Perched in Aroostook County at the very top of the state, the St. John Valley is nicknamed “The Crown of Maine.” This remote region that borders Canada is home to Maine’s Acadian population, who are descended from French settlers who arrived there in the early 17th century. Having endured centuries of upheaval and persecution, Acadians continue to make their home in Maine and the Maritime provinces of Canada today, where they seek to preserve and honor their unique heritage. One of the essential dishes stemming from that heritage is ployes. 

Ployes (rhyming with “boys”) are a unique pancake-crepe-crumpet-flatbread hybrid beloved in the Acadian community. These versatile flatbreads are served with every meal of the day. The most traditional way to serve them is to spread them with butter, roll them up, and dip them into soup or stew. But you can also serve them with fruit, maple syrup, or molasses for breakfast or dessert.

It’s easy to see why they’re so popular in this region. The pancake-like batter takes only minutes to prepare and cook ( a cast-iron pan or griddle is best). They’re made with locally abundant buckwheat flour, and are a quick-cooking, economical accompaniment to any meal.

These buckwheat pancakes are so cherished in the area that the town of Fort Kent holds a ploye festival every year, where intrepid cooks work together to make the world’s largest ploye (thus far measuring 12 feet in diameter!). But you don’t need to visit remote Northern Maine to enjoy them. I tested my way through piles of ployes to come up with my recipe below. It requires just three main ingredients and only a few minutes to cook. Hot off the griddle, these ployes are a delectable savory stand-in for a dinner roll, or a sweet treat when sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar or dunked into syrup or molasses. 

The Best Buckwheat Flour for Ployes

Though I grew up in Maine, I wasn’t very familiar with ployes before deep diving into their history when developing this recipe. Luckily, Bouchard Family Farms, a French-Acadian farm in its sixth generation, not only grows the buckwheat needed to make ployes from scratch, but also sells a pre-made mix (the only commercially-available ploye mix in the world!).

I ordered a bag of buckwheat and whisked up a batter from the mix to see this pancake in action. I heated up a cast iron pan, spooned on the batter, spread it into a thin round, and watched in awe as hundreds of tiny bubbles formed on the surface of each distinctively yellow pancake. In just over a minute, the ploye was cooked through and ready to serve straight from the pan. I made sure to cook it on just one side—the Bouchards and other Acadian sources are emphatic that you never flip a ploye. Instead, you cook one side, allowing the bubbles to boil and burst, leaving pillowy air pockets. It had a balanced earthy, slightly nutty flavor from the unique type of buckwheat flour in the batter.

Traditional Acadian ployes use Tartary buckwheat, a specific variety of silver-skinned buckwheat that grows in the St. John Valley region in Northern Maine and Canada. It has a lighter, less assertive flavor and green-yellow color that's much lighter than American, French, or Japanese buckwheat varieties, which are typically a deep purplish brown. And while these other varieties of buckwheat are readily available at many grocery stores across the US, to make true ployes, I strongly recommend seeking out Maine-grown light buckwheat from growers like Bouchard Family Farms or Maine Grains brands. But if you substitute with other another buckwheat flour, know that the ployes will have a dark purplish-brown color rather than yellow, and the pancakes will have a stronger buckwheat flavor.

Finding the Right Ratio of Ingredients for Ployes 

Buckwheat is in fact not wheat at all, but the seed of a flowering plant that can be ground into a flour. It’s naturally gluten-free, but ployes need a little bit of gluten formation in order for them to keep their shape and have a pliable texture. I tried Acadian recipes for ployes that called for varying amounts of each type of flour, and ultimately settled on a ratio of two parts buckwheat flour to one part all-purpose flour. This creates pancakes with a balanced earthy, nutty flavor and the ideal pliable structure. 

A tablespoon of baking powder gives the flatbreads their signature holes (known as “les yeux” or “eyes”), and enough water is added make the batter the right pourable consistency to spread easily into a thin flat disc, like a crepe (but don’t call it a crepe!). 

Unlike other pancakes, ployes contain no added fat and aren’t traditionally cooked in fat. So to ensure the pancakes release easily from the skillet when cooked, it’s important to preheat the empty pan. A well-seasoned cast iron skillet is the best— and most traditional—option. Because the pan is heated while empty, I don’t recommend using a nonstick or ceramic pan, as this can damage the pan’s coating over time. 

Once cooked they can be served both savory or sweet in a variety of ways: They can be served savory, spread with cretons (a Quebecois minced pork spread), filled with other meats, veggies, and/or cheeses, or simply buttered and rolled to dip into stews, soups, or baked beans. Or, for a sweet and easy breakfast, swipe with butter and sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, roll and dip them in molasses or maple syrup, and/or fill with jam, berries, or whipped cream.

In a large bowl, whisk together buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add water and whisk until a smooth batter with the consistency of half-and-half forms. Let sit until slightly thickened and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 200°F (90°C). Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven.

Preheat a 10-inch cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat until hot, 3 to 4 minutes. (If your pan is well-seasoned, then no cooking oil will be necessary; if it's not, add 1/2 teaspoon neutral oil to the pan as it heats and use a wadded up paper towel to spread it into a then layer before proceeding with the recipe.)

Whisk batter to recombine. Using a 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, pour one 1/4 cup portion of batter into center of skillet. Using the bottom of measuring cup or back of a metal ladle, spread batter into a very thin circle, about 7 inches in diameter.

Cook until holes form and batter sets, top is dry with edges beginning to curl, and bottom is golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer to wire rack in oven to keep warm or serving plate to serve immediately. Repeat cooking with remaining batter. You should have 12 ployes. Serve with your preferred sweet or savory accompaniments, such as butter, maple syrup, berries, cretons, or meats.

Special Equipment

Whisk, rimmed baking sheet, wire rack, 10-inch cast iron skillet or griddle, 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, spatula

Notes

I recommend using Maine-grown light buckwheat from growers like Bouchard Family Farms or Maine Grains. If you substitute with other buckwheat flour, the ployes will be a dark purplish-brown color rather than yellow, and the pancakes will have a stronger buckwheat flavor.

I’ve tested dozens and dozens of chef’s knives, so I know a thing or two about what makes a good one. Sure, there are personal preferences—I like a compact handle—but there are also some objective truths: A good chef’s knife should be sharp, balanced, and easy to use. It gets bonus points if it’s affordable and easy to maintain. With these criteria in mind, I got my hands on the reasonably priced Misen chef knife, ran it through a litany of tests, and used it in my daily cooking routine to see if it was any good. 

The Tests

• Edge Sharpness Test: I ran the knife through the Edge-on-Up Professional Edge Tester three times and averaged the results to get an idea of the knife’s out-of-the-box sharpness. 
• Paper Cutting Test: After running the knife through the sharpness reader, I used it to slice vertically through a piece of paper, noting if it tore or cleanly cut through. 
• Onion Test: I used the Misen to dice an onion, noting if it made clean, neat cuts. 
• Carrot Test: I used the knife to julienne, dice, and chop hardy carrots. 
• Tomato Test: Tomato skin is rubbery, so if a knife is dull, it’ll see-saw across it or mash through it. I put the Misen up to the challenge by using it to slice and dice a whole tomato.
• Pineapple Test: I used the Misen to trim, core, and dice a whole pineapple to see if it could do it deftly. 
• General Use Test: I continued to use the Misen chef’s knife for a few weeks, noting if it stayed sharp and was versatile. 

What We Learned

The Misen Chef’s Knife Was Sharp 

Right out of the box, the Misen was sharp. It took an average of 118 grams of pressure to cut through the wire on the edge tester, which falls into the “double-edged razor blade” sharpness category according to this chart. While a sharpness reading isn’t the be-all-end-all, it still often indicates a knife that’ll cut through food readily. And that the Misen did, too: It slid neatly through tomato skin, which can cause trouble for a duller blade. Carrots were dispatched without cracking, and using the knife to peel, core, and dice a pineapple was smooth and precise. 

It’s also nice that the Misen is made of stainless steel. It’s a good introductory blade that doesn’t require as much care as carbon steel, which is more brittle and prone to rusting. A blade edge that can be honed back into shape is a bonus, too. 

It Has an Achilles Heel

Enter my biggest qualm with the Misen: the heel. It protrudes, kicking out and stopping the rock-chop motion short. Since the blade has a strong curve, it makes it even more jarring when the heel suddenly hits the edge of the cutting board—it feels like the stroke is incomplete. This isn’t unique to the chef’s knife; I’ve tested multiple Misen knives and have had the same issue.

Another qualm: While I like a longer chef’s knife—I love the 8.2-inch Misono UX10—the Misen’s blade felt gangly. Paired with the protuberant heel, the cutting motion was stilted and off-kilter. I think this is because it has a slightly taller blade, nearing two inches at its tallest point. 

The Handle Was Comfortable 

Negatives aside, the handle was lovely: compact, sleek, and with a matte coating that made it easy to grip. It let me feel more in control and get good purchase even when breaking down a tough pineapple. Editor Rochelle Bilow, who has owned and used the Misen, concurs. “The Misen knife's handle is one of the best I've used—it's grippy enough that I can confidently chop and slice, even when my hands are damp,” she says.

The Verdict

The Misen sliced and diced neatly, cutting through onions, carrots, tomatoes, and hardy pineapple without hitching. I liked the composite handle, which had a matte texture that helped me get a good grip. However, I found the chopping motion stilted due to a long heel, wider blade, and sizable curve. While this is a decent knife, at $98, I think there are other, better, similarly priced options out there, like the Misono Gyuto. That said, if you want a solid stainless steel blade that’s easy to maintain, the Misen is a good choice. 

The Pros 

The blade was sharp right out of the box, and deftly chopped onions, diced carrots, sliced tomatoes, and peeled and cored a pineapple. I also quite liked the composite handle, which stayed grippy even when wet. It has a Goldilocks weight of 8.3 ounces—neither too heavy nor too light. It’s a good-quality knife for less than $100, and its stainless steel blade requires little upkeep.

The Cons 

The curve of the blade, its height, and the large heel made the chopping motion feel stilted. The heel hit the cutting board quickly during each stroke, halting the motion suddenly—I was not a fan.  

Key Specs

• Material: Santoprene and polypropylene handle, stainless steel blade
• Blade length: 8.25 inches
• Handle length: 4.25 inches
• Weight: 8.3 ounces

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats.
• She’s been testing gear, including tons of knives, for more than three years. 
• For this review, she used the Misen chef’s knife to cut, slice, and chop a medley of ingredients and integrated it into her daily cooking routine.

Whether you’re investing in a buy-it-for-life piece of cookware like a Dutch oven or eyeing a specialty carbon steel wok, you’re in luck. The Amazon Big Spring Sale kicked off on Tuesday, March 25, and will run through midnight on Monday, March 31. It’ll be hard to resist the shopping itch over the next five days of sales, especially when cookware like our favorite Le Creuset Dutch oven, Tramtontina stainless steel pan, and Lodge cast iron skillet are all on sale. By the way, there’s editor-loved bakeware on sale, too (the best ramekins are just $2 apiece!). We managed, somehow, to narrow it down to the best 23 deals, which are up to 50% off.

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Tender beans and ragù Bolognese practically stew themselves in a Le Creuset Dutch oven. Its flavor-building prowess is evident in many of our Dutch oven recipes. We’ve recommended it for years due to its impeccable heating ability and durability. We even knocked a metal spoon against the rim and it didn’t chip once.

Lodge 4.5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven With Lid

For fall-apart pork shoulder on a budget, we like the Lodge enameled cast iron Dutch oven that’s able to achieve the same browning in braises but costs a fraction of the price. Right now, the 4.5-quart version of our Lodge pick is only $59. It also bakes crusty bread with impressive oven spring (I use mine nearly weekly for sourdough loaves).

Lodge 10.25-Inch Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet

This $17 cast iron skillet from Lodge is a longtime winner in our books. It sears superbly and produces fluffy cornbread. From chicken piccata to crispy Brussels sprouts, this do-it-all frying pan lasts practically forever and is virtually nonstick—no fried egg messes here. 

Tramontina 10-Inch Nonstick Frying Pan

If you can’t part with nonstick (we get it!), we recommend you grab an affordable one since they need to be replaced every few years, anyway. This $32 Tramontina nonstick pan is super slick, easy to clean, and heat responsive.

Lodge Cast Iron Rectangular Reversible Griddle

A long stovetop griddle is the rare piece of cookware that actually reduces the amount of dishes you have to wash later. Instead of using multiple pans for a big breakfast, grab this Lodge reversible griddle that fits up to six pancakes at once. Use it to simultaneously cook eggs and sausages or flip it to grill crispy chicken skewers. 

Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel 12-Inch Frying Pan

For $40, this stainless steel pan packs quite the punch. It can sear pork chops, sauté vegetables, and fry eggs without a hitch. The tri-ply construction conducts and maintains heat well while being responsive to temperature changes. If you don’t want to spend hundreds on stainkless steel cookware, this is the best budget pick.

Yosukata Carbon Steel Wok Pan

Be it fried rice, stir-fried greens, or eggs, this Yosukata carbon steel wok aced all our tests with flying colors. We love that it has a helper handle and that the long wooden handle stays cool while cooking. It also heats up lightning fast, boiling water in just nine minutes. 

Kyocera 12-Inch Ceramic Nonstick Fry Pan

For a non-toxic, nonstick fry pan option, we like the Kyocera ceramic skillet. Its coating survived a metal fish spatula without any scratches or chips. When we fried eggs on it, the pan was practically a slip-and-slide.

