As a plant-lover myself, this set gives me nothing but sheer joy. Botanical gardens had their moment in the 19th and 20th centuries, with their massive overarching cast iron structures, coupled with glass facades that made the building essentially look like a bubble-shaped oasis of nature in a concrete jungle. The art-deco stylings, the habitat-esque design, the chlorophyll, it all makes me truly happy, so seeing something as wonderful as that shrunken down to a tiny set big enough to keep on my bookshelf? It feels like a thing of true beauty!
Meet the Botanical Garden LEGO Ideas set. Envisioned by LEGO user Goannas89, this 3000-brick set is perhaps one of the most intricate I’ve ever seen, with an interior that’s even more detailed than the exterior. The set comes with a white outer structure, revealing the greenery peaking out from within. Pop the top open and you get to adore the Botanical Garden even more, with plants in every nook and corner, and minifigures enjoying them – just like I do when I visit the botanical garden in my own city!
Designer: Goannas89
Inspired by the grand cast-iron greenhouses of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the set brings a historical charm to its modern modular design. The neoclassical entrance is the first hint of the detail inside, its stately architecture standing as a gateway to a lush interior. Step through the doors, and you’re greeted by an open and accessible space filled with botanical delights. A banana tree and a palm anchor the central atrium, surrounded by exotic plants like Anthurium, Bamboo, and the whimsical Begonia Maculata. Each species is thoughtfully placed to create a layered effect of foliage, color, and texture.
Step inside the build, and the experience gets even better. The central atrium greets you with towering green life—a banana tree, a palm, and a Beaucarnea recurvata. Around them, succulents and exotic flowers like Anthurium and Strelitzia add bursts of color. The left and right apses house their own botanical surprises, while a spiral staircase leads to a balcony where you can get up close to the treetops. Every element feels purposeful, whether it’s the clever placement of windows to maximize light or the removable skylight roof for added playability.
With over 3,000 pieces, this build is as rewarding as it is detailed. The structure’s layout—spanning 32×48 studs—makes it versatile enough to integrate into a cityscape or stand alone as a park centerpiece. Measuring 11.3 inches tall, it commands attention without overshadowing nearby builds. The use of transparent elements for the greenhouse’s glazing adds a layer of realism, catching light and creating dynamic reflections that elevate the overall presentation.
What sets the Botanical Garden apart is its careful attention to detail. The plants aren’t just generic greenery; each one is meticulously crafted to reflect real-world species. The banana tree’s textured leaves, the palm’s graceful fronds, and the patterned foliage of the Caladium bicolor all showcase the thoughtful artistry that went into the set’s design. It’s a build that rewards careful observation, with little surprises like succulents tucked into corners and a balance of vibrant and earthy tones that mimic nature itself.
Beyond its visual charm, the set feels like a love letter to urban green spaces. It captures the magic of stepping into a real-life botanical garden—those rare places where city life slows down and nature takes center stage. Whether it’s a child marveling at the flowers or a LEGO botanist tending to rare plants, the set brings that same sense of wonder and tranquility to the world of bricks. It’s a reminder of the importance of such spaces in our lives, even if they’re scaled down to fit on a tabletop.
There’s something undeniably captivating about seeing a greenhouse—traditionally a place for nurturing growth—brought to life in LEGO form. It’s a set that not only celebrates the art of building but also the beauty of the natural world. Whether it’s the intricate spiral staircase, the removable balcony, or the interplay of light through the glazed panels, every piece works together to create a space that feels alive and inspiring.
Two Grand Theft Auto titles that helped Netflix's games division pick up steam are leaving the service next month. Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City won't be available through Netflix's library of mobile games after December 13.
The Netflix app lists that as the "last day to play" both games. There's no such deadline on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas listing, indicating that subscribers can still enjoy CJ's story at no extra cost.
"Just like with series and film, games will be removed from Netflix as licenses expire," a Netflix spokesperson said, according to GameSpot. "Players will notice a 'Leaving Soon' badge and be notified by the app itself well in advance of removal." Netflix is removing those two games exactly a year after adding them and San Andreas to its library, indicating that it had an initial 12-month agreement with publisher Rockstar.
