Author: Grace Kelly

My father-in-law loves ham. To put it in perspective, not only does he relish any holiday where ham graces the table, but he specifically requests it for his birthday in September, too. Lucky for him I took on the enviable task (well, to him at least) of testing mail-order hams in the very month of his birthday and invited him over for a “hamboree” to try a few (like a jamboree, but with ham—get it?). And, while you might think, “How different can a hunk of ham really be?” we tried almost every type you can buy, including a prosciutto-like offering, a barbecued picnic ham, and many iterations of spiral-cut and uncut whole hams. Not only did we judge them based on how easy they were to prepare and how they tasted, but we also noted how they arrived, since no one wants to order a ham online only to find it thawed out on its shipping journey. 

The Winners, at a Glance

This boneless ham had a honey-colored crust, was super easy to bake and slice, and was downright delicious. It was moist, flavorful (with a touch of sweetness), and perfectly seasoned. We also think the leftovers would be lovely cooked up in bean or pea soup.

With a dark, almost bark-like exterior, this bone-in ham had my in-laws oo-ing and aww-ing. And the flavor was fantastic, too, with a faint smokiness and subtle sweetness, and a very moist and tender texture.

This ham arrived frozen and tightly wrapped in a plastic coating and mesh bag. We loved its smoky flavor and the spiral cut made it super easy to slice and serve.

This is a truly tiny ham and a big departure from the massive hams we tested. But though it’s small in size, it’s big in flavor, with a faintly smoky sweetness. It tasted just as good cold as it did heated up.

You can often find Benton’s ham on menus at good restaurants, but did you know you can buy a whole leg of it for only $83? We’re talkin’ a near prosciutto-like, smoky leg that you can slice slivers from for cheese boards, to wrap around fruit, or to fry up in a pan with some red eye gravy and biscuits. It’ll redefine what you think ham can be.

The Tests

• Shipping Inspection: We inspected each package to see if the ham arrived frozen (if that was intended) and to see how insulated it was. 
• Preparation Test: We followed instructions (included in the package or online) to prepare each ham, noting if it was easy as well as the final results. 
• Taste Test: We had two to four people taste each ham, noting its consistency and texture, flavor, and how easy it was to slice and serve. 

What We Learned

What Exactly Is Ham?

If you shop for ham online or at the grocery store, you might be confused by all the labels: Fresh ham, ham, uncured ham, smoked ham, cured ham, bone-in, boneless. What do they all mean? The USDA defines ham (just plain ‘ol ham) as “the cured leg of pork,” while “fresh ham” is uncured (more on what that means shortly). Curing a pork leg simply means the leg was salted or brined (often with added nitrates, which give ham its pink color) as a preservation method. If you see ham labeled “uncured” or “fresh,” this doesn’t mean that it wasn’t salted or brined, it simply means there were no chemical additives (like nitrates) used during the process. Sometimes a brand will use celery seed instead, which manufacturers often claim is a “natural” nitrate. However, this meat still has nitrates in it, regardless of whether they are the pink salt kind or derived from a plant. 

Smoked ham is another style you can look for, though intensity can vary depending on how long it was smoked and what wood chips were used. Some hams are REALLY smoky, so if you (or whoever you’re serving) don’t love that wood-chip smell and aroma, this might be something to steer clear of. We found most of the hams we tasted were low-to-moderately smoky, but Benton’s ham was really, really smokey—but they’re known for this intense hickory smoke flavor. If you’re not into smoke, look for hams that have been smoked for a shorter time or that lean on the flavors of milder wood chips, like apple, cherry, or alder. 

Boneless Vs. Bone-In

In the end, we didn’t really find a huge difference in terms of taste when it came to boneless versus bone-in hams. Sure the bone-in hams, like this one from D’Artagnan, looked nicer—and it feels like you’re serving dinner at a medieval banquet when you carve collops from it—but they weren’t necessarily moister or more flavorful than the boneless hams we tried. The difference was really that the boneless hams had more fat marbling throughout (while the bone in hams had veins of fat delineating different sections), like in the Omaha ham, but this turned out not to be as gross as it sounds. When the ham was heated, the fat melted and kept the meat moist. That said, it was more like deli meat than meat from a bone-in ham. 

Most Hams Were Pre-Cooked and Easy to Warm Up

All of the hams we ordered were pre-cooked, which makes serving all that much easier. Basically, when you bake a ham, you’re just reheating it so it doesn’t pass as deli meat. Nearly all of the hams we tasted were also incredibly easy to warm, requiring only a deep roasting pan (a half-sheet pan works in a pinch, but there’s more risk of spilling) filled with about 1/4 to 1/2 to an inch of water and an oven temperature ranging between 275°F and 350°F. Some brands recommended tenting the ham with foil, which we found beneficial to ensuring the ham emerged moist rather than dry and leathery (this is especially true of spiral-cut hams, which we will get into momentarily). 

The exception to this was the Benton’s ham, which was more like prosciutto than ham you might eat at Easter. You can either serve thin slices shaved fresh off the leg or, as they suggested on the included pamphlet, heat pieces up in a skillet, perhaps with a dash of coffee to make a simple red eye gravy and serve it with some grits or a fluffy biscuit. 

Spiral-Cut Hams Dried Out Faster

While spiral-cut hams offer serving convenience (especially if there’s a big bone running through the center), we did find that they tended to dry out faster than whole, uncut hams. If you do like the convenience of spiral-cut hams, we recommend baking them cut side down and tenting them with foil to retain as much moisture as possible. 

Texture Was Important 

The hams we tasted came in a surprising array of textures, with our favorites having some chew to them but without being leathery. Some hams, like the Rastelli’s, had an unpleasant grainy, chewy, and snappy texture that was redolent of cold-cut deli ham, but not in a good way. The Omaha ham also had a little bit of a snappy bite to it, but it was still quite moist and tender since it was boneless, with almost imperceptible ribbons of fat running throughout (don’t worry, they melted when heated and kept the ham juicy). Overall, we preferred hams with a little more texture, but one that wasn’t rubbery or overly snappy—think, when you cut the ham, it kind of tears rather than cuts cleanly into chunks. 

Too Much Fat Was Off-Putting

While you do want some fat in a ham to keep it moist, two of the hams we tried were so fatty they made us feel ill. The Goldbelly PIT SMOKED BBQ HAM had a fat cap so thick, that it made up half the ham, thus making that half inedible—sad. The Holy Grail Steak Co Mangalitsa Bone-In Smoked Ham also had lots of fat running through it (to be fair, the Mangalitsa pig is labeled the Wagyu of pork), and we physically got queasy after eating larger pieces of it. That said, if you liked the taste and texture of fat, both hams would satisfy that craving. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Mail-Order Ham

First, find a purveyor who knows what they’re doing in terms of shipping—no one wants to receive a spoiled ham. We liked both whole and spiral-cut hams, though we found the pre-cut ones tended to dry out faster. When it comes to smokiness, take a gander at the smoke times and/or wood chips used for a general idea of how smoky the ham will be (hickory tends to be more intense than, say, apple or cherry wood). Finally, we liked hams that were fatty enough to be moist, but not SO fatty that they were slightly nauseating to eat. 

The Best Hams

What we liked: This boneless ham made us rethink our (admittedly snobby) opinion of boneless hams. It sported a beautiful, golden brown sheen on the exterior, and the ham itself was pink, juicy, and tender, thanks to threads of fat running through it (don’t worry, they melted when heated and were what helped keep this ham moist). It had a simple, savory, salty, and, just very ham-like taste. It’s also quite affordable, and the two-and-a-half pound ham fed four people easily, with much ham to spare. 

What we didn’t like: Boneless hams look a lot like the hams at a deli, and if you eat it cold, the fat threaded throughout is a little more noticeable. We also found the shipping method questionable—while the ham was frozen, there was no insulation or ice packs in the box. 

Price at time of publish: $30 for 2.5 lb ham. 

Key Specs

• Shipping notes: Comes frozen in a small box without any insulation or ice packs. 
• Weight: 2.5 or 5 lbs
• Spiral-cut: No
• Smoked: Yes
• Wood chips: Hickory 
• Glaze included: No
  

What we liked: This stunner of a ham (yes, not only can a Negroni sblagliato be stunnin’) is big, flavorful, and was one of our tasters’ favorites. It was a little smoky without being overwhelming and had a nice, honey-like sweetness. Since the ham we received was not spiral cut, it was also very moist. The shipping was stellar, too, with plenty of ice packs and insulation (it kept the ham nearly frozen, but it was a really hot day when we received it).

What we didn’t like: It’s expensive, and it’s big, so it’s best for big gatherings and people who really enjoy ham.

Price at time of publish: $93.

Key Specs

• Shipping notes: Came in a box with lots of insulation and ice packs still frozen. The ham itself thawed a little bit, but it was also 88°F the day it was delivered. 
• Weight: 9.4 lbs 
• Spiral-cut: No, but the option is available 
• Smoked: Yes
• Wood chips: Apple 
• Glaze included: No
  

What we liked: Sometimes you just wanna eat ham and not saw away at one, ya know? While spiral-cut hams do have a tendency to dry out faster, if you cover one with aluminum foil and cook it low and slow in a water bath, it should emerge juicy and glistening. This smoky ham had a faint touch of sweetness to balance out the savory, and since it was spiral sliced, it was easy to serve. 

What we didn’t like: The instructions for heating do not mention tenting the ham in foil, and as a result, our ham came out a tad drier than we would’ve liked—however, the instructions online do mention tenting. It’s also quite expensive (though it is huge). 

Price at time of publish: $161. 

Key Specs

• Shipping notes: The box was a bit dinged up and bashed, but the ham itself was still nestled between four ice packs and arrived frozen.
• Weight: 18 lbs
• Spiral-cut: Yes
• Smoked: Yes
• Wood chips: Doesn’t say
• Glaze included: No

What we liked: What a cute, wee little ham! Weighing a little over two pounds, this is the perfect ham for two, or if you like the idea of making ham sandwiches with freshly sliced slabs. There were no specific instructions for heating, and the Olympia Provisions website notes you can “slice thin for sandwiches, thick for ham steaks or gently reheat and serve whole,” so pick your poison. We tried it cold and heated, and it was really, really good: juicy, tender, slightly smoky, and sweet—overall, a nicely balanced, enjoyable lil’ ham. 

What we didn’t like: The ice packs around the ham were completely melted, and the ham was thawed, too. It’s also kinda expensive for a tiny ham. 

Price at time of publish: $55.

Key Specs

• Shipping notes: The box was in good shape, no issues there. However, the two ice packs around the ham were completely melted, and the ham was thawed too (if it was even frozen in the first place).
• Weight: 2lbs, 4 ounces
• Spiral-cut: No
• Smoked: Yes
• Wood chips: Apple 
• Glaze included: No

What we liked: This ham looks eerily similar to those beautiful legs of jamon Iberico you see in Spanish tapas bars: It’s big, burnished, and the meat inside is flanked by a meltingly soft, creamy layer of fat. It’s intensely smoky and salty, and is best served thinly sliced (it would be lovely wrapped around some cantaloupe) or lightly seared with some red-eye gravy. 

What we didn’t like: It’s a LOT of ham (and it’s not like you can eat big hunks of it) so make room in your refrigerator. And if you’re looking for a ham to bake up for dinner, this isn’t it. The leathery hide is also tough to cut, so don’t use a fragile knife—instead, we recommend using a serrated knife or carving knife to cut through the outer layer. 

Price at time of publish: $83.

Key Specs

• Shipping notes: The ham arrived in a sturdy box and was wrapped in netting, plastic, and paper. It comes with a little sheet that tells you products can be shipped without refrigeration since they are cured. When opened, best to refrigerate. Can be frozen without any negative effects when they are still tightly wrapped/unopened. 
• Weight: 14.8 lbs
• Spiral-cut: No
• Smoked: Yes
• Wood chips: Hickory 
• Glaze included: No

The Competition

• Goldbelly Hams PIT SMOKED BBQ HAM From The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint: While the meat on this ham, which was more akin to an uncured, roasted pork shoulder, was flavorful, there was a truly massive fat cap covering the whole thing. Like, half the meat was just fat, which was disappointing and a little gross. The barbecue sauce that was included was delicious, though (smoky, sweet, and tangy). 
• Harry and David Spiral-Sliced Ham 7.5-8.5 lbs: While this was an overall fine ham, it was a little one-note in flavor; it just kinda tasted like roasted pork loin. The glaze, which smelled overpoweringly of spices with a faint whiff of apple cider, didn’t really permeate the ham. It also arrived thawed out, which was a little concerning. 
• Rastelli’s Boneless Carving Ham With Glaze: This ham was shaped more like a brisket than a ham, and the texture—snappy, chewy, and grainy—was offputting in our taste tests. That said, the glaze was quite tasty, with a balanced, sweet, and spiced flavor. 
• Holy Grail Steak Co Mangalitsa Bone-In Smoked Ham: This ham was a tough one since we kind of liked the simple, porky flavor, but really disliked the amount of fat running through it. It was so fatty that it left icebergs of fat in the water bath, and we felt a little bit queasy after eating it. 

FAQs

What is spiral-cut ham?

