Ah, the age old question: 'how should I cook my pizza?' It feels like there's an obvious answer, right? And that's 'in a pizza oven.'

The thing is, pizza ovens are expensive. I'm currently using the Ooni Karu 2, which is Ooni's entry-level outdoor oven, but still costs $449. It's utterly fantastic (as you'll see) but a major outlay of cash.

So I decided to see if I could get good results with a cheaper alternative. My YouTube Shorts feed is absolutely chocked full of people making pizza in their home ovens using pizza steels. See, while people have been using pizza stones in their home ovens for a long time, and stones are employed ubiquitously in actual pizza ovens, it's steels that are the 'in' thing right now. That's because steel is preferable when using a conventional home oven: in the lower temperature of your kitchen oven, steel conducts heat much more effectively than stone, for a better cook on the pizza base.

If my YouTube algorithm is anything to go by, you don't need that fancy Ooni or Gozney pizza oven. You just need a steel. So I ran some back-to-back tests — all in the name of science, of course — to see if my algo was playing tricks on me. Is it worth saving money by just getting a steel instead?

First, a couple of caveats

Remember, everyone's kitchen oven is different, so your results may not match mine. I'm also aware that pizza steels were never meant to be a full stand-in for a proper oven.

This article is primarily intended to show you the pros and cons of both methods as I experienced them, to help you make your mind up as to which you'd rather go for.

Competitors

Alrighty. Let's take a look at our competitors. The pizza oven I'm using is the Ooni Karu 2. This is Ooni's entry-level multi-fuel outdoor oven and very similar to the older Karu 12 — it has a glass door, while the Karu 12 had a metal door. I'm currently testing the Karu 2 for our full review, but spoiler alert: it's fantastic. The Karu 2 can run on wood, charcoal or gas (via an adapter), making it extremely versatile.

The steel I'm using is the Chef Pomodoro 14x12-inch pizza steel. It's 1/4-inch thick so holds heat well, and measures 14x12-inches, which effectively means just 12 inches if you want round pizzas. It's a simple piece of metal, which adds a level of versatility: it just goes in your conventional oven, meaning you can cook come rain or shine. As far as steels go, it's a pretty good one in my book.

The oven I'm using is a Neff fan-assisted oven with a dedicated baking and pizza setting, which gets up to 275C or 527F — this is technically hot enough for low'n'slow pizzas, like New York-style.

Price

This one's a no-brainer. If money is the driving factor here, the pizza steel is the way to go. At just under $53 / £60, this can be a totally safe impulse purchase, allowing you to experiment with making pizza at home while not breaking the bank.

The Ooni Karu 2, which is a fairly affordable pizza oven), costs $449 MSRP — although we've seen it drop to around $349 during recent sales events. In the U.K., it costs £349 RRP, although the 2023 model has dropped as low as £279 in the past.

You'll need to add on a gas adapter if you want to cook with gas, which costs a whopping $112 / £90. Then there's the price of fuel to consider, which is ongoing. To give you an idea of consumption: keeping up temperature for 5 pizzas on the Ooni required 2-3 handfuls of lumpwood charcoal and 5-6 small pieces of wood. Not much, but it adds up when using the oven regularly.

It's worth remembering that both methods also require accessories. At a minimum, you need a peel to finish assembly and launch your pizza into the oven. Ideally, you'll want a turning peel, too, to rotate the pizza without burning yourself and remove it from the oven. And it's best to get yourself an infrared thermometer so you can measure the temperature of the pizza oven's stone/the steel to see when they're ready to cook.

I've been using the Ooni 12-inch Bamboo peel ($40), Ooni Turning Peel ($65) and Ooni Infrared Gun ($65), so you can see how quickly those accessories ramp up the price. Ooni offers bundles, but they're still fairly pricey. The Ooni accessories are fantastic quality, but my advice when starting out would simply be to buy cheaper alternatives online, like this bamboo peel ($18), aluminum turning peel ($18) and infrared temperature gun ($29). Start with a bamboo peel and go from there when needed, as you get more experience.

Winner: Pizza steel

Ease of use

Again, this one goes to the steel. For a start, pizza ovens need building. The Ooni Karu 2 took me around 15 minutes to build — it was incredibly simple with a helpful assembly manual included and a video guide online. Some viewers commented that the online video instructions are little misleading, making it easy to damage a metal lip under the oven door. I didn't have this issue, though, as the included assembly manual was very clear.

Outdoor ovens can't really be left outside uncovered, either, which means I have to get mine out of my garage each time I want to cook — you can buy covers, but you mustn't leave the stone outside in very extreme temperatures. And while you could uncover and use the Karu 2 in the rain, you'd really want some form of shelter over you, which is an extra consideration. You can buy indoor pizza ovens like the Ooni Volt 2, but the pizza steel can be used rain or shine for much less money.

Then there's the prep/fueling, followed by the cleaning after use. It's time consuming, although not really any different to prepping for a BBQ, and I find cleaning the stone and pizza oven easier than shifting burnt-on crud from the steel.

Nevertheless, the pizza steel is just much simpler. All I needed to do was unwrap it, wipe it down and then get cooking. It's a heavy old beast, which makes it cumbersome to handle. The counter benefit is that the steel is much tougher and virtually immune to fractures, although you'll need to season it from time to time to avoid rust, like a cast iron.

I find it much easier to launch pizzas onto the steel because of my oven's large door. That said, launching is mostly down to your peel, technique and flour/semolina dusting. With a few launches under your belt there's no real difference here between a steel and pizza oven.

Winner: Pizza steel

Heat up

This is where the Ooni Karu 2 starts to pull ahead. Heating up is extremely quick. From lighting my fuel to the stone surface hitting 400C (and being ready to cook) took around 12 minutes. Much quicker than I was expecting.

By contrast, the Chef Pomodoro steel is, well, a huge hunk of steel, and therefore takes much longer to heat up. It's ready to cook by around 45 minutes. Now, this may be down to my individual oven, but after 45 minutes at full temperature with a chunk of steel inside, my Neff oven started to overheat and shut itself down. I simply turned it off and on again, the error warning disappeared, and I started to cook (as, luckily, the steel was at temperature by then). My oven couldn't then handle back to back pizzas though.

Winner: Pizza oven

Cook

Of course, the most important part of this comparison is the cook! There are two main types of pizza to consider here: Neapolitan, which is cooked very hot and fast; and New York-style or low'n'slow, which is cooked at a cooler temperature for longer.

I tested both styles on both cook methods, using Peddling Pizza's dough recipe. For Neapolitan-style pizzas, I used fresh, drained mozzarella; and for New York-style I used dry pizza mozzarella. I used my own sauce recipe, which is just one can of Rega San Marzano tomatoes, with a teaspoon each of salt and sugar, plus half a teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil.

The pizza steel in a home oven simply cannot cook Neapolitan-style pizza. Your oven just doesn't get hot enough for the air bubbles in the dough to rapidly expand and create that puffy but light crust. Pizzas therefore come out quite dense.

However, using a steel does a fair job at low'n'slow styles (you'll want to make sure you tailor your dough to this: NY and Neapolitan can use similar hydration levels, but Chicago and deep-dish need a higher ratio of water). I was pretty happy with the NY-style(-ish) Margheritas I made using the steel, as well as some pepperoni pies, a grandma pizza and even a deep dish. The base and crust were always cooked nicely, with a good chewiness to them. Pizzas took around 10-12 minutes to cook.

I had one annoying issue, which may be down to my individual oven: I sometimes found I couldn't get ambient temperatures hot enough to cook the top of the pizza adequately without risking overdoing the crust, resulting in overly wet tops. I tried turning on the broiler to help... but doing so caused my oven to overheat again.

It kinda figures: home ovens just aren't designed to cook pizzas.

The Ooni Karu 2 can do just about everything. Most importantly, it's an absolute weapon for Neapolitan pizzas. At 400C/750F, it'll cook you a pizza in as little as 90 seconds, and they come out perfectly: puffy, light crusts; crispy bases; and deftly cooked tops. With wood-burning ovens, you'll want to chuck a piece of wood in the fuel tray just before you launch, as this gets some flames licking over the top to cook toppings (especially raw meats like sausage). Gas-fired ovens like the Gozney Arc Lite do this for you, ensuring there's a flame always licking over the top.

I mostly cooked Neapolitan pies on my Ooni, cracking out a range of meaty (for me) and vegetarian (for my wife) pizzas. It gets a little tricky to manage the heat on a solid fuel oven, which was a minor issue when cooking five pizzas for my friends. After two, the temperature dropped and I was forced to cook at lower heats to keep bringing out food. This wasn't a huge issue, and I even used it to my advantage, doing low'n'slow pizzas instead to get the cheese super bubbly and brown. Compare that to the steel, which overheated my oven after a single pizza.

If you have a cast iron, like my 12-inch Field Company No. 10 Cast Iron Skillet, you can also pare back the Ooni's heat and cook deep dish or Chicago style pies. I've yet to try these, but they're next on the agenda. It's super versatile.

Winner: Pizza oven

Verdict

The steel is obviously better for price and ease of use, but when it comes to the most important stuff: heating up and cooking, the pizza oven wins hands down.

If you're just starting out and/or on a budget, and looking for a simple way to make pizza that's better than store-bought, get the steel. It'll help you learn a lot about dough, prep and techniques like launching. And you can make some enjoyable pies, which definitely count as good 'oven pizzas'. But the results aren't restaurant standard.

If you want to make genuinely amazing pizza, akin to or better than that you'd buy from a pizzeria or restaurant, you need to spend a little extra for a pizza oven. In my experience, the difference really is night and day.

The reactions to my pizzas tell the story pretty well. With the steel-baked pies, it was usually something along the lines of: "oh, this is actually pretty good." With my pizza oven pies, it was more like: "holy crap, this is incredible. Cook another, right now."

So, here's my verdict on pizza steels. While I wanted this cheap, viral solution to work, unfortunately they just don't quite get there.

More from Tom's Guide

• I’ve been using the Gozney Dome XL (Gen 2) for 6 months — and it’s the last pizza oven you'll ever own
• I'm an ex-chef: here's how I keep my knives sharp without a whetstone
• Dyson’s 2-in-1 purifier fan is the perfect way to beat the summer heat — except for one major flaw

When it comes to cleaning every room in the home, the one household chore I despise is scrubbing bathroom mold.

Be it those stubborn black spots that seem to resurface in my silicone sealant, or getting rid of pink mold on my bathtub and shower drains, it just never seems to disappear for good.

Such invasive spores thrive in the humid, damp environments of lingering warm water and trapped steam, particularly when bathroom ventilation is lacking.

More importantly, if not properly dealt with, mold can lead to long-term structural damage and potential health concerns if the spores are allowed to spread. This is why knowing how to prevent mold remains your best defense for a germ-free home.

So, how often should you actually be cleaning your bathroom to banish black or pink mold from appearing? Luckily, I asked an expert for the correct way to prevent mold — and it turns out I’d been doing it all wrong.

How often should you deep clean your bathroom to prevent black or pink mold?

While most of us often deep-clean our bathrooms the minute we spot visible signs of mold, it turns out that we’ve not been cleaning our bathrooms often enough.

“By the time it’s visible, moisture and bacteria have already accumulated, so prevention is much easier than removal,” states Soma Pillay, Bathroom Specialist at Bathroom City.

“As a general rule, I recommend giving the bathroom a proper clean at least once a week, but this may increase depending on the individual homes. Those with pets or children may require more frequent maintenance to prevent dirt, bacteria, or mould from building up.”

So does the approach change for getting rid of pink mold? Essentially, this pinkish film is fueled by a bacterial accumulation of soap scum, body oils, and minerals found in stagnant water.

“Pink mold is typically bacterial growth, rather than actual mold itself. It generally appears as a pale pink or blood-red, slimy film and should be addressed immediately to prevent it from spreading to other sections of the bathroom.”

You can easily make a natural DIY cleaning solution to tackle pink mold. Simply mix half a cup of baking soda with a tablespoon of liquid dish soap or your favorite multi-surface cleaner in a bowl. Mix until you have a thin, runny paste, before scrubbing the affected areas with a small bristle brush.

Once you’ve scrubbed all traces of the mold away, rinse the residue away with warm water or use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down the surface.

Why does mold keep coming back?

Another question we might ask is, why does mold keep coming back — despite our best efforts to scrub our bathrooms clean?

“Mold growth thrives in damp and moist conditions,” explains Pillay. “For this reason, I strongly advise homeowners to clean high-moisture parts of the bathroom, including shower screens, areas around the bath, and drains, and showers and baths should be wiped down and dried after each use, as this minimizes the risk of mould growing.”

Additionally, ensure your bathroom is properly ventilated by keeping windows and doors open or by utilizing an extractor fan when available. This daily habit helps release trapped humidity and introduces fresh air circulation, which is vital to prevent mold from thriving in your home.

“I also advise people to avoid leaving damp towels and bath mats in the bathroom. Not only can these further increase the risk of mould, but they can also cause musty smells to linger,” adds Pillay.

“Deep cleaning includes dusting extractor fan covers, cleaning shower heads, and ensuring the area around or behind bathroom furniture is clean. These regular habits can contribute to a much cleaner and more welcoming bathroom environment for homeowners and guests.”

For more top tips to banish mold once and for all, check out how to clean mold from bathroom caulk permanently — without using household bleach and 5 tell-tale signs that you need a dehumidifier right now.

Cleaning essentials we love

More from Tom's Guide

• ‘I clean my shower while I'm washing' — expert shares her bizarre hacks to cut your chores in half
• How to clean a glass shower door
• I recommend these 5 easy tips to keep your shower curtain mold-free

Grilling season is here! And whether you enjoy hosting summer barbecues or preparing for a big 4th July cookout, you’ll need all the right essentials to level up your grilling game.

Plus, it is even better when you can score major savings during the Prime Day deals. I've just tracked down some absolute steals featuring massive discounts of up to 50% right now. All these products promise to make grilling a breeze.

So, whether you want a premium grilling tool set or a heavy-duty cast-iron press to make smash burgers, here are the offers that I'm adding to my shopping cart today. Either way, you're bound to wow your cookout guests.

HOME APPLIANCES

We're tracking all the best Prime Day home appliance deals

I spent three months trying to get rid of gnats in my home using every hack the internet offered. Vinegar traps. Drain cleaning. Fruit bowl covers. They would temporarily work, but the gnats kept coming back. They were multiplying faster than I could catch them.

Then I bought three products that actually worked. Within a week, the gnat infestation had seriously subsided. Within two weeks, I hadn't seen a single one. I'm covering everything I used to eliminate gnats from my home, and luckily, all three products are on sale right now for Prime Day. You'll want to be quick, though, as it's the last day of the sale.

Here at The Coffee Lab, I'm always trying to find the best coffee maker. With so many options out there now — Moccamaster, Ninja 12-Cup, Breville Luxe Brewer, Aarke Coffee Maker, Bonavita — it honestly feels like a headache just trying to remember all the brand names, let alone what makes each coffee maker unique.

Thankfully, Simply Good Coffee literally put it in the name. This week, I've got the Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer on the dissection table, so let's get stuck in. You guys hate plastic in your coffee. Personally, I'm not vehemently anti-plastic. While I was researching for this article, I discovered that BPA plastic is not banned in the U.S., which explains a lot. European food safety standards are pretty robust already — BPA plastic has been banned in the EU since 2025. Of course, minimizing plastic usage is the best course of action for the environment as a whole, so we should all be consciously choosing the eco-friendly option.

Simply Good Coffee is trying to make one of the first "truly" plastic-free coffee makers... and it's kind of succeeded? I say "kind of", because the Plastic-Free Brewer has a plastic-coated exterior (for health and safety to prevent burns) and silicone tubing in the water lines. Are these dealbreakers for you, or would you still get the Plastic-Free Brewer? Let's get into it.

Low plastic, not no plastic

Let's just get this clear: the Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free brewer is not plastic-free. As I mentioned earlier, it has a plastic coating on the exterior to prevent burns and the internal water lines have medical-grade silicone tubing.

However, no hot water touches plastic at any point during the brewing process. The heating element, water tank, carafe, filter, and destratification tube are all made from stainless steel or glass. Water obviously touches the silicone in the water tubing, but this isn't hot yet. And, it's silicone. It's not plastic in the traditional sense. Do you consider silicone a dangerous plastic, or not?

There are some key differences between the SGC and Moccamaster: the latter has a plastic filter basket, a plastic destratification tube (yes, that's its real name), and a plastic water tank. Let's look at a side-by-side.

It would be completely inaccurate to claim the Moccamaster leaches plastic into hot water, though. Technivorm is based in the Netherlands, a country with strict plastic laws. Every Moccamaster is handmade in the Netherlands using "virgin plastics in key components". Technivorm uses virgin plastics rather than recycled to "ensure structural consistency, long-term durability, and full traceability of materials." Don't worry — even though BPAs aren't explicitly banned in the U.S., all Moccamaster's plastics are "BPA, BPS, phthalate, and BPF-free."

There's no one correct answer, and I'm not going to pretend there is, or tell you what to believe. You should get whichever machine you feel more comfortable with.

But how does the coffee taste?

The Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer makes delicious coffee. In my 4-star review, I wrote, "I never made a bad batch on the Simply Good Coffee Brewer. Every pot tasted clean, fresh, with zero bitterness and a pleasant, well-rounded finish. This coffee tastes just as good as the Moccamaster’s, and I’m sure any Moccamaster transplants will be satisfied with this flavor."

Of course, you can experiment with flavor by adjusting grind size, water-to-coffee ratio, and bloom time. The SGC Plastic-Free Brewer has a bloom button; you can switch it on or off depending on preference.

"I tried every dose from 56g (the minimum for a full pot) to 72g (the maximum for a full pot), and found anywhere between 60g-72g to be perfect," I wrote in my review. Usually, I'm a rigid ratio stickler, but I enjoyed the SCG flavor at pretty much every ratio.

Unfortunately, the Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer isn't SCA-accredited yet, but the company claims the Brewer adheres to the SCA's guidelines.

What's your main takeaway?

Would you be willing to try the Simply Good Coffee (Mostly) Plastic-Free Brewer? Or would you rather stick with your old faithful Moccamaster, Ninja, Breville, and the like?

It's worth noting that Simply Good Coffee does not offer a 5-year warranty or lifetime repairs like Technivorm, but "a two-year warranty as standard and a five-year warranty if you enrol in the Coffee Quality Assurance Programme (costs $120…), which gives you free shipping, filters, and cleaning products."

I honestly think I would be happy with either the Moccamaster or the SGC Plastic-Free Brewer. Looks-wise, they're both a bit of me. I love that modern, functional, industrial, yet sleek vibe.

Let me know in the comments which machine you'd rather buy! Be sure to check back next Friday for the next episode of The Coffee Lab brewing on our TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tried this ridiculously cheap bean-to-cup espresso machine so you don't have to — and it's a total head-scratcher
• Non-plastic coffee makers are trending — and this low-plastic Ratio model is my favorite for coffee snobs
• Do you need a WDT tool for barista-quality coffee at home? I put the controversial coffee tool to the test

Summer is here, and we’re not the only ones who are feeling parched in the heat. If you take pride in your lush and green grass, it can be disheartening when you notice yellow patches suddenly appearing that quickly ruin the overall look.

This is especially the case if you’re hosting those backyard barbecues or gatherings. So if you’ve been watering and maintaining your yard, you’re probably wondering why you have yellow patches in your lawn.

We’ve called on the gardening and lawn care experts at hand to share their top tips on how to get rid of those discolored spots on your lawn and what causes them in the first place. So, read on if you want to revive and bring your lawn back to life this summer.

What causes the yellow patches in my lawn?

Essentially, a yellowing lawn is common when the weather switches from heavy rain to a sudden dry spell. Scientifically, this yellowing is known as chlorosis.

Particularly, when grass undergoes stress, the green chlorophyll breaks down, and this process exposes the underlying yellow carotenoid pigments that are typically concealed during healthier periods.

According to experts, there are various causes for your lackluster lawn. One obvious reason could be not watering your lawn adequately during hot spells, which can dry out the soil. Ideally, you should water deeply and infrequently, as this helps the roots grow stronger and penetrate deeper into the soil.

“If you notice yellow patches in your lawn, it might be a sign that you are overwatering or underwatering your grass,” said Allison Koenig, a lawn and garden expert at Tractor Supply.

Basically, if your grass looks dry, turns brown, or has a crispy texture to it, you're likely under-watering, and your grass is parched. But if the grass is constantly soggy, has yellowing patches, or shows signs of mold or fungus, it’s a clear sign of overwatering, and you should reduce the amount of water your lawn is getting.

“The best way to tell what your lawn needs is through a quick soil check," Koenig said. "If it feels compacted and doesn’t absorb water well, you may be overwatering, while a dry, hard soil signals that your lawn needs more moisture.”

Another reason could be diseases or pests, in particular chaffer grubs and leatherjackets that are known to feed directly on the grass roots, literally sucking out the water and essential nutrients it needs to thrive.

“As they feed directly on the roots of the grass, they sever your lawn’s connection to its water and nutrient supply,” adds Angelika Zaber, Lawn Care Specialist and Gardening Expert working for Online Turf.

“In terms of diseases, Fusarium is a common culprit since it often shows up as small, yellow, circular patches. To treat it, reduce the amount of thatch and loosen the soil by scarifying and aerating your lawn. Additionally, avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers. Instead, use a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen but high in potassium.”

Furthermore, for those with furry companions, discolored spots frequently stem from animal waste. “Pet urine can also cause those yellow or brown spots on your lawn because of the high nitrogen levels, which essentially burn the grass,” explained Koenig.

“To prevent these spots, one effective approach is to immediately water the area where your pet has urinated," Koenig said. "This dilutes the nitrogen and prevents it from "burning" the grass, preventing the brown spots from appearing. You can also try training your pet to use a designated area of the yard, such as a gravel or mulch patch, where the urine won’t harm your lawn.”

How do I fix any yellow patches?

First, it’s advisable to start with a soil test to help you determine the pH levels and what nutrients it’s deficient in.

"This will help you determine the pH levels of the soil as well as if it has adequate nutrients and organic matter present," said Theresa Smith, the SVP at NaturaLawn of America.

“If the soil test results show signs of the soil having adequate nutrient content, then you know the yellowing or browning of the grass is being caused by an environmental factor or is under physical stress”.

So, once you have established the cause for your discolored grass, how do you fix your unsightly patches? "The best way to fix this is by overseeding,” advises Zaber.

“Overseeding is a practice of spreading grass seed onto an already existing lawn to thicken it and give it that healthy, green appearance. Start by mowing, then scarifying and aerating the soil.

“Then, spread the seed at a rate of 25 grams per square meter and add a light layer of topsoil on top. This will improve the seed-to-soil contact, which is critical for good germination rates, and also protect the seeds from being eaten by birds or blown away by wind.”

Bear in mind that you may need a period of two to four weeks for initial growth, though achieving a fully restored, and lush lawn can take up to six months.“Grass usually takes around 2-4 weeks to germinate, depending on the weather. However, to fully establish, it can take up to 6 months,” added Zaber.

For more top tips, check out how to tell if your lawn needs overseeding, especially if you want to maintain healthy grass all year round. Or if you just want a lush lawn, try these 11 secrets to a lawn that’s greener than your neighbor's.

Lawncare essentials we love

More from Tom's Guide

• 7 common lawn care mistakes you’re probably making right now
• 9 ways to get the most out of your lawn mower
• 5 plants that will keep wasps out of your yard

While you're shopping for Prime Day deals, you might've noticed that the Ninja Slushi isn't discounted as part of Amazon's annual summer sale. That said, I was checking out SharkNinja's website and was hyped to see the machine that earned me over 1 million views online listed for $100 off right now.

The Ninja Slushi is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets for entertaining, turning everything from cocktails and coffee drinks to frozen sodas into smooth slushies without needing ice. Right now, Ninja has discounted the entry-level model by $100, bringing it down to just $199.

The Ninja Slushi has become the centerpiece of almost every gathering I host. The cranberry vodka mule slushie I made for Friendsgiving that ended up being such a hit, people were asking for refills before they finished their first drink.

