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This is the one gadget I’m buying before the next heatwave sells it out – it’s essential for helping turn my fan into an air conditioner

This is the one gadget I’m buying before the next heatwave sells it out – it’s essential for helping turn my fan into an air conditioner

by | Jul 4, 2026 | Design Inspiration

This week it feels like everyone is trying to get ahead and rectify any mistakes they made during the last heatwave. And for me, that means ensuring I have a much better supply of ice than I did during the hottest days of the year last week – especially given that at every supermarket I went to I was greeted by totally bare freezer shelves.

To solve the problem, I must admit I’ve been eyeing an ice maker (like this one from Amazon for £62.99) that can sit on my kitchen countertop during the hottest days. As I’m not blessed with a freezer with ice-making facilities (or a very big freezer at all!), I think I’m going to have to outsource this need to a standalone appliance like I have with one of the best ice cream makers. Here’s why.

Of course, I was desperate for more ice during the heatwave in order to keep my water and other drinks cool in order to rehydrate. But there are lots of other reasons, many of them owing to the hacks I’ve learnt from my Ideal Home colleagues, for me needing large quantities of ice in the hot weather.

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The most pressing of which was so I could enact the cooling hack our News Writer Kezia put me onto last year: placing a bowl of ice in front of my fan in order to mimic the effects of an air conditioner. It’s a way to use a fan that actually lowers the temperature of a room and it was a true godsend for my sleep last week when paired with my Dyson fan.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Purifying Fan Heater sitting on a wooden table in front of a white painted wall with colourful baskets on it

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Purifying Fan Heater

(Image credit: Future PLC/Lauren Bradbury)

When I do invest in an ice maker I’ll also be picking up this £6 fan attachment that we wrote about last week to DIY the air conditioning effect even further. If you own a fan and not an AC, it’s an essential! It’ll certainly be an upgrade for me from placing my ice in a bowl on a stool.

While an ice maker, much like the Ninja Slushi (which has also been running non-stop in my flat this summer), is hardly a kitchen essential, it can make those unbearably hot days a little more livable – at least, that’s according to the reviews these Amazon buys have racked up. I reckon every little helps for when we’re faced with the next hot spell!

Ninja’s brilliant new coffee machine just launched in a fresh batch of colours, including a gorgeous jade green shade – I wish I hadn’t gotten mine already

Ninja’s brilliant new coffee machine just launched in a fresh batch of colours, including a gorgeous jade green shade – I wish I hadn’t gotten mine already

by | Jul 1, 2026 | Design Inspiration

Ninja‘s shiny new automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine is now available in an array of new colours so that you can personalise this appliance to your existing kitchen scheme.

Now available for £899.99 from the Ninja website, the AutoBarista Pro (which I’m currently testing out) has proved very popular with both fans of this ever-expanding kitchen brand and coffee lovers alike. And I expect this best bean-to-cup coffee machine in these new shades won’t be around for long before they sell out either. Here’s a look at the new colours: Midnight Blue, Oat Milk, Mocha and Vista Green.

I really like all of these colourways and think they are preferable to the standard stainless steel version, which is the one I currently have in my kitchen for testing. I find that the metal is prone to holding onto marks and fingerprints, and is more difficult to match into an existing kitchen colour scheme.

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I’m not just looking into a crystal ball when I predict these shades will be popular, either. One of the colours, Mocha, is already sold out. It’s a super delicate neutral shade that would look lovely in a black or white kitchen, so it’s no surprise it’s already been snapped up.

New ninja coffee machine colours

Ninja’s new coffee machine in stainless steel and green.

(Image credit: Ninja)

If I was choosing, I wouldn’t be able to resist this machine in Vista Green as I’ve always loved the idea of a coffee machine in an eye-catching colour. I have long pined after the De’Longhi Rivelia, which is one of the best coffee machines out there, in Jade Green. It’s an exclusive shade that you can buy directly from De’Longhi’s website for £699.99.

