Things We Like, Round Six

An extremely efficient food chopper, luxurious vanilla bean paste, and a microwave popcorn popper.

Published June 20, 2025

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1. OXO One Stop Chop Manual Food Processor

Photo courtesy OXO

This little gadget does an amazing job on a couple of onions or carrots, a perfect job on garlic and shallots, and so on. It’s not a food processor replacement, but it’s a useful knife alternative for those of us with limited skills. (I’m proud to count myself in that group.) – Mark


2. Heilala Pure Vanilla Paste

Photo courtesy Heilala

Vanilla bean paste might be my favorite indulgent ingredient—I consider it the caviar of desserts. Heilala’s is a staple in my pantry. It’s pricey, but a little goes a long way—one teaspoon of paste is the equivalent of one vanilla bean. I enjoy it most in creamy desserts like creme brulee and panna cotta where the vanilla can really shine. Also, seeing the little specks in my desserts makes me feel wealthy. – Holly


3. Lékué Microwave Popcorn Popper

Photo courtesy Lékué

This was given to my family as a gift years ago, and it gets so much use that it felt crazy not to recommend it. It’s collapsible, so it takes up hardly any space; add a quarter cup or a third of a cup of kernels—it can’t hold much more than that—and a bit of oil, put it in the microwave for three minutes or so, and you’ve got a big bowl of fresh popcorn. And it can go in the dishwasher. It’s great. – Kate


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