We Test Kitchen Gear and Develop Recipes All Day Long—This Is the Kitchen Gear We’re Buying on Prime Day

I don’t mean this to come off as offensive, but your sheet pans are probably beat. I use mine four or five times a week, and I bet you do too. After a couple years, they’re just done; they can warp, and they can scratch. Because they’re always on sale, sheet pans are one of my no-questions-asked recommendations for Prime Day. This little set from Nordicware is not only amongst the very best we’ve ever tested in our kitchens, and it comes with a ⅛ sheet pan. That petite addition is what I use when I need to make something separate for my kindergartener and pre-schooler.

I adored by my big Boos cutting board, but tragically it met its end when it split in half. That’s not a comment on the quality of the board—it was 11 years old and got knocked on to the floor by an energetic child—but it does prove that nothing is indestructible. I know they tend to go on sale during the big Amazon events, and true to form, the exact board that split is 20% off. Good news for me.

Wait, what do you mean you don’t have a kitchen scale? You can use it for almost every baking task you have. And if you weigh your ingredients, not only will your recipe be more accurate, it also means you never need to dirty measuring cups. This scale from Oxo is clutch for baking. The pull-out display means you can use even an extra-large bowl to mix up dough and still be able to read how many grams of flour you’ve put in it.

File this under “I was putting in an Amazon order today anyway.” I tend not to get too excited about things like cleaning products, but when I used the geranium all-purpose spray from Mrs. Meyers, it was the first time I thought, Oh, I really like this scent. It’s perpetually unavailable on the ground at big-box stores in my area, and no, it technically isn’t on sale for Prime Day, but it’s already pretty inexpensive. By this time on Thursday my counters will be smelling like flowers.

If I were stranded on a desert island—or, for some other reason, denied access to most of my worldly belongings—and could have only one piece of cookware, it would be my 5.5-qt. Le Creuset Dutch oven. By far the most versatile item in my fully stocked kitchen, I use it to brown and braise meat, boil water for pasta, simmer soups and sauces, deep-fry crispy potato chips, and slow-cook in my countertop oven. If I were a baker, I’d use it for bread too. In a pinch, a Dutch oven would even work for things I’d otherwise pan-fry, like pancakes, eggs, and quesadillas (though flipping might get a little tricky). Cast iron offers unrivaled heat retention and distribution, and with proper care, the protective enamel on a Le Creuset will last a lifetime or longer. You might get five years out of trendy nonstick pots and pans, and most people don’t actually need a full set of stainless-steel cookware, but every home cook should have a Dutch oven. Yes, it’s pricey, but considering how often you’ll reach for it, it’s a very wise investment—especially if you snag one on sale right now. —Emily Farris, senior commerce writer

Vitamix is the biggest name in blenders for a reason; when we test blenders year after year, the 5200 always comes out on top. Right now, though, I have my eyes on the brand’s Explorian model for its low profile and lower price tag. It’s slightly less powerful than the 5200, but staffers, like test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin, have had their Explorians for years and swear by their ability to crush tough ingredients into creamy smoothies. —Alaina Chou, commerce writer

Everyone knows All-Clad makes some of the best stainless-steel cookware, a fact plenty of our editors will attest to. I like to keep my cookware collection relatively lean, but All-Clad’s prestige has had me wondering whether I should add one or two pieces—namely this two-piece set of pans that’s currently 22% off. —M.W.

I have a subpar electric rental stove, so when I tested induction burners, I was floored by the level of precision and temperature control I was able to exert from a comparatively inexpensive small cooktop. I kept one of the winning induction burners I tested in my home kitchen, and now when I use it, I pretend I’m cooking for one of those hands-and-pans Buzzfeed videos of a bygone internet era. Induction cooking is some of the most accurate, quickest, and environmentally sound you can do. This one that I use won our product test and is 27% off. —E.J.

I tried the Minor Figures chai concentrate the moment it came out, and I was instantly obsessed. Suffice to say that I am never spending $7 on a chai latte at a café again. The chai has the perfect blend of warming spices and the slightest bit of sweetness, and it tastes incredible both hot and iced. I’ll be putting this six-pack into my cart while it’s on sale so I never have to worry about running out—and I’ll add a pack of Minor Figures barista blend oat milk while I’m at it. —Carina Finn, commerce editor

I refresh my kitchen towels every year on Amazon Prime Day. The burned, stained, and torn flour sack towels get relegated to bathroom cleaning and in comes a fresh new set for the kitchen. These utilitarian guys can be used for drying your hands, yes, but they’re also a powerful kitchen tool. Use them to dry herbs, to grab hot pans, and to shape and cover dough. And that’s not all. They’re essentially washable cheese cloths: Wrap tofu, shredded zucchini, or beets in these things and squeeze all of the moisture out for maximum crisp. P.S., I think we figured out why my old set is stained. —E.J.

