Kitchen Notes

Notes from the tool drawer.

Honest round-ups and comparisons on the kitchen tools, ingredients, and small appliances I actually reach for. No filler, no sponsored picks.

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A digital kitchen scale on a marble counter weighing flour into a ceramic bowl mid-recipe, with a second scale and a jar of oats softly out of focus behind it.
Baking8 min read
The kitchen scale I weigh every bake on, and four more worth knowing

The kitchen scale behind every loaf and cookie on this site, plus a budget pick, a bread baker's workhorse, and the best kitchen scale for how you actually bake.

A hand mixer whipping cream to soft peaks in a ceramic bowl on a marble counter, with cookies cooling on a rack and two more hand mixers waiting in the background.
Baking8 min read
The hand mixer I bake with, and four more worth knowing

The hand mixer behind every cookie on this site, plus a budget workhorse, a cordless one, and the best hand mixer picks for how you actually bake.

Five bottles and tins of extra virgin olive oil lined up on a marble counter in soft window light, with a small dish of oil and torn bread beside them.
Staples8 min read
The olive oil I cook with every day, and four more worth knowing

The extra virgin olive oil I actually cook with, plus a workhorse bottle, a bold Sicilian tin, a finishing oil, and the best olive oil for every kind of kitchen.

A stainless electric kettle pouring hot water into a cream stoneware mug on a marble counter in soft morning light, faint steam rising, with a cinnamon bun on a small plate beside it.
Coffee8 min read
The electric kettle I use every morning, and four more worth knowing

The electric kettle that starts every one of my mornings, plus a budget glass pick, a beautiful gooseneck, and the best electric tea kettle options at every price.

Glass meal prep containers being filled with a colorful grain bowl lunch on a marble counter, a row of filled containers with lids waiting beside the board.
Pantry8 min read
The meal prep containers I actually use, and four more worth knowing

The glass food storage set my meal-prep Sundays run on, plus the deli containers every cook secretly swears by, a leak-proof lunch pick, and two more worth knowing.

A chef's knife mid-chop through fresh herbs on a wooden board, one hand curled in a safe guiding grip, in a bright kitchen.
Cookware9 min read
The chef's knife I reach for, and four more worth holding

The one knife I use for almost everything, plus four more I'd recommend at every price. Skip the 15-piece block; buy one knife that fits your hand.

An immersion blender pureeing a pot of tomato soup on a stovetop in soft daylight, one hand steadying the pot.
Appliances8 min read
The immersion blender I actually use, and four more worth knowing

The stick blender that lives in my drawer for soup season, plus four more I'd recommend at every price, from a budget pick to a Swiss heirloom.

Five Dutch ovens lined up on a marble counter under soft morning window light: a red Le Creuset, a black Lodge cast iron, a matte black Staub, a pale blue Great Jones, and a cream-colored small Lodge.
Cookware9 min read
The 5 Dutch ovens I'd actually recommend

After three winters of soup-making, the Dutch ovens that earned their cabinet space, and the ones I'd skip. Honest picks at every price point.