Spiral-cut ham has been cut into concentric circles, making it easy to peel off slabs of meat. It tends to dry out faster than uncut ham. 

How many pounds of ham do you need per person?

We suggest estimating 1/2 pound ham per person when buying a bone-in ham, and about 1/3 pound per person for a boneless ham. 

What is the best ham for Christmas?

It really depends on what you like and how many people you’re serving! We liked both whole and spiral-cut hams and didn’t have a preference for bone-in or boneless. Look for a ham that aligns with how much smokiness you like (hickory tends to be more intense than apple or cherry wood chips), and how much fat you like (if it says it’s the Wagyu of pork, then it will be fatty). 

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is the associate commerce editor at Serious Eats. 
• Prior to this, she tested equipment and ingredients for America’s Test Kitchen. She's worked as a journalist and has done stints as a cook and bartender. 
• She has written dozens of reviews and articles for Serious Eats, including petty knives, tinned fish, fish spatulas, and tortilla presses, among others. 
• For this review of mail-order hams, we ordered, inspected, prepared, and tasted nine hams.
  

During my stint as an environmental reporter, I visited a city apiary (a.k.a. a bee farm), pulled on a beekeeper suit, and watched as the honeybees went about their business. I was admittedly more than a little nervous, especially when the buzzing increased and a few bees landed on my covered arms. I also have an uncle in Georgia who’s been raising bees and bottling honey for years (at his son's—my cousin’s—wedding they gave out little plastic bears full of their hives’ honey as a—literally—sweet guest favor). 

But though I’ve had more exposure than some to the world of beekeeping and honey, it’s merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg. And when you’re looking to buy honey at the grocery store, things get even murkier, with shady practices and unclear origins making it difficult to know what exactly you’re buying (if it’s even actually honey!) and if the bees are treated well. So to find out even more about this natural liquid gold, I spoke to two honey experts who gave me the lowdown on what to look for when buying honey, and I’ve also included a few of my favorite picks.

A Few of Our Favorite Jars of Honey

• A Lovely Sampler Pack: Big Island Bees Gourmet Hawaiian Raw Honey Gift Set
• A Floral French Honey: L'Abeille Occitane Lavender Honey
• A Rich, Treacly Honey: OneRoot Raw Buckwheat Honey
• A Good Cooking Honey: Nature Nate’s 100% Pure, Raw & Unfiltered Honey
• A Small-scale Honey: Sonome Bee Company Raw Honey

What Is Honey?

While it might seem like a basic question to ask, oftentimes the answer isn’t what people may think. “It’s funny because ‘apis mellifera’ means ‘honey bearing,’” says Candice Koseba, owner of Sonoma County Bee Company. “But it's actually not true—when the bees collect from flowers, they're not collecting straight-up honey. They're collecting nectar.” This nectar is stored in a specialized stomach in the honeybee, which introduces enzymes to the nectar, and then is shared through their proboscis (which is like a hollow tongue). “When they come back to the hive, they meet some of their sisters and exchange that nectar from their stomach through their proboscis,” says Koseba. “So then it’s mixing with her enzymes and her stomach, and then she walks around the hive and deposits it into a cell, and bees do this all day until the cells are full. Then they actually have to wait for some of the water to evaporate out of the nectar before they tap it.” This aging process is what creates the sticky, viscous honey we know and love, and is actually a store of food for the bees during the winter—but not to worry, beekeepers leave their hives a large supply. “A responsible beekeeper will leave enough for the bees to survive on through winter, but a lot of hives, if they take advantage of the flow in the area and it's a good year, a lot of colonies will produce a surplus if they're healthy,” Koseba says. 

What to Look for (and What to Ignore) When Buying Honey 

Organic Honey Is Complicated

While organic can be a good label to look for, it’s also less cut and dry than it seems. Big Island Bees in Hawaii has a much-coveted macadamia blossom honey that is not organic, but only because the trees are not raised organically. “Some of it isn't organic like our macadamia nut blossom honey,” says Whendi Grad, co-owner of Big Island Bees. “It's not organic because the orchard isn't.” The organic label also requires hives to be a certain distance from industry or farming to reduce the risk of contamination by non-organic products, and the bees can’t be fed sugar. That said, this doesn’t necessarily mean non-organic honey isn’t good (both tasting and for the bees to make)—it just means you have to look beyond the label and find out why the honey isn’t organic. If it’s because the bees fly around and land on flowers on a farm that isn’t organic, then that’s different than a situation where the bees only consume sugar. It could also be that the producer is so small, that getting an organic designation is too expensive (or challenging) to be worth their while. The other complicated part of this equation is that while you might see USDA organic labels on honey, there are actually no standards set forth by the agency on what organic honey is—so it’s actually meaningless. 

Flower Fidelity—or If Your Honey Really Is All From Clover Pollen

Lots of honey is labeled according to the flowers the honeybees pollinated (think “clover honey”), and while honeybees generally have “flower fidelity,” i.e. they pollinate one variety of flower, other kinds can sneak in. “There aren't that many places left in the world actually that can do a single blossom honey,” Grad says. If you want true single-blossom honey, Koseba suggests buying honey from the European Union, which has stricter regulations. "When it comes to mono-flower honey, in the U.S. we don’t regulate that, you can call your honey—even if it only contains 30% of orange blossom honey—you can call it orange blossom honey,” she says. “I do a honey tasting where we ship people mono-floral honey, and it's tricky to find true mono-floral honey from the U.S., so usually I'm importing them from, you know, Sardinia or France.” 

Grading Often Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story 

Like olive oil, much of what’s on the label of a bottle or tub of honey isn’t all that confidence-inspiring. While designations like “organic” can have the backing of a third-party audit, USDA grading is often a whole lot less meaningful. While it attempts to ensure that the honey is single-flower (if it claims to be) and not imported from China (which is problematic–more on that momentarily), there is no physical inspection actually required, and the honey is often so filtered that it’s impossible to test it to see if any residual pollen indicates that it’s truly from XYZ flower. “I've been to packing plants and sometimes they heat the honey to very high temperatures, and then they'll add a very high pressure to push it through like diatomaceous earth,” says Grad. “It really gets rid of any particulate or crystal so that it's extremely clear, but it's basically just sugar water. It also will prevent anyone from finding pollen that might be from China. And that's what a lot of packers do to hide the fact that they're buying honey that's not supposed to be in America.”

The reason Chinese honey is frowned upon goes back to the 1980s when the market was flooded with honey of dubious origins. “China started doing a lot of what would be called dumping,” says Grad. “They had all this honey, just sort of massively thrown into the market and a lot of it was, you know, not pure honey. But there weren’t any laws against it at that time, so the price of honey just dropped dramatically.” This made it really hard for small producers to make any money and led to people buying honey that had antibiotics and lead in it. While there are tariffs against Chinese honey, it’s hard to catch and oftentimes is diverted through other countries, with heavy filtering obscuring its origins. 

“There aren’t a lot of regulations, and we import a lot of honey from other countries that is not tested,” Koseba says. “So a lot of the honey that is imported into the U.S. is adulterated because they know we don't test them.” This makes buying honey in the supermarket a gamble. Color grading is also not really all that telling, and most beekeepers will tell you to shop by cloudiness rather than color—the cloudier the honey, the more pollen is in there still and the more flavorful it will be. 

Buy From a Local Producer If You Can

As outlined, the sad truth about buying honey from a supermarket is that you don’t really know what you’re getting. “Most big companies now are in it to make money,” Grad says. “They either do pollination services or they do queens, and honey is not their main objective, so they can feed the bees sugar.” Rather than honey made by bees that bounce from flower to flower, some honey is made akin to how cows are fed cheap grain rather than grass. “It's a totally different business model,” Koseba says. “They're trucking these bees across the country, feeding them sugar water, giving them antibiotics to keep them alive…it's kind of like factory farming.” 

But when you buy honey from a small-scale producer (this could literally be your neighbor who has a few hives), the honey is likely made by the bees collecting pollen and producing honey to feed their hive. You’re also likely ensuring that you’ll get a more flavorful, unprocessed, unheated honey, and one with all the antioxidants and benefits that come with it (like helping remediate allergies). If you’re looking for honey online, try to find jars that are unfiltered or raw, since they are less likely to be adulterated (although these terms are not regulated). 

Tips for Storing Honey

While honey is naturally antibacterial, if stored improperly, it can ferment and you’ll have a crude form of Mead in your jar. Both Koseba and Grad recommend storing it in a dark, cool place, though if it’s too cool, it may crystalize. However, you can easily get the honey to be smooth and pourable again by placing it in a hot water bath and letting it warm up a little. 

Some Great Jars of Honey You Can Buy Online

This gift set features three different jars of honey from hives on Hawaii island: Macadamia nut blossom honey, Wilelaiki blossom honey, and Ohia Lehua honey. Each is wholly unique, floral, and utterly delicious. We loved the creamy, pale Ohia Lehay which has a surprisingly rich, almost molasses-like aroma. The Wilelaiki has notes of bergamot, orange, and a slight savory bend, and the Macadamia nut blossom is bright and with a creamy, nutty finish.

This viscous, slightly grainy (in a good way) honey dissolves on the tongue, with a lingering aromatic floral note (lavender!).

Dark and unctuous with a faint molasses flavor, this is a bold honey that would go lovely on a cheeseboard.

While it’s hard to know what you’re getting at the grocery store, this brand attempts to be as transparent as possible, with a purity guarantee that outlines the specifications they follow. And the honey tastes good, too, with a slightly savory bend.

This small-scale producer from Healdsburg, California not only ships their small batch, raw, unfiltered honey around the U.S., but they also sell other bee products, such as candles, salves, and lavender hydrosol (from the lavender the bees pollinate).

FAQs

What is the best honey?

The best honey you can buy is from a hyper-local, small-production beekeeper since it’s more likely to be actual honey. Look for unfiltered, raw honey that still has bits of pollen present, since this is what gives the honey its flavor. 

What are the benefits of honey?

According to the Mayo Clinic, some studies have shown that honey “might offer antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety benefits. In some studies, honey has been shown to help prevent memory disorders.” It is also an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial agent.

Is honey antibacterial? 

The National Institute of Health says, “Honey exhibits a broad-spectrum of antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant (MRSA) ones. Honey has been shown to have a strong activity against many bacteria in both media and in culture.”

Can honey go bad?

While honey is naturally antibacterial, it can go bad if stored improperly. “Honey's humectant, so that means it draws in moisture,” says Koseba. “So if you leave your honey uncovered it pulls in moisture and then it can ferment over time.” 

What is raw honey?

Raw honey is honey that hasn’t been heated (this destroys the crystalline structure and keeps the honey from solidifying). While there are no regulations in terms of designating honey as raw, if you buy from a small, local beekeeper, the chances are you’ll actually get pollen-rich, flavorful, unheated honey.  

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is the associate commerce editor for Serious Eats.
• She is a former environmental reporter who has been reviewing equipment and food for three years. 
• She was also an editor at America’s Test Kitchen and worked as a prep cook and bartender in Providence, Rhode Island. 
• She has written numerous articles for Serious Eats, including guides on buying caviar and tinned fish, as well as many product reviews, including petty knives, tortilla presses, and oyster knives.
• For this article, we interviewed Whendi Grad, co-owner of Big Island Bees, and Candice Koseba, owner of Sonoma County Bee Company.

Extra virgin olive oil is having a moment. While home cooks have long been squirting it into pans or using it to make dressings, nowadays, the options go beyond what you can find on supermarket shelves. “I think we're having an olive oil Renaissance, which is so wonderful,” says Kathryn Tomajan, founder of Fat Gold olive oil. Brands like Graza and Brightland, among others, have combined gorgeous bottle designs with sleek marketing to really bring the world of “good” olive oil to the forefront of consumers' minds. But while these two brands are often front and center, there are a slew of other olive oils worth adding to your pantry. We tasted 14 extra virgin olive oils and got expert advice on what to look for when buying a bottle of liquid gold.

(We should note that there's a dizzying amount of olive oils out there. Use this guide as a starting point for olive oil exploration.)

Some of Our Favorite Olive Oils, at a Glance

• A Lovely, Balanced Finishing Oil: Cobram Estate California Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• A Wonderful Small Batch California Olive Oil: Fat Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• An Ultra-Fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil Worth the Splurge: Manni Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• A Fresh All-Rounder: Frankies 457 Spuntino Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• A Spicy, Floral Olive Oil: Bono Sicilian Certified PDO Val Di Mazara Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• A Sumptuous Portuguese Olive Oil: Herdade do Esporao Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• A Versatile Olive Oil Set: Graza Drizzle and Sizzle
• A Balanced Olive Oil Set: Brightland The Duo
• A Buttery, Rich Olive Oil: Iliada Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Another Buttery, Rich Olive Oil: Yiaya Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• A Mellow but Flavorful Option: Pineapple Collaborative The Olive Oil
• A Few Great Cooking Olive Oils that Still Stand Up To Raw Applications: La Tourangelle, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil Rich Taste

The Tests

• Plain Taste Test: We had two people taste each extra virgin olive oil plain per the California Olive Oil Council’s guidelines, noting the aroma, viscosity, and flavor. 
• Daily Use Test: We used a few of our top picks in our daily cooking and food preparation. 