Staub Cast Iron 12-inch Square Grill Pan

This enamel cast iron grill pan from Staub has deep grill grates that impart impressive char marks on burger patties and zucchini slices. Available in an array of eye-pleasing colors, the pan’s sleek enamel makes cleanup a breeze.

Lodge 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet With Dual Handles

Some cast iron cookware is admittedly heavy, which is why this editor-loved dual-handled skillet comes in handy (pun intended). It provides more stability while carrying and sears just like our other favorite Lodge cast iron pieces.

Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven With Loop Handles

This bread oven is technically a Dutch oven, but when we tested it as a bread cloche, it earned high, crispy marks. Bread came out springy and golden brown, and the piece was lightweight enough to comfortably move into and out of the oven. The lid also doubles as a skillet, so you get two cookware pieces for just $49.

All-Clad Specialty Stainless Steel Fondue Set

If you’re looking to add a bit of whimsy to your kitchen, we recommend this absolutely splurge-worthy fondue set from All-Clad. It cooks over an open flame (lovely ambiance!) and the double-boiler design keeps cheese and chocolate creamy.

Le Creuset 3.5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Signature Braiser

This cast iron braiser has shallow sides and a large base, perfect for cooking meatballs without overcrowding them. The cast iron sears foods to a crusty golden brown and the enamel resists staining and chipping. In our review, we called it "the Cadillac of braisers."

Weber Stainless Steel Vegetable Basket

With grilling season coming up, you’ll want a grilling basket for charring vegetables, seafood, and other delicate foods that might slip through the grates to be lost to the flames forever. This one from Weber is lightweight and chars vegetables beautifully. It also has curved handles that provide a stable grip.

Duxtop Whole-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Saucepan With Lid

This budget-friendly stainless steel saucepan might not rock your world, but it will be there for you every morning when you make creamy oatmeal. It simply gets the job done right, from making fluffy rice to browning butter. Its curved sides promote stirring for a smooth hot cocoa, too.

Emile Henry Made In France Flame Tagine

We spent 12 days braising meats in tagines to find the best one, and this Emile Henry tagine was our favorite of the glazed ceramic models. It cleans up quickly and can withstand higher temperatures, up to 500°F. The 3.7-quart capacity is also large enough to cook for a family without overcrowding food.

Cook N Home 16-Quart Stockpot With Lid

Every kitchen needs a large stockpot for cooking broth, boiling pasta, or making a crawfish boil. We firmly believe that while you could spend hundreds on a stockpot, it doesn’t mean you necessarily should. This affordable one, which is now even cheaper, excelled in our tests. It boils water at lightning speed, simmers flavorful stock, and has grippy rubber handles that protect your hands from heat.

Tamagoyaki Pan Square Japanese Omelette Pan

Do you ever get a craving for super soft tamagoyaki? We sure do. The Japanese-style omelet is best made in a rectangular tamagoyaki pan that’s designed specifically for cooking and rolling the egg. We love the balanced handle on this one, which has an inclined lip for scooching your omelet right off the pan onto a plate.

Dowan 4-Ounce Ramekins, Set of 6

We love ceramic ramekins so much, we have a love letter dedicated to them. They hold snacks, help with mise en place, and bake single-serve desserts. This set of six classic fluted ramekins is on sale for $12, bringing them to just $2 apiece.

HexClad Hybrid Nonstick 8-Inch Frying Pan

HexClad pans are a hybrid of stainless steel and ceramic coating. They deliver the sear of stainless steel while remaining nonstick enough for scrambled eggs. Some of our own editors have used HexClad cookware for years, and this 8-inch skillet is discounted for Amazon's Spring Sale.

USA Pan Bakeware 8-Inch Square Cake Pan

Make the best fudgy brownies and one-bowl coffee cake without worrying about any stickiness using this nonstick USA square cake pan. Its non-toxic silicone coating releases food without trouble and the aluminized steel bakes uniformly.

Nordic Ware 9-Inch Springform Pan

Never stress over cheesecake again with this springform pan that closes securely for a leakproof baking experience. The extended base provided a stable grip when transporting bakes and the nonstick coating resisted scratch marks when cut with a sharp knife.

Emile Henry Modern Classics Pie Dish

With all this warm weather, we can’t help but think of summer barbecues, which bring with them summer pies. If you’re looking to wow your cookout guests this year, the Emile Henry pie dish is the way to go. The slanted edges release pie slices easily and lining it with dough is a cinch.

FAQs

When is the Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025?

It’s happening right now! This year, Amazon’s spring sale event started on Tuesday, March 25, and will run through Monday, March 31.

What is the Amazon Big Spring Sale?

Think of it as a springtime Prime Day lasting seven days, when you can stock up on kitchen essentials and make upgrades for the new season.

Do you have to be a Prime member to shop the Amazon Big Spring Sale?

You don’t! Anyone can access Big Spring Sale deals, but Prime members get free shipping and additional member-only discounts. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial here. 

What other Big Spring Sale deals should I grab?

We rounded up the best Big Spring Sale kitchen deals to explore. Our finds include the best rigorously vetted cookware, appliances, kitchen tools, and more.

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen equipment for Serious Eats for over two years.
• She loves tamagoyaki and will most definitely be grabbing this tamagoyaki pan for $19.
  

Right on cue in late March and early April, spring whets my appetite for the bright, tart flavor of rhubarb. When its acid-green and ruby red stalks start popping up in markets, I grab all I can find, and churn out rhubarb pies and compotes to satisfy my sweet tooth. But rhubarb’s tart flavor is also right at home in savory meals.

In this quick supper recipe developed by our Birmingham-based test kitchen colleague Elizabeth Mervosh , we celebrate rhubarb’s savory side by simmering it with sweet orange marmalade and an array of aromatics to create a jammy sauce, and pair it with pork tenderloin for a satisfying seasonal meal. Elizabeth's pan-roasted pork with rhubarb sauce is savory, sweet, bright, and perfect for a spring supper. Plus, it takes only 30 minutes to cook, making it a great weeknight dinner option.

The Pan Sauce

The first step to ensure a rich, flavorful pan sauce for the pork is to add gelatin to the stock or broth before using it. This technique has been used in many Serious Eats pan sauce recipes, such as culinary director emeritus Kenji’s pan-roasted chicken and pan sauce recipe. Whether you’re using homemade chicken stockor store-bought chicken broth, adding a few teaspoons of powdered gelatin to the liquid gives the mixture a boost in richness to ensure a really nice, glossy sauce that will cling to every bite of the pork.

Cooking the Pork

Next up: the pork. We here at Serious Eats love to reverse sear larger roasts like beef tenderloin (where you start by gently heating up a large cut of meat in a low-temperature oven until it's evenly cooked, then finish by searing it over high heat to give it a browned crust); but for a lean, thin tenderloin, the technique is a nonstarter. As Kenji learned when developing his pork tenderloin recipe, reverse-seared pork tenderloin inevitably dries out because the cut is lean and relatively small.

Instead, searing this lean pork roast at the beginning, then cooking it through in the pan, is the way to go. To further promote browning on the exterior of the meat, the seasoned pork tenderloin is dredged in cornstarch before going into the skillet. The cornstarch also adds a great rough surface on the pork for the glaze-like sauce to cling to. Think of the cornstarch as the layer of primer you apply to a wall before you paint it.

Once the pork is browned all over and set aside, attention is turned to the sauce. It starts with sautéing some minced shallot and garlic in the residual pork fat. Next you'll whisk in the chicken stock and gelatin mixture, along with some whole-grain mustard and orange marmalade. The marmalade brings sweetness and balances the tart rhubarb. But if you’re not a fan of marmalade, you can substitute your preferred fruit preserves, such as strawberry, cherry, or fig. 

At this point you could finish the dish by cooking the pork through in the oven and reducing the sauce separately in the skillet, but since we wanted this pork to be glazed with the sauce, there's no need to cook the meat in a way that preserves a crisp exterior crust. Instead of using the oven, Elizabeth found it much easier to simply nestle the pork into the sauce and finish cooking it all together. The pork cooks all the way through while the sauce thickens and you also avoid extra dirty pans and turning on the oven. Just make sure to turn the pork every few minutes to ensure even cooking.

Bringing It All Together

While the pork rests, rhubarb and butter are added to the sauce and simmered until the rhubarb is tender and the sauce becomes silky and jammy. When you add the pork back to the pan, you'll see why that cornstarch was such a good idea. It really helps the thick, flavor-packed sauce cling to the meat. Serve the pork alongside spring vegetables such as peas or asparagus for a delicious seasonal meal.

In a small bowl, combine chicken stock or broth with wine and sprinkle gelatin evenly over surface; set aside. Cut tenderloin in half crosswise and season on all sides with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place cornstarch in a fine-mesh strainer, and dust cornstarch over tenderloin halves, lightly coating all sides.

In a 10-inch stainless steel skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over high until shimmering. Add pork; cook, turning as needed, until well browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate; set aside.

Reduce heat to low. To now-empty skillet, add shallot, garlic, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and cook, stirring constantly, until softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken stock–gelatin mixture, orange marmalade, mustard, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Bring to a vigorous simmer over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Return pork along with any of its accumulated juices to skillet; cook, turning about every 2 minutes and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a vigorous simmer, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of pork registers 120 to 130°F (49 to 54°C) for medium-rare or 130 to 140°F (54 to 60°C) for medium, 6 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board.

Add rhubarb and butter to sauce in skillet and continue to vigorously simmer over medium-low, adjusting heat as needed, until rhubarb is tender, sauce is thickened and glossy and lightly coats the back of a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in herbs. Return pork to skillet, and turn to coat, then return pork to cutting board.

Slice pork thinly crosswise and serve with rhubarb sauce.

Special Equipment

Fine-mesh strainer, 10-inch stainless steel skillet

Notes

This recipe can easily be doubled with two pork tenderloins in a 12-inch skillet.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Leftover cooked pork and sauce can be refrigerated separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days.

The day my friend (and Serious Eats editor) Grace Kelly gifted me the Instant Pot Magic Frother, I had no idea it would become one of my favorite appliances. Before then, I enjoyed using my handheld milk frother. But as I ran back and forth between heating up the milk in the microwave and manually frothing it, something was missing I couldn’t put my finger on. But when I received the shiny, simple Magic Frother, well, I found what that was.

I discovered the peaceful routine of pouring in milk, selecting a setting, and walking away as the frother whirred, creating soft, silky frothed milk for my morning London Fog. And a curious thing happened: Sometimes I’d be reading in the living room, only to hear that faint buzzing coming from the kitchen. Roommates who’d rarely cared to borrow my handheld frother couldn't wait to use the Magic Frother.

Why I Love the Instant Pot Magic Milk Frother

There are two types of frothers: handheld and countertop. I’ve mainly used the handheld kind, and while they get the job done, none of them have stood up to the Instant Pot Magic Milk Frother. (And the Serious Eats team agrees with me, seeing as they crowned it the top milk frother.) 

What sets this particular frother apart is that I can multitask and leave it to do its work. With a handheld frother, I have to be present and patient as I bob the whisk up and down to create a silky milk foam. Handheld frothers also don’t heat milk. I’ve had a few unfortunate instances where I’ve overheated milk and sent scalding droplets splashing onto my hands as I tried to froth it. With the Magic Frother, the heating and frothing all happen inside the 17-ounce stainless steel pitcher.

I also like how simple and intuitive the Instant Pot Magic Frother’s settings are; I haven’t needed to consult the instruction manual to figure out how to use it. I simply set the pitcher on its plugged-in stand, place the plastic lid snugly on top, and then select my preferred combination of temperature and froth level using the buttons on the base. (I like medium froth and medium heat, or high froth and medium heat.),

Additionally, for someone who rents a city apartment with three other roommates, counter space is quite precious. Since the Magic Frother base and pitcher only measure six inches wide and a little over six inches tall, it doesn’t eat up much space. The whole contraption is also small and light enough that I can easily put it away in a cabinet.

Why We’re the Experts 

• Abigail Clarkin is a writer for Serious Eats who frequents cafes as part of her day job as a social media manager for restaurants in Providence, Rhode Island.
• Abigail has been avidly using the Instant Pot Magic Frother for over a year to make London Fogs, matcha lattes, hot chocolates, and a variety of other hot, milk-based drinks.
  

Eggs are a way of life. Whether you’re having scrambled eggs, quiche Lorraine, or omelets, eggs taste great no matter what. Whisking a lot of them, on the other hand, can get tiring—especially on the wrists. The next time you have guests over and you’re frantically prepping a dozen or more eggs for a scramble, skip the whisk. Instead, you can use an immersion blender to quickly and uniformly beat a big batch of eggs to perfection. 

Our editorial director, Daniel Gritzer, recalls using this method during busy restaurant brunch services. “You don't have time to be dainty about it,” he shares. “We'd blend them with a giant commercial stick blender until totally homogenous—not a strip of visible whites anywhere.” You may not necessarily need a hand blender the size of a stick vacuum at home, but you can grab one of our top picks, the KitchenAid hand blender, while it’s on sale at Amazon’s Spring Sale.

Why It Won Our Review

It’s Lightweight and Cordless

We loved the convenience of the KitchenAid immersion blender. The cordless design allows you to move around with a bit more freedom than corded models, especially if you’re one to blend directly into a steaming hot pot. It’s great to not have to hold a cord away while blending and worry about it getting into your food. Plus, the battery pops on and off easily and the blender itself can stand upright on its base—no need to find a place to rest it while you cook.

It Has a Powerful Motor

Most importantly, the KitchenAid Go aced all our blending tests. It yielded velvety mayonnaise, creamy soup, and silky smoothies. There’s no doubt that it would excel at mixing a big batch of eggs just in time for brunch omelets. Just make sure you have a slick ceramic-coated skillet on hand to achieve a smoothly folded omelet.

