Reviews – Page 211

NFC Ring OPN review

How would you like to wear a magic wand on your finger? That’s sort of what an NFC Ring is because it can be used to grant wishes or in nerd speak, it can run macros, send your contact info, load a web page, open digital locks, and more. I reviewed the first NFC Ring by John McLear back in 2013 and then their 2nd gen NFC Ring in 2016. Now they’re back with a brand new version of the NFC Ring that looks snazzier and has a stronger antenna. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The 2018 NFC Ring OPN is an updated NFC ring that contains a single NXP NTAG216 IC tag which has an updated antenna design for improved operating range and enhanced compatibility with many devices and digital door locks that are on the market.

If you are unfamiliar with NFC tags, take a quick look at an article that I wrote about 5 years ago that explains what NFC tags are and what you can do with them.

Design and features

The NFC Ring OPN which stands for “Open” because according to John McLear:

Reference is:

Used to open doors / devices.
Software being open source
For open communities / open minded thinkers

Or if you want it to sound super cool: “Orbital Precision Neurons”

The ring is made of a hypoallergenic hardened advanced scratch-resistant ceramic (95% zirconium oxide + 5% yttrium oxide). It’s rated at IP66 for water and dirt resistance.

The ring looks lovely. No one would guess that it hides an NFC tag inside it because there are no markings on the outside or inside to give anything away. The only markings are the letters OPN and the ring size on the inside of the band.

The black version of the ring that was sent to me looks like a ring made of hematite because it has a gorgeous black glossy shine and feels smooth and cool to the touch.

Although you can see a seam on the edge of the ring in the image above, it’s not noticeable in real life.

The OPN ring is available in sizes from 4.5 all the way up to a size 16. NFC Ring offers an app that will help determine your ring size if you don’t already know what it is.

The app uses your phone’s camera to take a picture of your hand holding a standard sized credit card so it can figure out the size of your fingers.

It’s an interesting concept for the app, but when I tried it several weeks ago it had some technical issues and didn’t accurately report the ring size of my right ring finger. I already knew that the ring finger on my right hand required a 6.5 sized ring but the app couldn’t figure out the size and it reported that the ring size for the ring finger on my left hand was a size 5 which is way too small. So I ignored the app and asked for a size 6.5.

Size 6.5 fit my finger perfectly so I can tell you that if you already know your ring size, the NFC Ring OPN is sized correctly so don’t worry about needing to order a size up or down to fit your finger.

What can the NFC Ring do and how do you program it?

First of all, it’s important to realize that the NFC Ring OPN is not payment enabled, so you can’t use it to buy things. However, a version of the NFC Ring is coming soon from Mclear.com which will offer that feature.

The NFC Ring OPN can be programmed using the official NFC Ring settings app which allows you to program the ring to do one of six basic functions which are shown on the screenshot above on the right.

Don’t worry though, you’re not restricted to just these six functions. You can download other NFC Tag writing apps to program the ring. I did my testing using an app called MacroDroid which allows you to string a bunch of macros together to trigger various commands on the mobile device running the app with you touch the ring to the back of the device. The only caveat is that a ring programmed using the MacroDroid app will only work on the device where it’s running.

To use the NFC Ring to open digital door locks, you’ll need to program it using the app that came with the lock. Since I didn’t have any digital door locks to test with the ring, my testing was only done with the NFC Ring Settings app and the MacroDroid app. Both of those apps made it easy to quickly write info or a command to the ring.

Once the ring is programmed, all you have to do is touch the ring to the back of your Android or iOS smartphone. Note that it’s still easier to use NFC tags with Android smartphones compared to iPhones. I did my testing with my Pixel 2 XL. To read NFC tags on an iPhone, you’ll need an iPhone 7 or newer and it needs to be running iOS 11 or newer. You’ll also need an NFC app running in the background.

Each phone / device has what is called a “sweet spot”. That’s the area where the NFC tag reader is located and is where you want to tap the ring.

