Find a great Black Friday coffee machine deal with our guide to the top savings on pod, bean-to-cup, and espresso coffee machines. Featuring brands we love such as De’Longhi, Sage, Russell Hobbs, Morphy Richards, Nespresso, and Breville, you’ll find brilliant Black Friday coffee machine deals on some seriously good coffee machines to get your caffiene fix lined up for the new year.

While Black Friday coffee machine deals don’t technically start until November 26th, but the best of the deals have well and truly arrived. Because the best coffee machines are always a popular choice on any Christmas wish-list, it’s also a great time to get some early gift shopping started in time for the holidays. Black Friday coffee machine deals can deliver a high-quality homemade brew every morning to keep you caffeinated all through the winter. That will save you from heading out into the cold to pick up a coffee to go, and allow you to work on your latte art or try different roasts to find your favourite bean.

We’ve rounded up the best coffee machine deals you can buy on Black Friday, so all you need to do is scroll through and find the right machine for you and your home. The cheapest coffee machines tend to be filter machines, with pod coffee machines costing slightly more. It’s a big jump up to bean-to-cup coffee machines, and there is a mixture of automatic and manual bean-to-cup machines on them market. In short, there is so much choice, you’ll be sure to find the best Black Friday coffee machine deal for you when you shop right now.

Black Friday coffee machine deals: where to buy

• Amazon deals: lightning deals on all our favourite brands
• AO.com deals: 28% off a top Krups machine, and more
• Argos deals: the best selection of filter coffee machines
• Curry’s deals: great pod coffee machines from Tassimo, Dolce Gusto and more
• John Lewis & Partners deals: premium bean-to-cups at a discount
• Robert Dyas deals: shop Swan, Salter, Ariete and other budget-friendly options
• Very deals: save on De’Longhi, Sage and Nespresso

Black Friday coffee machine deals: today’s top discounts

Sage Barista Pro Espresso Machine: was £699, now £599 at Amazon
Save £100 on Sage’s smart coffee machine. With manual grinding and a steam wand, it still has a smart display to keep you involved in the process. This includes dose control grinding and precise espresso extraction.

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De’Longhi Dinamica: was £929, now £429 at AO.com (save £500) 
Save over 50% on this top coffee machine from De’Longhi. It’s got automatic settings for hands-free brews, and the latte crema system is perfect for milky drinks.

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TASSIMO by Bosch Style TAS1102GB Coffee Machine: was £79.99, now £29.99 at Currys
Get quality Tassimo coffee from Bosch with the Style Tassimo. It can make brews from Cadbury’s, Kenco, and more

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NESPRESSO by KRUPS Vertuo Plus: was £179, now £99 at Currys (save £100)
The Vertuo Plus is the latest Nespresso launch, and it’s incredibly stylish, too. The water holder swivels for any countertop, and it has a mighty 19 bars of pressure.

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Black Friday pod coffee machine deals

Image credit: Darren Chung

Calling all ‘cwaffee’ lovers! If you are looking for a good deal on the best pod coffee machines and can’t be bothered with the faff of filling up a portafilter with grounds or waiting for a filter brew to drip through, there are some great Cyber Monday deal on Nespresso, Dolce Gusto and Tassimo pod machines.

NESPRESSO by Magimix Vertuo Next & Milk Coffee Machine | was £199, now £119 at Currys
The NESPRESSO by Magimix Vertuo Next & Milk Coffee Machine comes with automatic blend recognition to adjust its brewing settings for the perfect cup, every time.

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Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie: was £79, now £49 at Amazon (save £30) 
The Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie is one of our top picks of pod coffee machines. It has a simple lever for locking your pod into place, and a one-button controls to make operation easier.

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De’Longhi Dolce Gusto EDG225.W Genio S Pod Coffee Machine | was £79.99, now £75.99 at Amazon
The Genio S Pod Coffee Machine is very adjustable and can be used to make 50 brews. It has an 800ml capacity and is compact enough for any kitchen.

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Black Friday filter coffee machine deals

Filter machines tend to be the most affordable option where a freshly brewed coffee is concerned. They don’t take up as much space on the kitchen worktop, and they tend to come in lots of great colours so you can match them to your decor.

Morphy Richards Verve Pour Over Filter Coffee Machine | Was £59.99, now £42.99, Amazon
Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon, this chic white machine has a programmable timer so you can wake up to 12 cups of fresh coffee, and a reusable permanent cupcake filter to create a smoother flavour.

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Cyber Monday bean-to-cup coffee machine deals

The best bean-to-cup coffee machines will come either with a wand for frothing milk by hand, or with a milt compartment where the job is done for you. Look out for a warming tray on top with room for multiple cups – this will ensure you serve your drink extra hot.

The machines are reduced by as much as 50 percent in the Black Friday coffee machine sales. For that reason – and the fact they would make excellent Christmas gifts – we can easily see these deals selling out before we even get to Cyber Monday.

De’Longhi Dinamica Plus: was £949, now £699 at Amazon (save £250) 
When we tried this machine in our De’Longhi Dinamica Plus review, it wowed us with its automatic coffee modes and high-quality milk dispenser. With nearly £300 off, it’s a great deal.

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Krups Arabica Digital EA817040 Bean to Cup Coffee Machine – Black: was £529, now £379 at AO.com (save £150) 
Krups know their coffee machines, and with AO.com’s price promise, this is guaranteed to be the deal of the season.

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De’Longhi Eletta Cappuccino Fully Automatic Bean to Cup Machine: was £999.99, now £599.99, Amazon
Can you really argue with over £200 off a smart coffee machine? The milk tank can be kept in the fridge and it can make literally hundreds of combinations of coffee drinks depending on how you like your beans ground or milk levels. It cleans itself, too.

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De’Longhi Dinamica: was £929, now £429 at AO.com (save £500) 
Save over 50% on this top coffee machine from De’Longhi. It’s got automatic settings for hands-free brews, and the latte crema system is perfect for milky drinks.

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What type of coffee maker is best for me?

image credit: Sage

Bean-to-cup coffee machines

Serious coffee aficionados should consider a bean-to-cup machine. This won’t just deliver a freshly ground, aromatic cup of coffee. Unlike machines that use pre-ground coffee in pods or capsules, a bean-to-cup encourages you to get creative – try different beans and roasts, vary how coarse or smooth you like your grind, experiment with water temperature (up to a maximum of 98C – any higher and your coffee will taste bitter), steam and how much milk, until you find your favourite combination.

Keeping your machine clean and scale-free is key to getting years of problem-free use out of it and if it’s tricky to maintain, you’re less likely to use it regularly. Look for a model that offers an easy clean option combined with one where the milk doesn’t enter the internal machinery, avoiding any fiddly disassembly. Larger than pod machines due to the internal grinder, bean-to-cup models can live on your countertop, but do consider the space they’ll take up.

Related: Black Friday stand mixer deals

Pod coffee machines

If you can’t function without a coffee first thing in the morning, but dread the rigmarole of making a decent cup from scratch, you need a pod coffee machine. There’s no faffing about grinding beans, measuring out the right amount of grounds, or cleaning up the mess they make.

