Gozney recently launched a much-anticipated portable pizza oven: the Tread. In the months leading up to its release, chatter on Reddit reached a crescendo, with speculation running rampant; there were even supposed “leaked” images, adding to the anticipation. 

And now, it’s finally here. A few months before it launched, I got my hands on a press sample of the Tread to test it out. I braved frigid New England winter days and nights and slung loads of pizza (and also roasted some chicken leg quarters) to see if this petite, portable oven was worth it.

The Tests

• Heating Speed Test: I timed how long it took the Gozney tread to hit 900°F using an infrared thermometer to take the temperature in the left, right, and center of the oven. 
• Portability Test: To test its portability, I packed up the pizza oven and stand, put them in my small car, and took them to my in-law's house 35 minutes away. 
• Neapolitan Pizza Test: I set up the pizza oven on the quadruped stand and made pepperoni and fig-ricotta Neapolitan pies. 
• Chicken Test: Since Gozney promises the Tread makes “more than pizza” I decided to roast chicken leg quarters in the oven, loosely following this recipe. 

What We Learned

The Gozney Tread Pizza Oven Gets Hot, Hot, Hot

When I baked the pizzas, the stone reached an incredible 980°F on average after about 30 minutes of preheating. Even after lowering the heat, I had to use the turning peel to deflect some of the heat from the arced flame, lest the pepperoni and puffy crusts char beyond recognition. The same thing happened during my heat speed test: The stone hit 962°F after a mere 25 minutes of preheating. 

The reason the oven gets super hot is likely its size: It’s compact (more on this below), so it takes way less time to come to temperature than, say, a 24-inch pizza oven. While this is a boon for making Neapolitan pizzas, which require intense heat to cook quickly, it does mean that if you want to branch out you’ll have to make adjustments and keep an eye on your food. When I roasted the chicken leg quarters, I had to cover them with aluminum foil and only do a quick broil at the end to prevent the skin from burning. However, the resulting chicken was perfectly cooked with crispy skin and tender meat, swimming in a puddle of golden schmaltz (which begged to be used to roast some potatoes). 

Let’s Talk Portability 

If you follow Gozney, you might notice that the Tread looks quite similar to two of its other ovens: the Arc and the Dome. It even has the same arc-shaped flame as the former. But the Tread, being portable, is significantly smaller and lighter. While the Arc has an internal diameter of around 15 inches, the Tread’s is closer to 12 inches. Since cooking space is tight, you’ll need to shape smaller pizzas. The Arc’s external dimensions are 19 by 22 by 13.5 inches, while the Tread’s are 16.5 by 19.1 by 12.6 inches—a lot smaller. Finally, the Tread is much lighter than the Arc: 29.7 pounds versus 47.5 pounds—nearly 18 pounds less. Its reduced dimensions and weight add to the Tread’s portability, as do the “racks” on top, which make it easy to grab and move. That being said, when packed in the Tread Venture bag, it was bulky and awkward to carry. While the case was great for protecting the oven during travel or in storage, it was much easier to lift the oven on its own. 

The Quadruped Stand Was an Interesting Design Choice 

My father-in-law is a carpenter, and one of his creations is a set of small stacking tables. The tables are tripods—that is, they have three legs. According to him, only having three points of contact ensures the tabletop sits evenly, even if it’s set somewhere uneven. So he was surprised that Gozney’s Venture stand (which you have to purchase separately) wasn’t a tripod and instead had four legs. I thought this was an interesting insight, though I didn’t have any issues with the oven wobbling when set on a deck or my sloping concrete driveway. The stand has a built-in level, and the legs are adjustable, so it was easy to tweak it so that it stood evenly.   

The Verdict

The Gozney Tread is a great portable pizza oven. It has a 12.4-inch wide opening and a 12.2-inch internal width, so it’s best for making smaller pizzas. The compact form was great for portability, and I particularly liked the racks on the top of the oven, which made it easy to lift and move.

While it shone making Neapolitan pizzas, it’s also versatile enough to cook up other dishes, like roasted chicken thighs or seared steak. The Gozney Tread does get ripping hot, so keep an eye on your pies (or other foods if you’re getting creative) and adjust the heat as needed. 

Is it worth it? Well, it depends on how much you think you’ll actually use it. Do you go camping often and like the idea of camp-side pizzas? Or maybe you want to show off your new pizza topping combos to friends and family—the Tread lets you bring the oven to them.

I’d be remiss not to mention that while the Tread is novel, other pizza ovens are just as good and just as portable: Take the Ooni Koda 12, for instance. It weighs 29 pounds—a little less than the Tread—and is a similar size. It’s also $100 less and heated up in a mere 15 minutes in our tests. While it’s not explicitly called a portable oven, for all intents and purposes, it is. That said, if you’re looking for a compact oven that’s easy to use and lug around, the Tread will likely make you happy. 

