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A Cooking Instructor Reveals 5 Foods You Should Never Put in a Nonstick Pan

Nonstick cookware serves a purpose in the kitchen, but it shouldn't be your go-to pan for every task. When used incorrectly, nonstick surfaces can ruin dishes by preventing proper browning and searing of meats and vegetables. Certain foods can also compromise the coating, reducing the pan's durability and potentially contaminating your meals with flaking nonstick material. As much as we love the easy cleanup, most foods fare better in a stainless-steel, carbon-steel, or cast-iron skillet. I tur

Culinary Pros Name the 4 Most Common Cooking Mistakes That New Chefs Make

Starting any cooking project can feel overwhelming with so many moving parts -- choosing the right ingredients, mastering prep techniques, and executing. Even experienced chefs face their share of kitchen mishaps, but that's precisely what makes cooking so rewarding. The kitchen becomes your personal testing ground where every mistake teaches something new, gradually building your confidence and expanding your culinary skills. Knowing what to watch out for from the start can dramatically impro

My New Favorite Air Fryer Is Completely Nontoxic and Easy to Clean

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. 9.2 / 10 SCORE Ninja Crispi $160 at Amazon $164 at Best Buy $180 at Target Pros Cook, serve, and storage capabilities Easy to clean: almost everything is dishwasher-safe Intuitive operation No concern about PFAS Ability to see cooking in progress Can buy additional glass vessels for maximum food prep Small storage footprint with nesting capabilities

Are You Using the Wrong Cooking Oil? Here's What a Chef Says

A walk down the cooking oil aisle can feel a bit overwhelming. Olive, avocado, canola, grapeseed, peanut -- they all promise something different, and not every bottle works for every recipe. If you use the wrong one, your dish can end up greasy, bitter or just plain off. The key to choosing the correct one is knowing which oils handle heat best and which are better left raw. High-heat methods like frying or searing call for neutral oils with a higher smoke point, such as canola, avocado or grap

I Ditched My Air Fryer for This Glass-Bowl Model. It's Better in Almost Every Way

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. 9.2 / 10 SCORE Ninja Crispi $180 at Amazon $180 at Best Buy $180 at Target Pros Cook, serve, and storage capabilities Easy to clean: almost everything is dishwasher-safe Intuitive operation No concern about PFAS Ability to see cooking in progress Can buy additional glass vessels for maximum food prep Small storage footprint with nesting capabilities

My favorite cooking gadget is getting a big upgrade

is a senior reviewer focused on smart home and connected tech, with over twenty years of experience. She has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. I’ve owned a Thermomix TM6 for about five years, and I use it multiple times a day for everything from making smoothies in the morning to steaming veggies for dinner, whipping up a sauce, or cooking some rice. It’s the most versatile

The Best Oil to Use for Every Cooking Method, According to Experts

Walk down the cooking oil aisle and it's easy to get overwhelmed. Olive, avocado, canola, grapeseed, peanut -- they all promise something different, and not every bottle works for every recipe. Use the wrong one and your dish can end up greasy, bitter or just plain off. The key is knowing which oils handle heat best and which are better left raw. High-heat methods like frying or searing call for neutral oils with a higher smoke point, such as canola, avocado, or grapeseed. These options hold up

This Is the Best Oil to Use for Every Type of Cooking

Cooking oil can completely transform a dish, but using the wrong one can ruin it. While olive oil is a go-to for many home cooks, it isn't always the best choice. The reason? Its lower smoke point means it can burn at high temperatures, leaving food with an unpleasant, bitter taste. For frying, searing or any other high-heat cooking, reach for neutral oils like canola, avocado or grapeseed instead. They can withstand hotter temperatures and deliver a cleaner, crisper finish. By matching the rig

I Asked Pro Chefs: What Are the Biggest Kitchen Blunders Most Home Cooks Make?

Any culinary endeavor can feel daunting for new home cooks, between selecting ingredients, preparation work and actually cooking. Seasoned pros encounter setbacks regularly, but the kitchen serves as an ideal laboratory for experimentation -- a place where failures become valuable lessons and each attempt builds better technique and an expanded recipe repertoire. Understanding pitfalls before you begin can make all the difference. To suss out the biggest blunders to avoid in the kitchen, I spo

These Are the Biggest Mistakes Home Cooks Make, According to Professional Chefs

Cooking can be intimidating. The process of shopping, prepping, cooking and, ultimately, tasting the fruits of your labor taps into a side of the brain that not many people can or want to explore. But not even the pros get it right all the time, as the kitchen provides a safe space to experiment, fail and -- best of all -- learn so that desired outcomes can be improved upon and new recipes can be added to the ever-growing arsenal. That said, it certainly helps to identify some of the most comm