These little machines are so simple to use, taking pods of coffee that’s been roasted, ground and sealed for freshness. Steaming water is forced through the pod at a high bar pressure, creating a tasty drink with a thick ‘crema’ of coffee extract on top, which is the key to a tasty espresso.

Some machines go a step further and have pods for longer, milk-based drinks, so you don’t even have to work wonders with a frothing arm to get a creamy cappuccino, mocha or latte. When choosing your system you’ll be tied into the manufacturer’s pod range, which might include a wide variety of coffees, or a smaller choice with teas and hot chocolates, so research before you buy.

Filter or drip coffee machines

See: Black Friday air fryer deals

Russell Hobbs invented the first fully automated coffee pot with a keep warm function back in 1952, and these machines have since become a fixture of many an office and kitchen since.

The pros and cons of filter – or drip as it’s known in the States – coffee machines are quite simple. The main con is they only make one type of drink – filter coffee. To add milk and sugar is really the only way to mix things up.

The main pro is that they can make a lot of drink at once. 12 cups of coffee in one jug is common. A decent machine will also come with a cup warmer – heating cups beforehand will keep your drinks hotter for longer. Some brands (KitchenAid, for one) have models that can be used with flasks, so you can brew your coffee to go.

The post Black Friday coffee machine deals 2021: deals now live appeared first on Ideal Home.

For easy midweek cleans, there’s no replacing the best cordless vacuum cleaner. While many still rely on a corded vacuum to get the job done, the best cordless vacuum cleaners (also known as stick vacuums) are hot on their heels with enough power to rival an upright model, and far more convenience. If you’re considering investing in a new cordless vacuum, now is the perfect time to buy. Seasonal savings are everywhere, including discounts on some of our favourite models from Shark, Dyson, Beko, Miele, Halo, and Vax, so you can have a new vacuum to keep your home spick and span ahead of Christmas.

See: Black Friday cordless vacuum deals

We have reviewed each and every one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners in our guide, so while they may look similar, we know the key differences from hands-on use and some serious testing. Our homes have seriously never been cleaner. Although cordless vacuum cleaners cannot rival the best vacuum cleaners when it comes to battery life (after all, a corded model has technically endless power) they do trump them on convenience. No need to keep plugging and unplugging your vacuum as you move from room to room, the best cordless vacuum cleaners simply need to glide from room to room. Some come with removable attachments for different floor types, but our favourite models from Shark have a DuoClean brush head that switches from hard to soft floor mode with the touch of a button.

It should be easy enough this time of year to buy one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners for under £200. That said, more recent releases from Dyson, Shark, and Bosch will be a little more expensive. They come with some seriously high-tech features including smart displays which show you the gruesome details of exactly what you’ve vacuumed up, as well as lasers to show invisible dust that can be hidden on hard floors (new Dyson, we’re looking at you).

With a great balance between value and high performance, the Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner is our top pick of the best cordless vacuums. We have voted the Dyson V15 Detect as the best cordless vacuum cleaner in 2021 if money is no object. The Vax ONEPWR Blade 4 is our favourite budget vacuum cleaner.

Black Friday cordless vacuum deals: what to expect

Keen shoppers will know that Black Friday is just around the corner, and with some amazing vacuum deals to be had, it’s no wonder you’re researching the right model for you. Shark cordless vacuum deals deliver every year, so we’ll be keeping you posted if any amazing discounts appear. And while Dyson cordless vacuum deals are slightly less common, they can save you a decent wedge of money when they do drop, so we’re keeping our eyes peeled!

Shark IZ300UK: was £399, now £248 (save £151) at Amazon
One of our favourite vacuum cleaners is now reduced at Amazon. We love the Flexology design that makes it easy to reach under furniture, and it’s got a great control panel that switches from hard floor to carpet with ease.

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Dyson V11 Absolute Cordless Vacuum Cleaner: was £599, now £449 (save £150) at AO.com
Dyson’s V11 is one of the most popular cordless vacuums on the market. The Torque Drive Motorhead uses sensors to detect the floor type and automatically adjust.

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Beko PowerClean: was £299, now £269 (save £50) at Amazon 
We seriously love this five star vacuum from Beko. It’s got different power levels and can flex easily to reach under the furniture. With some major power, it’s amazing value.

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Best cordless vacuum cleaners 2021

1. Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

Best cordless vacuum overall

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.7 litres
Weight: 4.58 kg
Reasons to buy:
• Double up on batteries
• Shift from carpet to hard floors with ease
• Power designed for deep-cleaning
Reasons to avoid:
• It won’t stand upright

The Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner is a new drop from Shark, and it really blew us away when we put it to the test. First off, the PowerFins function means that rubber fins reach deep into carpets to pick up dust, crumbs, and scary amounts of deep-rooted pet hair with each and every pass. This is particularly good on carpet, but if you want to toggle to use on hard floors, you can use the smart display panel to switch over to a different floor type. That requires no switching out attachments, and there’s no need to even bend over.

We loved how easy it is to store this vacuum. It has a hinge in the middle which, with the press of a button, bends the stick forward to fold it in on itself securely. It will stand unsupported when packed away, but you can’t leave it standing up unsupported when you’re midway through using.

The control panel at the top of the Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner shows power levels and allows you to switch from Eco mode to regular and max power. It’s advertised to have 60 minutes of battery life, but that’s on Eco mode. On the regular setting we found that it lasted just over half an hour, which was still plenty impressive.

You can buy the Shark IZ300UKT for an added pet attachment, or the IZ320UK for two batteries. For all the bells and whistles, try the IZ320UKT. It has a pet attachment and two batteries, but other than that it’s the same vacuum as the IZ300UK.

Read our full Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner review

2. Beko Powerclean VRT94929VI Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

Best cordless vacuum for battery life

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.8Ltrs
Weight: 2.9kg
Reasons to buy:
• Decent tool selection
• Pivots to reach under furniture
• One of the most powerful vacuums we’ve tested
Reasons to avoid:
• Switching out brush rolls is fiddly

The Beko Powerclean has a similar design to some of the best Shark vacuum cleaners, featuring an elbow feature that can bend down to reach under furniture without making you reach so far. It’s immensely powerful, too. There are three strength modes, but we found that we hardly needed to use the stronger settings because the lower mode was more than capable of tackling most messes.

With the Beko Powerclean, you get a good range of attachments, including the crevice tool, carpet and hard floor brushes, mini motorised brush head, flexible extension, and dusting tool. Switching out the tools is easy enough, but you need to twist a little screw attachment to remove the brush rolls and switch between hard floor and carpet. This takes a minute or so, but we also experienced that both carpet and hard floor attachments were versatile enough to do a good sweep of the entire home without switching.

The vacuum has a stand included, with a groove to hold the vacuum handle and charge it when not in use. Charging takes three hours, and the battery life is about 45 minutes. Controls work with a thumb trigger, and above this are the plus and minus buttons you’ll need to adjust strength.

