Even ask mask restrictions begin to lift, our pandemic hobbies — cooking, puzzling, redecorating — are still going strong, and our favorite products from this month reflect that. Swipe through to glimpse our picks.
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Daily Harvest Chocolate + Ooey, Gooey, Midnight Fudge Ice Cream
"I am obsessed with chocolate ice cream — it's my favorite dessert, and something I like to keep in my freezer for when I need something sweet. Recently, I was able to try out Daily Harvest's Chocolate + Ooey, Gooey, Midnight Fudge flavor, and tbh, it blew me away. It's gluten-free and dairy-free, which are two qualifications I don't usually follow in the things that I eat, but I didn't even notice. I'll be repurchasing this in the future for sure." — Elizabeth Gulino, Health + Wellness writer
Daily Harvest Chocolate + Ooey, Gooey, Midnight Fudge Ice Cream, $, available at Daily Harvest
HexClad's 14-inch Frying Pan
"I'm usually a bit skeptical of any non-stick pans — from experience, they never really live up to their promises. This might be one of the first times I really didn't experience that issue at all. I've pretty much tried to cook everything in here: fish, veggies, omelets, stews. I love how quickly the pan gets hot, especially, and gives a lot of the food I've cooked a really nice sear. But the best part, by far, is the minimal clean-up. Plus, this pan is massive, and it's great for cooking meals for a family or lots of guests!" — Leora Yashari, Senior News Editor
HexClad Cookware 14" HexClad Hybrid Pan with Lid, $, available at HexClad Cookware
Super Natural Simple: Whole-Food, Vegetarian Recipes for Real Life
"Like a lot of people, I've been on a journey to cut back the amount of meat I eat, but for some reason, vegetarian cooking can often feel so intimidating. I've tried vegetarian cookbooks that call for specialty ingredients that I couldn't find at my grocery store and equipment I don't want to invest in. Super Natural Simple isn't like that. In this book, Heidi Swanson provides home cooks with easy recipes and short ingredient lists. With categories like weeknight noodles, single skillets, and sheet-pan meals, putting together a satisfying vegetarian dinner after a day of Zoom meetings is a breeze. Thanks to Super Natural Simple, eliminating meat from my daily diet feels a lot more doable." — Olivia Harrison, Lifestyle Editor
Ten Speed Press Super Natural Simple, $, available at bookshop.org
Litter-Robot 3 Connect
"Fellow cat-owners, let's be honest, scooping our pets' poop and pee is actually the worst — especially if they like to watch smugly like evil feline dictators. Having a robot scoop the litter instead is obviously not a necessity but it is really, really nice. While the Litter-Robot is definitely pricey, it does take the burden of scooping off of you. And after having had my two cats use it for about a month, the robot has also cut back significantly on the number of emergency litter runs I've had to make because the scooping is so efficient. It did, understandably, take a little while for my two skittish kitties to get used to it, so if you decide to make the investment, I recommend keeping your regular litter box around for a bit just in case. The brand's website also has some good tips on helping your cat acclimate. I'm most excited to go on vacation and not have to worry about guiltly asking the friend whom I've begged to catsit if she could please also clean out their poop box. That should really only be a parent's responsibility. Or, now, the responsibility of our lovely Litter-Robot pal." — OH
Litter-Robot Litter-Robot 3 Connect, $, available at Litter Robot
Fountain Beverage Co. Pineapple Hard Seltzer
"At this point in my allergic-to-beer life, I've tried so many canned alcoholic drinks that they've started to blend together. So when I try something that is truly singular, I simply must shout it from the rooftops. The Fountain Hard Seltzer pineapple flavor is tart, fruity, and downright hoppy giving me full juicy beer vibes without the gluten or hops. This hard seltzer will absolutely be by my side all summer long."
— Hannah Rimm, Associate Editor
Fountain Beverage Co. Pineapple Hard Seltze, $, available at Fountain Beverage Co.