The Pros

Compact? Check. Fast? Check. Hot? Check. The Gozney Tread delivers on everything it promises. It excelled at making puffy-crusted Neapolitan pizzas fast, and it was easy to break down and transport. It cools off quickly, too. During my tests, I used the accompanying Venture peel and turning peel and highly recommend them, since they fit nicely inside the Tread’s narrow opening. It also impressed me (I admit, I was skeptical) with how it roasted chicken leg quarters—I could truly see myself hauling it to a campsite and using it to make more than just ‘za. 

The Cons

I wished that I could make the flame even smaller—as it was, even at its lowest setting, it was still quite strong. You’ll need a small turning peel and some skill at maneuvering pizzas since the cooking surface is very compact. Speaking of peels, it would’ve been nice if the Tread had hanging hooks for them. Also, the Tread is a similar size and weight to other smaller pizza ovens, like the Ooni Koda 12, but it costs more—$500 plus $250 for the stand. 

Key Specs

• External dimensions: 16.5 x 19.1 x 12.6 inches
• Internal dimensions: 12.2 x 15 x 5.9 inches
• Door size: 12.4 x 3.35 inches
• Weight: 29.7 pounds
• Warranty: 5 years

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats, where she’s been testing kitchen gear for almost three years. 
• She used to test kitchen equipment at America’s Test Kitchen and has spent time as a bartender and line cook. 
• To test the Gozney Tread, Grace used it to make Neapolitan pizzas and roasted chicken leg quarters. She also tracked how quickly the stone hit 900°F. 
• Grace has tested a multitude of pizza ovens, including the Gozney Arc and Ooni Koda 2 Max. Her husband is an avid pizza maker (and eater) and has benefitted greatly from these tests. 
  

After cooking all week, my kitchen floor accumulates a lot of crumbs and scraps. Here’s just a taste: a few granules of sugar, some desiccated potato peels (flung onto the ground as I overzealously skinned a spud), a single fusilli noodle, coffee grounds, and—the bane of my existence—sticky, diaphanous garlic skin. But with a handy-dandy broom, I can do a quick sweep of the kitchen floor, and the space becomes moderately more presentable. A broom also comes in clutch when I’ve spilled rice all over the floor and am too lazy to break out the vacuum. Yes, it’s true: I hate cleaning. But a good kitchen broom, one that’s swift and sure and true, makes it mostly painless. I tested 10 brooms to find the best ones to spiff up my kitchen—and do it fast.   

The Winners, at a Glance

This simple broom was adept at quickly gathering and sweeping coffee grounds and rice into its accompanying dustpan. The petite broom head was easy to tuck into corners and other hard-to-reach spots. 

A customizable broom—fancy! You can shorten or lengthen the broom handle, making this a great versatile pick. The dustpan also sports a tall handle, so I could gather up debris without bending over. 

I love this set: It swiftly gathered grounds and grains, and the bristles directed them neatly into the dustpan. While not kitchen-related, it was also great at sweeping cat hair off my couch. 

This cute purple mini dustpan and broom might look like a kid's toy, but it was an efficient little set. The tiny broom reached into nooks nicely and gathered up rice grains readily. 

The Tests

• Coffee Grounds Test: I scattered one tablespoon of ground coffee onto my hardwood floors and then used each broom to sweep it up. I counted how many strokes it took to gather all of the grounds, and noted how easy the broom was to hold and move. 
• Rice Test: I scattered a quarter cup of rice on my kitchen floor and swept it up, noting how many strokes it took. 
• Longterm Use Test (Winners Only): I used each of my favorite brooms in my daily sweeping routine to see how they performed in various cleaning situations. 

What We Learned 

Stiffer Bristles Were Better

Brooms with stiffer bristles, like the Casabella and Pine-Sol, caught rice and coffee grounds and swiftly shepherded them into the dustpans. Softer bristles, like on the O-Cedar, made more of a mess. Instead of sweeping efficiently and neatly, they compressed into the floor and flung stuff like a catapult—rice skittered away and coffee particles whizzed across the floor. I had to adjust my stance, sweep some more, and wrangle any stragglers. To avoid making cleaning a more onerous task than it already is, stick with a stiffer-bristled broom—it’ll get the job done faster. That said, a large, super stiff broom, like the Libman 211 Extra Large Precision Angle Broom, wasn’t as adept at getting into corners and struggled to sweep up anything light or flimsy (such as garlic skins). 

Dustpan Shape Was Important 

A dustpan is essential when it comes to sweeping; without one, you’re just moving stuff around (like you did when you were told to clean your room as a kid, amirite?). A good dustpan should have a thin lip that sits flush with the floor, and the interior should be concave without ridges or bumps to impede stuff from entering. It should also be easy to hold. 

