There’s just one key thing to look for in an induction hob kettle – that the base is layered with stainless steel, aluminium and iron to produce the necessary magnetic induction field. Beyond that, you’re spoiled for choice in the size, shape and style of induction kettles to choose from. In this review, I present a variety of the Best Induction Hob Kettles, along with their pros, cons and features, and then make my recommendations.…
After investing time, effort and money in your wine collection, you owe it to yourself (and your wine drinkers) to house all those bottles in a wine fridge. Unlike an ordinary refrigerator, a wine fridge keeps a constant temperature and humidity around your wines. I look at a wide range of these specialised fridges, including those with one storage zone and some with two temperature zones so you can store your red and white wines…
How about an iced beverage on a hot day, without having to worry if you have any ice cubes left in the freezer? An electric ice maker delivers bullet-shaped ice cubes within minutes of you deciding that you and your drink of choice need to be cooled down. We review counter-top electric ice makers and make our recommendations after listing each model’s pros and cons as well as their significant features. We have something in…
It’s long been an English tradition for the whole family to wrap up warm with their scarves and gloves and make their yearly trip to their local garden centre, Christmas tree farm or nursery to pick out the perfect Christmas tree. If you are lucky enough, you might live near an actual Christmas tree farm where you can choose your tree before it has even been cut. Now you can’t get much more freshly cut than that! Below are…
Christmas trees are the centre of all Christmas decorating traditions. But many people are tired of buying a tree year after year, only to have them left at the local recycling point for them to be chipped and recycled. They are also getting more expensive than ever too. Another alternative to buying a cut tree is actually buying a pot grown Christmas tree that can be brought inside the home or left outside and decorated…
If you have a wood-burning or multi-fuel stove you will quickly realise that it is easier to keep the glass clean by cleaning it regularly. However, if you burn your fuel efficiently then you should not need to clean your glass too often. From experience, there are two ways that are very effective at cleaning the glass on a stove, one includes using ash from the stove, this works amazingly well and I cover this…
When it comes to burning wood in a wood-burning stove or open fire, it is essential that you only use what is known as seasoned wood. Seasoned logs have a low moisture content, which means the fire burns efficiently, and with dry firewood, you will get the best combustion and it gives you the best heat output. It is important to note that just adding more wood to a stove will not give more heat,…
I remember when I got my first wood-burning stove. I had access to free logs so it was a no-brainer for me, and there is no better feeling than sitting in front of a wood-burning stove. The problem comes when you have to actually light it. It never quite seems as easy to light it as you think it would be, especially when you are lighting it for the first few times and are new…
As always to this type of question about annual vs perennial, the answer is complicated. Osteospermums are generally tender or half-hardy perennial plants which makes their survival in UK winters perilous. However, many of the different cultivars and hybrids (there are around 900 officially recognised ones) were developed to be annual plants, dying at the end of the growing season. But two osteospermum varieties, in particular, are labelled as hardy, and these have the best…
A hot water dispenser could be your next great appliance if you ever stand near the kettle just willing it to boil more quickly for your tea, coffee or other beverage of choice. These water heaters work like a kettle but they unusually only heat a cup of water at a time or, in the customisable models, the amount that you’ve selected. And most do this in less than a minute. Our review looks at…
