Why OXO Dominates Our Editors’ Counters
It starts with the grip. That soft touch. OXO gets the fundamentals right when most brands skip the details.
Our editors at The Kitchn have a specific affinity for this brand. It isn’t brand loyalty for its own sake. It’s about reliability. When I pinged our internal Slack channel for recommendations, the responses didn’t trickle in. They flooded. Food Editor Andrea Rivera Wawrzyn called herself an “OXO evangelist.” That’s a strong word. It signals trust.
We tested hundreds of items over the last decade. Some break. Some fail. OXO rarely does. Here is the list. The five tools we actually use every single day.
How to Choose the Best Everyday Kitchen Scale for Baking
The first item isn’t a gadget. It’s a necessity. The OXO Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull Out Display is the one tool we point to first.
Price: $65.
Is it cheap? No. Is it worth it? Yes. Andrea calls it the best everyday kitchen scale, “full stop.” That’s the review. The accuracy matters. The durability matters more.
Most scales turn off. Mid-measurement. In the middle of a delicate batter. This one stays on. You can switch units without fighting the interface. It cleans up. It lasts. If you bake bread, you need this. If you meal prep, you need this. The pull-out display solves the biggest issue with standard scales: visibility. You see the number. You don’t guess.
“Everyone should own one.”
Which Measuring Tool Works Best for Liquids in Cooking and Bartending?
Think about your jigger. Probably metal. Probably dull. Now look at the OXO Steel Angled Jigger.
Price: $12.
It’s small. It’s cheap. It’s brilliant. Associate Groceries Editor Ali Domrongchai uses it primarily in the kitchen, not the bar. That’s the twist.
The slant makes it easy to read the fill line. The spout prevents spills when you pour into a pot or a mixing bowl. It’s stainless steel. It goes in the dishwasher. For twelve dollars, you get precision and durability. It measures liquids for recipes just as well as it measures gin.
How to Upgrade Your Morning Brew with a Programmable Drip Coffee Maker
Coffee changes your morning. Bad coffee ruins it. The OXO 9-Cup Drip Coffee Maker fixes the problem.
Price: $150 (often on sale).
Andrea says it’s the best machine she’s owned in years. That’s a high bar. Drip machines usually fail on heat retention or cleaning. This one keeps coffee hot for hours. It’s programmable. The carafe doesn’t leak. It’s durable.
You can find it on Amazon for significantly less than retail. A $100 discount makes a $150 machine feel like a steal. It’s not fancy. It works.
Why This Multi-Purpose Scraper Is Essential for Dough and Chopping
The OXO Multi-Purpose Scraper & Chopper looks simple. A steel blade. A handle. A plastic scraper end.
Price: $15.
Don’t be fooled. It’s a powerhouse. Ali uses it for everything. Chopping carrots? Yes. Celery for salads? Yes. Portioning sticky yeasted dough? Yes.
The blade is sharp enough to cut but safe enough to handle quickly. The scraper side gets the last bit of batter out of a bowl. It doesn’t warp. It doesn’t stain. It goes in the dishwasher. Fifteen dollars for a tool that replaces a bench scraper, a chef’s knife for small veg, and a spatula? That’s efficiency.
Which Silicone Turner Lasts the Longest in Heavy Use?
Spatulas break. Handles crack. Blades bend. Not this one.
The OXO Silicone Flexible Turner is a survivor. Director of Groceries Mara Weinraub has used hers for nearly ten years. Ten years. In a kitchen. That’s abuse.
Price: $14.
It stays in peak condition. The silicone doesn’t melt. The handle doesn’t loosen. It works in non-stick pans. It works on the griddle. It’s dishwasher safe.
You might want to buy two. One for the good pans. One for the daily grind. Or just lose the first one and be glad you have the second.
What Makes These Tools Better Than Alternatives?
It comes down to friction. Good tools remove friction. Bad tools create it.
OXO removes it. The scale stays on. The jigger pours clean. The coffee maker heats evenly. The scraper cuts through dough. The turner lasts a decade.
These aren’t expensive items. Most cost less than a nice lunch. They solve specific problems. They last.
What’s your go-to tool? The one you’d miss if it disappeared tomorrow. Tell us.
