Soda Stream Terra Machine

Disclaimer: We received this product fee of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Ordinarily in December I buy lots of fizzy drinks to enjoy over the festive period. This year I’ve been trying to reduce my use of single use plastics, so the SodaStream Terra is a very welcome addition to our kitchen, drastically reducing the amount of plastic in our recycling bin each week!

With a chic and minimalist design the black SodaStream Terra is stylish and will look at home on any kitchen worktop. The machine uses an internal CO2 cannister to add fizz to plain tap water, making carbonated water which you can enjoy on its own or add a flavoured syrup to make a refreshing drink.

It is really easy to set up, simply slot the CO2 cylinder in the back of the machine and you are ready to go. It doesn’t need electric so it can be placed anywhere in the kitchen and there are no wires to get in the way or look unsightly. When you want to use it you slot a SodaStream bottle full of tap water into the machine. It’s better to chill the water in the fridge first as cold water holds the carbonation much better and I find it better to have 2 bottles on the go so I always have chilled water available. The bottle snaps in easily and all you need to do is press the button on the top a couple of times, depending on the level of carbonation you require. Once you’ve made the fizzy water you can either drink it as it is, add a flavoured syrup or add the fizzy water to standard cordials to liven them up which is a great way to get children (and adults) to drink more water.

There are branded syrups available allowing you to make your own Pepsi, Pepsi Max and 7Up at the press of a button which is great for parties when it can be hard to gauge how many drinks you are going to need, it also eliminates the problem of where to store all the plastic bottles.  

Normally once a 2l bottle is opened it needs drinking the same day, otherwise it soon goes flat but with SodaStream each drink is made fresh and you can even control the fizz, making your drink lightly sparkling to super fizzy.

Each C02 cylinder holds enough gas to make 60 litres of sparkling drinks and refills are available from supermarkets and the Sodastream website.

The gas cylinders are of course recyclable and once sent back, or exchanged at a supermarket they are inspected and reused again minimising waste. To encourage you to return the cylinders there is a discount when you buy a new cylinder.

If you’re still looking for Christmas gift inspiration then a SodaStream is a great idea and makes a fantastic gift for anyone who enjoys fizzy drinks or sparking water.

RRP £109.99

Haier Multi Air Fryer Series 5

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

Haier are well known for their large kitchen appliances but did you know they now have a range of small appliances? This new range consists of 7 small appliances – a kettle, air fryer, blender, hand blender, compact food processor, toaster and a multi functional hot drink maker. They recently sent me their new air fryer and much to the delight of my family I have been creating some mouthwatering culinary masterpieces that they have all enjoyed.

Air fryers have certainly taken the world by storm, revolutionising the way we cook and saving both time and money in the process.  As a busy working Mum anything that saves me time is a real winner, so with 9 different functions – air fry, bake, roast, grill, defrost, reheat, slow cook and a yogurt and dried fruits option I was keen to see just what the new Haier Multi Air Fryer Series 5 was capable of.

The air fryer measures approximately 30cm wide, 35cm high and a depth (including handle) of 435cm). The oven has a removable basket to put your food in and a touch screen display to set your temperature and cooking time. The crisper basket inside the drawer allows air to circulate around the food ensuring even cooking and it also allows excess fat and oils to drain away. There’s even an integrated window and LED light to allow you to check on your food meaning you don’t need to open it up when cooking and using this air fryer also helps save up to 70% energy, 50% time and 90% calories.

The air fryer comes with a selection of accessories, a rack that allows you to add an extra layer of food, a shallow tin and a deep tin, these all fit nicely in the basket when not in use. The air fryer has a range of temperature between 40° and 200° meaning you can cook a wide variety of foods using the slow cooking, baking or even the yogurt setting.  

Whilst the air fryer can be used in many ways, I decided to start with something simple – chips. After peeling some potatoes and cutting them into chunky chips I mixed them in a tiny bit of oil before placing them in the basket. It recommends shaking the basket a couple of times during cooking to help crisp them up and after 18 minutes I had the best home made chips I’ve ever made. The chips were a beautiful golden colour with nice crispy edges and were instantly devoured by my family! The whole process was so quick and easy and after only a day I was beginning to wonder why I hadn’t bought one before!

I love croissants and even if I had time I couldn’t justify warming up the oven for a couple of croissants so I’m loving the air fryer, pre-baked croissants and Danish pastries are warmed in just a four minutes and are a great start to my day. My sons are loving that they can cook sausages and bacon for breakfast, I’m pleased too as my kitchen is a lot cleaner as like most teenage boys they don’t see the fat splatters on the cooker! When you cook fattier food in the basket the grease drains through the basket so as well as being a lot less messy it’s much a healthier way of cooking too.

It’s great for making quick toasties or cooking fishfingers for a late night snack and we have also found a new love of herb and onion roast potatoes, they are so easy to make and taste amazing. The air fryer is so easy to use and my teens love it as they can now cook a quick snack when they get in and as it turns itself off automatically I don’t need to worry about the electric bill when they’ve forgotten to turn it off!

Cleaning the airfryer is simple, the non-stick baskets and accessories can all go in the dishwasher making it perfect for busy families.

The Haier Multi Air Fryer Series 5 is undoubtedly an incredibly versatile addition to any kitchen, the range of functions make it an excellent choice for busy households. It won’t replace my oven, but it is a very welcome addition to my kitchen, cutting down the number of times I use the oven and ultimately saving me money. All too often kitchen gadgets get used a few times before collecting dust on the worktop but I can guarantee that won’t happen with this – it’s one gadget that has certainly earned its place on our worktop!

RRP £229.99

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