By Good Housekeeping

After months of testing, we’ve found the appliances, tools and gadgets to make cooking easier and more enjoyable.

Home cooks, meet your new MVPs! For our fifth annual Kitchen Awards, we put nearly 350 kitchen-related submissions to the test in the Good Housekeeping Institute and in our own kitchens; we then checked our findings with 600+ at-home testers. Here is a selection of our list of winners:

Prep Tools

Taylor TruTemp Dual Infrared Thermometer Plus Meat Probe: Sometimes you might want to check the surface temperature of your pan or grill, and sometimes you might want to check the internal temperature of food. This thermometer from Taylor includes a probe and an infrared sensor so you can do both.

LAB RESULTS: This thermometer’s design is unique. Testers praised the dual functionality and called it convenient. It delivered quick and clear results in our tests.

Ginsu Katana 7″ Santoku Damascus Knife: This stunning Japanese Santoku knife, with an included wooden cover, looks and feels like a showpiece. The Ginsu Katana knife has some heft but is comfortable and balanced in the hand. It is sharp and designed for chopping.

LAB RESULTS: Our Lab analyst said this knife helped her slice carrots and celery quickly, uniformly and smoothly. She also said it cut through an onion “like butter.” Home testers praised it too; one said, “It belongs in every kitchen.”

Storage &

Organization Products

Stasher Stretch Lids Variety Pack: Stasher’s silicone Stretch Lids make it easier to ditch nonreusable plastic wrap. The set comes with lids in four sizes, fitting containers ranging from 2.5 inches to 9 inches in diameter and able to stretch to fit lids up to 12 inches in diameter. Each has a wide lip so you can get a good grasp on it.

LAB RESULTS: These lids felt more durable than others we’ve used in the past. Also, the silicone material helped preserve foods a little longer than the cloth lids we had typically used. We like that they’re dishwasher-safe.

Ikea Snurrad Lazy Susan: Tired of fridge chaos? Organize your products on this rectangular lazy Susan from IKEA, which pulls out and revolves 360 degrees. This plastic storage solution suctions to a shelf and can hold a variety of ingredients, from sauces to produce to leftovers.

LAB RESULTS: “I like that it helps us with hard-to-reach items in our fridge,” said a home tester. “It keeps things more organized and accessible.” Our Lab enjoyed using it to organize items for testing.

Cookware &

Bakeware

Lodge Cast Iron Blacklock Skillet: Cast-iron cookware is notoriously heavy, but Lodge has changed the game with its Blacklock line, which includes this 12-inch skillet. It’s cast thinner than the brand’s other cast-iron lines and is 25% lighter as a result.

LAB RESULTS: All testers were very pleased with this skillet. “It’s more lightweight than most cast-iron cookware, but it still heats and cooks evenly without burning,” one said.

Chicago Metallic 7-Piece Nesting Bakeware Set: Chicago Metallic helps save storage space with its nesting bakeware set, made from heavy-gauge carbon steel. It includes a baking sheet, a roasting pan, a square pan, a loaf pan, two muffin pans and a cooling rack.

LAB RESULTS: In our Lab, cookies baked uniformly, and the pan didn’t warp even at high temps. Home testers had similar experiences: “It was easy to store and clean, and it cooked food evenly,” said a tester.

Small Appliances

T-Fal Infrared Air Fryer: T-Fal’s air fryer uses infrared technology to heat, which means it gets hot fast! It has a compact footprint, a glossy exterior and a viewing window on the basket. The carbon fiber heating element glows gently when it’s on, and an interior light can be turned on and off.

LAB RESULTS: All testers found that this air fryer cooked food quickly and made it crispy, with one saying, “The Crispy Finish setting lives up to its name.” They also noted that it was easy to use and clean.

KitchenAid Design Series Evergreen Tilt-Head Stand Mixer: This display-worthy KitchenAid stand mixer pairs a matte dark green finish with a walnut-wood mixing bowl. Always ready for your next baking project, it offers 10 speeds and comes with a wire whisk, a flat beater and a dough hook for mixing versatility.

LAB RESULTS: It performed well in Lab tests and with consumer testers, but what really impressed testers was its aesthetic. “It’s a statement piece, and I’ve gotten so many compliments on it. The rich green color, coupled with the earthy wooden bowl, just works,” said a tester.

Outdoor & Entertaining

Prokan Kano 4-In-1 Outdoor Oven: This Prokan pizza oven features a rotating pizza stone so you don’t have to worry about turning the pizza yourself for even cooking. It has a digital control panel that allows you to monitor the temperature of the oven and a knob on the front so you can turn the flame up or down.

LAB RESULTS: Our lead pizza oven tester found that this oven was easy to operate and that the rotating stone made pizza-making a more hands-off experience — in a good way!

Farberware Build-a-Board Cutting Board: We saw an uptick in charcuterie boards and take-along containers this year — Farberware’s Build-a-Board Cutting Board combines the two so you can bring your creation to a party or even just prep it ahead and store it in your fridge.

LAB RESULTS: We liked using this board outdoors — the handles made it easy to carry, and the lid kept pests away. Testers used it for more than just charcuterie. They said it was great for desserts and finger sandwiches. The best part: They didn’t have to fight with plastic wrap, thanks to the lid.