Q: I'm wondering what features to look for when buying a slow cooker and which brands are better. I have a family of four, so I'm looking for a machine that can feed the lot of us (maybe with the occasional leftovers). Thank you!

Sent by Heather

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Have you ever been told that microwaving vegetables depletes their nutritional value? Anytime you cook a vegetable (regardless of the method) there is usually some nutrient loss, but the belief held by some is that microwaves destroy up to 90 percent of the nutrients in the food, whereas stovetop cooking can be as low as 10 percent. But is it true? Here's what we discovered:

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My entry-level ice cream maker does a fine job of churning out frozen treats, but it has a couple drawbacks, the biggest being that the finished ice cream is always too soft to eat right away and must be chilled in the freezer until it is firm enough to scoop. So I'm excited to try this ingenious hack from Food52 that keeps the ice cream maker cool enough to churn out ready-to-eat ice cream — just like a much more expensive compressor-style model. More

Breakfast bars, or separate "morning areas," are coveted details in kitchens with room to spare. In smaller kitchens, hideaway features, like this tabletop, are incredibly useful. What about combining the two features and creating a hideaway breakfast area—in this case, a roll-out cabinet dedicated to your morning joe, complete with pot-filler faucet! More

Q: I have a VERY small kitchen, so I'm limited on space to store kitchen appliances and dishes. I would love to have a blender and a food processor, but really only have room for one. Is there any product that does both well? If I can get a 2-for-1 blender or processor, that'd be a great solution!

Sent by Lucy More

Q: A friend gave me and my husband an electric skillet as a housewarming gift. Having never owned one before, are there certain dishes that work better in an electric skillet versus a regular pan on a stove top, or is it mostly a back-up product?

Sent by Tamara More

I use a lot of roasted garlic in my cooking. I love its mellow flavor, like a love-sweetened cousin to its sharper raw form. If I am on top of things, I will roast a big batch of garlic at once and toss a few heads in the freezer for squeezing into casseroles and pasta salads like this one). But when I'm not well-stocked, and when I find myself with a sudden need for some gooey garlic, I do it the fast way, the way that doesn't heat up my kitchen: In the microwave, with an optional flavor-boosting turbo charge in the oven. More

The microwave oven is a curious and contentious kitchen device. On the one hand, it shows up in nearly every American kitchen, as ubiquitous as the stove or oven. On the other hand, mention the microwave and many cooks will curl their lip in disdain. What about you? Where does the microwave fit in your cooking? Read more below for some expert thoughts and opinions!

What is espresso and how did it ever come about? These questions are at the heart of Smithsonian Magazine's recent dive into the history of the espresso machine, which is a fascinating read for any coffee lover. More

Q: I am a Senseo owner but it looks like they are being discontinued in the US. Pods are nearly impossible to find in supermarkets or online. I'd love to replace it with a similarly priced machine that can deliver a good cup with the same sort of Senseo crema.

Sent by Haley More