Sliced Bread

BBC Radio 4
  • 5.0 (1)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS
Sliced Bread Podcast

The series that investigates the latest ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. Are they really 'the best thing since sliced bread'? Science presenter Greg Foot finds out. Greg speaks to experts on a bunk-busting mission to test the latest consumer trends chosen by listeners. Do they live up to the hype? Or are they just marketing BS? Greg chats to the experts, dives into the data, performs tests and crunches the numbers before putting his findings back to the listener so they can decide if it's worth spending their hard earned money on. For this brand new series of Sliced Bread, episodes will be released weekly wherever you get your podcasts. But if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode, a week earlier than anywhere else, first on BBC Sounds. If you have a suggestion for a product to investigate, you can email the team on sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or send a WhatsApp voice note via the number 07543 306807. Sliced Bread is produced by BBC Audio North for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

  1. 20 HR AGO

    Insulated Coffee Cups

    Listener Raffi is tired of his morning coffee going cold by the time he's ready to drink it. There are plenty of products out there promising to do a better job than Raffi's flask, and they come with a range of price tags. But how do they work and what is the ideal drinking temperature? Dr Michael de Podesta, a chartered physicist and measurements expert, has been looking into these very questions. He joins Greg and Raffi in the studio to run through his experiments - and explain how 'double walled technology' works and whether it's the answer to Raffi's prayers. Michael's even been trying out a high tech cup that claims to instantly cool your drink to a perfect drinking temperature - and keep it there for hours. Insulated cups also claim to be leak proof, durable and - in some cases - dishwasher proof. So joining them for this one is Kamisha Darroux, principal scientific adviser for Which? to talk about the tests they do and which other features are worth spending your money on. So are insulated coffee cups the best thing since sliced bread? PRESENTER: GREG FOOT PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

    29 min

  2. 12 SEPT

    Greens Powders

    Greens powders are made up of dozens of ingredients, which are ground up and added to water. They claim to do all sorts of things for our bodies, like give us extra energy, clearer skin, boost our gut health and reduce bloating. But they're not cheap. So what's in them and do they work? That's what listener Sofie, whose social feeds have been bombarded with adverts for greens powders, wants to know. She's not alone - we've had lots of messages asking us to look into these products. To get some answers, Greg speaks to British Dietetic Association spokeswoman Sian Porter, and food scientist Dr Emily Leeming. The prices of the products were correct at the time of the recording. PRESENTER: GREG FOOT PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

    29 min

  3. 5 SEPT

    Foam Rollers

    Lots of people use a foam roller, either before after exercise. It's not usually a very comfortable experience - as Greg finds out in this episode - but is worth the pain? Can they really increase flexibility before exercise, and ease our muscles afterwards? Is it any better than stretching? As you'd expect, there are plenty of claims around these products, which cost anything from a tenner to more than £100 for a vibrating version. We're going right around the world for this one - listener Brendon joins us all the way from New Zealand, and to get him some answers we've got foam roller expert Dr David Behm dialling in from Canada. National Physiotherapy Lead for Nuffield Health Jodie Breach also joins Greg in the studio. So are foam rollers the best thing since sliced bread? PRESENTER: GREG FOOT PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

    30 min

  4. 29 AUG

    Dishwasher Tablets

    Do more expensive dishwasher tablets clean better? And how do eco versions stack up? We are back with a new series of Sliced Bread and even more investigations into your suggested wonder products! We'll also be hitting a significant milestone during this batch of programmes so look out for more on that. First up - dishwasher tablets. Listener Deborah got in touch after hearing our deep-dive into dishwashers themselves and had some burning questions about the tablets we put in them. Do more expensive ones give you a better clean? Do they protect glasses better? And what about the eco brands that promise to be kinder to the environment? Listener Graham sent a voicenote asking whether buying an 'all-in-one' tablet is better than using separate components, either for cleaning or the environment. Greg's joined by Deborah and a panel of experts in our studio at Media City in Salford to run all these questions through the wash. All our investigations start with YOUR suggestions. If you've seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk OR send a voicenote to our WhatsApp number 07543 306807. PRESENTER: GREG FOOT PRODUCER: SIMON HOBAN

