It’s beginning to look a lot like Prime Day as Amazon gears up for its two-day sales event with some early deals. From July 11-12 there will be gobs of deep discounts on all kinds of goods, from food to electronics to clothing and home goods. Here at SAVEUR, we are holding out for some really special items that we’ve had our eyes on all year long. Some items are already on sale ahead of the event, while others won’t be released until the day of; regardless, we’re poised and ready to add these must-haves to our carts.

Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Warmer

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In my kitchen, few appliances are as productive as my trusty Zojirushi rice cooker. I use mine to make oatmeal, sticky rice, brown rice, congee, and even beans and lentils, and can’t recall a single time the results were subpar. The 5½-cup size makes a batch that lasts two days in my household of two. With the removable inner lid, not to mention the inner pot’s nonstick coating, clean-up is also a breeze. I’m also a sucker for the cheerful jingle it plays when the cooking cycle is done—I have a Pavlovian response to it now. My friend loves using it whenever she comes over, so I’m grabbing one on Prime Day for her upcoming housewarming. —Megan Zhang, Senior Editor, Food

ZWILLING Knives Steak Knife Set

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I will be investing in a set of steak knives from my favorite knife brand this Amazon Prime Day. I own a few Zwillings already and they quickly became my “everyday knives”. I literally use them for everything from chopping garlic to slicing a banana. The quality has only gotten better over the years (with a quick sharpening here and there, of course). I can’t imagine ever using any other knives. —Jess Hothersall, Senior Photo Editor

Vitamix Propel Series 750 Blender

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Even though my paternal Grandpa was a frugal man, he was not the least bit stingy when it came to generativity and educating his grandchildren on the quality and waste-not-want-not usefulness of a Vitamix. Grandpa’s college graduation gift was my off-white Vitamix 5000 Total Nutrition Center, which has spun up countless whole-apple, kiwi, and kale smoothies, strawberry ice cream, and homegrown basil pesto. Admittedly, showing off a steaming blender in the midst of cooking broccoli cheese soup was one of my early-20s flexes. Decades later, I find it frustrating that my well-loved, yet 2-feet-tall beast doesn’t neatly fit under my cabinets and takes an entire cabinet to stow. So this Prime Day I’m splurging on the Vitamix Propel Series 750, a refined relative with a shorter stature and set-and-forget programmable buttons, including quick-clean. First up: A batch of spicy chilled avocado soup using fruits from a friend’s tree. —Stephanie Pancratz, Managing Director of Editorial Operations

All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick Cookware Set

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I came of culinary age at a time when cast iron was king and nonstick pans were the devil. Word on the street was that the latter seared poorly, scratched easily, wore out in a year or two, and—the big one—maybe even caused cancer. Some of those criticisms were legit, but as I’ve learned cooking with All-Clad’s Nonstick Cookware Set, nonstick cookware has come a long way since the aughts. For starters, these pans have three layers of safe PTFE coating, making them longer-lasting and virtually impossible to scuff. The core, an amalgam of heavy-gauge aluminum and stainless steel, is an excellent heat conductor that’s also induction- (and oven-) friendly—and they give me a damn good sear. But what I love most about this set, at the risk of stating the obvious, is how practical it is: The pans are lightweight, nest nicely, and require minimal scrubbing to clean. —Benjamin Kemper, Senior Editor, Travel

SAVEUR Selects Voyage Series Carbon Steel Wok

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When recipes call for a wok, I’ve been making do with my All Clad Essential Pan, hoping that its curved sides will allow me the same effects of cooking with a steeply sloped pan. There’s no substitution for the real thing, however, which is why I am eyeing this carbon steel wok from SAVEUR Selects (it’s our own line of cookware, so it’s clearly a good choice). It’s great for searing or frying, too, withstanding temps of up to 660 degrees Fahrenheit and compatible with all kinds of cooking surfaces (including induction). I’m ready to turn some of my garden’s summer bounty into a flavorful stir-fry with perfectly charred, smoky flavors from this beauty. —Ellen Fort, Senior Editor, Special Projects 

SAVEUR Selects Artisan Series Angel Food Cake Pan

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Here in New York we’re in the thick of berry season, and some gorgeous stone fruit is starting to show up at the markets, too. When entertaining over the summer, I love to serve a juicy fruit- and booze-soaked angel food cake for dessert. The right equipment is key for clinching the AFC’s signature ethereal texture, and while clearly I’m a little bit biased in favor of our in-house cookware, I’m legitimately impressed by the slick no-stick finish of this easy-to-clean pan. Its removable core is an added bonus that makes unmolding a cinch. —Kat Craddock, EIC/CEO

Fatigue Mat

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Seasoned restaurant workers swear by heavy-duty rubber fatigue mats which, while unilaterally ugly, are essential for protecting line cooks’ and bartenders’ knees, feet, and backs through long shifts. In general, rugs in home kitchens err on the side of style rather than substance, so when I started working in the SAVEUR test kitchen years back, I was blown away by the plush and discreet mats positioned at each workstation. These days, our senior culinary producer, Jessie, does the bulk of our recipe testing from home, but I’m still a sucker for the bounce of proper floor covering beneath my feet when I cook. I’ll be ordering a fresh set on Prime Day. —Kat Craddock, EIC/CEO

Simplehuman Slim Hands-Free Kitchen Step Trash Can

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I’m aware that any bin could do the job of a trash can, so why should I spend over $100 on it? But hear me out: A high-quality, well-designed trash can can truly be life-changing. We use and look at it every single day in our kitchen, making it well worth the investment in style and utility. The Simplehuman stainless steel trash can has a sleek look, and the slim body stands perfectly next to any kitchen island or counter. If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen trash can, now is the time. —Jessie YuChen, Senior Culinary Producer

SodaStream Art Sparkling Water Maker

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Like many children of the ’90s, my family rarely had soda in the house, leaving only seltzer approved by my health-conscious mother as my go-to carbonation fix. To this day I can’t get enough of the bubbly stuff, but buying case after case is expensive and wasteful. Ever since I picked up a SodaStream Art earlier this year, the sparkling well never runs dry. The retro-looking device cuts a sleek, attractive figure, which fits neatly and unobtrusively on the counter under my kitchen cabinets. I simply fill the included dishwasher-safe bottle with water, lock it into the receptacle, and with a few pulls of the old-timey soda jerk lever I get cold, effervescent seltzer whenever I want. Like all SodaStream products, the Art runs on CO2 cylinders, each of which yields up to 60 liters. You can even add a variety of flavors that mimic your favorite sodas but with about half the sugar. If you have a house full of seltzer-heads like I do, the SodaStream Art will keep everybody happy (and well-hydrated!). —Chris Nesi, Copy Chief

The post Here’s What SAVEUR Editors Are Buying on Amazon Prime Day 2023 appeared first on Saveur.

When it comes to one-pot meals, the perfect pan-seared steak, or just some good old-fashioned fried eggs, a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet can do it all. Naturally nonstick and practically indestructible, there’s a reason these pans have been beloved by chefs and home cooks for centuries, and they only get better with age. With cast iron, it all comes down to seasoning. Seasoning is a thin layer of oil that is baked into the pan (and heated past its smoke point) to protect the surface of the iron and render it non-stick. While maintaining that sleek nonstick coating can be a little tricky, with the right care, it can literally last a lifetime—and then some.

So it’s no surprise that some of the best cast-iron pans are those handed down through generations or stumbled upon in antique shops. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find a new, high-quality version on the market today. If you’re prepared to put in a little bit of effort along the way, a cast-iron pan will reward you for years to come.

Here, we’ve consulted with chefs to bring you our top cast-iron pans, as well as their best seasoning secrets, maintenance tips, and more.

• Best Overall: Lodge Seasoned 12-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet
• Best Value: Cuisinel Cast-Iron 3-Piece Skillt Set
• Best Enameled: Le Creuset Enameled 10.25-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet
• Best Vintage: Griswold Number 8 Cast-Iron Skillet
• Best Compact: Le Creuset Enameled 6.33-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet
• Best Braiser: Le Creuset Enameled 3.5-Qt. Cast-Iron Braiser
• Best Cast Iron Griddle: Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Reversible Grill/Griddle

Features to Keep in Mind

Enameled vs. Non-enameled

With the right care, cast iron skillets can outlive us all, making them coveted heirlooms to pass down through generations. Many are just raw iron, while others have an enamel coating, which is essentially a glaze that protects the surface of the iron and renders a non-stick surface without seasoning. It’s also non-reactive, so the iron won’t directly mingle with your food.

Most chefs recommend a non-enameled pan: “A well-seasoned, non-enamel pan can have non-stick properties that enamel simply can’t replicate,” says chef Jake Leiber of Le Crocodile at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, New York. “Non-enameled cast iron really is the king of roasting and frying, and the more you roast or fry with adequate fat, the better your seasoning becomes over time––which is why everyone wants grandma’s old cast-iron pans,” he says.

Chef Victoria Wenning of The Westin Cape Coral Resort in Cape Coral, Florida, agrees: “All cast-iron is welcome in my kitchen, but if I could only have one then it would have to be non-enameled.” However, she adds, “if they’re not properly seasoned or left to soak in water, non-enameled pans tend to rust. Clean-up can also be a bit of a hassle, depending on your patience level.”

Enameled cast iron tends to be a bit more versatile. It comes in a variety of vibrant colors and requires no additional seasoning. “Enamel is great because it protects the iron from rust,” says chef Leiber. “It allows you to cook things that are wet (like braises) or acidic (like tomato sauce), which could strip the seasoning of your non-enamel cast iron and give your food off flavors.” Ultimately, the decision will come down to what kinds of foods you plan to cook, and how much time you’re willing to put into maintaining the pan’s coating.

Size and Thickness

Cast-iron skillets generally run between 8 and 12 inches, but the thickness and weight can vary according to the brand and the time period in which it was made. “Modern cast iron tends to be much thicker and heavier than vintage,” says Leiber, whose absolute favorite skillet is an old Griswold number 8 that he found at a flea market. “They also tend to be more textured. You’d be surprised just how light and smooth old cast irons can be,” he says.

When it comes to size, though, it’s all about your cooking style. “Pan size really depends on what you’re doing with it,” says chef Justin Wangler of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens in Santa Rosa, California. “If you have four to six folks you regularly cook for, you’ll want a larger pan. At my house, I always leave a 14-inch cast iron pan on my back burner, as I most enjoy cooking one-pan meals,” he adds.

As for weight, the average tends to be anywhere from 4 to 12 lbs (although our favorite compact version clocks in at just over 3 pounds). Just make sure you’re able to comfortably lift it.

Maintenance

Most of these modern cast-iron skillets come “pre-seasoned,” but a true non-stick surface can still require a little additional effort to build. Developing a proper seasoning is the difference between a sticky mess and a smooth non-stick finish.

