The Editors' Picks: Must-Read Articles and Recipes You Missed This Year

At Serious Eats, we publish a host of new recipes and articles every single day. Whether it’s a thoroughly tested recipe, a review of the latest kitchen gear, or a deep dive into an ingredient’s history and culinary uses, you can find a little bit of everything on our site. And while some of these pieces resonate well with our audience, others tend to get lost in the weeds for one reason or another. 

We're passionate about what we do, so we wanted to highlight some of the content we published this year that we think deserved a little more love. Below are the articles and recipes we’re particularly proud of—a search for the best cloth napkins, an analysis of a popular method for cooking rice, and roasted potatoes with a Caesar twist, to name a few—that you may have missed. Check them out and help turn these under-sung gems into the hits they deserve to be. 

Articles

Is This the Most Foolproof Method for Making Rice? We Tested to Find Out

"This piece by our wonderful editor Genevieve did well, but it deserved to do even better. It's my favorite kind of culinary investigation, one in which a common—and often sworn-by—technique is scrutinized, evaluated, and tested to learn the underlying truth. Can you really use a finger to make perfect rice every time? Is everyone's top index finger segment the same length, as some confidently claim? And just how much does a millimeter of finger length matter when adding water to the rice pot? Genevieve asked all this, did the math, and her results are remarkable." —Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

Yes, Double Dipping Is Gross. It Also Alters Foods In Surprising Ways—Here's How.

"This is such a fun, interesting read on what happens when you double dip. You might not care about germs, but you might—and I hope you do!—care about the texture of your food." —Genevieve Yam, culinary editor

I Burned Through 78 Pounds of Charcoal to Find the Four Best Chimney Starters

"Our contributor Greg Baker never fails to make me laugh when I'm in the midst of editing his stories. His fantastic review of charcoal chimneys had me absolutely cackling by the end (you'll have to read it to find out why). Not to mention I had no idea that there was such a thing as a "bad" charcoal chimney. After reading, I snapped up his winning pick and said goodybe to my old one that took hours to get coals hot." —Grace Kelly, editor

I Tested 11 Cloth Napkins to Find Ones That Are Fancy, Functional, and Dinner Party–Worthy

"Rochelle's quest to find the perfect napkin goes far beyond this article (she's been at it for years!). Her review inspired me to ditch paper towels for good and find a reusable, pretty alternative. I love whenever we get super granular about little details (like napkin hems!) and, once you read this story, I'm sure you will, too." —Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate editorial director

The Best Affordable Pots and Pans, According to Our Very Best Tests

"The best kitchen gear isn't always the most expensive. This piece was a fantastic reminder that budget picks don't have to mean sacrificing quality. In fact, plenty of the products on this list outperformed their more expensive competitors. It's an indispensable read for anyone building their first kitchen, or on a budget." —Rochelle Bilow, editor

We're Knife Geeks, and These Are the 7 Knives We Actually Use in Our Own Kitchens

"As gear nerds, we have a lot of opinions on kitchen tools, and knives are pretty high up on the list of things we could go on and on and on (and on) about. When we surveyed Serious Eats staffers for thier favorite knives, it was so fun (and enlightening!) to learn what everyone reaches for in their own home kitchens, from extra sharp bread slicers to carbon steel Gyutou knives." —An Uong, writer

I Pitched "Hangry" for Dictionary Inclusion in 2003 and Was Rejected

"I had such fun reporting and writing this story, and I know our team all enjoyed reading it, but it just didn't get the clicks. If you ever use the word "hangry," I encourage you to read about how I got laughed at for pitching it for the dictionary more than 20 years ago. (Is it tacky to suggest my own article? Well, too late now!)" —Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director

How British Chinese Takeaway Became A TikTok-Viral, Controversial Cuisine

"When Steffi Cao first pitched this story, I was so intrigued! I had no idea about the origins of British Chinese food and the debate around its "authenticity." Steffi has such a knack for dissecting internet discourse, and she did a great job thoroughly reporting on all sides of this story. It's well worth a read!" —Yasmine Maggio, associate editor

Recipes

Bloody Caesar

"As a kid, I adored Choose Your Own Adventure books. So when Leah said we could do any topping we wanted to for her bloody Caesar recipe, it was like being filled with childhood wonder again, but this time with vodka and anchovies. This Canadian version of a Bloody Mary is so delicious, so easy, and so fun to build. Click on it the next time you're hosting a brunch so your guests can build their own perfect garnish skewer." —Amanda Suarez, associate director, visuals

Wisconsin Butter Burgers

"Jed Portman's recipes are so well tested and researched that they are guaranteed to work every time—not to mention they are fun, detailed reads. So I suggest you click on all of his recipes, but especially this Wisconsin butter burger. If you are looking to make an "ultimate" burger at home, this is the one. His technique of adding a savory soy sauce compound butter to the beef blend when grinding is such a smart move. He proves that your burger really does need a dangerous amount of butter in it." —Leah Colins, senior culinary editor

Caesar Roast Potatoes

"I am an unapologetic Caesar enthusiast, and I loved our spotlight saluting the 100th birthday of Caesar salad. So, I was a bit shocked that Leah's Caesar Roast Potatoes didn't break the internet. Kenji's OG crispy roast potato recipe is our top-performing recipe of all time. Maybe it was because July isn't peak potato roasting season? If so, then right now is your time to shine, taters!" —Kelli Solomon, senior social media editor