
29 Time-Saving Kitchen Products Reviewers Swear By
Promising review: "I wish I had one of these years ago because it would've saved me so much time! I love it for coring my apples. It's just phenomenal and so easy. I can make a baked apple in my microwave in just a few minutes. I have arthritis, and this is still so easy to use." —Bettina N.Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in 18 colors).
A corn cob stripper that'll pop those kernels right off the cob. Once you've got the kernels off the cob, you can get busy mastering your corn salsa recipe.
Promising review: "The Chef'n Cob Corn Stripper makes enjoying fresh corn on the cob easier than ever. Its innovative design effortlessly removes kernels from the cob in one smooth motion, saving time and reducing mess. The compact size and easy-to-clean construction make this kitchen gadget a must-have for corn lovers." —deanGet it from Amazon for $8.
A bench scraper and chopper to speed up any at-home baker's bread-making process. It also has a convenient ruler along the edge, and reviewers love this for easily scooping up sliced veggies and dropping them into pans!
Promising review: "Have been using this to quickly pick up all the chopped vegetables, etc. — very handy, sturdy handle on top gives a nice touch too. Easy to clean." —KSPBGet it from Target for $8 (originally $10).
A Ninja double stack 12-in-1 counter oven with the power of the oven that'll sit right on top of the counter. Don't believe me? This double stack goliath can ~rapidly~ cook via air fry, convection bake, air roast, whole roast, dehydrate and so much more. You can cook everything from a whole chicken and pizza to baked cookies.
Promising reviews: "I love, love it. It works great for one or two people. It saves time and energy. I love that I can make two different meals at the same time. Best invention ever. I strongly recommend it." —Marisol Belcher"I like it because it saves me a good amount of time I would have spent waiting for the regular oven to heat. It preheats and then starts cooking. And again, it's heating up a small space, so it is faster than a regular oven. Since it heats a small space, it saves heating up the whole kitchen. This is good in the summertime." —Pamela FernandezGet it from Amazon for $279.99.
The Thaw Claw here to help you thaw out meat in under half an hour because, if you live alone, you can't call home and have someone take the meat out in case you forget. Don't worry, dinner isn't ruined. It'll just be delayed a few minutes.
Thaw Claw is a Black-owned small biz that's been featured on Shark Tank, HSN, and Good Morning America!Promising reviews: "This device, with its suction base and spread design, keeps the food item under its fingers to allow the thawing process to complete in less than half the time by just putting it in the water. And before you object, 'that's not safe, the temperature will rise too much and promote bacteria growth' — I have ServSafe certs. I know my time and temp levels, and those are in no way even close to approaching the danger zone unless you leave it for hours before cooking. I recommend this item for anyone, but especially anyone who has time constraints for evening dinner prep or any other time for that matter." —mudhen7"This thing is excellent. I make my own dog food and frequently decide to do it at the last minute. This makes life so much easier. It really does allow the meat to thaw in about 15 minutes, which speeds up browning the ground meat. Thank you for a very simple but very much needed kitchen tool!" —Jane KLearn more about safe food thawing methods here.Get it from Amazon for $10.95.
A rapid ramen cooker, as seen on Shark Tank, that'll let you make perfect noodles without having to boil water on the stove.
Promising reviews: "Makes cooking ramen easier, no cover needed. Thought it was a bit expensive but it makes perfect ramen without the mess. Best texture noodles, way better than the stove." —Rupert"LOVED this product! I will be using it a TON! Worked exactly as advertised and you can tell it will hold up well in the future! It's the perfect size and impossible to screw up. Made for the microwave, it has a fill line for the water and you cook it for 4 minutes. I've added the seasoning both before and after cooking and it made no difference for me. Solves the problem of having to dirty a pan to cook the noodles and speeds up the whole process greatly. The noodles are cooked perfectly and a wonderful texture. The pan cleans quickly and easily and then you can eat out of it!! Handy handles that don't burn your hands. LOVED this item. An absolute MUST for the Ramen Noodle lovers out there!! BUY this, you WON'T regret it! What a useful, wonderful invention!" —Kay AGet a pack of two from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in various multi-packs and in 11 colors).
A no-touch cooking thermometer to simultaneously make sure you're not serving under or overcooked meat while also making cleanup a breeze! No actual meat touching = no scrubbing in the sink later. Hallelujah.
Promising review: "Wonderful...cant believe I waited this long to get one of these. speeds up the whole process." —JoAnn MahaffeyGet it from Amazon for $18.99 (available in five colors).
