Owning one of these fridges represented having Made It In Life – if you had one, you’d reached the zenith of coolness (in more ways than one).

Fast forward to adulthood and owning a fridge with a water and ice dispenser is still a somewhat-achievable symbol of affluence that many of us aspire to. Plus, they’re genuinely quite handy.

Here’s what you need to know about fridges with water and ice dispensers. Plus, exclusively for ����Vlog members, we’ll reveal which ones are worth the money.

If you want to find out which fridges with ice and water dispensers come out on top in our tests, join ����Vlog to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.

If you’re already a member and you just want to see the best products, you can jump straight to the results now.

How much do I need to spend on a fridge with an ice or water dispenser?

Most fridges with ice and water dispensers are either French-door or side-by-side models, which are generally at the more expensive end of the market.

And you will inevitably pay more for a fridge with fancy features – no surprises there.

A fridge with a water dispenser is likely to cost you a minimum of $1269 for a freezer-on-bottom model, and as much as $4500+ for a French-door fridge. Add in an ice dispenser as well and costs goes up even further: $2199 for a side-by-side model and over $5000 for a French-door fridge.

(Prices based on the fridges in our current review.)

Do you want to give up the freezer space?

Those dispensers have to fit somewhere, and they’ll eat into the usable storage space in your fridge or freezer. 

An ice dispenser can take up almost 30% of your freezer space. For side-by-side fridges, this is an especially big issue because the freezer space is already quite narrow.

Ice trays aren’t that difficult to use: ask yourself whether an ice dispenser is actually a must-have.

Of course, if you fancy yourself as a home bartender, an ice dispenser may be a must-have for you.

If you want to get really fancy, you can now get fridges that make “craft ice” – those huge spheres of ice you get in overpriced cocktails at trendy bars. LG makes these fridges, and some Samsung fridges make ice cubes in two different sizes.

Can’t plumb? 

Fridges with these dispensers need to get their water from somewhere. Most need to be hooked up to the plumbing, which pretty well rules them out for renters. But some models can work around this.

We’re seeing more and more fridges with water and ice dispensers that don’t require plumbing. Instead, they have an internal water reservoir that does the same thing. You just need to remember to top it up.

These models typically offer only water or ice. Some can do both, but that’s not as common. We note which fridges offer these features without plumbing in our test results.

Tight on space? Options may be limited

You can find a regular-sized fridge with a water dispenser, but they’re less common than French-door or side-by-side styles. 

In our entire fridges review of more than 100 products, 19 fridges have both ice and water dispensers, 11 have a water dispenser only, and four have ice dispensers but not water dispensers.

Of those with water dispensers only, four are single width (freezer-on-bottom style), and they don’t score as well the larger fridges. Just one of the four ice-only fridges is single width.

If you’re looking for an ice-dispensing fridge for a small space, you’ll have very few options. Some freezer-on-top or freezer-on-bottom style fridges do come with an ice drawer, which is a good space-saving alternative to an ice dispenser that still allows you fast access to plenty of ice.

On the upside, single-width fridges cost less to run than French-door or side-by-side fridges. The 10-year running costs for French-door fridges in our current test range from $1248 to $2276. 

By comparison, the 10-year running costs for top- or bottom-mount fridges in our current test range from $612 to $1560. 

Australia’s best fridge brand

Which brand of fridge should you buy? By analysing our test results and taking member feedback into consideration, we’ve identified the best brands of the year. 

Here’s how the brands compare.

Best fridge brand 2025: Mitsubishi Electric

Best fridge brand 2025 scores:

• Mitsubishi Electric – 78%
• LG – 75%
• Samsung – 74%
• Fisher & Paykel – 71%
• Westinghouse – 71%

What are the best fridges with water and ice dispensers?

We independently test and review dozens of new fridges each year in our onsite labs, and our experts know exactly what to look for to help you find the best product.

Our detailed fridge testing data is available exclusively for ����Vlog members. If you’re not yet a member, join ����Vlog to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews, from fridges and freezers, toasters and TVs, kettles and cots, and more.

And don’t forget to measure your space – you don’t want to find that your new fridge won’t fit in your kitchen! Our fridge size and dimensions guide is a good place to start, plus our reviews list each fridge’s dimensions.

The post The best fridges with water and ice dispensers appeared first on ����Vlog.

From safety advice to average running costs, here’s what you need to know before hitting the shops.

On this page:

• How much space do you need to heat?
• How much does it cost to run an electric heater?
• Types of electric heaters: Pros and cons
• Which heaters are the safest?
• Features to look for in an electric heater
• What’s the most energy-efficient electric heater?
• How ceiling fans can make your electric heater more effective

How much space do you need to heat?

First things first: if you have a big space to heat, you may want to look at our reverse-cycle split-system air conditioner reviews or gas heater reviews instead. But if you’re only looking to heat a small, enclosed space like a bedroom or study, an electric heater will do the job – particularly one with a fan and a thermostat if you’re planning to have it on for long periods.

Our electric heater lab test results have found that the type of heater isn’t necessarily a factor when it comes to efficiency. As with all appliances, it’s the overall design that makes for a good heater.

Of course, any portable electric heater will be much more effective if you have an insulated room with no draughts. Our home heating guide has some good tips on proofing your home against the winter chill and summer haze.

How much does it cost to run an electric heater?

The unfortunate news is that electric heaters are not cost-efficient compared to other forms of heating. On average, they tend to be the least cost-efficient form of heating in Australia. The most cost-efficient are reverse-cycle air conditioners, followed by gas heaters, then slow combustion wood heaters.

Our electric heater reviews (which include average running costs) can help make sure you don’t stuck with a dud that costs more in the long run for lower heating performance.

Your running costs will vary based on your electricity price. To calculate your own running costs, multiply your energy cost per kWh by your heater’s hourly energy consumption. To calculate your annual running costs, multiply this figure by the number of hours a day, and then by the number of days per year that you expect to be running your heater. For our calculations we use an estimate of 40c/kWh, and an estimate of 500 hours use in winter.

What’s the cheapest type of heater?

This depends on what cost you’re looking at – upfront purchase, or running cost? As usual, there are trade-offs with either selection. On average, small fan heaters are less expensive to buy, but can have higher running costs.

Oil column heaters will be the cheapest on the market to run (on average) – but only by a narrow margin ahead of convection heaters (like panel and micathermic panels). There are some comfort trade-offs for that cheap running cost, primarily being slow to heat and ineffective at heating a whole room if they don’t have a fan. If you have a reversible ceiling fan, it’ll help disperse the heat around the room more evenly.

The models in our electric heaters test range in price from $46 to $1199, but we’ve found a higher price tag doesn’t always mean better performance. A number of pricey heaters have failed to impress our testers, while some cheaper models make for surprisingly good buys. 

Types of electric heaters: Pros and cons

Radiant heaters

Radiant heaters are personal heaters. As the name suggests, they radiate heat from a red-hot heating element (so the family will have to take turns sitting in front of it).

Pros

• There are floor and wall-mounted models available.
• Radiant heaters are relatively inexpensive.
• They have a cosy glow and personal warming effect, like sitting in front of a fire.

Cons

• They’re not going to heat the air in a room very well.
• The relatively exposed heating element can be a fire and safety hazard. For example, a piece of clothing dropped over it may ignite, or small children playing around a floor model may burn themselves, so be careful.

Price

Radiant heaters generally cost between $20 and $200.

Oil-filled column heaters

Oil-filled column heaters don’t actually burn oil – they use electricity to heat the oil that’s sealed inside their columns or ‘fins’. The heat from the oil is then transferred to the casing and to the air circulating the fins. Some column heaters aren’t even oil-filled but instead use other material or heating technology to work the same way.

Can oil heaters catch fire?

The risk of fire with an oil column heater is low compared to other heater types, but never zero. Oil heaters don’t have exposed elements like radiant heaters do, and their surface temperature is lower than many other heater types (their large surface area makes up for it). But they’re still an electrical appliance filled with hot oil. 

Oil column heaters won’t explode, and while they don’t burn their oil to generate heat, it’s still flammable, so there is a fire risk if the oil leaks, if the heater tips over and leaks, or if flammable objects or fabric come into contact or fall on the heater. 

You should exercise the same degree of caution with oil heaters as for other heater types, and never hang towels or clothes over one to dry them – use a drying rack instead, at least one metre away. If your oil heater is leaking, or showing signs of serious corrosion or damage, then you should replace it.

Pros

• Column heaters are particularly useful in rooms where they’ll be switched on for long periods of time or where they’ll operate unattended, such as overnight in a bedroom.
• The surfaces you’re likely to touch on a column heater don’t get as hot as other types of electric heaters.
• You can use a ceiling fan on very low speed to assist the column heater to distribute the heat faster and more evenly.

