Whether they're designed to be used indoors or outside, a lot of the best pizza ovens that you can currently buy can only cook a 13-inch pie. That's great for most situations, especially if you're keen on hosting a party where everyone can choose their toppings. However, there are times when you need more space, either for larger pizzas or to bake or roast other foods. Ooni is filling the void with its latest model, the Koda 2 Max, which is the company's largest pizza oven so far. The 24-inch, gas-burning unit can bake pizzas up to 20 inches while still achieving the high-heat cook quality Ooni ovens are known for.
In addition to being the biggest option in Ooni's lineup, the Koda 2 Max has several additional features that make it an upgrade over some of the company's other models. First, it offers dual-zone cooking with independent controls for both burners. This will allow you to cook two things at different temperatures simultaneously, or to simply have a hot and cold side of the oven when needed. To facilitate this, Ooni positioned the two burners on the sides of the Koda 2 Max rather than having one at the rear of the oven. The company says its G2 gas technology includes burners with tapered flames for more efficient heat distribution and more consistent cooking stone temps.
Another update is the color digital temperature display mounted on the front. While this isn't the first Ooni oven to show you the temp inside, it is the first to do so in color and it's the first to send those stats to your phone. The Koda 2 Max retains the overall look of previous gas-burning Koda products, including the folding legs for transport. It will also connect to a propane tank like previous models in order to provide fuss-free cooking where you don't have to manage a fire while you're making pizza and other dishes.
The Ooni Koda 2 Max will be available in May for $999, making it the most expensive outdoor-only option in the company's pizza oven range. The all-electric Volt was the same price at launch, but it currently goes for $899. If you can do without all of the fancy new features and extra cooking space, the Koda 16 ($599) and Koda 12 ($399) are hundreds of dollars cheaper, baking 16- and 12-inch pizzas as the names imply.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/oonis-largest-pizza-oven-yet-offers-dual-zone-heat-control-and-temperature-tracking-on-your-phone-181537924.html?src=rss
Whether they're designed to be used indoors or outside, a lot of the best pizza ovens that you can currently buy can only cook a 13-inch pie. That's great for most situations, especially if you're keen on hosting a party where everyone can choose their toppings. However, there are times when you need more space, either for larger pizzas or to bake or roast other foods. Ooni is filling the void with its latest model, the Koda 2 Max, which is the company's largest pizza oven so far. The 24-inch, gas-burning unit can bake pizzas up to 20 inches while still achieving the high-heat cook quality Ooni ovens are known for.
In addition to being the biggest option in Ooni's lineup, the Koda 2 Max has several additional features that make it an upgrade over some of the company's other models. First, it offers dual-zone cooking with independent controls for both burners. This will allow you to cook two things at different temperatures simultaneously, or to simply have a hot and cold side of the oven when needed. To facilitate this, Ooni positioned the two burners on the sides of the Koda 2 Max rather than having one at the rear of the oven. The company says its G2 gas technology includes burners with tapered flames for more efficient heat distribution and more consistent cooking stone temps.
Another update is the color digital temperature display mounted on the front. While this isn't the first Ooni oven to show you the temp inside, it is the first to do so in color and it's the first to send those stats to your phone. The Koda 2 Max retains the overall look of previous gas-burning Koda products, including the folding legs for transport. It will also connect to a propane tank like previous models in order to provide fuss-free cooking where you don't have to manage a fire while you're making pizza and other dishes.
The Ooni Koda 2 Max will be available in May for $999, making it the most expensive outdoor-only option in the company's pizza oven range. The all-electric Volt was the same price at launch, but it currently goes for $899. If you can do without all of the fancy new features and extra cooking space, the Koda 16 ($599) and Koda 12 ($399) are hundreds of dollars cheaper, baking 16- and 12-inch pizzas as the names imply.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/oonis-largest-pizza-oven-yet-offers-dual-zone-heat-control-and-temperature-tracking-on-your-phone-181537924.html?src=rss
The Amazon Big Spring Sale might be over, but there are still plenty of deals worth shopping across the site. Anyone looking to upgrade their meals will want to check out the 20 percent discounts on Breville's Smart Ovens, including the Air Fryer Pro. Our pick for 2024's best air fryer toaster oven is down to $320 from $400 — its Black Friday low.
