THEGAYUK

Tag: Product Review

All the latest breaking news on Product Review. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on Product Review.

  • Tucano Urbano MRK 2 Motorcycle Gloves

    Tucano Urbano MRK 2 Motorcycle Gloves

    Tucano Urbano Gloves MRK 2

    For the last few thousand miles, I’ve been using some Tucano Urbano MRK 2 summer gloves.

    An odd choice maybe in April and May in the UK, but they’ve been great.

    Tucano Urbano is an Italian manufacturer who’s range offers Italian design and style with practical solutions for urban scooter and motorcycle riders, so I’m told.

    They’ve been around for 20 years and have a good reputation for making quality gear.

     

    Construction

    These gloves have a soft, synthetic suede palm with a flexible anti-abrasion rubber insert.

    Aero 3D mesh around the palm and the back of the gloves gives maximum ventilation. These are very light and soft.

    Silicone rubber strips on the fingers improve grip and goat’s leather inserts around the wrist and all over the knuckles add strength and durability whilst keeping the soft, light feel of these gloves.

    There is soft certified armour on the knuckles and some rubber protection on the top of the fingers too.

    Velcro adjustment on the cuff is also by goat’s leather strap with microinjection ends for easy opening. These are also touchscreen gloves which is very handy when using your satnav.

    Fit and feel

    At first, I thought these gloves would simply be too light to wear in anything but glorious sunshine but that’s not been the case. They are very light and heavily vented, but I really light how soft and light they are. Because of the feel, I’ve worn them in all weathers; warm sunny days, cold windy days and even pouring with rain days. I expect in deepest winter they would be too light, but I haven’t struggled at all. When they’ve got wet in the rain, they’ve always dried really quickly. Maybe because they are so light.

    They fit well and being a short glove, don’t get in the way of cuffs.

    My Spidi gloves are a size 9 – L so went for the same with these Tucano Urbano gloves. They’re spot on.

     

    Protection

    MRK 2 are short summer gloves and as such, are a little short on the full-on protection you might find on a full blown leather glove.

    There is soft, certified armour on the knuckles and anti-abrasion pads on the palm and fingers plus goat’s skin along the tops of the fingers and thumb.

    Tucano Urbano MRK 2 gloves are CE approved: meets the EN 13594:2015–CE safety standards for motorbike gloves.

    Warmth

    You wouldn’t expect these to be warm. They are a heavily vented, lightweight summer glove after all. I was surprised to find they have been great so far. I’m sure when the temperatures hit single digits, it will be time to pull out the winter gloves but I will use these as long as I can.

     

    Waterproofing

    Well, let’s be realistic, there is none. It’s a summer glove after all. Like I said before though, I’ve worn these in the pouring rain and decided to wear latex gloves under them. When they were soaking, they held their shape and performed just as well as when they are dry. They dried out quickly too.

    Verdict

    Tucano Urbano has been known primarily for scooter gear, but if you look at their current range, it’s huge. It covers everything from under layers to helmets to men’s motorcycle gear, women’s motorcycle gear, boots, gloves and lots more.

    These gloves are so light and comfortable I’ve really enjoyed wearing them. There’s not much worse than wearing gloves that blunt your feel. These certainly do not. They are my new glove of choice until winter sets in.

    £52.99

    Sizes XS > XXL

  • REVIEW| The Three Best Gins: It’s Gin O’Clock!

    REVIEW| The Three Best Gins: It’s Gin O’Clock!

    It’s official April is here, spring is here and yes that’s right so is British Summer Time!

    So now we get an extra hour of daylight each day, to indulge in all our spring debauchery. Now as much as we could be referring to what goes down on Hampstead Heath… We at THEGAYUK will try and keep our debauchery PG for now. Indeed we are talking about all the debauchery that goes down in beer gardens and parks across the nation. It’s time to swap the winter whiskey for a refreshing G&T and don’t worry if you don’t know your Hendrick’s from your Gordons, we’ve got your back. Here’s our Top 3 Gin Guide for Spring 2019, with tasting notes and all. You’ll be a gin pro in no time.