What We Learned

What Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Extra virgin olive oil is partially defined by a high percentage of polyphenols (usually at least 220 milligrams per kilogram), the amino acids that coat the fat molecules and give olive oil its bitterness and fiery kick. Flavorwise, high-quality, ultra-fresh extra virgin olive oils are floral, fruity, and have a bitter edge and a peppery burn at the back of the throat. “It has vegetable and fruit and grassiness, or it smells like fresh leaves or fresh herbs,” Tomajan says. Alberto Manni, founder of Manni Olive Oil, adds that a very good extra virgin olive oil should only be greasy on the lips and actually leave your mouth feeling dry. “Your mouth will be very dry, and if it’s a very good extra virgin olive oil, it should be spicy and bitter at the beginning, and then it will start to extract a lot of saliva from your mouth, cleaning the mouth, and the mouth will become, in two to three minutes, sweet.” 

How Do You Know If The Oil You’re Buying is Really Extra Virgin?

While you can go to the grocery store and find shelves and shelves of bottles labeled “extra virgin,” according to Manni, it’s hard to know if what you’re getting is really what it claims to be. “Extra virgin olive oil is the biggest fraud on the food market,” he says. 

He notes that, as the oil ages, the polyphenols quickly degrade and with them goes the characteristics—spicy, floral, fruity, bitter—that make extra virgin olive oil, well, extra. “Day by day it loses the polyphenols that are responsible for the smell and the taste, but that also protect the fat cells from the oxidation,” he says. Basically, a bottle of extra virgin olive oil that’s been shipped across the globe, stored in warehouses, and then sat under the fluorescent grocery store lights for weeks isn’t exactly the fresh extra virgin olive oil it claims to be. But if you can buy extra virgin olive oil from a reputable producer directly, you have a better chance of getting a fresher bottle.

Extra virgin olive oil also can’t have any chemical or sensory defects, and while chemical testing is often optional, it’s required for olive oil made in California. “There's a lot of fraud, adulteration, mislabeling of olive oil, but California producers are required to pass a chemistry test,” Tomajan says. “So that's a nice assurance.” Designations—like Organic or Protected Designation of Origin—are also usually a good sign, too. (You can read more about how to find a good quality extra-virgin olive oil in our criteria section further along in this article.)

How Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil Made?

It all starts on an olive orchard, and not just any olive orchard. While we may enjoy Cerignola or Castelvetrano olives for eating, some olives have more oil than others, which makes them prime candidates for pressing. “There are over 800 different olive varieties,” says Tomajan. “The difference typically between table olives versus oil olives is the oil content. You don't want to spend a lot of effort, energy, money, time, etc., crushing an olive and trying to extract the oil if there's hardly any in there to begin with.” Common varietals that lend themselves to the olive oil process are Arbequina, Picual, Frantoio, and even Kalamata olives, which can also be enjoyed cured and brined. Farms begin to harvest olives towards the end of September (at least, in the northern hemisphere) and finish up by December. And when it comes to extra virgin olive oil, timing is everything. “We’re trying to make extra virgin oil exclusively, so we shortened that harvest window so we get the perfect ripeness of the olive,” Tomajan says. “We don't let them hang on the trees for very long, we like to harvest them somewhat green so we get a lot of aromatic volatiles and good tasty oil and really great health benefits. So greener olives, less ripe olives are best for that.” Once the olives are picked, they’re sent to be crushed as quickly as possible. Tomajan explains this is done “ideally within 24 hours. It’s a very speedy process since olives do not hold. If you hold your olives and try to store them you’ll end up with defects that will make your oil not extra virgin, so crushing them really quickly after they’re picked is essential for quality.” 

Once the olives are crushed, they’re spun in a stainless steel centrifuge which wicks away the oil from the crushed fruit, then the resultant oil is filtered further, and any remaining water or olive pulp is removed. “The whole process takes about an hour and a half, which is amazing,” says Tomajan. 

How to Taste Olive Oil 

We followed the California Olive Oil Council’s guidelines in our tasting (minus the blue glasses, because we had trouble sourcing them), which feature a few steps: 

1. Sniff: Pour a little olive oil into a small glass. Cover the top of the glass with your hand and swirl the glass. This helps aerate the olive oil and release the aromas. Take your hand off the top and sniff to gauge the aroma. 
2. Slurp: Slurping the olive oil helps aerate it more, letting you experience more aromas and flavors. This is where you typically detect the bitterness in a high-quality extra virgin olive oil. 
3. Swallow: Finally, swallow the olive oil and take note of any residual flavors; you might also get a burn at the back of the throat. 

In between tasting oils, COOC recommends cleansing your palate with a bite of Granny Smith apple and/or sparkling water. Tomajan also recommends tasting olive oil with food, so you can see how it would perform in the kitchen. “I think what's really great is like a little spinach leaf, or you can just dip a cherry tomato or a piece of chocolate or whatever.” As we mentioned, extra virgin olive oil should have some bitterness, peppery bite, and fresh, fruity flavors. 

Rancid olive oil will taste plasticky or even smell like crayons, while fermented olive oil (also undesirable) will have a yeasty and sometimes barnyard-stink flavor. 

The Criteria: What to Look for When Buying Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Tomajan has a few things to look for when eyeing a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, the first being the harvest date. “My number one suggestion is to look for a harvest date,” she says. “Fresh olive oil is better. As soon as olive oil is made, it begins to degrade—fast. All oil, including extra virgin olive oil, will eventually oxidize and go rancid. Unlike wine, olive oil does not get better with age.” Conversely, best buy dates won’t tell you much and should be taken with a grain of salt. “It doesn't give you any information about the oil whatsoever. It could be five years old and you won't know it,” Tomajan says. 

She also notes that price point is often an indicator of quality. “You just cannot make extremely cheap extra virgin olive oil. It's just too expensive to produce,” she says. “To make such a careful, special healthful product is expensive and so if you're seeing $3.99 bottles of extra virgin olive oil at the supermarket, well, it’s just too good to be true.” 

Another thing to consider when buying olive oil is the vessel—darker vessels will do a better job of protecting the oil from light, which can cause spoilage. “Please don't buy olive oil in clear glass bottles,” says Tomajan. “The light will degrade it. Buy it in opaque containers or tinted glass or a tin, preferably one that's airtight. The enemies of olive oil are oxygen and light.” Manni agrees and adds that you should also buy smaller bottles (around 350 to 500 ml, or 12 to 17 ounces) since it is difficult to use up a large amount of extra virgin olive oil before it starts to degrade. “A big bottle is a big mistake,” he says. “People buy oil in big bottles and leave the bottle for months, and even the best olive oil in the world will be destroyed.” 

And, while a good extra virgin olive oil should be bright, fruity, and have some burn and bitterness (courtesy of a high amount of naturally occurring antioxidants), both Tomajan and Manni recommend being judicious with spicy, fresh extra virgin olive oil since it can easily overwhelm a dish. 

“You definitely don't want to put the really spicy pungent, intense olive oil on a very delicate fish dish or something. It's going to overpower it,” says Tomajan. “You want to be thoughtful about how you're using it, especially if it's a really excellent quality, flavorful olive oil.” 

Once you’ve found an extra virgin olive oil you can get behind, store it with care. Tomajan says that an unopened bottle of fresh olive oil (within a year of the harvest date) should stay good for at least 18 months. But, once opened, she recommends using it up within three months.

Our Favorite Extra Virgin Olive Oils 

What we liked: While the aroma of this oil was saline and olive-forward, the flavor was quite bright. We found it grassy and fresh, with an almost grape-like tannic texture, and a nice round, buttery finish with a hint of pepperiness. Complex and fruity, we’d recommend showing this one off as a finishing oil. The harvest date is provided, which is a nice indicator of freshness. We also liked the little pop-up dispenser tip, which made drizzling nice and easy.

What we didn’t like: This is a somewhat pricey olive oil for the amount you get, but we think it’s worth it. 

Price at time of publish: $23.

Key Specs

• Olive varietals: Mission, Ascolano, Manzanillo, Sevillano, Frantoio
• Size: 370 ml
• Harvest date listed: Yes
• Origins: Sacramento Valley, California 
• Vessel: Dark glass 
• Certifications: Certified by the California Olive Oil Council and the Olive Oil Commission of California

What we liked: We tried two olive oils from this small batch producer: Fat Gold Standard—a bolder option—and Fat Gold Blue, a milder one. Standard was grassy, fresh, and bitter up front with a meaty, lingering olive-y flavor on the tongue. Fat Gold Blue was fruity and floral, with an almost melon-like taste and bitter, spicy finish. Both were nuanced, fresh, and lively.

What we didn’t like: These are more of an investment, but you’re in for a treat. 

Key Specs

• Olive varietals: Frantoio (Blue) and Arbequina (Standard)
• Size: 500 ml each
• Harvest date listed: Yes
• Origins: San Joaquin Valley, California 
• Vessel: Tin
• Certifications: Certified by the California Olive Oil Council and the Olive Oil Commission of California; Chemistry and sensory evaluations done by Modern Olives to ensure extra virgin standards are met

What we liked: Made in Mount Amiata in Tuscany, this is one of the freshest, high-quality extra virgin olive oils money can buy. And money you will spend! At $60 for an 8.5 fluid-ounce bottle, it sure isn’t cheap, but you truly get for what you pay for, and in this case, it’s an incredibly complex and bold olive oil. The Love bottle we tried was grassy and zesty on the nose, bitter and spicy on the tongue, then bloomed with fresh, fruity, and floral notes. 

What we didn’t like: This is a pricey bottle, and Armando Manni says it’s best used strategically and sparingly when it comes to cooking. “My suggestion is to use the oil in the same way you use the salt when you cook,” he says. “Start with a small quantity because you can always add. So, our oil is expensive but at the same time our suggestion is to use, per serving, one-third of the the size you would normally put in your dishes.” 

Key Specs

• Olive varietals: A variety, including Frantoio and Lecci
• Size: 250 ml /8.5 fl oz
• Harvest date listed: Yes
• Origins: Mt. Amiata, Tuscany, Italy
• Vessel: Dark glass 
• Certifications: Certified organic, Certified Protected Geographical Indication, Kosher, Halal

What we liked: We’ve loved cooking with this olive oil for a while now, and tasting it plain was a revelation. We found it buttery but with a nice bitterness that rounds out the edges. It was mellow and mild, with a savory and spicy kick at the finish. This is both a great cooking oil and a lovely finishing oil. It’s also certified organic and single origin, with the olives coming from Sicily. 

What we didn’t like: There is no harvest date on the bottle to indicate freshness. 

Price at time of publish: $29.

Key Specs

• Olive varietal: Nocellara del Bellice
• Size: 750 ml
• Harvest date listed: No
• Origins: Sicily, Italy
• Vessel: Tin
• Certifications: Certified organic, Non-GMO, BPA Free

What we liked: This olive oil had a light floral note and buttery roundness that helped mellow out its punchy bitterness. It did sport a cough-inducing burn when swallowed, but unless you’re drinking the stuff it probably won’t be as bold. It has a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) which ensures all the olives are from one area. 

What we didn’t like: No harvest date was listed on the bottle.

Price at time of publish: $18.

Key Specs

• Olive varietal: Biancolilla, Cerasuola, Nocellara del Belice 
• Size: 500 ml
• Harvest date listed: No
• Origins: Val Di Mazara region, Sicily, Italy
• Vessel: Dark glass bottle 
• Certifications: Non-GMO verified, protected designation of origin (PDO), Clean Label Purity Award, certified gluten-free, USDA Organic

What we liked: Though it sported a grassy, crisp scent, the flavor of this olive oil was complex and layered. We got floral, fruity notes, an almost apple-skin-like flavor, and even the aroma of autumn leaves (in a good way!). It was balanced, fresh, and flavorful without being overbearing. This is a beautiful olive oil at a great price. 

What we didn’t like: There is no harvest date listed. 

Price at time of publish: $20.

Key Specs

• Olive varietal: Several varieties
• Size: 500 ml
• Harvest date listed: No
• Origins: Portugal
• Vessel: Dark glass bottle 
• Certifications: European Vegetarian Union, Vegan 

What we liked: This set from Graza (which, let’s be real, you’ve probably seen on Instagram or in your local boutique food store) comes with cooking oil (Sizzle) and finishing oil (Drizzle), though we found both to be quite zesty, bitter, and with a fiery finish. The squeeze bottles they come in are also quite handy when you’re cooking or drizzling oil. 

What we didn’t like: If you’re looking for a mild extra virgin olive oil, these ain’t it. That said, when we used Sizzle in our cooking, it didn’t overpower our food at all. We were a little disappointed to find Drizzle was a little one-note, though it did have a faint fruitiness to brighten it up. There are also no certifications listed, though the harvest dates are on the label. 

Price at time of publish: $35.

Key Specs

• Olive varietal: Picual
• Sizes: Drizzle 500 ml, Sizzle 750 ml
• Harvest date listed: Yes
• Origins: Spain
• Vessels: Dark plastic squeeze bottles
• Certifications: None (claims to be single origin but no certifications) 

What we liked: This set of California extra virgin olive oils—Awake (“for cozy days and slow nights”) and Alive (“for verve and vibrancy”)—were quite different from each other. We actually found Awake a bit bolder than Alive, with a potent peppery burn and strong bitter edge; a little will go a long way. Alive was a bit more mellow, fruity, and round, though it still had that back of the throat burn. 

