Latest news with #softserve
Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Telegraph
Ninja Swirl by Creami review: I made delicious soft serve in minutes with this viral ice cream maker
The products or services listed have been independently tested by our journalists. We earn a commission from the affiliate links in this article. Read more > What is the Ninja Swirl by Creami? For anyone who jealously watched people on Instagram and TikTok make soft serve ice cream from the comfort of their plush American kitchens and wished you could do the same - now you can. The new Ninja Swirl by Creami, an upgrade on its previous Ninja Creami (another viral hit) is now available in the UK. With 13 programmes it can make everything from classic ice cream and custard-based gelato to fruit sorbets, milkshakes, frozen yoghurt and healthier protein-based blends to satisfy your sweet tooth. The soft serve swirl arm lets you make your own Mr Whippy, all you need is some wafer cones. Unlike traditional compressor ice cream makers, it doesn't churn in real time. Instead you prep your base, freeze it overnight, then blend it. At £349.99 it's one of the more expensive frozen dessert machines on the market, but it's by far the most versatile, too. Expect silky, scoopable results, quick clean-up and zero crunchy ice crystals. How we test ice cream makers I used the Ninja Swirl by Creami daily in my family kitchen and tested it across five core categories: design, performance, usability, results, and cleaning. I whipped up over 20 different desserts (hello, heatwave), from a silky custard-based gelato and mango sorbet, to dairy-free protein 'nice cream' and frozen yoghurt, using the new 'CreamiFit' mode to tailor the texture of each batch. I also tested Ninja's 'Creamify' technology to see if it genuinely keeps the texture of the different frozen desserts consistent. I rotated between the two 480ml tubs provided to see how evenly the machine handled mixing different batches and whether the swirl nozzle could really deliver that signature soft-serve curl. I tested accuracy, spin time, consistency and noise levels while running the machine at full speed, and challenged it with trickier ingredients like flapjack pieces, sticky peanut butter and fresh passion fruit. Finally, I tested how long it took to clean and dry the various machine parts and how well it stood up to back-to-back use over a busy summer weekend. Every test was done using a standard freezer with no special prep or shortcuts – just the included instructions, recipes and a lot of cream. Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don't accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles. All opinions are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more. Design Score: 9/10 Make no mistake: the Swirl by Creami is big, bold and designed to stay on your countertop. It is 45cm tall and 48cm deep, and requires as much space as a typical stand mixer. That said, it looks smart enough to earn its place; the brushed silver finish, glossy digital display and soft‑serve handle gives it an undeniably premium feel. (The videos may make the screen appear glitchy, but it's just a tick that can happen during filming. There's no disco lights to deal with here.) The solid tubs give you four servings, have clear fill lines and wide lids for easy storage. A drip tray below the swirl dispenser catches excess, and it all clicks together solidly. It's a little heavier than you might expect (9.45kg) but that bulk translates to real stability. It doesn't wobble even on vigorous cycles (but it does get loud) and may be hard to move between uses. Usability Score: 10/10 Despite the multiple programming modes, this is one of the most user-friendly kitchen gadgets I've tested. Once you've pre-frozen your base, operating it couldn't be simpler: slot the tub into the base, twist to lock, press your chosen mode and let it do its thing. The soft‑serve handle locks in place with a click and has enough resistance to stop any accidental messes. The programmes are clearly labelled with options for soft‑serve, scoop, milkshake and more. There's even a dedicated mode for healthier, high-protein bases that would usually require several spins to avoid powdery