Do We Recommend It?

KitchenAid Go Cordless Hand Blender

This is a great cordless hand blender for all sorts of emulsifying tasks. From mayonnaise to soup, it tackles every pureéing task without trouble. We also like that it comes with a blending cup for making smoothies. With the combination of convenience and power, it’s worth grabbing, especially now that it’s marked down during Amazon’s Spring Sale.

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen gear for Serious Eats for over two years.
• She likes to call herself an egg aficionado and is currently craving an omelet as she writes this.
  

It’s easy to see why Starbucks' sous vide egg bites are so popular—these custardy eggs filled with a variety of savory add-ins are a perfectly portable protein- and flavor-packed breakfast. And while we have sous vide egg bites (like this bacon and Gruyère egg bite recipe) that are loosely inspired by the Starbucks version, we know not everyone has a sous vide machine on hand—or the desire to use it to make their morning eggs. So, we wanted to create similar silky egg bites baked in a muffin tin instead.

To create the perfect muffin tin eggs, our Birmingham-based test kitchen colleague Elizabeth Mervosh baked batch after batch of these mini frittata-like bites. The result is a foolproof method that guarantees a silky, well-set egg custard every time. Her version is loaded with savory portobello mushrooms, earthy kale, and nutty Swiss cheese for a hearty breakfast that’s just as good for Sunday brunch as it is for busy weekday mornings—especially since these bites can be made up to four days ahead.

The prep and cooking process is fairly straightforward: The eggs are well blended with a combination of cottage cheese and Swiss cheese, mixed with sautéed mushrooms and kale, portioned into a muffin tin, and baked at a low temperature until the eggs are just set. But to ensure the eggs remain silky—not tough or rubbery, as some egg bites can be—and the veggies are evenly dispersed in every bite, there are a few key steps Elizabeth incorporates into her recipe.

5 Key Techniques for the Best Mushroom and Kale Egg Bites

1. Pull out the blender. For the smoothest eggs, you really do need to use a blender. While some recipes call for whisking the eggs and cheese by hand in an attempt to simplify the prep, Elizabeth found in her testing that the sharp blades of the blender are essential to ensure the mixture is smooth enough to produce the custard-like texture we're going for here.

2. Use a combination of cheeses for maximum silkiness and flavor. According to ingredient lists on the Starbucks website, their egg bites include a key ingredient that we've also incorporated here: cottage cheese. Blending cottage cheese with eggs helps create a custard-like texture in the bites. In this version we also add Swiss cheese for its tangy, slightly nutty flavor, which pairs well with the savory mushrooms and kale.

3. Add rice starch or cornstarch to the egg mixture to guarantee silky cooked eggs. The starch acts as a binding agent, preventing the egg proteins from setting too firmly, essentially protecting the eggs from overcooking and becoming rubbery. The result is a much creamier and more tender egg texture. Elizabeth’s many side by side tests confirmed that incorporating just a teaspoon and a half of rice starch or cornstarch into the egg mixture made a noticeable difference in the egg bites' final texture. When too much starch was added, the eggs became unpleasantly pasty, and when starch wasn’t added, the eggs verged on rubbery.

4. Blend some of the eggs with the kale and stir halfway through baking. Elizabeth’s early versions of the recipe called for sautéing finely chopped kale until tender, then stirring it with the mushrooms and blended egg mixture before portioning the mixture into the muffin tin cups. But as the bites baked, the kale sank to the bottom of each muffin tin, creating an unappealing layer of gloppy greens. What we wanted was vegetables evenly suspended in every bite for the perfect balance of eggs, mushrooms, and kale. 

The solution was blending some of the egg mixture with the kale before stirring in the mushrooms, portioning into the muffin cups, and pouring the remaining egg mixture over top. Stirring the egg mixture halfway through cooking further ensures that the vegetables don't settle to the bottom of the bites. This thoughtful blending, layering, and stirring of ingredients evenly disbursed kale from edge to edge.

5. Bake at a low temperature and use a water bath. While these egg bites are baked in the oven, we still wanted them to have the silky, custardy texture of sous vide egg bites. To mimic the gentle, steady, moist heat of sous vide cooking, we place the muffin tin in a water bath and cook the eggs at a low temperature of 325℉. The water bath insulates the egg bites, ensuring slow, even cooking. The water also creates steam in the oven, which helps prevent the tops of the bites from overcooking and browning.

Once the bites are baked, you have serving options. They’re great popped out of the tin and served warm right away for a hungry brunch crowd. But they’re also an ideal make-ahead breakfast option. They can be refrigerated in an airtight container for four days or frozen for up to a month and briefly reheated in the microwave or even eaten right out of the fridge. They’re a great filling breakfast option for busy weekday mornings—no trips to Starbucks needed.

Adjust oven rack to middle positions, and preheat oven to 325°F (160℃). Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray; set aside.

In a blender jar, combine eggs, cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, rice starch or cornstarch, hot sauce (if using), salt, black pepper, and garlic powder and blend on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour 2 cups of the egg mixture into a liquid measuring cup; set aside. Leave remaining egg mixture in the blender jar.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes; transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Reduce heat to medium, and add kale. Cook, stirring often, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Scrape kale into blender jar with remaining egg mixture. Process on medium speed until kale is very finely chopped, about 10 seconds. Stir kale and egg mixture into mushrooms in bowl.

Divide vegetable-egg mixture into prepared muffin cups. Gently pour reserved egg mixture over mushroom-kale-egg mixture.

Set filled muffin tin in a roasting pan. Place roasting pan on middle oven rack and pour boiling water around muffin tin until water is 1 inch deep, about halfway up the sides of the muffin tin. Bake until the center of the egg bites look dry, with some bubbles on the surface, but edges are still wet, 10 minutes. Carefully remove roasting pan with muffin tin from oven, and using a toothpick or small spoon, gently stir each egg bite, combining the soft egg curds with the wet egg mixture. Return to oven, and continue to bake until eggs are completely set, about 20 minutes longer. Carefully remove muffin pan from roasting pan. Let cool for 5 minutes. Run a small offset spatula or butter knife around the edges of each egg bite to loosen, then gently turn the pan upside down to remove the egg bites. Serve or let cool completely before storing.

Special Equipment

Blender, large skillet, 12-cup muffin tin, roasting pan, small offset spatula or butter knife

Make-Ahead and Storage

Cooled egg bites can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month. For frozen bites, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. To reheat, microwave until heated through, about 30 seconds, or warm in a 350℉ (175℃) oven until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

Spatchcock isn’t just a fun Scrabble word: By removing the backbone and flattening a chicken, it’ll cook quicker and more evenly. But to spatchcock, you need the right tools—namely, a pair of poultry shears.

Unlike kitchen shears, poultry shears have spring-loaded handles and thick blades that make snipping through skin and bone easier. And the best-of-the-best poultry shears? They’re from OXO.

Why These Poultry Shears Are Top-Notch

We’ve recommended these OXO shears for years. The serrated blades allow them to easily bite through chicken skin and bones, while the spring mechanism adds power and control, preventing the shears from opening up too much. The looped handles are grabbable and wide, providing the non-slip grip you want for a tough task like spatchcocking. The shears come apart for cleaning and have a lock on them, so they don’t accidentally open during storage.

This is all to say: These shears are really, truly great. And they’re less than $25, which makes them worthwhile even if you use them just a few times a year.

Why We’re the Experts

• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the associate editorial director at Serious Eats. She’s been with the site since 2021. 
• Riddley's tested kitchen gear professionally for more than six years.

Everyone who works at Serious Eats lives in the Northeast—and the consensus is that it’s been a long winter. We’re excited for the spring: warmer temperatures, decluttering, and Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. 

We’ll take any excuse to shop for excellent deals on our favorite kitchen gear. Now through March 31, Amazon’s slashing prices on things like our top budget meat thermometer, the best air fryer, and an unbeatable gas grill. After sorting through dozens of pages of sales, here are 36 things we think are worth the money, all of which we’ve thoroughly tested.

The Best Budget Thermometer: ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2

Our longtime favorite (inexpensive!) thermometer is 20% off right now. It has a large, bright digital screen, is highly accurate, and has a cap that can clip onto your apron. 

The Best Air Fryer: Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer

If you want the crispiest food in the least amount of time, this is the air fryer to get. It has a touchscreen control panel, a knob for easily toggling the time and temperature, and a perforated basket insert that comes out for simple cleanup. 

The Best Nespresso Machine: Nespresso Vertuo Plus Coffee and Espresso Maker

We only recommend two Nespresso machines—and this is one of them. The on-sale version includes a milk frother (and is cheaper than buying just the machine). In our tests, we liked the variety of drinks it made, including gran lungos. 

A Great Wok: Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok

Slick and quick to change temperature are the names of this wok’s game. It was the only wok we tried that fried an egg and released it without breaking it. Its wooden main and helper handle stays to the touch. 

The Best Espresso Machine for Beginners: Breville the Barista Express Impress

If you’re getting into espresso—or just want to make great coffee without much fuss—this is the machine to get. It automates the harder parts of making espresso, like grinding and tamping, and steams milk with fine enough bubbles to pour latte art. It also lets you know when the grounds level is correct—and tells you how to adjust it if it’s not. 

The Best Ice Cream Maker: Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine

This has been our favorite ice cream maker for many, many years. It churns ice cream fast (an average of 20 minutes) and also works well for sorbet and gelato. It also only has one on/off button. This is the cheapest we’ve seen it go for.

The Best Gas Grill: Weber Spirit E-310 3-Burner Gas Grill

This version of our favorite gas grill has a lot to love, including three spacious side tables, three burners, and excellent heat control and distribution. Plus, you get Weber’s excellent customer service and warranty.

The Best Cast Iron Skillet: Lodge 10.25-Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet

There's just no beating this cast iron skillet. It's cheap. It works great. It'll last forever. And right now, it's nearly 60% off.

The Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

As we said in our review, this air fryer toaster oven “blew nearly all the other non-Breville ovens away when it came to air frying.” It has a large, bright screen and markings on its glass door to help you with oven rack placement. 

A Stand Mixer for Most Bakers: KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer

This stand mixer has plenty of power to tackle nearly every baking task: cookie dough, cake batter, bread. The tilt-head makes it easy to scrape down the slides of the mixing bowl and, right now, it’s $70 off for the Big Spring Sale. 

Our Longtime Favorite Coffee Grinder: OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

You just can’t beat the performance of this coffee grinder for the price. It also couldn’t be easier to use. It has one start/stop button and you simply have to twist the top to adjust the grind setting. 

The Best Instant-Read Thermometer: ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE

If you want the best instant-read thermometer, this is the one to get. It has a blisteringly fast response time and so many features, including a rotating screen and automatic backlight (helpful for reading temperatures in cavernous ovens). 

A Great Budget Waffle Maker: Krups Belgian Waffle Maker

This waffle maker churns out light, tender waffles time after time. We like that it makes four waffles at once and find the removable plates handy come cleanup time. 

The Best Rice Cooker: Cuckoo Micom Rice Cooker

If you haven’t used a rice cooker before, you’re missing out. It’s the easiest way to make rice—and have it be consistent every time. The Cuckoo has numerous modes (including one for glutinous rice), has a nonstick pot for easy cleanup, and is $30 off. 

The Best Dish Towels: Zeppoli Classic Dish Towels

These dish towels are wicked absorbent and, perhaps best of all, CHEAP. They come in a pack of 15 for a little over $1 per towel. We’re fans of using them as pot holders, too.

One of Our Favorite Sous Vide Machines: Anova Precision Cooker 3.0

If you want a sous vide machine that works with an app and has an onboard display, the Anova fits the bill. It’s accurate and powerful enough to keep a water bath at any temperature, no matter how long you’re cooking a steak or rack of lamb. 

A Great Food Processor: Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor

We've recommended this food processor for many, many years—and, honestly, it's the best you can get for the money. It has simple, two-button controls and just works. It'll puree, mince, pulverize, shred, slice—whatever you need.

Excellent Containers: Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers

These food storage containers simply don’t leak. They have lids with hinges that snap on and off, too, and are freezer-safe. 

Another Great Air Fryer: Ninja Air Fryer

This air fryer is smaller (and easier to store!) than most, but it still did a good job crisping fries and chicken wings in our tests. Its streamlined control panel couldn’t be easier to use either, with just a handful of buttons. 

The Best Kitchen Drawer Organizer: Pipshell Bamboo Expandable Drawer Organizer

You know what’s out? Cluttered drawers full of spatulas, wooden spoons, and cutlery all askew. What’s in? A drawer organizer that’ll keep everything in its place. Our top pick has sides that expand to fit bigger drawers—and it’s on sale. 

The Best Swedish Dishcloths: Swedish Wholesale Swedish Dishcloths

Swedish dishcloths are like a cross between paper towels and sponges—but they last for hundreds of uses. You can scrub and dry dishes, clean countertops, and even dry delicate wine glasses. Right now, our favorite set is 20% off. 

Our Budget Dutch Oven Pick: Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Dutch ovens can be wicked expensive. However, they’re also endlessly versatile for searing, simmering, baking, boiling, braising, and deep-frying, which is why we think they’re well worth the investment. This is the cheapest Dutch oven we recommend. In our tests, it put a great sear on pork and we liked that it came in a variety of colors. 

A Fun Ice Cube Tray: Wibimen Ice Cube Tray

These fun, small orbs are great for adding to cocktails, seltzer, or even just a glass of water. The ice cube trays stack for easy freezing and the set comes with a scoop and storage bin.

