus Design Series Luminaire Stand Mixer review.

KitchenAid Artisan Plus Design Series Luminaire Stand Mixer review: Specs

KitchenAid Artisan Plus Design Series Luminaire Stand Mixer review: Price & availability

The KitchenAid Artisan Plus Design Series Luminaire Stand Mixer is $699 from Williams Sonoma and £899 from John Lewis in the U.K..

To save my fingers, I will henceforth refer to this product as “KitchenAid Luminaire”. If you’re wondering why the name is so long, I’ll help break it down for you.

“Artisan Plus” is how KitchenAid refers to its “Artisan Plus” line of stand mixers — this includes the iconic KitchenAid Artisan Plus ($599). This is not the same as the “Artisan” line, which lacks precision speed control, ½ step speed, and an illuminated bowl. “Artisan” models are your standard tilt-head mixers, usually around $499.

“Design Series” is kind of like a special edition. Each year, KitchenAid christens a “Design Series” model — 2022 saw this gorgeous sage-and-copper mixer ($699); 2025 was the “outdoor” theme with a forest-green finish and wooden bowl ($699). 2026 is all about the blue peppercorn/velvet finish (KitchenAid’s words, not mine), and the illuminated bowl.

Other Artisan Plus models rock the same illuminated bowl, but just look at how gorgeous the light is, streaming through the textured glass. It’s almost ecclesiastical.

Naturally, the Design Series machines are pricier than the standard Artisan Plus models ($599). You’re paying extra for the design aspect. These are special editions, like buying a book with sprayed edges or gold foil, or a supercar in British Racing Green. I’m not going to tell you if the elevated design is worth your extra $100 — only you can decide that.

Even so, this doesn’t explain or excuse why the Luminaire is so outrageously priced in the U.K. £899 is $1,200. Why is the mixer double the price in the U.K.? It makes no sense. I’d be interested to hear KitchenAid’s explanation.

KitchenAid Artisan Plus Design Series Luminaire Stand Mixer review: Design

The clue’s in the name, but the KitchenAid Luminaire is a design marvel. It’s breathtakingly beautiful. The light refracting through the glass bowl and dappling my countertops is one of the most gorgeous sights I’ve ever seen in my kitchen (the winner being the homemade kimchi I labored over for hours and promptly devoured in ten days).

Available in peppercorn blue, the Luminaire isn’t glossy like other KitchenAid stand mixers. It’s got a spackled, textured finish. I thought it would be harder to clean, but I was wrong — more on that in the “Storage & maintenance” section below, though. While it’s a little frustrating you can’t get this specific model in another shade, this is par for the course for Design Series models. That’s the whole point of them. They come in one “Design”.

There are four attachments: the double-edge flex beater, normal beater, whisk, and dough hook. Each attachment does what it says on the tin — now I’ve used the silicone-lined flex beater, I don’t think I can go back to the standard. Not having to pause mixing to scrape down the sides is a game-changer.

Like other KitchenAid stand mixers, the attachments click in with a gentle twist and remove just as easily. I washed mine by hand.

Unlike other KitchenAid stand mixers, the Luminaire comes with a glass mixing bowl only. This is obviously to show off the gorgeous light refractions, and I’m not mad about it at all. Actually, I’m in awe of it. It’s beautiful.

I have nothing bad to say about the design quality here: it’s a “Design Series” model, and boy, it doesn’t let you forget that.

KitchenAid Artisan Plus Design Series Luminaire Stand Mixer review: Performance

I tested each attachment multiple times, so I’ll go through them one-by-one here. In short, the KitchenAid Luminaire is a premium stand mixer, and it sure as heck performs like one. The speeds range from 20 to 260 RPM, and unlike the standard “Artisan” line, it features stepless adjustment for seamless speed changes.

Double-edge flex beater

The double-edge flex beater is the best thing to happen to my home baking setup since the Sourhouse DoughBed. As the name — kind of — suggests, it’s a normal beater attachment with a silicone “flexible” edge. During mixing, these silicone edges scrape down the sides of the bowl without needing to stop and manually scrape.

Here’s a GIF of it in action.

As you can see, there’s an almost windscreen-wiper-like pattern on the bowl. This is where the beater has already scraped down cake batter. Obviously, as the beater moves, it scrapes the remaining batter, and so on and so forth.

Now that I've used this attachment, I’m not sure I can go back to the regular beater on my KitchenAid Artisan 5QT ($499). The double-edge flex beater is intended for sticky batters, like chocolate cake, banana bread, etcetera.

Beater

The beater is the standard rounded-triangle-shaped attachment without silicone edges. This can be used for cake batters, muffin mixtures, whipped dips, or even shredding meat. I made some whipped feta dip — using KitchenAid’s recipe — and shredded chicken.

I was a little frustrated when I had to stop mixing and scrape down the edges multiple times, but this is expected with the standard beater attachment. I like that this attachment can be a little gentler than the double-edge version, particularly helpful when I shredded a whole chicken. The resulting texture was a touch too mushy for my preferences, but it turned an entire chicken into small shreds in about thirty seconds.

Whisk

To test the whisk attachment, I made the classic meringue. Now, my meringues weren’t very good, but this was my fault, not the KitchenAid’s. I’m just not a delicate baker. I don’t have the finesse required for this. I can make bread, banana bread, and cookies, but I can’t make things that require actual skill like meringue or macaroons.

As you can see, the egg texture is even and glossy, with an airy, thick texture. I baked this mixture in my air fryer (as my oven is garbage), which I think was the problem — but, again, this is my fault, not the Luminaire’s.

The mixer can be adjusted from slow to 260RPM seamlessly, ideal for technical bakes like meringue, where you need to change the speed while adding sugar.

Dough hook

I made KitchenAid’s “Everyday bread” recipe to test the dough hook. You shouldn’t mix yeasted doughs faster than speed 2, as it can overwork the yeast and cause a flat loaf.

As you can see, the dough hook took everything I threw at it. It blended the dough perfectly and kneaded it gently, saving my forearms. I have no issues with this at all — the dough hook is the ideal baker's assistant.

KitchenAid Artisan Plus Design Series Luminaire Stand Mixer review: Storage & maintenance

In the U.K., the KitchenAid Luminaire boasts a 5-year warranty and 15-year repairability; in the U.S., this decreases to just one year. Yep, I’m grimacing, too. $699 for a one-year warranty is pretty bad. KitchenAid, what’s going on across the pond?

Disappointing warranty aside, the KitchenAid Luminaire is easy to clean and maintain. It’s just as big and heavy as other KitchenAid stand mixers, which means it’s made of real metals and holds a high-quality motor, but if you’re only as strong as a sick Victorian child (like me), you’ll need help getting it out and putting it away.

I found cleaning the glass mixing bowl just as easy as cleaning any other bowl — ditto with the mixing attachments. Top marks all around here (well, U.S. warranty aside… yeesh!) Maybe that U.K. warranty is what you’re paying for? (£899 is $1,200…)

KitchenAid Artisan Plus Design Series Luminaire Stand Mixer review: Verdict

Would I buy the KitchenAid Luminaire? No. I live in the U.K., where it’s an abhorrent £899. I’m sorry, but I can barely afford to heat my house. I’m not going to drop almost a grand on a stand mixer.

However, should you buy the KitchenAid Luminaire? If you’ve got enough money, yes. Without a doubt. It performs admirably at every task you throw at it, whether that’s shredding chicken or making ten-tiered cakes. And that light? Monumentally helpful. Oh, and don’t get me started on the mesmerizing lace-like patterns stretching across my kitchen countertops… we’d be here all day.

For baking enthusiasts, this is a no-brainer. The KitchenAid Luminaire will not let you down. I’ll be watching from afar with my face pushed up against the glass, a wistful tear trickling down my cheek.

When I saw the price of the Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder, my eyes bulged out of my head like a cartoon rabbit being chased by a mountain lion. $229? For an espresso machine… and a grinder? What year is this, 2001?

It’s hard to explain just how cheap $229 is, but I’ll do my best. The entry-level Casabrews Tornado grinder is $139 — and that’s seriously budget. The De’Longhi Stilosa espresso machine is $149 — and, again, that’s seriously budget. So $229 for a grinder and an espresso machine is literally unheard of.

So, how does the Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder hold up? Well, it’s $229. That’s all I really have to say. While, yes, this is the cheapest bean-to-cup I’ve ever seen, it performs like it. But this might be enough to make it one of your best espresso machines if you’re on a budget best described as “as close to zero as possible”. Find out the full story in this Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder review.

Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder review: Specs

Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder review: Price & availability

The Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder is $229 from Amazon U.S. and £239 from Amazon U.K. On Amzchef’s website, the Espresso Machine with Grinder is listed as “All-in-One” espresso machine and is $299 rather than $229. The “Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder” is a completely different product with a different screen style — albeit $229, not $299. I've raised this with Amzchef and have been informed it will correct this inconsistency.

They don’t make it easy for us, huh? Anyway, I would buy from Amazon due to the lower price. For ease of searching, the product code is CM1626 — but Amzchef doesn’t list this on its website (for any of its products… just a wonderful, transparent business strategy, I know). The links above are to the Amazon page, not Amzchef’s site.

Opaque pricing aside, the Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder is incredibly cheap. As I wrote in my “Pros” section above, it’s almost unbelievably cheap. A bean-to-cup espresso machine for $229? Seriously? Most electric grinders start at $150, like the Casabrews Tornado or Breville Dose Control Pro.

The only machines I’ve tested around the same price are the $350 Gevi Espresso Machine with Grinder and the $350 Casabrews Marenza. While this machine is a seriously budget option, the low, low pricing does raise questions about longevity — which I’ll get into later.

Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder review: Design

The Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder is a cheap coffee machine, and it feels like it. The scoop is flimsy plastic, and the dosing collar isn’t wide enough to allow the tamper to pass through. The tamper itself is lovely and weighty, though.

There’s no milk jug, which isn’t unprecedented, but is still a kick in the teeth. Casabrews also ships its budget machines with no milk jug, but it sells one for $10. Amzchef doesn’t sell a milk jug at all, so you’ll have to buy a separate one from another brand.

On top of that, the steam wand is supposed to have a 360° swivel, but I’d describe it more as 200° grating. Every time I moved the steam wand, the metal grated against the ball joint.

There’s a bright screen with full-color pictures, which also houses the built-in timer and temperature adjustment screen. This screen is the best part of the machine’s design, although I’m not sure it’s enough of a unique selling point to recommend buying it.

Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder review: Espresso

Considering the Amzchef Espresso Machine has a built-in grinder, I was extremely concerned when I unboxed two pressurized portafilter baskets. If you don’t know the difference between pressurized and non-pressurized baskets, I’ll give you a quick rundown. Pressurized portafilter baskets use two walls to force the espresso through a little hole, which creates fluffier crema but destroys delicate flavors. You should use pressurized portafilter baskets if you have pre-ground coffee or an inferior grinder (subtle foreshadowing).

Non-pressurized portafilter baskets have a mesh-like bottom, which allows the espresso to extract naturally, with no extra pressure — that all comes from the fineness of the grind. These baskets are a little trickier to use for beginners, but brew delicate, nuanced espresso if you have a good grinder and good beans.

So I was immediately suspicious when I saw the pressurized baskets. If I’m using a machine with a built-in grinder — ergo, freshly ground coffee — surely I should be provided non-pressurized baskets? A dual-walled basket will over-pressurize my espresso and mask delicate flavors.

Anyway, I had to use what Amzchef provided, so I, of course, tested it with said pressurized baskets.

By default, the grinder grinds for 7 seconds. This resulted in 17.3g of coffee during my tests, but obviously this will change if you grind finer or coarser for different beans. I set the grinder to click 5, as this pulled the ideal 1:2 ratio in 25-28 seconds.

Then, the machine automatically doses water. It pulled 35g of coffee in 28 seconds, which is almost the perfect 1:2 ratio in 25-28 seconds.

Here’s a photo of said default shot. This is with zero customizations — straight from the machine’s brain.

The crema is a little flat, and there’s not a whole lot of depth to the shot. I usually love watching the black ‘body’ of the shot rise up after extraction, but that wasn’t the case with this espresso. It brewed this dark amber color and this dark amber color it remained. As for the taste, it was a little bitter, not particularly strong or weak, but it got the job done. If you’re a total beginner, this would be good enough, but coffee enthusiasts would be better off elsewhere.

However, coffee enthusiasts might be the intended target audience here. There are a few premium, coffee snob-certified features on the Amzchef. You’ve got a PID controller, which controls water temperature, and you can customize temps to your liking. It can go from 190°-201°F, more versatile than Breville’s set-at-200°F PID controller, which you’d find on the $299 Breville Bambino or the $499 Breville Bambino Plus.

All of these features are excellent — I wouldn’t buy an espresso machine without — and resulted in decent espresso. Pressurized portafilters aside, this coffee sits firmly in the “good enough” category. Especially for $229, which is crazy cheap.

Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder review: Grinder

I have never seen a bean-to-cup semi-automatic espresso machine cheaper than the Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder. I’ve tested $350 models — the aforementioned Casabrews Marenza and Gevi Espresso Machine with Grinder — but $229? That’s crazy cheap.

The grinder itself has 44 settings, so you can grind from superfine to cold-brew-coarse. As mentioned earlier, the grinder grinds for 7 seconds by default, which you can adjust. To test uniformity, I used my Kruve Coffee Sieves ($189). As espresso grounds should be 300-400 microns, I sift ground coffee through the 500-micron sieve. I’m looking for 100% pass-through. I used click 5 to test espresso, which extracted a 1:2 ratio in 28 seconds.

Here’s a photo to exemplify what I mean. The left is coffee bigger than 500 microns, and the right is coffee smaller than 500 microns (espresso size).

As you can see, this is a non-uniform, inconsistent grinder… and now I know why Amzchef only provides you dual-walled portafilters.

Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder review: Milk

The steam wand is one of the biggest let-dows of the whole machine. It’s weak, spluttery, and takes over sixty seconds to steam a jug of milk (for one coffee).

To activate the steam wand itself, you have to press the steam graphic on the screen, not twist the knob on the side. After pressing the graphic, and the machine reading 107 (temperature), then you twist the knob. It needs a few seconds to switch to steam.

However, the steam wand is really disappointing. I still managed to get half-decent latte art, but the actual texture of the milk was undesirable. It had a layer of foam on top and then wet milk — no velvety aeration throughout.

As you can see, the latte art is still good. But this is after years of practice. I don’t think this is a good machine for beginners to learn on, because you have to know how to tease out “good” milk texture from a sub-par wand.

I don’t really have anything positive to say about the steam wand. If you aren’t fussed about milk drinks, this might be something you can overlook, but for me, I live for decadent, velvety milk, so it’d be a pass.

Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder review: Storage & maintenance

As it’s just 13 inches wide and 13 inches deep, the Amzchef Espresso Machine is relatively compact, especially for a bean-to-cup machine. If you’re seriously short on space (and budget), I might recommend the Amzchef, but that’s a might.

The machine has an “aluminum alloy” boiler, which means it’s more susceptible to corrosion than a stainless steel boiler, however, there’s no water filter slot in the water tank. Either the machine won’t last as long as a stainless steel boiler, or you’ll need to be seriously on top of descaling — even if you live in a soft water area. There are also no cleaning discs or a cleaning portafilter basket cover for backflushing, unlike Breville and De’Longhi’s machines.