or crumbly results. I never had to re-do a cycle; every dessert came out with a smooth, scoopable texture on the first try. Remembering to prep tubs the night before was a learning curve, but once I got in the rhythm it was no different to marinating meat or making overnight oats. Prepping two or more bases at once makes week night desserts a doddle for families, too. Performance Score: 10/10 I put on multiple cycles in a row, using the ice cream, sorbet and milkshake settings, and had consistent results from the first test. The machine ran smoothly without slowing down or overheating, and while softer desserts like sorbet were ready faster than dense, creamy gelato or mix-ins, nothing took more than seven minutes. The paddle easily worked through frozen bases even with frozen fruit and chunky peanut butter. The spin action is precise and strong enough to blend the contents evenly in one cycle without stalling or needing to scrape down the sides. Crucially, the swirl arm wasn't just a gimmick, it produced a genuine soft‑serve flow with ribbons of ice cream landing in a bowl in neat spirals. It never dribbled or clogged, even with stickier mixes, and while the mixture takes prep you can have it out of the freezer and be eating it on the sofa in under 10 minutes. An impressive feat for any dessert maker. Score: 10/10 This is where the Ninja Swirl earns its price tag. Every dessert I made – dairy free, low-sugar or all-out indulgent – impressed even the fiercest family critics. The soft‑serve programmes produced glossy, creamy spirals of ice cream with no ice crystals or slushiness. Scoop settings produced dense, smooth textured desserts that held their shape even after sitting in the bowl for a few minutes. I tested identical bases in both the swirl mode and scoop mode, and each time the results matched its intention: soft‑serve was fluffy and light, scoop mode was denser and more structured, and milkshakes stayed icy cold until the last sip. Even trickier mixes like frozen Greek yoghurt with fresh mango and white chocolate didn't trip the machine up. It integrated add-ins smoothly without over mixing, allowing the individual flavours and textures to come through in each bite. Cleaning Score: 10/10 For a machine with multiple moving parts and a swirl dispenser, cleaning was surprisingly quick. The tubs, paddles, swirl nozzle and drip tray are all dishwasher safe, and they didn't warp or stain. I mostly hand-washed them during testing and it took under five minutes. The only thing to watch out for is the swirl nozzle. If you're using thick sauces or sticky mix-ins then it's worth rinsing it straight after use to prevent anything from drying inside. The base unit itself just needs a quick wipe with a cloth, as there are no exposed mechanisms or tight nooks that might trap residue. Overall, the Ninja Swirl is far less faff than a traditional ice cream maker and doesn't require regular maintenance or a fiddly setup, either. If you're used to cleaning after baking or juicing, this will be a breeze. Technical specifications I compared the Swirl by Creami with the original Ninja Creami to highlight key upgrades in size, functionality, programme options and performance. Should you buy the Ninja Swirl by Creami? If you're serious about soft-serve at home, the Swirl by Creami is a standout. It's bigger, smarter and more versatile than its predecessor and delivers impressively consistent results across a range of desserts. Yes, if: No, if: Ninja Swirl by Creami FAQs What modes does it have? The Ninja Swirl by Creami has thirteen modes, including Ice Cream, Light Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbet, Frozen Yoghurt, Milkshake and the standout Swirl mode for soft-serve-style desserts. What is the best alternative? The original Ninja Creami is the best alternative; it's smaller and more affordable, with many similar programmes. It just lacks the Swirl function. What's the best way to make ice cream? Prepare your ice cream base, freeze it for 24 hours in the provided container, then blend using the Ice Cream mode. For the best texture, don't overfill and consider re-spinning if needed. How do you clean it? All parts, except for the motor base, are top rack dishwasher safe.
