McCain Ready Baked Jackets - Convenience at a Cost…

I recently received the new McCain Ready Baked Jackets to review and must confess to being somewhat sceptical. The questions that I immediately found myself asking were, “Do we really need frozen jacket potatoes in this world?” and “Who would pay an inflated price for microwave jacket potatoes when you can cook normal potatoes in the microwave anyway?”

This is the first obstacle that I needed to overcome because Tesco for example sells 2.5 kg of Kent jacket potatoes for around £2.25 whereas the McCain frozen ones are £2.50 for four potatoes so they are expensive in the comparison. Upon opening the packaging the value for money point is further hammered home as the size of the McCain frozen potatoes is significantly smaller in comparison to what you would find in a traditional bag of spuds.

However, we are living in an age of convenience and I must admit that the thought of waiting a few hours for a jacket potato to cook is enough to ensure that the only time I get to eat one is when I'm out and about, which means that I purchase from a man in a van.

This is the big selling point of McCain’s product, because you can put one in your microwave for 5 minutes, which is just long enough to grate some cheese, open a can of tuna and tub of butter before tucking into a jacket potato with a tasty filling, making this the perfect comfort food. At this point, I finally understood exactly why these frozen tatties could be quite useful in our hectic modern lives.

If you are sick to the bad teeth of eating the same sandwiches at work each day, it would also offer an alternative that can be simply thrown into a microwave. No scraping or washing the potato either, so if you are short of time then this really could be an option for you.

After 5 minutes in the Microwave, my first opinion was of slight disappointment as the skin just wasn't crispy, which is something that I love about a good old fashioned baked spud, so if this is something you prefer too, then I would recommend opting for the longer 45-55 minutes in the oven method.

I find it quite hard to criticise the taste itself, because potatoes are not known for their killer taste sensation and we all add butter and fillings of our choice for this very reason. It’s worth pointing out to those of you on a health kick that these come in at around 205 calories on their own, so don't go too crazy with the butter.

The potato itself is incredibly white and fluffy and almost mash like which is not a problem for me but they do feel quite dry (before butter added). The good news is there is no hard potato to be found anywhere so that’s one pet hate of mine out of the way.

There’s nothing quite like the smell and taste of a slow oven-baked jacket potato, but the downside is waiting ages for them to cook, so ultimately, if you feel like a pleasant change from sandwiches at work or need a few emergency snacks in your freezer for when you find yourself short on time, then the McCain Ready Baked Jackets will be perfect for you.

Sure if you want the crispy skin to your potato, then you are better waiting for around 45 minutes in the oven, but the biggest negative must be the price. Ultimately we all have a choice on our hands, do we pay £2.25 for a whole bag of potatoes that take several hours to cook, or pay around the same price for a couple of frozen potatoes that take only 5 minutes in the microwave? That’s the trade off on offer here, so for me personally, as an occasional emergency snack, they are perfect but I wouldn't expect these to appear on anyone’s weekly shopping list.

Lynx Compressed Deodorants Review

I recently had the opportunity to try one of the new compressed deodorants for free as a BzzAgent and must admit to being a little sceptical that these much smaller cans of Lynx with 50% less gas actually have the same amount of body spray as the full size cans.

Compressed deodorants deliver the same protection, but due to an innovative new spray system they require less gas in each spray. With less gas needed, the can is smaller but still contains the same amount of deodorant. That means it will last just as long as your normal can, even in the smaller size.

From an environmental point of view the fact they are using 50% less gas and 25% less aluminium is a fine example how a small change can make a big difference whilst also adding convenience to the customer.

If 1 million people switched to Compressed deodorants, every year we could save: (Figures based on people using an average of 5 cans in a year) 696 tonnes of CO2 Equal to the average emissions of a car travelling 126 times around the earth Enough aluminium to make 20,000 bikes say Unilever, which shows how small changes can make a big difference.