Cons

• They rely on natural convection so they take longer to heat a room than fan-assisted heaters of similar capacity.
• If there’s not much air movement (for example, if you’re sitting reading or watching TV), the heat may not be distributed evenly.

Price

Oil-filled column heaters generally cost between $100 and $499.

Convection and panel heaters

Convection and panel heaters draw cold air over an electric heating element. The warmed air then leaves the heater and rises towards the ceiling, while cooler air moves in to replace it.

They usually have a fan which enhances the convection effect by forcing the warm air from the heater. When you use the fan, the room will heat up more quickly and evenly. Without it, the air is more likely to form horizontal temperature layers which could leave you with cold feet – particularly if there’s not much movement in the room. The fan will break up these layers to a certain extent. 

That being said, it’s also noisy – so make sure the fan can be switched off (you don’t want the fan drowning out the TV!)

Panel heaters are a type of convection heater that are, as the name suggests, particularly thin and flat, though they can also be quite long. They often come with a wall-mounting kit for permanent attachment, much like an old-style radiator (though some convection heaters are also wall mountable).

Micathermic panel heaters usually have a similar shape to a column heater, but are often thinner. They have panels of the mineral mica around their heating element, and the mica absorbs the heat and radiates it more evenly, or so the marketing material claims. Supposedly this helps the heater warm the room faster and more efficiently than the element alone, but we haven’t seen it eventuate in our testing.

Pros

• Convection and panel heaters are more portable than their oil-filled column heater counterparts because they’re significantly lighter.
• They’ll heat the air in a room evenly and quickly.
• Like a column heater, you can use a ceiling fan on very low speed to distribute the heat faster and more evenly.

Cons

• Some models, particularly panel heaters, are comparatively expensive to buy.
• Those with fans can be noisy.

Price

Convection and panel heaters generally cost between $85 and $800.

Fan heaters (including ceramic)

You’ll see the term ceramic used in conjunction with some fan heaters. Ceramic heating elements are claimed to heat up and cool down faster than conventional metal elements, but that’s actually more of a safety advantage rather than performance advantage, as the rapid cooling means that burn risks are reduced. 

Dyson heaters fall into the fan category and appear to use ceramic heating elements, though it’s not clearly stated for all models.

Pros

• Fan heaters are often smaller and more portable than other electric heaters.
• They also come in the form of tower fan heaters, which can be better for distributing heat around larger spaces due to their taller profile.
• They can heat the air in a room more rapidly, evenly and quickly than some other heater types.
• Models with ceramic elements have a claimed lower risk of burns.

Cons

• They can be quite noisy with the fan on full power, though are usually reasonably quiet at lower fan speeds.

Price

The fan heaters (ceramic or otherwise) we’ve tested generally cost between $46 and $379. Ceramic fan heaters aren’t necessarily any different in price to non-ceramic models.

Infrared heaters

A relatively recent entrant into the consumer market, infrared heaters heat the room like the sun heats your face (without the UV rays so no danger of skin cancer). Whereas other heaters heat up the air in a space, infrared heaters will heat up objects. Sometimes these heaters are referred to as ‘far infrared’ heaters, which simply means that they emit heat radiation at the far end of the infrared spectrum, which is claimed to be the most effective for heating a body.

Our sister organisation, , has carried out tests on two 450W infrared panel heaters and found they were equivalent to most other forms of heating in both performance and running costs.

Pros

• Infrared heaters can be wall or ceiling mounted – the most unobtrusive form of heating.
• They heat the objects in a room rather than space, so may be good for outdoor entertaining areas or a room you can’t draught-proof.
• They can be mounted behind mirrors to heat a bathroom (mirrors let the infrared rays pass through).
• They don’t take time to warm up – instant on.
• They’re silent and only require minor maintenance.

Cons

• They can be quite expensive.
• They need to be in direct line of sight of the object or person being heated.
• They can’t be installed opposite windows, otherwise heat goes straight through.

Price

Infrared heaters generally cost between $300 and $900.

Which heaters are the safest?

Modern electric heaters are considerably safer than their ancestors, and incredibly safe in comparison to liquid fuel combustion heaters which burn kerosene or other accelerants. Modern heaters also come with built-in safety features, such as thermal cut-outs and tilt switches which are designed to keep you and your family safe.

We conduct tests that reflect how heaters are potentially used in people’s homes, including what happens when the heater is tipped over, and whether electrical cords move too much (from their connection to the heater) when tugged.

Electrical compliance

Like all electrical appliances, electric heaters must comply with Australian electrical safety standards. It’s a safe bet that any heater from a major brand or retailer will comply. But be wary if you’re tempted by a no-name bargain on an online site – check that the product is stated to comply, and check its label when it arrives. A guide to compliance marks can be found on many regulatory websites, such as the or .

If you’re buying a second-hand heater, check that it hasn’t been the subject of a recall at .

Mini electric heaters that plug directly into a power point (i.e. don’t have a power cord) are often constructed very cheaply and are generally not considered a safe design. They are not permitted under the latest Australian electrical compliance regulations. Some may still pop up in online stores or other retailers: we advise that you don’t buy them.

Convection heaters can be a safer option

As a rule, convection heaters such as oil column and panel heaters are the safest heaters to use as they tend to have lower surface temperatures, don’t have exposed heating elements, and are more stable due to their greater weight or wall mounting.

But while oil column heaters are relatively safe as far as space heaters go, there’s always a risk of fire due to faulty wiring or connection to an unsuitable extension cord, tipping over, oil leaks (particularly if an oil with a low flashpoint was used), or fires caused by items hung over or falling onto the heater. And while they tend not to get as hot on the surface as other heater types, children (and adults) can still sustain a nasty burn if they’re not careful.

Tips for safely using a heater

Regardless of the type of heater you’re using you should follow these guidelines for safe operation.

• Only ever use a space heater on the floor – never use a space heater on a shelf, bench or any raised or uneven surface.
• Don’t use a space heater in bathrooms, kitchens or any other wet areas – water and electricity are a bad combination.
• Keep flammable items such as clothes, curtains and furniture at least a metre away from your space heater, and be mindful of the risk of items falling onto the heater from above.
• Never leave a running space heater unattended, especially if there are small children or pets around.

Which heaters are safe to leave on all night?

Convection heaters, such as oil column or panel heaters, are your best choice for a heater you’re going to leave on all night – their gentle convection heating is conducive to an easy night’s sleep, and they don’t get as hot as other types of heaters so they’re safer to touch (they compensate for this with the larger heating surface area). Panel heaters can be a good option for children’s rooms, as they can be secured to a wall so they can’t fall over, and they usually have a lower temperature contact surface.

Regardless of heater type, it’s important to look for one with a timer so it can turn itself down/off once you’re asleep under the doona to save electricity, and then turn itself on to warm the room up again in the morning to make getting out of bed that little bit easier.

Avoid leaving radiant heaters on all night as their exposed heating elements pose a particular fire risk if anything falls on it, and avoid heaters that can easily tip over. A heater with a fan doesn’t pose an elevated risk, but if the fan’s noisy then it won’t be conducive to getting a good night’s sleep.

Do electric heaters need ventilation?

No, because electric heaters don’t produce carbon monoxide the way gas, kerosene or other combustion heaters do, so they’re safe to use without ventilation – but there are caveats. If the indoor air is humid, the combination of warmth and moisture can lead to mould growth, which can exacerbate respiratory and other problems. 

And while you don’t need ventilation, to get the most out of a convection heater you’ll need a way to circulate the air in your room, such as a ceiling fan on reverse, or even a pedestal fan, to distribute the heat evenly rather than having it pool directly above the heater.

Unflued and flued gas heaters

These heaters definitely need ventilation, and should never be used in bedrooms, bathrooms or confined spaces due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Gas heating also increases the moisture content in the air, so it can contribute to mould problems.

Features to look for in an electric heater

Timer

A timer allows you to set the heater to run at set times or periods – useful to heat up the room before you get up in the morning, or at night time to turn your heater off and save electricity while you’re asleep under the doona.

A built-in timer feature on the heater itself is a better option than using a smart plug or timer switch on the power point. Those may not be able to cope with your heater’s high current draw and could be a fire risk.

Thermostat

The thermostat on your heater is essentially a heat activated mechanical or digital switch which allows you to regulate the temperature in the room by turning on the heater below a minimum temperature, then turning it off again once the maximum set temperature is reached. A good thermostat will maintain a very consistent temperature. Without a thermostat your heater would run constantly – your room may become uncomfortably hot, and your electricity consumption will be high.