Some dustpans I tested were truly horrible, like the O-Cedar’s. While it’s designed to be stepped on, you still need to grab the pan to throw away the junk collected. And this oddly shaped dustpan’s uncomfortably bent handle made it awkward. Plus, the dustpan didn’t attach easily to the broom after use. 

…And Broom Size and Shape Was, Too 

Why someone would sell a broom whose brush head was larger than the accompanying dustpan is beyond me. It just makes more mess, since with each sweep, the overhanging portion of the broom pushes stuff around the sides of the dustpan. This was the case with the O-Cedar broom, which I disliked more and more as I continued to test it. The dustpan’s opening is 12 inches wide, while the sharply angled broom head is 13.5 inches across, so every time I swept it sent debris around the sides. 

The heavy, angled broom head also ensured that the broom fell over any time I rested it against the wall for a breather. (I did a lot of sweeping, okay!) While this isn’t a big deal, it’s annoying that you can’t lean the broom off to the side when you take a break (and it also makes storage difficult).  

The Best Brooms Were Light and Nimble 

If you’re like me, after a few days of cooking there is an inordinately large amount of food bits all over the floor. And, for some reason, they always seem to accumulate in hard-to-reach corners. Go figure! So when it comes time to clean up the mess, a nimble broom that can tuck into nooks is a must. I found brooms with slightly smaller heads, like the Casabella, were the best at this task, as were handheld dustpans and brushes; their petite size let me easily sweep inside small spaces. Bigger, heavier brooms, like the Amazon Basics and Rubbermaid, were difficult to control and bashed into small spots.

That said, larger, heftier brooms do have their uses: The Amazon Basics broom, which is marketed as an outdoor broom, is truly great at sweeping away big messes across a large swath of ground. I could see it being useful to clean dust or leaves off a deck or a porch. But for a home kitchen, it’s overkill. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Broom 

A kitchen broom should be versatile, adept at sweeping small particles, like coffee grounds, and larger bits, like rice. The broom head shouldn’t be larger than the dustpan, if it comes with one. I also preferred smaller, firmer bristled brooms that easily reached into nooks and crannies. Finally, the broom handle should be on the long side to make it versatile for a variety of users. 

Our Favorite Brooms

What we liked: This nimble broom is a good length, and its dense, angled head swept up coffee quickly, without flinging grounds everywhere. The stiff bristles corralled rice efficiently, too. The dustpan features a sloped, rubbery edge that sits flush with the floor and prevents bits from being swept underneath or around it. It also easily clips flush to the broom, which is nifty for storage.

What we didn’t like: While the smaller broom head was a boon for getting into hard-to-reach corners, it did mean more sweeps for larger messes. 

Key Specs

• Style: Standard broom
• Accessories: Dustpan
• Broom handle length: 45.5 inches
• Broom head dimensions: 9.5 x 4.25 inches
• Dustpan dimensions: 12 x 11.5 inches

What we liked: This broom’s handle is adjustable, so you can customize its height to your liking. The broom swept up coffee grounds easily and efficiently. The rubber bristles on the dustpan help dislodge stuff from the broom, which, while not an issue with coffee grounds, was helpful after sweeping up pet hair and other sticky things. The handle on the dustpan is nice (I could sweep and gather without bending over), and the angled, rubber edge ensured that coffee grounds and rice didn’t get swept under the dustpan. It’s the kind of broom setup that janitors use, so it’s legit. 

What we didn’t like: The softer bristles did feel less effective than sturdier ones. Emptying the dustpan, which pivots on a hinge, is awkward, and the whole setup feels tippy when the broom is locked into the dustpan. It's rather pricey.

Key Specs

• Style: Broom with handled dustpan
• Accessories: Handled dustpan
• Broom handle length: 28.5 to 48 inches (compacted versus fully extended)
• Broom head dimensions: 9.25 in x 4.25 inches
• Dustpan dimensions: 12.75 x 9 x 28.5 inches

What we liked: I love a handheld dustpan and brush set. Not only does it let me clean up tiny spills in small spaces, but if I accidentally tip over a bag of coffee grounds on the countertop, I can swiftly tidy it up without breaking out the vacuum. The bristles on this set were firm, preventing flinging and instead corralling rice and coffee grounds swiftly into the dustpan. An aside: One of my cats has medium-length hair that is incredibly difficult to clean off my couch, but the brush from this set gets rid of it better than a lint roller. 

What we didn’t like: The dustpan’s edge was a little uneven (if not pressed firmly to the surface, there were gaps under it), which resulted in some grounds being pushed underneath or getting stuck on the lip.

