All posts tagged: rated

‘Don’t be fooled by fancy packaging’: the best (and worst) supermarket shortbread, tasted and rated | Biscuits

‘Don’t be fooled by fancy packaging’: the best (and worst) supermarket shortbread, tasted and rated | Biscuits

Published by Sam Flores

At its best and simplest, shortbread is made using a classic 1:2:3 ratio – one part sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour, by weight. Perhaps unsurprisingly, few supermarket shortbreads stick to that golden rule and include other ingredients such as cornflour and raising agents; they’re nothing to worry about – but some cut the butter (and costs) by using rapeseed oil, margarine or worse. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Unlike most manufactured products, however, the price of shortbread doesn’t always reflect the level of processing, and some of the cheapest are also the least processed. Look out for “all-butter” on the label, to make sure the shortbread doesn’t include oil and has that classic, buttery taste. And don’t be fooled by fancy packaging. The best supermarket shortbread Best overall:Walker’s shortbread Highlanders £2.50 for 160g at Morrisons (£1.56/100g) £2.85 for 160g at Waitrose (£1.78/100g) ★★★★☆ A round, characterful shortbread hand-rolled in crunchy demerara sugar. Sweet with a firm bite and …

‘Dull and musty’: the best (and worst) supermarket breakfast teabags, tasted and rated | Tea

‘Dull and musty’: the best (and worst) supermarket breakfast teabags, tasted and rated | Tea

Published by Sam Flores

My grandma would turn in her grave if she knew I tested these teabags by brewing them in a cup, but that’s how I drink tea mostly. Or at least I did until I met tea specialist Matt Ritson, who helped me test today’s teas with the industry-standard cupping process and, afterwards, introduced me to some mind-blowing whole-leaf teas. We studied the appearance and aroma of the wet leaves in an observation bowl, then the colour and clarity of the tea itself, before supping it from small bowls and aerating the tea to maximise its surface area. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. The bags I tested ranged from 2p to 34p a pop, but when you think about the quality and sourcing of the higher-priced teas, even they are incredible value. We scored them on flavour, structure and balance, plus certification, trading standards and sourcing. I also awarded points to plastic-free bags – it seems the industry is finally responding to …

‘A cherry-cola colour and funky, acidic aroma’: the best supermarket balsamic vinegars, tasted and rated | Food

‘A cherry-cola colour and funky, acidic aroma’: the best supermarket balsamic vinegars, tasted and rated | Food

Published by Sam Flores

The old adage that you get what you pay for definitely applies to balsamic vinegar, no matter whether it’s an independent brand or a supermarket’s own-label. The best are made in Modena, Italy, and carry at least IGP (protected geographical indication) status. Though that’s not the strictest certification, it’s still a mark of quality, assuring the product has been made following certain guidelines. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. None of the vinegars I tested had PDO (protected designation of origin) status, which is a more coveted certification with strict guidelines and a 12-year ageing process, and which explains why it can cost upwards of £1,200 a litre. I tested these vinegars for viscosity and colour, then smell, before finally tasting. The products varied from more acidic, young vinegars with a low sweetness, resulting in harsher, less balanced but still delicious vinegar, through to the most syrupy balsamics with a sugar content as high as 80% (that is, 80g in every 100ml) …

‘Perfectly textured – moist, fluffy’: the best supermarket falafel, tasted and rated | Food

‘Perfectly textured – moist, fluffy’: the best supermarket falafel, tasted and rated | Food

Published by Sam Flores

It was surprisingly hard to find good, traditional falafels in the supermarkets for this test. While most of those on offer were delicious, many had long, complex ingredients lists, other than two standouts made with just chickpeas, herbs, spices and sodium bicarbonate. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Even some of the better falafels had unnecessarily long ingredients lists, despite being relatively minimally processed, but at their worst, some of these falafels were much more processed and included dehydrated potato flakes, pea protein, refined soya bean oil and stabilisers. The best, however, were delicious and contained lots of herbs, spices and even love. The best supermarket falafel Best overall:Ramona’s Original falafel £3.95 for 500g at Ocado (79p/100g) ★★★★☆ A large frozen bag of golden brown, oval pucks. These had that traditional, nutty texture, most likely due to their authentic recipe process. Moist, delicious, but very salty, with 2.19% salt (anything over 1% is salty). A clear winner thanks to their value, minimal …

The best mascaras for longer, fuller and fluttery lashes: 12 favourites worn and rated by our beauty expert | Mascara

The best mascaras for longer, fuller and fluttery lashes: 12 favourites worn and rated by our beauty expert | Mascara

Published by Sam Flores

If you were allowed to pick only one makeup item to use for the rest of your life, what would you choose? Without a doubt, mine would be mascara. It’s the most transformative beauty staple. Defining your lashes has literally eye-opening results, making them appear bigger and brighter. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. If the questions I’ve been asked as a beauty editor are anything to go by, even those who consider themselves low-maintenance usually own a mascara: requests for mascara recommendations are by far the most common. It seems no one is immune to how effortlessly eye-framing a few coats can be. Recommending the best mascara, however, isn’t straightforward. A one-type-suits-all mascara doesn’t exist, so the performance of mascaras often divides people. The key is to work out what your lashes’ needs are: are you looking for volume, length, lift, curl or something else? Whatever your requirement, you’ll find a recommendation here that suits you. At a glance £28 at …

