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7 Best Pizza Ovens (2023): Outdoor, Indoor, Gas, and Wood

7 Best Pizza Ovens (2023): Outdoor, Indoor, Gas, and Wood

There’s a reason why pizza is the menu choice of picky preschoolers, hungry teenagers, and discerning foodies alike. With enough cheese, tomato sauce, and arugula, homemade pizzas are a complete meal. They’re irresistible, easy to make, and customizable for a wide range of dietary preferences.

Until recently, an aspiring pizzaiolo had no choice but to crank up their kitchen oven to the standard 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, the best outdoor pizza ovens can heat up as high as 900 degrees—the perfect temperature for making a crisp Neapolitan pizza in minutes. For the past few years, I’ve memorized recipes, perfected my dough-tossing technique, and made hundreds of pizzas. You don’t have to limit yourself to pizza, either; I’ve seared steaks and pan-fried broccoli in ’em. Here are my—and my waistline’s—favorites. For those with limited access to outdoor spaces, I’ve included an indoor option and an oven that fits on a small deck, balcony, or patio.

Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including the Best Portable Grills, Best Grills, and Best Camping Stoves.

Updated June 2023: We added the Ooni Volt and the Yoder Smoker Oven, added an honorable mentions slide, and added some toppings we like.

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9 Best Electric Kettles (2023): Gooseneck, Temperature Control, Cheap

9 Best Electric Kettles (2023): Gooseneck, Temperature Control, Cheap

If you don’t have an electric kettle in your kitchen, you’re missing out. Not only are these appliances slightly more energy-efficient than using a stovetop, but they’re portable and boil water more quickly. These days, electric kettles come in various sizes with different kinds of spouts, and you’ll often find models with customizable temperature settings too—allowing you to set the perfect brew temp for your pour-over coffee or loose-leaf tea.

But there are a lot of electric kettles out there. If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck or one that’s particularly great for coffee, we’ve done the hard work for you. We’ve been using over a dozen models in our lives over the past year to find out what’s the best and what’s junk. These are our favorite electric kettles worthy of your countertop.

For more kitchen guides, check out the Best Espresso Machines, the Best Latte & Cappucino Makers, the Best Air Fryers and the Best Chef’s Knives.

Updated May 2023: We’ve added the Breville IQ, KitchenAid Pro Line, Wolf Gourmet True Temperature and Hay Sowden kettles.

Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-Year Subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you’d like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.

11 Best Coffee Grinders (2023): Conical-Burr, Flat-Burr, Manual, Blade

11 Best Coffee Grinders (2023): Conical-Burr, Flat-Burr, Manual, Blade

Our list consists mostly of conical-burr grinders. In a conical grinder, coffee beans are crushed and ground between two rings of burrs. They deliver a finer, much more consistent grind than you’d get with a traditional blade grinder, even the nicest ones.

Flat-burr grinders are similar, but they’re typically more expensive. In these, the burrs are laid on top of each other, and the beans pass through them as they grind. The grinder action pushes the grounds out of one end, instead of relying on gravity like a conical-burr grinder, and the beans spend more time in contact with the burrs. This results in a more consistent grind, but for home brewers, conical-burr grinders are just as good—even if they require more maintenance and don’t result in consistent-down-to-the-micron-scale grounds.

Blade grinders have a chopping blade that spins around like a food processor. But blades don’t produce even results. Some of your coffee will be fine powder at the bottom, and at the top you’ll have bits too large for even French press. The result is an inconsistent, unpredictable brew. These grinders are cheap, and yes, using fresh beans in a blade grinder is far better than buying ground coffee. (You can learn how to shake the beans to even your grind just a little. See world barista champion James Hoffmann’s video for some more blade grinder hacks.)

If you can afford it, we highly recommend going with one of the burr grinders we’ve listed. There’s a reason why they cost a little more than a budget burr grinder. The machinery in a high-quality burr grinder is a bit more complicated, and it’s built to withstand greater wear and tear. In cheap burr grinders, the burrs will typically get blunt from regular use, and the flimsier motors may burn out with regular use in a matter of months.

PSA: Do not put preground coffee into a burr grinder. Logically, it makes sense. It’s too coarse, so you put it through again, right? No! With a burr grinder, the preground coffee gets stuck inside the burrs, and you”ll have to do some disassembly to set them to rights again.

9 Best Coffee Subscription Boxes We’ve Tasted (2022): Gifting, Fresh, Decaf, Single-Origin

9 Best Coffee Subscription Boxes We’ve Tasted (2022): Gifting, Fresh, Decaf, Single-Origin

Delivery options: One, two, three, or four weeks


For the Fastest, Freshest Delivery

Blue Bottle is one of the older coffee subscriptions. It’s still great, though its selection is not as extensive as some of the newcomers. Where Blue Bottle stands out is freshness—the company promises to ship your coffee within 24 hours of roasting.

Blue Bottle has a 10-question survey it uses to pair you with coffee you’ll love. Its questions aren’t just about coffee; they ask about your favorite chocolate and even salad dressing. It might seem odd, but it works. WIRED senior reviewer Scott Gilbertson got excellent pairings that were among the best coffee he’s tried for this guide. Blue Bottle also has a decaf option. 

