As people who write about food and kitchen gadgets for a living, Bon Appétit editors are constantly surrounded by a wide range of products. Between our own purchases and the endless stream of samples sent our way, it means there’s always something new coming across our desks and into our homes. Each month we round up the standouts we tested or bought ourselves that changed the way we cook and eat.
This month, a holiday-ready serving bowl, the best skillet for cooking eggs, and the seasonal snacks and drinks we can’t get enough of.
Read on for all the products we obsessed over in October.
Field Company No.5 Cast Iron Chef Skillet
As a product reviewer, one of the most common questions I get is which nonstick pan to buy. My answer is always cast iron, which is never what people have in mind. People usually ask because their current one isn’t cutting it, whether it’s a scratched-up PFAS pan or a ceramic version that frustratingly sticks after a year (don’t tell me that’s never happened to you). Then comes the inevitable lament that cast iron is too much work. Please stop with this nonsense. The “work” is washing it, which you do anyway (and, yes, you can use soap!), then setting it on the stovetop to dry, which means you even get to skip towel drying. Isn’t that easier?? For the first few uses, add a bit of seasoning oil as it dries to build up a base, but after that, you don’t need to.
With that rant behind us, let me recommend my go-to “nonstick” for eggs, the most common reason people shop for one: Field Company’s No. 5 Chef Skillet. The magic is in its sloped sides, a departure from the classic skillet’s 90-degree angles. They let me flip with a flick of the wrist. At 7.5 inches, it’s the perfect size for two fried eggs or a few sausage links, though I’ve also scrambled four at once with no issues. It’s super lightweight, and yes, it even works on induction. Once you dial in the seasoning, it’ll stay slick far longer than any coated pan ever will. —Olivia Tarantino, senior shopping editor
Year and Day Splatter Low Serving Bowl
Nothing announces a dinner party more fittingly than a statement serving piece. Cabbage platters (you know the ones), cheekily chipped enamelware, vintage transferware ironstone, spatterware-anything—I love them all. I have been so happy with Year & Day's Splatter Collection, the Portuguese-made pieces that are inspired by the traditional hand-splattered Italian "schizzato" technique. The Low Serving Bowl, specifically, is an incredibly versatile piece that holds its own both on and off the dinner table. It looks downright painterly holding your household's weekly supply of fruit, and ready to party filled with salad, pasta, or just-washed greens for your next ssam gathering. The generous size (a touch over 13 inches in diameter) is even more capacious when in use, making it a nice size for less-glamorous kitchen duties as well, like soaking grapes or defrosting frozen blocks of meat. While I opt to hand-wash my platter, they are, in fact, dishwasher-safe (microwave-safe too, but who has a microwave that big? I am jealous). I foresee this serving bowl getting even more use during the upcoming holiday season: lined with a cute tea towel, keeping dinner rolls (like my Salt Bread!) warm; being a receptacle for funky little gourds and mini pumpkins; perhaps even the vessel in which you make your Chocolate Mousse for a (New Year's Eve?) Party! —Hana Asbrink, deputy food editor
Simple Trail Cardamom Crunch Granola
Being a shopping writer at a food magazine means I get a lot of pantry products sent to me for free (major perk of the job, I know). Many of them are tasty, and some of them aren’t—but the reality is that only a small fraction of the snacks, condiments, and dry goods I receive are so good, so life-changing, that I actively find myself making room in my ever-crowded pantry to restock them with my own dollars once the samples are gone. Simple Trail’s granola is one of those products. My fellow granola head Kate Kassin put me onto the small Oregon-based brand a few months ago, and I’ve since become obsessed to the point that I don’t want to eat any other granola. I love how crunchy it is thanks to the inclusion of toasted whole buckwheat groats, and am particularly fond of the warmly-spiced Cardamom Crunch flavor.