‘Dangerously moreish’: the best supermarket Easter eggs, tasted and rated | Easter

‘Dangerously moreish’: the best supermarket Easter eggs, tasted and rated | Easter

Published by Sam Flores

At the age of 45, my Easter egg hunt is about seeking out quality, transparency and flavour, rather than just finding the most eggs. Then again, I haven’t been on one for about 35 years, and my tastes have since changed, as has the market. Beyond those foil-wrapped novelties of yesteryear, there’s now a genuinely impressive selection of thoughtfully made, handcrafted chocolate eggs aimed at those with a more mature palate. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. As with all chocolate, certifications matter: Fairtrade guarantees a minimum price, fairer working rights and investment in climate resilience, while the Rainforest Alliance focuses on environmental standards and farm sustainability. The quality and processing of the chocolate is also important. Most eggs contain the likes of invert sugar syrup, soya lecithin and E471, so rather than highlight every additive, I’ve instead flagged products with minimal processing, as well as those that use palm oil. I haven’t marked down for high sugar content – it is …

Levoit’s Highly Rated Cordless Vacuum is 25% Off on Amazon

Levoit’s Highly Rated Cordless Vacuum is 25% Off on Amazon

Published by Sam Flores

A cordless vacuum makes it easier to move around your space unencombered to suck up dirt and debris. And when it comes to cordless vacuums, this model from Levoit is a fan favorite. In fact, it is so popular that over 20,000 people have bought it on Amazon in the past month. Right now, the vacuum is 25 percent off, bringing the price to just under $150. Deal of the day This vacuum is lightweight, offers powerful suction that works on both carpet and hard floors and has headlights to help illuminate dirt and debris. It has a runtime of 50 minutes on a full charge. It also has a washable filter and a detachable roller that is easy to clean. The vacuum comes with a pet attachment to help pick up hair and kitty litter and a crevice attachment to get into corners and in between couch cushions. You can also maneuver the vacuum so it lays almost flat to help you clean under your bed, couch or coffee table. Need to clean the …

‘Alive, fruity and with a soft texture’: the best supermarket frozen peas, tasted and rated | Vegetables

‘Alive, fruity and with a soft texture’: the best supermarket frozen peas, tasted and rated | Vegetables

Published by Sam Flores

The sweetness of a pea is more than just a desirable taste; it’s an indication of a pea picked at the perfect moment. As the sugars convert into starch, peas lose their sweetness rapidly after picking, leading to a less sweet, more fibrous and lower-quality product. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. That’s why high-quality peas are picked, blanched and frozen as quickly as possible, usually all within two and a half hours. That said, other factors such as soil, seed quality, transportation and a stable freezer temperature all affect a frozen pea’s quality. All the peas scored well for taste, but their texture was rather more varied. To measure the sweetness of the peas, I used a Brix refractometer, a tool designed for measuring the sugar content of fruit and veg. I awarded an extra point to peas with a Brix rating of 10 or more. I also scored them on cost, country of origin and organic status. The best supermarket …

‘Small, plump, gooey … marvellous’: the best supermarket tortilla, tasted and rated | Spanish food and drink

‘Small, plump, gooey … marvellous’: the best supermarket tortilla, tasted and rated | Spanish food and drink

Published by Sam Flores

My second ever chef job was at Glastonbury in 1997, which is now famous as the “Year of the Mud”. We sliced hundreds of kilos of potatoes, peeled onions until we cried, and cracked and whisked untold dozens of eggs. Back then, you couldn’t buy tortilla in a shop, only from a tapas restaurant, but these days there’s an incredible selection in many supermarkets. I normally eat shop-bought tortilla straight from the packet, but during this taste test, I discovered just how nice it is when reheated in a pan. I tried all these tortillas hot and cold, and even the lower-scoring ones were quite enjoyable when eaten warm. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. I judged them on taste and texture, which varied from a dense, firmly set egg to the soft and squidgy centre I love. All were relatively minimally processed, but all lacked transparency regarding the origin of their ingredients – though, thankfully, many were made with free-range eggs, …

‘Melts into an oozy blob’: the best supermarket brie, tasted and rated | Cheese

‘Melts into an oozy blob’: the best supermarket brie, tasted and rated | Cheese

Published by Sam Flores

Brie and baguette is one of life’s simplest pleasures, to be enjoyed anywhere from a park bench to halfway up a mountain, and with no knife or kit required. It’s a soft, white, mould-ripened cheese made from raw or pasteurised cow’s milk, and has a characteristically soft texture. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Gently warmed milk is separated into curds with rennet, then inoculated with Penicillium candidum (sometimes called P camemberti), which gives it that characteristic flavour and white mould rind. It’s then transferred to moulds, salted and ripened for a month or longer. It originally hails from the Brie region in northern France. I tasted each cheese at room temperature, after giving it at least an hour’s rest. That’s because packaging, long storage and refrigeration tend to intensify the natural farmyardy ammonia created by the ripening process, and by giving the cheese time to breathe, those intense aromas soften and dissipate. It’s my ambition to judge the World Cheese Awards …