Ryan Whitaker

When I moved into my first house with a real kitchen, I bought a tiny 10-inch skillet and called it a comal. That was a mistake. Real large comals for Mexican cooking start at about 20 inches, and once you cook on one, there’s no going back. You can lay out a dozen tortillas at … Read more

There’s a reason my grandmother refused to use anything but her 30-year-old molcajete for guacamole. The volcanic rock releases flavors no food processor can replicate. After testing eight authentic molcajetes side by side for three months, our team found the picks that actually deliver that traditional stone-ground taste. An authentic molcajete is a traditional Mexican … Read more

A molcajete (pronounced mowl-kah-heh-tay) is the traditional Mexican mortar and pestle used for centuries to grind spices, crush chilies, and make salsa and guacamole. When carved from real volcanic rock, a molcajete becomes a workhorse kitchen tool that releases essential oils and flavors no electric grinder can match. Our team spent the last 90 days … Read more

I still remember the first time I lifted the lid off a steaming Banko-yaki donabe in my kitchen. The grain stood up like little soldiers, each one glossy with starch and carrying that faint toasted aroma you only get from clay that has been warming rice for centuries. I had been chasing that flavor through … Read more

There is nothing quite like gathering around a steaming clay pot on a cold evening, watching broth bubble as you dip vegetables and thinly sliced meat into a rich, savory soup. That experience sits at the heart of Japanese nabe culture, and the pot that makes it all possible is the donabe. After testing 10 … Read more

I still remember the first time I baked bread in a clay pot instead of a Dutch oven. That crispy, golden crust with a slightly earthy flavor changed how I think about cookware. If you are here looking for the best terracotta cazuelas for oven baking, you already know that clay cooks differently than metal. … Read more

Picture this: a warm Andalusian evening, a table crowded with small dishes of garlic prawns, patatas bravas, and chorizo sizzling in their own juices. The vessel that holds all of that tradition is the cazuela, a shallow, glazed earthenware dish that has been the heart of Spanish tapas culture for centuries. When I hosted my … Read more

When you are hosting a brunch, throwing a caviar party, or putting together an elegant appetizer spread, the right cookware makes all the difference. A cast iron blini pan gives you that restaurant-quality presentation at home, producing golden, perfectly round mini pancakes with crispy edges and soft, pillowy centers. I have spent months testing small-format … Read more

I’ve been cooking paella outdoors on gas burners for the last eight summers, and I can tell you from experience that the wrong pan ruins everything. Last August, our team hosted a 40-person paella party and learned quickly that carbon steel pans handle outdoor burner heat beautifully while cheaper steel warps within minutes. The best … Read more

If you’ve ever fought a whisk in the corner of a saucepan, you already know why the best saucier pans deserve a spot in your kitchen. A saucier pan solves one of cooking’s most stubborn frustrations: rounded walls that let your whisk glide without missing a single grain of flour or crystal of rice. After … Read more