More recently, I hosted a cafe-themed birthday party and served vanilla iced coffee slushies that disappeared almost as quickly as I could pour them.

I've made everything from eggnog slushies during the holidays to cherry Coke creations inspired by classic convenience store Slurpees. At this point, it's less of a kitchen appliance and more of an excuse to invite people over.

What makes the Slushi so easy to use is that Ninja does most of the work for you. The machine features dedicated presets depending on what you're making, whether that's a frozen cocktail, coffee drink, milkshake or soda-based slushie. You can also customize the texture, dialing in exactly how icy or smooth you want the final result.

The freezing process depends on factors like sugar content and how much liquid you're adding, but I've personally seen Ninja's RapidChill technology transform drinks into slushies in as little as 20 minutes.

Once it's ready, the machine can keep your drink at the ideal consistency for hours. That's especially useful when hosting, since guests inevitably want another round. (One of my favorite tricks is batching extra drinks in pitchers ahead of time and storing them in the fridge.)

If I have one complaint, it's that cleaning takes a little effort. Thankfully, the machine comes apart intuitively, and after a few uses the process becomes second nature. For me, it's a small tradeoff for a gadget that consistently steals the spotlight whenever friends come over.

If you've been curious about the Ninja Slushi but couldn't justify the original $299 price tag, this $199 deal is the lowest entry point I've seen for a machine that's genuinely changed how I host. And judging by how often guests ask for "whatever slushie you're making tonight," I'd say it's money well spent.

If you're planning to take a vacation this summer, you want to make sure your house is protected against any eventuality, but some of the best smart home devices can get a little pricey, especially if you buy them all together.

Fortunately, Prime Day is a good opportunity to stock up on these devices, as many are on sale, often for a good discount. I've tested dozens of smart home gadgets, and have edited reviews of dozens more, so I've scoured Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers for the best deals on products that actually work. So, before you pack your bags, make sure that you have these smart home devices looking after things while you're gone.

Security cameras

You'll find plenty of deals on Amazon for all sorts of security cameras and video doorbells, but I'd recommend a camera that doesn't require a subscription, so you don't have to pay a monthly or annual fee just to see the video it recorded.

Smart locks

If you're leaving pets at home or need someone to water your plants, then one of the best smart locks will let you monitor and manage who gets into your house. Smart locks can be programmed with specific codes for specific people, so you'll know when someone types in a code into the keypad.

Water leak detectors

There's nothing worse than coming home to a flooded basement. There's the massive cleanup expense, you'll have to throw out thousands of dollars of waterlogged items you stored in the basement, and there's a potentially huge water bill, too.

At the very least, the best water leak detectors can alert you when something's amiss; these sensors are relatively cheap, so you can place them all around the home, under every sink or anywhere else. Other, more expensive models can automatically shut off your water, saving you even more hassle. Better yet: they may even decrease your insurance bill.

Electricity monitor

Power surges and outages are also something you'll want to keep tabs on. If there's a blackout, you'll want to know if all the food in your fridge will need to be tossed. Or, if there's a power surge, you'll also want to get an alert.

The Ting is a small plug-in device that monitors all the circuits in your home, and measures the voltage and current running through your house. If anything is out of the norm, it will send you a message to your phone. It can also let you know if anything you've plugged into an outlet has faulty wiring.

Smart light, plug or switch

How to you make it look like someone's home when you're not? With a smart light, smart light switch, or a smart plug. They all work pretty much the same these days, but look for ones with specific "vacation modes." This setting will have your lights turn on and off randomly during specific times, to give the appearance that your house is occupied.

If you have floor lamps, a smart plug or smart light will do the trick; if you have a lot of ceiling lights, a smart light switch might be the better choice.

Smart thermostat

Did you know the best temperature to set your AC during the summer is 78º F? Yeah, that may seem a bit high, but whatever your preference, one of the best smart thermostats can manage your home's climate more efficiently, so you're using less energy while still keeping your house cool.

The best smart thermostats can take into account not just the temperature inside your house, but also look at weather reports and other data to recommend proactively cooling your home, so you're using less energy during peak hours.

And, as they're linked to your phone, you can program them so that you're not cooling your house excessively while you're away, but you can still return home to a comfortable environment.

Even better: Many utility companies offer some excellent rebates on smart thermostats, so you can often find them for very little money.

More from Tom's Guide

• I always put a coin in my freezer before I go on vacation — here's why
• I’m a frequent traveler and these are the 15 Amazon travel essentials I swear by — starting at just $6
• 5 tech travel hacks I learned after 2 months backpacking in Asia — don't make the same mistakes as me

I've been reviewing the best grills for six years, and even though I've tested countless models in that time, the Weber Spirit line is the one I've recommended to the most people. Dependable, consistent and at a price that makes sense, this stalwart of the grill game is hard to beat. So when Weber released a smart version of its iconic Spirit grills in 2026, I was keen to see if it lived up to its predecessors.

The new Spirit EX-325 (and its sister model. the larger EX-425) features that signature Weber quality, and adds in some smarts. Weber's new WeberWorks modular accessory system allows you to customize your grill, and an in-built smart thermometer display can be paired to your grill for remote monitoring or tailored guidance.

I put the Spirit EX-325 to the test with a group of friends, and we all remarked at how easy it was to use and the quality finish and build quality. If you're looking for a great grill at a price that makes sense, it's a worthy contender.

Weber Spirit EX-325 review: Price and availability

Retailing for $599, the Weber Spirit EX-325 doesn't depart from the older Spirit line in price. The Spirit II E-310, which I reviewed back in 2024, cost the same at full price and lacked a number of the EX-325's new features. In my book, that's a win.

The grill is available direct at Weber, as well as retailers like Amazon. And if you want to buy its four-burner counterpart, the EX-425, it'll cost you $749 at Weber.

Weber Spirit EX-325 review: Design

The reimagined Spirit line features upgraded smart features and Weber's SearZone, which allows you to boost the temperature on two of the three burners to hit that signature seared grill lines on burgers and chicken.

It's also got a new thermometer. Instead of sitting on top of the grill lid, it now sits to the side and shows the real-time temperature of your grill. If you pair this WiFi-enabled thermometer to the Weber app, you can monitor your grill's temperature remotely. And if you plug in the included meat probe, it will display the temperature of your meat both on your app and on the thermometer display.

Smaller touches include the four accessory hooks on each corner of the grill's side arms. The left arm folds down for easy storage, and the right features a modular WeberWorks insert, which can be removed to allow you to slot in meal prep trays or condiment containers, both of which Weber sent over for us to try. While it's a shame that you get the modular design regardless of whether you want to spend the extra money on the accessories, I was pleased with the quality of the ones we tried and would personally spend the $40 for the convenience they offer.

I've tested grills with side burners, and while I wouldn't expect a grill at this price to feature one, I do think they're a meaningful update for outdoor hosting. Weber's Genesis series is worth considering if this is something you like the sound of, but it'll come at a premium price.

I've assembled a handful of Weber grills before, and the Spirit line is the easiest of its gas models to build. If you've built flatpack furniture, you can build the Spirit EX-325. It took two of us around two hours to set the grill up, a significant portion of which was spent simply updating the software on the grill when pairing to the app.

As with all Weber products I've tried, the manual was incredibly thorough and also gave a range of tips for setup and first use. And once built, the grill felt solid and well-constructed — a good sign for the durability of the grill. Speaking of which, the EX-325's cookbox is backed by a 10-year warranty, the grates for five, and all remaining parts, two.

Weber Spirit EX-325 review: Grilling performance

The Weber Spirit EX-325 has three stainless steel burners, two of which feature SearZone modes for an added boost of power — up to 31,000 BTU (an increase on the Spirit II E-310's 26,500 BTU). As laid out in the manual, you could fire up the two external burners and place food in the center of the grill plates for indirect cooking, or use each burner individually to cook for smaller groups. We were cooking for six people, and with the 360 square inches of cooking space plus the 90-inch warming rack, we had no trouble keeping everyone well-fed.

Low-heat cooking

The first thing we cooked was some plant-based sausages and burgers for my vegan friends. I've cooked vegan sausages on a grill before, and the trick is to keep temperatures consistent and controlled. Because of the lower fat content, these meat alternatives don't sizzle — they just burn.

After pre-heating the grill for 15 minutes, we turned the temperature to a medium level and closed the lid. I was struck by how well the porcelain-enameled grates retained heat, and the fact that all of the sausages cooked at the same speed regardless of how central they sat in the grill was an indication of quality insulation and even heat distribution.

Our plant-based food came out crisped, and crucially, not burnt. Next up, it was time to fire up the SearZone burners and cook up some beef burgers.

Our plant-based food came out crisped, and crucially, not burnt. Next up, it was time to fire up the SearZone burners and cook up some beef burgers.

High heat cooking

We let the grill come up to heat for another five minutes, which was super easy thanks to the remote temperature display on the app, and the onboard dial. Our burgers were sizzling away for three minutes before we flipped them to reveal the signature grill lines everyone wants from a barbecue. Three of us wanted our burgers cooked to medium, and one wanted theirs well done. We inserted the temperature probe and watched the dial until it hit 135°F, placing the burgers on the warming rack while the fourth continued to cook for another couple of minutes.

While there were a couple of flare-ups as the fat dripped down from the grates, the burner shields prevented this from happening enough to cause burning or uneven cooking. According to Weber, its Flavorizer bars catch and vaporize dripped juices and add flavor to your food while channelling grease from burners into an easily removed drip tray below. After testing, this made cleanup super easy. And it also resulted in a tasty finish — our burgers were crisp but juicy and had a nice smoky flavor, albeit nothing that could rival a classic charcoal grill.

Smart thermometer and app

To test the Weber app and meat thermometer, as well as its indirect cooking capabilities, we cooked some peri-peri chicken breasts on the third, non-SearZone burner. Using the meat thermometer, we set the app to boneless, skinless chicken breast and started Weber's recommended recipe.

The app first told us to pre-heat our grill and then set the chicken to cook for six minutes (complete with timer). You could also set your app to graph mode, which will allow you to track the temperature of your meat rising. This would be more useful for slow-cooked cuts of meat, where you want to ensure they're not cooking too fast, but it's great that the app has this feature built-in.

The app didn't notify us when the six minute timer finished. I'd grilled chicken the weekend before testing the Weber Spirit EX-325 and it cooked in under ten minutes. It was a little dry, and charred around the outside, so I appreciated Weber's advice to cook a little slower and lower than you might think on a conventional grill. Patience was required, but it did pay off. The chicken was juicy and flavorful without any burning or surface-level toughness. A sign that the EX-325 can handle indirect heat, as well as searing.

I've tested a number of smart appliances that won't work without an app before. I like that the Weber Spirit EX-325 isn't one of them. While the app offers some handy enhancements, the onboard temperature display and meat thermometer readings mean you don't need to use the app to get a great experience.

Weber Spirit EX-325 review: Verdict

For the average buyer, the Weber Spirit EX-325 is a great option. Weber's latest slate of updates bringe the Spirit range in line with modern releases from Kamado Joe and Brisk It. But I love that this doesn't come at an added price, and that you don't sacrifice build quality in the place of these smart features.

I was impressed at how well the Spirit EX-325 maintained heat on account of its porcelain-enameled grates. Its SearZone delivered juicy burgers, complete with the grill pattern you're used to seeing on commercials, and the smart thermometer adds value and utility, without any gimmicky or complex quirks. And while I think the app is useful, I like that you don't need it to get a great performance from your grill.

Sure, I wish it had a side burner, and the meat probe required a heatproof glove to add and remove to meats, but these small downsides are easy to overlook if you value solid build quality and value for money. For the average buyer, it's a top choice.

Every spring, my local gardening Facebook page starts filling up with countless pictures of three-leaved plants, each one framed with the same question: "Is this poison ivy?"

It's a legitimate concern. Poison ivy is not only invasive, but can cause a severe allergic reaction if you get its oils on your skin. I've had more than enough rashes over the course of my life to look askance at any plant that even remotely resembles poison ivy.

Rather than post something on my local social network and wait for would-be horticulturists to reply, I've started using a new Google Gemini feature on my phone to find out more quickly if the plant I'm about to grab will leave me itching and scratching.

Here's how you can use Gemini to identify poison ivy (or any other plant, for that matter), works on both Android and iOS devices, and it takes just seconds.

Using Google Lens to identify plants isn't exactly the newest thing around, but as I've been going around my yard pulling plants, I've found it to be helpful in avoiding poison ivy. I have several other types of ivy and three-leaved plants, so it's been very useful while weeding. It's also come in handy if I'm out for a hike, and come across a new tree or shrub I haven't seen before.

So, just like Grampa's Weeder, this has become yet another important tool in my gardening kit.

More from Tom's Guide

• This Stihl hand pruner has been so popular with my neighbors that one of them is buying it for her husband for Father’s Day
• How to double your tomato harvest — the 3-step pruning system for massive yields
• Stop your hydrangea blooms from turning brown too early with these 3 top tips

The Prime Day deals are here, and it got me thinking about whether there were any deals on pizza ovens (spoiler alert: there are).

I can't believe I used to live without a pizza oven. Looking back on it, pizza-oven-less life sucked (even though I didn't know it at the time). These days, with my trusty Ooni Karu 2 — which is currently reduced by $90 at Amazon — I cook restaurant-quality pizza whenever I want. So, uh, a few times a week. And it costs me a fraction of the price of buying takeout. Better yet, as an ex-chef, I love making my dough, sauce and doing the actual cooking. Honestly, life with a pizza oven is just the best.

Anyway, I've been keeping an eye on pizza oven deals this Prime Day. I'll be upfront: there are some really bad deals out there right now — some ovens that might look reduced, but actually had their prices inflated a few weeks back to dupe you (that's right, Gozney Arc XL and Ninja Woodfire, I'm looking at you guys).

Luckily, there are also some genuinely excellent deals to be had, like a whopping $190 off this indoor Big Horn pizza oven. I've rounded up only the good ones here, which I think offer strong value for money. So, if you're in the market for a pizza oven (which you should be), now is the time. I've also included some pizza oven alternatives, so anyone on a tight budget can still improve their pizzas at home. Buon appetito!

Quick links

• Ooni Karu 12: was $349 now $248 @ Amazon
• Ooni Karu 2 (12-inch): was $449 now $359 @ Amazon
• Ooni Koda 16: was $649 now $498 @ Amazon
• Gozney Tread: was $499 now $399 @ Amazon
• Gozney Roccbox: was $499 now $399 @ Amazon
• Gozney Arc: was $799 now $699 @ Amazon
• Big Horn 12-inch: was $169 now $117 @ Amazon
• Big Horn 14-inch indoor: was $399 now $209 @ Amazon

Tasty Prime Day pizza oven deals

Pizza oven alternatives

We're tracking all the best Prime Day deals

Some of the most popular Prime Day deals are smart home devices, such as security cameras, video doorbells, and smart speakers. But while you'll often see deep discounts on a lot of these gadgets — upwards of 40% off — many come with a hidden fee: subscriptions.

You see, these companies realized that they can create a recurring revenue stream by charging you a monthly fee for something as simple as being able to record and save video from your security cameras.

Don't be lured into these cheap deals, only to realize later that it wasn't the bargain it seemed. To help you, I've put together a list of deals on the best security cameras and video doorbells from companies that don't charge a subscription. That way, your mind — and your wallet — can rest easy.

Quick links

• Blink Mini 2K+: was $39 now $17 @ Amazon
• Blink Outdoor 2K+: was $89 now $30 @ Amazon
• Tapo 4K 8MP Wired Pan/Tilt Outdoor Security Camera: was $99 now $79 @ Amazon
• Eufy SoloCam E42: was $179 now $113 @ Amazon
• Wyze Duo Cam Pan: was $69 now $53 @ Amazon
• Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+: was $69 now $34 @ Amazon
• Wyze Wireless Duo Cam Video Doorbell: was $119 now $94 @ Amazon
• Eufy E340 Video Doorbell: was $149 now $99 @ Amazon
• Tapo 2K Wireless Smart Video Doorbell: was $49 now $34 @ Amazon

Security cameras

Video doorbells

I don't need to tell you how uncomfortable it is to be stuck in a room with temperatures climbing past 30°C / 86°F and no air conditioning. We're only a couple of weeks into summer but Europe (where I am) is in the grip of a heatwave with temperatures hitting over 40°C / 104°F this week.

Things are no different in the United States. According to data shared by the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Climate Prediction Center (CPC), more than half of the country should brace for temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the coming days. And that's not even taking into account the humidity.

Naturally, the response is to crank up the A/C to stay cool. But if you don't already have one of the best smart air conditioners at home, it can be expensive and time-consuming to get one installed. The solution is to pick up a portable unit right now in the Amazon Prime Day sales. Not only can you save some cash, but chances are you can have it delivered and ready to go before the heatwave really hits.

I've scoured Amazon and found a few options worth considering if you've finally decided that the personal fan you bought weeks ago just ain't cutting it.

US portable A/C deals

UK portable A/C deals

Unfortunately, finding deals on portable AC units in the U.K. is proving tough right now. Given the current state of the country — with a severe heat warning in place — many units are selling out fast.

While I haven't been able to find any specific deals worth your time, here are some units I've found that are still in stock. Although there's no telling how long they'll be available for so you'll need to be quick.

What to know before buying

The main thing you want to look at before buying a portable air conditioner is the BTU rating. That stands for British Thermal Unit and indicates the cooling capacity. In effect, how much heat it can get rid of in a room over the course of one hour.

The higher the number, the more powerful the cooling. Anything that's rated 5,000 BTUs and above will be more than sufficient to cool a small-to-medium room. The only trade-off you need to be aware of is noise levels, particularly if you plan to run the air con while you sleep. Anything over 65 decibels is likely to become a disturbance during the night.

We're tracking all the best Prime Day deals

As Homes Editor, I find great joy in refreshing my living and outdoor spaces, especially for the warmer months — often scouring social media for the latest DIY trends and expert-led renovation tips.

But while there are plenty of home reno jobs you can do yourself (and save a grand fortune), there are some jobs best left to the skilled professionals.

If not done properly (and safely), you could easily end up causing more damage to your home or, worse, injure yourself and others. What’s more, you’ll be wasting money on materials and costly repairs — when you need to call in a professional to fix your mistakes.

I’ve called on an expert to determine which home renovation tasks are safe for a DIY enthusiast and which ones require the specialized skills of an expert. So before you start your summer renovation project, read this first.

Knocking down a wall

As an avid viewer of home improvement shows, I’ve often seen homeowners knock through interior walls to open up their living areas. And while it might seem tempting to do it yourself, experts warn against this idea.

“Knocking down an internal wall is also something homeowners are urged to think twice about,” states Danielle Croce, director at Intasite. “While it can be tempting to open up space, there are several important factors to consider before picking up a hammer.

Some walls are load-bearing, meaning they support the structure of the property, and removing them without proper assessment could cause serious structural damage. In certain cases, permission from your local council may also be required.”

So while it may look simple to do on television, it’s always safer to call in the qualified professionals to tackle this job. Not only will they have the expertise, but the specialist equipment needed to reduce the risk of any further structural damage.

Electrical rewiring

Now, I’ve known plenty of people who’ve attempted to tackle electrical rewiring themselves, but experts strictly warn against this dangerous job. If you're planning on adding fresh circuits or dealing with high-risk areas like the bathroom or backyard, these projects require a certified electrician.

The safest DIY tasks we can do are minor fixes like swapping out fuses or bulbs without assistance. In fact, why not invest in some smart lighting solutions to save you the hassle?

Fitting a new bath

I’ve lost count of the number of social media posts I’ve scrolled past featuring stunning bathtub installations as part of a high-end bathroom transformation. Again, while it seems to be a simple task, you should never take on any form of plumbing job yourself.

“Fitting a new bath is another job that may seem straightforward but can quickly lead to complications,” explains Croce. “Installing a bath incorrectly could mean breaking water regulations, which may result in fines or further costly work to fix the issue.”

“There are specific approved fittings that must be used, and in some cases, homeowners may even need to consult their water supplier before making changes. Getting it wrong could lead to leaks, water damage, or compliance issues further down the line.”

So if you don't want to risk causing a leak, broken pipe or any further damage, stay far away from plumbing works.

...and jobs that are safe to DIY

• Painting and wallpapering
• Tiling
• Replacing cabinets, doors and fixtures
• Cleaning gutters

More from Tom's Guide

• 7 clever painting hacks that you wish you knew sooner
• How to paint a ceiling
• how to remove wallpaper

Now that it's summer, my indoor kitchen is closed for business. I'm cooking 99% of my meals outside, primarily on a combination of grills and griddles. I've tested nearly a dozen of these outdoor appliances over the past year, and I was excited to see that some of my favorites are marked down thanks to Prime Day deals.

What I love about my sale picks is that they're all suited for both outdoor cooking enthusiasts and beginners to the world of barbecue. For example, the Weber Spirit E-325 now starts at $499, and while one of the easiest grills to use, it features a sear zone to deliver restaurant-worthy grill marks on steaks and burgers.

You can find best-selling models up to 40% off at Amazon during Prime Day, and the best part? If you order fast, you can get it in time for your Fourth of July gathering. Not to be dramatic, but there's nothing quite like firing up a brand-new grill for a backyard gathering. If you've been waiting for an excuse to upgrade, these Prime Day deals are it.

Meet your grilling expert

Quick links

• Amazon grill sale: deals from $39 @ Amazon
• Weber Spirit E-325: was $549 now $499 @ Amazon
• Traeger Grills 2-Zone griddle: was $649 now $550 @ Amazon
• Ninja FlexFlame: was $1,199 now $999 @ Amazon

My favorite Prime Day grill deals

Let's say you hired someone to repaint your pool so the water looked more blue, only to find out that he then refilled it with water from a local river, which promptly turned a deep shade of green. Yes, you could shock it with hydrogen peroxide and chlorine, but that could cause the new paint to peel off.

There's another option: Get a robotic pool cleaner to handle the mess. And for Prime Day, you can find a lot on sale, often for a steep discount. For example, the Beatbot Sora 70 is now $500 off on Amazon, which brings its price down to under $1,000.

But that's not the only robot pool cleaner deal you can find today. Here's five we found, so you can keep your pool clean all summer long — and you don't have to lift a finger.

• Dreame Robotic Pool Cleaner: was $599 now $399 @ Amazon
• Aiper Scuba V3: was $1,399 now $799 @ Amazon
• Beatbot Sora 70: was $1,499 now $999 @ Amazon
• Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max: was $2,289 now $1,999 @ Amazon
• Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra: was $3,150 now $1,999 @ Amazon

Ninja has got quite the hold on the air fryer world, dominating the space (and our best air fryers guide) with the Pro 4-in-1 and Foodi DualZone. When the Ninja Crispi air fryer was released in 2025, it even prompted our expert tester to say, "It made me rethink everything I knew about air fryers."

The Ninja Crispi is a glass air fryer that cooks everything from pasta to green beans and a whole lot in between. It reinvents the traditional air fryer whilst looking incredibly smart and almost futuristic for an everyday kitchen appliance. So, how can you possibly evolve the Ninja Crispi even further?

Well, Ninja has just launched the Ninja Crispi DualZone – the first glass air fryer to cook in two independent zones. You're telling me I can cook my salmon at the same time as my vegetables, and they'll both be cooked to perfection, ready to be plated at the same time? This is the feature I've been desperately hoping for!

Meet the Ninja Crispi DualZone

The Ninja Crispi DualZone isn't the brand's first evolution of the Crispi; the Crispi Pro launched earlier this year. But, it is the first time it's used its patented DualZone technology on the innovative glass air fryer.

And it's the two independent cooking zones that are the real shining star of the new Crispi. Each zone is made up of a CleanCrisp glassware container that is designed for non-toxic cooking and speedy storage, but there's more technology at play here that's worth talking about.

Smart Finish, for example, is Ninja's answer to no-stress mealtimes. With this technology, the Ninja Crispi DualZone intelligently syncs both zones to finish at the same time. Pair this up with Match Cook that mirrors what settings you've got running across your zones, and you can use it for double-batch cooking, too.