What we didn’t like: Awake is quite bold and brassy, so if you’re looking for a more mellow option, we’d recommend Alive instead. This is also a pricey set at $74. 

Price at time of publish: $74.

Key Specs

• Olive varietals: Awake: Arbequina; Alive: Arbequina, Arbosana, and Koroneiki olives
• Size: Each bottle is 375 ml
• Harvest date listed: Yes
• Origins: California
• Vessel: Opaque glass bottle
• Certifications: None

What we liked: We loved this buttery olive oil that was rich without being cloying or greasy. It was grassy and fresh on the nose, with a slight bitterness that offset the meaty, olive-forward flavor. We think it’s great for both cooking and drizzling on salads, crudo, and other raw applications. 

What we didn’t like: A downside to this oil is that there is no harvest date listed, at least, we couldn’t find one on the tin we bought. It’s also not as bright and vibrant as other extra virgin olive oils. 

Price at time of publish: $40.

Key Specs

• Olive varietal: Koroneiki 
• Size: 2 liters (you can buy smaller amounts, which we would recommend)
• Harvest date listed: No
• Origins: Greece
• Vessel: Metal tin
• Certifications: Kosher, North American Olive Oil Association Certified Quality, Kalamata PDO

What we liked: This Greek olive oil had a bright, grassy, olive and green apple skin aroma that gave way to a buttery, rich mouthfeel, and cleansing bitterness. It’s a very well-rounded, balanced olive oil that we think would be great used in a variety of dishes. 

What we didn’t like: There isn’t much information on the bottle, and the harvest date is unknown. 

Price at time of publish: $28.

Key Specs

• Olive varietal: NA
• Size: 500ml
• Harvest date listed: No
• Origins: Crete, Greece
• Vessel: Opaque bottle 
• Certifications: NA

What we liked: This was a pleasant and wholly innocuous olive oil. The flavor was quite mellow, maybe even a little floral on the finish, with a very round, buttery note. There was a slight burn on the swallow, but overall, it was quite mild. This would be a nice oil for both cooking and finishing. 

What we didn’t like: It’s a bit pricey for the amount.

Price at time of publish: $38.

Key Specs

• Olive varietals: Koroneiki and Arbosana
• Size: 500 ml
• Harvest date listed: Yes
• Origins: Enzo Olive Oil Co., California 
• Vessel: Tin
• Certifications: USDA organic, California Olive Oil Council Certified Extra Virgin

A Few Great Cooking Olive Oils That Still Stand up to Raw Applications

While these oils weren’t necessarily as nuanced or bright as the above list, they still were quite good and if you’re looking for a more affordable, everyday option, they will do nicely. 

This olive oil had a meaty savory smell and mild flavor with a slight fruitiness. There was also a mild bitterness and burn on the finish. 

Price at time of publish: $22

Key Specs

• Olive varietals: Picaul
• Size: 750 ml
• Harvest date listed: No
• Origins: Andalusia, Spain
• Vessel: Tin
• Certifications: USDA Organic, Non GMO verified, Vegan, NAOO Certified Quality

Very mild at first, but a little bit of bitterness comes through with a peppery finish. It was saline and olive-forward, if a bit one-note. It’s also made of a blend of olive oils from different locations, which isn’t as ideal in terms of freshness and flavor. 

Price at time of publish: $11

Key Specs

• Olive varietals: NA
• Size: 750 ml
• Harvest date listed: Yes
• Origins: Spain, Greece, Portugal, Tunisia
• Vessel: Green plastic bottle 
• Certifications: Non-GMO certified

FAQs

How long does olive oil last?

Tomajan says an unopened bottle of fresh olive oil (within a year of the harvest date) should stay good for at least 18 months; once opened, she recommends using it up within three months.

What is extra virgin olive oil?

Extra virgin olive oil has to be free of any defects in order to be truly extra virgin. 

“It can't have any flavor flaws, it can't be rancid, it can't be fermented, and it also has to have a very particular chemical profile,” says Tomajan. “So as a producer, every batch of olive oil I make, I send a sample to a laboratory and it gets tested. They test things like the free fatty acids, the peroxide values, all these other things that basically check that the quality is good and that it's actually what it says it is.” 

What’s the best way to store olive oil?

We recommend storing olive oil in a cool, dark place to prevent heat or light damage. Keeping the olive oil in a tightly sealed container free from oxygen is also important to keep it fresh. 

What is refined or light olive oil?

Any olive oil labeled “refined” or “light” has had its polyphenols stripped away. This means that you’re not getting any of the antioxidant benefits of extra virgin olive oil.

Is extra virgin olive oil good for you?

While olive oil has been touted as a superfood, folks often tout it for the wrong reasons. While it’s true that it contains monounsaturated fats, which are healthier than fats in butter, the true benefit of olive oil is in the polyphenols—antioxidants. The peppery burn and bitterness of fresh extra virgin olive comes from these compounds, which have some health benefits, though their long-term effects are still being studied. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is the associate commerce editor at Serious Eats. Prior to this, she tested equipment and ingredients for America’s Test Kitchen. She's worked as a journalist and has done stints as a cook and bartender. 
• She has written dozens of reviews for Serious Eats, including petty knives, tinned fish, fish spatulas, and tortilla presses, among others.
• For this story, we interviewed Kathryn Tomajan, the founder of Fat Gold Olive Oil in California, and Alberto Manni, founder of Manni Olive Oil in Tuscany, Italy.
• We tasted 14 olive oils, tasting them per the California Olive Oil Council’s guidelines and using them over the course of a month in our daily cooking.
  

I am to glassware what a crow is to shiny bits and bobs—I’m inexplicably drawn to them. Glittering crystal chalices, goblets etched with soft designs, and elegant angled wine glasses vie for my attention, my cursor (and fortitude) often wavering. Add in my testing of stemless wine glasses and glassware sets, and my affinity for a nice beer glass, and let’s just say I have a very well-stocked glassware cabinet with cups for everyday sips and sophisticated soirees. But while my collection is excessive, a good set of glasses on a beautifully laid table (complete with fancy platters and good food) can set the scene for a twinkling, lovely evening. Here, I go through a few of my favorite glassware sets in my ever-growing cabinet. 

Grace’s Picks for Water, Wine, Beer, and Everything in Between 

• The Best Chic Wine Glasses: Bormioli Rocco 7.5 Ounce Stackable Bodega Glasses
• No-frills Stemless Glasses for Casual Sips: Aspen 17-Oz. Stemless Red Wine Glasses, Set of 12
• The Best Beer Glasses: Spiegelau Beer Classics Tulip Glasses
• My Favorite Everyday Glasses: Bormioli Rocco 12.5 Ounce Stackable Bodega Glasses
• My Favorite Fancy Cocktail Glasses: Riedel Rocks & Highballs
• A Gorgeous Statement Set: Serax Fish Green Transparent Glasses by Paola Navone-Medium

A Few Tips for Selecting Glassware 

Stackable Glasses Make Storage Easier 

I have a soft spot for stackable glasses since they are easy to store, which comes in handy if you have a smaller kitchen or limited cabinet space (as I did in my old apartment). Plus, I find that I’m less likely to break glasses when they’re stacked neatly together since I don’t have to move a bajillion glasses around to get the one I want. Nearly all of my favorite glasses listed below are stackable, though a few standalone ones did merit slipping through the cracks. 

Durability Is Important for Everyday Glasses

Glasses can be expensive, so no one wants a glass to shatter easily (not to mention, ouch, broken glass). When I reviewed stemless wine glasses and drinking glass sets, I wanted to find options that would stand the test of time (and pleasantly inebriated gatherings). This usually meant glasses with slightly thicker bottoms and rims rose to the top, and glasses that felt fragile in the hand didn’t make the winner’s list. That said, I do have a nice set of Spiegelau tulip glasses that are ultra-fragile (thin stems, thin body) that I break out from their box on special occasions (like when trying a particularly nice Belgian-style farmhouse ale). If you do want to invest in some dainty, thin glasses for such moments, I recommend storing them in their box in a quiet place. 

Timeless Looks are Great—But Creative Designs Shine Too 

Of the sets I’ve kept from my reviews, most of them have one thing in common: They have a timeless, match-everything design. My favorite everyday set from Bormoilo Rocco also moonlights as an understated but elegant option for dinner parties, as do my go-to wine tumblers. But I also like to have a few more snazzy options on hand for upping the ante, like these cut-crystal glasses from Reidel, which are stunning when used to serve up cocktails, or these green Serax glasses for a cool, modern vibe. I have a few sherry glasses floating around, too, for when I want to channel my inner European with a post-dinner digestif. 

A Few Must-Haves

While my glasses cabinet is full of a smattering of this and that, there are a few essentials worth noting. While I don’t have a set of stemmed, universal wine glasses (sacrilege, I know, but I’m planning on getting our winning set), they’re a must when it comes to “serious” wine drinking. As I learned when researching stemless wine glasses, most sommeliers and wine nerds say the stemmed varietal is the best for tasting wine since the stem keeps your hand away from the bowl and prevents the wine from heating up too fast. A good set of everyday glasses is also a must, and they should be durable and versatile. Finally, if you’re into beer or cocktails, some drink-specific glasses can make sipping either beverage more nuanced and indulgent. 

My Favorite Glasses I Have In My Cabinet

These cute glasses turn a casual dinner with friends into an even MORE casual dinner with friends. That is, they are both chic (very Brooklyn rooftop dinner) and irreverent (hardly the bowl-shaped, stemmed wine glass a sommelier would recommend), and utterly perfect for sipping light, fruity, and fresh wines. Plus, they stack up nicely, making for easy storage. 

Key Specs 

• Number of glasses in set: 12
• Capacity: 7.5 ounces
• Stackable: Yes
• Care: Dishwasher-safe
  

While these stemless glasses are far from trendy, they are durable (they survived a move and many, many drops), sport a timeless design, and are super affordable—only $33 for a set of 12 glasses. They’re my go-to when a friend stops by, or if I’m grabbing a laidback glass of wine for myself after a long day. 

Key Specs 

• Number of glasses in set: 12
• Capacity: 17 ounces
• Stackable: No
• Care: Dishwasher-safe
  

While there are merits to having different beer glasses for different brews, if I had to choose one glass to drink a beer in, it would be these Spiegelatulip glasses. They’re great at capturing the aroma and funneling it up into your nose, and the gently flared edge makes sipping smooth and precise. The only downside is they’re quite fragile, with dainty little stems, and are also expensive to replace. 

Key Specs 

• Number of glasses in set: 4
• Capacity: 15.5 ounces
• Stackable: No
• Care: Dishwasher-safe

When it comes to grabbing a glass of water or sipping a smoothie, the larger version of my favorite wee wine glasses are my vessel of choice. They stack super easily, their simple design matches anything, and they even make for a great (if plain) lowball glass or snifter. If you’re looking for an innocuous but elegant set of glasses for water or for wine, these are a sturdy, reliable, and classic-looking option. 

Key Specs 

• Number of glasses in set: 12
• Capacity: 12.5 ounces
• Stackable: Yes
• Care: Dishwasher-safe

Sometimes, when I treat myself to a fancy cocktail or a sip of good Scotch, I want the glass it's in to be just as dazzling. Enter these cut-crystal, fancy schmancy rocks and highball glasses; they glitter, they glint, and they make a pour of wine look like cut rubies. They’re also incredibly sturdy, with thick bottoms and a nice heft to them. The highballs look especially stunning when filled with a frothy Gin Fizz or bedazzled with pretty garnishes.  

Key Specs 

• Number of glasses in set: 8 (four rocks and four highballs) 
• Capacity: 10-ounce rocks glass, 10.9-ounce highball glass
• Stackable: No
• Care: Dishwasher-safe

While I  broadly call my home decor style Bohemian, it’s really a mishmash of different things I happen to like. And while sometimes I want a dinner party’s vibe to be more mid-century modern French farmhouse, other times I want to get a little…creative: Enter these gorgeous, gem-tone green glasses. They’re petite, pretty, and have a nice heft to them, and they make a great statement piece. 

Key Specs 

• Number of glasses in set: 4
• Capacity: 7 ounces (Medium)
• Stackable: No
• Care: Dishwasher-safe

FAQs

What’s the best wine glass?

Many wine professionals recommend a stemmed wine glass since it helps keep your hand from warming up the wine; in our test of universal wine glasses, we liked the Riedel Vinum Grand Cru Riesling/Zinfandel Wine Glass. For a more casual experience, a stemless wine glass will do. 

What’s the best glassware set?

We have quite a few sets we recommend, depending on your preferences, but our top pick was from Duralex for its classic style and durability.

Why We're the Experts

• Grace Kelly is the associate commerce editor at Serious Eats. She previously tested gear for America's Test Kitchen.
• She's worked as a cook and bartender for restaurants in Providence, Rhode Island.
• Grace previously tested stemless wine glasses and drinking glasses, which informed her picks in this piece. She has also written a piece on beer glasses.

