Best Of The Year

15 Innovative Amazon Cleaning Tools Kitchn Readers Couldn’t Stop Adding to Their Carts in 2022Tools
Every home needs a refresh after the holidays.
Taylor Bushey
Dec 27, 2022
Our 4 Favorite New Costco Products of 2018Groceries
Have you tried any of these hot items this year?
Danielle Centoni
Dec 27, 2018
Next Week’s Meal Plan: Our Top 10 Plans of the YearRecipes
Over the last few years, we’ve published more than 120 meal plans from our own Kitchn editors and contributors alike. There’s a lot to be gleaned from those meal plans and how you’ve incorporated them into your own meal planning and meal prep in that time.
Meghan Splawn
Dec 23, 2018
Our Favorite Dinners from a Whole Year of CookingRecipes
As we start to reflect on 2018, we Kitchn editors can’t help but think back on all the dinners we churned out. Some were leisurely affairs, others were fast and fancy, and many were minor miracles. All, however, kept us and our families happy and fed. Here are our favorite things we cooked this year.
Sheela Prakash
Dec 6, 2018
10 Homemade Bath & Beauty Luxuries from the KitchenPeople
Last spring, we ran a series of homemade, naturally inspired projects called DIY Mama. While some of the projects were definitely for new moms (nursing and lactation teas, for instance), many had a much broader appeal to anyone who loves a little homemade, handmade luxury. So we rounded up our favorite home and body treats from the series for those of you not ready for (or well-beyond) DIY-ing your own human.
Dana Velden
Jan 1, 2017
12 Travel Stories That Inspired Us in 2016People
If you haven’t yet noticed, we’re big travel-lovers here at Kitchn. And when you think about it, it makes sense because tasting and experiencing new and delicious foods is one of the main reasons why people want to travel in the first place. We’re so into traveling that we even launched a brand-new travel section this month. We’re really looking forward to sharing our adventures with you in 2017 — but until then, this is what inspired us most in 2016.
Dana Velden
Dec 31, 2016
15 Important Things to Know About Prepping VegetablesSkills
It doesn’t matter if you’re a vegan, vegetarian, or an omnivore — there’s very little doubt that if you’re making dinner, you’re going to be prepping some vegetables tonight. So be sure to check out these 15 tips, techniques, and tools that will help guide you toward vegetable mastery or, at the very least, some really perfect julienne slices. What happens when a recipe calls for two pounds of potatoes? Do you have any idea what that looks like?
Dana Velden
Dec 31, 2016
Our 15 Most Popular New Cooking Lessons of 2016Recipes
What did you learn to cook by heart this year? We believe that utter confidence and enjoyment of cooking lies first in knowing the smartest, simplest ways to cook the essentials. We teach you week in and week out with Cooking Lessons, our step-by-step recipes, designed to be known by heart as you assemble your own toolbox of best recipes and go-to techniques. This year we published many new Cooking Lessons; here are the 15 most popular ones.
Faith Durand
Dec 30, 2016
10 Taste Tests to Help You Grocery ShopGroceries
In which we taste test the more popular brands of some of our favorite groceries to find our favorites (and help you shop).
Dana Velden
Dec 30, 2016
10 Smart Ways to Create a Better Lunch SaladSkills
Salads for lunch can be a beautiful thing, but they do need a little forethought in order to avoid soggy lettuce or uninspired toppings. Here are our top 10 tips for packing a tasty, inspired, mishap-free lunch salad. This post successfully solves the dilemma of how to keep salad greens fresh all week long. The basic premise here is to prep a big batch of fresh, crunchy salad base on Sunday that you use throughout the entire week.
Dana Velden
Dec 30, 2016
15 Beautiful Vegan RecipesRecipes
We’re always happy to add to our of growing list of vegan recipes, especially as more people turn to a plant-centered diet. There’s just so much delicious cooking to do with plants! We’re talking beet pesto pasta, chickpea nuggets, and the most delicious broccoli salad with peanut dressing. These 15 recipes were our favorite vegan recipes in 2016, but we’re sure they’ll live on into 2017 and beyond.