No longer will you have to cook your food back-to-back with the Crispi or bring in other kitchen appliances to make sure your meal comes together at once – and for me, that sounds like the dream. And if you're keen to cook up using different functions, there are six customizable options onboard with Air Fry, Bake, Dehydrate, Max, Crisp, Roast and Recrisp all available,

Why I can't wait to try it

I've loved the look of the Ninja Crispi since it launched, but I've already got the Ninja Foodi DualZone that allows me to cook on two sides at the same time. It's hard to compete with that until now. I finally feel like I could replace the Foodi with the Crispi, but there's more to it than that.

I've also recently moved over from plastic food storage containers to glass, and I've definitely noticed a difference when it comes to taste. If the same can be said for the Ninja Crispi DualZone, then I'm super intrigued. With no PFAS and PTFE, it also feels like a smart choice for chemical-free cuisine.

I'm really keen to grab a Ninja Crispi DualZone now that it's got the feature I've been desperately waiting for, and it doesn't hurt that it looks incredibly stylish, too. I'll reserve full judgment until we get it in for a full review. Now, I just need them to make a Ninja Crispi Pro DualZone, and I can fit food in for the whole family.

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

When a heatwave hits, I want to escape into my fridge. It’s the only place in my home that feels cool. However, opening the door and enjoying the cool chill is the last thing I should be doing.

As the temperature soars outside, our trusty refrigerators work overtime to keep our milk from turning into cottage cheese and our proteins safe to eat.

And just as we take extra precautions to keep ourselves cool and hydrated during a heatwave, we need to take extra measures to ensure our fridges and freezers perform efficiently and survive the heat.

So, to avoid an appliance disaster during a heatwave, I'm sharing my golden rules for keeping your refrigerator chilled in the height of summer.

Let it breathe

It’s important to give your refrigerator room to breathe so it functions properly. The cooling system absorbs heat from inside the unit and expels it into the surrounding room. If there is insufficient space for heat to be expelled, it remains trapped around the unit, raising the inside temperature and causing the compressor to run continuously to maintain the desired level.

To provide sufficient space for air to circulate, allow 5cm of clearance around your appliance for ventilation.

What’s more, consider where you place your refrigerator in your kitchen, as it’s best to avoid putting it next to any hotspots, such as an oven or radiator.

Don't put hot food in a refrigerator

When the temperature is high, it’s tempting to put hot food straight into your refrigerator to cool it quickly. However, this is one habit you should stop. While leaving hot food on your countertop to cool for too long is a major food safety hazard, placing it into your refrigerator is also ill-advised.

When hot items are placed in a fridge, the temperature rises, creating a breeding ground for bacteria and putting other food into the ‘danger zone’. To solve the conundrum, the best solution is to either place your food into an ice bath to cool, or use one of the best coolers, before placing the food in your fridge. You could use something similar to Coleman’s Xtreme Marine 28-quart Cooler Box, £68 at Amazon.

Get the temperature right

Rather than just guessing whether to turn the thermostat up or down in my fridge, I use a thermometer to regularly check whether it’s at the right temperature. The optimal temperature should sit between 3 °C and 5 °C, so if it’s higher or lower, I know I need to make an adjustment. Too low and I’m wasting energy, and too high and the food’s freshness and safety are at risk.

If you have a smart fridge, you can control your appliances through an app, meaning you can be away from home during a heatwave and be reassured you won’t return to a meltdown. You could try the LG InstaView American Style Smart Fridge Freezer, £1,295 at Amazon, which lets you control your refrigerator remotely via the LG ThinQ app.

Check the door seals

If the rubber seals around your refrigerator are worn, they will leak out cold air and let hot air in. This causes the appliance to work harder than needed to keep the inside perfectly chilled. You can check how well your seals work by placing a piece of paper between the door and the unit. If the paper holds steady when the door is closed, you know your seals are fine. But if the paper slides down, it indicates that the seals need replacing.

Don't keep opening the door

I’m guilty of constantly opening the fridge door when I’m preparing a meal. Instead of taking everything I need out at once, I hop back and forth, opening my refrigerator multiple times.

However, every time that door gets opened, I’m making my fridge work harder to keep the temperature in check. And especially during a heatwave, when it’s hotter than usual in my kitchen, I’m setting off a heat exchange.

So, now, I think about how often I open my fridge door, and limit the number of times its get open

Keep your fridge full

Your fridge runs more efficiently when it's full rather than empty, so don't let it run down completely before going to the grocery store.

The food inside acts as a thermal mass, and retains its heat much better when the door is opened. Whereas, if there's more space for air, it spills out when the door is opened and is replaced by hot air, causing the compressor to work harder to restore the internal temperature.

More from Tom's Guide

• This 5-minute hack will make your fridge look better and save you money
• 5 reasons why you’re loading your refrigerator all wrong — and expert tips on how to do it right
• People are using Vaseline on their fridge to beat the heatwave — here's why it makes more sense than you think

Right now, the U.K. is in the middle of a heatwave, and cold brew and iced coffee are all I can manage during weeks like this — it's one of the ways I've learned to manage a heatwave. But if you're worrying about how to make cold brew, worry not! De'Longhi's newest La Specialista models — the Arte Evo, Opera, to name a few — all have a surprising feature: instant cold brew. Instead of relying on traditional cold brewing methods — literally cold brewing coffee for 16+ hours — these machines use espresso pressure to steep coffee in a fraction of the time.

As much as I love and respect this feature, it does beg the question... if you're a cold brew drinker, and only a cold brew drinker, should you be spending $500+ on these espresso machines? No.

As an ex-barista and director of The Coffee Lab, I know exactly how cafes make cold brew. All you need is a French press, coffee, cold water, and some time. Instead of spending $$$ on a cold brew-slash-espresso machine, just get this $31 Espro French press. Espro's unique dual-filter basket means you get almost zero silt, too.

How can I make cold brew in a French press?

I know it sounds daunting, but I promise you, it's not! This is exactly how we made cold brew at Starbucks when I worked there.

All you need is: a French press (with a dual-lined filter, like the Espro P3 above), coarsely ground coffee, water, and time (preferably 16 hours).

1. Use either a 1:8 ratio or a 1:15 ratio. 1:8 means you will need to dilute the final drink, so it's like a cold brew concentrate. I always use 1:8.
2. The Espro P3 is 1000ml, so I use 125g of coarsely ground coffee. Put the coffee inside the French press.
3. Pour water to the top.
4. Let it steep for 16 hours, ambient or in the refrigerator if you live in a really hot area.

And it's easy as that! You don't need to spend $500 on an espresso machine/cold brew machine. All you need is a French press.

We're tracking all the best Prime Day home appliance deals

Imagine the scene: it's down to the final minutes of a grueling World Cup match. Your team (in my case, England) steps up to take a penalty. Because with England, it's always a penalty. You're leaning so far forward you're practically pressed against the television screen, and suddenly, the ball flies past the goalkeeper and smashes into the back of the net.

Naturally, the room erupts into celebration, and with you, your Philips Hue lights start to flash red and white. Suddenly, your tense watch party has turned into a festival.

Well, I can't promise any penalty success, but if you're wondering how to set up your Hue lights to pair with the World Cup, all you need is a Bridge and a couple of minutes on your Hue app. I set it up myself, and now I'll be parked firmly in front of my smart lights for the next month.

Here's how to turn on the "Sports Live" setting on your Philips Hue app, and the one crucial step you need to follow to make your viewing party spoiler-free.

How "Sports Live" works

I first used Sports Live setting during an entertaining but goal-free viewing of Spain v Cape Verde. The more action-packed the game, the more you'll get out of this setting.

The full list of tailored responses are as follows:

• Start of match: Lights blink for five seconds
• Goal scored: Five second flashes in the scoring team's colors
• Penalty: Blue flashing lights for five seconds
• Yellow card: Yellow flashing
• Second yellow card: Alternating red and yellow lights
• Red card: Red flashing
• Match resumes: Five seconds of flashing lights
• End of match: 15 seconds of flasing in the winning team's colors

How it looks

"Sounds cool," I hear you say, "but what does it look like?"

Well, I put this to the test with my Philips Hue Play Wall Washers and the Hue bulb in my ceiling lights. Both enhance the viewing experience, but if you've got a washer or a Play Lamp, which casts multi-colored lights up against your walls, it'll transform your viewing experience.

As you can see in the video above, I was streaming the match a split-second behind the live game, which resulted in some very slightly premature (but still welcome) red and white flashing lights. If you don't take the time to sync your display to the game, it could result in some major spoilers.

While I think the viewing experience is unmatched when you've got Hue wall washers, I still enjoyed the vibrant celebrations coming from my Hue bulb. Albeit slightly less, because those are the Croatian colors.

How to set it up

Setup is simple. You just need a Philips Hue Bridge or Bridge Pro, and at least one compatible light (although I have four, two of which conveniently sit either side of my TV!)

It's not unusual for the Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select to be released in a new color. Earlier this year, the Dutch brand announced its Color of the Year with the Moccamaster in Sorbet. And there's plenty more where that came from with the Moccamaster available in a wide selection of colors all-year round.

What is a little unusual about this latest color drop is that it's launched for one reason in particular — Amazon Prime Day. Holding the overall top spot amongst the best coffee makers we've ever tested, I'm excited to see it in this new color even if the circumstances are unexpected.

So, to mark Amazon Prime Day 2026, Moccamaster has dropped this exclusive color for the annual sales event — Eucalyptus. And, for a little something extra special, it's offering a 33 per cent discount on the usual price during the sales period (23 to 26 June).

Why I'll be picking one up

While the Prime Day exclusive color is certainly alluring, it's not just the Eucalyptus hue that is swaying my decision to grab one. It's mainly down to the Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select's impressive features.

Not only did it secure a four-and-a-half star review from our testers, but it's held a spot in our coffee maker buying guide for five years now. We even recently revisited our review in 2026 to check if it was still the cream of the crop — and we ruled it most certainly is.

Handmade in the Netherlands, it boasts quality construction, dependable results and a sleek design. In fact, our reviewer Erin (who runs the Tom's Guide Coffee Lab) stated: "The Technivorm Moccamaster KGBV Select has stood the test of time, and for good reason. This is widely regarded as the best drip coffee maker ever invented. With SCA-approved functionality and a 5-year warranty (+lifetime repairs), I recommend the Moccamaster with every fiber of my coffee-addled being."

And new color releases bring a new aesthetic that may just make this machine even more appealing. Sure, Juniper and Pistachio are already available if you're looking for shades of green, but there's something about Eucalyptus that has really caught my eye.

Availability

While the Moccamaster in Eucalpytus is an exclusive launch for Prime Day — running 23 to 26 June with a 33 per cent off limited time deal — it won't be the last time you see it. In fact, I've been told that it'll return in the fall, which is great news for anyone eager for a new coffee maker but not quite ready to invest.

And despite this being an Amazon Prime Day exclusive, you can also pick it up at other retailers like Williams Sonoma and Crate & Barrel.

• 7 ways to create a barista-style coffee bar in your kitchen
• Coffee doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby — here’s my 5 favorite cheap accessories
• How to make coffee without a coffee maker — 5 easy techniques

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro is a curious automatic espresso machine. It can make a huge variety of drinks, including espresso, drip coffee, cold brew, and both hot and cold milk. So is this enough to make it one of the best espresso machines?

Hm… not really. The Ninja AutoBarista Pro is an ambitious machine, but I think it’s got its fingers in too many pies. It can’t decide what it wants to be. Does it want to be a drip machine or an espresso machine? Or a rapid cold brew machine? (The cold brew comes out warm…)

Even so, I gave this machine 3 stars for a reason — it’s unbelievably easy to use, perfect for the home barista who wants to click a button and get fresh coffee instantly, and is relatively cheaper than other automatic machines. Want to find out more? Keep reading this Ninja AutoBarista Pro review.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Specs

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Price & availability

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro is $949 from Best Buy and £899 direct from SharkNinja. I hate that I’m writing this, but $950 isn’t actually that expensive for a fully automatic espresso machine.

I’ve also tested the $1,499 De’Longhi Rivelia, the $2,699 Jura E8, the coffee-only (yes, no milk) $999 Jura ENA 4, and the $1,999 KitchenAid KF8.

So, in comparison, the Ninja AutoBarista Pro is pretty well-priced. Although it doesn’t have totally hands-free milk — you still have to pour the milk into the jug and then pour it into your espresso — it does froth the milk for you.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Design

I was surprised when I unboxed the AutoBarista Pro — it’s not as visually appealing as I’d expected. Ninja seems to always hit design out of the park, especially with the Crispi and the Creami, and even the Luxe Cafe.

But not the AutoBarista Pro. I’m not sure what about it rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps the sharp lines, the somewhat dim screen? The chrome buttons? It just looks like something that would have come out about ten years ago, not now.

The machine is almost entirely plastic, too: the water tank is relatively flimsy, the exterior is a shiny plastic, and the drip tray is mostly plastic. This is a shame, but, then again, you can’t expect perfection from a (relatively) affordable automatic machine.

The screen is nowhere near as clear as the Breville Oracle Dual Boiler ($3,000), but is, thankfully, easy to use and perfect for beginners. There are little graphics of all the different types of coffee, and then you can adjust details like coffee intensity, milk texture, heat, as much as you like. I suppose, though, it’s unfair to compare a $950 machine and a $3K machine — you would expect the quality to be different.

One thing I love is the steam wand. It looks almost identical to the Oracle Dual Boiler — it’s wider than most at-home steam wands, and has a single powerful spout rather than holes — and is incredibly powerful. I’ll talk about it more below, but this is one of my favorite aspects of the Ninja.

Don’t get me wrong, the AutoBarista Pro isn’t hideous or a plastic hunk of garbage — not at all. It just doesn’t look as premium as I would like. Even though it’s cheaper than other automatic machines, almost $1,000 is still a huge amount of money. As a result, I’d like it to look a little more premium.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Espresso

In terms of ease of use, the AutoBarista Pro wins all the awards. It’s supremely easy to control. You don’t have to do any prep at all. You do have to wait, though — each drink took at least a minute to make. This was noticeably longer than the De’Longhi Rivelia and De’Longhi Magnifica Evo ($899).

When I first installed the hopper and poured in my beans, I used GrindIQ to adjust the grind. This took about six minutes and used a decent amount of coffee, so I’d only recommend using this if you tend to use the same beans over and over. I would hate to waste that much coffee for every 200g bag of specialty beans, for example.

Thankfully, like the De’Longhi Rivelia, you get two bean hoppers, so you don’t have to empty out the hopper if you want to switch beans.

But after the machine calibrated itself, it was beyond easy to use. I simply adjusted the intensity using the screen, adjusted the ratio (you can do anything from 1:2 to 1:6), and pressed go.

On medium intensity, the espresso is really weak, so I found I had to use the strongest level to get a normal-tasting espresso. Even the most intense mode isn’t as flavorful as a manual espresso machine — so I wouldn’t recommend this machine if you’re an espresso evangelist. I think most of these issues lie within the grinder, which you can't manually control.

Here’s a photo of an espresso made using Ninja’s default settings (so 1:2, medium intensity, double shot).

As you can see, the color is quite light. This was using artisan beans with notes of almond, fudge, and cherry.

The shot tasted a little juicy, a little nutty, but didn’t have the rich mouthfeel you might expect from a manual espresso machine. Again, this is a fine trade-off if you seriously value ease of use and can’t be bothered with grinding, tamping, and dosing at 7am, but coffee nerds might want to look elsewhere.

My colleagues reported that the coffee generally tasted quite weak, but was still drinkable, even on the most intense setting.

I would also advise against using this machine for cold brew. Take a look at this...

This tasted incredibly weak (if you couldn't guess that from the photo) — there was maybe a whisper of flavor. I honestly had to throw this away. I was impressed to see the machine automatically adjusted the grind for cold brew (it needs coarser than espresso), but the result was still poor and it didn't taste good.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Milk

Even though the espresso functionality left me longing for more, I do really like the steam wand function on the AutoBarista Pro. It’s not as hands-off as other automatic machines like the Jura E8 or the KitchenAid KF8. You have to pour the milk into the pitcher and then pour it into your mug. You also have to clean and purge the steam wand as you would on a manual espresso machine.

As a barista who loves the ritual of making coffee and getting her hands dirty, this is much more my style than the fully automatic machines I’ve tested in the past.

You don’t get any control over the actual steaming, though, which is perfect for hands-off baristas who want consistently technically perfect coffees, but not ideal for someone like me.

You can adjust the milk texture settings from wet, to melted ice cream flat white texture, to cappuccino texture. You can even cold foam milk, which was super fun. Here’s a photo of a standard flat white using all of Ninja’s default settings.

As you can see, the texture is pretty good, but it’s not as soft or velvety as a human barista. Even so, my colleagues reported that the milk texture was “yummy” (direct quote), with a soft mouthfeel and a nice creaminess.

You can also toggle the “dairy milk” and “plant-based milk” setting. I’m not sure what difference this actually makes, as I forgot to turn it to plant-based milk when I was frothing oat milk and it turned out the same.

However, I would not recommend this for cold foam.

As you can see, the texture is a bit strange. It’s much too bubbly, not really stiff peaks like you’d expect from cold foam. And if you swipe to the second picture, you’ll see how it looked after a few seconds. Yep… that’s basically just an iced latte.

So, the long and short of it is: hot drinks, yes, cold drinks… no.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Storage & maintenance

As you might expect from an automatic espresso machine, the Ninja AutoBarista Pro is pretty large. It’s 17.8 x 10.7 x 15.8, and took up a decent amount of space in my kitchen. Not a con, just something to be mindful of!

Now, a con: you will be refilling the water tank after about four drinks. And if you’re making cold brew, one drink.

No, that’s not an exaggeration, and yes, I’m quite sure. I had to refill the AutoBarista Pro after four drinks, every single time. I’m not sure where all the water goes, but it goes somewhere. It’s thirstier than an AI data center.

Alright, so now you know what to expect, we can move on. Cleaning the AutoBarista Pro is straightforward: Ninja provides you with a few months’ worth of cleaning tablets and a water filter (mandatory if you live in a hard water area). Running a cleaning cycle is as easy as following the instructions on the machine itself. Replacement cleaning products are around $14 from Amazon.

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

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Verdict

If you prioritize ease of use over anything else, you’ll be happy with the Ninja AutoBarista Pro. This is one of the easiest coffee machines I’ve ever tested. You literally just have to press a button, and the machine does the hard work for you, in the same way the De’Longhi Rivelia takes all the guesswork out of coffee-making.

However, I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone. It’s considerably bulkier than I expected, and the screen is nowhere near as bright as the aforementioned De’Longhi Rivelia. The coffee tends to be weak, even when extracted on the maximum intensity setting — and I wouldn’t recommend it for cold brew or cold foam at all.

All that being said, if you want a (relatively) affordable espresso machine and you’re the kind of person who drinks flavored lattes away — or you simply want a cold foam maker and you want it right now — then the Ninja AutoBarista Pro will do the job. It’s one of the most “brain off” espresso machines I’ve ever reviewed. I just wish it hit more of its marks.

As much as I like to call myself an outdoor cooking enthusiast, my idea of outdoor cooking usually involves a smart grill, a high-end pellet smoker, or some other appliance designed to take the guesswork out of the process. So spending two nights cooking every meal over an open fire at AutoCamp Catskills pushed me well outside my comfort zone.

Fortunately, I wasn't exactly roughing it. I was glamping in the mountains with a set of Gordon Ramsay-backed HexClad cookware. I've used HexClad's hybrid pans before, just never with an open flame as my primary heat source.

When it comes to cooking over fire, I quickly learned that precision goes out the window. Flames flare up unexpectedly, hot spots shift without warning, and timing becomes more of an educated guess than an exact science.

Once I got past the initial hesitation — and my concerns about whether the cookware would survive direct exposure to the flames (HexClad cookware is rated safe up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit) — I started to embrace the chaos.

Throughout the experience, I tested a mix of HexClad's mainline pans and several of its grill-focused pieces.

The griddle was an early standout. Blueberry pancakes slid off cleanly with no sticking and were quickly devoured while taking in the crisp mountain air. The hybrid fry pan handled sauteed leeks and other aromatics with ease, despite the constantly changing heat beneath it.

But I was most surprised by HexClad's perforated grill pans. We used them for fish and mushrooms, but they also excelled with ingredients you don't typically associate with campfire cooking. Strawberries, fresh herbs, and other delicate ingredients picked up subtle smokiness without being overwhelmed by direct heat.

Between meals, I chatted with Chef Linda Laestadius, an open-fire cooking specialist who joined the trip and runs Grounded NY catering. I told her I'd always assumed cast iron was the undisputed king of outdoor cooking. She agreed, to a point.

Cast iron is incredibly durable, retains heat exceptionally well, and can handle just about anything you throw at it. But she also pointed out something I hadn't fully considered: cast iron is heavy. Like, really heavy.

By comparison, HexClad's cookware is easier to move between a grill, fire pit, and prep area, and significantly less annoying to clean when the meal is over.

Before this trip, I would've assumed cast iron was the only serious option for cooking over fire. By the end, I understood why someone might choose otherwise. When you're hauling gear between your car, campsite, and cooking setup, lighter cookware suddenly becomes a lot more appealing.

It's not that I'm about to replace every pan in my kitchen or start cooking dinner exclusively over an open flame. But the experience did change how I think about outdoor cooking, particularly when it comes to grilling and smoking at home.

These pans feel well-suited to that in-between space where you're not trying to rough it, but you still want the cooking process to feel a little more hands-on and a little less automated. Standing around a fire forces you to pay attention in a way modern cooking appliances don't. You can't simply set it and forget it, or download an app that does all the heavy lifting.

If nothing else, it’s a good reminder that food tastes a little better when you slow down enough to actually cook it over fire instead of just heat.

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 things I wish I knew before replacing my grill with a flat-top griddle
• Why Weber’s 2025 Spirit EP-425 gas grill is the ultimate value
• I drove the Ford F-150 Lightning 100 miles off the grid — here's my verdict

If there is one household chore I truly despise, it’s the constant battle with bathroom mold — particularly those stubborn black spots that seem to resurface in my silicone sealant. Whether it's mold in my shower or around the bathtub, knowing how to get rid of mold can be an arduous task.

But while black mold is easy to identify, what about pink mold? This often shows up as a light pink pigment or ring around shower drains or tile grout, and is not as noticeable. Despite not being as hazardous as black mold, it’s still important to know how to clean pink mold to keep your bathroom clean and germ-free.

Before you reach out for the bleach however, there is a simple DIY natural solution that can instantly remove pink mold. All you need are a few kitchen staples that are safe to use around the home.

Here are our top tips on how to tackle pink mold once and for all.

What is pink mold and where does it come from?

Essentially, pink mold is a common airborne bacteria (Serratia marcescens) that builds up over time. The trouble is, this bacteria feeds on the fatty oils and minerals found in shampoo or soap scum, alongside hard water buildup and bodily particles left in your bathroom. Gross!

Similar to mold spores, pink mold thrives on moisture to grow, which is why it’s vital to have adequate ventilation after a hot shower or bath.

How to clean pink mold

First, combine half a cup of baking soda with a tablespoon of liquid dish soap or your favorite multi-surface cleaner in a bowl. Mix until you have a thin, runny paste.

Next, get a small bristle brush or even an old toothbrush, dip it into the solution before scrubbing away at the mold — working it into those pinkish patches until there are no traces of bacteria.

Once you’ve scrubbed all away, rinse the residue away with warm water or use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down the surface.

Baking soda is a great multi-purpose cleaner (not just a common baking essential!). Not only does its abrasive nature help with removing stubborn stains but it can also absorb lingering odors. In fact, there are so many things you can clean with baking soda. Plus, combined with another kitchen staple, white vinegar, it can make light work of tough cleaning chores.

How to disinfect the area

After you’ve cleaned the surface, it’s advisable to kill any lingering bacteria with a disinfectant solution. For this, simply mix a 50:50 solution of warm water and chlorine bleach into a spray bottle.