One of the Two Keurigs We Recommend: Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker

If convenience is your primary concern around caffeine, you may like a Keurig. This one brews hot coffee with the push of a button and makes just one cup at a time. For the Amazon Spring Sale, it’s 22% off.

The Best Meat Grinder: KitchenAid Metal Food Grinder

It’s almost grilling season. For the best burgers this summer, you’re going to want to grind your own meat. Our favorite meat grinder from KitchenAid is powered by a stand mixer and made from metal, so you can pre-chill the parts for the best meat texture. 

The Best Instant Pot: Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker

We’re having visions of easy, pressure-cooked pulled pork and mac and cheese—and an Instant Pot can make them happen. Our favorite multi-cooker has a digital screen, handles on its cooking pot, and a pressure release switch for safely venting steam. Right now, it’s 30% off.

A Handy Way to Dispose of Oil: FryAway Cooking Oil Solidifier Powder

Sprinkle FryAway onto oil and it’ll transform it into a solid puck that can easily be scooped out of the pot and thrown in the trash. We were impressed with it when we tried it and it’s a few bucks off right now.

An Excellent Anti-Fatigue Mat: ComfiLife Anti-Fatigue Floor Mat

We’re big fans of anti-fatigue mats. Of course, who wouldn’t want a plushy place to put your feet when chopping mounds of vegetables or washing dishes? This is one of our top picks and is stain-resistant and firm yet plush. Right now, it’s 20% off. 

The Best Bento Box: Bentgo MicroSteel Lunch Box

If you pack your lunch, consider a bento box. Our top pick has a removable insert and an airtight seal—because nothing ruins a lunch like leaks. 

A Pad to Keep Coffee Hot: Sweetfull Coffee Mug Warmer

If you think hot coffee gone cold is gross and want a budget-friendly solution, try this warming pad. In our tests, it worked well with every mug we placed on it and kept coffee consistently hot. We liked that it had three temperature settings, too. 

Our Favorite Cordless Immersion Blender: KitchenAid Go Cordless Hand Blender

We love using an immersion blender to puree soups right in the pot or quickly make a mayonnaise. Our favorite cordless model is lightweight, packs a performance punch, and comes with a bevy of accessories. 

A Great Insulated Tumbler: Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler

We know everyone’s about Stanley, but we also like a lot of other insulated tumblers, including this one from Hydro Flask. It has a wide, silicone straw for smooth sipping, great cold retention, and a lid that easily pops on and off for cleaning. 

The Best Water Bottle: Owala FreeSip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle

We tested and recommended this water bottle long before it became popular. It has a straw and a chug cap and keeps water cold for an impressively long time. Its lid locks, too (no spills!). 

The Best Oven Mitts: OXO Silicone Oven Mitt

Our favorite oven mitts are flexible and oh so grippy, thanks to silicone material and textured surface. Right now, this OXO mitt is 25% off, but you will have to buy two to get a pair.

The Best Pantry Storage Containers: Rubbermaid Brilliance Airtight Pantry Food Storage Containers

For keeping pantry items like flour, brown sugar, and rice at their freshest, you're going to need a set of dry food storage containers. Our favorites have latches that snap the lids on tight and come in a variety of sizes. Right now, the set's 35% off, too.

FAQs

When is Amazon’s Big Spring Sale 2025? 

Amazon’s Spring Sale dates are Tuesday, March 25, to Monday, March 31.

Do you have to be a Prime member to shop the Big Spring Sale? 

You don’t have to be a Prime member, though there will be deals exclusive to Prime members. If you’d like access to those member-only discounts, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial.

Why We’re the Experts

• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the associate editorial director of Serious Eats. 
• She’s been with the site since 2021 and has been testing gear professionally for more than six years. 
• Riddley loves a good deal—and a great kitchen appliance.  
  

Wherever in the world she is, Clarissa Wei rarely takes the last piece of food for herself.  

Wei, a journalist, cookbook author, and Serious Eats contributor from Los Angeles who currently lives in Taipei, grew up sharing abundant meals with her parents and younger brother. “There was always a vegetable, a fish, a protein, a meat, fruit,” she says. “It would be way too much for just four people.”

Her parents, Taiwanese immigrants who came to the United States in the 1980s while Taiwan was in the midst of an economic boom—a.k.a the Taiwan Miracle—“didn’t have any money at all” growing up, says Wei. The abundant meals of Wei’s childhood were, she feels, a way of overcompensating for that still-fresh memory of scarcity. 

“When you’re cooking a meal for people in Taiwanese and Chinese culture, or among the Chinese diaspora, most people overcook—especially in this day and age when we have so much abundance,” says Wei. In these cultures, “a hospitable [host] is someone who gives you more food than you can handle.” But at the same time, eating the last piece risks offending the host, Wei explains—insinuating that you're still hungry and that the host hasn't provided enough food.

This oft-unspoken rule is about as universal as it gets when it comes to food related etiquette. In parts of Spain, that last morsel is known as la/el de la vergüenza; in Germany, it’s das Anstandsstück, or das Anstandsrest; schaambrokje in the Netherlands; trivselbit in Sweden; and so on, with the phrase itself usually translating to some version of “the decency piece” or “the shame.” Just as often, however, there’s no name for it at all—such as in Minnesota, where comically small bites of food will often go uneaten for politeness’ sake.

So how exactly does one reconcile the fact that this rule exists in so many cultures—especially ones so geographically and culturally distant from one another?

Krishnendu Ray, scholar and director of the New York University Food Studies PhD program, offers a couple of theories—one of which ties directly to his own life. Growing up in a middle-class family in India, Ray lived “in very close proximity to people who are hungry,” he says. As a result, “one of the rules of etiquette was you never take the last morsel, because you don’t know who else is hungry,” he explains.

Ray, who has spent years living abroad in countries like Italy, theorizes that in cultures decimated by war, colonialism, or other major social upheaval, taking the last piece can feel like a major transgression. His close European friends—as well as their parents or grandparents—“always have a proximate memory of hunger,” says Ray, which he attributes to the enduring impact and generational trauma of two World Wars. In contrast, Ray says, his son—who has had a comfortable upbringing in New York, with “no identifiable sense of scarcity”—will take the last piece without hesitating.

In some cases, the rule of the last morsel may harken back even further than World War I. In her book, Beyond Bratwurst: A History of Food in Germany, food historian Ursula Heinzelmann writes, “Until the mid-twelfth century, serving enormous amounts of food and entertaining large groups was an indication of elevated social rank. Thereafter, possibly because the lower classes could increasingly afford enough to satisfy their hunger, overly hearty eating was frowned upon by the aristocracy.”

Heinzelmann, who was born in West Berlin in 1963, was herself raised never to take das Anstandsstück. “With a decent upbringing, you know not to grab, greedily, for the last piece of cake, or whatever there is on the table,” she says. It’s something that “anyone with a ‘good’ family background and upbringing would have experienced, almost like not to fart or belch.”

In Italy, Fabio Parasecoli, author and professor of food studies at NYU’s Steinhardt School, learned a similar system of etiquette from his parents and grandparents. Parasecoli grew up in the 1960s, during Italy’s “economic miracle”—a period of rapid economic growth similar to the one Wei’s parents witnessed in Taiwan. During this period, Parasecoli writes in his book Al Dente: A History of Food in Italy, many Italians experienced financial stability for the very first time. This included access to affordable and abundant food—much of it available at supermarkets, an American innovation that was introduced to Italy in 1957.

Even amidst this abundance, wasting even a bite of food still felt unthinkable to people like Parasecoli’s grandmother. “Why aren’t you eating all of your food?” Parasecoli recalls his grandmother—who lived through both World Wars—asking. “Are you leaving la creanza?”­ 

La creanza—literally, “the good manners”—refers to that last piece on the plate. This was done, Parasecoli says, “fare una bella figura,” or to leave a good impression and show that you’re not worried about going hungry, he­ explains. ­The unspoken rule of leaving the last piece remains even now, when hunger is far less prevalent than it was during wartime, says Parasecoli. “It’s sort of a leftover of a past where scarcity was a reality.” Still, he explains, “there is always a tension—especially for people of older generations—between the desire of appearing polite, and the avoidance of waste.”

This last little piece is almost never thrown away, however. In Ray’s case, particularly when he would eat dinner with his family in Delhi, he said, “everyone kind of avoided taking the last bit, so much so that basically, in the refrigerator you have these little bowls of food leftover.” 

At Chinese and Taiwanese dinner tables, Wei explained, the best move is not to eat the last piece yourself, but to offer it to each individual guest. “Say there’s one piece of chicken left–you offer it to your friend, you offer it to whomever is at the table.” To do otherwise would be “incredibly rude,” says Wei. 

Gender also plays a role in this unspoken rule of table etiquette. Author and food scholar Darra Goldstein says that an old American belief taught girls never to take the last piece, lest they wind up unmarried—i.e., become an old maid. To Goldstein, this belief likely speaks to both the particular scrutiny placed on a girl’s behavior, and to “parents' deeper fears about their child's future.” 

In Italy, “women would leave more food for their kids and for the man,” says Parasecoli. While this behavior hasn’t completely disappeared, he explains, the abundance of food now available in Italy—at least compared to pre-economic miracle days—has made it far less prevalent. 

Anita Mannur, Director of Asia, Pacific, and Diaspora Studies at American University, grew up privy to a similar set of gender rules. Among her extended family in India, where Mannur spent a portion of her childhood, “the women would always eat second, and the men and the kids would eat first,” she says. In Mannur’s own house, however, these rules were slightly subverted. Mannur’s mother, who grew up in India, insisted that the last piece go to the youngest, no matter the gender. “She was like, ‘I want you to think about other people, have humility, but not because you’re a girl.’” 

In the Philippines, where writer and historian Adrian De Leon lived before immigrating to Toronto at age six, anyone taking the last piece without asking others may invite the Tagalog pejorative “walang hiya”—translating, roughly, to “you have no shame.” According to a TikTok video posted by the Philippines-based online publication, When in Manila, “Taking it means that you’re inconsiderate, you don’t share, and that you don’t respect anyone else in the room.” While the video comes off as slightly hyperbolic, De Leon says it rings true. “I’ve never heard it called that, but I know exactly what he’s talking about.”

Walang hiya also extends into nearly all spheres of public Filipino, especially Tagalog, life. De Leon was taught that whatever he did outside the home reflected how his parents—particularly his father—raised him. “When I started going to therapy, it was actually very shameful—it was walang hiya,” says De Leon. “‘Are you not ashamed that somebody will know our secrets?’” he remembers his father asking him. A person might also be called walang hiya if they openly express queer or trans identity, or, as De Leon explains, if they somehow act “extra”—overly loud or expressive—in public.

As for the last morsel, it could be something as coveted as the fish head—one of De Leon's favorites—or as basic as the “sliver of rice” that his mother would often leave on her plate. Choosing whether to take it is a constant struggle—especially as an adult, De Leon explains. “I look at that piece of fish, and I’m like ‘I want to finish that!’” he says. “[But] I will still find myself not wanting to do it [around family].”

Wei feels a similar ambivalence: “I have this internal battle sometimes where it’s like my American side vs. my Taiwanese side, where sometimes I’ll just take the last piece, and be like ‘you know what, I don’t care!’” she says. When dining with all Taiwanese people, however, “I definitely do not take the last piece.” 

Some people, on the other hand, never even encounter this rule. Amy Besa—co-owner of the longtime Brooklyn restaurant Purple Yam, which closed during the summer of 2024 due to Besa and her husband’s retirement—grew up in the Philippines prior to the country’s period of martial law, which ran from 1972 to 1981. Besa never had any hiya (shame) around food while growing up. “That seems so negative!” says Besa.

In Besa's case, it may have something to do with family size, she theorizes. Her older brothers moved out when she was young, so it was usually just her and her parents at the dinner table, with little need for rationing; food was mainly a source of joy. “For me, eating is such a happy way of communing with people, right?” she says. “So if somebody wants to eat a lot, then hey, great!”

In so many ways, that last bite of food symbolizes the rich, complex, often paradoxical dynamics at play when we eat with others. Food, Parasecoli explains, “is where you negotiate your identity, your social relations, your status, your memories.” The dinner table is a place where Mannur’s mother can choose to subvert inscribed gender rules and give the last piece of food to her youngest daughter; it’s where Wei can decide to give the last piece of fruit to her son “out of love,” rather than a sense of internalized shame, she says. 

Despite these constant negotiations, eating dinner with a group doesn’t need to feel fraught. Whenever De Leon’s family goes to dinner with their close family friends, “We know that Tita makes hella food,” he says, using the Tagalog word for aunt or auntie. “And we’re going to freaking enjoy it no matter what. And we’re going to take some home if we don’t finish it.”

Understanding the differences between polenta, grits, and cornmeal—and how best to use them—is complex and interesting, and we’ll get to that! But there’s also a short answer, so let’s start there and work backward.

Cornmeal, grits, and polenta are all terms that describe ground, dried field corn (which is different from sweet summer corn that we eat on the cob). Depending on the type of field corn (usually dent or flint), how finely or coarsely it’s ground, and how it's cooked and served, it can become different things: Fine and medium cornmeal are often used for cornbread, muffins, and hush puppies; more coarsely ground cornmeal can be used to make dishes like grits and polenta. On a basic level, that's it.

But beyond those physical differences, much of what separates cornmeal, grits, and polenta comes down to how and where they’re used. In many cases, the products themselves are nearly identical—what differs most is the cultural tradition they belong to and the way they’re prepared and served.