Breville's Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro allows you to cook almost anything you want. It has 13 cooking settings, ranging from typical ones like broil, bake and warm to more specific options like cookies, proof and dehydrate. Taking up one cubic foot of space, the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is basically a second oven that can make perfectly crispy fries. In fact, it's so big you could fit a 14-pound turkey, 9x13 sheets or a Dutch Oven inside it.
Worth noting: Despite having the title "Smart Oven," Breville's Air Fryer Pro, it's not smart in the way most things these days are. Breville's Joule Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is the one to go with if you want an actual "smart" device — as in one that can talk to Alexa. It will notify you when your food is done and offer guided recipes in an app, among other perks. Plus, it's also 20 percent off right now, down to $440 from $550.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/brevilles-smart-oven-air-fryer-pro-is-20-percent-off-on-amazon-151007320.html?src=rss
The Thermapen One instant-read meat thermometer is on sale for $79, which is $30 off the MSRP of $109. This is an Engadget exclusive and the sale runs from February 22 through February 28, or whenever the stock runs dry. In other words, move quickly if you want to snag one of these.
There are plenty of meat thermometers out there, but this is our favorite. The Thermapen One made our list of the best grilling gear for several reasons. It’s incredibly fast, offering precise temperature calculations in under a second. The display is bright and easy to read, with an auto-rotating screen that makes the numbers easy to see no matter how you hold it.
At the end of the day, speed and precision are what you want with a meat thermometer. The Thermapen One kicks it up a notch, however, by including a sleep/auto-wake feature that preserves battery life and an IP67 rating to protect it from accidental spills. Gravy and sauce will always find a way to get on just about everything.
The Thermapen One also made our list of the best small kitchen gadgets, as you can’t get much smaller than a thermometer. We called it “the best your money can buy.” As a matter of fact, the only bad thing you can say about this thing is that it costs more than rival products. This sale helps offset that. Again, the deal disappears into a puff of smoke on February 28 or when supplies run out.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/our-favorite-instant-read-meat-thermometer-is-on-sale-for-79-140045704.html?src=rss
If you’re struggling to save money, one of the easiest ways to do so is to cook your own meals. Yes, we know that going to restaurants or ordering takeout is easier, but that can get expensive — especially if you’re doing it every day. Thankfully, there are plenty of great cooking websites that cater to home chefs of all levels. Whether you’re a beginner or you know your way around a kitchen, we hope this list of recipe sites and YouTube channels will help you on your culinary journey.
Recipe sites
Serious Eats
If you self-identify as a nerd and you’re also into cooking, you probably already know about Serious Eats. The site rose to prominence several years ago under the helm of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, who often takes a decidedly scientific approach to cooking. Lopez-Alt has since transitioned to a consulting role at Serious Eats (he has his own vlog, which is well worth following as well), but the site remains strong under new leadership. It offers tips on basics like food prep and storage, as well as a slew of how-tos and step-by-step instructions for everything from breaking down a chicken to kneading your own bread.
This is the only recommendation on this list that requires payment — $1.25 a week or $40 a year — but I personally think it’s worth it. The site and accompanying app (for iOS and Android) is well organized and intuitive to use, with bright and colorful photos along with an ever-changing list of curated recipe recommendations and suggestions. I especially like the search function, where you can not only enter in the ingredients you have on hand, but also filter by the sort of meal you want to make iIs it for breakfast? A snack? Or dinner?) along with any dietary restrictions. If you don’t want to cough up the subscription fee, however, NYT’s YouTube channel is a great resource as well.