With these new shades, Ninja has really gone all out to colour drench the entire machine, with even the all-important milk jug and bean hopper covers available in the pastel shade of your choice. This is something we’ve seen with other Ninja colour releases recently too, including with David Beckham’s special Cotswolds-inspired machine.

Unboxing the Ninja AutoBarista Pro Coffee Machine

(Image credit: Future)

In terms of performance, I’ve been nothing but impressed with the AutoBarista so far. The choice to keep the automatic milk frothing jug over a system that uses tubes and internal systems is a good one for me and means I have the chance to practice my latte art. The hands-free nature of the coffee making process for black drinks has been a huge help for me on busy mornings too.

My full review of this ultra-capable machine is coming very soon but in the meantime I’d seriously recommend you check out the new range of colours available if you’ve been waiting to make a coffee investment for your kitchen!

Ninja just dropped its most stylish colourway across a whole new range – it’s the ultimate chic neutral

Ninja just dropped its most stylish colourway across a whole new range – it’s the ultimate chic neutral

by | Jun 26, 2026 | Design Inspiration

Ninja‘s most stylish colourway, Stone Gold, is having a serious moment right now with the extension of the sellout colour across a huge range of bestselling products. From the Swirl to compact, small-kitchen friendly best Ninja air fryers, the kitchen giant has really outdone itself with this effortlessly luxurious shade.

First released this time last year, this gorgeous neutral shade went seriously viral on TikTok. I was watching out for more stock of the Ninja Dual Zone in this exact colour for months and months until it finally reappeared in October.

If you were one of the lucky few who picked up that stylish colour way back then, or if you just love the look of the range now, then you can finally shop Ninja’s other bestsellers in it too, including brand new products thanks to these exclusives that debuted just for Amazon Prime Day. Here’s a look at what’s available.

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Since working on Ideal Home, I’ve seen Ninja release many special-edition colours to coincide with Prime Day and Black Friday. The most memorable include the range with copper accents which is now a permanent fixture on Amazon due to its popularity.

There’s even more colour choice on offer for Ninja’s most fun kitchen buys – notably the Slushi and the Creami, which got a pastel make over last year as well as two-tone options inspired by frozen drinks and desserts.

Ninja Stone Gold Colourway

(Image credit: Ninja)

It’s not clear yet whether this beige colour will become a permanent addition to Ninja’s colourway line up or whether it’s only available during Amazon‘s sales events so if this is the shade for you, I’d recommend snapping it up fast!

Ninja just dropped its most stylish colourway across a whole new range – it’s the ultimate chic neutral

Costco just slashed the price of the Ninja Swirl and Slushi in time for the heatwave – I predict a sellout on these viral fan favourites

by | Jun 26, 2026 | Design Inspiration

If you’re planning on entertaining in the summer heat, then you might be wondering how you can incorporate some kind of cooling drink or dessert into your hosting plans. Right now at Costco, you can buy two Ninja bestsellers that would make it a lot easier: the Slushi (for £219.99, down from £299.99) and the Creami Swirl & Scoop (also £219.99, down from £349.99).

I’ve reviewed both of these viral buys, and I can confirm that they add such a fun element to having people over for drinks or dinner, with the chance for your guests to pour their own frozen drinks or create their own sweet treats for dessert.

Here’s how you can get your hands on these products for these super low prices, as well as alternative places to shop if you don’t want to sign up for a Costco membership.

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I’ve seen plenty of Costco deals floating around online but I’ve never had one make me want to invest in a membership as much as these super-low Ninja prices. So I did some investigating into how you can acquire a membership and the requirements you need to meet.

There are two tiers to Costco membership that allows you in shop in their warehouses: Gold Star and Business. To qualify, you have to follow a pretty stringent list of requirements, which you can view on the Costco website.

