Kitchen Tips & Guides

Best Salad Spinner 2026: 7 Compared

Pump, pull-cord, crank and combo salad spinners ranked on measured water removal, capacity by basket, cleanability and warranty, with results from six test kitchens.

Best Vegetable Chopper 2026: 8 Compared

Grid, pull-cord, pump and electric vegetable choppers ranked on capacity, blades, dishwasher parts, replacement blades and warranty, with results from nine test kitchens.

Best Mandoline Slicer 2026: 8 Compared

Japanese, V-blade, enclosed-chute and handheld mandolines ranked on measured thickness range, blade sharpness, hand guards and replaceable blades, with test-kitchen data.

Best Rotary Cheese Grater 2026: 8 Compared

Suction-base drum graters vs handheld cranks: 8 rotary cheese graters ranked on drums, base grip, dishwasher rules, warranty and parts, with test-kitchen results.

How to Make Shaved Ice at Home, With or Without a Machine

Freeze the right block, temper it to 18-20°F, then shave. Five methods compared, syrup ratios that work, and fixes for gritty or fast-melting ice.

How to Use a Mandoline Slicer Safely, Step by Step

Seven steps to paper-even slices with all ten fingers intact: guard technique, an A5 glove, thickness settings by dish in mm, and what to keep off the blade.

Rotary Cheese Grater vs. Box Grater: Which One for Which Job?

Match the grater to the dish: melting cheese, table-side Parmesan, latkes, soft mozzarella. Yield numbers, honest downsides of both, and cleanup truths.