The Well-Equipped Cook: 9 Handpicked Gifts from Executive Editor Lisa McManus

Shop smart this holiday season with Lisa’s top picks for gifting. [Cook's Illustrated] The Well-Equipped Cook A Curated Collection of Equipment with Tips, Videos, and Recipes [9 Handpicked Gifts from Executive Editor Lisa McManus]( Volume 179 9 Handpicked Gifts from Executive Editor Lisa McManus [view collection]( [Lisa McManus]( As executive editor of our tastings and testings team and an America’s Test Kitchen cast member, [Lisa McManus]( knows a thing or two about kitchen equipment. Day in and day out, she dedicates herself to finding the best tools for home cooks and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is when a product doesn’t live up to its promises. In this week’s guide, she shares her personal picks for the holiday giving season, from inexpensive essentials to high-tech gadgets, all of which come with Lisa’s stamp of approval. If you love watching Lisa and the rest of the cast on America’s Test Kitchen (or know someone who does), then our book [The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook]( is a must. It includes every recipe from all 18 seasons—that’s 1,300 trusty recipes—plus a 55-page guide to shopping for ingredients and kitchen equipment. We also take you behind the scenes in the test kitchen and explain just how our rigorous recipe development process works. Don’t miss these guides Our buying guides contain recommended equipment from our rigorous equipment testings. We post new guides every week, but they’re available for only a limited time. As we often say, we do the testing so you don’t have to. [Luxurious Gifts for the Cook Who Has Everything]( [Luxurious Gifts for the Cook Who Has Everything]( [Tackle Holiday Baking with These Top-Rated Essentials]( [Tackle Holiday Baking with These Top-Rated Essentials]( [Our Favorite Gadgets Under $50]( [Our Favorite Gadgets Under $50]( [13 Digital Gadgets That Make Your Kitchen Smarter]( [13 Digital Gadgets That Make Your Kitchen Smarter]( Cook along with every episode (including our upcoming season)! [The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook]( cover price: $45.00 Your Price: $19.95 [ORDER NOW]( KITCHEN MUST-HAVE Mercer Culinary Millennia 10” Wide Bread Knife [Mercer Culinary Millennia 10-inch Wide Bread Knife]( [BUY NOW]( “For those of us who love good bread, whether it’s rustic, crusty artisan loaves, sturdy sandwich bread, or tender brioche, we need a great serrated bread knife. Most serrated knives are just too stumpy, getting lost in bigger loaves or when you’re splitting cake layers—and many seem to have terrible serrations that just rip up bread, smash tall sandwiches, or leave you sawing away ineffectively. Our favorite is an inexpensive 10-inch-long blade that slides neatly through any slicing job, no sawing necessary. While it may look like other serrated knives, you’ll be surprised by its agility and efficiency.” —Lisa McManus HOW TO MAKE Millionaire’s Shortbread [Millionaire’s Shortbread]( Millionaire’s shortbread is one of Lisa’s favorite recipes—and for good reason. It has a lot going for it: a crunchy shortbread base; a chewy, caramel-like filling; and a shiny, snappy chocolate top. We start by making a quick shortbread with melted butter rather than pulling out the mixer or food processor. Sweetened condensed milk and fresh cream supply just enough whey to keep the filling together. Melting the chocolate very carefully so that it never gets too hot and stirring in grated chocolate at the end creates a smooth, firm top layer, which makes a suitably elegant finish for this rich yet refined cookie. [Get Recipe ›]( [More Foolproof Desserts and Baked Goods ›]( [America's Test Kitchen Cooking School] [Unexpected Uses for a Cast-Iron Skillet]( WATCH AND LEARN Unexpected Uses for a Cast-Iron Skillet A cast-iron skillet (or two) can stand in for a panini press, act as a flame tamer on a stovetop, speed up the defrosting of frozen meat, and act as a pie plate! Our [Online Cooking School video]( shows you how. [Watch the video ›]( test kitchen quick tip Keeping Olive Oil and Other Oils Fresher Longer Lisa recommends one of our favorite premium olive oils. When purchasing and using this kind of product, it’s important to know how to keep the oil fresh for as long as you can. Moving the oil off the kitchen counter is only the first step. Here's how to prolong the life of the oils in your kitchen. [Read more ›]( [Cooling Cookies] [More Cook’s Illustrated Buying Guides]( bonus guide Everything You Need to Cook with Kids This Holiday Season School vacation is fast approaching, and if you have little ones at home or coming to visit, you’re probably in need of some activities to keep them busy. What better way to do that than to share your love of cooking? After all, we don’t know a kid who doesn’t enjoy helping mix (and eat) cookie dough or top a homemade pizza. We’ve collected some of the best tools to use with kids in the kitchen, such as a chef’s knife designed especially for little cooks, a brownie pan that maximizes crispy edges, and our favorite oven mitt so you can put safety first. [View the guide ›]( EQUIPMENT GIVEAWAY [Mastrad Oil and Flavor Mister]( Mastrad Oil and Flavor Mister [enter now]( With its fine, even spray, this mister’s performance comes closest to that of PAM. Its wide, thorough spray quickly covers a skillet and all of the nooks and crannies of a muffin tin. It is also easy to fill and comfortable to hold. It can be yours! All you have to do is [click here]( and you’re done. One lucky winner will be chosen at random each week, so keep reading The Well-Equipped Cook for your chance to win! [America's Test Kitchen]( [Cook's Illustrated]( [Cook's Country]( [Cooking School]( America’s Test Kitchen is the home of Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines, America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen public television shows, dozens of best-selling cookbooks, member websites, and the America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School. We have a single mission: to help you succeed every time you cook. FOLLOW US [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [Forward to a friend →]( View this email in a [Web browser](. Offer expires December 20, 2017. All prior sales excluded. No substitutions. 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