Earlier this year, Netflix said that the GTA trio had boosted game engagement at the end of 2023. Some people even signed up just to play them, the company claimed. However, Netflix recently scaled back its gaming ambitions to a degree by closing a studio that had some notable developers who were working on a AAA title.
You can still play the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition(what a mouthful!) versions of GTA III and Vice City on iOS and Android after December 13, but you'll need to buy them from the respective app stores. If you're looking for other games to play with your Netflix subscription, don't worry, we've got you covered with our picks. Or just Poinpy and thank me later.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/gta-iii-and-vice-city-are-leaving-netflixs-mobile-games-catalog-next-month-193106378.html?src=rss
Hackers breached an online course founded by far-right influencer, and accused human trafficker, Andrew Tate, according to reporting by Daily Dot. The hackers captured data on more than 800,000 users and revealed the email addresses of around 325,000 of them.
Tate’s self-proclaimed “online university” hosts courses on fitness, finance and content creation, all for the low price of $50 per month. The site currently claims it has over 113,000 active users, which translates to an estimated $5 million per month injected into Tate’s bank account. A source familiar with the breach told Daily Dot that Tate’s website is “hilariously insecure,” so the hack wasn’t difficult.
The unnamed hackers cite “hacktivism” as their motive, suggesting an issue with Tate’s particular brand of toxic discourse and his alleged propensity toward sex trafficking underage girls. To that end, they broke into the website in the middle of a livestream led by Tate, accessing the primary chatroom.
The hackers, who asked to remain anonymous, are currently flooding an internal chatroom for Tate's followers with emojis.
The hackers punctured the safe space of Tate's chatroom and uploaded emojis sure to upset the hyper-masculine influencer and his fans, like a transgender flag and a feminist fist. They also posted an AI-generated image of Tate draped in a rainbow flag. They even got a hold of admin controls and temporarily banned some users. The hackers also downloaded public and private chats made on the platform.
Daily Dot took a look at some of the acquired chat logs. They were filled with conversations about the “LGBTQ agenda” and, of course, “the matrix.” The publication shared the leaked email addresses with HaveIBeenPwned, a site that alerts users when they have been, well, pwned. Incidentally, this isn’t the first time Tate’s site was hacked this year. Back in July, over a million users and 22 million messages were exposed.
Tate is currently facing five legal investigations in Romania and the UK. He is alleged to have sex trafficked and raped minors, as well as forming an organized crime group with the intent of sexually exploiting women. He denies all of the charges.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/hackers-breach-andrew-tates-online-university-capturing-data-on-800000-users-184800703.html?src=rss
Threads is making more changes to address long-running complaints from users. This time, the company is testing out improvements to its search and trending topics feature in updates that Adam Mosseri described as “long-overdue improvements.”
On search, Threads is testing the ability to search for posts within specific date ranges and account-specific searches. The changes are similar to some of X’s advanced search capabilities and could make it easier for users to look for a specific post they want to revisit. The lack of advanced search on Threads has long been frustrating and up to now, the most reliable way to search for a specific Threads post was to use Google.
Threads is also experimenting with AI-powered summaries for its “trending now” topics, which shows US users a handful of popular topics on the platform. The app will also show an “expanded set” of up to 15 trends (currently, Threads only displays five trends at a time). The changes sound a little more like how X handles trends, which are sometimes summarized by its “Grok” AI feature. (Grok has somewhat of a mixed track record when it comes to accuracy, however.) It’s unclear how Meta plans to handle these summaries, though the company already uses Meta AI to summarize Facebook comments and discussions in groups.
The new tests are the latest in a flurry of updates from Threads. In the last week, Meta has also announced a test of custom feeds, which it made official just five days later, and improvements to users’ algorithmic feeds. Those changes also just happen to coincide with a huge surge in growth for Threads competitor Bluesky. The decentralized service has grown to more than 20 million users and has had several days where its growth has rivaled Threads daily sign-up numbers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-testing-out-advanced-search-features-and-ai-summaries-for-trending-topics-182250201.html?src=rss
The popularity of the Mac mini has made small desktop computers quite the fad. Especially with small components getting more powerful, it’s now possible to have a decent desktop experience in a small box. What isn’t possible, however, is enjoying the same range and variety of ports available on towers, at least not without some outside help.
