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New York Times
16-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
Your Grilled Veggies Deserve Better. You Just Need the Right Tools.
The basket's large perforations allow veggies to get sufficient contact with grill grates, so they're charred to perfection. Kitchen editor Marilyn Ong and writer Lesley Stockton, the author of our guide to the best grill tools and accessories, recently conducted a side-by-side test comparing a grill basket and a sheet pan. And the results were notably in favor of the basket. They discovered that the broccoli in the grill basket browned beautifully, while the florets on the sheet pan remained vibrantly green. 'Food steams on a sheet pan, whereas it cooks much faster on a grill basket due to the perforations and better contact with the heat,' Lesley explained. So even though it's a bit clunky, the Grillaholics Grill Basket is best for grilling chopped veggies that could easily fall through the grates, such as rounds of zucchini or squash. Our testing confirmed that broccoli cooked in a grill basket browns far better than broccoli cooked atop a sheet pan. Marilyn Ong/ NYT Wirecutter The basket's perforations are big enough that steam can escape while the veggies cook on the hot metal — creating that nice browning we saw in our tests — but they're not so large that food will fall through the holes. This stainless steel grill basket can also withstand the rigors of high-heat grilling, and it's dishwasher-safe (ideal for easy post-grilling cleanup). If burnt-on grease does build up on your stainless steel veggie basket, cleaning writer Caroline Mullen recommends treating it as you would any other stainless steel piece of cookware. 'Give it a sprinkle of Bar Keeper's Friend, and scrub it with a wet sponge in circular motions until all the grime is gone,' she said. If you have trouble getting into small crevices and holes with a sponge, Caroline suggests using a little scrub brush, with a simple mixture of Bar Keeper's Friend and water. Then wipe the whole thing down with dish soap and water, and let it dry before you start grilling. Cast iron's superior heat retention is ideal for searing and caramelizing veggies, including asparagus, onions, and more. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter This affordable pan is lighter than a traditional cast iron skillet as well as a little shallower. It's an ideal shape for searing, roasting, sautéing, and even grilling veggies. If you don't have a grill basket, a cast iron skillet can produce similar browning results, thanks to its superior ability to retain heat. It can also help contain loose veggies so they don't slip into your grill's grates. However, you may encounter steaming issues due to the restricted airflow (like you would if you used a sheet pan). You should also be wary of thermal shock when you're grilling with cast iron. This easy-to-find, multipurpose material doubles as a disposable alternative for a grill basket. Writer Abigail Bailey, a native Texan raised on barbecue who wrote our guide to the best barbecue sauces, said she grew up using heavy-duty aluminum foil instead of a grill basket. 'I swear by some good butter, preferably Kerrygold, and I slather it onto cauliflower florets, along with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, before wrapping it all up in foil to put in a smoker or grill,' she explained. The result is beautifully smoky, buttery cauliflower. You won't achieve good charring with this method, since the foil keeps the vegetables from directly coming in contact with the hot grates and flame. But the veggies will be infused with flavor because this method traps both moisture and aromatic smoke. Although a sheet pan might not be ideal for cooking on the grill, it's great for transferring prepped veggies (or grilling tools) to and from your outdoor cooking station. We like the multipurpose Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet because it has plenty of room to hold chopped veggies, and its 1-inch rim is tall enough to keep veggies safely contained as you toss them in cooking oil and seasonings before heading to the grill. If space is a concern, these sheet pans come in smaller quarter- and eighth-sheet sizes, which can fit better on top of a smaller side table or shelf. Transporting prepped asparagus spears from the kitchen to the outdoor grill using a sheet pan. Maki Yazawa/ NYT Wirecutter Foods that are less prone to sogginess, such as sliced onions or diced sweet potatoes, can be grilled atop a sheet pan (instead of in a grill basket or a cast-iron skillet). But you'll need to toss them occasionally to ensure they cook evenly. A sheet pan can also double as a serving tray after all of the cooking is done. Sturdy skewers help achieve even browning as you can rotate them 360 degrees to ensure heat reaches the food on all sides. This is especially important for vegetables to ensure even heat exposure and develop a smoky and slightly bitter charred flavor. While we haven't tested this specific model, we recommend stainless steel skewers, like this OXO 6-Piece Grilling Skewer Set. Unlike bamboo skewers, they don't require pre-soaking and are reusable. The flat design of the OXO skewers likely helps keep tender veggies, like zucchini and mushrooms, from rolling away or slipping off, and the pointed edge appears sharp enough to pierce through tougher ingredients, like potatoes and onions. Although staking veggies in a rainbow-like assortment on each skewer is visually enticing, Lesley recommends dedicating one skewer to each ingredient. For example, red onions, zucchini, and mushrooms each on their own ingredient-specific skewer. That way, she can easily pluck each skewer off the grill once the veggies are cooked to the appropriate doneness. Extra-long grilling spatulas can be stiff and clunky, and that can make maneuvering veggies around a grill difficult. Instead, we recommend the Mercer Hell's Handle Large Fish Spatula. This tool has a long, highly