The Verge
3 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
Ninja's latest ice cream maker has never been cheaper
Ninja's Swirl ups the ante for ice cream machines by also allowing you to make soft serve or frozen yogurt at home. It normally costs $349.99, but now you can pick one up for $299.99 at Amazon, its lowest price to date. It's the first time the ice cream maker has gone on sale since it was released in February. Ninja's clever 2-in-1 machine can spin up soft serve and traditional hard scoops in a few easy steps, not to mention creamy milkshakes, gelato, and frozen yogurt. The Swirl is an extension of Ninja's popular Creami line of ice cream machines, and it works the same way as when making hard-packed ice cream. You prepare your ice cream base, transfer it into one of the included pint containers, freeze the base overnight, and attach the container to the Swirl to churn. If you're making soft serve or frozen yogurt, you attach the pint container full of your churned base to a nozzle attachment, lock it into place in a slot to the left of the Swirl's control panel, and pull down on the handle. Part of the Ninja Swirl's appeal is that it has all the functions of the Creami, which means it's compatible with the same recipes, including non-dairy, high protein, and low-calorie variations on the classics. There's an active community on Reddit that's constantly experimenting with recipe tweaks, ingredient swaps, and different flavor combinations. If you're new to ice cream making, it's helpful to know where to look when you'd like to try something different, or want to accommodate an allergy. The Ninja Swirl is your best option for making ice cream at home. Cuisinart's ICE-48 is less expensive, but it can't make hard-packed ice cream. The Swirl would also make an excellent holiday gift for the adventurous home cook in your life if you want to save money by shopping early. Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox weekly. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Brandt Ranj Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Deals Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Smart Home Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
CNN
19-06-2025
- General
- CNN
I tested Yonanas' frozen dessert maker after seeing so many glowing reviews. Here's what I thought
Like the Ninja Creami, the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker is another kitchen appliance you may have seen online. Praised by reviewers for its ability to turn frozen fruit into delicious soft-serve-like treats, this lightweight gadget also comes with a very budget-friendly price tag, and because I'm always up for testing new products, I knew I had to see for myself how the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker managed to rack up more than 3,000 5-star reviews on Amazon. Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker This frozen dessert maker is the perfect way to make good use of your ripe bananas and frozen fruit. Easy to assemble and even easier to use, it's also one of the lightest appliances I own, making it easy to pick up, move around and tuck away on a shelf. It's easy to assemble and disassemble The appliance comprises two main parts: a surprisingly lightweight motor base and a chute that houses the blade cone. Before using it for the first time, you'll want to disassemble the chute so you can wash the individual parts (they're dishwasher-safe), according to the instruction manual that comes with the Yonanas. I chose to handwash the parts and it took me just a few minutes to do this, reassemble the chute, then attach it to the base (it clicks into place). Disassembling the appliance can get a little messy (more on that later), but it's just as simple as assembling it. It's straightforward to use What I appreciate most about the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker is how foolproof and simple it is. There's no control panel to worry about or complicated steps to follow to create a satisfying frozen treat every single time. Since it shaves slightly thawed frozen fruit into soft-serve-like desserts, you'll need to have frozen fruit on hand. You can choose to slice and freeze fruits you have lying around, or you can purchase bags of frozen fruit from the store; I decided to go both routes. The instructions recommend freezing your fruits for 24 hours, but from personal experience you may be able to get away with freezing them overnight, depending on how cold your freezer gets. Before you can start feeding your fruits through the chute, Yonanas recommends letting them defrost for seven to 10 minutes to ensure you get that ideal soft-serve consistency. The first time around, I let my fruits defrost for too long, so my dessert had a consistency similar to traditional soft-serve that's already begun to melt. For that reason, I recommend keeping a close eye on the time so it doesn't turn out too soft. If your recipe calls for bananas, the brand recommends alternating between frozen banana halves and any other fruits you're using. The appliance comes with a pusher that allows you to feed the fruits through the chute, so there's little risk of cutting your hands on the blades. I noticed it takes a minute for it to start dispensing, but as you continue to add fruits, it forces what's already gone through to come out. There are lots of recipes to try The frozen dessert maker comes with a recipe book that includes plenty of fruit sorbet recipes in addition to recipes for other desserts, such as cookies and cream, which you can make by alternating frozen bananas and chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos. The first sorbet I made was a banana and berry cherry one I created using banana halves I'd frozen, plus a bag of frozen berries and cherries from my local grocery store. I used two bananas and 3/4 cup of the berries- and- cherries mix, and I found that this made more than enough sorbet for one person. The result? A refreshing frozen mixture you could easily eat in the morning for breakfast, as a midday snack or as a post-workout treat. Though many recipes include bananas, there are also banana-free recipes you can follow. I'm not a huge fan of bananas myself, so unsurprisingly, my favorite recipe was one I made with strawberries and mangoes. It's worth keeping in mind you'll need to de-pit fruits with pits before