GH Institute

Latest product reviews

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  Prima at RHS Cardiff

  Join Prima for a jam-packed day out in Cardiff. The event will include a tour of Cardiff Castle, talks by flower and gardening experts, tea, cake and a visit to the RHS Show Cardiff.

  The event will be held at the impressive Cardiff Castle and visitors will enjoy a guided tour through the extravaganza of painted murals, stained glass, gilding and sculpture - it's a Welsh Victorian Camelot. For directions visit www.cardiffcastle.com

  Following your tour, you’ll get to enjoy talks from celebrated gardener and broadcaster Chris Beardshaw. Chris has presented BBC Gardeners’ World and his own series The Flying Gardener. He’s also a regular panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. Chris will be talking about his passion for gardening and answering your questions – the perfect chance to get advice from the talented man himself! In addition, you will be able to enjoy talks from the fantastic Katherine Kear – national speaker, teacher and demonstrator for the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies. Learn more about her expertise at www.katherinekear.co.uk.

  Bute Park, the majestic grounds of Cardiff Castle, will be playing host to the RHS Show Cardiff, a hive of activity as specialist nurseries fill marquees and plots. It’s the first major horticultural show of the season, with designer gardens, a craft and farmers’ market and a lively programme on the bandstand. The RHS Show Cardiff is a great family day out and a perfect opportunity to be inspired for the season!

  Join us as we usher in spring and showcase the best in Welsh horticulture. Readers will have the opportunity to enjoy the Prima activity in the morning, followed by free entry to the RHS Show Cardiff in the afternoon. Or you have the option of visiting the RHS Show Cardiff first and attending the Prima activity afterwards. Both Prima sessions will include tea and a selection of cakes. And while you’re in Cardiff, why not make a weekend of it by exploring the city? If you like shopping, you’ll love Cardiff’s under-cover malls and network of Victorian and Edwardian arcades with high street brands, designer boutiques and quirky gift shops. Visit www.eventsincardiff.com for more details.

  Date: Friday 20 April 2012             

  Venue: Bute Park, Cardiff Castle

  Session 1:  10am – 1pm (Prima activity followed by the RHS show)

  Session 2:  1pm – 4pm    (RHS show followed by Prima activity)

  Cost: £27 per ticket / £25 for RHS members    

  TO BOOK: Call 020 7312 3905 and indicate which session you wish to attend.

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  Tried, Tested and Reader Recommended!

  For decades, GH readers have relied on the Good Housekeeping Institute to recommend the best products, Tried and tested by our in-house consumer experts. We have tested and approved everything from detergent to dishwashers.

  Now we’ve decided to take our testing even further, by recruiting an army of readers to help us with the testing. If you see the Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended logo on any product, you know it’s been put through its paces by hundreds of GH readers in their own homes.

  And so, congratulations goes to Cheerios Original and Honey – the latest products to pass the test! These yummy cereals were tested by Good Housekeeping readers, and their children. The testers then provided feedback to our experts at the GHI before the final decision was taken.

  More products are in the testing mill, and we’ll let you know every time one passes. As our Editorial Director, Lindsay Nicholson says: 'We pride ourselves on how smart, knowledgeable and straight-talking our readers are – they know quality when they see it, and they can tell when something is well worth buying.'

  Look out for more news of our Reader Recommended products online, in the magazine and in the shops. And don’t forget to let us know what you think. Click here if you’d like to join our research panel

  Other ways to get the best deals

  • Search for GHI product reviews here
  • Find out about the Good Housekeeping Institute Approval scheme here
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  Review of Cuisinart Elite FP12DCSU food processor

  Features

  1200W. 1 speed plus pulse. 2.1 litre bowl plus smaller bowl and two feed chute sizes. Max liquid capacity: 1.7 litres. Max dough capacity 700g. Attachments include: whipping disc, adjustable slicing blade, fine grater, course grater, dough blade.  Tool storage box.

  Comments

  Good points: Good chopping, blending and dough making results. Motor will not start unless large pusher is in place. Sturdy bowl and lid. Excellent instructions, clear and concise. Useful storage box for attachments. Finger holes in discs makes them easy to remove. Push on lid is easy to attach and remove. Stable on work surface. Generous bowl size.

  Drawbacks: Intricate lid design makes it hard to wash and dry. Longer items like cucumber have to be cut to fit wider chute or motor will not start without pusher in place. Poor results for grating chocolate, quite a bit was trapped above the blade.

