Top Picks in Kitchen Essentials for 2024

We keep seeing high-end blenders hit the market, but our tests found that even paying $400 or more won’t guarantee great performance. In fact, we tried two samples of a $450 blender and found that its locking lid could leak during use. We also found two standouts that cost less than $200 but perform nearly as well as our top-rated blender that costs $600. For a variety of prices, see best blenders for every price range.

Our favorite drip coffee maker remained our reigning champ for another year, but 2024 marked the first time we tested high-end espresso machines. For an expanded list of our current favorite brewers, see best coffee makers, which we update throughout the year.

This year we saw plenty of new pans made without PTFE, not to mention some high-end options in carbon steel, cast iron, and copper. We also saw brands that got their start on social media grow up, offering more options than they have in the past. Here we highlight three standouts, which can handle just about any cooking task between them. If you’re in the market for a complete cookware set, check out the best cookware sets of the year. Or if you want some advice on building out the best set for your needs, piece by piece, check out our cookware buying guide.

Yes, microwaves are pretty basic. And our tests reveal that the best ones stick to the basics—microwaving, that is, rather than adding on features such as air frying or convection. Unless you’re really tight on counter space, go for a midsized or larger model; the little ones tend to be underpowered. For our current favorite countertop models, plus over-the-range microwave recommendations, see best microwaves of the year.

While many of the best dishwashers in our ratings are made by the same high-end brand, two of our Top Picks can be found for under $500. Better still, these dishwashers actually match, or even beat, the cleaning performance of models costing three times as much. For more options, check out the expanded list of the best dishwashers from our tests, which we update throughout the year.

Yes, stand mixers look impressive on your countertop and can handle heavy-duty tasks like blending bread dough. But don’t discount the versatility and convenience of a good hand mixer, especially if “tight” describes both your kitchen counter space and your budget. A good handheld mixer will make quick work of whipping cream and blending batters, and we’ve tested many that can even plow their way through mounds of cookie dough. See best hand mixers of the year for even more options, and if you’re an avid baker with the cash and the counter space, you might also check out the best stand mixers from our tests.

Induction continued to gain ground this year, likely in part because of Inflation Reduction Act incentives. It doesn’t hurt that induction models also boil faster, simmer more steadily, and respond to temperature changes almost instantaneously. We also saw a proliferation of ovens that have a dedicated setting for air frying. At this rate, air fry is likely to become as common as convection or self-clean. For an up-to-date list of our favorite ranges, see best ranges of the year. Or, for more info on choosing between types, see our range buying guide.

We don’t see much change in fridges from year to year, but 2024 saw some continued themes: More are gaining WiFi connectivity. Due to waning consumer demand, fridge manufacturers continue to make fewer bottom-freezer fridges, with our ratings hitting a new low of just 12 available models. Perennially popular French-door fridges have more and more icemakers (some up to four). Here are three Top Picks across the most popular types of fridges—plus a Better Deal on a French Door from GE. For help finding the right fridge configuration for your kitchen, see our refrigerator buying guide. Or, if you’re ready to compare more models, check out best refrigerators of the year, which includes options of every type.

This year saw everything from celebrity-backed models to touchscreens and smart features. Together, the toasters below include all of those things, but mainly they’re just great at making perfect toast in short order. For more options, check out the best toasters of the year. Or, if you frequently make more than four slices or want the flexibility to bake or roast without using your oven, consider a toaster oven.

Convenient Cooktop-Expander
Duxtop Portable Induction Cooktop Burner 9600LS, $110
If you’ve ever wished for an extra burner at holiday time (or anytime you’re prepping for a crowd), the Duxtop induction burner could be the solution. Imagine a hotplate that outperforms the burners on some full-sized ranges: Plug it in wherever you need it for fast heating, steady simmering, and immediate response when you change the temperature setting.

Sleek Salad Spinner
Oxo Steel Salad Spinner, 6.34 quarts, $65
Getting freshly washed greens dry is much easier with this large-capacity spinner. It removed almost 98 percent of the water from lettuce in our tests—and its stainless steel bowl can go right from the kitchen counter to the dining table.

Toaster Oven Meets Air Fryer
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro BOV900BSSUSC, $400
This highly rated toaster oven is a space-saving multitasker. It not only excels at toasting and baking but also is an air fryer, turning out crispy fries, wings, and more in our test labs and in our editors’ kitchens. It’s large enough to reheat a 13-inch pizza and has a dehydrate setting, too.