Welcome to the first installment of Eater’s monthly shopping roundtable, in which our editors clink cocktail glasses and dish over the best new fancy snacks, countertop appliances, gadgets, and kitchen decor items that have been improving our lives. (For your immediate consideration: the butter guillotine in this butter yellow shopping guide.)
Eater staffers spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and arguably even more time coming up with ways to make that time run smoothly. Eater senior reporter Bettina Makalintal loves her kitchen tweezers so much, she recently broke up with her tongs; Eater’s senior commerce editor Hilary Pollack learned the hard way why chainmail gloves are such a godsend for chopping-heavy recipes, and I finally found an aesthetic to-go mug that doesn’t make me feel like I’m drinking from a sippy cup (TL;DR: It’s ceramic-lined and keeps drinks hot for 10 hours).
It’s the little things — life’s garnishes, let’s say — that can be game-changers. But sometimes, you also need a heartfelt review as to why the Ninja Creami is god’s gift to those of us who grew up within the Y2K soft-serve community.
Let’s unpack some of the best stuff Eater editors bought this month, from a workhorse Japanese toaster to a sexy stovetop coffee maker.
The Ninja Creami Swirl is a soft-serve dream machine
I consider my countertop real estate precious and am highly selective about what makes the cut to live on it full-time. When I was presented with the opportunity to try Ninja’s latest ice cream machine, the Creami Swirl (with a built-in soft-serve function!), I was excited by the prospect of a supply of homemade ice cream, but imagined that I’d use it a couple of times and then stash it in a cabinet until this summer. Friends, I was so very wrong — I’ve been eating ice cream pretty much every day since unboxing it. It’s just so easy to use, the ice cream turns out so perfectly creamy, and I’m obsessed with the CreamiFit program that allows me to turn protein shakes into a frozen dessert (although I still put sprinkles and salted caramel on my “healthy” breakfast). Top marks for this one; read my full review here. — Hilary Pollack, senior commerce editor
I acquired a small vessel that quickly became my obsession: a mini Dansk Købenstyle Dutch oven. It’s probably the 1-quart size, though I’m not sure — all I know is it only appears to be for sale on eBay. But it’s the perfect at-home snacking vessel, with little handles that allow me to carry it from kitchen to sofa to desk and back again (gripping one of the handles while I also precariously hold my phone and a beverage); and the size is perfect for a few scoops of post-dinner ice cream (eaten while couch rotting, of course), or cereal, or a few apple slices, or just a handful of M&Ms and nuts. It is sturdy, seemingly unbreakable, and the perfect size for apparently everything. Treat yourself to one (praise eBay for being a reliable source for discontinued treasures). — Ellie Krupnick, executive director of editorial operations