Next, spray the areas with the solution and leave to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. This should kill bacteria and remove any stains that remain on the surfaces. Finally, give it a final sweep with a fresh cloth, sponge or soft-bristled brush to ensure every surface is buffed clean and completely dry. With any luck, your tile grout, bathtub, or sink should be sparkling clean and bacteria-free.

Just remember never to use bleach with other cleaners, such as white vinegar or ammonia, to prevent a toxic chemical reaction and the release of chlorine gas. And remember to always keep a window or door open for adequate ventilation during cleaning.

Cleaning essentials we love

More from Tom's Guide

• ‘I clean my shower while I'm washing' — expert shares her bizarre hacks to cut your chores in half
• How to clean a glass shower door
• I recommend these 5 easy tips to keep your shower curtain mold-free

You clean your sink every day. But there's a small opening you've probably never paid attention to that's teeming with bacteria right now.

Your sink's overflow hole is the kitchen's most disguised hygiene problem. It's warm, dark, and perpetually damp. Simon Roberts, director at quartz worktop retailer Vogue Worktops, says it's consistently overlooked despite being one of the dirtiest parts of your sink.

Warmer summer temperatures make this bacterial build-up even more problematic, creating smells and hygiene issues that seem to come from nowhere. Here's how to clean it properly.

More from Tom's Guide

• 'I can't remember the last time I cleaned this' — 5 hidden dirt zones in your house and how to clean them
• How to clean mold from bathroom caulk permanently — without using household bleach
• Sticky cabinets? Cleaners say these 3 ordinary items fix it better than anything else

I've spent the last 60 days nursing my skin back to health with the Ulike ReGlow LED Face Mask, and I have to say, I'm shocked by the results. I was convinced that LED masks like this were a fad, but after spending evenings reading my book whilst looking like a Christmas tree's answer to Hannibal Lecter, my skin looks better than ever.

This mask combines four types of LED therapy across different settings to treat skin concerns specific to the user. As someone with very unpredictable skin that can be dry or oily depending on how my hormones are feeling that day, being able to tailor the treatment is extremely useful.

So, after two months of testing, here's what I think about the device, and what LED light therapy really means.

What is LED light therapy?

LED light therapy is a non-invasive treatment used for skin rejuvenation. It can help with a range of skin issues, including acne and psoriasis, both of which I deal with daily.

The Ulike Mask has four modes that use light combinations to tackle different skin concerns.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the different wavelengths of light penetrate the skin at different depths to trigger the natural repair process.

Having different modes means that this one device is capable of acting as an at-home spa to cater to a myriad of beauty concerns.

How it's working for me

Putting on the mask has become a way of telling everyone in my house that I am firmly in a state of me-time. It's just me, my book, and my mask.

I've mostly been using Clear Mode to help tackle a post-holiday breakout and calm inflammation. I noticed a marked difference after two uses of the mask, which was a relief because usually breakouts caused by pores clogged with makeup in the heat can take me over a month to clear.

The first picture is my skin now. You can see that my complexion is smooth and my skin is glowing. The second picture was taken before using the mask, and here my skin appears dull and flat, with blemishes peaking through my makeup.

Redness around the blemishes decreased immediately, and by the next morning, the pimples had shrunk in size. This felt like a huge win since my breakouts usually leave me feeling pretty self-conscious for a week while they battle it out with my skin barrier.

Getting a little tight

Each treatment session with the Ulike ReGlow mask has a set timer, so there's no need to worry about forgetting how long you've been under the light. However, by the end of the session, the mask can start to feel a little tight.

There's an adjustable strap that wraps around your head to keep the mask in place, and this has to be secure as the mask weighs about 0.9 pounds. Towards the end of each session, I start to feel the effects of the head strap around my eyes, where the mask comes into contact with my face.

After a treatment, I've experienced scuba diving goggles-style marks on my face. The general advice is that the mask should be contoured closely enough to the face to deliver the right amount of light, but shouldn't be uncomfortable.

I'll continue experimenting with the fit as I continue testing the Ulike ReGlow LED Face Mask, but I'm impressed that I've seen a visible difference in my skin already.

More from Tom's Guide

• I spent 6 months with the Shark CryoGlow LED mask — here's my honest verdict
• I ran my résumé through ChatGPT — these 5 prompts exposed mistakes I kept missing
• I’ve been testing the Keen Apex Targhee Mid hiking boots — here’s what I like and what I don’t like about them after a month of wear

There’s nothing quite like the taste of homegrown tomatoes — freshly picked off the vine and straight into your tasty meals. Even though these crops are the easiest to grow, it can be disappointing when your harvest lacks the punchy, vibrant flavor you hoped for.

In fact, this once happened to me, and it was such a let-down, especially after all my hard efforts. This time around, however, I’ve reached out to professional gardeners to uncover why this happens and to give me their top tips for ensuring a flavorsome crop.

So, if you don’t want to end up with a disappointing harvest, here are the three essential factors that determine whether your tomatoes will be packed with tasty flavor.

1. Choose the right variety

One key factor behind your bland tomato harvest could be the variety you’re growing. According to experts, you can choose certain varieties based not only on fruit size and color, but also on certain flavors. Some tomatoes are simply not as flavorful as others.

“The variety of tomato can determine flavor,” states Jessica Mercer, Ph.D. Horticulturist at Plant Addicts. “Some tomatoes are bred for shipping ease, firmness, disease resistance, or high yield.

"Others, like cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and many heirlooms, are known for good sugar-acid balance and aroma.”

Before picking out your plants to grow, it is worth considering your preferred taste/flavor and researching which specific varieties match your desired taste profile. That should hopefully save you a lot of disappointment when these are ready for the picking.

For more planting tips, check out Tom's Guide to tomatoes for everything you need to know about growing a juicy harvest.

2. Let your tomatoes soak up the sun

Tomatoes are sun-loving plants and need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily to help them produce more fruit. Without adequate sunshine, plants struggle to photosynthesize and produce complex sugars and acids in the fruit. This essentially gives our tomato crop their tasty flavor.

"Think of the sun like a solar panel for homegrown tomato flavor — it gives them the fuel and energy they need to perform their best,” adds Corinne Beirne, gardening coach and founder of The Nourished Garden.

“Letting them ripen on the vine versus ripening them on your windowsill will maximize taste too, especially after they've been sitting in the sun for a while without too much water before a harvest." What’s more, low-light conditions are known to cause watery, bland fruit that lacks sweetness.

In addition, knowing when the right time to pick your tomatoes is can make all the difference. “For optimal flavor, tomatoes should be harvested at the right time,” adds Mercer. “Pick when the fruit has started to turn its mature color and pulls easily from the vine.

“Finish ripening it at room temperature. Tomatoes picked too early may not develop as much flavor as fruit that ripened longer on the plant.”

3. Avoid overwatering your tomatoes

While the summer heat might tempt you to reach for the hose more often, overwatering or saturating your tomato crop can actually dilute its final taste and flavor. The general rule of thumb is to water only when the top two inches of soil start to dry.

“Too much water, particularly when fruit is ripening, can dilute the sugars and acids that give tomatoes their flavor,” explains Mercer. “Water deeply and consistently when the top inch or two of soil begins to dry. Check the soil for dryness before watering again.” What’s more, overwatering tomatoes, especially before a harvest, can make a real difference to their sweetness.

Plus, you’ll want to ensure your soil is kept in a healthy condition, free from disease or root rot, often triggered by overwatering. You can also add a rich, organic fertilizer like a good fish fertilizer. This is because fish contains all the essential plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium — which are all needed for healthy growth.

"I like to use a good organic fish fertilizer like Neptune's because it nourishes both the plant and the soil without being too harsh,” suggests Beirne.

“Healthy, nutritious soil provides the right conditions for the plant to produce the most flavorful fruit."

For more top tips, check out when to fertilize tomatoes: the 3-step schedule for a bountiful harvest.

More from Tom's Guide

• How often should you water tomato plants and when should you do it?
• 3 ways to tell that your tomatoes are ready to harvest
• 7 ways to increase the yield from your tomato plants

Have you ever seen a coffee accessory that looks like it could be a Medieval torture device? Let's talk about it. So this little device is called a WDT tool. This is an accessory often seen in the hands of the most ardent coffee snobs, paired with things like a spring-loaded tamper and a coffee scale.

Here at The Coffee Lab, we take coffee back to basics. At the end of the day, as long as you're enjoying your morning (or afternoon... or evening) cup of java, who is anyone to tell you you're making it wrong? But I've been so intrigued by what is essentially a set of acupuncture needles on a stick that I knew I had to get a WDT tool in to test.

So, today we're going to answer the question: Do you actually need a WDT tool, or is it just a gimmick?

What is a WDT tool?

WDT stands for Weiss Distribution Technique. John Weiss, a passionate home barista, actually invented this technique while trying to eradicate channeling in his espresso. Frustrated by inconsistent extraction, Weiss used a needle to distribute grounds evenly, giving the water a flat surface to pass through. And, ta-da! WDT was invented. You can actually read Weiss's 2007 article on Home-Barista.

A WDT is essentially a device with lots of little needles. These needles cut through the coffee grounds, break up clumps, and distribute the particles. You can get WDT tools with anywhere from around five to ten needles.

The before and after

Take a look at these two photos: one is my portafilter basket before using the WDT tool, one is after. Can you see a difference?

As you can see, the first image shows clumpy coffee grounds, and, in the second image, you can see the evenly distributed grounds.

I made two identical espressos, one with the WDT tool, and one without the WDT. And if you haven't watched the TikTok video linked above... then I'm going to spoil it for you.

They tasted pretty much the same.

The verdict

Is having a WDT tool essential for good coffee at home? No, not at all. Don't let any coffee snob tell you you're not a real home barista until you have one.

But will having a WDT tool guarantee good espresso every time? Also, no. You don't need a WDT tool to get barista-quality espresso.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret — I've worked in three coffee houses, and not one of them had a WDT tool.

We just ground the beans into the portafilter basket, tamped, and pulled the shot. No messing around with needles.

But will having a WDT tool improve the flavor of your home espresso? Well, kind of. If you're using high-quality, artisan beans, a powerful grinder like the Mazzer Philos, and you know what you're doing, you might be able to get better-tasting espresso at home.

For the average home barista, though, it's not an essential purchase. Sure, it's fun, and I'm probably going to continue using mine now I've got it. Unless you're a die-hard coffee nerd, I suggest saving your money.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tried this ridiculously cheap bean-to-cup espresso machine so you don't have to — and it's a total head-scratcher
• Non-plastic coffee makers are trending — and this low-plastic Ratio model is my favorite for coffee snobs
• I made two identical espressos with $5 coffee beans and $20 coffee beans — and yes, the coffee snobs are right

If you’re looking for the best budget office chair to get you through your work day, then you can stop your search because the Boulies EP200 has everything you could want. It’s highly adjustable, so it’s guaranteed to suit your posture, and has a breathable mesh back that flexes with your movements. The assembly is straightforward with easy-to-follow instructions, and the price tag also makes it a real crowd-pleaser.

Unfortunately, the upholstered seat isn’t as durable as I would like, showing signs of wear after just a few hours. That said, it wouldn’t stop me recommending this chair to anyone — and certainly doesn’t stop me from using it every day.

To find out more, you can read my full Boulies EP200 review.

Boulies EP200 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A mesh desk chair with adjustable support
• What does it cost? $209 / £189
• What’s good? The mesh back design, the highly adjustable support, the easy assembly and the competitive price tag
• What’s not? The upholstery’s durability is disappointing

Boulies EP200 review: Specs

Boulies EP200 review: The ups

The Boulies EP200 has a competitive price point and offers a whole lot of adjustment to ensure your posture is as good as it can be while sitting at your desk all day. The mesh back design and adjustable lumbar support make this chair a winner for anyone with lower back strain.

Mesh back design

The back of the EP200 is made from a synthetic mesh, just like most of Boulies’ other chairs, including the EP460 ($299). I much prefer this design to the fabric back of a chair like the LiberNovo Omni ($1,099). Fabric becomes quite warm on hot days, whereas the mesh stays breathable.

There’s also not much flex with fully upholstered chairs like the Boulies OP300 ($289), but the mesh back of the EP200 has a lot of flex when you lean back. It feels like it molds to the contours of my body.

Adjustable lumbar support

The Boulies EP200 has adjustable lumbar support. There’s a twistable knob at the back of the chair, which you can turn to relieve the pressure on your lower back, and the mesh back of the chair means it’s easy for the chair to adjust to the shape.

I found this very effective, and I felt the relief almost immediately. The support isn’t as pronounced as you get with the Boulies EP500, but it was enough for me. You also get a lot more adjustment with the EP200 than with the EP500, which is only adjustable by a small amount.

Find your position

The lumbar support was the star of the show for me with the Boulies EP200, but the adjustment doesn’t stop there. It’s extremely customizable for your individual posture and helps to relieve any aches and pains you may experience while sitting at your desk all day.

Firstly, like with most chairs, the height is adjustable. Also, the armrests can swivel and change height, and the seat depth can move forward and backwards. There’s also an adjustable head and neck support, which I found very useful for maintaining an upright posture, although I have to have it on the lowest setting since I’m short (5’4”), and anyone shorter than this may find it redundant.

The chair can also recline to angles of 95º, 113º and 135º. This means you could use it to relax. Not something I personally needed as I just used the chair at the office during my working day.

Easy build process

The Boulies EP200 arrived packaged well, just like every other Boulies chair we’ve tested here at Tom’s Guide. However, the plastic cover for the aluminum base was cracked when it arrived. Luckily, with the purchase of the chair, you get a two-year warranty that covers damage like this. And I think the chair looks a lot more sleek without this cover anyway.

The chair needs to be fully assembled and comes with clear instructions. The package includes a hex key, but it’s quite long, so if you have a shorter key on hand, it’s easier to use that instead. Bolts are packaged separately and given letter codes, making the build simple.

The chair took me around 30 minutes to build, and although I found it more complicated than the Boulies OP300, the process was straightforward enough that most people won’t be troubled by it.

Decent price point

The Boulies EP200 is available to purchase from the Boulies online store for $209 / £189. Given the amount of adjustment and level of comfort you get from the chair, this is a very competitive price point.

For comparison, the Boulies OP180 costs $239 and is a very basic chair, so it doesn’t include the same levels of adjustment. The OP180 also doesn’t have a head and neck rest, which can make working in the chair for long hours a challenge.

You can get a similar chair style from the ProtoArc EC100 for $189, but it doesn’t have the adjustable lumbar you get with the EP200. The Boulies EP500 is an option that provides a more relaxed feel with a built-in foot rest, but that will set you back $389. The EP200 is sufficient for working at your desk all day long.

Boulies EP200 review: The downs

While the Boulies EP200 is very comfortable to sit on all day, the seat isn’t very durable, showing signs of wear, such as the fabric creasing, after just a couple of hours.

Creasing seat

The Boulies EP200 is a very comfortable chair, but after sitting on it for just a couple of hours, I noticed that the upholstery on the seat was pulling and creasing. This was disappointing to see, given that the chair was essentially fresh out of the box.

Granted, sometimes when sitting at my desk for hours, I shift positions — I even cross my legs at times — but this kind of change to the material isn’t something I experienced when testing the OP180. The creasing didn’t affect the functionality of the EP200 in any way, but aesthetically, I’d expect something more robust for the money — especially as office chairs are designed for daily use.

Boulies EP200 review: Verdict

The Boulies EP200 desk chair is one of the better options out there for someone who doesn’t want to spend too much money but still wants effective support for all-day use. The adjustable support meant I could customize the chair to suit my posture, and the breathable mesh back is flexible, so I was never uncomfortable. The assembly of the chair was easy, although it came with a broken piece. But since there’s a two-year warranty included with purchase, this isn’t a big issue if the same happens to you.

My only concern was that after just a few hours of use, there were signs of wear on the upholstered seat of the chair, which I did not expect to see. This was disappointing, but honestly, it wouldn’t stop me from recommending the chair. It’s incredibly comfortable and does the job for the average office worker at a reasonable price.

Like cleaning my car, cleaning my windows seems like a chore around the house that always sets me up for failure. It doesn't seem to matter how much I scrub and buff, I constantly end up with soapy streaks staring back at me. Sometimes, I wish I'd just left my windows as they were.

While I've tried following advice on how to clean windows and leave them streak-free, at this point I'm inclined to just blame my cleaning products and give up. That's easier than blaming my own cleaning skills, right?

Instead of throwing in the towel though, I find myself constantly on the hunt for hacks that promise a streak-free solution and I'm hoping this expert hack will be the answer. Not only is it affordable, but it uses two unusual household items I already have in my home. Costing nothing to try, I thought I'd give it a go and I was surprised by the results.

How does it work?

Allan Reid, uPVC specialist and founder of Art Windows and Doors knows a lot about windows. He also advocates for a really simple cleaning technique that I'd never heard about before and it uses two items – white vinegar and newspaper.

It sounds like something you'd try out when there weren't any proper cleaning products available, rather than something you'd opt for instead of cleaning products.

But, Reid says it's worth trying: "It does sound a little strange if you've never tried it before. But it works surprisingly well. You don't get those annoying bits of fluff left behind, and it helps leave the glass looking really clear."

It's really cheap and easy to do, following these three simple steps:

• Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a bottle
• Spray it on windows
• Quickly scrub it with scrunched up newspaper

Reid adds: "Sometimes we convince ourselves we need loads of products for every little job around the house. But this is one of those simple tricks that's stuck around because it genuinely works."

With that bold statement in mind, I thought it was only fair to give it a try and see if I can finally get rid of those streaks that seem to appear as soon as I think I've done a good job.

Here's what happened when I tried it

My windows get so messy, it's almost a bit embarrassing. With two little kids around my house, there's sticky fingerprints and strange streaks that go unaccounted for. And as summer hits, the sunshine is producing a very unforgiving gleam to my windows showing up all the dust and dirt. So, I was more than happy to give this hack a try.

With my white vinegar and water solution in hand, I spritzed the solution across one of my windows just to try it out. Then, I quickly grabbed my crumpled newspaper to give it a good scrub. I was initially worried that the newspaper print would just smear all over the window, but I'm happy to report that wasn't the case.

My initial thoughts were that it looked surprisingly good. But, I needed to give it a bit of time to sit before I gave it my full verdict. As you may have witness yourself, for some reason streaks decide to show up as if by magic after they've dried. I was worried this time that they were just hiding from me. Turns out, they weren't.

When I returned 30 minutes later, my window was clean and streak-free. It didn't cost me a dollar to try out, though if you need to buy the two items, they are pretty cheap. It's definitely something I feel confident enough to try on a few more windows and maybe, finally, I can stop buying cleaning products hoping it'll solve the problem.

More from Tom's Guide

• I 'employed myself' to give my home its spring clean — and it turned out to be the perfect motivation hack
• I cleaned my house using only homemade cleaning products for a week — here's what happened
• This viral TikTok cleaning hack just revealed why your dishwasher tablet isn't working — and it makes total sense

Ever since I moved into my house, I’ve always entertained the fantasy of building an outdoor pizza oven — laying the brick, shaping the dome, and then enjoying the fruits of a wood-fired pizza.

That dream has never gone away, even as I’ve tested a number of the best pizza ovens in my yard. However, having used the Gozney Dome XL for the past six months, I might spare myself the trouble (and my wife the aggravation) of building my own oven.

That’s because the Dome XL has just about everything you could possibly ask for in a pizza oven: a massive internal chamber, dual-fuel capabilities, and a great design that will make your patio look oh so Pinterest. But, this is also one of the largest — and most expensive — pizza ovens I've ever tested. It's overkill for many, but if you're serious about pizza (and have the dough to spend), this is the splurge model to get.

Gozney Dome XL (gen 2): Price

The Dome XL sits at the top of Gozney’s lineup, at $2,799. You can get it in either black or an off-white bone. I’ve been using the latter, and it will show soot deposits above the opening — which could be a sign of authenticity or unsightliness, depending on your tastes.

The Dome XL is large enough to accommodate one 18-inch pie, two 12-inch pies, or three 10-inchers; if your needs are more modest,

Gozney also makes the Dome (Gen 2) for $2,299, which offers all the same functions, but can fit either one 16-inch pizza or two 10-inch pizzas. I’ve rarely baked more than one pie at a time, so it’s probably the more sensible option for most.

Design

This thing is MASSIVE. The Gozney Dome XL (Gen 2) is more than 3 feet wide, 2 feet deep, stands 39.3 inches tall, and weighs 161 pounds. It’s so big that it was delivered on a pallet, and I needed to get a neighbor to help me lift it on the pedestal.

Fortunately, Gozney thought ahead, and provided straps on all the corners to make it easier to lift. If you’re considering buying this, make sure whatever surface you’re planning to place it on has a lot of support.

The Dome (especially the bone model) looks kinda like a big hamburger: The top and bottom “buns” are gently rounded, while the middle is wrapped in stainless steel.

The stand is pretty tall. I’m about 6 feet, which places the oven’s opening just below eye level. If you’re of shorter stature, you may find it’s a bit too high for comfort.

A large vent pipe extends out the top. If you bought the Dome stand along with the Dome, you’ll find it’s a little tricky to place the cap on the top of the vent pipe, as it’s waayyy up in the air.

Below the mouth of the oven is a module with a color LCD display that displays the internal temperature of the oven as well as the temperature of the pizza stone.

To the right is a control knob used to adjust the gas flame; to the left is a small control pad to adjust settings, like setting a timer. Next to it are two ports to which you can attach temperature probes, so you can use the oven to more precisely cook meat or other proteins.

If you purchase the wood-fire control kit, it comes with a little control unit that slots into the right side of the oven. Inside is a small fan, and a knob on the exterior lets you control the amount of air that gets blown into the chamber. It’s ringed with LEDs, so it was really easy to see if I had the fan on low or a higher setting. And, this controller also links via Bluetooth to the main control unit on the Gozney, so you can monitor everything from one spot.

Both controllers use a rechargeable battery, which slides easily into each unit. The batteries have small LEDs so you know how much charge you have left, and come with USB-C ports, so you can juice them up as easily as your phone.

Performance

As a dual-fuel oven, you can either use propane (or natural gas) or wood to heat up the oven. The gas flame comes out of the left side of the chamber, and the wood basket sits on the right. To test the oven, I used both propane and wood separately, and got equally consistent results. The curved interior of the Gozney allowed the flames and heat to curl over nicely from either side.

Using a little firestarter, it was very easy to get the wood burning, and the large size of the basket meant that I didn’t have to cut up the wood into tiny chunks, as I had to with other wood-fired pizza ovens, such as the older Ooni Karu. While baking with wood requires a bit more work — you have to make sure the fire doesn't go out, for one thing — it's a lot more satisfying than cooking with gas.

As with all pizza ovens, I let the Gozney Dome heat up for a good 30 to 40 minutes, to get its stone up to temperature. After that, it performed spectacularly well, making everything to perfection.

Gozney says that the Dome can fit pizzas up to 18 inches in diameter; I was able to comfortably fit a 16-inch pizza pie, but any larger, and it would have been a bit trickier to turn, and would put one edge pretty close to the flame.

The Dome did a fantastic job baking the pies, though. The gas knob allowed me to fine-tune the heat, which let me make both Neapolitan and New York-style pizzas, so I could get either a puffy, leopard crust or an evenly browned finish.

Accessories

Accessories include a $499 stand, which raises the oven up to about five feet, has two trays on either side, a platform for a propane tank, and a small tray for holding other items.

If you’re investing this much in a pizza oven, I would also recommend you pick up a cover — the one for the oven costs $89, and the one that protects the oven and stand is $99. It’s proved more than durable, having guarded the oven through two blizzards. And, it’s provided shelter for my cat when it rains.

A wood-fire control kit costs $199, and includes a metal rack to contain the wood and a module that fits into the side of the oven, and lets you regulate how much air is blown in. In my testing, it worked fantastic, and integrated perfectly with the main control unit on the oven.

Gozney also sells an assortment of peels, cutters, and other pizza-related products, most of which you can find elsewhere, and probably for less.

I will say, though, that its $44 pizza cutter is one of the best I’ve ever used. It’s solidly built, and has one of the sharpest blades ever. And, you can easily unscrew it to clean out cheese and other bits.

