If you’re into perfectly baked, fresh-from-the-oven, homemade cookies (and let’s be honest, who isn’t?), you need more than a recipe: You need great cookie sheets. The material and construction matter, so we’ve spent years testing and re-testing cookie sheets. The one you use can make or break your favorite chocolate chip cookie, and you shouldn’t have to learn that the hard way. It’s worth noting that all of our favorites can go beyond baked goods—we use them for roasting all sorts of vegetables and meat, toasting nuts, cooling grains, making pizza, and more.

Things to Consider

What Is a Cookie Sheet?

A traditional cookie sheet is a thin, edgeless pan made from steel, aluminum, or a mixture of both. It’s good for one thing and one thing only: baking cookies. Cookies easily slide from the pan onto a cooling rack, and the lack of sides helps you maneuver a food turner around. Kitchen unitaskers aren’t bad—in fact, we recommend quite a few—but since baking sheets can bake cookies and roast vegetables and meat, we think they’re a much better option than traditional cookie sheets.

Rimmed sheet pans have one-inch walls and rolled edges on all sides. The height keeps food and hot fat contained, and the rolled edges serve two purposes. First, they make the pan easier to grip, especially when wearing pot holders or oven mitts. They also help prevent warping from extreme temperature changes. Still confused about the difference between cookie sheets and baking sheets? Check out this article for an in-depth look at them. 

Nonstick vs. Regular Cookie Sheets

Which is better: nonstick or regular cookie sheets? Here’s the top-line answer: Usually, regular ones.

We prefer cookie sheets without nonstick coatings because this coating wears away over time. Even with the most fastidious care, nonstick cookware (like skillets) will scratch and peel. Regular baking sheets are better long-term investments and can withstand higher oven temperatures. 

But there are some times when nonstick baking sheets are nice to have. If you’re baking and don’t have parchment paper to use as a liner, a nonstick pan will ensure your cookies slide off easily. A rule of thumb for nonstick bakeware: Choose lighter-colored pans. Darker nonstick coating will cause food to cook faster, which can mess up a recipe—picture an almost-burnt oatmeal cookie with a still-raw inside. 

How Big Is a Cookie Sheet?

The most common size cookie sheet is 18 by 13 inches, with one-inch sides. Quarter baking sheets are a step down from these; they measure 13 by nine inches. They’re ideal for baking a small batch of cookies—say you keep a stash of pre-rolled dough in your freezer and want to bake off just one or two. 

Our Favorite Cookie Sheets

What we liked: This is one sturdy pan. The aluminum base heats up quickly and cooks evenly, while the steel edges provide extra stability and make it extremely durable. Still, it comes with a lifetime warranty—just in case. The lack of a nonstick coating means it is broiler-safe, and the chunky rolled sides are easy to grab, even with bulky oven mitts. It’s sold in a set of two, and you’ll want more.

What we didn’t like: Nothing to complain about. This is a great pan.

Key Specs

• Materials: Aluminum, steel
• Dimension: 17 x 12 inches
• Edge Height: 1 inch
• Warranty: Lifetime
  

What we liked: In our review of nonstick cookie sheets, sticky ingredients slid right off this pan, including just-baked cookies and crispy Parmesan cheese. The rim is taller than most, which keeps splatters contained and makes it even easier to grab while hot.

What we didn’t like: It’s not broiler-safe and can only stand temperatures up to 450˚F. The bottom of this pan wasn’t the lightest-colored one we tested, which meant cookies browned a bit faster. But it was by no means the worst offender of all the nonstick pans. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Aluminized steel and nonstick coating
• Dimension: 17.1 x 12.1 inches
• Edge Height: 1 1/4 inch
• Warranty: Lifetime

What we liked: Everything we like about our overall top pick, this one has in miniature. It’s an ideal size for baking one or two cookies at a time. Its small footprint also makes it handy for prepping ingredients and roasting a batch of vegetables. You can buy lids that fit perfectly, so they double as baking vessels and cookie jars.

What we didn’t like: We can’t think of a thing!

Key Specs

• Materials: Aluminum
• Dimension: 12.1 x 8.8 inches
• Edge Height: 1 inch
• Warranty: Lifetime
  

FAQs

Is it “cookie sheet” or “cooking sheet”?

While both technically make sense, the term most commonly used is “cookie sheet.” Reminder: Cookie sheets have edgeless sides that help cookies slide off easily. We prefer baking sheets—they’re rimmed and can be used for baking and cooking.

How do you clean a cookie sheet?

Please don’t put them in the dishwasher, no matter what the manufacturer says. The high temperatures and cleaning solutions can degrade the finishes over time. To keep your pans in top shape, wash them with warm soapy water and a nonabrasive dish sponge. For stubborn stains, Bar Keepers Friend will work miracles.

Why We’re the Experts

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Serious Eats.
• She has been with the team since 2024 and has been testing kitchen gear professionally since 2021. 
• Rochelle is a culinary school graduate and former line cook and used to work as an editor at Bon Appétit magazine.
• Serious Eats has tested all manner of baking sheets, also known as cookie sheets: traditional, nonstick, and small.
  

Serious Eats editors know a thing or two about knives. Whether they’ve worked in restaurant settings or have tested kitchen gear for years, they all have favorites that they turn to every day for tasks big and small. We asked our fellow editors about the knives they use in their home kitchens, and their answers were, unsurprisingly, detailed and opinionated. We recommend you take inspiration from their blade collections, whether you’re on the lookout for a new nakiri knife or petty knife. Their picks span chef’s knives, paring knives, bread knives, and much more. 

Mercer Culinary Genesis 8-Inch Chef's Knife

I’ve likely spent more time using, testing, and writing about knives than most people on Earth (wild, right?), and I have many knives I love. But if I had to call out just one, it might be this very affordable chef's knife from Mercer. The quality-to-price ratio is so good on this thing that I have yet to find another chef's knife that rivals it. And I can back that up with years of use: I've owned this knife since 2018 and it’s the go-to knife in my home kitchen for all our cooking. It feels good in my hand, I'm able to put a good fresh edge on it whenever it needs it, and it shows no signs of any wear and tear. Honestly, Mercer should get a lot more recognition in the cooking world; they make a quality product and charge a very reasonable price for it. — Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

Mercer Culinary Renaissance 8-Inch Chef's Knife

My go-to is my Mercer Renaissance 8-inch chef's knife. I've had this knife since culinary school and it can handle all the daily wear and tear that I throw its way. — Leah Colins, senior culinary editor

Misen 5.5-Inch Utility Knife

This petty knife didn't win our review because of the hefty, heavy handle—but that's actually what I love about it. It's well-balanced in my hand, which makes me feel more confident using it. I use it just as often as my 8-inch chef's knife. — Rochelle Bilow, editor

Misono UX10 Chef's Knife

I love this chef's knife so much that I wrote a whole love letter to it. It's the perfect length, super sharp, and glides through every prep task like a kite on a breeze—which is to say, lightly and with ease. — Grace Kelly, editor

Tojiro Japan Bread Knife

This is simply the best bread knife. Its slim blade smoothly slices through crusty boules, soft sandwich bread, and juicy tomatoes. The blade is flexible, too, so I even use it to peel butternut squash. It's been our top pick for years, and I can't recommend it enough. — Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate editorial director

Victorinox Swiss Classic 4-Inch Spear Tip

Is it silly to recommend a tiny serrated knife? This serrated paring knife makes peeling and slicing small produce a breeze. It's especially great for ripe, juicy cherry or plum tomatoes! — Genevieve Yam, culinary editor

Global 7-Inch Vegetable Knife

Over the years, I’ve received some pretty fancy knives—but expensive doesn’t always mean better. And if your hands are on the smaller side (like mine are), those large chef’s knives designed with men in mind just won’t cut it. That’s why I love my Global nakiri knife. I use it almost every day. It’s lightweight, perfectly balanced, and forged from a single piece of metal, so the handle and blade are one seamless unit. — Kelli Solomon, senior social media editor

Shun Nakiri Knife

This is my first and only nakiri knife. My partner gifted it to me years ago, yet it’s still just as sharp as the day I got it. As a vegetarian, I’m always slicing or chopping vegetables, and this knife’s squared-off tip helps me glide through thick sweet potatoes or sinewy stalks of celery. — An Uong, writer

Opinel No.08 Stainless Steel Folding Knife

As the weather warms up, I already have my mind set on beach days and camping trips. For both types of adventures, I always pack my Opinel folding knife. It folds up to the length of an iPhone and has a sharp blade for conveniently slicing cheese, fruit, and other snacks on the go. — An

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen gear for Serious Eats for over two years.
• She especially enjoys testing knives and has a soft spot for her Shun nakiri knife.
  

I did not understand the value and appeal of a pressure cooker until I became a mother. Time has become especially precious, and I find myself frantically rushing around during my son’s brief naps to meal-prep as much as I can. Stressed and short on time, I’ve quickly adapted all my go-to recipes—such as beef noodle soup and congee—for the Instant Pot, so they can be made as quickly as possible. One of the first recipes I adapted for the pressure cooker was lu rou fan (Taiwanese braised minced pork belly), a comforting and deeply flavorful dish that has long been a fixture in my kitchen.

The first iteration of this recipe is in my cookbook Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories From the Island Nation. I learned to make the dish from Lin Tai-Yu, the third-generation owner of Lin Family Braised Pork Over Rice in the Taiwanese city of Tainan. Lin, who goes by Gloj, spends his days slowly simmering hand-diced pork in a sweet and savory concoction of soy sauce, fried shallots, garlic, rice wine, and sugar. For the silkiest sauce, he recommends using the fattiest slab of pork belly you can find, dicing it finely, and slowly simmering it over the stove for hours. 

Before I had my son, I took his advice to heart. I made time to dice pork belly into perfect, tiny squares, render out the fat in a wok, and pour in the soy sauce and aromatics. I’d then simmer it all with the lid slightly ajar and let the sauce slowly reduce over several hours until it became thick, treacly, and perfectly balanced between savory and sweet. That approach meant I could control the rate of evaporation, and ensured the flavors of the dish could concentrate slowly and steadily without losing too much moisture too quickly. Since my son’s arrival, though, I’ve had to bid farewell to the days of idly tending to a wok—which is where the Instant Pot comes in.

The biggest benefit of using an Instant Pot is that it’s hands-off and shaves off hours of cooking time. There’s no need to hover over the stove, stirring and adjusting to make sure the pork doesn’t stick or burn. Once you’ve used the sauté function to sear the pork and bloom the aromatics, you can seal the cooker and rest assured that dinner will be ready in a little over an hour. And while it cooks, you can prepare your rice and any side dishes you’d like to serve the pork with. Here’s how to make it.

Adapting a Taiwanese Classic for the Pressure Cooker

There’s a reason why seasoned vendors—those who have spent decades perfecting their craft—swear by the slow simmer of a stovetop braise. The pressure cooker, while efficient, changes the alchemy of the dish because there is no constant evaporation and the flavors develop on a much speedier timeline. The sauce doesn’t get as thick, and while the aromatics are briefly bloomed at the start, they don’t continue to caramelize and deepen in flavor the way they would over a low, open flame. 

With the stovetop version, I’m also able to taste and adjust as I go along. With a pressure cooker, there’s not much (if any) room to improvise on the fly. That said, if you keep the following tips in mind, you’ll be able to make a braise that’s practically as good as the stovetop version. Just remember that pressure cookers can vary, so you may need to reduce the sauce a bit more and season to taste at the end.

The Size of the Pork Matters

Dicing pork belly into small, uniform pieces allows the meat to cook evenly and maximizes the meat’s surface area, allowing it to absorb as much of the sauce as possible. As the meat cooks, the fat renders, giving the braise a soft, supple texture. Unevenly cut pork won’t break down as evenly, resulting in a chunkier sauce that isn’t as velvety.

A sharp knife is essential for cutting the pork well. For ease, I like to freeze the pork belly for about an hour so it firms up but remains pliable, making it much easier to dice. If you live near a friendly butcher like I do, however, they might be happy to dice the meat for you and vacuum seal it in your preferred portion sizes. Keep bags of diced pork belly in your freezer at all times, and you’ll be able to make lu rou fan whenever you want.

Getting the Braising Sauce Right

The braising liquid is just as important as the pork in this dish. Sugar and soy sauce are the main ingredients, and though soy paste—a thick Taiwanese soy sauce that has a hit of licorice—is traditional, I prefer oyster sauce for its brininess. Rice wine brings depth and a hint of sweetness, and a generous half cup of fried shallots provides rich savory notes with a hint of caramel.

Since everything is cooked in a pressure cooker, you'll need less liquid than a stovetop braise that reduces slowly over several hours. You want just enough liquid to fully cover the pork so that it cooks thoroughly. 

The pressure cooker takes on the heavy lifting, effortlessly combining the rendered fat, succulent pork belly, and aromatic braising liquid into a harmonious dish. This Instant Pot version may not be the most traditional way to make this dish, but it’s just as delicious—and ready in half the time.

