Erin Bashford

Erin Bashford

Staff Writer, Reviews

Erin Bashford is a staff writer at Tom’s Guide, covering reviews. She has a Master’s in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from the University of East Anglia and 7 years of experience reviewing music and events for various publications. She has edited publications such as Outline Magazine’s Guide to Norwich, and she has written for a number of magazines and websites such as Clash Magazine, Outline Magazine and Dork Magazine. Alongside this she has created video reports for BBC News and produced podcasts and radio broadcasts about everything from music to ghost stories. Erin is an avid user of home appliances like blenders, slow cookers, coffee machines, in addition to her penchant for MacBook Pros and iPhones. In her spare time you can find her reading, practising yoga, writing fantasy fiction, or stressing over todays’ NYT Games.

Latest articles by Erin Bashford

a black portable bluetooth speaker with LED panels sits atop a white table with a blue background

Treblab HD77 review: Outdoor-ready but underwhelming sound

By Erin Bashford published

Perfect for camping trips, but it might not hold up as your main speaker

Audio
a pair of black wood speakers with a yellow kevlar cone photographed on a wood desk with a computer and blue wall and a plant in shot

Majority D40X review: Style, substance, and a scintillating price tag

By Erin Bashford published

Looks and sounds the part

Speakers
a red smeg espresso machine with burr grinder is photographed against a blue background

Smeg EGF03 Espresso Machine with Grinder review: Sleek retro styling and a smooth cup of joe

By Erin Bashford published

One of the easiest ways to add finesse and style to your morning coffee — but you’ll pay for it

Home
a glass AeroPress premium with aluminum flourishes

How to use an AeroPress — it's not as daunting as you think

By Erin Bashford published

Follow these easy steps to make delicious AeroPress coffee in no time.

Coffee Makers
a glass AeroPress premium with aluminum flourishes

AeroPress Premium review: Premium build, premium coffee, premium price tag

By Erin Bashford published

The AeroPress Premium is certainly a premium product. The hand-blown glass coffee maker brews silky smooth, bright coffee that tastes as good as it looks.

Home Appliances
the fully automatic KF8 KitchenAid coffee machine is a stainless steel large coffee machine with a built-in grinder, milk frother, and espresso machine all in one with touchscreen controls

KitchenAid KF8 Coffee Machine review: Hands-free coffee making for stress-free coffee drinking

By Erin Bashford published

Like your own personal coffee-making robot

Home Appliances
a rechargeable robot vacuum and mop in black by ultenic is photographed on a hardwood floor with a blue wall and a burnt orange terracotta and white striped rug

Ultenic D10 robot vacuum review: Automated mopping and suction for your floors

By Erin Bashford published

The D10 robot vacuum and mop by Ultenic is a budget auto-cleaner that stays on top of everyday dust and spills. Does it clean as well as a human? Read on to see if it makes life a bit easier.

Home
a white sci-fi inspired gaming microphone made by Asus ROG with elasticated mounting and RGB panels inside the capsule is photographed against a white background

Asus ROG Carnyx review: This gaming microphone looks like it’s been taken right out of a spaceship

By Erin Bashford published

If you’re a fan of the sci-fi aesthetic, this RGB geometric style mic is for you — if you can forgive middling audio quality and a high price tag.

Audio
a black shotgun microphone by joby called the wavo pro is photographed by itself against a blue background, showing its muff, dead cat, attachment foot, and connection ports

Joby Wavo Pro review: This might be the only shotgun microphone you’ll ever need

By Erin Bashford published

The Wavo Pro by Joby is a well-made, simple microphone. The mic’s range is immense, the ambient noise reduction is even better, and you can control live mic input via the Wavo Pro app.

Audio
a cream-colored retro espresso machine by italian brand smeg is photographed against a blue background with a bag of coffee beside it

Smeg ECF02 Espresso Machine review: Great espresso, not-so-great everything else

By Erin Bashford published

The Smeg ECF02 Espresso Machine is a retro-inspired coffee machine with three portafilter sizes and great espresso extraction, but it falls short with almost everything else.

Home
a black espresso machine by kitchenaid photographed against a blue background with silver chrome buttons and a pressure dial and steam wand with a tamped shot and a bag of whole coffee beans

I'm an ex-Starbucks barista — here's how I got cafe-quality latte art at home

By Erin Bashford last updated

I'm one compliment away from Instagramming every latte I make. The KitchenAid Semi-Auto espresso machine makes latte art so easy.

