Cookware & Prep reviews
← All reviews5 productswe've bought, tested and scored by hand.
Cast Iron Care: Most of What You've Heard Is Myth
Cast iron is nearly indestructible, improves with use, and costs little — yet half of all pans sit unused because their owners were taught a maintenance religion instead of two simple habits. Dry it, oil it lightly, cook in it often. That's the whole liturgy.
The Enameled Dutch Oven: One Pot to Rule the Winter
Braises, stews, soups, no-knead bread and an entire genre of Sunday cooking, all from one heavy pot that never needs seasoning and cleans like a plate. The famous names are lovely; the pot's physics come from its weight and lid, which humbler brands also sell.
Wood vs Plastic Cutting Boards: The Debate, Settled Sensibly
Wood is kinder to knife edges, ages gracefully and covers most kitchen work; plastic earns its place for raw meat duty because it survives the dishwasher — until it's deeply scarred, at which point it's worse than the wood it replaced. Most kitchens should run both.
Knife Blocks vs Magnetic Strips: Where Should Knives Live?
The knife block is a counter-hogging default that hides your knives and their condition; the magnetic strip stores edges safely, visibly, and takes no counter at all — if you have the wall and hang it properly. In-drawer organisers are the quiet third option nobody advertises.
'Dishwasher Safe': What the Label Actually Promises
'Dishwasher safe' mostly means 'will survive the machine', not 'will be unchanged by it' — and no independent body checks the claim. The machine is brilliant for plates and brutal on knives, wood, nonstick and anything that seals. Learn the short exceptions list and believe it over the label.