As a former bartender, I love experimenting with cocktails at home. There’s less performance anxiety, and you’re not stuck pouring vodka sodas with cran all night long (sorry any vodka cran fans!). 

One way I’ve been amping up my home mixology game is with my vacuum sealer—yes, really. And no, I’m not jumping on the 2022 trend of cocktails served in pouches (remember when that was a thing?). Instead, I use the Anova Chamber Vacuum Sealer to quickly infuse spirits, creating fun flavored bases on which to build a drink. 

Infuse or Extract: How It Works

As I explained in my review of the Anova Chamber Vacuum Sealer, this style of vacuum sealer doesn’t suck the air out like other sealers. Instead, the chamber sealer uses pressure to remove air from inside the chamber. Once the pressure is released, the bag collapses around the food you’re sealing. But in addition to vacuum-sealing foods, the pressure chamber can also force liquids into foods or infuse liquid with flavor. According to Anova, this works because “when the air is pumped out of the chamber, it creates a vacuum of lower pressure inside the cavity—physically changing the cells within the food.” For example, if you wanted to infuse pineapple with rum (for a boozy party snack), the low pressure in the chamber pops the fruits’ cellular walls and when the vacuum is released, the rum rushes in to fill the void. 

When you’re infusing a liquid with a flavor—say, vanilla beans—the moment the cellular walls break allows the flavor to be released into the liquid. Anova explains, “...the air escapes out of the food. This enables flavorful molecules to be extracted out of certain foods or infused into others—perfect for quickly extracting flavors from fruits or other flavorful foods and infusing them into your favorite oils or alcohols.” 

One fun alcohol infusion I like to make is to toast a marshmallow and then infuse that into whiskey (caveat: cheap whiskey, no need to taint the good stuff)—yes, it sounds like something out of your college days, but when blended with some bright citrus and maybe a hint of dry sherry, you get a really fun mashup between a Sherry cobbler and a whiskey sour with an undercurrent of toasted mallow flavor. 

How to Do It 

Anova has some recipes for infusions (like rum-infused pineapple) but you can also inverse that formula and infuse spirits with all manner of ingredients, from lemon zest to coffee beans. Instead of putting them into a bag (as you would do when vacuum sealing), fill a wide-mouth half-pint jar about halfway with your spirit of choice (say, tequila) and add your infusing flavor, maybe a dried ancho chile. Place the open jar into the chamber vacuum sealer, close the lid, and press the infuse/extract button. You may have to run the cycle a few times to get the flavor fully infused, but it’ll still only take you a few minutes at most. Once it’s done, strain it through a fine mesh strainer into another mason jar. If you have infused spirit left over, store it in the fridge since, if left at room temperature, the food particles can make the alcohol taste stale after a while. 

FAQs

What is a chamber vacuum sealer?

A chamber vacuum sealer uses pressure to force air out of the chamber, before releasing the pressure. This pushes the air out of the bag, and vacuum seals the food inside. It can also be used to infuse and extract. 

Are chamber vacuum sealers worth it?

While we like the Anova Precision Chamber Vacuum sealer and enjoy using it to infuse and extract in addition to vacuum sealing, it is more expensive than a traditional vacuum sealer. It’s also more restricted in terms of interior space, meaning it’s hard to seal larger pieces of food.

Why We're the Experts

• Grace Kelly is the associate commerce editor at Serious Eats.
• Prior to this, she tested equipment and ingredients for America’s Test Kitchen. She's also worked as a journalist and has done stints as a cook and bartender. 
• She has reviewed dozens of products for Serious Eats, including petty knives, tinned fish, fish spatulas, and tortilla presses, among others. 
• We previously reviewed the Anova Precision Chamber vacuum sealer, testing its ability to vacuum seal (and hold a seal) and infuse/compress. Since then, we've integrated it into our cooking routine, using it to vacuum seal as well as infuse.
• Separately, we reviewed 19 vacuum sealers, so we know a thing or two about the appliance.

While we at Serious Eats clearly love cooking, there’s a dark underside to that love: A messy kitchen. Because while we find a meditative rhythm in stirring a pot of tomato sauce, peeling potatoes, or supreming an orange, there are inevitably splatter, specks, and smears that make their way onto the floor. Not to mention the unthinkable—dropping a platter or plate, its contents broken and scattered across the tile (while there’s no use crying over spilled milk, we have shed tears on such occasions). But, while dirty floors are inevitable, a good mop helps mitigate the entropy.

We spent four days testing eight mops—both wet and spray models—to find options that could clean up even the stickiest, messiest of spills—and do it fast. 

The Winners, at a Glance

This fluffy wet mop soaked up coffee and scrubbed up sticky barbecue sauce quickly and with ease, and the mop head was a cinch to remove and clean. The accompanying bucket wringer system was also quite effective, squeezing out 74% percent of the absorbed water.

This mop sopped up messes quickly—even sticky, dried barbecue sauce. And while the bucket wringing mechanism wasn’t quite as effective or durable-seeming as our favorite wet mop, it still did a decent job. 

While we wouldn’t recommend this mop for cleaning up large, messy spills, it did a great job of cleaning up sticky residues and minor stains. It was also easy to refill the squirt bottle, and the mop liner was secured with velcro, making it super easy to remove and replace. 

Like the Bona, this mop smeared barbecue sauce more than it soaked it up, but it performed well cleaning up stains and residue, and the slide-out scrubber proved quite useful in scouring tough-to-clean spots. The squirt bottle was also easy to refill, and the mop was nimble to maneuver.

The Tests

• Absorption Test: We weighed the dry mop heads before soaking them for 15 minutes in a bucket of water and weighing them again. Then, we wrung them out and weighed them once more to see how much water the wringer removed. 
• Coffee Test: We poured 1/4 cup of cold coffee onto the floor and then used each mop to sop it up. 
• Barbecue Sauce Test: We poured two tablespoons of barbecue sauce onto the floor, smeared it around with a spoon, and let it dry for 15 minutes. Then, we used the mops to clean up the sauce as well as any sticky residue. 
• Usability Tests: We evaluated how easy the mops were to assemble and disassemble, and how easy/comfortable they were to use. We also noted if they had trouble cleaning corners and other tough-to-scrub areas. 

What We Learned

Wet Mops Were the Most Versatile

Wet mops, spray mops, spin mops…who knew there were so many different types of mops? While we tested an array of offerings, time and time again the most versatile proved to be the wet mops. To use them, soak the mop in a mixture of water and floor cleaner, wring it out, then scrub the floor, and repeat as needed. When it came to bigger, stickier messes (like partially dried barbecue sauce), wet mops like our winner, the O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop, soaked everything up quickly, sans smearing. Once the big mess was sopped up, you could rinse the mop in the bucket, wring, and wipe up any residual gunk. 

While we liked spray mops for removing any residual stickiness or helping scrub out stains, they weren’t as adept at sopping up coffee or barbecue sauce—instead, they often ended up smearing it around. We also tested the Swiffer 2-in-1 mop, which was neither a spray mop nor a wet mop. Instead, it relied on adhering very, very moist mop pads (they dripped everywhere) or dry dust pads to clean, which we thought was rather wasteful and expensive.  

Good Spray Mops Should Be Easy to Use—and Effective

While spray mops were not as effective as wet mops at cleaning up larger messes, good ones could dispel of sticky residue and buff out stains. While none of the spray mops we tested were downright terrible, the O-Cedar ProMist MAX Microfiber Spray Mop wasn’t as easy to set up and use as the Bona and OXO, and the refill bottle leaked every time we attached it. We quite liked the scrubber feature on the OXO, which allowed us to even get out some stubborn paint stains on our kitchen floors (don’t impulsively paint your kitchen without a drop cloth, folks), and the Bona was just such a pleasure to use: the spray action was smooth, the mop handle was sturdy, and it quickly and effectively got sticky barbecue residue off the floor. 

An Effective Wringer Was Essential 

A wet mop requires an effective wringer or else you’ll end up with a sopping wet floor and puddles everywhere. However, trying to find a good wringer, well, it put us through the wringer. The Rubbermaid MICROFIBER TWIST MOP was the worst—we fumbled to try to keep the mop stretched out so we could twist it, but it kept sliding down the handle. We only squeezed a mere 43% of the water out, the lowest amount of the mops tested (and it was downright difficult to even get that much out of it). In contrast, the built-in bucket wringer in the O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop made wringing near joyful: just place the mop in the wringer bucket and pump the peddle with your foot. This spins the mop around, flinging the water out, and it was surprisingly effective; we were able to wick out 73% of the water absorbed.

More Absorbent Mops Cleaned Messes Fast 

It might seem intuitive, but the plusher and more absorbent the mop was, the faster it soaked up messes. The O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop and O-Cedar QuickWring Bucket & Microfiber Cloth Mop System both sported soft, plush microfiber mop heads, which soaked up spilled coffee almost instantaneously. Stiffer mop heads like the Libman Wonder Mop, which featured almost plasticky microfiber strands, struggled to quickly absorb liquids. The Libman’s stiff strands also spread out the barbecue sauce rather than sucking it up.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Mop 

When looking for a wet mop, we recommend getting one that is more absorbent and plush, and that comes with a wringing bucket of some sort (ideally a spinning bucket, which wicked the most water out in our tests). We also liked mop heads that were easy to remove and cleaned up nicely. In terms of spray mops, look for solidly built options that won’t leak fluid and that are nimble and can quickly clean a floor of any sticky residue. 

The Best Mops

What we liked: This mop soaked up sludgy barbecue sauce and runny coffee spills rapidly, and the built-in spinner wringer in the bucket made quick, efficient work of wringing (it wrung out the highest percentage of water of all the mops tested). The mop heads were easy to attach and remove (just click them on and pull them off) and when washed and dried, they looked like new. Plus, the mop comes with two additional mop heads, which was a nice perk. 

What we didn’t like: When we wrung out the mop, which requires you to pump the spinner with your foot, the bucket did jump around a little bit, increasing the likelihood of sloshing. It’s also a bit expensive. 

Price at time of publish: $50.

Key Specs

• Style: Wet mop
• Mop head dry weight: 112 grams
• Mop head wet weight: 1397 grams
• Water absorption percentage: 92%
• Percentage of water wrung out: 73%
• Handle length: 4 feet
• Mop head material: Microfiber
• Antibacterial mop head: Yes 
• Cleaning: Machine-washable mop head
• What’s included: 3 mop heads, bucket with wringer 

What we liked: The plush microfiber mop strands sopped up messes quickly and sucked up a huge amount of water in our absorption test (92% of the wet mop weight was water). The wringing bucket system was easy to use, too—just stick the mop head in the wringer and push down; the swirled wringer squeezes the strands fairly dry.

What we didn’t like: The floppy nature of the mop head made it a little more difficult to get into corners, and the wringer, while fairly effective, felt like it could break if you pressed too hard. 

Price at time of publish: $25.

Key Specs

• Style: Wet mop
• Mop head dry weight: 195 grams
• Mop head wet weight: 1188 grams
• Water absorption percentage: 84%
• Percentage of water wrung out: 54%
• Handle length: 4 feet
• Mop head material: Microfiber
• Antibacterial mop head: Yes 
• Cleaning: Machine washable up to 100 washes
• What’s included: 2 mop heads, 2.5-gallon bucket with wringer

What we liked: While this is called a “hardwood floor” mop, we found it performed admirably on our linoleum kitchen floors, too. It was easy to assemble and sprayed in a nice wide, even fan shape. The machine-washable mop pads were easy to stick on and remove, and they were able to get sticky residue off the floor. 

What we didn’t like: This isn’t the best scrubber and won’t soak up larger spills as well as a wet mop. It’s best for cleaning the surface of the floor or wiping up sticky residue. It’s also a bit pricey. 

Price at time of publish: $42.

Key Specs

• Style: Spray mop
• Handle length: 49 inches 
• Mop head material: Microfiber
• Antibacterial mop head: NA
• Cleaning: Machine washable up to 500 washes
• What’s included: One empty refillable cartridge, 34-ounce Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Refill, and microfiber cleaning pad

What we liked: This mop was easy to assemble and maneuver, with a smaller mop head that made it easy to get into corners. While it pushed around larger spills, it cleaned the floor right up of sticky residue. And the slide-out scrubber was super useful, removing stubborn stains from our kitchen floors. 

What we didn’t like: Since it’s a spray mop, it’s not as effective as a wet mop at sopping up larger spills, and its $40 price tag is a little steep. 

Price at time of publish: $40. 

Key Specs

• Style: Spray mop
• Handle length: 53 inches
• Mop head material: Microfiber
• Antibacterial mop head: NA
• Cleaning: Machine washable
• What’s included: One empty refillable cartridge, microfiber cleaning pad

The Competition

• Rubbermaid Microfiber Twist Mop: This mop was a pain to wring out—the mop head kept sliding down and flopping to the floor. It was also difficult to reattach the head after cleaning, and the microfiber strands tangled up after our first use. 
• O-Cedar ProMist MAX Microfiber Spray Mop: We had trouble assembling this spray mop and when we did get it together, whenever we pulled the trigger to spray, the entire bottom half of the mop fell off. The cleaner squirt bottle also leaked. 
• Swiffer Sweeper 2-in-1 Mops: This is a decent mop for cleaning your floors after vacuuming, but it’s not really meant to sop up messes. Plus, the disposable mop and dry pads seem wasteful, and the cost of buying new ones adds up—it’s about $17 for a set of 36 mop pads. 
• Libman Wonder Mop: While this wasn’t a terrible mop, the stiffer microfiber strands weren’t as absorbent as our winners’, smearing coffee and barbecue sauce before sopping it up. The wringer, while fairly effective, was tough on the wrists. 

