BA’s Best Countertop Appliances 2023: Everything You Need to Upgrade Your Cooking

By Kelsey Youngman and The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors

People love to be opinionated about appliances. Some see the Instant Pot and air fryers as ways to get dinner on the table better and faster; others consider them expensive, wasteful, and unnecessary.

Well, you couldn’t pull the plugs from our kitchens if you tried. Listen in on the chatter before a staff meeting and you’ll hear editors passionately extolling the virtues of their favorite electric kettle. Food processors sit right alongside knives and cutting boards at our test kitchen stations.

But that doesn’t mean we love just any appliance—each piece of equipment needs to earn its precious countertop real estate. If it doesn’t make cooking easier, more joyful, and more delicious, we don’t want it.

So we’re sharing our food editors’ highly opinionated picks for the appliances they couldn’t live without and the recipes that show off their full potential. We’ll also speculate on when AI will come for your crisper drawer, and suggest a few gadgets you definitely don’t need—but might want anyway. —Kelsey Youngman

It's my favorite view of golden hour.

There isn’t a better afternoon snack in the summer.

This kitchen workhorse deserves a spot on your countertop.

Ditch your stand mixer—this is speedier.

Do you need one? Probably not. Should you get one? Almost certainly.

Frozen fries get the ultimate makeover thanks to a sweet-salty-umami mix.

We tried seven frozen french fry brands to see which ones are worthy of your air fryer.

Wake up and smell the butter and syrup.

Rest the batter overnight for crisp, airy waffles in the morning.

It's better than any panini press.

From professional Vitamix blenders to compact personal blenders, these are the appliances our test kitchen loves.

A very rich, very creamy tomato soup made entirely in a blender—no pot or stove needed.

Invest in an ice cream maker to churn all the weird, wild, homemade pints of your dreams.

A homemade ricotta ice cream chock-full of crushed sugar cones, chocolate, and pistachios.