As such, it’s important to make sure your pan is properly oiled, clean, and completely dry before storing. To keep your brand-new cast iron in peak condition, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, it’s best to clean the pan while it’s still hot. “After use, I place mine on the fire or in a hot oven, which helps to bake off some of the left-over bits,” says chef Wenning. “Once the pan is hot, I throw a handful of Kosher salt in the pan and use a rag to rub it around, removing any leftover food debris.” Try to avoid scratching or chipping the seasoning layer to maintain a smooth, consistent surface.

When it comes to seasoning, use a neutral oil with a higher smoke point, such as vegetable oil, canola, coconut oil, or rice bran oil. “You want to add very little at a time, just a thin layer to coat,” says Leiber. (Check the “Ask The Experts” section below for a more detailed guide to seasoning your skillet.)

After cleaning and seasoning, chef Wangler recommends placing the skillet upside down on a baking pan (“to keep the excess oil from spilling in the oven”) and popping it into a high-temperature oven (roughly 400 degrees) for about 30 minutes. Then allow the skillet to cool and wipe out any excess oil. “Cooking some fatty foods such as bacon or frying something will also help after the initial seasoning,” adds chef Wangler.

One thing you should never do is leave your pan soaking in water. You’ll lose seasoning that way, and without the protective seasoning coat, cast iron will quickly start to rust. Acidic foods, such as tomato sauce, can also wear down the seasoning, so if shakshuka is on your dinner menu, be sure to clean the pan immediately after use.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Lodge Seasoned 12-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet

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Weighing in at 8 pounds with over 93,000 reviews on Amazon, this pre-seasoned Lodge skillet is also a favorite among chefs. Great for everyday cooking and under $50, this model comes with a silicone handle holder and offers excellent heat retention. It’s made in the USA (Lodge company was founded in Tennessee in 1896) and is excellent for baking, searing, frying, and braising. You can pop it in the oven or place it over a campfire, but be sure to properly season it before use. Even though it’s technically pre-seasoned, it’ll benefit from a more thorough coating before it becomes truly nonstick. At 12 inches, it’s a great size for most everyday cooking. “The 12-inch skillet is about the right size for 2 to 4 people,” says chef Wenning. “It can easily sear two filets of fish or two larger steaks.”

Also from Lodge is the even-more-affordable 10.25-inch option. It’s slightly smaller, weighs just five pounds, and is half the price of the 12-incher. It’s great for breakfasts for two, hearty cornbread, or a 10-inch personal pizza.

Best Value: Cuisinel Cast-Iron 3-Piece Skillet Set

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This 3-piece set from Cuisinel comes with a 6-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch model (plus silicone handle holders) so you can try out a range of sizes for less than 40 bucks. They’re each about 2 inches in depth, so you can easily fry or bake in them. It’s a great starter set for anyone who’s just dipping their toes into the magic that is cast-iron cooking, plus Cuisinel also offers a lifetime warranty so you can count on them lasting a while.

Best Enameled: Le Creuset Enameled 10.25-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet

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A trusted brand for professional and home cooks alike, Le Creuset makes some of the best enameled cast-iron pans on the market. They come in fun colors and can also double as serving dishes. “Our Le Creuset pans have outlasted all our serving platters,” says chef Wangler. “One trick that isn’t often thought of is utilizing skillets to keep dishes cold. Place a pan in the freezer for an hour and then remove just before serving to keep your potato salad or coleslaw cool,” he adds. 

Thanks to its black enamel interior, this pan looks almost identical to a non-enameled pan, but with the added benefit of being dishwasher-safe for easy clean-up, and requiring no additional seasoning. Enameled pans like this one also often require less oil than non-enameled pans, making it great for low-fat cooking, too.

Best Vintage: Griswold Number 8 Cast-Iron Skillet

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Since you really can’t beat an old-school cast-iron skillet, we decided to throw a vintage favorite on the list. “My favorite cast-iron skillet is an old Griswold number 8 that I got at the flea market,” says chef Leiber. Griswold manufactured cast-iron skillets in Pennsylvania from 1865 through 1957, so they’re only available through vintage re-sellers. When hunting for the perfect Griswold model, be sure to look out for counterfeits, but you can find some pretty great deals on eBay. “For size, I like something medium to large like a number 8 or number 12. A 12 is a good size for frying big steaks,” Leiber says. 

If shopping around in-person is more your style, spend a weekend antiquing. Ayr Muir, founder of Clover Food Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, loves this option, too: “There used to be a lot more cast iron manufacturers than there are now. Antique stores will often have amazing cast-iron pieces that are over 100 years old! Find cast iron at your local antique store, take it home, heat it up super hot in your oven (as high as it will go), and the coolest thing happens—the heat will burn off any residue on the pan, and it’ll come out as brand new as the day it was made, and ready to be newly seasoned again.”

Best Compact: Le Creuset Enameled 6.33-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet

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This tiny-yet-mighty model from Le Creuset can take some serious heat. And at only 3.2 pounds, it’s great for camping and quick outdoor grilling options. “Cast iron is great on the grill or a live fire, and even better when you want to cook outside but still want to save your drippings or pan jus, but don’t want to heat or smoke your house,” says chef Wangler. This 6.33-inch model comes in seven different colors, is dishwasher safe, and is the perfect egg pan.

Best Braiser: Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Braiser

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“My second recommendation is an enamel Le Creuset braiser,” says chef Leiber. “They’re incredibly versatile and often overlooked.” A cross between a dutch oven and a skillet, braisers are great for slow cooked meals, shallow frying, steaming, searing, and, of course, braising meats that can slide right off the bone. Its non-reactive and non-stick enamel surface is ready to go right out of the box (no seasoning required), but it’s really the design we love here. True to Le Creuset style, these braisers come in fun colors, but also feature a wide base with shallow sloped sides, an ergonomic knob, oversized handles, and built-in lid stabilizers for a no-slide fit.

Best Cast Iron Griddle: Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Reversible Griddle

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While it’s not technically a skillet, chefs rave about cast-iron grills and griddles, and they’re quite convenient for everyday use. “I use one on a daily basis in both my personal and professional kitchens. Its versatility is unmatched,” says Chef Victoria Wenning, who uses this Lodge griddle pan in her restaurant. “This pan is held on a high flame for 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. To say it’s a workhorse is an understatement, but with the proper care it will last for years,” she says. “We have used our cast iron for pizza, paella, cobblers, crispy potatoes and even for blackened mahi tacos. I hope that this dismisses some of the fear associated with a cast iron and its care. The next time you find a cast iron at a yard sale or thrift store, don’t hesitate to add it to your kitchen inventory!” she says.

Ask the Experts

How do I season my cast-iron skillet?

To season your skillet, start with a neutral oil with a higher smoke point (like vegetable oil, coconut oil, canola, or rice bran oil). Wipe a thin layer across the surface of the pan (inside and out) with a clean, lint-free rag or a paper towel, and pop it in the oven for 30 minutes at high heat. Repeat this process a few times until a slick, black coating develops. If it’s sticky to the touch, put it back in the oven until it’s shiny and smooth. After cooking, wash and dry the pan immediately, then apply another very thin coat of oil before storing, to protect the seasoning layer and prevent rust from forming.

How long will my cast-iron skillet last?

“A well-cared-for cast iron skillet could easily last for 200 years,” says Wenning. “I have my great grandmother’s Wagner Cast Iron #8, which has already seen over 80 years of great memories and secret family recipes.”

The post The Best Cast-Iron Skillets Will Last a Lifetime—And Beyond appeared first on Saveur.

By and large, the most convenient way to barbecue outdoors is with a gas grill. They light at the push of a button and are easier to clean than charcoal, making them ideal for backyard decks and patios. However, full-sized gas grills can stretch over five feet long, taking up valuable real estate on small decks and patios. Luckily, those with limited outdoor living space do not have to forego outdoor cooking. There’s a wide selection of small gas grills with foldable side tables that measure less than 3 feet wide and even come equipped with wheels that make them easy to maneuver into a corner or even an adjacent storage room when not in use.

Some small gas grills are compact and lightweight enough to take on the road for tailgating events and camping trips, too. If you’re looking to add a gas grill that fits a smaller deck or patio to your repertoire, here are some of the best small gas grills for your summer of outdoor cooking endeavors. 

Our Top Picks

• Best Overall: Weber Spirit II E-210 Gas Grill
• Best Value: Char-Broil Performance Series 2-Burner Propane Gas Grill
• Best Portable: Weber Q1200 Gas Grill
• Best Infrared: Char-Broil Performance TRU-Infrared 2-Burner Gas Grill
• Best for Camping: Coleman Roadtrip 285
• Best Natural Gas: Rogue SE 425 Natural Gas Grill

Best Overall: Weber Spirit II E-210 Gas Grill

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Primary Cooking Area: 360 square inches | BTUs: 26,500 | Material: cast iron | Item Dimensions: 48 inches wide by 57 inches high by 26 inches deep | Item Weight: 103 pounds  

Why we chose it: Weber’s gas grills are highly regarded for their heat output and durability. 

Weber’s grills are known for their excellent build quality, and the Spirit II is no exception. It’s constructed of much heavier gauge steel and a tighter build than you’ll find on lower-priced gas grills. Its burners easily get hot enough to achieve the sought-after Maillard reaction, so you’ll have no trouble achieving that brown crust that makes steaks and burgers so when cooked on the grill. 

While Weber offers many gas grills, the Spirit II is the most compact at just four feet wide with the side tables fully extended. And though It may be small, it still has more than 350 inches of cooking surface, plenty of room for a dozen good-sized burger patties or six New York strip steaks. The Spirit II also comes with additional features that make it cooking on it a breeze, including an infinity ignition and a smart thermometer system that allows you to monitor meat temperatures with your smartphone (if you purchase a compatible meat thermometer).

Best Value: Char-Broil Performance Series 2-Burner Propane Gas Grill

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Main Cooking Area: 288 square inches | BTU Output: 24,000 BTUs | Material: Stainless steel | Item Dimensions: 43 inches wide, 24.5 inches deep, and 44 inches high | Item Weight: 83 pounds

Why we chose it: With this stainless steel construction and high heat output, the Performance is the best of the budget-priced gas grills we reviewed. 

Most of the time you get what you pay for when it comes to grills, but that’s not the case with the Char-Broil, which has made a name for itself by manufacturing quality gas grills at a budget price through its Performance line. This 2-burner model is the line’s most compact model, measuring under 32 inches wide with the side tables folded down. That narrow profile coupled with casters that allow you to roll it into a corner when not in use makes it a great option for those with limited space on their patio or deck. And, with its stainless steel construction and a cabinet-style base that conceals the propane tank, it won’t detract from the aesthetics of your outdoor living space. Of course, looks and size would mean little if the grill didn’t perform. The Performance lives up to its name with two burners that pump out 24,000 BTUs, more than enough to heat up its 288 square inches of cooking surface.

