Reviews – Page 103

Monowear Contemporary Leather Apple Watch Cuff and Travel Fold Up review

REVIEW – Monowear makes great accessories for the Apple watch and I personally reviewed two of their bands not all that long ago and wear them frequently. Today’s review is for their Contemporary Leather Cuff as well as a travel organizer.

What are they?

The Contemporary Leather Cuff is a clean take on a watch band that minimizes the hardware to focus on the leather. The Travel Fold Up is an organizer that keeps up to four bands and your charging cables protected and at the ready when you travel.

Hardware specs

Contemporary Leather Cuff
Watch sizes: 42/44 or 38/40 to fit the two Apple Watch sizes
Wrist sizes: SM or ML
Watch color: Space Grey Aluminum, Silver Aluminum, Gold Aluminum, or Silver Stainless Steel
Colors: Saddle or Taupe

Travel Fold Up
Dimensions: Pocket Area = 12 x 8″, Folded = 4 x 8 x 1″ (depending on what’s inside)
Material: Soft Polyurethane
Colors: Black w/ grey interior and a choice of Grey, Red or Black nylon ties

What’s in each box?

One contemporary leather cuff

One travel fold up organizer
(note: these are sold separately)

Design and features

Let’s look at the watch band first.

I selected the Taupe color with silver aluminum for my daughter to try out on her hand-me-down generation 1 Apple Watch as I personally like darker watch bands. It’s cool that Monowear gives you the option of choosing the watch connector colors in addition to band colors and sizes.

Right out of the package, the leather is nice and soft with a natural looking grain. The sides are edge painted in a perfectly matched color and the back of the band is a smooth, light natural leather color that’s very comfortable against the skin.

The top and bottom layers finished with a through stitch that matches the respective color of each size.

The band is wider overall but tapers towards the middle where the overlap employs the same pin and tuck process as the stock silicone bands that come with Apple Watch. The pin here is a polished silver and sits just below their debossed logo which is not visible when the band is fastened.

The watch connectors match the silver aluminum of the Apple Watch a lot better than this photo shows but it is definitely not a direct match.

As for the Travel Fold Up; it’s pretty self explanatory. There’s a simple nylon tie that when released lets you unfold and discover four watchband pockets along with a wider pocket that’s perfect for the charging cable.

The whole pouch is smooth and well constructed.

Setup

Contemporary Leather Cuff: Press the watch band removal buttons on the back of your watch to slide your current band out and then slide your new Monowear band into place.

Travel Fold Up: Untie, unfold and load in the watchbands and charging cable you want to travel with.

Performance

As mentioned, the cuff is nice and soft. It’s easy to put on and stays put due to the tucked end. Because of the freedom of rotation from the watch connectors and the fact there’s no buckle and tang, the band has a nice round curve as it sits on the wrist making it very comfortable.

During the review period it never caused irritation or accidentally came undone which is what one would hope.

The color is very friendly and a good mix between a pale tan and a pink that looked really good on the wrist.

The travel organizer works as one would expect. I tend to keep both sides of a band attached to each other when not on a watch to make them easier to sort through. They slid right into each pocket easily like that. The larger pocket accepts even the long charge cable with a gentle wrap instead of having to kink it into a narrow pouch. Nice touch.

The double stitch lines between the big and first band pocket, and band pockets 2 and 3 help the pouch fold easily where it should, while that top flap folds down and protects the bands from hitting each other.

The only issue I experienced was that the nylon tie would easily fall out of the grommet when untying. Easily solved with a quick knot.

What I like

Contemporary Leather Cuff
Soft supple leather band
Gentle, comfortable curve on the wrist
No bulky hardware
Travel Fold Up
Soft and flexible
Pretty compact overall

What needs to be improved

Contemporary Leather Cuff
No dark colors
Travel Fold Up
Nylon tie kept falling out

Final thoughts

Leather watchbands feel great and look distinguished, maybe even more so after time. It’s great to see additional style options besides what Apple makes available and Monowear does a great job of providing new ones to choose from at good prices. The Contemporary Leather Cuff is a great example across the board there. If you need a travel organizer for your watch bands, this is a great option. Personally, my extra band or two is usually in my kitbag, but the Travel Fold up could easily double as a tool, pen or cable organizer as well depending on what you need to carry.

