Ideas for Valentine’s Day Gifts That Are Better Than Chocolates & Roses

BEST BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS:  Sony SRS-XG300

SPECIFICATIONS

Super-light, the portable design includes a retractable handle

IP67 rated for water and dust proof

X-Balanced speakers provide power, clarity, and distortion-free sound

Up to 25 hours of playing time, plus quick charging

Personalized sound control via the Sony | Music Center app

Customizable ambient LED lighting

Charge your device via the USB port

WHAT WE THINK:

This portable Bluetooth speaker is a scaled-down version of Sony's SRS-XG500. With its 'MEGA BASS' option activated, it features a boomy sound profile that adds more boom and warmth to the mix. The rest of its sound profile is reasonably balanced, making it appropriate for listening to a wide range of audio content. However, higher-pitched voices and instruments may seem dull and veiled. Fortunately, you can customize its sound with the visual EQ included in its companion app.

While it supports speech assistants via your smartphone, it lacks the built-in voice assistants found in the Sonos Move. Its sound quality isn't as pure and clear at maximum volume as the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM, and its battery life isn't as lengthy. However, it is better built, with an IP67 classification for dust and water resistance, which means it is dust-tight and can be immersed in up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes, allowing you to use it outside without worrying about it getting wet.

WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK:

“The Sony SRS-XG300 pumps out a lot of sound for a battery-powered speaker that's a little over a foot long and about six inches in diameter. Yes, it's enough to fill a room. I haven't maxed out the volume, but I've pushed it up high enough to make normal conversation difficult. The music stayed distortion-free without breakup. You won't have any trouble hearing it on a beach (just don't annoy those nearby). I found the sound to be full and relatively well-balanced, with a slight emphasis on the middle and high frequencies. I'm sure you can adjust the equalization if you download the app. I've yet to do so because I'm using this with an audiophile DSD MP3 player. One reviewer noted the lack of a tweeter. You would never know it blindfolded. I can't really tell what's underneath the hood. Whether or not it has one is irrelevant to me. Technology evolves. Trust your ears. I'm hearing percussions that I never knew existed in some of my music.

This isn't a lightweight speaker. It's as solid as a rock and looks like it can withstand rough handling. Just exercise due care with the cones. I've already gotten several hours of use at moderate volume levels with my initial charge. Sony claims you can get up to 25 hours when the battery is new, with a gradual decrease after repeated charges. Your volume level will naturally determine how much use you'll get between charges as well. Controls are straightforward. At the left, you have on/off, Bluetooth on/off, and mega bass. Pressing the mega bass doesn’t significantly increase bass. It just adds a bit more depth. At the right, you have play/pause, volume up, and volume down. At the rear, you have a soft rubber flip-down flap with a USB-A port, a USB-C port, an input for an external source, a push button with a voice that tells you battery status, and an on/off push button to activate/deactivate the woofer lights. The USB-A port is a convenient feature that allows this speaker to double as a power bank. Handy for a drained phone! A wall adapter for charging is included, and it’s a plug-in electrical adapter, not a USB. My Bluetooth device recognized and connected with the speaker flawlessly without even resorting to the instructions.

I’m very well pleased with the quality of the audio and portability of this unit. It’s going to be a staple for future road trips. There’s one thing I’ve yet to determine and that’s if the app is only active when playing music through my phone or if I can control the app while playing music through my MP3 player. I hope to report my findings in an update to this review.”

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PROS

Comes with a retractable carrying handle to help you transport it

Incredibly lightweight

Offers a good selection of easy-to-use texturized controls

Rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, meaning it's certified to be fully dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes

CONS

Expensive but worth it if you are into better sound quality

BEST WHISKEY GLASSES:  Dragon Glassware Whiskey Glasses

SPECIFICATIONS

Inspired by diamonds, the unique shape allows your drink to aerate as it is poured and swirled inside the glass. Perfect for whiskey, bourbon, scotch, wine, and more.

Beautifully positioned at an anti-rocking, spill-proof, 50-degree tilted angle for a unique drinking experience. Experience them with our Diamond Chilling Stones for an on-the-rocks experience without watering down your alcohol.

A stunning addition to any glassware collection or as an essential bar accessory and comes in ready-to-present luxury gift packaging.

Crystal clear, lead-free, high-quality glass that is dishwasher, refrigerator, and freezer safe. Suitable for daily use and cleans easily.

WHAT WE THINK:

These diamond-shaped glasses from Dragon Glassware are not only beautiful but they're also designed to improve your whiskey sipping experience. The glass's unusual shape aids in the aeration of your drink when it is poured or swirled in the vessel. Furthermore, it is at a 50-degree angle, which is both anti-rocking and spill-proof. These lead-free crystal glasses have a 10-ounce capacity and are dishwasher and freezer safe. Give them to a friend or keep them in your home bar as a conversation starter.

WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK:

“My mom has always been so proud of her display and moved it and broke two glasses. Without hesitation, I found the perfect replacements online and sent them to her one day later. Just a perfect transaction!”