     

    1. Harahorn Norwegian Gin

    Yes, you did indeed read right, Scandinavians make gin! The first gin to be featured on the top list is our Norwegian entrant Harahorn gin. Named after the Harahorn mountain in Norway and depicting the ever daunting image of a hare with horns, this gin is definitely an all-around favourite. By far the smoothest gin in our list, Harahorn is definitely the one to go for if you’re new to the gin scene. It’s a simple but delightfully smooth gin, with a neutral palette. Pair with blueberries for a subtle berry infusion and a flower or two, you know for the aesthetic. After all, if it’s not on Insta did it even happen?

    Recommended For: Anyone new to gin, who want a safe first dip into the gin pool.

    Instagram @harahorngin

    2. Blue Bottle Dry Gin

    Second, on our list, is our Guernsey entrant Blue Bottle Dry Gin. Now, this gin is indeed something special and can safely be considered an artisanal masterpiece. The gin which is brewed in copper stills at the Three Fingers Distillery in Guernsey combines a mirage of botanicals to create a truly unique taste. This gin is definitely one for the seasoned gin lover. With their tagline “Look for beauty everywhere.”, it’s definitely a gin that you will keep you yearning for more. With new tastes and experiences awaiting you, at every sip.

    We recommend serving with a slice of grapefruit, to truly explore the subtle taste notes of this gin. Floral in nature, the juniper is enhanced by the bitterness of the grapefruit and the subtle undertone of vanilla comes through. The result, a truly unique tasting experience that will definitely have gin lovers hooked.

    Recommended For: The seasoned gin lover, who wants to experience something truly unique on the gin scene.

    Instagram @bluebottlegin

    3. Conker Spirit RNLI Navy Strength Gin

    Finally, the third and final entrant to our list is our English entry. Conker Spirit RNLI Navy Strength Gin hails from Dorset, England and is a gin that supports the life-saving work of the RNLI. The gin was created in partnership with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and for every bottle sold, £5.00 is donated to the charity, to support their lifesaving work. So you can enjoy a cheeky G&T while doing good, definitely a brand we can get behind! The gin itself is smooth and by far the sweetest gin in our list.

    Similarly to the Blue Bottle Dry Gin, we’d recommend serving this one with grapefruit. The sharpness of the grapefruit will ground the sweetness of the drink. Creating a truly indulgent citrus palette for you to enjoy. Perfect on a sunny spring day in the park! If you also enjoy a neat whiskey in winter, try this beauty with a squeeze of grapefruit juice on the rocks. Rare we like neat gin but this one is an exception to the norm.

    Recommended For: Those with a sweet tooth, who enjoy a sweet citrus kick.

     Instagram @conkerspirit

    So there we have it. You are now indeed prepared to enjoy that extra hour of spring sunshine and hit the bar/park to enjoy a freshly made G&T. Let us know your thoughts below if you get the chance to try one of our favourites above or if you think we missed any from the list. Enjoy the sun and experimenting with your new favourite gins!

    Photography: Georgia Faid @georgiafaid

    Edited by: Daniel Dvir @danieldvirhere

  • PRODUCT REVIEW: Ice Cream Makers

    If like us, you enjoy a scoop of something sweet in the summer sun, then here are our top two ice cream machines to help you complete your creamy cravings!

    Both machines have been picked for their simplicity and quality of ice creams they produce.

    Magimix Le Glacier – from £40 for a 1.1 ltr / £55 for a 1.5 ltr

    For around an extra £15 it’s definitely worth opting for the 1.5ltr, even then the price is still reasonable- and why wouldn’t you want more ice cream? The machine itself is extremely compact so makes great for those with limited space.