Heat Wave Cooking: This Countertop Appliance Is Even Better Than the Grill

I love my grill, but standing over blazing flames in 90-degree weather isn't my idea of summer fun. Cooking indoors isn't much better -- the oven turns the whole house into a sauna, and firing up the gas range with the windows closed can hurt indoor air quality. That's where the air fryer comes in. These compact powerhouses cook quickly while using far less energy than a traditional oven, making them a perfect heat wave solution. Sure, they give off a little warmth, but nothing like a wall oven

Why Chefs Don't Use Olive Oil for Everything (and What They Use Instead)

Cooking oil can completely transform a dish, but using the wrong one can ruin it. While olive oil is a go-to for many home cooks, it isn't always the best choice. Its lower smoke point means it can burn at high temperatures, leaving food with an unpleasant, bitter taste. For frying, searing or any other high-heat cooking, reach for neutral oils like canola, avocado or grapeseed instead. They can withstand hotter temperatures and deliver a cleaner, crisper finish. By matching the right oil to th

Olive Oil for Everything? Not So Fast — Here's What Cooking Oil to Use Instead

Cooking oil is one of the most versatile ingredients in any kitchen, but not all oils are created equal. While it's tempting to reach for olive oil every time, the truth is that different oils perform best under different conditions, and using the wrong one can make or break your dish. Olive oil, for example, adds richness and depth to dressings and sautés as well as goodies like proteins and vegetables. But its smoke point is lower than other oils, making it a poor choice for high-heat cooking

You Might Be Using the Wrong Oil: A Guide to Cooking Oils and When to Use Them

Oil's versatility knows no bounds. Not only does it help cook our favorite proteins and vegetables but it can also be mixed into dressings and baked goods to enhance everything from crave-worthy fat content to superior moisture levels. Some varieties, such as olive and coconut oil, can even be applied directly to skin and hair for the benefits of long-lasting hydration. But many oils serve very specific purposes. While ever-popular olive oil may be the go-to for practically everything in your k

Ditch the Hot Oven: The Ultimate Summer Cooking Hack Is Sitting on Your Counter

I love grilling as much as the next backyard warrior, but standing over open flames in 90-degree heat feels less like cooking and more like slow-roasting myself. And firing up the oven indoors? That just turns your kitchen into a sauna and your living room into a convection zone. Not to mention, using a gas range with the windows shut is basically inviting bad air to dinner. That's where the air fryer swoops in. These compact countertop dynamos crank out crispy food fast, without turning your h

Ninja's Glass-Bowl Air Fryer Won Me Over. Here Are 4 Reasons I Made the Switch

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. 9.2 / 10 SCORE Ninja Crispi $180 at Amazon $180 at Best Buy $180 at Target Pros Cook, serve, and storage capabilities Easy to clean: almost everything is dishwasher-safe Intuitive operation No concern about PFAS Ability to see cooking in progress Can buy additional glass vessels for maximum food prep Small storage footprint with nesting capabilities

Major rule about cooking meat turns out to be wrong

Contrary to common belief, resting meat isn’t really about retaining juices, but that doesn’t mean it’s pointless. Instead, it’s best understood as a temperature-control method for managing carryover cooking. To use it effectively, though, you have to completely rethink how the technique works and how to apply it. Is dark matter real? How do consciousness and memory actually work? And is it really necessary to rest your meat after cooking? These are the big, unresolved questions that keep scien

Major Rule About Cooking Meat Turns Out to Be Wrong

Contrary to common belief, resting meat isn’t really about retaining juices, but that doesn’t mean it’s pointless. Instead, it’s best understood as a temperature-control method for managing carryover cooking. To use it effectively, though, you have to completely rethink how the technique works and how to apply it. Is dark matter real? How do consciousness and memory actually work? And is it really necessary to rest your meat after cooking? These are the big, unresolved questions that keep scien

The 7 Must-Try Air Fryer Accessories Every Chef Needs

It doesn't matter whether you're rustling up an appetizer or cooking a full meal, the humble air fryer can do the job. It's true that sometimes the air fryer can be a victim of its own versatility, and sometimes it's relegated to cooking quick and easy meals. But if you pair it with a useful accessory, you might be surprised at just how capable that unsuspecting air fryer is. In fact, get things just right, and the cooking possibilities are basically endless. There's an entire air fryer communi