Key Specs 

• Style: Handheld dustpan and brush
• Accessories: None
• Brush handle length: 3.75 inches
• Brush head dimensions: 5.75 x 2.5 inches
• Dustpan dimensions: 7 x 10 inches

What we liked: While the Pine-Sol broom was more efficient, this little purple and yellow broom did a good job overall. It swept up rice easily, and its ultra petite size meant it was great for cleaning up messes in cramped areas. 

What we didn’t like: It took a few more sweeps to wrangle stragglers. The ledge of the dustpan was a little too thick, which impeded grounds and made it more work to sweep them into the pan. It's also itty bitty, so it’s only good for tiny spills.

Key Specs

• Style: Handheld dustpan and brush
• Accessories: None
• Brush handle length: 3.75 inches
• Brush head dimensions: 6.25 x 1.75 inches
• Dustpan dimensions: 6 x 7.5 inches

The Competition

Also Good

• Libman Precision Angle Broom and Dust Pan: This broom’s bristles were a little too stiff, making it difficult to gather small particles like coffee grounds. The dustpan was smaller than the broom head, so it was a challenge to collect debris in one sweep. It did quickly clean up bigger messes, though, and the brush comb was a nice touch. 
• Amazon Basics Heavy-Duty Outdoor Broom: This is a heavy-duty broom with a large head that’s good for sweeping up big messes—think getting dust off a sidewalk or porch. But for indoor messes, it was overkill. The bristles on this broom are soft, too, and they flung coffee grounds with each sweep. 
• Libman 211 Extra Large Precision Angle Broom: Like the Amazon Basics broom, this is a big option that’s great for cleaning large areas. Its stiff bristles quickly corralled large debris, like rice, but struggled to pick up lighter bits, like coffee grounds. It doesn’t come with a dustpan.
• OXO Good Grips Dustpan and Brush Set: This small dustpan and brush set performed adequately, but it wasn’t as efficient as my winning picks. This was mainly because the bristles were soft, so they flung stuff rather than quickly sweeping bits into the bin. The ridge on the dustpan also impeded some of the coffee grounds from getting swept inside.

Not Recommended 

• OXO Good Grips Upright Sweep Set: While the handled dustpan was nice, the broom’s handle was too short; I’m a few inches over five feet tall and had to bend over to use it. The broom head is also very small, requiring more sweeping to rustle up the coffee grounds. 
• Rubbermaid Commercial Products Heavy-Duty Corn Broom: This broom doesn’t come with a dustpan, which isn’t a dealbreaker. However, its heft and floppy corn bristles were: It took 10 strokes to sweep up coffee grounds, the most of the bunch. 
• O-Cedar One Sweep Broom with Step-On Dustpan: While the idea of a step-on dustpan was good, in practice, it didn’t work well. Also, if you do want to hold it with your hands, the wonky shape makes it uncomfortable. The broom head is larger than the dustpan, so with every sweep, it swept stuff around the sides. The softer bristles flung coffee around, so I had to keep moving the dustpan and sweeping more. The broom is also heavy at the bristle end, making it feel clunky. 

FAQs

What style of broom is best? 

Whether you choose a standard broom or a handheld dustpan and brush set depends on your needs, but I honestly think that having one of each is worth it. The handheld brush and dustpan sets are great for cleaning small messes or tidying up hard-to-reach spots, while a standard broom is great for everyday sweeping. 

How often should I replace my kitchen broom?

It depends on how often you use the broom and how much wear it takes. When bristles start to wear down or become separated, then it’s probably a good time to replace it. 

Should you wash or clean a broom?

Some of the brooms I tested came with combs that you can use to clean the bristles, which is an easy way to keep them clean. You can wash your broom with a mixture of dish soap and hot water, but make sure you let it dry thoroughly or it could get gunked up.

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats, where she tests all manner of kitchen gear and appliances. 
• For this review, Grace tested 11 kitchen brooms by sweeping up coffee grounds, rice, and other kitchen messes to find the most versatile ones. 
• She hates cleaning but admits that sweeping isn’t so bad.
  

Amazon’s Big Spring Sale may be ending on Monday, March 31, but there is still time to grab some fantastic deals on some of our favorite tested kitchen gear. I pored over thousands of deals to find the best discounts on items that I, a professional gear tester, think are worth buying, especially on sale. Some of my top picks include the best Breville air fryer toaster oven, our favorite Lodge cast iron skillet, and a Yeti cooler that’s actually easy to move.

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

This editor-loved air fryer toaster oven is fast, efficient, and versatile. It crisps up French fries as readily as it toasts bread, and you can even roast a chicken in it. We know because we’ve done it, with gloriously golden, juicy results. This kitchen countertop multitasker is on a steep discount at $80 off. 