Docks for mini PCs aren’t new, but the Mac mini does present some very particular design challenges. How do you make a dock that isn’t just functional but also just as aesthetic as the Mac mini itself? That’s the puzzle that this new dock for the latest Apple mini computer tries to solve using a large number of ports, a hidden SSD enclosure, and a rather peculiar appearance.
The Mac mini has always been designed to be discreet and subtle so it could be hidden from view while it does its job. Lately, however, the trend has been to actually show off the beautiful minimalism of these small boxes, though that also meant exposing hubs and docks that extend the modest port selection of the mini computer. Rather than those conventional long bars, hubs made specifically for the Mac mini are designed to sit beneath the computer, blending in as if part of Apple’s design itself.
RayCue’s hub and stand for the newest Mac mini M4 and M4 Pro follow that trend, adopting the same silver colorway as the Mac mini itself as well as its length and width. It sits below the Mac mini, leaving a slight gap in between for better airflow. A rather interesting design choice, however, is the raised fins radiating from the center of the dock, perhaps acting as passive cooling for the small yet powerful computer.
The RayCue Mac mini M4 dock expands the port selection with 10 different connectivity options, including an additional HDMI port for a dual display setup that doesn’t sacrifice a Thunderbolt port. Just like the Mac mini itself, it’s designed to have the most often accessed ports in the front, leaving the more “stationary” ones on the back.
Another trend in this product category is using the spacious dock for additional storage. The RayCue dock and stand supports a variety of M.2 NVMe SSD sizes up to 4TB in capacity, almost double the maximum Mac mini configuration available. Stylish and functional, it’s a perfect complement to the elegant Mac mini M4, one that will, however, cost you $99 without a $20 pre-order discount.
Microsoft is opening up access to its controversial Recall feature on Copilot+ PCs starting today. Those who have an eligible system and are enrolled in the Windows Insider program can now check out a preview of the feature, which is designed as a "photographic memory" for practically anything you ever do on your PC. It works by storing snapshots of your activity.
The main idea behind Recall is to improve search on your system. Microsoft says that you should be able to find an app, website, image or document by describing its content (the tool leverages AI, of course). Once you're all set up, you can access Recall from the All apps list on the Start menu. You'll need to enable Windows Hello, Bitlocker and Secure Boot for security purposes and to opt into saving snapshots.
After that, it's a case of using your PC as normal until you need or want to search for something you did in the past. Every time you open Recall, you'll need to authenticate yourself with a fingerprint, facial recognition or PIN. The feature is completely opt-in too — a change Microsoft made after critics raised well-founded privacy concerns.
Microsoft notes that you have control over the snapshots and you can pause them at any time. Snapshots can be deleted and you can tell Recall not to take any of a certain website or app. The company adds that it won't access your snapshots, share them with third parties or use them for training purposes.
Microsoft
Moreover, Recall is now said to detect sensitive information such as PINs, credit card numbers and passwords. It won't take or store snapshots of anything containing detected sensitive info.
As part of this Insider preview, you'll be able to try out a Recall-powered feature called Click To Do. This will let you carry out actions on text and images in snapshots by holding down the Windows key and clicking on something.
It includes options you'd normally find in the right-click menu, such as copying text, saving and sharing images, searching for text on the web and opening identified URLs (bear in mind that AI is being used to detect text and images here). There are some other AI-powered functions for images, including background blurring and removal, Bing visual search and erasing objects.
For now, the Recall preview is only available for Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft says it will expand the offer to Intel- and AMD-powered systems soon.
If you're interested in checking out Recall now (and don't mind running the risk of encountering bugs on an in-development Windows build), you'll first need to register for the Windows Insider program. After that, you'll need to go to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program and select "Get Started."
Pick the account you used to join the Insider Program, select the Dev Channel and reboot your system. After your Copilot+ PC is back up and running, go to Settings > Windows Update, check for updates and install Build 26120.2415.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/heres-your-first-chance-to-try-microsofts-recall-feature-on-copilot-pcs-180536504.html?src=rss
Overwatch 2’s newest hero is a tank with surprising mobility and brutal diving and brawling tactics. Hazard has a punk-rock aesthetic, Scottish brogue and a shotgun that can blast your vulnerable backline heroes to smithereens. But don’t be put off by his tough exterior: This anti-establishment rapscallion has a steadfast belief in bodily autonomy and a love of cute puppies.
