Igloo IGLICEBSC26 Ice Maker — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $80; street price: $110
What we like: Our more compact top ice maker pick. Makes nine bullet-shaped cubes in under 10 minutes. Smaller, lighter, and easier to stow away than our classic countertop ice maker pick. Clear, straightforward controls. Self-cleaning mode.
Other things to know: Slightly smaller reservoir requires more frequent refills. Like all bullet-ice makers, produces cloudy ice, which doesn’t affect taste, but makes carbonated drinks go flat faster. Not very durable. One-year warranty. On sale in black.
Read more: The Best Countertop Ice Maker
Samsung NZ36K7880US/AA Induction Cooktop — Staff Pick
Amazon deal price: $1,500; street price: $1,750
What we like: An induction cooktop staff pick with high-tech features. Offers 15 heat settings, simmer and melt modes, and a large continuous cooking zone that accommodates multiple pans or griddles. Wi-Fi connectivity. Visual indication of heat level may be helpful for some.
Other things to know: Though this cooktop is a solid option, we have run across complaints about Samsung’s service and reliability while researching for other appliance guides. One-year warranty on the cooktop and a five-year warranty on the glass surface.
Read more: The Best Induction Cooktop
Timemore Chestnut C2 Manual Coffee Grinder — Also Great
Amazon deal price: $55; street price: $69 (deal on black and gray)
What we like: Our portable manual coffee grinder pick is the best option for under $100. Easiest to use of all the manual models we tested. Sturdy and well-built. Grinds quickly, evenly, and consistently. Great for camping or those with limited counter space. Also grinds spices.
Other things to know: 25-gram capacity only makes about one serving of coffee. Not great for superfine grinds like espresso. Deal on black, clip the on-page coupon to get the deal price.
Read more: The Best Coffee Grinder
Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Rice Cooker (5.5 Cups) — Another Good Option
Amazon deal price: $136; street price: $160
What we like: Another good Zojirushi rice cooker that costs less than our top pick, the Neuro Fuzzy. Performs almost as well, making superb white, long-grain, and sticky rice. Quick-cook setting is about 10 minutes faster than that of our top pick.
Other things to know: Our former pick top pick. We prefer the Neuro Fuzzy’s pot because it has handles and a more advanced fuzzy-logic chip that can turn an atrociously mis-measured batch of rice into something edible.
Read more: The Best Rice Cooker
Espro P6 French Press — Upgrade Pick
Amazon deal price: $92; street price: $115 (deal on black and stainless steel)
What we like: Our upgrade French press pick. Offers the same superior filtration as other Espro models, plus better heat retention. Double-walled carafe. No danger it will shatter if you drop it. Designed to stop extracting once you’ve pressed. Coffee won’t turn as bitter or sour if it sits in the press for a couple of hours.
Other things to know: All-metal carafe, but the handle is plastic. Deal on black and stainless steel.
Read more: The Best French Press
Technivorm Moccamaster KBT Coffee Maker — Also Great
Amazon deal price: $237; street price: $339
What we like: Our pick for a simple and stylish drip coffee maker that makes a great cup of coffee. Consistently ranked first in our taste tests. Reliable 40-ounce capacity workhorse that brews a nuanced, flavorful pot. Come with an insulated carafe and a unique filter basket switch that adjusts steep time.
Other things to know: Lacks extra features of our other picks, like timers or complex settings, but coffee connoisseurs will appreciate the taste. Pricey, but much longer warranty (five years) and Moccamaster’s reputation for longevity make it a worthwhile investment.
Read more: The Best Drip Coffee Maker
Nespresso VertuoPlus — Also Great
Amazon deal price: $110; street price: $169
What we like: Our pick for a more versatile Nespresso machine. Brews smooth espresso, plus an 8-ounce cup of coffee that’s superior to anything we’ve tried from a Keurig. Short learning curve, with just one button and an automatic lid. Adjustable drip tray and water tank.
Other things to know: Mugs are unstable on drip tray. We didn’t love the coffee, but it was still a big step up from Keurig’s. Only uses Vertuo pods, which cost more than Original pods. On sale in gray.