A spiralizer that's not only easy to use, but oh-so-satisfying to watch (and eat), too.
Promising review: "This clever kitchen tool turned zucchini into spaghetti-like strings in a couple of minutes. It was fun! I boiled the zucchini strings and ate them topped with homemade spaghetti sauce." —1SimpleCookGet it from Walmart for $16.
A nonstick meat and potato masher ready to break up and ~chop chop~ ground meat, potatoes, and other foods in a flash. It's way easier and more efficient than trying to force another tool to do it. This is made for the *chop* and more than 46,000 reviewers agree.
Promising reviews: "Why did I wait so long to buy one of these? The same day I received it, I was making broccoli, and my hubby doesn't like it in big chunks, so I decided to try to break up the broccoli with it, and it was SO fast and easy!! I wish I had bought one sooner!" —Jennifer139"I've seen the chefs use this device and thought I would give it a try. It did speed the process up in breaking up a block of ground beef." —LoreGet it from Amazon for $11.82+ (available in black and blue).
A set of two cast-iron burger presses you can use for all your grilling needs in these last few weeks of summer (*sobs about the impending end of grilling season*).
The set comes with one circular press and one rectangular press!Promising review: "Bought them for smash burgers and to help cook quickly. They work great and are easy additions that speed cooking if you are on a flat top. Burgers to Bacon, they make light and fun work of grilling. They also fit inside most of my cast iron pans too." —RAKJGet it from Amazon for $29.99+ (also available as individual sets and other set variations).
A hand immersion blender to make your cooking smooth, literally. Perfect for smoothies, sauces, and soups.
Promising reviews: "So happy I bought this. My old one, from the thrift store, cracked. It was an oldy! This one is awesome! Blends the soup so well and fast!!!! Great find!" —Sandy Butler"Used for the first time to speed up the breakdown of strawberries for a strawberry reduction for a cake. Did a beautiful job. I am most impressed with the weight and construction of the pieces. Great buy for the money." —Amazon CustomerGet it from Amazon for $34.99.
A rice cooker here to take over the task of making your side dish. Just throw your grains in the bowl, set it up, and let the magic of not having to do anything take over.
Promising reviews: "For the size and price, this is a great rice cooker. I've been using my Instant Pot for years to cook rice, and it's been mostly fine; however, this cooker just works better. Not only that, it comes with a vegetable steamer. Now I can use the instapot for cooking actual meat/stew and use the rice cooker along with it speeding up cook time." —Adam S. Get it from Amazon for $25.75+ (available in four sizes).
A pair of herb scissors that'll make Taco Tuesday prep even easier with five-blade shears ready to chop up extra onions and cilantro. Who doesn't love extra onions and cilantro?
Promising reviews: "I've recently tried growing some herbs on my patio and have loved using herbs in cooking. These make life so much easier. After I clean my herbs, these scissors make it easy to quickly cut them into small pieces. The design is brilliant. The plastic cover helps get herb pieces off the scissors, so there's no waste. It's easy to wash, too." —Lori"Wow, you will not regret this purchase. It's one of those you don't think you need, but YOU REALLY DO NEED IT. If it saves that much time, it's worth the investment." —KristinH515Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
A Ninja Crispi, my personal kitchen helper, that's helped me cook at home more and more. How can you not cook at home when this nifty and compact device makes it so easy? It has four settings that allow you to make small or family-sized meals. It comes with a handy booklet with recipes and guides on settings for your favorite meals (it even has one for frozen hashbrowns, my personal fave). And when you're done cooking, the glass cooking dish is also your Tupperware *with* lid. It got 5 stars from me and them. ⬇️
Promising reviews: "It was time to replace my old, tired air fryer. I love several other Ninja kitchen appliances, so Ninja was the first company I looked at. That's where I found the Ninja Crispi. I was intrigued by the glass cooking compartment and its unique design. It air fries my frozen fries and tater tots evenly. I also air-fried three boneless pork chops for 15 minutes, which were so juicy and perfectly cooked! The glass cooking compartment is a breeze to clean, too. I could not be more pleased with this air fryer!" —Babs"I currently have a kitchen with no oven and a very small stovetop. This is a GAME CHANGER. I've used this several times today after receiving it in the mail. Made baked sweet potatoes, air fried chicken wings, air fried fish sandwiches - this thing is AWESOME. Considering getting other ninja products. I've been eyeing the CREAMI for ice cream and sorbet. I love this brand. Ninja 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽 even if you get this just to reheat leftovers, it's amazing. You won't regret it." —VickyGet it from Amazon for $159.95+ (available in six colors).