Best Portable: Weber Q1200 Gas Grill

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Cooking Area: 189 square inches | Total BTUs: 8,500 | Material: Cast iron and aluminum | Item Dimensions: 41 inches wide by 16.5 inches deep by 15.5 inches high | Item Weight: 31 pounds 

Why we chose it: The Q1200’s compact size and smart design make it the best all-around portable gas grill. 

Weber’s Q1200 is easy to use, compact, and solidly built, making it the perfect companion for a trip to the beach, campground, or stadium parking lot. It’s easy to start with an electric ignition and heats up in about 10 to 15 minutes using a one-pound propane fuel canister. Dual porcelain-coated cast iron plates that are easy to clean post barbecuing. At 31 pounds and measuring just a few feet wide, you won’t struggle to get the Q1200 into the trunk of your car. And, even though it’s small, it still boasts 189 square inches of cooking surface, enough for half a dozen burgers or a few steaks. We also love the fold-out side tables that create valuable prep space you don’t usually get with a portable grill and the cast iron clamshell lid with an integrated thermometer.

Best Infrared: Char-Broil Performance TRU-Infrared 2-Burner Gas Grill

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Primary Cooking Area: 310 square inches | Total BTUs 18,000 BTUs | Material: Aluminum and stainless steel | Item Dimensions: 41 inches wide, 16.5 inches deep and 15.5 inches high | Item Weight: 96 pounds

Why we chose it: This grill can easily reach seer temperatures and features all stainless steel construction. 

The main criticism of many small gas grills is that they lack the ability to achieve that 550 degrees-plus temperature that really ensures a good sear on steaks and crispy edges on burgers. This model from Char-Broil uses infrared heat, allowing it to reach surface temperatures that exceed 600 degrees, plenty of heat for searing. 

We also like the compact size of this two-burner grill. With the side tables folded down, it measures just a hair over 27 inches wide, so it won’t crowd small patios and decks, but still has more than 310 square inches of primary cooking surface. And if aesthetics are important to you, you’ll like its stainless steel lid, control panel, and side tables.

Best for Camping: Coleman Roadtrip 285

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Cooking Area: 285 square inches | Total BTUs: 20,000 | Material: Aluminum and cast iron | Item Dimensions: 32 inches long, 18.5 inches deep and 15.5 inches high | Item Weight: 47 pounds

Why we chose it: We couldn’t find a portable grill with more cooking space and as many cooking zones as the Roadtrip 285. 

Coleman is one of the best-known names in RVing and camping products, so it should come as little surprise that its aptly named Road Trip is an ideal grill for cooking in the great outdoors. The main appeal is in its portability and well-designed cooking surface. And while at 50 pounds this grill isn’t light, it folds flat and has two large wheels that allow you to roll it behind you like a piece of luggage. 

The cooking surface features three gas burners, which is almost unheard of on a portable grill. With those three cooking zones, you can sear a steak, roast kabobs, and grill vegetables all at the same time with ample space for all, since it has 285 square inches of cooking surface. We also love the cast iron non-stick grill plates, which make post barbecue clean-up easy.

Best Natural Gas: Rogue SE 425 Natural Gas Grill

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Cooking Area: 425 square inches | Total BTUs: 70,500 BTUs | Material: Stainless Steel | Item Dimensions: 48.5 inches wide by 25 inches deep by 55 inches high| Item Weight: 146 pounds

Why we chose it: The Rogue manages to remain compact while still boasting three cooking zones, separate sear burners, and 425 square inches of cooking surface. 

What sets the Napoleon apart from other grills is its use of two types of burners. In addition to its four standard propane burners, the rogue features two infrared burners at the rear, allowing you to achieve a sear on steaks or even use the grill as a rotisserie. Couple that with its four front standard burners and you’ve got a grill that can create a lot of different cooking zones. There’s also an infrared side burner to boot, useful for heating sides or warming sauces. Even with its 425 square inches of cooking space, the Rogue manages to remain at a fairly narrow width of 48 inches, though the side tables do not fold down. We also like its all stainless steel construction, which includes the cooking grates, giving it a richer look for your outdoor living area.

How We Chose These Products

I used my experience testing dozens of grills to make our selection of the best small gas grills. We limited our selections to more compact grills that measure four feet or less long with preference given to those with folding side tables that offered even more space savings. I selected established brands that are known for their performance and durability. Additionally, BTUs are crucial for properly searing with a grill, so I chose those with ample BTU output for the size of their grilling surfaces. When possible, I selected grills that offer ample cooking space and multiple cooking zones for their size.

Features to Keep in Mind When Shopping for Small Gas Grills

Cooking/Working Space

Small gas grills that max out at around four feet wide with their side tables up aren’t going to offer the same broad swath of cooking space as full-sized models. Expect to get between 350 and 450 square inches of cooking surface for a small gas grill compared to the 600 plus inches of cooking surface you’d get with a full-size model. Portable gas grills typically have around 200 square inches of cooking surface. About 400 to 500 square inches of cooking surface is suitable for a family of four; if you’re entertaining with a small gas grill, you’ll likely have to cook in waves to grill enough food to feed everyone. 

Fuel Type

There are two types of gas grills: natural gas and propane gas. The latter requires a 20-pound propane tank, which connects to the grill via a regulator.  You’ll find 20-pound propane tanks at most grocery stores, home improvement stores, and gas stations. Since it’s notoriously difficult to gauge how much gas is left in a propane tank, it’s a good idea to have spare to avoid running out mid backyard barbecue. A natural gas grill ties directly to your home’s gas line, ensuring you have a constant supply of fuel and eliminating the need to lug a 50-pound tank around. But, unless you already have one, you’ll have to pay to run a gas line to your patio or deck, which can be expensive. Keep in mind that gas grills are made to operate with either propane or natural gas, not both. You cannot hook a propane gas grill to a natural gas line or vice versa without using a conversion kit.

Portability

Tailgating, camping, and beach trips are all fun opportunities to grill away from home. And for that, you’ll need a good portable gas grill. Portable grills are of course much lighter than their full-sized cousins, with most weighing around 20 to 30 pounds with a compact shape that makes them easy to fit into the trunk of a car. Some larger portable models may even come equipped with wheels, allowing you to roll them from car to campsite or wherever your remote cooking location may be.  

Gas Grill Cooking Power and BTUs 

A grill’s ability to heat the cooking surface to hot enough temperatures that make it possible to sear or provide even heat is directly related to the BTUs of its burners. For the uninitiated, BTUs stands for British Thermal Units, which is a measure of heat output. A quality gas grill’s burners will produce between 70 and 90 BTUs per square inch. So, a grill with 400 square inches of cooking surface should put out between 28,000 and 36,000 BTUs to evenly heat the cooking surface. Searing involves creating intense focused heat over a targeted area on the grill surface of at least 500 degrees (the higher the better). Some gas grills have a separate sear station, which consists of a single burner or cluster of burners that produce a higher BTU output and hence higher surface temperature than the other burners on the grill. 

Number Of Burners In Your Grill 

The number of burners on a gas grill determines the number of cooking zones you can create. A cooking zone is the number of different heat levels you can create on your grill’s cooking surface simultaneously.  Most small gas grills come equipped with two burners, which means you’ll be able to create two cooking zones that allow you to cook at two different temperatures simultaneously, which is ideal if you’re grilling different types of food.

Ask the Experts

Q: How do I set up a small gas grill?

Most small gas grills require some assembly after they arrive. Once it’s been assembled, find a flat, level location on your deck or patio away from flammable items like mulch or nearby hedges, out of the path of foot traffic. A gas grill has a threaded regulator that screws onto the grill’s gas valve. Make sure the regulator is securely attached before opening the tank’s valve. Gas grills light via a push-button piezo ignition or an electric ignition that requires a AAA battery. Always light the grill with the hood open to prevent a build up of gas that can cause an explosion. 

Q: What type of gas should I use with a gas grill?

If you’re using a propane gas grill, you’ll need to use a 20-gallon propane natural gas tank. Most portable gas grills use a one-pound gas canister. A natural gas grill will attach directly to your home’s gas line. Remember, you can only use a natural gas grill with natural gas and a propane gas grill with propane gas. 

Q: Are gas grills better than charcoal grills?

Whether a gas grill is better than a charcoal grill or vice versa is a matter of personal preference. Many people like the ease of use that a gas grill offers. Others are willing to deal with a labor-intensive lighting process and messier clean-up in order to get the smokey flavor and extreme temperatures you can only achieve with a charcoal grill. 

Q: Can I hook up natural gas to my propane grill?

You can hook up a natural gas grill to a propane grill, but you’ll need to purchase a conversion kit to do so. Since natural gas burns cooler than propane, natural gas grill burners have larger holes to allow the grill to reach high enough temperatures for grilling. This design difference means that it’s dangerous to hook up a propane tank to a natural gas grill. 

Q: How do I avoid flare-ups on a gas grill?

There are a few strategies you can employ to prevent flare-ups that can burn food and singe the hair off your forearms. Flare-ups are usually the result of meat juices dripping onto the burners, so trim excess fat off meat before placing it on the grill. Clean your grill regularly as built-up grease and char are the main causes of flare-ups. You can also leave one burner off while grilling, creating a safe zone for your food when flare-ups occur—no one likes a sad, smoke-blackened hot dog.

Q: Why won’t my gas grill get hot enough?

The most common reason why your grill is no longer getting hot is the regulator, which has a built-in safety that reduces the flow of gas if it senses a gas leak. These safety devices often trigger even when there is no leak in the line, preventing your grill from reaching temperatures over 300 degrees. Reset the regulator by disconnecting it, opening all the valves on the grill, closing them, then reconnecting the line. 

Q: How do I replace a gas grill igniter?

To replace the gas grill igniter, begin by unscrewing the ignition button of the starter. Replace the battery and see if that fixes the problem. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to replace the entire igniter. Begin by unscrewing the ignition button and pulling the starter out of the control panel. Snap a photo of the wiring with your smartphone to record its placement, then disconnect them from the old igniter. Insert the new igniter, which you ordered from the manufacturer, and install the wires into the same holes. Reattach the igniter to the control panel and insert a fresh battery.

Our Take

It’s hard to underestimate the importance of brand and BTU output when choosing a small gas grill. While the Weber Spirit II E-210 Gas Grill may be one of the pricier options on the market, it boasts a 26,500 BTU output and comes from a brand known for the durability of its products. In short, the Spirit II will sear food more easily and last longer than grills than more cheaply priced grills. Those on a budget should consider the Char-Broil Performance Series 2-Burner Propane Gas Grill, which comes from a manufacturer that also has a reputation for building quality grills at an affordable price. 

The post The Best Small Gas Grills for Decks, Patios, and Beyond appeared first on Saveur.

Cuts of meat and marinades aside, it’s the smoke that makes barbecue taste—and smell—so irresistible. But having a smoker in your home cooking arsenal is useful for a whole lot more than fall-off-the-bone ribs and flawless brisket. You can upgrade deviled eggs, create unique sandwich-elevating condiments, DIY your own smoked salmon, and so much more.