“Glass looks amazing. Glass is sturdy. Great gift for your ADHD and OCD friends. They will think it is spilling every single time they look at it. And it will irritate them. Still, they will love the glass.”

“great for gifting! will definitely receive lots of compliments, and everyone will ask where you got it from. glass is fairly thick, so looks fairly sturdy. in my opinion harder to spill than other glasses, so that's an added benefit. ideal for sipping whiskey / other liquor on the rocks, but can work for cocktails too - obviously be cautious about overfilling the glass”

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PROS

Anti-rocking and spill-proof

Large capacity

Made from lead-free crystal

Dishwasher-safe

CONS

Has a small opening

BEST INDOOR GOLF PUTTING GREEN:  Perfect Practice Putting Mat

SPECIFICATIONS

The official golf putting green of former World #1 PGA Tour pro-Dustin Johnson, our indoor putting mat enables you to level up your golf game at home, in the office, or on-the-go.

At 9' 6" long, these golf putting greens for indoor use feature 2-hole training to help improve your putting accuracy and reinforce the precision of each stroke.

Each Perfect Practice golf putting mat is crafted with a unique crystal velvet material, allowing your golf ball to roll as if it were out on the greens effortlessly.

No need to collect each golf ball after every swing. Our golf putting mats use a convenient auto-return system that automatically rolls the ball back to you for

Great for left- and right-handed golfers of all experience levels, the Perfect Practice putting mat includes printed markings and lines to help hone your aim.

WHAT WE THINK:

The mat is available in a variety of high-quality designs to fit your home or business space: wooden, acrylic, and barstool golf style.

The putting surface of the 10-foot mat is realistic, 'Crystal Velvet,' with a slope toward the two holes at the top of the mat.

For seasoned experts or weekend hackers, the auto return option assures constant placement and improvement.

This is a high-quality mat for anyone serious about putting your putting to the next level.

WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK:

“I have my whole family practicing their putts as well as a personal fun time. I am developing my own drill set for this to improve my putting. This is a very well-made set and a fun practice tool that not only can hone your skill but gives you some golf time away from the course so you get enjoyment even on rainy days. I love this and think it was a great buy. I would gift it to a golfing friend. I would buy this again. It has been a lot of fun so far.”

“Really have enjoyed using this during winter, and giving me confidence before heading off for a round. The materials are of great quality. When I unrolled the mat the first time, there were a few uneven spots where the mat had been rolled in its packaging, but I expected that, and they have smoothed out over time. You could put some heavy objects on the mat if it really bothers you but it will likely sort itself out. Most importantly: It helps you be a better putter!! I feel more confident putting a straight line and have a more consistent stroke.”

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PROS

Realistic Velvet Surface

Auto Return Feature

3 Different Styles

Incline To 2 Holes

Clear Markings For Improvement

For Left And Right Handers

CONS

More Expensive Than Basic Mats

Hole Is Quite Small

BEST COLD BREW COLD: KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker

SPECIFICATIONS

Small footprint: Ideal fit for any refrigerator or kitchen counter.

Easy to use: Simply fill with coffee and cold water, steep, and enjoy.

Makes 19 servings

Long-lasting: the KitchenAid cold brew coffee maker brews 38 oz of coffee concentrate that stays fresh in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Always on tap: Turn your fridge into a coffee bar with a built-in stainless steel tap.

Streamlined Design: Beautiful, streamlined design with glass and stainless steel components to preserve taste for easy use and cleaning.

Versatile and reliable: Reusable Stainless Steel Steeper allows you to brew the beverage of your choice.

WHAT WE THINK:

There are many cold brew coffee makers available in the market. They have a lot of features but it is important that you choose the best cold brew maker that can give you the best benefits. The versatile KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker machine is designed for making delicious cold brew as well as serving hot coffee instantly. The machine can make 19 servings of coffee concentrate every day for up to 2 weeks.

The stainless steel tap allows you to easily pour in the concentrate into your favorite cup of coffee whenever you like. One of the best advantages of KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker is that the machine has an automatic setting for both brewing and storing parameters, so it is easier for home use without expert knowledge. You can use this machine as well as serve hot coffee when you have company over. KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee maker also has a small footprint and thus, it fits well with any kind of counter or refrigerator.

WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK:

“I love this cold brewer. I'm on a refined sugar-free diet so I can't have regular coffee creamers. I switched to cold-brewed coffee as it doesn't burn the beans in the brewing process and leave you with a bitter taste like regular brewed coffee. That way I don't need to overload this coffee with a sugar-filled creamer to make it bearable. Anyway, I've been through my fair-share of cold brewers and this one not only looks beautiful in my fridge, but it's easy to use and brews great coffee.” 

“I know there are less expensive cold brew coffee makers available and this is the first unit I have ever purchased to make cold brew coffee. Still, the quality of this simple device is immediately obvious from the moment you start unpacking it. This is a very well constructed unit, easy to clean, and it takes very little space in your refrigerator.”

“Excellent product. Makes coffee that is better than the commercially sold stuff. Smooth, acid free and flavorful. Compact. Easy to clean. Not labor intensive. Only caveat is that it consumes more coffee grounds than traditionally brewed coffee.”