A trio pan that'll let you try out three different lasagna recipes at one time. This is an excellent find for people who like to meal prep for the week.
Promising reviews: "I love the ability to make three different types of lasagnas since I have three picky eaters. I have also used this to make three different types of cakes as well. It is so worth the money if you plan on making different dishes or just have a family of picky eaters." —Mmperry"There's nothing but good coming from this pan! Yummy, crunchy edges on every piece! I made three different kinds of lasagna in this pan, and all I can say is that there were already plans for the next batch before this one was gone! This pan is heavy-duty, has an awesome nonstick coating, and will definitely stand up to much use. The recipe called for spraying the pan with nonstick spray, but it was completely unnecessary. I've already suggested this pan to others." —sreneeGet it from Amazon for $19.49.
A magnetic air fryer cheat sheet in case you're ready to risk it all mixing and matching to create your own air-fryer-friendly recipes. Seems like no matter how many times I make chicken, I still can't remember what temp or time to cook chicken on. Anyone else have that problem?
A rectangular lazy Susan, a simple contraption so convenient and practical you'll wonder why you didn't buy it sooner. Easily access your daily go-tos without having to move the ketchup and creamer out of the way several times a day. All you have to do is spin it.
A mason jar cold brew maker here to have your *cold* cup of Joe ready when you wake up in the morning. Not a coffee person? Have no fear, reviewers also love to use this mason jar to brew their favorite iced teas or infused waters.
A dishwasher-safe garlic peeler that TBH is one of those things that you think you have in the kitchen until you buy garlic, and then you realize you don't have it. You'll never not need it because everything is better with garlic.
This includes a ventilated case for storage.Promising review: "This thing is awesome. Made of a thick, quality silicone, it feels like it's made to last. This doesn't feel like a cheap, flimsy kitchen tool. Plus, I like that it has a plastic box to keep it clean. I read a bunch of reviews before buying, because there are a ton of garlic peelers on Amazon for super low prices. I chose this one because I trust Oxo as a brand, have many of their other products, and they've lasted. Plus, positive reviews and a protective case. I'm SO happy I got this thing. I put in 2 cloves of garlic, press lightly on the countertop, and roll it, and BAM. Fresh, clean cloves ready to mince for my recipe. A great kitchen tool to simplify and speed up your process." —AfrobellaGet it from Amazon for $9.99.
Or! A Dracula garlic mincer, an unserious yet super helpful kitchen gadget that'll give you another reason to smile while making garlic bread. It's a little ironic, too. A vampire that minces garlic — get it? 😂
A KitchenAid stand mixer because....well, duh. If you've ever tried to bake, mix, cook, etc., without one of these babies, you know the struggle. This makes the whole putting-all-the-ingredients-together process so much easier and faster.
Promising reviews: "I contemplated buying this for quite a while, but didn't due to the price. My husband finally put it in the cart during sales and bought it for me. I am so glad he did! I love it. It makes the job of baking so much quicker, easier, and enjoyable." —MNShopper"I love that this mixer is so heavy-duty. My kids and I like to bake a lot. The way the paddle blade whips up a bar cookie dough is super fast. I like that I can lock the stainless steel bowl down and control the speed of the mixing process. I've yet to have a tough cookie after switching from my hand mixer to the stand mixer. The wire whisk blade also creates the most fluffy meringue, so light and airy. Once again, being able to control the speed of the whisking action has been key in this process. I also love, love, love the dough hook. I have a sourdough bread recipe that calls for a total of 6 cups of flour. Mixing it with my hand mixer was impossible, and stirring by hand was exhausting. However, this mixer's dough blade attachment did the work in hardly no time at all. I was able to put all the ingredients together and get on with the good part of baking bread much faster and having that wonderful aroma permeate my house." —Amazon CustomerGet it from Amazon for $379.95 (available in 20 colors).
A 4-in-1 chopper, spiralizer, dicer and slicer ideal for meal prepping. You can chop onions and nuts, mince herbs, or spiralize zuchinni. And it's compact, which makes it a great addition to kitchens with little to no counter space.
Promising review: "What a time saver. I made Pico de Gallo in a couple of minutes. As for the cilantro, I placed 1/2 a jalapeno on the blades, then cilantro. Chopped beautifully. Works very well, well worth the $$." —Yvette GarzaGet it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in five colors).