Bottom line

The Gozney Dome XL doesn’t come cheap, and it’s a lot more pizza oven than most will ever need. As I said above, the next step after this is building your own pizza oven. If you’re just starting out, I would recommend one of the best pizza ovens that costs less than $500, like the Solo Pi Prime or the Ooni Koda 2. You’ll get just as good results.

What separates the Gozney Dome XL is all the extras: The size, the design, the controls, and all those bits that will signal to your neighbors that, when it comes to pizza, you’re not messing around. If you get this and make nothing but cheese and pepperoni pies, Gozney should have the right to take it back. This is the ultimate pizza oven for those who are really serious about their craft, and want something that looks as good as the pies it makes.

As the warmer weather arrives, there is nothing quite like seeing hydrangeas ready to showcase their vibrant blooms for the summer.

And with their bright blooms of blue hues, white, and pinks, hydrangeas can instantly add a splash of color to a backyard or porch plant. That’s why it can be disheartening when you start to see them turning brown too early.

Of course, once these colorful displays have finished their summer show, the dried flowers make a stunning addition to autumnal floral decor — but you don’t want that during the summer!

So if you’re wondering why your hydrangea blooms are turning brown so early, here's the reasons why and how to prevent it.

Not watering enough

Typically, hydrangeas are ‘thirsty’ plants, and once the soil dries out completely they can droop, with leaves wilting, blooms browning and generally looking worse for wear.

As a rule of thumb, established hydrangeas need roughly one inch of water weekly to thrive, aiming for a deep soaking once every 5 to 7 days. While newly planted hydrangeas should be watered a few times a week (around three inches) to help them get started and grow healthily.

Another top tip is to avoid overhead sprinklers with hand-watering, drip irrigation or hoses being the better option. This ensures that water is given low and slow so that it gets to the roots better. For best results, aim to water during the early morning hours; this allows any moisture that splashes onto the petals to evaporate quickly before the day heats up.

Too much direct sunlight

Another reason for your hydrangeas' browning blooms is direct sunlight, as they can’t cope with scorching heat. Similar to ourselves basking in the sun for too long, this can often cause sunburn and cause blooms to turn brown too early. This is particularly the case for big-leaf varieties.

In fact, your hydrangea will thrive better in morning sunlight (before the temperatures start to rise during the day) or afternoon shade.

.To prevent brown blooms, it’s best to either transplant your hydrangea plants to a more shaded location in your yard or consider adding companion plants that can provide afternoon shade.

In addition, you can keep plants cool by applying a layer of mulch around the base to keep the soil cool in the summer. Simply add a two-inch layer of mulch around the plants to help retain moisture, and it also helps to keep weed growth at bay.

Soil isn’t balanced

Furthermore, it is vital to ensure your soil pH is correctly balanced. A common mistake is to overfertilize our plants, especially when we notice our hydrangeas are starting to look a bit worse for wear.

If the soil is too acidic or too alkaline, it can cause flowers to turn brown prematurely. This is mainly due to a build-up of salt in the soil that can affect healthy growth and bigger blooms.

This is why it is always recommended to test your soil first, as adding more fertilizer without checking can often lead to further issues.

Another rather unusual hack is to perk up your hydrangeas with coffee grounds. Thanks to its slightly acidic quality and high carbon content, coffee grounds are beneficial to plants, contributing organic matter to the soil.

In addition, they also contain nitrogen, which is essential in the spring for promoting bigger flowers and strong stems.

Simply add around a tablespoon of coffee grounds into a spray bottle or watering can to make a weak ‘tea’. Then water your hydrangeas with the weak brew once a month until summer arrives. This is why gardeners are being urged to use old coffee grounds to feed hydrangeas now, just in time for the summer.

So, if you notice your hydrangea blooms are beginning to discolor, there is still time to revitalize them so they can finish the summer looking their very best.

For more top tips, check out how to grow hydrangeas from cuttings and avoid these hydrangea pruning mistakes. Knowing how to prune hydrangeas can keep this beautiful plant in check for spring and future seasons.

More from Tom's Guide

• How to prune hydrangeas and when you should do it
• Hydrangea not blooming? Here’s why and how to fix the problem
• How to grow hydrangeas from cuttings — easy steps to get more blooms

Window air conditioners are notoriously heavy, hard to install and inefficient, but Zafro’s U-shaped Auro Window Air Conditioner puts an end to all that with a safe and easy to install design that blocks less of the window’s view.

Think of it as an upside-down Midea U window air conditioner. But apart from the aesthetics, the Zafro’s design means that you get better insulation from the outside, as your window is blocking the elements, rather than a thin accordion-piece of plastic.

But how does the Zafro Auro compare to the best smart air conditioners, such as the GE Clearview, which has a similar design? I tried it out for a few sweaty days in June to find out.

Zafro Auro review: Price and availability

Introduced in time for the dog days of 2026, Zafro sells three versions of the Auro. An 8,100 BTU unit (model 54091EWA1-8K-ZAZ) that also doubles as a heat pump in the winter lists for $599, but we’ve seen it on sale for $539. An 8,100-BTU unit that only cools is $519 (on sale for $467), and a 6,200 BTU unit costs $469 (on sale for $422).

That makes the $300 Garvee 8,000 BTU U-Shaped Window Air Conditioner and the $382 GE Clearview 8,300 BTU unit look like bargains. Each can cool 300 to 350 square feet.

Zafro Auro Window Air Conditioner review: Design

Instead of the traditional window air conditioner design that hangs the heavy compressor and condenser outside the window frame and risks falling during the installation or afterwards, Zafro’s Auro AC is balanced on the windowsill. Part of a new design generation, it’s shaped like a saddle or lower case “n” that balances the compressor outside with the condenser, fan and electronics inside. A thin 10-inch-long section connects the two and straddles the sill.

Like GE’s Clearview and the Garvee U-Shaped Window Air Conditioner, this design keeps the unit’s center of gravity firmly on the sill with less chance of it falling. It also blocks only about 4 inches of the window compared to more traditional air conditioners; Windmill’s 8,000 BTU AC blocks 13.2 inches of the window, as an example.

On the other hand, the Auro AC sticks out eight inches into the room with knee-high vents. The AC’s powered vanes direct the cooled air up-down and right-left to even out the cooling.

Based on the popular R32 refrigerant, its direct-current inverter design delivers 8,100 BTUs per hour of cooling potential, using the U.S. Department of Energy’s Seasonally Adjusted Cooling Capacity (SACC) standard. It gets an optimistic 12,000 BTU/hr rating using the ASHRAE standard. It was too hot to test its 8,000 BTU heating potential.

The Auro AC’s front panel has an On/Off button and a bright green 1.9-inch circular screen showing the current temperature or the AC’s set temperature. Frankly, it’s hard to tell which is which. Using a different color or font would have been a big help.

In between are buttons for changing the mode from cooling to fan-only, Eco, Sleep, dehumidify, heat or to set the unit’s timer. The three fan speeds are augmented by a blast mode that’s activated with a 3-second press.

As it’s turned on, the AC’s vent LEDs light up. Thankfully for the sleepy, they quickly go dark.

On the left, the Auro AC has a short plastic pipe sticking out. While the air conditioner pumps its condensate wastewater to cool the compressor, this pipe may need periodic draining on hot and humid days.

Zafro Auro Window Air Conditioner review: Installation

At 29.5 x 18.9 x 15.4 inches and 64 pounds, the Auro AC is a lot but easier to maneuver than the 74-pound Garvee U-Shaped AC. Even if you’re a weightlifter, my advice is to have two people on hand to avoid an emergency room visit.

Before I read the AC’s quick-start card or watched Zafro’s installation video, I measured the window. In addition to being at least about 20 inches wide, the distance from the inside sill to the outside wall must be less than 10 inches for it to fit. Unlike GE’s Clearview, the Auro’s connecting section isn’t adjustable. In fact, I couldn’t install it where I originally planned, as the windowsill I wanted to use was too wide.

After I put the high-density foam base in place and the AC on top, I sealed the window with weatherstripping. The kit includes a window locking bracket.

Finally, I pressed the mode button for 3 seconds to connect with the house’s Wi-Fi and Zafro’s app on my Samsung Galaxy S25 phone; there’s also an iPhone version. The linking process took less than a minute.

Start to finish, the entire installation took 20 minutes.

Zafro Auro Window Air Conditioner review: Performance

With the temperature and humidity hitting the 90s, I was hot and sweaty from installing it. Its 35-degree Fahrenheit air cooled the 315 square foot bedroom to 65 degrees Fahrenheit in 25 minutes, delivering between a gentle 5.7 miles per hour and a robust 11.3 mph.

At full blast, the AC used 505.8 watts, while the consumption dropped to 250.8 watts in Eco mode and 6.4 watts when idle. The unit’s 15.1 CEER efficiency rating is one-third higher than GE Clearview’s 11.4 rating, making for a DOE annual estimate of $61 versus Clearview’s $70.

At its highest setting, the Auro AC was annoyingly loud at 56.4dBA measured 10 feet away; the room had a background noise level of 37.8dBA. Using the Eco and sleep modes lowered that to a more nap-friendly 48.2 and 43.2dBA, compared to Clearview’s 45dB. Zafro rates the noise level at 32dB.

After six hours on a day with 90+ degree Fahrenheit and 90 percent relative humidity readings, the unit’s outside gurgled and dripped condensate water. If I had ignored it, the unit would eventually have shut itself down, so I emptied the unit’s wastewater reservoir. After unscrewing the cap, I pulled the plug and 3 cups of water flowed out. My advice: have a small bucket handy.

Zafro Auro review: Remote control and App

It’s easy to adjust the AC without getting up using the infrared remote control. It uses two AAA batteries and its 23-foot range worked everywhere in the room. The 2.1-inch screen shows the temperature and settings, but it lacks backlit keys, making it hard to adjust on a hot night.

Although not as visual as Windmill’s app, the Zafro app gets the job done. I tapped to adjust the temperature fan speed and mode and even started it up on my way home. Ultimately, I ended up leaving the remote control on a night table and used the phone app more.

The Aura works with Google Assistant and Alexa, but does not support Matter.

Zafro Auro review: Verdict

If you have a mid-sized room that needs cooling and have been wary of installing a window air conditioner, there’s no excuse anymore. Zafro’s Auro air conditioner is not only efficient and chock full of features but is safe and easy to install. It’s efficient, can quickly cool a 350 square foot room and offers a bonus of being able to heat the room as well.

However, there’s a few things that keep it from the top of our list of the best smart air conditioners. For starters, its design limits it to windows that measure less than 10 inches from the outside of your house to the inner wall. While we found the GE Clearview a bit fussy to install, it could accommodate a wider range of windows.

I also found the Auro to be loud at full blast, and, unlike every other window AC we’ve tested, you’re going to need to empty its internal water tank manually. More to the point, its price of $539 could make you hot under the collar, no matter how cool your room gets.

What DIY dad doesn’t love a chainsaw? There’s something about owning a power tool that can dismember with the ability to dismember you that brings a little extra excitement to your outdoor chores.

But, there’s a lot of times when even the smallest chainsaw is overkill. You don’t want to look like a horror movie villain just to prune a couple of branches. For the past few months, I’ve been testing the Stihl GTA 30, an electrical pruner that’s perfect for those times when a chainsaw is too much, but a pair of loppers isn’t nearly enough. And, it’s made some of my yardwork so much easier.

The GTA 30 is basically a mini-chainsaw; it has just a 6-inch blade, and is small and light enough that you can use it one-handed. Despite its smaller size compared to even a small chainsaw, I was able to easily cut through 4-inch branches. And, because it can be used with just one hand, I was able to use my other hand to pull aside branches that were in the way.

For example, I had to remove a bush that died, but was inconveniently wedged in between two others; I was able to hold branches in one hand while I used the GTA 30 to work my way down to the base, where it sliced through the trunk like butter.

The GTA 30, which is new for this year, is an upgraded (and more expensive) version of the GTA 26. The GTA 30 has a 6-inch bar and two batteries, where the GTA 26 has a 4-inch bar and a single battery slot.

The GTA 26 kit, which includes the saw, a battery, and a charger, costs $199; the GTA 30 kit, which has the saw, two batteries, and a charger, costs $329. I suspect most will be able to use the GTA 26 just fine, but it is nice to have the longer battery charge and reach of the GTA 30.

Cleverly, the GTA 30 is designed to be used by either righties or lefties; there’s a safety switch on either side that you have to hold down with your thumb before you can pull the trigger. It's a small detail, but a nice one.

Two batteries slot into the handle of the GTA 30, and there’s a small battery indicator further up; I didn’t time it, but I cut a lot of branches before I had to recharge the batteries.

Adjusting the tension on the saw chain was pretty simple, too. You just unlock and turn a small knob on the side of the saw to remove the protective cover, and then you can move the bar around easily to get the tension that you need.

I quickly ran out of things to prune in my yard, so I lent it to my neighbors, who quickly put it to use cutting down privets and other low-hanging branches. They all found it dead simple to use.

Perhaps the greatest validation came when one of them sent me a text, asking for its name, so that she could surprise her husband on Father’s Day. Hopefully he doesn’t read this until then. Hopefully he likes it just as much as I do!

More from Tom's Guide

• I tried a new method to clean my pruning shears — here's why it can't beat my time-honored routine
• Best pruning shears: Tested and rated
• 5 hydrangea pruning mistakes you need to avoid

The Fellow Espresso Series 1 is one of the best espresso machines I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. I had high hopes, given all the hype around Fellow’s first-ever espresso machine, but it’s even better than I wanted it to be.

While it’s $1,499, this actually isn’t that expensive for a prosumer espresso machine. If you’re not initiated into the world of espresso machines, I’ll just give you a quick rundown: I’ve tested the $3k Breville Oracle Dual Boiler, the $1,999 Lelit Mara X3, and the $1,800 Smeg x La Pavoni EMC02. So yeah, $1.5k isn’t as outrageous as you may think.

But you get a lot for that $1,499. You get an app that literally teaches you how to make each coffee, you get so many customization options that I physically do not have the word count to detail them all, and you get a professional-quality steam wand for beautiful latte art. Want to find out more? Of course you do. Keep reading this Fellow Espresso Series 1 review.

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Specs

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Price & availability

The Fellow Espresso Series 1 is $1,499 from Amazon U.S. At the time of writing, it’s only available at Harrods in the U.K. — but it’s currently sold out.

This is pretty standard for a prosumer espresso machine, hence why I’ve not docked a star for being overpriced. The Espresso Series 1 walks you through making each drink, à la Breville Oracle Dual Boiler ($3,000), which has a built-in grinder but also costs double.

I recently tested the $1,999 Lelit Mara X3, which I loved. The Mara X3 makes pro-level espresso while looking a treat, much like the Espresso Series 1.

I’ve also reviewed the Smeg x La Pavoni EMC02, which is one of my favorite espresso machines ever, and will set you back $1,800.

If $1,499 is a little out of your price bracket (relatable), I’d recommend checking out the Breville Barista Express ($799) or De’Longhi Arte Evo ($699).

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Design

My goodness, the Fellow Espresso Series 1 is a sight to behold. As soon as I unboxed it, I had to take a step back and allow myself the privilege of ogling it like a starving lion might ogle an injured gazelle. This is a truly breathtaking machine. It perfectly combines modern innovation, functional design, and an eye-catching centerpiece.

If you’re familiar with Fellow’s other products, like the Stagg EKG, Corvo EKG, or the Aiden, you’ll know everything Fellow makes is gorgeous. The Espresso Series 1, thankfully, continues that trend. I have zero reservations about recommending this on looks alone, as superficial as that is. I want it just to stare at it.

The accessories are just as high-quality, with a weighty tamper, 58mm bottomless portafilter, and a milk jug engraved with fluid ounce and milliliter measurements so you don’t have to measure separately.

Like the Breville Oracle Dual Boiler, the Espresso Series 1 has a little screen that walks you through making each drink. Unlike the Oracle Dual Boiler, the Espresso Series 1 doesn’t have a full-color screen, but it’s still bright and luminous. If you’ve seen the Fellow Tally Pro scale, the screen looks like a brighter, bigger version of that. I’ll go into more detail in the ‘Espresso’ section below.

My only con regarding the design is that there’s no ‘Back’ button. If you scroll all the way down to the last customization option (there are a lot), you have to scroll back up. I wish there was a simple button to take me back to the home screen. Maybe on the next edition?

App

Yep, the Fellow Espresso Series 1 has an app. I’m not a huge fan of the concept of espresso machines with apps, so I did roll my eyes when I saw this. There isn’t really much you can do on the app that you can’t do on the machine itself, but as this is a pretty new model with firmware updates rolling out, you might want to get the app just so you can iron out those natural bugs.

As you can see, you can customize your espresso pre-infusion, infusion, and ramp-down settings based on roast level, and you can even cycle through various different types of shot. I’ve never heard of this ‘Turbo’ shot, so of course I had to try it. You have to grind your beans coarser for this shot, and it makes a more tea-like espresso. Very interesting, and good that the Espresso Series 1 has an option for it. As I said — perfect for both beginners and nerds!

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Espresso

As promised, I’ll discuss the LCD screen. This screen teaches you how to make tons of different drinks: cappuccino, espresso, Americano, latte, flat white, and so on and so forth. This is great for beginners who may not know the difference between each beverage, or simply may not want to activate their brains at 7am. Personally, I didn’t feel the urge to use this outside of testing purposes — I just selected ‘espresso’ for all my drinks and steamed my milk manually.

Of course, I tested this for the purpose of the review. It works as advertised. When I selected ‘flat white’, the machine told me how much coffee to dose, actually stopped extraction at 1:2 ratio as designed (although once or twice it dosed 35g rather than 36g… tut tut, Fellow). After espresso, the machine told me to pour 4oz of milk — and, yes, you can tell it which type of milk you’re using — and automatically stopped steaming when the milk reached the desired temperature of 140°F.

This is ideal for beginners, and one of the best parts of the machine if you’re the kind of home barista who needs a little more help. As mentioned earlier, I didn’t really use this outside of testing purposes, but it’s great to have.

If you’re a coffee nerd, though, you’ll love this machine. There are tons of espresso customization options. I physically cannot list them all here — this review would be tens of thousands of words long, and I’d lull you all into a stupor. Let’s just say: if you can imagine it, you can do it. Pre-infusion at 2 bars of pressure for 10 seconds? Go for it. Flow rate of 4ml/s? Yep! Ramp-down of 6 bars of pressure? You got it!

Although there’s no PID controller, the boiler is designed to control water temperature at every stage of the extraction, much like a PID controller. The Espresso Series 1 has a patented boiler system, “Boosted Boiler”, which has a precise temperature control. You can customize the temperature using the shot profile I discussed above, or using the app.

As with every espresso machine I test, I ground my beans using the Mazzer Philos, the best coffee grinder in the world (if you have $1,500).

For the purpose of this review, I followed Fellow’s recipes and made some of my own. This is a Fellow-default espresso using the ‘Medium roast’ profile and Square Mile beans.

There’s a little bit of spray, but that’s an occupational hazard with a bottomless portafilter. This shot was extracted at a 1:2 ratio over 26 seconds, safely within the ‘Golden window’ of extraction. The shot tasted gorgeous, with a strong sweetness and bright acidity at the back of the mouth. I guzzled this like a parched heron.

For the next shot, I experimented. I used the same beans and adjusted the settings to ‘Turbo’, as I’d never seen this style of espresso before.

As you can see, it’s quite larger than a standard shot. The Fellow app told me this is a 1:3 shot extracted using 6-bar pressure rather 9-bar. The flavor was interesting — quite sour but with a pocket of bitterness hiding at the back of the mouthful. I probably wouldn’t make this again, but it’s great to have options.

The only downside to this machine is that it makes quite wet pucks. Usually, if a machine has a 3-way solenoid valve, it sucks the water back out of the shot for a dry, biscuit-like puck you can knock straight into the bin. I did have to scrape these pucks out, which is strange, as the machine has a 3-way solenoid valve. I noticed other users on Reddit had this issue too, so it might just be a Series 1 bug. Either way, I’m not overly fussed about this.

The Fellow Espresso Series 1 is a fantastic machine for beginners and snobs alike. You can get seriously nerdy with all the customization options or you can just use it at face value — and it’s super easy either way.

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Milk

Ugh, I love the Espresso Series 1’s steam wand. And I say “ugh” like this: Ugh, it’s so good and I’m so sad that nothing else will compare now and every machine I test in the future will pale in comparison and my dreams will be filled with the Espresso Series 1’s steam wand until the end of time.

Alright, so that’s a touch exaggerated, but you get what I mean. This is a steam wand to end all steam wands. It looks very much like the Meraki — a long, thick steam wand with a ball joint and a wide tip.

Here’s a photo of a flat white I made with oat milk.

Although the latte art isn’t quite as good, this is the best plant-based milk texture I’ve ever gotten. My colleague Nikita — who has been a test subject of every single espresso machine I’ve ever reviewed — confirmed that this was the smoothest, velvetiest oat milk she’d ever drunk.

I got a little frustrated at the auto-purge function, but I easily turned this off in the machine settings. I like controlling purging myself so I can really clean it out.

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Storage & maintenance

Although the Fellow Espresso Series 1 is quite large — 23.1 x 14.6 x 12.6 — it fits nicely on my kitchen countertop. It’s quite short, but very wide and deep, so make sure you’ve got enough room. You’ll need to access the top to insert and remove the water tank.

I was surprised to find out it’s 21.7 pounds as I swear it didn’t feel that heavy when I was carrying it. Even so, it’s worth noting that you might need help setting it up.

As it’s large, the drip tray is roomy enough to hold a surprising amount of water, but I still emptied it after every use. I don’t know about you, but the idea of having stagnant nasty coffee-milk-water in my kitchen is gross.

Now, I know this is all written in the conditional tense and what has happened in the past may not occur in the future, but it’s still worth noting. I got a Fellow Stag EKG kettle a couple of years ago, and it stopped working after a couple of months. The replacement still works, but I know longevity is a known issue with Fellow gear.

The possibility of the Espresso Series 1 suffering from this issue isn’t confirmed. I can’t see the future — I’d be a lot richer if I could. However, this makes me a little hesitant to recommend the machine wholeheartedly. I didn’t experience any issues during my testing period, but I only had it on a 10-day loan.

Even so, Fellow offers a 2-year warranty with the Espresso Series 1, which is the same as Breville and Ninja, and pretty standard for espresso machines these days.

Fellow provides two sachets of cleaning products, which should be enough for around 400 shots (depending on how long that would last you!), and these cost $14.95 for 10. Descaling solution costs $9.95 per sachet, or $14.95 for an 8 fluid ounce bottle.

Fellow Espresso Series 1 review: Verdict

If you couldn’t tell from my waxing lyrical for 2,000 words, I love the Fellow Espresso Series 1. It’s got everything: looks, brains, brawns, ambition. I never made a bad shot and my milk was perfect every single time. This is the machine I dream about.

But, at $1,499, I’m realistically never going to own this machine, and I know that’s expensive for most people. Although most fancy espresso machines will set you back well over a grand, so this isn’t particularly overpriced; it’s just unobtainable for most people. I’d recommend waiting until a sale (Black Friday, maybe?) or getting something a bit cheaper, like the Breville Bambino.

Got $1,499, though? Yeah, you will not be disappointed by the Fellow Espresso Series 1. I’m not sure how I can go on after testing this absolute delight. If you’re in a position to spend 1.5k on an espresso machine, don’t walk — run to the checkout.

Panasonic has been releasing innovative kitchen appliances for decades. Evolving with the times and listening to consumer concerns, the Japanese company has just launched a microwave that comes with a feature many of us desperately want from our microwaves: even cooking.

I love heating up leftovers. "Cook once, eat thrice" is a motto I live by, but I don't love that my current microwave is pretty uneven with its spread of heat. Some parts are piping hot while others are unappealingly cold. Finally, Panasonic has an answer in the form of the Japanese Microwave.