The Best Budget Meat Thermometer: ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2

An instant-read thermometer is a game changer: Gone are the days of cutting into a chicken breast, hoping it’s cooked through. Poke the probe in and you’ll know exactly how your food is doing. Our favorite budget-friendly thermometer from ThermoWorks is fast, accurate, and pocket-sized, making it a great starter option. And, it’s currently 20% off for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. 

Our Longtime Favorite Cast Iron Skillet: Lodge 10.25-Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet

Cast iron skillets are indestructible pans that’ll last a lifetime. They get ripping hot, ensuring a proper sear on steak, chicken, or even a slab of cauliflower. We’ve long loved this affordable option from Lodge, and now that it’s 50% off, it’s an even sweeter deal. (Plenty of our other favorite Lodge cast iron cookware is also on sale.)

The Best Air Fryer: Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer

The Instant has been our favorite air fryer since we first tested it three years ago. It produces some of the crispiest, crunchiest results we’ve ever tasted, thanks to the large basket that ensures proper air circulation. If you haven’t bought an air fryer yet, now’s a great time since this machine is nearly half off.

The Best Budget Food Processor: Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor

A food processor is a kitchen workhorse that pulverizes, purées, and pulses with aplomb. Want to make hummus? It’s up to the task. Need to dice onions and carrots for mirepoix? It’ll do so in a flash. The Cuisinart food processor has been one of our favorites for years for its simple interface and more than capable blitzing ability. It’s a budget-friendly—but still powerful—option that’s currently $50 off. 

A Great Stand Mixer for Most Bakers: KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

KitchenAid’s stand mixers are hard to beat. They’re durable, powerful, and come with a variety of attachments to ensure proper whipping, creaming, and kneading. This tilt-head stand mixer comes with a 5-quart bowl, making it a great option for most casual home bakers. It’s nicely discounted right now, too. 

Our Favorite Dutch Oven: Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven

Dutch ovens are great for braising, frying, searing, and stewing—what more could you want in a single piece of cookware? Our longtime favorite Dutch oven from Le Creuset does all of this, and does it well. In our tests, pork shoulder seared to golden brown perfection and was fall-apart tender after braising. Le Creuset’s enamel is darn tough, too, so this Dutch oven will last decades.

The Best Hard Cooler: Yeti Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler

We love a Yeti hard cooler: Its cold retention can’t be bested. Add a pair of wheels to it, and we can’t help but proudly roll this along to a tailgate or the beach. It’s also spacious and can fit 76 cans or 54 pounds of ice. And while we love Yeti coolers, we love them even more when they’re on sale—grab our go-to for $70 off for a limited time. 

The Best Coffee Grinder for Most People: OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

Freshly ground beans equate to a better pot of coffee, and this affordable (and discounted!) coffee grinder from OXO ensures a proper brew every time. It’s consistent, easy to use, and an editor favorite. 

A Fast Sous Vide Machine: Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Pro

Sous vide cooking promises properly cooked, moist results every time. The Anova delivers on that promise with superb accuracy. It’s quick, too: In our tests, it brought six quarts of cool water to 190°F in just over half an hour. We also like the app-compatible machine’s easy-to-program user interface. And, at 50% off for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, we think this is a fantastic deal. 

The Best Budget Stainless Steel Skillet: Tramontina Seattle Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel 12-Inch Large Frying Pan

Stainless steel skillets are quick to heat and responsive to temperature changes, making them great all-around pieces of cookware. This budget-friendly pick from Tramontina excelled in all of our tests, heating quickly and evenly and getting a nice crust on salmon. It’s currently on sale for nearly half off. 

The Best Flat-Bottomed, Carbon Steel Wok: Yosukata Carbon Steel Wok

A flat-bottom wok is essential for stir-frying, allowing you to toss ingredients and imbue them with wok hei. The Yosukata has been one of our favorite woks for a long time, capturing our hearts (and holding our grains of rice dear) with its heat responsiveness and durability. Grab it while it’s on sale for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. 

A Customizable Rice Cooker: Cuckoo Micom Rice Cooker

This rice cooker made the best basmati rice in our extensive tests. It’s also compact (and cute!) and incredibly customizable: You can choose how long you want the rice to soak, the cooking time, and even input a specific temperature. It’s currently 30% off.

The Best Budget Steak Knives: Messermeister Avanta Forged 5-Inch Fine Edge Steak Knife Set

A good steak knife is sharp, effective, and effortlessly cuts meat. This set of affordable steak knives from Messermeister delivers on all counts. They also have a classic steakhouse look to them, with a wide blade and wooden handle. At 20% off, you can have your steak and cut it cleanly, too. 

A Snazzy Smart Blender: Vitamix A3300 Ascent Series Smart Blender

In our tests, this supercharged blender pulverized smoothies without a hitch. It has a dazzling touchscreen display and, while it lacks the presets of the A3500, it’s still a great blender that will get the job done. It’s over $150 off for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. 