In an electric multicooker (such as an Instant Pot) set to the sauté function, cook pork belly, stirring often, until opaque and some of its fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring to combine, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add water, fried shallots, soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, and rice wine. Seal cooker, bring to high pressure, and cook for 40 minutes. When done, let cooker depressurize naturally, 30 to 45 minutes.

Open the cooker and mix well. If you’d like the braising liquid to be thicker, set pressure cooker to sauté function and simmer sauce until it’s thick, treacly, and slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Serve over cooked white rice.

Special Equipment

Electric multi-cooker, such as an Instant Pot

Notes

I’ve tested this recipe dozens of times, both on the stovetop and in a pressure cooker, and found that the ideal soy sauce-to-water ratio varies depending on the brand of soy sauce used and how salty you like your food. For convenience, I typically reach for Kikkoman, but if you're using a low-sodium soy sauce or one with added sugar, you’ll need to season to taste at the end. This dish is more of an art than an exact science, so don’t be afraid to tweak things. 

Make-Ahead and Storage

Leftover lu rou fan stores beautifully in the fridge or freezer. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Freeze in individual portions and thaw in the refrigerator. To reheat, bring to a simmer over medium heat or microwave until warmed through.

Though shakshuka originated in North Africa, today it’s popular throughout the Middle East (particularly in Israel) and elsewhere in the world, including in the United States, where it's a fixture on brunch menus. While this one-pan dish traditionally features eggs gently poached in a heavily spiced tomato sauce, it’s infinitely riffable. There are versions loaded with roasted veggies or studded with chorizo or chickpeas, but my favorite variation—especially during the spring—is green shakshuka.

Over the past decade or so, green shakshuka has become a brunch staple throughout the U.S. A vibrant, green sauce loaded with fresh herbs, spinach, and spices is the perfect foil for rich, runny eggs. Served with some good crusty bread for scooping, it’s a filling meal that’s just as great on a busy weeknight as it is for a leisurely Sunday brunch. 

In our recipe below, our Birmingham, Alabama–based test kitchen colleague Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman has developed a shakshuka with an impressive green hue. The sauce is packed with fresh cilantro, parsley, spinach, and an array of warm spices. The sauce components are blended and simmered before the eggs are nestled in and perfectly poached, then garnished with avocado, pickled onions, feta, and fresh herbs.

Ensuring a Vibrant Green Sauce 

The key to great green shakshuka is nailing the sauce. The sauce should be a mostly homogenous purée that’s thick enough to cradle and poach the raw eggs. It should also remain vibrantly green—not muddy army-green—once cooked for the most appetizing presentation. In developing this recipe, Tricia used a few culinary tricks to ensure a bright sauce with the right silky texture. First, she found that blanching the herbs and spinach with a small amount of baking soda helps weaken the vegetable cell walls, quickly softening them for easy blending while maintaining their bright green color.

Tricia also blanches and blends most of the spinach with vegetable stock, cream, and aromatics to create a velvety, pourable sauce, while reserving a couple cups of the raw spinach to wilt down into the sauce. This creates a sauce that’s creamy and mostly smooth, but with a welcome slightly chunky texture that’s perfect for scooping with good crusty bread.

How to Perfect the Eggs in Green Shakshuka

The trickiest part of most shakshuka recipes is getting the eggs cooked so the yolks are still jammy when the egg whites are set. While some recipes require an oven, we find sticking to a streamlined stovetop method easier. All you need is to gently poach the eggs directly in the sauce until just set. This can be easier said than done, as making shallow indentations in the sauce and cracking each individual egg into the wells can take some time, causing the first egg to overcook by the time the last egg is cracked in. To avoid this and to help the eggs cook at a more even rate, remove the skillet from the burner to eliminate the urgency of adding the eggs over heat. 

We also recommend cracking each egg into a small bowl before carefully adding it to the sauce so you can remove any rogue eggshell pieces before adding the eggs to the skillet. It’s also easier to neatly slip each egg into the sauce from a bowl, which helps keep the eggs from spreading too much as they cook.

Taking a cue from Kenji’s shakshuka recipe, Tricia incorporates the technique of spooning a little bit of the sauce around the whites of the eggs to help them set just a touch faster than the yolks. Once the skillet is covered and returned to the heat with the eggs, monitor closely and cook until the egg whites are just set and the yolks still golden and soft—perfect for dipping bread into.

In an 8-quart or larger pot or Dutch oven, bring water, baking soda, and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Place a large bowl of ice water next to stovetop.

Add cilantro and parsley to a fine-mesh strainer; dip strainer with herbs into water and cook, stirring constantly to ensure herbs are submerged, until herbs are bright green, about 10 seconds. Lift strainer and herbs out and transfer mixture in strainer to prepared ice bath and let sit until herbs are cold, 5 minutes. Drain and pat herbs dry, but do not squeeze (it should yield about 1/2 cup). Leave pot of water on stovetop on low heat.

To blender jar, add herbs, chile, 1/2 cup oil, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon coriander. Blend on high, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed, until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer herb purée to a small bowl; set aside. (Do not clean blender.)

Return blanching water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 8 cups (8 ounces; 226 g) spinach to boiling water; cook, stirring constantly, until bright green and wilted, about 10 seconds. In now-empty fine-mesh strainer, drain spinach, pressing out excess liquid with a silicone spatula (it should yield about 2/3 cup cooked leaves). Transfer spinach to blender; add broth and cream, and process until smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add celery; cover and cook, stirring often, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add leek and bell pepper; cover and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 to 8 minutes.

Uncover and stir in remaining fresh spinach and remaining 1 teaspoon garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until spinach is wilted and garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in spinach purée, 4 tablespoons of prepared herb purée, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon coriander; cook over medium heat, stirring often, until simmering, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat. In a small bowl, crack 1 egg. Using a rubber spatula or large spoon, clear a rough 2-inch diameter well in sauce. Immediately pour in the cracked egg. (The well will hold yolk in place but may not fully contain egg white; this is ok.) Gently spoon a little sauce over edges of egg white to help contain it. Repeat with remaining eggs, evenly spacing them around the skillet. Cover, return to heat, and cook until egg whites are set but yolks are still jiggly, 3 to 6 minutes, or until desired doneness.

Uncover and top with feta, avocado, and pickled red onion. Sprinkle with cilantro and parsley. Stir lemon zest and juice into reserved cilantro mixture. Serve immediately, drizzling cilantro mixture on each portion. Serve bread on the side.

Special Equipment

Large pot, blender, fine-mesh strainer, large skillet, silicone spatula

Make-Ahead and Storage 

The final dish is best served immediately, but the sauce can be cooked through step 6, cooled, and refrigerated for up to 1 day. To serve, gently reheat the sauce over medium heat in a large skillet until simmering, then remove from heat and proceed with steps 7 and 8 of the recipe.

After cooking all week, my kitchen floor accumulates a lot of crumbs and scraps. Here’s just a taste: a few granules of sugar, some desiccated potato peels (flung onto the ground as I overzealously skinned a spud), a single fusilli noodle, coffee grounds, and—the bane of my existence—sticky, diaphanous garlic skin. But with a handy-dandy broom, I can do a quick sweep of the kitchen floor, and the space becomes moderately more presentable. A broom also comes in clutch when I’ve spilled rice all over the floor and am too lazy to break out the vacuum. Yes, it’s true: I hate cleaning. But a good kitchen broom, one that’s swift and sure and true, makes it mostly painless. I tested 10 brooms to find the best ones to spiff up my kitchen—and do it fast.   

The Winners, at a Glance

This simple broom was adept at quickly gathering and sweeping coffee grounds and rice into its accompanying dustpan. The petite broom head was easy to tuck into corners and other hard-to-reach spots. 

A customizable broom—fancy! You can shorten or lengthen the broom handle, making this a great versatile pick. The dustpan also sports a tall handle, so I could gather up debris without bending over. 

I love this set: It swiftly gathered grounds and grains, and the bristles directed them neatly into the dustpan. While not kitchen-related, it was also great at sweeping cat hair off my couch. 

This cute purple mini dustpan and broom might look like a kid's toy, but it was an efficient little set. The tiny broom reached into nooks nicely and gathered up rice grains readily. 

The Tests

• Coffee Grounds Test: I scattered one tablespoon of ground coffee onto my hardwood floors and then used each broom to sweep it up. I counted how many strokes it took to gather all of the grounds, and noted how easy the broom was to hold and move. 
• Rice Test: I scattered a quarter cup of rice on my kitchen floor and swept it up, noting how many strokes it took. 
• Longterm Use Test (Winners Only): I used each of my favorite brooms in my daily sweeping routine to see how they performed in various cleaning situations. 

What We Learned 

Stiffer Bristles Were Better

Brooms with stiffer bristles, like the Casabella and Pine-Sol, caught rice and coffee grounds and swiftly shepherded them into the dustpans. Softer bristles, like on the O-Cedar, made more of a mess. Instead of sweeping efficiently and neatly, they compressed into the floor and flung stuff like a catapult—rice skittered away and coffee particles whizzed across the floor. I had to adjust my stance, sweep some more, and wrangle any stragglers. To avoid making cleaning a more onerous task than it already is, stick with a stiffer-bristled broom—it’ll get the job done faster. That said, a large, super stiff broom, like the Libman 211 Extra Large Precision Angle Broom, wasn’t as adept at getting into corners and struggled to sweep up anything light or flimsy (such as garlic skins). 

Dustpan Shape Was Important 

A dustpan is essential when it comes to sweeping; without one, you’re just moving stuff around (like you did when you were told to clean your room as a kid, amirite?). A good dustpan should have a thin lip that sits flush with the floor, and the interior should be concave without ridges or bumps to impede stuff from entering. It should also be easy to hold. 

Some dustpans I tested were truly horrible, like the O-Cedar’s. While it’s designed to be stepped on, you still need to grab the pan to throw away the junk collected. And this oddly shaped dustpan’s uncomfortably bent handle made it awkward. Plus, the dustpan didn’t attach easily to the broom after use. 

…And Broom Size and Shape Was, Too 

Why someone would sell a broom whose brush head was larger than the accompanying dustpan is beyond me. It just makes more mess, since with each sweep, the overhanging portion of the broom pushes stuff around the sides of the dustpan. This was the case with the O-Cedar broom, which I disliked more and more as I continued to test it. The dustpan’s opening is 12 inches wide, while the sharply angled broom head is 13.5 inches across, so every time I swept it sent debris around the sides. 

The heavy, angled broom head also ensured that the broom fell over any time I rested it against the wall for a breather. (I did a lot of sweeping, okay!) While this isn’t a big deal, it’s annoying that you can’t lean the broom off to the side when you take a break (and it also makes storage difficult).  

The Best Brooms Were Light and Nimble 

If you’re like me, after a few days of cooking there is an inordinately large amount of food bits all over the floor. And, for some reason, they always seem to accumulate in hard-to-reach corners. Go figure! So when it comes time to clean up the mess, a nimble broom that can tuck into nooks is a must. I found brooms with slightly smaller heads, like the Casabella, were the best at this task, as were handheld dustpans and brushes; their petite size let me easily sweep inside small spaces. Bigger, heavier brooms, like the Amazon Basics and Rubbermaid, were difficult to control and bashed into small spots.

That said, larger, heftier brooms do have their uses: The Amazon Basics broom, which is marketed as an outdoor broom, is truly great at sweeping away big messes across a large swath of ground. I could see it being useful to clean dust or leaves off a deck or a porch. But for a home kitchen, it’s overkill. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Broom 

A kitchen broom should be versatile, adept at sweeping small particles, like coffee grounds, and larger bits, like rice. The broom head shouldn’t be larger than the dustpan, if it comes with one. I also preferred smaller, firmer bristled brooms that easily reached into nooks and crannies. Finally, the broom handle should be on the long side to make it versatile for a variety of users. 

Our Favorite Brooms

What we liked: This nimble broom is a good length, and its dense, angled head swept up coffee quickly, without flinging grounds everywhere. The stiff bristles corralled rice efficiently, too. The dustpan features a sloped, rubbery edge that sits flush with the floor and prevents bits from being swept underneath or around it. It also easily clips flush to the broom, which is nifty for storage.

What we didn’t like: While the smaller broom head was a boon for getting into hard-to-reach corners, it did mean more sweeps for larger messes. 

Key Specs

• Style: Standard broom
• Accessories: Dustpan
• Broom handle length: 45.5 inches
• Broom head dimensions: 9.5 x 4.25 inches
• Dustpan dimensions: 12 x 11.5 inches

What we liked: This broom’s handle is adjustable, so you can customize its height to your liking. The broom swept up coffee grounds easily and efficiently. The rubber bristles on the dustpan help dislodge stuff from the broom, which, while not an issue with coffee grounds, was helpful after sweeping up pet hair and other sticky things. The handle on the dustpan is nice (I could sweep and gather without bending over), and the angled, rubber edge ensured that coffee grounds and rice didn’t get swept under the dustpan. It’s the kind of broom setup that janitors use, so it’s legit. 