flexible, stainless steel blade with a tapered edge, and its wide, heat-resistant polypropylene handle can withstand temperatures up to 450 °F. And even though the blade is flexible, it's sturdy enough to dislodge delicate, charred eggplant slices from a grill's hot grates. The wide blade also comes in handy when you're handling veggie burgers, portobello mushroom caps, and other large, round ingredients on a grill. For these reasons, our team considers the Mercer spatula the best one for grilling, but it does have some limitations in everyday functionality. During long-term testing, our kitchen team discovered that this spatula's wide handle can be slightly uncomfortable for navigating everyday tasks, like flipping delicate fish fillets or heavy pancakes. And that's why it isn't the top-pick spatula in our guide to the best spatulas. For all-purpose cooking needs, consider the Victorinox Swiss Army Slotted Fish Turner instead. This silicone basting brush is heat-resistant up to 600 °F, so it's ideal for dabbing veggies with oil or barbecue sauce. Coating veggies with a thin, even layer of cooking oil helps promote even browning and keeps food from sticking to the grates. We recommend using the OXO Good Grips Large Silicone Basting Brush for getting into the nooks and crannies of irregularly shaped chopped vegetables. This brush's silicone bristles are heat-resistant up to 600 °F, and they won't shed, as most natural-fiber pastry brushes tend to do. It also has a two-bristle–type design (round outer bristles and a set of flat, perforated bristles in the core), which helps this brush transfer liquids better than other silicone ones we've tried. It's also dishwasher-safe, unlike boar bristle brushes that gunk up over time and can be tricky to clean. Once your grilled veggies are off the heat, you can use the basting brush to coat them with finishing sauces, such as barbecue sauce, homemade chimichurri, and miso butter. With these grilling tools in tow, your veggies won't be boring, after-thought side dishes. Instead, they'll be the main attraction of your next summertime cookout. This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Maxine Builder. We've fired up dizzying amounts of food on 18 grills over the years, and Weber still reigns. It makes the sturdiest gas grills with the most consistent cooking. The Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill 22″ has been our pick since 2017. It's solidly constructed and easy to control, offering great value. After testing more than 90 tools from grill brushes to chimney starters, we have recommendations for everything you need to barbecue with ease. Everything you'll need to host a memorable barbecue this summer, from our favorite grilling gear to bug-battling essentials. What I Cover I'm a writer covering kitchen topics.
New York Times
02-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
How Do Gas Grill Griddle Inserts Compare to the Real Deal?
Our top pick gas grill, the Weber Spirit E-425, with the griddle insert. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter If you favor the convenience of a gas grill (and the quality of a Weber), you'll appreciate how easily these full-size inserts swap onto your grill. The uncoated, preseasoned carbon steel Weber Rust-Resistant Griddle Insert conducts heat very well and, according to the user manual, is pretty much ready to use right out of the box (though the instructions give the option to season the insert before you start cooking, and I chose to do that). I tested the griddle insert on a Weber Spirit E-425 gas grill, and it did a great job with everything we cooked on it. The smash burgers had a thick and even crusty sear, and our pancakes emerged fluffy and golden. Its consistent moderate heat distribution produced strips of bacon that were well rendered, nicely browned, and crispy, and the preseasoned surface released over-easy fried eggs without resistance or sticking. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter My colleague, senior editor Marilyn Ong, tested the griddle insert designed for our upgrade pick, the Weber Genesis E-325, and reported a similar experience. The larger version of the rust-resistant griddle, designed to fit the three-burner Genesis grills, is made from the same uncoated, preseasoned carbon steel. She also gave hers one layer of seasoning before cooking bacon, eggs, and pancakes with beautiful results. On its own, the Spirit griddle insert is a solid accessory that delivers on the promise of converting a Weber grill into a flat top that's good for making smash burgers and big breakfasts. But compared with the outdoor propane griddles that Kathleen tested at the same time, the Weber insert doesn't get nearly as hot. In my testing, it was nearly impossible to burn any of the foods I cooked on it — even the pancakes. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Senior editor Marilyn Ong said she had a similar experience using the griddle insert with her Genesis E-325 gas grill. She recalled a time when she walked away from a griddle full of pancakes and forgot about them for a good five minutes. When she came back, they were still golden without a trace of scorching. I don't consider this a bad thing, per se, because the heat output on a grill is calibrated for direct heat cooking. A griddle top is made up of a lot more metal than a grill grate, so the former has significantly more thermal mass and, therefore, absorbs a lot more heat than the latter. In our tests, we found that the propane griddles (like the Blackstone XL Omnivore and Traeger Flatrock) went through fuel tanks faster than the grills. All that to say: a griddle insert placed in a gas grill won't be the same cooking experience as an outdoor propane griddle. But if you're curious about flat-top cooking and don't want to invest in a large outdoor griddle, we found that this particular Weber Spirit insert — and the one made for the Genesis — are good options if you own either of these models (or variants of the same size).
