Not every feeder needs to be on your wi-fi. This one is programmed with buttons on the unit itself and a touch display, so there is no app account to set up, no firmware update arriving at an awkward moment, and nothing that stops working when the broadband drops out for an afternoon. You set the meal times and portions once, and it carries on doing exactly that whether or not your phone is in the building.

The hopper holds three litres of dry food, which for a cat or a small dog turns refilling into a weekly job rather than a daily one, and a sealed lid keeps the kibble from going stale in the meantime. Underneath, the bowl is stainless steel and lifts out to wash. That is worth more than it sounds on a feeder, because plastic bowls scratch, and those scratches hold grease and odour that rinsing never quite shifts. Steel washes properly and comes out of it clean every time.

• Three-litre hopper for dry food
• Programmable timer with a touch display
• Detachable stainless steel bowl
• Set on the unit itself, with no app or wi-fi needed
• Available with UK, EU or US plugs

Two things worth knowing. Choose the UK plug option at checkout. And a feeder of this type takes dry kibble only, so wet food, semi-moist chunks and unusually large or small biscuit shapes will all jam it sooner or later. If your cat is on a wet diet this is not the answer for you, and we would rather say so now than take the order and hear about it in a fortnight.

Who it's for: Cat and small-dog owners who want meals handled reliably on a schedule, without another app and another account to manage.