Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn moreIf there’s one thing I’ve learnt after nearly a decade of testing and reviewing products, it’s that a high price tag doesn’t equal high performance.While the saying ‘you get what you pay for’ does ring true in many instances, the ‘best’ product isn’t always the one that cleans out your bank account. Nor is the newest product with the latest features. Overspending could leave you with fancy gadget regret and a bad taste in your mouth.For many, something simpler (and in turn, often cheaper) is the best option. Indeed, there are many gadgets even top chefs would never use at home. But how do you know when it’s worth spending extra? That’s where I and the Daily Mail’s team of testers come in.We’ve been reviewing the newest and most popular kitchen, home and garden gadgets across a range of price points, from the most premium Dyson vacuums to budget-friendly Salter air fryers.Below, I highlight some of the most popular purchases you run the risk of overspending on, and break down exactly which products you should buy instead, many of them rated and reviewed by us.Coffee machinesCoffee machines are one of the worst offenders when it comes to appliance regret. They’re often big, bulky and expensive. What’s more, if you end up with an all-singing, all-dancing model that you don’t know how to use correctly, you could be wasting time and money.There are so many different types of coffee machine out there, from easy-to-use cafetieres, to the best pod machines and premium bean-to-cup coffee machines. Our roundup of the best coffee machines covers a range of these, but it’s worth knowing when it's the right call to splurge or save. The Sage Oracle Jet machine in testing Testing pod machines for our roundups When you should spend moreIf you’ve previously dabbled in pod machines, cafetieres or cheaper manual machines and want a more sophisticated coffee experience using whole beans.If you already own a coffee machine that doesn’t meet the needs of you or your household.When you should spend less Danielle testing the Barista AbsoluIf you’re less interested in brewing the perfect espresso and convenience is the top of your list.If you’re a long, black coffee drinker that doesn’t intend to experiment with espresso based drinks.Our recommendationsThose who want good espresso-based drinks and an easy coffee experience should consider the fully automatic Delonghi Rivelia with swappable bean hoppers or the Sage Oracle Jet.Less interested in fancy features? We recommend the L’OR Barista Sublime pod machine - it’s an older model but still one of our favourites. Similarly, the Bodum cafetiere is an inexpensive way to enjoy pre-ground coffee.Vacuum cleanersEveryone needs a vacuum cleaner and whether you’re buying a basic cordless vacuum or a robot vacuum that looks like it belongs in the year 3000, they’re a big investment. It's really easy to overspend here as well, with dozens of seemingly identical models with slightly different names and accessories included.Generally, most vacuums come with two to four attachments, with ‘pet’ models generally coming with one additional attachment for tackling hair. In my opinion, you don’t need any more attachments with this, so my advice is to avoid spending more on these models that seemingly come with lots of extras, instead look at things like battery life and suction power. We test all our vacuums on hard floor, rugs and carpetWhen you should spend moreYou have a larger home and pets, so a more powerful clean is necessary.You want the best suction but also cordless convenience.You want to take a more hands-off approach to cleaning with the help of a robot vacuum.When you should spend lessYou live in a smaller home or flat and don’t have pets.You have mostly low pile carpets or hard floors that don’t require deep cleans. Sometimes a basic vacuum is all you need to get the job done.Our recommendationsFor smaller homes with pets, the affordable Hoover HF4+ PowerMove Pet is our budget pick. Meanwhile, for larger homes the VAX LiftOut Reach Pet corded upright is a beefier option for those who don’t mind a corded model.Larger homes that still prefer to go cordless should consider the Shark PowerDetect. It comes with its own hands-free auto emptying base, meaning less allergy-inducing dust and less mess. It’s a premium pick but this is one you should actually spend your money on - no regrets here.For robot fans, the Karcher RCV 5 strikes a good balance between cleaning and features, it’s the one I would argue is good value for money. For the best robot clean, you’ll need to spend closer to £900 on something like the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal but realistically, this will be out of most people’s price ranges.Pizza ovens and BBQsI’m a certified pizza oven obsessive but it’s easy to overspend on a fancy pizza oven that you don’t really need. Barbeques are the same, they’re a real investment but the average person might not really need one with all the bells and whistles.We’ve reviewed a range of ovens and grills, from the ultra budget to serious multi burner dad BBQs and we’ve found the sweet spot for a pizza oven is around £400, while you can spend up to £500 and still get really good value for money in a BBQ. Claire Cisotti testing the splurge-worthy Ninja FlexFlame BBQWhen you should spend moreYou plan on entertaining a lot of guests regularly in the warmer months or have a large family at home.You want something big enough to accommodate meat eaters and veggies on the same grill.When you should spend lessThere’s just one or two of you at home and you don’t host very often. The Arc Lite is a fantastic value pizza oven for entertaining small groups Our recommendationsFrom my experience, you can get away with a smallish pizza oven even when feeding a crowd, as long as you spend well. You don’t need to buy something as all encompassing as the Gozney Dome but the Gozney Arc Lite is a compact oven that was perfect for myself, my partners and a few of our friends and it costs less than £400.Similarly, if you’re BBQing for a small crowd, the nifty electric Ninja Woodfire Grill and Smoker is under £300 and the perfect size for up to four people.Those with a larger appetite or friend group will want to look elsewhere for family entertaining. Charcoal heads should consider one of our favourite budget BBQs, the Charles Bentley Ottimo 635. Testing the budget-friendly Charles Bentley - our favourite charcoal BBQ for entertaining If you do have more of a budget, we recently reviewed Ninja’s XL FlexFlame BBQ, which costs a whopping £999. However, it combines BBQing, grilling and smoking in one and has a huge capacity, meaning if you’re looking for a more serious upgrade, it’s money well spent.Air fryersA common kitchen appliance people regret is their air fryer. Not because it doesn’t do the job but because either it’s too big for their needs or they splashed out on an expensive one that rarely gets used. At the Daily Mail, our team of testers has reviewed them all - big, small, double-decker models, non-toxic air fryers, Ninja air fryers and more. The Salter VertiCook crisping up my chicken and potatoesWhen you should spend moreIf you plan on using your air fryer more than your oven, have lots of counter space or need to accommodate several people.When you should spend lessYou’re just using your air fryer for the odd bit of oven-style cooking - e.g. hash browns, small portions of chips or there’s only one or two of you at home.Our recommendationsThose on a budget should look at something like Salter’s range of vertical air fryers or Instant Brand compact air fryers - both of which offer good value for money.I’d personally never recommend paying more than £250 for an air fryer. However, if you can get some of Ninja’s more premium ones when on offer, they’re worth splashing out on. Air fryers tend to go on offer quite often, so it’s worth holding out if your top choice isn’t on sale right now.Is it ever worth buying budget models of expensive appliances?Nowadays it’s quite common to see more affordable brands, such as Salter and Tower taking inspiration from more expensive appliances and creating their own value options.These can be great if you’re looking for innovative designs with similar performance but don’t have a large budget. Of course, there’s always downsides to shopping cheaper, for example the build quality of a product isn’t going to be as good and you might be missing a couple of quality of life features.This isn’t always the case though. I’ve tested a few of Salter’s budget models including the brand’s answer to the Ninja DoubleStack and Ninja Crispi and I think both are worthy rivals. Salter also has its own Slushie maker, which I have had the pleasure of testing alongside the Ninja Slush and both fared very well in my tests, though Salter’s isn't quite as glamorous looking as the Ninja.Slushie makers are the newest kitchen gadget that - we test Ninja's Slushi XLGenerally what it comes down to with any kitchen appliance is capacity and features, you’ll pay more for more and less for less - my advice is to not overbuy because you can always upgrade in the future.