Around The Home

If you want a really good cup of coffee, you have to start with freshly ground beans. That's where the home-use xBloom machine comes in, as it brews individual servings of pour-over coffee from whole roasted beans that it grinds for each use.

iRobot has rolled out its first entry in the world of vacuum and mopping combination robots with what it says is the most advanced system of its type, featuring a retractable mop head that swings up and out of the way.

While it may not be way up there on your list of grievances, constantly having to reposition a desk lamp can be a bit of a hassle. The Pino Lamp was designed with that fact in mind, as it automatically swivels to follow faces, books, or items of a given color.

There are already several autonomous robots that mow grass, and even a few that clear snow. The modular Yarbo robot, however, can tend to both grass and snow, plus it can blow away dead leaves or other debris.

Five years ago we heard about the compact millo blender, which was reportedly only 25% as loud as a regular blender. Well, the new millo air is claimed to be even slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, and to produce no motor noise at all.

Single-use, single-serve coffee "pods" are definitely not eco-friendly, which is why refillable pods have been created. Swiss company CoffeeB is taking a different approach, however, with its fully compostable Coffee Balls.

Besides keeping your food cold, there’s not much more we need from a fridge, but manufacturers keep cramming new features in there. The latest example from LG is the MoodUP, a fridge that sports speakers and LED doors that can change color on demand.

Stationary exercise bikes are a great way to keep fit, but can be a bit mind-numbing. Snailcle is looking to liven things up with a feature-packed smart bike with auto height adjustment, terrain-mimicking resistance and app-based virtual routes.

Wordle is set to make its way into the real world and onto kitchen tables. Owner The New York Times has today announced plans for a physical version of the incredibly popular digital game, with shipping to kick off in October.

Multi-tools definitely are useful, but not everyone likes jamming the things down into a pocket. That's not a problem with the titanium-bodied K-Smart, since it doubles as a clip-on chainring which can be quickly removed as needed.

The Ikea Kreativ digital design tool lets customers scan a room using a smartphone camera, remove existing furniture and try out new products from the Swedish home furnishing giant's catalog in a virtual recreation of their living space.

Like most foods, mushrooms are best when fresh … but it can be difficult to grow them yourself. Shrooly is designed to help, by automatically providing the best conditions for pre-inoculated mushroom-growing pods.

It was back in 2015 that Tesla unveiled its Powerwall battery energy storage system for the home. Well, Toyota has now announced its similar O-Uchi Kyuden System, which can draw power from EVs.

As important as kitchen ventilation is, it’s something that’s often not up to scratch. French designer Maxime Augay has now launched the AirHood, a portable range hood that can sit on a bench and efficiently pull grease and smoke out of the air.

While it may not rate way up there on a list of life's annoyances, measuring a child's height in the traditional wall-marking fashion can be a tad fiddly. That's where the Kiko comes in, as it uses a laser to do the job quickly and easily.