Read more: The Best Nespresso Machine
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $300; street price: $400
What we like: Our top air fryer toaster oven pick and our upgrade toaster oven pick. Performs just as well as an air fryer as it does a toaster oven. Specific settings for dehydrating, proofing, and slow cooking. Crisps up food faster than traditional toaster ovens. Large two-rack capacity. Multiple fan speeds.
Other things to know: Even on sale, notably more expensive than our other picks. “Super convection” fan speed is incredibly loud. Didn’t toast bread quite as evenly as other picks. We’d prefer a pizza stone over the included nonstick pizza pan. Matches the lowest price we’ve seen.
Read more: The Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven
W&P The Popper Collapsible Popcorn Popping Bowl — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $19; street price: $25
What we like: Our top pick for the best microwavable popcorn bowl. Also makes a great gift. Incredibly simple to use and easy to clean, and it folds down for more-efficient storage. Doesn’t need oil, but you can add some if you’d like (in our experience, you’ll get slightly better results).
Other things to know: Makes only 9 cups of popcorn at a time. Popcorn has a squeakier texture. Left the most kernels unpopped among options we tested. Street price has risen over the last year, and it rarely sees discounts nowadays. On sale in charcoal.
Read more: The Best Ways to Make (and Flavor) Popcorn
OXO Good Grips Kitchen and Herb Scissors — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $15; street price: $18
What we like: Our top scissors pick for kitchen shears. Cuts nearly everything cleanly and effortlessly. Can disassemble for cleaning. One conventional blade and a micro-serrated blade. Roomy, comfortable handles. Built-in herb stripper.
Other things to know: Can’t sharpen the micro-serrated blade. Doesn’t work well with wax paper. Not dishwasher-safe.
Read more: The Best Scissors for Every Task
Instant 6.3-Quart Stand Mixer — Another Good Option
Amazon deal price: $90; street price: $130
What we like: Another good stand mixer if you want a sub-$200 option for a beginner or low-volume baker. Succeeded in most of our tests and did so quietly and without stalling or moving around. Lightweight and suctions to the counter. Can surely tackle semi-frequent cookie and cake batters, box mixes, frostings, and more.
Other things to know: Contains some seemingly cheap materials, like plastic at the top of some of its attachments and a plastic exterior. We would not recommend this machine for regular bread making. Unlike a KitchenAid mixer, it won’t last you anywhere close to a lifetime.
Read more: The Best Stand Mixer
Philips GoZero Sparkling Water Maker — Budget Pick
Amazon deal price: $50; street price: $62
What we like: Our budget soda maker pick. Sleek and attractive no-frills look. Makes good-tasting seltzer with lively bubbles. Surprisingly good quality for the price.
Other things to know: Assembly can be a pain. CO2 cylinder is sold separately for around $30. If you have empty cylinders, they can be exchanged for a discount. Deal price on black.
Read more: The Best Soda Maker
Instant Pot Pro 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker — Upgrade Pick
Amazon deal price: $100; street price: $120
What we like: Our upgrade electric pressure cooker pick. More cooking control than our top pick, with five temperature levels, five presets, and a quieter steam release. Huge, intuitive LCD screen. Inner cooking pot is stove- and oven-safe (up to 450 °F) with stay-cool handles for easy lifting.
Other things to know: One of few models that’s compatible with Instant Pot’s QuickCool Tray. Doesn’t preheat faster than our top pick. Extra functions aren’t that helpful. One-year warranty. Online instruction manual is more detailed than print manual in the box.
Read more: The Best Electric Pressure Cooker Is an Instant Pot
All-Clad HA1 Nonstick Pans (Set of 2) — Another Good Option
Amazon deal price: $50; street price: $70
What we like: Another good nonstick pan that performed on par with our top pick during our tests. Thick. Sturdy. Works with induction. Excellent value.
Other things to know: Has the classic All-Clad stick handles that are angled upward. Sides of pan are more upright. Set includes one 8-inch and one 10-inch pan.