Amzchef advertizes a 2-year warranty if you purchase from the Amzchef website, but the espresso machine is $70 more expensive on the Amzchef site (at time of writing — Amzchef has told me it will correct this). If you register it, the warranty increases to three years. However, you have to spend an extra $70 buying it directly from Amzchef. On the Amzchef warranty page, it reads, “Buy from Amazon, Walmart, or other online retailers? You may get an up-to-2-year limited warranty.” Schrödinger’s warranty!

Amzchef’s representative confirmed that you receive a 2-year warranty regardless of retailer, which is great news, but the language is still too opaque. What if you didn’t have a direct link to the company to find out this information (as I assume most of you won’t)? The language needs to be clearer.

Opaque business practices like this make me incredibly wary about recommending a product. It’s disingenuous. I wouldn’t spend my hard-earned money at a company with obfuscated warranty rules.

Amzchef Espresso Machine with Grinder review: Verdict

Everything about the Amzchef Espresso Machine feels too good to be true. A PID controller, customizable brew temperature, built-in grinder, cold brew, and 360° swivel steam wand for $229? There’s something not quite right here — and you can feel it in the build quality. The water tank is flimsy, the grinder hopper is flimsy, the portafilter is flimsy, and the steam wand grates as it moves. Not only that, but the steam wand is relatively weak, and the low-quality grinder makes for mediocre espresso.

This is a tricky one, because $229 is incredibly cheap for an espresso machine with a grinder. Normally, you’d be expecting to pay $229 for the espresso machine alone and an extra $229 for the grinder — and that would be cheap.

However, I can’t recommend this machine due to its low-quality build, low-quality accessories, and low-quality grinder. I would recommend grabbing the $350 Casabrews Marenza instead (but that’s also incredibly flimsy), or save up more for the Breville Barista Express — often around $499 during sales events like Black Friday — or the De’Longhi Arte Evo — also around $450 during sales events.

Over the nine years since I've owned my home, I've had hundreds of smart home devices come in and out of my house. However, there's been one device that's been here nearly the entire time, and has held up pretty well for more than half a decade.

Since I reviewed them in 2020, the Ring Solar Pathlights have been faithfully keeping my front walkway illuminated through blazing summers, rainy springs, and multiple blizzards, where they were covered in more than two feet of snow.

And right now, you can get them on sale in an early Black Friday deal for around 30% off. which makes it a good time to pick them up if you want smart lighting for your home.

Among the best solar lights, Ring's lights are handy in that you can link them to other smart home devices. For instance, if a Ring security camera or doorbell detects motion, you can program the lights to turn on automatically.

Conversely, the lights also have their own motion sensors, which can be used to trigger other smart home devices. I don't have anything so complex, but I have the lights set so that they turn on to a low setting in the evening, but then brighten if they detect motion.

Right now, you can find a few different deals on Ring's solar-powered lights:

• Ring Solar Pathlight (individual): was $34 now $24 @ Amazon
• Ring Solar Pathlight 2-Pack with Bridge: was $119 now $79 @ Amazon
• Ring Solar Pathlight 4-Pack: was $139 now $99 @ Ring
• Ring Solar Pathlight 4-Pack with Bridge: was $189 now $129 @ Amazon

Ring also sells battery versions of its Pathlights which are slightly cheaper, but I would advise going for the solar-powered models; you don't want to bother with having to recharge the lights yourself, and in the six years I've had the lights, I've never had an issue with them running out of juice.

The one caveat is that the batteries in two of the lights have died, as it looks like water somehow seeped in, and Ring doesn't sell replacement batteries. There are a few threads on Reddit and Ring's site about this, and owners have found that the Nitecore NL1823 18650 battery ($9 each) works as a suitable replacement.

If you are getting your home ready for festive hosting, do not overlook the sink. Even with pristine worktops and clean floors, cloudy stainless steel covered in chalky water rings instantly makes a kitchen feel tired.

Before the holiday cooking frenzy begins, you can revive a dull basin without scratching the metal or buying pricey specialty cleaners. This five-minute routine cuts through greasy buildup and seals in a bright, showroom shine just in time for visitors.

Cut through grease with warm soapy water

Rinse away loose food debris, then wash the entire basin thoroughly with hot water and dish soap. Using a soft microfiber cloth or non-scratch sponge, wipe in long, steady strokes that follow the faint brushed grain of the steel rather than scrubbing in circles.

This removes the surface grease film so your cleaning paste can make direct contact with the mineral spots underneath.

Lift cloudy limescale with baking soda

Sprinkle a light dusting of baking soda over the damp steel, concentrating on the drain and faucet base where hard water residue gathers. Using a damp cloth, work the powder into a paste along the metal's grain to lift dull water rings without scratching.

For stubborn hard-water marks, rinse the baking soda paste away thoroughly first, then apply a light spray of white vinegar directly to the mineral scale.

Letting the vinegar sit undiluted for a few minutes allows its mild acetic acid to chemically dissolve crusty calcium and magnesium deposits without being neutralized by the alkaline baking soda.

Avoid spraying vinegar onto specialized faucet finishes like matte black, brass, or oil-rubbed bronze, as the acid can strip or discolor the coating.

Once the mineral scale softens, use a soft-bristled brush or non-scratch sponge to gently agitate and lift any remaining gritty buildup from the metal’s surface texture.

Buff dry and seal the shine

Standing water left to evaporate is why cloudy spots return. Use a dry dish towel or microfiber cloth to wipe the entire basin, faucet, and drainboard until completely dry.

For an optional finishing shine, apply a single drop of mineral oil (like baby oil) or olive oil to a soft cloth and buff it into the steel, following the direction of the metal's grain. Buff vigorously with a clean, dry section of the towel until no residue remains.

This creates a light barrier that repels water beads and keeps the shine lasting longer, especially on faucets and handles.

More from Tom's Guide

• I stopped dry dusting: here is the simple wiping technique that actually traps dust
• How to clean glass windows with vinegar — without leaving streaks or lint behind
• Knowing how to use a kitchen sponge seems idiot-proof, but most of us are still doing it wrong

After years of waiting, Apple has finally come out with a smart display, but is it already too late? The Apple HomeView is a sleek device with a nice-looking interface, but scratch deeper than the surface, and you’ll find that it quickly comes up short against the best smart displays. Yes, Amazon’s are the only other game in town, but that company’s much longer history when designing a smart home device — and AI — shows just how far Apple needs to go.

Yes, there are some redeeming qualities of the HomeView — it’s great at music, and integrates well with your iPhone — but when testing it alongside an Amazon smart display, I was left wanting for features time and again.

Price and availability

The HomeView goes on sale November 13, 2026, for $299. It comes in two versions, a freestanding model, and a wall-mounted version. The freestanding HomeView is offered in four colors (silver, starlight, rose pink, space gray) while the wall version comes in just silver or space gray.

If you opt for the wall-mounted version, you’ll have to pay an additional amount for either the USB-C wall connector ($59) or the hardwired mount ($79); if you choose the latter of these two, you’ll probably want to call an electrician to install it.

Design and installation

The base of the HomeView is a small aluminum cylinder that’s rounded at the top, where it connects to the display. The bottom of the base has several rows of perforated holes for the display's speaker.

In an era where most smart home speakers (Apple’s included) are using more fabric-covered finishes, the HomeView reminded me, more than anything, of the love child of a first-generation Amazon Echo and the iMac G4.

The HomeView’s screen is smaller than I would have imagined from the early videos and hands-ons. It definitely won’t take up a ton of room on your counter, which is a nice thing if you have limited space.

Display, camera, and speaker

Apple’s specs say the display is 7 inches on the diagonal, but owing to the bezels, the usable space is about 6.4 inches. Measuring vertically and horizontally, the screen is 4 7/8 inches in each direction.

It’s very nice to look at; its 1088-by-1088-pixel resolution (220 pixels per inch) made all of my photos look excellent, and the display can automatically adjust its brightness from 0.3 to 500 nits.

For a device that’s smaller than the HomePod mini, the HomeView does a pretty impressive job with music. Apple says that the HomeView has two custom full-range drivers and a custom down-firing woofer, which delivered stronger bass than I would have expected for a device this size.

I was able to blast the “Hamilton” soundtrack throughout my kitchen, and it was loud enough that I had to turn down the volume. In order to do so, though, I had to either yell at Siri, or tap the screen; there’s no dedicated volume controls.

A 12MP camera with Center Stage sits at the very top center bezel; it was perfectly adequate when making FaceTime calls, and the Center Stage feature was welcome, as it let me move around my kitchen while chatting.

A swipeable, but limited interface

You can set up the HomeView with any number of faces. As a Peanuts fan, one of my favorites was an animated clock with Snoopy and Woodstock doing a bunch of shenanigans — and easily swipe between them. However, due to its size — or because of Apple’s design decisions — the HomeView’s homescreen feels more limited than Amazon’s.

Here’s an example. Like the Echo Show devices, the HomeView has a face, called Home Modular, that lets you control smart home devices, and even get a live look from any cameras connected to Apple Home. However, if you want to see pictures of your kids, know what the weather is, and see what’s happening at your front door, good luck. You can create a custom Modular face that incorporates some of these elements, but you can't fit them all.

By contrast, the Echo Show 8, which admittedly has a larger 8.7-inch screen, lets you pack more on there, so you get a much more holistic look at everything going on both in and outside of your home.

Widgets

In order to simplify things for developers, the HomeView uses the same widgets that you can install on an iPhone. But what works for a smartphone doesn’t necessarily work for a smart display.

You can add Widgets to the HomeView, but surprisingly — and somewhat aggravatingly — some of them don’t work, or aren’t optimized for the device. For example, I added the Disney+ widget, but when I tapped on it, it displayed a message saying “The Disney+ app is only available on iPhone.” Same with the Anker Eufy app and YouTube. The only widget that lets you play videos natively is Apple TV.

Even more frustrating for me was the Photos widget. After setting it up — which requires you to use your iPhone to select the photos you want — the widget then displays a picture from your collection. However, if you tap on the widget to change the image, you get a message saying “App unavailable. The Photos app is only available on iPhone.” I felt a bit like Charlie Brown right after Lucy swiped the football away.

Those widgets do serve a purpose — you can start playing a video on your iPhone, and then cast it to the HomeView, but it’s an extra step that you don’t need to take with any other smart display.

What’s odd is that the HomeView lists dozens of widgets, but few are optimized for the HomeView. Perhaps this will change once the product goes on sale. And, what Widgets are available aren’t that many. While there’s a Stocks widget, there’s none for News or Sports, so you’ll have to ask Siri for updates on the game.

Forget using the HomeView as a smart TV; while you can watch Apple TV content, there aren’t any other widgets for most popular streaming services, such as Hulu, Peacock, or Netflix. One of the main reasons I like smart displays is that they can act as mini TVs, so I can cook Sunday dinner in the kitchen, but still be able to watch football games without running into the living room.

Privacy and personalization

In keeping with Apple’s admirable insistence on privacy — and because it’s a nice feature — the HomeView’s screen will only display personalized content if its camera recognizes that individual’s face.

So, for example, if I walk up to the HomeView, I’ll see my photos and calendar appointments, but if my wife were to approach the device, she would see her content, provided she were a registered user. In either instance, our iPhones would also have to be on the same Wi-Fi network for any personal content to appear.

If the Homeview recognizes your face, a small orange dot appears in the upper right corner. Curiously for a company which prides itself on privacy, there’s no button on the HomeView to disable its camera.

Siri falls short

One of the reasons that the HomeView was delayed was that Apple was waiting for Siri to get smarter. So, I put it to the test versus Alexa+ on an Echo Show 15. Tl;dr — Apple needs to do a bit more work.

Weather

The first challenge was asking for the weather. The first time I asked Siri, I received a very terse “Expect partly cloudy skies today,” and the HomeView’s screen changed to show me the current temperature. The next time I asked, I got a slightly more detailed response: “Expect clear skies today with a high of 59 degrees and a low of 47 degrees.”

By contrast, Alexa+ was much more conversant. “Right now it’s cloudy and 56 degrees, feeling 53. Today’s high is 61 with a low of 45, and it’ll stay breezy with decreasing clouds and no rain expected.”

Pizza

Next, I asked both Alexa+ and Siri to look up local pizza places. Again, Siri gave me a list, but Alexa+ was more effusive, telling me how late some of the more popular restaurants were open.

I then asked both AIs to order me a pizza from one particular restaurant. Siri couldn’t, but offered to place a call, but Alexa+ linked to Uber Eats, and walked me through ordering a large pie.

Smart home

Another key function for the HomeView is that it can act as a central control panel for all of your smart home devices. Not only can you tap widgets on the screen to turn your lights on and off, but you can also use your voice to control things. For example, I said “Hey Siri, show me my video doorbell” and the HomeView brought up a live view of my front door nearly instantly.

I also liked that you can add a widget to show a live view of your security cameras. I have a Eufy camera, which worked well with the HomeView, but this is one area where Apple needs to incentivize its partners a bit more; there are far fewer security cameras compatible with Apple Home than there are for Amazon and Google.

Directions

How well can a home assistant get you where you need to go? I asked both Siri and Alexa+ to get me directions to Newark airport. Siri gave its usual brief response: “It will take about 13 minutes to drive to Newark Liberty International Airport in light traffic.” I then asked Siri to send the directions to my phone, which it did as a text message with a link to Apple Maps to my phone.

Alexa+ was more chatty, but less helpful. “Navigation isn’t supported on this device, but I can give you the route info. It’s about 12 minutes and 5 miles to Newark Liberty International Airport, with light traffic on I-78.” I then asked Alexa to send the directions to my phone, but the best it could do was send a copy of the conversation to the Alexa app.

Uber

When I asked Alexa+ to book me an Uber ride, it went so far as to ask me if I wanted to start from my work or home location, and went through all the rest of the steps. The best Siri could do was offer to open the Uber app.

Calendar

One thing I did like is that Siri can scan through your calendar and messages to surface things you might have missed, or forgot about. For example, I asked “what time are my neighbors having people over today?”

It then dug through all of my messages and replied “Your neighbors are having people over for a fire today at 4:30 p.m.” On the screen, it added further detail: “There will be drinks for the adults and marshmallows to roast for kids.”

Bottom line

Historically, Apple has generally not been first to any particular category, but when it enters a market — MP3 players, phones, tablets, etc. — it’s generally learned from the mistakes of the competition, and delivered a device that outshines everything else on the market.

The HomeView is not that. While the physical design of the device is lovely, its software does not live up to the same standard. It can do far less than rival smart displays from Amazon, and Siri is still a less capable home assistant AI than Alexa+ or Gemini.

I think Apple probably had to release it; there have been reports that the HomeView was languishing in a warehouse for the better part of a year, which makes sense considering it’s using the A18, rather than the A19 chip — but maybe it should have stayed there.

I can usually cope well with most common household pests (spiders are a breeze) — but I absolutely draw the line at mice or any other rodent. And since the colder weather marks the onset of 'peak rodent season', I've made a point of mouse-proofing my home and gathering all the essential supplies to keep mice away.

Not only are these rodents notoriously hard to get rid of, but they can cause severe damage to your building's structure and property.

Yet in my bid to remove the obvious things that attract rats and mice to your home, it turns out I had completely missed several unexpected entry points.

According to pest experts, these particular entry points frequently go unnoticed — so let my surprise serve as your lesson: here's what you need to look for.

The roofline

While I typically focus my mouse-proofing efforts on inspecting baseboards and ground-level entryways, I don’t ever think to look up. However, the roof is one of the most overlooked and surprising access points where mice can enter your home.

“The roofline is probably the most underestimated entry point,” states Ed Dolshun, Vice President of Business Development and Technical Director at Catchmaster.