Importantly, turning the thermostat on your heater up really high won’t bring a cold room to temperature any quicker – your heater will still heat at the same rate, you’ll just overheat your room if you forget to turn it down. Leave it on your desired setting and your room will warm up just as quickly, but once your target temperature is reached your heater will cycle on and off to maintain a comfortable environment.

Thermal cut-out

An essential safety feature, a thermal cut-out switches the heater off if it overheats – if something’s covering your heater for example – reducing the risk of fire. We assess the effectiveness of thermal cut-outs in our electric heater tests. Regardless of the presence of a thermal cut-out, you should never hang towels or other items over any heater to dry.

Some heaters may have a fuse instead of (or as back-up to) a switch. This will do the job, but once the fuse is triggered, it will need to be replaced by a service technician before the heater will work again. The cost of this service could be more than the heater’s original price tag. A thermal fuse is not as convenient as a thermal switch. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible for a consumer to know whether a heater has this sort of thermal cut-out device.

Most heaters have a thermal cut-out of some sort, but not all of them say so in their product specifications. If in doubt, choose a heater that clearly identifies that it has this feature.

Tilt switch

A tilt switch turns the heater off almost instantly if it tilts beyond a certain angle or falls over. This helps prevent a potential fire from the hot parts of the heater being in direct contact with the floor or other materials. We’ve found some heaters don’t state whether they have a tilt switch, but still turn off when pushed over in our test.

Not all heaters are required by law to have a tilt switch, but we think it’s an important safety feature to look for in any heater. A thermal cut-out safety feature will also often turn off the heater if it falls over, but may take longer to do so.

Cord length

Cord length is an important consideration for heaters from both a usability and safety perspective – you need a cord that’s long enough that you can position your heater where it’s going to be most effective, but not so long that it’s a trip hazard. We’ve seen heater cord lengths ranging from under a metre up to 2.7 metres, with an average of 1.7 metres in our tests.

Safety tip: You should never use an electric heater with an extension cord or power board. Heaters draw a lot of current which can cause smaller gauge extension cords to heat up and catch fire. And if you absolutely have to use an extension cord, make sure it’s a heavy duty one rated for the amount of current your heater draws.

Frost watch

Useful for colder climates where the temperature could drop below zero, the frost watch feature is claimed to maintain a temperature of around 5°C, avoiding frost or freezing in the room. This setting generally uses a relatively small amount of energy. It can help protect water pipes from freezing and reduce dampness in the room.

Smart heaters

If you’re looking to add another ‘connected’ appliance to your smart home, we’re seeing more and more heaters with Wi-Fi and/or smartphone compatibility. This means you can adjust temperatures and turn them on or off remotely using an app on your smartphone, or control them through your Google Home or Amazon Alexa smart speaker.

Warranty

Heaters usually come with a one- or two-year warranty, but some offer more, or even ‘lifetime’ cover. Regardless of warranty, don’t forget your rights under the Australian Consumer Law – the seasonal nature of heaters means you may have only used your heater for a few months out of a given 12-month period.

What’s the most energy-efficient electric heater?

Your electric heater is basically 100% efficient, in that pretty much all of the electricity is being converted to heat (some is also used by built-in fans and electronic controls). But that doesn’t mean one 2000W heater will output exactly as much heat as another – for example, one may have a poor-quality thermostat which stops the heater from running at full power when it ought to. ‘Efficient’ is not always the same as ‘effective’!

A heater with a good thermostat will reduce its heat output (and energy use) when the room reaches the target temperature, while models with poor thermostats might stay on maximum output for longer, overheating the room and using more electricity than they need to.

You can improve the effectiveness of an electric heater by making sure its heat isn’t wasted, and the best way to do that is by insulating your home and stopping draughts. For more about home heating efficiency, check out our home heating guide.

Are electric heaters low in greenhouse gas emissions?

Electric heaters are the highest producers of greenhouse gas emissions out of all heating types due to Australia’s mix of energy fuels. This is less of an issue if you have solar panels on your roof, but chances are you’ll be using your heater the most at night, when the sun’s not out.

How ceiling fans can make your electric heater more effective

If you have a ceiling fan, the reverse feature found on many of them can be of great benefit in winter when combined with an electric heater. Usually a ceiling fan blows a cooling breeze down towards you, but in reverse or ‘winter’ mode, the fan instead draws the room’s air up. It then mixes with the warm air rising from the heater, and is moved along the ceiling and back down the walls, thus spreading the warm air more evenly around the room. 

Check out our ceiling fan reviews and make your heat work for you.

The post How to find a great portable electric heater appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• What is a washer-dryer combo?
• Washer-dryer combo pros and cons
• Should you buy a washer-dryer combo?
• How do you use a washer-dryer combo?
• How do washer-dryer combos compare to standalone appliances?
• How much water do washer-dryer combos use to dry?
• What capacity is your washer-dryer combo?

What is a washer-dryer combo?

At their simplest, washer-dryer combos combine a front loading washing machine and a condenser clothes dryer into a single appliance that’s the same size as an equivalent standalone washer. 

They typically offer all the features, programs and modes of mid- to high-end washers and dryers, so they promise to do everything standalone washers and dryers can do, but with half the footprint. And the smaller your laundry or living space, the bigger an advantage that becomes.

It’s important to note you can use the washing and drying functions together, or independently of each other.

Washer-dryer combo pros and cons

Pros

• Washing performance is comparable to an equivalent standalone appliance.
• Half the footprint of two separate appliances.
• You can wash and dry your clothes without manual intervention – no more unloading wet clothes to put them in the dryer.
• You can wash or dry independently, so you can use it as a normal washer with the peace of mind of a dryer for emergencies.
• Purchase and running costs are roughly equivalent to buying and running a separate front loading washer plus a condenser dryer.

Cons

• You can typically only dry half the capacity you can wash. This means if you’re washing full loads, you’ll need to take half the clothes out at the end of the wash cycle and dry in two goes.
• You need to wait for the machine to finish washing and drying before you can add another load. So if you’re doing multiple loads of laundry, it will take longer than if you were using a standalone washer and dryer simultaneously.
• Very long drying times – over six hours in some cases.
• Most models use a staggering amount of water to dry (water is used in the internal heat exchanger to cool and condense hot humid moisture, which is then collected and disposed of via the drain) as most washer/dryers use condenser technology for drying. 
• A couple of models with a heat pump dryer are now available, which are more energy-efficient and don’t use water to dry, but they are rare and more expensive.
• Complicated machinery parts for two devices (a washer and a dryer) means there’s more likelihood something will go wrong.

Should you buy a washer-dryer combo?

Washer-dryer combos are a great solution for small houses and small households: they have a smaller footprint than standalone appliances, and the dryer capacity is best suited to one- to two-person households.

And because you can wash and dry without moving clothes between appliances, combos are also a good idea if you have mobility issues that might make doing so difficult. See our guide to washing machine accessibility for more.

If you use a dryer very occasionally, a washer/dryer could still be an option if you can get it for the right price. 

But if you use your dryer regularly and you’ve got a big family (or just big laundry requirements) then you’re probably better off with standalone appliances – you’ll get much better drying performance, and one load can be in the dryer while the next one’s washing.

If you’re on tank water or worried about the environment, then the high water consumption (when drying) for combos that use a condenser dryer means you should probably give those particular models a wide berth.

And if you’re on a budget and you only use your dryer infrequently, buying a standalone washing machine and clothes dryer can save a few dollars – you can opt for a cheaper vented dryer, with a higher running cost, (or skip the dryer altogether in favour of a clothes horse).

How do you use a washer-dryer combo?

Washer-dryer combos are a convenient way to tackle laundry day, as they can wash and dry without your intervention – so yes, you can put dirty clothes in before work, comfortable in the knowledge that you’re coming home to clean, dry laundry and don’t have to move it between appliances or hang it on the line.

In our experience washer-dryer combos wash much the same as a conventional washing machine, but don’t do as good a job in the drying department. 

They can also typically only dry half the capacity that they can wash (although most of us don’t load the machine to the capacity for washing anyway).

So if you have the option, the good old Hills Hoist will be the best, cheapest and probably fastest way to dry your laundry, but you can relax knowing you have a wet weather backup plan in case of emergencies.

If you don’t have the option of line drying, and don’t have the space for standalone appliances, then a washer-dryer combo is probably the right choice for you. 

But to get the most out of your washer dryer, make sure you select the highest spin speed available to extract as much water as possible before the drying phase. Even then it can still take a long time to dry.

How do washer-dryer combos work?

Washing

We’ve found most washer-dryer combos wash exactly the same way as a conventional front-loading washing machine. Water and detergent are added, clothes are picked up and dropped into the wash water to clean them, then they’re spun, rinsed, and spun again. 

So you’ll have a comparable wash experience to using a conventional washing machine. 

