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    Editors’ Picks: Baking Pans

    When that first chilly gust of wind hits your neck sometime in late September and makes you reach for a sweater, do you know what time it is? “Fall,” you say. Yes, fall. But more importantly … it’s the beginning of baking season!
    While not an official day on the calendar, it might as well be. Summers have their berry pies and fresh fruit muffins, but fall is baking’s dream date. Give me your falling leaves and chilly evenings, it says, and I will give you every way to bake an apple, pear tarts and pear cakes, decadent chocolate cakes, cheesecakes, pumpkin pies and pecan pies, oatmeal muffins, and Brookies. (Because they’re wonderful year-round).
    If you want to be set to bake this season, check out our list of essential, editor-approved baking pans. This collection will enable you to bake almost anything your tastebuds desire! LEGGI TUTTO

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    The 8 Instant Pot Accessories Worth Getting

    There are so many Instant Pot accessories out there, it can be hard to know which ones to buy. That’s why we did some testing of our own, and we think these are some of the best Instant Pot accessories you can get!

    When I first started cooking with my Instant Pot, there were no accessories; you just had to wing it! I raided thrift stores for old pans and rigged up all kinds of contraptions from wads of foil that worked okay if you didn’t breathe on them the wrong way.
    That wasn’t even ten years ago, but since then a multitude of accessories designed just for Instant Pots have popped up. Which ones are worth bothering with? I tried out a dozen, and here’s what I liked best.
    (And, before you go on an ordering spree, always check to see if the accessory is compatible with your model. There things are not always universal.)
    Hadrigo Steamer Basket
    Accommodating everything from broccoli to tamales to beets, here’s the One Steamer to Rule them All. For years, I’ve used a totally old-school collapsible metal steamer just like my mom had, only I got mine at the Goodwill. It’s worked fine but was hard to fish out of the pot.
    But now I’m a convert to this Hadrigo steamer.

    It’s huge, maximizing the area of the cooker so you can steam around ten eggs without having to pile them on top of each other. It’s got a handle for easy lifting and it’s way easier to store than some floppy silicone thing.
    In fact, when you’re not using your Instant Pot, you could keep it nestled in there. Just be sure it’ll fit in your pot. It fit in my Ultra but not in my circa 2015 Duo.
    Instant Pot Mini Mitts
    Reaching into the Instant Pot puts your hands right in the way of scalding-hot steam, putting potholders in danger of getting wet. And while a pair of tongs can get jars, pans, steamers, or even halved acorn squash out of the pot, it’s all too easy for them to lose their grip.
    Enter these mini mitts!

    They’re substantial enough to protect your hands from the ample steam a pressure cooker produces, but not so thick they’re ungainly (a complaint I’ve had with many other silicone mitts). I often lift hot inserts or steamer baskets out of my cooker, and these made it by far less nerve wracking.

    7″ Springform Pan
    For years, I steamed cakes and custards in an 8” aluminum cake pan that barely fit inside my Instant Pot. No longer!
    I love the 7” springform pan because it’s much more user-friendly. It’s petite but not mini and gives you cute cakes a smaller household can polish off before they go all stale.

    Desserts in the IP are a revelation! Try a recipe from our site, or, if you’re really bonkers over sweets, check out Laurel Randolph’s Instant Pot Desserts (the flourless chocolate cake is divine) for plenty of chances to get the most out of this pan.

    Instant Pot Silicone Egg Bites Pan
    This is a single-use item, true, but it does the best job of making egg bites.
    This mold holds seven egg bites and comes with a lid so you don’t have to grapple with foil to keep condensation from dripping on the cooking bites.

    But I’d say only get this is if you adore egg bites. If you really, really love them, get two so you can steam a double recipe. (Psst, we’ve got an egg bite recipe here!) I tried to brainstorm another use these—sweet little custards? tiny Boston brown bread?—but didn’t come up with anything. If you have one of these and use it for other recipes, we’d love to know.