Price: $52 (Contemporary Leather Cuff), $35 (Travel Fold Up)
Where to buy: Monowear
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Monowear.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Apple Watch

Monowear Contemporary Leather Apple Watch Cuff and Travel Fold Up review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Douchebags The Backpack review

REVIEW – For many years I have been continuously looking for that gear bag that is just right for me to run around with and carry enough photography gear. Over the years I must have collected 30 gear bags and I still don’t feel like I have the right one. I now have the opportunity to test The Backpack by Douchebags. Let’s see if my search is finally over.

What is it?

The Backpack by Douchebags is a versatile backpack that can accommodate the daily needs of a photographer via the available camera/photography insert, as well as for school, work, exploring the trails or if you are just out and about.

What’s in the box

1 x The Backpack
1 x Camera Gear Insert (This is extra and not included with the Backpack)

Design and features

Specifications
Volume: 21 liters
Laptop pocket fits a 15″ MacBook Pro

Features:
Hook-up system
Top pocket
Tripod Straps
Fully openable compartment
Inside mesh pockets
Compatible with The CIA Camera Insert.

Material:
Main material: Polyester 600D
Lining: Polyester 200D

Dimensions:
Height: 48 cm / 18.8 in
Width: 29 cm / 11.4 in
Depth: 15 cm / 5.9 in
Weight: 1 kg / 2.2 lbs

On the front of the Backpack, there are 2 straps across the width of the bag at the top and bottom that you can use to attach additional supplies like maybe a folded blanket or even to attach the bag to the handles of a suitcase. The front is also padded to provide added protection.

On the back, there are the padded shoulder straps, and the back is also padded to provide comfort and air flow between the backpack and your body. There are clips at the top of the straps that allow you to attach the bag to another via a molle system.

On one side of the backpack, there is an upper strap and a lower pocket that can accommodate a small travel tripod/monopod or even an umbrella. On the opposite side, there are 2 straps for additional gear.

On the top, there is a zippered section that has a mesh pocket on the opening flap for storing small accessories and opens to a pocket that provides a relatively deep storage area.

On one side of the backpack, there is a zippered laptop/tablet pocket.

On the inside, there are 2 zippered mesh pockets on each side for additional accessory storage.

On the front opening cover flap, there are 3 additional mesh pockets for even more accessory/supplies/extra items storage.

The camera insert has a velcro strap on each side allowing you to secure it in various ways. On the inside, there are velcro dividers for customizing the storage space for your camera gear.

The camera insert fits perfectly inside of the backpack. The camera insert is not very deep and can only hold small lenses if they are standing up. It is also quite small, so if the lenses are on their side, it still can only hold 2 or 3 small lenses, with a smaller DSLR. It cannot hold my pro body DSLR with the extended grip attached.

The pictures below show my model wearing the backpack. She indicated that it is very comfortable on her back and that the shoulder straps are also very comfortable.

What I like

The build quality
The storage options
The relative versatility

What can be improved

The size and depth of the photography insert to accommodate professional DSLR cameras and lens

Final thoughts

This backpack is a nice size and well made with several options for carrying and attaching various types of gear and/or everyday items. While it will work well for the normal daily supplies, I tested it specifically as a solution for my everyday photography gear needs. If carrying pro gear as I do, it is not the ideal solution. Many of my pro lenses are large as are my camera bodies that all have extended grips attached. I never remove the extended grips, so there is a size requirement to carry such large gear. This backpack is not the answer for me. However, do not let that deter you. If you are looking for a daily backpack or one to take on an adventure, this bag will work. In my opinion, the only other consideration is how you feel about the price.

Price: $231.40 or €179
Where to buy: Douchebags website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Douchebags

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Backpack

Douchebags The Backpack review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 22, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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TOPLEX Action Camera T101 review

REVIEW – I used to use a GoPro camera for some of my video work a few years ago, but I got rid of it a while ago. I wanted to get back to using an inexpensive action camera, so I figured I would give this Toplex Action Camera T101 a try.

What is it?

The Toplex Action Camera T101 is a 4k capable action camera that includes a 2″ display, Panasonic Sensor, WiFi, a 170-degree lens, and image stabilization. It also has the ability to be controlled via a smartphone app.

What’s in the box?

Toplex Action Camera T101
Two 1200mAh batteries
Semi-hard carrying case
Micro-USB cable
Waterproof case
Many mounting accessories
User Manual

Hardware specs

170 degree wide angle lens
16mp Panasonic Sensor
Video: 4k/30fps, 2.7k/60fps, 1440p/60fps, 1080p/60fps, 1080p/30fps, 720p/120fps
Video format: mp4, h.264, h.265
Photo: 5, 8, 12, AND 16mp (4608×3456).
1200mAh battery (two included)
Electronic image stabilization (EIS)
7 layer glass lens
WiFi
Modes: Video, video and snap, photo, loop video (driving mode), time-lapse video, time-lapse photo, slow motion.