Togu Knives Subscription
"Like everybody and their mother, I've gotten more into cooking during the pandemic. Up until now, I've always gone for cheap but usable when it comes to purchasing kitchenware, especially knives. But three months into cooking all three meals a day, my knives were too dull to cut an onion and despite my best efforts, I apparently can't properly sharpen a knife. Enter, Togu Knives, a knife subscription service that delivers two perfectly sharp knives to your door every eight weeks. You then send back the knives you had, they expertly sharpen and clean them, and reuse them. The end result is truly astonishing — cooking has never been more enjoyable and I'll never go back to sharpening my own knives again. The subscription also made a great birthday present for my cooking-obsessed mother — win-win!" — HR
Togu Knives The Gift of Sharp, $, available at Togu Knives
Frankly Organic Apple Vodka
"I love a spirit that holds its own in a cocktail and this apple vodka does just that. Perfect with just a dash of seltzer or over ice, Frankly Organic's Apple Vodka is the love child of post-workout ginger turmeric shots and hard cider. It's organic and made with real fruit juice (hence the color) and somehow makes Saturday night drinking feel like a healthy meal. Also can confirm, absolutely did not hurt my head the next morning. 10/10 will be a staple on my bar cart." — HR
Frankly Organic FRANKLY ORGANIC APPLE VODKA, $, available at Total Wine
Arrow Home Products Ice Tray
"No brag but my fridge has an ice cube maker. I got these ice trays anyway, specifically to freeze leftover coffee so I could make iced coffee this summer. I chose these because they make what's best described as Sonic-style ice, which means they're small, ovular cubes. According to the reviews, the texture isn't an exact dupe for Sonic's ice. I like 'em anyway." — Mirel Zaman, Deputy Director of Lifestyle, Wellbeing, & Social issues
Arrow Home Products Arrow Home Products Arrow 60 Cube Ice Tray, $, available at Amazon
Aerolatte Steam Free Milk Frother
"I received this frother ages ago, but didn't use it until that guy who reviews coffee ended up on my FYP. I dug it out of my drawer and used it on my oat milk of choice (I just recently switched from Oatly to Chobani extra creamy) and was forever changed. I'm not at all picky about coffee, but between the frothed milk and my Sonic-style coffee ice cubes, even I was impressed by the end result. I'm about ready to start charging my husband by the mug." — MZAerolatte Aerolatte® Steam Free Milk Frother, $, available at Bed Bath and Beyond
Aveda Nutriplenish Leave-In Conditioner
"I have pretty long hair, and a running problem in my life is that it's always getting tangled. Regular appointments to trim off my split ends at my favorite salon Fourteenjay beat back some of my issues, but I still get knots now and then, especially when I go on runs or to the beach. But, just in time for summer, I found this leave-in conditioner that lets me run a brush through my tresses without grimacing. It prevents my chronic tangling, and also leaves my mane looking shiny and healthy." — Molly Longman, Health + Wellness writer
Aveda Aveda Nutriplenish Leave-in Conditioner, $, available at Aveda
Jiggy Puzzles
"Even though I'm vaccinated now, there's one pandemic activity I'm unwilling to leave behind: completing puzzles. In quarantine, I discovered the process to be meditative, and especially loved working on ones with pretty designs. Jiggy's puzzles in particular have been favorites of mine, as they feature work from female artists (this gorgeous one is designed by Dora Cuenca, a Costa Rican illustrator, for example), and come with a puzzle jar (much chicer than a box), and special glue if you want to hang up the masterpiece when you're done putting it together. They even have a monthly subscription, which is perfect for me, as I've gotten pretty into the craft." — MLJiggy Jiggy Puzzle, $, available at Jiggy
ODK Kitchen Baker's Rack Utility Storage Shelf
"All NYC apartments come with sacrifices, and mine just happened to be that I have ZERO kitchen counter space. I love everything else about my small home, so I didn't dwell too much and quickly invested in this cheap little baker's cart. It was super easy to assemble and holds all of my dishware which is perfect. I love it and recommend it to anyone who needs some extra kitchen storage." — Alexandra Polk, Associate Market Lifestyle Writer
ODK Kitchen Baker's Rack Utility Storage Shelf, $, available at Amazon
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