A crepe maker, in case you've constantly tried to make those buttery, thin, flaky sheets of utter goodness, only to be left with a burnt paper-like bready structure. It stops today!
Promising reviews: "This thing is great. You can cook a pile of crepes in half the time it takes using a large pan or griddle, and it's way easier. They're perfectly sized and shaped, too." —MixedProducts"My kids love crepes, and I debated a lot if this would be worth it or not — 100% worth it! Makes crepe making so easy! I taught my kids, so now they can make their own. So happy I took a chance on it and got it!" —JenGet it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in seven colors).
A rapid egg cooker so you can boil, poach, scramble, or even make an omelet super quickly. Now, you can finally fit breakfast into your morning routine. You'll get picture-perfect eggs every time — just look at the pictures below. 👇🏽
Promising reviews: "This little device speeds up cooking of soft, medium, and hard-boiled eggs by at least 10 minutes because I don't have to wait for water to boil in a pot first. Water starts steaming very quickly. The alarm isn't super loud either. Put the eggs in an ice bath afterwards, and they peel easily. Comes with a measuring cup that also has a pin on the bottom to puncture the eggs before cooking. Excellent instructions, too. It also makes poached and small omelets too." —D.G."This is the best kitchen appliance I have bought in a long time! Super easy and quick to use. I have a busy schedule, and I make egg salad a LOT to take with me...this saves me SO much time and effort. Set it and forget it, but the super loud, continuous buzzer/alarm will NOT let you forget it, which is a nice safety design. Takes exactly 16 minutes to boil eggs, and they are perfect. They're also REALLY easy to peel! I've never peeled eggs so easily before. Huge plus that I hadn't even considered. This little contraption is also pretty small and stores easily. Even if you only boil eggs once in a while, it's worth it!" —Jaime BGet it from Amazon for $17.94+ (available in nine colors).Check out our Dash rapid egg cooker review for more deets!
A double breakfast sandwich maker because yes, one would probably take up less space, but you know you're gonna want another, so let's not pretend. Or, you can make two because you know your partner is going to see how good yours looks, and instead of sharing, you can hand them their own.
Promising reviews: "I have had this for six months now and use it all the time!!!! Need an easy supper idea…breakfast sammiches!!! Need a quick breakfast!!! Four minutes is all it takes! No more babysitting an egg on the stove and messing with a toaster hoping it melts your cheese…. I'm ordering a second one so I have one for camp and one for home!!!" —Amazon Customer"My husband loves a great breakfast sandwich. This was fun, and quick, and gave us lots of yummy ideas. The quality was actually amazing and really elevated breakfast and lunch. High performance at a super cheap price, well worth it, and will be buying more for gifts. It's quick to clean and stores easily away. The plates are great quality and it's super stable. My kids love it for a quick meal on the run." —Michelle JurichGet it from Amazon for $38.49.
A two-basket Ninja air fryer that'll let you cook just about anything you want from the comfort of your dorm. You won't even miss your oven back home. With the double baskets, you can cook two different foods at the same time.
Promising reviews: "So I had the original air fryer with one compartment and I was just fine with that. But getting this opened me up to more possibilities. You can cook double the food at separate temperatures much faster. It's got a bit of weight on it but it's sturdy. A little quieter than I expected, too." —UncleNahshon"I have 3 kids and this speeds up dinner time by A LOT. It's one of, if not the best, kitchen item I've purchased." —David GarrisonGet it from Amazon for $159.99 (available in different sizes).
A mandoline slicer because, despite the number of tutorials you've watched, cutting even, symmetrical veggies just isn't your strong suit, and that's completely okay.
Promising review: "This mandoline has made my life a lot easier when it comes to cooking. It is incredibly sharp, can be adjusted to slice even the most paper-thin slices, and I really like the attachments for salads/garnishes/pickle making, etc." —Angeline"I really have enjoyed using the slicer. I do a lot of raw foods, and it certainly speeds up the process." —Sheila LarsonGet it from Amazon for $30.
A set of stainless-steel measuring cups (and spoons!) for quickly portioning off your ingredients so you can get all your ducks in a row before it's time to combine them all for your secret marinade or cupcake batter.