    Instant Pot Glass Lid
    Oh man, of all the fun new toys, this one was my favorite. A lid?! What’s so great about a glass lid?
    This lid will only be handy if you often use your Instant Pot without pressure cooking (you can’t pressure cook without the bulky lid the unit comes with).

    The two main pressure-less instances are making yogurt and using the slow cooker function. The glass lid gives you much quicker access (no locking and unlocking), plus there’s way less condensation dripping down off the glass lid.
    I was using the lid from one of my other pots as a faux glass lid, but it didn’t fit nearly as well, so this specialized one is worth it.
    Silicone Lid
    Sometimes I refrigerate food right in the Instant Pot insert. This happens most with yogurt (it’s best to chill it overnight before straining) and giant batches of soup or stew I don’t want to deal with.
    Having a lid that’s just the right size to snap on sure does save a lot of plastic wrap.

    And hey, if you’re refrigerating soup or stew, make sure to let it cool down all the way first so it does not go sour. You can set the hot insert in a large pot or sink full of ice water to speed up the process.
    Sealing Rings, Red and Blue
    Extra gaskets—or, as they call them here, sealing rigs—are a huge plus. I recommend them to anyone who uses an Instant Pot once a week or more. Have you ever made chili and then had that chili smell lurk in the gasket for ages? And you want to make cheesecake and not have it tinged with chili? There are hacks that supposedly get rid of the lingering odor, but I’ve tried them, and none of them work.
    Having two gaskets on hand (one for chili/curry/etc., one for delicate foods like custards and cakes) is the best solution. They’re color-coded so you can remember: use red for chili/curry/etc., blue for delicates.

    Plus, if you store your IP correctly (with the gasket removed to encourage airflow and discourage mildew) and use it a lot, the gaskets can stretch out and the pot won’t come to pressure. This way, you always have an extra on deck.

    Extra Insert
    If, like me, you bang out yogurt and the aforementioned giant batches of soup or stew, you’re often ready to fire up your IP … only to find your insert is already occupied. Gah!
    The solution? An extra insert. Be sure to order one that’s compatible with your model; the 6-quart insert I ordered for my older Duo did not fit in it, thought it did fit in my 6-quart Ultra.

    Did we miss any of your favorite Instant Pot accessories? We’d love to hear. Please tell us all about it in the comments! LEGGI TUTTO

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    Why I Love Weck Juice Jars

    Traditional water pitchers are fine, but Weck Juice Jars are the best—not just for water, but for iced tea, cold brew, or even as a wine decanter!

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    Photography Credit: Sheela Prakash

    Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools and kitchen goods that make life better!

    Nothing against fancy carafes and pitchers, but Weck Juice Jars are what truly have my heart.
    I bought a set of three about five or six years ago and they’ve been one of the most reached-for items in my kitchen ever since.
    I initially purchased them because I was having trouble diligently drinking water throughout the day. While I wasn’t keeping track of how much I was sipping, I knew I wasn’t staying well-hydrated because I’d feel unnecessarily fatigued and end up with nasty headaches. Keeping a carafe full of water always within reach so that I’d have zero excuses, plus be able to roughly keep tabs on my consumption, seemed like an easy solution.
    I ended up settling on these Weck Juice Jars mostly because they’re incredibly affordable ($22 for a set of three 40-ounce jars) and also because they’re sturdy and I liked their cute, vintage look.

    Well, I’ve gotten more than my money’s worth over the years.
    I make it a goal for myself every day to drink two full juice jars-worth of water, which has been surprisingly easy, and I can vouch for feeling much better and hydrated.
    It’s not just the personal health goal that has made me love these juice jars, though; it’s the endless number of other great uses they have, too.
    I use them to make sun tea, store cold brew, as a substitute for a wine decanter, to make a small batch of pitcher cocktails, and even as a vase for flowers. Oh, and of course you can do as the name implies and use them for juice, too.
    I did end up buying plastic lids separately to be able to store them airtight without spilling in the fridge, and I’d recommend them. While you can use the canning lids the jars come with, the metal clips are fussy to unlatch if you’re opening and closing the juice jars frequently.
    I also love the look of these wood lids, but they’re unfortunately not intended for storing liquids. These cork lids are new since I bought my jars, though, and I definitely have my eye on them for the future!
    And I always get compliments when I keep a Weck Juice Jar filled with water or wine or whatever it may be out on the table when we have people over—an added perk!
    Cheers to good tools!