    29 min
  5. Dough - Fridges

    15 AUG

    Dough - Fridges

    Could fridges make way for kitchen cabinets that don't just keep food fresh but actually grow it? Dough is a new series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products, assessing where the smart money is going now and what that could mean for all of us in the years ahead. In this episode, the entrepreneur Sam White speaks with experts from the world of refrigeration including: Federica Torelli – Head of Product Management with Smeg which makes fridge freezers. Emir Lasic - Principal Analyst with the industry analysts, Omdia. Jason Hirst - CEO and founder of EvoGro which makes plant growing cabinets. Also joining them is the technology expert and applied futurist, Tom Cheesewright, who offers his insight and predictions on what might be coming beyond the current production pipeline. Together, they explore fridge freezer trends and inventions chatting about their own choices for game changing, and pointless, innovations. We hear how energy efficiency labels are not always as accurate as you might think and assess the chances of indoor incubators providing a new home for vegetables and leafy greens away from the fridge. Produced by Viant Siddique & Jon Douglas. Dough is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in August when Greg Foot will investigate more of the latest so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Dough is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds

    25 min
  6. Dough - Irons

    8 AUG

    Dough - Irons

    Will anyone iron clothes in the future? Dough is a new series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products, assessing where the smart money is going now and what that could mean for all of us in the years ahead. In this episode, the entrepreneur Sam White speaks with experts from the world of garment care including: Leonor Carneiro - the category leader for garment care at Versuni which owns the Philips brand and is famous for making products including steam irons. Veronika Kandusova - a consultant with the market researchers, Euromonitor International. Frej Lewenhaupt - the CEO and co-founder of Steamery, a company which makes garment steamers. Also joining them is the technology expert and applied futurist, Tom Cheesewright, who offers his insight and predictions on what might be coming beyond the current production pipeline. Together, they explore the products that are replacing traditional irons, explain why fewer people in the UK tend to iron today and chat about their own choices for game changing and least effective ironing innovations. We hear why clothes iron manufacturers are yet to crack battery power and get a tantalising glimpse of how even more of us might avoid ironing in the future. Produced by Jon Douglas. Dough is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in August when Greg Foot will investigate more of the latest so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Dough is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds

    25 min
  7. Dough - Hairdryers

    1 AUG

    Dough - Hairdryers

    How do modern hairdryers protect against damage from excessive heat? Dough is a new series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products and considers how they might evolve in the future. In this episode, the entrepreneur Sam White speaks with experts from the world of hairdryer manufacturing, namely Robyn Coutts, a senior design manager at Dyson and Andrew McDougall, director of beauty and personal care research at the analysts, Mintel. Also joining them is the technology expert and applied futurist Tom Cheesewright, who offers his insight and predictions on what might be coming beyond the current production pipeline. Together, they explore how hairdryers went from gas-powered chimneys to handheld devices, examine some of the latest trends and technology before giving their expert opinions on game-changing - and pointless - hair drying innovations. Dough looks at where the smart money's going now and what that could mean for all of us in the years ahead. Produced by Viant Siddique and Jon Douglas. Dough is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in August when Greg Foot will investigate more of the latest so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Dough is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sound

    25 min
  8. Dough - Vacuum Cleaners

    25 JUL

    Dough - Vacuum Cleaners

    Why do we buy so many vacuum cleaners? Dough is a new series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products and considers how they might evolve in the future. In this episode, the entrepreneur Sam White speaks with experts from the world of vacuum cleaner manufacturing, including: Grahame Capron-Tee - who has seen many significant changes during his long career in the industry; Nick Grey - the inventor and founder of Gtech; Anthony Williams - a global director at the data insights company, GFK. Also joining them is the technology expert and applied futurist Tom Cheesewright, to offer his insight and predictions on what might be coming beyond the current production pipeline. Together, they explore how vacuum cleaners went from exterior, horse-drawn contraptions to interior, automatic robots scuttling around on the floor, explain why UK households buy so many vacuum cleaners and give their expert views on game-changing - and pointless - product innovations. There's a debate about bagged versus bagless vacuum cleaners and a discussion on when robotic vacuum cleaners might be able to clean more than just the floors. Dough looks at where the smart money's going now and what that could mean for all of us in the years ahead. Produced by Jon Douglas. Dough is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in August when Greg Foot will investigate more of the latest so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Dough is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds

    25 min
See All (123)

Hosts & Guests

About

The series that investigates the latest ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. Are they really 'the best thing since sliced bread'? Science presenter Greg Foot finds out. Greg speaks to experts on a bunk-busting mission to test the latest consumer trends chosen by listeners. Do they live up to the hype? Or are they just marketing BS? Greg chats to the experts, dives into the data, performs tests and crunches the numbers before putting his findings back to the listener so they can decide if it's worth spending their hard earned money on. For this brand new series of Sliced Bread, episodes will be released weekly wherever you get your podcasts. But if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode, a week earlier than anywhere else, first on BBC Sounds. If you have a suggestion for a product to investigate, you can email the team on sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or send a WhatsApp voice note via the number 07543 306807. Sliced Bread is produced by BBC Audio North for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2024
  • Episodes
    123
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2024
  • Show Website
    Sliced Bread

More From BBC

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada