Published on 30 - July - 2010

News

Smoothie machines and peanut butter makers are among 10 products written off as worthless in the latest issue of Which? magazine.


The article, called "10 products you don't need", said that in testing, a smoothie maker "proved to be more hassle than it's worth."

It added: "Our lab tests show that even the best smoothie makers can be really tricky to clean thanks to their tap dispensers, and they're often slow to pour. A good jug blender - without the tap - will make smoothies just as well and eliminates the hassle of trying to clean the tap."

The article urges consumers not to waste up to £80.

Which? also tried using a £30 peanut butter maker, one of several products that "astounded us with how useless they seem to be; some even turn an easy job into a difficult one.

"A peanut butter maker might seem like a great gift for nut lovers, but it was a big disappointment in our tests. It took a staggering 20 minutes to produce a meagre 40g of peanut butter - longer than it might take many people to walk to their corner shop and pick up a whole jar, typically more than 300g. And we found it almost impossible to clean afterwards."

The appliance was also said to be very noisy when in use, the lid kept coming off and small chunks remained even in smooth mode.

As an alternative, the testers made 100g of chunky peanut butter in 30 seconds using a £19 Kenwood CH180A mini chopper.

Which? also takes a swipe at the Amazing Dryer Balls for tumble dryers, which claim to cut laundry drying time by 25%, soften fabrics and reduce creasing.

"We found that the average drying time was slightly longer with the balls on a full load and there was no improvement in creasing or softness."

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