Dana Velden
Dec 29, 2016
10 Ingenious Ways to Upgrade Everyday FoodsSkills
Sometimes you just don’t have the time or budget to get fancy with your food, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat well (and have some fun, too!). We took several popular snacks and other foods — from corn dogs to broccoli to frozen waffles — and found 10 ways to upgrade them with simple additions and garnishes.
Dana Velden
Dec 29, 2016
Our Best Tips for Smarter, Better CookingSkills
Everyone wants to cook smarter and better, so it’s no surprise that these are some of our most popular tips and techniques for baking and cooking. Whether you’re experimenting with vegan baking or wondering if your microwave can do more than heat leftovers, we’ve got some excellent advice for you. Coconut oil has become a popular cooking fat. Vegans have known for years just how great it is for baking, but others are just catching on to this versatile baking staple.
Dana Velden
Dec 29, 2016
Kitchn Editors Share Their Favorite Stories of 2016Skills
We all know that to get dinner on the table tonight we’ll need ingredients and a recipe. We’ll also need some way to cook it and something to eat it with. We’ll need some time, too, be it five minutes for a salad or two hours for a braise. And we’ll probably need some way to clean it all up and store any leftovers. What we don’t realize we need to make dinner tonight, though, is a story. And yet, on some level, we do.
Dana Velden
Dec 29, 2016
25 Inspired Breakfast Recipes for a Better MorningRecipes
Breakfast is one of those meals that can easily become routine. From cold cereal to smoothies, many people grab their breakfast and head out the door before they’re even fully awake. Clearly we need some inspiration here. Maybe baked croque-monsieur casserole will perk up your morning, or granola cooked overnight in the slow cooker. Better yet, why not fill your freezer (like a boss) with breakfast burritos or the fixings for a slow-cooker breakfast bake?
Faith Durand
Dec 29, 2016
15 Fast Recipes Using Grocery ShortcutsRecipes
Sometimes the difference between getting a hot meal on the table and not getting a hot meal on the table is a clever shortcut. Rotisserie chicken picked up at the supermarket is classic, making it possible to have white rotisserie chicken chili ready in no time. Other shortcuts can be as simple as opening a can of beans for our 10-minute black bean tacos. Here, a collection of recipes that stand as homage to all the good ways the grocery store helps us put dinner on the table.
Dana Velden
Dec 28, 2016
13 Small Yet Mighty Kitchen Tools We Can’t Live WithoutTools
We all aspire to the ideal that our kitchens should be workstations where everything is clean, unbroken, and useful. Not always possible, it’s true, but we can be careful about cluttering it up with unnecessary tools and unitasking gadgets. Here’s a baker’s dozen of the tools we learned to love even more this year, from the humble paddle that came with our rice cooker, to the garlic press one of our editors hid from Alton to the almighty lemon squeezer.
Dana Velden
Dec 28, 2016
10 Smart Ways to Save Time in the Kitchen This YearSkills
Shortcuts are great, but only if they produce equally great, if not better, results. From using your microwave to making smart grocery store purchases, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite ways to save time while not sacrificing deliciousness. The microwave is an often-unloved kitchen appliance, looked on with suspicion and even dislike. But this ubiquitous appliance is your secret for quick, smart shortcuts to both cooking and cleaning.
Dana Velden
Dec 27, 2016
Knife Skills & Shopping: 23 Ways to Educate Your Eye in the KitchenSkills
Having a visual image of various cuts and ingredients will help you to become a more agile and intuitive cook.
Dana Velden
Dec 26, 2016
15 Ways to Practice Kindness in (and out) of the KitchenKitchen
Cooks, for the most part, are kind and generous people. They tend to want to share the fruits of their kitchen labors with others and express their love and appreciation through feeding people. We support and encourage this at Kitchn, and hope you find inspiration here to practice and express your own version of kitchen kindness.
Dana Velden
Dec 26, 2016
10 Essential Things You Should Know About Your Chef’s KnifeTools
Your chef’s knife is perhaps the most important and beloved tool in your kitchen, so naturally you want to be thoroughly schooled on every aspect of it. To help you out, we rounded up all the top intel on how to buy, care for, store, sharpen, clean, and use a chef’s knife. Remember, this is the tool that will potentially be with you for your entire lifetime, so it’s best to get really well-acquainted, really quick.
