Amazon kitchen and home finds, tested and written up

AddToPick tests inexpensive Amazon kitchen and home products and posts a short video plus a written verdict for each one. Every verdict states who the product is not for.

All picks

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Pick 0001 Do toddler conveyor belt trucks actually move real sand? The conveyor belt on this toddler construction truck does move real sand, and the belt is what separates the truck from a plain push toy. AddToPick rates the truck worth buying for children around three and older who play in a sandbox. Pick 0002 Do mini snap clips stay in fine toddler hair? Mini metal snap clips this size do hold in fine, straight toddler hair, because the snap closes flat against the hair rather than gripping by tension. AddToPick rates this set worth buying for the sheer count and colour range. Pick 0003 Does Miss Mouth's actually remove set-in food stains? Miss Mouth's does lift food stains that have already set, and berry stains are the case reviewers name most often. AddToPick rates the spray worth buying for households with young children, where saved clothing offsets the price. Pick 0004 Does Press'N Seal really seal better than cling wrap? Press'N Seal holds a seal that ordinary cling wrap does not, because the wrap grips the surface it is pressed onto rather than clinging to itself. AddToPick rates the wrap worth buying for anyone who transports covered dishes. Pick 0005 How hard is the Step2 Fun with Friends kitchen to put together? Assembly takes roughly half an hour with a power drill and noticeably longer with a screwdriver alone. Reviewers agree the instructions are clear, and disagree only on how much the drill matters. Pick 0006 Does a vegetable chopper squash tomatoes or cut them clean? The Fullstar chopper cuts tomatoes and cucumbers cleanly rather than crushing them, and one reviewer names this as the difference from an older chopper that squashed soft vegetables into water. AddToPick rates the chopper worth buying. Pick 0007 Does the Bissell Little Green remove stains that already dried? The Little Green does lift stains that dried long ago, and reviewers report success on marks left for months and in one case for years. AddToPick rates the machine worth buying for any home with pets or small children. Pick 0008 How long do reusable magnetic water balloons actually last? Reusable magnetic water balloons last a season of heavy daily use and can last several years with lighter use, and what ends their life is not impact but sun and mould. AddToPick rates the set worth buying for households that host neighbourhood water fights. Pick 0009 How long does the Epson PictureMate PM-400 actually last? The PictureMate PM-400 runs for years rather than seasons, and reviewers report six and nine years of steady scrapbooking use from a single unit. AddToPick rates the printer worth buying for anyone printing 4x6 and 5x7 photos at home. Pick 0010 Is Epson Ultra Premium photo paper worth more than Premium? The difference between Epson Ultra Premium and Premium glossy paper is weight rather than the printing surface, and reviewers who have used both describe the same print result on thicker stock. AddToPick rates the Ultra Premium worth the extra cost when prints will be handed out or framed. Pick 0011 Does the Epson PictureMate work with third party ink? The PictureMate PM-400 rejects third party cartridges, and two separate reviewers report the printer refusing to recognise cheaper ink before switching back to the Epson 320. AddToPick rates the genuine cartridge worth buying because there is no working alternative. Pick 0012 Can one person assemble a patio bistro set alone? One person can assemble this bistro set alone, and one reviewer in her eighties reports doing exactly that over a morning with her own tools. AddToPick rates the set worth buying for balconies and small porches. Pick 0013 Does a sealed rice dispenser actually keep bugs out? A sealed rice dispenser keeps rice dry and pest free, and this one adds a small compartment at the top for garlic, which is a traditional way of keeping weevils away. AddToPick rates the dispenser worth buying for households that buy rice in large bags. Pick 0014 Does the Bob and Brad Q2 mini massage gun break down? Battery and charging failures do happen with the Q2, and three of ten five-star reviewers report one. All three were replaced free under the two year warranty, which is why those reviewers still rate the device five stars. Pick 0015 How do you pick the right size Therapeutica pillow? Size is measured from the tip of the shoulder to the ear while lying on the side with the spine straight, and three of ten reviewers had to reorder after getting it wrong. One reviewer reports the manufacturer's printable measuring guide pointing to the wrong size. Pick 0016 Do gel ice packs stay soft enough to wrap around a neck? The Torex Mojility pack stays pliable straight out of the freezer and moulds to a neck or shoulder instead of freezing into a rigid board. AddToPick rates the pack worth buying for anyone icing the same spot regularly. Pick 0017 How long does a cordless glue gun stay hot on one charge? Reviewers disagree sharply on runtime, reporting anything from a long working session down to ten or fifteen minutes after the battery degraded at three months. AddToPick rates the glue gun worth buying for short craft sessions and classroom use, and not for continuous work. Pick 0018 Do ice stick trays actually fit narrow water bottle openings? Long ice sticks do drop into narrow bottle openings, and reviewers name specific bottles they fit. Underfilling each channel slightly is what makes the sticks narrow enough to go in cleanly. Pick 0019 How do you make corner guards actually stay stuck? Corner guards stay stuck when the surface is cleaned thoroughly first and the roll is left stretched out for several hours before cutting. One reviewer spent two hours on an eight foot brick run, most of it cleaning. Pick 0020 Does a bottle organizer fit a Stanley with the handle on? This organizer takes large tumblers with handles attached, and one reviewer reports fitting Nalgene bottles, Tervis cups and Yetis