Back-to-school season is underway, and parents, students, and teachers are gearing up for a fresh start. When things get busy, it's extra important for everyone to eat well and stay hydrated (and caffeinated).
The items featured below—just a handful of the hundreds of kitchen products we test each year—are all highly ranked models in their individual categories. From the best coffee maker to a top-tier set of travel utensils, here are our favorite back-to-school kitchen tools.
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Technivorm Moccamaster KBT
A breeze to set up and brew, this simple machine is ideal for those who don’t have the time to fiddle with a complicated coffee maker. The key technology is hidden inside the body of the brewer: Its powerful copper heating element transfers heat rapidly and steadily, so the brewing water quickly reaches the ideal temperature zone and stays hot for hours. Read our review.
Lifefactory 22 Oz Glass Bottle with Classic Cap
To stay hydrated, a durable, easy-to-clean, and spacious water bottle helps. We reviewed plastic, glass, and stainless-steel water bottles; each material has its own advantages. Our winning glass water bottle features a wide mouth and is easy to take apart and clean. Prefer another material? Our favorite stainless-steel model keeps drinks cold for hours, while the best plastic water bottle is super-lightweight and easy to carry. Read our review.
Arctic Ice Alaskan Series
To keep packed lunches cold, add an ice pack to your lunchbag. When we tested ice packs, we focused on companies’ largest sizes. We were impressed that we needed only one of these packs to line a cooler and keep soda chilled for more than a day, and our winning ice pack stayed cold for almost 14 hours when we let it sit out at room temperature. It comes in smaller sizes that are more suitable for lining a smaller lunch bag. Read our review.
Full Windsor Magware Magnetic Camping Utensils Set
We love a good set of reusable utensils, whether it’s for work or for school. They’re lightweight and easy to carry, and the good forks or sporks with sharp tines can easily stab even firm foods such as steak and beets. Our winning set not only provides three pieces of essential utensils (spoon, fork, and serrated knife), but they’re also held together by magnets. They come inside a case with a hook-and-loop closure that contains them well. Read our review.
Zojirushi Stainless Mug SM-SHE48
A great on-the-go companion, this well-insulated travel mug kept drinks hot for 10 hours and cold for 6 in our tests. It’s easy to open and close; its locking mechanism prevents the lid from accidentally popping open. Its narrow build makes it easy to carry, and it can be tucked into a backpack without taking up too much space. Read our review.
Breville Barista Express
If your morning routine involves a latte or other elaborate coffee drinks, then chances are good that you’ve already considered getting yourself an espresso machine. We think that semiautomatic models are best for most people. Our winner features a built-in grinder and steam wand so that you can grind coffee beans, brew espresso, and steam milk. Have a smaller kitchen? You may prefer the Breville Bambino Plus, which lacks a built-in grinder but boasts a compact footprint. Read our review.
Simplehuman Standard Steel Frame Dishrack
Say goodbye to wet dishes piling up in the sink! Our winning dish rack gives your clean plates, glassware, and lunchboxes a dedicated spot to dry off. It’s moderate in size but impressively roomy, easily accommodating dishware for a household of four people. Its drainage system catches every drip of runoff from wet dishes, and the well-spaced bars in the dish rack allow maximum airflow so that dishes dry effectively. Read our review.
Instant Pot Pro 8Qt
A multicooker is a versatile appliance, able to braise, pressure-cook, sear, and steam. It’s an asset when meal prepping. Our winning model is spacious and does every task well. It also has an easy-to-navigate interface so you can quickly choose between settings. Our Best Buy, the Cosori 6.0-Quart Pressure Cooker, offers great value for its small size. We were impressed with its slow- and pressure-cooking performance. Read our review.
Beast Mega 1200
There are many benefits of owning a personal blender. Perhaps the best known is that the blending jar often doubles as a portable mug when fitted with a travel lid, a clever configuration that allows you to bring your favorite smoothie on the go. But these blenders are good for so much more than smoothies. We also like them for sauces and vinaigrettes or other salad dressings. Our winner is intuitive to use and blends everything to perfection, making exceptionally smooth beverages and dressings. We also recommend a more affordable option, the Nutribullet Personal Blender; it made great salad dressings, but the smoothie was a touch icier than the one made in our winning blender. Read our review.
ZZTX Heavy Duty 16-inch Stainless-Steel Ruler, Set of 2
You’ve likely seen rulers on back-to-school lists for students, but we think they belong in the kitchen too. This often overlooked kitchen tool is extremely helpful for cooking and baking tasks such as cutting vegetables and portioning cookie dough. It’s about more than just looks; when everything you prep is the same size, it will cook evenly. Our favorite ruler offers sturdy and straight edges that make it easy to cut cleanly and precisely. Its dark, etched markings are clear and easy to read, even after repeated scrubbings with a sponge. Read our review.
(re)zip Gallon Bag 4-Pack
To store batch-cooked meals in the freezer and fresh produce in the fridge, we often reach for food storage bags. In our tests, our winning reusable storage bags kept everything—from soup to pork chops—in perfect condition for more than a month. We also liked how easy they were to clean. A less pricey alternative is our plastic bag winner, the gallon-sized Ziploc Freezer Bags. They held foods well; plus, the seal stayed intact when dropped from a counter. Read our review.
Presto Flipside Belgian Waffle Maker
New school year, new breakfast routine. This simple-to-use waffle maker is quick, making golden-brown, tender waffles in about 4 minutes. The timer conveniently alerts you when the waffles are 1 minute away from being done, so you can be ready to slide them onto a plate and top them with butter and syrup. Read our review.
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