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Moodoo Smart Home Fragrance Diffuser review

REVIEW – The Moodoo Smart Home Fragrance Diffuser is a enables you to customize scents to your style and preference

What is it?

It’s a smart home aroma diffuser that enables you to customize your scentscapes to match your mood. And yes, “scentscapes” are a thing.

Hardware specs

  • Connects through 2.4 Ghz WiFi networks
  • IOS and Android compatible apps
  • Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT compatible
  • Fans with adjustable speeds designed for up to 600 square foot rooms
  • Available with EU or US adaptor
  • Built-in battery optional

What’s in the box?

I’m testing the Moodoo Starter Pack which comes with the base unit, adaptor, and three packs of scent “families.” The kit also includes a printed user guide.

Design and features

The Moodoo is designed to allow you to customize your scents through a programmable aroma diffuser. Four aroma pods are loaded into the device, which has an individual fan for each pod that controls the strength and intensity of the scent. This enables you to customize thousands of different aroma combinations to match your desired ambiance.

The unit is a black cube that measures 3.75″ by 4.5″ by 4.5″. The matt black finish is elegant and subdued, so you can park it anywhere in your house and it won’t clash with your decor.

Manual controls are all on the front face of the unit, including individual fan controls and a “volume” button to increase the intensity of the diffusion. The black rubberized buttons on the face allow for manual operation. You can order this unit with a battery if you like for full portability, or plug it in with the included adaptor. Options for a US or EU adaptor are included in the ordering process.

Setup

While the manual controls are a nice backup, we’re focusing on the excellent app in this review. It’s a well-designed, intuitive piece of software that enables full customization of the Moodoo’s capabilities. You’ll start by downloading the app to your Android or iOS compatible device and creating an account with Moodoo. Signing up with your Facebook or Google account saves the step of remembering another email/password combo:

With the iOS app, I was given the option to pair with Siri right out of the gate. I did not test full smarthome compatibility in this review, but it should be noted that Moodoo can also be set up with Alexa, Google Home, or IFTTT for full customization if that’s your preference.

I appreciate when apps like this provide straightforward setup instructions. No manual required… follow the onscreen prompts to get connected.

I did experience some issues with getting the WiFi pairing working properly, but that may be my network. I run a mesh network over my Verizon Fios-provided router, so some devices have trouble pairing. I don’t think this was an issue specific to the unit, however. I have seen that some Amazon reviewers have reported similar issues, however, so it’s something I’ll have to keep an eye on for future updates.

Once you have loaded & paired the app, you’ll crack the seal on the desired fragrance family and drop the pods in the 4 slots on the unit. The 4 pods in each family are designed to compliment each other as you create fragrance combinations. I’ve got the “Cozzzy” family loaded here, with fancy scent names like Orange Sunrise, Precious Spices, Granola Vanilla, and Midnight Thrill. The starter kit also contains the “Beach Party” and “Fresh Vibrations” families, for a total of 12 different pods in all.

Using the App

Here’s where the fun begins. When you load the pods and fire up the app, the app automatically recognizes which pod is in each slot. You can even switch slots or swap out pods from different fragrance families, and the app adjusts to the new configuration. No manual programming required.

Once loaded, you’ll be presented with a series of preset scent themes based on the pods in the unit at the time. These presets adjust the intensity of the scent from each pod. When I choose “Chai Sunset”, for example, Precious Spice becomes the dominant scent with a hint of Orange Sunrise and Golden Vanilla. The interface shows me the balance and intensity produced for each scent pod. A “volume” slider on the side enables be to increase the fan strength as desired for greater scent disbursement.

You can also determine pre-selected schedules for activating the Moodoo that include day, time, and duration of operation. These can be saved so that you can diffuse different scent combinations at different times of the day:

If you want to be an aroma alchemist, you have the ability to create completely new scent combinations. In the example below, I chose to emphasize the Orange Sunrise and Precious spices scents. Simple color-coordinated sliders allow me to choose the intensity of each scent pod in the mix:

Settling on a combination I liked, I had the option to give it a name and save it for future use:

Once it’s saved, it can be found in the favorites tab. A reference screen is also saved there so that I can make sure I load up the right combination of pods if I am mixing and matching between families. This saved scent combo is now available for on-demand use or scheduled events:

Beyond the basics, there are additional features in the Moodoo app that round out the capabilities nicely. You can run a “shuffle” mode like your music playlists that changes the scent combination every few minutes. There’s also an interval feature that turns the unit off periodically to extend the life of your scent pods, and sharing feature so that you can send customized scent combinations to friends.