Launching for $429.95 at Panasonic, the Japanese Microwave utilizes smart technology to revolutionize the way you cook up your food. And it also looks really nice. Here's what's packed into this modern-looking microwave.

Even cooking with smart technology

As mentioned, the Panasonic Japanese Microwave comes with a feature we've all been desperately waiting for – even cooking for your meals. To achieve this, Panasonic has loaded up its new microwave with some super smart tech that I'm pretty excited about.

The Genius Sensor 2.0 is one of the shining features that makes this possible, precisely monitoring the temperature of your food for even heating. This is paired up with some pretty clever 3D antenna technology to target your food at a whole range of angles, meaning that those cold spots you hate to find in your leftovers will be gone.

Panasonic reveals that the Genius Sensor 2.0 uses a thermo sensor positioned at 64 points in the microwave interior: "This allows the microwave to respond to different foods and temperatures as they cook, helping deliver more even results across the entire plate, all with a simple push of a button."

And using Panasonic's patented Inverter Technology, the Japanese Microwave will maintain a consistent power level rather than pulsing on and off to reduce those hot and cold spots even further.

Panasonic's one and done approach works in a number of ways from the One Push Reheat button that'll bring your food to the ideal temperature with just one press of a button.

To One Bowl Cooking where you can add all the fresh ingredients for a dish into a single bowl and the Japanese Microwave will cook them all up throughly and evenly. The options include Chili, Carbonara, and more.

Ridiculously good looking

For this microwave, Panasonic has also focused on style, adopting the design-first approach that has long been popular in Japan. And I'll be honest, I've never looked at a microwave and thought it was a pretty sleek addition to my kitchen. With the Japanese Microwave, my mind has been changed.

Not only am I impressed by its minimalistic and smart design, but I'm particularly interested in its pull-down, oven-style door to fit into tighter kitchen spaces. It's a design feature makes this microwave smoother, quieter and better looking.

You've also got a flatbed interior design that's modern and easier to clean with the Japanese Microwave. There's no traditional turntable inside. Instead, you can simply place down your dishes. This makes the interior footprint larger meaning it can accommodate larger dishes and even multiple items at once.

And, thankfully, you don't have to worry about those multiple items not getting an even cook. Panasonic's smart technology has got you covered.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best microwaves in 2026
• 5 game-changing microwave hacks you didn’t know you could do
• This ‘zero effort’ vinegar hack is great for cleaning your microwave

Now that warmer temperatures are upon us, we’re not the only ones who will be feeling the heat. Our lush lawns and plants are also parched from the heat wave, and when there are no signs of rain anytime soon, it’s not uncommon for us to increase our watering routine.

Besides knowing the best time to water your lawn, you’ll also need to know how to water your yard the right way. In fact, this can make all the difference in maintaining healthy growth. What’s more, you could be wasting water (and effort) — literally pouring money down the drain.

A gardening expert has warned of this one common watering habit we often make when watering our yards. In fact, you could be inadvertently killing your plants instead.

So before you unreel your hose or set your sprinklers, don’t make this common mistake this summer.

Don't just water the surface of the soil

According to experts, it’s not the amount of water that will make your plants thrive during summer — it’s how you water. Most often, we only sprinkle the top layer of the soil and do not allow the roots to get a proper ‘drink’.

“One of the most common mistakes I see is frequent shallow watering,” states Noah Mabey, senior gardener at Thornbridge Hall and Horticultural Advisor to Platinum Spas.

“A quick sprinkle may dampen the surface of the soil, but it rarely reaches the roots where plants actually need moisture. In hot weather, much of that water can simply evaporate before it has any real benefit.”

So what’s the best method to water our yard and ensure it’s getting the right amount of hydration? “Instead, gardeners should focus on watering deeply and thoroughly at the base of the plant. The aim is always to get moisture down to the root zone.

“This encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil, creating stronger and more resilient plants that are better equipped to cope with dry periods.”

Additionally, experts suggest that your lawn soil should be moist 5 to 6 inches beneath the surface — however, deep watering extends this to 7 to 8 inches deep. The idea behind deep watering is to encourage deep root growth, which keeps the roots cooler and stronger, protecting your lawn during heat stress.

For more top tips on watering your lawn, check out how to water a thirsty lawn in a heatwave — lawn experts reveal all.

Avoid watering little and often

Similarly, gardeners often fall into the trap of watering little and often during the hot summer months. However, this habit can literally kill your plants, causing the roots to stay near the surface, where they are prone to drying out rapidly.

“Watering little and often can actually create weaker plants because the roots remain close to the surface where they dry out more quickly,” adds Mabey. “By watering deeply and consistently, you'll use water more efficiently while encouraging healthier growth.

“For containers and newly planted specimens, it's particularly important to monitor moisture levels during warm weather, as they can dry out much faster than established plants growing in the ground.”

So it’s always best to water your lawn and plants deeply and evenly during a heatwave. If you’re in doubt as to whether you’re giving your grass too much water, check out how often you should water your lawn in a heatwave.

Gardening watering essentials we love

More from Tom's Guide

• Gardening expert reveals the best time of day to water your tomato plant — you could be making this big mistake
• Garden experts share the best time to water your lawn — and I've been getting it all wrong
• How to water your garden less — 8 expert tips that save money and help your plants

Smeg is one of my favorite brands for sheer style. Everything the made by the Italian company just seems to ooze cool, whether that be its classic retro vibe or the new sleek modern aesthetic.

The coffee collection is no different. The Smeg x La Pavoni EMC02 is one of my favorite espresso machines of all time; it combines sheer beauty with iconic Italian function, and helped me make some of the best coffees of my career. When I dream about espresso machines, many of them are EMC02-shaped.

But the newest thing catching my eye is the Moonlight colorway. This sleek, modern style is simply gorgeous — and I finally got to see it in real life. Moonlight combines low-key aesthetics with serious function. You can get it on the Smeg toaster, Smeg electric kettle, and the Smeg Retro Coffee Maker. I cannot wait to get my hands on the Smeg Retro Coffee Maker in Moonlight — and here's why.

Healing & harmonious

I could spend a thousand words waxing lyrical about the Moonlight colorway, but just look at it. When I first saw the coffee maker, I gasped and stroked it like it was a kitten. Trust me — not only does it look gorgeous, it feels super satisfying and matte as well.

Smeg designed the Moonlight colorway to "reflect the growing shift towards natural materials and calmer palettes, enhancing each appliance’s form while integrating into modern living spaces."

As much as I love the industrial-cool aesthetic of the Moccamaster and the Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer, I know that look doesn't suit all homes. The Moonlight shade is intended to "work seamlessly alongside wood, stone and satin metals" and "create interiors that feel considered, cohesive and easy to live with".

What do you think? Do you think the Moonlight colorway would suit your kitchen? Or would you want something a bit more in-your-face?

Anti-fingerprints

As Moonlight is a matte shade, you shouldn't have to wipe off those pesky greasy fingerprints as much as with a chrome product. I swear, when I was testing the Aarke Coffee Maker, I was wiping off fingerprints more than I was making coffee. Don't get me wrong — that's a great machine that makes great coffee (it's just expensive), but those fingerprints...

Obviously, I didn't get a chance to use the Retro Coffee Maker as I would if it were mine, but I didn't notice any greasy fingerprints on the machine. I'll be getting it in the week after next for a full review, so watch this fingerprint-related space.

A full set

Like other Smeg gear, the Retro Coffee Maker, Electric Kettle, Toaster, and refrigerator are all available in Moonlight. In theory, you could get the whole set and have a completely matching kitchen.

Smeg is no stranger to full kitchen sets. Many of its appliances are available in harmonious colorways, like the Smeg x Porsche Shade Green set or the Smeg x Dolce Gabbana Blu Mediterranean set.

What sets the Moonlight collection apart, though, is its inconspicuity. As this is a muted, mellow design, just one item could suit a monochrome kitchen, or the entire lineup could mesh well with a brighter kitchen.

But still pretty plastic

Because of my series The Coffee Lab, I've been on an anti-plastic kick recently. You guys really hate plastic in your coffee machines. As a result, whenever I test a new coffee machine, plastic is all I can see.

The Smeg Retro Coffee Maker still seems to be pretty plasticky, especially the inside of the filter basket, where hot water will touch time and time again. I know this is a dealbreaker for a lot of coffee lovers — would this put you off?

As much as I'm trying to find a plastic-free coffee maker for the anti-plastic crew out there, I'm not personally super against plastic in my coffee makers. I think I'd still grab the Smeg Retro Coffee Maker. This plastic wouldn't totally put me off. Of course it wouldn't — I use an AeroPress!

I love the Moonlight colorway enough to look past the plasticky interior, too. I mean, come on. It's gorgeous. My kitchen needs this matte, celestial beige in its life.

More from Tom's Guide

• Forget bleach — this natural alternative will remove mold in dishwashers instantly
• Home Depot's sale beats Prime Day to the punch — 15 affordable home upgrades with up to 40% off
• The laundry secret for spa-like, fluffy towels — and all it takes is one cheap household staple

If there’s one household appliance I dislike cleaning (or rarely clean), it’s inside my dishwasher. And even if you have one of the best dishwashers, it’s essential to give it a thorough deep clean regularly to prevent the build-up of food residue, scum, grease, and, of course, mold.

That unsightly buildup within your dishwasher is typically hidden inside the rubber door gasket or deep within the appliance's crevices. Believe it or not, this substance actually consists of various yeast strains, which are usually caused by small openings or defects in the door's seal.

Although household bleach has become a go-to product to remove mold and germs, it’s also known to be highly toxic, especially when used with other cleaners, such as acidic white vinegar around the home. What’s more, the idea of using harsh bleach in the same space where you wash your dinner plates is far from appealing.

However, experts recommend using this one alternative that can instantly tackle mold in dishwashers. Not only is it less harsh, but safe to use around the home.

How to use hydrogen peroxide to remove mold

Similar to the superpowers of white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide is a fast way to tackle mold and kill spores. Once it comes into contact with these spores, hydrogen peroxide effectively destroys them by breaking down their internal proteins and components.

First, fill a spray bottle with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution before applying it to the moldy areas in the dishwasher. Allow the solution to sit and work its magic for about 15 minutes. A 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is much less harsh for household use compared to toxic bleach, and you can use it undiluted for maximum impact or dilute it with water for lighter chores.

Then, use an old toothbrush to scrub the areas, ensuring every trace of mold and unsightly staining is completely lifted and removed. Wipe clean with a microfiber cloth.

Make a DIY natural solution

Alternatively, you could make a homemade cleaning solution by combining hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, and distilled white vinegar to effectively get rid of mold. These are all natural ingredients that are commonly found in our kitchens — and won’t break the bank either.

Simply combine two cups of water, ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide, and ¼ cup lemon juice to make your solution. To really give your dishwasher a thorough deep clean, it’s best to dismantle the appliance as much as possible, taking out the spray arms, racks, and filters.

Next, soak a sponge in your cleaning solution before thoroughly scrubbing down the machine and all its components. After cleaning, simply reassemble the appliance and put your dishwasher on a high-temperature cycle to ensure a thorough rinse.

In addition, don’t forget to clean your dishwasher filter, as this can often get clogged up with a build-up of food residue, soap scum, and grease, which inevitably leads to unpleasant smells and lingering odors inside your appliance.

So the next time you're battling gross mold inside your dishwasher and want a non-toxic solution, hydrogen peroxide could be the next best thing.

Cleaning essentials we love

More from Tom's Guide

• How often should you clean your dishwasher
• Discover 7 things to look for when buying a dishwasher
• And what is a third rack in a dishwasher and is it worth it?

My plants have been looking a little weary lately. I'm tempted to blame the sunny weather, but I fear that I'm just not giving them the attention they need. So, I headed to social media to see if I could find a hack that would help me out (and not cost me a lot of money).

After lots of searching, I finally stumbled upon something I'd never heard of before – using matches to create my very own plant-boosting fertilizer. It's a staple of my messy kitchen drawer that I usually only pull out when I need to light a birthday candle. Suddenly, I'm looking at that little box of matches in a totally different light. Here's what happened when I followed the simple hack to help feed my plants.

How does it work?

YouTube creator, @creative_explained, has a page full of clever tips and tricks to use around your home that he shares with his almost 5 million subscribers (one of which is me). He taught me a clever potato peel hack to supercharge my garden that's saved me a bunch of money on fertilizer and he's even taught me how to clean a shower head with vinegar.

Sometimes, I like to head back into the archives on his page to see if there's any hacks I've missed and I was surprised by what I found. The video, featured above, reveals that you can feed your plants and give them a natural boost with just a box of matches and some water. Since I already have both those things in my home, I thought it was definitely worth a try – and it turns out it's really simple.

All you have to do is this:

• Put 5 to 10 matches into a container
• Fill the container with some water
• Wait for around an hour
• Give them a stir and use the pink water to pour onto your plants

He explains that by letting the matches soak in the water, it'll turn pink: "That's the phosphorous and sulfur being released into the water," he explains. "Pretty much what that means is that it's food for your plants! Phosphorous will help your plants grow these nice, healthy roots and sulfur will produce nice leafy greens."

But, while in the video you'll see him light the matches and let them burn, it turns out you don't want to do that – and I learned this first-hand when I tried it out.

Here's what happened when I tried it

As mentioned, I made the mistake of lighting the matches when I first gave this a try. I'd seen the flames that @creative_explained had lit on his video and hadn't quite paid full attention that it was just for show. Look a little closer and you'll find that the matches inside the water are still red-tipped and that's because he hasn't let them burn.

This is an important part of this hack because if you burn them, you're eliminating the phosphorous and sulfur that you need for the water to turn pink and nutritious for your plants. So, after a couple of failed attempts, I used the matches without letting them burn. Lesson learned.

I also thought I'd like to use a little more water than he demonstrates with to make sure I could feed the numerous plants around my home. So, I added 10 matches in one go to see if that would help infiltrate more water – and it did.

Now, I've only just started trying this new match-infused water trick on my plants, so it's hard to say whether it's making any difference yet. What I do know is that it was super simple to do, very affordable and I haven't seen any damaging effects to the plants.

So, I'm wiling to keep trying it out using my mom's 'Thirsty Thursday' routine in collaboration with the matches. Since it's so low-cost and quick, it's easy to play the long game and see if my plants get an extra boost. Either way, I feel like I'm creating potions and that's made remembering to water my plants a lot more fun, too.

More from Tom's Guide

• This cheap garden hack will help your roses grow — and all you need is a few old tea bags
• I've just discovered this strange hack that'll keep pests away from your plants — and it uses a popular cold medicine
• This garden hack will help your plants thrive — and all you need to do is boil some eggs

Summer is here, and it’s the ideal time to step outdoors and do those vital gardening tasks. Whether you're growing tomato plants, juicy strawberries, or various other homegrown delights, your hard efforts can be completely undone by one common problem — unwanted pests.

In particular, squirrels and rats are the main culprits, and their highly sensitive noses allow rodents to track down food from afar, luring them straight to your yard.

What’s more, you’ll need to watch what type of foods you fill your bird feeders with since these pests favor wheat and loose grains as a staple diet.

Which is why experts are urging households to use this common cooking ingredient in the yard to ward off rats and squirrels.

Sprinkle cayenne pepper in yard

Typically a spice used to give our recipes a kick, the pungent aroma and irritating qualities of cayenne pepper is also a powerful deterrent to keep rodents from visiting your yard again. This is because cayenne seasoning and hot peppers contain a compound called capsaicin — the specific chemical that provides their fiery and pungent taste.

Experts advise simply sprinkling cayenne pepper around the yard, plants, pathways, bird feeders, and even in compost bins. Luckily, it will not harm or repel birds or chickens. Similar to using chilli powder in the yard, this potent smell of cayenne pepper will be overwhelming to rodents — keeping them at bay.

“Rats dislike this due to its strong and spicy scent and taste, which can deter them from entering the space in which this pepper is present,” adds Miroslav Radov, expert at Rainbow Rubbish removals

“However, there is always the present risk that rats may learn to tolerate this smell if there is an active food source available nearby. Therefore, always combine this with other methods”.

It is worth noting that this particular hack is most effective during periods of dry weather. Since rainfall will simply wash the spice away, you will need to reapply it to the affected areas.

Another top tip is to combine cayenne pepper with bird food that rodents don’t like. For instance, seeds such as nyjer seeds, sunflower hearts, broken peanut pieces, and premium mixes don't contain much wheat, which won’t be appealing to rodents.

In addition, it’s recommended to apply cayenne pepper around bird feeders, particularly in June when there is usually an influx of feathered visitors to your yard.

And if you don’t have cayenne pepper in your spice cabinet, you can opt for other potent aromas like eucalyptus, citronella, or peppermint, as rodents also find these scents repulsive.

“Natural deterrents, such as eucalyptus, citronella, cayenne pepper, or peppermint, can be highly effective in keeping rats away,” states Richard Green expert at Kennedy Wild Bird Food & Pet Supplies.

“These strong scents are unpleasant to rodents, offering an organic defense mechanism that works well when placed near bird feeders to protect the food from pests."

So if you want a pest-free lawn and yard this summer, you might already have the secret ingredients in your kitchen cupboard.

More from Tom's Guide

• 7 things that are attracting ants to your home
• 7 ant-repellent plants 
• Plus things that attract roaches to your home — and how to fix it

I spent months watching white mold fuzz creep across the soil of my favorite houseplants. I tried everything: better drainage, less water, moving them to brighter spots. Nothing worked. Then I discovered that cinnamon has antifungal properties and decided to try it.

A simple dusting of ground cinnamon from my kitchen cupboard cleared the mold completely and it hasn't come back. I was skeptical at first. How could a spice work where everything else failed? But the science is straightforward: cinnamon contains compounds that actively suppress the fungi causing the problem.

After testing it on seven houseplants, I can confirm it does the trick. Here's exactly how to do it.

Why cinnamon actually works

Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde and eugenol, which are natural compounds with proven antifungal properties. These chemicals create a hostile surface for the common molds that appear on houseplant soil, particularly Penicillium and Trichoderma, which show up as white or gray-green fuzz.

The key is that cinnamon works as a preventative layer, not a cure-all. It slows mold growth while you fix the underlying problem — usually overwatering or poor air circulation.

In my experience, once you address those issues and apply cinnamon, the mold doesn't return. I reapply lightly every month as a maintenance step, particularly on plants in shadier corners of my home where moisture lingers longer.

The mistakes I made (so you don't)

My first attempt failed because I applied cinnamon to wet soil. It trapped moisture and made things worse. Wait until the surface is completely dry before dusting.

I also used too much cinnamon initially, creating a thick layer that repelled water instead of letting it through. A light coating is all you need

Finally, I realized cinnamon alone wasn't enough. If your houseplant is in a dark corner with a saucer that stays wet constantly, cinnamon won't solve the problem. You have to fix the watering habits and light situation first. Cinnamon is the finishing touch, not the full solution.

More from Tom's Guide

• I stopped making these 9 plant ‘care’ mistakes and now my plants are thriving
• This tiny pest causes the biggest damage to your plants — here's how to stop thrips
• Your succulent is dying of thirst every time you mist it — do this instead

If you’re a BBQ aficionado, chances are you’ve already tried out a ton of different smokers, from charcoal to wood and pellet smokers. If you haven’t, you might be a bit overwhelmed with the best grill choices.

The Westwood XL from Traeger aims to simplify the process for you by offering a set it and forget it smoking experience, as well as versatility for high-heat grilling. It’s a spacious unit, giving you tons of space to get lots of meats and sides on the grill at once.

And you can definitely cook low and slow as the pros do for great barbecue. The Westwood XL doesn’t get hot enough for real meat searing, but it still works well enough for most grilling if you’re just cooking dinner on a weeknight.

If you’re after an intense smoky flavor however, the Westwood XL isn’t your unit. But if you want some decent smoked meats without the hassle of babysitting a fire all day long, this might be your next backyard cooking mainstay. Here’s what happened when I cooked up a storm.

Traeger Westwood XL Grill review: Price and availability

The Westwood XL costs $800 and is available for purchase now on Traeger’s website. It comes with a 7-year limited warranty, and you can finance the purchase using Affirm at checkout.

It’s also available at other retailers like Ace or Home Depot, though pricing and availability may vary.

Traeger Westwood XL Grill review: Design

Unboxing and building the Westwood XL took me about an hour. The included instructions are super easy to follow, and they’re thorough, so you shouldn’t have much issue building this even if you’re not a particularly handy person. Traeger even includes the screwdriver you’ll need to build the unit.

First, you’ll need to do an initial burn-off to make sure all the oils and debris from manufacturing and shipping get torched off. This basically involves running the Westwood XL for about 30 minutes, though I did it a bit longer: about an hour until the smell of some of the oils dissipated.

The Westwood XL is a fairly straightforward pellet smoker. The pellet hopper lives on the right side of the main cooking chamber. It’s here you’ll load up on the pellets of your choice, though Traeger recommends Traeger-branded pellets to ensure quality. The control unit is mounted to the front of the hopper, and the power switch is on the back.

At the bottom of the hopper, an auger transfers pellets in toward the cooking chamber to provide both heat and smoky flavor. The augur runs automatically and feeds pellets based on your chosen temperature and cooking time. The hopper itself can hold up to 18 pounds of pellets at a time.

The main cooking chamber features 823 square inches of cooking space across two levels of cooking grates. Beneath those, a drip tray runs the full length of the cooking area to ensure no grease falls through. That funnels into a removable grease trap that you can empty when needed. It also comes with a removable tin liner if you prefer to simply toss out the liner with the collected grease.

The Westwood XL has a cooking temperature range of 180 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, making it appropriate both for smoking low/slow and grilling at high heat.

To the left of the cooking chamber, you’ll find a small prep shelf with cooking tool hooks mounted to the front. It’s not a lot of real estate, just enough to put your cutting board full of meat before and after cooking. Fortunately, you can also use the top of the pellet hopper, though if you need to open the hopper to add more pellets, you’ll need to clear off anything sitting on the hopper lid.

You can accessorize your Westwood XL using Traeger’s P.A.L. Pop-And-Lock accessory system. The P.A.L. mount lives on the front of the Westwood XL, and it’s here that you can add compatible accessories, including additional prep space.

There’s also a much larger storage shelf beneath the cooking chamber. This is a good place to store unused pellets, though you’ll want to make sure they’re stored in a heat-resistant container. If you plan on storing the grill outside without any grill cover or other protection, you’ll also want to make sure that the container is weatherproof so the pellets don’t get wet and expand.

The digital control panel is easy to use. You can adjust your cooking temperature using the dial, then press and hold the start button to fire up the automatic starter. Once the fire starts going, the Westwood XL will reach its target temperature automatically.

The Westwood XL also comes with a single meat probe that plugs directly into the digital control panel. You can set a target temperature here as well. The digital control panel also features a timer with audible alarms.

In addition, moving this 128-pound grill is pretty easy thanks to the large wheels mounted on the hopper-side legs. The other two legs don’t feature any wheels, but tiling this side up and rolling the grill along is no problem at all.

While you can control all these settings directly on the digital control panel, you can also control the Westwood XL using Traeger’s WiFIRE app. More on that in a moment.

Traeger Westwood XL Grill review: Grilling performance

After I burnt off all the manufacturing byproducts, I let the grill cool down completely. Then I fired it up again later to cook my first meal.

I prepped a 1.3 pound London Broil with the intention of cooking it medium rare. Normally, I would want to get a very high temperature (around 500 degrees) to ensure a good sear — the Westwood XL only gets up to 450 degrees, so I had to adjust.

So I took the app’s recommendations and heated the grill to 450. It took about 20 minutes to heat up to that temperature, which I thought was quite a long wait. In subsequent uses, the heat-up time was cut down to about 15 minutes.

I inserted the included probe and set the app to alert me when the meat was cooked to medium rare. According to the app, that meant an internal temperature of 135 degrees. It also recommended cooking for about 4-5 minutes per side, which seemed spot-on in my experience, though I would probably shoot for a slightly lower internal temperature for medium-rare.

It took about 17 minutes of cooking to reach 135 degrees internally, though. And when I took the steak off the grill and let it rest, the finished cook was more akin to medium or even medium well. I definitely should have trusted my gut and taken the steak off sooner.

