Hey there! Welcome to What Tom's Guide Tested. This is part of a regular column where our writers round up the winners and losers from that week's product reviews. All of these products have passed through the scrutinizing gaze of our expert reviewers, and have been judged. Some are worth buying, others maybe not...
Find out more about how we test and rate products
It's been a busy week for us over on the Tom's Guide reviews team (well, it's always busy to be honest), but quite a varied one! We've been hard at work testing out some of the best electric kettles around, while also testing one of the best drones we've seen in a while, as well as a slew of awesome (and not so awesome) mechanical keyboards.
I'm Pete, the reviews editor here at Tom's Guide. Me and my team of expert review writers spend all day every day rigorously testing out tech to help our readers decide what's worth buying and what isn't. Given we test so much, we like to round up the best and worst here, to help you quickly see what we see. Maybe you've been eyeing up something on this list for a while, and this could be the clincher!
Our favorite product this week was easily the Ninja KT200 precision kettle. This is the second week in a row that staff writer Erin Bashford has awarded full 5 stars! Letting the show down, though, was a frankly overpriced productivity keyboard from Razer, the Pro Type Ultra, which only managed 2.5 stars from our writer Nikita Achanta.
Thankfully, though, we tested more that we loved than we didn't. Read on to see the highlights.
What Tom's Guide tested this week: What we loved
Ninja Precision Temperature Kettle ★★★★★
The Ninja Precision Temperature kettle received a 5 star rating from me, and those don't come easy (even though the Shure MV7i scored top marks last week, too).
I use a kettle every single day. Whether it’s for brewing my breakfast tea, prepping my ceremonial-grade matcha, or topping up americanos made on my De’Longhi La Specialista Opera espresso machine, I’m always reaching for my kettle. So I needed one that did it all.
And boy, does the Ninja Precision Temperature do it all. For starters, it’s a treat for the eyes. I tested the matte black version, which looks oh-so-sophisticated on my kitchen counter. The standard-size spout is precise and leak-proof, and actually works wonders with my Hario V60 dripper. Its cord tucks away neatly under the base and the black exterior is mostly splash-proof.
Not only does it look good, but it works so well that I barely even noticed it. You can choose from six preset temperatures or choose your precise temperature in 5° increments. For some delicate green teas, 140°F is enough. For pour-over coffee, you’ll want max 200°F. The Ninja makes that a breeze. It’s quiet, too — the only time you’ll hear the Ninja kettle is its finished-boiling jingle.
The Ninja Precision Temperature is a perfect kettle in every way. I’ve reviewed countless homes products now, and this is the only one I can’t fault. Trust me — it’s just as good as you’re dreaming about.
By Erin Bashford — Read Erin's full Ninja Precision Temperature Kettle review
Epomaker Ajazz AK820 Pro ★★★★½
It’s been a keyboard-heavy week for me and I’ve tested the good, the bad and the ugly. And the Epomaker Ajazz AK820 Pro very easily falls into the first category. No, scratch that. The Ajazz AK820 Pro is great and it didn’t take long for it to become one of my favorite mechanical keyboards.
It packs a punch as it offers premium features at a low price. For just $68(!), you get a hot-swappable keyboard whose stock switches are super responsive and double-shot PBT keycaps which make typing for long hours feel effortless. And if you’re into casual gaming between bursts of writing, the Ajazz AK820 Pro boasts great gaming performance too, so it’s ideal for a couple of rounds of Counter-Strike 2.
Another thing I love about the Ajazz AK820 Pro is its design. I tested the white purple variant which looks gorgeous. I’m an emo kid at heart but sometimes, bright colors win me over. It also comes in black if you can’t stand colors that pop. The only thing that kept this keyboard from getting the Big Score is its TFT screen which, in theory, is able to display GIFs and static images but I wasn’t able to do it. Still, 4.5 stars and the coveted Editor’s Choice award was (easily) warranted.
By Nikita Achanta — Read Nikita’s full Epomaker Ajazz AK820 Pro review
DJI Mic Mini ★★★★
I spent a good chunk of my week putting the DJI Mic Mini through its paces. The Mic Mini is an entry-level microphone aimed squarely at new and intermediate content creators. It's the little sibling of the feature-packed DJI Mic 2, which I reviewed this time last year and absolutely loved — if I could only have one mic for life, it'd be the Mic 2.
The Mic Mini is 'mini' in a few ways. There's obviously its size — this thing is absolutely tiny (and more than a little cute), meaning it can be mounted virtually anywhere with its clip or magnetic mounts. The price isn't large either, as this microphone starts from just $59, which is ideal for new content creators on a budget. It's modular though, so you can buy only the elements you need, whether that's just a single transmitter (TX), or an additional receiver (RX) unit.
The Mic Mini is also tiny in terms of its features, offering a stripped pack user experience and feature set. While that sounds bad, it isn't: this is a microphone aimed at people who want to plug and play and aren't fussed by complicated settings.
The Mic Mini features some very, very nifty features that you won't get from its direct competition, the Rode Wireless Me. Firstly, it's truly wireless with DJI devices, as you can hook up the TX unit directly to the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro (currently the best action camera you can buy), DJI Osmo Action 4 and DJI Osmo Pocket 3. To other cameras like the GoPro Hero13 Black, or to smartphones, it can hook up via Bluetooth. This makes it an incredibly versatile system.
The Mic Mini also boasts two levels of noise cancellation, which can help tidy up noisy indoor or outdoor environments to keep the focus on your voice. Audio quality is generally pretty decent too, although if you shoot in extremely loud environments or wide dynamic ranges, you'll want the more powerful DJI Mic 2 thanks to its 32-bit float recording. Make no mistake though: for the money the Mic Mini punches well above its weight.
