Appliances

Review ★★★★☆ 4.5 May 3, 2026

Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender Review: Real Vitamix Power Without the Flagship Price

The Vitamix E310 is the cheapest way to get a real Vitamix on your counter, and after living with one you stop wishing for the bigger jar. The 48-ounce container is the right size for a household of one to four, the 2-peak-horsepower motor handles fibrous greens and frozen fruit without complaint, and the variable-speed dial gives you the manual control the more expensive Ascent line trades away for presets. If you want a blender that will outlast everything else on your counter and don't need Wi-Fi or a tamper that comes pre-paired to an app, this is the one to buy.

~$300–$380 Read review →

Review ★★★★☆ 4.1 May 3, 2026

Cuisinart ICE-100 Compressor Ice Cream and Gelato Maker Review: Two Paddles, No Pre-Freezing, Real Dessert

If you've ever forgotten to freeze the bowl the day before, you already know why a built-in compressor matters. The Cuisinart ICE-100 skips that step entirely — plug it in, pour in your base, and start churning. After a long stretch with it in the kitchen and a stack of corroborating reviews from people who've put it through paces I haven't, my bottom line is simple: this is the most house-friendly "real" ice cream maker most people will ever need, and the gelato paddle is more than a marketing gimmick.

~$300 Read review →

Review ★★★★☆ 4.7 May 3, 2026

Fellow Ode Gen 2 Brew Grinder Review: The Quiet Single-Dose Burr That Earns Its Counter Space

The Fellow Ode Gen 2 is a 64mm flat-burr, single-dose electric grinder built specifically for brewed coffee — pour-over, French press, AeroPress, drip, and cold brew. At around $340, it sits between entry-level burr grinders like the Baratza Encore and prosumer machines that cost twice as much. The headline: it's noticeably quieter than most grinders, the grind quality is excellent for filter methods, and it does not grind for espresso. If that's your use case, it's one of the most thoughtfully designed brew grinders on the counter today.

~$340 Read review →

Review ★★★★☆ 4.1 Apr 30, 2026

Chemex Classic 6-Cup Pour-Over Coffeemaker Review: An Iconic Brew, With a Learning Curve

The Chemex Classic 6-Cup is one of those rare kitchen objects that genuinely earns its place in the Museum of Modern Art's collection. Invented by Peter Schlumbohm in 1941, it is still made the same way — a single piece of borosilicate glass shaped like an hourglass, hugged at the waist by a wooden collar tied with a leather cord. Eighty-plus years later, it makes one of the cleanest, brightest cups of filter coffee you can get at home. It is also fussy, breakable, and not the right brewer for everyone. Here is what to expect before you buy.

~$45 Read review →

Review ★★★★☆ 4.3 Apr 29, 2026

Breville Joule Turbo Sous Vide Review: The Pocket-Sized Cooker That Finally Earns Its Premium

The Breville Joule Turbo (model BSV600PSS) is the smallest immersion circulator you can buy that still cooks like a serious one, and the "Turbo" mode finally gives the price tag a real reason to exist. If you can live with running it entirely from your phone, it's one of the easiest ways to get restaurant-grade steaks, chicken breasts, and pork chops on a weeknight.

~$249–$299 Read review →

Review ★★★★☆ 4.5 Apr 28, 2026

KitchenAid KHM7210 7-Speed Hand Mixer Review: The Reliable Workhorse for Bakers Without Counter Space

If you bake often enough to be annoyed by your $25 hand mixer but not enough to justify a stand mixer eating real estate on your counter, the KitchenAid KHM7210 sits in the sweet spot. It's not the cheapest hand mixer worth owning, and it isn't trying to be. It's the one you buy when you want a hand mixer that feels like it was actually engineered.

~$70–$90 Read review →

Review ★★★★☆ 4.5 Apr 28, 2026

Vitamix Ascent A3500 Review: The Smart Blender That Earns Its Price

The Vitamix Ascent A3500 sits near the top of the company's consumer lineup, and it has been there long enough that the hype has cooled and you can actually see what it does well and where it stumbles. Bottom line up front: if you blend daily and want one machine that handles smoothies, hot soups, frozen desserts, and nut butters without complaint, it's worth the money. If you blend twice a week, you're paying for features you won't use.

~$349-$500 Read review →

Review ★★★★☆ 4.4 Apr 28, 2026

Cuisinart WAF-F30 Round Flip Belgian Waffle Maker Review: Diner-Style Waffles Without the Diner Price

The Cuisinart WAF-F30 is the brand's most affordable rotary "flip" Belgian waffle maker, modeled on the kind you see behind hotel breakfast bars. For around $50 it gives you a single 1-inch-thick, 7-inch round Belgian waffle at a time, with a 180-degree flip that promises more even browning. After looking through current owner feedback and the specs Cuisinart publishes, the short version is this: it makes a satisfyingly fluffy waffle with crisp edges, the flip mechanism is genuinely useful, and the trade-off is that it only cooks one waffle at a time and takes up real counter space.

~$50 Read review →

Review ★★★★☆ 4.6 Apr 28, 2026

Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler Review: The Versatile Countertop Grill That Earns Its Storage Space

The Cuisinart GR-4N is one of those appliances that quietly justifies its cabinet space by replacing three or four others. It is a contact grill, panini press, open grill, full griddle, and half-grill/half-griddle in a single hinged unit, and after years on the market it still shows up on most "best multi-cookers" lists for one simple reason: the basic execution is solid. Bottom line: if you want a single countertop machine that handles steaks, burgers, paninis, pancakes, and bacon without committing to a dedicated indoor grill or electric skillet, the GR-4N is a sensible $70–$100 buy with a few clear compromises.

~$70–$100 Read review →

Review ★★★★☆ 4.1 Apr 27, 2026

Ninja CREAMi NC301 Ice Cream Maker Review: The Frozen-Treat Machine That Lives Up to the TikTok Hype

The Ninja CREAMi NC301 isn't a churning ice cream maker. It's a high-torque shaving machine that turns a frozen pint of liquid into something with the texture of soft-serve. After years of viral recipes and a steady price drop, it's earned its spot on the counter for a specific kind of cook — one who likes mix-ins, protein ice cream, and dialing in their own flavors.

~$150–$180 Read review →

Review ★★★★☆ 4.6 Apr 27, 2026

Breville BTA840XL Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster Review: Premium Toast That Earns Its Counter Space

The Breville BTA840XL is what happens when someone takes toast seriously enough to over-engineer it. At roughly $200, it sits well above the supermarket toasters most kitchens have on the counter — and after looking at how it's built and how owners describe living with it long-term, the case for spending the extra money mostly holds up, with caveats.

~$180–$220 Read review →

Review ★★★★☆ 4.0 Apr 27, 2026

Cuisinart DCC-3200P1 PerfecTemp 14-Cup Coffee Maker Review: The $90 Drip Brewer That Just Works

If you want a programmable drip coffee maker that pours a full pot of genuinely hot coffee without making you learn pour-over geometry, the Cuisinart PerfecTemp DCC-3200P1 is the safe pick. It is not the brewer that wins SCA certification debates on Reddit. It is the brewer that quietly outlasts three cheaper Mr. Coffees for around $90.

~$80–$100 Read review →