A Powerful Hand Blender: Vitamix Immersion Blender

An immersion blender makes blending soups, emulsifying mayonnaise, and even beating eggs easy and fast. This one from Vitamix is super powerful. The bundle, which includes a whisk attachment and case, is on sale for a limited time. 

The Best Electric Multicooker: Instant Pot Pro

While Instant Pots aren’t the hot new item they once were, we still adore them. They cut cooking times way, way down. (You can even turn dried beans into tender legumes in less than an hour.) They also come in clutch when you have a hankering for braised meat in a flash. Our favorite Instant Pot, the Pro, aced our tests and was super easy to use. It’s worth checking out now that it’s on sale at Amazon.

A Great Mini Food Processor: KitchenAid 5-Cup Food Chopper

While a mini food processor doesn’t have the oomph of a bigger one, it comes in handy when you want to make smaller amounts of things, like some chimichurri or salsa verde. This one from KitchenAid is compact and easy to store.

The Best Budget French Press: Coffee Gator French Press Coffee

Ah, the humble French press! The Coffee Gator was our top budget pick, resulting in a balanced, fragrant pot of coffee. We liked its double-walled construction, which helped keep coffee piping hot after brewing. It’s under $30 for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. 

FAQs

When does Amazon’s Big Spring Sale end? 

The last day to shop the sale is Monday, March 31, 2025.

Do I have to be a Prime member to shop the 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

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats, where she’s been testing kitchen gear for almost three years. 
• We’ve extensively tested thousands of kitchen products and love a good deal on a great piece of equipment. 
  

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.

I use ramekins daily. These small, squat bowls are my go-to for mise en place, snacks, serving a few scoops of ice cream (is that weird?), and, closer to their intended purpose, for making individual custards and desserts. I’ve even used them to mold and bake individual British pork pies for a Lord of the Rings movie marathon, nerd that I am.

Made of ceramic in a medley of shapes, sizes, and designs, these little bowls are more varied than you’d think. To find the best, most versatile ones, I put 10 ramekins to the test, using them to make chocolate soufflé and eggs en cocotte, and stacking and washing them to see how they held up. 

The Winners, at a Glance 

With their classic white, ribbed sides, these sturdy ramekins are perfect for crème brûlée or other custardy desserts. Chocolate soufflé rose nicely and the eggs en cocotte were perfectly cooked. The ramekins come in other colors, too, if you want a little pizzazz. 

UK-based Denby pottery is known for its durability and quality, and its ramekins are no exception. They stacked nicely, and soufflé and baked eggs emerged perfectly cooked. After testing, I found myself using the ramekins to hold snacks, mise en place, and scoops of ice cream.

The bottoms of these ramekins are slightly inset, so they stack neatly. Since they’re thicker, foods cooked in them needed more time in the oven, but the end results were still good. They come in a variety of beautiful colors, too. 

Like the Dowan ramekins, these have a classic design that would make any dessert look like it came straight from a French bistro. Everything cooked nicely, and the ramekins weren’t slippery when gripped with tongs. Plus, they’re about $3 a pop. 

These ramekins have a larger capacity (6.8 ounces) and more of a bowl shape than others I tested. This makes them quite versatile; they’re both at home coddling eggs as well as holding a handful of grapes for snacking. 

With a tall, narrow shape, these très chic ramekins are great for serving possets, pots de crème, or other desserts that don’t require a wider opening (like crème brûlée). Soufflés came out of the oven tall and puffy, too. However, the egg en cocotte looked a little lonely at the bottom of the tall ramekin. 

The Tests

• Chocolate Soufflé Test: I made chocolate soufflés in each ramekin, noting if they emerged from the oven nicely risen. I took a scoop from each ramekin, evaluating the soufflé’s consistency. 
• Eggs en Cocotte Test: I made eggs en cocotte with mushrooms and gruyère, cooking the filled ramekins in a water bath, per the recipe. I noted if the egg, cream, and mushroom mixture filled the ramekins nicely or if the ramekins swallowed them. After cooking, I removed them from the water bath with kitchen tongs and noted the final texture and doneness. 
• Stacking Test: I attempted to stack the ramekins to see if they nested neatly and didn’t feel precarious. 
• Cleaning Test: I hand-washed the ramekins or ran applicable ones through the dishwasher. 

What We Learned

There Was a Sweet Spot When It Came to Capacity and Height 

While ramekins are essentially small bowls, there was a sweet spot in terms of size and height that made them more versatile. Sure, I did like the Crate & Barrel Small Ramekins, which have a petite 5.5-ounce stated capacity. I also quite liked the slightly bigger 6.8-ounce Staubs. But it was the middling-capacity ramekins, ones that held around six ounces, that were the most useful when it came to cooking desserts. The Denby ramekins clocked in at 5.75 ounces, which was on the smaller side, but still close enough to six ounces that soufflés rose nicely and the baked eggs didn’t swim in the bowl. The Dowan ramekins were spot on at six ounces, making them great for crème brûlée and other recipes. 