Let’s dig a little deeper. There are small, artisanal producers that grind corn with nuanced flavors from regional and heirloom corn varieties. And there are large-scale and industrial producers whose cornmeal, polenta, and grits are familiar grocery store staples. Here’s the catch: There are no labeling standards requiring packages to list the corn’s origin or processing method.

Smaller producers might proudly list those details as well as the coarseness of the grind, and whether it’s stoneground; whereas grocery store offerings might be generically labeled ‘polenta’ or ‘grits’ with no further detail. If there’s a silver lining to these labeling vagueries, it may be to underscore the interchangeability of these three products in the kitchen.

In our quest to learn all about cornmeal, grits, and polenta, we spoke with Virginia Willis, chef, cookbook author, and Southern foodways expert. She recalled an old joke that goes back to when Italian polenta first made a big splash on the American specialty food and restaurant scene. The opening goes, “What’s the difference between a bag of grits and a bag of polenta?” The punchline: “About $15.”

In all seriousness though, Willis, along with other experts we reached out to—including grain authorities Glenn Roberts and Claire Reynolds from Anson Mills, an artisan mill in Columbia, South Carolina specializing in heirloom corn and other grains, as well as Bob’s Red Mill’s Culinary Content Specialist, Sarena Shasteen—all encouraged cooks to seek out and use the specific product called for in a recipe to achieve optimal results.

Still, they recognized the need to be resourceful in the kitchen and at the grocery store. As Shasteen mentioned in an email, “You can generally substitute polenta, grits, and cornmeal, keeping in mind the differences in texture.” You may also need to adjust cooking time and liquid amounts, per Shasteen, as different grinds cook at different rates and absorb liquid differently.

Further underscoring this point, Serious Eats’s editorial director Daniel writes about polenta, “Polenta doesn't have to be made with a product that says ‘polenta’ on the package. There's nothing wrong with using a product designed exclusively for polenta, but you can just as easily use any medium- or coarse-ground cornmeal.” Bottom line: There is plenty of room for interchangeability.

As much as these products overlap, there are some details worth discussing that can help us differentiate them.

What Kind of Corn Is Used to Make Cornmeal, Polenta, and Grits? 

The type of field corn used for cornmeal and grits is dent corn, which is relatively soft and starchy, and gets its name from the little dent at the top of the kernel. True Italian polenta, on the other hand, comes from flint corn, so called for being as hard as flint. A particular variety of flint corn, called "otto file" (which describes the "eight rows" of kernels on each cob), is often the corn of choice for Italian polenta. That said, some American companies sell polenta made from corn grown in the US that may or may not have Italian lineage—considering the aforementioned package label vagueries, there’s often no easy way to know.

You can find various kinds of both dent and flint corn grown and milled by small farms that focus on cultivating and preserving regional and heirloom varieties, prized for their depth of flavor and terroir (a term that refers to an agricultural product’s distinct local characteristics).

Some producers, like Anson Mills in the US, specialize in freshly milled grains and have gained a following among home cooks and chefs for their attention to historical varieties and flavor. More widely available options include brands like Bob’s Red Mill, which sources US-grown corn cultivated without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, according to Shasteen. At the other end of the spectrum are large-scale commercial producers whose sourcing practices are less transparent.

The Importance of the Grind

Aside from the type of corn used, one of the primary factors that can distinguish cornmeal, polenta, and grits from each other is the grind itself.

Industrial vs. Stoneground: Large commercial brands typically use metal rollers or grinders to mill corn. Most of the hull and the germ are removed from the kernels in this process, which gives them a long shelf life, and a texture that is fairly uniform. When corn is stoneground, it’s literally ground between stones. Some/much of the hull and germ remain intact, meaning more textural variation and deeper flavor. It also produces a wider range of particles, some larger, some finer, resulting in a more varied final texture. 

Grind size: Whether it’s ground industrially or stoneground, corn can be ground to different sizes. Finer cornmeal is often used to make more delicate baked goods, while more coarsely ground cornmeal is well suited for hearty bowls of grits or polenta. Keep in mind that the size of the grind also indicates how fast it will absorb liquid and cook, with finer grinds absorbing water more quickly.

A Note on Instant Polenta and Grits 

Much of the polenta and grits on the shelves in grocery stores today are instant or quick-cooking. Instant products are typically finely ground corn that’s been cooked, dried, and then ground again. Add these grains to hot liquid, stir very briefly, and they’re done. But that time savings comes at the expense of flavor and texture. Willis likens instant grits to a “pot of starch with no flavor.” As she puts it, “Instant grits are zombie grits. They have no soul.” The same is true of polenta.

Willis recommends choosing the longest cooking product available—in the world of grocery store grits, quick-cook is better than instant, and old-fashioned is better than quick-cook. This means that if you're faced with only instant or quick-cook polenta or grits alongside medium or coarse cornmeal and want to make polenta or grits, you're often better off getting the coarse cornmeal and skipping the others, even if they have the more appropriate name on the bag.

Cornmeal, Polenta, and Grits: A Closer Look

Cornmeal 

This is the broadest and hardest to define of all the terms, because "cornmeal" simply describes a dried meal made from corn. Cornmeal can be ground to any size, can be made from many different types of corn, and can be used for any imaginable purpose. In fact, one can correctly consider polenta and grits to be types of cornmeal (in that they are meals made from corn). Because it's such an all-encompassing term, it's important to understand that not all types of cornmeal are appropriate for all uses.

Most products sold as "cornmeal" are a fine- to medium-grind, and can be used to make cornbread, corn muffins, and hush puppies, to “bread” fish and seafood for frying, and to dust a pizza pan so the crust doesn't stick. Some producers, including Bob’s Red Mill, also make coarse-ground cornmeal, which can work well as a stand-in for polenta and grits. Depending on how it’s cooked and served, that same coarse cornmeal might be called polenta in one kitchen and grits in another.

Polenta 

Most strongly associated with the cooking of northern Italy, polenta is sort of an Italian cousin to grits. Polenta dates back to ancient Roman times and was originally a term for mush or porridge made from various grains cooked with water. Before corn made its way to Italy from the New World in the 1500s, grains ranging from buckwheat to fava beans were the norm. Eventually, corn became the preferred grain for polenta, and now the dish is nearly synonymous with corn.

While much less common, you can still sometimes find "taragna" or "nera" polenta, which is a mix of corn polenta and buckwheat flour that hails from the Italian Alpine valleys north of Brescia and Bergamo. Whether it has authentic Italian lineage or not, polenta today is typically medium- or coarsely-ground corn with a texture similar to grits that may or may not be stoneground. Stoneground polenta cooks up into a porridge with a more varied texture compared to polenta ground to a more consistent size; many prize the texture of stoneground, but it's ultimately a question of personal preference.

Polenta is best when slowly cooked in liquid (usually water or broth) over low heat. As it cooks, the grains swell and release their starches, becoming thick and creamy. Polenta can be a main course, often topped with braised meats or melted cheese, or a side dish, enriched with butter and/or cheese stirred in at the end of cooking. Polenta can also be cooled and set, then later sliced, crisped (usually grilled or fried), and topped with cheeses, olives, fresh herbs—almost like toast. Or try Virginia Willis’s favorite way: Cut firm polenta into cubes, then fry them and use them as croutons, a go-to method Willis learned in Tuscany from cookbook author and food expert Paula Lambert.

Pre-cooked polenta is also sold in tubes at the grocery store, sometimes refrigerated, sometimes shelf-stable. Not all cooks like its flavor or texture, but in a pinch it can be cut up and fried, or even made soft and creamy again by simmering in liquid, and then mashing it thoroughly to remove lumps. 

Grits 

Grits refers to corn that's been coarsely ground for the specific purpose of making the Southern dish of the same name. At the store, look for the longest-cooking grits available, and simmer them with water, or possibly stock (shrimp stock is a nice addition if you’re making shrimp and grits).

Cooking over low heat will help develop the best texture, giving the grits plenty of time to fully absorb water, hydrate, and slowly release their starches for a creamy, corn-forward result. Grits can be a simple breakfast side dish topped with just salt, pepper, and a pat of butter (Sarena Shasteen’s favorite), as the base for Lowcountry seafood stews like shrimp and grits, or reimagined in new ways (Virginia Willis uses it as the topping on her Southern-style shepherd’s pie).

Sometimes grits are sold as "hominy" grits, another term that can add considerable confusion. Traditionally, hominy grits differ from other grits in that the dried corn they’re made from has been soaked and simmered in an alkaline solution to remove their hulls. The process is called nixtamalization, and it makes some of the nutrients in the corn easier for our bodies to absorb. This resulting corn is called hominy, and it is dried and ground to make hominy grits.

Watch out, though, because some products that are sold as "hominy" grits are made with regular dried corn and not nixtamalized corn (once again, we can thank a lack of labeling regulations for this confusion). You can identify whether the corn in "hominy" grits has actually been nixtamalized or not from the ingredient list—it should include some type of alkaline agent like calcium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide (you may also see common names for these alkalis like "lime" or "cal").

Masa Harina

As long as we're discussing hominy and nixtamalization, it's worth briefly acknowledging another nixtamalized corn flour on market shelves: masa harina. Similar to the hominy mentioned above, the corn for masa harina is soaked and simmered in alkalized water before being ground into a dough called masa and then dried to make masa harina. It's shelf-stable and can easily be reconstituted and used just like fresh masa to make Mesoamerican foods like tortillas, tamales, and so much more.

As a self-appointed Coffee Person, I’ve tried many, many burr grinders over the years. All of them had issues: They weren’t consistent enough, they took too long to grind, they spit coffee flecks all over my counter. My perfect grinder was elusive. That was until I tried the Breville Smart Grinder Pro.

Why It’s My Favorite Coffee Grinder

The Breville grinder combines performance, usability, and aesthetics. I know the latter seems trivial, but if an appliance is going to be a permanent fixture on my countertop, I want it to look good. I own the matte green Olive Tapenade grinder, but it comes in six other colors, too.

Back to performance and usability! Its grind quality is consistent (though, as we noted in our coffee grinder review, finer than our top pick from Baratza) and it has a whopping 60 grind settings. I love its digital screen that clearly displays the right grind size for different brewing methods, like drip, French press, and even espresso. (That said, I will point out it’s not the best espresso grinder.) The knob on the right side makes it easy to toggle between grind settings and the screen displays a countdown timer. There’s also a clearly marked start/stop button. 

I like the Breville’s catch bin, too. It has a small hole that coffee enters through and a lid (with a stopper, should you choose to use it). It catches grounds exceptionally well, keeping my counter clean. It’s also easy to twist off the hopper and remove the burrs for cleaning. I’m very happy with the Smart Grinder Pro—and that my coffee grinder search is over.

FAQs

How often should the Breville coffee grinder be cleaned? 

You should clean your coffee grinder every four to six weeks, and you can read how to do it here.

How loud is the Breville coffee grinder? 

Anecdotally, I can tell you it’s quieter than the Baratza and OXO grinders I’ve tried. I haven’t used a decibel meter (yet!) to back this up.

Why We’re the Experts

• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the associate editorial director of Serious Eats. She’s been with the site since 2021. 
• Riddley's been testing gear professionally for more than six years. 
• She owns more coffee brewing devices than she can count.
  

Starch Madness 2025 has been off to a crispy and sizzling start. As the brackets continue to narrow, your mouth might start to water at the mere thought of crunchy French fries or thick slabs of tonkatsu. If you’re simply itching to tackle a few of the recipes yourself, you’ll first need all the frying essentials. Whether you go all-in on an All-Clad deep fryer or keep it simple with a sturdy Le Creuset Dutch oven, we rounded up the best frying tools we’ve tested over the years.

All-Clad Electric Deep Fryer with Basket and Lid

This deep and narrow electric fryer has a built-in cleaning function that drains cooking oil through a filter into a storage container. It excels at producing golden deep-fried pickles and beautifully browned fried chicken (with all the crispy bits!).

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

If you’d rather go old-school, grab this Dutch oven that makes the best fried plantains. It holds heat incredibly well and keeps oil piping hot for each round of frying. When you’re not frying with it, the heirloom piece of cookware can stew, bake, and braise. It’s also $127 off.

Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer

We like to offer plenty of options, so here’s the best air fryer you could get if you want shatteringly crunchy chicken wings—minus the frying oil. The Instant Pot Vortex aced all our tests and is on sale for 36% off.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

We adore multitasking appliances, which is why this toaster oven air fryer ranks at the top in our review. It can toast, bake, broil, warm, and, of course, air fry. We were impressed with the golden chicken wings that came out of its easy-to-clean stainless steel basket.

ThermoWorks Thermapen One

Small yet mighty, the Themapen One is the best instant-read thermometer we’ve ever tested. It’s accurate, fast, and easy to read from any angle. It’s essential for measuring the temperature of your oil to make sure food will fry just right.

Hiwire Spider Strainer

This editor-loved spider strainer is an expert scooper. It’s great for grabbing dumplings out of boiling water or snatching just-done doughnuts. It also wicks away liquid and oil to preserve the best possible texture in foods.

BergKoch Splatter Screen for Frying Pan

If you’re scared of stray oil that’s sizzling hot (we’ve all been there), grab this splatter screen designed to keep grease from ending up on your counters or your arms. When we tested it, there wasn’t any residue on the stove after frying eggs, and the silicone handle stayed cool.

Mrs. Anderson's Baking Half Sheet Baking and Cooling Rack

Once you’ve scooped out your fried chicken or calamari, you’ll want to ensure it doesn’t get soggy in a bowl or on a plate. We recommend resting them on a cooling rack like our favorite one from Mrs. Anderson’s. This way, any excess oils can wick away, and the food’s heat doesn’t create moisture, ruining all your hard-earned crunch.