Playable during a limited-time trial, Hazard was initially conceived as a daunting cyberpunk villain called Spiker. But after Blizzard’s designers showcased their hulking scoundrel to the development team, it became clear he was destined to evolve into a charming rebel with a protector instinct.
Blizzard describes Hazard’s gameplay as a “momentum-based blend between dive and brawl playstyles that will leave opponents running for cover.” His two standout abilities are Jagged Wall (a “spiky wall of Vanadium that will stick to any surface”) and Violent Leap (a “medium ranged, two-stage mobility option that also packs a punch”). He can use his Vault passive ability to scale his spike wall, giving the burly bruiser surprising agility.
Blizzard
His primary fire ability is Bonespur, a close-to-midrange shotgun that fires a round of poky spikes. Meanwhile, Spike Guard lets him block incoming damage head-on while sending a volley of spikes back to any chumps unlucky enough to be in the path of this Scottish Sid Vicious on HGH.
In the wise words of Hazard, “The best defense? Stabbing.”
You can take Hazard for a spin during the trial, which runs Friday through November 25. He’ll become a permanent cast member when Overwatch 2 Season 14 arrives on December 10.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/overwatchs-new-hero-is-hazard-the-spiky-scotsman-youve-been-waiting-for-175204343.html?src=rss
Here’s some good news for those who haven’t pulled the trigger on Sony’s latest VR headset. The PlayStation VR2 is on sale for $350 as part of a Black Friday deal, and it’s a bundle that includes the critically-acclaimed spin-off Horizon Call of the Mountain. This is a record low price for the headset, and that’s without a game that normally costs $60. In other words, this is one heck of a great deal.
We enjoyed this headset and gave it high marks in our official review. The OLED displays are excellent, so the graphics are on point. The headset’s fit is comfortable and it includes built-in haptics for increased immersion. Haptics for your head? That’s a pretty novel concept.
The headset also includes eye tracking technology and ships with two dedicated controllers, one for each hand. The company’s Sense controllers are eerily similar to Meta Quest controllers, with a large tracking ring, analog sticks, face buttons, triggers and grip buttons.
As for Horizon Call of the Mountain, it’s a new entry in the beloved Horizon franchise, only in VR. There’s a whole lot of climbing, as indicated by the title, but also a refined bow and arrow mechanic that feels just right in virtual space.
We hesitated to recommend this headset to everyone at its original price of $550, but it’s a no-brainer at $350. This deal is also available through Sony, if Amazon isn’t your bag. So what’s the catch? There’s only one. This isn’t a standalone headset. It requires a PS5 to work, though Sony did recently release an adapter that lets it connect to a PC.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-playstation-vr2-horizon-call-of-the-mountain-bundle-is-on-sale-for-350-174513003.html?src=rss
While Black Friday itself may be a week away, many retailers have already kicked off their official holiday sales. That means it’s a better time than usual to be in the market for new storage gear. If you have a PC, tablet, gaming handheld or any other device in need of a boost, we’ve rounded up the best Black Friday SSD and storage deals we could find below.
Before you dive in, keep in mind that storage prices have generally trended upwards in the past year, so many of the discounts below aren’t quite all-time lows. Still, some are, and each is at least the best price we’ve seen in several months. We’ll update this post as prices change and more discounts pop up over the next week.
WD Black SN850X (2TB) PCIe 4.0 SSD for $125 at Amazon ($65 off): The speedy WD Black SN850X is the top PCIe 4.0 drive in our guide to the best SSDs, so it’s a fine “default” choice for gaming or general use. This is far from the 2TB model’s best-ever price, but it’s the largest discount we’ve seen in 2024. Also at Newegg. If you’re buying for a PS5, a version with a heatsink is on sale for $9 more. And if you need (tons) more space, the 8TB variant is down to a new low of $550.