Smokers are a sprawling but nebulous category of culinary tool: The term itself is often used interchangeably with “grills” and “barbecues,” with many smokers making no mention of “smoker” in the branding at all. Some smokers are highly specialized, while others are more versatile multipurpose cookers—and what constitutes a “smoker” at all depends on who you ask. Traditionalists will say it’s the specific type of fuel, design, and smoking process that defines a smoker, while others view smoke simply as more of a flavor. And with so many ways to cook with smoke, the best smoker for you will largely depend on what you’re using it for, what your space and ventilation situation is like, and how dedicated you are to the craft.

There is one key requisite, however, for properly smoking food. According to Steven Raichlen, author of over 15 books about all things grilling, and TV host of series like Project Smoke and Barbecue University, it’s all about maintaining a low, constant temperature. The optimal heat level is 250°F, he says, with 225° to 275° as “the magical zone for smoking. You don’t get a lot of smoke flavor at higher temperatures.”

Beyond that, though, smokers can vary wildly in terms of size, features, and price. Chef, food columnist, and cookbook author Elizabeth Karmel, who specializes in barbecue, grilling, and Southern food, says that for any type of grilling purchase, be it smoking-centric or otherwise, she has a simple rule of thumb: “Buy the biggest and the best that you can possibly afford, because the better the grill is, the more you’re going to use it, and the more you use it, the better griller you’ll become.” Here are 8 top-notch, expert-loved smokers that will seriously elevate your meals, through summer and beyond.

Our Top Picks

• Best Overall Smoker: Traeger Grills Ironwood 650 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker
• Best Value: Z Grills ZPG-550B Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
• Best Charcoal Smoker: Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker
• Best Gas Smoker: Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite Propane Smoker
• Best Electric Smoker: Bradley Smoker BS611 Electric Smoker
• Most Versatile: Weber Original Kettle Grill
• Best Indoor Smoker: Camerons Large Stovetop Smoker
• Best Offset Barrel Smoker: Horizon Classic Smoker

Best Overall: Traeger Grills Ironwood 650 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker

Material: Cast-iron | Max temp: 500 °F | Hopper capacity: 20 Pounds | Power source: Wood pellets | Fuel type: Electric

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This is Karmel’s current favorite smoker: “The thing that really sold me is the ‘super smoke’ feature,” she says, which is also included in the brand’s Timber Line series. (The Traeger Timber Line 850 is one of Raichlen’s top pellet grill recommendations). “The complaint that people have about pellet smokers is that if you’re going to do brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and more traditional barbecue items, they don’t get enough of a smoke flavor. That super smoke button gives you an extra burst of smoke; if you cook below 225F, which you generally are doing when you’re smoking meat anyway, it just gives a more intense smoke flavor,” she says. “The other night I did a tri-tip with cherry wood pellets and oh my goodness, the difference that a little extra smoke makes! It’s like cooking meat with salt or no salt.” She underscores that it’s worth the price tag. “Anytime anyone asks me, I try to steer people to spend a little bit of extra money to get a grill with super smoke function; because if you really are buying a pellet grill to smoke, that’s what you’re looking for.”

Best Value: Z Grills ZPG-550B Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker

Material: Cast-iron | Max temp: 450 °F | Hopper capacity: 10 Pounds | Power source: Wood pellets | Fuel type: Electric

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Karmel recommends the Z Grills brand for when “someone has a small space, or just wants to dip a toe into the whole idea of smoking,” but isn’t quite ready to commit to a four-figure price tag. She tested one of the brand’s models recently and found it to be “very functional, though it doesn’t have the super smoke mode I love.” At under $500, this pellet smoker is a great entry point into the barbecue game, but also boasts six functions in one, so you can use it as a grill or oven with reliable temperature precision.

Best Charcoal: Weber 18-Inch Smokey Mountain Cooker

Material: steel | Max temp: 350 °F | Hopper capacity: N/A | Power source: Water | Fuel type: Charcoal

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“I test most of my recipes on a Weber’s Smokey Mountain grill, because so many people have them,” explains Raichlen. “They’re easy to operate and inexpensive,” he says of this “water smoker with charcoal that looks like R2D2 from Star Wars,” thanks to its capsule-shaped porcelain-enameled steel exterior. Inside, it houses two nickel-plated 18.5”-wide cooking grates, and there’s enough space to fit an entire turkey and an entire ham simultaneously. Raichlen calls this the “gold standard” smoker, and he likes its design and output so much, he owns six of them. There’s also a smaller 14” version as well as a bigger 22” model, if you’re looking for a bit less or more smoking space.

Best Gas: Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite Propane Smoker

Material: Cast-iron | Max temp: 700 °F | Hopper capacity: N/A | Power source: Wood and/or water | Fuel type: Gas

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When it comes to gas models, Raichlen recommends Masterbuilt’s gas-powered Sportsman Elite model, with a stainless steel burner and a generous spread of cooking space, thanks to its four chrome-plated cooking racks. Temps stay consistent thanks to a separate door for replenishing wood and water when needed, so you don’t have to open the smoking chamber while it’s working its magic. Because the smokiness factor actually comes from wood chips, Raichlen likes that this gas smoker will “give a slightly more complex flavor” than most other gas or electric smokers.

Best Electric: Bradley Smoker BS611 Electric Smoker

Material: Stainless steel | Max temp: 280 °F | Hopper capacity: N/A | Power source: Wood bisquettes | Fuel type: Electric

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If you’re looking for an electric version, Raichlen says Bradley is the go-to electric smoker brand; he suggests the company’s Smoker Original, which is powered by ash-free proprietary wood bisquettes (hardwood chips that have been bound together into a hockey puck-shaped disc) available in a dozen flavor varieties and capable of providing up to nine hours of continuous smoking. Its four dishwasher-safe racks, as well as meat hooks for pit-barrel-style smoking of foods like sausage and jerky, make it as versatile as it is efficient.

Most Versatile: Weber Original Kettle Grill

Material: Porcelain | Max temp: 600 °F | Hopper capacity: N/A | Power source: None | Fuel type: Charcoal

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If you’re just starting to dabble with smoking and are hesitant to commit the budget and space to a highly-specialized appliance, Raichlen recommends a classic Weber Kettle Grill. You can smoke on it by using “half the amount of charcoal that you normally would” and maintaining a very low temperature, while with the full amount of charcoal, it’s capable of “indirect grilling at a higher heat, direct grilling, or rotisserie cooking.” Or, he says, ”you could do what I call ‘caveman grilling,’ or grilling right on the embers, which is another form of smoking,” for making smoked vegetable dishes like baba ganoush. “If you lay an eggplant on the embers and you char the skin, it drives the smoke to the center of the eggplant, and gives you smoked eggplant flesh.” Purée it and combine with garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, for the classic Mediterranean spread. We recommend using lump charcoals for cooking directly on the embers, both for their excellent flavor and because they’re a cleaner fuel source, with fewer chemicals that could be imparted into your food.

Best Indoor: Camerons Large Stovetop Smoker

Material: Stainless steel | Max temp: varies | Hopper capacity: N/A | Power source: Wood chips or water | Fuel type: Stovetops, ovens, grills, etc.

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Don’t have any outdoor space in your abode? No problem, thanks to this stovetop model that Raichlen uses to make “totally amazing” smoked hard-boiled eggs, as well as smoked tofu and salmon (that he cures first). “It’s basically a rectangular box with a lid that pulls back. You put hardwood sawdust on the bottom, and there’s a little drip pan and grate,” he says. Add whatever ingredients you want to smoke, and fire up the burner; “the smoke stays in the box until you open it, and just a little puff of smoke releases” that will quickly dissipate with an exhaust fan on a high setting. “For years and years, that’s how I used to make my own smoked salmon, and it was really good!” Raichlen says. The Camerons smoker is designed for indoor use but is easily brought outside, where it can be used with a simple camp stove or click burner as the heat source.

Best Offset Barrel: Horizon Classic Smoker

Material: Steel | Max temp: 325 °F | Hopper capacity: N/A | Power source: Wood | Fuel type: Charcoal

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If you’re in the market for an offset barrel smoker, a.k.a. a conventional stick burner, Raichlen says the “gold standard” brand is Horizon, and this 16” option “is a great starter model.” A stick burner is typically used for “your classic Texas brisket and beef ribs, Southern ribs, and pork shoulder. These take up a lot of real estate,” he says, “so you need to have the space. A stick burner does not work well on a rooftop in Brooklyn. They’re expensive, and they require a lot of fuel.” But for the true barbecue devotees, the work is certainly worth the effort. “You typically have to fuel them every hour,” Raichlen says, “so you need a big pile of wood, and you’ve got to split the wood, which is why guys like me like them: They’re all about the process.”

Features to Keep in Mind

Type

The biggest difference between most smokers is the type of fuel they use, and how hands-off or high maintenance the smoking process is. First up is charcoal, that familiar staple of backyard cookouts and camping trips, which is a traditional, if finicky, approach to smoking. Raichlen calls it his “preferred fuel for smoking, with wood chunks or chips added as an enhancement,” which he loves for its process as much as the end result. “I’m a live fire guy: I love the act of lighting, building, and attending to a fire, and though it’s not necessarily the most convenient or easiest option, I think you get the best smoke flavor with that combination of charcoal and hardwood,” he explains. Charcoal is also used in pit barrel smokers: “You generally hang the food from a bar on the top, and charcoal goes in the bottom,” Raichlen says. “It’s not quite as effective for smoking, but a lot of people like them because they’re very affordable.”

Then there are pellet smokers, which use puck-like compressed hardwood pellets for fuel (charcoal and sawdust pellets are options, too), which burn in a separate, lower compartment. The resulting smoke circulates throughout the smoker’s interior and cooks the food that’s on the grill grates above, kind of like a smoky convection oven. “An electric fan controls the temperature, so you get a very even, consistent temperature throughout your entire crop, which is very important,” says Karmel, who loves pellet grills for smoking. Raichlen, however, thinks they offer “great convenience, with perhaps a little bit less complex smoke flavor,” when compared to charcoal.

Electric smokers use metal heating elements, with wood pucks for the smoke element. “The real advantage is convenience since you can set the temperature and time” instead of doting constantly on its progress, Raichlen explains. He finds, however, that with electric models, “the smoke flavor is not quite as good, pronounced, or complex as a wood chip or chunk-and-charcoal combination.” Propane smokers, also called gas smokers, “work on the same principle,” Raichlen says, “by using a heated burner to ignite.” It’s easier to control the temperature, and the preheating times are speedier on propane and electric models versus the charcoal or pellet versions.