Nordic Ware Naturals Quarter Sheet, 2-Pack

A quarter baking sheet is essential for coating tonkatsu cutlets in an even layer of panko crumbs. The flat, wide surface allows plenty of room for getting into every nook and cranny of a piece of meat. Plus, they’re handy for roasting vegetables and housing bottles of oil on the countertop.

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen gear for Serious Eats for over two years.
• She loves fried foods, especially a just-out-of-the-fryer apple cider doughnut.

You probably have a jar of dill pickles in your fridge, whether for a refreshingly sour snack, to serve alongside burgers and sandwiches, or to use in recipes like fried pickles, dips, and more. There are two kinds of dill pickles, though: Lacto-fermented pickles and vinegar pickles. Lacto-fermented pickles get their sour flavor from lactic acid produced during the fermentation process. Vinegar pickles, on the other hand, get their tanginess from a hot brine that typically includes vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. 

In his book The Art of Fermentation, Sandor Katz writes, “Although vinegar is a product of fermentation, most vinegar pickles use hot vinegar as a means of sterilizing vegetables. In these pickles, fermentation is prevented by this heat treatment, combined with high levels of acidity in the vinegar.” These are the pickles you're most likely to find in jars in an unrefrigerated section of a market (lacto-fermented pickles are almost always kept refrigerated unless they've been processed with heat after fermentation), and they're the common accompaniment to burgers and sandwiches at fast food chains and run-of-the mill diners and delis. 

While the Serious Eats team tends to prefer lacto-fermented full- and half-sours, we also know that the convenience of a more shelf-stable vinegar pickle makes it a worthy purchase. Plus, for some foods, they're just the right choice (we'd much rather a vinegar pickle on a burger or fried chicken sandwich than a Jewish deli–style full sour). So we thought we'd taste a bunch to find our favorite.

In this taste test, we methodically sampled six different vinegar-brined dill pickles you’re likely to find online or at your local supermarket. We had our tasters eat them on their own without knowing which they were trying while rating them on key criteria like flavor, sourness, and texture. In the end, we found one winner we’d be happy to keep in our fridge.

The Criteria

Not all dill pickles are made the same. Some have barely any crunch, some taste like you're eating straight vinegar in solid form, and others lack the herbaceous, spiced note that comes from aromatics like fresh dill or coriander seeds. A good vinegar-brined dill pickle should be sour enough to make you pucker, but not so tart that it tastes of pure, unadulterated vinegar. It should be refreshingly crisp and have a pleasant brininess, with a balanced flavor of fresh dill, and possibly garlic, coriander seeds, and/or mustard seeds. We also prefer pickles that have a natural greenish yellow hue that’s not neon from dye.

Overall Winner

Wegmans Kosher Dill Pickles

Every single taster enjoyed this pickle. “Not overly salty or sour, and no noticeable spice at first, but it has a big dill aftertaste,” our senior social media editor Kelli wrote. Like Kelli, our associate visuals director Amanda and associate editorial director Megan enjoyed the seasoning on these pickles. “My favorite so far—the closest to a lacto-fermented pickle,” Megan noted. Our editorial director Daniel appreciated the pickle’s muted acidity and flavors of allspice and garlic, though he did find them a touch mushy. Others, however, described the pickles as “pleasantly crunchy,” “decent,” and “crisp.”

The Contenders

• B&G Pickles, Kosher Dill
• Mt. Olive Pickles, Kosher Dill Spears
• Nature's Promise Dill Pickle Spears
• Vlasic Kosher Dill Spears
• Trader Joe's Kosher Dill Pickle Spears
• Wegmans Kosher Dill Pickle Spears
  

In Conclusion

Each brand we sampled used calcium chloride as a firming agent in their pickles. Wegmans, however, was the only brand with gum arabic, an ingredient that’s often used as a stabilizer or emulsifier in foods. When used in pickles, it prevents the brine from becoming cloudy or crystallizing. While some companies may use dye to give their pickles a yellow hue, Wegmans uses turmeric. Ultimately, all our tasters would have preferred full sour lacto-fermented pickles to snack on—but agreed that Wegmans’ vinegar-pickled dill pickles would do in a pinch.

Our Testing Methodology

All taste tests are conducted with brands completely hidden and without discussion. Tasters taste samples in random order. For example, taster A may taste sample one first, while taster B will taste sample six first. This is to prevent palate fatigue from unfairly giving any one sample an advantage. Tasters are asked to fill our tasting sheets ranking the samples for various criteria. All data is tabulated and results are calculated with no editorial input in order to give us the most impartial representation of actual results possible.

I once worked at a French bakery where the best-selling item was our twice-baked almond croissant. We made them in the traditional way—by filling day-old croissants with a drizzle of simple syrup and a scoop of fragrant almond cream, then baking them again until they were crisp. Using day-old croissants is convenient in more ways than one: It gives new life to pastries that might otherwise be thrown away or sold at a hefty discount, and because the slightly stale croissants are less fragile, they’re much easier to work with. Plus, the slightly stale pastry is better able to absorb the rich, creamy filling without becoming soggy. 

These pastries were so popular people would line up around the block in hopes of procuring one. On weekends, the demand was so great that we often had no choice but to bake hundreds of extra fresh croissants, let them stale for several hours, then turn them into even more almond croissants.

It’s been almost four years since I left my job at the bakery, and the almond croissant is one of the pastries that I miss the most. Since I don’t usually have the time or resources to make them myself at home, I’ve started to make almond buns, which are essentially a mash-up of twice-baked almond croissants and cinnamon rolls, my other favorite breakfast treat. I swap out the croissants with a bread dough enriched with milk, butter, and eggs that I fill with sweet almond cream and baked into soft, pillowy rolls. It’s an easier way to satisfy my craving for an almond croissant—and though it isn’t quite the same, it’s just as delicious. 

Key Techniques for Making Delicious Almond Rolls 

My ideal rolls are light and lofty with a plush, feathery crumb. While most freshly baked cinnamon rolls start out this way, it only takes a few hours for them to lose their softness and become hard and slightly dry. Using a higher-hydration dough is one solution, but a wetter dough can be tricky to work with and harder to shape. After much trial and error, I came up with a method for making rolls that are easy to shape and stay fluffy and tender for longer: using a tangzhong. That, plus a few other important technical details, are the keys to success.

The Benefit of a Tangzhong

These rolls get their fluffy texture from tangzhong, a mixture of flour and milk or water that’s whisked together and cooked on the stove until a thick, stretchy paste forms. This process helps hydrate and gelatinize the starches in the flour, resulting in moist bread that stays fresher for longer. As Serious Eats contributor Andrew Janjigian touched on in his shokupan recipe, a gelled mixture of flour and water is “drier in texture than an identical ungelled one,” which “allows you to make a dough with more water in it than it could otherwise contain” without it becoming unworkably wet and sloppy.

The Importance of Thorough Kneading

Bakers and pastry chefs often caution against overworking doughs and batters, which can result in tough, chewy cakes and cookies. But some baked goods, like these rolls, benefit from a good knead, which organizes the gluten proteins glutenin and gliadin into a strong, extensible network that supports the dough as it rises in the oven. 

Since this dough is soft and sticky, I recommend using a stand mixer to knead it, as attempting to knead it with your hands and incorporating too much flour can result in tough, dry rolls. You’ll want to knead the dough until enough gluten has developed and it passes the windowpane test, which indicates the dough has developed enough elasticity: Pull off a golf ball-sized piece of dough and, using two hands, slowly stretch it as thinly as possible without ripping it. Hold the stretched dough up to the light, and if you can see through it, the dough is ready for its first rise. If not, continue kneading until you can stretch the dough thinly without it tearing. 

Proper Proofing

Like many yeasted doughs, these rolls require two rises: the first rise, also called the bulk fermentation, and the second rise, which is known as the final proof. As Serious Eats contributor Max Bernstein wrote in his guide to breadmaking, bulk fermentation is when the yeast does most of its work—consuming sugars and producing carbon dioxide, ethanol, and other byproducts—that help leaven the dough and deepen its flavor. To ensure the dough is adequately proofed, let it rise at warm room temperature (75 to 80°F; 24 to 27°C) until it’s puffy and has doubled in size—the dough should spring back slowly when gently pressed with a finger. 

After shaping the dough into rolls and nestling it into the baking pan, you’ll leave the dough to rise once more. This gives the gluten a chance to relax: Dough that hasn’t had time to rest will tear and deflate, instead of stretching and expanding into light, fluffy rolls. During the final proof, the dough will continue to produce carbon dioxide and rise, resulting in soft, airy rolls once baked.

Make a Great Almond Filling

At its most basic, almond cream (also called creme d’amande) is made by beating softened butter, sugar, eggs, and ground almonds together until it resembles thick cake batter. My version, like many others, incorporates an aromatic blend of flavorings including citrus zest, vanilla and almond extracts, and a splash of brandy.

Many people may call this mixture “frangipane,” though that term technically refers to almond cream that has been lightened with pastry cream. Almond cream is also not to be confused with marzipan or almond paste, which are both made from varying amounts of ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites, and contain no butter. 

How to Shape the Almond Rolls

The dough will be sticky, so be sure to generously flour your work surface and rolling pin. To shape the rolls, roll the dough into a 10- by 14-inch rectangle about half an inch thick, then use an offset spatula to spread a thick layer of almond cream evenly across it. It will feel like a lot, but ensures that each bite is packed with bold almond flavor. 

How to Serve

Starting with the long end, roll the dough into a tight log, then slide a strand of thread, unflavored dental floss, or butcher’s twine under the dough then cross the ends over the top and pull tight to slice the dough into seven portions. (This is a clever trick that former Serious Eats editor Stella swears by for cutting her cinnamon rolls neatly without squishing the dough, but a serrated knife will work too.) Nestle the buns into a greased 9-inch aluminum cake pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let the dough proof until they’ve doubled in size.

While these rolls are wonderful topped with nothing more than a dusting of powdered sugar, a buttery almond glaze makes them even more delicious. To keep the rolls gooey and moist, pour the glaze over the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven. Enjoy these rolls while they’re still fresh and warm, and they might just become your new favorite breakfast pastry.

For the Almond Cream: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (175ºC). Add almond flour to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer. Toast, stirring every 3 minutes, until the almond flour is fragrant and light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, and orange zest, if using, on low speed to roughly incorporate. Increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes, pausing to scrape down bowl and beater with a flexible spatula as needed. Add almond flour, all-purpose flour, egg, brandy (if using), almond extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on medium-high speed until smooth, thick, and creamy, pausing to to scrape down bowl and beater halfway through, about 2 minutes. Using a flexible spatula, scrape bowl and beater to ensure that no streaks of unmixed butter remain. (Almond cream can also be prepared in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer.) Set aside.

For the Tangzhong: In a small saucepan, whisk milk and flour to combine. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens to a stretchy pudding-like consistency, 2 to 3 minutes.

For the Dough: Using a flexible spatula, scrape hot tangzhong into the now-clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment; let cool until just warm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Add cold milk to tangzhong, followed by the flour, butter, egg, sugar, yeast, and salt. Mix on low speed until dough is smooth, supple, and elastic, 12 to 15 minutes. (The dough should pass the “windowpane” test: Pull off a golf ball-sized piece of dough and, using two hands, gently flatten and stretch it until it’s a thin, translucent window of dough that resists tearing. Though all dough will eventually tear if you stretch it too much, you should be able to stretch it quite thin before that happens. If dough does not pass windowpane test, continue kneading until dough resists tearing when stretched, another 2 to 4 minutes.)

Loosely cover bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let sit at warm room temperature (75 to 80ºF; 24 to 27ºC) until dough is puffy and doubled in size, 60 to 90 minutes.

Grease a 9-inch aluminum cake pan with butter. Line the pan with two 15-inch by 3-inch strips of parchment paper, overlapping them to form an “X” in the bottom of the pan. (There should be about 3 inches of overhang on the edges.)

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it into a 10-by 14-inch rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Using an offset spatula, spread frangipane over dough into an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border along each side. Starting with the long end, roll dough into a tight log. Carefully pinch dough together along the seam to seal, and gently pat log to ensure even thickness. Brush off any excess flour from the dough. Divide dough evenly into 7 slices, each about 2-inches thick: Slide an 8-inch strand of thread, unflavored dental floss, or butcher’s twine under the dough; cross the ends over the top and pull tight to slice dough. (Alternatively, you can use a serrated bread knife to portion dough.) Arrange rolls inside prepared pan: Place 6 rolls around the perimeter and one in the center, evenly spaced apart. Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until about doubled in size, 30 to 60 minutes. (To test if the dough is fully proofed, gently press the dough with the flat of your finger; it should leave an indent and gently spring back.)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Scatter sliced almonds evenly over proofed buns. Bake until rolls are golden brown and have an internal temperature of at least 190°F (88°C), 30 to 35 minutes. If the rolls begin to get overly dark before they’re finished cooking, lightly tent the pan with foil.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk confectioners’ sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt until a smooth, glossy glaze forms. It should be thick but pourable; add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to loosen as needed.

Remove rolls from the oven and pour glaze over them while still hot. Let cool in pan for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm.

Special Equipment

Stand mixer or hand mixer, small saucepan, whisk, flexible spatula, 9-inch aluminum pan, rolling pin, offset spatula

Notes

The final proof can be done overnight in the refrigerator, if desired. Arrange rolls in prepared pan, cover, and let rise until just beginning to puff, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate for up to 12 hours. When ready to bake, remove rolls from refrigerator and let rise in a warm place until double their original size. Proceed with step 7 of recipe. 

