The 10 Groceries Our Readers Loved the Most from Kitchn Essentials

Have you ever walked down an aisle in the grocery store and thought to yourself, I’d like to try one of everything, please? Earlier this year, our team basically got to make that dream a reality. We tested, tasted, and debated for months in order to bring you a list of the most exciting groceries in America right now. It was our biggest list yet, with more than 100 items, spanning 12 categories. If you missed it, go back and check out our list of Kitchn Essentials. (We’ll wait.)

Of the many innovative frozen foods, small-batch makers, and plant-based goodies, these were the 10 our readers couldn’t get enough of. Let’s take a look!

Omsom launched during the pandemic, when we couldn’t have been more desperate for a delicious dinner shortcut. Each kit has all the (sometimes hard-to-find) sauces, aromatics, and seasonings you need for specific Asian recipes like Japanese Yuzu Misoyaki and Chinese Mala Salad. The bright and beautifully packaged starter kits were so popular that they sold out three times and at one point even had a waitlist of over 2,000 people! (Did anyone join us on that list?)

Buy: The Omsom Bundle, $55 for 12 at Omsom

As many of you are very well aware, Not Just Salad Dressing is, well, not just salad dressing. This Miso Lemon Vinaigrette, from a women-owned company, goes so far beyond the salad (although if you’re looking for a way to add more greens to your day, start here!). Marinate chicken, whip up a noodle bowl, or roast some veggies in this zippy, umami dressing.

Buy: Not Just Lemon Miso Salad Dressing, $11 for 13 ounces at Not Just Co

Mason Dixie started as a brick-and-mortar biscuit shop that got so popular, the owner had to go nationwide with a frozen lineup of carby goodness. And yay for that! These new frozen breakfast sandwiches are off the charts, thanks to the simple ingredients adding up to so much more than the sum of their egg, sausage, and biscuit parts.

Buy: Mason Dixie Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches, $2.69 for 4.7 ounces

Simply put: We love this silky-smooth tahini. We also love that three sisters spotted the major gap in the U.S. tahini market and brought us this delicious spread made of Ethiopian sesame seeds. Oh happy day — you barely even have to stir it!

Buy: Soom Sesame Premium Tahini, $16.99 for 11 ounces at Soom

We just can’t say enough good things about this (vegan!) jam. Small-batch and with minimal added sugar, it is seriously our jam. (Sorry, couldn’t help it.) Flavors like Blueberry Lemon Basil and Smoked Peach belong in cocktails, baked goods, salad dressings, and more.

Buy: Trade Street Jam Co. Smoked Peach Jam, $11.99 for 9 ounces at Fresh Direct

Hummus is one of those store-bought things that never tastes as good as homemade … until we found this one. Ithaca Hummus, which got its start in 2013 at the Ithaca Farmers Market, is available nationwide, happily for us all. Start with the Classic (it’s pleasantly lemony!) and then try all the other flavors, too.

Buy: Ithaca Classic Hummus, $5.79 for 10 ounces at Instacart

This next-level condiment features funky, musky, magical black winter truffles. If we had to use one word to describe it? Decadent. Slather your fries in it, take grilled cheese to a new world with it, or go ahead and lap up a spoonful — it stands on its own.

Buy: Truff Mayo, $24.99 for two 8 ounce jars at Truff

All butter, all the time — that’s what we’re talking about. Skip the frozen puff pastry options made with shortening, our resident baking experts say, and reach for Dufour and its delicious buttery goodness. All the bakers on our staff are in total agreement here.

Buy: Dufour Classic Puff Pastry, $12.59 for 14 ounces at Instacart

The cookie with the loyal following in New York can be yours without a trip to their bakery. “Levain sells a frozen version of their famed chocolate chip cookie, and it’s as good as it gets without waiting in line,” says Hollis Miller, Email Manager. Just pop ‘em in the oven for the signature gooeyness!

Buy: Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies, $8.99 for eight 2-ounce cookies at Fresh Direct

These beautiful cans (art in and of themselves) deliver organic adaptogens, aromatherapeutic superfoods, and whole fruit juices in a delicious sparkling drink in flavors like Pretty Happy, with passion fruit, cacao, vanilla bean, and rhodiola. The all-female team of designers and food scientists is on a mission to help us fight stress and feel balanced. From our unscientific testing, we’d say mission accomplished.

Buy: Droplet Self-Care Sampler, $20 for 3 cans at Droplet

Which of these Kitchn Essentials was your favorite? Tell us in the comments below!