The best wine aerators for full-bodied flavor

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Which wine aerator is best?

Wine has two natural enemies: light and air. Although the best way to preserve your favorite vintage is to keep it in a dark, cool place, when you’re ready to drink it, letting it breathe for at least 30 minutes unleashes the wine’s delicious bouquet and complex flavors.

If you have neglected to decant the wine ahead of time and you’re ready to have a taste, a wine aerator can save the day. These simple tools swirl air through the wine to help develop its fullest flavor in just seconds. For effortless aeration at the touch of a button, the Aervana Original Electric Wine Aerator is a good choice.

What to know before you buy a wine aerator

Method of aeration

A wine aerator may seem like an odd expense. After all, doesn’t wine become aerated on its own with time? Yes, but sometimes you need a faster way to unlock the wine’s complex tasting profile.

The key is to choose the aeration method that works best for you. Budget aerators may not perform much better than simply letting a wine sit for a while. These have a small hole that introduces air into the wine but no method for swirling the air into the wine.

More expensive aerators push and blend air into the wine. You know it’s working when your wine gurgles. This method of multi-stage aerator also removes sediments that can influence the wine’s taste.

Full bottle aeration vs. one glass at a time

If you are a party of one, there’s no sense in introducing air into an entire bottle of wine. Look for an aerator that delivers one delicious glass at a time.

On the other hand, if you’re having a dinner party, it seems unnecessary to use a single-service aerator. A full bottle aerator is the best choice in that situation.

Materials

You have choices when it comes to wine aerator materials. They are commonly made from:

Acrylic
Stainless steel
Plastic
Rubber

Most high-end aerators are made from stainless steel, which is easier to clean and more durable. However, these come with a sometimes hefty price tag.

What to look for in a quality wine aerator

Solid construction

Wine aeration is not a full-contact sport, but the aerator you choose should still be sturdy and well-made. Look for seamless pouring spouts and sturdy attachment points built from high-quality metals and plastics.

Food-safe materials

Anything made from plastic and designed for food or drink service must be labeled as food-safe. If your wine aerator is plastic, it should be BPA-free.

Multiple uses

It’s a terrible waste of a beautiful vintage when an open bottle is spoiled by too much air. Look for a wine aerator that also doubles as a stopper or cork. This keeps wine fresh.

Universal fit

Although most wine bottles follow industry standards in terms of openings for easier corkage, some are slightly larger or smaller than others. Wine aerators with a flexible silicone piece that enters the mouth of the bottle are more useful than a rigid plastic insert that does not conform to variations in size.

How much you can expect to spend on a wine aerator

The price of an aerator will vary depending on a few factors  (e.g., if it’s electric or if it aerates a full bottle or single glass of wine). Expect to spend $10-$50.

Wine aerator FAQ

Do wines that are decanted still need aeration?

A. Yes. Heavy-bodied wines should be aerated as they are decanted and allowed to sit for a few more minutes.

If a wine is not fully in flavor after it’s decanted, aeration can help.

Do you have to use a wine aerator?

A. No. Nathan Myhrvold, author of the seminal molecular gastronomical book “Modernist Cuisine” suggests a simpler method that uses an immersion blender.

Pour wine into a bowl (or wide-mouthed decanter).
Use an immersion blender to aerate the wine for 30 seconds.

This is not the most sophisticated presentation of wine, but it does the trick in the pinch.

Alternatively, many people allow their wine to sit for longer. Air naturally enters the wine over time.

What’s the best wine aerator to buy?

Top wine aerator

Aervana Original Electric Wine Aerator

What you need to know: It is expensive, but wine connoisseurs swear by it.

What you’ll love: It’s electronic and aerates wine instantly with six times the aeration of non-electric gravity aerators. Plastic parts are food safe, and it comes with an easy operating manual. The design minimizes splashing and drips.

What you should consider: The tube is too short for large bottles.

Top wine aerator for the money

Haley’s Corker 5-In-1 Wine Aerator

What you need to know: It’s one tool to handle every aspect of wine service.

What you’ll love: It aerates and filters wine at the same time. You’ll have no more messy bits of cork floating in your final glass. The airtight stopper is spill-proof and keeps wine fresh. It’s also available in a screw-top version.

What you should consider: Even though this is billed as being leak-proof, you need to store wine bottles upright after opening, as some users report leaks.

Worth checking out

Rabbit Wine Aerator And Pourer

What you need to know: The Rabbit is a well-known tool recommended by wine pros and amateur oenophiles alike.

What you’ll love: It is silicone and stainless steel, which makes it both easy to clean and sturdy for years of use. An oversized bowl increases aeration for deeper, more complex flavors.

What you should consider: This fits most bottles but not all. Use caution if the opening is especially large.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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Top Nest cameras to keep an eye on your property

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Which Nest cameras are best?