  Rating: 86/100

  Price Range: £199.99 - 240

  Stockist: 0870 240 6902 - http://www.cuisinart.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - April 2011
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  Review of AWT by Breville VFP013 food processor

  Features

  880W. 4 manual speeds, 8 pre-set progs plus pulse. 1.5 litre bowl. Max liquid capacity: 1 litre. Max dough capacity: 1kg. Attachments include: emulsifying disc, adjustable slicer, fine grater, course grater, julienne disc, blender jug.  Tool storage drawer.

  Comments

  Good points: Fast and efficient for all tasks. Pre-set programmes are useful and easy to use - one touch.  Slicing blade can be adjusted to multiple thicknesses.

  Drawbacks: Noisy. Tall bowl makes it messy to add ingredients. Storage drawer too small to fit much in. Moved around during mincing test.

  Rating: 86/100

  Price: £109

  Stockist: 0800 525 089 - http://www.breville.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - April 2011
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  Review of Philips Robust HR7781 food processor

  Features

  1200W. 2 speeds plus pulse. 4.0 litre bowl. Max liquid capacity: n/s Max dough capacity: 2kg. Attachments include: balloon style whisk, dough tool, julienne disc. Tool storage.

  Comments

  Good points: Planetary action balloon whisk efiiciently whips cream. Generous width of feed tube easily accommodates whole cucumber. Excellent, even results for chopping nuts, onions and bread and slicing cucumber.

  Drawbacks: Some movement on work surface when kneading dough. Slight leakage through lid and base when filled to max capacity with liquid.

  Rating: 86/100

  Price: £350

  Stockist: 0800 331 601 - http://www.philips.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - April 2011
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  Review of Magimix Cuisine 5200 food processor

  Features

  950W. 1 speed plus pulse. 3 litre bowl plus two smaller bowl sizes. Max liquid capacity 1.3 litres. Max dough capacity 1kg. Attachments include: egg whisk, slicer, fine grater, course grater, dough blade, citrus press. Tool storage box. Choice of four finishes.

  Comments

  Good points: One of the quietest tested. Wide bowl makes it easy to add ingredients. Large press controls are easy to use. Spacious tool box for attachments. Sturdy, solid machine.

  Drawbacks: Messy when whipping cream, hard to view through bowl sides. Some residue remained after grating chocolate. Moved a little during dough test. Leaked through lid when filled to maximum liquid capacity. No measuring scale on bowl sides.

  Rating: 84/100

  Price Range: £179.99 - 229

  Stockist: 01252 727755 - http://www.magimix.com

  GHI Test Report - April 2011
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  Review of Bosch MCM4100 food processor

  Features

  800W. 2 speeds plus pulse. 2.29 litre bowl. Max liquid capacity 1.21 litres. Max dough capacity: 1kg. Attachments include: whisking disc, fine slicer, course slicer, fine grater, course grater, dough tool, French fry disc, citrus press, juice extractor. Integrated tool storage drawer.

  Comments

  Good points: Easy to view through bowl. Quite a compact design. Good slicing, blending and chopping results.  Efficiently blended mayonnaise and whipped cream well.

  Drawbacks: White plastic blade holders stain easily and tend to drag ingredients like chocolate and cheese rather than grating cleanly. Very poor instructions, wordy and hard to follow with few diagrams. Storage drawer is awkward to open. Handle fills with soap and water during cleaning. Noisy  blender.

  Rating: 82/100

  Price Range: £99.99 - 119.99

  Stockist: 0844 892 8923 - http://www.bosch-home.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - April 2011
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  Review of Dualit Compact food processor

  Features

  900W. 1 speed plus pulse and auto pulse. 2.8 litre bowl plus smaller bowl. Max liquid capacity 2 litres. Max dough capacity: 600g. Attachments include: emulsifying disc, adjustable slicing blade, fine grater, course grater, dough blade. Tool tray.

  Comments

  Good points: Small bowl is useful for smaller quantities. Slicing blade can be adjusted to a useful range of thicknesses. Good results for whipping cream and bowl is easy to view through during this test. Quick to blend mayonnaise. Finger holds on discs makes them easy to remove.

  Drawbacks: Moved on work surface during some tests. Large bowl better for liquids as food tends to fall between disc and bowl. Chocolate jammed around blade edge when grating. Feed hole  too small to accommodate cucumber. No measuring scale on bowl. Bowl a little stiff to remove.

  Rating: 81/100

  Price: £179

  Stockist: 01293 652 500 - http://www.dualit.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - April 2011