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The Kmart products loved and panned by the experts

If you are a fan of Kmart (who isn't these days?), you may be keen to know that there are some Anko products from the store that are rivalling some of the more expensive brands. Though there are certainly a few items you may want to steer clear of.

Choice has had a look at a number of Anko products and rated them, revealing which ones are worth your hard earned money and which ones are better left on the shelf.

The experts have weighed in on the best and worst Kmart products are and you may be surprised. Photo: Getty
The experts have weighed in on the best and worst Kmart products are and you may be surprised. Photo: Getty

Here are the items that you can definitely add to cart:

Microwave

Kmart microwave
If you're on a budget while buying a microwave, you can't go wrong with Kmart's! Photo: Kmart

Kmart's $48 Anko microwave is one that the Choice experts recommend, going so far as to say its cooking power is "excellent" and was especially good at cooking vegetables and defrosting mince.

Coffee Machine

Kmart's $89 coffee machine
Kmart's $89 coffee machine outperformed a $949 machine on flavour and consistently created hot coffees. Photo: Kmart

In the tests, Kmart's $89 coffee machine outperformed a $949 machine on flavour and consistently created hot coffees. The fact it looks good is an added bonus.

Apparently, it did have some negatives with some testers suggesting it may be a bit fiddly and doesn't have all the features of a more expensive machine.

However, it was definitely good enough if you're keen on a manual coffee machine.

Pie Maker

Kmart pie maker
Kmart's pie maker has been very popular among fans and for good reason, the experts loved this one. Photo: Kmart

The $29 pie maker has been a very popular item indeed and the experts believe it's good-value, easy to use and delivers on its promise of making deliciously golden pies in just 15 minutes.

Choice's Fiona Mair said, "It's easy to use and gives good results, cooking four pies fairly evenly to lightly golden in eight minutes. It takes five minutes to preheat, which is quicker than an oven, and, once the pies are cooked, you can simply pop them out with a spatula."

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Food Processor

Kmart food processor
Kmart's $69 food processor received rave reviews, can't go wrong with this one. Photo: Kmart

Kmart's $69 food processor received rave reviews, the only downside perhaps was that it was a bit noisy.

Other items that scored highly include a $59 blender, the $49 45.5cm soft carry-on suitcase, the $55 fleecy electric blanket and a $129 play pen.

Here's what you should probably avoid:

Heater

Kmart heater
If you're in the market for a heater, it's best to look elsewhere! Photo: Kmart

Kmart's $55 oil heater was the worst heater tested by Choice since 2014. They even went so far as to describe it as a "warm doorstop".

Air Fryer

Kmart's $69 air fryer
Kmart's $69 air fryer was the lowest ranking air fryer out there. Photo: Kmart

While people have been going nuts for air fryers, especially budget versions, you may want to stay away from Kmart's $69 version.

The air fryer may have been the cheapest product tested, but it was also the lowest ranking.

Fiona added, "Not only did it receive a low score in our testing, but the Kmart Anko air fryer is also fairly large and heavy, and not very easy to use."

Vacuum Cleaners

Kmart's vacuum cleaner
None of Kmart's vacuum cleaners managed to impress the experts, sadly. Photo: Kmart

Kmart sells a number of different vacuum cleaners including stick vacuums, upright, bagged and bagless models that range from between $50 to $100. However, none of them managed to impress the testers.

In fact, they were some of the lowest scoring vacuums on the market.

Bassinet

Kmart's bassinet
Kmart's bassinet lacked continuous breathable zones around the edge of the bassinet, not good! Photo: Kmart

While there aren't any Australian safety standards for bassinets, the $99 Kmart Anko bassinet wasn't able to get a good score from Choice because it lacked continuous breathable zones around the edge of the bassinet.

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