Homes and Gardens

Often things arrive at totally the wrong time of year, sometimes however they arrive exactly when you can get the best from an item, here one of the latter category a column fan during the hottest part of the year and over the next few weeks it got lots of use in both my office, lounge and bedroom, in the case of the last mentioned because it was nearly silent.

When I went to a recent Bosch event that featured items like fridges that were connected the one item that seemed out of place was a tiny chain saw, ideal for use in the home or even the garden but it works in the same way as it would on a tree branch but for smaller items.

In hot weather a cool bag is very useful either to keep your lunch, shopping or even picnic cool or maybe allow frozen food to stay frozen. Most are insulated bags with a cool brick or two inserted but those bricks take up valuable space.

An electric drill is something that has been around for years, I have an old Black and Decker one that was my father’s and I think it still works. However in recent years the technology has improved not just in gearing but also in other ways.

While a hedge trimmer is useful in all gardens that have hedges and small trees, having a professional unit such as this cordless offering from EGO might be a luxury, but for a gardener or landscape technician it is a tool that is an essential not a luxury.

Walking around a recent show in London found several interesting stands, one of the most interesting was one from a firm based in Birmingham that had a range of interesting electrical items, here is the first of three that I selected from their wide range.

I think of Bosch for power tools but they also do a whole other range, shortly I have been promised an external camera a small circular chain saw and an electric drill, but they are in a lot of other sectors both in the home (consumer) and business fields.

A recent visit to a show in London found me with time on my hands before an arranged meeting and wandering round the other stands found several interesting products not least the AnySharp stand who have scizzors that can cut bone and a sharpener that can give anything metal an edge.

These look in dimension terms identical, the coffee in them is manufactured in the UK so they should taste almost the same. The difference is that both the base of the container and the lid are compostable and therefore unlike the pods made by Nespresso especially their foil lids are not recyclable.

To dust off my ironing board twice in a year is unusual and certain things like trousers and my non drip dry shirts think it’s their birthday as they get sharp creases – that’s the trousers – and no visible creases – that’s the shirts and for good measure other items see an iron for the first time in a while.

Two products for jobs around the home from JML who seem to have a lot of such items. In the past I have reviewed several useful cooking devices. Here a portable light source and something to stop those annoying drips or more.

Two items to make or store your coffee – or other hot or cold drink – for hours. First a device to make the coffee called a CoffeeGator, second something to store the made drink in a rather decent flask called a CorkCicle Canteen to carry on your journey.

If you have a bowling green or a cricket pitch then this is not for you, if you have a couple of acres of grass to mow this is not for you, however if you have an average size lawn that gets hard treatment then this offering from Wilko could fit the bill.

Having recently told you about internal and external security cameras that are controlled by Apps here I go one stage further with a complete Security System, they do different configurations the one I was sent does not include a camera but they do internal ones and I was sent a camera to add to the other offerings in the complete Security System.

Having previously reviewed a Window Vac and lots of Vacuum cleaners, this was left to last of the three products I requested to review at the recent Karcher open day. The reason is it’s a new tool to me and is definitely not for a child to use.

Most Karcher cleaning items use water – at least in part – to facilitate cleaning. Not this one as it is their entry into the vacuum market. Like a number of recent releases it uses the wand principle with the motor at the top of the wand.

Four years ago I saw Kärcher’s earliest entry into the Window Cleaning market the WV 50. So here is the 2017 version unusually with a lower number than the original at WV 5. This is the top of the range of the three currently available units.

The Karcher VC5 Premium is a compact, versatile and powerful mains powered upright vacuum cleaner which has been designed with the modern home in mind where storage space is at a premium.

I get the occasional chance to test items from LIDL and as in the case here they sometimes arrive in time to tell you about them before they go on sale in their stores. Here a hand blender that not only is the basic thing but comes with extra attachments for other tasks.

Y-Cam has been producing home security cameras for a while. There latest offering is what I am scrutinising here. It is the EVO, possibly the easiest camera I have even setup. This unit is intended to be used indoors only and it is powered by USB.

It is rare for me to start with the price; £20 for a food mixer on a stand is I think unique, so I asked to review one. You could probably get a basic hand held offering for this price but certainly not one with a set of beaters a set of dough hooks as well as a large stainless steel bowl and stand.

Having last week told you about a mattress cleaner from Hoover; here I get to dust off my ironing board to test out one of their latest group of irons. Certainly this is a far different product from a standard iron that resides in the back of one of my cupboards.

Yes you read it correctly, Hoover have brought out a cleaner specifically for cleaning of mattresses. While those of us that have mattresses that can be turned I am sure few of us – and certainly not me – have previously taken a Hoover to a mattress.

I must admit that I passed through my DIY phase several years ago as other matters became more prominent in my life. Maybe, however, this period of getting my hands dirty might have been extended if I had access to a kit such as the subject of this next review.

While some other companies may have a wider choice of models from more companies AO have a big plus in that they offer next day delivery by their own vans, you are rung on the day and yes they deliver when they say they will. Another plus their prices are very keen.

At this time of year a lot of people just forget their gardens, nothing much grows even the weeds call a truce. So here something for those who cannot leave well alone a garden blower to move those leaves around and regiment them in neat piles.

Coffee Machines have always been popular with Gadgetspeak readers and none more so than those produced by Nescafe Krups. However it’s been quite a few years since I could get my hands on one and they certainly have changed a lot.

The more people you ask the same question, the more varied the answers are likely to be as can be seen with this report.

This machine uses pod coffee from Lavazza and they do a huge range so you should find at least one you like, it also has a fool proof milk frother jug as part of the unit now there is no longer an excuse not to have a perfect Cappuccino at home.

The Ambiano Premium Stand Mixer, ref. 68007, will go on sale in Aldi stores nationwide and online as one of the company’s “specials” on 20th October. It is a solidly build traditional food mixer which comes with extra accessories to increase its versatility.