Finally, if you’re already a fairly experienced griller and want to “graduate up to the big boys,” as Raichlen puts it, consider an offset barrel smoker, also called a stick burner smoker. They’re significantly pricier and require a lot of attention, and the name refers to the fuel type: The “sticks” in this case are whole logs, rather than charcoal or wood chips. Offset barrel smokers are typically made from steel oil piping and a 16 to 20-inch-diameter barrel, and feature an “offset” firebox. “Some of them have metal boxes instead of metal piping, but they all work the same way: There’s the firebox on one side, a cook chamber in the center, and a chimney on the other side that draws the air out,” Raichlen says. Despite their higher price tags and maintenance, “when you get them right, they produce really fantastic barbecue.”

Size & Capacity

Raichlen recommends considering a smoker’s diameter and height in relation to what you’re smoking to determine the right size for your needs. “If you’re cooking brisket, that’s around 16” to 18” inches across, so you need at least that much space with a few inches on either side to let the smoke circulate,” he says. But you can also often modify ingredients to comfortably fit a smoker, he says: “A rack of ribs is around 20 inches, so if you were to get a really small smoker, you would probably need to cut the ribs in half, or else hang them,” which many taller smokers can accommodate.

But in the end, for Raichlen, as with Karmel, bigger is usually better: “You’re going to be so happy that you have a grill with more capacity,” he says. “A lot of first time grill or smoker buyers are like, ‘Oh, I’m only gonna make hamburgers or hot dogs,’ but when you see that a lot of these grills are designed better than your indoor oven and cook really incredible food, you’re going to want to use it more and more and more.”

Versatility

While many smokers serve that one singular purpose, a standard kettle grill offers the most versatility, Raichlen says. If you use a large amount of charcoal, you’ll get a higher temperature, which is great for direct grilling, but if you opt for less charcoal, you’ll end up with lower heat, making it function equally as well as a smoker.

Portability

Most smokers are pretty stationary, but while designed for indoor use, a stovetop smoker is considerably more compact than outdoor-only options, and its portability factor means you can absolutely take it alfresco, too. Raichlen has used his on the side burner of his gas grill, and he says if your outdoor space is grill-less (like a rooftop, for instance, or a balcony) you can use a stovetop smoker on a simple click burner as the heat source.

Ask the Experts

How does a smoker work?

While it depends greatly on the specific fuel type and design, smokers generally involve a low, steady heat source (whether that’s generated by charcoal, gas, wood logs, wood pellets, or electricity) and a closed chamber where smoke circulates and infuses into whatever food you’re smoking. Many foods are cooked in the process of smoking, too, but the technique can also be used to provide smoky flavor into pre-cooked or partially cooked foods. Make sure you have a high-quality grill thermometer on hand to ensure that the smoker is staying at the correct temperature throughout the cooking process.

How long should a smoker last?

“If you buy a good one, it should last pretty much forever,” Karmel explains, especially in light of the considerable investment factor of most smokers. “This is buying a major appliance!” For electric smokers like Traeger, almost any part can be replaced, from the hardware like grill grates to the fan motor or fire pot.

What are your tips for cleaning and caring for a smoker?

“A good smoker is built to withstand the elements,” Karmel says, and though she notes that brands do sell covers should you want to shield your smoker from snow, showers, and the like, it shouldn’t be necessary, from her experience: “I don’t use a cover and I never have, even when living in Chicago and New York, and my grills and smokers are all in great shape,” Karmel says.

The post The Best Smokers for True Grilling Enthusiasts appeared first on Saveur.

Bourbon isn’t just a category of spirits—it’s a culture. The best bourbons are highly sippable and collectible, which is why this beloved category of American whiskey lends its signature smooth flavor to everything from maple syrup to candles. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, over 28.4 million cases of bourbon were sold last year. Clearly, it’s not going out of fashion anytime soon. 

If you haven’t sipped much bourbon without a mixer, learning quality and what’s worth collecting for your home bar can be a steep task. “What’s most important is that it’s subjective,” says Bill Thomas, a renowned whiskey expert and the owner of Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington, D.C. “If you think it’s amazing and you enjoy drinking it, start there.” 

In order to make your shopping a little easier, we consulted the experts to find the category standouts varying in budget, availability, and use. Although we do choose the best straight sipper, we’d happily serve any of these neat, no ice or mixer required.

• Best Expression of the Category: New Southern Revival Brand Jimmy Red Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Best Value: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond
• Best for Cocktails: Four Roses Bourbon Yellow Label or Single Label
• Best Enjoyed Neat: Willet Pot Still Reserve
• Best Gift: Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year
• Best Everyday Drinker: Buffalo Trace 
• Best Innovative Bottle: Wilderness Trail 6 Year

Our Top Picks

Best Expression of the Category: New Southern Revival Brand Jimmy Red Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Tasting notes: graham cracker and vanilla with a baking spice finish

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“This bourbon is totally different from any other bourbon on the market, but what’s so interesting about it is that High Wire has really gone back to literal tradition and thought inside the box,” says Thomas. It defies the modern tradition of mixed mashbills and long aging by going back to the source: corn.

Distilled in Charleston, S.C. with a landrace corn called Jimmy Red, High Wire Distillery’s bourbon has a 100 percent corn mashbill and is only aged a minimum of two years (some bottlings might vary a little beyond that), and yet it has complex tasting notes of baking spice, graham cracker, cinnamon, and vanilla. It’s also aged in seasoned oak. “If there is a must-have bottle that most represents what ‘bourbon’ means, Jimmy Red has the benchmark of oak, vanilla, and caramel,” says Thomas.

Best Value: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond

Tasting notes: classic vanilla and oak with a dry finish

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Thomas is a fan of Evan Williams B-in-B because it will hold up to whatever you want to do with it. It’s retail price typically ranges from $15-19 a bottle, making it a great low-cost entry point. A double gold winner at this year’s San Francisco Spirits Competition, it has classic bourbon notes of vanilla and oak, followed by a warm, dry finish.

 Bottled-in-Bond is a US Government standard that guarantees a whiskey has been aged four years, bottled at 100 proof, and clearly labeled with the name of the distillery who made it and Distilled Spirits Plant (D.S.P.) number in which it was made and bottled. While Evan Williams, which comes out of the Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, is by no means the only bottled-in-bond bourbon on the market, it’s one of the most delicious and accessible countrywide.

Best for Cocktails: Four Roses Bourbon Yellow Label or Single Barrel – 80 proof / 100 proof

Tasting notes: maple syrup, cherries, long finish

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The Four Roses family of bourbons has “something for everybody,” says Demi Natoli, a Nashville-based bartender who currently splits her time between LA Jackson and Attaboy. “The Yellow Label is great for shaken cocktails that skew a little more refreshing—it provides great results and great value—and the single barrel is wonderful for stirred and more spirit-forward cocktails.” 

The Yellow Label is aged a minimum of five years and its slightly lower proof (ideal for many whiskey cocktails) while the Single Barrel sits in charred oak for seven to nine years and is bottled higher proof. Both have won a bevy of awards throughout the years, including the Tried & True Awards from Ultimate Spirits Challenge. 

Best Enjoyed Neat: Willet Pot Still Reserve

Tasting notes: vanilla lemon cake, with light spice

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Creamy, dreamy, and a stunner on the bar cart, Thomas says the nose on this beaut is reminiscent of vanilla lemon cake. This Kentucky straight bourbon comes in a signature bottle modeled after the original Willet still blueprints. The contents are a blueprint for how pleasurable an unadulterated sip can be. “I’ll pour this when I’m in the mood for sweet, spicy creaminess,” says Chris Hannah of Jewel of the South in New Orleans. 

Best Gift to Impress: Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Family Reserve

Tasting notes: dates, warm tobacco, and caramel with a tinge of success if you can actually find a bottle

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This is the bourbon that has transcended the category to become a cultural icon. It’s significantly aged (23 years!) and made in limited quantities (just a few thousand cases a year!), yielding a special reputation and high price to match. The demand outweighs supply, resulting in perhaps the most desirable bourbon around. Ribbons of vanilla, honey, and sweet maple weave their way through the palate, accented by citrus and spicy notes. One sip makes it obvious that you’re drinking one of the most iconic spirits in the world—one that has been crafted carefully and matured slowly in Kentucky.  It’s an amazing way to say “welcome to the family,” “thanks for the support,” or “let’s sign that deal.” 

Best Everyday Drinker: Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 

Tasting notes: brown sugar, dark fruit, with a spicy base

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Multiple brands come out of the Buffalo Trace Distillery (including the aforementioned Pappy), but for sheer pleasure of everyday bourbon drinking with friends, Thomas suggests this namesake spirit. “There is really no bigger gift to the market than Buffalo Trace,” he explains. “It’s one of those bottles you can drink with friends without having to really think about it, and the deliciousness just enhances the overall experience with them.” A low rye mash bill creates a smooth taste with notes of mint and molasses that’s complex enough for a round sip and good neat, on ice, or even in a cocktail.

Best Innovative Bottle: Wilderness Trail 6 year Silver Label

Tasting notes: cinnamon roll, toasted oak, and if you’re going for the rye, subtle, spicy finish

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“[Shane Baker and Pat Heist] are the smartest two guys in the industry,” says Thomas. “They have reverse engineered the bourbon-making process, they ask the right questions, and they have an academic way of looking at tradition.” The two former rock band members meld science with tradition, most notably in their unique infusion mashing process, which applies a precise amount of heat to gelatinize grains’ starches without degrading quality. Combined with their sweet mash process, it brings out the delicious nuances of naturally sweet corn and peppery, spicy rye. 

The silver comes in two styles: wheated bourbon (64 percent corn, 24 percent wheat, 12 percent barley blend) rye bourbon (with 24 percent rye instead of wheat). Thomas predicts this distillery is only going to get more renowned, so this is a star bottle to add to your collection now.

Runners-Up

Our top picks are heavily based in Kentucky, and with good reason since that was bourbon’s birthplace, but it is by no means the only good bourbon-making region in the country. Here are a couple of our runners-up, and a wild card for good measure.

Hudson Whiskey Four Part Harmony Bourbon

Tasting notes: Sugared nuts, a touch of nutmeg, and vanilla

Hudson’s newest release—and oldest bourbon to date—is a reimagining of its popular four-grain bourbon that debuted a few years ago. The distillery held a few barrels back to age longer (at least seven years), and with good reason, as the four grains —corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley—have melded into a hit song. This distillery in the heart of the Hudson Valley was the first to open after Prohibition, and it is still a leader among distilleries who choose to focus on local grains suppliers. So although it may not be a Kentucky bourbon, it’s definitely of its place and time, and that’s worth a hearty cheers.

Belle Meade Reserve Bourbon

Tasting notes: caramel-drizzled stone fruits with a spicy finish

A high-proof bourbon (108.3) with a lot of rye in the mashbill, this spirit plays well for both bourbon and rye aficionados, with a rich, full mouthfeel and hefty spice notes. Brothers Andy and Charlie Nelson launched their brand with this spirit when they decided to revive their ancestor Charlie’s Nelson Greenbrier Distillery, and although they are now producing many more spirits at their downtown Nashville location, Belle Meade is as popular as it once was when ol’ Charlie debuted it in the Tennessee town in 1878. Try it in an old fashioned when you’re torn between that and a rye Manhattan. It will satisfy both sides of the palate. 