From the LED headlights to the incredibly strong suction the Beko Powerclean VRT94929VI Cordless Vacuum Cleaner seriously wowed us. Unfortunately, it can be tricky to find it in stock. 

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Read our full Beko Powerclean VRT94929VI Cordless Vacuum Cleaner review

3. Vax ONEPWR Blade 4

Best cordless vacuum on a budget

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.6L
Weight: 3.1kg
Reasons to buy:
• Comfortable to use
• Impressive on high and low power modes
• Removable battery for east charging
Reasons to avoid:
• Small bin capacity

This stick-style cordless vacuum cleaner has a slight design difference to most of the vacuums in our guide: the cyclone cylinder sits sideways. But the thing that really stands out is its comfy grip. It’s perfectly shaped and has a soft touch. It feels nice enough in the hand that its 3.1kg weight doesn’t feel too heavy.

Buttons are under your thumb and responsive. One turns it on and off, another cycles between the two power settings (it remembers which one you were on last time) and the third turns on the floorhead’s powered brush and headlights.

It boasts triple filtration and runtime is quoted as 45 minutes but it will be much less on high power, using the floorhead. Its vacuuming was impressive on both power settings.

Tools are impressive too. It comes with a crevice nozzle and dusting brush, both of which are well designed. But at the time of writing it also came with a free Cordless ProKit 2 accessory pack.

This gives you an extendible, flexible crevice nozzle for tricky gaps, an upholstery tool, a stiff brush for tough dirt and a stretch hose so you can use the tools without the weight of the cleaner in your hand. The toolkit comes with a fabric storage bag too, but it would have been great if this could clip to the Vax.

The battery comes off and docks in a charger. And the Vax comes with a wall mount, so you can hang it up when not in use. Meanwhile, the 0.6-litre capacity dust canister isn’t large but it comes off easily and then is straightforward to empty.

We were really impressed with the Vax’s comfort, array of tools and cleaning performance for a mid-priced machine.

Ideal Home’s rating 5 out of 5 stars

4. Dyson V15 Detect

Best high-tech Dyson vacuum

Image credit: Dyson

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 1.75Ltrs
Weight: 3.1kg
Reasons to buy:
• Amazing laser tech
• Display shows realtime cleaning stats
• Large dust tank
• Powerful attachments
Reasons to avoid:
• Trigger controls

The Dyson V15 Detect is Dyson’s latest entry into the cordless vacuum game, and while it’s a pricey one, it’s fair to say it wowed us in testing. For a start, the laser soft roller is a genius creation that illuminates dust and dirt that maybe be otherwise invisible, making for satisfying efficiency in picking up every last speck from your floor.

We also enjoyed the display, which shows a bar chart of the particles you’re picking up as you clean, and has information on the different sizes of each piece. We’ve got no idea how it figures that out, but it’s pretty cool.

Empyting is easy thanks to the ejector, and the motorised hard brush for carpets is also ace for getting deep into the fibres of your floors and picking up pet hair. Our one gripe is the trigger controls, because you need to press it down continuously when you clean. It’s not difficult whatsoever, but won’t be to everyone’s liking.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5. Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner

Best cordless vacuum for the power of a corded model

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.6Ltrs
Weight: 6.2kg
Reasons to buy:
• Seriously high power
• Liftaway design for cleaning cars or stairs
• Capable of tackling the whole home
Reasons to avoid:
• Heavy design

We know it looks like many of Shark’s upright vacuum cleaners, but the Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner is completely cordless, with all the power we’re used to seeing on corded alternatives. It’s got a front-facing dustbin that’s connected to the filter and battery, and you can lift this away to remove the cleaning unit from the stick and carry the vacuum up the stairs or out to the car.

For a cordless vacuum, the power is astounding. It was brilliant on pet hair, and while it’s definitely one of the heaviest options on the market, it’s up to heavy-duty work and could rival a corded vacuum in cleaning up the whole home. We found the control panel easy to toggle, and even the eco power mode, which is the lowest of the three settings, was plenty on tiled floors.

The brush head is a little clunky and it definitely lacks the nimble motions of stick vacuums, but if you want a cordless vacuum cleaner to stay on top of a busy home with different floor types, you’ll love how easily you can switch between hard and soft floors with the touch of a button.

Read our full Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner review

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

6. Dyson V11 Absolute

Best cordless vacuum for power

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.7ltrs
Weight: 2.97kg
Reasons to buy:
• Impressive runtime
• Very powerful
• Easy to empty
Reasons to avoid:
• A bit hefty

The Dyson V11 Absolute promises twice the suction (at the cleaner head) of any cordless vacuum cleaner. But it also costs twice as much as competitors. So is it worth the money?

We found that the 60-minute battery life holds true as advertised. Not only did it pick up the dirt we could see, it managed to catch a lot of invisible dust from carpets and even hard floors. We love the look, which is as high-quality as you would expect from an expensive Dyson vac. It doesn’t take the number one spot because it’s undeniably expensive compared to some other five-star options.

Attachments include a fluffy hard floor roller and four smaller accessories. The fluffy roller did well on wooden floors, but what we loved was the high torque floorhead which cuts back on power when working on hard floors and automatically increases it on carpets. You can monitor this with the bright display, which also shows how many minutes are left in your current mode. Not quite done? Just switch to a lower setting to make the most of your vacuum life.

Capacity is higher than ever and it’s easy to empty. But the run time and power controls are the stars of the show. If money’s no object, buy the V11: you won’t be disappointed.

Ideal Home’s rating 5 out of 5 stars

7. Roidmi RS60

Best cordless vacuum cleaner and mop combo

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.55 litres
Weight: 6.6kg
Reasons to buy:
• Quiet use
• Smart LCD display
• Mop attachment
Reasons to avoid:
• Heavy and not the cheapest

A mop and cordless vacuum rolled into one, the Roidmi RS60 has a high-quality, weighty feel that isn’t burdensome, but does feel like it’s designed to last. Other attachments include a mattress cleaner, soft roller, and crevice tool. There’s even a pet brush, which is designed to literally suck up the hair from your pet as you brush it. A smart idea, if you can get your cat or dog to cooperate.

It has a medium-sized dustbin of 0.55 litres, which does require regular emptying, but is easy to eject once you’ve removed the stick attachment. One of the most impressive things was the battery life, which lasted over an hour in testing, making it more than adequate for large homes.

The LCD display shows which of the three power modes you’ve opted for, and when you’re done cleaning, it even displays the amount of calories burned. The on button is lower down than the button that you use to switch modes, which we did find a little fiddly, but it’s useful if you switch between different power modes on a regular basis. While it’s not cheap, it’s a quality pick.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Read our full Roidmi RS60 review

8. Dyson V11 Outsize

Best cordless vacuum cleaner for large homes

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 1.7ltrs
Weight: 3.5kg
Reasons to buy:
• Powerful suction
• Easy to manoever
• Large dust tank and floorhead
Reasons to avoid:
• Not great on rugs

The Dyson V11 Outsize has re-engineered the Absolute to include a 150% larger bin, 25% bigger cleaner head, with up to 60 minutes of runtime. It also offers 20% more suction compared to the V10, which was a popular model just a couple of years ago.