using them with the Yonanas. Though I only used fruit in my recipes, as mentioned above, you're also able to use cookies, muffins and ingredients like chocolate bars, peanut butter and avocado slices. It's messy Handling defrosting fruit can get messy, and unfortunately, the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker doesn't come with tongs, so you'll have to use your hands or utilize one of your own kitchen utensils. It also doesn't come with a drip tray. Because fruit bits get left behind in the chute, you'll definitely want to have your sink stopper in place to prevent food waste from going down the drain if your sink doesn't have a garbage disposal. I also couldn't help but notice large pieces of cherry skin throughout my otherwise delicious banana and berry cherry frozen mixture that the blades had missed. Though I expected to come across some fruit skin, I expected those pieces to be smaller and better incorporated into the rest of the mixture than they actually were. I also noticed a decent amount of mixture that needed to be cleaned out of the chute itself, which contributed to the overall messy cleanup process. After each use, I made sure to thoroughly wash the chute, the blade cone and the gasket. If you're going to make two different sorbets consecutively, I suggest quickly disassembling the chute and giving it a quick rinse to avoid any flavor transfer. I'll be the first to admit how disappointing it is when a dessert doesn't come out as expected, which is why I love how easy the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker makes creating frozen treats. Turning fruits into frozen desserts is a creative way to use them before they go bad, not to mention the Yonanas is lightweight and easy to use, providing countless flavor combinations to experiment with. If you're looking for a quick way to make a healthier-for-you treat that also tastes delicious, the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker is definitely worth considering. Can you use frozen fruit in the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker? Can you use frozen fruit in the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker? Yes, frozen fruit needs to be used in the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker. Can the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker make ice cream? Can the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker make ice cream? While the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker can't be used to make traditional ice cream, it can make delicious vegan-friendly desserts using frozen fruit. What's the difference between the Yonanas Soft-Serve Maker and Ninja Creami? What's the difference between the Yonanas Soft-Serve Maker and Ninja Creami? The Ninja Creami can also make fruit sorbets, but you need to add a liquid, like fruit juice, to the container before freezing, while the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker requires freezing individual pieces of fruit. Even though both appliances use a blade to create frozen treats, I felt the Ninja Creami produced sorbets that had a smoother consistency than the ones made with the Yonanas, though the desserts are equally as tasty. CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this story, associate editor Rachel Dennis made several frozen desserts with bananas, strawberries, mangoes and more using the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker.
Wall Street Journal
12-06-2025
- Wall Street Journal
Soft Serve at Home? This $350 Kitchen Gadget Makes It Possible
Making soft serve at home hasn't, historically, worked out so well. Most countertop appliances are designed for hard ice cream. If you go Luddite and leave a carton of ice cream out to thaw just so, it easily ends up somewhere between a milkshake and soup. So, when appliance maker Ninja released the Ninja Swirl by CREAMi Soft Serve & Ice Cream Machine ($350) earlier this year, I was—cautiously—hopeful. Would the quality of the soft serve make it worth laying out the money and the counter space? First, you mix the base—largely milk, cream and sugar—in the provided pint container. (The Swirl comes with recipes.) Then you freeze it for 24 hours. The next day, you load the container into the machine, choose the soft-serve setting, and wait 4-5 minutes as a metal shaft with a toothy blade moves through the frozen base. Next, move the pint container to the Swirl's top left corner and ready a cone or cup. Hold the lever down for about 10 seconds, and a piston pushes the ice cream through a star-shaped silicone tip similar to the kind that pipes frosting onto a cake. The ribbon of soft serve meanders down slowly, tantalizingly. The ice cream will definitely be soft, but it can also be icy. My freezer was already set to zero degrees, but I learned that carving out a spot in the very back chilled the base faster, reduced the iciness and delivered a mouthfeel closer to commercial soft serve. I also found that the base works better with eggs, and experts back me up on this. 'I add eggs when I make soft serve at home,' said Kimberly Bukowski, a dairy foods extension specialist at Cornell University and former ice-cream-shop owner. 'Eggs are a natural emulsifier, so you can use yolks without necessarily having to use any stabilizers.' Adding a couple yolks did make for a richer consistency. You have to cook them first—for food safety and thickening—in a saucepan, to about 170 degrees. Ninja includes egg-based frozen-custard recipes in the book that comes with the Swirl. But this bit of fuss lengthened an already 24-hour-long endeavor. The easier route: Use store-bought hard ice cream as your base. Commercial ice creams have stabilizers to ward off iciness and come in flavors and colors tricky to replicate in your kitchen. (I happen to love an artificially green mint chip.) The machine is loud enough to make your kitchen sound like a wood shop. And it's big, with a 12-by-10-inch footprint. But it's also a twofer, since it churns scoopable ice cream too. Most important, while the ribbon it produces isn't quite as fat as what you get at Mister Softee, it comes close. Turns out, it is pretty exciting to make soft serve at home. The Wall Street Journal is not compensated by retailers listed in its articles as outlets for products. Listed retailers frequently are not the sole retail outlets.