Mulholland American Whiskey

Tasting notes: oak and maple with a sweet finish

Wheat-colored and without the bourbon designation, this spirit nevertheless has 94 percent corn, 4 percent rye and 2 percent malted barley, which is more corn than many a bottle bearing the bourbon moniker. It’s a wild card, just like its creators, cinematographer Matthew Alper and actor Walton Goggins, that’s been distilled in Indiana, aged in Kentucky, and finished in California. Its highest and best use is found in cocktails beyond the old fashioned, from a Whiskey Sour to a Chilled Cider Punch. And at around $30 a bottle, it won’t break the bank for merry-making for a crowd. 

Features to Keep in Mind When Shopping for Bourbon 

Age

Technically, bourbon can be aged for any length of time, although the aging process often adds prized vanilla notes. “Straight” legally means it has been aged for two years, and “bottled-in-bond” for four years, which are both good places to start. Aging typically translates to an increase in price, as it means distillers must delay profit and dedicate storage space until their product is ready to be sold. Industry folks in-the-know often note that bourbon can be overaged, which can give the whiskey too much of the oak’s characteristics, but we’d never suggest any which suffers from such a malady. 

Blend, Small Batch, or Single Barrel

Each barrel of bourbon roughly yields 250 bottles. The smaller the bottling run (how many bottles are filled at a time), the higher the price—and more distinctive and collectable the bottle. “Blend,” “small batch,” and “single barrel” are all terms used to denote how many barrels were emptied to bottle the particular batch. A blend is a mix of multiple barrels chosen by the distiller to achieve a particular profile (and it’s the most cost friendly of these three), a mid-priced small batch uses fewer barrels for that bottling, and a top-shelf single barrel is bottled from one barrel at a time. 

Ingredients

Bourbon is the official spirit of the United States, so in order to be labeled bourbon, a whiskey must be 51% corn and produced in the USA. Most bourbons are made from a blend of corn and a wildly individual combination of wheat, barley, rye, or even alternative grains such as rice or oats. 

Distillation Process

It’s a little tricky to, well, distill the distillation process down into simple steps. Generally, water is added to grains and cooked in either a sweet mash or sour mash. The mash is then cooled, yeast is added, and the mixture is allowed to ferment. Up to this point, the process is similar to beer production, but then it goes further by boiling the resulting fermented liquid, capturing the steam, cooling it back down to a liquid, then funneling that liquid into barrels to age. 

Cask Strength

By law, bourbon cannot be made higher than 160 proof (or 80 percent ABV), with standard bourbon bottlings averaging between 80–95 proof. Typically, bourbon is “proofed down” by adding water to dilute it to the alcohol by volume the distiller desires. The term “cask strength” means that dilution did not occur and the proof, or alcohol content, is the same when the bourbon was removed from the barrel or “cask.” Cask strength proof usually ranges around 110 proof and up—high octane stuff.

Cocktails Beyond the Old Fashioned

Although the old fashioned is classic for a reason, it’s not the only cocktail that plays well with bourbon. Here are three others to add to your skill set and “wow” guests while impressing yourself a little, too. 

Mint Julep

Most associated these days with the Kentucky Derby, this mix of bourbon, simple syrup, and mint is notoriously hard to perfect. There must be copious amounts of both fresh mint and bourbon, but not simple syrup. And all must be served over crushed or pellet ice, preferably in a silver cup so as it melts, the whole effect is cooling, from the scent to the taste.

Boulevardier

A Negroni riff for cooler months, this stunner of a sipper often packs more of a wallop than its Italian cousin. The recipe was first published in 1927, but as is the case with many recipes, was most likely around long before it was written down. The bourbon provides strong, sweet support for the Campari’s bitter bite, and the expressed orange peel is more than décor—its citrus oil adds a unifying note to the two spirits.

Egg Nog

While our decadent Egg Nog recipe from chef Mary Sue Milliken incorporates rum, the cocktail is such an old recipe–the word “nog” originally referred to a small cup that held alcohol—that many other spirits have been used through its iterations, including brandy and bourbon. In fact, bourbon is such a popular mixer for the creamy concoction that Evan Williams sells a pre-mixed version. There’s no substitute for the homemade version however, particularly when served by a roaring fire. 

Ask the Experts

Q: What’s the difference between bourbon and whiskey? 

All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. Here’s an example to help grasp that deductive logic: There are different types of whiskey as there are different types of birds. A stork is different than a robin like a Scotch is different than bourbon, but they are both whiskeys (and birds, respectively). 

Q: Is bourbon gluten-free? 

This all goes back to the mashbill, the whiskey world’s term for a recipe. By law, bourbon must be 51 percent corn, but that other 49 percent will more often than not include wheat and/or rye grains. Unless the bottle is made from 100 percent corn, then the answer is no. While the distillation process should remove all gluten, many distillers shy away from pronouncing their spirits gluten-free since they err on the side of safety for their customers.

Q: How long does bourbon age before you can drink it? 

There is no age requirement for bourbon. By law, it only has to be stored in a new charred oak container, so that storage technically could be minutes or decades. Once the distillate touches a new charred oak container, it legally becomes bourbon.

Q: Should I keep my bourbon in a decanter? 

“Sure, decanters look cool and all but after a month, it’s the best way to deteriorate your whiskey,” says Hannah. Keep in the original bottle with the original cap for best storage and store the bottle away from a window. If you have a large collection in storage, placing saran wrap over the cap seals can be extra insurance against exposure to air.

The post The Best Bourbons for Gifting, Mixing, and Straight-Up Sipping appeared first on Saveur.

The year 2022 yielded more than its fair share of excellent cookbooks, including deep dives into cuisines like Gullah Geechee, Kashmiri, and Sri Lankan, as well as well-tested everyday recipes that fill in the gaps between intricate cooking projects. Overall, there are many to recommend, even beyond the best gifts to give during the holidays. To make sure we covered all the delicious bases, here are more of our very favorite cookbooks from friends and cooks around the world. 

On the Himalayan Trail

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Romy Gill’s beautiful book (read an excerpt here) is an intimate look into the cuisines of Kashmir and Ladakh, the Northern regions of India bordering both Pakistan and China. Her fascination with the cuisine began as a child, and continued throughout her career as a professional chef. The result is a book that celebrates the unique mashup of cultures that create the cuisine, heavily influenced by Central Asian styles of cooking. From pakora to curries (like this paneer curry with turmeric and cardamom), each dish is rich in flavor and tradition. 

Masa: Techniques, Recipes, and Reflections on a Timeless Staple

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Masa is the foundation of Central American and Latin American cuisine, and its long history is rich and intriguing. Jorge Gaviria has written a book that details both the history of masa and the techniques, recipes, and tools that will allow home cooks to master it. Owner of LA’s Masienda, Gaviria is dedicated to the craft of masa, working with farmers to grow heirloom corn and expanding the general population’s understanding of it beyond tortillas—but also to make the very best tortilla possible. 

I Dream of Dinner (so You Don’t Have To)

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The endless refrain of “what’s for dinner?” now has an answer, likely found within the 150 recipes in New York Times recipe developer Ali Slagle’s new book. Organized by ingredients, the book is filled recipes that are both approachable and think outside the box with many options for subbing ingredients and pantry staples. Simply flip through the beautifully styled photos and recipes to find the answer to your own nightly crisis, happily resolved by Slagle.

Watermelon and Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations

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This year marked the publication of the first book dedicated to Juneteenth, often called “Black Independence Day,”  by a major publisher, bringing African American culture and tradition to the forefront. Journalist Nicole A. Taylor wrote a book filled with colorful traditions, including many of the red foods eaten to commemorate the blood shed by enslaved people and their descendants. Watermelon and Red Birds is filled with recipes for foods that commemorate struggle and celebration, skillfully intertwined with social commentary on Black tradition—and joy—in America. 

What’s for Dessert

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Former Bon Appetit editor Claire Saffitz is continuing to cement her place as a heavy hitter in the world of dessert with her second cookbook, What’s for Dessert: Simple Recipes for Dessert People. It’s 100 recipes deep, with each one designed to make dessert consumption easy and efficient for all home cooks. Flavorful cookies, cakes, mousses, and more are found within, each one well-tested and ready to join your regular recipe rotation. 

Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora

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Chef and activist Reem Assil tells the story of her Palestinian and Syrian roots through her food in California, from flatbreads to hummus and all the dips and snacks served in her Arab bakery. Assil’s passion for both hospitality and equity are the driving forces at her Bay Area restaurants and can be felt through her recipes as well. (Learn more about Assil here.)

Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island

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At 89, Emily Meggett is a respected cook and keeper of Gullah traditions on her home of Edisto Island near Charleston, South Carolina. Now she is also a cookbook author and family historian, chronicling bits of her own family history in the Lowcountry and sharing recipes for crabs, oysters, and other Southern staples like collard greens and grits. It’s a loving tribute to the West African influences that created this coastal cuisine. 

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking: 30th Anniversary Edition

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Generations of cooks have benefited from the wisdom of Marcella Hazan, whose classic recipes are the ones we return to again and again. This new edition includes favorites like Hazan’s tomato sauce (with butter!), chicken cacciatore, ossobucco, and more—all featured along gorgeous illustrations. Truly, if you can only have one Italian cookbook, this is the one. 

I Am From Here (Vish Bhatt)

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Southern food and Indian food live in glorious harmony in the hands of Vishwesh Bhatt, chef of Snackbar in Oxford, Mississippi. His Southern means fried okra in chaat masala and catfish wrapped in collard greens with spicy peanut pesto. Mix and match from 130 recipes that incorporate the ingredients and spices of both India and Mississippi. Bhatt wrote the book with home cooks in mind, meaning that most dishes are pleasantly uncomplicated, though they don’t taste like it. 

More Books We Loved

Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classics for Your Forever Files (Deb Perelman)

Mezcla (Ixta Belfrage)

Home Is Where the Eggs Are (Molly Yeh)

Life of Fire: Mastering the Arts of Pit-Cooked Barbecue, the Grill, and the Smokehouse (Pat Martin)

Listen To Your Vegetables: Italian-Inspired Recipes for Every Season (Sarah Grueneberg)

The Perfect Loaf (Marizio Leo)

The Pain d’Avignon Baking Book (Uliks Fehmiu)

The Pasta Queen (Nadia Caterina Munno with Katie Parla)

Hoppers: The Cookbook ( Karan Gokani)

Food IQ (Daniel Holzman & Matt Rodbard)

Drink Lightly (Natasha David)

Cooking: Simply & Well (Jeremy Lee)

Motherland (Melissa Thompson)

Rambutan: Recipes from Sri Lanka (Cynthia Shanmugalingam)

The Social Food: Home Cooking Inspired by the Flavors of the World (Shirley Garrier and Mathieu Zouhairi)

Peach (Bitter Southerner/Amanda Greene)

The post The Best Cookbooks of 2022 appeared first on Saveur.

