What Earns a Recommendation

Every listings guide makes choices. Which tips go in, which questions get a whole article, which ideas are left out. We do not hand out stars or scores, because a number rarely tells you whether something suits your evening, your home or your trip. Instead, this page describes in plain words what we look for before something earns a place in a Tofu Watch guide.

It solves a real problem

The starting point is always a situation someone is actually in: a picture that keeps freezing during a match, a weekend away with only two days to spare, an evening when nobody can agree on a film. A tip earns its place when it moves that person closer to a good outcome. Ideas that sound clever but do not change what you would do are cut, however interesting they are.

It works for ordinary people

We favour suggestions that work with everyday equipment, normal budgets and limited time. A trick that needs specialist tools or a free afternoon every week is mentioned only if we say so clearly. In articles such as our bandwidth tips, the first steps are the free ones; spending money comes later, if at all.

The trade-offs are visible

Almost every choice has a downside. A large channel bundle saves effort but may cost more than you need; a packed city-break schedule sees more sights but leaves you exhausted. We would rather show both sides, as in bundles versus à la carte channels, and let you decide, than present one option as the only sensible path.

The rules are respected

We only suggest using licensed services, following venue policies and checking local regulations. When rules vary between countries or companies, we point you to the place that sets them instead of guessing. A tip that only works by bending the rules is not a recommendation.

It holds up after a second read

Each piece is read by a second member of the team before it goes up. If a step is vague, a claim cannot be supported or a warning is missing, it goes back for another pass. We do not invent figures, quote studies we cannot point to or borrow credentials we do not have.

Businesses are treated like any other topic

Some articles discuss specific services, and some were prepared with the involvement of outside businesses. They are held to the same expectations: practical, clear and honest about limits. A mention is never a promise that a company is right for you. Compare options, read the terms and decide on your own circumstances.

What does not earn a place

• Advice that depends on unlicensed or unlawful services.
• Claims that cannot be checked, or numbers without a source.
• Pressure tactics such as false urgency or "last chance" framing.
• Health, legal or money guidance that goes beyond general information.

Disagree with a choice?

If you think we left out something useful or included something that did not work for you, send a tip. Reader experience is one of the main reasons guides get revised. For a broader look at how the team works, see Behind the Listings.