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 mini salad spinner perfect for small households, a put-it-on-everything spice blend, and a compact espresso machine that does all of the work for you.
Read on for all of the products we’ve been obsessing over this May.
Oxo Small Salad Spinner
A salad spinner would probably make the top 10 most-used appliances in my household when I was growing up. It’s equally great for wringing moisture from greens, prepping shredded potatoes for crispy latkes, and keeping clean berries from going soggy. Strangely enough, it was five years into my relationship with my fiancé when I discovered he had never seen one before. That was because for those five years, I was washing lettuce and letting it dry (mostly unsuccessfully) on a towel in order to save space in my New York City apartment. I finally gave in and got the mini Oxo salad and herb spinner. While this size was typically reserved for herbs in my more spacious childhood kitchen, it does the trick for a salad for two. Small enough to tuck into my colanders in the pantry, and if you’re feeding a crowd, just run it twice. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
Rancho Meladuco Dates
I recently treated myself to a two-pound box of Rancho Meladuco Medjool dates and I don’t understand how they’re so good. Squidgy like a caramel-fudge hybrid, with a flavor that’s distinctly vanilla. I bring a couple on longer runs as a treat and a boost of carby energy (so much better than those gross gels). When I’m not mid-run or eating them straight from the box as I wander through the kitchen, I like to stuff them with a slice of cheddar or a swipe of nut butter and a sprinkle of flaky salt. —Rebecca Firkser, Test Kitchen editor
Pistakio Crunchy Pistachio Spread
I’m at the point where I’m rationing my jar of this spread. It’s essentially a sweetened nut butter, made with pistachios, oat milk, salt, and sugar, but with bits of roasted pistachios and crispy quinoa puffs stirred in (Pistakio also makes a creamy version sans crispies). So each bite is both ultra-luscious and delicately crunchy and just salty enough to make you crave a second spoonful. You can drizzle some over your ice cream (a scoop of Trader Joe’s Coffee Bean Blast, perhaps?), swirl it into a bowl of morning oatmeal, or perhaps dunk some strawberries right in the jar. But I might like it best eaten right off the spoon. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior cooking editor
Cap Beauty the Magic Spice
I can’t stop reaching for this Magic Spice, aptly named because it really does make everything taste better with just a few ingredients. This seasoning blend is a collaboration between LA-based, female-founded brand Cap Beauty and restaurant and market Botanica (the minds behind one of my favorite Bon Appétit recipes to date). It’s bright, verdant, and even citrusy from its flavor-packed list of ingredients: green garlic, garlic chives, coriander, Persian lime, and pink mountain salt. And it’s equally good sprinkled on chicken thighs or on a big ol’ slab of salmon, whisked into scrambled eggs, rubbed on vegetables before they hit the grill, or shaken on freshly popped popcorn. I love the texture from the coriander seeds and I especially appreciate that it uses a few ingredients that I don’t have on hand individually. —K.K.
Sabre Espresso Spoons
My boyfriend and I have many traditions (like going to In-N-Out straight from the airport every time we fly to California), but one of my favorites is eating ice cream right out of the pint after dinner—while watching TV, of course. We both like to use tiny spoons to do this (I swear it makes it taste better), but for the longest time we were fighting over the one baby metal spoon he had. On a recent trip to Paris, I scooped up two espresso spoons from iconic French cutlery brand Sabre, and they’ve become our go-to utensils for our nightly ritual. If you’re ever in Paris, you must go to the Sabre shop, where you can customize your silverware in a rainbow of colors—but if a trip to France isn’t on your summer bucket list, don’t fret. You can order these spoons online! —Alaina Chou, shopping and reviews writer
Chef Shuai Wang’s Sichuan Hot Chicken Spice
What is Hot Chicken Spice, I wondered, popping the lid off the tin and inhaling deeply. A millisecond later, I knew: pungent, aromatic, savory, with the combined power of Sichuan peppercorns and chili powder backed by warm spices like anise and fennel. A tiny taste revealed massive savory flavor thanks to vegan chicken powder and MSG. Inspired by hot pot seasoning blends, it works as a flavor amplifier in just about everything. I throw a few pinches into my pot of lentils and stir it into my greens. Use it like salt in any dish where you want everything to wake up. As in wide awake. —Chris Morocco, food director
Ecolution Patented Micro-Pop Microwave Popcorn Popper
On girl dinner evenings, I turn to this BPA-free glass bowl microwave popcorn maker. It’s great for a crowd or when you just want the whole bowl to yourself. The best part? I don’t need to take out any heavy stovetop equipment or measuring materials. Fill the kernels into the removable lid and dump them straight into the bowl, place a slab of butter on top, and the butter melts through the grates seamlessly in the microwave. Plus, the removable lid allows for mix-ins of salty, sweet, or both to be added and shaken up easily post-pop. My microwave fills the bowl in about four minutes, and the handle makes it easy to take out. As a slight popcorn addict, I love being able to tailor it to whomever’s joining for movie night. —Marisa Malanga, research fellow
Terra Kaffe Demi
My colleague Noah Kaufman is constantly testing espresso machines at the office, and somewhere along the way I became a cappuccino person. My problem with bringing that habit home was twofold: I don’t have much counter space, and my early morning spin class has me out the door before I’d have time to measure and grind beans, tamp, dial in a shot, and clean a portafilter. I briefly considered a Nespresso, but I didn’t love the idea of being locked into its pod ecosystem when I want to grab a bag of beans from a local roaster or try an Atlas Coffee subscription. The Terra Kaffe Demi solved all of it. It’s a single-button espresso machine the width of a tea kettle. I simply fill it with whole beans (currently a bag of Coffee Project NY’s Colombia Cabra Noir Wush Wush) place a cup underneath, and push the dial. Et voilà! Fresh espresso! The spent puck gets stowed in a discreet internal waste bin that only needs emptying every seven shots. And the espresso it pulls rivals any manual machine I’ve tried at the office. —Olivia Tarantino, senior shopping editor
Fanny Pack
I bought this fanny pack on a whim to use for concerts, but it’s quickly become my go-to bag for all kinds of activities because of how deceptively roomy it is—and by that I mean, because of how many snacks I can fit in it. As one of BA’s resident snack experts, this is extremely important to me. On a recent trip to Joshua Tree, it held exactly three protein bars, a Chomps jerky stick, a packet of Spirit Almonds, a clementine, face and body sunscreen, lip balm, and my credit cards with plenty of room to spare. I also love that I can fit an entire standard-size plastic water bottle in it, or easily clip a reusable bottle to the strap. —A.C.