including handled ones on the same shelf. AddToPick rates the organizer worth buying for cabinets where bottles currently stand two or three deep. Pick 0021 How do you stop tumbler lids falling out of the cabinet? A magnetic lid rail holds tumbler lids on edge under a shelf, and the magnets pull each new lid into line against the one before it. AddToPick rates the organizer worth buying for households with more than a few tumblers. Pick 0022 Does a metal lemon squeezer need strong hands? A metal lemon squeezer does need hand strength, and one reviewer states plainly that it is not suited to arthritic hands. Two hands are the normal method for a large lemon. Pick 0023 Do magnetic remote holders work with every remote? Most remotes hold, but not all. One reviewer using these for about a year reports a single remote that pushes the magnet away and will not stay. Pick 0024 How strong is the compression on a hand massager? The compression is strong enough that one reviewer compares the top setting to a tourniquet, and the default level is already firm. Start at a low intensity and raise it over several sessions rather than at first use. Pick 0025 Does rice actually not stick to a non-stick rice paddle? Rice does not stick to this paddle, and reviewers who have gone through several paddles claiming the same describe this one as the first that holds up. The texture of the surface is what does it rather than a coating. Pick 0026 Are OXO POP containers actually airtight? Pressing the button expands a rubber ring outward against the container wall, which produces a seal good enough to keep flour dry in Florida humidity and to stop rats getting into feed in an unheated barn. One reviewer who describes that mechanism doubts it is airtight in the strict sense. Pick 0027 Does a latched lid seal better than a push button container? A latched lid with a silicone gasket holds tighter than a push button lid, and one reviewer who owns several push button containers reports being able to lift those lids off while the seal is engaged. This container seals hard enough that reviewers describe suction when opening it. Pick 0028 Is a pocket sized MagSafe tripod stable enough to film with? The tripod is stable for tabletop filming as long as the phone is not tilted far past the leg base, because the phone outweighs the stand. Tension hinges hold each angle without drifting. Pick 0029 Do boil over spill stoppers actually work? Boil over stoppers do work, and reviewers who describe being sceptical before buying report no boil overs afterwards, including with rice, pasta and high starch gluten free noodles. Foam rises against the lid, the vents release steam, and the liquid drains back into the pot. Pick 0030 Does an egg separator ever let the yolk slip through? A yolk does slip through occasionally, and one reviewer puts the success rate at about nine times in ten while arguing that no separator does better. Larger eggs and cold eggs straight from the refrigerator both improve the odds. Pick 0031 Do drawer organizers stop silverware rattling when the drawer shuts? Magnets hold the two halves of this organizer together, and one reviewer who went through three trays in four years reports the silverware no longer shifting when the drawer closes. Rubber nubs for the underside keep the tray itself from sliding. Pick 0032 How long does a rechargeable soap dispenser last per charge? A single charge runs for months of daily use, which is what separates a rechargeable sensor dispenser from one that needs batteries changed. AddToPick rates the pair worth buying for a kitchen and a bathroom. Pick 0033 Does meat stick to a stainless burger press? Meat does stick to bare stainless, and enough reviewers report it that parchment or a thin film of oil should be treated as part of the method rather than a workaround. With that step, a spring in the base pushes each patty back out intact. Pick 0034 Do sink strainers let food slip around the edge? This strainer sits flush in the drain so nothing passes around the rim, which is the failure of loose mesh baskets that sit lower than the opening. Water still drains at full speed. Pick 0035 Where does the water go in a sink caddy? Water collects in a tray that slides out to be emptied, and a swivelling spout can be turned toward the sink so the caddy drains where you want it rather than onto the counter. AddToPick rates the caddy worth buying for a sink with no room behind it. Pick 0036 Does a squeegee dry a counter better than a paper towel? A squeegee pulls water off a counter in one pass instead of spreading it around the way a towel does, and the soft blade flexes to follow an uneven surface. AddToPick rates the squeegee worth buying, with a caution: only seven five-star reviews exist for this product and most are several years old, so the evidence base here is thin.. Pick 0037 How long does a freezable serving bowl stay cold? Reviewers report the bowl staying cold for over four hours, which covers most of a party. Water sealed inside the double wall is what holds the temperature, so nothing melts into the food and no puddle forms under the bowl. Pick 0038 Do silicone drying mats drain into the sink or hold the water? This mat drains rather than absorbs, and the built in channel carries water off the mat, but only if one edge is placed touching the sink. Placed in the middle of a counter it collects water instead. Pick 0039 Will a roll up drying rack fit over my sink? The rack is 20.5 inches long and spans the sink by resting on both edges, so a sink opening wider than about 19.5 inches leaves nothing for it to sit on. Measure the opening, not the cabinet. Pick 0040 Does a rotary grater's suction base stick to any counter? The suction base holds on a smooth surface and does not hold on tile, where the grout lines break the seal. On a smooth counter or a cutting board it stays put through cranking. Pick 0041 Do silicone sink splash mats actually work? A slanted silicone mat does keep the counter behind the faucet dry, because the slant returns water to the sink instead of letting water sit on the stone. AddToPick rates this mat worth buying for quartz and granite counters, where standing water dries into a ring.