By Peter Wolinski — Read Pete's full DJI Mic Mini review
Acaia Pearl S: ★★★★
Acaia is a big name in the world of coffee scales. I’d go so far as to say it’s the name in coffee scales. So, as Tom’s Guide’s resident coffee expert, I was beyond excited to get my hands on a testing specimen of the iconic Pearl S scale.
But why is the Pearl S so iconic? Well, Acaia has thought of everything. Do you want to practice flow rate consistency? There’s a mode for that — complete with a real-time flow rate monitor that tells you if you’re too fast or too slow. Do you want to listen to classical music while weighing out your coffee? I mean, it doesn’t sound particularly good through the Pearl S’s tiny speakers, but you can. I grooved to ‘Greensleeves’ while using the Pearl S, and I have no regrets.
Not only is the Pearl S the most intuitive coffee scale I’ve ever used, it’s also innately user-friendly. With the companion app, you can customize every aspect of the scale, whether that be its wakeup message, sound effects, or the modes you want available on the scale. But what makes the Pearl S so good is it literally teaches you how to make coffee. On the Brewguide app, you can peruse a library of recipes and load them into the scale, which then completes a step-by-step routine in real time.
But why not five stars? If it’s so good, why doesn’t it have a perfect score? Well, it’s really expensive. $220 expensive. It's difficult to give a perfect rating to a coffee scale with such a high price point when the Pearl S isn’t waterproof — I’ve used $50 scales that are water-resistant, and this is a major downside versus rivals like the Felicita Arc.
However, this is the finest coffee scale I’ve ever used. I simply wish it wasn’t so tear-inducingly expensive.
By Erin Bashford — Read Erin's full Acaia Pearl S review
DJI Flip ★★★★
As a licensed drone pilot and aerial photography enthusiast, I’m a sucker for a good drone. DJI had a busy 2024 and shows no sign of slowing down this year as it launched the DJI Flip on Tuesday, and it’s been the highlight of my week. Or the month just gone, as I’ve spent the past few weeks testing this sub-250g drone.
The Flip looks like the bigger version of the DJI Neo. The difference is that its propellers fold downwards to resemble bicycle wheel spokes — or a droid from Star Wars, which I prefer. Equipped with propeller guards, the Flip is designed to instill more confidence in novice pilots. But its biggest selling points are its photo and video capabilities. A three-axis mechanical gimbal keeps footage stable while a 1/1.3-inch CMOS captures detailed 48MP stills and gorgeous 4K/60fps video. I also love its QuickShot modes where the Flip automatically records short videos which can then be shared instantaneously on social media — that’s perfect for content creators.
And boy is this drone easy to fly! You can use either an RC-N3 or an RC-2 touchscreen controller to control it. Just remember that because it’s so lightweight, it’s prone to strong gusts of wind. Also, obstacle avoidance is limited to front-facing only, so you’ll need to be a little careful. Regardless, this might be the ultimate drone for beginners.
By Nikita Achanta — Read Nikita’s full DJI Flip review
Fellow Stagg Kettle ★★★★½
Gooseneck kettles are a bit of a celebrity in the world of specialty coffee. Everyone loves them, everyone wants one, and they’re eternally cool.
I firmly believe that the Fellow Stagg gooseneck kettle is one of the best — if not the best — goosenecks on the market today. Yes, it has a painfully small capacity (just 30 ounces, enough for a 6-cup Chemex), but are you really preparing coffee for more than six people at a time? If you are, there are other options, but for most, the Stagg is the pinnacle of usability.
The Stagg boils its full capacity in around five minutes and maxes out at just 69dB. And when it comes to pouring, you’ll never feel anything like it. I’m not even exaggerating. In testing, I was able to get the flowrate down to just 1.5g/s for ultimate precise pouring. At maximum speed, the Stagg reached 25g/s. This controlled precision makes it unbeatable for pour-over enthusiasts, whether that’s a V60, Chemex, Kalita, or any other small-name brewer.
If you want a gooseneck kettle and you’re serious about coffee, there’s nothing better than the Fellow Stagg.
By Erin Bashford — Read Erin's full Fellow Stagg EKG kettle review
What Tom's Guide tested this week: What we didn't love
Razer Pro Type Ultra ★★½
Razer is associated with gaming peripherals, and they make some fantastic ones. The Razer Pro Type Ultra feels like an anomaly, a pure white keyboard with white backlighting swimming in a sea of RGB-themed powerhouses. Sadly, it doesn’t live up to the standards set by the likes of the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%. Don’t get me wrong; the Pro Type Ultra is great to type on and sports a minimalist design that would fit right into any office. But its flaws are too jarring.
This is an expensive keyboard, costing $159. If it was cheaper, around the $100 mark, I wouldn’t have minded its flaws as much, but at its retail price, I want a keyboard where I have to nitpick to find issues. The Pro Type Ultra is fitted with ABS keycaps that feel cheap and aren’t as durable as PBT ones. Considering that the very cheap Epomaker Ajazz AK820 Pro sports PBT keycaps, I’m taken aback that Razer’s offering doesn’t. Also, the keys make metallic pings when they’re pressed, making for a frustrating experience. But hey, it’s got a very comfy cushioned wrist rest! But it can’t be attached to the keyboard so I found myself unintentionally knocking it about.
At the end of the day, I don’t see the upside of investing that much money into this keyboard when there are cheaper alternatives available.
By Nikita Achanta — Read Nikita’s full Razer Pro Type Ultra review
Also tested this week
More from Tom's Guide