New York Times
03-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Why You Should Read Past the Picks of a Wirecutter Guide
If we notice that a pick frequently goes out of stock, we do our best to replace it with one that's easier to find. But for some types of products, especially seasonal items such as air conditioners or artificial Christmas trees, selling out temporarily is often just an annual fact. If you need something immediately, the 'Worth considering' and 'Competition' sections point you toward some alternatives. It's also worth reading the 'How we picked' section, which can give you a sense of what features to look for if you need to find another model. Determining the lines between top, budget, and upgrade picks is a bit of an art. For the top pick, we look for a combination of price and features that provides the most value for the most people, but sometimes you just need the least expensive version possible–or maybe you're a connoisseur who requires the absolute best, no matter the cost. You might find some recommendations that fit what you're looking for in the 'Worth considering' section. For example, several of our favorite Bluetooth headphones—such as the JBL Tour One M2 and the Sony LinkBuds Fit pair—function as less expensive noise-canceling headphones worth considering for anyone who doesn't need the absolute best noise cancellation. And while the $230 upgrade pick in our sheets guide is certainly luxurious, if you're looking for something even more so, you might miss the $2,000-plus Sferra Giza 45 Sateen sheet set, which our tester absolutely loved, in the 'Other good' section. Not every price preference may be represented within the picks themselves, so take the time to read further in the guide to determine what could be worth it for you. Senior editor Marilyn Ong says that Wirecutter's kitchen team changes their approach to price limits on picks for every guide. Take, for instance, home espresso machines, which can cost from $150 to $8,000. To narrow down that field, the team decided to focus on what someone buying their first or second espresso machine might feel comfortable paying. That number is generally far less than what a connoisseur would be willing to pay. The $500 budget pick is the least expensive option that won't cost more in money, time, or sanity in the long run, while the $2,000 upgrade pick delivers features and value usually found in much more expensive machines. That left the $1,700 Lelit Mara X–which performs only marginally better than our top pick despite the extra cost—relegated to the 'Worth considering' section for those 'willing to pay for a luxe feel.' 'It's an expensive, lovely machine that makes great espresso, but compared to our picks, the bump in price was for luxury rather than function,' associate staff writer Ciara Murray Jordan says. 'The aesthetics and experience of using it may be well worth the price to someone, but not as broadly as our picks.' Wirecutter aspires to reflect as many readers as possible in its guides, and though the top picks aim to represent a broader view of what someone might need, the products that meet more specific needs and situations often live within our 'Worth considering' and 'Competition' sections. With the help of Claire Perlman, our accessibility and aging in place editor, writers research what people of various ages, or with differing body types, disabilities, or other specific needs, might look for in a product. At the testing stage, paid testers can fill in even more gaps. 'A lot of writers have told me after testing with paid testers that it's contradicted their assumptions about what would be the best pick for someone with a given need or disability,' Claire says. 'It helps writers reframe what they're looking for and not overlook something that's actually really useful to someone with a disability.' For example, if you're left-handed, you might find that the most comfortable wireless mouse for you is the Logitech Signature M650L Left, which we mention in the 'Worth considering' section of our guide. Or if you're concerned about hand strength or wrist strain, you should scroll to the 'Competition' section of our guide to handheld vacuums, which explains that while mini handheld vacuums don't perform as well as our picks, they might make a great option for anyone who needs a lighter-weight vacuum. When we're forced to choose between form and function, we (for the most part) choose function. But there are some things that people want to look nice no matter what, especially if it's something functional that also serves as decor. You can find many of our more nice-looking choices in the 'Worth considering' and 'Competition' sections, where we have more room to favor aesthetics. For example, home improvement staff writer Thom Dunn describes the Vornado Vheat, which can be found in the 'Other good' section in our guide to space heaters, as 'a nice piece of home decor … if you're willing to trade a little sizzle for style.' Sometimes style does come first. In categories such as gifts, style, and beauty, a subjective approach can make more sense when selecting picks. Consider our guide to concealer, which combines four best-for picks with an extensive 'Competition' section where you'll find options such as the best concealer for 'no-makeup makeup girlies,' RMS Beauty UnCoverup Concealer. 'The reason we offer so many picks is exactly because we know people have different tastes and want something they can browse,' says senior editor Jennifer Hunter, who led the creation of Wirecutter's beauty and style teams. 