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Sheela Prakash
    Sheela Prakash is a food and wine writer, recipe developer, and the author of Mediterranean Every Day. Her writing and recipes can be found in numerous online and print publications, including Kitchn, Epicurious, Food52, Serious Eats, Tasting Table, The Splendid Table, Culture Cheese Magazine, Clean Plates, and Slow Food USA.Sheela received her master’s degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy, holds Level 2 and Level 3 Awards in Wines from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), graduated from New York University’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, and is also a Registered Dietitian.
    More from Sheela LEGGI TUTTO

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    Why I Love the OXO Fat Separator

    If you love making meals like short ribs, bone broth, and meat roasts in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot, then you need this fat separator. It’s the best one!

    Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools and kitchen goods that make life better!

    Separating the fat out of cooking liquids is a kitchen task that I wouldn’t have thought could be streamlined in such a delightful way. But now that I have such a nice fat separator, I’m much more inclined to make dishes that require that step.
    WHAT IS A FAT SEPARATOR? 
    Growing up, and then in my own kitchens as a young adult, I always had a small, very simple fat separator. If you don’t know what I mean by fat separator, it’s basically a clear plastic measuring cup with a pour spout that, with the help of gravity, separates the fat from the rest of the cooking liquid when you’re making a soup, stew, or braise.
    When I was writing my Instant Pot cookbooks I found that I was using my fat separator a lot — so many pressure cooker recipes are for meats that release a lot of fat when cooked, and you need to separate the fat out of the cooking liquid to finish making the sauce.
    With my old-fashioned fat separator, it was very tedious to pour the liquid through a strainer into a bowl or pitcher and then run it through the separator, one cup or so at a time. It made a lot of extra dishes, too. The frustration of repeating that task so many times inspired me to search online for a better fat separator — surely the designs must have improved since I was a kid, right?
    Yep, they sure had.

    OXO MAKES THE BEST FAT SEPARATOR
    The OXO Good Grips Fat Separator is OXO’s most expensive fat separator model, but not outrageously so, priced at $25. It would make a great housewarming gift or holiday present for that friend who is really into making their own bone broth. (I’m sure you know someone in that category, right?)

    I like a lot of things about this fat separator. For one thing, it has a 4-cup capacity, which is very generous, plenty large for one pass when I’m separating out the drippings from a chicken or turkey.
    Another nice design feature is the strainer attachment on top, so there’s no need to strain everything separately into another container first.
    And finally, my favorite innovative feature is the release mechanism, wherein you squeeze the trigger handle to open a silicone valve, pouring the liquid out of the bottom of the fat separator. This method makes it much easier to tell when you’ve strained off all the fat down to that last drop of cooking liquid – way better than traditional fat separators that pour out of a spout.
    My favorites pressure cooker recipes are short ribs, oxtails, pork loin roasts, and beef bone broth. If you like to make these sorts of recipes, do yourself a favor and upgrade your fat separator! You won’t regret it. LEGGI TUTTO

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    Why I Love the Sweese Butter Dish

    Kitchen ToolsOne Simply Terrific Thing

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    Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools and kitchen goods that make life better!

    I went a very, very long time without a butter dish.
    There’s no good reason why. I just never got one, even as I winced every time I crumpled the ends of a butter wrapper to close it back up, smearing a bit of butter on my hands in the process, and knowing some of that butter was going to end up smeared along the bottom of my refrigerator drawer, too.
    It was an ineffective system that I have now remedied thanks to the large ceramic Sweese butter dish ($21 from Amazon).