Compared to the earlier NFC Rings, the OPN version is easier to use because it doesn’t have an orientation. The other rings had two tags so you would have to turn the ring so that one tag was facing out and one tag was in. Think fist bump vs. high five. With the NFC Ring OPN, you don’t have to turn the ring any special way to have it trigger your device when you tap it. The improved antenna in this ring means it just works.

As mentioned earlier, I used the MacroDroid app to program the tag in the ring to perform multiple tasks based on different constraints. For example, I set up the ring so that if I tap the ring on the back of my phone when the phone is connected to my MINI Cooper’s Bluetooth, and it’s Monday through Friday, it will launch the phone app and call Jeanne. If I’m sitting at my desk at work and I’m connected to a specific cell tower (so it knows I’m at work instead of at home), it will turn off WiFi and lower the volume levels.

What I like

A well made ring that doesn’t look like it’s “special”
Easy to program using any NFC tag writing app

What needs to be improved

The NFC Ring sizing app didn’t work very well
Price – It’s very expensive

Final thoughts

Most people will see the $120 price tag and say “Why should I spend this much on a ring with an NFC tag when I can get one on Amazon for less than $10?” and that’s a valid question so I asked John McLear to tell us why:

Oh man! I just looked at Amazon and holy crap that’s a lot of terrible copies! Starting from just $0.99!!!! It’s amazing how many reference our 2013/2016 design, China went crazy copying huh!

It’s a bit weird describing the difference because it’s a bit like comparing a Ferrari and a Skoda but here goes..

Those cheap rings on Amazon:

Often are the wrong size so don’t fit well. We size check each ring.
Often don’t come in most sizes IE we support 20 sizes, most cheap alternatives support 7 sizes or so.
Have an operating range of 1-2mm Vs our 5-40mm — They have no idea about the science/engineering. Our operating range reflects our understanding.
Often are made from cheap Steel (so rust etc) or cheap Titanium and have high nickel content so cause skin irritation and with no brand to protect they don’t care about you. We use the highest quality fully tested advanced Ceramics.
Are often detuned so often don’t work / match / pair / operate with other devices IE phones. We frequency test each ring 3 times through production.
Have fake chips inside so don’t read/write properly. Often using NTAG203 fakes so 1/8^th the storage of NTAG216 and also missing security layers etc. We use genuine NXP products.
Don’t have any supporting software IE NFC Ring Control / Unlock or if they do they are terrible. We have all of this and it’s also open source.
Have terrible customer service/support. We obviously have full customer service
Fall apart after a few days. We provide full warranty.
Aren’t QA checked prior to shipping. We have 3 steps.
Have no testing / certification, for example we have RoHs, REACH etc.
Claim to be waterproof but aren’t / don’t list rating. We have full QA testing of each design prior to mass production, testing for heat/cold etc.
These guys just copy our designs. We have all the IP / patents that these guys are infringing, that means we are defended to make them and receive the investment to make improvements. Customers investing in our ecosystem or product are making a long term investment.
Are terribly ill/poor fitting IE no comfort fit or just a poor design so feel terrible on your finger. We test our products in prototype stage for months before going into production getting blind user feedback etc.
Will fall apart when you drop/heat/expose to sunlight. We test for all of these things and the OPN is a result of all of this testing.
Might be a one of our QA fails from our old supplier. We see this on Amazon / Alibaba a lot.

So there you have it… I found the NFC Ring to be a fun “gadget” that can do some useful things. Do I really need one? No, but most of the gadgets that we buy, are not really needed but are still interesting to play around with because we’re geeks.

I’m very much looking forward to trying the pay enabled ring.

Price: $120.73
Where to buy: NFC Ring Store
Source: The sample for this review was provided by NFC Ring.

The post NFC Ring OPN review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Geek jewelry, NFC

NFC Ring OPN review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 20, 2018 at 12:11 pm.