All in all, the app is truly excellent. I love how Moodoo has adopted conventions from music apps here for a familiar-feeling interface. It’s clean, simple, and easy to learn. The simplicity of the app encourages experimentation, which adds to the fun factor.

Performance

So the app is great… but how does it smell? Pretty great, actually.

Agan Aroma, the maker of the Moodoo, has been in the fragrance business for over 35 years. They know a thing or two about fragrance design, and it shows (or smells) in the finished product. There’s a subtle sophistication to the aromas and combinations the Moodoo produces that’s unique and interesting, without overpowering you with cheap or kitschy smells. If you’re looking to add some high-end class and style to your home ambiance, you’ll be very happy with the Moodoo. The company is also continuing to produce new scent families, so you’ll never run out of interesting combinations to play with based on the season or mood.

While the kit states that the Moodoo is capable of diffusing a 600 square foot room, we found that placement of the unit it important to maximize coverage. We have an open floorplan on the first floor of our house, with a vaulted ceiling in the family room. I originally placed the Moodoo in a corner, and found that the vaulted ceiling worked against us as the scents kinda lifted up beyond our noses. Moving it to more central location solved that problem pretty quickly. If you’re in a smaller room or have lower ceilings, you’ll get great range out of this unit. For bigger areas, you may have to play with location. No matter how you set it up, keep in mind that the fans are not super strong. This does contribute to quiet operation, however, and you barely hear it when it is running.

The individual pods are rated for approximately 60 hours of diffusion at maximum “volume” (intensity) before tapping out. The scents are pretty potent, so we haven’t found the need to run the Moodoo all day to keep a consistent aroma. Assuming you’re not running the unit full-blast and make use of the timer and interval features, I believe you could get a couple of months out of a set of pods before having to replace them. It will depend on your own use, of course. We’ll have to see how this holds up over long term testing.

With that in mind, let’s talk about pricing. The starter kit begins at $139 (the Moodoo and one scent family), while the starter kit I tested retails for $189 (same base unit, three scent families). You can add the built-in battery for about $20. Pods are sold in 4-packs that retail for $29.95 each, and can be purchased in either a single scent or the pre-selected families. It’s a bit more pricey than you’re mall-store aromatics, so price shopping isn’t really what you’re here for. If you’re looking for unique scents and the ability to play DJ with your aromas, however, it’s a pretty neat alternative.

What I like

  • Excellent, intuitive interface
  • Unique fragrances
  • Endless opportunity for customization

What needs to be improved

  • Not as effective in large spaces
  • Pricey compared to some alternatives
  • Some reported Wifi connectivity issues

Final thoughts

I really like the concept of the Moodoo. The ability to customize your home aromas as a “scent DJ” is a brilliant & fun idea. The quality of the fragrances is excellent, and the app interface is extremely well executed. It is a bit more expensive than your typical aroma options. While I think the value is there relative to the quality of the product, you’ll just have to decide if it’s worth it.

Price: Starter kits begin at $139.00. Scent packs are $29.95 each for refills.
Where to buy: Check out Moodoo’s web site or their Amazon store.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Moodoo.

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Moodoo Smart Home Fragrance Diffuser review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 2, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Mighty, mini, manual food chopper/spinner saves room in your kitchen

NEWS – Need some help chopping and mixing when cooking, but you don’t have a lot of space in your kitchen for a food processor and a salad spinner?  The Speedwing Manual Food Chopper can chop, mix, and spin its way through food prep while using less than 6 inches of counter space.

The chopper container is made of SAN plastic, while the accessories are PP plastic, and the blades are made of stainless steel.  No power is needed; the chopper is operated by a pull cord.  Use the blades to chop up veggies or the stirring insert to mix up dressings, dips, or guacamole.  A basket insert is for spinning herbs or salad greens.  Snap on the included lid to store your mixes in the fridge.