The Kitchn is a daily food magazine that’s been around since the mid-2000s, and it frequently serves up not just recipes but also fun features like a celebrity recipe showdown (check out this one that compares the pot roast recipes between Alton Brown, Ina Garten, Taste of Home and the Pioneer Woman). Of course, The Kitchn also publishes plenty of tips and tricks to help readers be a better cook.
“Hello, I’m Chef John, from Food Wishes dot com” is the familiar refrain that you’ll hear at the beginning of every Food Wishes video, and it never fails to warm my heart. His tone is so welcoming and cheerful that it cheers me up every time I hear it. A YouTube favorite (he has over four million subscribers), he’s also a favorite among a few Engadget staffers, and for good reason. Not only is he goofy and charming, his recipes are also almost always geared toward the novice chef, with clear and concise instructions. He also encourages viewers to experiment, use their senses, play around with food, and to think of cooking as art as much as science.
Binging with Babish is a popular YouTube channel (over 9.6 million subscribers) that’s primarily focused on recreating foods from TV shows and movies. Some famous examples include the Krabby Patty from Spongebob Squarepants and ratatouille from, well, Ratatouille. But host Andrew Rea can cook “normal” foods too, and the popularity of his channel led him to host a spin-off series called “Basics with Babish” that’s geared toward the beginner.
The Food52 website can be considered a one-stop shop for cooking enthusiasts, as there’s an online store along with recipes and a community board. But the real highlight for me is its YouTube channel, which features excellent shows such as Sweet Heat by Rick Martinez (the former Bon Appetit editor showcases recipes with both a sweet and spicy element), Big Little Recipes (focuses on recipes with a short ingredient list) and Genius Recipes, which, well, shows “genius” recipes created by notable chefs.
Have a sweet tooth? Then look no further than Claire Saffitz’s YouTube channel, where she bakes up everything from apple pies to oatmeal pecan cookies. Her personality is a combination of cranky and lovable, which I adore, but more importantly, her recipes are excellent. She gives very detailed instructions and the results are almost always delicious. She makes a lot of savory baked goods as well, such as sourdough bread and quiche.
Maagchi has been referred to by The New York Times as the Julia Child of Korean cooking, and the description couldn’t be more apt. Not only does she have a friendly and bubbly personality, she does a wonderful job of demystifying Korean cooking and making it approachable to beginners and advanced cooks alike. From Korean classics like kimchi jjigae and bibimbap to sweet treats like Korean doughnuts, she makes it all seem within reach.
For a site that is entirely dedicated to vegetarian cuisine, I highly recommend 101 Cookbooks by Heidi Swanson, which has been an online favorite for decades. I’m a huge fan of her simple, straightforward recipes that are able to turn a carnivore like me into a lover of plant-based meals (a personal favorite is this cauliflower soup).
You don’t need to be on the paleo diet to fall in love with Nom Nom Paleo, a mini-empire that consists of a food blog, two award-winning cookbooks, and a podcast, among other things. The New York Times has referred to Michelle Tam, the creator of the site, as the Martha Stewart of Paleo, because of how accessible she makes it seem. After perusing her site and trying her recipes, you'll no longer think of the paleo diet as restrictive; instead you might find yourself eating more than ever. Tam has also tailored some of her recipes to fit Whole30 or keto diets as well.
If you’re not strictly vegetarian or paleo, but you still want a healthy diet, check out the Clean and Delicious food blog by Dani Spies. A wellness and weight loss coach, Spies believes in a balanced diet and “clean eating,” but without foregoing the foods you love. For example, there’s a recipe for lemon bars on her site, but it’s made with whole wheat flour and doesn’t have dairy or refined sugar. All of the recipes on her site reflect this philosophy; they’re either gluten-free, paleo, vegan or vegetarian and they are also often low-carb, keto, dairy-free or nut-free. I also like her Instagram and YouTube channel, where she also shares tips on mindful eating and healthy living.
