Enjoy spring from the garden
It’s time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine in style with this assortment of outdoor kit. Jasper Spires reports
Pizza in under a minute
“For true pizza aficionados, an outdoor pizza oven can elevate your pizza-making from good to great,” says Sally FitzGerald in Food and Living Vegan magazine. The Ooni Karu 12 multi-fuel pizza oven is easy to use and (with a bit of practice and a good cheese) “delivers delicious, restaurantquality results”. It is “highly recommended”.
The stainless steel pizza-baking oven roars comfortably at a “cheese-bubbling” temperature of 500°C,and is portable, sleek and eye-catching with its minimalist design. Unlike conventional fan-ovens, which can take ten to 12 minutes to cook pizzas, the Ooni Karu 12 will bake a pizza in just under 60 seconds. Although it specialises in torching 12-inch pizza bases, outdoor eating enthusiasts will be pleased with its added versatility options, too. With the chimney flipped down, the device can even double as an ad-hoc barbecue. £299, see uk.ooni.com
Fire reinvented for smokeless parties
“If you thought fire was so primal an element it couldn’t have a technological edge, you’re mistaken,” says Jacob Little for National World. The BioLite FirePit+ is a remarkable improvement on traditional firepits, which so often blight budding garden enthusiasts with heavy columns of smoke and wandering sparks that can damage guests’ clothing.
Utilising clever technology, the BioLite radically reduces the amount of smoke released during the burning process, while retaining comforting heat. By connecting the gadget to your phone via bluetooth, you can even control the height of the flames with the paired app, using jet fans to adjust the oxygen flow reaching the fire. “Great for holidays camping, or a beach house, you’ll be seriously impressed with the efficient, smokeless flames and instant heat.” £299.99, see uk. bioliteenergy.com
The best hot tub around
“Lay-Z-Spa is one of the most wellknown and popular names in the UK hot-tub market. If you’ve done any research into tubs before, it’s likely that you will have come across Lay-Z-Spa before anything else,” says Matt Breen on Expert Reviews. The Lay-Z-Spa Helsinki Airjet model is perhaps the best of the bunch, being sizeable, adjustable and sumptuously soothing.
“It has an impressive 180 jets and will comfortably fit between five and seven people, making it perfect for families or small gatherings. Its rapid heating system will bring the water up to 40°C, and a control panel attached to the tub’s pump allows you easily to adjust various settings, from temperature to energy-saving timers.” The tub also comes with a “freeze shield system”, a pump that runs 24/7 to keep the water at a safe temperature to kick back in. “This makes the Helsinki perfect for all-year-round bathing, even during colder winter months.”
£899, see lay-z-spa.co.uk
The return of a classic
“The Aldi sell-out egg chair is back for 2022,” says Emily Scrivener in the Daily Mail. “Solid, sturdy and incredibly comfortable, the versatile rattan-effect hanging chair can be easily moved around to find the perfect summer spot, whether you want to sit in the sun or relax in the shade.” Easy to erect and effortlessly stylish, the Gardenline Small Hanging
Egg Chair could be the perfect addition to your patio mise en scène.
Delicate craftsmanship has made the egg chair far from flimsy, and it is able to “resist the elements, thanks to its powder-coated frame and weatherproof chair and cushions”. It is the perfect way to make your garden complete this spring.
£189.99, see aldi.co.uk
Outfoxing the squirrels
“This bird feeder is a bit of an investment, but it comes with plenty of handy features, not least the fact that it’s designed to prevent squirrels from stealing all the food,” says Aoife Glass on Discover Wildlife. The Squirrel Buster Peanut squirrel-proof bird feeder is aesthetically pleasing, thanks to its carefully engineered wire frame, and provides enough perching space for species such as woodpeckers. But it also incorporates a clever security system that “drives squirrels nuts”.
The mechanism closes off the supply of feed when a heavier weight hangs on the feeder. This can be adjusted to bar bigger birds such as pigeons as well. Meanwhile a “no grip” coating on the hanging stem makes sure that “squirrels can’t just dangle off there and pig out”. £49.95, see squirrel-buster.com