What we didn’t like: The softer bristles did feel less effective than sturdier ones. Emptying the dustpan, which pivots on a hinge, is awkward, and the whole setup feels tippy when the broom is locked into the dustpan. It's rather pricey.

Key Specs

• Style: Broom with handled dustpan
• Accessories: Handled dustpan
• Broom handle length: 28.5 to 48 inches (compacted versus fully extended)
• Broom head dimensions: 9.25 in x 4.25 inches
• Dustpan dimensions: 12.75 x 9 x 28.5 inches

What we liked: I love a handheld dustpan and brush set. Not only does it let me clean up tiny spills in small spaces, but if I accidentally tip over a bag of coffee grounds on the countertop, I can swiftly tidy it up without breaking out the vacuum. The bristles on this set were firm, preventing flinging and instead corralling rice and coffee grounds swiftly into the dustpan. An aside: One of my cats has medium-length hair that is incredibly difficult to clean off my couch, but the brush from this set gets rid of it better than a lint roller. 

What we didn’t like: The dustpan’s edge was a little uneven (if not pressed firmly to the surface, there were gaps under it), which resulted in some grounds being pushed underneath or getting stuck on the lip.

Key Specs 

• Style: Handheld dustpan and brush
• Accessories: None
• Brush handle length: 3.75 inches
• Brush head dimensions: 5.75 x 2.5 inches
• Dustpan dimensions: 7 x 10 inches

What we liked: While the Pine-Sol broom was more efficient, this little purple and yellow broom did a good job overall. It swept up rice easily, and its ultra petite size meant it was great for cleaning up messes in cramped areas. 

What we didn’t like: It took a few more sweeps to wrangle stragglers. The ledge of the dustpan was a little too thick, which impeded grounds and made it more work to sweep them into the pan. It's also itty bitty, so it’s only good for tiny spills.

Key Specs

• Style: Handheld dustpan and brush
• Accessories: None
• Brush handle length: 3.75 inches
• Brush head dimensions: 6.25 x 1.75 inches
• Dustpan dimensions: 6 x 7.5 inches

The Competition

Also Good

• Libman Precision Angle Broom and Dust Pan: This broom’s bristles were a little too stiff, making it difficult to gather small particles like coffee grounds. The dustpan was smaller than the broom head, so it was a challenge to collect debris in one sweep. It did quickly clean up bigger messes, though, and the brush comb was a nice touch. 
• Amazon Basics Heavy-Duty Outdoor Broom: This is a heavy-duty broom with a large head that’s good for sweeping up big messes—think getting dust off a sidewalk or porch. But for indoor messes, it was overkill. The bristles on this broom are soft, too, and they flung coffee grounds with each sweep. 
• Libman 211 Extra Large Precision Angle Broom: Like the Amazon Basics broom, this is a big option that’s great for cleaning large areas. Its stiff bristles quickly corralled large debris, like rice, but struggled to pick up lighter bits, like coffee grounds. It doesn’t come with a dustpan.
• OXO Good Grips Dustpan and Brush Set: This small dustpan and brush set performed adequately, but it wasn’t as efficient as my winning picks. This was mainly because the bristles were soft, so they flung stuff rather than quickly sweeping bits into the bin. The ridge on the dustpan also impeded some of the coffee grounds from getting swept inside.

Not Recommended 

• OXO Good Grips Upright Sweep Set: While the handled dustpan was nice, the broom’s handle was too short; I’m a few inches over five feet tall and had to bend over to use it. The broom head is also very small, requiring more sweeping to rustle up the coffee grounds. 
• Rubbermaid Commercial Products Heavy-Duty Corn Broom: This broom doesn’t come with a dustpan, which isn’t a dealbreaker. However, its heft and floppy corn bristles were: It took 10 strokes to sweep up coffee grounds, the most of the bunch. 
• O-Cedar One Sweep Broom with Step-On Dustpan: While the idea of a step-on dustpan was good, in practice, it didn’t work well. Also, if you do want to hold it with your hands, the wonky shape makes it uncomfortable. The broom head is larger than the dustpan, so with every sweep, it swept stuff around the sides. The softer bristles flung coffee around, so I had to keep moving the dustpan and sweeping more. The broom is also heavy at the bristle end, making it feel clunky. 

FAQs

What style of broom is best? 

Whether you choose a standard broom or a handheld dustpan and brush set depends on your needs, but I honestly think that having one of each is worth it. The handheld brush and dustpan sets are great for cleaning small messes or tidying up hard-to-reach spots, while a standard broom is great for everyday sweeping. 

How often should I replace my kitchen broom?

It depends on how often you use the broom and how much wear it takes. When bristles start to wear down or become separated, then it’s probably a good time to replace it. 

Should you wash or clean a broom?

Some of the brooms I tested came with combs that you can use to clean the bristles, which is an easy way to keep them clean. You can wash your broom with a mixture of dish soap and hot water, but make sure you let it dry thoroughly or it could get gunked up.

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats, where she tests all manner of kitchen gear and appliances. 
• For this review, Grace tested 11 kitchen brooms by sweeping up coffee grounds, rice, and other kitchen messes to find the most versatile ones. 
• She hates cleaning but admits that sweeping isn’t so bad.
  

When I was a pastry chef, Easter meant a whirlwind of baking endless bunny- and carrot-shaped cookies, hand-piping marshmallow chicks, and making chocolate and sugar Easter eggs—so, of course, I could always be counted on to bring dessert to any gathering. But truth be told, I would have been equally happy to whip up a savory appetizer or two had I had a few fool-proof, crowd-pleasing recipes in my back pocket—like the ones I've curated below.

These Easter appetizers are light, bright, and highly adaptable for large and small gatherings. You can set them on a buffet or serve them as a starter. I've chosen a tantalizing mix of baked, fried, and chilled options, including easy hors d'oeuvres, creamy dips, picture-perfect savory spring vegetable tarts, and salads. However you celebrate Easter, our favorite appetizers are designed to impress with zero stress.

Asparagus Sheet Pan Tart

This easy-to-bake vegetable tart is a verdant ode to spring. We flipped the script by baking slender asparagus and goat cheese underneath the puff pastry, which traps steam to produce perfectly tender, glossy spears fragrant with thyme and lemon zest. Simply invert the golden, flaky, buttery crust onto a cutting board and slice the tart into squares.

Savory Carrot Tart

Carrots are synonymous with Easter and we've come up with an easy and delicious way to showcase them in a savory tart that's a cinch to make. We start with a sheet of store-bought puff pastry, then layer on sliced Brie, a drizzle of zippy honey-mustard, and colorful roasted carrots, and bake until the crust is golden brown and crisp. Served warm or at room temperature, it makes for an eye-catching display on any table.

Herby Lamb Meatballs

Love lamb but don't feel like roasting a whole leg or rack of lamb for Easter? These tender meatballs will give you the same distinctive rich flavor in juicy bite-size morsels, infused with fragrant spices. A bright, herbaceous feta and yogurt sauce provides a cool counterpoint to their meaty richness.

Caesar Deviled Eggs

Whether you use fresh Caesar mayo or mayo flavored with classic Caesar seasoning, there's no denying that the garlicky, peppery, cheesy, and deeply umami flavors of Caesar dressing are made for deviled eggs. All the more reason to make plenty to go around, because they will disappear in a blink.

Creamy Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms

Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike will be clamoring for refills of these spectacular stuffed mushrooms, loaded with cream cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, chopped mushroom stems, and sun-dried tomatoes—savory, sweet, and umami all at once. High-heat cooking ensures that the mushroom caps don't become soggy and the panko breadcrumb topping stays crunchy. It's a technique also we used for these sausage-stuffed mushrooms.

Croquetas de Jamón

One of the many delectable things you can make with béchamel sauce is the crispy, creamy, savory Spanish tapa croquetas de jamón, or fried ham croquettes, typically made with a dry-cured ham. Thoroughly chilling the béchamel and ham mixture makes the croquetas easier to form and bread. You can make these well in advance and freeze them until you're ready to fry, so they're ideal for entertaining.

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

Bacon-wrapped shrimp is one appetizer that's notoriously challenging to get just right, but after several test runs, we've cracked the code. Dry-brining the shrimp briefly in baking soda ensures a juicy, snappy texture, while partially cooking the bacon before wrapping allows it to fully crisp without the shrimp overcooking. A caramelized hot honey–soy sauce glaze adds a lovely sheen and enticing savoriness.

Crab Rangoon (Crab Puffs) With Sweet and Sour Sauce

It's not hard to see the appeal of bubbly fried wontons oozing with a molten crab–cream cheese mixture. These wontons are shaped like a four-point star for maximum crunch and easy dipping into the sweet and sour sauce. Either real crabmeat or imitation crab will do since it's really all about the contrast between the slightly tangy creamy filling and crispy puffed wonton wrappers,

Scotch Eggs

Scotch eggs are classic British pub fare that can also serve as a great appetizer. The ground pork is seasoned with fresh parsley, chives, and thyme to create a flavorful crust. In this recipe, Japanese panko provides a lighter, crispier texture than the traditional breadcrumb coating.

Classic Shrimp Cocktail

You really can't go wrong with a platter of tender shrimp with classic cocktail sauce. For the plumpest, juiciest, most flavorful shrimp, start with a dry brine of baking soda and salt, then cook them in an aromatic broth at a low temperature. Serve the chilled shrimp with your favorite store-bought cocktail sauce, or whip up your own with some ketchup, preserved horseradish, fresh lemon juice, and a few seasonings.

Easy, Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Knots

Hand-tied pizza dough is what makes these knots far superior to your basic pull-apart garlic rolls. They have lots of crevices and pockets to capture more of the garlicky seasoned melted butter and cheese—which means double the flavor and ooey-gooey cheesiness. While these are meant to be shared, we guarantee there will be some elbowing and jostling to claim the last piece.

Choreg (Armenian Easter Bread)

Slightly sweeter than challah and brioche and intensely aromatic from nigella seeds and mahlab, a spice made from the tiny seeds of the St. Lucy's cherry, choreg has a sumptuously soft, fluffy crumb, eggy richness, and shiny golden crust that makes it a standout on any festive table. Set it alongside a cheese and charcuterie board.

Salmon Rillettes With Chives and Shallots

Fresh salmon is the base for this sophisticated French appetizer that's remarkably simple to put together. We gently cook the fish so it stays moist and juicy, making it effortless to shred and mix with mayonnaise, sautéed shallots, chives, and seasonings. Serve beside a display of crackers and breads.

Maryland Crab Imperial With Buttery Golden Breadcrumbs

Daniel's recipe for Maryland Crab Imperial has all the flavors and textures of crab cakes without the hands-on work, so it's ideal to make for large gatherings. You can even serve it in individual ramekins as a starter. A generous helping of mayonnaise adds creaminess and transforms the lump crabmeat into a luscious dip, while melted butter enhances the crispiness and flavor of the breadcrumbs.

Roman-Jewish Fried Artichokes (Carciofi alla Giudia)

Springtime is peak season for artichokes and one of the most delicious ways to enjoy them is fried Roman-Jewish style. The two-stage method yields a tender heart and crispy leaves. All they need is a sprinkling of salt while still hot and a squeeze of lemon juice.

The Best Caesar Salad

Nothing beats a well-constructed Caesar salad starter. Our rendition of the beloved classic builds on layers of flavor and texture—from the crisp inner romaine lettuce leaves evenly coated in a tangy and umami-packed emulsified dressing to the crunchy croutons baked in garlic-infused oil and shower of salty Parmesan cheese.

Snap Pea and Radicchio Salad With Garlic Yogurt Dressing

This vibrant salad is a wonderful study in contrasts: sweet, crisp blanched snap peas, cool tangy garlicky yogurt dressing, and warm, robust radicchio. Charring the radicchio under the broiler caramelizes its sugars and tames its bitterness. A sprinkling of fried sliced garlic leftover from making garlic oil for the dressing adds another layer of flavor and crunch.

Spring Vegetable and Arugula Salad With Labneh and Cucumbers

A quick blanch keeps the color of the fava beans, English peas, asparagus, and broccolini vibrant and bright, locking in their flavor and crisp texture. Lemony mustard vinaigrette, peppery arugula, Persian cucumbers, red onion, sunflower seeds, mozzarella, and creamy labneh complement the natural sweetness of the spring vegetables.

Fava Bean Tartine With Goat Cheese and Marcona Almonds

Tartine may sound fancier than open-faced sandwich but it's essentially sliced toasted bread topped with minimal ingredients, making it an ideal vehicle to showcase fresh spring produce, such as fava beans. Here, we pair them with crunchy Marcona almonds and a mild goat cheese. A flourish of fresh chervil and drizzle of olive oil and you have yourself a delightful, super quick and easy appetizer.