Promising reviews: "Simply love everything about the measuring cups and spoons. The extra measuring markings on each cup surprised me and make my 'baking time' go so much faster! Now I can free up drawer space by discarding old plastics with unreadable markings. Thank you for a great product!" —Kricket"This is my second set. I just wanted an extra set to help speed up time on big cooking days. Love them!" —BethGet a 12-piece set from Amazon for $42.99.
A pancake batter dispenser sure to make you the ruler of hotcake perfection. You'll ~wow~ with your next set of pancakes, waffles, crepes, and more, as long as you get the measurements right. You can also use it to dispense cake batter, too.
KPKitchen is the small business that created this nifty contraption. Promising reviews: "I just upgraded my pancake game!! This thing was SUPER easy and not messy at ALL!! 5/5 review from me! Get yours NOW!" —Bobbi Ocker"I saw this on Instagram and had to get it. I am pretty much happy with the product. It's very easy to use. Really, anyone can use it, and it doesn't make a lot of mess. It can be a pain to clean, but just a little. Make sure to thoroughly clean. And make sure to have no lumps at all, or you will find the batter difficult to dispense. Overall, I am satisfied, and it speeds up the process." —Jessica A.Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
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Elle
7 hours ago
- Elle
The Complexity of Home: What Alabama Taught Me About Life
It depends on who is doing the looking. Since the cementing of the American union, the story of Alabama has lain in its being the most visible stage for the best and worst results of our democratic experiment. But while outsiders have often glanced at the state—to draw a contrast, to make a point, to make an example of—its true nature has rarely been understood. Alabama is too racist, too religious, too backward. It either needs outside intervention or is a lost cause. If the Deep South is the essence of the nation—as Howard Zinn put it, a region that 'is a distillation of those traits which are the worst (and a few which are the best) in the national character'—that could be why, when I am outside the South, I can always predict the responses of people once I tell them I am from Alabama. I never really left the South until I graduated from high school; moving to college in New Jersey was the second time in my life I traveled by plane, the first being seven years earlier. Leaving hadn't been necessary. Every place that was important or desirable to me, from school to where we vacationed, was reachable by car, and everyone around me learned how to drive by, at the latest, the age of 15. My first car, which I raced from my high school parking lot to the mall to my house while blasting Three 6 Mafia, Trina, and OutKast on HOT 105.7, was my family's stop sign–red Plymouth Voyager minivan. It was so uncool my friends found it endearing. When I was growing up, my hometown of Montgomery was the source of what I knew about how people related to one another and what I could assume about a person from how they carried themselves, how they talked to me, and where they lived. The things I thought I knew—that there was always a geographic direction in which to aspire to move, that talking to everyone regardless of their schooling or money was vital to both your spiritual and your social standing, that it mattered that you let others know your educational and material statuses with grace and that you let them know what those statuses were—still felt essential when I looked back years later. As a child, most of my travel came about when my mom, my two younger brothers, and I followed my dad to academic conferences in cities around the region, like Baton Rouge and Biloxi and Raleigh, or when we went on weekend vacations to Atlanta, the Black southerner's version of New York City. We usually stayed in my parents' favorite hotel chain, Embassy Suites, on these trips; my parents rented a one-bedroom suite with two double beds and a pull-out couch, and we fell into a sleeping arrangement that allowed us all just enough space. Our tastes were modest, decent. We drove from Montgomery every trip, no matter how long it took. But I fantasized about indecency. After 18 years of imagining the world outside the South, I arrived on the baroquely lush campus of Princeton University in the fall of 2002. I remember walking over what felt like acres of clipped, vivid green with my family, looking up at Gothic arches. We were staying in an Embassy Suites–like hotel not quite in the town of Princeton, and we had driven onto campus in our rental car to move me into my dorm. Later, I was standing in a crowd of people from my freshman class, waiting to leave a lecture hall after orientation, in front of a boy who would become my editor at the campus alternative weekly; he was talking with his friend, who would become known as the campus coke dealer, about a girl who had brought a DVR to install in her dorm room because she couldn't miss her favorite television shows while she was in class. The boys sounded amused and impressed. They mentioned the girl's skiing vacations and her