Swan Nordic Collection Kettle & Toaster

Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

The kettle and toaster are the two most used appliances in my kitchen, they are the ones everyone reaches for first thing in the morning, last thing at night and many times in between for a hot drink or a tasty snack.

Given how often they are used, investing in high quality appliances like those made by Swan, is a smart choice. They recently sent us a matching kettle and toaster from their popular Nordic collection and the appliances, which are designed to be both functional and visually appealing, offer a touch of elegance and charm to any kitchen.

The tall jug style kettle with a snug fitting lid can make up to 8 cups from a single boil, making it perfect for larger families or when you’re entertaining. The cotton white coloured Scandinavian style kettle looks very stylish with it’s wood effect handle and the illuminated on/off switch makes it is easy to tell when it is on. The kettle sits on a 360 degree rotating base making it ideal for households with both left and right handed users.

The kettle boils nice and quickly, the 3KW of power can boil a single cup of water in under 45 seconds and a litre of water in just under 2.5 minutes so you don’t have to wait long for that all important first cup of tea or coffee in the morning. It also pours nicely with the water going directly into the teapot or cup without any mess, this may seem like a minor detail, but a smooth pouring action is very important and gets my day off to a good start!!

The matching toaster is equally impressive, with 7 browning settings to suit all preferences. The four slice toaster also features a defrost setting, reheat and a cancel function and the two halves of the toaster can be controlled independently, so if you are making toast for two different people, one of whom likes well done toast and the other prefers lightly toasted then that’s not a problem. The white front and rubberised wood effect controls look nice and stylish, and the simple Scandinavian design will look good in all kitchens.

My pet hate is toasters with thin slots that can’t take a fruit teacake or even worse ruins them when they get stuck to the side, so I was very pleased to discover that this toaster has nice wide slots to accommodate everything from chunky slices of bread, bagels, and of course my favourite snack – the fruit teacake.

When using the toaster, it is obvious that this is a well-built appliance, the controls feel solid and robust and it toasts nice and evenly. There’s two crumb trays at the bottom of the toaster to catch all the crumbs which slide out easily for cleaning.

When you’re using an appliance daily it needs to be built to last and Swan’s Nordic kettle and toaster are constructed with durability in mind. The kettles stainless steel interior is resistant to limescale buildup, ensuring it remains clean and efficient over time and the toaster feels nice and and robust, especially the levers to lower the bread for toasting.

Safety is also a priority with these appliances, the kettle has an automatic shut off and boil dry features while the toaster has an automatic shut off to prevent overheating.

Kettles and toasters are the unsung heroes of the kitchen, used more frequently than other appliances so if you’re looking to upgrade your appliances this summer then the Nordic range is a great choice, combing practicality with a touch of elegance.

Kettle RRP £54.99

Toaster RRP £79.99

Just Spices Discovery Spice Box for Mother’s Day

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’ve never heard of Just Spices (and if you ever go to the supermarket and look at the spice and herbs section, they’re everywhere!) then let me tell you a little secret. You no longer have to blend a whole heap of expensive spices together to make savoury meals or even desserts because Just Spices has an enormous range ready-to-use which does all the work for you.

This Just Spices Discover Spice Box contains 8 ready spices including; Sandwich Seasoning, Potato Allrounder, Pizza Topping, Chicken Seasoning, Pasta Allrounder, Vegetable Allrounder, Avocado Topping and Egg Topping.  Each of the sachets contain a mix of herbs, dried vegetables and spices which can be added to food especially the ones recommended on the packet.

For example, the Sandwich Seasoning contains salt, onion, leek, black pepper, cumin and lemon myrtle among other ingredients. It doesn’t matter what sandwich filling you’re using, you can add the Just Spices Sandwich Seasoning sachet to it and enhance the flavours. Alternatively, you could make the same sandwich every day and use different sachets to create different flavours. Your cheese sandwich will taste completely different with the Pasta Allrounder seasoning with the added paprika, chilli and rosemary.

If you usually cook pasta once a week, or have avocado on toast anytime, then the seasoning sachets make a pleasant departure from your usual cuisine.  Without Just Spices, you’d have a cupboard full of tons of opened spices and herbs, all past their sell by date and all in different quantities that you’re never going to use anyway!  I’m not sure I’d even think of adding a different herb to my egg on toast let along a whole host of the Just Spices ones…

The Just Spices Discovery Spice Box is not only for popping in the post to your Mum or Grandma, but it could introduce your household to the range of Just Spices available in the supermarket without the cost of having to buy a whole jar.  The Discovery Box is also easy to post to a student who is just starting out cooking or doesn’t have a lot of room to store anything in a kitchen. It’s the perfect gift for a teenager learning to cook as well as something homely for Mother’s Day.

Available from £9.99