Is this the cupcake "must have" gadget?

You may recall I blogged about the Lakeland cupcake maker some time ago, well now kings of the toasted sandwich, Breville, have brought out their version of the cupcake maker.

Simply pour your own mixture into the cupcake moulds, wait for it to cook and viola you have cupcakes. Basically the same as you'd do with an oven, except these machines claim to make cupcakes in about 8 minutes so if you're really keen to get your hands on some cupcakes it's a little quicker than your oven. Oh and its pink!

It's currently on offer at Very, costing just £25. It's going to be available in John Lewis as well.

Do you need an electric cupcake maker?

Lakeland seem to think so.

I think they'd be good for kids, rather than those awful "gourmet" cupcake makers that were the toy of the moment a couple of Christmas' ago which relied on packet mixes for the cake.

Scrumptious home-made cupcakes without having to turn the oven on? Sounds too good to be true, but with Lakeland’s new machine, it’s as simple as making a toasted sandwich, and they’re ready in no time!

Just like a sandwich maker, our cute cupcake creator is extremely easy to use – plug it in and lights indicate when it’s ready; follow one of the included recipes, pour in the mix and in 9 to 10 minutes your cupcakes are baked to perfection!

With premium non-stick coating. For best results, use cupcake cases.

Costing £39.99 it makes 6 cupcakes at a time and comes with 5 cupcake recipes. You can purchase yours here. I shalln't be bothering (I have an oven and how difficult is it really to turn that on!), but would be interested to hear if anyone buys one, or your thoughts on the cupcake maker.