When I moved in with my boyfriend last month, I brought my stash of Simple Trail with me. Soon he was hooked too, which means we're now going through granola at two times the speed. After enjoying the last of my beloved Cardamom Crunch today I immediately placed an order for four more bags. I’m already counting down the days until my shipment arrives. —Alaina Chou, shopping writer
All-Clad Cast-Iron Griddle Press
I’m historically not the biggest fan of admitting I'm wrong, but credit is due where credit is due. Which leads me to my latest culinary revelation: The All-Clad Cast-Iron Griddle Press is 100% essential to any well-equipped kitchen arsenal. For years I argued that a press for searing was purely performative, but after dinner at a friend’s, I learned of its true even-searing prowess. While the press is great for searing in general, I've found it especially handy for smashing burgers and achieving the loveliest steak. —Inés Anguiano, associate Test Kitchen manager
Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Snackers
It’s not news that everyone loves Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar, but did you know it comes in individually wrapped, perfectly portioned snack form? Surprisingly nuanced, nutty, and buttery, these little cheese bites have no business being this satisfying. Every bite has me channeling a ’90s Dove Chocolate commercial, eyes closed, savoring the moment. I look forward to them packed in my lunch, as a late-afternoon pick-me-up, or, let’s be honest, as an evening snack. Unexpectedly life-changing? Perhaps. —Ali Inglese, executive producer
Culture Pop Sparkling Apple
Much of my desk decor is actually drinks, which usually includes a morning coffee, carafe of water, mug of herbal tea, and something with a little zip or pep or fizz to keep me hydrated, and clear-headed, all day long. Lately, I’ve been popping open a can of Culture Pop’s new autumn flavor, Sparkling Apple, when I feel an afternoon slump approaching. Poured over ice, sipped with a straw, it’s a caffeine-free jolt of joy and energy that keeps me going without compromising my sleep later. The apple flavor is subtle, paired with a gently warming spice, and delicately tart. All of Culture Pop’s sodas are free of sugar alcohols and stevia, and pack in a dose of live probiotics too, so they’re nice to sip on after lunch. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior cooking editor
Glo Bars
I’m currently in a phase where most protein bars are giving me the ick. Maybe it’s that there are more and more ingredients I can’t pronounce or couldn’t find in my pantry, or that I associate them with sad plane snacks. But Glo Bars feel like the opposite. They look like they were hand-made and packaged like little gifts (they are made in small batches in LA) and only have 11 ingredients (two of which are sea salt and vanilla extract). They’re sweetened just with dates, get their 15 grams of protein from grass-fed New Zealand whey, and last but not least, have 15 grams of nutty, seedy fiber goodness. (Oh, and goji berries! I love goji berries.) I enjoy them equally as a pre-workout snack (I'll eat half as I head to the gym and half after) or as an afternoon pick-me-up when I don't have enough protein at lunch. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
Beituti Hot Honey Tahini Sauce
I am usually a hard sell on bottled dressings and sauces. I whisk up a batch of vinaigrette twice a week, am rarely without a jar of some riff on our easy noodle sauce, and feel pretty well sorted. But I got a bottle of Beituti’s Hot Honey Tahini Sauce and I can’t stop reaching for it. It’s creamy and slightly bitter like a good, fresh tahini, mildly sweet from the honey, and warmly spicy from Aleppo and garlic. I love it on would-be slop bowls of grains, beans, greens, and protein, slathered onto pita or sandwich bread to wake up sandwiches, drizzled over scrambled eggs, and as a dip for fries and or carrot sticks. —K.J.Y.
One Trick Pony Organic Unsalted Smooth Peanut Butter
When my pediatrician told me I could start offering my baby solid foods I was so excited. I have been slowly introducing her to single ingredients one at a time, and trying to get through the list of major allergens. I found myself in the peanut butter aisle of the grocery store looking for a single-ingredient smooth peanut butter—no salt, sugar or other mysterious ingredients added —and came upon One Trick Pony’s version. It lists just one ingredient, organic roasted Argentinian peanuts, and has a lovely creamy texture. My baby and I both love it! I am interested to try the new Maple Crunch variety for myself next. —Phoebe Dishner, talent manager
Steamed White Rice-Scented Candle
My friend and I were talking about what we wanted to smell like. He said fresh air and clean laundry. I was thinking about this steamed rice candle from Baisun Candle Co. It makes my apartment, my clothes, my whole life smell like everything is going to be okay. The candles—soy wax, offered with crackling wood wicks—are handmade by the small biz, who also make charming, Asian-America-nostalgic scents inspired by White Rabbit candy, persimmon, and boba. —Sangita Vasikaran, research fellow
Mallomars
Mallomars are back, and boy oh boy, am I a sucker for a seasonal cookie. We’ve been averaging a box or so a week in my home since the bright yellow boxes returned to shelves last month, and we’ll keep going strong until January (aka Thin Mint season). There are many correct ways to eat a Mallomar, but this is the most correct: hold the cookie vertically, with its rounded top facing toward you. Next, bite down so your teeth can pull off the dark chocolate-covered whipped marshmallow in its entirety. It will resist, clinging to its cookie base. Maybe even bringing some along with it. This is to be expected. Just chew, slowly and with gratitude. The days may be getting darker and colder, but don’t worry: everything is going to be okay. All you have to do now is enjoy what’s left of the graham cracker and chocolate bottom. One big bite should do the trick. —Chris Principe, video director