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Picture Keeper Connect photo backup software/adapter review

Using a portable device is immensely freeing, as most of the world has discovered over the past decade. What happens, though, when you run out of space on your phone/tablet and don’t have a wireless service to back it up to? While having a Mac or PC around is nice, that defeats the mobility aspect, if you’re on a long-term trip or project where carrying a laptop is not practical. There are a number of small devices that have come on the scene to bridge this gap, and we were recently offered a new one that offers a few new wrinkles to this solution. It’s called the PictureKeeper Connect and is from Simplified I.T. Products, LLC.

What is it?

The Picture Keeper is a data backup/transfer device and service combination that gives you access to your mobile’s photos, videos, and contacts without having to have an internet service. With the standard USB type A port, you can upload this data to a computer, or download it for uploading to a new device for setup.

Hardware specs

Mobile Requirements: iPhone 5 and newer (iOS 8+) and Android OTG (Android 4.1+).
Computer Requirements: Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, XP (SP3), Mac OS 10.7 (and newer) computers.
Newer devices with a USB Type-C (Thunderbolt 3) port will require an adapter, like our Keeper Converter.

What’s in the box?

In the box, there is the PictureKeeper itself (which has a USB type A plug on one end and a Lightning connector on the other), a cable to attach the USB-A plug to a micro USB device, and an instruction sheet.

Design and features

The Picture Keeper looks for all the world like a larger-than-normal thumb drive with an extra connector. One end is a standard USB type-A connector, and the other end has an Apple Lightning connector, which will fit any iPhone or iPad made in the last few years. The included female USB-A to male micro USB plug allows you to plug it into any but the most recent Android devices. If you have a newer device that requires USB type-C, the company will send you an adapter.

When you plug the PictureKeeper into either a portable device or a computer, you are given the opportunity to create an account, and can then backup photos, contacts, and videos. Once you’ve backed them up, you can then, through the app or your device, remove them from your device or from your iCloud backup.

Built into the software on this unit is also an installer for MacOS and another for Windows that will install a program to manage the picture archives copied from your portable device. This allows the same access to your data.

Once your photos, videos, and/or contacts are loaded, you can access them from any other device the PictureKeeper is inserted into. Data is stored on the unit itself but can also be linked to your online repository.

Creating an account isn’t required to use the device, nor is uploading your content to the service. (There is a separate app where you can upload photos for magnets, mugs and the like.) Initially, I could not figure out how to use it without sharing it with the service, which was a bit unnerving. With privacy concerns abounding due to data breaches, I’m less than excited about loading up one more online service from an unknown company with my most personal of data. But once I found the data is not tied to my iCloud account (unless I specifically link it), I was a little less panicky.

Performance

I was kind of shocked that the device would hold as much as it does. I’m not sure if there is some sort of compression going on beyond what is normal, but I have quite a few photos at very high resolution, and they did not fill this 16 GB of storage. I think I may have stopped it early since there’s not really a way to tell it “only back up the past year of photos.” The interface is a bit spartan, only offering a view of 6 at a time on my iPhone 8 Plus. There’s no way to do anything other than “Select All” or “Unselect All” from the menu, and no filtering at all. For a product offering to help manage large photo collections, there are few data management tools.
Also, there is zero security. When you plug it in, you have to create an account, but putting in any combination of characters that fit the format will create an account on the device that will then be able to read every file stored on it from any account. I’d rather they not have the account thing at all, rather than give the illusion of security without the reality. (I was worried I would forget my password or which email address I used until I tested it with the default data in the fields.)

What I Like

Small, easy to use “one trick pony” that does what it says.
The softwaree is functional and supports all major platforms and devices
Allows sharing data without giving access to iCloud accounts

What needs to be improved

No deep filtering of data
No indication on the device when data is being written or read
No real security – any account can read everything on the drive

Final thoughts

I like the idea of this device, but I think it’s about 6 years too late to market. Between Google Photos and iCloud, not to mention the dozens of others not tied to an operating system, there are any number of ways to backup and share photos and videos that don’t require keeping up with another device.

