Xander's Finds

What is Xander's Finds?

The list only contains products chosen against the criteria below — drawn from products with solid, genuine reviews on Amazon.com.au. It is aimed at anyone who doesn't fancy spending an hour comparing products before every purchase. New products are added gradually as more that meet the criteria below are found.

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How a product makes it onto this list

A healthy number of reviews with a consistently high average rating
Publicly available product details or test data that back up the claims
Sold by an authorised seller (the brand itself or an official retailer)

Xander's Picks

A few favourites with a bit more detail

Breville the Barista Express (BES870)

A manual espresso machine with a built-in grinder

The Breville BES870 Barista Express is listed as a manual espresso machine with thermocoil heating and an auto-dosing function. Check the listing for the colour options and what is included in the box before you buy.

Listed as a manual espresso machine with thermocoil heating
Auto dose function mentioned on the listing
Descalers and cleaning products for Breville machines are in the catalogue below

View on Amazon →

Owala FreeSip Insulated Water Bottle, 710 ml

A leak-proof insulated stainless steel water bottle

The Owala FreeSip is listed as a reusable, leak-proof, BPA-free bottle with a double-walled stainless steel body. The 710 ml (24 oz) size suits a day at the desk, the gym or a trip to the beach.

Double-walled stainless steel, listed as insulated
Listed as reusable, leak proof and BPA free
710 ml (24 oz) size, other sizes and colours on the listing

View on Amazon →

Guides

Notes on buying things without regretting it afterwards

Household

Disposable gloves and alcohol wipes: what they are for

Handy household basics, used correctly.

Home

A small toolkit for small repairs

Precision screwdrivers, glue and a few basics for fixing everyday things.

Home

Hanging pictures: adhesive strips, frames and weight limits

How to hang frames safely, and when to reach for a drill instead.

Read all articles →

What matters in each category

The criteria for each product group

Home and Kitchen

Things used every day deserve a few more minutes of attention than an impulse buy. Products that thousands of Australian households keep re-buying are often the safer pick: repeat purchases say more than a single glowing opinion.

Household

Staples you buy again and again are worth comparing by price per unit, not by pack size. Brands people keep re-buying are usually a safe choice, because repeat purchases are a good hint that a product does what it says.

Beauty

Skin and hair are individual: what works for one person can irritate the next. It helps to look at established formulas with a large review volume, which says more about how they behave across different skin types than a single glowing review. Products are listed by name only.

Electronics

Chargers, cables and powerboards wear out quickly if durability is not part of the promise. For anything that plugs into the wall in Australia, look for the RCM mark and an approved plug and adaptor, and be cautious about unbranded power products.

Sports and Outdoors

From home workouts to beach days and weekend hikes, people give up quickly in this category. That makes products people have genuinely stuck with more interesting than ones with a good first impression.

Pet Supplies

Food, litter and treats directly affect an animal's comfort and health, so caution is sensible. Items with clear ingredient information and a broad, solid review history are a better bet than whatever happens to be on offer.

Garden and Tools

Glues, fixings, garden products and pest control are only worth having if they do the job reliably. Read the label for what a product is for and how to use it safely, and keep chemicals away from children and pets.

Office

Stationery and labelling gear is cheap, so the real cost is the annoyance of things that smear, jam or run out. Familiar brands and plain, well-described products are usually the sensible choice.

The full list

Filter by category and browse

What is Xander's Finds?

How a product makes it onto this list

Xander's Picks

Breville the Barista Express (BES870)

Owala FreeSip Insulated Water Bottle, 710 ml

Guides

Disposable gloves and alcohol wipes: what they are for

A small toolkit for small repairs

Hanging pictures: adhesive strips, frames and weight limits

What matters in each category

Home and Kitchen

Household

Beauty

Electronics

Sports and Outdoors

Pet Supplies

Garden and Tools

Office

The full list

TempPro TempSwift Instant Read Meat Thermometer

DOQAUS Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer

OXO Good Grips Julienne Prep Peeler

OXO Good Grips Hand-Held Mandoline Slicer

OXO Good Grips POP 2.0 Small Square Storage Container, 1 Litre

Victorinox Wavy Edge Steak and Tomato Knife Set, 6 Piece

Scanpan Impact 2-Piece Stainless Steel Fry Pan Set

SENSARTE 28 cm Nonstick Frying Pan

Breville Eco 2-in-1 Cleaner and Descaler

Breville Eco Liquid Descaler, 1 L

De'Longhi EcoDecalk Natural Descaler, 500 mL

Hario V60 Paper Coffee Filters, Size 02, 100 Count

Thermos FUNtainer Vacuum Insulated Drink Bottle, 355 ml

Thermos FUNtainer Insulated Food Jar, 290 ml

Huski Wine Tumbler 2.0

Stanley Cafe to Go Travel Mug, 8 oz

Orana Food Grade Mineral Oil for Cutting Boards

Amazon Basics Microfibre Bed Sheet Set

Wake In Cloud Queen Quilt Cover Set

BEDLORE Waterproof Mattress Protector, Queen

Mulberry Silk Pillowcase, 2 Pack

INFIIXSO Mulberry Silk Pillowcases with Zipper, 2 Pack

The Original Scrub Daddy Cleaning Sponge

The Pink Stuff Miracle Multi-Purpose Cleaner, 750 ml

The Pink Stuff Miracle Cleaning Paste, 850 g

Ajax Spray n' Wipe Multi-Purpose Cleaner, Vanilla and Berries, 475 mL

Ajax Antibacterial Surface Cleaning Wipes, 110 Pack

White King Mould and Soap Scum Remover Spray, 500 ml

Chux Non Scratch Scourer and Foam Sponge

Milton Antibacterial Surface Spray

Bref Power Active Eucalyptus Toilet Cleaner Gel, 700 mL

Quilton 3-Ply Toilet Tissue, 48 Pack

Quilton 3-Ply Toilet Tissue, 36 Pack

Quilton 3-Ply Extra Thick Facial Tissue, 12 Boxes

VIVA Select-A-Size Paper Towel, 12 Count

Cold Power Sensitive Pure Clean Laundry Liquid, 2 Litres

OMO Ultimate Front and Top Loader Laundry Liquid, 4 L

Finish Quantum Dishwashing Tablets, Lemon, 90 Pack

Medicom Nitrile Gloves

Amazon Basics AA High-Performance Alkaline Batteries, 20 Count

Duracell Coppertop AA Batteries, 50 Pack

Duracell Specialty Lithium Coin CR2032, 4 Pack

Amazon Basics Slim Velvet Suit Hangers, 30 Pack

CeraVe Moisturising Lotion, 473 ml

CeraVe Foaming Cleanser, 236 ml

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Invisible Fluid SPF50+, 50 ml

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+

COSRX Snail Mucin 96% Power Repairing Essence, 100 ml

Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo, 900 ml

Palmolive Naturals Body Wash, Milk and Honey, 3 x 1 L

Palmolive Foaming Hand Wash, Cherry Blossom, 3 x 1 L

Neutrogena Night Calming Makeup Remover Wipes

Sensodyne Repair and Protect Whitening Toothpaste, 100 g

UGREEN 2 Pack 100W USB-C to USB-C Cable, 1 m

UGREEN USB-A to USB-C Cable, 1 m, 2 Pack

INIU 20000mAh 22.5W Fast Charging Power Bank

Anker 621 MagGo Magnetic Power Bank, 5,000 mAh

SanDisk Ultra 128GB microSD Card

Aioneus 40W 4-Port USB-C Wall Charger