But washer-dryer combos are much more complicated appliances because of the drying aspect. Unlike standalone dryers, there’s a whole bunch of plumbing and water inlets in them for the washing side of things that are also co-opted for the drying component. 

Drying

Unlike a simpler vented dryer, which pumps hot wet air straight out, condenser dryers (the most common option for a washer/dryer) capture the moisture from your clothes. 

They push warm, dry air through your wet washing to extract moisture, then cool the now humid air in a heat exchanger to condense the moisture into water, which is then collected in a tank or pumped down the drain. The (now dry) air is reheated and the cycle repeats.

The heart of any condenser dryer is the heat exchanger. It works like the radiator in your car by passing the hot air through metal fins with a large surface area to facilitate cooling. 

In a standalone dryer these fins are air cooled, but washer-dryer combos use water instead. 

After a few cycles through the heat exchanger, the cooling water becomes too warm to use, so it’s discarded down the drain and fresh, cool water is drawn in from the tap. Rinse and repeat, as it were, until your clothes are dry.

How do washer-dryer combos compare to standalone appliances?

Washer-dryer combos use the same washing action as an equivalent front loader, so their cleaning capability is comparable. Although they use about the same amount of energy as an equivalent condenser dryer to dry, they take about twice as long to do it – 3.5 hours on average, although one model we tested took over six hours. Line drying would probably be faster. 

This isn’t an issue if you’re getting the laundry done while you’re at work or overnight, but it could be frustrating if you’re in a hurry for clean clothes. 

The biggest issue with the use of a condenser dryer is that it is an outdated technology with no new standalone models available due to the better performance and efficiency of heat pump dryer technology. 

Condenser dryers in a washer-dryer combo uses a lot of water – sometimes more than they’ll use for washing. 

If you use your dryer regularly, you’ll probably be better off with a standalone appliance, or you could search for one of the latest washer-dryer models using heat pump technology.

 It’s also worth considering that standalone appliances can be replaced individually, but when your washer-dryer combo dies, you’re left without a washing machine or a dryer and need to replace the whole thing.

How much water do washer-dryer combos use to dry?

It varies from model to model, but the appliances in our test averaged 37L of water to dry our 3.5kg test load. That’s a ridiculous amount of water to dry a load of washing. In comparison, vented and heat pump dryers use no water.  

That’s bad news in a dry country like Australia, but due to a loophole in the way water efficiency ratings are calculated, the water used in the drying process is not reflected in the machine’s water efficiency star rating – only the water used for washing is included in the calculation. (This is a hangover from standalone dryer ratings, which don’t use water).

����Vlog tip: The water star rating doesn’t include the water used for drying, but the amount of water used for drying does have to be listed as a number on the sticker. Read the label carefully – don’t just count the stars.

We are seeing more washer-dryer combos that use heat pump technology to dry (like an air conditioner). Compared to a water-cooled condenser, they’re very energy-efficient and don’t use any water to dry.

How energy-efficient are washer-dryer combos?

If, like most Australians, you wash in cold water, your washer-dryer combo (with a condenser dryer) will use roughly 10 times as much energy to dry your clothes as it will to wash them.

The energy consumption of a washer dryer is comparable to using a standalone washing machine and condenser dryer. However, if you use a dryer regularly, you’re better off using a heat pump dryer as it uses much less energy.

What capacity is your washer-dryer combo?

Another quirk of combos is that their washing and drying capacities are different because your clothes can be packed in tightly for washing, but to dry effectively they need plenty of space for air to circulate.

Most of us only fill our washing machines to half their capacity (which is why we test using 3.5kg of laundry, not a full load) so that’s not necessarily an issue. But if you wash full loads (and you would be surprised at how hard this actually is to do), you’ll need to dry in two batches.

This is inconvenient enough, but factor in how long some of these appliances take to dry – up to 6.5 hours in one case – and this could become unworkable.

Do washer-dryer combos have a lint filter/trap?

No. As washer-dryer combos are front loaders, which are gentler on clothes than top loading washing machines, they do not need a lint filter.

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There are a staggering number of fridges on the market – all with different features, finishes and sizes. Not to mention the huge range of prices, from hundreds to many thousands of dollars. 

It’s a big investment, and if you choose badly you could be stuck with a dud for years. That’s why ����Vlog has been methodically testing fridges for decades: to help you find the best fridge for your needs.

Our lab experts assess key criteria including how fresh they keep your food, whether they maintain a stable temperature, how much energy they use, and how much they’ll cost to run.

Over the years, they’ve uncovered some impressive fridges alongside some seriously poor performers that scored below 50%. Not only do some of them cost thousands of dollars, they’ll also struggle to keep your food fresh, costing you even more over the years.

We’ve reviewed more than 100 popular fridge models in our accredited labs to cut through the advertising spin and help you decide which to buy.

Past contenders

In the past, we’ve warned consumers to avoid a number of subpar fridges.

Some lowlights include:

• Smeg FAB38RCRAU, known as “the worst fridge we’ve ever tested”.
• Smeg FAB32RRDNA1, which failed its energy check and scored just 34% overall.
• Ikea Nedkyld fridge, which took out a ����Vlog Shonky Award.

Fortunately, these fridges have been discontinued since we named and shamed them. 

The fridges to avoid buying

Unlike the fridges listed above, these low-scoring models are still on the market – so make sure you steer clear.

Hisense HRSBS649SW

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 40%
• Temperature stability score: 21%
• Price: $1599

This is the lowest scoring fridge in our review. Not exactly a sought-after accolade – and a fridge you should definitely avoid at all costs.

It fails to rise above mediocrity in almost all aspects of our test, with particularly troubling temperature fluctuation and evenness results.

Individual performance results aren’t the absolute worst we’ve seen but collectively, they point to an incredibly average fridge with no notable redeeming features.

Not only does the overall temperature of the fridge and freezer fluctuate, there are also warmer and colder spots throughout. Your ice cream and fresh produce will really feel the heat (or cold), depending on where you put them.

Read the full Hisense HRSBS649SW review.

Bosch KFN96VPEAA

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 43%
• Temperature stability score: 13%
• Price: $3299

In a previous review, we found a $2198 Bosch fridge that scored just 45% overall and rated just 5% for temperature stability.

This time it’s a $3300 French-door model that’s marginally better on temperature stability, but only just: it scored 13% in our test and couldn’t hold a stable temperature in the freezer or fresh food compartment. 

It performed worse than a number of cheaper French-door fridges, so avoid making a $3000 mistake by checking our detailed fridge reviews before you buy. 

Read the full Bosch KFN96VPEAA review.

Haier HRF420BHC

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 43%
• Temperature stability score: 6%
• Price: $1399

This fridge received one of the lowest temperature stability scores of all the fridges in our review.

For context, the best fridges we tested scored 90% on this metric – so 6% isn’t just bad, it’s shockingly bad.

Our lab experts rigorously assess each fridge, measuring the temperature at 12 different points in the fresh food compartment over a period of seven days to get an accurate picture of how much the temperature changes.

These kinds of wild variations mean the fridge doesn’t do its one and only job: keep your food cold (or frozen). To keep your food safe, your fridge needs to stay between 0°C and 4°C. But if the temperature rises higher than 4°C, you’re entering the food “danger zone” where bacteria can multiply.

And if the temperature in your fridge dips below 0°C, your food could freeze and then thaw again, leaving you with limp lettuce and soggy cucumber. In your freezer, temperature changes can shorten the lifespan of your frozen food and – even worse – ruin your ice cream.

We’ve found plenty of other fridges around the same price as this Haier that will actually keep your food cold, so check our review to find the best fridges for your budget. 

Read the full Haier HRF420BHC review.

Smeg FAB32RPB5AU

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 43%
• Temperature stability score: 0%
• Price: $4290

Smeg’s done it again with another second-rate fridge. To give credit where it’s due, this one is slightly better than its predecessors – but not much.

While you’d think the company would’ve improved upon the poor temperature stability that sealed its fate as manufacturer of the “worst fridge ever”, it seems Smeg hasn’t bothered: the FAB32 scored 0% for temperature stability.

The temperature is also not evenly distributed, with the top shelf section recording significantly warmer temperatures than the bottom.

Between the sketchy temperature stability and warm patches, your food is likely to go off faster, adding extra dollars to your grocery bill – which many of us can ill afford with today’s cost of living.

And it has a huge price tag for a fridge this size: over $4000 for a fridge we classify as “small”. So, you’re not getting much bang for your buck in terms of size or performance with this fridge.

Read the full Smeg FAB32RPB5AU review.

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And my cast-iron pots are brilliant for an array of cooking tasks, holding their heat and developing flavours exceptionally well. 