Dana Velden
Dec 26, 2016
8 Small Ingredients That Changed the Way We Cook in 2016Skills
It’s an exciting thing for a passionate cook to discover a new ingredient. Just when we think we’ve seen it all, a new fruit or fat comes our way. Or maybe a new way of understanding a familiar ingredient is uncovered. Here are eight of those ingredients that either woke up our senses or taught us something new in 2016. Could we write this roundup without mentioning aquafaba, the craziest egg substitute that changed vegans’ lives forever? No!
Dana Velden
Dec 26, 2016
Our 23 Favorite Vegetarian Recipes of 2016Recipes
Vegetarian cooking has thankfully outgrown its niche and has fully entered the mainstream these past few years. It’s no longer necessary to hide or apologize for the fact that meat is missing from the table. Instead, we celebrate the varied abundance that a vegetarian meal can have, and these 23 recipes are just a hint at what can be accomplished. So dive in!
Dana Velden
Dec 26, 2016
10 Essential Things to Know About Meal PlanningSkills
Meal planning. It’s one of those things you know you should do, but don’t. Until you finally give up all your resistance and you do. And then you go on to quickly discover that meal planning is saving your butt, each and every week. So if you don’t meal plan, check out these tips and get on board. And if you do meal plan, check out these tips to help you do it better.
Dana Velden
Dec 22, 2016
7 Little Tricks That Will Make You Feel Like a Kitchen WizardSkills
Having a few kitchen tricks up your sleeve can make all the difference, whether you’re cooking a dinner party for 20 or just trying to get Wednesday supper on the table. Some tricks, like the one for vegan whipped cream, are magical. Others are as simple as snapping an ear of corn in half. All are fun, doable, and will have your friends exclaiming, “How did you know that?
Dana Velden
Dec 22, 2016
Our Best Kitchen Finds of 2016Tools
A cook is only as good as her ingredients — and her tools. Here are 10 of our most popular kitchen finds from 2016. From the best peelers to a uni-tasker machine that has a 200,000-person waitlist, we found the best, most interesting, and most perfect tools — just for you. Anyone who has had to work with a dull, poorly designed, subpar peeler knows why this is our number-one post. Kitchen happiness is not about how much money you spend, but about finding the best tool for the job.
Dana Velden
Dec 22, 2016
10 Small Kitchen Habits to Try in 2017Kitchen
The new year is a classic time to take stock and usher in new beginnings, so we’ve rounded up our most popular and helpful kitchen habits for you to consider for your 2017 fresh start. From simple things like saving that heel of bread, to a philosophical look at becoming a more well-rounded cook, this is our list to encourage and support you to shine bright and make good food!
Dana Velden
Dec 20, 2016
Our Top 16 Slow-Cooker Recipes of 2016Recipes
We really took on the slow cooker in 2016, publishing dozens of recipes and articles and equipment reviews. Here are our 16 most popular recipes, from the best pulled pork, to Crock-Pot mac and cheese, to truly crispy apple crisp. Winter, spring, summer, or fall — it’s always a good time to pull out the slow cooker. Mac and cheese! In the slow cooker! Just add dry pasta, milk, and cheese into your slow cooker and walk away.
Dana Velden
Dec 20, 2016
15 Ingenious Ways to Create a More Organized KitchenKitchen
Kitchen organization is a daily task, but it can sometimes get away from us. Here are our top 15 ways to stay organized and clutter-free.
Dana Velden
Dec 20, 2016
23 Cooking Lessons and Recipes for Your Electric Pressure CookerRecipes
Many cooks have found that the electric pressure cooker has a much shorter learning curve and is somehow less intimidating than the venerable stovetop pressure cooker. We’ve rounded up all of our electric pressure cooker information and recipes from 2016 so you can explore and consider if this handy appliance is right for you. (P.S.: We think they’re fantastic!
Dana Velden
Dec 19, 2016
10 Important Things We Learned About Grocery Shopping This YearGroceries
Grocery shopping. Everyone has to do it, but not everyone knows what they’re doing. We rounded up some of our top 2016 grocery store tips, tricks, and helpful advice so that next time you walk through those whooshing doors, you’ll be a master in the fine art of grocery shopping. Your refrigerator, pantry, and cupboards — and, ultimately, your belly — will thank you. Here’s our basic roundup of 10 essential tips for smart grocery shopping.