The Verge
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
The Verge's favorite summer gear for 2025
Two years ago, we published a list of our favorite summer gear — and it's time to do it again! Things can get a little tense out there in the world, so sometimes you have to pause and take a breath. We're looking forward to taking some time for ourselves by hiking, biking, or hanging out and listening to our favorite tunes, maybe accompanied by some soft-serve ice cream to cool things down. We've asked our staff about the gadgets they plan to use this summer to help get away and have fun. Here's what some of them recommend. There's nothing that brings a smile to my family's faces faster than soft-serve ice cream. It's definitely something we bond over, although usually it's when we're on the way back from the beach or as an after-dinner treat while on vacation. So, when I got a chance to try the new Ninja Swirl Creami at home, I jumped on it. An ice-cream maker and soft-serve dispenser in one, the Ninja makes ice cream on one side and then dollops it out in soft-serve form on the other. Unlike my previous attempts at making homemade frozen treats from scratch with my KitchenAid stand mixer, the Ninja makes this super easy to do. (You still need to be patient as it has to freeze for 24 hours.) But the real bonus — and what made this a big hit in my house — is that you can stick store-bought ice cream into it and turn it into soft-serve in seconds; no waiting required, just endless sundae bowls and swirl cones on tap for summer hangouts. The only downside (other than price) is that we only got two decent-sized soft-serve cones out of each 16-oz pint container. Luckily, it comes with two containers, which helped keep the ice cream flowing. I've also enjoyed creating unusual frozen delights in the Ninja. Inspired by a very active Reddit forum, we tried frozen tomato soup (really yummy), fresh watermelon mixed with condensed milk (ah-ma-zing), and my son's morning protein smoothies in frozen form — the perfect way to prep him for a day of lifeguarding at the local pool. – Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, smart home reviewer Solar Buddies sunscreen applicator $12 $12 at Solar Buddies $16 at Amazon As a pasty redhead from a large ginger family, I relish every opportunity to nag about the importance of wearing sunscreen — especially when the summer heat is pounding and everyone starts getting their fleshy bits out. If you're someone who avoids applying the stuff because it makes your hands feel gross, then allow me to remove that excuse for you: sunscreen applicators are a convenient and mess-free solution that can help you protect your skin without itching to wipe your greasy hands on clothes or sandy towels. They're great for applying sunscreen to your kids, too. The Solar Buddies version I use has a big handle, spongy applicator, and a roller dispenser that ensures even small hands have a good grip and don't look like they've dunked themselves in frosting. You just have to fill them with your sunscreen of choice, giving some added flexibility around the brand and SPF (but please, please consider sticking with a factor of 50 plus). Because the applicator screws tightly closed, it can also help prevent any explosions from occurring in your bag compared to the usual squeeze bottles. Nobody likes a sunscreen sandwich. — Jess Weatherbed, news writer CamelBak Hydrobak hydration pack $6017% off $50 $50 at Amazon $65 at CamelBak If you're itching to get out on a bike ride even when it's 85-plus degrees, you don't want to be stuck without an adequate supply of water. I only have room for one drink holder on my bike, so I've found that it's just far more convenient to carry water on my back with the aptly named CamelBak Hydrobak hydration pack. It's a lightweight backpack that holds up to 1.5 liters of water, which it says is enough for a two-hour bike ride. The backpack also comes with a handy straw that you just lift up and drink from, preventing you from having to stop and drink from your water bottle (unless you're coordinated enough to take a sip while riding, which I am not). It also keeps your water relatively cool even when the sun is beating down your back. Aside from storing water, there's a zipper pocket where you can store car keys, your ID, and other small items. It's not just ideal for biking, either. Many people use the CamelBak Hydrobak on long hikes, runs, and even for music festivals. — Emma Roth, news writer Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 $10016% off $84 $84 at Amazon $101 at Best Buy I try to bring a Bluetooth speaker everywhere with me when the weather's good. A pool party, a park day, a golf