The container measures 5″ tall X 5.5″ in diameter and is graduated in millimeters, cups, and fluid ounces for easy measurement.  Total capacity of the container is 33.8 ounces; filling volume is 27 ounces.  All pieces, except for the lid with pull cord, are dishwasher-safe.

The Speedwing Manual Food Chopper is $49.95 at The Grommet.

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Mighty, mini, manual food chopper/spinner saves room in your kitchen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 1, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Instant Pot offers two products for sous vide cooking

NEWS – Back in the summer, we told you about a Wolf multi-function cooker that had sous vide cooking as one of its functions.  One reader asked why her Instant Pot couldn’t do sous vide.  It’s because Instant Pots are pressure cookers and are designed to cook under steam at high temperatures and pressures instead of holding water at a constant temperature below the boiling point for the long times needed for sous vide cooking.  Well, Instant Pot pressure cookers still can’t sous vide cook, but the company now offers two Instant Pot-branded devices that can.

First up is the Instant Pot 8-qt Aura Pro Multi-Use Programmable Multicooker with Sous Vide (seen above).  This isn’t a traditional Instant Pot.  Instead, like the Wolf Multi-function cooker, it is more a slow cooker than a pressure cooker.  In addition to sous vide cooking, this multicooker can sear/sauté, bake, slow cook, steam, stew, roast, make yogurt, cook rice or multigrains, and keep warm.  It has a microprocessor to control the time and temperature to ensure consistent cooking results.  The Instant Pot 8-qt Aura Pro Multi-Use Programmable Multicooker with Sous Vide is $149.95 at Amazon.

Next is the Instant Pot SSV800 Accu Slim Sous Vide Immersion Circulator, which looks and functions like another immersion sous vide cooker (Aicok SV-8001 Sous Vide Cooker) reviewed by The Gadgeteer recently.  While you can use the inner pot from the 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot, it doesn’t require an Instant Pot at all.  You can use it with any pot or vessel that allows the circulator to be clamped to its side.  In fact, most sous vide circulators I’ve seen seem to require vessels that hold at least 12 quarts, so the Instant Pot inner pots seem a bit small.  The Instant Pot SSV800 Accu Slim Sous Vide Immersion Circulator  is $79.95 at Amazon.

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Instant Pot offers two products for sous vide cooking originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 26, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Hang curtain rods without needing any tools

NEWS – Do you wish there was an easy way to hang curtains in windows that also have mini blinds?  For example, maybe you have a metal kitchen door with a mini blind over the window.  You’d like to add a decorative curtain, but you don’t want to drill more holes in the metal.  Install the Slide on Curtain Brackets to your mini blind’s brackets, and you’ll add two traditional lockseam curtain rod hooks without drilling a single hole.

When you replace the removable faceplates from your mini blinds with these slide-on covers, you’re immediately ready to hang your curtains.  The brackets can support up to 10 pounds.  You’ll get five pairs of brackets for $13.75 + $2.99 shipping at Slide on Brackets or for $13.75 + $4.49 shipping at Amazon.

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Hang curtain rods without needing any tools originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 20, 2018 at 8:18 am.

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MEATER+ wireless meat thermometer review

REVIEW – In January, I reviewed the MEATER wireless cooking thermometer that I continue to use regularly to this day. Over the passed year, it has helped barbecue/cook perfect slabs of meats for me and my guests. I liked it so much, I have given several as gifts to friends and family members. The MEATER’s only limitation or weakness was its wireless range; that did not allow me to travel far from the probe without losing connectivity. Well, the MEATER folks have addressed this issue and recently released an updated version of their wireless thermometer, the MEATER+ with nearly five (5) times the range…let’s see if it works as advertised.

Since the MEATER+ is nearly identical to the original, I will be plagiarizing from my original review (so you do not have to backtrack) and focusing on the PLUS’ longer range.

What is it?

Like the original MEATER, the MEATER+ is a truly wireless, dual sensor probe created with the sole job of helping you cook your food to perfection. Not only is the hardware very well done but so is the MEATER app and ecosystem, all working together to cook your meal with much less worry or guessing.

Design and features

As you can see, they are visibly (and come to find out internally) identical. So much so, I had to keep track of them during my testing so I did not get them confused. I learned during the course of this review, the MEATER probe has not changed/been modified.