Dana Velden
Dec 19, 2016
Our Top 10 Snack Recipes of 2016Recipes
Have you ever had one of those weeks when life is more about snacks than actual meals? Maybe you’re super busy at work or school, or maybe smaller, lighter bites are more of what you’re craving right now. Either way, we featured some truly delicious and snackable recipes in 2016. Here are 10 of our most popular, including Cheetos-style chickpeas and the delectable, munchable pinwheel wraps pictured above. Snacks are the best. Healthy snacks are even better.
Dana Velden
Dec 19, 2016
15 Surprising Tips That Will Make You a Better Cook in 2016Skills
One of the signs of a good cook is that they’ve learned little tricks of the trade along the way. They know how to make the most of the food they have in their fridge and how to improvise or take shortcuts to make a recipe even better. Here are 15 tips that will help you become a better cook in 2016. Use this tip to make sure your eggs are fresh: That way you’ll know which should be poached and which will be better hard-boiled.
Kristin Appenbrink
Jan 3, 2016
The Kitchn’s Most Popular Drinks of 2015Recipes
Give us fruit, give us fizz, and don’t forget a splash of something boozy. This year sangria, pitcher cocktails, and one creamy, dreamy milkshake stole the show when it came to the things we loved to stir, shake, sip, and pour. The double punch of fresh peaches and peach brandy really make this sangria seem like summer in a glass. We bet you’ll love munching on the flavored fruit after finishing the whole pitcher.
Hali Bey Ramdene
Jan 3, 2016
10 Things You Might Not Know About Your KitchenSkills
Even if you’re a relatively confident cook, there are likely still some things you don’t know about your kitchen — we’re here to demystify all of it. From making sure your fridge is running safely, to knowing the differences between gas and electric ovens, these guides will make you a more informed cook in 2016. There is a correct way to load your dishwasher: Take a quick look at the manual that came with it to find out if you’ve been doing it wrong.
Kristin Appenbrink
Jan 3, 2016
15 Kitchen Transformations That Will Blow Your MindKitchen
We love a kitchen transformation. Sometimes it’s a little change that really turns a space around, or sometimes it’s a gut remodel that doesn’t look anything like the space did before. Either way, we find them inspiring for our own kitchens. Here are our 15 favorite before and after transformations from 2015. The Most Amazing $700 Kitchen Remodel We’ve Seen: We still can’t believe this cost only $700.
Kristin Appenbrink
Jan 2, 2016
10 Signs You’re a Grownup in the KitchenKitchen
Do you feel like a grownup in the kitchen? Sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t, but we do know there are a few markers of grown-up behavior in the kitchen. Whether it’s actually putting away your groceries or mastering a few key recipes, here are some signs that you just might be a grownup. You have a well-stocked kitchen: These seven items are the most important ones to have.
Kristin Appenbrink
Jan 2, 2016
10 Ways Your Freezer Can Make Everyday Cooking EasierSkills
Your freezer isn’t just for ice cream and that half-empty bottle of vodka — it can actually be a tool to help you streamline your everyday cooking routine and make life easier on yourself. Follow these 10 tips for stocking your freezer, and you’ll stress less about meal time. Organize your freezer: First you need to make sure your freezer is organized to get the most out of it — or rather into it.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 31, 2015
Our Best Freezer-Friendly Recipes of 2015Recipes
When we think of convenience in the kitchen, we are often thinking of cooking from the pantry or using the blessed slow cooker, but the freezer is a resource for smarter cooking in its own right. No matter what meal you’re making, there’s a way to utilize the freezer to your benefit. Smoothies and breakfast sandwiches become weekday affairs and company-worthy pork chop dinners deliver the ultimate convenience. They go from freezer to slower cooker — minimal prep required.
