As people who write about food and kitchen gadgets for a living, Bon Appétit editors are constantly surrounded by a wide range of products. Between our own purchases and the endless stream of samples sent our way, it means there’s always something new coming across our desks and into our homes. Every month, we’re rounding up the standouts we’ve tested or bought ourselves that changed the way we cook and eat.
This month, a pair of do-it-all tongs, a set of flatware for desk lunches, and a triple cream yogurt that's fit for dessert.
Read on for all of the products we’ve been obsessing over this January.
The Wagyu Shop
I had the luxury of trying real A5 Japanese Wagyu beef this month, and let me tell you—it was a transcendent experience. A5 is the highest grade of Japanese beef you can get, with marbling that literally melts on your tongue. I tried the A5 Hokkaido Wagyu Ribeye from The Wagyu Shop, which sources from Daimaru Farm on Japan's northernmost island. The cattle there are raised in open-air conditions and fed for precisely 600 to 650 days, producing uniquely tender beef with subtle umami. After a hard sear, I served it in a Thai waterfall beef salad from Arnold Myint's new cookbook, Family Thai. The spicy, sour, tangy dressing with tons of fresh herbs was the perfect contrast to such a rich, fatty cut. My boyfriend and I ate in near silence for the first few bites, just savoring every moment. If you've never tried real Japanese Wagyu, The Wagyu Shop ships it frozen overnight with certificates of authenticity, and it's absolutely worth it for a special occasion.—Olivia Tarantino, senior commerce editor
Pavilion Paper Plates
My friend (and occasional BA contributor) Oset put me onto these fabulous plates by Pavilion Paper, which have me wondering why we’ve historically resigned ourselves to disposable plates that are either plain and boring or just plain ugly. Pavilion, on the other hand, takes inspiration from the patterns found on fine china to design biodegradable paper plates that are so vibrant and pretty, you’ll be sad when the time comes to throw them away. I love the idea of mixing and matching the dinner and salad plates in my next dinner party tablescape. —Alaina Chou, commerce writer
Knead Love Baking Mixes
One of the most steady constants in my life is the loaf of Knead Love Bakery’s gluten-free sourdough in my freezer. I buy the bread monthly at the Knead Love stall at my local greenmarket, usually along with a baked good or two—all gluten and refined-sugar-free treats that prioritize using regional grains and farmers market ingredients. So when the team, spearheaded by fearless leader and baker Sarah Magid, launched baking mixes, you can imagine how excited I was to try. My favorite thing about these mixes is that you only have to add olive oil and water. This means you can whip up a batch of delightfully fudgy brownies or rich chocolate chip olive oil cookies (both excellent) in minutes, plus it’s easy to halve the recipe since the mixes don't call for eggs. In true Knead Love fashion, both mixes use the highest quality of ingredients, like Raaka chocolate and organic regional maple sugar, and have the most colorful, fabulous packaging around. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
(P)RiND Parmesan Pops
We get a lot of new snacks coming through the office each week. My coworker Alaina is the queen of consumer packaged goods around here, and her desk drawer is a bountiful cornucopia of new and interesting shelf-stable goods to try—especially when we’re in the mood to procrastinate. Rare is it that one of these snacks really wins me over, but when we got a couple bags of (P)rind parmesan rind pops in, I struggled to keep myself from eating all of them in one go. They’re basically crunchy spheres of salty parmesan and come in flavors like rosemary and tomato basil. The best is the honey flavor, though, which has a subtle sweetness that balances out the sharp parmesan nicely. —Wilder Davies, commerce writer
Metal Straws for Owala Freesip
I’m trying to thoughtfully reduce plastic without creating more waste or overly stressing about it. Part of my slow-and-steady approach has been to replace my plastic utensils, storage containers, and other kitchen equipment as they naturally break down. My beloved Owala FreeSip Sway came with a plastic straw, and while I don’t drink anything hot out of the bottle, I’d rather sip freely out of an all-metal setup. After months of daily washing with hot soapy water and a bristle brush, the plastic straw was ready to go. So I got a pack of these just-right-sized, food-grade metal ones to take their place. Bonus: I can pop them in the dishwasher to steam clean. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior editor
Panthella Rechargeable LED Table Lamp
This cordless table lamp has been a game-changer for my outlet-deprived apartment. The sleek, sculptural design looks beautiful wherever I place it, and I move it constantly. It starts in the kitchen for extra task lighting while cooking, migrates to the dining table for a soft glow during dinner, and finishes its journey on my nightstand as a reading light. The rechargeable battery only holds a charge for about two hours, but I've found a clever workaround: connecting it to a portable charger will keep it glowing all night long (or at least for another hour). —O.T.