“Homeowners instinctively look at ground level, but mice climb — walls, utility wires, tree branches — and enter from above. Roof rats are commonly found along piping, fences, and shrubbery, working their way up rather than in from the ground”.

To prevent rats from entering through your exterior walls or roof, you need to seal off gaps with steel mesh or hardware cloth combined with sealant to block any holes.

What’s more, to keep mice from scaling your walls, make climbing as difficult as possible by trimming back high shrubs, overgrown tree branches, and other nearby vegetation.

Garage doors and sheds

Another forgotten place we often overlook is the small gaps under garage doors and sheds. “A gap as small as a quarter inch along the bottom seal is enough for a mouse to squeeze through,” says Dolshun. “Most people assume their garage door closes tight, though many don't”.

So how small could the gap be for a mouse to sneak its way in? “This is the detail that tends to surprise people most: a mouse needs a gap roughly the size of a dime to get in, and a rat needs only a quarter-sized opening,” adds Dolshun.

“And critically, if a rodent can fit its head through an opening, it can work the rest of its body through. That should change how you think about inspecting your home because you're not looking for obvious holes, but rather anything that small.”

Similarly, seal gaps and cracks around doors and windows with caulk or mesh wool.

Also, ensure that leaf piles and plant debris are regularly raked clear from entryways. Allowing these to accumulate creates an inviting, warm shelter where rodents can easily hide and dwell during the colder months.

So if you want to make your home completely mouse-proof, don’t miss these common overlooked areas — or else you may have to call in the pest experts in the long run.

More from Tom's Guide

• 7 places mice like to hide and what to look out for
• 5 common mistakes to avoid when getting rid of mice
• Check out these 7 plants that keep mice and rats from invading your home

If, like me, your lawn is completely covered with fallen leaves, a leaf blower is a must-have garden tool. Not only can they quickly make cleanup a breeze (no pun intended), but they can also save you the back-breaking task of raking up piles of leaves.

So when your reliable leaf blower keeps cutting out unexpectedly right in the middle of a task, this can be frustrating. Rest assured, you are not the only one dealing with this frequent issue.

In fact, all it takes is a few quick checks and troubleshooting steps that will keep your leaf blower running reliably and ensure your lawn stays free of leaves all season. Here's what you need to do when your leaf blower suddenly stops running.

Check the filter and give it a good clean

The first thing is to check for clogs, which will only take minutes. Clogging from trapped debris is a common reason both gas- and electric-powered leaf blowers cut out, as it restricts essential airflow.

For gas leaf blowers, simply remove the filter cover and give it a good clean before taking out the filter itself. To clean it, clear away any loose dirt or debris, then use compressed air to blast out any stubborn blockages.

For electric leaf blowers, simply remove debris in the air intake vent and give it a good wipe-down. Once you’ve done that, this should resolve the annoying shut-off issues you have.

Change old gasoline

If you have a gas-powered leaf blower, your gasoline might be the culprit of blockages that can affect the engine. This is usually the case if you haven’t used your blower for a long time, and the bad gasoline is no longer fit for use.

Fortunately, this is an easy fix — simply drain the old gasoline in a suitable container, install a new fuel filter before refilling it with fresh gas and oil mix. If the problem continues, inspect the carburetor for build-up and spray it clean with a specialized carburetor cleaner. It’s also worth checking the spark arrestor and fuel cap to remove any debris or stubborn grime.

Another top tip is to test the fuel cap to check if it needs replacing. To determine whether the fuel cap requires this, try loosening it slightly and operating the blower. If the machine runs properly while loose but stalls again once the cap is tightened back down, then a new cap is needed.

Check for a damaged battery

If you have a battery-powered blower, you may be dealing with a damaged battery. Usually, a faulty battery struggles to keep its proper charge, resulting in your leaf blower constantly cutting out.

Simply swap it out with a spare or new battery to see if this makes a difference to your performance.

Additionally, store your batteries properly in a dry, moisture-free location away from extreme temperatures.

For more top tips, check out 5 things you need to know before buying a leaf blower.

More from Tom's Guide

• I used four different tools to get rid of leaves in my yard, and this is the one I recommend
• I tried the 'tarp burrito' method to clear leaves from my yard — and it's a game changer
• What to do if your neighbor's tree is dropping leaves in your yard — according to an expert

When it comes to air fryers, Ninja's got a pretty firm hold on the market. Put it this way, when it comes to the best air fryers we've ever tested, Ninja holds two of the five spots. And the Ninja Crispi is one of those, offering a glass air fryer capable of 4-in-1 cooking.

But what if I told you there was an alternative that could take that 4-in-1 and combine it with an 8-in-1 multi-cooker in the same attractive glass design? Magnifique has stepped up to the plate.

The California cookware brand has established itself as a creator of non-toxic, coating-free, pure clay appliances. And with that ethos in mind, it's crafted the 12-in-1 Combo, an impressive Crispi dupe that calls itself: "The only glass air fryer + multi-cooker system." Oh, and it's currently on sale.

Why I can't wait to try it

I love my air fryer, but I also don't love that I have to switch appliances for certain meals. So, when I heard that Magnifique says, "No more swapping pots of appliances to put a crispy finish on the casserole," I was intrigued.

The Combo 12-in-1 may look like a Ninja Crispi and has the same name for its four air fryer modes, but the difference with Magnifique's offering is that it also comes with 8 multi-cooker modes in the same glass pot. Sure, it's a touch more expensive, but it also offers a lot more versatility.

With a 4.5 qt pot, it can hold approximately 18 cups at a time, meaning you can happily serve family and friends. And thanks to its pure glass and stainless steel build with zero coatings, making it 100% non-toxic, you don't have to worry about chemicals or scratching it up when using it and scrubbing it clean.

But I always like to consider countertop space when looking at appliances like these. So, the big question for me is: how does it size up next to the Ninja Crispi? Well, it's a close one.

The Magnifique Combo 12-in-1 with both units and glass pot comes in at around the same length and height as the Ninja Crispi, but it does measure up to 4 inches wider.

Of course, what really matters is how well it works, and I'll hold off on any judgment until we get our hands on one for a full review.

More from Tom's Guide

• Ninja Crispi Pro review: A meal prep marvel
• Ninja just released an air fryer so portable you can take it to the office
• 7 dangerous mistakes to avoid when cooking in an air fryer

Have you ever capitalized on Black Friday deals to refresh your kitchen? While this helps with Christmas dinner preparations, Black Friday is unfortunately after Thanksgiving, leaving you unable to utilize your revamped kitchen for Turkey Day. But what if you could upgrade your kitchen appliances before Thanksgiving? With Samsung's early Black Friday deals — available now — you can. From smarter food storage to easier cooking and cleanup, these five Samsung appliances can help make life in the kitchen a little simpler, just in time for holiday hosting.

1. Bespoke AI 3-Door French Door Refrigerator With Zero Clearance Fit

$2,999 $2,299 (up to 23% off)

Every chef knows that a good meal starts with quality ingredients — and proper storage of those ingredients. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas, you’re going to need to keep a lot of different ingredients fresh. Samsung’s Bespoke AI Refrigerators can both store a large amount of ingredients and help you stay on top of keeping them fresh.

For larger turkeys, the USDA recommends five to six days of thawing in the refrigerator before Thanksgiving. And turkeys that need to be thawed for this long also require a lot of space. This is where the Bespoke AI 3-Door French Door Refrigerator with Zero Clearance Fit comes in handy. Featuring 24 cu. ft. of storage space, this refrigerator maximizes storage while minimizing the area taken up in the kitchen, so you don’t need to compromise on your turkey to make space in the kitchen. This is because of Zero Clearance Fit, which — combined with sleek counter-depth design — allows the doors to open without additional space along the sides.

Carafes make it much easier to refill glasses of water at the Thanksgiving table, and these can easily be filled up with the Water Dispenser. Additionally, select models include Sphere Ice™, which dispenses ice cubes that keep cocktails colder for longer. In addition to impressing your guests with the elevated experience of spherical ice, their beverages will be optimally chilled whether they are watching the big football game on TV before dinner or you’re all spending quality time together afterwards.

2. Bespoke AI 4-Door French Door Refrigerator With Beverage Center™

$3,399 $2,199 (up to 35% off)

Thanksgiving isn’t only about turkey — it’s also about side dishes and beverages. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and all the other holiday favorites contain a lot of ingredients that need to be stored in the refrigerator. It can be difficult to accommodate all these ingredients, but the Bespoke AI 4-Door French Door Refrigerator With Beverage Center™ makes it much easier. FlexZone™ Drawer brings flexibility to your storage needs, letting you adjust the amount of space available to you depending on the number of items you need to store. Plus, it has five different temperature settings, allowing you to chill your ingredients accordingly. Meanwhile, the Beverage Center™ keeps refreshing drinks within easy reach and out of sight for a cleaner interior look.

3. Bespoke Smart Slide-in Gas Range With Air Fry Max & Convection

$1,949 $1,299 (up to 33% off)

Whether it’s a holiday or a regular weekday, the right appliances elevate your meals. The Bespoke Smart Slide-in Gas Range With Air Fry Max & Convection cooks food up to 15% faster without preheating thanks to No Preheat Air Fry Max, and True Convection ensures faster, more even cooking on every rack. So if you want to make sure that Thanksgiving turkey is a nice, golden brown, take advantage of the added heating element and powerful fan that circulates consistently heated air.

4. Bespoke Over-the-Range Microwave With DualVent Technology

$749 $549 (up to 26% off)

While a microwave might not necessarily come in handy while preparing Thanksgiving dinner, it’s crucial for warming up Thanksgiving leftovers. The Bespoke Over-the-Range Microwave with DualVent Technology combines everyday convenience with DualVent Technology and a Power Front Vent to help remove smoke, steam, and cooking odors. It provides a more connected cooking experience as well, with Auto Connectivity allowing it to work with compatible Samsung ranges.

5. Bespoke AI Smart Dishwasher With 3rd Rack Washing System & AutoRelease™ Door

$1,399 $949 (up to 32% off)

Cleaning up after a meal is always a hassle. When that meal happens to be Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, the task can seem insurmountable. However, the Bespoke AI Smart Dishwasher with 3rd Rack Washing System makes that task more manageable by taking the guesswork out of cleanup with AI Wash and SmartDry with AutoRelease™ Door. It also has a 3rd Rack Washing System, a dedicated area for drinkware and cutlery that holds six 6-inch and six 4-inch cups, and includes dedicated wash jets with six spinning nozzles to ensure thorough cleaning of stubborn residue.

And don’t worry about any noise disrupting the time spent with your family after dinner, either, as Whisper Quiet 38 dBA operation makes the dishwasher barely noticeable.

Whether it’s to improve Thanksgiving, Christmas, or regular everyday cooking, Samsung’s early Black Friday deals put you in position to drastically improve your cooking experiences.

Learn more about Samsung’s early Black Friday deals here.

A year ago, Aura introduced the Aura Ink, the first ePaper photo frame; this device, while not as vibrant as a traditional digital photo frame, had the advantage of letting you hang it on a wall — no power cord required — for up to three months at a time without needing to be recharged.

The company is back with the Aura Ink 10, the first in the second generation of ePaper style photo frames. This frame can show more colors, and at $349, is also less expensive, albeit still well above some of the best digital photo frames. So, is the premium worth it?

Price and Design

The Aura Ink 10 went on sale on November 10, 2026, for $349 at Aura's website. It’s offered in just one size, and with just one matte color (black). The original only came with a white matte; I wish the company offered both options.

The frame itself is very thin, at a little less than an inch, and comes with both a stand for placing it on a table, as well as pins so you can mount it on a wall. Three buttons sit inconspicuously on the back edge of the frame, and let you switch photos and get the frame ready to go. Overall, it’s a very subtle design, and it’s unlikely that anyone would recognize it as a digital frame at a glance.

Display

The Aura Ink 10 uses an E Ink Spectra 6 display, which can produce nine colors (black, white, red, yellow, blue, green, off-white, mustard yellow and orange), up from six on the original Aura Ink. That means it can show more nuances in pictures, though don’t expect true-to-life fidelity that you would get from a traditional LCD picture frame. The 10-inch frame also has the same resolution as the 13-inch model, which means greater pixel density.

To see the difference in Aura Ink generations, I placed the 10-inch Ink next to the 13-inch Ink, and then displayed the same photos on each.

The 10 inch model tended to show photos a little darker, but with better transitions between light and dark areas. For example, in an image of a girl jumping off a sand dune, there was less obvious pixelation from the sun-drenched stretches of the beach to shaded areas.

In another photo of a girl in front of a blue and white wall, the blues of the wall were a bit deeper, but shadows were more pronounced, making it more difficult to make out features in her face and neck area.

The Aura Ink 10 has very gentle lighting that only turns on if it senses someone in front of the frame. Again, it’s not something you’d notice unless you see it turn on, but it helps bring a little more vibrancy to the photo.

Aura says the Ink 10 will last up to three months on a charge, assuming it changes photos just once per day. Once it runs low, you simply have to plug it into a USB-C for a little bit.

Aura also updated the manner in which the frame refreshes; on the original model, the screen kind of flashes randomly as the photo changes. On the Ink 10, there’s a wave-like pattern that starts in one corner, and ripples across the screen. It’s more intentional, and doesn’t make it look like the frame is shorting out.

Adding and sharing photos

One thing that Aura does well is make it easy to add photos to its devices. For starters, you can sync your iCloud or Google Photos albums in the Aura app. And, to help narrow things down, the Aura app can filter photos by person, so that you can more easily find photos of particular individuals; unfortunately, there’s no pet filter. If you want to skip the app entirely, you can also either email or text photos to the display. Handy!

Bottom line

As someone who tests smart home devices for a living, I suspect my house, which has smart displays everywhere, is a bit different than most. So while I appreciate traditional digital photo frames — the Alexa Photo Frame is one of my favorites, for its innovative use of AI — it’s nice to have some tech that doesn’t look like tech.

Yes, there are some tradeoffs to an ePaper photo display like the Aura Ink 10. You’re not going to get colors that really fly off the screen, and you’re going to pay a premium over other photo frames. But, in a digital-everything world, I appreciate its subtleness.

After years in the works, Ring's flying home security camera drone is finally taking flight. The Ring Drone Cam, as it's called, has gone through several iterations since the company first introduced it as the Ring Always Home cam three years ago.

Now that Ring is ready to ship the device, it gave us a sneak preview in advance. Here's my initial impressions of the Ring Drone Cam, as well as how much it'll cost, and when you can get one for your home.

Ring Drone Cam: tl;dr

• It will cost $249.99 at Amazon and starts shipping on January 27, 2027
• It has a roughly 8-minute flight time
• It weighs 165 grams
• It has a 2K camera with a 148º field of view

A DJI for the home

Unlike the Always Home Cam, which had a large protuberance on its underside, the Ring Drone Cam looks somewhat like the DJI Neo; it has a small rectangular body with four encaged rotors. Weighing 265 grams (5.8 ounces), it's lighter than most phones. While the demo unit I saw was white, the actual product will be a light gray. The Drone Cam docks and recharges in a square base station.

The drone has a 2K camera with two LEDs on either side, which it uses to light up your home as it's patrolling at night.

The Ring Drone Cam in action

When activated, the Drone Cam lifts up out of its base, rises to about 4-5 feet in the air, and then proceeds at a stately pace as it moves throughout your home. Even though it's small, you'll definitely notice its presence, as its rotors make a very loud, high-pitched whine.

Knowing how my dog reacts to a vacuum cleaner, I can only imagine his response to this thing flying around the house. Don't even ask what my cats might think.