Read more: The Best Nonstick Pan
Oster Electric Wine Bottle Opener — Also Great
Amazon deal price: $16; street price: $25
What we like: Our pick for the best electric corkscrew. The best value of any electric wine bottle opener we’ve tested. Easy to grab, easy to use, and inexpensive. Quickly and easily removes cork from a bottle using a rechargeable battery.
Other things to know: Can be a bit loud. Comes with electric wine bottle opener, foil cutter, charging base, and power adapter. One-year limited warranty.
Read more: The Best Corkscrew for Opening Wine
Pentire Adrift Nonalcoholic Spirit — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $31; street price: $38
What we like: Our top pick for a dry, briny clear non-alcoholic spirit. Opens with green, vegetal notes—rosemary, moss, and sage—with bright citrus and an alcohol-like bitter sourness. Complex but not punishing. Lends itself well to mixing (the brand recommends ice and soda water or tonic; we liked adding a squeeze of citrus).
Other things to know: If you don’t like a dry, astringent drink, you might not like Adrift. Vegan and gluten-free. No added sugar.
Read more: The Best Nonalcoholic Drinks
Aplós Arise Nonalcoholic Drink — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $38; street price: $44
What we like: One of our top picks for the best nonalcoholic drinks. Tastes neat. Citrus, jalapeño-esque burn, and notes of green banana peel, fried sweet plantain, paint thinner, and sugar-free candy. Comes in shareable 575 mL bottles.
Other things to know: Some may be put off by lingering vitamin mouthfeel similar to chewing chalky Flintstones vitamins. Tastes better mixed with seltzer and a squeeze of lime. Contains L-theanine, L-choline bitartrate, moringa extract, ginseng, vitamin D3, and vitamin B12. Gluten-free, vegan, and sugar-free.
Read more: The Best Nonalcoholic Drinks
Chef’n Juicester Citrus Juicer — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $10; street price: $17
What we like: Our top pick for the best manual citrus reamer. This manual juicer captures every drop of juice, and functions as a pitcher and a measuring cup. Spring-mounted juicing cone helps take pressure off your hand while you squeeze. Built-in strainer filters effectively. Top rack dishwasher-safe.
Other things to know: Comes with a lifetime warranty with proof of purchase. Even though it has an ergonomic design, it still takes longer to juice than our electric juicer pick.
Read more: The Best Citrus Juicer
Gripstic Bag Clips (Assorted Pack of 12) — Staff Pick
Amazon deal price: $18; street price: $24
What we like: A bag clip staff pick. Reusable clips seal bags to keep foods fresh for days—or even weeks—on end. Each clip is essentially a stick-like pole encapsulated in another stick-like pole that creates a seal when you fold a bag between the two. Small to store.
Other things to know: Deal for a pack of 12 in assorted sizes from 5 inches to 13 inches, to fit just about any bag of food. Dishwasher- and freezer-safe.
Read more: These Weird-Looking Clips Keep My Chips Crispy for Weeks on End
Technivorm Moccamaster KB Coffee Maker — Also Great
Amazon deal price: $230; street price: $309
What we like: This glass-carafe version of our Technivorm Moccamaster pick has a hot-plate that’s finely tuned to keep coffee warm without scorching it, a rare feat. And the coffee it produces tastes incredibly nuanced, too.
Other things to know: Lacks extra features of our other picks, like timers or complex settings, but coffee connoisseurs will appreciate the taste. Pricey, but its much longer warranty (five years) and Moccamaster’s reputation for longevity make it a worthwhile investment. Will soon be added to our drip coffee maker guide.
Read more: The Best Drip Coffee Maker
Tramontina 10-Inch Professional Restaurant Fry Pan — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $23; street price: $28
What we like: Our top nonstick pan pick. Durable coating. Good heat distribution. Excellent maneuverability. With its classic flared-lip shape, slick nonstick coating, and comfortable handle, this quality pan will last for years.
Other things to know: Not compatible with induction cooktops. The rivets that secure the handle to the pan don’t have a nonstick coating. $1 more than we saw earlier this year.
Read more: The Best Nonstick Pan
