Homes and Gardens

From the latest lawn mower to hedge trimmer to that great new way to BBQ, or inside that wizzy vacuum, cool fridge. A big topic this one, with new gadgets appearing daily! Come and read other members experiences or opinions, or share your own with the rest of the community.

tefal quick cup single cuHot or Cool Water

Published in Homes and Gardens by mfereday on 24 Sep 2008
Boiling a cup of water is quicker than boiling a full kettle so saving on time and energy consumption. That's the idea behind the Tefal Quick Cup.

rowenta prelude kettlRowenta Prelude Kettle

Published in Homes and Gardens by mfereday on 11 Sep 2008
Giving my trusty old electric kettle a holiday, allowed me the opportunity to check out a new stainless steel model from Rowenta.
To describe this as a hand blender is a vast underestimate. Not only is it that but with the various containers it becomes far more with the ability to be quickly attached to turn it into a variety of useful kitchen gadgets.
Giving your table lamp a helping hand is easy and possible with a product available from Prezzybox.com.

blackdecker travel cooler portable fridgBlack&Decker Outdoors

Published in Homes and Gardens by paul_smart on 1 Sep 2008
Not as you may think power tools but a couple of high powered torches and then all you need to keep stuff cool or warm providing you have a cigar lighter socket nearby so ideal for days out in the car.

tefal aquaspeed ultracord iroA Tefal Iron

Published in Homes and Gardens by mfereday on 27 Aug 2008
I must confess that ironing does not rank near the top of my list of favourite tasks. In fact, if truth be told, I would position this particular job somewhere near, if not quite at, the bottom of those jobs I would be happy to tackle.

brando stylus hanging bluetooth headseSunday Outside

Published in Homes and Gardens by paul_smart on 24 Aug 2008
Sunday is no longer a rest day lots have to work but if you are away from the workplace then a nice bit of relaxation could be on the cards, here a gadget for an unusual Bluetooth Headset among other things and a cool pillow for those who suffer from a hot head.

tefal toast n egMaking a Quick Snack

Published in Homes and Gardens by mfereday on 20 Aug 2008
While electric toasters have been around for many years, Tefal has decided to give this type of device a make-over with a new feature.

brookstone bob wobble clocIntroducing Bob

Published in Homes and Gardens by mfereday on 15 Aug 2008
Following a visit to a Christmas in July Toys event, I was re-united with one of the characters that caught my attention while there.
In these days of healthy eating, we have all been made aware that chips are loaded with oil and are not good for us. However, the Tefal Actifry which is claimed to only need 14ml of oil to fry 1kg of chips changes all that. After all, less than 2% fat is pretty good.

lg solar cube fast oveLG Solar Cube

Published in Homes and Gardens by paul_smart on 30 Jul 2008
Do you fancy cooking a 1.5kilo chicken in half an hour? Roast potatoes in around half that time? Well with the LG Solar Cube not only is it possible I have done it and it tastes fine and was also perfectly cooked.

polaroid picture frame and weather statioImages and Weather

Published in Homes and Gardens by mfereday on 29 Jul 2008
Following the recent Polaroid event I was able to check out one of the new products on display. This combined the ability to display digital images and report on the weather.

kodak easyshare m1020 digital picture framDisplaying Your Images

Published in Homes and Gardens by mfereday on 15 Jul 2008
Kodak combines images and music with touch border technology in its new digital picture frame series.

beyond innovations 200Beyond Innovations 2008

Published in Homes and Gardens by mfereday on 5 Jul 2008
It was a rainy morning, more like an April downpour really but this was July, as I avoided the puddles on my way to check out the new products from Tefal, Krups and Rowenta under the banner of Beyond Innovation 2008.

falcon digital picture frame fridge magneMoving Pictures

Published in Homes and Gardens by jzblue on 23 June 2008
With summer holidays just around the corner what will you do with all the digital snaps you take? This digital frame is perfect to keep the memories of sun and sand alive.

kettle toaster comparisoToaster and Kettle review

Published in Homes and Gardens by jzblue on 10 June 2008
Are you looking for a new toaster or kettle? With so many brands out there it can be very confusing so here is a simple guide to help you choose.
Both these clocks come from a company whose message is ‘stuff you don’t need …. but you really really want.’ The first an analogue clock in three books and the second a cheeky digital offering.
Rechargeable batteries have huge advantages over their disposable counterparts, but you do need to be able to charge them!

sonos digital music systeWireless music with Sonos

Published in Homes and Gardens by petew on 15 May 2008
A look at a complete wireless system from Sonos for wirelessly piping music digital audio anywhere and everywhere in your home - including several places at the same time.
A neat and compact smoothie maker that comes complete with two travel jugs.

dyson dc24 all surfacA Dyson Ball

Published in Homes and Gardens by mfereday on 3 May 2008
While hardly rating as one of my favourite tasks, it could be said that I have been having a ball recently when vacuuming my home.

tefal actifry deep fat fryeTefal Actifry

Published in Homes and Gardens by paul_smart on 2 May 2008
Can you imagine frying chips in less than a teaspoon of oil and getting lovely crisp chips? Well with the Tefal Actifry you can and you do.

tefal toast n egTefal Toast N’ Egg

Published in Homes and Gardens by paul_smart on 18 Apr 2008
It looks like an almost conventional toaster but there is this Perspex area at one end. Yes while you cook your toast you can also poach your egg, it really does work, but please do not try this in your standard toaster.
Catpod is a outdoor cat shelter made from a Contico Monster Fun Storage Trunk and a Ferplast Swing 1 cat flap.

philips wake up light alarPhilips Wake-up Light

Published in Homes and Gardens by paul_smart on 26 Mar 2008
Do you wake up with a start when your alarm goes off? If you were in a deep sleep this can often make you grumpy and even tired all day. This could well be the solution.
Perhaps it was not love at first sight but a Polaroid LCD HD ready unit quickly took over my living room in the role of providing my viewing pleasure.
All the bits on this unit are designed for the smaller home, from the one litre dust container to the overall height, this unit – still an upright – is designed smaller.
Over the last few years the trend in television has been for ever bigger screens - whether LCD or Plasma. There is however still a market for the smaller set - either for bedroom, kitchen or den. Humax have addressed this somewhat neglected market with a range of 19 and 22" highly functional sets.

pure chronos_idock whitPURE Chronos iDock

Published in Homes and Gardens by mfereday on 28 Feb 2008
It has been a while since I last took a look at a DAB radio. A new model from PURE Digital was my re-introduction to the technology.

sling media slingbox pro media streameSlingBox Pro

Published in Homes and Gardens by petew on 25 Feb 2008
I don't think I'm unique in wishing my TV were where I was, rather than in the living room where the aerial is! There have been a number of solutions to this issue - here we look at what the SlingBox, from Sling Media can do.
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