But which delivers the best tasting slow-cooked dish? I cooked a simple lamb and rosemary stew simultaneously in my Breville slow cooker and Le Creuset cast-iron Dutch oven to compare results and see which one is the true star performer. 

Benefits of cooking with a slow cooker

The ability to set and forget is undoubtedly the drawcard of using a slow cooker. Because they cook food at a low temperature over an extended period of time, you can generally safely leave them to go about their business unattended.

While I didn’t take advantage of this during my experiment, it’s a noteworthy feature. 

It’s also important to mention that my Breville slow cooker has a searing function, essential in my mind to avoid having to use an extra frying pan to sear and caramelise meat before cooking (and wash it up afterwards). Searing is an important step that adds oodles of flavour to your finished dish. 

Slow cookers are also energy efficient and easy to use – I seared pieces of lamb shoulder in some oil in the pot, then reduced some red wine (still using the sear function), then added onion, vegetables, tomato paste, stock and rosemary and set it to slow-cook on high for five hours to mirror the cooking time of the Dutch oven.

Benefits of cooking with a Dutch oven

One of the pros of a Dutch oven is its ability to heat up evenly and quickly. This was something I forgot about when I left some oil to heat in my pot for a touch too long, causing it to spatter when I threw the lamb shoulder in and resulting in a nasty little burn on my arm (first human-error fail).

The meat seared more quickly and effectively in the Dutch oven than it did in the slow cooker and I was able to sauté the onions and reduce the wine a bit more effectively. Then, I followed the same process of adding in the vegetables, tomato paste and stock.

I transferred the (heavy) pot to the oven, which I had preheated to 140°C, and set the timer for five hours to match my slow-cooker stew. 

Five hours later: How the stews compared

As the delicious smells of cooking filled the house, my kids and husband started pestering me about when it was going to be ready.

After I shooed a couple of whinging, hungry family members out of the kitchen, I opened the lids of both dishes to compare.

Appearance

To me, the lamb stew cooked in the Dutch oven looked the more enticing of the two.

There were those dark browned bits stuck to the side of the pot signifying some good flavour development had taken place, and the sauce looked more gravy-like, thickly coating the meat and vegetables which appeared to have cooked through well.

You’ll never get that browning on the side of the pot in a slow cooker as the heat comes from the bottom element, rather than from all the sides and the top as it does with a Dutch oven. 

Flavour

After a Masterchef-style, side-by-side taste-test performed by an “expert” panel comprising a Le Creuset-hoarding keen home cook (me), a discerning six-year-old and a hangry husband, the Dutch oven stew was declared the hands-down winner.

It was richer and more complex, with sweet and savoury notes coming through in the unctuous sauce, and the vegetables and lamb were fall-apart tender.

The slow cooker lamb stew was still rich, aromatic and tasted great, but according to my husband, it paled in comparison. The sauce was thinner, the flavours weren’t as developed and the vegetables were a little too firm. 

If I’m honest, it needed cooking for longer so I popped it back on low for another few hours (which would have caused a mutiny had I not had a back-up Dutch oven stew ready for dinner).

The expert take

����Vlog kitchen expert Fiona Mair has tested many slow cookers and Dutch ovens in our kitchen labs, so she knows exactly what to expect from each of these cooking methods.

“Both a Dutch oven and a slow cooker can be used to cook foods over a low heat for a long period of time,” says Fiona.

“Both can give excellent results, but generally, dishes will taste better when cooked in a Dutch oven as opposed to a slow cooker.

“This is because of the ability of a cast-iron pot to retain heat more effectively and maintain a consistent, even temperature that really helps flavours to concentrate and develop, and enables that rich caramelisation.” 

Fiona says that part of the reason that food cooked in a slow cooker may taste more watery or have a thinner consistency is that during the cooking process, moisture that evaporates from the food will condense on the lid and drip back down into the food, rather than reducing and concentrating the flavour as would happen in a Dutch oven.

This is why you generally have to add more liquid when cooking a slow cooker recipe in a cast-iron Dutch oven. 

My novice verdict

I feel my hoarding of cast-iron pots has been vindicated!

Even though cooking the slow cooker stew for a few hours longer improved the resulting flavour, the Dutch oven lamb stew was undeniably far superior and my cast-iron collection will now be my go-to for slow cooking when I know I’ll be home all afternoon. 

I will continue to use my slow cooker, though, if I want to leave the house or cook overnight (particularly as I have a handy “keep warm” function on my Breville slow cooker so it doesn’t matter if I return home later than expected – it will turn itself off and keep our dinner warm until we get home).

Although some may be comfortable with leaving a cast-iron pot unattended in an oven at low temperatures, ����Vlog experts advise that you should never leave an oven unattended. 

Other things to consider: Slow cookers vs Dutch ovens

Although a great-tasting stew is a key sway factor, if you’re considering whether to invest in a slow cooker or a Dutch oven, there are a few other things to keep in mind. 

Price and product reliability

As with most kitchen items, both slow cookers and Dutch ovens are available for a wide range of prices.

����Vlog has tested Dutch ovens ranging in price from $25 for a Kmart pot up to $600+ for a premium cast-iron pot from brands such as Le Creuset, Chasseur or Staub, and slow cookers ranging in price from $24 up to $319.

Premium cast-iron pots are undoubtedly pricey but they are also extremely durable and will last decades if you look after them, and many of the premium brands come with lifetime warranties.

They’re also recyclable. In contrast, there is always more chance of something going wrong with an electrical appliance, particularly those at the budget end of the scale.

A cheaper standalone slow cooker is likely to have a shorter lifespan, which means it may end up in landfill while your Dutch oven is still happily sitting on your kitchen shelf (hopefully still turning out delicious stews). 

Features

Different slow cooker models have a host of handy features that you might find useful, such as different heat settings, automatic timers and ‘keep warm’ functions. 

Generally, the more features a slow cooker has, the more expensive it will be.  However, even the most basic models are very energy efficient and can be used to cook a wide range of foods.

You can also now buy multi-cookers that have slow-cooking functions, which may be an option for you if you’re interested in an appliance that can also do things such as air frying, pressure cooking, rice cooking and more.

Versatility

A Dutch oven may just be a cast-iron pot but they’re incredibly versatile and suited to a wide range of cooking tasks (including baking bread!).

They’re available in a huge range of colours and styles (both enamelled and non-coated), and you can use them on both the stovetop and the oven. 

They can be extremely heavy though, and moving a cast-iron pot filled with food between a stovetop and oven can be dicey if you have limited mobility or struggle to lift heavy items.

Storage

Both slow cookers and cast-iron pots can be bulky to store, although Dutch ovens are arguably aesthetically pleasing enough to become a feature of your kitchen design or to go straight from oven to table (just don’t forget the heat mat and gloves!).

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But it’s a shame to dedicate money and bench space to an appliance that’s only used at dinner time or when you’re frantically cooking a batch of brownies late at night for the school bake sale that you forgot about.

There’s so much more that your microwave can help you with – and if you harness its superpowers it’ll liberate you from laborious kitchen tasks and give you more time back in your day for things like licking the bowl after making brownies.

Plus, if you take advantage of your microwave’s abilities, it can expand your cooking repertoire and even save you some money.

����Vlog’s kitchen expert Fiona Mair says a microwave is one of the most useful and underrated appliances in the kitchen. And she even rates it over an air fryer, which really tells you how versatile and helpful it can be.

“Most people use very little of their microwave’s potential,” she says. “It can be a very handy kitchen helper if you know what to do with it.”

So if you’re not using your microwave to help you with these kitchen tasks, you should be!

Blitzing baking prep

You might already use your microwave to melt butter, but there are so many other ways it can help you bash out baked goods faster.

Toasting nuts

Want to make perfectly crispy hazelnuts or browned pine nuts? 

Instead of risking burning them in a frypan or waiting ages for your oven to heat up, hand the task over to your trusty kitchen assistant.

Spread the nuts out in an even layer on a plate then microwave on high for one minute at a time, stirring in between, until they reach the ideal toastiness.

Soaking dried fruit, fast

If a recipe calls for dried fruit to be soaked overnight in brandy or tea, don’t panic if you didn’t plan ahead. Fiona says you can use your microwave to rehydrate fruit in next to no time.

Here’s what to do for four cups of fruit to a quarter of a cup of brandy: place the dried fruit and liquid in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and heat on high for two minutes.

Leave it to stand for five minutes and let the fruit cool before adding to your recipe.

Making perfect melted chocolate

When you’re trying to bash out that last-minute cake for the bake sale, melting chocolate over a double boiler and waiting for butter to soften on the bench wastes precious time. 

Your microwave can speed things up so you’ll finish with time spare to decorate it. 

Chocolate is a very heat-sensitive food, so when we put microwaves through our rigorous lab testing, we assess how good they are at melting chocolate.