    I like its classic looks and the tight-fitting beech lid, which has a silicone ring seal you can also remove if you just want the top to rest loosely on the container.
    But most of all I love its size: it measures 6″ x 3.5″ by 2.7″ inches, which means it’s deep and wide enough to hold two standard sticks of butter (four if you really pushed it) or one European-style stick of butter, like Kerrygold or Plugra. It’s really more like a bowl for butter, and because it’s so deep it also prevents butter from hitting and sticking to the lid – a mess-free bonus! And while you have to hand-wash the lid, the container can be put in the dishwasher. (Yay!)
    When I’m in bread-baking mode and baking a couple loaves a week, I just keep the butter container on my counter so the butter is always soft and ready to use.
    Claudia has a butter dish very similar to this, and is also a major fan:

    I love that I can scoop the butter out rather than have the butter sit on a tray. It also holds a lot of butter (which is great for my family) and stays clean thanks to it being more of a bowl. I also leave it on my counter. I haven’t had an issue with butter going bad, but we go through a lot of it!

    Cheers to good tools that solve messy problems!

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Cambria Bold
    Cambria Bold is the Product and Lifestyle Director for Simply Recipes. She has almost a decade’s worth of online editorial experience and know-how, first as the Managing Editor for Apartment Therapy’s green living site Re-Nest (RIP) and later as the Design and Lifestyle Editor for The Kitchn. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and their two little girls. And, yes, this is her real name.
    More from Cambria LEGGI TUTTO

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    Quarter Sheet Pans

    Kitchen ToolsOne Simply Terrific Thing

    While we’ll never give up our half sheet pans, don’t forget about quarter sheet pans! These smaller-sized pans are perfect for small-batch cooking and prep.

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    Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools and kitchen goods that make life better!

    Half sheet pans get all the glory. They’re the go-to for roasted vegetables, chocolate chip cookies, and sheet pan dinners.
    And while I would never be without at least two of those pans (I currently have three), not enough love goes out to the half sheet’s smaller sibling, the quarter sheet pan ($22/2 pack).

    This is the sheet pan for small batch cooking and for cooking for 1-2 people. This is the pan I pull out when I want to toast some nuts in the oven or roast just a couple sweet potatoes or beets.
    It’s what I use when I want to cook a bunch of different things at one time, but individually. I can fit four of these pans in my oven, two side by side, which lets me pull out the vegetables or chicken thighs or salmon filets when they’re done, and let the rest keep cooking.
    A quarter sheet pan is also terrific for prep and storage.
    I use it for seasoning pieces of meat (the high lip contains juices much better than a cutting board or plate), breading, and for holding anything I need to freeze first: balls of cookie dough, a large bag of chicken broth. I can actually maneuver a quarter sheet pan into my freezer, which I cannot do with a half sheet pan!
    As for cleaning? I can submerge a quarter sheet pan entirely under water in my sink! Big fan.

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Cambria Bold
    Cambria Bold is the Product and Lifestyle Director for Simply Recipes. She has almost a decade’s worth of online editorial experience and know-how, first as the Managing Editor for Apartment Therapy’s green living site Re-Nest (RIP) and later as the Design and Lifestyle Editor for The Kitchn. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and their two little girls. And, yes, this is her real name.
    More from Cambria LEGGI TUTTO

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    Precut Parchment Paper

    Kitchen ToolsOne Simply Terrific Thing

    It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference. Precut parchment paper for sheet and cake pans is a time-saving, annoyance-busting product that is worth having in the kitchen.

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    Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools and kitchen goods that make life better!

    I have a confession: I get inordinately annoyed every time I have to use a roll of parchment paper.

    The problems:
    The roll never tears cleanly.
    I always over- or under-estimate the amount needed to cover a sheet pan.
    The roll wants to win at all costs. You want the paper to lie flat on the pan? Good luck with that.
    The trace-and-cut method for cake pans leaves scraps that aren’t sized for anything useful, so I have to throw them away.
    Speaking of which, it’s just a hassle to measure and cut parchment paper! And I always think I do a poor job of it, too.
    Anyone else feel this way?!
    The answer to this frustration is simple: precut parchment paper.
    You can get them sized for half sheet pans and 8″ or 9″ cake pans. For the sheet pan size, I love the precut parchment from King Arthur ($24.99 for 100 sheets). They’re more expensive than other brands on Amazon, but they’re made in the USA and each sheet can be used three or four times (great for back-to-back cookie baking sessions!).