The first taste of caviar for Bonnie Morales, chef and owner of Portland’s renowned Kachka and its sibling restaurants, was not from a mother-of-pearl spoon or presented tableside. It was served to her at home as a child, spread on buttered white toast by her Belarusian immigrant parents. “It’s so nutrient dense, much like chicken eggs, but even more so, and full of really healthy fats,” she explains. “So as a result, it’s often considered to be a food for children.” And, before you ask, she’s not trying to convince anyone to go broke feeding tins of fish eggs to toddlers. It’s instead about showing how normalized the salty snack is among Russians. “Anytime you want to show hospitality, there is caviar on the table,” she says.

Americans tend to put caviar on a pedestal because of its cost, and Morales notes that when she started serving it at Kachka, people weren’t enjoying the wonderful texture and intense flavors as intended due to that reverence. And that’s a shame, laments Morales. “You’re kind of cheating yourself when you’re worried about every little bead.”

Writer Seung Hee Lee, like Morales, prefers a casual approach to caviar. Lee trained in royal Korean court cuisine before moving to the United States, where she translated her traditional cooking with local ingredients and tools in her book Everyday Korean. While she calls herself a caviar purist in some sense—she likes to drink champagne with hers and first tasted it in fine-dining settings—she fell in love with it when she realized, “if we just eat it at home, it’s cheaper.”

Restaurant servings don’t add much more than presentation, and it costs significantly more in that context. Instead, have one tin (or a few) in your price range delivered at home, and give yourself the space to really enjoy it. Lee rejects the idea that caviar should be eaten in certain ways or with specific foods, and encourages anyone to just dig in and experiment. “Whatever needs crushed sea salt,” she says, “you can put caviar on it.” But if you’re looking to figure out exactly which kind you should put where, we’ve put together a list of our six favorites. 

• Best Overall: Regalis Two-Tone Osetra
• Best Value: Browne Trading Company Osietra Supreme
• Best for First Timers: Pearl Street Caviar Osetra Keluga Duo
• Best Classic: Browne Trading Company Beluga Hybrid
• Best American: Island Creek Oysters Osetra
• Best White Sturgeon: Tsar Nicoulai Select

Features to Keep in Mind

Types of Caviar

There’s a reason caviar tends to be pricey: Sturgeon are huge animals with long lifespans, and it can take years or even decades for them to mature to the point that they lay eggs. The processing phase is similarly drawn out; the roe must be harvested and washed, sieved, and then salted and packaged. And while caviar is traditionally made from the roe of Caspian sturgeon, certain types of that fish—particularly the massive Beluga—are critically endangered. Overfishing has threatened the continued health of the species, and so the term “caviar” is now more broadly applied to salted and preserved eggs from related fish farmed elsewhere around the world. 

The finest-quality caviar is said to come from fish caught or raised in the coldest of waters, from late fall to early spring, but purveyor Alexandre Petrossian—who sources the roe for his family’s eponymous shop from China, Bulgaria, Israel, Uruguay, Madagascar, and the United States—believes that there’s much to be gained from a global approach. “Every territory has brought something new to our understanding of caviar,” he explains. “One day we might return to farming in the Caspian Sea, but the circumstances would have to be much different than they are today.”

The “big three” sturgeon varieties are the traditional Caspian types—Sevruga, Osetra, and Beluga—which sustainable caviar producers strive to replicate.

Sevruga, the smallest and most plentiful of the species, weigh between 50 and 75 pounds, are about three feet long, and mature in seven years, producing small, gray, subtly flavored, creamy eggs.

Osetra, the second largest sturgeon, weigh 150 to 300 pounds, grow four to six feet long, mature in 12 to 15 years, and produce medium-size, gray-brown to nearly golden, peppery eggs. One fish in 100 will deliver large, dark gold eggs—the pricey imperial osetra.

Beluga, the largest and rarest of the species, can weigh up to 3,000 pounds, grow to 12 feet in length, and live for up to 50 years. Beluga eggs are unavailable in the U.S., though some farms have created hybrid Beluga breeds in order to approximate the breed’s coveted large, gray eggs, which have a very delicate skin and clear flavor. Since Beluga imports are banned, and Sevruga are pretty hard to come by, Osetra is the most commonly seen of these. 

But there are many more types of caviar you’re likely to see—and eat—more of in the U.S. these days.

Siberian, these smallish, approximately 150-pound sturgeon tend to mature early, meaning they produce a lot of eggs and fish, making them ideal for aquaculture. The small, dark, glossy eggs are among the most affordable types of caviar, and the smaller, softer beads carry strong flavors of the sea.

Kaluga, the giant freshwater sturgeon, is nearly extinct in the wild, but the farmed version produces caviar with excellent texture. The firm, mid-sized bead ranges in color, but nearly always has the coveted “pop,” along with complex briny and buttery flavors. 

White, California’s native species, is now farmed around the U.S. and represents much of the domestic caviar scene. The creamy eggs are small, delicate, and on the dark side, and have a bold flavor that stays consistent throughout the bite.

Farmed vs. Wild Caviar

The reality is that you are unlikely to find wild caviar. Though there are people who still covet the traditional version, the long lifespan of sturgeon and declining populations makes it an unsustainable or unaffordable option for anyone involved, diner or producer. An interesting thing about this, notes Morales, is that it has led sturgeon farmers to breed for what they think customers want to see—features like bigger eggs, lighter colors, and taut beads—but that doesn’t necessarily result in the best taste.

Pressed and Pasteurized Caviar

While the caviars here are all cured fresh, other styles are available. Pressed caviar takes the broken and burst eggs and (naturally) presses it into a kind of jammy spread. Pasteurized caviar treats the eggs with a bit of heat, making them shelf stable, but they lose a little of the vaunted “pop” texture and fresh flavor. 

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Regalis Caviar Two-Tone Osetra

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Eye-catching, complex, and buttery, this sustainably-farmed caviar from the Netherlands delivers on all the best parts of eating caviar. The strikingly large, green-gold and light black beads pop satisfyingly in the mouth, giving way to a silky, well-structured texture that unleashes a rich brininess on the tongue. Packaged without preservatives or additives, it maintains the desired complexity and evolution of flavors without hitting the upper echelon of caviar prices. 

Best Value: Browne Trading Company Osietra Supreme

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Paying more for caviar won’t always deliver a better product, and paying less doesn’t automatically mean you’ll like it less, which means that you can find great caviar for under $100 per ounce. While there are caviar options for the strict budget, like hackleback, and cheaper Siberian sturgeon options, this Osietra Supreme walks the line between high-end taste and reasonable price. Farmed in Poland, the firm, medium-sized beads carry a pleasant minerality and muted saltiness. 

Best for First Timers: Pearl Street Caviar Ossetra Keluga Duo

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Aside from producing these two excellent, reasonably-priced caviars, Pearl Street deserves special mention for taking sustainability seriously, even through shipping. Tins arrive in soft packaging, insulated with wool as a compostable alternative to styrofoam, and chilled by biodegradable ice packs.

On top of that, their prices are reasonable by the ounce—$77 for the Ossetra and $100 for the Keluga, both of which held their own in tastings against similar styles. Pearl Street offers both in 12-gram serving sizes ($31 and $44, respectively), giving newbies a chance to try it before shelling out the big bucks. Even better, their Pearl Duo buys both of those for just $72, plus fancy accessories: a tin opener, mother-of-pearl spoon in a little pouch, and a snack pack, which includes their surprisingly good crème fraîche, potato chips, and chives. It has basically everything you need for a little private caviar tasting. 

Best Classic: Browne Trading Company Beluga Hybrid

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With Beluga imports banned, many sturgeon farmers and caviar producers aim to get as close as they can to the coveted wild flavor of its eggs. This Beluga-Siberian hybrid farmed in Italy shows off the big pearls for which Beluga is known, but with the dark inkiness of Siberian. Its beads taste of deep umami flavor that evolves into a caramel finish, complemented by that signature texture and complexity. 

Best American: Island Creek Oysters Osetra

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Island Creek, famous for its oysters, also puts the same rigorous seafood sourcing standards into its caviar, and particularly its North Carolina osetra. While imported caviars can use sodium tetraborate to help with preservation, it’s not permitted in U.S. food production. Morales sees this as a plus, as it tends to round out the edges and sweeten caviar, leading to blandness. “If it tastes like nothing and it smells like nothing,”  she says, “It’s probably because it’s hiding something.”

Island Creek’s osetra stands out for its small, firm texture, big brininess, and roller coaster of flavors in every bite—just the thing that sodium tetraborate can hinder. It’s a rollicking caviar with good pop that shows off sea saltiness without overwhelming its subtler, almost fruity notes.

Best White Sturgeon: Tsar Nicoulai Select

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Another standout American caviar from one of Morales’ favorite producers, Tsar Nicoulai has been sustainably farming white sturgeon not far from its natural habitat in California for almost four decades. The Select shows off medium beads with a gentle pop and miso-like complexity, which comes through prominently thanks to low saltiness or “malossol,” meaning little salt. This light hand preserves the eggs themselves and their natural flavor.

Ask the Experts

How should I store caviar?

As cold as possible in the refrigerator, says Morales. She recommends avoiding the door, which can be warmer. Lee suggests putting an ice pack in a Pyrex or similar container, then putting the caviar on top to keep it very cold. Before you break into them, most jars or tins will last a few months. But once they’re opened, quality will start to decline, so have plans to eat it pretty quickly.

What’s the best way to serve caviar?

Morales often sees people in scarcity mode, eating just a few beads at a time, but she recommends making sure to have enough for a full mouthful, and to try eating it straight off the back of your hand. This helps warm the caviar to just the right temperature and allows you to really taste it on its own. At Kachka’s happy hour, she serves it spread on challah with butter, which she prefers to the traditional crème fraîche topping, since the acid of the latter cuts, rather than enhances, the richness.

Lee likes a traditional approach, with blini and crème fraîche or on oysters, but also puts it in chawanmushi, on scallion pancakes, or even in a tortilla smeared with cream cheese. “The highbrow-lowbrow combo is where my heart is at,” she says. 

Morales also adds that it’s less about what you serve it with and more about how. People focus on crushed ice, she says, and it’s one of her pet peeves. The cold dulls the taste, so she recommends pulling it out a few minutes before eating and letting it come to room temperature. Check out SAVEUR’s full guide to serving caviar here.

Which drinks should I serve with caviar?

As noted above, Lee always drinks champagne with hers, particularly leaning toward blends or an option with high acid, which she likes to balance the saltiness. Her suggestions include the Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill, Krug, and bottles from Frederic Savart. She also recommends super-cold, premium Korean soju, which is similar to one of Morales’ choice drinks for caviar, sake. But Morales’s favorite is vodka. “It’s super neutral and cleansing, so it helps you really taste the caviar.”