My Favorite All-in-One Kitchen Appliance Is on Sale for 20% Off

Too often, all-in-one kitchen appliances end up doing a lot of things poorly instead of doing one thing well. And, because some models have a lot of components, they can be a nightmare to clean. But the Chefman Everything Maker quickly won me over. The nonstick cooking surfaces heat up quickly and cleanup takes minimal effort (a serious win in my book). I've made crispy hash browns, gooey grilled cheese, breakfast sandwiches and perfectly golden pancakes -- all in one compact machine. And it's

4 Reasons I Switched to a Glass-Bowl Air Fryer

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. 9.2 / 10 SCORE Ninja Crispi $160 at Amazon $160 at Target $160 at Best Buy Pros Cook, serve, and storage capabilities Easy to clean: almost everything is dishwasher-safe Intuitive operation No concern about PFAS Ability to see cooking in progress Can buy additional glass vessels for maximum food prep Small storage footprint with nesting capabilities

Prime Day Has Ended, but You Can Still Snag My Favorite All-in-One Kitchen Appliance for 25% Off

Amazon's Prime Day sale has wrapped up, but we're spotting some deals that are still live today, including a sweet 25% discount on the Chefman Everything Maker, a clever kitchen gadget that can make almost anything. The normal list price of $60 on the Chefman website already feels like a steal for what this appliance can accomplish. Which is, well, everything. But the Price Day price brings it down to just $45, which is a steal. The midnight version is also on sale for 20% off. Too often, all-i

Prime Day Has Ended, But You Can Still Snag My Favorite All-in-One Kitchen Appliance for 25% Off

Amazon's Prime Day sale has wrapped up, but we're spotting some deals that are still live today, including a sweet 25% discount on the Chefman Everything Maker, a clever kitchen gadget that can make almost anything. The normal list price of $60 on the Chefman website already feels like a steal for what this appliance can accomplish. Which is, well, everything. But the Price Day price brings it down to just $45, which is a steal. The midnight version is also on sale for 20% off. Too often, all-i

The 6 best air fryers for 2025, tested and reviewed

Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . Air fryers have quickly become a go-to kitchen gadget, letting you whip up everything from crunchy fries to golden brown chicken using much less oil than traditional methods — sometimes just a drizzle of olive oil is all you need. The best air fryers in 2025 come from trusted air fryer

AI Is a Lousy Chef

After my sage plant struggled for years in a shadowy corner of my roof-deck planter garden, I moved it into the sunniest spot up there. Boy did that make a difference. It also meant I needed to figure out what to do with all the leaves it produced. As luck would have it, I was also trying out AI cooking platforms. That night, I plugged the prompt “recipe using brats and lots of sage” into an AI recipe generator and it gave me what it called “sage infused brats skillet with caramelized onions.”

Ninja 4-in-1 Air Fryer Pro Already Matches Last Prime Day’s Price, Stock Is Running Out Quickly

If you’ve ever stood in front of your oven, waiting for it to preheat while the kitchen heats up around you, you know how frustrating cooking can be when time and energy are short. Weeknight meals turn into a juggling act, and even reheating leftovers can feel like a hassle. The solution? A multi-function appliance like an air fryer. And we’ve got just the one for you right now. The Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1 is something you’ll definitely want to snap up now while it’s on sale, especially for s

This Ninja 6-in-1 XL Air Fryer Drops to a New Prime Day Low, and It’s Rated 4.7 out of 5

The Ninja DZ401 Foodi 6-in-1 XL air fryer is the highest-rated air fryer available for purchase on Amazon, with over 37,000 reviews and an impressive 4.7 out of 5 stars. If you need an XL air fryer that can actually do it all, this is the one to buy. Ninja has become the brand of choice when it comes to air fryers, and this inaugural (early) Prime Day discount is open to everyone, not only Prime members. The price of $179, down from the usual $230, is the best deal for 2025 and an opportunity t

I Used Science to Find the Best Cooking Appliance for a Heat Wave

I love my grill but standing over hot flames in 90-degree heat isn't my idea of a good time. Cooking inside isn't ideal either, since the oven raises the temperature of the entire house and using your gas range with the windows closed raises serious air quality concerns. Enter the air fryer. These mighty machines cook fast and use less use less energy than ovens, making them an ideal candidate for cooking inside during a heat wave. Air fryers do release warm air but it's nothing compared to the

I Used Science to Find the Best Cooking Appliance During a Heat Wave

I love my grill but standing over hot flames in 90-degree heat isn't my idea of a good time. Cooking inside isn't ideal either, since the oven raises the temperature of the entire house and using your gas range with the windows closed raises serious air quality concerns. Enter the air fryer. These mighty machines cook fast and use less use less energy than ovens, making them an ideal candidate for cooking inside during a heat wave. Air fryers do release warm air but it's nothing compared to the