Our reviewer was impressed from the start since the vac arrived in packaging made from recyclable cardboard, and how easy it was to assemble. It also already arrives with 20% of it’s 60-minute battery life so if you just can’t wait to take the V11 Outsize for a walk around the home, then this allows you to do just that. We found that this battery life – when fully charged – was more than suffice for whipping around a 2-bed terraced home. You also have the ability to adjust the cleaning modes which can make a difference to the battery life, and noise level.

It performed exceptionally well on large rugs and hard flooring (with the soft roller head attached). The suction is really good and the larger floorhead helps to cover more ground, quickly. Turning to a smaller rug with a 60cm dia, however, the cordless vac either wanted to move it around or just grind to a halt.

Using with the attachments such as the mini motorized tool and combination tool were useful around the home, across all levels, but there are 11 tools in total to opt for to give you yet more freedom to clean. There is no way to store these attachments on board the stick vacuum cleaner, however, so finding some suitable cupboard space for this would be useful. And lifting up the vac to use as a handheld is slightly heavier than previous models because of the enlarged dust tank although it’s not too uncomfortable.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

9. Bissell ICON 25V

Best designed cordless vacuum cleaner

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.4ltrs
Weight: 3.2kg
Reasons to buy:
• Impressive design details
• Versatile attachments
• Easy to mount on the dock
Reasons to avoid:
• Tricky to empty the bin

The Bissell ICON 25V really impressed us. It performs really well and the design includes impressive attention to detail.

Bright headlights on the floorhead illuminate cleaning. Run time is up to 50 minutes but it will be much less on high power. There are three power levels and the medium one is fine most of the time, but the vac doesn’t remember your last setting, it always starts at top whack, which reduces battery life.

The floorhead claims to beat the problem of hair tangles and we certainly didn’t manage to get it badly tangled. It’s also smaller than the Shark Anti Hair Wrap IZ251UKT floorhead. The 0.4 litre bin isn’t the easiest to empty but it’s ok.

Weighing in at 3.2kg, the design is a top-heavy stick that converts to handheld. It comes with just one tool, a crevice nozzle that converts to a brush. That’s great: you only really need those two tools. Though ironically the designers have given you space to store multiple tools at the charging dock.

We were even bowled over by tiny design details. For example, built into the inside of the dock is a little spirit level, to make it very easy to mount the dock level. Another one: the tip of the crevice tool lights up when it’s in use. We could go on. It’s a mid-priced cleaner but the performance and design combine to impress.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

10. Miele Triflex HX1 Cat&Dog

Best cordless vacuum cleaner for pet hair

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.5ltrs
Weight: 3.6kg
Reasons to buy:
• Sleek and modern design
• Very versatile
• Easy to convert
Reasons to avoid:
• Not the best battery life

Miele’s first cordless claims to be powerful enough to be your only vacuum cleaner. It’s also supremely convertible: you can rearrange the pieces to convert from an upright cleaner (bottom-heavy, perfect when you’re just vacuuming floors, stands up by itself) to a stick cleaner (top-heavy, very manoeuvrable) to a handheld.

It comes with three tools: crevice nozzle, dusting brush, flat upholstery tool. We weren’t convinced that you need the pet turbo brush unless your furniture is plagued with pet hair. But a second battery might be worthwhile.

The Miele Triflex HX1 Cat&Dog is easy to use, well designed and impressively powerful on floors and more. It really offers the cleaning power you’d expect from a corded cleaner. But the ‘up to 60 minutes’ run time is 34 minutes if you’re using the floorhead (which you probably are) and just 17 minutes at top power. Fortunately, the lower power setting is good enough and 34 minutes is long enough for a couple of rooms.

You wouldn’t be able to vacuum a whole house thoroughly on one charge. You’d need a second battery or to clean little and often. Its 0.5-litre capacity is on the small side too. You’ll need to empty the dirt canister regularly, but this is easy and isn’t messy.

The Miele Triflex HX1 gives Dysons a run for their money. We missed the Dyson V11 Absolute’s charging dock and fluffy hard floor roller, but the Miele’s convertibility and sheer cleaning power won us over. If you don’t mind the price, the HX1 is a great buy. If you want the best vacuum cleaner for pet hair, we’ve also got another dedicated guide.

Ideal Home’s rating 4 out of 5 stars

11. Dyson Micro 1.5kg

Best cordless vacuum cleaner for small homes

Image credit: Dyson

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.1Ltr
Weight: 1.5kg
Reasons to buy:
• Lightweight
• Glides across hard floors
• Impressive power
Reasons to avoid:
• Not for carpets

The Dyson Micro 1.5kg is part of a new fleet of cordless vacuum cleaners from Dyson. It’s the lightest and smallest cordless vacuum in this guide, and with an entry-level price when compared to other Dyson models. The vacuum is very powerful, and we were impressed with the way hair didn’t get stuck around the roller brush.

Attachments include a soft roller cleaner head, mini motorised tool, and combination tool. While there is no roller for carpets, the mini motorised tool worked well on rugs and car upholstery in testing. We found that the battery life was just shy of half an hour, which is a way off Dyson’s 50 minute promise, but because the vacuum glides so effortlessly across floors, it made quick work of kitchen floors and hallway dirt and dust.

While it’s probably not a top pick for large homes thanks to the small size of the dustbin, the Dyson Micro is well suited to flats and would also be a great pick for those who have an upright or canister vacuums for their heavy duty cleans, but want something for those midweek sweeps that can sit pretty when not in use.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Read our full Dyson Micro 1.5kg review

12. Vax Blade 32V

Best cordless vacuum cleaner for affordable power

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.6Ltrs
Weight: 3kg
Reasons to buy:
• Great for quick cleans and small homes
• Reminds us of the Dyson, at a much lower price
• The trigger doesn’t need to be held down
Reasons to avoid:
• No charging wall bracket included

The Vax Blade 32V’s cyclonic stick design is reminiscent of Dyson handhelds, but the chamber is horizontal. Tip it to one side and press a button to empty. Twist the other side to remove the washable filter.

Handling is similar to the Dyson V11 Absolute in terms of size, feel and excellent manoeuvrability. But it comes with just one big brush head and two detail tools (a brush and a crevice tool). Fewer tools then, less to store, but we miss the Dyson V11 Absolute’s soft head for hard floors.

The trigger is under your thumb and you just press it once, you don’t have to hold it down. Lights indicate charge and there are two extra buttons: one turns boost mode off (the default is on, which increases suction but halves battery life), the other makes the brush bar spin (the default is off).

Cleaning is impressive. It could replace the main vacuum cleaner in a small home and is superb for stairs and quick clean-ups.

