I reviewed the latest kitchen appliances so you don't have to

Journalist Glenn Kelly puts two of the latest kitchen appliances to the test to see if they're worth the price tag.

Just scroll through social media, and you will see thousands of people obsessed with getting the perfect cup of joe. Thankfully, if you want to tinker with being a barista, without having to spend your days serving coffee to punters, there are plenty of appliances on the market.

Now, that joy of imitating baristas has been extended to replicating hot chocolate fixers and ice cream shop owners. With the right machine, you can now perfect a delicious mug of hot chocolate at home or even create your own honeycomb ice cream.

Recently, I've been given the chance to review the latest offering for these dream machines: The Ninja CREAMi Deluxe and SMEG's milk frother. Read on to see the results.

Ninja CREAMi Deluxe

Ninja has become synonymous with creating kitchen appliances that make the buyer feel like they can make the standard of drink or treat usually only available in a café or restaurant, and they seem to be at it again.

The Ninja CREAMi was lauded for its ice-cream making abilities, and now it has a big brother. The deluxe model adds more functions, including the ability to make not only homemade ice cream, but also sorbet, gelato and more. It also increases the capacity, coming equipped with three large 709ml tubs and lids in the box.

You can also add ingredients to the mix, for example chocolate chips and honeycomb pieces, so everyone in the house is happy with their dessert.

How does it perform?

Very well. The process works by mixing up your ice cream with some simple ingredients and freezing the mixture in one of the supplied tubs for 24 hours. Once frozen, you then use the magic mixing power of the machine to create your ice cream.

We made both honeycomb and chocolate and both were very easy to make, albeit I personally was not aware that there would be a 24-hour space between creation and eating, so make sure you know that if you are thinking of using it for a party.

The machine is super simple to use with a twisty knob allowing you to select what you wish to use the machine for and then you just watch the magic happen.

The CREAMi is not so loud as to be disruptive, and it does not run for more than a few minutes at a time. It also takes up a reasonably small footprint, but is taller than the underside of some cabinets at 42cm so make sure you measure this out before buying.

Once the machine did its job, our family was treated to ice-cream parlour standard treats. The ice cream was smooth and silky, and the CREAMi did a great job of mixing in the chocolate chips and honeycomb. The end product could have been a little firmer so be prepared to eat it up quickly, but you can always re-freeze and run it through the process the next time.

In conclusion, the CREAMi Deluxe was a raging success in our house and whilst it does require a little more preparation time than I thought, the end result warranted this. The product also comes with a booklet with over 100 recipes so suffice to say we haven’t worked our way through these all just yet!

The Deluxe model is a little more expensive but can often be found on offer and with the current sale price of under €240 at Brown Thomas you won’t regret this purchase.

SMEG Milk Frother

Straight out of the box, the SMEG is a thing of beauty. As usual, the company manages to introduce a feel of nostalgia and the 1950s to your kitchen.

The machine itself is compact and a quick read of the instructions and you are underway. The machine comes with a removable stainless jug and lid for the milk and a simple dial with seven options. The quality is immediately noticeable with the fit of the jug and the damped quality of the rotary dial.

The machine can be used for all sorts of milk but is best known for its hot chocolate capability, a drink that is rising in popularity, especially with Gen-Z.

For the test I used Knoops Hot Chocolate flakes. Knoops sells the machine in their store so I thought it would be a good pairing, and boy was I right.

How does it perform?

Simply add your milk, add in your flakes (eight teaspoons per 200ml of milk), and let the machine do the rest. The machine runs whisper quiet for about three minutes before automatically shutting off. A small wheel on the bottom is all that spins and froths the milk.

My testers for the day were my two kids, who were both salivating over the counter as they stood on their stools to get a better look. Based on their scientific knowledge I could tell by their smiles that they liked the end result.

For me I was super impressed by the velvety nature of the hot chocolate. The Knoops cocoa percentage was 43, so medium and I liked that as it's not too strong, but a darker chocolate blend is available.

What people will be asking with these machines is: Do I need this over just instant hot chocolate and a kettle? The answer depends on how much you will use it.

There are other cheaper machines out there such as the Hotel Chocolat Velvitiser, but none offer the premium feel of the SMEG. So, I suppose you could say you get what you pay for. It is currently available at Harvey Norman for €189.

What matters most is the end result, and on that front the SMEG is, as yet, unsurpassed.

Glenn Kelly was sent products for purpose of review. You can read his take on these five at-home coffee machines here.