    When comparing to the other machine I’ve picked, the Le Glacier’s only downfall is having to have pre-freeze the bowl. Although you could just keep the bowl in the freezer ready for when you want to use it. This machine is marginally noisier than the Cuisinart, I would give noise level 7/10.

    Putting together the parts of the product can be a little bit fiddly to begin with, but

    the quality of ice cream the machine makes is fab and some recipes you only have to churn for 20 minutes.

    Cuisinart Gelato & Ice Cream Professional- from £200

    Probably my favourite out of the two. Requires a larger space in the kitchen as it is a bit chunky, but the reason for that is that it freezes and cools whilst churning and no pre-freezing is required, meaning it is good to go whenever you are!

    The machine is durable as I made three ice creams in one go, with the product only requiring a 10 minute cooling time after the second was made. If you wanted to do that with the other machine (Magimix), you would have had to re-freeze the bowl for each ice cream.

    Some appliances can be daunting from the point you open the box and see all the contraptions that come with it, but Cuisinart have kept this minimal and simple.

    Pretty much a plug and play product and has a timer you can set for how long you want to churn with an auto-off function.

    It comes with a cute little ice cream pail and two different paddles (one for normal ice cream and the other gelato/sorbet) and the quality is seriously superior.

  • JUICERS: Battle of the Budget Buys

    Our Food and Drinks expert Jordan Lohan takes a look at two juicers this month.

    Both of these juicers have the same amount of parts that come with the product (being seven, six of which require cleaning and are dishwasher safe).

    This also makes both machines a little fiddly when first getting to grips with what goes where. This is pretty much universal throughout other juicers out there so those points will not be considered in the comparison.

     

    Russell Hobbs- Aura Juice Extractor

    Available from £60

    Its clunky exterior means you are able to add whole fruits which reduces time preparing fruit and vegetables for juicing as opposed to the other machine.

    The manual is extremely user-friendly and comprehensive, kitted with a list of certain ingredients and how to prepare them (I found this really useful), even encouraging you to utilize the extracted pulp in composting or even to thicken soups etc. 35 recipes were included which a few had nice introductions to as to why they were included (stress busting/energizing / beautiful skin etc.)

    2 speed settings for the motor dependent on if you’re using soft / hard ingredients, and although I found this a bit annoying, it does mean you are supposed to get more out of the ingredients used.

    This was the noisier out of the two machines tested and I found that there was more pulpy bits and less juice extracted compared to the other. The cord was a good length enabling you to position freely on your worktop.

    Overall, the juices that the Russell Hobbs made came out clean and of good quality, although I felt a little “short-changed” with the amount of produce I had put into the machine.

     

    Cuisinart Compact Juicer

    Available from £70

    A lovely looking compact product perfect for smaller spaces, although the cable is extremely short meaning you’re limited to where you can place it in your kitchen if yours is gadget-laden like mine.

    A glossy manual, although wasted as no ingredient guidelines like the other product. Simple recipes just listing ingredients, although I do like their more innovative approach to using the machine with recipes for a dressing and even pineapple muffins.

    Simple on and off function with one speed setting, although this would suggest you are compromising the quality of juice extracted, and there is also more preparation involved (chopping down in size)- however out of the two, this product produced less “waste”. I had to clean the path for the pulp as it had a lot of build up throughout juicing. This was also the more difficult of the products to clean.

    Like the Russell Hobbs product, I enjoyed the juices I was able to create. Probably more so as I was aware how much less waste there was in comparison. Its good points are it’s aesthetics, size, lower noise level and less waste than the other machine tested.

    In conclusion, it would appear you’re likely to see the same traits amongst budget juicers, with various pros and cons out weighing each other making it difficult to decide on the ultimate budget juicer. If you can afford it, you want to find a juicer that uses the cold-press method and one you can make “milks” out of from nuts etc for optimum nutritional / functional use.