Asparagus and Tarragon Velouté (Dairy-Free Creamy Asparagus Soup)

For this creamy asparagus soup, we ditched heavy cream in favor of a flour-thickened velouté, which lets the bright vegetal flavor of the asparagus and fennel shine through while still delivering a luscious, velvety smooth texture. Serve this dreamy soup in individual bowls as a starter or as soup shots in little espresso cups.

Every morning starts with the press of a button on my trusty electric kettle. Whether I’m making a pour-over or brewing a cup of tea, this essential part of my day wouldn’t be possible without the Fellow Stagg EKG kettle, which I’ve had for over six years. It’s incredibly fast, quiet, and has a temperature control feature that’s adjustable down to the degree. In fact, it’s one of the best electric kettles we’ve tested and is our top gooseneck kettle pick. The kettle has come with me along multiple moves and is usually the first appliance to be plugged into the wall. For serious coffee or tea drinkers, it’s a must-have in the kitchen. As I always say: Buy it once and enjoy it for ages. Plus, it’s on sale right now.

Why It Won Our Review

It’s Speedy and Accurate

This kettle is so fast that by the time I’ve selected my tea and mug, the water’s already at the desired temperature. I love that the smooth control dial can be set it to the exact temperature I need, down to the degree. It’s accurate, too. In our tests, it nailed the measurements when we checked the water with an instant-read thermometer at varying intervals. It also has a handy “hold” function to keep contents warm for up to an hour.

It Pours Exceptionally Smoothly

Thanks to the temperature control kettle’s thin, curved spout (hence the name), it pours smoothly to evenly saturate coffee grounds or tea leaves. The handle has a counterweight that helps stabilize pouring, no matter how full the kettle is. It’s no surprise that the Fellow Stagg EKG is a go-to for many professional baristas.

It Lasts a Long, Long Time

Look, I’ve had this electric kettle with temperature control for years and it’s still just as fast and accurate as the day I got it. Its consistently great performance is essential to my morning routine. As someone without a microwave, I even use it for baking when I need water at a precise temperature to bloom yeast.

Why We Recommend It

Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Gooseneck Kettle

This is an all-around great electric kettle that’s fast, accurate, and reliable. It lasts a long time, too. Plus, it’s easy on the eyes and comes in a range of colors. The latest upgrade to the original model even has a built-in scheduling mechanism to streamline your mornings. Don’t miss your chance to grab it while it’s on sale.

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen gear for Serious Eats for over two years.
• She loves a hot beverage and always has a cup of tea on hand.
  

A good cup of coffee can make or break your day, which is why it’s so important to ensure you’re using the best tools to brew it. Trust us: We’ve tested nearly every piece of coffee gear under the sun, including 29 espresso machines and 17 gooseneck kettles. If there’s anything we know, it’s what you need to make the perfect brew. You don’t have to break the budget either; we’ve tested plenty of affordable coffee gear that’s impressed us over the years. Our top picks under $50 include the best espresso scale and an editor-favorite Yeti Rambler tumbler.

The Best Coffee Gear Under $50 at a Glance

• The Best Budget Coffee Grinder: Krups Precision Burr Coffee Grinder
• A Great Milk Frother: Instant Pot Milk Frother 4-in-1 Electric Milk Steamer
• A Portable Coffee Maker: AeroPress Original Coffee Press
• A Clever AeroPress Attachment: Fellow Prismo Attachment for AeroPress Coffee Maker
• Our Favorite Budget French Press: Coffee Gator 34-Ounce French Press Coffee Maker
• The Best Espresso Scale: OXO Brew Precision Coffee Scale with Timer
• The Best Spring-Loaded Tamper: LuxHaus 53-Millimeter Espresso Tamper
• A Great Moka Pot: Bialetti Moka Espress Stovetop Espresso Maker
• The Best Single-Serve Coffee Maker: Kalita Wave Series Wave Dripper 155
• An Editor-Loved Coffee Tumbler: Yeti Rambler 20-Ounce Travel Mug

Krups Precision Burr Coffee Grinder

If you’re still using a spice grinder to grind your coffee, this is your sign to please—please—upgrade to a burr grinder. Don’t want to spend too much on one? The Krups is under $50 and gives you more control over the grind size, so it’s already a step up from using a blade grinder that simply chops your coffee instead of grinding it.

Instant Pot Milk Frother 4-in-1 Electric Milk Steamer

This milk frother heats up quickly and produces excellent foam at an approachable price. Its simple interface has four functions: cold foam, light warm foam, thick warm foam, and warming without foaming. We liked that it heats up quickly and can differentiate between latte and cappuccino foam.

AeroPress Original Coffee Press

Whether you’re camping or avoiding hotel coffee, the AeroPress is the way to go for portable, strong coffee. It brews quickly and packs up to about the size of a soda can. You also can’t beat the $34 price tag.

Fellow Prismo Attachment for AeroPress Coffee Maker

If you want to get as close to espresso as possible with the AeroPress, we recommend grabbing this attachment from Fellow. It has a pressurized rubber valve and a micromesh metal filter to enable an even stronger brew.

Coffee Gator 34-Ounce French Press Coffee Maker

This insulated French press coffee maker is a steal at $35. It produces a solid cup of coffee and demonstrates excellent temperature retention during our tests. It also comes with a mini coffee canister.

OXO Brew Precision Coffee Scale with Timer

We’ve always loved the OXO food scale, and the brand’s coffee scale is no exception. It has a large display with clear digits and delivers fast, accurate readings. We also liked its built-in timer and the 3,000-gram capacity, making it suitable for other measuring tasks in the kitchen.

Normcore V4 Coffee Tamper

This coffee tamper is spring-loaded to deliver a precise tamp every time. You can also adjust the springs to choose the amount of pressure you need. We liked its sturdy build and tapered handle that’s comfortable to hold.

Bialetti Moka Espress Stovetop Espresso Maker

You can’t get a more classic coffee experience than this moka pot. It makes consistently strong, flavorful brews, and all its pieces fit together without trouble. Its heavy-gauge aluminum construction conducts heat well for strong steam pressure and well-extracted coffee.

Kalita Wave Series Wave Dripper 155

If you like a slow, thoughtful coffee routine, grab our favorite single-serve coffee maker. The Kalita is loved by beginners and experts alike for its consistent brews and ease of use. We also liked that the comfortable handle doesn’t get hot when brewing.

Yeti Rambler 20-Ounce Travel Mug

After you’ve carefully brewed your coffee, the vessel is just as important to consider. After testing 15 coffee tumblers, the Yeti Rambler mug emerged as an editor-favorite. It’s leakproof, smooth to sip from, and keeps coffee hot for hours.

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen gear for Serious Eats for over two years.
• She has coffee every day and has more coffee tools than she does storage space for them.
  

Though I make my own marinara sauce most of the time, I have a soft spot for the jarred stuff because I grew up on it. Even today, despite my preference for homemade, I still like to keep a jar of marinara sauce in my pantry: Whether you’re using it as the base for chicken or eggplant Parmesan, baked ziti, or simply tossing it with pasta for an easy dinner, a jar of premade tomato sauce is especially handy in a pinch. Today, there are an overwhelming number of marinara sauces to choose from. But which is worth buying?

To find the very best marinara sauces, our editors sampled 24 different marinara sauces you’re likely to find at your local supermarket or online. We placed each in bowls, then sampled them in random order without knowing which sauce was which. After tasting our way through 24 marinara sauces (and suffering some serious heartburn), we tabulated the results and crowned two winners that we’d be happy to keep in our own kitchen.

The Criteria

Marinara sauce should be well-seasoned and balanced. It should have a natural sweetness and acidity from the tomatoes, but taste neither aggressively sharp nor overly sweetened with additional sugar. There should be savory depth and a hint of herbaceous flavor from oregano and/or basil. It should also have a nice, thick texture that’s neither too watery nor too chunky, with some noticeable pieces of tomato and specks of herbs or alliums.

Overall Winners

Mezzetta Marinara Sauce

Every single one of our tasters loved this marinara sauce, which was well-balanced and flavorful in all the right ways. Our senior social media editor Kelli found it pleasantly tangy, and our associate visuals editor Amanda thought it had a nice tomato flavor. This sauce had just the right texture, too: “A little chunky in a nice way,” Amanda wrote. Similarly, our associate editorial director Megan, found it “nicely thick but not pasty.” Our editorial director Daniel enjoyed this sauce so much he decided that the two best sauces should be tied for first. (See below.)

Rao’s Marinara Pasta Sauce

Like Mezzetta’s marinara sauce, Rao’s had great tomato flavor and just the right amount of chunk. “Fruity, fresh tomato flavor,” Daniel wrote. “Classic marinara vibes.” (He correctly clocked this as Rao’s.) Megan described it as “nicely salty and not too sweet,” and appreciated that there was “no weird aftertaste.” Our editors liked the sauce’s crushed texture, which had an appropriate amount of chunks without being too thick. “Good crushed/puréed texture with some tomato-y bits,” Daniel wrote. 

The Contenders

• 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce
• Bertolli Traditional Marinara sauce
• Bionaturae Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce
• Botticelli Marinara Sauce
• Carbone Marinara Sauce
• Cento Marinara Pasta Sauce
• Classico Marinara Pasta Sauce
• Franceso Rinaldi Marinara Sauce
• Kirkland Signature Organic Tuscan Marinara Sauce
• Matriark Gentle Marinara Sauce
• Mezzetta Marinara Sauce
• Michael’s of Brooklyn Marinara Sauce
• Muir Glen Classic Marinara Pasta Sauce
• Newman’s Marinara Sauce
• Paesana Marinara Sauce
• Pomì Marinara Sauce
• Prego Classic Marinara Sauce
• Ragú Old World Style Marinara Sauce
• Rao’s Homemade Marinara Pasta Sauce
• Target Good & Gather Marinara Sauce
• Trader Joe’s “Trader Giotto’s” Tomato Basil Marinara
• Victoria Marinara Sauce
• Wegman’s Smooth Marinara Sauce
• Yo Mama’s Original Marinara

In Conclusion

Many marinara sauces are made with tomato purée, a cooked and strained tomato product. Both our winners start with whole plum tomatoes, according to their ingredient lists: Mezzetta’s from Italy and California, and Rao’s from Italy. As we touched on in our guide to canned tomato products, whole peeled tomatoes are often made from the ripest fruits, and allow manufacturers and home cooks to have more control over the final texture of whatever they’re preparing. 

Other common ingredients in marinara sauce are sugar, dried flavorings like alliums and herbs, as well as calcium chloride to help the tomatoes keep their shape and citric acid for additional tartness. Our editors' ratings indicated that marinara sauces with added sugar were often described as excessively sweet, while those made with citric acid were often described as unpleasantly tart (keep in mind, the tasters didn't know which sauces they were tasting nor their ingredients). 

Neither of our winners contain sugar, calcium chloride, and citric acid, and are instead made with just a handful of ingredients: whole peeled tomatoes, olive oil, onions, salt, garlic, basil, black pepper. The only difference between the two is that Rao’s contains oregano and Mezzetta’s contains “spices,” which according to the Food and Drug Administration, could refer to any “aromatic vegetable substances.”

The takeaway? For the most balanced and flavorful marinara sauce, look for one that’s made with whole peeled tomatoes and contains a short ingredient list, with no added sugar or citric acid.

Our Testing Methodology

All taste tests are conducted with brands completely hidden and without discussion. Tasters taste samples in random order. For example, taster A may taste sample one first, while taster B will taste sample six first. This is to prevent palate fatigue from unfairly giving any one sample an advantage. Tasters are asked to fill our tasting sheets ranking the samples for various criteria. All data is tabulated and results are calculated with no editorial input in order to give us the most impartial representation of actual results possible.

When I imagine the colors of spring, I think of yellows and pinks, grassy greens and pastel blues. Or maybe those are the colors of Easter—or...has Peeps marketing fully conquered my brain? Well, whatever the origin of my associations, the result when transmogrified to deviled-egg form are the little snacks you see here: fragrant cups of egg white filled with a light and bright yolky mixture that's folded with both mayonnaise and crème fraîche, minced tarragon, quick-pickled red onion, Dijon, and lemon juice. Suffice it to say, if you're doing a casting call for vernal deviled eggs, these both look and taste the part.

Deviled eggs are a fairly straightforward food, which means I don't have a ton to say about these, except to offer the following tips:

• Try to find eggs that are not too fresh. The freshest eggs tend to stick to the shell after boiling, making peeling a pain and often resulting in pitted and scarred whites. It's better to use eggs that are a bit older—still good, edible eggs, of course—but not straight from the hen's cloaca (wow, both graphic and safe for work! I impress myself sometimes).
• Get a jump start on your pickled onions. I love what I call rapid pickling, in which onions are submerged briefly in vinegar and left to sit just long enough to soften their texture, tame their raw-onion bite, and give them a bright acidic pop. When you use red onions and red wine vinegar, they turn an amazing shade of magenta, which is especially apt for a spring-themed egg. I recommend getting them started first (here the onion is minced instead of thinly sliced, but otherwise it's exactly the same as the recipe linked in the ingredient list). By the time you've boiled your eggs, the onion should be more or less ready. If you can let them sit a little longer, even better.
• Feel free to just use mayo. I call for a combination of crème fraîche and mayonnaise for the yolky filling, which produces a particularly light and bright result that fits the theme well. But if you have everything you need to make these except the crème fraîche, please go ahead and just use all mayo instead; they'll still be good. You may need to up the lemon juice slightly for a touch of acidity if you do, but otherwise it'll be fine. (To that end, you can also use different herbs—dill or parsley are both good stand-ins for the tarragon, obviously with very different flavors, but none of them will be bad.)