I’ve used a lot of pellet smokers, and none of them have really produced a high-quality sear for steaks. That’s because the heat source is not directly beneath the cooking surface; rather, it’s offset like a true smoker. Such was the case with the Westwood XL. The sear just wasn’t there. I would recommend searing your steak before or after you cook it on the Westwood, in a cast-iron pan on the stove if possible.

And since the steak wasn’t on the Westwood for very long, I knew I had to temper my expectations for a true smoky flavor. That assumption was confirmed; there’s not much smokiness to the steak, which is forgivable for any pellet smoker, since the smoke really needs a lot of time exposed to any meats to make that smoky flavor come through.

In addition, the Westwood is also somewhat loud. I say this comparatively; my charcoal smoker’s fan only runs when it needs to stoke the fire to adjust temperature, while the Westwood’s auger and fan run more or less constantly. It’s not bother-the-neighbors loud, but it’s certainly noticeable if you’re hanging out in the backyard while the grill runs.

Traeger Westwood XL Grill review: Smoking performance

Next, I prepped some pork ribs for smoking. While I intended to use the 3-2-1 method to smoke these (three hours smoked unwrapped, 2 hours wrapped, and an additional hour unwrapped), I still consulted the app’s recommendations for cooking times and temperatures.

The app recommended an internal temperature of 200 degrees for the ribs when finished. So that’s what I set my alarm for. Then I put the ribs on for the first 3-hour session, opening the lid occasionally to spray some Dr. Pepper on them for moisture and to create a nice, caramelized finish.

Pellet grills like this one tend to lend less smoky flavor to meat than other types of smokers, like wood and charcoal. So I was curious to see if the Westwood XL could buck that trend. Ultimately, I found the smoky finish to be somewhat slight, which is what I expected. If you really want an immersive smoky flavor, you’ll want to opt for charcoal or wood. That said, if you want a slightly smoky flavor and a super easy, set it and forget it cooking experience, the Westwood XL delivers.

Traeger Westwood XL Grill review: App

The WiFIRE app is easy to pair and set up with the Westwood XL. It’s reliable too, with a strong internet connection. I found myself controlling the Westwood XL more with the app than with the physical controls on the front of the grill.

The app also has recommendations built in for cooking times based on what type of meat you’re cooking and what kind of results you want. As I mentioned earlier, however, consider these recommendations, not absolutes.

If you’re new to smoking and grilling, the app is great for exploring recipes, too. Traeger has done a nice job of making the app a useful resource for all levels of outdoor cooks.

Traeger Westwood XL Grill review: Accessories

My test unit came with a few accessories, including the Westwood XL full-length grill cover ($100), which I would highly recommend if you intend to store your grill where it will be exposed to the elements. Traeger also sent along some barbecue sauces, rubs, and pellets. All of these are available for purchase on the Traeger website.

There are tons of other accessories on Traeger’s website, far too many to list here. Suffice it to say, you can outfit all of your cooking needs from the accessories page. I would highly recommend looking into getting a P.A.L. Pop and Lock Front Shelf to give you more prep space on the barebones Westwood XL. These range in price from $90 to $180, depending on what size you get.

Traeger Westwood XL Grill review: Competition

Traeger has made a big name for itself in the pellet smoker space. But it’s hardly the only player. Brands like Weber, Recteq, Yoder, and Pit Boss all offer their own pellet smokers, as do smaller brands you might see at the big box store.

Weber’s Searwood 600 is a close competitor. It costs $200 more than the Westwood XL, but it also reaches a higher temperature at 600 degrees. It also features a smoke boost function, which ups the smoky flavor. It’s overall a better choice than the Traeger Westwood XL, unless you need more cooking space (the Searwood tops out at 648 square inches) and versatility with Traeger’s impressive line of accessories. The Searwood also doesn’t have any prep surfaces other than the lid of the pellet hopper.

Traeger Westwood XL Grill review: Verdict

For a true set-it-and-forget-it cooking experience, the Westwood XL delivers a lot of convenience at a good price. It’s ideal for family dinners in the backyard or for entertaining guests on the weekend. Just don’t expect a ton of smoky flavor here; pellet smokers are generally not as robust in that regard as charcoal or wood smokers.

And you’ll need to adjust the way you grill at high temperatures too. You won’t get a great sear on steaks; you’ll need to do that part on a stovetop or griddle.

I love the ease of use of the Traeger app and the true simplicity of the Westwood XL setup. It’s easy to toss on some meats for smoking for hours and hours, then just walk away. But I wonder if the meat probes are reading correctly, given how overcooked everything was when I was using those probes as my guide.

Aside from that, the Westwood XL is a good pellet smoker that’s easy to use and not intimidating if you’re new to pellet smokers. The app is great, easy to use, and a good resource for new and experienced cooks. Overall, it’s a pleasant cooking experience.

With warmer temperatures, now is the time for seasonal pests to begin appearing inside homes. And if you’ve already spotted a trail of tiny insects invading your kitchen, you’ll probably be wondering how to get rid of ants for good.

While these critters are incredibly small, ants can become a real nuisance if not dealt with properly. Which is why it can come in handy to know what type of ant you’re dealing with so you can implement the right deterrent methods.

Although it’s hard to know exactly what ant species you have (without a magnifying glass), I asked the pest experts if there are certain visual clues to identify the most common ants that invade our homes. And more importantly, what’s the best way to deter them? So before you get out your trusted repellent solution, know who you’re up against first.

Common ants that can invade our homes

While there are several varieties, depending on your state and local climate, these are the more common ant species to look out for.

Odorous House Ants

These are those tiny black or brown ants commonly found nesting under floor heating, patios, or within the foundations of your home. Odorous house ants tend to have an oval body and are also known as ‘sugar ants’, since they are mostly in search of any sweet substance.

“These ants can invade in large numbers, nest in structures, and have many nests and multiple queens,” explains Scot Hodges, A.C.E. Certified Entomologist and VP of Professional Development at Arrow Exterminators. “Identifying them can be done by crushing a few and smelling them. They are said to emit a “rotten coconut” odor; however, most people have no perspective of what that smells like. They do emit a distinct odor, so if you crush a few of them and sense that.”

Still, pest experts warn you should never squash ants in your home, or else you could be inviting more ants to invade your home. So make it a daily habit to wipe down food spills and countertops immediately, and ensure you store your food correctly.

Carpenter Ants

These are much larger ants (6–12 mm) and typically black in color, although some have a red thorax. As the name suggests, these tunnel into wood and will chew through it extensively to make their nests. “Their size is a good indicator, as they are large ants — much larger than other ant species,” states Hodges.

“Finding a nest of large black ants in hollowed-out wood galleries is most likely carpenter ants. Unlike other species, Carpenter ants are also very active at night, so seeing large ants foraging at night is another indication.”

As far as damage goes, these are probably the worst kind of ant. And if you have an infestation in your home, you're at risk of serious structural damage. So it’s always best to take preventative steps to stop carpenter ants before they infest your home.

“Homeowners should be cautious of disturbing the mounds when doing yard tasks such as gardening or mowing the lawn,” adds James Copley, Chief Executive Officer of Copley Pest Solutions.

“The most effective way to treat carpenter ants is to find the nest and treat it directly with bait. Then, homeowners should remove the decaying wood. A professional should be called if the homeowner is not confident or wants to ensure full colony removal.”

Fire Ants

Typically, fire ants appear as bright reddish ants that sting and live mostly near grassy areas in mounds. So if you spot mounds in lawns, driveways, or in parks, this is a telltale sign of fire ants.

“These ants are reddish brown and their sting (can be painful),” adds Hodges. “Getting stung by one or multiple can be an easy way to identify them. Additionally, Fire Ants can be noticed outdoors from the earthen mounds they build in lawns, along driveways, patios, and walkways.

“They have been known to nest in structures, in which case they will bring dirt up into the structure to construct the nest.”

While these insects typically prefer the outdoors, they are drawn to cozy, warm, and hidden places, making a kitchen the ideal environment for them to seek food and shelter.

It’s worth noting that fire ants can be dangerous to people and pets because they tend to sting. And in some cases, it can cause severe allergic reactions similar to those from bee and wasp stings. So never attempt to handle a colony on your own; instead, contact professional pest control to tackle the situation safely.

Find out where the colony is coming from

To determine where ants are coming from, experts advise finding out where the colony is located, if possible. It could be coming from outdoors in your yard, lawn or somewhere inside the house.

“Try to track the ants to their outside colony and treat them there,” advises Gilbert. “Drench the colony with a high-quality liquid ant treatment — using a non-repellent pesticide is critical.

“If the colony is inside the house, then apply an ant-specific bait and liquid treatments where you see ants, being careful not to contaminate food surfaces or areas that children or pets frequent. Baits must be kept out of the reach of children and pets.”

Of course, if in doubt, always contact your local pest control service to find the colony and handle it safely.

Use bait traps carefully

Unlike using repellent sprays each time we spot a trail of ants, experts suggest that this is just a temporary fix and not really dealing with the colony. This is why bait traps are considered more effective as a permanent solution.

“Bait traps require patience; do not remove the traps too soon, and be sure to follow the directions on the packaging,” advises James Copley, Chief Executive Officer of Copley Pest Solutions.

“People often worry when they see more ants after placing bait traps, but that means that the traps are effectively attracting the ants. As much as it can distress homeowners when they see more of what they are trying to get rid of, you need worker ants to carry the bait back to the colony. Patience is best with bait traps; they are effective, and they will work.”

Maintain good sanitation and fix any leaks

Most ant species have one thing in common — food. And once they find sources of food and water, they will be back for more. "Many ants, such as one of the fire ant species, will invade homes for water, pet food, or scraps of human food left on floors, dirty dishes, or garbage cans,” states Bob Gilbert, MS, PHE, BCE, Board Certified Entomologist and Staff Entomologist at Blue Sky Pest Control.

“Eliminate moisture issues in the home, clean dishes and surfaces after meals, and seal pet foods in airtight containers. Feed cats and dogs at set times and remove dishes at night when ants are more likely to invade homes. Sanitation is key. Inspect your home with a critical eye and eliminate all sources of food."

You’ll want to ensure your kitchen or home is less inviting for tiny critters to camp in your home and take over.

More from Tom's Guide

• 9 things to consider before using pesticide in your yard
• How to get rid of wasps — and keep them away from your home
• 7 ant-repellent plants to keep your home pest-free

Having good neighbors' can make all the difference, especially if you want to get along well and live peacefully. However, it's not uncommon to come across certain anti-social behavior or annoying habits. From loud music at night and dogs barking to tall hedges blocking the natural light, neighbor disputes can really affect daily life.

And while I usually have no issues with my neighbors, there is one major gripe that I have with my neighbors across the road. Their bright outdoor/security lights are left on all night and happen to glare through my window. As a result, this has become a nuisance each night, disrupting my sleep routine.

Besides spending a fortune on blackout blinds, I asked the experts what I could do and best practices for approaching your neighbors' (without causing a rift!).

Similar to knowing your legal rights for cutting your neighbors' overhanging bushes or painting shared fences, are there any rules for dealing with a neighbors' blindingly bright outdoor lights? Here’s what they suggest.

Do I have any legal rights if my neighbor's lights are too bright?

According to experts, we do have legal rights to protect our right to peacefully enjoy our property — but this will depend on the state laws/local councils.

“U.S. states broadly recognize the law of “nuisance” that protects an individual’s right to the peaceful use and enjoyment of their property,” states Rich Kingly, Home Improvement Expert and Owner of Driveway King. “Most city governments have no specific light pollution law, though in certain states you might be able to successfully argue for a common law “nuisance” case.

“This action could result in a Court order – called an “injunction” – preventing your neighbor from shining a light on your property, and may cause the local council to issue a “statutory nuisance abatement notice”.

In addition, he advises documenting everything, which can also help to support your case or present to your neighbor.“Keep a diary to record the times that lights are shining into your home.

“Better still, take photos or videos of the offending lights to show your neighbors why you have an issue. This could help support your case when you go to speak to them.”

So, whether it's security lights on their garage doors or landscaping smart lights, you may have a legal case if these are directly affecting your home.

What’s the best way to approach your neighbor?

Perhaps the most effective way to avoid long-term tension is by initiating a polite chat with your neighbor to seek a compromise that works for everyone. But what is the best way to start the conversation?

“It's best to start these conversations from a point of positivity,” suggests Jonathan Palley, CEO of Clever Tiny Homes. “Compliment them on new improvements to their yard, chat about other things, and then get around to mentioning the light issue if they haven't.

“They undoubtedly had some reason for installing a light there, and getting to the bottom of that can help the conversation to move forward. Going straight for complaint or confrontation is just going to harden things and lead to a more contentious outcome.”

What’s more, if they are friendly or cooperative, you could even suggest ideas on ways to resolve the light issue. Simple adjustments, such as adjusting the light fixture or installing physical light shields over light fixtures, can help to reduce the bright glare.

Additionally, your neighbor may want to consider replacing lights with the ‘dark sky-friendly ones’. “In recent years, there has been an increase in great LED bulbs, but their intensity and spectrum can also cause issues,” adds Kingly.

“Warm colored LEDs or those in amber may be a better choice for neighbors because the warm tones are easier on the eyes than bluish-white ones. Using only the minimum amount of light you actually need can also solve the problem and save you money.”

Another option could be to set it on a timer to turn off, or replace it with motion sensor lights. That way, bright lights will go off at a suitable time at night, without constantly affecting your home. However, these are only feasible if your neighbors agree to these suggestions.

So if I want to reclaim my peaceful night's sleep (without being disrupted by bright lights), I'll be sure to have a friendly chat with my neighbor about it first.

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 rude habits your neighbors hate
• Gardeners urged to spray patios and paths with vinegar until November — and it’s not as strange as it sounds
• These 7 plants will create more privacy in your backyard

If you have a damp problem, getting one of the best dehumidifiers is a no-brainer. These helpful devices draw moisture from your air to prevent damp and mold. Not only is that good for your walls, ceilings and paint, it’s also highly beneficial for your health.

Unfortunately, my home is rather damp, especially in winter. So I’m always running two dehumidifiers (one upstairs and one downstairs) to keep things in check. Throughout winter and spring 2026, one of those was the Pro Breeze Dehumidifier, which I had for a long-term test.

The Pro Breeze is a moderately quick dehumidifier, extracting up to 50 pints / 20 liters a day, with (according to the manufacturer) a wide coverage of up to 4,000 square feet. It’s designed for larger spaces and/or an entire floor of a house. It’s fairly compact given its capacity and has some helpful features like a status LED and a handle.

It isn’t perfect, with slow operating during stress tests, slightly confusing controls and a water tank that can be awkward to refit. But could it still be worth buying? Find out in my full ProBreeze Dehumidifier review.

Pro Breeze Dehumidifier review: Specs

Pro Breeze Dehumidifier review: Price & availability

The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier is available in the U.S. from Amazon for $239, which is essentially the going rate for a decent 50-pint dehumidifier. The GoveeLife Smart 50-pint Dehumidifier also costs $239, while the slower Waykar 34-pint Dehumidifier costs $228. The excellent Frigidaire 50-pint Dehumidifier costs slightly more at $279, but is an excellent performer — at full price, that’s where my money would go. However, we’ve seen the Pro Breeze drop as low as $138 at Amazon, and at those prices, it’s a solid choice.

In the U.K., where Pro Breeze is based, this dehumidifier is no longer available. However, Pro Breeze offers a much wider array of dehumidifiers in the British market, so there are plenty more to choose from.

Pro Breeze Dehumidifier review: Design

The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier isn’t going to win any awards for its design. It’s a white, upright slab — hardly prepossessing. In fairness, though, they all look like that. I haven’t seen a good-looking dehumidifier that uses wood or makes any effort to look stylish and homely. They all look like medical equipment that’s been stolen from a hospital.

The top panel of the dehumidifier is particularly ugly and dated-looking in my opinion. My Bosch Dry 2000 (not available in the U.S.) looks much more modern with its round display and minimalist touch controls. The Pro Breeze features LED status (red, green and blue) to quickly display humidity levels — these are handy, but again, kinda ugly and dated.

It’s a fairly tall dehumidifier, but the trade off is that it’s a fairly narrow unit, giving extra versatility with placement. That said, when in use, you should always maintain a gap between any dehumidifier and walls or furniture, so they’re always placed slightly awkwardly anyway.

I like that the Pro Breeze features a handle and wheels. This makes it super easy to move around to different parts of your home if you need to target a specific area. During winter, I noticed some mold growing in a corner of my hallway, so I quickly scooted the dehumidifier across my wood floor and positioned it very near the problem spot. The wheels aren’t quite as effective on carpet, but hey, they’re still nice to have.

The filter is removable and washable, which is great to see, although I wouldn’t advise buying any dehumidifier without this feature. They get such heavy use that replacing filters would cost you a fortune. The GoveeLife Smart Dehumidifier and Waykar Dehumidifier also have washable filters.

Controls

The Pro Breeze’s controls are clearly labelled and fairly self explanatory. There are buttons for everything you’ll need. However, I found the display a little confusing. There are various modes, many with similar icons, doing different things. There’s a fan speed setting, but also a high power setting — isn’t the high fan speed also the high power setting? There’s a laundry mode that does basically the same things as the high power mode.

After a read-through of the manual, I realized what these different modes were doing, and that there were subtle differences between them. But it was still a little frustrating, as other dehumidifiers like my Bosch Dry 2000 and the GoveeLife Smart are extremely intuitive and easy-to-use straight out of the box.

Pro Breeze Dehumidifier review: Performance

The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier will extract up to 50 pints of water from your air per day, according to the manufacturer, which is a lot of moisture. This will depend on specific circumstances, of course, which I wasn’t able to match in my testing. I needed to empty the tank at least once a day with it running constantly — so 9-18 pints of water per day.

Pro Breeze’s claims about the dehumidifier’s range are all over the place. The Amazon page for the 50-pint model claims it can cover spaces up to 4,000 square feet, which is enormous. However, the Pro Breeze site only claims 2,000 square feet, while the U.K. Pro Breeze site claims 322 square feet for the equivalent model. The U.K. model has slightly lower energy consumption, but the exact same 195 m³/h airflow rate as the U.S. model… So where is the circa 3,700 square foot difference coming from? It’s a mess.

Taking the top estimate of 4,000 square feet — that’d be equivalent to a whole storey in a very large house, or the floor of an office building. While this dehumidifier is good, I’m not sure those claims stack up to reality. In fact, as I’ll cover immediately below, I’m more inclined to believe the British rating of 322 square feet…

Testing

My kitchen — the most humid room in my house — measures around 270 square feet. To test the Pro Breeze, I cooked a pot of pasta and two slow-cook sauces on our induction cooker, without lids, and kept our extractor off to generate steam. On the maximum setting, it took the Pro Breeze several hours to take the humidity from red on the LED status to green (from nearly 80% back down closer to 60%). By comparison, our favorite dehumidifier for large spaces, the Frigidaire Dehumidifier, cleared a basement from 90% to 35% in just 40 minutes, although that was in a smaller 100 square-foot space.

In less extreme scenarios, the Pro Breeze performed admirably, though. I left it running in the default de-humidification mode, where you can set the target humidity and fan speed, and it was able to keep the moisture levels in my kitchen stable (until I cooked).

In my kitchen and in my hallway (where I had mold and condensation), the Pro Breeze did a great job. There was no window condensation in the mornings and once we cleared the mold with some spray, it didn’t return. Importantly, though, the Pro Breeze wasn’t able to dehumidify my entire downstairs — to fight the mold, I had to move the unit from the kitchen to the hallway — so again, those 4,000-square-foot claims seem pretty bogus to me.

There’s a laundry mode, which is awesome for drying clothes inside during winter. I use this regularly, and the Pro Breeze dries most clothes in a couple of hours if positioned near your dryer. Annoyingly, there’s no timer by default on laundry mode. My Bosch Dry 2000 automatically sets an 8-hour timer in laundry mode for effortless overnight drying. You have to do this manually on the Pro Breeze, otherwise laundry mode will just keep running indefinitely at max, wasting energy.

The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier gets noticeably warm in use, especially in the higher power modes. It packs out quite a bit of warm air, so you won’t want to sit next to it if you’re hot. I like that the Pro Breeze can be used as a standalone fan, though — when in fan mode, it doesn’t dehumidify but pumps out cooler air, helping to cool rooms down in warmer weather.

The water tank is fairly spacious at 9 pints / 5.1 liters, easy to empty and features a fill window to tell you when it’s full. It’s awkward to get back into place, though, often getting jammed — not a huge deal but a little annoying all the same. The Pro Breeze has an outlet for continuous draining and comes with a rubber pipe, so if you need to run it indefinitely with it draining into a bath or sink, you can — this is ideal for super damp homes needing emergency dehumidification.

Noise & night mode

The Pro Breeze is rated for 48dB of noise, although I wasn’t able to achieve anything lower than 54dB in normal mode and 52.5 in night mode. The Waykar dehumidifier ran at a lower 49dB in our testing, so may be the one to go for if this is a priority.

Still, the Pro Breeze isn’t too loud. 54dB is around the same level as other household appliances. It’ll be enough to disturb people who sleep lightly, but the same is true for pretty much every other dehumidifier. You get used to it.

You can turn off the digital display and LEDs, so the Pro Breeze won’t disturb you light-wise.

Pro Breeze Dehumidifier review: App

In the U.S., there doesn’t appear to be a companion app for the Pro Breeze. In the U.K., there is an app version of the dehumidifier, which is slightly more expensive (and which I’d recommend, as the controls are awkward). I tested the U.K. non-app version.

Pro Breeze Dehumidifier review: How does it compare?

The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier isn’t the best at anything, really. The Frigidaire 50-pint Dehumidifier and GoveeLife Smart 50-pint Dehumidifier are faster, while being similarly priced. Personally, I’d spend a little more and bag the Frigidaire.

That said, while its high-speed, extreme humidity performance may not be the best, the Pro Breeze still does an excellent job at keeping levels stable longer term. With that in mind, all three rivals are equally ugly, similarly priced, and take up around the same amount of space. So, realistically, you can take your pick.

In the U.K., I’d definitely recommend my other dehumidifier, the Bosch Dry 2000 (or its bigger sibling, the Dry 4000), instead. Performance is similar, but I find the controls more intuitive and the styling ever-so-slightly nicer.

Pro Breeze Dehumidifier review: Verdict

The Pro Breeze Dehumidifier isn’t a bad product. It does a good job at everyday dehumidification, keeping levels low if you run it all the time. It wasn’t the fastest performer we’ve seen, but did the job eventually in high-humidity scenarios. The variety of modes is useful, if not a little confusing at first, and the water tank is spacious and easy to empty, if not a little tricky to refit.

At the end of the day, if you’re struggling with damp and mold, there are better dehumidifiers out there, but the Pro Breeze isn’t a terrible solution by any stretch. Still, I’d advise waiting for a sale if you can.

The Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer is a coffee maker with a bold claim — and said bold claim is right in the name. “Plastic-free” is big talk. It’s the thing every brand seems to chase. How close to truly plastic-free can a coffee machine get? Well, I hate to burst this bubble, but the Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer isn’t actually plastic-free. It has a plastic exterior and silicone water tubing.

A few years ago, I saw a meme that went along the lines of: “My grandpa full of lead, my dad full of asbestos, and me full of microplastics”. It made me laugh. Serious belly-laugh. Perhaps making light of it is the only way we can deal with our plastic-related predicaments. Consequently, I’m not overly fussy about plastics in my coffee machine. It’s in everything else. What’s a little more?

But I know a lot of coffee lovers are serious about minimizing those plastics — so is this low-plastic approach enough to make this model one of the best coffee makers? To find out, keep reading this Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer review.

Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer: Specs

Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer review: Price & availability

The Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer is objectively expensive. It’s $479 from Amazon U.S., and isn’t available in the U.K. at the time of writing.