Again it’s too top-heavy to stand up on its own. It comes with a very simple wall bracket that doesn’t include the charger – you’ll have to plug it in each time.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

13. Shark Anti Hair Wrap IZ251UKT

Best workhorse cordless vacuum

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.4Ltrs
Weight: 4.1kg
Reasons to buy:
• Great for tangle-free cleaning
• Easy storage
• Plenty of attachments
Reasons to avoid:
• Lacking in maneuverability

The Shark Anti Hair Wrap IZ251UKT is big and heavy (4.1kg) enough that you might forget it’s cordless. So although it’s a top-heavy stick design, you won’t be waving it around. But you’ll also forget because the cleaning power is impressive. Its multi-stage powered floorhead whips up dust and hairs brilliantly and boasts ok headlights.

Battery life is up to 40 minutes and we tested the pet version that comes with two batteries, so you can double it. It also comes with a host of accessories, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing: where are you supposed to store them? There’s a crevice nozzle, brush, upholstery tool, an adjustable thin wand that’s good for getting behind radiators and under furniture, and because it’s the pet model a small motorised turbo brush too.

The bulky floorhead does a great job of cleaning: the combination of powered brushes seems to lift everything. They’re also designed not to get tangled with long hairs and our test bore this out. There are two power settings under your thumb, one for hard floors and one for carpets. But you can also pull a trigger with your index finger for a temporary power boost.

Just as impressive was storage: push a button halfway down the tube and the whole vac folds in half so you can stow it away in a cupboard.

It makes a good handheld vac too, and the dust canister is easy to empty once you remove the tube to convert it. But with the tube, we found the machine too heavy for it to feel easy in the hand for cobwebs.

In all, with two batteries and powerful cleaning, it makes a good replacement for a corded upright cleaner. You don’t have to plug it in but it’s not really lighter or more manoeuvrable than a corded model.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

14. Halo Capsule Vacuum

Best lightweight cordless vacuum cleaner

Bagged or bagless? Bagged
Dust tank capacity: 1.6Ltrs
Weight: 2.6kg
Reasons to buy:
• Very lightweight
• Generous tank size
• Ideal dustbin for those who want a bagged vacuum
Reasons to avoid:
• Fiddly to control

This new contender has an unusual design, with a lightweight (2.6kg) carbon fibre body and curvaceous styling. The handle is unusually positioned at the top too.

It’s a stick-style cleaner with a powered floorhead (no headlights) and two tools: a crevice nozzle and a dusting brush. They push on to the cleaner with the tube for cobwebs and awkward corners, or straight onto the body for use as a handheld vac.

It’s a bagged cleaner with a decent capacity of 1.6 litres. It comes with 53 compostable paper bags, enough to last years. The run time is up to 60 minutes, but will be much less on high power, using the floorhead.

The controls are good. A power button under your thumb turns it on and it always starts at the middle one of the three power settings. You press the other yellow button to cycle between them. This works well as you rarely need the top setting and the low setting is a bit weedy.

The thin blue button in between turns the powered brushes of the floorhead on. Every time you turn the vac on, you have to push this again. That’s a bit annoying.

Also annoying is the way the floorhead easily clicks to lock at 90 degrees… this top-heavy cleaner can’t stand up by itself, so what’s the point? It’s annoying when it happens mid-cleaning.

But the floorhead cleans well, with and without the brushes spinning. And we love the fact that the Halo Capsule is lightweight. Even the charger is petite. It leaves us wishing that the tube was in two pieces, so that the whole cleaner could pack down into a small kitchen cupboard: that would be novel.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Everything you need to know about buying a cordless cleaner

What are the different types of cordless vacuum?

• Stick vacuum cleaners are handhelds that you add a wand to, to extend the reach – then add a brush head to clean floors or a smaller tool for cobwebs and other hard-to-reach spots. They’re fast, manoeuvrable and good for getting under furniture. But the weight is all in your hand, which can be tiring after a while. They often can’t stand up by themselves if you want to pause to move something.
• 2-in-1 upright vacuum cleaners look more like traditional upright vacuum cleaners. The weight is fairly low down, but the middle section pops out and doubles as a handheld cleaner for small stuff. Often the upright’s handle also pops off and doubles as a wand, giving the handheld extra reach for high-up stuff like cobwebs.

How much should I spend on a cordless vacuum?

Image credit: Vax

Budget around £150 for a good-quality cordless with decent cleaning power. But you can spend more than three times as much on premium models. More money can buy you powerful suction, longer battery life or better tools.

Some of the best cordless vacuums we tested came in at the £250 mark. If you can afford it though, it’s worth spending the extra money. More power and longer battery lives will pay off in the long-run, and the convenience of a cordless vacuum won’t be outweighed by limited power.

What other key questions do I need to ask about cordless vacuums?

Bagged vs bagless? 

It’s a tricky choice. On the one hand, bagless vacuums reduce the environmental impact and the expense of buying vacuum bags, only to throw them away. However, removing dirt from a bagless vacuum isn’t without its challenges. Hair can get wrapped around the filter and you’ll likely let off a bit of a dust cloud. Of course, brands like Dyson are constantly developing solutions to this. The new Dyson range has ejector technology that makes emptying the dustbin completely hands-free. For this tech though, you will have to pay.

Charging your cordless vacuum

It can take anywhere from three to six hours to charge a cordless vacuum in-between uses. If you plan on using it as your main vacuum cleaner, you need to opt for one with the battery life to make it through your home before you have to recharge, or you’ll have to go back later for different rooms.

Some cordless vacuums come with replaceable batteries, meaning you can switch out for a new, fully-charged battery if the one you’re using dies. We did text every vacuum in this guide for battery life, the most successful being the Dyson V11 Absolute with a mighty 60 minutes.

The post Best cordless vacuum cleaners 2021: reviews of Dyson, Vax, and more appeared first on Ideal Home.

Cleaning might be an arduous necessity for some, but for over 400,000 people using the cleaning products hashtag on Instagram, it is a hobby, if not an obsession. In the past 18 months, cleaning and organising has become a popular pastime for various reasons (including being at home a lot more), but as the rise of cleaning stars like Mrs Hinch and Lynsey Crombie shows, keeping your home looking its best is on a par with self care, fashion and beauty.

With the trend in cleaning, so too has there been a trend for cult cleaning buys. We are talking about the best cleaning products according to these ‘cleanfluencers’ and the items many of us buy in bulk, neatly stowed away in our cleaning cupboards. On top of the various solutions, pastes and sprays, there are a number of tools and accessories that every cleaning pro must have to make cleaning easy, quick and – dare we say it – fun.

Read on to see our pick of some of the best cult cleaning buys out there. Most of them are at their lowest prices too, thanks to the latest round of Black Friday home deals, meaning a germ-free and sparkling clean home has never been easier, or cheaper.

Cult cleaning buys Black Friday deals

SonicScrubber Household Electrical Cleaning Brush | Now £18.99 at Amazon
You have probably seen these in cleaning videos on social media. These electrical scrubbers make easy work of lifting grime and can cut cleaning time by as much as 57 per cent. With interchangeable heads to reach every crevice, people love this tool for taking the physical effort out of scrubbing.

