Today I’m checking out three popular kitchen gadgets that viewers requested: the Mini Q Coffee Maker, the Elite Gourmet Citrus Juicer, and the Amazing Lid spill protector. Here’s how each of these gadgets stacked up in my hands-on tests.
Where to Purchase
Below are links where you can purchase the products covered in this review.
Mini Q Coffee Maker
I picked up the Mini Q Coffee Maker for $70 on Amazon, curious about its claim to deliver fresh coffee in under two minutes, either from grounds or K-Cups. First impressions, however, were mixed. It’s stylish and compact, but the setup included fighting with stubborn sticker residue.
In my tests, it initially preheated quickly (around 1 minute 15 seconds) and brewed coffee in about 30 seconds, which did match their advertised claims. However, I quickly discovered some consistency issues. The temperature varied notably across uses, ranging from around 147°F to 170°F, with no clear reason why sometimes it preheated and other times it didn’t. The coffee tasted consistently strong but good, with no noticeable difference between grounds and K-Cups.
A major drawback I noticed was the restrictive cup size. The unit seems specifically designed for smaller mugs, making it tricky if you have a favorite mug that’s slightly taller or wider. Even my relatively small Freakin’ Reviews coffee mug barely fit. This restriction seemed to answer the question as to why they included their own (somewhat cheaply made) glass mug with the set – because your mugs may not fit! Additionally, it dripped significantly after brewing and sometimes leaked outside the intended area.
Ultimately, while the Mini Q coffee maker does its job, it’s hard to recommend over more reliable alternatives due to temperature inconsistencies, limited mug compatibility, and the persistent dripping. This product seems relegated to those who can forgive this list of shortcomings in favor of the overall appearance, which is admittedly quite pleasing.
Elite Gourmet Citrus Juicer
Next up was the Elite Gourmet Citrus Juicer, priced affordably at $13.99. It’s an electric juicer promising effortless juicing by simply pressing down on your citrus fruits.
It was incredibly easy to assemble and use. Simply press the fruit onto the electric reamer, and it does the spinning for you. I tested oranges, lemons, limes, and a large grapefruit. Overall it performed fairly well in all of my tests. It did a decent job extracting juice, particularly with lemons and limes. Grapefruits required a bit of extra effort to get full extraction but eventually yielded good results.
I did discover a couple of quirks. First, there’s a protective plastic cover provided, but it proved awkward to use during actual juicing, and most people will probably end up ignoring it (as I did, and apparently so did many Amazon reviewers). Secondly, despite being electric, I still needed moderate hand strength to hold and press the fruits, which makes the benefit over manual juicers somewhat minimal. Additionally, some smaller seeds slipped through, especially noticeable with grapefruits. Sometimes seeds ended up being ground up, making them a bit harder to see.
Overall, it’s an affordable upgrade if you’re juicing large quantities or have mild hand strength issues, but otherwise, a simple manual juicer might be just as effective and cheaper.
Amazing Lid
Finally, I tested the Amazing Lid, a silicone spill protector priced at $12.99 for a two-pack. This gadget had the lowest Amazon rating (3.3 stars) of the bunch, and I quickly found out why.
Although designed to stretch and snugly fit mugs or cups to prevent spills, it struggled significantly. Installation was often tricky, especially on larger mugs or glass cups. Additionally, it’s not truly spill-proof (as stated multiple times in the Amazon listing), as the lid requires two holes for drinking and venting, meaning spills still happen if these holes align below the liquid line. Spills are certainly lessened, but not prevented entirely. They may want to choose more accurate terms to describe the function of this item.
Drinking through the small slit wasn’t enjoyable either, often imparting a mild rubbery taste, especially noticeable with plain water. Moreover, at around $13 for a two pack, the price feels steep given the effectiveness. Cheaper versions exist elsewhere for far less – not that they work any better.
In summary, the Amazing Lid reduced but certainly didn’t eliminate spills. It’s fussy to use, overpriced, and generally not something I’d recommend.
Final Thoughts
Of these three items, the Elite Gourmet Citrus Juicer offered the best balance of value and function, particularly for casual home juicing. The Mini Q Coffee Maker and Amazing Lid, while appealing in theory, fell short due to their practical issues and overall user experience.
If you’ve tried any of these gadgets, tell me what you think in the comments below!
Video Review
Below you can check out my full review!