outing, a hang on the back patio — it's all better with music! There are obviously lots of good speakers out there, but for me the UE Wonderboom 4 is the perfect one. It's only $100, it's small but loud enough to work just about anywhere, its battery lasts all day and then some, it's waterproof, and it floats. (All the colors look nice, by the way, but… get the blue one.) There are fancier speakers with more features, and the $200 Megaboom does sound a lot better, but I keep a Wonderboom in my trunk, and it has made me the party hero more times than I can count. — David Pierce, editor-at-large The summer months mean more family walks, hikes, and time outdoors, and one of my favorite ways of exercising in the process is rucking. You don't need a fancy GoRuck to go rucking; just throw as much weight as you want to carry into any sturdy backpack that feels good on you. But, while the Ruckers may be a little over-the-top on their 'tacticool' looks for some folks, they are incredibly well made and nicely designed for weighted walks or even crossfit-style workouts. — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, reviewer Ever since I got scolded at urgent care (turns out the mysterious shooting pain in the back of my head was due to dehydration), this 40-oz flask has rarely left my side. It was a gift from a friend who works outside under the Los Angeles sun all year long, so trust her experience. This hefty bottle fits perfectly into my life — although not in any of the gym equipment cup holders, due to its generous girth (holder-friendly shapes are also available). I am to consume roughly two of these bottles' worth of water daily, particularly when it gets hot in the summertime. Aside from being a sturdy receptacle, it really is a thermos, so it keeps my water cold for hours. — Marina Galperina, senior tech editor Leki Legend Black Carbon Walking Pole $120 $120 at Amazon $120 at REI For years, a close friend and I would go birding together, and one of our favorite late spring treks was to Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania to observe the yearly raptor migration. Unfortunately, my friend never had strong ankles, and as the years passed, the trek up and down the mountain became more difficult. After she had one bad slip, I went to a local REI store and bought her a lightweight walking pole. She loved it. It came with a rubber tip for flat surfaces like sidewalks and a pointed tip for muddy or rocky terrain. It was lightweight and adjustable, and it had a comfortable grip. It could be quickly compressed and stored in her bag or the trunk of her car, and then expanded and used for hiking or just strolling. It was, she once told me, the most useful birthday gift I ever gave her. The walking pole I bought her is no longer available, but Leki's Legend Black Carbon one is pretty close. — Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor Matador Pocket Blanket $30 $31 at Amazon $30 at Matador I never thought I'd marvel at the design and engineering of a blanket until I tried this one from Matador. Made from a waterproof and surprisingly durable fabric given how thin it is, the Pocket Blanket is large enough to accommodate up to four adults when unfurled but folds up into its own built-in storage bag that's about the size of a deck of cards. Refolding the Pocket Blanket is easy, thanks to a subtle printed pattern showing where all the fold lines should be, and it can be secured to the ground using either built-in metal corner stakes or small pockets that can be filled and weighed down with sand. We rarely leave the house without at least one slipped into a bag, and keep extras in the glove boxes of our cars. — Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter Thermacell E55 Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller $30 $31 at Amazon $30 at Thermacell My biggest deterrent to spending some time outside are bugs, mosquitos specifically. I wish they'd bug off. They have me looking like I'm doing interpretive dancing to avoid being poked. Thankfully, a gadget that I got last year has made it so that I don't need to be (as) protective of my exposed skin. Thermacell makes rechargeable and refillable mosquito repellers. I got the E-Series model, which creates a safe zone where you likely won't be bitten. It lasts a little over five hours per charge, meaning I get more than one use out of it before needing to charge it again. Just be sure not to use it in an environment where there isn't proper ventilation; Thermacell notes that its ingredients shouldn't be a concern for people or pets, but I don't want too much insecticide around my loved ones — or my food. — Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor
