When I finish an equipment review—a rigorous process that can take weeks or months—it’s tempting to dust off my hands and say, ‘Well, that’s that. We never have to test those again.” But that’s not how we work on the ATK Reviews team. Long after our stories are published in our magazines and on our websites, we continue to interact with our winning equipment and monitor how each item performs over time.
The biggest, most important way we continue engaging with our reviews is by stocking our favorite items in the Test Kitchen. It serves a practical purpose (our test cooks need equipment and we want them to have the best) and it provides us invaluable data on long-term durability. We notice if, say, the markings on a liquid measuring cup wear off. We also notice when things excel: when a chef’s knife remains sharp and nimble, a rimmed baking sheet resists warping after near-constant use, or a metal fish spatula becomes a staff favorite not for fish but for flipping burgers, pancakes, eggs, and just about every other food.
We keep our eyes on products outside the Test Kitchen, too. We read comments on our site and on Amazon, and we periodically check manufacturer websites. If a favorite product appears to have been redesigned or if intriguing new models enter the marketplace, we schedule a new testing. Absolutely everything comes under scrutiny a second time (or a third or a fourth), even items as seemingly simple and straightforward as wooden spoons. We always want to know that our favorite is still the best.
Our winners don’t always win a second time. The ones that do, especially those that have won multiple times, have a special place in our hearts—and in our kitchens. Here are 10 of our longtime winners.
Access our complete list of equipment reviews and taste tests as a member of our websites, and check out these articles with some of our team's other picks:
- 10 Pieces of Kitchen Equipment I’ve Upgraded Since Joining the ATK Reviews Team
- The Best Cooking Gear for the Solo Cook
- Our Favorite Cocktail Equipment: The Essentials
- I test kitchen equipment for a living. Here’s what’s going on my wedding registry.
- What a Professional Kitchen Equipment Tester Keeps in Her Utensil Crock