Hali Bey Ramdene
Dec 31, 2015
10 Ways to Be a Better Host in 2016Kitchen
If it’s not something you do often, or if you didn’t grow up in a household where your family hosted dinners or parties, inviting people into your home can be daunting. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves when hosting, but there are a few tricks to learn that can make everything run more smoothly. Here’s our best advice for making 2016 the year of the dinner party.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 31, 2015
10 Things We Learned About Eating Healthier This YearSkills
Even though we think we know so much about food and health, there seems to always be something to learn. For example, you might be doing some things that make your vegetables less nutritious. Who knew? With the aim of starting 2016 on a healthy note (resolutions, anyone?), here is the best information we learned about eating healthier in 2015. You might be making your veggies worse for you: They’re still healthier than a piece of cake, but you should stop these practices now.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 30, 2015
The Kitchn’s Best Baking Lessons of 2015Recipes
Roll up your sleeves and break out the apron — it’s time to start baking! This year we covered some of the major must-know baking recipes and perennial favorites like a classic chewy brownie. So next time it comes to working with puff pastry, making an ice cream cake, or whipping up a sky-high chocolate soufflé, you won’t have to even bat an eye. Soufflés are incredibly alluring and charming in their very simplicity. Eggs are separated into yolks and whites.
Hali Bey Ramdene
Dec 30, 2015
Our Favorite Stories of the YearPeople
While most of the time we’re focused on recipes and tips to get a better dinner on the table, we also appreciate the fact that food is one of the most important and emotional parts of our lives. There are food stories — the good, the bad, and the ugly — to share. These are the best long reads on our site this year, conveniently located in one place so you can dive deep.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 30, 2015
15 of Our Favorite Food Videos from 2015People
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be priceless. Whether they are recipes, tips, hilarious spoofs, or just an homage to a certain type of food, we’ll always take a few moments out of our days to watch a food video. These are the ones we couldn’t take our eyes off of this year. Need we say s’more? This gooey video tops our list and makes our mouths water. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s life-changing. Just watch.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 29, 2015
15 Ways to Have a Cleaner, Healthier KitchenKitchen
Having a clean kitchen to cook in is just as important as being able to master perfectly whipped cream. That’s why we’re here to help you find better, faster, healthier ways to clean your kitchen. From saving that enameled cast iron pot from ruin to learning how to make all-natural cleaners that leave your kitchen spotless, here’s our best cleaning advice from the past year.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 29, 2015
15 Smart Ways to Shop for Kitchen GearTools
We see a lot of gear — from handheld gadgets to countertop appliances — come across our desks and kitchen counters each year. There are some things that are worth the money, and some that fall flat. Plus, there are plenty of ways to save on the gear you need in the kitchen. Here are our best shopping tips and product reviews from 2015. The restaurant supply store is your friend: You can score good deals on restaurant-quality goods, if you know what to look for.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 28, 2015
10 Essential Cooking Lessons of 2015Recipes
The best way to become a better cook is to head into the kitchen with a question. Beginning with the “how” is a great place to start, and so the question you come to The Kitchn asking is the one we love to answer. How do I make … ? You asked, we answered, and this year we went back to the basics with classic recipes for stovetop burgers and baked chicken to newly minted favorites like vegan coconut yogurt and Internet-famous two-ingredient banana pancakes.
Hali Bey Ramdene
Dec 28, 2015
10 Secrets of the Organized KitchenKitchen
We’ll take a guess that like every other year, you’re making a resolution to be more organized in 2016. It’s a goal we fully support. The more organized you are, the easier (and more fun) it can be to spend time in your kitchen and get dinner on the table every night. Here’s some of our best advice from 2015 to help you make a fresh start in the new year. Your cabinets can always use more work: Take lessons from these beautifully organized cabinets.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 27, 2015
But First, Breakfast: 20 Recipes That Will Make Your Mornings BetterRecipes
As the first meal of the day, breakfast holds a lot of power in swaying the way we start our mornings. Even if you’re more likely to grab a cup of coffee and rush out the door than sit down to a full spread of eggs and the works, there’s always a middle ground that delivers flavor, convenience, and a little delight. These recipes are either quick enough to whip up on an average weekday morning or can be made in advance over the weekend or on a quiet weeknight.