FAQs

Which type of mop is best?

We found wet mops to be the most versatile in terms of sopping up messes and giving floors a nice, clean sheen. That said, spray mops are a good option if you have a small kitchen or want to give your floor a quick wipe at the end of the day. 

What kind of mop is best for tile floors?

It really depends on what kind of mess you’re trying to clean. A wet mop is great for soaking up spills, while a spray mop is best at giving the floor a quick wipe. We liked the OXO Good Grips Microfiber Spray Mop with Slide-Out Scrubber for cleaning our tile floors since it has a built-in scrubber good for scouring grout. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is the associate commerce editor at Serious Eats. She previously tested gear for America's Test Kitchen and has written many equipment reviews for Serious Eats, including grill tongs and tortilla presses.
• She's worked as a cook and bartender for restaurants in Providence, Rhode Island.
• For this review, we used each mop to clean up coffee and sticky barbecue sauce. We also examined how much water the wet mops absorbed and how much water we were able to wring out. All in all, we tested eight mops over a span of four days. Our favorite mops have also entered long-term testing.

My husband is really into rock climbing. Like, his idea of a fun, relaxing weekend is scaling a crag in the blistering sun. While I’m an outdoorsy-ish person, I’m much more at home preparing dinner at the campsite than trying to get my toe to find purchase on a rock chip the size of a penny. And, most of the time, my idea of camp cooking involves a fire, a cast iron skillet, and some potatoes and steak a la Samwise Gamgee (if he can lug a cast iron skillet to Mordor, I can lug one to a campsite). 

But, on occasion, I find great pleasure in roughing it a little and cooking a meal over a teensy backpacking stove. Most often this involves boiling water and rehydrating some dehydrated backpacking food, at the end of a long day hiking or climbing, since sometimes I really just want to eat something and leave the tinkering to my home kitchen. Enter the Jetboil Stash Stove, my preferred “stovetop” (if you could call it that) for all manner of backpacking adventures.

It’s Light as a Feather and Teeny Tiny 

This is truly a minute backpacking stove—it’s about three-and-a-half by three inches and weighs a mere seven ounces. That’s less than, I don’t know, an avocado—and it won’t get mushed in your backpack! It also folds down into a small, compact form; just push the stove arms to the side and tuck it in the little bag it comes with for storage, or pull the arms out to get cooking. The Stash also comes with a small pot (it’s 0.8 liters) that’s perfect for boiling water or cooking some instant rice. 

It’s Easy to Use and Fast to Boil

When it comes to boiling water on a backpacking adventure, you don’t really want to wait around for 10 minutes for it to finally burble up some bubbles. The stove you’re using should be easy to set up and quick to boil—and the Stash aces both of these tests. To get started, unpack the stove and screw it onto a canister of isobutane-propane (danger, danger! Don’t substitute anything else!). You’ll know it’s penetrated the canister when you hear a whooshing sound, and you’ll know it’s tightly screwed on when the sound goes away. Get your pot filled with water or what have you, and light the stove by opening the gas valve (just spin it in the direction of the + sign marked on it)—you’ll hear it releasing gas. Carefully aim your lighter at the stove prongs, ignite, and voila, the stove is lit. You won’t see any actual flames, more like little heat waves emanating upwards from the stove. Adjust the heat by turning the dial towards + for hotter and towards - for less power. Set your pot over the burner, and in two minutes flat (or less), your water will be boiling. Once you’re done, just turn the gas valve all the way to the right (towards the “-” sign) and the stove will snuff out. 

Other Gear Needed to Cook on the Jetboil Stash

A pot is probably the most versatile piece of cookware you can have on a backpacking trip: you can use it to boil water or even stew some Patagonia bean soup (it’s actually quite good, though I suggest bringing a bag of salt to season). While the Stash comes with a compatible pot that’s lightweight and fairly compact, I also like the MSR Alpine Stowaway Pot (it’s a tad cheaper) and if you’re looking for a comprehensive cookware set, the GSI Pinnacle Backpacker set is great—it includes a pot, pan, and serving cups. And while you can get away with a single pot most of the time (most backpacking meals are “cooked” by adding hot water), having a compact backpacking skillet can also be useful. One of my favorite backpacking meals is the biscuits and sausage gravy from Packit Gourmet, which requires cooking the biscuits in a skillet. I use the Jetboil Summit Skillet, which has a folding handle and concentric grooves on the bottom of the pan, helping it stay put on the stove. A set of camping silverware is also nice—nothing fancy, perhaps something like this set from Sea to Summit. 

If you’re using the Stash, you’ll also want to bring a lighter—the one downer about this particular stove is it doesn’t include an auto-ignite button. Lastly, you’ll need fuel, or else you’ll have to do what I did on one unfortunate trip and try to boil water over a pile of kindling (it’s a long story, but let’s just say, I don’t know how ancient humans cooked anything). The Stash, and many other ultra-light backpacking stoves, run on isopropane butane, which comes in various canister sizes. While there are multi-fuel stoves out there (they can run on white gas, isobutane, and even jet fuel—yes, actual jet fuel), they tend to be slightly larger and bulkier, since they include a line to attach to a larger canister bottle. 

FAQs

What is a backpacking stove?

Unlike car camping stoves, which are larger and heavy (often weighing in around 14-plus pounds), backpacking stoves weigh mere ounces and are super compact. Depending on the style of stove, they can use either disposable isopropane butane canisters and/or refillable fuel bottles. 

What fuel can you use with a backpacking stove?

It depends on the stove. Most ultra-lightweight backpacking stoves run on isopropane butane canisters, which have to be recycled once they’re empty. Multi-fuel stoves, which tend to be a tad bigger, can be used with a variety of fuel types such as isopropane butane, white gas, and even jet fuel. 

What can you cook with a backpacking stove?

It depends on what your camping goals are! If you’re at a campsite, then you can cook things like eggs and even light meals like chicken, vegetables, or beans and rice. (Just keep in mind that most ultra-light stoves won’t be able to hold up a cast iron skillet.) Most people use backpacking stoves to boil water to rehydrate packaged freeze-dried meals, which are lightweight and caloric (essential for fueling days of hiking).

There are three types of campers out there: the glampers, the campsite tent-type, and the backpackers. Of the three, the backpackers have it the hardest when it comes to dinner. 

I’m a seasoned campsite camper (glamping is often beyond my budget), and I love cooking some hash browns, bacon, and eggs over an open fire (one time I even made butternut squash risotto from scratch over nothing but flaming logs). But if you’re a backpacker or backwoods camping sort, well, you’re more like Legolas and Aragorn when they go after Merry and Pippin: “Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light.” No cast iron skillet, no perishable ingredients, no logs. Sad! But it doesn’t have to be. 

While you can grab some instant mac and cheese or a box of instant rice and some bagged beans (they’re actually quite good!) and call it a day, there’s also a whole market of freeze-dried backpacking meals out there. Just boil some water in a backpacking stove, add it to the package, stir, let it sit for a few minutes, and dinner’s ready. But are any of them, well, good? I sacrificed my stomach for you, oh brave, fearless backpackers, to find rehydrate-able backpacking meals that are a far cry from the mealy, mushy backpacking meals of yore (as in, I actually relished eating them).  

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Chicken Backpacking Meals

I was on a backpacking trip of sorts when I ate this cheesy chicken, broccoli, and rice meal. I also forgot to pack a canister of fuel on said trip (it’s a long story). So, the fact that this meal was actually quite delicious even though I couldn’t get water to a roaring boil (or even a gentle simmer) over some smoldering twigs is a testament to its tastiness. It’s got cheese (like, actual stringy pulls of it), supple grains of rice, not-nasty chunks of chicken, and broccoli. 

While this was less like risotto and more like instant rice, I still liked how herby and flavorful it was, not to mention it was completely packed with (slightly dry, but overall decent) pieces of chicken. 

While I wished there was more chicken, this quinoa bowl was super flavorful and herby, and the seeds rehydrated to be the perfect, pop-in-your-mouth texture. 

The Best Red Meat Backpacking Meals

This is SO good for a rehydrated beef meal (trust me, rehydrated meat can be ick). The creamy sauce (which has the tang of actual sour cream) coats egg noodles with bits of beef and mushroom throughout. For best results (and less crunchy bits of beef), up the amount of water to 1 cup and let steep for 12 minutes. 

While a little bit more involved than most backpacking meals (there are lots of separate packets, and it’s best cooked in a backpacking skillet), the biscuits are flaky and tender, and the sausage gravy has a nice peppery kick and smooth, creamy texture. It’s also super filling. 

While this was a wee bit on the runny, crunchy side (I might cut back the water to 1.25 cups and let it soak for a few minutes extra), it was flavorful and filling. Oh, and they even give you a small bag of tortilla chips and a packet of Texas Pete hot sauce. Cute! 

The Best Plant-Based Backpacking Meals

You don’t even need to boil water to enjoy a healthy, flavorful lentil salad for lunch. Just add cool water, soak, and enjoy. I really liked the sweetness added from chunks of apple, and the dressing provided a nice piquant tang to earthy lentils. Pair it with a tin of fish, and it’s a healthy, filling meal. 

While you do have to simmer this soup in your backpacking pot, it’s filling and nicely spiced (though it does need salt).

With warm spices and a tinge of sweetness from coconut milk and carrots, this was a flavorful meal that would be super comforting after a long day hiking. 

A big ‘ol bag of rice and beans is a standby when it comes to filling backpacking meals. This was a hearty entree with a kick of lime, which brightened it up. 

The Tests

• Taste Test: We tried each backpacking meal, following the instructions to make it per the packaging. We noted the taste and texture.
• Cooking Test: We noted how easy the backpacking meal was to make, and if the instructions were clear. 

What We Learned

Time and Water Amount Were Open to Interpretation 

Some recipes called for a scant amount of water—the Peak Refuel Beef Stroganoff, while delicious, was on the crunchy side when made with the 10.5 ounces of water the pouch instructions called for. I would’ve upped the amount of water a bit (probably by 1/4 cup), and let it sit a smidge longer to encourage further hydration. But other meals, like the Packit Gourmet Texas State Fair Chili, called for more water—in that case, 1.5 cups—leaving results runny and wan. While it’s good to follow instructions for best results, sometimes you live and learn to use less/more water. Oh, and letting your food soak longer is never a bad thing. 

Bring Salt 

Nearly every meal I tried was in dire need of salt—the exceptions being our winners, more or less (the Packit Gourmet Texas State Fair Chili and a few others required a pinch or two). But it was the Good-to-Go Double Chicken Gumbo really stood out for this trait—it was SPICY but flavorless, and it was only when I frantically grabbed a pinch of salt and heavily seasoned it that it became palatable. If left unsalted, this would be a very, very sad meal, so I recommend adding a few ounces of weight to your backpack and bringing along a baggie (or tiny tin) of salt. 

Don’t Expect Perfection 

While the best meals we ate were truly heads above the worst, they weren’t perfect. It’s the nature of backpacking food, really—a freeze-dried or dehydrated meal that you rehydrate with water is bound to have a few, lingering crunchy bits. It’s when the whole meal is off (bland, watery or pasty, totally crunchy, slimy, etc.) that you’re in for a sad dinner. 

Most Meals Were Really Easy to Make 

Freeze-dried or dehydrated backpacking meals are meant to be lightweight and easy to make—just add water, stir, and steep, and your meal will be on the proverbial table in 10 to 20 minutes. And of the 20 pouches we tried, nearly all of them followed that formula to a tee. However, there were a few outliers that required a tidbit more effort, including two of our favorites: Packit Gourmet Skillet Biscuits & Sausage Gravy and Patagonia Provisions Organic Black Bean Soup. The Packit Gourmet meal was best made with a skillet instead of a small, backpacking pot and had a few separate steps: add cold water to the biscuit mix, then cook in the skillet; and heat water and add to sausage gravy packet. That said, it was still dead simple to make, if a bit messy. The Patagonia Provisions black bean soup, unlike most backpacking meals, needed to be simmered in the pot over a backpacking stove rather than a simple 10-minute steep. Again, easy peasy, but you’ll have to clean the pot or skillet out for both of these meals rather than just dispose of a pouch. 

Protein Content and Calorie Count Are Important 

While flavor and texture are key players in a good pouch of backpacking food, another thing to take into consideration is protein and calorie count. If you’re hiking miles and miles a day, you’re going to want a meal that can help your body recover and refuel. According to Brierley Horton, M.S., R.D., the calorie count varies from person to person. "For the average man—who is moderately active to quite active—aim for 2,600 to 3,000 calories a day. For women, it's slightly less (but not far off!): aim for 2,000 to 2,400 calories," she says. "Keep in mind that these targets are on those days that you are most active—they're not meant for your more sedentary days. And also, depending on your hike, your calorie needs will vary: if you're doing 10-plus miles of varying steepness you're going to burn far more calories than when you hike a few miles of rolling hills."