In a large bowl, set up an ice bath by partially filling it with a combination of cold water and ice; set aside. Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Carefully lower eggs into pot and continue to boil for 30 seconds. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low (water should maintain a bare simmer), and continue cooking for 11 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer eggs to prepared ice bath and let cool, about 3 minutes. Peel eggs under cool running water, then slice each egg in half lengthwise.

Transfer yolks to a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise, crème fraîche, pickled onion, lemon juice, Dijon, tarragon, and cayenne. Using a fork or sturdy whisk, mash and stir together until thoroughly combined. Season with salt.

Transfer yolk filling to zipper-lock bag or piping bag. Cut off corner of zipper-lock bag or piping bag and pipe filling mixture into egg white halves, overstuffing each hole. Garnish deviled eggs with more minced pickled onion and small tarragon leaves. Serve.

Special Equipment

Slotted spoon, zipper-lock bag or piping bag

Notes

Very fresh eggs tend to have their shells stick to the whites more, making peeling more difficult. Eggs that are slightly older are best for hard boiling.

If desired, you can substitute the crème fraîche in the recipe with additional mayonnaise; you may need to add a touch more lemon juice to balance the flavor.

Throughout India, pickles are enjoyed as a condiment with many meals, eaten with dal, rice dishes, parathas, or even many breakfast dishes such as pohé. Mango pickle is one of the most popular pickles throughout the country. There are many regional variations of it, each with its own unique blend of spices and flavors. But at its core it’s most often made from green, underripe mangoes, spices, and mustard seed– and spice-infused oil. 

My mother loved to make pickles this way, often with whatever fruits or vegetables she had on hand. They were a welcome burst of flavor to most of our meals, and my favorite was her mango pickle. On evenings when we had guests over to our home for dinner, the first thing she would do that morning was start macerating the pickles in plenty of salt and a spiced-infused oil, so they would be ready to serve later that night. She’d pickle whatever was on hand: carrots, cauliflower, peeled ginger, or my absolute favorite, mango. 

How Indian Pickles are Prepared 

In Western cooking, the term “pickling” most often refers to the food preservation method involving submerging food in an acidic solution, like vinegar, or via lactic acid fermentation. But most Indian pickles go through neither of these processes, and instead are preserved, or “pickled” by coating the mixture in salt and sugar and submerging in spiced oil.

Most homemade Indian pickles involve mixing vegetables or fruits (sometimes blanched or cooked first, but not always) with plenty of spices, salt, and oil. The pickle is then either packed into large ceramic pots known as bharani (or barni) and put in the sun for several days to ferment—the layer of oil on top inhibits mold growth while excluding oxygen—or it's allowed to macerate for a short period at room temperature and then transferred to the refrigerator for storage, which skips the fermentation in favor of speed and ease.. This recipe is the latter type—a quick refrigerated pickle that comes together in little time but is still bursting with flavor.

How to Make Quick Mango Pickle

This quick pickle is simple to make, but there are a few key things to get right so you end up with robust, zesty flavor and a crunchy, salad-like texture.

Selecting and Preparing the Mango

First, make sure to use green, unripe raw firm mangos that are not fully mature, not to be confused with underripe mangoes that will ripen soon (and have a thicker skin on them). As they sit in the salt and oil mixture, the mango pieces will soften slightly, but they'll still retain some of their firm texture. If you were to start with ripe mangos, the mango pieces would fall apart and become mushy. 

I personally prefer to leave the skin on my mangos when I make this pickle. I enjoy its chewy texture, and I find that it helps the mango flesh retain its shape even when cut into smaller sizes. That said, many people will prefer the pickle without the skin (and some may even have a mild allergic reaction to it), so the recipe below instructs you to peel the mango; note that when peeled, the mango should be cut into slightly larger pieces (the 1/2-inch size in my recipe below is a good ballpark) so they can better retain their shape even without the skin..

Tips on Preparing the Spiced Oil

One of the key components of the mango pickle is a spice-infused oil that adds flavor and a glistening, slippery texture. When I prepare the oil, I like to use an Indian seasoning wok, which is a small vessel specifically for this type of purpose. Many of you won't have this exact piece of cookware, but any small, flat-bottomed saucepan or carbon-steel skillet will work well.

The order of which spices are added to the hot oil also matters. The brown mustard seeds are added first. They will (and should) pop while cooking, so make sure to have a lid or cooking screen handy to contain the splatter.

The asafoetida, ground turmeric, Kashmiri red chile powder, and fenugreek seeds are then bloomed in the hot oil to round out its flavor. Asafoetida is a dried and ground gum resin that drips off the roots of an herb called ferula asafoetida, a central Asian plant in the celery family, and I love its assertive, oniony-garlic smell and flavor. (In the Indian state of Maharashtra, where my family is from, the combination of asafoetida, mustard, and turmeric is often considered the “holy trinity” of seasonings.) 

The oil mixture is then tossed with the mango and left at room temperature to macerate—just make sure the oil has cooled before adding it to the mango, or it risks heating the fruit and turning it mushy. During the maceration time, the flavors will blend together, and the salt and sugar will soften the mango.

This recipe works well with other fruits and vegetables as well. I like to prepare it with carrots, cauliflower, or apples, or under-ripe pears. I’ve included measurements for these variations below the main recipe.

In a large metal bowl, toss diced mangoes with salt and jaggery or sugar until combined; set aside.

In a seasoning wok (see notes) or small heavy-bottomed saucepan or small carbon-steel skillet, heat oil until smoking, about 3 minutes. Test oil temperature with one mustard seed. If it pops right away, your oil is ready; if not, return heat to medium-high for 1 additional minute and retest. When ready turn off heat and immediately add mustard seeds to the saucepan and cover with the lid/screen. The mustard seeds will pop, making a sound like popping corn, about 30 seconds.

Once the popping stops, uncover the pan and add the turmeric, red chile powder, asafetida, and fenugreek to the pan, stir gently to mix. Let the oil cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Scrape the cooled oil onto the mango and mix well. Taste the mango and add more salt or sugar if desired.

Let mango stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally until well macerated, at least 3 and up to 4 hours. Then transfer to an airtight glass container or jar and refrigerate until ready to use. Before serving, stir to combine and serve in a small bowl as a condiment.

Variations

Carrot Quick Pickle: Substitute mango with 2 1/2 pounds medium carrots, cut into 1/4 -inch pieces, and continue with recipe as written.

Cauliflower Quick Pickle: Substitute 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch florets and continue with recipe as written.

Pear or Apple Quick Pickle: Substitute 4 crisp apples or slightly underripe, firm pears; core and cut into 1/2-inch chunks, leaving the peel on. Continue with recipe as written.

Special Equipment

Metal or glass mixing bowl, large metal spoon (so turmeric does not stain it), Indian seasoning wok or a small sauté pan, canning jars or glass containers for storage

Notes

Make sure to use unripe mango that are not yet mature and will not mature, and not to be confused with underripe mangos, which are mature mangos that just have not peaked in ripeness yet.

If using jaggery, a couple seconds in the microwave will help soften it. Then you can chop it just like chocolate with a bread knife. Alternatively, a microplane works as well.

Asafetida can be found at most Indian grocers. I recommend the powder sold in small jars, rather than large plastic containers, because the plastic can hold the aroma. Keep it tightly shut between uses, otherwise the smell will pervade your entire kitchen. While it adds a distinct flavor to the chutney, you can omit it if unavailable, though the chutney will be less aromatic.

A seasoning wok is a small wok that is used in Indian cooking for toasting spices and for making seasoned oil blends. They generally are made from thicker metal than Chinese woks. I often use a seasoning wok at home to make spice blends for a variety of dishes, but a small sauté pan or skillet will work well in its place.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The pickle can be stored in airtight jars and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

For some home cooks, whipping up a homemade dessert that's delicious and Passover-appropriate sounds too daunting even to attempt. While there's certainly nothing wrong with going store-bought, that's not your only option. Below, we've gathered 12 of our favorite Passover-friendly sweets—including coconut macaroons, flourless chocolate cake, and a light and fluffy angel food cake—that will impress everyone at your seder.

A note about the recipes that follow: Though some were designed with Passover in mind, others are meant to be more all-purpose, which means some of them contain ingredients not considered kosher for Passover—or, at least, not considered by everyone to be such. Ordinary vanilla extract and vanilla paste are not considered kosher for Passover; you may substitute a kosher vanilla extract or the scraped beans from a vanilla pod. As dietary restrictions and traditions vary widely, we've chosen here to offer a range of recipes to meet a range of preferences, with the hope that everyone will be able to find a dish that they love.

Chocolate Mousse

Rich with bittersweet flavor and light as a cloud, chocolate mousse is a simple, elegant dessert that’s deeply satisfying to eat. And because it has to made ahead of time, it's the ideal dessert for entertaining.

Double-Caramel Flan

This gorgeous custard is chock-full of caramel, while a higher-than-usual ratio of egg yolks and cream makes it pleasantly rich. Tempering the eggs before combining them with the caramel, cream, and milk ensures that they incorporate smoothly.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

In our version of the classic Passover dessert, we toast unsweetened coconut flakes to deepen their color and flavor. For subtle vanilla and almond flavors, this recipe calls for vanilla paste and nut liqueur instead of the typical extracts; substitute kosher vanilla extract or vanilla beans if necessary to keep the macaroons kosher.

Honey-Vanilla Almond Cake

Ground whole almonds or store-bought almond meal serves as a flavorful stand-in for wheat flour in this pretty cake. The dessert gets its airy texture from whipped egg whites, and little acid in the form of lemon juice helps stabilize the whites before they're mixed into the batter. This recipe calls for butter to grease the pan, but you could easily swap it out for oil to make this a parve dessert.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This flourless chocolate cake is rich and pleasantly bittersweet, with crisp edges and a fudgy interior that comes from folding melted chocolate into a mixture of whole eggs and sugar that have been whipped until thick and pale. (To make this cake truly flourless, skip the baking spray with flour. Grease the cake pan by brushing it with softened butter, dusting it with cornstarch or your gluten-free flour blend of choice, then shaking out the excess.)

The Ultimate Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

This cake is phenomenally light and fluffy, thanks to a blend of gluten-free flours and whipped egg whites. Combining egg whites and sugar all at once creates a dense but stable meringue, and whisking it in stages creates a fine network of air cells for a delicate crumb.

Chocolate-Meringue Cookies

Chocolate lovers will love these light little meringue cookies, which put the bittersweet flavor of high-quality dark chocolate front and center. Making the meringue itself constitutes the lion's share of the work here, and even that isn't as tough as you might think it is.

Earl Grey and Vanilla Poached Pears

For the simplest dessert, poach your pears in a fragrant mixture of Earl Grey tea and vanilla. This dish is subtly sweet with a delicate floral flavor—plus, it comes together in one pot and requires just about 30 minutes to make.

Meyer Lemon Ice Cream

Brighten up your Passover table with this zesty Meyer lemon ice cream, which is packed with fresh Meyer lemon juice and zest, along with a dash of citrus liqueur. Note that this recipe contains a small amount of cornstarch, which some may want to avoid during Passover.

Tishpishti (Sephardic Jewish Nut Cake)

Our version of this festive dessert features grated apple—which tenderizes what might otherwise be a heavy cake—and a heady mix of spices and citrus. A final soak in apple brandy–ginger syrup infuses it with a subtle spice and sweetness.

Creamy Whipped Greek Yogurt

Looking for a tasty dairy dessert that's about as easy as it gets? Whipping Greek yogurt using a stand mixer may sound a little too simple, but the texture it takes on—like a hybrid of thick yogurt and fluffy whipped cream—makes it an extremely luxurious dessert, especially when layered with fresh or roasted fruit. Heavy cream thickens the yogurt, a touch of honey lends gentle sweetness, and rosewater or vanilla bean gives it a floral note.

Mango Sorbet

Sweet, buttery Ataúlfo mangoes are in season this time of year, so Passover is the ideal occasion to make a batch of this simple yet devastatingly good sorbet—all it takes is mangoes, lime juice, sugar, and a little salt. Thanks to the high ratio of fruit to water, the sorbet churns up extremely rich and creamy, with a beautiful deep-golden color.