A good microwave will deliver chocolate that’s evenly melted when it’s stirred. If the chocolate looks grainy and more like a paste, that means it has seized – it has cooked for too long and overheated.

Inverter microwaves are great at this: they provide constant, even power so there are no hot spots. 

(Here’s what you need to know about inverter microwaves.)

Only have a regular microwave? No problems. Just put your microwave on a medium-low setting.

To melt 180g of chocolate in a 900–1000W microwave, run it for 2 minutes and 30 seconds and stir halfway through. For a 700–800W model, run it for 4 minutes and halfway through. 

If you’re unsure of the wattage, heat on high for 1 minute and stir, then continue heating at 30 second intervals, stirring each time until just melted. The residual heat will melt any unmelted portions. 

“Thankfully, we’re seeing new microwaves on the market with auto settings for melting chocolate and butter and softening butter so keep an eye out if you’re shopping for a new model,” says Fiona.

Minimising food waste

Making your grocery budget go further isn’t just a case of buying wisely – it’s also about making the most of the food you do buy.

Here’s how your microwave can help you squeeze every last drop (or crumb) out of your food.

Rescuing stale bread

Who’s got the dough these days to chuck out a loaf of bread that’s past its prime? Rather than letting a loaf go to waste, you can revive it in the microwave.

Wrap it in damp tea towel or paper towels and pop it in the microwave for 10 to 30 seconds. (The timing will depend on your microwave’s power and the size and thickness of the bread.)

You can also do this with single slices of bread, but keep the cooking time brief.

This is also a great method for defrosting frozen bread slices. They dry out in the freezer, so normally when you defrost and toast them, they can be very dry and hard, and may burn more quickly than fresh bread.

The paper towel trick rehydrates them, so they’ll toast up as nicely as fresh slices.

This isn’t the only thing a microwave can do with your stale bread. Whizz up the bread in your food processor to make breadcrumbs, then dry them out in your microwave, or nuke bread cubes to create croutons.

Now you’ve not only saved money by bringing your bread back from the dead, you’ve also created options for jazzing up a mediocre midweek meal: think crumbed lamb cutlets, cassoulet and caesar salad, or making pangrattato to add a crunchy component to an otherwise-ordinary pasta dish.

Making citrus more squeezable

Yes, we’re really telling you to put a whole lemon in the microwave. 

Giving your lemons, limes or oranges a quick zap before juicing them will soften them up and help you extract more of the juice.

Depending on your microwave’s wattage, microwave the fruit on high for 10–30 seconds. Once it’s warm and soft, it’ll yield more juice.

Saving the sweet stuff

If your honey has seized up and won’t squeeze or spread, you don’t need to throw it out or resign yourself to eating crunchy honey on toast.

A quick whirl in the microwave will have it smooth and squeezy again in no time.

Prepping your Sunday roast

From preparing your meat for the oven, to making perfectly tender vegetables and getting a head start on the baked potatoes, your microwave can help set you up to nail a Sunday roast. 

Here’s what to use it for.

Defrosting a whole chicken

If you’ve forgotten to get the bird, beef or lamb out of the freezer, never fear – your microwave is up to the job. 

In fact, when we test microwaves in our kitchen labs, we assess how well each one performs this common kitchen task. 

Our kitchen experts check that each microwave defrosts a whole chicken thoroughly and safely without starting to cook the bird.

(There are a lot of defrosted chooks up for grabs in the ����Vlog office on chicken defrosting day!)

“Most microwaves can easily defrost a 1.5kg chicken safely in 30 minutes,” says Fiona. 

The timing will depend on the weight of the chicken or cut of meat and the power level that’s pre-programmed for defrosting. Check your microwave’s manual to find the right settings for your roast.

Cook crisp, tender (and healthier!) vegetables 

For those of us who grew up in the ’80s, you may associate microwaved vegetables with limp, grey and watery broccoli. That doesn’t have to be the case, says Fiona. 

“Microwaves are actually an incredibly easy way to cook perfect steamed vegetables, keeping them crisp, tender and full of the nutrients you lose if you boil them,” she says. 

“Look for a microwave that has a sensor for ‘fresh vegetables’ for perfectly cooked veg every time no matter what quantity.”

When we review microwaves, we test each model to see how well it cooks broccoli. 

The top rated models in our microwave review all score a perfect 100% on the broccoli test. 

Parboiling potatoes

You can’t have a roast without roast potatoes. 

One of the (many) secrets to the perfect roast potato – all crisp and golden on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside – is parboiling your potatoes before you roast them. 

And guess what? Your microwave can help with that, too.

Wash, peel and chop the potatoes, then put them in a microwave-safe container with a lid. If you have sensor cook or auto cook, use these settings, otherwise cook on high for 3–4 minutes. 

Don’t forget to let them stand for five minutes with the lid on to finish off the cooking after removing from the microwave. Then they’re ready to be shaken to fluff the outside to get them extra crispy when you roast them.

Get roasting

Cooking in a small kitchen or on the road doesn’t mean you have to forego a Sunday roast.

Convection microwaves do everything a standard microwave does, but they also have an extra heating element and fan so they can operate as a small oven, giving you the best of both worlds.

They do have pros and cons, however, and they’re not suitable for every household.

Here’s what to know before buying a convection microwave.

Want to take things to the next level? Some convection microwaves now come with an air fryer function, so you can nuke, roast and air fry with just one appliance, which will help with multiple tasks when cooking a roast dinner.

Here are the best microwaves with air fryer function.

Other kitchen tasks your microwave can help you master

• Cooking perfect rice every time
• Make easy scrambled eggs
• Steam delicate fish fillets
• Cook pappadums without oil
• Dry herbs
• Cook crispy bacon
• Make mug cakes

A note on microwave safety

Do keep in mind that microwaves can differ depending on wattage and whether they’re a regular microwave, convection or inverter. So use given times as a guide but always stay nearby when you’re cooking, just in case something goes awry. 

And remember: certain things don’t belong in the microwave. Plastic takeaway containers, metal trays, and some dinnerware and glassware may not be microwave safe, so check before you use them. 

Finally, it’s easy to forget that temperatures can be just as scalding in a microwave as a regular oven – don’t forget that food comes out hot! 

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From warming leftovers to melting butter for baking to reheating that cup of tea that’s been forgotten several times over, we rely on them to make life easier for us.

But microwaves that just don’t do what they’re meant to (or are so confusing to operate that you avoid using them) take up a lot of space in your kitchen – and can leave a big hole in your wallet. 

If you’re not a fan of lukewarm food or complicated appliances, it’s worth finding out which microwaves flunked out in our tests.

Why did these microwaves score so poorly?

“There are a few factors that contribute to a microwave receiving a low score,” says ����Vlog home economist Fiona Mair. She talks us through what makes for a mediocre microwave.

Complicated controls

Some microwaves are so tricky to figure out that you just about need an engineering degree to operate them. Or you need the patience of a saint to read through the entire instruction manual just so you can warm up your leftovers.

“We mark down microwaves that have controls that are difficult to comprehend, that don’t have clear written labelling, and hidden functions within a function,” Fiona says. 

“With microwaves like these, you’ll need to constantly refer back to the manual, which means you most likely won’t end up using your microwave to its full potential.”

Lukewarm reheating skills

Hands up if you pretty much exclusively use your microwave to warm leftovers? No need to be embarrassed: it’s one of the most common ways people use their microwaves.

“Low-scoring microwaves struggle with heating solid foods evenly, which means you’ll end up with cold spots in your food,” says Fiona. 

“Nearly all of the low-scoring microwaves in our test performed poorly when reheating.”

You can’t get a look in

“Another factor that contributes to microwaves scoring poorly is visibility,” Fiona says.

“Viewing the food cooking or heating in your microwave is essential for better control. The viewing window needs to be large enough and easy to see through with effective lighting. 

“The low-scoring microwaves in our tests generally didn’t have good visibility.”

The worst performing microwaves from our tests

You might be surprised to learn that the lowest scoring products aren’t always the cheapest. In fact, in our microwave tests, some of the poorest performers were well-known brands. 

That’s why it’s so important to do your research before buying an appliance.

Buy a cheapie and it could either be a bargain wonder or a dismal failure that’ll die after a few months. Conversely, if you cough up extra dollars for a better brand, you could strike it lucky or be left out of pocket twice over when you have to replace it.

Our experts really know their way around a kitchen: Fiona has been hard at work in ����Vlog’s kitchen lab since 1997, and our kitchen experts have more than 35 years’ experience between them, so when they recommend a microwave you can be sure it’s a winner.

Below are the models that failed to impress in our testing.

Westinghouse WMB2522SC

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 67%
• Price: $949

Yes, you read that right: $950 for a microwave. And an ordinary one at that.