Only two scenarios where this device would be needed come to mind in 2018: You’re traveling to a truly remote area that has no cell signal or wifi, and are planning to document a lot of activity. The jungles of Costa Rica, Peru, or Africa, for instance. I have been to the far north of Wales, the West of Ireland, and central Italy in the last 5 years, (not to mention rural areas in the US) and have never been more than a few hours away from an internet connection if I wanted it. (When you’re in a Gaelic-first community and the publican understands the phrase “Wifi Password” in my Southern US English, the internet is truly everywhere!)

The second scenario is if you’re someone who is just violently opposed to putting your photos online, then this would be a good thing. I feel the security risk of losing this device, however, is larger than having your iCloud or Google account hijacked – unless you are reusing passwords or just cluelessly careless. Those are not traits that are going to go well with an unsecured device like this.

As a point of price comparison, the price of online storage on iCloud is cheap. For a dollar a month, you can get 50 GB of online storage that is way more secure than this, and share it with your “family” account – up to 4 other people, on all their devices. At the Picture Keeper’s $120 price for 32 GB, that’s almost twice the storage for a full ten years! I’m sure I’ll lose this device or it’ll get broken in less than 10 years. And what do I do when I run out of room on this device? I’ll have to buy another, but with iCloud, I can get four times the 50 GB storage for only 3 times the price ($3 a month for 200 GB), and it’s instantly available as an increase in space, not another account. For $10 a month, I can get 2 TB. And if there are several family members in various places, how do you share a physical drive? My advice? Bite the bullet and pay the buck a month to iCloud.

Price: $119.00 USB-C adapter adds $4.99
Where to buy: Picturekeeper.com and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Simplified I.T. Products, LLC.

The post Picture Keeper Connect photo backup software/adapter review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

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Tagged: Adapter, Backup, Photography

Picture Keeper Connect photo backup software/adapter review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 20, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Grill Masters Club Experience Subscription Service review

It’s time to step up our grilling game, people. This week we’re checking out the Grill Masters Club, a subscription service that delivers a new collection of grilling products to your doorstep each month. Let’s fire up the grill and see what we get!

What is it?

It’s a subscription service that delivers a new grilling products to your doorstep every month. You also get access to their newsletter and members-only Facebook group for recipes, tips, videos, product discounts, and monthly giveaways.

What’s in the box?

4-5 new & different products come in the box each month. These products can include barbecue sauces, hot sauces, rubs, seasonings, wood chips, or grilling accessories. You also get a reference card with tips on using your new treasures and a brand new recipe each month. Here’s a picture of the first two sample boxes I received for reference:

Design and features

The Grill Masters Club team curates every month’s package for your grilling adventures. Everything is sourced, tested, packed, and shipped from their home base in Jacksonville, Florida. Each box is built on a theme like “The Twisted Texan” or “Exotic Fruit and Spice.” All of the products come from small batch manufacturers, giving you a chance to play with new items that may not normally be available in your area.

I’ve received two sample deliveries so far, and I’m impressed with what I’m seeing. Each item is a full-sized product good for multiple uses. The variety of sauces, seasonings, and rubs gives you all kinds of options to experiment with on your meats, vegetables, and side dishes. Here are some sample pics from my first box:

A reference card for all the products is also included that provides some background information on the manufacturers and tips on how to use the item in your cooking. You also get a recipe card that goes along with the theme of the month.

The Grill Masters Club also supports your membership with an e-mail newsletter and a members-only Facebook group that provides ongoing articles and videos to develop your skills. The content covers the whole spectrum of grilling topics from recipes to tips and techniques. You also get access to members-only exclusive giveaways and product discounts. The content is excellent and updated several times a week, so they are clearly investing the time to make sure that this service adds value to your experience.

It’s a grilling article, so I have to show off some home cookin’! I paired off the mustard-based barbecue sauce in my first batch with some hand-cut boneless pork chops, and used the jalepeno garlic seasoning to spice up a batch of roasted broccoli. Both met with high praise from my grateful family:

I’ll continue to post updates on my experiences with the Grill Masters Club throughout the summer. I’m not gonna lie: I really like what I am seeing so far!

