Kitchen

A cheaply made popcorn machine that smoked and covered itself in butter; scored 2 out of 10.

A well-built, fast cocktail machine that does little beyond measuring the spirit, rated 4 out of 10.

A generic-looking toaster that burns an unrecognisable face onto toast, rated 2 out of 10.

A surprisingly quick and cool aluminium ice stamp that he rates 9 out of 10.

Far exceeded expectations, cooking a much better risotto than Dhrisha; an easy 9/10 for its recipes.

Outstanding coffee from a simple, satisfying machine, held back only by washing up and needing a grinder; 9/10.

A lovely kettle with silky pouring, but slow and very expensive; he gave it 7/10.

Impressed by how strongly the suction base grips, but shows it is not invincible when pushed hard enough.

Tough and clever in design, but knocked over it stopped brewing and got damaged, so he gave it a 4.

An automatic roti maker with a good non-stick surface that produced tasty rotis.

Flexible enough for four normal slices or two massive ones and toasts quickly, earning about a 7 out of 10.

Cooks the bread evenly and gives a noticeably crunchier result, but only scored a strong 6 out of 10.

The $20 knife has a much sharper blade and cuts the orange easily.

The $50 Japanese carbon steel knife has a good rosewood handle and slices with almost no effort.

The $1 stainless steel knife cuts the orange without destroying it, which is an improvement on plastic.

A premium steam rice cooker that gives distinct, individual grains; a subtle improvement, rated seven.

A simple idea for cooking and eating from one vessel, held back by the cable and awkward handle.

Roughly half as good as a BlendJet at a tenth of the price, and portable blenders are rarely used anyway.

Well marketed, but a portable blender solves no real problem and is small, battery-limited and hard to clean.

A cheap sensor bin that does most of the job of his normal one, though the lid opens too hard.

Idiot-proof and tasty with a good texture, but slow, steamy, and the extra cost mostly buys presentation.

Ridiculously sharp 33-layer knives that he called a stupid amount of money but unlike anything he had seen.

Made the most perfect s'more he has ever seen and redeemed the day.

Chops onions surprisingly well and earns an easy 9 out of 10, despite looking awkward to clean.