The Drone Cam navigates your home using a combination of an Alexa Home map (similar to what you'll see on one of Amazon's smart displays) and the setup process, whereby you hold the drone and carry it through your house, taking it on a trip of where you'd like to go. Ring says the Drone Cam can cover multiple stories of your home.

Unlike previous, unreleased versions, the Drone Cam relies on the cloud for navigation, using Amazon's AI Pilot to get around and interpret what the drone is seeing. If the drone loses its connection, it's designed to immediately land — which is why it's important that you make sure its flight path doesn't go over any delicate objects.

The Ring Drone Cam can be programmed to make regular patrols of your house, or to respond to a particular event — such as a window or a door sensor tripping, or a water leak detector going off. Using the Amazon Alexa Home map, it can fly to the location of the event, and give you a live view of what's happening.

There's a rolling drone, too

Remember the Amazon Astro? Ring took its parent company's home robot and redesigned the internals to make it a security robot for small businesses and enterprise customers.

Now called the Ring Rover Cam, it's meant to patrol warehouses and stores, and alert you if it detects an intruder. Like the Astro, it has a telescoping camera, but Ring also added a light on the back, which lets you see where the robot is at a glance, and flashes red and screams out a siren when there's an unwanted guest.

The Ring Rover Cam will cost $999, and will ship on December 16.

My initial thoughts

I am more than a bit skeptical about having a camera drone flying through my house. For starters, my pets get nervous enough around vacuum cleaners; I can only imagine how they'd react to a high-pitched drone flying about. And, the idea of a drone autonomously roaming around, potentially recording everything, feels a bit dystopian.

And, if you want the Ring Drone Camera to be able to access every corner of your house, you'll also have to make sure you leave every door wide open before you leave. And, the drone moves so slowly that if it's set up on one side of your house, by the time it responds to, say, a window breaking on the other side, the potential intruder could be long gone.

I can see some utility in it — I don't have, nor do I want, security cameras in every corner of my house, so I can see it being handy if a sensor is tripped in my basement. But, I'm still not sold on the concept; maybe trying it out will change my mind.

What do you think? Would you want a drone security camera for the inside of your house? Take our poll, and let me know in the comments.

More from Tom's Guide

• Ring is now making a smart lock — and you never have to worry about the battery dying
• We've tested every Ring video doorbell, and this is the one you should get
• Best home security cameras

Few garden tasks feel more frustrating than trying to clear fallen pine needles from a gravel path or driveway. Standard metal rakes dig too deeply into loose chippings, scattering stones into the lawn and leaving you with heavy piles of mixed rock and debris to separate by hand.

Leaving them in place is not an option either, as damp needles quickly break down into acidic sludge that encourages weeds and turns paths slippery underfoot. The trick to lifting them quickly comes down to choosing the right tool and working with the natural weight difference between light needles and heavy stone.

Why you shouldn't leave fallen pine needles on gravel

It is tempting to leave a light scattering of needles where they land, but ignoring them quickly turns a low-maintenance gravel path into an ongoing headache.

As pine needles decompose, they break down into a fine, nutrient-rich organic sediment that sifts down into the voids between your stones, creating an ideal seedbed for persistent weeds to take root.

Left to sit through wet weather, that matted needle layer traps moisture, speeds up moss and algae growth, and transforms crisp aggregate into a slick slip hazard underfoot, all while leaching dark tannins that can permanently stain decorative light-coloured stone.

Here are three simple ways to lift fallen needles cleanly away while leaving every pebble where it belongs.

The easy way to lift pine needles from gravel

Switch to a flexible spring tine rake

Rigid garden rakes with solid steel teeth are designed to dig into soil, making them the absolute worst choice for loose aggregate.

Swapping to a lightweight, flexible spring-wire leaf rake or an adjustable metal fan rake gives you far better control over surface contact.

Hold the rake handle at a low, shallow angle and use light, skimming sweeps across the top layer rather than pulling downwards into the stones. The flexible tines gently flex over individual pebbles, gathering the tangled needle carpet on top while leaving the heavier rocks undisturbed beneath.

Float debris off with a leaf blower

If manual raking still catches too many small chippings, a leaf blower offers a far faster and cleaner shortcut when used correctly. The secret lies in keeping the airflow moving horizontally rather than pointing the nozzle straight down into the gravel bed.

Stand several paces back, tilt the blower tip so it skims just above the stones, and use steady side-to-side sweeping motions on a low or medium throttle.

The high-velocity air easily catches the large surface area of dry needles, rolling them into manageable windrows along the edge of the path without kicking up a single stone.

Vacuum up stragglers on dry days

For sunken paths or borders enclosed by stone edging where blowing debris simply bounces off walls, a garden vacuum or shop vac clears the remaining scatter in minutes.

Wait for a dry afternoon when the needles are completely crisp and non-sticky, as damp needles clump tightly to stone surfaces.

Hover the wide intake nozzle an inch or two above the path so suction pulls up the lightweight needles while leaving the dense gravel anchored to the ground, giving your decorative stones a crisp, immaculate finish with zero back strain.

What about other leaves?

If you are dealing with standard fall leaves instead of pine needles, the exact same dry-weather rules apply — a low-speed blower, a soft broom, or a shop vac will lift them right off the stones. The only real catch is when those leaves get wet, turning into a heavy, mushy mat that glues itself to the gravel.

When that happens, put the leaf blower away and switch to lifting instead. If the forecast looks sunny, wait a couple of days for the sludge to dry into a brittle crust that you can easily sweep or blow away.

If you need the yard clean right away, slide a flat-edged plastic snow shovel along the top layer of gravel to scoop up the thick, wet clumps without digging into the stones.

For slimy bits wedged deep between the pebbles, remove the paper filter from a wet/dry vac, if you have one, and hover the nozzle just above the rocks to suck up the mess while leaving the heavier gravel behind. Skip standard garden leaf vacs here, as wet clumps will quickly clog their impellers.

If you don't own a wet vac, simply give the area a light spray with a garden hose to break the suction between the wet leaves and the stones, then gently pull the loosened clumps into piles with a flexible plastic rake.

More from Tom's Guide

• 3 ways to keep your neighbor's grass on their side of the fence
• When to clean your gutters in fall (and why doing it too early backfires)
• Don't leave gas in your lawnmower this fall — do this one thing before temperatures drop

I never thought a gadget would make me want to cry — least of all one from Amazon.

After unboxing and setting up the Alexa Photo Frame, one of the first images it displayed was a black-and-white picture of my father, who has been deceased for 16 years, feeding a squirrel.

I remember having the photo stored digitally somewhere, but it’s been several years since I last saw it. But the Alexa Photo Frame pulled it up, and juxtaposed it next to another picture of a squirrel clinging to a screen door. The Photo Frame also wasted no time digging up scores of photos of our family cat, who also died around the same time as my dad.

It was a very emotional first few minutes with this device.

But the Alexa Photo Frame also went on to deliver photos of my child playing, vacations and other happy occasions, which brought back more pleasant emotions.

While I have plenty of criticisms of AI and its use, this is one instance where I feel like it delivers something positive, and makes this one of the best photo frames I’ve ever used.

Alexa inside

This might be stating the obvious, but if you want to get the most out of the Alexa Photo Frame, you’re going to need either an Alexa+ ($19/month) or an Amazon Prime subscription ($149/year), so you can use Amazon’s AI to its fullest.

The Alexa Photo Frame uses Amazon’s AI in one of the smartest ways yet. It combs through your entire library of images, and then pulls them up based on criteria such as the time of year, themes, objects, and events.

So, during the fall, you might be served pictures of pumpkins and leaves falling; in the summer, it might be photos of you at the beach.

While the Alexa Photo Frame only works in landscape mode, it does a clever thing with all the portrait photos in your library. If, for instance, you have photos of your child blowing out birthday candles over the years, it might put two of those images side by side, to show you the changes over the years. The photos of my dad and the squirrel was one example; another was two pictures of my kid potty training.

Or, if you want to go the more direct route, you can also ask Alexa to “show me photos of cats and kids,” and it will create a curated slideshow of all those images from your library.

Alexa+ isn’t perfect; when I asked it to create a slideshow of my daughter, a number of the pictures were of old ladies and some other random kids. However, it’s smart enough so that when one of these images showed up, I said “Alexa, that’s not my daughter,” and it went back through and edited the collection so those mismatched photos were no longer there.

It’s a smart speaker, too

Of course, the Photo Frame can act as a smart speaker. You definitely wouldn’t want to use it to play music, but you can use Alexa+ on it as you would any other Amazon smart speaker. And, should you not want it to listen, you can press the microphone mute button on the back.

Another trick with the Alexa Photo Frame is that you can attach short audio files to pictures, so if you’re gifting it to your parents, you can add a photo of your kids around a Christmas tree, with a voice note wishing them happy holidays. You have to tap the photo on the screen to hear the note, so it’s a nice extra, but I’m not sure how much it will be used.

Bottom line

Specs-wise, the Alexa Photo Frame isn’t the most impressive when compared to the best digital photo frames. The $229 Aura Aspen, for example, has a 12-inch screen with a much higher resolution of 1600 x 1200, and can be set up in portrait or landscape mode. The Lexar Pexar has an even crisper 2000 x 1200 display, and costs even less, at $179. And, the Alexa Photo Frame can’t play videos, which also make up a good portion of my phone’s library.

But neither makes curating all your photos as effortless — or as ingenious — as what Amazon does with Alexa+. For me, it’s solved the biggest issue I’ve had with digital photo frames and my massive photo library. How do I rediscover those old photos, and how do I make them show up on my photo frame without spending hours combing through everything?

If I were buying my first espresso machine, I would probably get one with a built-in grinder. Actually, my first-ever home espresso machine — the De'Longhi La Specialista Opera — had a built-in grinder. I recommend that new home baristas think about a bean-to-cup for a few reasons: it's less kitchen clutter and less confusing for newbies.

I always recommend the Breville Barista Express — this bean-to-cup is one of our highest-rated all-in-one espresso machines thanks to its reliability, PID controller, powerful steam wand, and ease of use. It's definitely one of the best espresso machines on the market — even in 2026. Yes, this machine first released in 2011, which just goes to show how great it is.

Right now, the Barista Express is $499 at Amazon — the same price as Breville's Bambino Plus (with no grinder), so if you think about it, you're technically getting that grinder for free. Although you can get cheaper grinders and espresso machines, I would personally grab this bean-to-cup.

It's coffee math time!

Let's do some coffee math. I'm going to work out how mcuh it would cost me to buy an espresso machine and a separate grinder versus how much the Breville Barista Express costs. Spoiler alert: you can get a machine + separate grinder for less than $499.

As you can see, the cheapest grinder I'd recommend for espresso is the Casabrews Tornado. While I only gave this a 3-star rating in my review due to its somewhat inconsistent grind, my parents got this grinder and love it. I think if you're a more casual coffee drinker, this will be more than enough.

I also recommend the Breville Dose Control Pro, which has a lot of haters online, but it's a perfectly fine grinder for $149. It's more uniform than the Casabrews model and even has a light-up screen.

There's also the Baratza Encore ESP and Baratza Encore ESP Pro. Baratza is actually owned by Breville, and Breville uses these grinders in its espresso machines, so your Barista Express has a Baratza grinder built in. I'd recommend the ESP over the ESP Pro as the latter is a little too pricey for my liking.

Now, these examples are all the cheapest you can get. Unfortunately, decent espresso machines and coffee grinders don't really go below $150 each, so the cheapest you're looking at is $300.

If you're looking for an easy, one-way ticket to coffeeville, the Barista Express on sale is your best bet. I would be wary about buying it full price ($699), but right now, at just $499, it's a no-brainer.

I don't flat-out recommend buying an espresso machine with a built-in grinder if you want to "nerd out" over coffee. You might be better off with a standalone grinder in that case as you'll be able to customize the grind better. However, then you need more space for two products and more time to get used to two products.

Don't even get me started on four-figure automatic machines like the Philips 8000 Series — I'd skip them in a heartbeat.

Which kind of barista are you? Are you a coffee nerd, or do you want the easiest machine possible? If you're the latter, go for the Barista Express. If you're the former, check out the Breville Bambino Plus and one of the best coffee grinders.

More from Tom's Guide

• The xBloom Studio is perfect for pour-over nerds and coffee snobs — but comes with a price tag outrageous enough to make even Fellow and Acaia gearheads wince
• I tried this viral budget hack for winter greenhouses—here’s how
• I've reviewed the Dreame L50s Pro Ultra, and it's a good robot vacuum option if you have mostly hard floors — but not so much for carpets

I'm just going to rip off the Band-Aid: the xBloom Studio coffee machine is $599. Alright, now that's out in the open, let's get to the bottom of what the xBloom Studio actually is.

Although it looks like something you'd find in a minimalist NYC apartment (life goals), the xBloom Studio is a maximalist coffee machine. It's a pour-over, scale, and grinder in one. It's even app-compatible, so you can customize your drink down to the milliliter.

Like the Ratio Four ($279), it's an automated pour-over, but unlike the Ratio Four, it's got the aforementioned built-in grinder, built-in scale, and app control. Is that extra $329 worth it? That's the question we're trying to answer this week on The Coffee Lab. Is the xBloom Studio one of the best coffee makers, even at $599?

Multi-functional

The xBloom Studio is three products in one.

There's a grinder, a scale, and an automated pour-over. If you buy the Ratio Four, you would need to buy one of the best coffee scales and one of the best coffee grinders separately. These could easily set you back a grand — grinders are particularly pricey (especially my favorite grinder, the $1,500 Mazzer Philos).

However, you could also get a cheap setup; I always recommend the Wacaco Exagram Pro ($49) and the Timemore Chestnut C2S ($60) for seriously low budgets. With the Ratio Four ($279), this would cost $388. That's still $211 cheaper than the xBloom Studio, though it adds more clutter to your coffee space.

Would you pay the extra 200 bucks for an all-in-one? I'm not sure I would, but of course I can't tell you how to think.

Completely customizable

One of the best parts of the xBloom Studio is its customizability. You can make pour-over, xPod (like a fancy Keurig), or even a big batch of pour-over. And every step of those brewing processes is customizable — you can adjust temperature, volume, ratio, and grind speed.

This coffee maker is for serious coffee lovers. You can get incredibly granular, and the xBloom app (more on that later) can literally graph your flow rates. Yep, this isn't a machine for the everyday coffee drinker. I'd recommend this one only for self-professed nerds. While there's nothing wrong with this at all — different strokes for different folks — it's just worth noting if you're a total beginner. If you are a total beginner, I might suggest something like the pod coffee Lavazza Tabli, or if you want a pour-over, start cheap with the Chemex or Hario V60 — definitely the best pour-over coffee makers.

It's not just coffee, either — you can brew tea! Specialty tea is just as delicious as specialty coffee, and with adjustable temperature control, the xBloom can go as low as 100°F (perfect for some types of white tea, for example).

And an... app?

Yes, the xBloom Studio has an app. Because why wouldn't it? It's a new(ish) coffee gadget. Of course it has to have an app.

I'm so sick of apps in general. Why do I need a different app for my speaker, my soundbar, my air fryer, my coffee maker, my watch, my headphones, my earbuds, my alarm clock? Can't we just put a stop to this madness?

Jokes aside, I suppose the xBloom app has a few useful functions. You can customize the NFC card (pictured above) with your go-to recipe. You can also adjust brew volume, brew temperature, and flow rate on the app. You can also program the built-in scale and grinder and configure the pouring direction.