What I like

Quality products with bold, interesting flavors
Product variety gives you lots of options and new flavors to play with each month
Opportunity to experience new products from small batch makers you may not have access to in your area
Excellent online community with robust content

What needs to be improved

None to report at this time!

Final thoughts

Whether you’re a grilling newbie or a seasoned pitmaster, the Grill Masters Club is a great option for trying out new flavors, refining your skills, and adding some variety to your menus. In my opinion, the product quality and their dedication to online content make this a worthwhile investment. Your friends and family may thank you.

Price: $32.95/month for a one-time sample, $29.95/month for a 3 or 6-month subscription, or $27.95 a month for a full year subscription to the service.
Where to buy: Visit the Grill Masters Club site for more information.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Grill Masters Club.

The post Grill Masters Club Experience Subscription Service review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

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Tagged: Cooking, Grilling

Grill Masters Club Experience Subscription Service review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 19, 2018 at 2:00 pm.

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Soundbrenner Pulse smart vibrating wearable metronome review

Growing up a band geek and being married to a professional visual designer for marching bands I have been around metronomes pretty much all my life. I thought I had seen them all including the plethora of apps available for Android and Apple. That was until I got the chance to review the Soundbrenner Pulse. The Pulse is a metronome you can wear on your body that lets you feel the pulse of the beat.

What is it?

It is a device you can fit into multiple bands and wear on your body. It comes with two different sized wrist/ankle straps and you can order a separate body strap if you wish to wear it around your chest or upper leg. This metronome comes with a ton of options for configuration and is really a cool device if you are a musician or someone involved in teaching music. It allows you to adjust the speed, time signature and subdivision of the beats as you wish. You can even set up play lists if you have sets you wish to call up for each individual song.

Hardware Specs

Has over 6 hours of battery life
Works with IPhone 4S or later
Works with IPad 3 or later
Works with modern Android phones
Any Mac with support for Bluetooth 4 – Additional DAW software required

What’s in the box?

The top picture above is showing what is in the main Soundbrenner Pulse box:

Soundbrenner Pulse
Long band
Short band
Charging station
Charging cable – actual plug not included just a USB
Quick start flyer
User manual
Some stickers

The second picture shows the body strap in its box. It states it is for use on the chest, shoulder or leg.

Before I did anything else after opening the boxes I hooked the Pulse up to the charging station. The above picture shows the charging station. You simply plug one end of the USB cable into the flat disk. On the flat disk you need to keep the side with the electrodes facing up and then plug the other USB end into a USB port on your computer or in my case, a USB port in my wall socket.

You then place the Pulse directly on the docking station lining up the electrodes. The first time you use it and every time you go to recharge, the display on the Pulse will glow an orange/red color to indicate that it is charging.

When the Pulse is fully charged it will glow green.

Design and features

Registering in the app.

I downloaded the SoundBrenner Metronome app onto my Samsung Galaxy S9. I am happy to report that the app worked flawlessly with my phone and I never had any issues with it operating or any issues with the app connecting with the Pulse. The above picture shows the opening screenshot of the app. I chose the second option since I had a Pulse. I found it interesting and very cool that they also let you use this app without a Pulse. Your phone would work as the actual metronome with sound on/off and a display showing the beats. The app was free to download and install and never prompted me for any additional funds. There was also no extra advertising on the app.

After indicating that I had a Pulse, the next screen gave me the option to login if I had an existing account or to register. I chose the register button.

Before allowing me to actually register, the app asked several questions. The next screen asked me to select the instrument that I will be using the most. I chose vocal. I could not see how this really impacted the application and once chosen, I never found a way to change this setting again.

The next screen asked me to choose the music style I play the most. Just like the musical instrument option above, once chosen and I was finished registering, I could not find a way to change it. I also was not sure how it impacted the application. I chose the classical option.

The next screen of the registration process was asking about my skill level. Since this app would be used by my husband I picked professional and turned on the Music Educator switch.

