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These 11 Kitchen Items Didn’t Win Our Reviews, But Our Editors Still Love Them

You might think they’re worth buying, too.

By
Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm
Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm Serious Eats
Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm
Associate Editorial Director
Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the Associate Editorial Director for Serious Eats. She joined the team in 2021.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Published April 15, 2025
hand swirling melted butter in skillet

Serious Eats / Grace Kelly

When we test kitchen gear, we’re admittedly tough on products. We don’t want you wasting your money on anything but the best. The best-performing! The most durable! The easiest to use!

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t gear out there that’s good, but–for whatever reason—just didn’t beat our top picks. We get emails from readers often inquiring why their favorite [insert item] wasn’t a winner in its respective review. And we get it! The good news is that if you like it, then it’s the right coffee maker/vegetable peeler/waffle maker for you. To prove that, we rounded up 11 products our editors love that we don’t recommend. 

I know that we at Serious Eats all love Le Creuset’s Dutch ovens. If I could afford it, I'd have an entire wall of them in every color. They're gorgeous! But my go-to Dutch oven at home is Cuisinart, and it's actually not one of our winners. It's affordable, durable, and just the right size for my stews and braises. — Leah Colins, senior culinary editor

pulled pork in two dutch ovens on the stove

Serious Eats / Grace Kelly

I've owned these food storage containers for years. (We haven't formally tested them yet, but we must.) I love them. They're colorful, they nest for storage, they have leakproof lids, and they're microwave-safe. I've run them through the dishwasher dozens and dozens of times, and they're still perfect. I also love the size range the set comes with: four containers, with the large one being big enough for a sizable amount of leftovers and the small one able to house half a lemon, sauce, or a handful of chopped herbs. – Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate editorial director

The OXO peeler did not win our test, but it's so comfortable to hold and easy to use. It's my favorite peeler. There, I said it! — Genevieve Yam, senior editor

A closeup look at some vegetable peelers on a grey surface

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

I've been through many automatic coffee makers over the years, including several of our winners (which are all great). The Wilfa, I think, is the best I've used so far. It's a simple machine with a single button for turning it on and off, but the design is elegant, the water temperature is spot-on, and, thanks to an adjustable flow-rate valve in the brewing basket that goes from fully shut to wide open, you have an incredible amount of control over your brew process and variables. The coffee I make with the Wilfa is consistently some of the best I've managed to brew with any automatic drip machine. Highly recommended. — Daniel Gritzer, editorial director 

While this wasn’t one of our winning nonalcoholic mixers, I really love Lyre’s Italian orange aperitif. Sure, it’s sweet, but when mixed with tonic and a wedge of orange, the sugar is toned down to a pleasant level. It’s the nearest approximation of a nonalcoholic Aperol spritz I’ve had, with that requisite orange bitterness. — Grace Kelly, senior editor

A person pouring a nonalcoholic mixer into a glass with ice.

Serious Eats / Ashlee Redger

As a staunch believer that you don't need a countertop appliance for everything, I absolutely stand by this stovetop waffle maker that barely takes up any space in my cookware cabinet. While we haven't officially tested it, this waffler is simply a joy to use, and it produces impeccable waffles that are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The cast aluminum material is very durable; I've had mine for over five years now, and it still looks new. It also has a nonstick coating on the inside, so cleanup takes seconds with some soap and warm water. If you love the idea of making waffles at home but don't want to get a machine, this is the tool to snag. — An Uong, writer

The Yamazaki flunked our bread boxes review for being extra big...but that's why I like it! I use it to organize my coffee-making gear, plus all that other miscellaneous kitchen stuff that never seems to find a home. The white powder coating is easy to clean, too. – Rochelle Bilow, editor

A bread box on a kitchen countertop with bread in it.

Serious Eats / Madeline Muzzi

About once a week, I broil or bake a single serving of fish for myself on one of these Nordic Ware eighth-sheet pans. It's the perfect size for a piece of fish or a single chicken cutlet, and, like other sheet pans I own from Nordic Ware, it doesn't warp in the oven. I also like that there's no nonstick coating on it, so I feel fine about getting it ripping-hot under the broiler. — Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director

An eight-sheet pan with a roasted red bell pepper on it

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

I know you absolutely don't have to spend a lot on a cast iron skillet, but gosh, is this one pretty. I've owned it for about four years now, and its well-seasoned surface is virtually nonstick. It's heavier than a lot of other cast iron pans, but I also don't expect cast iron to ever be light, so I'm fine with it! — Riddley

using a fish spatula to flip a fried egg in a cast iron skillet

Serious Eats / Grace Kelly

I love my Ooni pizza stone, but I don't actually make pizza with it. I use it for all sorts of breads like sourdough and pita, and I often leave it in my oven to regulate the temperature. Basically, I use it to bake everything except the one food it was designed for because I only make homemade pizza when I have access to my dad's pizza oven. This particular stone did not land high on the list in our pizza stone test because of its size, but if you have a small oven or live in an apartment (like I do), a smaller stone is the way to go. — Kelli Solomon, senior social media editor

a pizza cooking on a pizza stone

Serious Eats / Jesse Raub

This pan did not top our review of square baking pans, but I bought it at my local grocery store for $6, and I've had no complaints. I've found that having an oven thermometer keeps cakes and brownies from getting overbaked, despite the pan's dark nonstick coating. — Rochelle

Two square baking pans with baked cakes in them.

Serious Eats / Irvin Lin

Why We’re the Experts

  • Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the associate editorial director at Serious Eats. 
  • She’s been with the site since 2021 and has been testing gear professionally for more than six years. 
  • As a site, we test hundreds and hundreds of products every year.

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