Every product is independently selected and vetted by editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

The post The Best Caviar Doesn’t Have to Cost the Most, and You Can Order it Right Now appeared first on Saveur.

If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to take the plunge on a pricey Vitamix, wait no further: Our very favorite model is on mega sale today for $300, down from $480. This blender is incredibly powerful and designed to last a lifetime. It’s also simple to use and clean, and made to last through the toughest of blends in both home and commercial kitchens. If an electronic can be an heirloom, this appliance is one to bet on (the 7-year warranty doesn’t hurt either).

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We chose it as our Best Overall in our lineup of Vitamixes, and here’s why: “The 5200 is easily the most highly recommended model Vitamix makes. After testing one out for a couple of weeks and speaking with recipe developer and food writer Sohla El-Waylly, it’s very clear why. Despite its powerful, 2 HP motor, the 5200 was the quietest one, even as it obliterated frozen ingredients to make thick, creamy smoothies. “I’m sure every Vitamix can get the job done, but I have had the most experience with this model, so every other model feels wrong to me,” says El-Waylly. “My parents have this model in their ice cream store for smoothies and shakes, while every restaurant I’ve worked in had it as well.”

So go forth and invest in creamy hummus, velvety purees, and smoothies without seeds in them this Cyber Monday. You’ll thank us later.

Every product is independently selected and vetted by editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

The post Our Favorite Vitamix Blender Is Majorly Discounted This Cyber Monday appeared first on Saveur.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Toaster Oven

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The rumors are true: SAVEUR’s senior recipes editor (hi!) doesn’t have an oven. Instead, I own one of these sleek yet scrappy numbers, and you know what? I make do just fine. That’s because Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer Toaster Oven is more than just a souped-up toaster: It can slow-cook, air-fry, and even roast a four-pound bird. And the fact that turning it on doesn’t roast me inside my sweltering Madrid apartment means it’ll be a fixture in my kitchen for the long haul—even after I (one day!) graduate to the big-boy oven I deserve. Santa, are you listening?
–Benjamin Kemper, Senior Recipes Editor

AeroGarden Harvest 360

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I’m giving the gift of a clean produce drawer this year: no more sad bunches of cilantro or parsley or clamshells of basil that died before serving their life’s purpose. This nifty little countertop garden grows up to six plants in water—no soil required. I’m partial to the gourmet seed pod kit, which includes Genovese basil, parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil, and mint, but there are many different options from salad greens and veggies to flowers.
—Ellen Fort, Senior Editor

Josephinenhütte Starter Set

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When I gushed about those featherlight Zalto wine glasses a few weeks ago in our annual gift guide, little did I know they were becoming harder and harder to come by. Happily my favorite wine glass guru has another line available (sold by Josephinenhütte, the Silesian glassworks factory) that’s just as splurge-worthy. In fact, the “Josephine” glasses may elicit even more oohs and aahs than the standard Zaltos, thanks to their unmistakable trippy contours. To me—a wine wonk with a carpe diem attitude toward personal finance—450 bucks (marked down from 515) seems like a fair price for six of these sculptural beauts, whose design Kurt Josef Zalto calls his “lifetime masterpiece.”
–Benjamin Kemper, Senior Recipes Editor

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Deep Oven 

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I’m not a fan of countertop deep-fryers and instead prefer to fry right on the stove in a heavy, easy-to-clean pot. For years, my go-to for recipe testing has been a Le Creuset Dutch oven. The heavy metal helps to hold a steady cook temp, while the brand’s signature off-white enamel lining makes it easy to see when oil is ready to be strained or switched out.  I’m especially fond of this extra-deep version, which can easily hold a generous depth of oil with plenty of extra height to deflect messy splatters right back into the pot. Marked down at Williams Sonoma this season, this is the deal of the year for tempura lovers, French fry fiends, or anyone who loves a sizzling, deep-fried feast. (Bonus: It’s great for messy, slow-cooked foods like tomato sauce and chili, too.)
–Kat Craddock, Editorial Director 

Glasvin Decanter

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Direct-to-consumer glassware company Glasvin has been gaining traction amongst the Michelin-starred set for a while now and I’m particularly fond of the brand’s pretty hand-blown decanters. Sized to fit a full magnum of wine yet still sleek, stable, and compact enough to grace even the most jam-packed holiday table, it’s my go-to holiday hostess gift. Already reasonably priced at $80, Glasvin is also offering tiered discounts for Black Friday starting at 10 percent off all orders under $300.
–Kat Craddock, Editorial Director

Material Kitchen reBoard

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“The hype around this cutting board is real and warranted. Material Kitchen’s reBoard, which is made sustainably using kitchen plastic scraps and sugarcane, has become the only cutting board I keep on my kitchen counter these days. It’s super lightweight and easy to wash by hand (though you can toss it in the dishwasher, too), and the size is perfect for me for everyday cooking tasks like chopping an onion or slicing up a melon. All the colors are lovely, too, though I’m partial to the Deep shade. I’ve never owned a cutting board that actually sparks joy when I use it, so this one is very much a keeper.”
–Megan Zhang, Senior Culture Editor

Stasher Silicone Storage Bags

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“Like many people in this industry, I always have a lot of food in my kitchen—and try hard to make sure none goes to waste. Whenever I have ingredients left over from cooking or recipe testing, even if they’re just scraps, I store them in these reusable food-grade silicone bags and keep them in the fridge or freezer. They almost always come in handy at a later date, at which time I give myself a pat on the back for having taken that extra minute to save them. I’ve started using the stasher bags for all kinds of other purposes, too, like packing snacks for picnics, marinating meat and fish, and storing cut-up fruit. Opening up the fridge and seeing a row of sliced pineapples, peeled oranges, and cucumber sticks all ready to eat makes my organization-loving (and snack-happy) heart thump.”
–Megan Zhang, Senior Culture Editor

Ichendorf Milano Fantasia Animal Tumblers

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“I’m a real sucker for whimsical homewares, and I simply must have these. The borosilicate glass tumblers feature a little handmade hedgehog, snail, turtle, or duck inside—which are so cute that I already know I’m going to finish the first half of my drink far more quickly than intended, just so it can look like the little guy is swimming in my glass. Too fun. Pick up all four to ensure your guests always know which drink is theirs, and expect to field many queries about where you got this charming set.”
–Megan Zhang, Senior Culture Editor

Titanium Skillets – Hestan Culinary

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Ode ‎Brew Grinder

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I’ve been waiting for this good-looking fellow to go on sale all year. It’s got 31 grind settings that allow you to precisely grind your coffee for all purposes, from Aeropress to cold brew. It’s also super quiet with a small countertop footprint—a must for coffee fiends with more than one coffee-making contraption already taking up space. Did I mention it’s really, really good-looking? A perfect gift for coffee-lovers, or maybe even just for yourself.
—Ellen Fort, Senior Editor

Every product is independently selected and vetted by editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

The post Here’s What SAVEUR Editors Are Buying This Black Friday appeared first on Saveur.

Sometimes the best gifts aren’t the biggest gifts, but the ones that can be slipped inside a stocking or carried in your bag on the subway. A candle that smells like a dinner party? A perfect gold spoon? Whimsical knife rests shaped like tiny vegetables? The best culinary stocking stuffers run the gamut, but they are all cheeky little numbers that will deliver big.

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What DOES  a dinner party smell like? The candle from Brooklyn’s entertaining store, Big Night, strives to provide an answer. It “smells like a kitchen where everyone wants to gather,” and unlike many scented candles it’s not an unwanted guest when snacks are served and the wine is poured. It’s designed to burn alongside a pot of dinner on the stove, and it is truly a pleasant addition, with fresh scents like lemongrass and basil paired with warm spices like saffron and musky wood.

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If there’s one spoon to rule them all this is probably the one to do it. It is truly a commanding spoon, made with attention to every detail—the ideal gift for the aspiring chef. It’s perfectly shaped for basting meat with butter or saucing a plate, with a long handle that can handle skimming a braise or stirring a deep pot. 

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This cheeky little timer is always invited to the party, no matter what we’re cooking up in the kitchen. Designed by the geometrically inclined Dusen Dusen for Areaware, this pal will be there for any culinary adventure, from boiling pasta to remembering to take the roast out of the oven. 

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A set of six fishy little snack picks is a great stocking stuffer or hostess gift. They’re not exclusively made to accompany tinned fish and would look equally as adorable on a cheese plate as they would with a school of anchovies served with crusty bread.

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Slip this colorful tostonera into their stocking this year and give the gift of perfectly smashed plantains all year. The beloved latin snack—green plantains that have been smashed and then fried until crispy—is delicious served with a garlic dipping sauce or on their own, sprinkled with sea salt. For someone super serious about tostones, Loisa offers a gift set that includes a matching masher and skimmer in addition to the tostonera.

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Salad doesn’t have to be so serious…toss up a whimsical bowl with these flower-shaped servers from Areaware. And really they’re not just for salad, of course—use them to delicately serve asparagus, a bowl of Brussels sprouts, or even a bowl full of cacio e pepe. It’s a fun gift for the friend who loves to entertain and set a table that’s big on personality.

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Gildas are the iconic Basque pintxo named after a Rita Hayworth character (and movie of the same name). Like Gilda, the pintxo is salty, spicy and green, composed of an anchovy, an olive, and a guindilla pepper on a toothpick. It’s a perfect umami bite with texture and heat. Olasgasti anchovies are high quality and plump, and not overly salty, perfectly complemented by Spanish peppers and olives.

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The dynamic LA-based apron company has released a chic chef’s knife designed with the needs of chefs (and avid home cooks) in mind. They worked with professional chefs to craft a knife that is versatile, tough, and good-looking, too. The blade is three layers of Japanese steel that comes with a lifetime guarantee. It’s available in enoki white, shiso green, and caviar black to match any style. A quality knife is truly the gift they’ll use every day.

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This plump little cup will delight anyone on your list with its cute little curves and fun colors. We’d suggest filling it with wine, sake, and cocktails, but it would be happily filled with olives, nuts, ice cream, or flowers, too. Mix-and-match with four different colorways.

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A favorite of SAVEUR’s chief creative Kate Berry, this particular blend of shichimi togarishi packs in the flavor, and the heat. It includes numbing sansho peppers, ginger, bright yuzu and orange peel, shiso, and black sesame. It’s perfect on any Japanese dish for a hit of heat and umami, but is an ideal addition to almost anything.

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Give your friend who loves to host this set of knife rests in the shape of tiny vegetables and win yourself an invitation to every dinner party. The hand-painted set includes a carrot, onion, asparagus, turnip, radish, and sweet pea. 

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This is the gift that they don’t know they needed: An uber-sharp peeler that’s also aesthetically pleasing. Material’s Forever Peeler has an ergonomic shape that makes peeling a breeze—a pile of potatoes is no match. It’s also super tough, and comes with a replacement blade to keep things sharp down the line.

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