Height was almost more important, though. Taller ramekins, like those from Emile Henry, encouraged a lofty rise on soufflés. The Williams Sonoma Pantry Ramekins were too short, a mere one inch tall, with a wider opening that was less versatile and more prone to spillage. That said, they’d probably be fine for making crème brûlée, which requires a wider surface area for the sugar crust. 

Thicker Ramekins Had Runnier Results 

Enameled stoneware isn’t a great conductor of heat—a better one would be aluminum or stainless steel. What enameled stoneware is good at is heat retention—so the mac and cheese you baked in an enameled stoneware casserole dish will stay warmer for longer than one cooked in a metal pan. So, it made sense that the thicker stoneware ramekins, like those from Le Creuset and Emile Henry, had softer final cooked results: The soufflés were still quite gooey in the center, and I had to bake the eggs for a few more minutes until the whites were set. This wasn’t a huge deal, though, since it was truly mere minutes of extra time in the oven. 

A Note on Materials 

If you take a gander at the materials of the ramekins I tested, you’ll notice an array of terms: porcelain, stoneware, and ceramic. (Earthenware is another material, though none of the ramekins I tested are made of it). The use of all these terms can be confusing, so I’ll break it down: Ceramic is a catchall term for clay pottery, so a ceramic item can be made of porcelain, stoneware, or earthenware. These materials are varied: Stoneware is less porous than other clays, making it heavier and more durable. Porcelain is also made of a specific type of clay called kaolin that’s fired at high temperatures, resulting in a non-porous, glassy product; it’s chip-resistant, too. Earthenware is more porous than stoneware and porcelain, which makes it cheaper and less durable. All of my favorite ramekins are made of hardy clays; the only ones that I’m unsure about are the Emile Henry ramekins, which are listed as “ceramic” without any further specification. 

Most Ramekins Were Great

When push comes to shove, any ramekin will likely serve you well. While I have some things I prefer (like larger capacities, taller sides, and thinner walls), in the end, everything I made in the ramekins turned out just fine. I’d go by how you use ramekins when choosing a set. If you frequently use ramekins to make desserts, then classic, capacious ones from Dowan or Denby might be good. If you like to use them for snacks or to serve food like ice cream, perhaps consider a larger ramekin, like those from Staub or Emile Henry. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Ramekin

A good ramekin should be at least 5.5 ounces in capacity, which makes it versatile for a variety of recipes and uses. Look for ones that are at least two inches tall; any shallower and stuff spills over. Foods cooked in thicker ramekins needed more time in the oven, but only a few minutes. Bonus points were given to ramekins that stacked nicely. 

Our Favorite Ramekins 

What we liked: These classic-looking ramekins baked up lofty soufflés and perfectly set jammy eggs. They stacked nicely, too, and the ribbed sides made them easy to grip with tongs when I removed them from the water bath. These are a great option if you’re looking for chic ramekins that make everything look elegant. 

What we didn’t like: I can’t think of anything, but if that changes, you’ll be the first to know. 

Key Specs

• Height: 2.12 inches
• Opening diameter: 3.75 inches
• Weight: 7 ounces
• Stated capacity: 6 ounces
• Approximate wall thickness: 0.25 inches
• Materials: Porcelain
• Stackable: Yes
• Cleaning and care: Dishwasher-, microwave-, and oven-safe

What we liked: Denby is known for its durable, quality pottery made from Derbyshire clay. And these cerulean blue ramekins sure are stunners. They have a nice weight to them, and the tapered sides make them easy to stack. Soufflés rose nicely, and the egg en cocotte’s white was nicely set, while the yolk remained silky. These also make for great snack bowls. 

What we didn’t like: These are a smidge on the smaller side. They’re also pricey.  

Key Specs

• Height: 2 inches
• Opening diameter: 3.75 inches
• Weight: 7.7 ounces
• Stated capacity: 5.75 ounces
• Approximate wall thickness: 0.25 inches
• Materials: Stoneware
• Stackable: Yes
• Cleaning and care: Dishwasher-, oven-, freezer, and microwave-safe

What we liked: These stocky ramekins stack neatly, thanks to an inset bottom rim. They’re the heaviest ones I tested at nearly 10 ounces and are made of durable stoneware. Elegant and timeless, these are great ramekins for serving desserts or making a handful of snacks feel special. 

What we didn’t like: Since they are a little thick, the soufflé and eggs en cocotte took longer to cook, but only by a few minutes. 