If you want a connected home, you may already be a fan of Nest products. The company makes smart devices to help you keep tabs on the many goings-on that occur when you’re not there. Nest of surveillance cameras live up to the company’s reputation for providing well-designed, attractive products that interface easily with a smartphone app. Peace of mind is just one benefit of having a Nest camera in your home. Read on to learn about the other benefits of owning a Nest camera.

What to know before you buy a Nest camera

Nest benefits

Nest cameras offer many advantages over some competing security cameras, including ease of use and clarity of video. What’s more, users can record 24 hours a day without interruptions — many other home surveillance systems only offer recording when movement is detected.

You can access your Nest camera remotely through your Nest phone app. With this feature, you can hear and talk to people or pets on the other side of the camera. With a subscription service, Nest will hold your video feed for up to 30 days. The company also gives you three-hour “snapshots” of what has been going on in your home.

Nest Cameras have a reputation for durability and reliability. Perhaps that’s one reason why they range in price from about $200 to $350, which is slightly more expensive than other surveillance camera options on the market. A Nest camera on the lower end of the price range could double as a baby or pet monitor; it’s easy to set this up with a simple plug into a wall outlet. Higher-end Nest cameras work with an “IQ” that enables them to identify human faces. Nest also offers a service called Nest Aware that can tell the difference between human movement and other movements. It can also learn to identify faces.

Nest camera FAQ

Q. Will a Nest subscription cost me more if I have more than one camera in my home?

A. Yes. With a subscription, Nest requires you to pay for each camera. However, after the first camera, each additional camera can be added to your service at a discounted rate.

Q. Does a Nest camera work with Alexa?

A. Yes. Nest builds connected devices. If you have the Amazon Echo Show, you can access your feed by simply asking Alexa to show you the area of your home it covers.

What’s the best Nest camera to buy?

Top Nest camera

Google Nest Cam Outdoor or Indoor, Battery – 2nd Generation

What you need to know: This Nest camera is made to withstand outdoor weather conditions (though you can also put it inside) and provides a high-quality image.

What you’ll love: It’s attractive and compact, can handle being outdoors, is wire-free and includes a magnetic mount. It’s also easy to install. If there’s an outage of power or Wi-Fi, it will store up to an hour of recorded events.

What you should consider: Though the battery makes installation convenient, some users say it can drain quickly.

Top Nest camera for the money

Nest Indoor Security Camera (2nd generation)

What you need to know: This camera is unobtrusive, easy to set up, and not exorbitantly expensive. It’s a great unit for someone on a budget who would like to keep tabs on home (kids, pets, and so on) when at work or away.

What you’ll love: It works with Alexa. The built-in mic/speaker combo allows you to chat with those at home and also monitor them.

What you should consider: Some customers had difficulty with the camera not recording all events.

Worth checking out

Google Nest Cam with Floodlight

What you need to know: This camera not only provides wide, clear views, but also acts as a security floodlight.

What you’ll love: This particular Nest camera can distinguish between a person, an animal or a vehicle and send alerts to your phone via the Google Home app. You can also customize the light settings and talk through this camera.

What you should consider: It’s the most expensive Nest camera.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

Eastbound I-94 ramp closures begin in Woodbury on Thursday

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Several eastbound Interstate 94 entrance and exit ramps in Woodbury will close early Thursday for repaving, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The ramps to and from eastbound I-94 and Woodbury Drive/Keats Avenue North will close starting at 5 a.m. Thursday and will reopen in mid-October.

Motorists going toward I-94 can use Woodbury Drive/Keats Avenue North, westbound or eastbound I-94 and Radio Drive/Inwood Avenue North. Those coming from I-94 can bypass this closure using eastbound or westbound I-94, Manning Avenue and Woodbury Drive/Keats Avenue North.

This closure is part of a larger MnDOT I-94 pavement project between state Highway 120/Century Avenue and the St. Croix River that will end this fall, according to the release. All construction activities are weather dependent and subject to change.

More information can be found at mndot.gov/metro/projects/i94oakdale-stcroix.

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St. Paul: Urban Roots sets out to plant more than 100 trees Saturday

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Urban Roots, a nonprofit that provides environmental education internships to youth on St. Paul’s East Side, will be hosting a tree planting event Saturday in an effort to improve the tree canopy in that area of the city.

The organization is aiming to plant more than 100 trees in one day on the East Side, which has lower tree canopy coverage than other parts of the city, according to Tree Equity Score, a database that measures the distribution of tree cover in urban areas across the United States.

Tree canopy coverage can reduce air pollution and mitigate the urban heat island effect, a phenomenon where urban areas are significantly warmer than neighboring rural ones, according to an Urban Roots media release. The tree planting event is part of a larger initiative with other environmental organizations including Frogtown Green, Tree Trust and the Nature Conservancy.

To learn more about Urban Roots, their work and how to get involved, visit their website at urbanrootsmn.org.

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