So, I suppose, in the grand scheme of companion apps, the xBloom one is pretty useful. I just wish we didn't need apps at all — I wish this were all built into the machine. I have companion app fatigue. What if I didn't have a smartphone? I'd miss out on 90% of xBloom's USPS.

Would you buy the xBloom Studio?

What do you think? Would you spend $600 on this coffee machine? Let's do a quick rundown of its features again.

• Automated pour over
• xPod compatibility
• Built-in grinder
• Built-in scale
• App customization
• NFC card

As I'm sure you're aware by now, the easiest way to describe the xBloom Studio is as a grinder version of the Ratio Four ($279). The Ratio Four is an automatic pour-over, so you get the delicate flavor of pour-over without the effort. The xBloom Studio makes the same type of coffee, but with a built-in grinder.

Would you pay $600 for an automated pour-over with a built-in grinder? Or do you think that's way too expensive?

As much as I like the appearance and ambition of the xBloom, it's way too expensive for me. There's a lot going for it, but it'll cost you. Let me know what you think in the comments, and check back next week for the next episode of The Coffee Lab.

More from Tom's Guide

• Overwhelmed by coffee jargon? Here are the 5 key espresso terms you need to know
• I'm an ex-Starbucks barista — you can make the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso at home for a fraction of the cost
• I blind taste-tested a homemade PSL vs Starbucks PSL — and the winner didn't surprise me at all

With cold temperatures and frosty soil, winter is hard enough for your existing garden let alone trying to plant any new seeds. And, if like me, you're lacking indoor space and don't have an external greenhouse then this hack might be the game changer you're looking for.

I've been researching about setting up my own mini greenhouses while I wait to plant these 7 winter-hardy vegetables in February. While there were several ideas on what to buy, I stumbled across a TikTok that said I could make them pretty easily yourself – and all I'd need is a milk jug. So, I thought I'd give it a try. Here's what happened.

How does it work?

Sharing DIY home and garden tips on TikTok, @sandra.maria.home has almost 65k followers watching her videos, but it was what she had to say about milk jugs that really caught my attention.

In one video, she explains: "This is a milk jug greenhouse method I have perfected over the years. A mini greenhouse lets you start seeds outdoors way earlier without grow lights or without bathing seedlings inside. For me, it's the start of the growing season."

And all you need is a milk jug (or several, depending on how many seed starters you're planning), a pair of scissors, a kitchen knife and some duct tape. And, of course, some soil and your seeds.

Then, follow these five simple steps:

• Wash your jugs out to avoid any mold and throw away the lids
• Cut the jug in half using a knife or scissors
• Use the knife/scissors to make some drainage holes in the bottom
• Fill the bottom half with appropriate soil and plant your seeds
• Seal with duct tape

Sandra has some advise from her years of mini greenhouse making when it comes to the soil you choose: "Don't use anything with fertilizer, it's too harsh for the seedlings and will kill them."

And, if you're planning on planting multiple seeds, use a pen or wax pencil to number the jugs so you don't lose track of which ones are which. Once spring comes around, you can gently release the duct tape and let the plants acclimatize for planting in your yard.

Here's what happened when I tried it

While Sandra says she picks her jugs up at her local coffee shop, which is a seriously clever idea, I live in a busy household where we happen to drink a lot of milk. Or, at least enough for me to collect a few jugs myself.

So, milk jugs in hand, I followed her steps using scissors to cut and make drainage holes as I found this a lot easier. I then lined them up in my yard in a place I knew I could keep an eye on them without having to venture too far.

Another piece of advice that I think is worth mentioning from Sandra's video is that she says to densely pack the seeds in since this small jug of soil won't be their forever home. That means there will be more to move over once spring rolls around and they can grow into their new environment.

Sure, I need to wait and see how effective my mini greenhouses actually are when spring comes around, but I'm happy that I didn't waste any money and hardly any time doing it. So, if some seeds are successful and others aren't, I'll still be happy to try again.

What I loved about this gardening hack is that making the mini greenhouses really took me no time at all – and it also didn't cost me anything. Considering how easy and affordable this hack is, I'll definitely be recommending it to friends. I just might wait until next year, so I can show them proof that it really does work. Not that I don't trust Sandra!

More from Tom's Guide

• What actually happens if you leave fallen leaves on your lawn — and why you’ll regret it
• I've lost too many plants to cold weather — garden experts share 3 tips to help them survive the winter
• Winter is deadly for helpful insects but your yard can save them — here's how

When trying to find the best robot vacuum for your home, it’s important to consider all of the variables. What kind of flooring do you have in your home? Are there any pets? Children? Each robot vacuum has its strengths and weaknesses.

The strengths of the Dreame L50s Pro Ultra include great cleaning on hard floors, with accurate mapping. The price point is also very attractive for the performance, and the base station is low-maintenance for busy households.

However, if you have a home with carpet, this robot vac should be a skip for you as it struggles here. It also leaves some residue behind after mopping too. To find out more and see if it could be the right fit for your home, keep reading this full Dreame L50 Pro Ultra review.

Dreame L50s Pro Ultra review: Specs

Dreame L50s Pro Ultra review: Price & availability

The Dreame L50s Pro Ultra is available for £649 on Amazon U.K. in White or Black. This is a very reasonable price for the good performance you get from this robovac. This specific model isn’t available in the U.S. However, you can buy the Dreame L50 Ultra for $899 from Amazon, which has slightly lower suction power.

Around a similar price is the Roomba Max 775 Complete. This robovac costs £799, and while it’s pretty loud, it will leave crisp cleaning lines behind on your carpet.

However, I don’t love the roller mop on the Roomba. Instead, I'd recommend the Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro for £1,199. This is more expensive, but as I always say — when it comes to robovacs, you need to spend more to get good performance.

Dreame L50s Pro Ultra review: Design

The Dreame L50s Pro Ultra looks almost identical to the flagship Dreame X50 Ultra. Design-wise, there isn’t much that separates these two models, but their specs are very different. The base station measures 23.2 x 18.0 x 13.4 inches, but has a sleek design so it’s not an eyesore in your home.

In the base station, there’s a self-emptying dustbin, along with clean and dirty water tanks. It can maintain itself for up to 100 days without taking up a lot of space.

The robot measures 23.2 x 18.0 x 13.4 inches, which, again, is the same size as the X50 Ultra Complete. The L50s Pro Ultra looks a little different, though, since it has a sensor that is permanently deployed, unlike the retractable sensor on the X50 Ultra Complete.

With the Dreame L50s Pro Ultra, you get circular mop pads that clean themselves in the docking station. I find this shape far more effective than roller mops you get with other robot vacuums such as the Roomba Max 775 Combo.

Another sleek design feature of the L50s Pro Ultra is the extending side brush. This sweeps all of the dust and debris that can get caught up at the sides of the room into the path of the vacuum for easy cleanup.

The bumper on the front of the robot is also very bouncy, and this helps prevent damage as it bumps into surroundings.

Dreame L50s Pro Ultra review: App

The Dreame L50s Pro Ultra uses the Dreame app. I’ve used this app before when testing other home appliances from Dreame, and its user-friendly interface is one of my favorites to use in my home.

All of the controls are easily mapped out, and when you initially set up the app with your device, it gives you a walkthrough of controls.

I like that I can adjust the operations of the vacuum each time it’s used, as I don’t need to robovac on full suction power for every single clean, so I can save some power.

Dreame L50s Pro Ultra review: Mapping

Mapping the ground floor of my home with the Dreame L50s Pro Ultra took around 10 minutes. This is what I’ve come to expect when initially mapping my home with a new robot vacuum. It uses a laser distance sensor (LDS) to build a map and identify any obstacles.

The map also denotes where there’s carpet or hard floors, so the robovac knows when it needs to lift the mops up from the floor. It shows the room boundaries accurately, and you’re able to name them in the app.

Dreame L50s Pro Ultra review: Cleaning

I was generally impressed with the cleaning capabilities of the Dreame L50s Pro Ultra. It did a great job of picking up most of the debris on hard floors, and left my kitchen sparkling after a mopping session. With that said, if your home is mostly upholstered with carpet, then you should try the Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete, as this has a much higher suction power for better results.

Vacuuming

To test the vacuuming performance of the Dreame L50s Pro Ultra, I conducted my usual lab testing criteria first on hard flooring, and then on carpet. Operation is a little quieter than the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete that I recently tested, but that’s because of the lower suction power.

Hardwood floor:

I think the performance on hard floors is very good. Seeing as this robovac only costs £649, it did a good job of picking up most of the debris. The side-sweeping arm did a good job of gathering any debris that moved to the side of the room.

It’s worth noting that on hard floors in particular, the robot pushed around a lot of the debris with the airflow it was producing. This wasn't a great deal — certainly not as bad as the Mova V70 Ultra Complete — but it was enough to impact cleaning.

Carpet:

Carpet performance is a different story entirely. The extendable side-sweeping arm worked well to gather debris at the edges of the room. But the wheels then seemed to crush and push debris into the carpet. This quickly proved frustrating when, after cleaning was complete, I was looking at a sea of crushed Rice Krispies.

It also had a hard time picking up chia seeds, which are small and naturally fall through the pile of the carpet.

Mopping

To evaluate the mopping capabilities of the Dreame L50s Pro Ultra, I put ketchup, soy sauce and mayonnaise on my kitchen floor. I then created a spot-cleaning routine for the robovac, so it would only focus on the area.

The floor was completely clean afterwards, although there was a slight residue left behind after the clean was completed. The Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete does a much better job of ensuring all residue was gone.

Dreame L50s Pro Ultra review: Storage & maintenance

Maintenance with the Dreame L50s Pro Ultra couldn’t be easier because it essentially looks after itself for 100 days. With the clean and dirty water tanks along with the base station’s dustbin, the robovac can empty itself and refill its own water. The cleaning solution that comes with the robovac also auto-refills, so the mopping always smells fresh.

It can also clean the mop pads with 100ºC water, so you don’t have to touch the grime after it’s cleaned your floors. The base station also dries the mops with hot air, so they’re always good to go for your next round of cleaning.

Dreame L50s Pro Ultra review: Verdict

The Dreame L50s Pro Ultra is an affordable robot vacuum for the performance you’re getting. The base station also makes the experience incredibly low maintenance, which is useful if you have a particularly busy household. It excels on hard floors, and the mapping is simple yet accurate.

However, performance on carpets is quite poor, with a lot of debris left behind and embedded in the carpet. There is some residue left over after mopping is completed.

It’s impressed me in some ways and totally let me down in others, but for excellent robovac performance, you need to spend on a flagship.

Nothing brightens a home quite like a vibrant bunch of hydrangeas. With their colorful blooms and distinctive cone-shaped clusters, it can be disappointing to watch them droop and lose their hue.

But what does it mean when those beautiful flowers start turning green?

I called on a gardening expert to reveal the reasons why your hydrangeas are fading to green — and top tips to help your blooms last longer throughout the season.

Why do hydrangea flowers turn green?

So if hydrangeas are known for their vibrant blooms, what's causing them to (surprisingly) turn green?

"As many hydrangea blooms mature, they naturally develop green tones,” states Paul Parker, plants and bulbs specialist at J. Parker’s. “This is part of the normal ageing process and often adds interest late in the season, particularly in autumn arrangements.

“Green tones are a natural stage in the life cycle of many hydrangea blooms, although the timing and extent of this colour change can vary depending on the variety and growing conditions.”

Parker also notes that while hydrangeas are generally reliable shrubs, a few routine factors can influence their growth and blooming performance.

”Factors such as extreme weather conditions and incorrect pruning can lead to poor flowering. Proper care helps them perform at their best rather than keeping them alive.”

Luckily, there are some top care tips you can follow to protect your hydrangeas during the harsh winter months.

Top hydrangea care tips this winter

Harsh temperatures can often take their toll on your plants, and so you’ll need to safeguard hydrangeas against cold and frost ahead of time.

“To safeguard your hydrangeas from harsh weather, apply a layer of organic mulch around their base,” advises Parker.

“This will help retain moisture, provide some protection against cold temperatures, and suppress weeds. Organic mulches include composted bark, woodchip, straw, or leaves. These materials decompose over time, adding extra nutrients to the soil.”

Additionally, you’ll need to protect plants from heavy snowfall. “After a period of heavy snow, gently brush excess snow from branches using a broom to reduce the risk of damage caused by its weight, particularly during prolonged periods of bad winter weather."

Other top tips include removing damaged or diseased stems to keep your plants healthy all season. And it's recommended to leave faded flower heads intact through winter. This can help protect developing buds for spring, while adding seasonal texture in the garden.

And if you want to double your hydrangea blooms, check out this simple hack to multiply your plants for free.

More from Tom's Guide

• The compact shrub is secretly replacing hydrangeas for better fragrance and easier care
• Gardeners being urged to add coffee grounds when watering hydrangeas
• Drooping hydrangeas? Try these 5 tricks to perk them up fast

Vacuuming alone won’t keep the hard floors in your home clean. And a quick mop isn’t always enough to lift all the grime from everyday activities. One of the best vacuum mops, like the Shark AquaReach Pro, is a great addition to any home.

There’s a great deal to like about the Shark, including how it effortlessly gets into tight spaces and can be moved anywhere thanks to the cordless design. It effectively lifts grime, and the roller mop is fast.

But it’s not all roses. The extendable hose is clunky in storage, and the self-cleaning process on the dock is extremely loud. The one hour of battery life may also put off some users. To find out more, read on for my full Shark AquaReach Pro review.

Shark AquaReach Pro review: Specs

Shark AquaReach Pro review: Price & availability

The Shark AquaReach Pro is available to purchase from Amazon U.S. for $529. In the U.K., you can buy the cleaner directly from the SharkNinja website for £499.

It’s a little cheaper than the Roborock F25 ACE Pro, which costs $599, but this model effortlessly glides along the floor, and means you’re not always manually pushing the mop. That said, if you want the convenience that comes with smaller attachments to get into small spaces, then the Shark is the better option for you.

I’ve also tested the Dreame H15 Pro Heat, which costs $899. This wet/dry vacuum is a better option if you tend to find more stubborn stains in your home, as the water can be heated. But keep in mind that the heated water means the battery life will diminish a lot faster. So if you just want a basic clean, the Shark is a good option.

Shark AquaReach Pro review: Design

The Shark AquaReach Pro is a good-looking home device. Its rose gold and blue accents make it look like a well-thought-out home design piece. When not in use, the Shark sits on a docking station. This is where the device self-cleans, and it has a tray on the side to store smaller attachments for the nozzle.

The docking station plugs into a power outlet and charges the Aqua Reach Pro, and the 5.9-foot power cord means you'll need to keep it near a power outlet. The extendable wand lets you reach surfaces the roller mop can't, and the two extra included attachments get into smaller gaps.

Although this extendable hose helps you get into those hard-to-reach places, It’s probably my least favorite feature of the device from a design perspective. The hose is simply far too long, and when storing the device, it doesn’t retract, as I’m used to with other vacuums and mops. Instead, it clips to the body of the AquaReach Pro and springs back out. I’d love for this to have a more slinky design, so it isn’t fully extended at all times. However, since it has a cordless design, there aren’t any wires to carry around with you, which I appreciate.

There’s a clean water tank on the front of the Shark, and this easily clips on and off. The dirty water tank is on the side, and this has a max fill line so I knew when it needed to be emptied.

For simple floor cleaning, I prefer the design of the Roborock F25 Ace Pro. It looks a lot more basic, but I found it a lot more convenient to use.

The control buttons at the top of the device light up when each mode is in use. After reading the included instructions for the first few uses, I got to grips with each function quickly.