In addition to looking at calorie count, protein is something to consider when choosing a meal, since it helps you maintain muscle even if the meal's calorie count is less than desired. Horton says, "The American College of Sports Medicine recommends eating 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day if you're trying to build muscle or maintain it when you're very active. So for a 180-pound person, that's about 98 to 139 grams of protein a day. And for a 140-pound person that's around 76 to 108 grams each day."

The Criteria: What to Look for In a Backpacking Meal

There are no strict guidelines when it comes to flavor and seasoning—some pouches just taste better than others, and whether or not you like a meal can also come down to personal taste. For example, I wasn’t a fan of the GOOD TO-GO Indian Vegetable Korma (I didn’t like the overwhelming carrot and parsnip flavors) but my husband thought it was pretty good. One thing you can look for is serving size (if you’re looking to get more bang for your buck) and calorie and protein count. You want a meal that’s filling and won’t leave you hungry and swooning an hour later. 

The Best Chicken Backpacking Meals

What we liked: Creamy, cheesy, and with perfectly cooked grains of rice—this meal was like a warm hug after a long day outdoors. It was perfectly seasoned, and the texture of the chicken, broccoli, and rice was quite nice—there was a  bit of bite (not mere mush), but it wasn’t crunchy and under-hydrated. I also loooooved that there were actual gobs of cheese that pulled up nice and stringy with each sporkful. It’s also decent in terms of calories and protein, and the portions were generous. 

What we didn’t like: I would’ve liked more broccoli—more semi-bright pops of veg in a sea of delicious beige. It’s also a bit high in sodium. 

Price at time of publish: $13.

Key Specs

• Serving size: 2
• Calories per serving: 550
• Protein per serving: 26 grams
• Sodium per serving: 540 milligrams

What we liked: This meal was PACKED with chicken, which was actually a decent texture overall (though a tiny bit dry). The herby rice was savory and rehydrated nicely, and it was overall a tasty, filling meal. 

What we didn’t like: With risotto in the title, I expected a creamy dish with some cheese perhaps, but this was more like a pot of instant rice made with chicken stock. It was good, but it wasn’t risotto. It also needed salt, and the calories and protein are a little skimpy. 

Price at time of publish: $13.

Key Specs

• Serving size: 2
• Calories per serving: 290
• Protein per serving: 15 grams
• Sodium per serving: 670 milligrams

What we liked: I’m not a massive quinoa fan, but this herby, warm, and savory meal was quite delicious. The texture was also spot-on—it was neither soggy nor crunchy, with the little quinoa orbs providing a pleasant pop and crunch. 

What we didn’t like: While I liked this dish overall, the carrots did overwhelm the flavor a bit in some bites. I also wished the chicken was in bigger pieces and that there was more of it—as it was, it was barely perceptible. It’s also pretty pricey for a single-serving meal. 

Price at time of publish: $10.

Key Specs

• Serving size: 1
• Calories per serving: 550
• Protein per serving: 26 grams
• Sodium per serving: 410 milligrams

The Best Red Meat Backpacking Meals 

What we liked: This stroganoff actually had the tang of sour cream, with a creamy sauce swaddling egg noodles, mushrooms, and beef. And the beef (while a tad dry) was actually quite tasty—many other beef or red meat dishes had a greasy, burger-like taste that was off-putting. It’s also quite filling, though you still might be tempted to gobble the whole thing up yourself. 

What we didn’t like: The instructions called for 10.5 ounces of water, which I found led to crunchier results than I would’ve liked. I also would’ve liked some more noodles and mushrooms. 

Price at time of publish: $14.

Key Specs

• Serving size: 2
• Calories per serving: 400
• Protein per serving: 20 grams
• Sodium per serving: 470 milligrams

What we liked: Plush biscuits and creamy, peppery sausage studded gravy make for what seems like fine dining in the backwood. The gravy wasn’t gloppy, like some other dishes, and the biscuits were actually quite soft and flaky—and the mild, grassy flavor of jalapeno was a welcome touch. 

What we didn’t like: It’s a little bit more involved to make, requiring a skillet, hot and cold water, and a few utensils. Also, I love salt, but wowie zowie, the sodium content in this is very high! It didn’t taste overly salty, but it’s something that you wouldn’t want to eat all the time, for the sake of your blood pressure. 

Price at time of publish: $13.

Key Specs

• Serving size: 1
• Calories per serving: 790
• Protein per serving: 17 grams
• Sodium per serving: 2470 milligrams

What we liked: Protein-packed, filling, and with a slew of warming spices (I detected chili powder and cumin), this was a decent chili once I augmented it with a pinch of salt. It came with a little bag of tortilla chips and a packet of hot sauce, which was just such a lovely (and tasty) touch. 

What we didn’t like: It was a bit watery when made with the given amount of water, and the beans were a little crunchy. It also benefitted from some salt (though the sodium content is quite high already). It’s also pretty pricey for a single-serving. 

Price at time of publish: $14.

Key Specs

• Serving size: 1
• Calories per serving: 680
• Protein per serving: 39 grams
• Sodium per serving: 1510 milligrams

The Best Plant-Based Backpacking Meals

What we liked: With a simple list of ingredients, this lentil salad was surprisingly flavorful—pops of apple! A zing of vinegar! The herbaceousness of dill! I was also surprised how well it hydrated, given it’s made with room temp water instead of boiling H2O—this also makes it a great “on the trail” lunch, or a lowlift dinner if you’re really feeling pooped. It also has a decent calorie and protein content for a plant-based meal. 

What we didn’t like: A few bits of veg were slightly crunchy, though the lentils were all nice and soft (without being mushy). 

Price at time of publish: $15.

Key Specs

• Serving size: 1
• Calories per serving: 600
• Protein per serving: 29 grams
• Sodium per serving: 760 milligrams

What we liked: While it needed salt and some of the beans were a little crunchy, this was a tasty, filling soup packed with spices (a lil sweet, a lil smoky) and pops of corn to brighten it up. If you’re feeling luxe, pack a baggie of tortilla chips or Fritos for some crunchy contrast.

What we didn’t like: Some of the beans struggled to properly rehydrate (sad little dry beanlets), and it desperately needed salt. It also requires you to stew the soup in a pot, instead of just adding hot water—this wasn’t a huge deal, but it does leave you with a dirty pot. The calorie and protein count is a bit low per serving, even though we did find this quite filling. 

Price at time of publish: $8.

Key Specs

• Serving size: 2.5
• Calories per serving: 280
• Protein per serving: 17 grams
• Sodium per serving: 380 milligrams

What we liked: This flavorful curry was loaded with carrots—like, it was mostly carrots with a few errant pieces of broccoli thrown in for good measure. But the seasoning was warm, with a hint of sweetness from the coconut milk, and the quinoa was perfectly cooked and nutty.  

What we didn’t like: I would’ve liked more additions that weren’t just carrots, and the dish needed a smidge more salt. It’s also quite pricey for a single-serving meal. 

Price at time of publish: $14

Key Specs

• Serving size: 1
• Calories per serving: 500
• Protein per serving: 11 grams
• Sodium per serving: 290 milligrams

What we liked: Have you ever had those tortilla chips they dust in lime powder (or whatever it is)? That’s what this tasted like—and I liked it. The tang of lime brightened the dish, which was more of a soup than a rice bowl. The servings were quite ample, and it was overall filling. 

What we didn’t like: Like most backpacking meals, it needed salt. We also would’ve cut back a smidge on the water, to make it less soupy. And at $7.75 per serving, it’s on the pricier side. 

Price at time of publish: $16.

Key Specs

• Serving size: 2
• Calories per serving: 540
• Protein per serving: 15 grams
• Sodium per serving: 580 milligrams

The Competition

Not Bad

• Next Mile Meals BUFFALO RANCH CHICKEN: This meal, which consisted of shredded chicken and a few ribbons of bell pepper, is for anyone who really wants to pack in the protein (57 grams per serving). I found the chicken a bit dry, and the ranch and buffalo flavors were mild, so if you want more buffalo flavor, we suggest packing some packets of Frank’s, too. And since I’m not on a Keto diet, I would probably pack this along with some instant rice or mac and cheese, to make it more than just shredded chicken. 
• Bushka’s Kitchen Entrées Hunter's Pie With Ground Venison: I quite liked the kick of black pepper this had, and the ground venison, while a tad dry, was pleasantly meaty (without tasting like grease). This is also LOADED with peas—it was mostly peas, to be honest, which brought it down a notch. The potatoes were nearly all dissolved, save for a few grainy chunks. 
• Gastro Gnome Montana Beef Shepherd's Pie: This skewed a bit too carroty for my taste (I should note that I’m not a huge fan of cooked carrots, so I am biased). That said, it was basically like mashed-up shepherd's pie, with fluffy mashed potatoes, bits of beef, and some peas for color. 
• Good To-Go Double Chicken Gumbo: With salt, this became much more palatable, though it was still a bit on the runny side for my taste. I liked the visible chunks of okra, but the gumbo was rather spicy and the meat had the texture of pencil erasers. 
• Good To-Go Indian Vegetable Korma: While I found the carrot and parsnips overwhelming in this, my husband quite liked it. The sauce was creamy and heavily spiced (the cinnamon and cloves stood out), though it did need salt. 
• Nomad Nutrition Hungarian Goulash: Another “not bad, but not great” offering, I found the chunky, thick texture of the sauce a bit off-putting, though the paprika flavor shone through and was pleasant. 

Not Recommended: 

• AlpineAire Foods Forever Young Mac & Cheese: This watery mac and cheese featured the puzzling addition of peas, carrots, and corn. The noodles in our packet were ultra-slim macaroni (not the rotini pictured in the promo images) that were a little on the soft side, and we would’ve liked more cheesy flavor. We’d go with a package of Annie’s or instant ramen over this. 
• AlpineAire Foods Spicy Pasta Bolognese: The tomato sauce was quite sweet, the noodles soggy, and the texture of the sauce was just too pasty and thick to eat without gagging slightly. 
• Mountain House Classic Beef Stroganoff: Oh where to start: the greasy beef crumbles? Or the gloopy sauce? No matter, both made this dish shudder-worthy upon each bite. 
• Next Mile Meals Italian Beef Marinara: I found this a bit disappointing since there was no pasta, and “marinara” was a very loose term for the watery sauce that the ground beef swam in. The big hunks of cheese were good, though. 

FAQs

How much food should I bring for a two-day backpacking trip?

According to REI’s backpacking guide, plan on packing “about 2,500 to 4,500 calories of food per person per day.” While this is a good starting point, it’s best to consider your weight, physique, and how strenuous your backpacking trip will be when calculating your food needs (e.g. if you’re scaling mountains at a good clip, you might want to pack more food). Also, make sure to keep hydrated—while lugging lots of water along with you might be impractical, you could invest in a portable water filtration system; eating water-rich items can also help.

What do I need to make backpacking food?

Since backpacking trips require light packing, a lightweight backpacking stove is essential—one of our favorites weighs a mere seven ounces. A small pot and/or skillet, some fuel, some lightweight utensils, and a filtration device are also essential to cook backpacking meals (many of them require boiling water). 

Maybe you’re sick of going to get ice only to find whoever took the last few cubes didn’t refill the ice tray, or maybe you’re a budding mixologist who’s always wanted to make a proper mint julep (crushed ice and all). Either way, if you’re an ice lover (and this writer definitely is—only chilled water please), it might be worth investing in a countertop ice maker. And while our review offers a variety of options, a nugget (a.k.a pellet) ice maker is the creme de la creme for many ice aficionados. Plus, our winner from GE, which is admittedly pricey, is currently nearly $115 off, making it a great moment to indulge in your crushed, pebbly ice fantasies. 

To buy: GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker was $580, now $466 at amazon.com.

Why It Won Our Review

You might think, what makes an ice maker great? Well, it turns out it goes beyond producing perfect pellets of ice. We loved the easy user interface of the GE Profile Opal, as well as the app connectivity that allows you to turn it on and get some ice in the hopper before you’ve even set foot in your kitchen. Coming home to some nugget ice ready to be placed in a drink? How luxe! And since it makes over a pound of ice an hour, it’s also great for cocktail parties. The ice itself was also perfect—soft and crunchy with that little bit of squeak redolent of nugget ice. And the refilling and cleaning, which might seem inconsequential but can be a big pain, was super easy thanks to a detachable water tank and self-cleaning cycle. Having “the good ice” on hand has never been easier. 

Good to Know

• Machine weight: 38 lbs
• Dimensions: ‎14.8 x 11.3 x 14.1 inches
• Production: 1.09 lbs per hour 
• Ice shape: Nugget (a.k.a pellet)
• Warranty: 1-year limited

FAQs

What’s the difference between nugget/pellet ice and cube ice?

Nugget ice (a.k.a pellet ice) is made of small flakes of ice that are compressed together, almost like a snowball. They are often used for boozy cocktails, like a mint julep, because they create an almost slurry-like texture and help bring out the flavor of the dominant spirit (if you ever taste whiskey, add a few drops of water or a small ice cube—you’ll be amazed at how it brings out the flavor). Cube ice is, as the name suggests, more square in shape and, depending on the quality, can be great for cocktails that require a slow melt. 