There are simply way too many food sites on the internet to list them all, but here are a few more that were recommended by our staff that you might find useful.
Chinese Cooking Demystified
This is one of the best YouTube channels for learning all the ins and outs of authentic Chinese cooking from people who actually live in China. It’s very detailed, well-produced and offers great advice on recreating these dishes in a Western kitchen. I also love that it teaches technique in addition to just recipes. To this day, I still come back to this video on how to stir-fry any vegetable.
Minimalist Baker
The blog Minimalist Baker features recipes that use 10 ingredients or less and only take about 30 minutes to make. Weekend Editor Igor Bonifacic is a big fan as well, mostly due to the site’s wealth of vegetarian recipes, like this curried cauliflower lentil soup.
Budget Bytes
Budget Bytes is a great resource for those watching their wallets, as each recipe gives you a breakdown of estimated costs for each ingredient. Commerce Editor Valentina Palladino said that the site is also really good for beginners.
Rainbow Plant Life
If you’re looking for vegan recipes, Rainbow Plant Life has a ton of them. Palladino loves the cashew cream recipe and appreciates that the site’s founder, Nisha, has a trove of vegan-friendly Instant Pot recipes to try as well.
Pick Up Limes
Another staple for accessible vegan recipes is Pick Up Limes. Palladino says that the Healthiest Ever Granola recipe is one of her favorites, and she likes that the Pick Up Limes website makes it easy to filter recipes by type of ingredients, preparation time, allergens and more.
Richard Bertinet’s White Bread Masterclass
Richard Bertinet’s video on white bread comes highly recommended for its sheer simplicity. It proves that all you need to make bread is bread flour, yeast and salt. Senior Reporter Dan Cooper says the video is also a sure-fire way of calming him down when stressed.
Half Baked Harvest
Editor-in-Chief Dana Wollman and Senior News Editor Billy Steele frequently trade Slack messages with dinner recommendations. (What’s for dinner? Ask a coworker, of course.) The answer from either person is often a Half Baked Harvest link. The site is home to a vast library of free recipes that, in our experience, tend to work as advertised. We’re fans of her nightly Instagram Story cooking demos as well, not to mention her tacos.
Joy the Baker
Wollman says she discovered Joy by accident through her warm, self-effacing Insta Stories, only to discover she has an equally clever blog offering a mix of sweet and savory baking recipes.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/quarantine-cooking-online-resources-163009672.html?src=rss
If you’re struggling to save money, one of the easiest ways to do so is to cook your own meals. Yes, we know that going to restaurants or ordering takeout is easier, but that can get expensive — especially if you’re doing it every day. Thankfully, there are plenty of great cooking websites that cater to home chefs of all levels. Whether you’re a beginner or you know your way around a kitchen, we hope this list of recipe sites and YouTube channels will help you on your culinary journey.
Recipe sites
Serious Eats
If you self-identify as a nerd and you’re also into cooking, you probably already know about Serious Eats. The site rose to prominence several years ago under the helm of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, who often takes a decidedly scientific approach to cooking. Lopez-Alt has since transitioned to a consulting role at Serious Eats (he has his own vlog, which is well worth following as well), but the site remains strong under new leadership. It offers tips on basics like food prep and storage, as well as a slew of how-tos and step-by-step instructions for everything from breaking down a chicken to kneading your own bread.
This is the only recommendation on this list that requires payment — $1.25 a week or $40 a year — but I personally think it’s worth it. The site and accompanying app (for iOS and Android) is well organized and intuitive to use, with bright and colorful photos along with an ever-changing list of curated recipe recommendations and suggestions. I especially like the search function, where you can not only enter in the ingredients you have on hand, but also filter by the sort of meal you want to make iIs it for breakfast? A snack? Or dinner?) along with any dietary restrictions. If you don’t want to cough up the subscription fee, however, NYT’s YouTube channel is a great resource as well.