Shark AquaReach Pro review: Cleaning performance

The Shark AquaReach Pro did a great job of making the floors in my kitchen and bathroom incredibly shiny. I filled the clean water tank with water and topped it up with the included cleaning solution as per the guidance on the tank.

The device works by letting out water and then sucking it back up with a vacuum. If a tougher stain requires a bit more help, you can use the trigger on the handle to squirt out more cleaning solution.

This device is designed to be used on hard surfaces, so firstly, I carried out my usual lab testing. I splashed some mayonnaise, soy sauce and ketchup on the floor and allowed them to dry down. The process wasn’t as quick as when I tested the Dreame H15 Pro Heat, but since that’s a heated floor cleaner, I also had to use less elbow grease than with this Shark vacuum mop to lift stains.

The Shark AquaReach Pro brought up all of the mess with relative ease though. Initially, the condiments were moved around the floors but in just six passes, all of the grime had been lifted.

I then took the AquaReach around the house to clean windowsills and in small spaces such as the toilets where the roller mop can’t quite reach. This was very useful, and it left everything feeling fresh. The smaller attachments are very useful; I still wish the hose design was more compact though.

Shark AquaReach Pro review: Storage & maintenance

The Shark AquaReach Pro needs to be stored on its docking station. This means that it will have a permanent home near a power outlet wherever you set it up. It measures 4.53 x 11.61 x 11.02 inches, which is about the same size as a vacuum cleaner, so it’s not a home appliance that can be hidden.

It’s self-cleaning; however, this operation is very loud. When I measured the process using the Decibel X app, I got readings between 60db and 75db. This is what I expect when I’m testing a blender. The self-cleaning on the Dreame H15 Pro Heat is much quieter.

Shark AquaReach Pro review: Battery life

The battery life of the Shark AquaReach Pro lasts for around an hour, which is around the same as the Dreame H15 Pro Heat, which has 72 minutes of cleaning time. And this would be good if I were only cleaning the hard floors in my home.

But that’s not all the AquaReach Pro is for. Since I can use it on all hard surfaces in my home because of the extendable arm and attachments, I needed more than an hour when using it for cleaning.

It also takes three hours to fully charge, and I felt like I was waiting around forever when I just wanted to get on with cleaning.

Shark AquaReach Pro review: Verdict

The Shark AquaReach Pro is a decent option if you have hard floors throughout your home. It has a cordless design, so you’re not limited by power outlets when cleaning, and it can reach into tight spaces with its smaller attachments. It effectively lifts grime, and the roller mop does a great job of agitating the stains on the floor to completely lift them.

However, there are awesome things I don’t love. The extendable hose looks clunky when in storage as it doesn’t retract, and the self-cleaning on the dock is very loud. The hour of battery life may also put you off when you can use it for so many jobs around your home that will certainly take longer than an hour to complete.

I’d recommend it for basic cleaning of floors and baseboards, but if you want something more heavy-duty for other areas of your home like the bathroom, I’d opt for something with a longer battery life.

When cold, wet weather rolls in, drying laundry indoors without a clothes dryer often turns into a multi-day ordeal. Piles of damp fabric draped across clothes airers bring chilling humidity into your living space, leaving garments smelling stale and walls prone to condensation and mould.

The secret to slashing indoor drying times lies not in cranking up the central heating to full blast, but in mastering air movement, extraction, and strategic placement. Here is how to dry your clothes indoors quickly and cleanly this winter, without inviting damp, mold, or musty smells into your home.

More from Tom's Guide

• I revived my stiff, scratchy bath towels to their original softness using simple pantry staples
• I restored my yellowed whites to brilliant white using one overlooked laundry step
• I tried this genius dryer sheet trick on my baseboards, and it got rid of all the dust in 30 seconds

No matter what time of year it is, there seems to be one gardening chore that feels like a never-ending challenge — weeds. This is especially the case in damp fall, when I’m finding my gravel paths and patio pavers littered with unsightly weeds.

And while larger, visible weeds with clear taproots are easy enough to pull out, pesky weeds stuck deep in narrow cracks and crevices are super tricky and time-consuming to remove.

Which is why I was thrilled to discover a kitchen staple that is the ultimate trick for clearing weeds between my pavers.

Baking soda has been a staple in my cleaning routine for years, and there are so many uses for this ingredient — but it can also be used as a homemade, cost-effective weed killer. This is due to its elevated sodium levels, which draw moisture out of plant cells, drying out young weeds. But how effective is this?

I asked gardening experts why baking soda actually kills weeds, and exactly how long it takes.

How long does baking soda take to kill a weed?

Similar to commercial weed killers, baking soda acts as a natural bioherbicide that kills weeds on direct contact with foliage. But how fast does it act?

"Visible damage may occur within about 24–48 hours, although results can vary depending on the size and type of weed, weather conditions, and how thoroughly the baking soda contacts the foliage," states Kathleen Hallal, VP of Landcare and Municipalities at FireHawk Bioherbicide.

"Baking soda can be an effective household option for treating small weeds because its high sodium content can draw moisture from plant tissue and cause the weed to dry out."

Should you clear away the dead plants once the baking soda has done its job? "Once a weed has died, removing the dead plant material is generally a good idea, especially for appearance and to keep the area tidy," says Hallal.

While baking soda works well for eliminating smaller weeds, it cannot penetrate the deep taproot of larger varieties. To tackle larger weeds, you’ll need to pull them by hand or use dedicated tools and products.

How to use baking soda to kill weeds the right way

Bear in mind, applying baking soda properly is vital —or else you risk causing unintended harm to your yard.

“When using this kind of method to kill weeds, it's important to be cautious and apply it carefully, as it may also damage surrounding plants and affect the soil if used repeatedly,” advises Paul Parker, plants and bulbs specialist at J. Parker’s.

“Once the weed has died back, it's best to remove it rather than leave it in place. Wait until the foliage has turned brown and withered, then carefully remove the plant using a small shovel and gloves. Try to remove as much of the root system as possible, particularly with perennial weeds, as any remaining roots may allow them to grow back.”

It’s also worth noting that using baking soda is only a temporary fix for young weeds. And for optimal results, it’s best to use it alongside other conventional weed-control techniques.

“Its main limitation is consistency,” adds Hallal. “Baking soda is not specifically formulated for weed control, so it can be difficult to get even coverage, and the powder can blow away or wash off in rain.”

Additionally, baking soda should be used sparingly, as it could have long-term effects on the quality of your soil. “Over time, excessive sodium can affect soil conditions and potentially harm desirable plants, so it should be used carefully around lawns, garden beds, and landscaped areas.”

However, baking soda is still great for occasional spot treatment for small weeds, particularly when tackling those pesky ones growing in paving cracks or driveways.

In any case, try this household staple the next time you need to banish small weeds - and it should take just 48 hours.

More from Tom's Guide

• 7 tips to banish weeds from your lawn that won't harm the grass
• This aluminum foil hack keeps birds away from grass seed — and it actually works
• 5 easy tips to fix bare patches on your lawn this spring

I have yet to find a fully automatic espresso machine good enough to earn a permanent place in my kitchen. I’ve tested upwards of twenty now, and they all leave a little to be desired. But nothing’s been quite as disappointing as the Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series… let me explain.

The 8000 Series looks beautiful. It’s easily one of the prettiest superautomatic coffee machines I’ve ever tested. There’s a wood-veneer group head, a cup warmer, and two silver rails on top — just like a commercial espresso machine. My hopes were sky high.

However, I’m not convinced it’s one of the best espresso machines. It’s outrageously expensive in the U.S. ($2k!), makes mid-tasting coffee, and can only make one type of milk texture. I’ll go through all the information in this Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series review.

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series review: Specs

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series review: Price & availability

The Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series is a high-end automatic espresso machine. It’ll set you back $1,999 at Amazon U.S. and £895 at Curry’s U.K.

This is a premium price for a premium machine. Similar options would be the KitchenAid KF8 ($1,999) and the De’Longhi PrimaDonna Aromatic ($2,499).

If $2k is a little too much for you, don’t worry. De’Longhi also makes the $1,499 Rivelia, my favorite superautomatic coffee machine to date. For the money-savvy, there’s also the $795 Terra Kafe Demi, which can’t froth milk, and the Smeg BCC13, which is even cheaper at $749 but doesn’t have a full-color LED screen.

Philips also makes the $394 2200 Series. What’s actually different between the two? Honestly, not as much as you might think. The 2200 Series still has a built-in milk frother, unlike the $795 Terra Kafe Demi, and has a bright screen, unlike the $749 Smeg BCC13. Sure, the 2200 only makes “espresso”, “coffee”, and “hot water”, but that’s the foundation of any coffee drink. While the 8000 Series is much easier thanks to its one-touch recipes, I’m not sure this justifies a whole $1,600 extra. Personally, I would get the $394 2200 Series, or a standalone milk frother, like the $139 Subminimal Nanofoamer Pro Gen 2 for more finesse.

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series review: Design

Oh, the Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series is a sight to behold. It’s gorgeous. I’d go so far as to say it’s the most beautiful automatic coffee machine I’ve ever seen. Of course, it’s essentially a big plastic-and-metal box — it’s still an automatic coffee machine, after all — but there’s a sense of finesse missing from other machines (yes, even $2,000 ones).

There’s a cup warmer on top of the machine, complete with two stainless steel rails on either side, and a low-profile grinder. The grinder holds a whole 250g bag of beans at once, even though it’s only rated for 200g.

But my favorite part is the wood finish on the portafilter. Rather than plastic or metal — boring! — the 8000 Series has a gorgeous, glossy wood veneer, making the machine look more like an automatic version of the Lelit MaraX3 than something like the Casabrews Ultra Pro.

You might be sensing a theme here, but it only gets better. Even though the water tank looks pretty small, it’s actually 64 fluid ounces (just under 2 liters). And it’s a slide-out tank, so you don’t need counter space with overhead clearance, unlike the KitchenAid KF3 ($999).

At 15.3 x 9.9 17.8 inches, the 8000 isn’t the slimmest automatic coffee machine I’ve ever tested — that would go to the aforementioned KitchenAid KF3 — but it doesn’t look as bulky as its dimensions might suggest. I had this out in the office for a week (making around ten drinks a day) and it looked right at home.

If you value a good-looking automatic coffee machine, the 8000 is surely for you. I really have nothing bad to say about its appearance.

However, the 8000 Series has “app functionality”. Here’s a screenshot of said “app functionality”.

All you can really do is set user profiles and scroll through recipe ideas — most of which require extra ingredients, like custard or chocolate sauce. While I like that you can customize and save up to 8 drinks for each user profile, I do wish there was more purpose to the app. Sure, you can remote control brewing, but I wish there was something more. Or there’s not much point even having an app.

I also have a bone to pick with the language in said app. As you can see from the screenshots above, the app describes a latte as having “slightly light body, slightly bitter taste”. Coffee shouldn’t actually taste bitter. The central flavor note in a latte should not be bitterness. It should have a little bitterness to balance it out, but the prevailing taste should be fruitiness, chocolate, or nuttiness (depending on your beans). Maybe this is why the coffee tastes mediocre — because the machine is trying to make it bitter.

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series review: Espresso

The standout feature on the 8000 Series is its ease of use. One touch makes 40+ recipes. Some of the recipes I’d never heard of, like Melange and Galão. Of course, there are also a range of cold drinks, but these are extracted hot, so in theory you could pull a normal espresso and top it up with cold milk to achieve the same results.

Here’s a photo of a straightforward espresso.

As you can see, it has a nice layer of crema, but the shot itself is a little pale. This espresso tasted rich and smooth, but with a little too much bitterness at the back of the palate for my personal taste.

You can easily customize the espresso settings for every drink (and then save your customized drinks to profiles). You can adjust the strength from 1-7, temperature, and use ground coffee if you please.

The grinder is also manually adjustable, but the machine calibrated itself based on my beans. Pressing the bean button brings up a built-in AI, which asks questions about roast and species of bean. After I provided this information, it adjusted the grind size to suit.

I found most drinks were way too bitter by default. I like the taste of coffee — I drink straight espresso to taste-test every single coffee machine. However, the 8000 Series brought out an unpleasant bitter note in my usual Ethiopian, medium-roasted testing beans, so I had to increase milk volume for every drink recipe.

The oat flat white (pictured in the “Milk” section below) was almost black. This is incredibly weird. I would recommend adjusting the default recipe for each drink to ensure it’s not overly strong.

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series review: Milk

I appreciate the 8000 Series comes with both a hot and cold milk frother — more versatile than the De’Longhi Rivelia, which makes you spend extra for the cold milk system. However, you can’t customize the milk texture at all. You can adjust milk volume, but not texture. Iced latte, hot cappuccino, flat white, macchiato… all the same milk texture.

I’m sure the drinks are intended to be different milk textures, but they’re not. Everything is a little too aerated. There’s also no non-dairy/dairy milk setting, so oat milk is treated the same as cow milk, which is disappointing to see on such a pricey machine.

Here are three photos: one is an oat flat white, one is a cow milk latte, and one is an oat layered latte.

As you can see, the milk texture is relatively similar, and describable in one word: bubbly. For a $2,000 machine, it’s just not good enough. De’Longhi’s high-end milk systems allow for a three-prong customizer: you can choose low, medium, or high foam.

So, while I value the inclusion of a cold milk frother, the said milk frother isn’t as effective as De’Longhi’s “LatteCrema” systems.

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series review: Storage & maintenance

At 10 inches wide, 18 inches deep, and 15 inches tall, this is no small machine. However, it doesn’t require any overhead clearance thanks to the flush grinder hopper and side-accessible water tank, so you could theoretically get it even if your counters only have 16 inches of space.

The 8000 Series comes with a water filter, which I’d recommend installing regardless of water hardness. If you live in a particularly hard water area, you will need to descale more often than the machine recommends. Don’t worry if you don’t know your water hardness — the machine comes with a test strip.

Philips makes a descaler: $16 for two packs at Amazon. This should last you around six months depending on your water hardness.

Cleaning is also easy: the milk frothers and drip tray are dishwasher safe (but they take up a lot of space in said dishwasher), and the machine will alert you when you need to rinse internal brewing elements. Be warned that coffee grounds go moldy quickly, so empty this at least every day.

Finally, warranty. Philips offers a 2-year standard warranty, which is the same as KitchenAid, De’Longhi, Ninja, and Breville. I’d like to see coffee companies start to move towards a 5-year warranty, especially when these machines cost so much.

Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series review: Verdict

I really don’t think the Philips Café Aromis 8000 Series is worth $2,000. It tastes like coffee you can get on the $394 2200 Series. If you really, really want to spend two grand, I’d recommend the KitchenAid KF8 instead. If you want to save money but get an automatic machine, I’d go for the $1,400 De’Longhi Rivelia or $895 Smeg BCC13.

While the Café Aromis 8000 Series looks gorgeous and is incredibly easy to use, I cannot find anything to justify that price. Sure, it can make 40+ recipes, but are you really going to make a Melange or Galão on a fully automatic coffee machine? Not really. Just make it manually — it’ll taste better. As the machine can’t actually make different milk textures, it’s not a true Melange or Galão anyway.

I would personally skip this one. It’s much too expensive in the U.S. and doesn’t make nice-tasting coffee — but if you value appearance and ease of use over anything else, you might not be disappointed.

My yard is absolutely covered in leaves and that's always one of the biggest indicators that I need to start seriously thinking about getting it ready for winter. The winter months bring their own set of challenges from thinning grass to damaged roots, so being prepared and protecting your shrubs and lawn will ultimately save you a lot of time, money and hard work.