Finally, I came to the actual registration screen. It asked for my name, email and a password. I found it unusual that it did not ask me to type the password twice or have an option to display the password I was typing in. I had to be especially careful when typing in that password so I would remember what I typed. When the ‘Done’ button was clicked, I did get an email confirmation to the email address I had entered. It gave me a link where I had to confirm the email address to finalize the registration process.

Using the app.

After registering I was now allowed to link up the Pulse to the application. On this next screen, I clicked on the button to ‘Add a Soundbrenner Pulse’.

The first thing you are told to do is to make sure the Pulse is on your body. Holding the device in your hand and trying to interact with it is hit or miss. Once I had it strapped to my arm it recognized every tap I gave.

The next two screens had you go through the motions of turning the Pulse on and off. Once on your wrist, you can turn the Pulse dial either direction to activate it. Then you simply place two fingers flat over the device. When it turns on you do get a long extended vibration and it will glow white. When turning off you get a shorter vibration and the white color fades out.

Once the device was on, I selected the PulseC231D from the screen above and the app was connected to it.

The next few screens were a tutorial on how to use the Pulse. You can set your own tempo by tapping two fingers flat on the device. Doing that it starts to repeat the tempo you set. Once the metronome is running you can tap twice with two fingers to turn it off or turn it back on. Another cool thing is once the metronome is running you can turn the dial right to increase the tempo or left to slow it down.

The last two setup screens let you adjust how the app interacts with the Pulse. If you turn the sound on that is really turning the metronome sounds on in the app and not the Pulse itself. The Pulse only vibrates the tempo.

This next screen above is the main screen of the application. You can adjust a lot of different settings from this page. The button with the quarter note on it (top right above the 107) is how you adjust the subdivision of the beats. The button with the 4/4 is how you adjust the time signature for the beats. You can configure the app to beat slightly stronger on the first count of each measure. So for example with 4/4 and a quarter note the app will have 4 beats per measure.

The two screens above show the subscreens for subdivision and time signature. There are really a ton of very cool options here.

The app comes with a set song library of set rhythms and time signatures. You have the option of creating new songs in the library and even editing existing songs. You set the beats per minute, the time signature, what beats are the accent beats and the subdivision of the notes.

Once you have all of your songs set, you can then build yourself a setlist. This is a pretty cool option. You can have all of the songs in the order you will play them. Then as you play the setlist it will work its way through your songs in the order you put them in.

The last two pictures above show the Pulse on my husband’s wrist then on my much smaller wrist. I have to admit that for me the Pulse is a rather large device. If I were a musician using the device, I would build a setlist and then put the device on my upper arm under my sleeve. I could then double tap my way through the setlist without having the large Pulse out on my wrist in the open. My husband did not feel that it was too big for him and it did not appear that much larger on him than a lot of watches would that are out there for men.

What I like

I love the customization of this device.
It comes with two different sized straps that would fit my upper and lower arms along with my ankles, I can also buy a larger body strap to wear in other places.
It was very easy to interact with. I loved how easy it was to set a tempo by just tapping on the device and it was simple to start and stop.
The app itself offered so many options in the subdivision and time signatures. It also allowed you to set what beats were the accent beat or set no accent beat at all.

What needs improvement

I think if they offered a smaller version of the Pulse it might attract more female users who might want to keep the device on their wrist.

Final thoughts

My husband took this to work with him and had several of the band directors play around with it. One director who was very percussion oriented mentioned how this would be a great device for individuals to practice at home with. Practicing at the proper tempo really helps you to be prepared for the actual performance. The directors also thought it would possibly be a cool device for the drum majors to use. Often times I see drum majors with small metronomes in the stand at a marching contest getting the beat just before a song. With the Pulse, they could be wearing the device and have the setlist all ready to go. If the band gets off tempo, a quick double tap on the device will turn it off. I would think this device is would be great for anyone who sets the tempo for their own small bands. I would not recommend that it be worn by anyone who has to follow someone else’s lead in a band. For example, if you are the guitar player and there is a drummer setting the tempo, listen to the drummer and don’t try to follow your own beat. I am sure my husband will be using this device at future marching band rehearsals next fall.