Design and features

The Toplex Action Camera T101 has a fairly good feature set. There are multiple video and photo modes.

The video modes include the following:

Standard video recording at 4k/30fps, 2.7k/60fps, 1440p/60fps, 1080p/60fps, 1080p/30fps.
Loop recording in 5, 10, or 25 minute loops
Video + Snap records video and captures photos at intervals of 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute or 5 minutes.
Time Lapse creates a video from frames captured at intervals of .5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, or 60 seconds.
Slow motion video recording at 720p/120fps.

The photo modes include the following:

Standard photos at 5, 8, 12, AND 16mp (4608×3456).
Lapse takes photos at intervals of 1, 3, 5, 10 or 30 seconds.
Timer mode captures a photo continuously at a set time interval of .5 seconds, 1 second, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute or 5 minutes.
Burst mode will take a series of photos at a set time interval. The options include 3 photos in 1 second, 5 photos in 1 second, 10 photos in 1 second, 15 photos in 1 second, 20 photos in 2 seconds, 30 photos in 2 seconds, and 30 photos in 3 seconds.

There are some standard settings like being able to choose the starting mode so that the camera will start in whatever mode you want, like video, loop recording (for use as a dash cam), time lapse, etc.

The camera app allows easy preview and settings access to the camera. I found the app easy to use, in fact a little easier to use than the interface on the camera itself.

The camera app did fail to download a video. The first time it stated “Failed”, the second and third time it seemed to complete without error but I could not locate the video anywhere in the iPhone Photos app.

One thing that is really nice is the size:

Here’s the problem

I was extremely disappointed in the video quality with this device. There are obvious artifacts in the video, in multiple formats. I tried multiple settings such as NTSC/PAL, 50htz/60htz, and various size formats, and they all seem to have the same dots and lines. The dots and lines varied in their positions, so I’m guessing it’s a signal processing flaw.

For example, here’s a screen capture from a 1080p time-lapse I took:

A close up of the image artifacts:

Here’s a screen capture from a 1080p video:

Here’s a partial screen from a 4k video:

There’s also a serious magenta color cast to the video.

1080p Video Time-lapse:

4K Video Sample:

What I like

Included two batteries
Included many accessories
Included waterproof case
Included nice semi-hard case
Smartphone app

What needs to be improved

Video quality
Addition of a Touch Screen
App did not download videos to my phone

Final thoughts

The video from this camera is so poor that I would not consider it for anything other than using this camera as a dash cam, or a security/body camera – but even then, not at this price. This is not something you would want for creating YouTube videos, or any video where you want some quality to the video. However, if you output the 4k video at 1080p or smaller, the dots and lines are reduced to an almost unnoticeable level. That might be something I could tolerate with a $40 action cam, but not a $100 one.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Toplex.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Action Camera, Camera

TOPLEX Action Camera T101 review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 22, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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FiiO M7 High-Resolution Lossless Audio Player review

REVIEW – I’m not sure anyone has come out with as many different digital audio players (DAP) as FiiO has. In an age where almost everyone (at least here in the US) uses their smartphones for music listening, FiiO has stubbornly stuck to making DAPs in every price range and feature set. What began as me-too iPod wannabes have evolved into sophisticated, Android-based music players that can handle the most demanding high-resolution music files.

What is it?

The FiiO M7 is a small, portable hi-res Bluetooth digital audio player with a built-in FM radio. It plays high-resolution music files and uses a pared-down version of Android as its operating system.

Specs

Formats: DSD64, APE, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, AIF, WMA, ALAC, MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG
FM radio
DAC: ES9018Q2C
Amp: ES9018Q2C
Inputs: USB-C (Charging and Data Transfer / USB DAC)
Outputs: 3.5mm Headphone Jack
Internal Memory: 2GB
SD Card Slot: micro SD (512GB max.)
Display: 3.2 inch TFT 480×800
Battery: 20 hours
Bluetooth: 4.2
Dimensions (HxWxD): 109 x 52 x 13 mm
Weight: 116 grams
Warranty: 24 Months

Package Contents

USB Cable, Clear Case, Quick Start Guide, Warranty Card

Design and features

The design of the M7 DAP’s operating system is clever and mostly efficient, due to its use of Android as a base. Previous FiiO DAPs I’ve used had their own OS baked into the hardware and were not the most user-friendly interfaces. Since Android is used worldwide, its acceptance is pretty much guaranteed—even to this diehard Apple iOS user.