     

  • GROOMING | Wingman Scrubs Up Well

    There’s no other time of year when one needs a good wash! Long hot sticky summer days, lashings of suntan lotion and muddy weekends in a field camping – whilst sipping cider from a can listen to a variety of folk and rock music as thousands of others jump beside you. Well fear not for there’s a new Wingman in town who’s got your back… your face… your whole body actually.

    It’s not often I get excited about taking a shower. It happens daily and is a part my morning routine along with drinking two coffee’s to get out of bed, the blended fruit breakfast and hatred of other commuters. However, I now look forward to time spent in the water box thanks to Wingman’s range of face scrubs, washes and moisturisers that turns your morning or work aged body into a new man ready to take on life.

    The face scrub, wash and moisturiser – handily numbered 1,2,3 in case you’re still not quite awake and try to moisturise before you’ve scrubbed – have a fresh scent using ginseng and vitamins to help cleanse and brighten the skin. Another shower great is their 3-in-1 range suitable for body, hair and shaving. Available in Jet, Mint and my favourite Citrus, this is the perfect travel companion if packing space is limited. If like myself you have longer hair then you may also want to pack a conditioner as well.

    Overall a great new ‘man-brand’ to hit the shelves of Waitrose, Tesco, ASDA, Superdrug and Sainsbury’s or available online from www.WorldOfWingman.com ranging between £2.99 – £5.99.

    You can also pick up a free Wingman Gift Set with a year’s subscription from THEGAYUK’s stall at our sponsored Pride events across the UK, including upcoming Glasgow, Cardiff and Swindon. If you see us come and say hello and pick up a set before they’re gone!

  • REVIEW | The Sea Doo Spark Personal Water Craft

    ★★★★ | The Sea Doo Spark Personal Water Craft

    Sea-Doo Like To Be Beside the Seaside

    Like many people, my only experience of a personal watercraft (PWC) has been on holiday flogging a less than fresh example up and down the coast. Even when on a less than healthy machine, they are so much fun that you might even consider buying one. The Sea-Doo Spark is just the kind of pwc a first-time buyer may gravitate to thanks to the combination of low price and clever tech designed to make for an easier ride. It’s a looker too, the vibrant colours complementing the angular lines. If you get bored of your Spark’s hue, you can buy replacement bolt on body panels or graphic packages as well.

    The Spark is one of the smaller, lighter machines on the market and comes available as a two or three-seater. Two power levels are available and there’s the option of iBR, intelligent brake and reverse. This not only makes manoeuvring a doddle, it also enables you to stop around 100ft sooner, making things safer and giving you more confidence. The three-cylinder 900cc Rotax engine is quiet, smooth yet plenty powerful enough to get up to 50 mph if you opt for the high output version.

    Hopping aboard, made easier by the optional fold up step, the controls are simple and clear. Thumb the starter button and the engine catches easily, defaulting into Eco mode with around half power and improved fuel economy. Operating the brake and reverse soon become second nature allowing you to easily and accurately get off and on a trailer. A couple of button presses later, you unleash full power turning a fairly quick machine into one that way faster than I expected, even a few seconds of throttle see the numbers on the GPS speedo rise rapidly. The Spark is keen to change direction and great fun to throw about.

    Moving from Shoreham harbour to open seas just off Brighton gave me the chance to try it in choppy waters, a daunting prospect considering my previous ride had been in calm water on a windless day. With a couple of other guys on Sea-Doos with me as well, I was thankful for the brakes on a couple of occasions! The Spark proved more than up to the task, staying stable even cresting waves taller than itself. Within a couple of minutes I had the throttle pinned sending it into the air over wave after wave, carving through the rough seas. Even this increased exuberance failed to upset the Spark, at no point did I feel like I was about to be ejected and I stayed on the craft at all times.

    For a basic price of £4,999, the Spark comfortably undercuts its competition. This is however for the basic low output model that doesn’t have the option of iBR. To get this system, you need to spend another £900 for the high output model and then spend another £600 on iBR. Although the system is definitely worth £600, it’s a shame it isn’t offered on the lower power model which is probably going to be quick enough for most people anyway. Still, this is the only real flaw in an inexpensive, easy to transport (most smaller cars could still tow this), fun and cheap to run pwc. If you’re tempted by a bit of nautical fun, this seems hard to beat.

