You undoubtedly come across new kitchen products and food brands all the time by browsing Instagram, watching your favorite TikToker, or Googling “best air fryer”. Sorting out the good, the bad and the trending can give the impression a lot; We are here to help you. welcome to What’s newa section where we bring together the latest in food products, beverages and cooking and cooking utensils.
Some of these items we have already tried and can’t stop using. Some of them are so new that we haven’t put them in our sweaty little hands yet. Either way, all products mentioned are from brands we know and love. Whether you’re looking for a gift for your favorite dinner party host or just like to keep your pantry looking fashionable, consider this a timely buying guide.
This month, learn more about ingenious Le Creuset bread ovens, some outdoor styles from apron kings Hedley & Bennettand one new way to store soup.
For me, the hardest part of making bread isn’t keeping my starter fed or nailing my fitness. It’s rolling out a ball of dough in an outrageously hot preheated Dutch oven. The Le Creuset bread oven – essentially an inverted Dutch oven with a shallow base and domed lid – makes the process infinitely easier. Like all Le Creuset products, their bread oven is enamelled cast iron, comes with a lifetime warranty and is available in a range of beautiful colors. This is for sure store cookware on the counter. —MacKenzie Chung Fegan, Trade Editor
Year & Day is a brand that epitomizes a sophisticated, minimalist aesthetic with a neutral color palette, offering everything from ceramic pasta bowls to stems wine glasses. Now they’re collaborating with BA’s favorite Saucer workshop on machine-washable towels that match the color palette of their ceramics. The everyday towel is made with 100% recycled fabrics and comes in sets of four. It’s available in Moon Twill (a white cotton twill with contrast stitching) and Daybreak Linen (a dusty pink linen with off-white stitching). —Tiffany Hopkins, business reporter
C. Cassis has her fair share of fans around the BA office. It’s tangy, grassy and complex – more like a vermouth than Ribena – and at a sweet 16% ABV, it’s perfect for Kir royales and springtime spritzes. So I was thrilled to hear about their limited edition barrel-aged cassis. It’s the same great juice, but after six months in whiskey barrels, the cassis liqueur comes out spicier and slightly oxidized in a nice way. Pair it with whiskey for a sumptuous version of an Old-Fashioned. —MCF
Stasher bags have helped me massively reduce my reliance on single-use plastics; reusable silicone bags are perfect homes for chunks of cheese, half an onion, or cookie dough balls saved for a rainy day. But do you know what you can’t put in a Stasher bag (or a plastic sandwich bag, for that matter)? Soup. Stasher’s new products are flat-bottom, zippered pouches that are dishwasher-, microwave-, and freezer-safe. A cross between a sandwich bag and a bowl, they’re ideal for leftover grain salads, stews, and delicate items like berries that I don’t want to crush. —MCF
For high-quality aprons that are both stylish and functional, we love Hedley & Bennett. They have designs and prints, with everything from tie dye bear for celestial constellations– for just about every cook. Their most recent fall is the For the parks collection aimed at lovers of wide open spaces. These hand-drawn aprons are an ode to some of the country’s most iconic landscapes like the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks. The nature-inspired collection gives back to the The Alliance for Conservationan organization working to protect land and water throughout North America. -E
A Y-peer is the only peeler you need, but that certainly doesn’t mean your workhorse peeler will last a lifetime. Like knives, the blade will dull over time; unlike knives, sharpening is not an option. Usually, replacing a blade isn’t an option either, which makes Material’s Forever Peeler a notable newcomer. Much like an old-fashioned razor, Material’s heavy-duty stainless steel vegetable peeler comes with a spare blade. When peeling broccoli stalks starts to become a chore, simply remove the old blade and put on the new one. Like all Material products, the peeler is well-designed, durable, and at $28 a bargain for quality. —MCF
When I want a plant-based cooking oil with maximum versatility, I choose avocado oil. Its subtle buttery flavor and high smoke point are suitable for both everyday cooking and finishing. This set is a product of West~bourne, which started as one of the first zero-waste restaurants in New York. It comes with both extra virgin (482°F smoke point) and refined (520°F smoke point) oils to handle almost any cooking task you can think of. Use extra virgin avocado oil to drizzle on crisp salads, roasted vegetables or yogurt parfaits. And go for refined avocado oil for anything high-heat: sautéed shrimp, grilled squash, or oil-based cakes. According to West~borne, each avocado was grown, harvested and pressed in an organic orchard in Mexico. -E
We love a CRUXGG x Ghetto Gastro collab (see: a very cool toaster and a touchscreen fryer). And now, the Bronx-based culinary collective has released its Seasoned Blue Steel Skillet, a kitchen workhorse that’s both lighter than a cast iron skillet and heats up in half the time. It is made of 2.0mm thick annealed carbon steel. What does that mean, you ask? The company says it expects it to be as durable as what you might find in restaurant kitchens: it has a natural resistance to rust and corrosion and is particularly conducive to high-heat cooking. Get this fry pan in 8, 10 or 12 inches or buy a set. -E