Food & Cooking

A long time ago I watched a video about John Nese, owner of the iconic Galco’s Soda Pop Stop in LA, and one thing that stuck with me was his response after being asked how much soda he drinks.

There’s no finer pleasure than starting the day with a slice of hot, fresh bread dripping in salted butter. Poets have waxed on about the joys of transforming so few ingredients into such a beautiful foodstuff for millennia. But unless life has been very good to you, it’s probably not often you wake up to freshly-made bread wafting from your kitchen. Are breadmakers the answer to this, the most first-world of first-world problems? And are they able to match or outdo the stuff I can make by hand?

You probably already know the benefits of cooking at home. It can help save you money, you can learn a new skill and it can often be healthier than eating out all the time. But regardless of if you enjoy being in the kitchen or don’t know where to start, we at Engadget know that advice can be easier said than done. After working all day, taking care of kids and pets and the like, it might feel like an insurmountable task to find a new recipe to cook for dinner.

French for “under vacuum,” sous vide cooking involves immersing vacuum-sealed food in a temperature-controlled water bath until the food is cooked to your liking. It might sound intimidating, and it’s true that this cooking method was once the province of professional cooks with expensive equipment. But that’s not the case anymore — not only is sous vide cooking more accessible than ever now, but there are a number of sous vide machines out there that don’t cost a fortune.

A poker face is among the many qualities I was born without, so when I unwrapped the

Instant Pots had a huge moment a few years ago. Promising to be an all-in-one multi-cooker that can replace gadgets like a rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker and more, the Instant Pot rose to fame in part thanks to its versatility and also the fact that it’s a good electric pressure cooker. The latter is one of its biggest appeals, and it’s made the Instant Pot popular with home cooks in particular (including many of us on the Engadget staff).

Unless you’ve worked in the food service industry, the

For those looking to elevate their cooking, a sous vide machine might be the perfect addition to your toolkit. Previously, these gadgets were almost exclusively used by high-end restaurants. But more recently, prices have come down to where they can be relatively affordable additions to your kitchen. These devices make preparing perfectly cooked steaks a breeze while taking all the guesswork and hassle out of dishes like pulled pork or brisket.

It sounds too good to be true. The ability to smoke meats, seafood and more inside your kitchen without risking your security deposit doesn’t seem like something that should be possible. GE Appliances begs to differ.

Recteq revealed five new smart pellet grills in October, including unique dual-chamber and griddle options. Now, the company is back with two more models: a larger version of the recently overhauled Flagship 1100 and a built-in design for outdoor kitchens.