The part of the equation that has changed/been improved is the bamboo charger also acts as a repeater to boost the signal from the probe and thus the overall range.

Probe Specs

  • Stainless steel, water resistant and easy to clean
  • Wireless up to 165 feet (50 meters)
  • Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connection
  • MEATER Sense™: 2 temperature sensors in 1 probe
  • Maximum internal temperature: 212°F (meat)
  • Maximum ambient temperature: 527°F (cooker)
  • Rechargeable: Over 24 hours of continuous cooking
  • Dimensions: 130mm length and 6mm diameter

In addition to boosting its wireless range, the MEATER+’s bamboo holder securely keeps and recharges the wireless (easily misplaced) probe. There is a battery power level LED & button located on the front of the wooden holder.

Charger Specs

  • Store and charge your MEATER+ probe
  • Internal Bluetooth booster/repeater
  • Magnetic backing: Attach anywhere
  • Charges MEATER+ up to 100 times with one AAA battery
  • Real wood to match any kitchen or outdoor decor
  • LED indicator to show battery state
  • Dimensions: 157mm L x 37mm W x 28mm H

The MEATER+ is powered by a single AAA battery and can charge the probe up to 100 times before needing to be replaced. The back cover is also held in place by two small embedded magnets.

The MEATER+ probe has to be inserted into the meat beyond the line machined into the metal casing to protect the main sensor from damage due to high temperatures.

The ambient sensor is meant to monitor the cooking temperature of the oven or BBQ. It is located in the black plastic end of the probe.

Along with creating a very easy to use, high quality device, the folks @MEATER have developed a very polished ecosystem/app to make cooking with either MEATER(+) probe nearly foolproof. The MEATER’s Smart Guided Cook system walks you through every step of the cooking process. The app guides you thru the type, cut, and doneness of the meat.

The MEATER+’s dual sensors continuously monitor internal and ambient temperatures concurrently. The app also gives you elapsed cooking time and estimated time remaining until your meal is ready to serve.

The app let’s you know when to pull the meat from the cooker, finish its internal cooking (aka letting it rest), and when its ready to eat. The estimated cook time has been spot on…within 5 minutes or so. Not bad considering the roast took nearly two plus hours to cook.

Overall, the whole system is brilliant and has only gotten better. I used the MEATER+ several times over the past few weeks. And for the most part, had zero functional or connectivity issues.

Here was my only issue with the original MEATER:

The only real limitation of the MEATER is it’s range and lost connectivity. I wouldn’t even consider it a true negative just a known issue that needs to be worked around. You’re sticking a small under powered Bluetooth device into a metal box, it’s range is going to be pretty limited. I found both in the BBQ and oven, the range of the MEATER was approximately 10 feet but would quickly reconnect once back in range.

Given the same BBQ, distances, wall thicknesses, etc…the MEATER+ worked as promised/designed. During my testing, I had both the original MEATER and MEATER+ working at the same time and the PLUS’ range was excellent. I was able to leave the BBQ, come inside and sit at our kitchen bar some 40 feet away from the probe with the signal penetrating not only the metal of the BBQ but several walls too. The original MEATER lost its Bluetooth connection (left screen capture) just like before, where the MEATER+ did not blink an eye (center screen capture).

The MEATER and now the MEATER+ have yet to let me down. Every piece of meat I have cooked using these wireless probes has been spot on.

What I like

  • Well made, thought out design
  • Truly wireless
  • Excellent range (improvement over the original)
  • Water resistant, dust-proof, easy to clean
  • Built-in dual sensors
  • Excellent app/ecosystem

What needs to be improved

  • None

Final thoughts

The new and improved MEATER+ is an excellent upgrade from the original. The added Bluetooth range definitely makes using the wireless probe and its ecosystem a seamless experience. During my testing, my smartphone and MEATER+ only had a few hiccups but that easily could have been my iPhone or the new iOS. If you’ve been considering the MEATER, I would pay the extra $30 and go for the MEATER+ ($99). If you have the MEATER and been having connectivity issues, upgrading is worth considering as well. Either way, the MEATER+ would make for an excellent stocking stuffer for the cook in your family even if it’s yourself 😉 .

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: The MEATER+ is available on their website.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by meater.com.

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MEATER+ wireless meat thermometer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 18, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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