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  4. 5 expensive products that tanked in our tests

5 expensive products that tanked in our tests

28 July 2026
Kate

By Kate Harvey

Content Manager | Pou Whakahaere Ihirangi

We’re not mad – we’re just disappointed. And we think you will be too if you spend top dollar on these products and get performance well below what much cheaper products can give you.

Moral of the story: Buying quality doesn’t always mean choosing the item with the highest price.

1. A beautiful but hard-to-use kettle

2. A coffee machine that costs thousands but scores low for taste

3. An exorbitant printer that’s bottom of our list

4. A French-door fridge that scores 0 for temperature stability

5. A pricey dryer that takes hours and leaves clothes damp

Image of kitchen products

8 products that get near-perfect scores

We test thousands of products every year and sometimes find ones that stand out way above the rest.

Read more


Read more:Jugs and kettlesKitchenShoppingDeals & savings

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