On our radar: Henry Quick Pet cordless vacuum cleaner

We’re the proud owners of a couple of Henry vacuum cleaners; one for regular, run-of-the-mill cleaning jobs (the pet-fur-busting green Harry) and an old, 2^nd hand one for very filthy jobs (the regular red Henry) such as removing the ash from our wood-burners and range cooker.

Just this week, I’ve discovered that Numatic have launched a Henry Quick Pet cordless vacuum cleaner. I’d expect it gives the same reliable, workhorse performance, but in miniature form. It would be the perfect tool for cleaning our upstairs bedrooms. I say ‘upstairs’, but what I really mean is ‘upsteps’. In our cottage, we have narrow wooden ladders leading up to the loft rooms. It’s a struggle manoeuvring the heavy, bulky Harry up & down through the small opening in the ceiling/floor.

Carrying the Henry Quick Pet cordless vacuum (which weighs just over 3kg) would be a cinch in comparison – and it would mean that the job of vacuuming would get done more often too!

Price Points: Energy efficient kettles

I don’t think that there’s currently anyone in the country that’s not worrying about their gas and electric bills. We’re all looking at ways we can reduce our energy usage; from switching off lights as we leave a room to lowering the thermostat by a degree.

One of the appliances most of us have in our homes is the electric kettle. Brits are famous the world over for enjoying their cuppas! But how much does it cost each time we brew up?

According to recent workings out by Which:

Based on the average capped energy price as of April 2022 (28p/kWh for electricity and 7p/kWh for gas), we’ve estimated that your kettle could cost you around £32 per year (based on boiling a litre of water three times per day). This is going to be a lot more than charging a phone or tablet, but slightly less than using your oven regularly or running an American-style fridge freezer.

A top tip you’ve probably already heard is to only boil as much water as you need. However, if you have a feeble old kettle whose element is caked in limescale, it will still cost you more than needed. Using one of these energy efficient kettles that we’ve featured will be quicker and cheaper in the long run.

I especially like the hot water dispenser (not strictly a kettle, I know). It’s like having one of those instant boiling water taps in your kitchen… without the hundreds or even thousand pound price tag! Plus, I’ve read lots of buyer reviews from people who can’t lift heavy objects calling it a godsend.

Breville HotCup VKT124 8-cup hot water dispenser – black: £39.99, Currys
Patented design for super-quick heating
Large 1.7 litre capacity makes 6-8 cups
Ideal if you don’t want to lift a heavy kettle, the HotCup has one-touch operation and a hinged lid. Manual stop function gives you more control with different cup sizes – just press the button when you’ve topped up your cup or mug to the desired level
Dusk kettle ZJP30 slate grey: £54.99, Kenwood
With 3KW of power, you’ll enjoy a rapid boil and your hot water in a hurry.
The 1.7L capacity is perfect for larger households, although with the clear water window it’s just as easy to heat water for a singular cup, meaning you only boil the water you need, saving time and energy.
Sage The Compact 1L kettle Pure BKE395UK: £76.60, Lakeland
The kettle’s element is hidden in the base, and can boil as little as a cup and as much as 1L. This lets you save energy by only boiling the amount you need, but means, if needed, there will be plenty to keep you and your friends’ mugs topped up.

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Sage The Compact 1L kettle Pure BKE395UK
£76.60

Dusk kettle ZJP30 slate grey
£54.99

Breville HotCup VKT124 8-cup hot water dispenser – black
£39.99

Sage The Compact 1L kettle Pure BKE395UK
£76.60

Dusk kettle ZJP30 slate grey
£54.99

Breville HotCup VKT124 8-cup hot water dispenser – black
£39.99

Sage The Compact 1L kettle Pure BKE395UK
£76.60

Dusk kettle ZJP30 slate grey
£54.99

Breville HotCup VKT124 8-cup hot water dispenser – black
£39.99

Sage The Compact 1L kettle Pure BKE395UK
£76.60

Dusk kettle ZJP30 slate grey
£54.99

Breville HotCup VKT124 8-cup hot water dispenser – black
£39.99

Sage The Compact 1L kettle Pure BKE395UK
£76.60

Dusk kettle ZJP30 slate grey
£54.99

Breville HotCup VKT124 8-cup hot water dispenser – black
£39.99

Price Points: Cream stick blenders

One of the most used gadgets in our kitchen is our trusty orange Billy; we’ve had it for years and years. We use him when making batter, soup, sauces, smoothies, calaloo and loads more.