Kitchen essentials are the foundation of successful home cooking. You’ll want an excellent frying pan, a Dutch oven that’ll last ages, and a trustworthy toaster oven. If you’re looking to upgrade some gear to make your kitchen run more smoothly, we’ve sniffed out some deals at Williams Sonoma that are too tempting not to share. We sorted through the brand’s spring sale and found an enameled Staub cocotte for 50% off, plus our all-time favorite Breville toaster oven for $50 off.

Staub 3-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Deep Oven

Staub makes one of our favorite Dutch ovens, and this 3-quart deep version is a steal at 50% off. It has the same durable cast iron construction as the one we love, with a dark enameled interior that resists chipping and staining. Staub cast iron sears well, heats uniformly, and cleans up without a hitch.

Breville Smart Oven Pro

This toaster oven has been our editors’ favorite for years. It produces toast that’s golden brown across the entire surface, with no light or dark spots. It can also cook a 10-inch frozen pizza to perfection.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

Get two countertop appliances in one with this air fryer toaster oven that produces crispy fries and crunchy chicken wings. It also toasts, bakes, broils, roasts, dehydrates, slow cooks, and more.

Le Creuset 8-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Oval Dutch Oven

This Le Creuset oval Dutch oven is ideal for your grandest of meals, like a Biryani-style whole roast chicken. Its spacious 8-quart capacity fits enough food to feed a large group of people. Plus, we’ve always liked that a Le Creuset is well-designed enough to go straight from the oven to the dinner table.

Le Creuset Round Straight Wall Ramekin, Set of 2

Every kitchen needs a set of stoneware ramekins. They’re great for serving snacks or baking individual chocolate soufflés. We loved that the inset bottoms on these Le Creuset ones allow them to stack neatly (no more toppling towers). They cook food thoroughly and clean up quickly by hand or in the dishwasher.

Staub Enameled Cast Iron Grill Pan

We recommend this Staub grill pan to get deep char marks on your paninis or burger patties. Thanks to its tough enamel coating, it’s a breeze to clean—even stuck-on food bits don’t stand a chance. It’s also nearly $100 off.

Global Classic Hollow-Ground Vegetable Knife

This is one of our top nakiri knife picks. It’s super sharp, well-balanced, and cleaves cleanly through produce. Be it fibrous carrots or thick sweet potatoes, it slices and dices smoothly. 

All-Clad D3 Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel Fry Pan

Many of our editors swear by All-Clad stainless steel cookware. This pan has been among our top picks for frying pans for a long time thanks to its excellent searing and heating capabilities. It can produce crispy salmon fillets and release delicate fried eggs without a problem.

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen gear for Serious Eats for over two years.
• She loves a good deal, especially on kitchen equipment.
  

One of the best parts about Easter is, arguably, the big piece of lamb—impressive, succulent, and delicious—at the center of the table. Lamb can be gamey and dry, especially when it's poorly prepared. Made thoughtfully, however, lamb can be a delicious, tender, and mild cut of meat with just the right amount of gaminess. Below, you'll find our nine favorite lamb recipes for the Easter table, including an impressive crown roast of lamb and a slow-roasted leg of lamb rubbed with fragrant rosemary and garlic. (Need some help picking the best lamb for your celebration? Check out our guide to buying and cooking lamb.)

Pan-Roasted Rack of Lamb

With nothing more than a pan and some butter, garlic, and herbs, you can make an astoundingly delicious rack of lamb. An optional dry-brining step seasons the meat and dries the exterior for better browning, and basting the racks with hot fat helps it cook evenly.

Qidreh (Palestinian Bone-In Lamb With Spiced Rice)

Brimming with tender bone-in lamb and fragrant rice, qidreh is the hallmark dish of the Palestinian city of Hebron. Serve it with a side of plain yogurt and a chopped salad, which provide lightness and complement the dish's rich and earthy flavor.

Crown Roast of Lamb With Couscous Stuffing and Pistachio-Mint Sauce

Set on a bed of fluffy couscous and served with a pistachio-mint sauce, this crown roast of lamb is a show-stopping centerpiece fit for a holiday meal. Cook the lamb low-and-slow, then bump up the heat to give it a beautiful brown crust.

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb With Rosemary, Garlic, and Mustard Crust

Rub your lamb with a fragrant mixture of garlic, mustard, olive oil, white wine, rosemary, lemon juice, and salt, then let it marinate for 12 hours. When you're ready to serve, all that's left to do is throw it on the grill.

Tender Braised Lamb Shanks With Bitter Herb Salad

A fragrant spice blend and a long, slow braise produce flavorful lamb shanks that practically melt off the bone. Here, anchovies give the dish a savory boost, and a mixture of spices—coriander seeds, fennel seeds, ground cumin, and smoked paprika—bring complexity and depth.

Roasted Spiced Lamb Ribs With Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

These lamb ribs are rubbed with a punchy mix of smoked paprika, fennel seed, chile flakes, and cumin, then slow-roasted until they're tender and juicy. Served with a whole grain mustard sauce, they're a meaty, satisfying main dish worth making for your holiday table.

Slow-Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb With Garlic, Rosemary, and Lemon

Leg of lamb makes for a wonderful Easter roast. We especially like a boneless cut, which is easy to season inside and out and cooks more evenly than a bone-in leg. Rub the lamb with an aromatic mixture of garlic, shallots, rosemary, and lemon zest, then roast it until it has a crisp brown crust and a rosy medium-rare center.

Sichuan Roast Leg of Lamb With Celery-Mint Salad

Bring some heat to your Easter table with this Sichuan-inspired lamb dish. Seasoned with ground Sichuan peppercorns, cumin, dried red chiles, fennel seed, and star anise, each bite is satisfyingly hot and numbing—and will keep you coming back for more.

Braised Lamb Shoulder With Dried Chilies and Dates

Stressed about cooking for a crowd? This set-it-and-forget-it dish is as easy as it gets—and lets the oven do the hard work for you. A Dutch oven heats the meat evenly from all sides, allowing it to brown while becoming tender, and sweet dates balance the acidity of the tomatillos and the heat from the chiles.

Growing up in Ohio, I figured sauerkraut balls came over from Germany, or maybe Eastern Europe. Truth is, they’re probably from Cleveland.

I’ve heard a lot about these crunchy little pork-and-kraut fritters over the years: They’re the most popular appetizer at The Golden Lamb Inn, a hotel and restaurant in Lebanon, Ohio, that my family has owned since 1926. The kitchen rolled about 200,000 of them in 2024.

The Golden Lamb happens to be the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Ohio, but our sauerkraut ball recipe only dates to the 1960s, when an accountant named Edith, visiting from Cleveland, shared a version with longtime chef Norm Sims. That’s all I knew about its history for years. After doing some research, I’d bet a few orders that Edith got her recipe from the source, or somewhere close to it: a white-tablecloth restaurant in her hometown called Gruber’s.

Looking through decades of newspaper articles, I didn’t find any mention of sauerkraut balls as we know them (as opposed to meatballs cooked with sauerkraut, which have been around for a long time) until the late 1940s. That’s when diners and food writers began taking note of the signature appetizer at Gruber’s—created as a tasty and economical way to use up meat scraps, per various accounts.

In 1949, the nationally syndicated columnist Erich Brandeis wrote about trying “a delicious concoction such as neither my wife nor I had ever seen or tasted before” at a party. He went on: “The hostess gave my wife the recipe—you take some sauerkraut and put it through the grinder together with boiled ham. You mix this with some thick white sauce, form it into little balls, and roll them in bread crumbs. Then you deep-fry them until they turn nice and brown and serve, first sticking a toothpick in each ball." I don’t know where Brandeis, who lived in Connecticut, had his first sauerkraut ball, but that feels a lot like the Gruber’s recipe that ran in papers nationwide in the years after World War II. So does the recipe we use at the Golden Lamb.

In the decades since, the city of Akron, about forty-five minutes from Cleveland, has formally adopted the sauerkraut ball. Readers at the Akron Beacon-Journal voted it the city’s official food in 1996. If you search “sauerkraut balls” on Newspapers.com, you’ll see that that paper has run about twice as many articles about the heartland croquettes—1,278, at the time of publication—as any other in the country. Judy Orr James’s 2022 cookbook “Akron Family Recipes” concludes with an entire chapter on sauerkraut balls, subtitled “It’s An Akron Thing.” 

But even James acknowledges that Cleveland did it first, noting that the Beacon-Journal didn’t mention sauerkraut balls for the first time until November 1952, after Gruber’s had already impressed the famous food writers Clementine Paddleford and Duncan Hines with theirs.

And while the sauerkraut ball has evolved over the years, including at the family restaurant, which now has its own secret recipe, the Gruber’s version was a national phenomenon for a reason. I went through dozens of reference recipes when researching this dish, and though I experimented with more recent additions and substitutions including cream cheese (very common), breakfast sausage (common), and pork shoulder (less common), none improved on the original formula. So, I cleaned it up for a modern audience, making only relatively minor changes to improve the texture and flavor. The foundational recipe is all about balance—between pork chops and ham, hearty meats and zingy sauerkraut, a tender center and a crisp, crumb-coated crust. This recipe maintains that.

There are similar dishes in Europe, including Dutch bitterballen, rich with beef and gravy, and Spain’s well-known croquetas de jamón. Sauerkraut balls follow a familiar formula—sautéed meats and aromatics bound with a roux, shaped, breaded, and fried. And the combination of pork and sauerkraut is common in European cookery, of course, especially in Germany and Eastern Europe, where many northern Ohio families trace their roots. In the melting pot that is the Midwest, those imported ideas came together to form a perfect little appetizer, bar snack, and party bite. Drawing on European tradition but almost certainly native to the Buckeye State, these sauerkraut balls balance the flavors and techniques of the Old World with the playfulness and ingenuity of the New.

In a small bowl, whisk to combine 1/2 cup flour, salt, pepper, and mustard. Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven or large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add pork chops and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on at least two sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion, and cook, lowering the temperature if necessary to prevent burning and stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sauerkraut and ham and stir to combine.

Sprinkle seasoned flour mixture over sauerkraut mixture and cook, stirring continuously, until no flour is visible, about 1 minute. Slowly add milk in a steady stream while stirring continuously and cook until mixture thickens and clumps together, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Let mixture sit at room temperature until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Using a meat grinder or pulsing in a food processor, pulse (about 25 pulses for a food processor) into a cohesive mixture of small, uniform pieces. It should resemble ham or tuna salad in texture. Spread mixture evenly across a plate and let it cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours.

Once chilled, use hands to roll sauerkraut mixture into 1-ounce balls (about 30 total).

Set up a breading station with 3 shallow bowls: Fill 1 bowl with remaining 1/2 cup flour, 1 with eggs, and 1 with panko breadcrumbs. Using separate hands for wet and dry ingredients, roll each ball in flour, then egg mixture, then breadcrumbs, pressing lightly to ensure an even coating at each stage.

Heat oil to 375°FF (190°C) in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (oil should measure 2-inches deep, add more if needed). Working in batches of about 10 balls at a time, fry sauerkraut balls until golden brown and cooked through, turning if needed for even browning, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly season the fried balls with salt. Repeat with remaining sauerkraut balls. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with ramekins of cocktail sauce and mustard for dipping.

Special Equipment

Large Dutch oven or large skillet, meat grinder or food processor, large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot for frying, slotted spoon or spider skimmer

Make-Ahead and Storage

The sauerkraut balls are best enjoyed immediately.

As far as cookware goes, there’s arguably no better investment than a cast iron or carbon steel skillet. Take a modicum of care with either one and it’ll last forever. (I’ve heard of cast iron pans passed down for generations.)

Both types of skillets get rip-roaring hot—and stay that way—and withstand high temperatures. This allows cast iron and carbon steel to put gloriously browned crusts on steaks, bake golden cornbread, shallow-fry anything, and even go on the grill. But because the world is expensive and kitchen storage is at a premium, the question then becomes: Which one should you buy? 

What Is Carbon Steel vs. Cast Iron?

Cast iron pans are typically a single piece of metal. To make one, a molten mixture of pig iron and steel (and other proprietary ingredients) is poured into a mold. Lodge—the maker of our favorite cast iron skillet—uses molds made from sand, which has a higher melting point than metal. “Once the cast iron pan or pot has cooled, the sand mold is broken, leaving behind a brand new piece of cast iron cookware,” Lodge says. 

Carbon steel, on the other hand, is a mixture of carbon and iron. The percentage of carbon varies, but, according to Misen, it’s often less than 3.5%. Carbon steel pans are stamped, not molded, meaning a sheet of metal is pressed into a shape. The handles are later welded or riveted on.

Which Weighs More?

There’s no getting around it: Cast iron is heavier than carbon steel. Our top-recommended Lodge skillet is five pounds, seven ounces, whereas our winning carbon steel pan is a little over three pounds. Cast iron’s weight (as well as its maintenance—more on that below) is what I hear the most complaints about. That being said, its heft has its advantages. Namely, its sheer mass gives it the edge over carbon steel for searing and browning. 

When Do You Use Cast Iron vs. Carbon Steel?