If you, like me, don’t qualify under any of these terms, then all is not lost. You can still purchase an all-online membership for £42 a year for which there is no entry requirements. It does mean you won’t be able to see the inside of an actual Costco store, however (another dream dashed for me).

Testing the Ninja Swirl at home

(Image credit: Future)

But you will be able to take advantage of these sensational Ninja prices and shop a huge variety of other Costco products across the year, too.

If you’d rather not add another subscription onto your plate, then that’s understandable. Right now, there’s a host of places you can find top-rated Ninja products on sale thanks to Amazon Prime Day, which is running until midnight on the 26th of June, as well as counter sales from rival retailers slashing their prices.

I’d strongly recommend checking out the sales ongoing at Ninja itself, as well as John Lewis and Currys.

Testing the Ninja Slushi at home

(Image credit: Future)

The Slushi and the Swirl are easily the two most fun appliances I’ve ever tested and they will provide endless summer entertainment if you decide to install one in your home.

And Costco membership or not, now’s a great time to shop for something that can help you through the heatwave whilst also providing joy on the weekends!

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Ninja just dropped its most stylish colourway across a whole new range – it’s the ultimate chic neutral

I’m using Amazon’s new built-in tool to spot the fake deals from the bargains this Prime Day – this is exactly how it works

by | Jun 24, 2026 | Design Inspiration

This year’s summer Amazon Prime Day event (running from the 23rd to 26th of June) is in full swing, and if you want to shop in the savviest way possible, there’s a new price-checking tool you need to know about.

For years, one of my top tips as Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor, who has been working Prime Days as a deal hunter for over five years now, was to use a price checking tool such as CamelCamelCamel to check that you’re not being hoodwinked over a ‘deal’. Often brands will artificially inflate the price of a product prior to a sales event to then bring it down to its normal RRP to create the illusion of a great deal.

Here’s how using this new in-built price checking tool can prevent you from getting a bad deal on one of the best air fryers or coffee machines and help you find a worthwhile one instead.

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You can find this new price-checking tool, which was officially rolled out in the UK in May 2026, next to where you see the price of the item you’re looking for on Amazon. When you click onto it to see the price history, a pop-up window opens with Rufus, the platform’s in-built AI tool.

Amazon's in-built price checking tool

(Image credit: Amazon)

Within the Rufus pop-up you can see a range of information on the product’s price, as well as how it relates to the given RRP. Though this is useful information, I would also suggest going one step further and check Amazon’s given RRP against what’s listed on the brand page.

When shopping one of the best Ninja air fryers, for example, I would always suggest cross referencing with the brand’s own site for a better understanding of prices.

Screenshot of Amazon's new AI tool

(Image credit: Amazon)

While the tool defaults to a one-month view, it has 6-month and 12-month scope available too which will ultimately be even more useful for assessing how good the discount really is. If the price of the item currently is nowhere near what the lowest price over the last year has been, it’s likely that there’s been price-inflating taking place.

I check prices on products that I’ve reviewed every day to see if there’s a deal worth writing about, so I have quite a good sense of the general price of different bestsellers, like Ninja’s Foodi Max Dual Zone air fryer.

As I write this, the day before Prime Day begins, it’s currently sitting at £129.99 via Amazon, which gives you £20 off the usual RRP. But if you click into the year view of the price history, you’ll see that in November (during Black Friday), there was a much bigger price drop with the air fryer for sale for under £100. That means that it may well be worth waiting on this one rather than pouncing right now.

Millie Fender testing the Ninja Dual Zone air fryer

Testing the Ninja Dual Zone air fryer at our test centre.

(Image credit: Future)

In all likelihood, the best deals of this summer will drop during Prime Day itself and during counter-sales run by the likes of AO, Currys and John Lewis. Below you can find the kitchen appliances I think you should bookmark if you’re in the market to upgrade your hosting and entertaining game.

Whatever you end up perusing this Prime Day, remember that doing your due diligence will help no end to help you bag an actually good deal. Happy bargain hunting!