The Kitchn is a daily food magazine that’s been around since the mid-2000s, and it frequently serves up not just recipes but also fun features like a celebrity recipe showdown (check out this one that compares the pot roast recipes between Alton Brown, Ina Garten, Taste of Home and the Pioneer Woman). Of course, The Kitchn also publishes plenty of tips and tricks to help readers be a better cook.
“Hello, I’m Chef John, from Food Wishes dot com” is the familiar refrain that you’ll hear at the beginning of every Food Wishes video, and it never fails to warm my heart. His tone is so welcoming and cheerful that it cheers me up every time I hear it. A YouTube favorite (he has over four million subscribers), he’s also a favorite among a few Engadget staffers, and for good reason. Not only is he goofy and charming, his recipes are also almost always geared toward the novice chef, with clear and concise instructions. He also encourages viewers to experiment, use their senses, play around with food, and to think of cooking as art as much as science.
Binging with Babish is a popular YouTube channel (over 9.6 million subscribers) that’s primarily focused on recreating foods from TV shows and movies. Some famous examples include the Krabby Patty from Spongebob Squarepants and ratatouille from, well, Ratatouille. But host Andrew Rea can cook “normal” foods too, and the popularity of his channel led him to host a spin-off series called “Basics with Babish” that’s geared toward the beginner.
The Food52 website can be considered a one-stop shop for cooking enthusiasts, as there’s an online store along with recipes and a community board. But the real highlight for me is its YouTube channel, which features excellent shows such as Sweet Heat by Rick Martinez (the former Bon Appetit editor showcases recipes with both a sweet and spicy element), Big Little Recipes (focuses on recipes with a short ingredient list) and Genius Recipes, which, well, shows “genius” recipes created by notable chefs.
Have a sweet tooth? Then look no further than Claire Saffitz’s YouTube channel, where she bakes up everything from apple pies to oatmeal pecan cookies. Her personality is a combination of cranky and lovable, which I adore, but more importantly, her recipes are excellent. She gives very detailed instructions and the results are almost always delicious. She makes a lot of savory baked goods as well, such as sourdough bread and quiche.
Maagchi has been referred to by The New York Times as the Julia Child of Korean cooking, and the description couldn’t be more apt. Not only does she have a friendly and bubbly personality, she does a wonderful job of demystifying Korean cooking and making it approachable to beginners and advanced cooks alike. From Korean classics like kimchi jjigae and bibimbap to sweet treats like Korean doughnuts, she makes it all seem within reach.
For a site that is entirely dedicated to vegetarian cuisine, I highly recommend 101 Cookbooks by Heidi Swanson, which has been an online favorite for decades. I’m a huge fan of her simple, straightforward recipes that are able to turn a carnivore like me into a lover of plant-based meals (a personal favorite is this cauliflower soup).
You don’t need to be on the paleo diet to fall in love with Nom Nom Paleo, a mini-empire that consists of a food blog, two award-winning cookbooks, and a podcast, among other things. The New York Times has referred to Michelle Tam, the creator of the site, as the Martha Stewart of Paleo, because of how accessible she makes it seem. After perusing her site and trying her recipes, you'll no longer think of the paleo diet as restrictive; instead you might find yourself eating more than ever. Tam has also tailored some of her recipes to fit Whole30 or keto diets as well.
If you’re not strictly vegetarian or paleo, but you still want a healthy diet, check out the Clean and Delicious food blog by Dani Spies. A wellness and weight loss coach, Spies believes in a balanced diet and “clean eating,” but without foregoing the foods you love. For example, there’s a recipe for lemon bars on her site, but it’s made with whole wheat flour and doesn’t have dairy or refined sugar. All of the recipes on her site reflect this philosophy; they’re either gluten-free, paleo, vegan or vegetarian and they are also often low-carb, keto, dairy-free or nut-free. I also like her Instagram and YouTube channel, where she also shares tips on mindful eating and healthy living.