From a personal point of view, this new smaller size makes it a sensible choice for your trips away, gym bag or even a drawer at work for when you feel the need to freshen up. When you combined this information with the fact that they last as long as the original bigger cans, it makes the option of  choosing a compressed can the natural choice for any forward thinking individual.

Foreo LUNA Mini

The nice people at BzzAgent sent me the new Foreo LUNA Mini and I will be the first person to admit not knowing anything about this little device and I'm not the kind of guy that has a "routine" so this should be of no surprise.

For the last few years, the standard gift for ladies at Christmas has been a set of expensive GHD's but now everyone has a pair, step forward a new essential device for £99 which is sure to be a big hit this Christmas. 

The Sales Pitch...

"The next big thing in skincare has arrived with T-Sonic™ technology – a radical new approach to cleansing that is both deeper and gentler at the same time. By channeling transdermal sonic pulsations across the skin’s surface, the LUNA™ mini will transform the look and feel of the skin within just 3 days. It works by cleaning pores of impurities to reduce the causes of blemishes, while smoothing and refining your skin’s texture for incredible results."

• It’s way more effective than washing by hand,providing visible results in just three days!

• The smart, three-zone design is suitable for all skin types

• It’s fully waterproof, so you can use it in the bath or shower

• The nonabrasive silicone brush is gentler on your skin than other sonic-cleansing products

• The silicone doesn't absorb daily grime or harbor bacteria build-up, making the LUNA^™ mini extremely hygienic

• An integrated battery delivers up to 300 uses from a single charge

• The device comes with a two-year limited warranty, and there’s no need to replace its brushes

It is described as 'extremely hygienic' due to being made of silicone, non porous and is fully waterproof so can be thoroughly washed after every use without damaging the electric charging port. It also delivers up to 300 uses with just one charge! The video below shows you the product in use and shows that it is also unisex but they do offer a separate version for just men too.

The best way of describing this to anyone that hasn't heard about the LUNA Mini, is imagine an electric toothbrush for your face! Sounds crazy right? 

Even after using a Luna Mini for a short time, you notice an improvement in your skin. It looks and feels smoother and I was not expecting to see results so quickly but even this old cynic must admit, it really does work.

This small device has 300 uses in one charge, so will slip into anyones travel bag without worrying about carrying yet another charger to accompany your phone, tablet or laptop. An electronic cleansing device that both men and women can use is sure to be a big hit at Christmas for anyone that wants cleaner, fresher and smoother skin.

The only downside of this product is the price, and £99 is a hefty price tag but as my wife tells me "If you look after your skin, it looks after you." The best compliment I can give the LUNA Mini is my wife has since taken it and uses it twice a day and cannot speak highly enough of how much better her skin feels.

So if you get around the price tag, it could quickly become an essential part of your daily routine.

Danone Danio Luxury Thick Yoghurt…At a Price

Danone Danio is exactly what is says it is on the lid “Super Thick Yogurt” in a larger than expected 160g pot. The good news is this guilty pleasure comes armed with a whopping 11.9g of protein, 0% fat and the calorie count are in respectable range of between 125kcal to 159kcal. Obsessive label reading freaks out there need to be aware that some pots hide 18g of sugar though. However if you are need of a healthy filling snack to keep hunger at bay after a workout or for breakfast to start your day, then you could do much worse than these creamy thick yoghurts. From peeling back the lid there is no water when opened like other yoghurts, and straight away you are greeted with super thick, smooth and creamy yoghurt with a generous fruit layer. When I say thick though, I mean so thick that you can leave your spoon standing vertically in the centre of the pot easily, which was a treat for me because it felt more like a dessert to me but some may struggle. The mild taste might be too bland for some but this thick creamy and filling yoghurt fills you up and is fairly low on calories for those watching what they eat.

The Danone Danio may well be a super thick, super tasty yogurt: a yogurt of substance but it comes with one fatal flaw, which is the price of 85p per yoghurt. There is currently an offer of 3 for the price of 2 at Tesco but outside of this offer, I would find it hard to justify regular purchases of this brand of yoghurt at this price, no matter how good it tasted.