Gestura Stando Silver Plating Tongs
Do you love your tongs? I mean, LOVE your tongs? Are you sure they don’t splay open unpredictably, lock closed when you need them most, sploing out of position in your utensil drawer, or just take up too much doggone room? Let me introduce you to the Gestura Stando plating tongs. Think of ordinary tongs as a cleaver, and a Stando as a scalpel. Sleek and minimal with a minuscule footprint, they nonetheless allow for ergonomic handling thanks to cleverly-placed flares along their sides. Don’t be fooled by their cheffy appearance, or that some folks refer to them as plating tweezers, as though they are only fit for placing microgreens on canapés. They allow for exacting control when searing proteins, flipping, roasting vegetables, and plating long pastas. Best of all, you can rest them on a countertop without their tips touching the surface, a clever bit of user-friendly design. The one thing they aren’t great at is tossing a salad. Then again, tongs aren’t great at that either—you are probably better off just using your hands. —Chris Morocco, food director
OXO Brew Compact Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
To be honest, this whole recommendation stems from the fact that I accidentally purchased whole bean coffee at the grocery store and didn’t notice until the next morning when I went to brew a cup. Instead of going back and using the in-store grinder, or just giving the bag away, I decided it was finally time to (minimally) invest in a grinder of my own. I read our coffee grinder reviews and went with the compact, budget pick: an OXO model that promised not to take over my entire countertop while doing a reliably good job at breaking down beans. And it does! Yes, I need to use the tiny spritz bottle to remove static from the beans, and yes, there’s no dosing mechanism. But I’m upgrading from pre-ground coffee, and it’s genuinely been an upgrade. My coffee tastes a lot better, and the grinder neatly tucks away when I’m done using it. —K.J.Y.
Eadem Pain Au Chocolat Lip Softening Balm
We all have that friend whom we blindly trust when it comes to recommendations in the beauty and skincare space. That friend for me is Katie Stone, writer of the Substack Plant Based and generous gifter of the nourishing lip balm that I now won’t go anywhere without in the dead of winter. The pain au chocolat (yes, that’s actually the color’s name) Le Chouchou lip softening balm from Eadem smells like the finest rich dark chocolate-filled French pastry you could dream up and paints on a deep caramel hue with a light pink shimmer. The golden-tubed balm brings instant moisture to my drying winter lips, adds a glossy finish, and is worth buying for the chocolatey scent alone. —K.K.
6-Piece Flatware Set
I know I shouldn’t be eating at my desk, but when I’m locked in, the last thing I want to do is hunt for silverware in the office cafeteria. This set has everything I need—utensils, chopsticks, even a straw, plus a sleek case that lives neatly in my desk drawer. It makes desk lunches feel a little less chaotic and I’m no longer relying on flimsy plastic forks that bend mid-bite. —Cristina Correa, social media manager
Cabot Creamery Triple Cream Vanilla Bean Greek Yogurt
Hailing from the legendary Cabot Creamery, this triple cream vanilla bean Greek yogurt is so decadent, so luxurious, if it were a person, it'd be Dominique Deveraux. (For the youths, she's a deliciously ruthless, exceedingly wealthy character from legendary '80s soap opera, Dynasty, played by the GOAT, Diahann Carroll.) Is it a stretch to liken a yogurt to a long-gone soap? Maybe! But remember, standard full-fat yogurt tops off between 3% and 5%; at 10% milkfat, this yogurt announces, "I'm rich." Very Dominique. My go-to parfait is this yogurt, topped with muesli or granola, apple butter, and a quick dollop of maple syrup. Is it breakfast or dessert? Does it matter? —Joseph Hernandez, director of drinks and lifestyle