Hali Bey Ramdene
Dec 26, 2015
Buy the Best: 15 Taste Tests to Guide Your ShoppingGroceries
When it comes to grocery staples, it’s important to be an informed shopper. That’s why we taste test all the things that make it onto your shopping list, week after week. Here are the results from our most popular taste tests of 2015. The best orange juice: We tested the best pulp-free juice that didn’t come from a concentrate. The best peanut butter: Creamy only for this test, since it can be used for both sandwiches and baking.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 26, 2015
15 Ways to Shop SmarterGroceries
Even though it’s more cost-effective than eating out, cooking at home can still be expensive. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to save money at the grocery store, farmers market, and warehouse club. Here are some of the best tips we learned this year for shopping smarter every day. A food budget is powerful: It might be the most important part of smart shopping, and it can even get you out of debt.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 24, 2015
10 Times the Skillet Won Dinner (and Dessert!) in 2015Recipes
You’ve got to hand it to the skillet — it’s probably the most overworked, under-appreciated tool in the kitchen. It takes us from crowd-pleasing brunch recipes like chipotle chilaquiles to a dessert of cookie butter-swirled brownies without missing a beat. It goes from the oven to stove to tabletop without complaint, and it’s usually a breeze to clean. Cast iron, stainless steel, and even nonstick — here are 10 times we were thankful for our skillets this past year.
Hali Bey Ramdene
Dec 23, 2015
15 Things We Learned About Coffee This YearSkills
So many of us start our days with coffee of some sort. From a full French press of black coffee to an espresso drink with a mountain of foam, there’s something for almost everyone. There’s also still a lot to learn to help you make a better cup of joe at home. Here are our favorite coffee lessons from 2015. Introducing fika: This was the year of fika, the Swedish coffee break. Learn what it is and why it will make your days so much better.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 21, 2015
10 New Tricks for Favorite IngredientsSkills
We love finding surprising new ways to use our favorite ingredients. From turning vegetables like zucchini into noodles, to repurposing scraps like vegetable peels or herb stems, here are our 10 best new tricks for favorite ingredients. A quick toss in some oil and spices, and 15 minutes in the oven, and you have a delicious and unexpected grilled salad. Don’t leave out the vegetarians when you’re making pulled pork sandwiches.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 21, 2015
10 Videos That Will Make Your Cooking More FunPeople
Did you know you can fit your Mason jar onto your blender to easily make an on-the-go smoothie? Or that you can keep guacamole green by adding a little water on top before storing it? We explored these fun and functional ideas, and more, in this year’s videos. Here’s a look back at the videos that you loved (and we loved!) the most in 2014.
Ariel Knutson
Jan 4, 2015
Common Cooking Mistakes to AvoidPeople
Even if you’re an experienced cook, there are likely still a few things that you get wrong in the kitchen. Bad habits get the best of all of us from time to time. Here are some of the most ordinary things you prepare — from pasta to coffee and meatloaf to scrambled eggs — and the mistakes that you may be making. We might have rounded up 10 common things you cook, but we’ll actually teach you 48 (!) mistakes to avoid.
Kristin Appenbrink
Jan 2, 2015
Snack Time! 20 Homemade SnacksRecipes
Those hours between lunch and dinner are so very long (and feel even longer when you’re sitting at your desk with a rumbling stomach). Good thing you thought ahead and have one of these awesome homemade snacks tucked in your bag. Some carrot cake power bites, perhaps? Or a few handfuls of sweet and salty curried popcorn? There are no wrong choices here — you’ll win at snack time by making any of these 20 bites.
Emma Christensen
Dec 31, 2014
The Top 10 Food Trends of 2014People
In 2014 we saw the rise and fall of many a food trend. This year, cauliflower rose out of the dust to become a coveted vegetable; Surge came back from its 90s grave; and everyone seemed to be eating extra-fancy toast. Here’s a look back at the top 10 food trends and stories of 2014. The rising star this year was definitely cauliflower. Before, it was a little misunderstood. It’s kinda squeaky, a little boring raw, and intimidating to prep. Well, no more!
Ariel Knutson
Dec 31, 2014
18 Small Cooking Lessons That Will Make You So HappyRecipes
For every essential cooking lesson that teaches you the basic skills of steaming vegetables or making a perfect French omelet, we need to have a little fun! It’s not all serious cooking, after all — sometimes it’s pumpkin spice lattes, two-ingredient Nutella brownies, and pull-apart cheese bread. These are the kinds of surprising, clever, and just plain fun recipes that make us want to jump into the kitchen and stay there all day.