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Dyson V11 Absolute Nickel/Blue Cordless Vacuum Cleaner | Was £599, now £499 at Dyson
This is up there with the best cordless vacuum cleaners, but we have to admit that the usual price is a little off-putting. So we are very glad to see it with £100 off and can’t wait to get our hands on the power of corded in a cordless with up to 60 minutes of battery life to boot.

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Kärcher WV2 Plus D500 Window Vac | Was £60, now £35 at B&Q
Try and find a cleaning enthusiast without this product in their cupboard. It not only clears condensation from windows, but can also be used for leaving a streak-free finish on mirrors, splashbacks and even shower screens. With £25 off, we definitely recommend taking advantage of this deal, or buying it for any friend with single glazed misty windows.

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Asobeage Toilet Brush and Holder | Was £13.99, now £11.04 at Amazon
Trust us to get excited by a toilet brush but we aren’t the only ones. Queen of Clean Lynsey Crombie was singing the praises of this silicone toilet brush this summer as it reaches all the nasty crevices, and has a breathable holder that is less likely to get that festering puddle of who knows what. The silver one is on offer, but there is a pretty rose gold one too.

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Shark Klik n’ Flip Automatic Steam Mop | Was £149.99, now £99.99 at Shark
This nimble steam mop was given 4.5 stars out of 5 in our list of the best steam cleaners. It is very quick to heat and has a large, but agile head that is easy to manoeuvre – just what you need for a deep clean without harsh chemicals in no time at all. And because the cleaning head flips over, you get twice as much floor coverage from one pad!

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Stardrops The Pink Stuff 500g | RRP £1, now £0.89 at The Range
Everyone on the Ideal Home team who has tried this cleaning paste can’t fault the stuff. We have used it on everything from grubby, stained ceramic sinks, to rusty barbecues. It is abrasive but mild enough to use on a multitude of surfaces and does wonders removing burnt on grease from oven doors. At just 89p we will be putting a few in our baskets.

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Flash Powermop Starter Kit | Was £32, now £18.69 at Amazon
Mrs Hinch fans will recognise one of her favourite tools for a quick floor clean. This battery powered mop sprays cleaning solution in its path meaning no fiddling around with a bucket and no dipping your mop in mucky water. The kit includes 500ml solution, batteries and 10 refill pads.

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Numatic Henry HVR160 Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner | Was £139, now £99 at Currys
We are a bit obsessed with Henry – if you don’t have one at home, likely a friend or relative does. And if you don’t you definitely should grab this deal. It’s not just his friendly face that makes him a cult cleaning classic. He is an all round work horse who can be relied on for any deep clean and is happy to tidy up after little DIY projects in a way your cordless can’t.

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Flash Speed Mop Starter Kit | Was £22.99, now £11.99 at Amazon
Lovers of this mop say it is perfect for keeping on top of daily spills quickly and easily. Simply fix a wipe to the head of the mop, swish over the floor and you will have clean surfaces scented with lemony freshness. The single use wipes can be recycled with Terra Cycle too.

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Zoflora 12pc x 120ml Assorted Disinfectant All Purpose Cleaner | Now £17.76 at Amazon
You can’t have a cult cleaning buy list without Zoflora. The beautifully fragranced disinfectant kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses and can be used to clean sinks, drains, toilets, dishcloths and hard surfaces. No wonder it is loved by Mrs Hinch and her army of Hinchers.

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Where to shop for cult cleaning buys

There are a few stores that have really caught on to the lucrative nature of the cleaning industry. After all, when it comes to cleaning products and solutions, the more you use, the more you need to buy, so return custom is guaranteed if you stock the best things. We love to find a deal, and also bulk buy where we can and we find the following places are great for keeping our cleaning cupboards well stocked.

• Amazon cleaning products: a great place to bulk buy home care and cleaning products from all brands direct to your door
• Dyson vacuum cleaners: top rated vacuums and floorcare
• Lakeland cleaning page: hundreds of products from innovative laundry and cleaning brands
• The Range cleaning: everything you need to keep your home clean for less
• Shark Clean: vacuums, steam mops and more from Shark
• Vax cleaning range: experts in carpet cleaning and vacuums
• Wilko cleaning range: big savings on big brands

How to find the next cult cleaning buy

Getting ahead of the crowd is a common mission for beauty bloggers and the fashion crowds, and it is no different for the big names in cleaning. If you follow these top cleaning accounts on Instagram it is likely they (and therefore you) will know about the next big thing before the ads even hit our screens.

So what kind of things are we all looking for in the next ‘it’ cleaning product? Of course anything that can cut time or make cleaning easier is a big win. Then as the world becomes more conscious of our effects on the environment anything that cuts use of toxic chemicals or reduces plastic is quick to gain cult following.

Finally, there are lots of products that aim to make cleaning as enjoyable as possible. This is often achieved with adding scent to the product to make it so good it could rival the best home fragrance, and makes the room you have cleaned smell divine for hours after. Other brands will give their cleaning products and tools an iconic design, pretty enough to make an Instaworthy cleaning caddy shot. We can certainly appreciate anything that leaves the cupboard under the sink looking as neat as the home it has just helped clean.

The post 10 cult cleaning buys we have tried and loved – and they’re on sale for Black Friday appeared first on Ideal Home.

Buy the best toaster for your kitchen with the use of our toaster reviews. The top ten in our guide have all been tested hands-on by Ideal Home experts for evenness and quality of design. While a toaster has one of the simplest jobs in the kitchen, it’s also often the most important. After all, nothing can ruin a Monday morning like a burnt slice of toast. When reviewing the best toasters, we took into account the range of toasting modes, the ease of use, and any stylistic quirks that you may want to know about.

We reviewed a mix of the best two-slice toaster and the best four-slice toasters, but many of the toasters in our guide from Smeg, Russell Hobbs, Breville and Dualit can be bought in a range of sizes, so if there’s one that takes your fancy but isn’t in the right dimensions for you, you could still pick up your perfect toaster. While two slice toasters take up half the size of a four-slice, they are often ill-equipped to keep up with family needs. After all, that morning school run doesn’t need any more delays. If you’ve got the space, this is an investment worth making, but smaller kitchens will benefit from a neat and compact toaster than can be tucked next to the best kettle for day-to-day use.

In our best toaster guide you will find options from Smeg, De’Longhi, Breville, Dualit, Salter, Morphy Richards, and Russell Hobbs. We tested a variety of products in different colours, prices, and styles, so there is something for everyone with our toaster reviews. For more kitchen must-haves, take a look at the best microwaves.

How much should I spend on the best toaster?

Image credit: David Brittain

You can pay as little as £15 for a toaster in the supermarket, but top brands like Smeg and Dualit will set you back as much as £250 for a stylish statement option. We found plenty of great toasters for well under £50, but as a general rule the more you pay the more features you’re likely to get as standard. Other extras can include a wider range of colours and a more sturdy-feeling metal exterior.