This is $100 more expensive than the Moccamaster KGBV Select and $130 more expensive than the Breville Luxe Brewer. As the Simply Good Coffee Brewer is “plastic-free” (more on that in the ‘Design’ section below), you can expect to pay a premium. Metal and glass inherently costs more to produce than plastic. A similar price difference is mirrored in the AeroPress ($39) and the AeroPress Premium ($199).

Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer review: Design

So let’s just rip the Band-Aid off nice and fast: the Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer isn’t actually plastic-free. The water lines are made from medical-grade silicone, and some exterior parts are actually made entirely of plastic.

The water lines are made from medical-grade silicone. I’m not going to tell you if this counts as plastic or not — some people think silicone is plastic, some people class silicone as rubber — so you can make up your own mind about this. Life Without Plastic recommends consumers to exercise caution, but ABC News Australia reports that if used conventionally, silicone is a food-safe material.

Regardless, there's no getting away from the fact that the exterior is clad liberally in what is, quite obviously, black plastic.

I’ll let you come to your own conclusions, but the fact of the matter remains: the Simply Good Coffee Brewer is not “plastic-free”. It’s low plastic. It’s a similar story with the low-plastic Ratio Four — considerably less plastic than the Moccamaster and the like, but still plastic.

Complaints about plastic aside, the brewer looks gorgeous. It’s like a stripped-back Moccamaster, super utilitarian and functional and industrial and cool.

I love the directions engraved on the water tank. The brewer tells you how much coffee to put in for a full batch, which is a great feature ideal for newcomers or coffee lovers who don’t have time to fuss over brewing ratios.

Another innovative feature is the drip stopper on the back of the filter basket. I love this feature. It’s very simple — effectively a piece of metal that covers the filter hole. This lets you pour coffee without having to wait for the brewer to finish each and every drip (lest you spill coffee all over the hot plate).

If you want a low plastic machine but miss that Moccamaster art style, don’t fret. You can get a color wrap for $29, available in pretty much every shade you can imagine. These color wraps are pre-cut vinyl (yep, more plastic!) and you have to stick them to the main body of the machine yourself. I love the idea of this in theory, but I am the least handy or co-ordinated person in the world — so I know I would majorly mess this up.

Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer review: Performance

As it’s a drip brewer, the Simply Good Coffee Brewer is super easy to use. All you have to do is grind your beans, put your beans in the filter, and press go. It’s as straightforward as that. The hot plate keeps the coffee warm for forty minutes, which is less than the Moccamaster’s 100 minutes, but still a decent chunk of time.

I never made a bad batch on the Simply Good Coffee Brewer. Every pot tasted clean, fresh, with zero bitterness and a pleasant, well-rounded finish. This coffee tastes just as good as the Moccamaster’s, and I’m sure any Moccamaster transplants will be satisfied with this flavor.

To show you how easy it is, I’m going to share my ideal Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer routine.

My go-to Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer routine

As the Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer is a drip machine, it’s super easy to use — and here’s the proof!

1. Fill the water tank to your preferred line. There are notches for the minimum 2 cup, 4-cup, and the max 8 cup.
2. Grind your coffee to a medium grind size. I use my Mazzer Philos.
3. Put your desired coffee in the #4 cone filters.
4. Optional: Put the filter in the filter basket and press ‘bloom’. Bloom will saturate the grounds to release gases and, in my opinion, give you a cleaner flavor.
5. Not optional: Make sure the drip stopper is off (otherwise no coffee will flow into your pot).
6. Flip the on switch to start the brew.
7. After around 6 minutes, you’ve got a full pot of delicious coffee.

And that’s it!

Of course, you can experiment with dose and grind size, to achieve your ideal flavor. I tried every dose from 56g (the minimum for a full pot) to 72g (the maximum for a full pot), and found anywhere between 60g-72g to be perfect.

Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer review: Storage & maintenance

The Simply Good Coffee Brewer feels more compact than it is. At 13 x 14 inches, it’s the same size as the Moccamaster, so not a particularly small machine. Even so, I was able to fit this nicely on my kitchen countertop without making it feel cluttered.

Like the Moccamaster, the brewer uses #4 conical filters; Simply Good Coffee provides a pack with the brewer itself, then these cost around $8 for 100.

Simply-Good-Coffee-branded cleaning chemicals and descaler will set you back $22 for 6 months or $39 for a year. You could probably also use Durgol, $16 for 25 ounces, which is Technivorm’s recommended product for descaling the Moccamaster.

Ironically, Simply Good Coffee reassures users that the plastic parts are dishwasher safe (even though it’s “plastic-free”). I just washed mine by hand though.

Finally, I’ll address warranty and repairs. Technivorm is famous in the coffee world for being the only company to offer 5-year warranties as standard and then lifetime repairs.

Simply Good Coffee offers a two-year warranty as standard and a five-year warranty if you enrol in the Coffee Quality Assurance Programme (costs $120…), which gives you free shipping, filters, and cleaning products.

I would recommend the Moccamaster if you want a machine with lifetime repairs — I wish Simply Good Coffee would offer this perk too.

Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer review: How does it compare?

Simply Good Coffee also makes a Plastic-Free Programmable Brewer, which is exactly what it sounds like. You can program the machine to come on at certain times, which would be ideal if you’re the kind of person who loves waking up to a fresh pot of coffee. This is a huge $519, so $30 pricier than the one I’m reviewing here.

The cheapest model under Simply Good Coffee’s belt is The Brewer Glass, which has a plastic filter basket (like a Moccamaster) and a glass carafe (like a Moccamaster) for $199.

I would probably buy the Moccamaster for the lifetime repairs, but if you’re serious about minimizing your plastic usage, you might want to consider the Ratio Four and the Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer.

Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer review: Verdict

The Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer is a great coffee machine — with one major caveat. I love the look of this machine; it’s modern, it’s utilitarian, it’s stylish and sleek. It has a bloom setting, can keep coffee warm for forty minutes, and does all that without breaking a sweat.

However (and this is a big however)... it’s just not plastic-free. There are plastic elements all over the body and the inner lines use silicone. Whether or not this is a dealbreaker is up to you. My main issue is with Simply Good Coffee using “Plastic-free” in the name when that’s not the case at all — it could be seen as false advertising.

But as someone who is already full of microplastics (“What’s the harm in adding a few more,” I think to myself as I microwave Tupperware and bemoan the state of the world), I’m honestly not too fussy about plastic tubing or sealant in my coffee machines. The Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer makes delicious coffee quickly, and looks gorgeous while doing it. This is more than enough for me to wholly recommend it — I just wish Simply Good Coffee would adjust the name slightly.

The best espresso machines are expensive. That's just a fact of life. The cheapest espresso machine I've ever truly loved is the Breville Bambino ($299), and I've always recommended the De'Longhi Stilosa ($149) and cheap-and-cheerful Casabrews 3700 Essential. Of course, though, many of these cheap machines have drawbacks — well, the De'Longhi Stilosa and Casabrews 3700 do — because corners have to be cut to keep the price down.

But when I tested the Casabrews Marenza recently, I couldn't quite believe my eyes. What do you mean, it's a bean-to-cup espresso machine for just $349 — and often on sale for $299? What do you mean, it's got a tamping collar, a 58mm portafilter, and a built-in timer? All this for just $50 more than the Breville Bambino?

So where's the catch? Well, it breaks my heart to tell you this, but quite a few corners have been cut. The materials and build are pretty flimsy, the steam wand is quite weak, and the grinder is relatively poor. But might all this be a worthy trade-off for a machine that costs literally hundreds of dollars less than the next-cheapest alternative? Let's find out.

The pros

Don't get me wrong, the Casabrews Marenza has a lot going for it. The main one? The price. At just $349, this is one of the cheapest espresso machines with a grinder I've ever seen. The other one is the Gevi Espresso Machine with Grinder, which I wouldn't recommend due to its very weak steam wand and long boiler heat-up time.

If you have $349 to spend on a coffee machine, I'd go for the Casabrews Marenza over the Gevi. The Casabrews offers far superior espresso brewing. Take a look at this photo of an espresso pulled on the Marenza.

When I tested the grinder, I got pretty poor results. Because grind size is arguably the most important factor when making espresso I had low expectations — but I was genuinely really impressed by every shot I made on the Marenza.

If you're not the kind of home barista who desires a coffee scale, you'll love the built-in grinder on the Marenza. This is the most unique design feature on the machine.

I'm sensing a trend here, but was also disappointed by the Marenza's steam wand... on paper. In reality, I got beautiful milk texture and even more beautiful latte art, as you can see here.

So surely all these features make the Marenza a 5-star product? Espresso, check. Steam wand, check. Shouldn't I be singing this machine's every praise?

Yes and no — as much as I was impressed by these features, it's not all perfect. Now onto the cons.

The cons

While I was eventually won over by the milk function and espresso function, there are some major downsides to the Marenza.

The main one is the flimsy, plastic-heavy build. The grinder hopper actually broke (yep, broke itself...) while I was cleaning it. I removed the hopper to clean the burrs, it fell off my kitchen counter... and smashed all over the floor. You can see the broken hopper in the video above.

This plasticky, low-quality build is present over the entire machine, from the drip tray to water tank. I would proceed with caution to not accidentally damage it.

I'm not a huge fan of how the Marenza looks, but beauty is subjective. You may love it. In an ideal world, the Marenza would be a little more brushed silver, a little less black-cube-in-the-2000s.

But what do you think? Are you willing to put up with an inconsistent grinder and a slightly frustrating steam wand to save serious $$$ and get a bean-to-cup for about half the price of competitors?

Personally, I'd probably stick with my Breville Bambino and get a hand grinder like the Timemore Chestnut C2S ($60) — but what do you think? What would be your ideal home coffee setup? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to check back next Friday for the next Coffee Lab!

More from Tom's Guide

• I'm an ex-barista but I'm not great at latte art — and this is my cheat code to perfect art every time
• Non-plastic coffee makers are trending — and this low-plastic Ratio model is my favorite for coffee snobs
• I made two identical espressos with $5 coffee beans and $20 coffee beans — and yes, the coffee snobs are right

The Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 (bit of a tongue-twister, right?) is a 2-in-1 floor fan and air purifier, designed to help keep your home air healthy while you stay cool.

As you can probably already tell from the image up there, it looks about as quintessentially Dyson as it’s possible to get and comes with equally Dyson-esque build quality. It’s a strong air purifier and boasts a range of useful features in its app. Plus, none of its rivals on our roundup of the best air purifiers include a fan, either.

Unfortunately, the Dyson looks and build quality also bring the inevitable Dyson premium: this thing is extremely expensive. The cooling function, meanwhile, isn’t much better than that of a standard blade fan.

But could this still be the right air purifier for you? Find out in my full Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 review.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 review: Specs

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 review: Price & availability

The Dyson Find+Follow PC3 costs $849 from Dyson in the U.S. and £549 in the U.K., so you’re paying the usual Dyson premium. The U.S. price is especially high, and if you can’t stretch that far, I’d advise looking at the Windmill Air Purifier ($299) or Blueair Blue Signature ($499, although often discounted at Amazon) — these are two of our favorite air purifiers.

The Dyson somewhat justifies an enlarged price tag over rivals. Firstly, it’s also a fan, which the Windmill and Blueair aren’t. It packs the usual beautiful Dyson build quality and beautiful modern styling; plus connectivity with the Dyson app. So, if you already use Dyson gear, the PC3 will blend in seamlessly from both an aesthetic and user-interface standpoint.

Still, $849 is wildly expensive, and there isn’t really any way to make it make sense. It’s an extravagance. You want Dyson, you have to pay the Dyson tax.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 review: Design

The PC3 design is archetypal Dyson — gloss-white finish; premium bronze base; confident curves contrasted with clean, straight lines. It’s pure neo-noughties, and I love it. It pairs extremely well with my DysonSolarcycle Morph desk lamp, which I also have in a bronze finish.

It feels like a Dyson product, too — extremely high quality. I moved my two review units around the house a lot during testing. Annoyingly, there are no wheels, so I simply scooped my forearm through the top of the fan loop to carry it around. I neither heard nor felt a single groan or unnerving sound while doing so.

The air purifier uses HEPA filters, which are the bare minimum you should look for in any air purifier or vacuum cleaner. These filter out 99.95% of particles, including viruses, bacteria, spores, pollen and pet dander. There’s a carbon filter to trap the potentially harmful byproducts of combustion, including NO2; and a Selective Catalytic Oxidation (SCO) filter, which traps toxic formaldehyde and, according to Dyson, never needs replacing.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 review: Setup & use

The Dyson PC3 is extremely easy to set up as it comes pre-assembled. You simply unbox and unpackage it and it’s basically ready to go. You can use it without the Dyson app, but I wouldn’t advise doing so. There’s a QR code on the packaging for downloading the app.

Once in the app, there’s a simple setup process to pair the fan to your app via Bluetooth. This works flawlessly each time (I had two PC3s to set up) and takes a minute or so. You then choose your room and, voilà, you can use the app as a remote control. The app is fantastic, giving you control over modes, fan speed, precise fan direction and rotation, and air purification. The controls are straightforward and all self-explanatory.

There’s a remote control included, which attaches to the top of the fan magnetically and features the same controls as in the app. But although any changes you make on the remote will be shown on the PC3’s LED display, it’s still way more intuitive to see exactly what you’re doing in the Dyson app.

The remote’s buttons aren’t backlit, either, so it’s impossible to see what you’re pressing at nighttime. It’s handy for making basic adjustments during the day, I guess, and will be necessary if multiple people want to adjust the fan (visitors, or in an office).

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 review: Performance

The PC3 serves dual purposes. Not only is it an air purifier, but one of Dyson’s renowned standing cooling fans. I’ll evaluate both separately, as well as the Find+Follow mode and noise levels.

Air purifier

Firstly, I’ll discuss the PC3’s air purification, which is pretty good. According to Dyson, a single fan purifies rooms up to 27m², filtering over 290 litres per second. The PC3 filters and tracks a variety of contaminants, which can be viewed in basic form on the display, or in detail via the app.

• PM2.5 — Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns, including smoke, burning candles and industrial emissions
• PM10 — Particular matter smaller than 10 microns, including pollen and allergens
• VOCs — Volatile organic compounds, such as cooking odors, burning fuel, perfume and cleaning products
• NO2 — Nitrogen dioxide and oxidizing gases, the remnants from combustion, including from cooking and vehicles
• The PC3 also tracks general air quality, which is affected by all the above

Initially, I ran the air purifier in my living room, which is next to a busy road, keeping the windows open to see if there was any spike in NO2 emissions. If there were, these proved easy work for the PC3, which kept NO2 and air quality in the green.

I ran the same tests in my kitchen with the doors and windows to my garden open, to induce some PM10 allergens like pollen into the room. The grass pollen count in my area was moderate to high, but even so I couldn’t get a reading on the PC3.

So, I subjected the air purifier to some sterner tests. I first cooked homemade pizza in my oven. After it was done, I deliberately left semolina flour and cornflour to burn on my pizza steel inside the oven. Then I opened the oven door.

The PM2.5 and PM10 immediately spiked, and my kitchen air quality was sent straight into the red (very poor). Within 30 minutes, the PC3 in auto mode had pulled the air quality back into yellow (fair). By 2.5 hours later, the air quality was back in the green (good).

I then ran a closed-door, closed-window and closed-curtain test in my bedroom, which is smaller. I sprayed lots of aerosolized dry anti-perspirant, lit a candle and burnt several matches down to the wick before blowing them out and letting them smoke. I could literally taste how disgusting the air was in the room. PM2.5 and PM10 figures went through the roof, this time the worst level: purple (severe). The PC3 automatically ramped up to max power and cleared the room back to green (good) in around 30-minutes. The smell of the aerosol was cleared earlier, though, in around 10 minutes.

These rates are fairly good in my book. The Windmill Air Purifier and Blueair Blue Signature — two of our favorite air purifiers — will clear candle smoke or a handful of flour in minutes, but the test I subjected the Dyson to was way more extreme, and it only took half an hour to get air quality levels from severe back to good.

Cooling fan

I tested the PC3 at the perfect time — a heatwave hit the U.K. just two days after I started testing. Temperatures hit 33C, or 91F, and if you’ve ever been to Britain in the summer, you’ll know we don’t do aircon in our homes.

The PC3 definitely helped keep my wife and I cooler than if we’d had no fan. Unfortunately, though, the PC3 isn’t worth spending the money on if you’re only after a cooling fan. The performance wasn’t any better than my $50 conventional bladed fan.

At night, with the PC3 at the foot of my bed and running at full blast, the fan wasn’t strong enough for air to reach my face and keep me cool. I had to dig out my small bladed fan to put on my bedside table. At close quarters, this felt as powerful and cooling as the Dyson.

On a positive note, the PC3 has a rear diffusion mode, which is useful. This diffuses cooler air out of the rear of the fan loop, rather than directly at you through the front — it’s better for gentler, longer-term cooling in less extreme ambient temperatures.

Find+Follow

The PC3’s Find+Follow setting uses a sensor and subject detection to detect, lock onto and track subjects round the room, following them with the fan (there’s no recording taking place, though, for the security conscious). It’s kinda cool, accurately detecting and following you when you walk nearby. With more than one person detected, it’ll automatically rotate to hit them both, so no need to keep setting rotation angles manually as people move.

There are a few problems, though. Firstly, it doesn’t work with animals. In the hot weather, I wanted my dogs to get some breeze, so I had to set the rotation angle manually. Secondly, the detection range is a little narrow, so it failed to find me a few times, and I had to manually start a detection sweep. Finally, it had trouble recognizing people when they sat down on a low sofa or lay down, meaning I had to set the rotation manually again. These issues undermined the hands-off experience Find+Follow is supposed to allow.

Noise levels

The PC3 obviously makes noise. It’s a whopping great big fan. It isn’t that loud though, and at full power (10) it was peaking at 57.6dB on DecibelX — equating to other household appliances like a dishwasher. There’s a night mode, which turns off the display and pares back the noise a little, but at its quietest, the PC3 still operates at 50dB.

This is obviously rather noisy in the dead of night. I’m used to running a dehumidifier at night, so running the PC3 at full pelt didn’t bother me. But if you’re a sensitive sleeper, the noise may still be an issue. Check out the Dyson HushJet Compact Air Purifier instead, which operates at just 27dB.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 review: App

The Dyson app is fairly good. It’s a little janky sometimes, failing to connect to my Dyson Solarcycle Morph desk lamp. But with the PC3, I have no complaints. As I’ve detailed throughout, the app is by far the easiest and most insightful way to control the PC3. Being able to visualize the controls on your smartphone instead of the tiny LED screen is super handy. And then there are the in-depth graphs to show you real-time and longer-term air quality. Without the app, I’m not sure I could’ve scored this product as highly.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 review: Storage & maintenance

If (like me) you don’t have a large house, storing this badboy is gonna be a problem. The PC3 is very tall, and although narrow (making it easy to fit into narrow spaces), still takes up as much real estate as a floor lamp. If you’ve already got a floor lamp where a floor lamp should go, well, the PC3 will need to stand awkwardly wherever it can. And with no folding or dismantling possible, what you see is what you get.

Maintenance is fairly simple: just replace the filters when needed. Dyson recommends changing every 12-months, or when the app/LED counter reaches 0%. I ran both my fans at full tilt for around a week (day and night), and the percentage dropped to 97%. That was quite an extreme test, though, and home users should only need to replace one a year.

The PC3 uses Dyson’s 360-degree combined HEPA H13 + K-Carbon filter, which costs $89 / £85 each. Replacing the filters couldn’t be easier: press the button to release the case covers, remove the filters, insert new ones, then close it all back up again.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 review: How does it compare?

In terms of its purifying, the Dyson is a match for other large rivals like the Windmill Air Purifier, albeit much more expensive and bulky. The Windmill is much more understated, design-wise, blending in perfectly alongside a laundry basket in our review — that might be the one to go for if you’re not a fan of the Dyson’s “statement piece” design. If you’re short on space (or indeed cash), meanwhile, the Blueair Blue Signature or Shark NeverChange Compact Pro are much better choices.

I’d only really recommend spending extra on the PC3 over any of its rivals if you have other Dyson products using the app and/or you need a 2-in-1 fan and purifier — none of our favorite air purifiers offer that. Still, you can grab a cheaper, older model like the Dyson PC1 ($549) and get many of the same core benefits.

Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 review: Verdict

The Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool PC3 is an excellent air purifier, cleaning extremely polluted air in under 30 minutes during testing. For moderate day-to-day use, it’ll have no issues keeping the air in your home healthy. It packs a variety of very useful features, not least the Dyson app, which is critical to the PC3’s user-friendliness. There’s also the Find+Follow function, which is cool, but a little flawed. And of course, there’s the built-in floor fan, which our other favorite air purifiers don’t offer.

That said, it’s heinously expensive in the U.S., and rather difficult to justify. If you really need a 2-in-1 purifier and fan combo, it could be worth the spend. And if you have other recent Dyson gear, the PC3 will fit in both aesthetically and technologically, thanks to the ecosystem-wide Dyson app.

At the end of the day, the PC3 is a Dyson. It’s expensive, arguably overpriced, but would I give it back? Only if forced.

Homeowners are being urged to check their garages as wasp season ramps up in June and July. An expert warns that these pests target quiet garages and roof spaces during these summer months.

To avoid calling out a pest control professional and facing a hefty bill. Alastair Mayne, CEO of Garolla, says there’s a simple, cheap and natural way to deter wasps, and explains why they are troublesome during June and July.

Why do wasps peak in June and July?

Wasps typically start building nests in quiet locations during April and May. Nesting then ramps up significantly in June and July, when homeowners will realize they have a significant problem.

“Garages, sheds and roof edges can all appeal to wasps because they offer quiet shelter and are often left undisturbed for long periods,” says Mayne, and adds, “Early in the season, nests can be tiny and easy to miss, but by mid to late summer they can grow quickly if activity goes unnoticed.”

How to spot wasp activity

Mayne shares his insights on how to check for wasp activity, explaining, “If you see wasps repeatedly moving in and out of the same gap, corner or roof edge, that is usually a sign of an active nest nearby and not something to ignore.”

And he recommends checking rooflines, vents and frames for access points, but he warns, “You should never poke, spray or try to knock down a nest once activity is established, as that is when the risk of stings rises sharply.”

How much does it cost to remove a wasp nest?

In the U.S., professional wasp nest removal can cost anywhere from $300 to $700, according to the home services company, Angi. While in the U.K., Mayne says homeowners can expect to pay between £75 and £200+. In all cases, the cost will depend on the size and location of the nest.

How to deter wasps, naturally

To save calling in a pest removal firm, Mayne says there’s a cheaper alternative that will prevent wasps from building nests in the first place. “Strong scents such as a small bottle of peppermint oil, citronella or eucalyptus can help deter wasps from settling nearby.”

These strong scents overwhelm their sensory receptors, which they rely on to hunt for food, and rather than enticing them, they drive them away.

With a bottle of peppermint oil costing just $8 on Amazon, this budget preventive measure is preferable to paying for removal. What’s more, it’s one scent that will also repel mosquitoes.

Apart from using a scent to deter wasps, he also suggests keeping sugary food and drink covered and removing fallen fruit from gardens to reduce the number of wasps attracted around your home.

7 ways to deter wasps from invading your home and outdoor spaces

While different pests are drawn in by different things, Mayne explains that the common thread is usually the same: easy access to food, moisture and shelter. "In summer, even small oversights such as an overflowing bin, standing water or a gap around the garage can be enough to make a property far more appealing,” he adds.

To help you reduce wasps and other pests in the summer, Mayne recommends following these seven pest-reducing habits:

1. Keep garage doors shut when not in use

2. Check seals, thresholds and small gaps around garage doors and vents

3. Keep bins closed, clean and away from entrances where possible

4. Do not leave pet food, birdseed or sweet drinks in garages or outdoor spaces

5. Fix leaks, damp patches and standing water quickly

6. Store items off the floor and reduce cardboard or cluttered hiding spots

7. Clear food waste, spillages and fallen fruit before smells build up

More from Tom's Guide

• Deter wasps naturally — this fragrant plant is my secret weapon for keeping pests away from my yard
• 7 plants that keep mice and rats from invading your home
• Expert reveals why wasps are swarming your yard — and 3 ways to prevent them