Essential Tools – FoodWatcher

A Pro Baker’s Top 10 Essentials for Dabbling With Dough

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

There’s not much that compares to fresh-baked bread. Well, except for …

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

There's not much that compares to fresh-baked bread. Well, except for a loaf that you baked yourself. If you've never baked bread before, I heartily suggest that you give it a shot. It's easy, you don’t need that much equipment, and you wind up with something delicious.

15 Things Our Community Couldn’t Stop Buying in January

A heads up: Food52 earns a commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

The first month of every years tends to unfold in a similar fashion. Resolutions are made, lifestyle changes (or tweaks) are set in motion, and time seems to…

A heads up: Food52 earns a commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

The first month of every years tends to unfold in a similar fashion. Resolutions are made, lifestyle changes (or tweaks) are set in motion, and time seems to pass somehow simultaneously at lightning speed and at a snail’s pace. However, we made it. It is officially February.

17 Things Our Community Couldn’t Stop Buying Last Year

Heads up: Food52 earns a commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

As we step into the new year, it’s natural to take a look back at the past one. For me, that usually means going through photos I took or albums I listened to o…

Heads up: Food52 earns a commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

As we step into the new year, it's natural to take a look back at the past one. For me, that usually means going through photos I took or albums I listened to on repeat, while reminiscing about the year's trips, nights out with friends, and delicious meals. You know, essentially condensing the year into a mental movie reel.

The Best Shelf-Stable Emergency Foods, Tasted & Explained

Floods in Kentucky. Fires out west. Hurricane season in the South. And with winter right around the corner, it’s time to consider how prepared you are for natural disasters. The CDC recommends Americans have, at any given time, at least a three-day supply of water and food that doesn't require refrigeration or cooking. That kind of cushion, said FEMA experts in an interview, can give you enough time to figure out your next move in the event of an emergency.

"If you're buying a case of soup or a big container of Jif peanut butter from Costco, you're prepping," said Eric Christianson of Nutrient Survival, whose company entered the so-called “emergency food market” in 2020. "A lot of people think it's about fear or panic, but it's about being prepared and being smart about it, especially if you have family, elderly, kids, [or] pets. You need to be ready."

The Best Mandoline Slicers for Anyone With Zero Knife Skills

One of my favorite scenes in Ratatouille is when Remy makes the humble title dish, creating perfectly uniform slices of eggplant, tomato, and zucchini using a mandoline slicer and placing them in a casserole dish, tossing the slices in like he’s dealin…

One of my favorite scenes in Ratatouille is when Remy makes the humble title dish, creating perfectly uniform slices of eggplant, tomato, and zucchini using a mandoline slicer and placing them in a casserole dish, tossing the slices in like he’s dealing cards. The final product is a thing of beauty, and it totally made me want a mandoline.

A mandoline is a handy kitchen tool for when you want uniform slices for aesthetic or practical purposes (like if you’re making homemade french fries and want them to cook evenly), or if you’re slicing ingredients in bulk. Sure, your chef’s knife can do it all, but if consistency is the name of the game, or you’re looking to make super thin slices, it’s much easier on a mandoline.

There Are SO Many KitchenAid Stand Mixers—How Do I Choose?!

When my boyfriend of six years (now fiancé) proposed a little over a year ago, two thoughts kept running through my mind. The first, of course, was how excited I was to spend forever with the love of my life. And the second? That we needed to put a KitchenAid stand mixer on our future wedding registry. I know it sounds silly, but I’ve been pining over it for years. You see, I loved to bake when I was in high school. I would regularly give my friends cookie cakes and other sweet treats—so much so I garnered a reputation for being our group’s resident baker. But when I went to college, I hung up my apron and have been looking to get back into baking ever since. (I know, even I’m surprised that I didn’t succumb to the sourdough trend in March 2020.)

With multiple speed ranges, a planetary rotation that hits every part of the mixing bowl, and a bunch of fun colors to choose from, KitchenAid’s stand mixer is sure to be the golden ticket to my confectionary future. Not only will it take some elbow grease out of the recipes I know and love—here’s looking at my precious cookie cakes—but it’ll also give me the confidence to try new ones, too. Of course, KitchenAid’s stand mixers aren't a one-type-fits-all situation, so which model is the best? To get to the bottom of it, I asked five professional bakers about their favorite KitchenAid stand mixer. Though each model has small nuances, their advice will hopefully help point you in the right direction.

6 Compact (Yet Powerful) Blenders for Your Kitchen

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

I’ve always loved having a personal blender around and have been whipp…

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

I've always loved having a personal blender around and have been whipping up morning smoothies a few times a week for nearly a decade. As I moved around in my early 20s, my handy-dandy Nutribullet provided a simple way to make a nourishing breakfast or snack without being burdened by a large base and tons of attachments—a key factor when I was living in apartments with extremely minimal storage.

6 Best Personal Blenders for a Party of One

I have always loved having a personal blender around and have been whipping up morning smoothies a few times a week for nearly a decade. As I moved around in my early 20s, my handy-dandy Nutribullet provided a simple way to make a healthy breakfast or snack without being burdened by a large base and tons of attachments—a key factor when I was living in apartments with extremely minimal storage.

But beyond smoothies, making sauces, soups, and purées at home requires the right blender. Large, traditional blenders are powerful but can be cumbersome to store. Luckily, there are tons of low-profile personal blenders that offer more convenience and whose motors still pack a punch.

16 Best Prime Day Kitchen Deals You Can Still Shop

Amazon Prime Day is winding down, but there are still so many great kitchen deals to be had. As editors who have covered and shopped Prime Day for years, we’ve gotten pretty good at sifting through (quite literally) thousands of deals, and quickly, too. But whether you’re an expert or not, Prime Day can still be overwhelming—no matter who you are, when there are 50 vacuums to choose from, it’s tough! Our very best tip for shopping on Prime Day like a pro? Focus on the things you already want or need, instead of adding to cart just because something’s on sale.

That’s why our picks for the best kitchen deals during Prime Day are essentials that we love—and know you will, too. Think: a beloved cold brew maker for delicious drinks and affordable insulated water bottles that we tested and are even more budget-friendly.

The Best Pizza Stones for Grilling Crispy, Crunchy Pies

Pizza has always been one of my major food groups. My dad would treat me to post-game pies to get through hours on the soccer field as a teen, and years later, I would take myself out to get over a hangover with dollar slice combos too often to count when I lived in Manhattan. I'll travel far and wide for a good slice, but lately, one of my favorite places to get pizza is somewhere I don’t have to travel to at all: home.

My life changed when my dad got a pizza oven recently. Now, I don't think I've ever had a bad slice of pizza—the trifecta of bread, tomatoes, and cheese can do no wrong—but perfecting your dough stretching skills and choosing toppings just makes every pie taste a little more special. Plus, it’s really fun and all you need is a reliable pizza stone and your grill (or just your oven!).