boarding school, the name of which seemed to be shorthand for a good pedigree. Her name, which was Tobin, also seemed to be shorthand for the kind of taste that preferred wealth to style. I had had no idea there were even kids who wanted to venture beyond the driving radius around their homes and go to a place like boarding school. Standing in that crowd was when I realized that many of the symbols of status I knew—summers spent at the lake, membership to the right church youth group—no longer applied and that I would soon have to learn what the new, relevant symbols were. I was sheltered by parents who had refused to let me date or go to late-night parties, but who had seen no problem in taking my brothers and me to weekend matinee showings of erotic thrillers like Single White Female or letting us read anything we wanted as vicarious experimentation. I needed to transition from consuming whatever adult novel I could find in the public library to expertly responding to the late-night drunken voicemails from the boy standing behind me at orientation, the lovely coke dealer. Modesty and decency were relative here. I knew very little about Princeton before going. I zoomed in on photos of its campus on Google, examined carefully chosen images on its website to see how students were dressed and which ones were grouped together, and spent time looking around to see what people did with their days besides going to class. I never visited the campus, despite Princeton having a 'Pre-Frosh Weekend.' Visiting seemed too expensive, would take up too much time, and no one suggested it. After receiving my acceptance email, I celebrated for a few minutes with my parents and then went back to the computer to email the admissions office. I needed to ask how many Black students were at the school, because it was impossible to tell from the photos. It was an email I never would have sent to a school south of Virginia—the farthest north I had ever been—where I could be sure to find enough people who looked like me. In the mid-2000s, and twenty years on, the South remained the Blackest part of the country; more than half its Black population lived there as of 2022. Despite the Great Migration having taken millions of Black southerners to the North during the first half of the twentieth century, to escape racism and terror, millions of Black people had returned to the South or come for the first time. The Princeton admissions office responded that African Americans made up about 9 percent of the student body; the office added that I should let them know if I needed any more information. The percentage would have to do. It didn't take long to realize I was an anomaly of sorts on campus: one of not many Black students, one of not many Black southern students, and one of not many southern students at all. Even at a university that, by reputation, was the most preppy-attired, conservative values–holding, and thus 'southern,' of all the colleges in the Northeast, there were few people who claimed to belong to the last two categories. Any comfort I took in Princeton's reputation as a southern-minded school was supposed to make me feel better that I was one of a handful of students in my high school class leaving Alabama; college would be something like home far from home. So when I met other students and professors, and we introduced ourselves, it took a while to get used to the routine. Their reactions, depending on how much time they had spent down South, would head down one of two distinct avenues. If they hadn't lived lower than the Carolinas, they'd say 'Alabama?!' with outright surprise or, if they were able to fix their expressions soon enough, a 'Whoa, Alabama' with careful wariness. As I confirmed they had heard me right, they seemed to be imagining the extremity of what being a Black girl from Alabama must entail. Fire hoses, lynchings. Then a 'What was that like?' with the dumbstruck look still on their faces, sometimes shaking their heads with pity for troubles assumed to have been endured. If they were from the South, there was usually an assumption that we would get along, an easiness that I returned in kind. It was difficult—is still difficult—to look head-on at Alabama; it was uncomfortable. It was also easier for most people to believe they were more sure about my home state than I was. Alabama was where I had learned how to think and decide what I valued. But their expectations about how I grew up pushed me to choose a side: either agree and play up the state's worst aspects or weakly defend it. So much so that, over time, I began to forget parts of how I had grown up, the nuances of how Alabamians lived and thought, and could recall only broad strokes about race and politics and religion. I began to forget that Alabama is, before anything else, home. Those people and I weren't ready for what lay in between: the worth of a place and why people choose to call it home. Why do people stay? And what happens to them? Alabama was the best place to find the answers. Adapted from BLESSINGS AND DISASTERS: A Story of Alabama by Alexis Okeowo, published by Henry Holt and Co. on August 5, 2025. Copyright © 2025 by Alexis Okeowo. Printed by permission.