Sear, brown, roast, pan-fry, and bake: Both cast iron and carbon steel go neck and neck with each other and can be used for all of these core tasks. They also have supremely high maximum temperatures—cue “the limit does not exist”—though our favorite carbon steel pan from Mauviel lists a max of 680ºF. (Note: Some skillets, like this one from Misen, have lower max temperatures. Always double-check the manufacturer’s specifications.) The differentiators? Carbon steel pans have flared, sloping sides that make them better for sautéing, as does their lighter weight. Conversely, I find cast iron’s higher, straighter sides more reassuring when shallow-frying chicken cutlets or baking a skillet cake.

What you shouldn’t use cast iron or carbon steel for is the same. Namely, skip either when simmering acidic sauces like ye olde tomato, as the acid can eat away at the pan’s seasoning. And neither would be my top pick for delicate, stick-prone dishes like a French omelette.

Which Costs More?

As with most things in life, you can spend as much as you want on a cast iron or carbon steel pan. I have Smithey and Blu Skillet Ironware pans that cost hundreds of dollars. That said, you don’t need to, which is the beauty of both materials. Our tests showed that relatively inexpensive cast iron and carbon steel pans performed as well or better than their pricier counterparts. Our favorite Lodge cast iron skillet is about $20, whereas our carbon steel pick from Mauviel is under $100.

Which Is Easier to Season?

While most cast iron pans come pre-seasoned, the same can’t be said of carbon steel. Only half of our favorite carbon steel pans are pre-seasoned. Seasoning carbon steel requires heating the pan, applying a thin layer of oil, and then burning that oil off so it forms a polymer all over the skillet’s surface—and then repeating this whole process until the pan takes on a deeply browned hue. Seasoning a cast iron skillet is not entirely dissimilar, though is arguably less smoky, since we recommend doing so in the oven.

How Do You Care for Them?

Care for both cast iron and carbon steel is simple, though often overblown. The one rule? Don’t leave ‘em wet. As we explain here, to clean, either you’ll want to scrub it with hot, soapy water—yes, soap is fine once the seasoning’s built up—rinse, dry immediately, and apply a light layer of neutral oil that’ll act as a protective barrier, preventing rusting. 

So, Which Is Better? 

Sorry, but neither is unequivocally better. If you don’t have either, I’d opt to get a cheap cast iron skillet first. But I do love carbon steel and find myself reaching for this lighter pan more than its cast iron counterpart. The annoying answer is I think it’s worth having both. They’ll only get better with age, proving their versatility and durability again and again. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the associate editorial director of Serious Eats. 
• She’s been with the site since 2021 and has been testing gear professionally for more than six years. 
• Riddley owns several carbon steel and cast iron pans.
  

It's April. Daffodils have sprung up, trees are beginning to bloom, and the produce at my farmers market is getting greener and greener. Still, the weather in the Northeast continues to keep most of us on our toes as it oscillates between freezing winter temperatures and moderately warm days. Thanks to Mother Nature's erratic behavior, some of our staffers are still whipping up comforting and warming meals, while others are dusting off the grill or tossing together crisp spring vegetables to make a refreshing salad. Our list of editors' picks this month includes minimal-effort recipes, like Caesar deviled eggs, a savory carrot tart, and clay pot rice with silky chicken and mushrooms. You'll also find a simple mocha tres leches cake, which takes just about 20 minutes to prep, and fluffy almond rolls that taste like a mash-up of almond croissants and cinnamon rolls.

Cantonese-Style Braised Brisket

"I love when Genevieve publishes a savory recipe because—to be honest with you—the chances that I attempt to tackle one of her delicious baking endeavors is almost always close to zero. I tasted this during a photo shoot and have been thinking about it since." - Amanda Suarez, associate visuals director

Grilled Whole Cauliflower With Teriyaki Sauce

"The image of this golden brown head of cauliflower stopped me in my tracks. With the weather finally thawing out a bit, I can't wait to try this at home. I'm especially excited about the teriyaki glaze—yum!" - An Uong, writer

Cantonese Clay Pot Rice With Velveted Chicken and Mushrooms

"It is not a new recipe, but I have been dreaming of Lucas Sin's clay pot rice with chicken and mushrooms almost daily for weeks. I must make it, and soon." - Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

Fluffy Almond Rolls

"Contributor Zola Gregory's almond rolls—basically cinnamon rolls filled with almond cream instead of the classic cinnamon sugar mixture—sound absolutely delightful, and I can't wait to make a batch this weekend." - Genevieve Yam, senior editor

Fried Pickles

"I love fried pickles—tangy, crunchy, zesty. And even better when they're dipped in ranch." - Grace Kelly, senior editor

Mocha Tres Leches Cake

"I love tres leches cake, and I especially enjoy it when the weather starts to heat up. I've never had a mocha version, but it’s tres leches flavored with chocolate and espresso. What's not to love? Seems perfect for a dinner party when you could use a little pick-me-up at the end of the night." - Kelli Solomon, senior social media editor

Carrot and Raisin Salad

"Carrots are a truly underrated vegetable. I love them raw as a snack or roasted as a side, but I rarely put them in my salads. This salad looks so refreshing and positively screams spring. Plus, it seems like a fast and flavorful side for an Easter roast." - Kelli

Harcha (Moroccan Flatbread)

"Nargisse's harcha are my new go-to weeknight biscuit—the semolina flour gives them such a wonderful sweet and nutty flavor. Plus: They require just a handful of ingredients and come together in just one bowl." - Leah Colins, senior culinary editor

Caesar Deviled Eggs

"I love deviled eggs any time of year, but they're a must-have for Easter for me. I love the classic deviled eggs my mom always made—with mustard, dill pickle relish, and plenty of mayo— but I'm also a fan of creative spins. I was on-hand to taste these Caesar salad–inspired eggs when Daniel was developing the recipe, and they're phenomenally savory and satisfying." - Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director

Savory Carrot Tart

"This is the perfect Easter brunch recipe, and you cannot convince me otherwise!" - Rochelle Bilow, editor

Spring Salad of Asparagus, Ramps, Snap Peas, and Peas With Lemon Zest Vinaigrette

"Former editor Kenji's spring salad has everything I want to eat right now: crisp-tender asparagus, sweet peas, and ramps. I am desperate for all of these ingredients to come into season, and can't wait to make this salad when they do." - Genevieve

Some people like to clean out their fridge by making a soup, stew, or stir-fry. I prefer to do it with warm, buttery biscuits, which are a versatile vehicle for the odds and ends in your kitchen. Have rogue cheese, fresh herbs, and random nubs of cured meats? Toss them into your dough. It’s an effective and delicious way to curb food waste, and allows you to come up with whatever flavor profile you want for your biscuits: cacio e pepe, maple syrup and bacon, or, my favorite, sour cream and chives. 

The recipe below comes from my Birmingham, Alabama-based test kitchen colleague Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman, who baked batches and batches of biscuits to land on a formula for tender, flaky sour cream and chive biscuits that are also quick and easy to make. The sour cream gives the biscuits a pleasant tang, and a touch of garlic powder helps amplify the chives’ allium notes and natural sweetness. Making biscuits from scratch may feel intimidating and sound labor-intensive, but Stuedeman’s recipe comes together in just about an hour (only half of that is active prep time). And, with a few tips and tricks, you’ll be able to make light, fluffy bakery-worthy biscuits. 

The Key Techniques for Making Tender, Flaky Biscuits

Add a Little Cornstarch

Gluten is a network of protein molecules that gives doughs and batters their structure. The higher a flour’s protein percentage, the more gluten that flour can develop when hydrated. While gluten is essential in baked goods, developing too much of it can result in tough, chewy pastries. To reduce the gluten potential of a flour, bakers often incorporate cornstarch to “soften” a flour’s proteins. This is what Harold McGee, the author of On Food and Cooking, describes as diluting the gluten proteins. Adding a small quantity of cornstarch reduces the overall gluten in the dough, resulting in tender biscuits.

Triple the Dairy

Butter, sour cream, and whole milk all play a very important role: They provide fat. Butter and sour cream, in particular, help coat the flour particles (and a pair of gluten proteins called glutenin and gliadin) in fat to minimize gluten development, resulting in softer, lighter biscuits. Here, we cut half-inch cubes of butter into the dry ingredients until they’re pea-sized, then toss to evenly coat the flour mixture with fat.

Like buttermilk, an acidic ingredient frequently used to make biscuits, sour cream provides a nice tang and reacts with alkaline baking soda to help the biscuits rise. But because sour cream is so thick, it’s crucial to add extra liquid to hydrate the dough and help it come together, which is where whole milk comes in. Together, they produce soft, flavorful biscuits with good rise.

Laminate the Dough

Laminating refers to the technique of folding pastry over and over itself to create numerous layers. It’s a common technique many French pastry chefs use to create puff pastry or viennoiserie, like croissants. Below, we roll the dough into a rectangle, fold it into thirds like a business letter, then repeat once more for biscuits with plenty of layers.

Keep the Biscuit Dough Cold

Chilling the dough allows the gluten to relax, but it also ensures that the specks of butter in the biscuit dough remain intact. As the biscuits bake, the small pieces of butter melt, creating pockets of steam that give the biscuits their flaky layers and lift.

Adjust oven rack to middle position, and preheat oven to 425°F (220ºC). Line a 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and garlic powder. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly and butter is pea-sized. Stir in chives until combined.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and milk to combine. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture just until combined and dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Using clean hands, gently press and fold flour mixture in bowl until dough just holds together.

Turn out dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface; using your hands or a rolling pin, gently press or roll dough into a rough 9- by 5-inch rectangle. Fold rectangle into thirds like a business letter. (Dough may still be a bit crumbly at this point but will come together. If you are struggling to lift and fold the dough, use a bench scraper to help fold the dough.) Repeat process one more time, very lightly flouring surface or dough if needed; press or roll dough to 3/4-inch thickness.

Using a floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut dough into 8 biscuits, rerolling and cutting scraps once, if needed; very lightly flour surface or top of dough only if needed to prevent sticking. Arrange biscuits on prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Freeze, uncovered, until firm, 10 minutes. (If your freezer is too small for a 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet, you can chill dough on parchment-lined plates, then transfer to prepared baking sheet once biscuits are firm.)

Brush tops of chilled dough with egg. Bake until tops are golden brown and biscuits are cooked through, 15 to 17 minutes. Set baking sheet on a wire rack, and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm with softened butter.

Special Equipment

13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper, whisk, rolling pin, bench scraper, 2 1/2-inch round cutter, pastry brush, wire rack

Notes

Onion powder can be used in place of garlic powder, if desired.

Make-Ahead and Storage

These biscuits are enjoyed fresh. Once cooled, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To freeze biscuits, place them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and freeze. When frozen solid, transfer biscuits to a large zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.

Guacamole is old—really old. The word itself comes from "ahuacamolli," which means “avocado sauce” in Nahuatl, and the dish dates back at least the Aztec empire in Mexico, before the Spanish arrived in the 16th century. At its most basic, it requires little more than avocados and serrano or jalapeño chiles, traditionally mashed in a large basalt mortar and pestle with some salt. The Aztecs prepared such avocado-based sauces for hundreds of years, making guacamole and its progenitors among the oldest continuously prepared dishes in the Americas.

An early written recipe for guacamole appeared in the 17th-century autobiography of the pirate William Dampier. He described a mash of avocado, sugar, and lime that he was introduced to near modern-day Panama. It was one of many forms of guacamole, both then and now. They vary in texture and consistency, ranging from thin and saucy all the way to something so chunky it might be described as a salad, and anything in between. These differences can reflect regional or personal preferences, as well as how the guacamole is intended to be used; whether as a condiment on tacos, alongside roasted meats and rice and beans, spread on sopes, or as a dip with tortilla chips.

The guacamole recipe I'm sharing here is not sweetened or mashed into a chunky salad, and it isn’t your standard game-day chip dip either. Instead, it's a taquero-style guacamole. Think of it more as an avocado sauce: pourable, creamy, and spicy with a zesty kick of cilantro. It’s ideal for spooning over (or into) tacos, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, and whatever else your heart desires. It goes particularly well with tacos de asada, tacos capeados or a hearty papa loca (a grilled potato mashed with cheese and topped with carne asada). 

Many taco shops throughout Mexico have some version of this sauce. If it’s watered down too much, clients might complain that they’re being served “aguamole.” In some cases you may even encounter a "guacamole" that doesn't even have avocados in it, but instead is made with cheaper summer squash, sometimes referred to as “fake guacamole.” 

I learned the recipe below from second-generation taquero Paco Gaztelum, who often serves it at Tacos El Veneno, his taco cart in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Paco has prepared variations of this taquero-style guacamole hundreds if not thousands of times, adjusting the flavor and consistency to pair perfectly with the dish it is being served with.

For this particular recipe, he designed a sauce that is avocado-forward with a pleasant hint of heat.He says the key to his sauce is as simple as picking good avocados. Ultimately, if the avocado tastes good, the guacamole will taste good. Picking great avocados is a bit easier in Mexico for Paco, where high quality, fresh avocados are more abundant than in other countries. Still, Paco says cooks in the U.S. and elsewhere can find the best ripe avocados available by following a few guidelines.