Crucial T705 (1TB) PCIe 5.0 SSD with heatsink for $130 at Amazon ($136 off): Most people don’t need to pay extra for a superfast PCIe 5.0 drive like the T705, but if you want the absolute best — and you have a compatible motherboard — its raw performance is almost unmatched. This is the lowest price we’ve tracked for the 1TB model with a heatsink. Also at B&H. If you already have a compatible heatsink, the standard version is available for $10 less, which is another all-time low.
Crucial P3 (2TB) PCIe 3.0 SSD for $105 at Amazon ($50 off): If you’re looking to upgrade an older system, the Crucial P3 is the PCIe 3.0 pick in our SSD buying guide. This deal is well off the 2TB version’s all-time low — it sat in the $75 range this time last year — but it’s the best price we could find since February. Also at B&H, Best Buy and others.
Kingston XS1000 (1TB) portable SSD for $64 at Amazon ($21 off): The Kingston XS1000 is the runner up in our portable SSD guide. It performs similarly to the X9 Pro across the board, but it’s not water-resistant, it doesn’t come with a USB-C to USB-C cable and it gets a little toastier with extended use. Still, it’s a great value. This deal comes within a dollar of the 1TB model’s all-time low. Also at Kingston. If you need something roomier, the 2TB version is about $18 off its usual street price at $102.
Crucial X10 Pro (1TB) portable SSD for $91 at Amazon ($59 off): The X10 Pro is essentially a faster version of our favorite portable SSD, though you’ll only see the difference if you have a device that supports USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 speeds. This deal beats the 1TB drive’s previous low by a buck. Also at Crucial, B&H and Best Buy.
Samsung Fit Plus (256GB) USB flash drive for $19 at Amazon ($6 off): The ultracompact Fit Plus is the thumb drive we recommend in our SSD buying guide. It’s not crazy fast, but it’ll do the job for the basics, and it’s small enough to fit on a keychain. While not an all-time low, this modest discount brings the 256GB variant down to its lowest price since January. Also at B&H.
The Kingston Canvas Go Plus.
Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Kingston Canvas Go Plus (128GB) microSD card for $11 at B&H ($6 off): We call the Canvas Go Plus a strong choice in our guide to the best microSD cards. Its sequential write speeds aren't the best, so it’s not great for recording video or downloading lots of media, but it’s close enough to our top pick otherwise. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for the 128GB version.
Samsung Evo Select (2024) (256GB) microSD card for $18 at Amazon ($4 off): The Evo Select is our favorite microSD card in the budget bracket. Its mediocre write speeds make it less-than-ideal in a camera, but it should yield few complaints for most people just looking to add space to a Nintendo Switch or Fire tablet on the cheap. We’ve seen the last-gen version of the card sell for less, but this is a new low for the “new generation” 256GB model, which brings the sequential reads more in line with the higher-tier Samsung Pro Plus. Also at B&H and Samsung.
SanDisk Ultra (1.5TB) microSD card for $89 at Amazon ($21 off): The Ultra is slower than the cards we recommend in our buying guide, particularly when it comes to write speeds, so you won’t want to stress it too hard with large file transfers. But if you don’t really care about raw performance and want a huge chunk of space for as little cash as possible, it should be fine enough. This deal comes within a couple bucks of the 1.5TB model’s lowest-ever price. Also at SanDisk and B&H.
WD Black C50 Expansion Card for Xbox (1TB) for $99 at Amazon ($59 off): It’s aggravating, but the only way to fully increase the storage of an Xbox Series X/S is to use a proprietary expansion card. Only two of those currently exist, but the C50 is one, and this discount drops the 1TB model to a new low. It’s normally sold for roughly $40 more in recent months. Is this still expensive compared to many SSDs with the same capacity? Sure. But any extra savings should be welcome. Also at Best Buy. A 512GB model is a couple bucks above its all-time low at $68 as well.
Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S (2TB) for $200 at Amazon ($160 off): Seagate makes the other official storage expansion card for the Xbox Series X/S. This discount isn’t the best we’ve ever seen, and it’s been live for most of the month, but it’s still about $30 to $50 below the 2TB model’s typical street price. There’s little performance difference between this and the C50, so which is best merely comes down to how much space you need and whatever one costs less.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-black-friday-ssd-deals-from-samsung-wd-crucial-and-others-173947658.html?src=rss
When it comes to hot coffee, my preference is for pour-over. Sure, it’s a manual brewing method that takes time and attention, but I want all of the nuanced flavors and aromas that slow pouring extracts from the locally roasted coffee I resupply weekly. I can make as much or as little as I want (within the capacity of my Chemex, of course) and control all of the parameters of the process, varying them based on the characteristics of my beans. Plenty of companies have tried to offer a similar experience in a countertop drip machine, but many of them only get about halfway there.