    I’ve also tried and like these precut parchment sheets from Baker’s Signature ($13.95 for 100 sheets). They are thinner than the King Arthur parchment sheets, so better suited for single use baking, but otherwise they’re a great value.

    For cake pan parchment rounds, I’ve used both these 9-inch cake pan rounds from Zenology ($7.99 for 50 sheets) and the 9-inch cake pan rounds with tabs from Baker’s Signature ($9 for 120 sheets).

    Both pulled cleanly away from cakes when I made them, but the Zenology round fit perfectly into my 9-inch USA Pan cake pan, while the Baker’s Signature round was a tad big and didn’t sit flat in the bottom of the pan. It didn’t affect how my cake turned out, but if you’re buying pre-cut parchment, a perfect fit is part of what you’re looking for. But the pull tab is a nice feature.
    All told, I don’t see myself going back to parchment rolls anytime soon.

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Cambria Bold
    Cambria Bold is the Product and Lifestyle Director for Simply Recipes. She has almost a decade’s worth of online editorial experience and know-how, first as the Managing Editor for Apartment Therapy’s green living site Re-Nest (RIP) and later as the Design and Lifestyle Editor for The Kitchn. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and their two little girls. And, yes, this is her real name.
    More from Cambria LEGGI TUTTO

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    Gabriela Cámara’s Must-Have Tool for Cooking Authentic Mexican Food at Home

    If you’re ready to step it up and start making more authentic Mexican food at home, there’s one piece of equipment you’ll want to buy!

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    Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

    This post is part of our Summer Cookbook Club series for August 2020 featuring My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions by Gabriela Cámara.

    It’s impossible for me to pick a favorite Mexican dish, but tacos are pretty high up there. When they’re on-point, they never fail to hit that savory, satisfying, so-good note that made me crave them in the first place. Whether it’s Crispy Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw or Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Tacos, tacos of all kinds are always a win.
    “Everything can be a taco!” writes Gabriela Cámara, in My Mexico City Kitchen. “There are no rules about what constitutes this food … other than that it be wrapped in a tortilla and eaten with your hands.”
    Ah, yes. Tortillas. The one constant among all tacos! So it’s no surprise that when we asked Gabriela what kitchen tools she’d recommend to a home cook with a growing interest in Mexican food, she said a tortilla press!

    What Kind of Tortilla Press to Get?
    “If you can get a nice, heavy wooden one which helps you press the masa into even, flat tortillas, get that one,” said Gabriela.
    These handmade wooden tortilla presses from Central Coast Woodwork are a great option. They come in 8-inch, 10-inch, and 11.5-inch sizes. We love the mixed oak-and-walnut version, but it also comes in a lovely plain red oak.

    Made in California by a family-owned company, these tortilla presses are very well crafted and beautiful enough to keep on your countertop!

    How Do I Use a Tortilla Press?
    Once you have your tortilla press, it’s time to make homemade tortillas! You’ll also want masa harina and a comal or cast iron skillet.
    Then follow this recipe: How To Make Corn Tortillas

    Once You Have Tortillas, Make Some Tacos!

    Products We Love

    Hardwood Tortilla Press

    $85.99 on Amazon
    Buy

    Victoria Cast Iron Round Comal Griddle, 10.5″

    $19.99 on Amazon
    Buy

    My Mexico City Kitchen by Gabriela Cámara

    $35.00 at The Simply Shop
    Buy

    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

    Cambria Bold
    Cambria Bold is the Product and Lifestyle Director for Simply Recipes. She has almost a decade’s worth of online editorial experience and know-how, first as the Managing Editor for Apartment Therapy’s green living site Re-Nest (RIP) and later as the Design and Lifestyle Editor for The Kitchn. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and their two little girls. And, yes, this is her real name.
    More from Cambria LEGGI TUTTO