It’s not long until Valentine’s Day – in fact, it’s tomorrow! If you’ve yet to buy a gift, don’t worry, because we’ve rounded up a selection of appliances and smart home gadgets that your loved one is bound to appreciate.
Not to be too cliché, many (but not all) of the items for the home we’ve selected arrive in either a pink or red color – because, let’s be honest, there aren’t many occasions that we can get away with this. But this is a great opportunity to showcase just what these colors can bring to your home.
Valentine’s Day flowers are always nice to receive, but who isn’t a fan of a gadget that can make their day-to-day life easier? As such, on our list of gift ideas you’ll find a robot vacuum, coffee machine and a stand mixer that could be gifts that keep on giving, well beyond Valentine’s Day. Look out for a couple of smart lighting ideas, alongside a few other appliances to enhance your home, too.
Last minute Valentine’s Day gift ideas
1. KitchenAid Artisan Mixer 4.7L Hibiscus
One home appliance that we’d absolutely welcome is a stand mixer – and we just love the KitchenAid Artisan in Hibiscus, which is the brand’s Color of the Year. A vivid fuchsia, in a matte finish, this appliance is sure to brighten the mood in any kitchen.
This model arrives with a stainless-steel bowl; but there are other options available to enhance your stand mixer of choice. From ceramic designs to quilted and hammered effects, the bowl is a terrific way to add some interest to your kitchen decor, if opting bright colors aren’t your thing.
2. Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 air fryer with Clear Cook
There’s plenty of love for air fryers, and although stock was pretty much non-existent towards the end of last year, this year has seen the return of some of the best air fryers to market. The one that continues to claim our top spot (as chosen by our reviewers) is the Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 air fryer.
Doing an excellent job of crisping foods such as fries and chicken wings, it’s also incredibly versatile with functions to bake, roast, grill, reheat and dehydrate as well as air fry. We love that it features a window and light, making it easy to keep an eye on the foods you’re cooking. We also welcome its mid-range price tag of £149.99 / $149.99, putting it within easy reach of many aspiring air-fryer home chefs.
Read our full Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 Air Fryer with ClearCook & OdourErase review
3. Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is a marked improvement over its predecessors, featuring a temperature sensor, helpful tap function and better sound. And it’s the latter we’ll focus on, because this is one of the best smart speakers, after all.
With Alexa built-in, you can control the speaker using your voice. Fancy listening to The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights? Simply ask Alexa to play it. If you’re a Prime member, you get access to two million songs and more than a thousand playlists and stations for free via Amazon Music. If you’re not, it will cost you $8.99/ £8.99 per month once the 30-day free trial period comes to an end. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for good vibes, the Echo Dot (5th Gen) delivers.
Read our full Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) review
4. Moccamaster KBGV Select
The Moccamaster coffee machine is a thing of beauty. With just two switches to operate, this hand-built appliance is simple to use and makes a delicious cup of coffee. We remained so impressed throughout our tests, we gave it five stars, awarded it a TechRadar Recommendations badge, and made it our best coffee maker to buy in February.
Available in a wide choice of colors, including pink and red, you’re sure to find a model to suit home decor. It isn’t cheap, but we think it’s guaranteed to make someone, even you, very happy indeed.
Read our full Moccamaster KBGV Select review
5. Eufy RoboVac 11S
If you really want to score some brownie points then buying one the best robot vacuums should be a serious consideration. In our opinion, the Eufy RoboVac 11S is the best budget option, so it won’t break the bank – although, admittedly, it will set you back more than a bunch of flowers or box of chocolates.
Simple yet effective, it will certainly make keeping on top of the general vacuuming far easier – and, honestly, who wouldn’t be happy with that?
Read our full Eufy RoboVac 11S review
6. Dyson Airwrap styler
This one is a real treat. If you really want to spoil your loved one and splash the big bucks, the coveted Dyson Airwrap styler would make the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. Designed to create curls, soft waves, and bouncy blow drys, it styles hair without using the extreme heat that can leave hair frizzy and dry.
We’ve found it works very well on straight or wavy, medium-to-long lengths. If you have shorter or tightly curled hair, it isn’t as effective.
Read our full Dyson Airwrap styler review
7. Shark FlexStyle
Both a hair dryer and hair styler, Shark’s FlexStyle is one of the best hair dryers we’ve seen in quite some time. It’s the closest we’ve come to a true Dyson Airwrap rival, which will certainly save you some cash.
Not only does it look super-stylish, you can use it multiple ways. It’s easy to rotate the barrels, switch between hair styling and hair drying, and it eve comes with numerous styling attachments to serve a variety of hair types.
On test we found it fared better on longer, thicker hair for styling, yet was equally impressive on thinner hair for drying.
Read our full Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Hair Drying System review
8. Nanoleaf Lines
We’re big fans of the Nanoleaf here at TechRadar. The brand specializes in smart lighting, and in our opinion the brand’s Lines lights are some of its most striking yet.
They can be attached to a wall (or ceiling) in almost any way you please, and once you switch them on, the gorgeous colors transform a room. It’s mood lighting at its best for those special date nights in.
Read our full Nanoleaf Lines review
9. Philips Hue Signe
Prefer something a little more subtle? The Philips Hue Signe is available as a table or floor light, and produces some of the most beautiful colors we’ve seen. One of the Signe’s USPs is that it uses gradient technology to blend multiple colors of light in a single fixture. For a fitting that’s so modest in size, impressively it creates a glow that fills an entire room.
10. SodaStream Art sparkling water maker
SodaStream is best known for sparkling water, and now the brand is upping its game – you can now also add a host of flavors from Pepsi, Mountain Dew and 7 Up, to mixers such as lemon, lime and bitters. The carbon dioxide canister is refillable, with the option to arrange for a collection and exchange – or, if you need it quickly, you can pop in to a local shop as identified by the store locator.
The SodaStream Art is a fab gift for anyone who loves sparkling, flavoured water –and for those who want to reduce their spend on soft drinks.
11. Dualit Lite kettle & toaster
Breakfast in bed? Yes, please! And the appliance to handle that request is Dualit’s matching Lite jug kettle and 2-slice toaster in this gorgeous Gloss Red.
The upright kettle is easy to use, offering a smooth pouring action, while the toaster features an eight-level browning function to achieve your perfect shade of toast.
Arriving in that eye-catching shade, it’s sure to look fab on any kitchen counter-top.
12. Cuisinart 2-in-1 waffle and pancake maker
Valentine’s Day isn’t the only day that this gadget will prove useful, with Pancake Day following soon after. In fact, pancakes are good at any time – and the Cuisinart 2-in-1 Waffle & Pancake maker will ensure you serve up brilliant breakfasts, superb snacks and delicious desserts every time.
Looking rather attractive on the countertop, it doesn’t take up too much space, either. We also appreciate that the removable plates are dishwasher-safe; but most of all, we just love that light pastel pink color!
13. Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser
Apologies to our readers in the US – the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser is only available to our UK readers, but if you’re wondering what it actually does, then wonder no more: it’s a hot chocolate-making machine.
Simply add some Hotel Chocolat chocolate flakes to the jug, top with your favorite milk and then press the button to create a super-luxurious drink. It’s so easy. Available in a choice of white, copper or charcoal (sorry, there’s no red), the Velvetiser is the perfect gadget for quickly delivering on those chocolat cravings at anytime of the year – but even better for an indulgent treat this Valentine’s Day.
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