Best toaster 2021

1. De’Longhi Ballerina Toaster

Best toaster overall 

Slices: 2 and 4 both available
Colours: Green, black, white
Features: Fluted exterior, toasting dial, defrost, reheat, cancel
Reasons to buy: 

• Beautiful design
• Even toasting
• High rise slots

Reasons to avoid: 

• No variable temperature across slots

Quality toasting is important, but the best toaster will sit on your kitchen counters for years to come. Our top pick is the De’Longhi Ballerina Toaster. It has wide slots, levers with added lift, and the most beautiful and high-quality design which looks a treat when sat next to the matching kettle on your counters. We also think the De’Longhi Ballerina Toaster is reasonably priced for how luxe it feels to use. While it does cost more than the Morphy Richards Verve, which is our second choice, its design is noticeably more sturdy and the toast comes out with far fewer lines on the bread.

What we did miss was the ability to set each side of the toaster to different brownness settings, which is something De’Longhi has features on other toaster and is perfect for picky families in a hurry. We did enjoy the dial which sets the duration of toasting time with the De’Longhi Ballerina Toaster. It tactile and gradual, meaning you won’t have to compromise if your ideal slice is between 3 and 4.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

2. Morphy Richards Verve Toaster

Best toaster overall 

Image credit: Morphy Richards

Slices: 4
Colours: Black, white, cream
Features: Lift-to-look, defrost, reheat, control dial
Reasons to buy: 

• You can lift to peek at your toast as it cooks
• Love the look
• Great price point

Reasons to avoid: 

• Plastic-y design

The Morphy Richards Verve Toaster is budget-friendly and offers a range of great features. We love the levers, which allow you to lift and look as your bread toasts, and the slider dial means you can adjust your level of toasting completely. We tested the four-slice, but there is also a two-slice with the same sleek finish. The Morphy Richards Verve Toaster comes in cream, black and white. It’s not the best range of colours but if you have a neutral kitchen it will slot in perfectly. We tried out the matching kettle too and had few complaints, so if you’re after a matching pair this could be the best toaster for you.

The slots of the Morphy Richards Verve Toaster are relatively wide, and your toast will pop up once done so you can leave it to brown while you prepare your morning cuppa. While there’s no bagel or crumpet function, this option does come with reheat and frozen settings. Simply press these buttons after pushing the lever down to activate, and to end the cycle, just press the illuminated button for your toast to pop up.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

3. Breville High Gloss toaster

Best 2-slice toaster for small kitchens

Slices: 2
Colours: Cream, Grey
Features: High lift, wide slots, dial
Reasons to buy:

• High quality controls
• Crumb tray is easy to remove
• Sleek and compact design

Reasons to avoid: 

• Sometimes doesn’t toast the top of the slice of bread

Modern and neat, this toaster is never going to set your heart on fire like the KitchenAid or the Dualit, but it has an sleek exterior and solid build at a reasonable price. This kettle looks great in the kitchen, especially when paired with the matching kettle. It’s slimline, easy to clean, and the weight of the controls makes it feel high quality.

The crumb tray is quick and easy to remove for cleaning, and overall it works very well. The only annoying thing was that we found that large bread stuck out of the top of the toaster, so we had to flip them halfway through to toast them evenly. n have to flip my slice of toast around halfway through to make sure both edges get toasted.

The two slots are wide and as with most others toasters we looked at, it has a high-lift function making things easy to remove without getting burnt. There’s no setting for just browning the cut side of a bagel but as we don’t object to ours gently toasted on both sides, rather than the more traditional one side, that didn’t pose a problem.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4. The Funky Appliance Company Funky Toaster

Best four-slice toaster

Slices: 4
Colours: Cream, chrome, rose gold
Features: Defrost, reheat, cancel
Reasons to buy: 

• Even toasting
• Quirky look
• There is a great kettle to pair it with

Reasons to avoid: 

• The colour selection could be better

The Funky Toaster lives up to its name. The controls are appealing, with defrost and cancel buttons front and centre, which make a satisfying click when pressed. The quality of the toasting was seriously impressive. One of the most even in our lineup, with no visible difference between the two sides of bread.

You can buy this toaster in three colours, but we tried it (and loved it) in cream. You can control the dial on both sides of the toaster, so if the Morphy Richards Verve Toaster’s lack of variable settings is off-putting, this one will suit your family’s various toast preferences.

We also really enjoyed the Funky Kettle that pairs with this toaster. It’s reminiscent of the Smeg kettle, but cheaper.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

5. Cuisinart Style Collection 4 Slot Toaster

Best toaster for bagels

Slices: 4
Colours: Rose, pistachio, silver, frosted pearl
Features: Bagel, defrost, reheat, cancel
Reasons to buy: 

• Bagel setting
• Gorgeous colour options
• Extensive range of settings

Reasons to avoid:

• Very noisy when it pops

The Cuisinart Style Collection 4 Slot Toaster is the perfect choice for bagel lovers. It’s a more common feature in American toasters to have a bagel setting, which will toast the inside of the bagel while leaving the outside nice and chewy, but because Cuisinart is an American classic brand, we got to experience the joys of a bagel setting for ourselves. One thing to note is that you should place the bagel with the outside facing in if you want the inside to be toasted on the bagel setting.

Available in some really lovely colours, including rose, pistachio, frosted pearl, and silver, we really enjoyed that you can pair this toaster with either an upright or a pyramid kettle. The two sides can be operated independently, with different timer settings and the ability to defrost one side, and toast a bagel in others. The cancel setting will push your bread up with quite a loud mechanical noise, and we were underwhelmed by the lift of the levers, which didn’t go very high. That said, if you’re a bagel lover, look no further.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

6. Russell Hobbs Emma Bridgewater Polka Dot 2-Slice Toaster

Best looking two-slice toaster

Slices: 2
Colours: Polka dot
Features: Defrost, reheat, cancel
Reasons to buy: 

• Love the look
• Simple controls
• Very wide slots

Reasons to avoid: 

• No lift-to-look

We’re a little (ok, a lot) obsessed with the Russell Hobbs Emma Bridgewater Polka Dot 2-Slice Toaster. Its patterned exterior is sure to add a sunny start to your day, and there are matching kettles, mugs and even plates available for those who want to add another element of coordination. The retro-style design is carried through to the rather simple controls, which include a 1-5 dial as well as an eject, frozen and reheat setting. When you push down the lever there’s no lift-to-look, but we did think the Russell Hobbs toasted evenly and were very happy with how it performed in testing.

These slots are extra extra wide, so those who like a wedge of toast in the mornings won’t be disappointed. The dimensions of this toaster are H22 x W17 x D27cm, which is on the larger side for a two-slice toaster. There’s also a four-slice model available for those who want a toaster for the whole family.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

7. Dualit New-Gen four-slice toaster

Best for quality and durability

Slices: 4
Colours: Silver
Features: Bagel, one slice at a time, keep warm, defrost
Reasons to buy: 

• Toasts fast
• You can toast one slice at a time

Reasons to avoid: 

• No automatic pop-up

Hand-built in the UK since 1945, we love the fact that each toaster still bears the name of the person that assembled it – have a look on the bottom if you don’t believe us. The price reflects the fact that its makers believe it’s a toaster that will last a lifetime.