Key Specs

• Height: 2.25 inches
• Opening diameter: 3.5 inches
• Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Stated capacity: 6.75 ounces
• Approximate wall thickness: 0.5 inches
• Materials: Stoneware
• Stackable: Yes
• Cleaning and care: Dishwasher-, oven-, broiler-, and microwave-safe. 

What we liked: This set of four breaks down to a little over $3 per ramekin, making them one of the more affordable sets I tested. While petite, the tall sides encouraged a good rise in the chocolate soufflé, and the egg en cocotte was perfectly cooked. The classic white porcelain with ribbed sides makes these a shoo-in for serving French desserts, like pot de crème or crème brûlée.

What we didn’t like: These were the smallest ramekins I tested, though the taller sides made up for it. Crate & Barrel does sell a larger, taller, 9.5-ounce set.

Key Specs

• Height: 2.9 inches
• Opening diameter: 3.5 inches
• Weight: 6.1 ounces 
• Stated capacity: 5.5 ounces
• Approximate wall thickness: 0.25 inches
• Materials: Porcelain
• Stackable: Yes
• Cleaning and care: Dishwasher-, oven-, broiler-, freezer-, and microwave-safe. 

What we liked: These were on the larger side with a 6.8-ounce capacity, making them versatile—they are great ice cream bowls! The chocolate soufflé was airy and tall, while the egg en cocotte looked surprisingly fulsome considering the ramekin’s bigger size. They are hefty and made of durable vitreous glass porcelain.

What we didn’t like: These look more like small bowls than ramekins and have a larger capacity that might not work with some recipes. 

Key Specs

• Height: 2.5 inches
• Opening diameter: 3.75 inches
• Weight: 8 ounces
• Stated capacity: 6.8 ounces
• Approximate wall thickness: 0.5 inches
• Materials: Vitreous glass porcelain
• Stackable: Yes
• Cleaning and care: Dishwasher-, oven-, freezer-, and microwave-safe. 

What we liked: These elegant ramekins were the tallest ones I tested, with a 2.75-inch height and petite 3.25-inch opening (a quarter-inch smaller than most of the other ramekins). This made them excellent at baking tall soufflés. They’d be nice yogurt cups, too, and a pot de crème or posset would look spiffy in them.

What we didn’t like: The tall form factor won’t work for things like crème brulée, which need more surface area for the crackling sugar top. That said, the ramekins made nice and tall soufflés. They’re also a tad thicker, so foods took longer to cook in them. 

Key Specs

• Height: 2.75 inches
• Opening diameter: 3.25 inches
• Weight: 7.5 ounces
• Stated capacity: 6.75 ounces
• Approximate wall thickness: 0.5 inches
• Materials: Ceramic
• Stackable: Yes
• Cleaning and care: Dishwasher-, oven-, broiler-, and microwave-safe. 

The Competition 

• HIC Kitchen Souffle Ramekin Set: These basic ramekins were totally fine, though I’ve had some for a few years and they do chip. They also don’t nest. 
• Casafina Modern Classic Ceramic Ramekins: These are pretty, modern ramekins. However, their rounded bowl-like shape and smooth finish made them slippery.
• Williams Sonoma Pantry Ramekins: While everything cooked up fine in these, they were quite shallow, which limited their versatility. 
• Anchor Hocking 6-Ounce Glass Custard Cups: These performed totally fine in my tests (though the chocolate soufflé was more cooked than in other ramekins). They stacked neatly, too. My only qualms were they were slippery and not the prettiest. 

FAQs

What is a standard ramekin size?

The ramekins’ capacities I tested ranged from 5.5 ounces to seven ounces. I think around six ounces is the sweet spot that’ll serve you well for both cooking and snacking. 

What material is best for a ramekin? 

As I mentioned in the review, most ramekins are ceramic. Subdivide that further, and most of the ones I tested were either porcelain or stoneware. Both are made of durable, non-porous clay. Earthenware, on the other hand, is cheaper, more porous, and likelier to break. Glass is another material, and like ceramic ramekins, it performed well in my tests. 

What can you make in a ramekin? 

Ramekins are versatile little cups that are great for making individual desserts—think possets, crème brûlée, pot de crème, flan, etc. They’re also good for other individual dishes, like eggs en cocotte, little pot pies, or even single-serving frittatas. I like to use my ramekins for snacks and ice cream, too—they hold the perfect portion. 

Why We’re the Experts 

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats where she specializes in testing kitchen gadgets. 
• She’s been testing kitchen gear for nearly four years. 
• She’s worked as a prep cook, bartender, and journalist. 
• For this review, Grace tested 10 ramekins by making soufflés and eggs en cocotte. She also noted if the ramekins stacked easily and if they were durable and easy to clean. 
• She uses ramekins to hold snacks and scoops of ice cream.