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December 17, 2024

Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter

Something to keep in mind as you finish out this year’s holiday parties and cooking-paloozas: Letting oil trickle down your drain can wreak serious havoc on your plumbing system. Residual oil can build up over time and eventually clog your pipes—especially during winter, when cooler temperatures expedite coagulation.

But pipes aren’t the only things that take a hit. Pouring oil down the drain isn’t great for the environment, either. Says Wirecutter’s editor of sustainability coverage, Katie Okamoto: “From a wastewater and water-quality standpoint, we know that oils and fats aren’t good for aquatic ecosystems. Capturing and reusing them to the extent that you can, and reducing the amount that you use to begin with, is better for the environment.”

The best (and basically free) ways to dispose of cooking oil→

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Black plastic kitchen tools might be exposing you to toxic chemicals Here’s what to use instead→

ChatGPT is helping Siri now. And it’s actually useful. It can write emails, texts, travel plans, and recipes for you. Here’s our tech expert’s take→

You’re probably measuring your pet’s food wrong Machines are consistently better than humans at portioning out pets’ meals. Here’s why→

The newest AirPods Pro make decent hearing aids While the AirPods are not ideal to use as all-day hearing aids, they aren’t terrible, especially for amplifying music and movies→

Photo illustration by Ezra Lee/NYT Wirecutter; source photos by Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter

Initially, our kitchen expert Maki Yazawa was skeptical that an automated device could make drinks to meet her high standards. But after using it to make a variety of cocktails including espresso martinis, whiskey sours, and amarettos, she was pleasantly surprised. It’s easy to use, something of a spectacle, and makes pretty good drinks—though they certainly weren’t all hits.

A swanky cocktail-making machine→

Rozette Rago/NYT Wirecutter

This foolproof crowd-pleaser, one of our favorite gifts for cocktail lovers, has a powerful, concentrated flavor typically found in much older bourbons, plus tons of toffee and spice notes. We think it’s a great last-minute grab for the giftee who has everything.

It’s a classic for a reason→

Plus: The meat thermometer we use in our own kitchens is on sale today.

You can reach the Wirecutter Newsletters team at newsletters@wirecutter.com. We can’t always respond, but we do love to hear from you.

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