Emma Christensen
Dec 30, 2014
10 Ingredients to Try (Maybe for the First Time)Skills
We’re always on the lookout for new ingredients that we never thought we could eat (hello, pumpkin leaves!), as well as trendy ingredients that start popping up everywhere, like black garlic. Check out these 10 ingredients that we fell in love with this year and see if you like them as much as we do. If you’re tired of cooking with the same ingredients, try swapping in cashew meal for almond flour or cooking with those carrot tops that you usually toss into the compost.
Christine Gallary
Dec 30, 2014
15 Surprising Tips That Will Make You a Better CookSkills
Mastering cooking and being in the kitchen really starts with cooking regularly and understanding ingredients, cooking techniques, and kitchen equipment. While there’s a broad range of basic knowledge out there about these subjects, there are also some surprising tips that can really up your culinary game. Here are our favorites!
Christine Gallary
Dec 30, 2014
10 Things We Learned from Real People’s KitchensSkills
Why do we love looking in other people’s kitchens? Sometimes it’s purely for eye candy — the gorgeous light, the pretty dishes, the dream cooking range. But more often it’s because we’re looking for great ideas — that one setup, secret, or tip that makes us say, “That’s so smart! I have to try that in my own kitchen.
Cambria Bold
Dec 29, 2014
10 Projects for a Happier KitchenKitchen
Even if you’re not ready for a full-on kitchen makeover, there are plenty of smaller projects you can tackle to make your kitchen a bit happier. It’s all those little touches — creative storage ideas, prettily patterned dish towels, and artwork that can stand up to a few spaghetti sauce splashes — that make you and your family want to spend even more time in the most popular room in your home. Here are 10 small projects to give your kitchen a little love.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 29, 2014
16 Recipes to Stock Your Freezer for the New YearRecipes
Here we are — smack dab in the middle of winter with nary a warm ray of sunshine in sight. These are the days when we need our freezers filled with plenty of hearty, wholesome meals to get us through the grey days. I’m talking about batches of red lentil soup, turkey meatballs for quick pasta dinners, veggie-stuffed burritos that can be reheated on a whim, and toaster waffles for busy mornings. You with me? Let’s do this.
Emma Christensen
Dec 29, 2014
Drink Up! 15 Good Ideas for Beer and WinePeople
As we’re getting ready to raise a glass to the new year, we figure it’s a perfect time to look back at all the great beer and wine ideas and information we shared in 2014. Whether you prefer a crisp white, a full-bodied red, or a hoppy IPA, we can help you become a more informed (and satisfied) drinker.
Kristin Appenbrink
Dec 28, 2014
Our Master Kitchen Cleaning List: 30 Lessons & Smart Tips for Cleaning Every Part of Your KitchenKitchen
Over the last year we’ve taken a look at almost every part of the kitchen and figured out the best way to clean it. We’ve covered the basics — how to clean the stovetop, oven, refrigerator, dishwasher — but also tackled a few head-scratching specifics, like how to clean a range hood filter and the most effective way to clean an abominably greasy, impossible-to-see-through oven door.
Cambria Bold
Dec 28, 2014
15 Real-Life Home Kitchens That Will Inspire YoursKitchen
An elegant, open California kitchen; a tiny, colorful basement kitchen in Boston; an antique-industrial kitchen in Atlanta with a huge window. These are just a few of the many kitchens we shared with you this past year — real home kitchens used by real cooks, many of them avid readers of The Kitchn. Every space had a personality and style unique to its cook, which is what we love to see. (That, and great design and organizing ideas!) Here are 15 favorites.
Cambria Bold
Dec 27, 2014
We Tested These 15 Popular Tips: Are They Mindblowing or Not?Skills
I’ll confess that I’m a bit of a skeptic when I come across very off-the-wall cooking tips that are supposed to blow my mind, so when I started writing here at The Kitchn, trying out some of these tips was really fun. Here are 15 popular tips that we put to the test. Find out if they were duds or world-rocking techniques that we’ll actually be using in our cooking!
Christine Gallary
Dec 27, 2014