Keep in mind that the M7 uses a bare-bones version of Android. FiiO smartly decided to only use what’s needed and ditch the superfluous stuff that adds useless complexity. Good move.

It’s a bit slow to boot up, but once you get past the Welcome screen, you’re greeted with six icons: FiiO Music, FM Radio (yes, it has FM), File Management, Gallery, Technical Support and Settings. Navigation is easy and fairly straightforward. Only a couple of times was I unsure of how to maneuver out of a screen and had to shut-down to return to the beginning. It was either my fault or a glitch that FiiO will fix. FiiO has an excellent record of updating firmware on a timely basis.

The FiiO Music icon deals with—you guessed it—music files. This is not as intuitive as I would like. When you tap the icon, you have to choose a folder called just “Folder” to access the micro SD card that holds your music—and you want a micro SD card. The M7 only holds 2GB of space, so there’s not a lot of room for music. I’m using a 128GB micro SD card which is a good size. Note that the M7 will accept up to a 512GB card. There is only one SD slot and SD cards are not included.

The FiiO Music folder shows a lot of song info. It will tell you the most recent songs played, most played songs and recently added. It has separate Artist, Album and Songs folders, so it’s easy to navigate to what you want to hear. It will also store playlists that you create on the M7.

The Settings icon lets you turn on/off or customize various settings. The M7 can be set up as a USB digital audio converter (DAC) giving the M7 another use for those instances when you may want a better DAC than what’s in your car or smartphone, for instance. The M7 can also be used as a Bluetooth DAC/amp to wirelessly connect almost any non-Bluetooth device to a Bluetooth source. Bluetooth was easy to pair with my Fugoo Style S speaker and various wireless headphones I tried. The M7 found the devices quickly.

One nice thing about the M7 is the inclusion of FM Radio—if you’re into that. I haven’t listened to music on FM in ages and the M7 isn’t going to change that. But some still listen to the radio, so it’s a nice addition. However, it turns out that FM will not work with Bluetooth or wireless headphones. The headphone’s cable becomes the FM antenna—limiting the FM radio’s appeal. Once I plugged some headphones into the M7, the FM app instantly found all the local radio stations around me and listed them in order—way more convenient than manually dialing or searching. The difference in audio quality between FM and the M7’s native music player is night and day. Music on the radio stations sounded muffled and boomy. It made me realize why I gave up FM years ago. Ugh.

The M7 has a built-in 10-band graphic equalizer—difficult to find and difficult to use. Access seems to only be through the window showing a particular song that’s playing. There are 8 presets plus a user mode that only sometimes would accept my finger attempting to access the EQ sliders trying to customize the settings. After fiddling with it, I just turned off all EQ and lived with it. Besides, no EQ sounded better than any of the pre-determined settings.

As intelligent as the OS can be, it’s the hardware where FiiO shines. The M7 is almost beautiful to look at and a pleasure to hold in your hand. It’s made from a solid piece of aluminum with minimal buttons. The large (for the M7’s size) plastic screen is a 480 X 800 TFT color screen. No, it’s not OLED or glass—it doesn’t need to be. It’s plenty bright and easy to read. Plus, the M7’s screen does not show fingerprints as a glass screen can.

There’s a “chin” above the screen which makes the M7 look upside down. It takes some getting used to since most players have the chin below the screen. It looks off-balance.

The M7 is thicker than most newer smartphones and has sharp edges—there’s nothing rounded about it. Even so, it’s comfortable and secure-feeling when held. FiiO includes a clear soft TPU plastic case for the M7. Some people despise the case, but I leave it on since the aluminum shell can scratch or dent easily if dropped. The M7 comes in four colors: Blue, red, black and gray. I have the red one which is the most striking looking and photographs better.

I had an issue with the side buttons on the M7. Unless you turn the buttons off in Settings, it’s far too easy to accidentally press them which will either fast forward, pause or repeat a song. Fortunately, Fiio allows these buttons to be turned off as long as the screen is off, so the M7 can be left in your pocket without any accidental button pressing.