Make-Ahead and Storage

The almond cream can be made up to 4 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. Once cold, the almond cream becomes very firm—be sure to let it come to room temperature before attempting to spread it over the dough.

Once cooled, leftover rolls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Rolls can be tightly wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in fridge. To reheat, wrap rolls loosely in foil and place in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until warmed through.c

Whether you’re slicing through tough skirt steak or hardy grilled vegetables, you’ll want steak knives in your blade collection. Able to cleanly cut through a variety of dense or delicate foods at the dinner table, they can be just as essential as a chef’s knife. Our favorite affordable set from Material is razor-sharp, comfortable to hold, and well-designed. They were out of stock for most of last year but returned this month and are now on sale, bringing the price down to $88 for a set of four knives with a wooden holder.

Why They Won Our Review

They’re Wicked Sharp

Made of German stainless steel, these knives are truly very sharp. In fact, one of our testers gave an excited “Wow!” while slicing through a thick piece of steak with a Material table knife. Unlike a serrated knife, these blades are straight (our preferred form of steak knife), so they never tug or shred as they cut through food. 

Serrated blades like bread knives have their time and place, but slicing soft meat dishes requires smooth blades that are agile and decisive. We were particularly impressed with its performance on a tender filet mignon, which parted like butter as the Material steak knife glided through. 

They’re Easy on the Eyes

We also like the set’s modern, minimalist design. The straight handles come in various eye-catching colors with fun names (like Willow or Morel) instead of the more classic brown or black with rivets. 

If you’re thinking, “Where will I ever store four more knives in my packed kitchen?” we have good news: This set includes a wooden box for keeping the knives organized and protected when they’re not in use. While the website says these knives are dishwasher-safe, we always recommend hand-washing nice knives to keep them in good condition. 

Do We Recommend It?

Material Steak Knives

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: These knives punch way above their weight. When we tested them, one of our biggest complaints was that they seemed to be perpetually out of stock. That’s why we’re so excited that they’ve been restocked and are on sale to boot. We already thought they were affordable, but now you can grab the set for $88.

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen gear for Serious Eats for over two years.

As a vegetarian, she doesn’t own steak knives, but she may just have to grab these Material knives for crispy tofu cutlets or grilled cauliflower.

When I decided to move to Hawai’i, I had to do some real soul-searching on which pieces of kitchen equipment I could bring in my carry-on. I didn’t have space for anything but the essentials, and even then, I couldn’t afford anything too bulky or heavy. Ultimately, only two pans made the cut: a saucier and a skillet, both from All-Clad’s ultra-lightweight G5 (graphite core) line.

I discovered All-Clad’s graphite core pans last year when I received the saucier as a Hanukkah gift. Since then, I’ve added multiple pieces to my collection. They’ve quickly become my go-to pans, and not just for traveling. Lightweight, quick to heat and cool, and even-heating, the graphite core pans easily outperform other stainless steel I’ve used in the past. 

What Makes All-Clad’s G5 Line Different From Other Stainless Steel Pans?

All-Clad has a few different lines of stainless steel pans with subtle but meaningful differences. All of the pans are constructed from multiple layers (called “ply”) of metal—most commonly three-ply or five-ply. In general, pans with more layers are heavier and more durable; they also take longer to heat up and retain the heat for longer. The type of metal used in the pan’s core impacts the evenness of the heat distribution.

The brand’s basic lines (D3 and D5) sandwich exterior layers of stainless steel with an interior core of aluminum (an effective conductor of heat, but not necessarily food-safe on its own). The copper core collection swaps the aluminum core for—you guessed it—copper, which is lighter and a more even conductor. The newer G5 line features a stainless steel interior and exterior, two inner layers of aluminum for rapid heating, and a graphite core for uniform heat conduction. According to All-Clad, the graphite core is even lighter and spreads heat faster and more evenly than both aluminum and copper. 

All-Clad is the first major brand to debut a pan with a graphite core. The difference is immediately visible on the surface: You’ll notice round indents on the interior of the G5 pans, a honeycomb-like structure that aids in heat distribution. The graphite core also makes these pans significantly lighter than other stainless steel pans. 

Why I Love My All-Clad G5 Pans

Typically, when you’re shopping for stainless steel, you have to prioritize either heating and cooling speed or even heat conduction. But with the G5 line, you get the best of all worlds: lightweight construction, quick heating and cooling, and uniform heat distribution. A girl really can have it all. Let’s break it down further:

They’re lightweight: The graphite core pans are remarkably lightweight and easy to maneuver—a big plus for those lacking upper arm strength like myself. My 10.5-inch skillet weighs just two pounds, 2.5 ounces. That’s nearly a pound lighter than the 10-inch D5 skillet, with an extra half-inch of surface area to boot.

Rapid heat-up: My All-Clad G5 skillet heats up in approximately half the time as another five-ply skillet in my collection. It gets ripping-hot in less than a minute, making the pan ideal for getting a quick, hard sear on scallops, shrimp, or skirt steak. Since the pan heats up so quickly, you can cook on a lower heat and still achieve impressively even browning. If you’re cooking thicker proteins, you’ll want to lower the heat after the initial sear, since the pan will stay smoking hot. 

Temperature control and even heat distribution: Since the pan heats and cools quickly, the user has much more control over the pan's temperature. It’s responsive to even small adjustments in heat. The even heat distribution from the graphite core prevents hot spots, too. This results in a beautifully caramelized, shellac-like crust on meats.

Quick cooling: Once I remove the pan from heat, it cools down faster than other stainless steel pans, which minimizes carryover cooking. This is especially important for sensitive pastry projects, where a few extra seconds on the stove can make the difference between silky-smooth custard and a curdled mess. Due to the lack of hot spots and quick cooling, the G5 saucier is the only pan I’ll use for pastry creams, caramels, and curds. 

FAQs

Are the All-Clad G5 pans nonstick?

Stainless steel pans will never be quite as slick as a nonstick pan, which has been treated with chemicals to create a stick-resistant coating. But like other stainless steel pans, these graphite core pans become almost nonstick when handled properly. Heat the pan before adding butter or cooking oil, cook with plenty of fat, and deglaze the pan with water immediately after cooking to remove any lingering food residue. 

Are the All-Clad G5 pans oven-safe?

The G5 pans are oven and broiler-safe up to 600°F and compatible with any stovetop, including induction cooktops.

How do I clean stainless steel pans?

For daily cleaning, use hot water and a non-scratch scrubber sponge to work at any sticky spots. For a deeper clean, sprinkle the pan’s surface with Bar Keepers Friend and scrub away stubborn stains. For more information, look to our complete guide to cleaning stainless steel.

Why We’re the Experts

• Zoe Denenberg is a chef, baker, and food writer. 
• She currently splits her time between Maui, Hawai’i, where she works as a pastry chef, and Denali National Park, Alaska, where she is the executive chef at a wilderness lodge.
• She brings the All-Clad G5 10.5-inch skillet and 2.5-quart saucier (which she has owned for a year) along on all of her travels. She uses them daily.
  

A party without a shareable appetizer is like Easter without a bunny. And while pre-made puff pastry snacks from the freezer aisle can often do the job (if a bit soggily, at times), a freshly prepared savory tart delivers so much more impact with very little extra effort. With just one sheet of store-bought puff pastry, creamy Brie cheese, a few roasted carrots, and a zippy honey-mustard drizzle, this tart comes together easily for a colorful and delicious dish. It’s a great year-round addition to any party spread, Easter brunch, or even a picnic lunch. 

While carrots are rarely a “main event” ingredient, our Birmingham-based test kitchen colleague Renu Dhar has found a way to showcase them in this savory carrot tart recipe. The key to a crisp crust with a tender carrot topping comes down to just a few critical techniques.

Why Store-Bought Puff Pastry Is Best

Puff pastry is a laminated dough, made by repeatedly folding butter and dough together until the layers are paper thin. When the heat of the oven hits the dough, steam expands from the melting butter. Once baked, you have a light and delicately flaky pastry that is the perfect vessel for holding both sweet and savory fillings. It’s a beautiful thing.

But making it from scratch not only takes time, it's also a pain to do. The temperature of the butter and the dough, as well as the ambient conditions of the room you're in, all need to be just right for the pastry to turn out perfectly. The easiest solution? Don’t make it. 

Instead, start with frozen puff pastry. This allows you to throw it together relatively fast. When properly baked until deep golden and crisp, frozen puff pastry is a powerhouse ingredient, offering a quick foundation for the roasted carrots. We love the buttery flavor of Dufour, but other brands, such as readily available Pepperidge Farm, also work well. 

Whatever brand you choose, well-baked is the key here. Undercooked puff pastry is gummy and bland, and it’s an unfortunately common occurrence. To avoid this, the thawed puff pastry needs to be baked until bien cuit, the French term for “well done” which refers to the deep, dark color on the crust. To achieve this, it requires longer than you’d expect to bake through, drive off moisture, and fully express all its flaky layers.

While many recipes call for par-baking the puff pastry before assembling the tart to ensure proper baking, Renu found that with this tart, this step could be skipped because of the carrots' relatively low water content—they dump less moisture onto the pastry than many other vegetables and fruits used for tarts like this, and thus make it less soggy (that, plus some prep tips I'll discuss below).

Instead she scores and docks the dough right before adding the toppings. Scoring the dough's perimeter with a pairing knife and poking the dough all over with a fork (aka docking) ensures the crust’s edges will puff properly, while the center stays smooth and flat when baking. This saves time and effort, while still achieving a shatteringly crisp crust from edge to edge. 

How to Make a Flavorful Carrot Topping That Won’t Cause a Soggy Crust

The key to ensuring the tart's crust remains crisp relies not only on how the dough is prepared, but also on how the carrots are prepared, and how all the ingredients are layered together. 

First, roast the carrots separately, before assembling the tart. If you were to plop raw carrots onto the raw tart dough and bake it, you’d end up with a tart with browned edges, a soggy bottom and still crunchy carrots. There’s no avoiding this step—those carrots need some alone time in the oven first to ensure that once the tart is assembled and baked, they are fully tender at the same time the cheese melts and the dough cooks through.

While carrots are not a very juicy vegetable, roasting them first still helps to cook off any excess moisture, which could cause the puff pastry to turn wet and prevent it from rising properly. Before roasting, the carrots are tossed with oil, garlic powder, and ground ginger that complements their natural sweet flavor. For visual contrast and a fun presentation, we like to cut some of the carrots into round coins, and some into long strands.

The second tip to ensure a crisp tart is to layer the ingredients with purpose. Start by shingling the Brie cheese across the prepared pastry. Not only does the Brie add creamy, rich flavor to the tart, the cheese also acts as a protective layer to help prevent excess moisture from seeping down into the dough. The cheese is then brushed with a honey-mustard vinaigrette, followed by the carrots. As the cheese bakes and melts, it also anchors the carrots in place to ensure everything comes together into one cohesive bite: The bottom crust is crispy, the carrots on top are soft, and all of it is glued together with delicious melted cheese.

Note that when you're baking the tart, it can be difficult to tell if the underside is crisp just by looking at the top, so we recommend gently lifting the edge of the tart with a spatula and running a butter knife across the bottom to feel for how crisp it is. If still soft, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil and let it bake for a few more minutes until the bottom is crisp.

Once you remove the tart from the oven, let it cool (uncovered—you don't want to trap steam!) for a few minutes before cutting to allow the cheese to firm up slightly. The tart can be served warm, or cooled to room temperature.

Adjust oven rack to lower third position; preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Slice 2 carrots crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; halve remaining carrots lengthwise.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss all carrots with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger until evenly coated. Arrange carrot rounds and lengths in a single layer, cut side down. Roast until carrots are tender and lightly browned at edges, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes; keep oven on.

While carrots are roasting, in a large bowl, thoroughly whisk vinegar, mustard, honey, remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle in remaining 2 teaspoons oil while whisking constantly.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll puff pastry sheet into a 13- by 11-inch rectangle. Transfer to parchment-lined sheet. Using a pairing knife, lightly score a border around perimeter of puff pastry, about 1/2 inch from edges. Using a fork, prick pastry at 1-inch intervals inside the border (do not prick the border). Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to bake.

When ready to bake, arrange Brie slices in an even layer inside scored border of pastry. Arrange carrot rounds and lengths on top of cheese; drizzle and brush evenly with 2 tablespoons honey-mustard mixture. Lightly brush edges of pastry with beaten egg yolk.

Bake until cheese is melted and pastry is deeply browned on edges and crisp on bottom, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes. Transfer tart to cutting board and drizzle top with remaining honey-mustard mixture and garnish with black pepper and thyme leaves. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Special Equipment

2 rimmed baking sheets, parchment paper

Make-Ahead and Storage

This tart is best served right after baking, but leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To reheat, transfer to a parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and heat in a 350°F (175°C) oven until warmed through, cheese is softened, and puff pastry is recrisped.

When I'm stressed or have had a bad day, my first instinct is to run into the kitchen and bury myself in baking projects. I start proofing sourdough loaves, make and scoop several batches of cookie dough to freeze for later, and immerse myself in the meditative act of laminating puff pastry dough. Baking up a storm certainly won't solve all of my problems, but it's the most enjoyable and rewarding (not to mention delicious!) way to take my mind off things. Below, you'll find 15 baking projects—including tender cinnamon rolls, buttery brioche, and the very best chocolate chip cookies—that will provide you with a mental escape when you need it the most.

Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread)

Shokupan is an ultra-soft, squishy, and impossibly light loaf, with a mild sweetness and a fine, pillowy crumb the Japanese call "fuwa fuwa" or "fluffy fluffy." Here, a scalded flour mixture known as a yudane keeps the loaf soft. Unlike most wheat-based scalds that must be cooked over a stove, this yudane is made with glutinous rice flour, and comes together simply by whisking boiled milk with the flour.

Cheese Danish

These Danishes are rich with butter and packed with sweet, tangy cream cheese—and may very well convince you that the only ones worth eating are warm, freshly baked ones.

Custard Creams

These sandwich-style cookies feature a silky pale yellow buttercream between two crumbly rectangular biscuits. Custard powder gives the biscuits their distinct golden color and custard-like flavor, and keeping the dough cold helps the biscuits retain their shape and embossed detail.

New Jersey Crumb Buns

The Garden State's spin on coffee cake goes heavy (in the best of ways) on the streusel crumb topping. For a soft, rich crumb, cream softened butter with equal parts granulated and brown sugar. Don't skip the hefty dose of cinnamon, which gives the pastry its warm spiced note.

One-Bowl Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

The best smell to wake up to is that of cinnamon rolls wafting from the oven. The magic of this recipe? All the heavy lifting is knocked out a day in advance. Plus: It's a one-bowl recipe, so you don't need to dirty every dish in the house just to make a special breakfast.

Kanafeh (Middle Eastern Cheese and Phyllo Dessert)

Filled with salty cheese and drenched in a floral syrup, kanafeh is a crispy, nutty, and syrupy dessert made for cheese lovers. Thoroughly mixing the shredded phyllo with ghee and baking it in a cast iron skillet—which promotes even browning—ensures the pastry crisps up all the way.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Good things take time: An overnight rest allows enzymes to break down large carbohydrates, enhancing the caramelization and browning process the next day to help the cookies develop deeper flavor. These cookies get their intensely nutty, butterscotch flavor from brown butter and deep molasses notes from dark brown sugar.

Homemade Bagels

A Japanese technique called yukone—which involves cooking a mixture of flour and water on the stove into a thick paste of gelatinized starch before incorporating it into a dough—ensures these tender, chewy bagels stay fresh for days.

Leche Flan (Filipino Baked Custard)

Leche flan is a beloved dessert in the Philippines, and marries caramelized sugar with a rich, dense, and creamy custard. For the silkiest custard, pass the flan through a fine-mesh sieve, then bake it in a water bath, which surrounds the dessert with gentle, uniform heat that prevents it from becoming dry and rubbery.

New England Anadama Bread

You can thank a grumpy fisherman and his wife for this traditional New England sandwich bread. Made with cornmeal and molasses, the loaf is sweet and slightly nubby, and especially delicious when toasted and slathered with salted butter.

Chocolate Babka

Rich, tender, and filled with just the right amount of chocolate, this delicious babka will fill your home with the enticing scent of yeasted dough and cocoa. A simple cooked flour slurry called tangzhong gives the bread its moist, fluffy texture and delays staling, while a cold proof helps the dough develop more flavor and makes it easier to shape.

Millionaire's Shortbread

With layers of tender shortbread, rich caramel, and dark chocolate, millionaire’s shortbread is a luxurious confection worth making at home. Cooking the butter, sugar, and heavy cream to 235°F (113°C) results in butterscotch that's satisfyingly chewy and not too firm or runny, and a dark chocolate topping helps offset the sweetness of the bar.

Classic Yeasted Coffee Cake

With its tender crumb, sweet cinnamon filling, and toasted pecan topping, this pastry is a riff on Sara Lee's pecan coffee cake. Made in the style of Danish brunsviger—a yeasted coffee cake that's typically eaten for breakfast—it's subtly sweet, with a soft, springy crumb.

Brioche

Brioche is the gold standard of enriched bread: It is unashamedly rich with a melt-in-the-mouth quality. This classic brioche is airy and tender, with a deeply rich and buttery flavor thanks to eggs, whole milk, plenty of butter, and hands-off cold fermentation.

Gâteau Basque

Gâteau Basque, which has a filling of pastry cream or cherry jam nestled between a tender and slightly crumbly crust, combines elements of a cookie, tart, and pie. In other words: A crowd-pleasing dessert that ticks all the boxes.

If you’ve been eyeing a blender upgrade or cookware set refresh, we’re only one sleep away from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. Starting Tuesday, March 25 (that's tomorrow!), Amazon will hold seven days of major sales across all categories to welcome the new season. As kitchen gear nerds who can recite the names of Breville’s espresso machines and Vitamix’s blenders by heart, we practically have antennae that go off any time our favorite kitchen essentials go on sale. Ahead of the spring sale, we’ve already found 31 incredible deals, with up to 50% off the Yeti Roadie cooler, Anova Culinary sous vide cooker, Le Creuset Dutch oven, and more.

Breville Barista Express Impress Espresso Machine

Crowned the best espresso machine for beginners during our tests, the Breville Barista Express Impress has a built-in grinder, integrated steam wand, and helpful tamping lever—everything you need to make aromatic espresso drinks. The steam wand produces silky milk foam, and the automatic coffee portioning system removes any guesswork.

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

The Le Creuset Dutch Oven has been our favorite for years. Its durable cast iron heats across the entire surface and cooks food thoroughly. Be it pork shoulder or stewed beans, the Le Creuset excels at retaining heat. We especially like how the enamel coating resists staining.

Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Lid

This Dutch oven braises, stews, and bakes just as well as more expensive ones, but costs a fraction of the price. If it's maintained well, it'll last for ages, too. (I personally think it's the best Dutch oven you could get your hands on for under $100). Grab it while it's 40% off.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

This Breville toaster oven air fryer can do anything—literally. It air fries, toasts, bakes, broils, dehydrates, slow cooks, and much more. It even has presets for cookies, bagels, and pizza. It churns out crunchy fries and impressively crisp chicken wings. Rarely on sale, it's finally $100 off.

Yeti Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler

This Yeti hard cooler can hold up to 76 cans or 54 pounds of ice. Its rugged, 7-inch wheels can roll over uneven terrain, and it stayed cold for an impressive 72 hours (the longest amount of time!) during our tests. The periscope handle also extends and collapses smoothly.

Yeti Hopper Flip 12 Portable Soft Cooler

We love that this soft cooler has a spacious interior, incredible cold retention, and a comfortable carrying strap. It can hold 18 cans plus 8 pounds of ice, making it ideal for picnics, beach days, or grocery store runs. Longer, sunnier days are nearly here.

Breville Smart Oven Pro Countertop Oven

This toaster oven has been our top pick for nearly a decade. Toast comes out uniformly golden, without any light or dark spots. It can also roast, bake, broil, and even fit a frozen pizza with ease.

Yeti Rambler 42-Ounce Tumbler With Handle and Straw Lid

Available in various sizes, the Yeti Rambler fits into any car cupholder. This insulated tumbler keeps drinks cold for hours and has a press-in lid that keeps it from leaking too much. The handle is comfortable to grip, too.

OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

Simply put, this is the best affordable burr coffee grinder. For the price, it delivers consistent grinds. It’s also a slender machine with a sleek and simple control dial. The hopper and burr also come apart and reassemble quickly for cleaning. 

Tramontina 10-Inch Nonstick Frying Pan

At 46% off, this nonstick pan releases fried eggs without a hitch and produces smooth, uniformly cooked omelets. The aluminum body heats up quickly, while the nonstick coating sustained only minor scratches during our durability tests. It’s lightweight, cheap, and gets the job done.

Lodge Cast Iron Rectangular Reversible Griddle

Lodge’s reversible griddle is essential for big-batch breakfasts or burgers. The griddle side cooks fluffy pancakes and the grill side imparts flavorful char marks on burger patties and vegetable skewers. It’s a multitasker in the kitchen and is on sale for 41% off.

OXO Good Grips Silicone Oven Mitt

Keep your hands protected in the kitchen with our favorite oven mitt from OXO. We especially like the snug fit, which offers versatility and dexterity while handling hot pots and pans. The textured silicone also provides a sturdy grip on rims and handles.

Tramontina Seattle Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel 12-Inch Frying Pan

Our budget stainless steel pan pick is this skillet from Tramontina. It’s especially worth grabbing now that it’s 43% off. It heats quickly, sears chicken to a golden hue, and sautés vegetables without any trouble.

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Pro

This normally splurge-worthy sous vide machine is now a whopping 48% off. It's speedy, efficient, and incredibly accurate. It’s able to bring 6 quarts of water to 190°F in just 32 minutes and stays quiet when in use. We also like the onboard display, which clearly states temperature and cook times.

Messermeister Avanta 5-Inch Fine Edge Steak Knife Set

Steak knives can be pricey, but we’re big fans of this surprisingly affordable set from Messermeister. It’s a longtime favorite that cuts through steak with little resistance. The handles are comfortable to hold and the blades remain sharp with use.

Peugeot Paris u'Select Manual Pepper Mill

This pepper mill delivers consistent grinding at every setting. The round wooden top and curved body make it comfortable to hold and the marked base can be adjusted for different sizes. It also looks nice by the stove or on the dinner table.

Lodge 10.25-Inch Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet

Thanks to its durability and even cooking, this cast iron skillet has been our top pick for years. It sears pork chops to a golden brown and bakes fluffy, moist cornbread. It also cleans up quickly and lasts a very, very long time.

Vitamix A3300 Ascent Series Smart Blender

It’s rare to see $145 off on a Vitamix blender, so this deal is worth flagging. The powerful motor never struggles to produce silky smoothies, soups, or emulsions. The variable speed control lets you fine-tune your blending and the built-in timer is a bonus for multitaskers in the kitchen.

Yosukata Carbon Steel Wok

To achieve true, smoky wok hei at home, you'll need a carbon steel wok like this one from Yosukata that's been our favorite through several rounds of testing. It comes pre-seasoned, reaches high temperatures quickly, and doesn't stick. The handle also stays cool while cooking. At $57, it's a steal.

Vitamix Immersion Blender 3-Piece Set

Be it pureeing celery soup or crushing ice, this Vitamix immersion blender can do it all. It makes quick work of whipping mayonnaise or heavy cream and has a useful blade guard that protects your pots and pans.

Cuckoo Micom 6-Cup Rice Cooker

We called this the best rice cooker for those who are “quite serious about rice.” It has a total of 11 settings, spanning white rice, brown rice, porridge, germinated brown rice, and more. It offers the most customization out of the 23 models we’ve tested over the years, allowing you to set soaking time or cooking temperature.

Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers, Set of 5

If you’re looking to upgrade your food storage containers, this plastic Rubbermaid Brilliance set will be a happy home for your leftovers. It’s completely leakproof and does an exceptional job of resisting odors and stains.

Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker

Out of the 12 Instant Pots we tested, the Instant Pot Pro continues to be our top pick. Capable of making flavorful chili and much more, it pressurizes within five minutes and has a non-spinning inner pot for more stable sautéing. We particularly appreciate its push-button steam release feature.

Anova Culinary Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro

For sous vide cooking or long-term food storage, we recommend this Anova vacuum sealer that offers a wide range of settings and an impenetrable double-seal technology. It can seal bags back to back and has a liquid setting for sealing bags with moisture (like marinated meats or saucy vegetables).

Mercer Culinary Genesis 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

This German-style chef’s knife delivers serious bang for your buck at just $38. It has a super sharp blade and a grippy handle that’s comfortable to hold. It excels at slicing and dicing vegetables and cuts into a pineapple without trouble.

Ironwood Gourmet Large End-Grain Wood Cutting Board

For a budget wooden cutting board, this one from Ironwood stands out in looks as well as performance. It’s thin and light, making it easy to clean and store, and has been our budget pick through several rounds of testing, continuing to impress us for its price. 

Zulay Kitchen Executive Series Milk Frother Wand

We like that this handheld milk frother takes up minimal space in the drawer yet froths milk quickly, given its compact size. It gets to work with a single press of the power button. 

OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Stainless Steel Food Scale

This accurate and versatile food scale has a max capacity indicator, which is handy for weighing out large amounts of flour or grains. We especially like the pull-out display that lets you track weight with larger mixing bowls or sheet pans on top. 

Zeppoli Classic Dish Towels, 15-Pack

There are never enough dish towels around, so grab this 15-pack that’s our favorite out of the 17 brands tested. Boasting an impressive absorbency rate of 141%, these Zeppoli towels sop up messes without trouble. They’re also adept at handling hot pots and pans. Plus, they’re on sale for just $1.30 apiece.

O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop

Sticky barbecue sauce and runny coffee spills are no match for this superb spin mop that can get into every tricky corner. Its bucket has a clever built-in spinner wringer operated with a foot pedal, leaving mop heads wrung and ready to tackle the next mess.

Pipishell Bamboo Expandable Drawer Organizer

Spring cleaning is officially here. To wrangle your jumble of utensils, grab this drawer organizer that’s on sale for 39% off. It’s our favorite thanks to its expandable sides and waterproof coating.

FAQs

When is the Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025?

This year, Amazon’s spring sale event will last for seven days, starting on Tuesday, March 25, and running through Monday, March 31.

What is the Amazon Big Spring Sale?

The inaugural Amazon Big Spring Sale took place in March of 2024. Think of it as a springtime Prime Day that lasts for seven days, when you can stock up on kitchen essentials at a steal.

Do you have to be a Prime member to shop the Amazon Big Spring Sale?

You don’t! Anyone can access Big Spring Sale deals, but Prime members get free shipping and additional member-only discounts. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial here. 

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen equipment for Serious Eats for over two years.
• She loves a good deal on kitchen gear and will be grabbing this Ironwood cutting board as an early Mother’s Day gift.