In our previous house, we used to have a bright orange kitchen. Poor, old, orange Billy doesn’t look right in our new cream kitchen – I’d like to trade him in for one of these new cream stick blenders.

Here are three that I’ve found for sale online – in a range of prices. They’re all very attractive; the £26 option would suit me fine. Much as I love Smeg and KitchenAid appliances, I don’t think I’d use the attachments that come included with the other two cream stick blenders – they’d take up precious storage space that we just don’t have.

Haden stick blender: £26.05, Wayfair
Cordless hand blender 5KHBBV53: £109.65, KitchenAid
Smeg 50s retro style HBF02CRUK hand blender: £149.00, Currys

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Smeg 50s retro style HBF02CRUK hand blender
£149.00

Cordless hand blender 5KHBBV53
£109.65

Haden stick blender
£26.05

Smeg 50s retro style HBF02CRUK hand blender
£149.00

Cordless hand blender 5KHBBV53
£109.65

Haden stick blender
£26.05

Smeg 50s retro style HBF02CRUK hand blender
£149.00

Cordless hand blender 5KHBBV53
£109.65

Haden stick blender
£26.05

Smeg 50s retro style HBF02CRUK hand blender
£149.00

Cordless hand blender 5KHBBV53
£109.65

Haden stick blender
£26.05

Smeg 50s retro style HBF02CRUK hand blender
£149.00

Cordless hand blender 5KHBBV53
£109.65

Haden stick blender
£26.05

Price Points: Air fryers

Do you have an air fryer? Would you recommend us getting one?

We love home-made chips, we don’t make them often because it takes a lot of vegetable oil to cook them. That’s a bit of a waste if you’re only cooking chips once in a while. Also, unless you have a deep-fat fryer, it can be a dangerous undertaking cooking them in a saucepan on the stove. Here are 3 air fryers that we’ve found to buy online, each has its pros and cons.

#1 is compact; perfect for a small, space-challenged kitchen like ours… and it’s the cheapest by far.

#2 has two separate cooking compartments; again, ideal as I’m veggie and Justin isn’t. He’d be free to cook his chips with a spoonful of dripping if he wants! Also, it can be used as a dehydrator – which is something I’d be interested in learning to do.

#3 is a beauty! It has a massive capacity, lots of bells & whistles… but at over £300, I’d want to be sure it’s an appliance that gets regular use!

Lakeland digital compact air fryer: £59.99, Lakeland
5 pre-set functions: poultry, steak or meat, bakes, fresh fries and veg, frozen fries and veg – plus a manual option
1200W power output
(H)30cm (W)25cm x (D)18cm
Heat settings: 60°C-200°C
Capacity: 2.25 litre pan; working capacity 1.6 litres
Ninja 7.6L Foodi dual zone air fryer and dehydrator AF300UK: £179.99, Argos
6 pre-set functions: crisp, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate and air fry
2 independent cooking zones
2400 watt power output
(H)31.5cm x (W)37.5 x (D)35cm
Heat settings: 40°C to 240°C
Capacity: 7.6 litres
Sage Smart Oven™ air fryer: £330.00, AO
10 pre-set functions: toast, crumpet, bake, roast, grill, pizza, air fry, reheat, warm and slow cook
2400 Watt power output
(H)48cm x (W)27.8cm x (D)40.3cm
Heat settings: 50°C-230°C
Capacity: 22 litres

shop air fryers

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Sage Smart Oven™ air fryer
£330.00