Technoglam

Get your coffee in three seconds flat with the Tefal QuickCup

For a bedroom or homeoffice, a hot'n'cold drinks maker like this is ideal. It doesn't clutter up too much space and you have a ready access to your tea or coffee without having to head over to the kitchen. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's pretty stylish too.

Operation has been kept minimal - push a button and within three seconds, filtered and heated 220ml of water is dispensed into your cup. Press the button for more water and press again to halt it. Tefal are claiming eco credentials on this one as it only heats the water you need thus saving up to 65% of energy when compared to a normal kettle.

Want it? 79.99 at Green Stamp.

Cuisinart ice cream maker - make your own frozen yummies

I don't know about you but I veer between 'must have one of these' and 'argh! kitchen clutter!' At £100 it's going to be one of those purchases you'll need to have a think about.

On the plus side, it does promise to make frozen desserts (or deserts says the press release, good luck with that), frozen yoghurts, sorbets and drinks in just 20 minutes which is great for those Saturday night must have some ice cream moments or the 24 hours of summer we may get this year. And as it has two bowls, you can make two different desserts at the same time or twice as much of the same thing!

It's not quite as impromptu as it sounds though - you will need to put the bowls in the freezer the night before then all you do is add the mixture and it's fully automated to get on with it.

More info and stockists at Cuisinart.

Bugatti Volo - the most glam toaster ever?

Can a toaster look any more glam than this? I reckon not. Top Italian designers Bugatti have really gone to town on this, giving it a motorised lifting system, six electronic browning options and wide slots that can also take bagels. There's even a crumpet warming rack and a serving tray.

Personally I'd got for the fuchsia option but there's stainless steel and black if secretly you're a little afraid of its magnificence. It's £175 from Bodie and Fou.

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Krups Dolce Gusto coffee maker

Without looking at the title of this post, I'm not sure anyone would guess what this actually is. But you have looked and you know it's a coffee maker and a cool looking one at that. It uses a capsule system to make roast and ground coffee with "a high 15 bar pressure to ensure the full extraction of flavour, while the thermoblock heating technology ensures the perfect brewing temperature". Not only that but it also has an auto cut off after 20 minutes so it doesn't waste electricity.

A free pack of capsules is included along with a latte macchiato glass and a cappucino cup and saucer which does slightly pose a problem if more than one of you wants a cup in the morning. It's £78 at John Lewis.

[via our sister site Hygge Nook]

I really want a... Roomba

Is it impossible to find a vacuum cleaner that actually works? For more than a couple of months? We've had loads of vacs over the years and they've all been rubbish, no matter what we've paid.

Whenever I complain about vacuum cleaners (usually when we've got guests round and I'm apologising for the state of the carpets and saying, "The hoover's broken! I've never had a decent hoover!"), people recommend a Dyson. But they're just so expensive! And they're not fun. If I have to hoover (and apparently I do), I'd like it to be fun.

Which is where the Roomba comes in. I'm sure you've seen it - it's a robot. You just press a button, walk away, and the machine methodically make its way around the room, allowing you to put your feet up and watch it (before the novelty wears off) or get on with other things (once it has). They come in various specs and so various prices, but start from £146.80. [via Keris at Hygge Nook]

7/10 people don't have a dishwasher say Electrolux

According to research conducted by home appliance manufacturer Electrolux, a whopping 7/10 of us don't have a dishwasher (and I'm one of them). They say they can be easily installed if households are prepared to remove a single cupboard from the kitchen and whilst that may mean losing some storage space, the dishwasher could be used to store crockery anyway. Plus, if we think about how much water used when washing the dishes - 2-25 litres per minute say Water Wise - how does that compare to just 12 litres for a dishwasher load? What do you make of the dishwasher winning?

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Smart cooking with Morphy Richard's Intellisteam

I've always had a hankering for a steamer - they just make cooking (which I don't enjoy) look so easy - but there's not enough counter space in our kitchen, unfortunately.

I could really be tempted by this Intellisteam by Morphy Richards, just because it looks so smart and high-tech. Plus it has "intelligent timers" to ensure all your food is ready at the same time. That's the kind of cooking I could get used to! [via Hygge Nook]

Three of the best: colourful kettles

Changing your home appliances is an easy way to inject some life into your kitchen especially if you opt for one of these colourful models.

From left to right: This 1.7litre red pyramid kettle has matching appliances in the same range, £30 at Next; grab some morning calm with an azure blue DeLonghi kettle which has a concealed element for faster boiling and easy cleaning, £59 at John Lewis; this green Meyer Prestige provides a blast of colour and has an automatic boil-dry cut-out function, £36.31 at Amazon.

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Give your home phone a glam update with a pink Princess phone

My house phone resembles a mobile phone and I'm forever losing it what with it being quite small and wireless. How I yearn for a pink Princess phone instead. AT&T first brought them out in 1959 as a compact phone though our ideas of compact have changed somewhat in the intervening 50 years.

This one has had a modern update with push buttons, redial button, a ringer on/off switch and volume control. It's £39.10 at Oliver Bonas where it's available in pink (pictured), electric pink or chrome. Love it. [via our homes site Hygge Nook]

Credit Crunch: Retro style toasters

The 'credit crunch' has gripped the nation - I'd even go as far to say it's commented on far more often than the weather which isn't bad for something that does sound rather like a biscuit. More than ever, savvy shoppers are looking for the best they can get from their cash so we're helping you out with an occasional feature. This week we're looking at retro style toasters both with great looks but with two very different price tags.