So how does the M7 sound? It is certified Hi-Res and can handle any lossless music file resolutions up to 192kHz/24bit. What this means in English is that the M7 will store and play files better than CD quality (44.1KHz/16bit). Knowing that some CDs can sound freaking good, does better than CD matter? Only in some instances. When listening to a high-res file, certain details can be revealed that may be missed in that same music file being played at a lower resolution. Keep in mind that this difference will be much more apparent when you compare a CD to a really low-res MP3 file. The difference between a CD and a 192kHz/24bit file will be minimal to audiophiles and not heard at all by most other people.

And if that isn’t enough, the vast majority of a recording’s quality is determined in the recording studio—long before the customer gets a version, be it high-res, CD or the lowly streaming format. It’s no wonder most people stick with their smartphones for all their music.

Even with all that griping aside, the M7 sounds great when fed high-quality music files. My hi-res version of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s “Déjà Vu” album sounds glorious whether listening with wired headphones or even over Bluetooth. The details hidden within each song is stunning. This is a carefully recorded album that can now be heard as I can imagine it sounded in the studio. Stunning.

Amber Rubarth’s binaural album “Sessions from the 17th Ward” is another aural revelation on the M7. The soundstage of this recording places the listener right in the middle of the stage (credit the binaural microphone set-up for that) and the higher res recording adds clarity that is downright spooky. The M7 effortlessly exhibits the best this album has to offer. It’s an audio cliche, but Ms. Rubarth really does sound like she is in the room with you.

It doesn’t seem to matter what kind of music you’re into—the FiiO M7 can make you smile and sometimes even give you goosebumps with what you hear.

What I like

The M7 hits the sweet spot between features, price and audio quality. It’s well-built, fairly easy to navigate and can sounds as good as the quality of music you feed it.

What needs to be improved

Even though the price is justified, the M7 is not cheap. Note that FiiO makes less expensive excellent players. The M7’s software can be frustrating at times.

Final Thoughts

I haven’t gone into everything the FiiO M7 can do, but if you’re looking to separate your smartphone from your music collection and move it to a dedicated music player, visit fiio.com and check out their line of players—some more and some less expensive. You should be able to find one that gives you what you want in a player—even if it’s not the M7.

Price: $199.99 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by FiiO.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Media player

FiiO M7 High-Resolution Lossless Audio Player review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 21, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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A Cajun Life Seasonings and Spices review

Parade – Mardi Gras is coming, people! And what better way to celebrate than with some Cajun-inspired cooking? The fine folks at A Cajun Life sent me a whole heap of different seasonings and spices to play with, and I’m in the mood for a party. Let’s cook!

What’s in the box?

A Cajun Life offers their mixes & seasonings in a variety of packages. I’ve got the following samples in my test kit:

All Purpose Cajun Seasoning
Seafood Rub
Chicken Rub
Mesquite BBQ Rub
Blackening Rub
Jambalaya Mix
Gumbo Mix
Red Beans & Rice Mix

Design and features

A Cajun Life produces a wide range of seasonings, mixes, rubs, and boxed meals that are all certified Cajun, non-GMO, and have no MSG. I’ve tested most of the items in the sample kit. Let’s get down to it!

Rubs and Seasonings

A Cajun Life makes 5 different rubs & seasonings, each of which puts a different spin on traditional Cajun flavors. They’re all naturally gluten-free and, while they still contain salt, are much lower in salt content than some other Cajun seasonings and rubs I see on the market. While each variation shows its roots with Cajun flavors, they each present with a noticeable (and tasty) difference in the flavor profile.

The All-Purpose Cajun Seasoning is the multitasking workhorse. Salt and spice are the big flavors in this all-purpose mix, with heavy hits of chili powder, paprika, and spices. It still has noticeably less sodium than some other Cajun seasonings I have in my cabinet, allowing the spice to be the featured attraction. I use Cajun seasoning on just about anything: vegetables, seafood, chicken, pork, beef, etc. I tested this one on a green bean side dish sauteed with roasted peppers, garlic, and onion. The Cajun seasoning adds a pop of extra flavor that you don’t get with salt & pepper. Finished product below, served with roasted Andouille sausage and red beans and rice (more on that below):

The Blackening Rub is the simplest of the rubs in the set with an emphasis on paprika, garlic, and onion flavors. Some sugar and spice round that out to add some balance when you bring the heat. I tested this out on Tilapia steaks, the blandest of fish, which I seared in a skillet on the stovetop:

It turned out great. The fish developed some nice blackening, and the flavors level out nicely when put to the fire. My tilapia was singing a whole new tune when I was done:

The Mesquite Rub is a classic barbecue rub. It’s got a touch of Cajun spice to keep things interesting, but a sweet & smokey flavor is what you’ll get here. You can use this on anything from fish to beef to pork. I really like it for ribs or chicken (bone-in thighs and legs are my faves) that’s going for a long, low, slow cook on the grill. If your guests aren’t big on spices, they’ll be very happy with this one.