Enter the Fellow Aiden ($369). For the first time, an automatic brewer promising pour-over quality actually delivered. The machine can accurately and precisely maintain water temperature, even offering a bloom cycle to appropriately begin the extraction process. The Aiden has both guided brewing and minutely customizable options for achieving your ideal cup whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been a coffee snob for decades. It’s this abundance of control that sets Fellow’s machine apart, and why it actually gives you coffee that may have you ditching your pour-over dripper for good.
Design
Fellow is well known for its design prowess when it comes to coffee gear like grinders, kettles and drinkware. The company usually takes a more mechanical looking approach, with an aesthetic that resembles lab equipment instead of coffee devices. For the Aiden though, the company went for a more minimal design, giving it a plainer cube structure that’s a lot more modern than many automatic drip machines on the market. It won’t appeal to everyone, but I do think it’s unique.
A removable water tank sits on the left, complete with volume markings for your desired quantity of coffee. You don’t have to take the tank off to fill it, but if you’re working from a faucet the fact that you can makes things easier. Inside the brewing chamber, there’s a spray head adjustment which allows you to reconfigure the Aiden for single-cup use. The machine also comes with a second brew basket for this purpose that can deposit coffee straight into your favorite cup.
Billy Steele for Engadget
Down below, a double wall carafe provides enough heat retention to keep your coffee warm for a few hours. The lid doesn’t close off the container entirely, but if you consume all of your morning joe in under three hours, you’ll be fine. I would’ve liked to see a second lid that would seal things to keep them at just-brewed temps, but Fellow did design the carafe so that it pours easily without a mess. I can’t say the same for the 2020 model Moccamaster the Aiden replaced in my kitchen.
Instead of the typical on/off switch, the Aiden has a one-button, knob-based interface where you make all of your selections. A small, circular display sits at the top left of the front panel, and turning the knob navigates the plethora of menu options. Once you find what you’re looking for, simply press the dial to make a selection. (Reviewer’s note: The display on my review unit was damaged before it arrived, but since the machine still performed as intended, I didn’t feel the need to return it just for that reason.)
Pour-over performance
There are dozens, maybe even hundreds, of automatic or semi-automatic drip coffee makers that promise the quality you’d get in a manually brewed pour-over. Sadly, almost none of them actually deliver. I’ve used a Moccamaster for four years, and while there’s a lot to like about the machine, the straight-line arrangement of the shower head doesn’t give you the even water distribution you’d want for quality pour-over simulation. Other machines don’t get hot enough, and many don’t allow you to adjust the bloom cycle, water ratios or brew temperature.
On the Aiden, Fellow addressed all of my gripes with machines I’ve used in the past. First, the dual shower heads’ spouts are spaced out so that coffee grounds are evenly saturated throughout the bloom and brewing cycles. The two easily switchable modes mean you can make a full 10-cup carafe or as little as one cup with the same quality. You will have to keep two types of filters on hand for the two baskets, but those are much easier to store than a second, single-cup pod machine. This alone would be a big innovation for drip brewers, but the company didn’t stop there.
An infinitely customizable brewing system
Billy Steele for Engadget
Fellow also accounted for customization, another area where coffee nerds want room to experiment. The Aiden allows you to adjust brew temperature, coffee-to-water ratio and pulse behavior as much as you’d like. You can dial in the number of pulses of water, the time between them and even set each one to be a different temperature. For the bloom cycle, Fellow unlocks duration, temperature and the bloom ratio (amount of water in the initial pour).
Instead of having to live with the one setting a company programmed into its machine, you’re in complete control of all of the parameters here. The degree with which you can dial in the brew cycle to your every whim is the biggest reason why the Aiden will be so attractive to serious coffee lovers. What’s more, another important piece of the machine’s customization abilities are brew profiles, so you don’t have to start from scratch.