Price: $99.00
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Soundbrenner.

The post Soundbrenner Pulse smart vibrating wearable metronome review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Music Gear

Soundbrenner Pulse smart vibrating wearable metronome review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 19, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Aicook Blender, 15-Piece Smoothie Blender Mixer review

What is it?

The Aicook 15-Piece Blender is a portable blender that is designed to blend fruits, and vegetables, and many other ingredients that are used to create smoothies or health drinks, etc.

What’s in the box

Package contents:

1 x High torque power (Base unit)
1 x Stainless steel flat blade
1 x Stainless steel cross blade
1 x Tall Cup
2 x Short Cup
1 x Shake and take Cup
1 x Sip & seal lid
2 x Stay fresh re-sealable lid
2 x Handled lip ring
1 x Recipe guide
1 x Instruction manual
1 x Service card attachment

Design and features

The first thing that I noticed about Aicook Blender is its similarity to the Nutribullet Blender. The base unit is the same in size (circumference), height, and weight, and almost identical in design.
The cups are also very similar and of the same material, but my Nutribullet did not come with a stainless steel flat blade. The blades and housing are almost identical as well, with the exception of their weight and how solid they feel. The Aicook blades and housings feel much lighter and not as well built.

On to testing:

In my household, eating healthy is an everyday endeavor, so ingredients are always readily available. We started with the cross blade and a fruit combination of watermelons, and bananas, and within seconds the Aicook pulverized the fruit into a just about perfect drink, and it did so in a third of the time that it takes the Nutribullet to do the same job.

This was really exciting since it did the job in about 30 seconds and there was no undesired pulp to strain. We tried the same blend again with additional fruit and milk to make a milkshake, but since there is only one speed, we were unable to get the thick milkshake texture. It was either it needed to be blended more because chunks of fruit still remained, or a few seconds later, it was complete liquid.

Nevertheless, we were very happy with the way it blended our health drink mixtures.

We use a lot of almond products in our health food creations, and in many cases, we use the Nutribullet to blend almond nuts into a flour type mix, that we then use to make various dishes.

Since this was a test, we used just a small amount of almonds with the flat blade.

We blended them for about 30 seconds, and we could see the almonds being blended into a nice texture, of what we call our version of almond flour or meal. After checking the texture, we blended for 30 more seconds and it was just about done with the exception for a few almonds.

We were very happy with the mixture and we figured that it only needed about 15 more seconds of blending. We put it back on and started to blend but in about 10 seconds we heard a pop and there was a strong smell of burning rubber. Lo and behold, when we took off the cup, the rubber gear (or what seems to possibly be some composition of rubber and/or plastic) that engages to perform the blending had broken apart. This was very disappointing since otherwise, the blender performed amazingly well and handled tasks much faster than the Nutribullet.

Based on this issue, we decided not to risk any further testing.

What I like

Despite the failure of the flat blade and its housing, I really like this blender. It works at a great speed that does the blending job very quickly, and it blends to liquid form very quickly and effectively. The base unit is solid, and the set comes with all of the accessories that anyone would need.

What needs to be improved

The only complaint that I have about this blender, and it is a major one, is the quality of the blades and their supporting housings. Not only does the quality need to be better, but if it is the case that the part I received was simply defective and not a good representation of the usual quality, then the quality control needs to be much better. And, since the blender is capable of such great speeds, the ability to have a speed selector would be a plus.

Final Thoughts

The Aicook Blender has all of the potential to be a great product, and at its price point it is very competitive. While the base unit is well built, it seems that they skimped on the build quality of some of the other parts, possibly to keep the cost down. While I had the unfortunate experience of the equipment failure, I still like this blender and I may purchase a replacement flat blade (if available), and try it again.

Price: $65.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Aicook.

The post Aicook Blender, 15-Piece Smoothie Blender Mixer review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Cooking, Home and Kitchen

Aicook Blender, 15-Piece Smoothie Blender Mixer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 18, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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