The Chicken Rub takes things in a completely different direction with a rub specifically designed for poultry. You’ll find a bit of Cajun heat here, but the blend adds earthy, herbal, and citrus notes that give it a distinct flavor that compliments chicken nicely. I rubbed down some thick chicken breasts with this mix and put it in the electric smoker for an hour to see how it would do:

You know what? It really does bring a unique flavor to the bird. The earthy and citrus notes complement the natural chicken flavors in a really interesting way. Check out the crust that formed on the chicken breasts… it tasted as good as it looks. I’m going to try this on whole chicken next time.

To close out the rubs & seasonings, we have the Seafood Rub. This is another Cajun variant that dials up the peppery heat and lemon/lime citrus flavors to compliment the proteins that swim. I created a cajun shrimp Scampi variant for this test, tossing shrimp in the seasoning and doing a quick saute in a combination of olive oil and butter:

The citrus and pepper accents highlight the shrimp nicely. I’d throw this on just about any seafood, really… salmon, tuna, scallops would all benefit nicely from this rub.

Meal Boxes

The boxed meal sets are designed for quick and easy preparation of a whole meal. You’ll add your base ingredients, water, and the mix for a complete dish in 25-40 minutes depending on which meal you’re preparing.

I started by testing the Jambalaya mix. This is a mix designed for use with other proteins like chicken, sausage, and shrimp. I wanted some extra vegetables since I was doing a one-pot meal, so I started by building a base of sauteed peppers and onions and added a pound of Andouille sausage.

Once those were browned a bit, I added the Jambalaya mix and water.

I brought it to a boil, covered the pot, and simmered the dish for 20-25 minutes until things started to thicken up.

I was feeling fancy with this one, so I added some big ol’ sea scallops during the last couple of minutes of cooking. Check out this beauty! A total of 35 minutes from start to finish on a weeknight. It was so good, my teenager was pilfering leftovers for three days. Dad is winning in the kitchen.

The Jambalaya has a nice blend of Cajun flavors, but I wouldn’t categorize it as overly spicy. That’s ideal for a base so that you can add extra heat as you need it. The Andouille added that extra kick at the end of cooking, but you could add some hot sauce if you’re feeling feisty (I like Crystal personally).

I also tested the Red Beans and Rice Mix. This one I did as a side dish, so I did not add any extra proteins during cooking. Add water and the mix, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20-25 minutes. No sweat.

Some red beans and rice mixed are just… bland. Not this one. You’ll get that earthy goodness that makes red beans and rice so tasty, along with a nice dose of spice to give it pop. It’s got a well-rounded flavor that stands on its own, or can be used with a protein as another one-pot meal.

Gumbo is religion in my household. I have a personal recipe that I make from scratch that I’ve refined over the years and takes several hours to cook. I have not yet tested the Gumbo Mix. It’s designed as a flavoring mix to which you add a lot of water (4 quarts) along with your proteins and Okra. Simmer for 40 minutes, and serve as a soup over rice. I’ll be putting this one up against my recipe soon, and I’ll let you know how it does!

What I like

Great flavor balance in all the samples I tested
Lower sodium than many competitors
Non-GMO and no MSG
Really variety in the flavors of each seasoning and mix
Easy to work into a wide variety of dishes for just about any cooking application

What needs to be improved

None to be found yet

Final thoughts

I’m really enjoying the products by A Cajun Life. You won’t miss the Cajun roots in any of these seasonings, but there’s a lot more going on than just spicy heat. Each item I have tested has a well-rounded, balanced, and unique flavor. Whether you’re looking for quick options to spruce up a weeknight meal or you’re settling in to cook for company on the weekend, the variety of products also gives you all kinds of options to play with. Break out the cold beer, and crank up the Zydeco. We’re ready for a party!

Price: Prices vary based on the item, or if you buy combination packs. Single-serve samples like the ones seen in the featured image for this article are also available.
Where to buy: Go to A Cajun Life’s web page. Also available on Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by A Cajun Life.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Cooking

A Cajun Life Seasonings and Spices review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 21, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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