If you’re not familiar with the term, the best way to think about brew profiles is like recipes. The Aiden offers three out of the box — light roast, medium roast and dark roast — so you don’t need to immediately start tweaking and saving things. But if your favorite coffee roaster is like mine (Hi, Vignette Coffee Roasters), it will offer brewing guidance for things like water ratios. Of course, those companies may not always nail your preferred flavor or strength, but they provide a good starting point since they’re aware of the nuances. And with the Aiden, you’re able to actually employ that advice for each single origin or custom blend you use.
Eventually, Fellow will allow roasters and coffee shops to create and share profiles so you can brew like they do in a cafe. If you subscribe to Fellow Drops, a coffee lineup curated by the company, your Aiden will be able to automatically download the profiles for the beans that are headed your way.
Don’t fret if you aren’t at that level of coffee snobbery just yet. The Aiden provides guided brewing based on those three roast profiles and your desired number of cups for quick and easy use. These aren’t just helpful for beginners, but also for the times when more advanced users want a pot of joe without much thought. I found them helpful on the weekends when I wasn’t sure when I’d be getting out of bed and didn’t want to wake up to a cold pot of coffee. During the week though, the scheduling tool is a big advantage that much of the competition lacks.
I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss the Aiden’s heating system, since this tech is what enables to-the-degree temperature control throughout the brew cycle. Any moderate or advanced coffee lover knows that water temperature is a key aspect of brewing great coffee. Lots of automatic drip machines simply don’t get hot enough to extract all of the flavor from the grounds, leaving you with a more muted flavor profile. Inside the Aiden though, Fellow designed a heating setup with single-degree precision that even lets you adjust temperatures while the machine is brewing without stalling the process. The way this machine heats water offers consistency and control that many coffee makers can’t match.
There’s also an Aiden app, but it doesn’t do much right now. You can connect the machine to the software for firmware updates, to set the time and to name the brewer. Eventually, Fellow plans to enable the shareable profiles I mentioned earlier, in addition to scheduling and remote control from your phone. However, those items have been listed as “coming soon” since the Aiden’s launch in September. I’ve asked Fellow for the current status and I’ll update this review if I hear back.
The competition
Billy Steele for Enagadget
Before I tested the Aiden, I used a Moccamaster KBT that I purchased in 2020. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I wanted to upgrade my coffee setup at home, where I’d been brewing manual pour-overs via Chemex for years. I wanted something I could turn on and have it make coffee comparable to what I’d been doing, and that’s what I got.
Moccamaster coffee machines have a reputation for being well-built and reliable, and I found that to be true. My KBT worked well daily, providing coffee that was more akin to pour-over quality than a much cheaper auto-drip brewer. The KBT still comes with an insulated carafe, although the 2020 model didn’t have a pour spout like the updated version does. This made pouring difficult and often messy. And while the machine brews at temperatures between 196 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit, the straight-line design of the shower head doesn’t provide the best saturation during the brewing cycle.
With all of that said, I still think Moccamaster machines are the best alternative to the Aiden. They’re slightly cheaper, starting at $329, and will serve you well for years. Plus, there are options for glass carafes with heating elements if you prefer that to an insulated one. For many of the models though, you’ll have to live without an automatic drip stop when you remove the carafe during brewing. There’s a manual slider on the brew basket for most of the options, but an auto option is only available on machines like the KBGV Select. The 40-ounce Moccamaster models also brew about nine ounces less than the Aiden at max capacity (1.25 L/44 oz vs. 1.5 L/52.9 oz), so that’s something else to consider. It’s almost another full cup of coffee per pot.
Wrap-up
It’s clear Fellow recognized all of the shortcomings of so-called pour-over simulators on the market when designing the Aiden. The company finally delivers on the promise of the smoothness and flavor of manually brewed coffee in an automatic drip machine. The Aiden gets hot enough, offers adequate saturation and segments the brew cycle just like you would for a pour-over or Chemex. Plus, there’s a host of customization options, which allow you to dial in your process based on the beans you’re using. And that means I can actually get rid of a lot of the clutter I needed for a single-cup pick-me-up.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/fellow-aiden-review-a-highly-customizable-pour-over-coffee-machine-172028575.html?src=rss