In its defence, it’s a fancy stainless steel built-in model that has a fairly large capacity, and it’s excellent at cooking broccoli, but for that kind of money you’d expect near-perfect performance all round.

So where did this Westinghouse crash and burn?

A big factor in its score was its ability (or lack thereof) to evenly reheat food. With a score of just 48%, it didn’t even get a pass mark on this test. Considering that that’s one of the main purposes of a microwave, it’s hard to justify the price tag.

It’s also not exactly a joy to use: our experts rated it as “OK” for the ease of use assessment. Accessing some functions is a multi-step process that requires using a dial, as well as constant checking of the instruction manual to get it right.

The controls aren’t grouped together in a logical way, and the start/stop button isn’t obvious, so even after you’ve figured out how to choose the right function to heat up your leftover laksa, you might be stuck waiting even longer for your lunch.

Seven of the microwaves our experts recommend cost less than $300, so you don’t necessarily need to spend a fortune for a good microwave.

Instead of spending this kind of money on a microwave, you could take out a ����Vlog membership, pick up a similarly-sized one that’s recommended by our experts for $450 or less, and still come out ahead.

See the full Westinghouse WMB2522SC review.

Russell Hobbs RHMO10

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 68%
• Price: $180

One of the smallest microwaves in our current review, this Russell Hobbs also has one of the smallest scores.

Its ability to reheat food is lukewarm at best, with our experts rating it just 50% for this test – not exactly a ringing endorsement, considering that most of us use our microwaves just for reheating leftovers.

And visibility through the door is also very poor, our experts say, so you won’t be able to tell when the cheese on last night’s pizza has reached the perfect degree of bubbling.

It scored perfect marks for defrosting mince and was excellent at melting chocolate, but you don’t exactly buy a microwave for those two tasks alone, do you?

If you’re after a small microwave, there are better options out there – and some of them are cheaper, too.

Read the full Russell Hobbs RHMO10 review.

Sharp R395EBS

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 70%
• Price: $349

This Sharp is more expensive than most of the microwaves recommended by our experts, but it scores worse than almost every other microwave in our test. That doesn’t sound like good value to us. 

It rated the lowest for cooking performance of all the microwaves we tested, and our experts found that it performed very poorly when cooking broccoli. The salad dodgers among us will be pleased to know that it did well when melting chocolate, however. 

This microwave’s test scores read like a manual on mediocrity: our experts said it was “only OK” on a number of tests, like defrosting mince, manually reheating solid foods, and visibility through the door. 

It’s also not easy to keep clean, and its fan is pretty noisy even after you’ve finished cooking. 

Read the full Sharp R395EBS review.

The tie breaker

These four microwaves tied for third-worst place, each scoring 71% overall. 

Now, 71% isn’t a bad score: our experts classify it as “good” in our rating scale. But when you consider that 12 microwaves in our review score 85% and above (and for less money than some of these!), it puts that 71% into perspective. 

Why buy a good microwave when you could buy a great one?

These mediocre microwaves range in price from $89 all the way up to $480, which just shows that more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better – and that you can’t always rely on well-known brands to deliver the goods. 

Of these, the Samsung received the highest cooking performance score – but also the lowest ease of use score. And the exxy Smeg received the lowest score for reheating, at just 44%. (At least it’ll look good on your bench, right?)

• Smeg SA34MX ($480)
• Sharp R350EW ($309)
• Samsung MS32DG4504AT ($279) 
• Ikea Tillreda MM720C2CZ-PM0F ($89)

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Buying an expensive appliance that turns out to be a flop is frustrating: not only have you wasted your money, you feel obliged to use it because of how much you spent on it.

And when you do, it delivers disappointing results – reminding you yet again of your purchase regret.

That’s why you should check ����Vlog’s reviews every time you buy a new appliance. Not only could it prevent you from making a costly mistake, it’ll also give you the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve spent your money well.

Here, we reveal two air fryers that both disappointed in our testing, despite a $360 price difference, showing that spending more doesn’t always buy you more.

And exclusively for ����Vlog members, we’ll show you which cheaper models are better buys than ones costing hundreds of dollars more.

If you just want to get straight to the best products, you can jump to the results now.

Splurge vs save: Crumble vs Kmart Anko

• Splurge: Crumble Air fryer CCAF6LAU1 ($429)  
• Save: Kmart Anko 6.2L Window Air Fryer AF662KS ($69) 

With a price difference of $360, these two air fryers are worlds apart in terms of price and features, but they deliver pretty much the same performance.

Sure, the Crumble would look beautiful on your benchtop, but you know what would look better? That extra $360 in your bank account.

Their ����Vlog Expert Ratings are only one percentage point apart, and they received similar ratings for ease of use and cooking ability.

Overall, both are good but not great, especially when compared to the highest-ranked air fryers in our review that scored ����Vlog Expert Ratings of 80% and higher.

The Kmart fryer actually served up much better chips (an important consideration when buying an air fryer) but the Crumble did rate higher in our roast pork trail.

If you’re looking to save money but don’t want to miss out on top-notch tucker, you’ll be pleased to know that there are plenty of models costing $200 or less that are recommended by our experts.

You can filter our detailed air fryer reviews by price, brand, capacity and more to find the best for your needs.

The best cheaper buys that outperform expensive models

We independently test and review dozens of new air fryers each year in our onsite kitchen lab, and our experts know exactly what to look for to help you find the best product.

Our detailed air fryer test results are available exclusively for ����Vlog members. If you’re not yet a member, join ����Vlog to get instant access to our independent reviews, from fridges and freezers, toasters and TVs, and more.

Or log in to unlock this article and find out which cheaper air fryers outperformed expensive models in our expert testing.

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• What is the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker?
• What can you do with the Ninja Combi?
• How well does it cook?
• Is the Ninja Combi easy to use?
• How much bench space is needed for the Ninja Combi?
• Should you buy the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker?

There’s no doubt that modern kitchen appliances are evolving to meet the demands of our busy lifestyles, offering speed and convenience and allowing us to produce nutritious meals with minimal fuss.

����Vlog kitchen experts have seen all the latest innovations come through the labs, and one thing is for sure – manufacturers are adding more and more functionality into their appliances. 

Ninja has become a household name in kitchen appliances with the company creating products that combine functionality and ease of use to appeal to time-poor home chefs. Enter the Ninja Combi, their latest in multi-cooking, designed to combine multiple cooking functions (14 to be exact) into a single appliance and promising to replace everything from your air fryer to your oven. But is it worth the investment? Our experts put it to the test to find out.

What is the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker?

The Ninja Combi is a multi-cooker that combines 14 functions in one benchtop appliance. It can be used as an air fryer, oven, slow cooker and more. It comes with a combi pan, a bake tray and a crisper plate, along with a recipe book with multiple curated recipes. 

Ninja claims it can produce a complete meal for the family in just 15 minutes using “Ninja Combi Cooker Technology”. This feature simultaneously combines HyperSteam and Air Fry. 

It has a decent capacity too, and can feed up to eight people, making it an appliance worth considering if you have many mouths to feed.

How is it different from other Ninja multi-cookers?

Our ����Vlog kitchen experts classify a multi-cooker as a pot-based appliance that has both slow and pressure cooking functionality. 

Unlike the Ninja Foodi SmartLid OL650ANZ and Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 OP350ANZ that focus on pressure cooking and slow cooking, the Combi doesn’t have a pressure cooker as one of its 14 functions and for this reason you won’t see it compared against the rest in our multi-cooker review. Traditional multi-cookers are mostly a one-pot appliance that carry out one function at a time.

The Combi really is in a league of its own, looking more like a benchtop oven. Its ability for layered cooking, combining all elements of a meal at once is what sets it apart, with a focus on baking, roasting, air frying and steaming.

What can you do with the Ninja Combi?

The Ninja Combi’s 14 functions are:

• Combi meals
• Combi crisp
• Combi bake
• Rice/pasta
• Steam
• Prove
• Grill
• Air fry
• Bake
• Reheat
• Slow cook
• Seat/saute 
• Pizza
• Toast

����Vlog home economist, Fiona Mair says: “The Combi can replace many tools in your kitchen. Instead of needing bench space for a separate air fryer, oven, steamer, slow cooker and saute pan, the Combi has all these functions in the one unit.”

The speedy cooking comes from the Combi functions, where steam and air frying are used at the same time, allowing you to cook from frozen without needing to defrost first. 

“These functions are particularly useful for cooking a complete meal, combining meats, vegetables and a starch like rice, pasta or potatoes,” Fiona explains.

How well does it cook?