Does the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker keep ice frozen?

This ice maker will keep your ice frozen for a short period of time, but eventually, it will melt into the drip tray.

Back when I was a wee line cook, besides plating fish for crudo and chopping literal buckets of onions, I had to shuck oysters. The oyster knife the chef handed me on my first day was gorgeous, sporting a burnished, vintage pommel. It was also dull as a doornail and incredibly ineffective. I’d stand on the line, whittling away at the bivalves, bits of shell flaking off and on more than one occasion, poking my palm. And often all I had to show for my toil was a travesty: An oyster with its hinge side broken off, meat leaking out like a hernia (I’m so sorry for creating that visual, but it’s accurate). Maybe it was some sort of hazing ritual, who can say? Thankfully, a fellow line cook took pity on me and brought in his personal oyster knife—a no-frills option with a plastic handle and a sharp blade. I finally started to shuck oysters with confidence, with only the truly knobbly, dinosaur-like ones giving any resistance. 

The lesson of this tale: A dull oyster knife makes for a miserable (and potentially dangerous) experience. The good news? I worked out my right forearm testing 12 oyster knives, shucking literally 150 oysters so you don’t have to suffer as I once did. 

The Winners, at a Glance

This is a classic oyster knife for a reason: the wooden handle is the perfect size and it sports an upturned, sharp blade tip that deftly wedges into the oyster’s hinge. Throughout testing, it opened oysters big and small with ease and grace.

Sporting a grippy plastic handle, this New Haven-style knife dispatched oysters with incredible efficiency. 

Though it’s called Providence-style, we found this knife nearly identical to New Haven-style offerings. And, as such, it performed very well, with the upturned tip providing grip and leverage when prying open stubborn bivalves. (And this writer swears she’s not biased, even though she lives in Rhode Island). 

If comfort and grip are important to you, then this is your oyster knife. We loved its soft plastic handle, and sharp, upturned blade that cut through abductor muscles like butter. 

This all-metal oyster knife was surprisingly deft, sharp, and easy to use. While we wouldn’t recommend it for novice shuckers, if you want to show off a bit and have the chops, it’s a great knife. 

While other oyster knives with long, straight blades and rounded tips were often too awkward and dull, this one actually did quite well. It stuck into the hinge with a little effort and popped the shell off neatly. 

The Tests

• Shuck Small Oysters Test: I used each oyster knife to shuck four small oysters, noting if they were easy to handle and maneuver and if they shucked quickly and without breaking the shell. 
• Shuck Large Oysters Test: I used each oyster knife to shuck four large oysters, noting if they were easy to handle and maneuver and if they shucked quickly and without breaking the shell. 
• Durability Test (Winners-Only): We used our favorite oyster knives to shuck an additional six oysters each, noting if they struggled in the process. 
• Ease of Use and Cleaning Tests: Throughout testing, we noted how easy the oyster knives were to use and clean. 

What We Learned 

New Haven-Style Knives Are Best for Beginners 

Search for an oyster knife, and you’ll see designs from all over—Galveston, Duxbury, Providence, Boston, New Haven, and more. And while each has its merit, I think the New Haven-style blade is the best for beginners or people who want a (relatively) easy shucking experience. It features a curved blade tip (which punctuates with a sharp point), allowing you to easily wedge it in and use your body weight to leverage the blade up, popping open the shell. While other blade styles, like the short and pointy Made In Oyster Shucker, Zyliss Oyster Tool, and R. Murphy/Ramelson Duxbury Oyster Knife, may seem like they could easily wedge into a shell, I found they were harder to wriggle into the hinge and didn’t provide the same leveraging capabilities. Plus, they were scarier to use since they had a more dagger-like shape (the Zyliss was particularly fearsome, with serrated edges and an ultra-pointy tip). The exception to this was the Messermeister shucker, which had the most unique design of them all: the whole knife (blade and handle) is curved, rather like a claw, and though the blade was sharp, pointy, and flat, it wedged into the oyster hinges surprisingly well. That said, I’d leave this knife to more experienced shuckers since it requires a little more finesse and confidence to use. 

A Sharp-ish Blade Was Helpful 

Compared to a standard kitchen knife, oyster knives are rather dull. But this is intentional—wedging a razor-sharp blade into a gnarly oyster shell could damage the knife, or at the very least quickly dull it. That said, oyster knives do need a little bit of a thin, sharp edge so they don’t just butt up against the shell, and so they can slice the meat free from the abductor muscle. As I waded elbows-deep into shucking oysters during testing, I found blades that had a sharp tip tended to be better at quickly dispatching the oyster. This included the wooden-handled R Murphy/Ramelson New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker, which sports a pointy, upturned blade tip that wedged into the hinge and easily sliced through the abductor muscle. In contrast, thick, bulky blades like the Williams Sonoma struggled to penetrate the shell. I also found that longer blades with a rounded tip, like the Seki Japan Oyster Knife and Dexter-Russell 4" Galveston-Style Oyster Knife, were equally ineffective, or at the very least required a more experienced shucker. 

A Grippy, Rounded Handle Was a Plus

Shucking bushels of oysters is tough on the wrist and forearm. And while there’s no getting around it, a comfy handle does make the task slightly less tiresome. I really liked the smooth, wooden handle of the R Murphy/Ramelson New Haven Oyster Knife Shucker, which curved inwards and fit my hand like a glove. The OXO is another option if you’re looking for comfort since it sports a soft, plastic handle. And the knives from R Murphy, Dexter Russell, and Victorinox prevented slippage by coating handles in a bumpy plastic pattern. And while I liked the Messermeister oyster knife, since it’s made of a single piece of stainless steel, the handle did get a wee bit slippery with oyster liquor (yes, that’s what oyster juice is called), though a quick wipe solved the issue. 

To Get Shucking, First Grab Some Gloves and/or a Towel

While New Haven-style knives are less, er, stabby than others we tested (lookin’ at you Zyliss), they’re still dang sharp. (I’m saying this as someone who, as a novice shucker in a high-pressure environment, managed to stab herself—nothing serious, though!— with a dull oyster knife). Even the most comfortable of shuckers who can whittle through a bushel in minutes often wear gloves or, at the very least, use a folded towel to hold down the oyster. We advise you to do the same. Just a note about towels: choose one you don’t mind basically destroying since shucking multiple oysters makes a big mess (juice, shell bits, mud from the outside shell, etc, etc). 

The Criteria: What to Look for In an Oyster Knife

While professional shuckers have their preferences for knives, in general, for novice or intermediate shuckers we recommend investing in a New Haven-style knife. This sports a pointed, upturned tip that’s easy to wedge into the oyster’s hinge, and that aids in popping the shell up and off. It should also have a comfortable handle and be sharp enough to slice through the abductor muscle that attaches the oyster to the shell. 

The Best Oyster Knives

What we liked: This simple, beautiful oyster knife was sharp and easy to use, with an upturned tip that dug into the tough oyster shell and popped it open with ease. The curved wooden handle is also very comfy to hold, molding to the shape of your hand. 

What we didn’t like: It’s a bit on the pricey side, but it’s a classic oyster knife for a reason: it shucks like a dream. The handle is also unfinished, so it’s best to give it a light coating of food-grade mineral oil before use. 

Price at time of publish: $32.

Key Specs

• Style: New Haven
• Blade length: 2.75 inches
• Handle length: 3.75 inches
• Weight: 1.5 ounces
• Materials: Stainless steel, wood
• Care: Hand-wash only 

What we liked: Sporting a New Haven-style blade, this oyster knife made easy work of even big, deep-cup oysters (which can be quite difficult to shuck). The plastic handle has a grippy texture, which prevented slipping even when coated in oyster liquor. 

What we didn’t like: The hard plastic handle wasn’t quite as comfortable as other handles, and the blade felt a tad less sharp than the R Murphy New Haven oyster knife. 

Price at time of publish: $17.

Key Specs 

• Style: New Haven
• Blade length: 2 5/8 inches
• Handle length: 4 inches
• Weight: 2.8 ounces
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash only 

What we liked: Very similar to the Dexter-Russell, this oyster knife performed equally well, dispatching of oysters with ease. It also sported a textured handle, which allowed for a solid grip. 

What we didn’t like: Like the Dexter-Russell, it wasn’t quite as sharp as the R Murphy knife and didn’t cut the abductor muscle quite as easily. 

Price at time of publish: $17.

Key Specs 

• Style: New Haven
• Blade length: 2 5/8 inches
• Handle length: 4 inches
• Weight: 2.8 ounces
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash only 

What we liked: It’s squishy! The handle, that is. Which made it super comfy to hold even whilst we were in the trenches shucking and shucking some more. The sharp, upturned blade removed the oyster shells cleanly and with little effort on our part. 

What we didn’t like: It was ever so slightly less sharp than the R Murphy, but we’re splitting hairs here. It’s a great oyster knife! 

Price at time of publish: $12.

Key Specs 

• Style: New Haven
• Blade length: 3 inches
• Handle length: 3.75 inches
• Weight: 2.7 ounces
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash only 

What we liked: This claw-like oyster knife was surprisingly easy to grip and use. The pointed blade, which is flat, was quite sharp on all sides and easily cut into oysters’ hinges. It was a pleasure to use and made shucking fast and easy. We also think this would serve admirably as a clam knife if a chilled plate of raw littlenecks is calling to you. 

What we didn’t like: It sports a curved shape and pointy blade, that, while sharp and effective, made it a little more challenging to use than a New Haven-style knife. The handle also got a bit slippery during shucking, and it’s on the pricey side. 

Price at time of publish: $40.

Key Specs 

• Style: Verging on Duxbury-style (pointy, flat blade) 
• Blade length: 2 1/8 inches
• Handle length: 4 inches
• Weight: 3.3 ounces
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Care: Hand-wash only

What we liked: While we generally avoid straight oyster knives (why use one when you could use the all-powerful New Haven shucker??), this one was surprisingly decent. Like, we didn’t give ourselves a wrist workout wriggling it into the shell. It entered neatly, popped smoothly, and cut the oyster out decently. 

What we didn’t like: It’s a bit long for comfort, and if you’re new to shucking oysters, might present more of a challenge than an upturned blade. 

Price at time of publish: $13.

Key Specs 

• Style: Boston
• Blade length: 3 inches
• Handle length: 4 inches
• Weight: 2.3 oz
• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
• Care: Hand-wash only

The Competition 

• Zyliss Oyster Tool: This odd, pointy oyster knife came with a rubbery glove of sorts (it kind of looks like a slipper) that you stick the oyster into while you attack it from the other end. Except, a towel proved more useful; the rubber glove/sleeve was too big and didn’t grip the oyster. Not to mention the knife itself was dull, pointy, serrated, and overall scary (but at the same time, not). We struggled to open a single oyster with it. 
• R. Murphy/Ramelson Duxbury Oyster Knife: While this isn’t a bad knife (don’t want to offend anyone from Duxbury!), it’s pointy and straight with no curve, making it more difficult to use. 
• Made In Oyster Shucker: The rough wooden handle was bulky and unpleasant to hold, and the blade, while pointy and sharp-looking, felt dull. While we were able to shuck some smaller oysters, the bigger, thicker ones gave us grief. Plus, at $50, it was one of the more expensive oyster knives in the lineup. 
• Dexter-Russell (S137PCP) - 4" Galveston-Style Oyster Knife: Again, not a bad oyster knife, per se, but the long, flat blade was difficult to wedge into the oysters and it didn’t provide the lift that New Haven-style blades did. 
• Williams Sonoma Seafood Oyster Knife: Looking more like a medieval dagger than an oyster knife, this chunky blade performed poorly. It was too thick to slip into the divot near the oyster’s hinge, and too dull to do any damage. But if you’re into LARPing, well, it may be good for that. 
• Seki Japan Oyster Knife: While this was undeniably a beautiful knife, the blade was too long and the tip too round to wedge into chunkier bivalves. 

FAQs

What’s the best way to shuck an oyster?

From my experience, the best way to shuck an oyster is with a good knife. Seriously! Once you’ve gotten that down, grab a kitchen towel you don’t mind getting dirty and a cut-proof glove (optional). Fold the towel in half lengthwise, then fold it over crosswise. Place the oyster in the center of the towel and fold half of the towel over it, leaving the hinge exposed. Use one hand (gloved, optionally) to press down on the wide part of the oyster, while maneuvering the tip of the oyster knife into the gap near the hinge. I find that using a rocking, side-to-side motion with your hand wriggles the blade in nicely. Once the blade is wedged in there, twist the blade up and down slightly to pop the shell off. Wipe the blade (no one wants shell bits flinging out as they slide an oyster into their maws), and run it under the top shell to sever it from the bottom. Wipe your blade again, and use the knife to cut the abductor muscle where the meat is attached to the shell. You can flip the oyster meat over, if you want to, before serving—this is what fancy restaurants do, but it’s optional! You can read more about shucking and serving oysters here and here. 

How should you store oysters?

The best way to store oysters is on a sheet tray with a damp towel on top. The towel should be re-dampened daily or as needed. When properly stored, oysters can last about 10 days.