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January 3, 2025

Photo illustration by Dana Davis/NYT Wirecutter; source photo by Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter

Looking to cook more this year? It might be worth investing in a versatile workhorse that excels at different types of cooking, so you can use one appliance for everything from morning toast to weeknight dinner.

One such hidden gem of an appliance: an air fryer toaster oven that (really) does it all. Of all the large toaster ovens we’ve tested that promise air frying capability, this one comes the closest to delivering. It bakes cookies, cakes, and brownies. It cooks veggies with ease. It churns out crunchy tater tots. And it can even roast a whole chicken.

Plus, small details on this oven’s interface—like sleek, intuitive dials and a magnetic door—make it feel, as supervising editor Marilyn Ong puts it: “fahn-cy.” And after a year and a half of consistent use in her kitchen, it still works like “brand-spanking-new.”

Why we love this air fryer toaster oven→

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Andrew B. Myers

These days, there are countless headlines about ultraprocessed foods—any foods or drinks made with ingredients you wouldn’t typically find in a home kitchen—and their potential effects on our health. It can be hard to know exactly how to make sense of it all, and which foods are truly worth eliminating from your diet.

The experts at NYT Well are hosting a weeklong challenge full of evidence-based tips that will help you understand more about ultraprocessed foods: what they are (and aren’t), how to “think like a scientist,” how to experiment with eating more whole foods, and how to shop smarter while browsing the grocery aisles—without overhauling your whole diet.

Sign up for the challenge here→

The $12 tool our kitchen expert swears by A multipurpose bench scraper nearly does it all: slice, scoop, scrape, smash, and spread→

Our top-pick grater This razor-sharp box grater is the only tool we’ve found that easily handles any kind of zesting, grating, or shredding job→

“Stabbing myself twice proved I really (really) need this avocado-slicing doodad” This all-in-one tool halves an avocado, removes the pit, and makes it easier to mash→

A speedy, accurate cooking thermometer It’s so good a finalist from “The Great British Baking Show” nabbed it off the set→

The best immersion blenders Since 2013, we’ve pureed gallons of soups and smoothies to find these favorites→

Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter

We’ve tested dozens of food-storage containers over the years, subjecting them to repeated freezing, microwaving, and three-foot drops onto hard floors. Ouch. Our picks are the best options for stashing ingredients, packing lunches, or sharing at potlucks. Plus, they make it easy to see everything you’ve meal prepped at a glance—so you aren’t left with questionable, forgotten leftovers.

For ambitious meal-prepping and lazy lunch leftovers alike→

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