In our recent test of the latest slow cookers, Fiona put the Ninja Combi’s slow cook feature to the test against the rest. As a slow cooker the Combi wasn’t too impressive, rating “borderline”. The chilli beef required an extra five hours of cooking time, meaning it took a total of 11 hours to cook the meat and beans. The corned beef was still undercooked after eight hours of cooking.

“Using smaller cuts of meat like mince or cubes of chuck could get better results,” Fiona suggests.

What about its other features?

The Combi did a good job at cooking rice and the steamed broccoli it produced was perfect.

When it comes to air frying, the Combi was impressive too. It was excellent for roasting pork, and cooking marinated chicken wings and frozen chips. For cooking frozen nuggets Fiona rated it as “very good”.

You’ll find the Ninja Combi in our full review of air fryers.

How well does the Combi Cooker feature work?

Fiona says the Combi Cook feature is excellent.

“It allows you to cook a whole meal quickly and with minimal fuss, combining protein, carbohydrates and vegetables all together so the complete meal is ready at the same time.”

The rice or pasta cooks in the pan at the bottom with water, the meat cooks on the tray above and the vegetables are steamed at the end.

To test the feature, we followed one of the provided recipes to cook soy honey glazed salmon with brown rice and broccoli. The salmon was cooked perfectly, the rice required an extra 10 minutes of cooking using the rice function and the broccoli was cooked perfectly after being wrapped in foil (following the instructions) with some marinade which assisted in steaming.

The combination of steam and air frying works well, allowing some foods to brown while the steam works to prevent food from drying out.

Is the Ninja Combi easy to use?

Like many other Ninja appliances that come through our labs, the Combi comes with comprehensive instructions that are easy to follow, along with cooking guides and recipes.

The control panel is also typical of Ninja – well-labelled with a bright digital display and press buttons that are easy to use. The 14 pre-programmed functions are written on the control panel and you can easily select one by using the up and down arrows. It has separate on/off and start/stop buttons as well as adjustable controls for temperature/shade and time/slices. There is also a large switch dial on the top right side of the unit that you use to switch between air fry mode and combi cooker mode. 

There’s a button to turn on the oven light but the light only stays on for a few seconds before turning off. There’s also audible feedback to let you know when the cooking time has finished.

It’s easy to assemble – the crisper tray, combi pan and bake tray accessories slide easily into moulded shelf supports. Be mindful that there’s limited grip on the baking tray and combi pan which might make it tricky to remove the trays when they’re loaded with food. 

Is it easy to clean?

A lot of condensation can build up during cooking, particularly when using the slow cooker or combi cooker mode, so it’s important to make sure any excess water is wiped out of the cavity after each use.

The control panel is relatively easy to wipe over, but the buttons aren’t sealed so they could accumulate dirt and grime over time.

Stainless steel parts on the exterior can get grimy with fingerprint marks and the stainless steel interior can be particularly tricky to keep clean. The exposed element can also be difficult to access on the ceiling.

The accessories are easy to clean in a kitchen sink, but be mindful that they are non-stick, can scratch easily and may need replacing eventually.

Is the Ninja Combi easy to store?

The Ninja Combi is a large unit, weighing about 10kg and measuring 39cm wide, 37cm deep and 33.2cm high. Not only does it take up considerable cupboard space but it’s also not the kind of appliance that you’d want to have to pull in and out of a kitchen cupboard when you want to use it. 

Fiona recommends keeping the Ninja Combi on your bench to make sure you use it regularly if you want to get the best value out of this expensive and rather bulky appliance.

How much bench space is needed for the Ninja Combi?

If you’re planning on buying the Ninja Combi, we recommend measuring up your bench space first.

In practical terms, think of it as taking up similar space to a microwave or benchtop oven. If bench space is already limited in your kitchen you might find it hard to accommodate the space for the Combi.

It’ll also need good ventilation space around the unit, including space on top for steam venting and space in front to allow the door to open fully.

Should you buy the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker?

While its slow cooking performance was disappointing, overall our experts were impressed with the other functions of the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker. It’s versatile, easy to use and offers a wide range of cooking modes.

Fiona says: “This appliance is a great choice if you’re looking to add an additional oven to your kitchen or if you prefer using an air fryer over a conventional oven.”

“If you’re going to be using the slow cooker function regularly, you might be disappointed with the results.

“The ‘Combi Cook’ feature that allows you to cook a whole meal in a short time really is the game changer in this appliance, making it convenient for busy households or anyone who wants to prepare meals with minimal planning and time.”

Its large capacity makes it ideal for family-sized meals, or if you prefer to make enough for leftovers.

Fiona also suggests it’s a perfect option for holiday homes or caravans where space might be limited and having multiple cooking functions in one appliance can come in handy.

Keep in mind this appliance is large and will take up valuable real estate on your kitchen benchtop. If you’re going to invest in one, make sure it works with the way you cook and that you have a permanent spot for it on your bench. At $500 you wouldn’t want it to gather dust in a cupboard.

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Many manufacturers advertise the non-stick capabilities of their frying pans, but often these pans have coatings that can degrade over time, potentially releasing  “forever chemicals”. Frying pans with a non-stick coating also shouldn’t be used for high-temperature cooking (like searing a steak, or deep-frying with oil). 

So, what type of frying pan does our ����Vlog kitchen expert use at home? It’s cast iron or stainless steel, all the way. But while cast-iron pans can be very heavy and a little tricky to clean, stainless steel frying pans are great for everyday cooking and come without any forever-chemical coatings. 

“Stainless steel pans are super versatile for a range of cooking methods, including high temperature cooking for tasks like searing or browning,” says ����Vlog home economist Fiona Mair.

“They’re also compatible with all stove types, whether you’re cooking with induction, gas or electric.”  

Fiona praises the durability of stainless steel. “They’re safe to use with metal utensils, and you don’t have to worry about scratching any non-stick coatings.” 

Stainless steel is not inherently non-stick though. If you’re not a confident cook or you’ve ever had to scrape a stuck-on egg off a frying pan, you might notch this up as a dealbreaker. 

But did you know there’s a very easy way to make stainless steel frying pans non-stick? Yep, you really can turf out all your old scratched non-stick pans.

It’s called the Leidenfrost effect and was discovered by a German physician in the 1800s. It takes just a few minutes to master, and you’ll be able to cook perfect pancakes that slide right off your pans forevermore.

What is the Leidenfrost effect?

The Leidenfrost effect describes the reaction that occurs when you heat a stainless-steel pan until the surface of the pan becomes hotter than the boiling point of liquid. Using this effect is a simple way to make your stainless steel pans non-stick.

When you throw a few droplets of water into the heated pan, the liquid will vaporise and form beads that will bounce across the surface of your pan. This means a barrier of steam has been created that keeps the surface and the liquid separate. 

The same effect will prevent direct contact between the surface of the pan and your food – voila, a non-stick surface!

Creating the Leidenfrost effect to make fried eggs

1. Make sure your pan is clean and smooth – any old remnants of food will cause sticking.
2. Place your pan over a medium-high heat and preheat for a few minutes. 
3. Throw a few droplets of water into the pan. If the water sizzles and dissipates, the pan is not hot enough. If the water spits, it’s too hot. 
4. Test with a little water again – the pan is the right temperature when the water forms little beads that gently bounce across the surface of the pan. 
5. Add a little bit of oil to the pan; you may need to turn down the temperature if the pan is too hot, as you want a more gentle heat for eggs.
6. Add your egg and fry until cooked. Slide it out!

Is there a problem with non-stick coatings on frying pans?

Non-stick cookware refers to the application of a chemical “non-stick” coating to the metal pan during manufacturing. The coating allows foods to cook and brown without sticking to the pan, which is ideal if you’re frying eggs or making pancakes. It also means very little oil is needed and in some cases no oil at all.

Non-stick cookware has been traditionally made using PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) coatings, more commonly known as Teflon. PTFE belongs to a larger group of chemical compounds referred to as PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), which make surfaces slippery and resistant to water and oils. 

They’ve often been referred to as “forever chemicals” due to the fact that they persist for long periods of time in our bodies, and break down very slowly (or not at all) in the environment. 

Over the years, manufacturing has evolved to make products safer and more durable, with some manufacturers claiming PTFE-free cookware. However, there are still concerns around the safety of non-stick cookware.

You’ve probably heard conflicting reports about non-stick coatings like Teflon, PTFE and PFAS giving off harmful chemicals when heated and being linked to health and environmental issues. 

But the chemicals used in non-stick coatings only start to break down and release harmful toxins in temperatures above 260°C, and research suggests that no toxins are released from cookware used at or below normal cooking temperatures. 

The toxins seem to be lethal to birds and may cause headaches, nausea and damage to the respiratory tract in humans.

Visit our frying pan buying guide to find out more about buying and using non-stick pans.

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