While it’s claimed the unique patented ProHeat elements are virtually indestructible, if anything should go wrong, parts are super easy to replace or repair. OK, so does have fewer bells and whistles than other machines, instead priding itself on ease of use, quality build and durability.

There’s no automatic pop-up, although it does have lovely wide slots, you just lower your toast in manually using the lever at the front then turn the browning control to the desired setting and it starts to count down. Check toast is done by raising the lever to expose the toast without stopping the browning process, then lowering it back down if it’s not done enough or turning the dial to zero if it’s ready. There are settings for toasting one, two, three or four slices at a time, and defrost and keep warm functions. It browned faster and more evenly than most other models on test, producing perfectly browned bread in a little over a minute and a half. Most others took more than two minutes and while 30 seconds might not seem much, if you’re rushing to get the kids to school, that could make all the difference.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

8. Salter COMBO-7313 Pyramid Kettle and 2-Slice Toaster

Best toaster and kettle set

Slices: 2
Colours: Rose gold & grey
Features: Defrost, reheat, cancel
Reasons to buy: 

• A great set
• Reasonably priced
• Lovely rose gold accents

Reasons to avoid:

• Large slices stick out the top of the toaster

Looking for a toaster and kettle combo that you can rely on? We can vouch for this one from Salter. For a start, it’s a good value pick. The toaster is a two-slice model with a defrost setting, as well as a reheat and cancel button. We found that it toasted very evenly between the two slices, and because it’s so compact, it slots into just about any kitchen corner.

The kettle is that classic pyramid shape we love. It clicks on with a blue light and automatically shuts off when it’s finished boiling. We like that it’s not too loud, and the line along the back makes it easy to judge whether you need a refill.

Our one reservation with this toaster is that large slices stick out from the top of the toaster, so the entire slice wasn’t toasted. If you have a penchant for rose gold and want a great toaster and kettle set, this is a great choice.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

9. Breville Impressions 4-Slice Toaster

Best four-slice toaster

Slices: 4
Colours: Red, cream black
Features: Keep warm, defrost, reheat, control dial
Reasons to buy: 

• Great value
• Crumb tray
• Consistent toasting

Reasons to avoid: 

• Large footprint

This machine’s certainly got the looks and although it has a fairly big footprint it is comparatively light. It still feels well built, though, despite the plastic outer casing, as the chrome accents give it a bit of shine and pizzaz. It’s a great price, too – in fact, it’s a 10^th of the price of the most expensive four-slice model we tested.

Easy to unpack, the instructions are clear and simple to follow. That said, there’s not much to get confused about here, as the fascia controls are really intuitive. We loved the fact that the four slots had two different control settings, perfect for juggling the needs of picky family members with varying tastes.

It has a satisfying and audible noise as the toast pops up, too, meaning you’ll probably never need to use the keep warm function. There are the usual stop and defrost buttons, too plus an easy to access crumb tray.

Although it wasn’t the fastest toaster in our test, the results were pretty consistent, although if you’re doing big quantities, swiping the lever a touch to the left after the first batch will prevent further slices overdoing a tad as it warms up to its task. The extra high lift feature meant we didn’t have to dig smaller items such as crumpets out of the slot, either.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

10. Smeg TSF01 2 Slice Toaster

Best retro-looking toaster

Slices: 2
Colours: Silver, pink, white, blue, and more…
Features: Wide slots, self-centering, defrost, reheat
Reasons to buy: 

• Love the look
• Can take large slices
• Generous pop-up

Reasons to avoid: 

• Tray is tricky to access

With an exterior that’s pure 1950s Americana – the shape’s not unlike that of a classic 1950s Airstream motorhome – we thought it might be all about the looks with this machine. Luckily, that’s not so.

Although it’s not huge, it does everything you need it to, and it does it all well. There are six browning functions; we opted for mid-way but noticed that once the toaster was warmed up, we could dial it down a bit.

It also has a defrost button so there aren’t any ‘Oh no, I forgot to take the bread out of the freezer’ moments, while the one side toasting function is good for bagels and the reheat perfect for those of us that sometimes get distracted and leave the toast to cool.

The two wide toasting slots were more than big enough to cope with doorstop slices carved from a whole farmhouse loaf, as well as standard supermarket medium pre-cut bread. The self-centering racks keep the bread neatly in place and there’s a generous pop-up so you don’t end up burning your fingers trying to remove small items.

The removable crumb tray comes out from the side, which might be an issue if you’re short on space but it had a satisfying pop-out function.

Ideal Home’s rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Should I buy a two-slice or four-slice toaster?

Image credit: Dualit/Anna Starmer

If there’s just one or two of you and you’re not a fan of fancy loaves then we’d say a simple two-slot model with just a couple of functions will probably suffice. Two slot models are also better if you’re a bit tight on space as it’s a product that usually has a permanent, easy-to-access home on your worktop.

Want to elevate your breakfast game? Take a look at the best bread makers

For couples and families, a four-slot or four-slice model is a better option – ensuring preparing toast for your brood at breakfast-time or simply serving up eggs on toast for two is an altogether speedier affair. If you’re fixated on a particular look, don’t despair, many brands produce two- and four-slot toaster models that look the same.

Why do I need a toaster?

Simply put, it’s a kitchen staple that has been saving us time since it was invented in the early 20^th Century. Unless you prefer to constantly check your bread under the grill to see if it’s ready, a toaster really is the easiest and most efficient way to make perfect toasted bread, bagels, and crumpets.

More than 100 years after the first, basic model was patented, our kitchens really wouldn’t feel complete without one. There are hundreds of different models on the market, from simple two-slot bread toasters to all-singing, all-dancing four-slot machines, so we’ve checked some of the best two- and four-slice models to help you decide which one’s for you.

Buying a toaster – what key features should I look for?

Image credit: Lizzie Orme

What can it toast?

First and foremost, of course, a toaster needs to, well, toast. Bread obviously, but also thicker items such as crumpets and English muffins, and some even have warming features for rolls and croissants. If you like your bread thick sliced, or hand-cut then, look for one that has slots made to accommodate any size, with mechanisms that hold bread central, whatever it’s width. A four-slice model with a single slot is a good for toasting pitta or artisan breads.

See also: the best saucepan sets

A bagel-toasting programme will brown the bread just on the cut side but if you like yours crispy front and back then it’s an extra you might not need or use.

Can it defrost bread and keep my toast warm?

As well as a decent variable control to give you your chosen perfect shade of brown, you should also look for defrost and keep warm functions.

Look at build quality and maintenance

Look at the quality of the build as well as the design. After all, it’s probably something that will be used every day so you’re going to want it to last and perform well for years. Easy to remove crumb trays are also important, as is a surface that’s clean with just a quick wipe.

A high ‘pop-up’, which ensures you don’t get your fingers burnt when removing smaller slices of toast or crumpets from the machine is also a good idea, particularly if you have children.

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