ROB MCCARTHY

When I first started building my home bar, I made the classic beginner mistake. I bought a shiny Boston shaker set and thought I was set for every cocktail. Then I tried making a proper Martini and realized something important: some drinks need to be stirred, not shaken. That is where the best cocktail mixing … Read more

I used to think any glass would work for stirring a martini. That changed after my third chipped pint glass and one very embarrassing spill at a dinner party. A Yarai mixing glass (pronounced yuh-RYE) is a Japanese-style cocktail vessel featuring a distinctive diamond-cut pattern on the exterior. These glasses are specifically designed for stirred … Read more

Finding the right stand for a 65-inch TV is more involved than most people expect. The screen measures roughly 57 inches wide by 32 inches tall, so you need a base that can handle that footprint without wobbling or looking awkward. I spent weeks testing different options to figure out which ones actually hold up … Read more

There is nothing quite like pulling a loaf of sourdough from the oven and seeing a perfectly scored ear crackling along the top. That beautiful split does not happen by accident. It comes from using the right bread lame to score your dough before baking. I have spent the past several months testing over a … Read more

After baking hundreds of sourdough loaves in my home kitchen, I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty: the vessel you bake in matters more than almost any other variable. I spent three months testing 13 different bread cloches to find out which ones actually deliver that bakery-quality crispy crust and open crumb we … Read more

If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer sitting on your countertop, you already have the foundation for professional-grade meat grinding at home. Meat grinder attachments transform your mixer into a versatile tool that handles everything from burger patties to homemade sausages. After testing and researching the most popular options, we put together this guide to … Read more

If you have ever tried slicing a paper-thin prosciutto or getting perfectly uniform deli meats for sandwiches, you know how frustrating hand-slicing can be. After three years of testing slicers for our home kitchen and testing facility, I can tell you that investing in one of the best deli meat slicers transforms your meal prep … Read more

Few things transform a living room the way a linen sofa does. That natural, textured fabric catches the light differently than synthetic materials, creating an effortless warmth that makes any space feel more inviting. After spending weeks researching, comparing, and sitting on dozens of options, our team narrowed down the best linen sofas available right … Read more

Switching to an induction cooktop changed the way I cook. Everything heats faster, the kitchen stays cooler, and cleanup takes half the time. But there was one problem I did not expect: half my old pots and pans simply would not work. That sent me on a months-long search for the best non-stick cookware sets … Read more

If you have been cooking with the same old nonstick pans that wear out every couple of years, you already know how frustrating it feels to deal with scratching surfaces and uneven browning. I spent the past three months testing nine different tri ply cookware sets in my home kitchen, and the difference in cooking … Read more