Over the past few years, I've streamlined the steps I take in order to fit in my winter garden prep before it gets too cold and before the frost starts to wreak havoc on my plants. Here's the 5-step checklist I swear by each year to get my yard winter ready.

1. Get rid of clutter and debris

As mentioned, the fallen leaves are the first problem I know I need to tackle. They can quickly damage the glass, blocking sunlight and reducing air circulation. Once I've raked up the leaves with my favorite 'tarp burrito' method, I need to focus on removing any more debris and clutter.

Over the summer months, my yard has been lovingly used, but that means there are tools, toys and leftover gardening items lying around. For winter, it's important to clear up and pack away everything that doesn't belong. Not only because leaving them out will damage your yard, but it'll ruin the items too.

2. Wrap up fragile plants

It's hard to pick plants for your yard that last all-year round and some in particular are sensitive to the winter weather, especially those which are tropical/exotic. After you identify which plants these are, it's a great idea to wrap them up to protect them. For this, I look to the 5 household items that can protect your plants from frost.

My personal favorites to use are horticultural fleece or bubble wrap as it's something I usually have leftover from the year before (or ready for wrapping presents in the holiday season). As soon as the temperature really drops or there's warning of frost, I like to wrap them up and leave them until spring.

3. One last mow

Working out when to give your lawn one last mow depends on where you're living, but it also shouldn't just be dictated because you know you're heading into the winter months. As the Farmers' Almanac explains: "Keep mowing your lawn as long as the grass is actively growing." And that's a rule I live by.

Adding: "A useful temperature clue is when daytime high temperatures consistently remain near or below 50°F." But you also shouldn't go on temperature alone. Consider the growth, temperature and type of grass you have in your yard as well – and, of course, whether it's still growing.

4. Mulch borders

Another way to protect the plants before the winter hits is to apply some compost or bark mulch around the roots. This works as a great insulator to protect them from frost, as well as protecting the soil in general which can deteriorate during extreme winds and heavy rains.

As a rule, I like to add about a 2 to 3 inch layer as a sort of winter blanket that mimics the one I find myself sitting under. This is also an effective way to stop weeds that are hardy enough to penetrate the soil from growing all winter long.

5. Clean, cover up or pack away furniture

In the same way I like to clear up any debris or clutter in my yard, I think it's also important to focus on any lawn, yard or patio furniture you've been putting to good use over the summer months.

It's far too easy when it gets cold and dark outside to forget about the furniture and put off clearing it up or covering it over for another day. If you keep forgetting, you're putting your furniture in danger of rust, excessive wear or even rotting. So, get out there and get it wrapped up before it's too late!

More from Tom's Guide

• The fall lawncare mistake you’re probably making — and the secret to a greener lawn next spring
• Winter is deadly for helpful insects but your yard can save them — here's how
• Want a green garden come spring? Expert tips to protect your lawn this winter

If you’re seriously into air fry cooking you might be ready to upgrade your single-drawer appliance to a double version. There's nothing more frustrating than waiting for your main to cook to finish, before starting on your side — not to mention keeping the cooked food warm.

So, if you started your air fryer life with a single-drawer appliance, you can probably see the benefit of upgrading to one of the best dual-drawer air fryers. The Bosch Series 4 Dual Drawer wants to join that list, and after testing this air fryer I think it definitely deserves a spot.

Most of the air fryers in our top picks are single-drawer models, such as the Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1, which gets 5 stars. But the Philip 3000 Dual Zone Air Fryer is currently our favorite dual-zone air fryer and gets a 4-star rating. Here's how the Bosch stacks up.

Bosch Series 4 Dual Drawer: Price and availability

Currently, the Bosch Series 4 dual-drawer air fryer is only available in the U.K., and you'll pay £169 direct from Bosch for the model with two 4.5-liter drawers. Currently, there are no plans to launch it in the U.S. market, but if that changes, I'll make sure to update this review.

In terms of comparisons, we've also tested the Philips 3000 Dual Zone Air Fryer (mentioned above) with a 6-liter and 3-liter drawer, which is £108 at Amazon in the U.K. and $210 at Amazon in the U.S.It's also worth checking out Cosori’s 10-in-1 Dual Basket Air Fryer, which is $169 at Amazon in the U.S, while the 8-in-1 version is £119 in the U.K.

Bosch Series 4 Dual Drawer Air Fryer: Design

As air fryers go, this Bosch version looks smart, but it does takes up countertop space because the two equal-sized baskets sit side by side. If space is at a premium in your kitchen but you still want air-frying capacity, I’d suggest investing in a double-stack air fryer instead.

You won't be able to peer inside through a window to see how your cooking is progressing, so bear that in mind, but I think of a window as a 'nice to have' feature rather than a definite 'must have'.

Bosch Series 4 Dual Drawer Air Fryer: Controls and functionality

The digital control panel is intuitive to use, even with dual baskets to manage. Right at the top, you’ll notice preset food icons. I don’t usually rely on presets with air fryers, but they are convenient if you regularly cook the same staples. You don’t need to think about the temperature setting, so you can adjust the cook time up or down if needed.

What presets do you get? Choose from chips, poultry, searing, fish, vegetables, and small baked items. It also has defrost, warming up and keep warm modes.

You can also add your own favorites using MyFry — I love this feature as it means you don't have to keep referring to a recipe to check the temperature or cook time of your regular favorites.

Sync or separate
You can set a different time and temperature for each basket, match the two, or sync them to finish at the same time. I found it intuitive and was able to use the controls without spending much time reading through the instructions.

Temperature
I tend to use my current air fryer, the Corsori TuroBlaze, to proof dough, as its lowest temperature is perfect at 30°C. However, you won't be able to do that with the Bosch as the temperature starts slightly higher at 40°C, with a range up to 230°C, in 5°C increments.

Bosch Series 4 Dual Drawer Air Fryer: Performance

It made sense to start by using both cooking baskets so I could experiment with the sync setting. I placed quarter-pound burgers in one drawer and frozen fries in the other. I selected the ‘fries’ program (180°C for 15 minutes) and the shake reminder, and set the burgers at 200°C for 12 minutes, without choosing a program.

With a longer cook time, the fries started first, and the ‘Hold’ displayed above the left basket with the burgers. Then, after three minutes, the burgers started to cook. At 6 minutes (halfway through the fries cook time), the appliance beeped, and a shake reminder flashed up on the display.

I was pretty happy with both the burgers and fries, especially considering I'd piled a whole load of fries into the basket.

I do love roasting vegetables, especially peppers and zucchini, so I sliced some up and placed them both in one basket. I choose the vegetable preset, which automatically selects a temperature of 180°C for 15 minutes.

Halfway through the cook, I got a shake reminder, and I was able to check on the vegetables before giving them a shuffle and returning them to the drawer.
I didn't need to adjust the cook time, and the vegetables were perfectly cooked with a pleasant char.

Bosch Series 4 Dual Drawer Air Fryer: Verdict

It’s a little different to use than most of the air fryers I’ve tested, where you select a mode such as ‘air fry’, ‘bake’ or ‘roast’. With the Bosch you get a choice of presets which are highlighted by icons on the control panel.

But I like that you don't need to think about what temperature or how long you need to cook each food item for. You can also add your own timings and temperatures for your favorites.

The cooking functionality didn’t disappoint, and I found the air fryer easy to use, but the double baskets do limit you if you like to cook foods such as a whole chicken. However, it's ideal if you plan to cook several items at once, since you won't be left with cold fries while your protein cooks.

Pod espresso machines are often reviled by serious coffee snobs. Nespresso, Keurig, and everything in between — it’s just not “real coffee”. Their words, not mine. But the Lavazza Tablì is the closest to “real coffee” a pod machine has ever got.

I’ve not been this excited about a coffee machine in a while. The Tablì doesn’t use plastic-encased or aluminum-bound pods, but 100% coffee “Tabs”. It’s as pure as you can get. At first, I wondered if this was more a gimmick than an actual innovation, but after testing the Tablì for over a week (and using up all my Tabs), I have to say: the Lavazza Tablì is seriously special.

Is this enough to make the Lavazza Tablì one of the best espresso machines? Yes, without a doubt. I’m a tough crowd, but the Tablì has done the impossible: foolproof usability, affordability, and genuinely lip-smacking coffee. It’s a home run. Still not convinced? Find out the full story in this Lavazza Tablì review.

Lavazza Tablì review: Specs

Lavazza Tablì review: Price & availability

The Lavazza Tablì is available in a few different variants. The machine alone costs $129 from Amazon U.S. and £199 from John Lewis in the U.K, which is incredibly affordable (especially in the U.S., where list prices are typically higher than in Britain). When I saw the U.S. price, I actually gasped.

You can also buy the Tablì with a Lavazza milk frother (which is the version Lavazza sent me). This will set you back $199 from Amazon U.S. You can’t buy this bundle in the U.K., but the milk frother is an extra £79 from John Lewis, making it £278 overall. I’m unsure why it’s so much more expensive in the U.K., but it is what it is.

In the U.S., you can also get the full set: Tablì, milk frother, and 60 Tabs for $249 from Amazon U.S. A similar variant in the U.K. is: Tablì, milk frother, and 48 Tabs for £199 — but only directly from Lavazza.

I will do my very best to explain just how affordable this is. $129 for the Tablì is fantastic. I was honestly expecting $200-$250 when I unboxed it. Similar Nespresso machines would be the CitiZ or Pixie, $319 and $179, respectively. Add the Nespresso Aeroccino on top of that and you’re looking at an extra $100.

True, Nespresso Vertuo machines are cheaper: you’ve got the $129 Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ and the $229 Nespresso Vertuo Up. Still, the $100 price difference between the Tablì and Vertuo Up might not be enough to justify the latter’s ice mode if you’re on a tight budget.

Lavazza Tablì review: Design

The Lavazza Tablì is gorgeous. While it’s quite large — 15 inches deep and 13 inches tall — nothing about its design suggests “bulky”. This is a modern, stylish piece of tech that’ll elicit some interested questions from houseguests. I can’t count the times my colleagues directed “Oooh” or “Aaah” sounds towards it. Of all the coffee machines I’ve tested, this received the most interested comments — matched only by the beautiful Lelit MaraX3.

On the machine itself are four buttons: one for power, one for a double shot, one for a single shot, and one for a long shot.

Three lights on top of the machine correspond to the water tank, grounds drawer, and cleaning. These light up should you need to refill the tank, empty the drawer, or run a cleaning cycle.

There’s nothing confusing about the Tablì. It’s a straightforward, simple machine that doesn’t skimp on aesthetics or charisma.

The sole negative is the small space between the pouring spout and drip tray. You must use a shot glass or small mug as your receptacle; normal-sized mugs will not fit.

I’ll quickly mention the Tablì app. Yes, there’s an app. No, you don’t need to download it. I would recommend avoiding the app — not because it’s horrendous, but because it’s completely superfluous.

You can make espresso recipes, but because this is literally just a pod coffee machine, the only thing you can do is adjust temperature and volume. You can save said recipes, as you can see in my screenshots, and you can send these recipes to the machine. At first, I thought the app was glitchy, but it just takes a bit of experimenting to find out how to actually navigate it. Of course, you can buy Tabs in the app, which is probably the only genuinely useful feature.

I’d skip the app unless you’re a smart home fiend.

Lavazza Tablì review: Espresso

Now onto the good stuff: taste. As mentioned earlier, the Tablì is extremely easy to use. All you do is slide up the top, insert the Tab, and press the brew button. That’s it. The shots come out as two single shots or one double, which you can control by flipping up the pouring spout (single) or leaving it down (double).

At the time of writing, you can get five flavors of coffee: espresso intenso, qualita rossa, qualita oro, ristretto, and decaf. Of the bunch, my favorite was oro. I’d like to see Lavazza introduce some new flavors in time: ideally, some kind of juicy, fruity African bean. Those who’ve been here long enough know that I much prefer a lighter-roasted Ethiopian coffee to a dark-roasted Brazilian coffee. Obviously, this is just personal preference, and if you like those rich, full-bodied, chocolatey espressos, you’re the perfect candidate for Lavazza’s default beans anyway.

I do wonder if, assuming the Tablì (rightly) takes off, we’ll start seeing some third-party “Tabs”. Or if some coffee whiz will invent a way to make your own tabs. Or if Lavazza will introduce a Tab-making product itself, so you could theoretically grind your own beans, then compact them into a tab. However, that’s a lot of effort, and the Tablì isn’t really a lots-of-effort type of machine.

As for the coffee itself, well, it tastes so much better than any other pod machine I’ve tried. Although it’s definitely over-pressurized espresso — you can tell by how aerated and fluffy the crema is — it tastes wonderful. There’s zero bitterness whatsoever, and a well-rounded, strong coffee flavor.

I tested the Lavazza Tablì and the $1,999 Philips Cafe Aromis 8000 Series back to back, and which one tasted better? The Tablì, and boy, it wasn’t even close.

The prevailing issue holding the Tablì back — right now — is the lack of variety in the pods. Sorry, Tabs. Nespresso makes a huge variety of flavors, using every type of bean from around the world, and even has special Christmas, fall, and summer flavors. If you’re the kind of coffee drinker who jumps at the chance to try maple praline or pumpkin spice-flavored pods, then I might recommend sticking with Nespresso.

However, it’s still early days for the Tablì, and you never know what Lavazza might be cooking up behind the scenes.

Even though it doesn’t come by default, I’ll quickly discuss the milk frother. If you get the Tablì with the milk frother, you won’t be disappointed. Here’s a photo of the gorgeous milk texture.

As you can see, the bubbles are velvety and small, with no textural unevenness. While I can’t classify this as an explicit “Pro” — the Tablì doesn’t come with the milk frother — I would recommend grabbing the milk frother too if you like milk drinks. You don’t even have to use it with the Tablì; you could make hot chocolates or cold foam.

Lavazza Tablì review: Storage & maintenance

As I’ve mentioned, the Tablì isn’t exactly a compact machine. The Nespresso CitiZ is relatively smaller, at 11 x 12 inches compared to the Tablì’s 15 x 13. If you need a seriously small coffee maker, I might suggest the Nespresso instead.

However, the Tablì wins in every other contest. It’s prettier, tastes so much better, and is better for the environment. Nespresso pods can be recycled for free, which is better than Keurig charging $10 to recycle 96 pods (I still can’t believe that; it’s horrifying). However, manufacturing and recycling aluminum pods still generates waste and uses resources.

The Tablì’s Tabs are 100% coffee. No aluminum wrapping, no plastic casing. You can literally take the pucks out of the machine and throw them on the garden compost, or in your food waste. They’re just coffee. Of course, the Tabs come in a little cardboard box — that looks like a little chocolate box — but everything comes in a package. Whole coffee beans come in plastic bags.

Tabs cost around $1 a pop. This is par for the course with pod machines — Nespresso pods will set you back around $0.90 each, and Vertuo pods are around $1.40 (flavour dependent).

As the water tank is filled from above, you’ll need a decent amount of clearance space. However, like every other coffee machine I’ve ever reviewed, the grounds drawer is removed from the front.

Lavazza offers a 2-year warranty, which is the same as Nespresso, De’Longhi, Breville, and Ninja.

Lavazza Tablì review: Verdict

I’m sure you can tell from this review, but I adore the Lavazza Tablì. I’ve not been this excited by a coffee machine since I tested the Lelit MaraX3 earlier in the year. I’ve never been this excited by a pod machine.