'It's not necessarily about the one best thing for everybody anymore. We lay out the criteria, which is usually style, quality, and value, and then help people understand what the difference is between them.' What works in rural life can differ from what works in a studio apartment. As a result, many of our guides include picks that work for both large and small spaces. Our guide to microwaves, for example, has a pick for small spaces. And if you scroll down to the 'Worth considering' section, you'll find an even smaller microwave: the 0.5 cubic foot Whirlpool WMC20005YW, which could fit on the tiniest of counters. Speakers are another great example. Our guides to speakers balance features such as maximum volume and sound quality, but volume might be more or less important to you depending on the amount of space you have. If you have a yard large enough to host outdoor parties, you might be interested to read that the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom, a portable Bluetooth speaker in the 'Worth considering' section, is especially loud. Or if you have a small apartment, the Edifier MP230, a home Bluetooth speaker worth considering, might be plenty loud enough. Maybe you read Wirecutter because you want to quickly understand the best thing to buy and then get on with your life. Or maybe you're just getting started in a hobby and aren't yet sure about your preferences. Chances are, we've written a guide just for you, and you'll find what you need among our top picks. Enthusiasts with years of experience, on the other hand, might want to keep reading. Our writers love to test items beloved by more experienced hobbyists and professionals, but our testing often shows that they're too complex or overpowered for beginners. The 'Competition' section in our guide to MacBooks is studded with more expensive machines that are necessary only if you're doing photo, video, or design work. Or take our guide to sewing machines, which is written for beginners. Someone might choose one of the picks from the guide as their first machine and then a few years later graduate to a more advanced option from the 'Worth considering' or 'Competition' section; the Brother SE700, for example, might be best for someone who wants to focus on embroidery. If a generous relative has given you an infant car seat, you may want to choose a stroller with compatibility in mind. The same goes for making photo books: Amazon, Apple, and Google's services leave a lot to be desired, and that's why you'll find them in the 'Competition' section. But if you already store your photos with one of those companies, it might offer the simplest choice. That's especially true for many of Wirecutter's guides to tools, where a handful of dominant brands compete closely for the top-pick slots. 'When we're comparing the flagship drill models between DeWalt and Milwaukee, for example, you'd get a great value and some added versatility if you can pair their compatible batteries with other tools you already own,' says senior editor Harry Sawyers, who oversees Wirecutter's home improvement coverage. 'That would be more important to most people than fixating on the marginal performance differences between the two brands.' So take a look at the competitors we tested, especially if our dismissals are for minor quibbles we observed. In many cases, we may have tested a model that would be a better match for your circumstances than our picks. As rewarding as it is to see a pick last for years, many guides are a veritable game of thrones behind the scenes, with picks coming and going every year—or even every few months. We often tuck our previous picks in the 'Worth considering' or 'Competition' section, where we might explain, for example, that we encountered poor customer service or durability during long-term testing. But sometimes a new pick has only a slight edge over the previous pick, which means the latter remains a good buy. Take iPads and Android phones. New versions come out every year, sometimes with only marginal feature enhancements. If you're okay with fewer years of software support, our 'Competition' sections have advice on how to find the best deals on older technology. We spend thousands of words celebrating our top picks. Our writers could fill a book with everything they've learned by the time testing is complete. Writing a one- or two-sentence dismissal in the 'Competition' section is more like poetry. It's a place to list all the dealbreakers in as few words as possible. If there were ever a time to pop popcorn during my workday (I am not the Wirecutter popcorn tester, after all), it would be before I edit the 'Competition' section of a draft from senior staff writer Kimber Streams. I'll leave you with this entry in their guide to Bluetooth and wireless keyboards: 'The Logitech Keys-To-Go can pair with only one device at a time and is coated in a Cronenbergian texture that Logitech calls FabricSkin. Typing on it felt like poking a person's clothed thigh or pressing into a Band-Aid on someone's arm.' This article was edited by Amber Angelle and Jason Chen. Janet Towle wrote an earlier version of this article. What I Cover Signe Brewster is an editor on Wirecutter's PC team. She also writes about virtual reality. She previously reported on emerging technology and science for publications like Wirecutter, MIT Technology Review, Wired, Science, and Symmetry Magazine. She spends her free time quilting and pursuing an MFA in creative writing.