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PROS

Beautiful, streamlined design with glass and stainless steel components to preserve taste, for easy use and cleaning.
 
Built in stainless steel tap to dispense your cold brew from your refrigerator.
 
Reusable Stainless Steel Steeper

CONS

Bit pricey 

Too many parts to clean

BEST HOME-BREWED BEER KIT:  BrewDemon Craft Beer Brewing Kit

SPECIFICATIONS

Unlike those expensive 1-gallon grain kits, our 2-gallon recipes take just minutes to prepare, and the results are scary-good! 

BrewDemon's beer recipes taste amazing and are handcrafted in New Zealand’s famous Speight’s brewery. 

Brewing kits make you focus on the brewing process, but our beer can be brewed in 15 minutes on the stove - leaving you plenty of time to add that extra apple, honey, or whatever your secret ingredient may be.  

The only 2-gallon kit to include 1-quart bottles and a bottle filling valve. No need to siphon from your fermenter to the bottles. 

WHAT WE THINK:

This is revolutionary! The only 2-gallon conical fermentation apparatus can only be described as unique. Using this cutting-edge kit, you can produce craft-brewed beer in smaller batches just like the professionals do.

Incredibly tasty beer is produced with a method that's simple to use and clean, and the results are frightfully wonderful.

It is also completely reusable. Now is the perfect moment to begin brewing high-quality beer on your own.

WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK:

“The kit has everything you need to get started brewing your own beer. There was no need to purchase additional supplies like some other kits. The instructions are well laid out and easy to understand. This is a great kit for someone like me who is just getting started brewing their own beer. I will see how it turns out in another week and a half.”

“This was really easy to do and the beer was far better than I thought. I let some of it sit in the fridge for a couple of weeks longer and oh my goodness the flavor was really full and amazing. I fully enjoyed the making of this beer. It was easy and fun. I am planning on brewing more. Great product.”

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PROS

Patented pro-style conical fermenter and easy-to-use recipes

Beer can be brewed in as little as 15 minutes

No need to siphon from your fermenter to the bottles

Best tasting homemade beer

CONS

Quite expensive but worth getting because you get everything you need to make your own beer at home

BEST CHOCOLATE MELTING POT:  Cuisinart CFO-3SS 3-Quart Electric Fondue Pot

SPECIFICATIONS

This 3-quart capacity 1000-watt electric fondue set is suitable for chocolate, cheese, broth, and or oil

Nonstick interior and dishwasher safe make this product easy to clean up

Adjustable temperature probe with eight settings for a wide range of recipes and stainless steel fork ring

The Cuisinart elegant brushed stainless Fondue set includes a base, bowl, temperature probe, 8-fondue forks, and fork rack for the full fondue experience

Electric fondue set suitable for chocolate, cheese, broth or oil

WHAT WE THINK:

If you use any of the many different types of chocolate in your kitchen, you should look into this collection of chocolate melting pots. They've all been designed with the express objective of melting chocolate rapidly and simply with minimum mess.

This Cuisinart CFO-3SS 3-Quart Electric Fondue Pot set routinely ranks as one of the top electric fondue sets on the market, and our testing confirmed this. It can handle enough chocolate for a generous round of candy making or a fondue party for eight people. It's beautiful and sophisticated, made of brushed stainless steel with a nonstick liner. The electric heating element is located at the bottom of the pot, and our tester was impressed with how fast and evenly it heated up on all heat levels. In fact, it was so simple to use that our reviewer noted it's ideal for people who wish to make fondue a daily occurrence.

The temperature controls provide a wide range of settings, and the set includes a temperature probe. For simple cleanup, the entire item is dishwasher safe. The set comes with eight fondue forks as well as a recipe book.

WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK:

“This fondue pot is very nice. It holds eight skewers of food; we cooked assorted veggies like mushroom, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion, we cooked pork and beef even grilled cheese turned out amazing. The temperature settings are easy to change. And the clean-up was super easy. I would not recommend more than four people per pot. Otherwise, it would take longer and get crowded with all the food there. It made for a nice family evening.”

“I purchased this in January 2015. Today, February 21, 2022, this pot was retired from service. We had seven glorious years of fondue or hot pot whenever we wanted it. I wouldn't say we used it every month, but it was literally on-demand, and we never had any issues until this month. After this pot's penultimate use, I noticed that the nonstick coating was flaking off of the rivets inside and that it was starting to look worn above the heating element in the bottom. The last time we used it, both the rivets and the bottom surface looked like they would only continue to degrade, and I didn't want to eat Teflon flakes more than I already had. PTFE/Teflon-coated surfaces don't last forever, and this took longer in terms of time than most nonstick pots I've owned and used.

I will be looking for a new pot that is PTFE-free to replace this, but at the time of purchase, this was the best option I could find. I do not regret it, as it was one of the best small appliance purchases I have made. It served us well and will be missed.”

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PROS

Nonstick interior

Easy-to-control temperature dial

Attractive finish

Suitable for chocolate, cheese, broth, or oil

CONS

Metal utensils may scratch nonstick coating