Delivery options: One, two, three, or four weeks


For Animal Lovers (Yep)

Grounds and Hounds offers small-batch roasted blends and single-origin coffee, with 20 percent of its profits going to benefit animal shelters. The brand has some of my personal favorite coffees, especially the dark roasts. (Try the Snow Day Winter Roast when it’s available.)

There are two kinds of subscriptions at Grounds and Hounds—a traditional plan where you pick what you’d like to try, and a gift plan if you’re buying for someone else. We tested the former, opting for whole bean (ground and single-serve pods are also options), and its “Roaster’s Select” beans, which let us sample a few different varieties. As soon as we found what we liked, we switched the subscription to that bean.

When you sign up, Grounds and Hounds will let you know how your money is helping animal shelters. In the case of a single bag, a weekly subscription provides roughly 800 meals per year to shelters. 

Delivery options: One, two, four, or eight weeks


Great Coffee for Reducing Heartburn

Trücup isn’t a traditional subscription service and shouldn’t really be on this list. But it has a really low acid content. That makes it a great option for coffee lovers with sensitive stomachs who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease or heartburn. If you’ve been diagnosed with GERD, talk to your physician before you try Trücup, though.

Trücup is worth your time even if you’re fortunate enough to have a stomach that can handle normal coffee. It’s a top pick for drinking in the afternoon and evenings, as it’s mellow and easier on the stomach. You can subscribe at checkout after you choose a bag or make it a one-time purchase. 

Delivery options: One through 12 weeks

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Coffee Help

Subscription Beans vs. Locally Roasted Beans

These subscription services all produce killer coffee beans, and they all taste great. But none of them taste better than coffee roasted locally. For the most flavorful coffee that has a direct impact on your community, you’re best served by looking up local coffee roasters–whether that’s a café in the same city, state, or geographical region. 

Coffee is at its best shortly after roasting. The longer it stays on a shelf or on a delivery truck, the less flavorful it’ll be. Plus, ordering coffee locally minimizes the environmental impact of having stuff shipped from across the country (or across the continent). The best way to do that is by heading to your local coffee shop and having a look at what coffee they serve. (They might even roast and sell their own!) 

How We Tested, and How You Should

To test these subscriptions, we brewed each bag in different ways to see which beans were best suited to which brewing method. It’s worth doing the same if you have access to different brewing methods, especially if you opt for a subscription that offers a lot of variety. A roast that makes a great shot of espresso does not necessarily make the best pour-over coffee.

In the same vein, take notes on what you like and dislike. Several of these services have very nice websites where you can record your notes and mark particular coffees you liked. Take advantage of these features, because you will probably forget. The coffee never stops coming with these subscriptions, which is both a blessing and a curse. If you’d like some more pointers, be sure to read our guide to brewing better coffee at home.

Let’s Destigmatize Decaf

Coffee aficionados are a fickle bunch, and they tend to like dunking on people who drink decaf. But here’s the thing: Decaf can be good. Yes, the decaffeination process changes the flavor, and yes, you often miss out on delicate floral notes. It’s unfair to exclude people from enjoying coffee, period, and talking smack about decaf coffee can also be ableist. Drinking caffeinated coffee all day can seriously impact your sleep, and some people can’t tolerate caffeine for medical reasons or just don’t like the way it makes them feel or the way it interacts with certain medications. 

Coffee is for everyone! There is such a thing as good decaf, and three of our favorite services on this list offer a selection of decaffeinated coffee (Trade, Mistobox, and Cometeer). Even if you’re a caffeine fiend, it can be nice to unwind with a cup of decaf in the evening—it’s especially well suited for mixed espresso drinks, where typically bold chocolatey and smokey notes can really bring a mocha to life. Even in a French press or pour-over context, decaf (or a blend of decaf and caffeinated beans) is a good pick for afternoon coffee service. No need to worry about afternoon jitters or insomnia. 

The Best Coffee Grinders to Amp Up Your Morning Brew

The Best Coffee Grinders to Amp Up Your Morning Brew

Our list consists of mostly conical-burr grinders. In a conical grinder, coffee beans are ground between two rings of burrs that crush and grind up the beans. You get a finer, much more consistent grind than you’d get with a traditional blade grinder, even the nicest ones. 

Flat-burr grinders are similar, but they’re typically more expensive. In these, the burrs are laid on top of each other, and the beans pass through them as they grind. The grinder action pushes the grounds out of one end, instead of relying on gravity like a conical burr grinder, and the beans spend more time in contact with the burrs. This results in a more consistent grind, but for home brewers, conical-burr grinders are just as good—even if they require more maintenance and don’t result in consistent-down-to-the-micron-scale grounds. 

Blade grinders have a chopping blade that spins around like a food processor. But blades don’t produce even results. Some of your coffee will be fine powder at the bottom, and at the top you’ll have bits too large for even French press. The result is an inconsistent, unpredictable brew. These grinders are cheap, and yes, using fresh beans in a blade grinder is far better than buying ground coffee. (You can learn how to shake the beans to even your grind just a little. See world barista champion James Hoffmann’s video for some more blade grinder hacks.) 

If you can afford it, we highly recommend going with one of the burr grinder options we’ve listed. There’s a reason why they cost a little more than a budget burr grinder. The machinery in a high-quality burr grinder is a bit more complicated, and built to withstand greater wear and tear. Cheap burr grinders usually have burrs that will get blunt after regular usage, or a motor that isn’t quite powerful enough to keep up with daily use and may burn out in a matter of months.