Home Appliances
a black espresso machine by kitchenaid photographed against a blue background with silver chrome buttons and a pressure dial and steam wand with a tamped shot and a bag of whole coffee beans

KitchenAid Semi Automatic Espresso Machine review: the closest I’ve come to café-quality at home

By Erin Bashford published

My hands are shaking from too much caffeine but I can’t stop using this machine

Home Appliances
a pair of black and silver earbuds with silicone tips and a black charging case is photographed against a blue background

EarFun Air 2 NC review: $70 earbuds that actually sound good

By Erin Bashford published

EarFun doing what it does best

Earbuds
a retro-inspired bluetooth speaker 8 inches long and 4 inches tall with a circular woofer in the center branded with Fender and Teufel

This Bluetooth speaker is so cool I’d take it to house parties just to show it off — here’s why

By Erin Bashford published

Fashion accessory or Bluetooth speaker? Fender and Teufel said “Why not both?”

Bluetooth Speakers
four speakers on a pale blue background with the tom's guide tag in the corner

I review Bluetooth speakers for a living — save up to almost $100 on my top picks with these Prime Day deals

By Erin Bashford published

I can't believe how low some of these Bluetooth speaker prices are for Prime Day deals — especially for Bluetooth speakers that have just come out.

Audio
a photograph of a black and green small microphone with a muff and a USB-C connection port and a desktop stand

I was a DJ for 3 years — here’s why the brand-new Shure MV6 is my favorite mic

By Erin Bashford published

The newest entry-level mic from iconic audio brand Shure is sure-ly the best beginner-friendly option on the market.

Audio
a photograph of a 1 inch wide mint webcam with a 4K sensor and built-in microphone, photographed against a blue background

This miniature 4K webcam fits into the palm of your hand — and it’s just $129

By Erin Bashford published

The Obsbot Meet 2 is an absolutely tiny webcam with a 4K sensor packed inside and it even has AI tools to help you look your best on camera.

Computing Peripherals
a photograph of a black and green small microphone with a muff and a USB-C connection port and a desktop stand

I just tested this beginner-friendly mic and it’s so good it should be handed out at content creator school

By Erin Bashford published

The instantly recognizable Shure mic, now in easy mode

Audio
a black pressure cooker photographed against a blue background, showing its cooking presets, steam release valve, and Instant Pot branding

Instant Pot Rio review: This pot is Rio-lly good

By Erin Bashford published

A pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, and more

Home Appliances
a black and grey budget wireless Bluetooth keyboard with a full-size layout and a numerical keypad is photographed against a blue background

I typed with the Keychron B1 Pro for 3 months — here’s why its older sibling the B6 Pro is my new favorite budget keyboard

By Erin Bashford published

The Keychron B6 Pro is a full-size keyboard with bouncy scissor switch keys, customizable ZMK firmware, multiple connection types, and an incredible 1200 hours of battery life.

Computing Peripherals
a pair of silver and black shiny earbuds with a black matte charging case are photographed against the Tom's Guide blue background

EarFun Air 2 review: Decent sound quality for less than a week’s groceries

By Erin Bashford published

No ANC, no problem

Earbuds
a photograph of a small grey 4K webcam with a gimbal and PTZ functionality

Insta360 Link 2 Webcam review: Premium features at a reasonable price

By Erin Bashford published

If you’re an online educator, business professional, content creator, or streamer looking to upgrade your setup for less than $200, don’t overlook the brand new Insta360 Link 2 webcam.

Computing Peripherals
a pair of black open-ear headphones with a spring magnetic charging case photographed against a blue background

I tested these $179 open-ear sports headphones by OpenRock — and they have one big problem

By Erin Bashford published

Expensive… but why?

Fitness
a black smart home enabled wi-Fi instant pot with a touchscreen and a 6QT inner pot is photographed against a blue background

Forget rice cookers — here’s how to make rice in an Instant Pot in 3 minutes

By Erin Bashford published

Follow these steps for perfectly fluffy white rice every time

Home
a black smart home enabled wi-Fi instant pot with a touchscreen and a 6QT inner pot is photographed against a blue background

I cooked dinner from my bed with the Wi-Fi enabled Instant Pot Pro Plus

By Erin Bashford published

If you’re a smart home aficionado, this is a must-try product

Home Appliances
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