    CREDIT: PR Supplied
    CREDIT: PR Supplied

    Pros
    Affordable
    Easy to ride
    Seriously good fun

    Cons
    iBR only available on high output model
    Digital display could be a bit higher
    Seat could be more padded to protect your balls on landing

  • PRODUCT REVIEW: Russell Hobbs Purifry Health Fryer

    The Purifry cooks by circulating & blasting hot air onto food. The manual suggests it cooks vegetables, meat, and even cakes. Hang on… this is sounding very much like an oven isn’t it?

    The cooking basket has a 2 litre capacity and requires no oil in order to cook food (some of their recipes suggest a teaspoon of oil). It can reach 200c and I found upon setting the heat, it was ready within five minutes – very quick, albeit noisy.

    Firstly, I used the Purifry for sweet potato chips. Ready in fifteen minutes, they were marginally superior to those from an oven. They came out slightly charred, crispy but soft inside. Following the manual I made onion rings – appearing nothing like usual onion rings, but were crunchy with no grease.

    Initial cake making in the Purifry was highly unsuccessful. It erupted coming out looking more Mary Scary than Mary Berry. I was already dubious when the recipe stated to dent the center of the batter- riddle me this, how can you make a dent in liquid?

    Not one to be defeated, I tried again once I’d stopped sulking post-failure. Second attempt was just as awful, so abandon the cake making and in turn due to an overall underwhelming experience, abandon the Purifry altogether.

    It sits on your worktop looking like Eve from Disney’s Wall-E, with the name “Purifry” but essentially being an oven, even the product doesn’t know what it is. The design wants to be “minimalist” but is chunky, not ideal for small spaces, and despite its price (RRP 149.99), looks cheap.

    Chips and onion rings were a pleasure to eat from the Purifry, yes – but I hardly ever cook these normally.

    The outcome is not substantially better for me to change my cooking dynamics and use the product any further, and my oven/hob method with meat & veg is already successful and healthy.

    This product would probably benefit those that need chips and need them now. As a home cook I am uncertain of an instance I would require the use of the Purifry. Ever.
    PROS
    Minimal use of oil (0-1 tsp)
    Faster heating & cooking than an oven
    Safety timer with auto switch off

    CONS
    Identity issues (fryer or oven?)
    Cake calamity
    It’s hideous.
    http://uk.russellhobbs.com/
    RRP £149.99 (although available from £82 if you shop around)
    http://uk.russellhobbs.com
    RRP £149.99 (although available from £82 if you shop around)

  • PRODUCT REVIEW: Magimix Le Mini Plus

    Magimix products always provide a neat combination of style and ultimate utility. Most of their products are available in bright popping colours, with smaller versions of the appliance available for those that have limited worktop space, but still maintain a professional spec. The Le Mini Plus is no exception.

    Unpacking the contents of your new toy can be daunting when you spot how many extensions and accessories come with the food processor. However, with a glance over the glossy guide that comes laden with simple step by step instructions and pictures provided for each of its functions, along with 70 recipes to get you started on the new venture that will literally change and improve the dynamics of how you create in the kitchen.

    Recipes stretch from basic essentials such as home-made mayo, shortcrust pastry, Victoria sponge etc. to some interesting international dishes like; artichoke & parmesan carpaccio, and aubergine caviar.

    There are even some cocktail/mocktail ideas in the back such as the ice-cool blackcurrant and kiwi, and the pear and honey nectar. Recipes are clear, highlighting the relevant instruments of the appliance you will need to use.

    So let’s talk about the instruments. There is the main blade (chopping / kneading), a blender mix (soups etc.), egg whisk, slicer, grater, citrus press and it also comes with a spatula. Despite the word mini being in its name the Le Mini Plus is big on functionality and techniques.