There are simply way too many food sites on the internet to list them all, but here are a few more that were recommended by our staff that you might find useful.
Chinese Cooking Demystified
This is one of the best YouTube channels for learning all the ins and outs of authentic Chinese cooking from people who actually live in China. It’s very detailed, well-produced and offers great advice on recreating these dishes in a Western kitchen. I also love that it teaches technique in addition to just recipes. To this day, I still come back to this video on how to stir-fry any vegetable.
Minimalist Baker
The blog Minimalist Baker features recipes that use 10 ingredients or less and only take about 30 minutes to make. Weekend Editor Igor Bonifacic is a big fan as well, mostly due to the site’s wealth of vegetarian recipes, like this curried cauliflower lentil soup.
Budget Bytes
Budget Bytes is a great resource for those watching their wallets, as each recipe gives you a breakdown of estimated costs for each ingredient. Commerce Editor Valentina Palladino said that the site is also really good for beginners.
Rainbow Plant Life
If you’re looking for vegan recipes, Rainbow Plant Life has a ton of them. Palladino loves the cashew cream recipe and appreciates that the site’s founder, Nisha, has a trove of vegan-friendly Instant Pot recipes to try as well.
Pick Up Limes
Another staple for accessible vegan recipes is Pick Up Limes. Palladino says that the Healthiest Ever Granola recipe is one of her favorites, and she likes that the Pick Up Limes website makes it easy to filter recipes by type of ingredients, preparation time, allergens and more.
Richard Bertinet’s White Bread Masterclass
Richard Bertinet’s video on white bread comes highly recommended for its sheer simplicity. It proves that all you need to make bread is bread flour, yeast and salt. Senior Reporter Dan Cooper says the video is also a sure-fire way of calming him down when stressed.
Half Baked Harvest
Editor-in-Chief Dana Wollman and Senior News Editor Billy Steele frequently trade Slack messages with dinner recommendations. (What’s for dinner? Ask a coworker, of course.) The answer from either person is often a Half Baked Harvest link. The site is home to a vast library of free recipes that, in our experience, tend to work as advertised. We’re fans of her nightly Instagram Story cooking demos as well, not to mention her tacos.
Joy the Baker
Wollman says she discovered Joy by accident through her warm, self-effacing Insta Stories, only to discover she has an equally clever blog offering a mix of sweet and savory baking recipes.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/quarantine-cooking-online-resources-163009672.html?src=rss
You can now shop for whole ingredient lists of all the cooking videos you watch on Tasty without having to write them all down on a piece of paper or without having to go to your local supermarket to...
Back in the spring of 2016, the BBC announced it would be axing various periphery websites and apps in an effort to save £15 million in upkeep costs. One of the items on the chopping block was recipe site BBC Food, the news of which sparked a p...
Google Image Search hasn't really been well-suited to competing with Pinterest. You could save images for later viewing or visit the source page, but you couldn't always tell what you would get when you would click through. That's changing today. Goo...
We thought the combined might of Domino's Pizza and IFTTT shortcuts was as good as it might get, but that may just be the start. IFTTT is opening up its recipe/ applet creating platform to everyone, with a free 'maker' tier that offers deeper (read:...
Back in the spring of 2016, the BBC announced it would be axing various periphery websites and apps in an effort to save £15 million in upkeep costs. One of the items on the chopping block was recipe site BBC Food, the news of which sparked a p...
Google Image Search hasn't really been well-suited to competing with Pinterest. You could save images for later viewing or visit the source page, but you couldn't always tell what you would get when you would click through. That's changing today. Goo...
We thought the combined might of Domino's Pizza and IFTTT shortcuts was as good as it might get, but that may just be the start. IFTTT is opening up its recipe/ applet creating platform to everyone, with a free 'maker' tier that offers deeper (read:...