How to Select the Best (and Ripest) Avocados

Paco recommends using Hass avocados in his recipe. Hass avocados are widely available in the US and their buttery, creamy texture and flavor consistently produces flavorful guacamole. But Hass are not the only good avocados out there, and if you have access to other types of avocados, it can be worthwhile to try them. Just make sure to measure the avocados by weight, and not by the number of avocados, to ensure the right ratio of avocado to water; otherwise the consistency may be way off.

As a Hass avocado ripens, it darkens in color, and its dark color is the first good indicator of whether it's ripe. But a dark color alone will not tell you if the avocado is at it's peak. Ultimately, the best indicator for when an avocado is ripe is its feel: A ripe avocado should be soft, especially near the stem, but it shouldn’t feel spongy or hollow. You can also wiggle the stem—if it’s ripe, the stem will easily peel away from the fruit. 

Avocados have a short window of perfect ripeness, so make sure to take ripening time into consideration when shopping and meal-planning, and be prepared to purchase your avocado a few days before making the guacamole. (For avocado ripening tips, check out our guide on how to ripen and store avocados.)

Fine-Tuning the Guacamole’s Aromatics

If you don’t like spice (or your chile smells particularly pungent), you can cut it in half and remove the seeds, which carry a lot of the heat. This works for both serrano and jalapeño peppers. Another tip from Paco: For jalapeños, the spiceness can be gauged by looking at the veiny white striations on the outside of the chile. The larger and more visible these marks are, the spicier the pepper. 

Another parameter to keep an eye on is the salt level. Paco says that when seasoning this guacamole, it’s important to keep in mind the dish you plan to serve the sauce with. Serving it with salty, heavily seasoned pork tacos? You might want to scale down the salt amount in this guacamole. Is it going on a lighter fish dish? You might want to be more heavy-handed with the salt. “The quantity [of salt] is about balancing the dish, taco or chip, whatever you’re going to eat,” Paco says.

Like any really good guacamole, this recipe is almost infinitely flexible. Try it without cilantro, with a squeeze of lime, or with more or less salt or water to dial in your favorite version. I’ve had taquero-style guacamoles with a hint of garlic, a little finely chopped tomato, and even small chunks of queso fresco. As Paco’s father, a retired taquero, likes to say, “En la cocina, el cocinero manda”—in the kitchen, the cook is in charge. 

The Best Way to Store Taquero-Style Guacamole

This guacamole, like all guacamole, is best enjoyed very shortly after it’s prepared, but what about leftovers? Is there a way to prevent leftover sauce from browning? Oxygen is what causes avocado to turn unsightly brown. As is discussed in Serious Eat’s perfect guacamole recipe, there are a few hacks out there that claim to prevent this, such as the common tip of putting the pits on top of the guacamole to prevent browning or adding acid (most often lime juice). But the best option is to is to store the guacamole in a container that minimizes the amount of air it’s exposed to (a squeeze bottle works best) and to press a double layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole if it is going to be exposed, to minimize oxidation.

In a blender, blend avocado, cilantro, serrano, water, and 1 teaspoon salt until completely smooth. Season to taste with additional salt as needed. Serve.

Special Equipment

Blender 

Notes

A seeded jalapeño can be substituted for the serrano chile for an even less spicy option.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The guacamole sauce is best eaten the same day it's made. It should be refrigerated in an air-tight container when not in use (a squeeze bottle works great). Second-day leftovers still taste good, and light oxidation on top disappears with stirring. After that, the loss of flavor and color become increasingly noticeable.

Hyperlocal pizza traditions are no longer just local—many have gone national. I’ve met Seattle natives who swear the best pizza in the country is New Haven apizza, and one of my favorite pizza shops in New York is a Chicago-style joint known for—get this—their thin crust.

I spent countless hours of my youth in Jersey slice shops, refining my skills in pizza identification: a square vs. a grandma slice, margherita vs. cheese. Now I'm an adult with a tendency toward culinary fixations as well as a more refined pizza palate developed while working in Brooklyn pizzerias like Roberta’s and Barboncino. I constantly think about the next trend to take this pizza-loving country by storm, and right now my money is on a pizza subculture within a subculture (a "pizz-ception," if you will). AND it’s from my home state. I’m talking about Trenton’s own mustard pie.

A mustard pie is exactly what it sounds like, a fantastic slice of NJ pizza with the zip and heat of spicy brown mustard spread just below the cheese. It adds depth and complexity, accomplishing more than many more bombastic pies ever manage to, without being overpowering.

Now for those who have alarm bells ringing just at the thought of this combination, I remind you that tomato and mustard are a savory dynamic duo. The sweet acidity of the tomato brightens the earthy heat and slight bitterness of mustard. French chefs knew this when they developed tarte à la tomate, a savory pie made with tomatoes, Gruyère, and Dijon mustard. And need I remind you of the two brightly colored bottles that sit on every diner table and are used to top fries, burgers, and dogs, often in combination?

Where Does the Mustard Pizza Come From?

Of course, making a mustard pizza isn’t as simple as squirting some of the yellow stuff onto your dollar slice. The recipe is an evolution of the tomato pie, a Jersey icon with roots in Trenton, New Jersey and surrounding areas.

The tomato pie is reminiscent of New Haven coal-oven pizza with a thin, well-done crust. The unique thing about these NJ pies is that they eschew the typical pizza construction: Instead of building pies by topping dough with sauce and then cheese, they go dough first, then cheese, then blots of sauce. The result is a tomato-forward experience that brings the acidity and sweetness of the juicy red fruit to the forefront. A pizza befitting a state known for its tomatoes, if you ask me.

Though I haven’t uncovered the full backstory behind the momentous innovation of adding mustard to the classic tomato pie, I do know it took hold when Bill Schuster of Schuster’s—a now-defunct Trenton pizza shop—began drizzling spicy brown mustard onto his pies. Against all odds, people fell in love with the tangy bitterness, and it quickly became a cult favorite in the area.

It was such a hit that, when Schuster’s closed, their customers flocked to nearby Papa’s Tomato Pies, demanding they put mustard on their pizzas. Not wanting to disappoint, Nick Azzaro, the current owner of the 113 year-old restaurant and grandson of the founder, obliged and now Papa’s, already an institution in its own right, has become the de facto home for the mustard pie. In fact, the exterior of their shop is adorned with a sign that proclaims, “Home of the Mustard Pie.”

The Key Steps to True-to-the-Original Homemade Mustard Pizza

I am not new to the mustard pie, and I have spent many nights staring down at an empty Papa’s box with bits of mustard remaining, contemplating this piece of niche pizza history. Deep down, I knew as the food-fixated, pizza-possessed cook that I am that I needed to pay homage with my own recipe. So here we are.

I am not going to give a custom dough recipe here, since I think this wonderful NY Style Pizza Dough recipe plays the role well in a mustard pie. I also tested my recipe with store-bought dough and got similarly awesome results, so you should feel comfortable using whatever is most convenient or appeals to you. I will only say that I do not think a super-thin Neapolitan crust holds up well to the moisture of the mustard and tomato sauce in this pie; I suggest avoiding it here.

Step 1: Pick the Right Mustard

In my research, I found a few local news stories that reported that the mustard used by Papa’s is a brand of spicy brown found in every grocery store. But I wouldn’t be honoring my inner food nerd if I just picked up a bottle of Golden’s and called it a day. I tried six mustards and mustard combinations including straight Dijon, yellow mustard, and a mix of spicy brown and stone-ground to find the one I like best. While each had their merits (I especially loved the pops of the mustard seeds in the stone-ground), I settled on a choice that seems to deviate from the mustard at Papa’s: a combo of Dijon and spicy brown.

Straight spicy brown was great and came the closest to matching the flavor of Pop’s, but I found myself longing for a slightly punchier hit of mustard. After eating far too many slices, I settled on a mixture of equal parts Dijon and spicy brown. The Dijon does not take center stage, but instead makes the spicy brown taste a bit more robust and helps to make the mustard flavor stand out amid the cheese and tomato.

Step 2: Keep the Sauce Simple

My professional pizza-making experience has been exclusively in spots known for their Neapolitan pies. In Naples, the sauce tends to be quite straightforward, not much more than canned tomatoes blended with olive oil and salt. According to the folks at Papa’s, they do the same.

However, I had to do my due diligence. I tested a few pies with a variety of sauces, some barely cooked at all, others simmered for a half hour up to a full hour (in line with this site's NY-Style Sauce). But I found that the more cooked sauces overpowered the mustard with their deeper tomato-paste character. Much better were high-quality canned tomatoes that taste bright and fresh, simply blended and slathered directly onto the pizza. I was still craving a bit of that sweetness typical of many NY/NJ pizzas, so I added a small amount of sugar to bring the sauce more in line with that profile. 

Step 3: Be Selective With Your Mozz

The go-to cheese in most American pizza shops is whole milk, low-moisture mozzarella (I call it WMLM for short). This cheese is different from both fresh mozzarella and also the much more common low-fat, low-moisture mozzarella sold at most supermarkets, but it's the best choice for the cheese on this pie. In contrast to fresh mozzarella’s subtle creaminess, WMLM mozz is comparatively much sharper with a firmness that makes it easy to grate. Fresh mozzarella makes creamy pools of cheese, but what we want is that shiny, cohesive layer of melted cheese you see on most NY-style pies. Low-fat mozzarella, on the other hand, melts into a more rubbery blob that doesn't have the richness of whole milk.

The challenge is that WMLM mozz can be hard to find. If you have trouble tracking it down, whole-milk string cheese is a good alternative, bringing the sharpness and firmness we’re looking for. You could freeze it and grate it or, if you’re not so committed to classic grated cheese shreds, simply slice the string cheese sticks into thin coins.

Step 4: Cook it Right

Cooking spectacular pizza at home without the right setup can be very difficult. Commercial and dedicated home pizza ovens have floors that can reach temps around 800ºF. This ensures that the dough cooks through and browns quickly while the lower ambient temperature melts the cheese a bit slower, ensuring perfect pizza equilibrium. In the lower heat of a home oven, you can easily dry out the cheese and break its emulsion so the fat pools in the time it takes to fully cook the dough below it.

The best luck I’ve had with avoiding this issue in a home oven is by using a thick, high-quality pizza stone or steel and a long preheat time of at least a half hour. These steps, along with cranking your oven to its highest temp, will combine to bring your oven as close as possible to the power of the multi-deck behemoths you see at your local slice shop. Keeping your shredded cheese in the fridge just until ready to bake is also really helpful in balancing out the cheese and dough cooking times.

If, after your first few pies, you’re still ending up with the broken cheese issue, I’d suggest you par-bake your crust for a third of the total time, then, with measured mise at the ready, pull the oven rack out and quickly and carefully add the toppings before sliding the rack back in place to finish. The stone will retain its heat while the reduction in ambient temp from opening the oven will aid you in keeping your cheese from overcooking.

Set oven rack to lower-third position and place a pizza stone or baking steel on it; preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) or as high as your oven will go. Wait at least 30 minutes before baking.

In a food processor, combine tomatoes, olive oil, and sugar and process until mostly smooth with only small chunks remaining. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together Dijon and spicy brown mustards and set aside until ready to use. If mixture is too thick, stir in a drop or two of water to loosen slightly for easier spreading.

Set one ball of dough on a well-floured work surface and, using your fingers, press down repeatedly to dock the dough and flatten slightly. Then, using the base of your palm, press the dough into a slightly larger circle roughly 7 inches wide. Next, stretch dough into a 12-inch circle either by draping the dough over your hands and using your knuckles to evenly stretch the dough, or by quickly tossing it back and forth between your hands, rotating the dough to maintain an even circle (this second method is the most effective but also takes the most practice). Lay the dough on a lightly floured pizza peel.

Dollop 1/3 of the mustard mixture onto the center of the dough, then use the back of a spoon to spread the mustard all over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with 1/3 of the cheese, staying within the border of the mustard.

Using a large spoon, drizzle 2 1/4 ounces (64g), about ⅓ cup, of sauce over the pie. Carefully, but confidently, slide the dough off the peel onto the pizza stone. Cook until the crust is thoroughly browned and the cheese is melted, 12 to 15 minutes.

Using the peel, transfer pizza to a clean work surface and immediately slice. Repeat with the remaining dough balls and topping ingredients.

Notes

If using the linked recipe, prepare it including the instructed 2-hour rest in step 2, then proceed with the dough in this recipe as instructed. If using store-bought dough, each dough ball should be about 9 to 10 ounces (255 to 285 grams); this means that for 3 pizzas you’ll need about 2 pounds of store-bought dough. Most store-bought doughs (both fresh and frozen) are fully proofed, but if not, follow package instructions to prepare for baking.

Special Equipment

Pizza stone or baking steel, pizza peel, food processor

Make-Ahead and Storage

The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.