How we pick

Short version: we don't run a test lab, so we don't pretend to. Our recommendations combine what the most trusted independent reviewers agree on with the part their reviews usually skip for Canadians: whether you can buy it here, from whom, with what warranty and at what price.

1. Start with reviewer consensus

• We read current guides and reviews from independent reviewers who test hands-on. That includes Wirecutter, Serious Eats, James Hoffmann, Food & Wine, Tom's Guide, CNN Underscored and TechRadar, and specialist reviewers such as Tom's Coffee Corner and The Coffee Chronicler.
• A product makes our list only if more than one of these reviewers recommends it. When the leading reviewers drop a product or criticise it, we drop it too, and we tell you why.
• Under every pick, a "What reviewers say" section sums up where they agree and where they don't, in our own words, with a link to each source. When we quote, it's a short phrase we read on that page.

2. Add the Canadian picture

• We check that each pick is sold in Canada, as a 120 V North American model, and which Canadian retailers carry it, from manufacturer stores to Best Buy Canada and Canadian specialty shops.
• We note the warranty as listed on the Canadian manufacturer or retailer page.
• When we show a Canadian price, it's one we saw on a retailer's page on the date stated. Prices change often, so always check before you buy. When we haven't confirmed a price, we say so.

3. Be upfront about what we haven't done

• We haven't lab-tested these products. If we add hands-on notes from behind a café counter, we'll label them clearly.
• We earn a commission on some links (see our disclosure). That never decides a pick. A product with no affiliate program can still be our recommendation.
• We re-check guides when major reviewers update theirs. Each guide shows the date it was last updated.

Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.