And it’s just $129? How? How is this possible? $129 for a machine capable of producing this quality of espresso is unheard of. Sure, Nespresso Vertuo machines can be found for around $129, too, but none taste as good as the Tablì. Vertuo pods are extracted by centrifugal force, while Tablì uses traditional espresso pressure (espresso literally means pressure in Italian).

Want a pod machine that makes actually delicious espresso? The Lavazza Tablì is for you. I can’t wait to see how this innovation transforms the coffee machine world.

Sharing a fence line with your neighbor next door can be a blessing and a curse at times. Figuring out where your property ends and what you're legally allowed to do gets confusing fast. You've probably run into this when painting your side of a shared fence or chopping back overhanging branches.

But what can you do if your neighbor’s plants are starting to take over your yard?

While hacking away at whatever crosses the fence seems like an easy fix, you'll want to double-check the rules first. Plus, who's stuck cleaning up the mess?

To prevent a neighborly dispute, I asked experts about the legal rules around encroaching greenery. How should you handle invasive plants from next door, and what is the best way to address the issue with your neighbor?

Here's everything you need to know.

Can I just trim the plants myself?

According to experts, you can trim it yourself, but only cut the foliage that extends to your property line. And if there is any uncertainty, it’s advisable to get a land surveyor in to determine your boundaries.

“I recommend looking up a plot of your property or hiring a land surveyor to ensure that you accurately identify the boundary,” suggests Yury Byalik, J.D., founder of CivilCase.

“Only cut what extends onto your property; you could potentially owe compensation to your neighbor if you go too far and cause the tree to die or fall. Be careful with weed killers, too. Intentionally spraying a neighbor’s tree may result in triple damages!”

So, what precautions should I take when cutting back my neighbor's invasive plants?

“Legally speaking, you're generally within your rights to cut back any plants growing onto your property as long as you don't severely damage your neighbor's plants,” adds Jonathan Palley, CEO of Clever Tiny Homes.

“One exception here is if you're dealing with some kind of protected species. Conversely, if the plants growing into your yard are invasive or noxious, you will often have more leeway in dealing with them.”

Also, keep an eye out for nasty invasive weeds like Japanese knotweed, which usually need pros to clear out. Want more tips? Check out how to tackle Japanese knotweed and stop it from taking over your yard.

How do I bring this up with my neighbor?

Speaking to your neighbor about such awkward issues can feel like a burden, but it doesn't have to be. Getting it out in the open early will save you a massive headache (and potential costs) later.

“First, take photos and send a polite note,” advises Yury Byalik, J.D., founder of CivilCase. “Begin by taking dated photos of the encroaching plant, including some sort of measuring device, such as a tape measure or fence post, in the frame. This will document just how far the plant has spread.

“Once you have the photos, write a brief and friendly note describing the plant and requesting a trim. A polite initial contact is always wise; it also provides evidence that you notified your neighbor in the event the dispute ever ends up in court.”

Of course, if your neighbors are still uncooperative after discussion, you might have grounds for legal action — especially if the plants are getting out of hand.

“Your next step should be a demand letter, which can resolve the matter before litigation begins,” states Byalik.

“Clearly describe the plant, the damage, how it should be fixed, and a 30-day deadline to do so. Send the letter via certified mail, which will give you proof of delivery.

“Small claims court may also be an option, particularly if your neighbor’s tree has caused significant damage like cracking the patio or raising the fence. In some states, you can sue for the cost of repairs, and you don’t need a lawyer. But if your neighbor’s tree is just leaving its leaves in your yard, a small claims court may not be the best option.”

Ultimately, you’re better off avoiding any legal disputes, so aiming for an amicable resolution to maintain good relations is ideal.

After all, supportive neighbors can be invaluable in the long run.

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 rude habits your neighbors hate
• Is it okay to paint your side of your neighbor's fence?
• These 7 plants will create more privacy in your backyard

Whenever I’m seeking home inspiration or planning to transform my living space with style, Joanna Gaines has always been one of my go-to interior design gurus. And when I'm not exploring her gorgeous Magnolia Home line, I'm slightly obsessed with her cozy, vintage-inspired rug collection.

Which is why I was thrilled to discover that my favorite rug is currently on sale at Wayfair. Right now, the Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines x Loloi Junie Denim / Natural Area Rug is $49, down from $79.

That’s a decent 37% discount, and it will bring cozy warmth and vibes for the colder months ahead.

Plus, it looks stunning and will instantly upgrade your home — just in time for the holiday season. Here’s why I’ll be rushing to put it in my shopping cart.

Why I'll be picking up this rug

Part of the Junie Collection from Magnolia Home, this area rug was created in collaboration with Loloi. It's a great choice for introducing character and adding warmth to any space.

This is especially the case if you want to keep your house warm without turning up the thermostat this season.

Its oriental design and earthy tones are eye-catching, and it’s designed to be shed-free, durable, and super easy to maintain. It’s also stain-resistant, which comes in handy when you have messy children or pets running around.

What I love most about this rug is its incredible versatility — it has a lighter or darker side depending on the angle you view it from. Plus, it comes with a cotton backing material to ensure that your hard floors don’t get ruined.

So if you want to style your room like Joanna Gaines, this rug will bring a touch of vintage designer glam to your home. And at such a great price, this deal won’t be on the shelves for too long.

For more inspo, shop the rest of the Magnolia Home collection.

More from Tom's Guide

• 9 best fall decor ideas for a cozy home
• Plus, here's how to make a no-carve pumpkin
• This Joanna Gaines decluttering trick is what we all should be doing

If you’re staring at your Christmas cactus right now and seeing nothing but plain green leaves, don't panic. There is still time to turn things around. The plant is notoriously finicky about its fall cues, and even a sliver of hallway light or a radiator turned up too high can stall budding entirely.

Fortunately, triggering a full flush of winter blooms doesn't require specialist gear or green fingers. A few precise changes to where it sits, how much you water it, and when you plunge it into darkness will kickstart the budding process in days.

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 signs you've overwatered your Christmas cactus — and how to fix it
• 3 reasons your Christmas cactus is wilting and how to fix it now
• How to keep your Christmas cactus producing gorgeous blooms every year

Tackling baked-on oven grease is rarely anyone’s favorite chore, but the shortcuts you take to get the job done could be silently wrecking your cooker.

According to one appliance expert, several well-meaning cleaning methods can damage your appliance’s surface and reduce its performance.

While you might feel confident with how to clean your oven, Ecem Uslubaş, senior product manager for cooking at Hotpoint, says, “a lot of common habits are based on what’s always been done rather than what works for each surface.”

And she adds, “Getting it wrong doesn’t always cause obvious damage straight away, but it can impact the performance of your appliance without regular care.”

So, before you slip on your household gloves and give your oven a deep clean, consider these six common oven-cleaning mistakes — and the safer routines you should adopt instead.

1. Using the same sponge on every surface

Reaching for the same abrasive scourer for the cooktop, the oven interior and the exterior trim is one of the most common habits.

“Enamel, glass and stainless steel all respond differently to abrasive materials," explains Uslubaş. “A sponge tough enough for baked-on food can leave fine scratches on glass or dull the finish on stainless steel over time.”

Instead of using the same cleaning sponge for all surfaces, she suggests keeping a softer cloth aside for delicate surfaces and reserving anything abrasive for tougher, more durable areas, as it will help protect each surface for longer.

2. Letting spills bake on repeatedly

Wiping a spill away once the cooker has cooled is far easier than dealing with it after several more cooking cycles.

“Each time a spill gets reheated, it bonds more firmly to the surface,” says Uslubaş. “What would have taken a quick wipe on day one can end up needing a specialist product and more effort a few weeks later.”

Even though it can seem easy to close the oven door and pretend the mess doesn’t exist, it will only prolong and worsen the cleanup. Instead of a simple wipe-down, your oven will need a deep clean if spills are left to solidify and become baked-in.

3. Spraying cleaning product directly onto control panels

Aiming a spray bottle straight at the controls can allow liquid to seep behind buttons or dials, which may affect how they function. However, there’s a simple way to change this habit, protecting your appliance while still getting it clean.

“It’s worth applying the product to a cloth first, rather than spraying it directly onto the panel,” advises Uslubaş.

4. Assuming every removable part is dishwasher safe

Shelves, trays and other removable parts vary between cooker models, and not all of them are suited to a dishwasher cycle.

It's also worth being aware that some finishes can be affected by the heat or the detergents used in a dishwasher, which makes them unsuitable, while some parts may only be suitable for cleaning on the top rack.

Uslubaş says, "Make sure you check the appliance instructions before removing or washing any parts of your appliance. It’s also worth checking before using any specialist cleaning product too.”

5. Lining the oven floor with aluminum foil

Lining the bottom of the oven with foil might seem like a simple way to catch spills, but it can interfere with airflow and heat distribution. Although it's easier to remove and replace soiled foil, it has a negative impact on the performance of your oven.

"Ovens are designed with specific airflow in mind, and foil can disrupt that, leading to uneven cooking results," explains Uslubaş.

As an alternative she suggests using removable trays or liners designed for the purpose, as they are a safer way to catch drips without affecting performance.

6. Overlooking door seals and edges

The door seal is one of the most frequently missed areas during a routine clean, despite playing an important role in how efficiently the oven heats. I have to admit, that I also neglect cleaning my washing machine and dishwasher seal, just the same.

"Seals can gather grease and food debris just like any other part of the oven, and a damaged or dirty seal can let heat escape," says Uslubaş. “Wiping around the seal and door edges as part of a regular clean helps maintain both hygiene and cooking performance.”

Regularly cleaning the seal also lets you check for wear, such as cracks that can reduce the seal’s efficiency.

What to look for when buying a new oven

Cleaning an oven can be a real drag, especially after you've cooked a roast, as the entire appliance can be covered in grease. But, it can be made easier by cleaning it out once it's cooled down, rather than leaving until it's cooked a few more dinners.

However, if you are in the market for one of the best ovens, Uslubaş says it’s worth looking for an appliance that helps clean itself, and suggests buying one with the following features:

Pyrolytic cleaning
The oven heats up to an extreme temperature and carbonizes and incinerates grease, baked-on food and residue to a fine ash.

Steam cleaning
Rather than heating to extreme temperatures, a steam cleaning function involves pouring a small amount of water onto the oven floor and heating it to around 200-400°F. The steam created helps loosen any residue, which can then be wiped away with a cloth.

Catalytic liners
The oven’s interior walls are lined with a porous enamel embedded with an oxidation catalyst. The liner continuously absorbs grease and food splatters while you’re baking at normal temperatures.

More from Tom's Guide

• People are using dishwasher tablets to clean their oven — here's how to do it
• How to remove oven glass stains without leaving a single scratch using this one natural solution
• Stubborn air fryer grease? Here's why it sticks and how to eliminate it

Perhaps unsurprisingly, smart homes are hot right now – apps and AI are weaving their way into every facet of home life, from turning on the lights and checking security footage to adjusting the thermostat and managing your family's hectic schedule.

"Smart" doesn't always mean... smart, though, and embedding technology into everyday household appliances can sometimes backfire.

Take Neato Robotics' robot vacuum, for example, which ceased operating in May 2023 before its parent company, Vorwerk, phased out cloud services from October 2025 – leaving owners without app controls.

Some might laugh and point to perfectly functional "dumb" vacuums, but Neato is hardly alone in this brave new world: smart lights, cameras, thermostats, and myriad other gadgets can depend on services that might vanish overnight.

In 2026, when almost everything comes with an app or cloud features, buying smart is becoming increasingly important – especially if you want to avoid gadgets with a hidden expiration date.

When smart gadgets suddenly turn stupid

While 'the cloud' might be nice branding, the reality is that many smart gadgets rely on physical infrastructure operated by manufacturers or third-party providers to process commands, manage features, and so on.

For cloud-dependent gadgets, then, the hardware isn't always quite as independent as it might seem.

The situation is exemplified by Belkin, one of the top smart home accessory makers. Back in January, Belkin discontinued cloud services for numerous WeMo products, affecting smart plugs and other household gadgets.

As a result, the WeMo app stopped working, alongside cloud-dependent features like Google Assistant integration. For anyone who'd paid good money for these gadgets, it was subpar, to say the least.

Some devices, however, got a reprieve of sorts: those already configured with Apple's HomeKit before the shutdown could continue working locally.

Even some really popular devices from large companies haven't escaped this. As Google migrated Nest devices to its platform, it discontinued support for some of the original Nest Learning Thermostats.

Can Matter save the day?

Not every gadget is like this, though. Some can communicate directly over your home network, keeping smart lights and plugs responding to commands without an internet connection or their manufacturer's servers – provided the local controller and network still work.

Enter Matter, a smart home standard backed by tech giants like Apple, Google, and Amazon that allows compatible gadgets to communicate locally with a controller, without relying on proprietary cloud services for basic functions.

Sadly, Matter is not a panacea. Some manufacturer-specific features, firmware updates, and remote access may still require internet connectivity, and certain products need an app or account for their initial setup.

Local control can offer a good amount of protection from a capricious company that cuts off your gadgets, but choosing the right devices in the first place is still key.

Buy smart, stay smart

If you're buying new smart home gadgets, there are four things worth checking before handing over your money. We'll explore each of them in turn.

Keep it local

Devices that offer local control and Matter compatibility are a great place to start, as they're less vulnerable to manufacturers switching off cloud services. In our guide to the best smart plugs, options like the TP-Link Tapo Smart Plug Mini support Matter out of the box.

Pull the plug

When the internet goes down, what happens? Can you still turn on the lights or adjust your heating? These are some of the key questions that will help when things go awry. Prioritize essential functions that can work independently, especially when it comes to expensive appliances or security equipment.

Choosing a subscription-free camera with local recording, for example, could save you a lot of headaches – although it's worth checking whether you can still access your footage without the manufacturer's app.

Check the support clock

Research a manufacturer's support policies and commitments before buying, so you won't be caught out. A heavily discounted gadget might seem like an attractive option – only for you to discover it's already several years into its support period.

It's also worth checking the company's track record of withdrawing support or shutting down services; a promise of security updates isn't necessarily a guarantee that cloud features will survive.

Have an exit strategy

Check whether your device can work with another ecosystem or controller – a compatible smart home hub could be useful here. As we saw with Belkin, existing HomeKit setups survived the shutdown, but owners couldn't configure their devices again afterwards.

Being able to reset and reconnect your gadgets without the manufacturer's servers could save you a lot of stress down the line

Smart homes shouldn't have a sell-by date

Smart home gadgets can make everyday life a lot more convenient, offering quick ways to control all manner of household devices, and there's no reason to be put off by the occasional corporate shutdown.

No connected gadget is entirely future-proof, and even the biggest tech companies can discontinue services – especially for older products with relatively few users.

A sensible approach, then, is to pick gadgets that can retain their essential functions even if the manufacturer's cloud services disappear.

A truly smart home is one that can still switch off the lights even when someone switches off the server.

More from Tom's Guide

• 7 smart home gadgets under $50 that will make your life easier
• The best smart plugs in 2025
• The best smart lights

Finding the perfect home and garden gifts can take time, but don’t worry — I’ve done the hard work for you. As a homes and garden writer at Tom’s Guide, I test and vet products year-round, so I know exactly what’s worth giving (and receiving).

Holiday prep is stressful enough without the guesswork, which is why I’ve rounded up top-rated picks to make your shopping completely effortless. From coffee makers and trusty kitchen gadgets to leafy delights for plant and garden lovers, you’ll find the perfect gift for everyone on your list, no matter your budget.

So, snuggle up and browse through my handpicked recommendations, and before you know it, your gift list will be checked off.

Looking for more gift inspiration? Check out our guide to the best holiday gifts.

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