
Hemsley points out its utility for bakers in particular. It’s a particular favorite of Aysegul Sanford, food blogger and recipe developer of Foolproof Living, and Rachel Hemsley, founder and editor of Make Bread At Home also vouches for this spoon rest. Might not suit all decorative preferencesįor a spoon rest that can hold multiple instruments at once, is easy to fit in your cooking space, can be run through the dishwasher for easy cleaning, and rings in at a highly reasonable price, go with this straightforward and user-friendly silicone model by Zulay. Here are the best spoon rests for both types of shoppers. Some home cooks will want the most multipurpose tool possible, while others will want one that’s attractive-but still works. Its functionality is important, but a spoon rest does add a personal touch to your decor. When serving a hearty batch of chili out of your Dutch oven, a nice spoon rest gives you an alternative to precariously balancing your ladle over the rim or handle of the pot, where it can fall and splash chili all over your stovetop, walls, and floor. Instead of placing your tomato sauce-coated spoon on your clean counter, you can place it neatly in your spoon rest where it waits, drip free, for the next time you need to stir.

Why? Even people who really love being in the kitchen aren’t so crazy about cleaning, and a spoon rest makes that particular chore easier. A great spoon rest is a highly functional and indispensable tool for making life in the kitchen easier. If heavy pans are an issue for you, consider testing a few different brands’ pans in a store before you buy.A spoon rest is often overlooked as a kitchen accessory, but it isn’t simply a knickknack. Depending on these pans’ size, and the thickness of their metal, they’re probably heftier than the lightweight Always Pan. For about $40 more, the All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick Weeknight Pan features two cast stainless steel handles that offer a more secure grip.

We haven’t tested wok-shaped pans at Wirecutter yet, but if you’re interested in a nonstick one and want a place to start your search, this Anolon pan, with a grippy silicone handle and a domed lid, looks like a solid deal at less than $60 at this writing. And if you think a wok isn’t an egg pan, this Kylie Kwong recipe will probably change your mind. Plus, the wide flared side is ideal for sautéing vegetables because it allows moisture to evaporate quickly. The tapered design allows you to nest bamboo steaming baskets inside with plenty of room for water to bubble beneath. If you do a lot of sautéing and steaming, nothing beats a wok-shaped pan. She found that the technique was effective on darker stains but took a lot of elbow grease, and it still left behind some lightly discolored spots on the pan’s pale blue exterior. Marguerite tried cleaning the stains from her Equal Parts pan with a paste of baking soda and water, letting it sit for a few minutes and then scrubbing with a soft sponge. But all of that takes work, which may be more than you bargained for. You could probably try it on the Always Pan, too, although Our Place offers no advice for dealing with stains. Caraway and Equal Parts recommend a similar technique (with either baking soda and water or baking soda and vinegar, and never with an abrasive sponge). And usually you can scrub stains off with a slurry of baking soda and water or Bar Keepers Friend. Stains don’t show on darker-colored nonstick pans or cast iron, but you can see them on a stainless steel skillet or a nice Le Creuset Dutch oven, as well.

That’s not unusual: All cookware stains when you use it. The Equal Parts Essential Pan that senior editor Marguerite Preston is using has fared similarly. Wirecutter supervising editor Marilyn Ong, who has been testing the cream-colored Caraway Sauté Pan over the past few months and hand-washing it after each use, says her cookware is already spotted with stains.