    The recipes in the back suggest a serving yield of four people so this is a perfect appliance for small households (its main bowl has a 1.7 ltr capacity: 600g of chopped veg or 500g pastry or 600ml in soup, as examples).

    The slicer and grater blades alone have collectively saved me hours in the kitchen of tasks that were tedious to have previously done manually- grating a kilo of courgette for fritters by hand, never again. Another good attribute of the appliance is its fitted “failsafe”, meaning the unit will not turn on until all the correct parts of the product are in the right place.

    The machine is also very quiet when in use, which is always nice. All removable parts can go in the dishwasher and will take up minimal space so any kitchen aftermath goes unnoticed, even when cleaning by hand.

    The Le Mini Plus is by far my most favourite item in the kitchen. It looks cool, it saves me time, and can be used across a huge range of dishes; batter, pastry, bread, pizza dough, cake, icing, meringue, souffle, soup, pate, tart, pie, fishcakes, crumble, milkshakes, cocktails etc. etc.

    In my opinion, every kitchen should be kitted out with one of these. The price range is £119.99-£152.99 from John Lewis, but do shop around. I feel the pricing is totally fair with the product and should be considered as an investment. Whether novice or expert, this product is relevant and you will find yourself using it at every available opportunity.

     

    Good to know bits of info are any plastic materials are 0% BPA, three year guarantee included, along with a thirty year motor guarantee too.

     

     

    PROS

    Multi-function heaven

    Looks great on your worktop

    Comes with a great and handy bible of recipes

     

    CONS

    Sometimes had to blend in batches due to its smaller capacity.

     

     

  • REVIEW | Supreme Rollerskates

    REVIEW | Supreme Rollerskates

    If you’re looking for a fun way to tone up this Summer then check out the Supreme Rollerskates. You too can live the Miami Beach life, just remember to keep your eyes on the road!

    ★★★★★

    Supreme Rollerskates

    I haven’t been this excited since my first pair of yellow plastic clip-on-shoe rollerskates. I think every child I knew had a pair or at least tried every conceivable way to get their “borrowing” hands onto a pair of the classic 80’s skates. Twenty years later not much has changed. The Supreme Skates arrived in the office and everyone wanted to play with them first. However like any cunning kid knows the first to have them on will be king for the day, and I already had my foot in one! It did feel a little odd though wearing them under the desk rolling my feet back and forth waiting for the end of day bell to sound.

    Finally the time came and I was off out the office and into our local park. There may have been a few Frank Spencer moments as I came to grips with my new toy, it had been a few years since my last skate after all. The sun was shining the ducks were lazily floating around the pond and I was flying around with the wind in my hair dreaming of a Miami beach front. Sadly our local park doesn’t seem to attract the well toned shirtless bronzed men but as I started to build up a sweat I though, yes, I could be the first, a few more sessions and I could be the king of this park.

    I’m told they ‘burn 480 calories an hour’, (which on calculation mean I can have 4 glasses of wine), and ‘gives the rider a full body workout which will tone the buttocks, thighs and hips’. What more could you ask for? A fun way to workout the body, get fit and still have enough banked up calories for at least 1 glass.

    Made from light weight playmaker plates with alloy trucks these skates are sturdy and offer great ankle support with a soft inner lining. They look great and made me feel very safe whilst skating. The only downside was the day after, when the muscles in the backs of my legs started to throb, though no pain, no gain. I look forward to becoming a regular skater down in the park, now where did I put my vest?

    If you’re looking to be King of your park this Spring and Summer then visit www.shinerskates.co.uk where you can pick up a pair of boots & wheels for £99. Just keep out of my park, I’ve already bagsied it!

  • Product Review: Rory Hutton Bow Ties

    Having a Rory Hutton bow tie will elevate your placing in society to the likes of a well respected art critic or fashion connoisseur.

    (more…)