My kitchen doesn’t have the best air circulation, so smells tend to linger long after I’ve cleared the table and done the dishes. As much as I love my house to smell like food, sometimes it can be a bit much. Because of this problem, I was inspired to test air purifiers specifically for home cooks. After testing, I kept an air purifier. And now after more fragrant meals, I like to move my air purifier into the kitchen to freshen things up faster. But now that this purifier is on sale for Prime Day, I’ve decided to spring for a full-time kitchen air purifier. That way I don’t have to lug my other one from room to room. The Levoit purifier is small but powerful, capable of filtering over 1,000 square feet of space. —Wilder Davies, commerce writer

I’ve been baking a lot this fall—really leaning into the coziness of it all. And I realized I don’t have a proper cooling rack for my bakes—it’s particularly important with cookies to achieve the right crispy-chewy texture, that they cool with air circulating beneath them. But my colleague Emily Farris also did some testing and found out that if you use a cooling rack on your sheet pan to elevate roasted vegetables or frozen fries, it essentially turns your convection oven into an air fryer. Because an air fryer is actually just a small convection oven with a basket. Even if you have an oven that doesn’t have convection capability, elevating your food to allow hot air to circulate underneath it will still allow it to get crispier. I love an inexpensive tool (made even more inexpensive for Prime Day) that’s versatile. —E.J.

In all of our years testing salad spinners, we’ve found that Oxo makes the very best ones—the brand has sort of revolutionized this particular kitchen tool’s design. Typically, salad spinners are plastic. And Oxo makes plastic salad spinners that are great. However, I really like that if you buy the stainless-steel version (or the glass version), you not only get more countertop appeal and higher finish quality, but also more versatility. I take the salad spinner stuff out of my glass salad spinner and use it as a serving bowl or mixing bowl. —E.J.

When I am visiting my parents and make tea, I allow myself to live in luxury and use their electric kettle. I can get the exact temperature I need to brew a cup of tea, and it turns off when it’s done boiling and saves me a scalded pot. The funny thing is that throughout college I always had a cheap but functional kettle to boil water in. In adulthood, however, for some reason I have decided to live on the edge and either boil water in a small pot or stick a mug full of water in the microwave. After a few too many mouth burns, the time has come for me to invest in a kettle, and if the Amazon Prime gods allow, I want it to be this very good-looking, very functional one from Fellow. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager

As someone who is decidedly not a planner and whose freezer is constantly full, I’ve had my eye on the Lello Musso Lussino for years. I loved it the moment I used it at a friend’s place. With its built-in compressor, there’s no need for pre-freezing, and it’s the closest you can get to near instant ice cream gratification. It consistently makes ice cream from a cold base in under 20 minutes, always a good thing when it comes to ice cream making (the faster the churn, the smaller the ice crystals and the smoother the end result). Buying one is cheaper than a vacation to Italy, and that might well be the rationale behind my purchase. —Shilpa Uskokovic, senior test kitchen editor

I live in a small row house in Philadelphia that is completely impractical for storing a grill. But lately I am thinking that what I might actually use, and have room for, is an Oona Koda pizza oven.  Will I make pizza with it? Maybe. What I really am excited about is the promise of searing heat dancing around trays of flame-licked vegetables, smoky fish, and blistered chicken, without the risk of setting off my smoke alarm indoors. If it goes on sale for Prime Day, I might just have to take the leap. —Chris Morocco, food director

On the last Prime Day, I bought this milk frother for my wife. She uses it to heat/froth cold almond milk rather than microwaving it for her coffee. Now she makes matcha lattes in it every day. You just put everything in and push a button. —Dan Siegel, senior director of creative development

If I were to identify as anything, it would be as a “beverage goblin.” The only way to maintain my body’s equilibrium is to constantly be sipping on something bubbly, something caffeinated, or something boozy (or all three, in three separate cups). The habit has gotten out of hand. It is difficult to close the crisper drawers in my fridge because they are overflowing with seltzer, ginger beer, hard cider, and the occasional canned rosé. A separate beverage cooler would solve all my problems, but it’s the kind of appliance that has always seemed too luxurious to justify—the kind of unattainable status symbol reserved for Kardashian-level wealth. That was the case until I came across this well-priced model from Antarctic Star. It has a modest footprint and can easily house my bevy of bevvies, with the added benefit of freeing up the crisper drawer for its intended purpose. And at 26% off, who am I to refuse such a deal? —Megan Paetzhold, senior visuals editor