Knives · Tested 18 weeks
Est. 2009 · Portland, Oregon · Issue No. 142
Honest Kitchen Tools, Tested Until They Fail.
Three hundred and twelve knives, stand mixers, sheet pans, immersion blenders, Dutch ovens, and the occasional garlic press — all bought with our own money, all used until something goes wrong, all written up without a single paid word. This is the archive of Anne’s most opinionated, most stubborn editorial work, and it has been running every week since 2014.
Tested in the last 30 days
Fresh off the counter.
Six reviews Anne finished this month — each one cooked with for at least two weeks before the write-up. Look for the small “Tested-By” badge under the title for the exact number of home-cook re-tests the tool passed.
Bakeware · Tested 11 weeks
Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Half Sheet — Still Unbeatable After 600 Bakes
Hand Tools · Tested 6 weeks
OXO Good Grips Peeler Set — The Twelve-Dollar Upgrade Worth Making
Dutch Ovens · Tested 22 weeks
Le Creuset Signature 5.5 qt — Worth It, If You Cook Three Nights a Week
I have turned down somewhere around sixty thousand dollars in placements over the years. Not because the brands were bad — many of them are people I genuinely buy from — but because the second a knife review mentions a paid relationship, the review stops being useful. You came here for the opinion of a cook who actually uses the thing. That opinion is the entire product. I’m not going to sell it.
Browse the archive
Find the tool you’re actually researching.
Twelve categories, 312 individual reviews, every one tested in a real kitchen by someone who paid for it with their own money. Pick a corner of the archive and start reading.
42
Knives & Cutting
Chef’s knives, paring knives, santoku, serrated, sharpening stones, honing rods, shears, boards. Tested edge retention, handle comfort, re-sharpening difficulty.
Open category → 58Bakeware
Sheet pans, cake tins, loaf pans, muffin tins, pie plates, cooling racks, silicone vs. metal, dark vs. shiny. Tested browning, release, and warping after 500 heat cycles.
Open category → 37Small Appliances
Stand mixers, hand mixers, immersion blenders, food processors, slow cookers, Instant Pots, espresso machines. Tested noise, cleanup, and longevity past the warranty.
Open category → 29Pots & Pans
Cast iron, carbon steel, stainless clad, nonstick, copper, Dutch ovens, saucier, sauté, grill pans. Tested sear, fond development, weight, and oven-safe temperature.
Open category → 34Hand Tools & Utensils
Spatulas, wooden spoons, tongs, peelers, whisks, ladles, measuring cups, thermometers. Tested grip comfort during 45-minute sessions and dishwasher survival.
Open category → 26Coffee & Tea
Pour-over drippers, French presses, kettles, grinders, gooseneck kettles, tea pots, milk frothers. Tested temperature stability, brew consistency, and 6 a.m. usability.
Open category → 31Storage & Pantry
Airtight containers, flour bins, spice racks, oil cruets, salt cellars, bread boxes, produce keepers. Tested seal longevity after 1,000 open/close cycles.
Open category → 55Gadgets & Specialty
Garlic presses, salad spinners, mandolines, mortar & pestles, herb keepers, jar openers, egg separators. The strange little tools that earn their drawer space — or don’t.
Open category →How we test
By the numbers, since 2014.
Every tool in the archive cleared the same minimum bar before we wrote a single word about it. Here is what that bar looks like, measured against eleven years of reviews.
312
Tools reviewed
Every one purchased by Anne or a member of the testing team — no manufacturer samples kept longer than 30 days.
11
Years of testing
Continuous weekly publication of the review column since January 2014. The oldest review in the archive still gets traffic.
38
Home-cook testers
Freelance re-testers across 19 states. Every review carries a “Tested-By” count from 12 to 44 re-tests.
0
Paid placements
In eleven years, no manufacturer has paid for a positive review. Affiliate links exist but never change a verdict.
Want the full methodology? Read “How We Test”, the 4,000-word public document that governs every review on this site.