Gizmodo
a day ago
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Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra Vacuum Cleaner Quietly Returns to Its All-Time Low for Amazon's New Month Deal
Pet hair, snack crumbs, and tracked-in dirt can make clean floors feel like a full-time job, but the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra Upright Vacuum Cleaner is built to tackle the mess quickly and leave time for things you actually enjoy. Its combination of strong suction, smart design, and purpose-built pet tools gives busy households a fighting chance against tumbleweeds of fur and stubborn carpet debris. Head over to Amazon to get the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra Upright Vacuum Cleaner for just $426, down from its usual price of $540. That is a discount of $114 and 21% off. See at Amazon Dyson's latest Animal lineup puts raw power front and center. A redesigned cleaner head digs deep into carpet fibers to lift embedded dirt, while adjustable gates slide open to prevent larger pieces like cereal from snow-plowing across hard floors. The Extra version arrives with a tangle-free turbine tool that sucks up long hair without winding it around a brush bar, so you spend less time cutting clogs and more time enjoying clean rugs. Steering is easy thanks to the signature Ball design. Instead of fighting a rigid frame around table legs, you tilt your wrist and the entire vacuum pivots smoothly, navigating tight corners and furniture clusters with surprising grace. At fourteen feet, the built-in hose reaches stairs and ceiling cobwebs without moving the base, and a quick-release wand means no hunting for attachments when inspiration to tidy strikes. Filtration is another strong suit. A fully sealed system traps fine dust and allergens inside rather than blowing them back into the room, an important perk for anyone with asthma or seasonal sneezes. The roomy clear bin empties with a single button press straight into the trash, keeping hands away from the dust cloud. Both the filter and bin rinse clean under the tap, so there are no ongoing bag costs. Dyson includes several bonus tools such as a groomer for shedding pets, a soft dusting brush for blinds, and a stair tool that fits narrow treads. Everything clips to the vacuum frame for easy storage. A five-year warranty backs the motor and parts, and replacement components are widely available if you ever need them. If your current vacuum whines at the sight of pet hair or leaves grit behind after a single pass, upgrading to the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra is a sensible splurge. It is available for $426 at Amazon, a solid savings compared with the regular $540 list price. See at Amazon


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- Chicago Tribune
Fest at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Aurora offers taste of Africa
Kathleen Dewig of Batavia elected to be a little more adventurous with her lunch this past weekend and elected to try some authentic Nigerian food. 'I've never had this type of cuisine before,' Dewig sat as she sat in an open room with tables Sunday afternoon inside St. Joseph Catholic Church in Aurora. 'It's very spicy, and I like the spicy chicken and the rice.' A trip through Nigerian and other African cuisines, as well as food from other areas of the world, was offered Sunday at St. Joseph Catholic Church as the non-profit Sycamore-based ImaBridge Africa International group offered a two-hour International Taste Festival beginning at 12:30 p.m. Following a Mass at 11 a.m., the church featured cultural performances, an African cooking contest, kids' games and a plethora of food as the non-profit group hoped to raise money through food tickets and donations for the underprivileged in Nigeria. This year's effort focused on helping a hospital in Nigeria, organizers said. Ndifrekeabasi Ecim of Nigeria was on hand Sunday and said she was the administrator for the ImaBridge Africa-owned hospital back home. 'This is going to go a long way to help the vulnerable people – the women who cannot have their children elsewhere – this will help them procure all the help they need for the babies and themselves,' Ecim said of Sunday's fundraiser. The Rev. Godwin Asuquo, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church of Aurora and also founder of ImaBridge Africa, said the event used to be held in McHenry and was moved here to Aurora last year, following his being assigned to the Aurora church, adding that he was 'wanting to create more awareness.' 'People in McHenry are familiar with this and we wanted to spread the word to another area,' Asuquo said a few days before the event. 'This is the ninth year we have held the fundraiser and the second time we have had it in Aurora. I was transferred from McHenry to Aurora so some of this was for convenience but also to expand awareness. People from McHenry still come here and we are bringing more people.' Cecelia Adams, director of public relations for ImaBridge Africa, said the goal of this year's event was to make it even more multicultural. 'We have foods from different places in Africa but also tamales and other groups. We moved to Aurora to expand ourselves both in ethnicity and also to get the word out for others to help those in need across the globe,' she said. The event focuses on authentic cuisine, Asuquo said. 'We have people of Nigerian or African descent that have flown in and are here with us already – close to 10 people that have arrived from Nigeria who are cooking the food from scratch,' he said before the event. 'We also have people from different ethnicities and we want to make this more of an international festival where we get to learn about different peoples' cultures.' Officials said the event would raise as much as $30,000 when it was held in McHenry and that ImaBridge Africa is also seeking grants. 'Our goal is to raise $30,000 this year. We didn't make that much last year but we think it was because we switched (locations),' Adams said. 'I've personally been to Nigeria about 12 times and it's the culture and the food that keeps me coming back.' Gail Wright of Aurora came with her husband Tom and grandson Gabe and said she used to teach in the area. 'We wanted to support ImaBridge Africa and also see Father Godwin who we know,' she said. 'I know there is African food and we're absolutely excited about that and trying it. I only know what Father Godwin told us about the food but we missed it last year.'