Where we stand today
Our current buying guides are based on research, not hands-on tests. We have not yet bought and used the products they recommend. Every guide explains how its editorial score works, and none of them claims that we tested a product.
When we buy a product and use it in our kitchen, its guide will say so, show our own photos and describe what we did with it. We never write “we tested” for a product we have not used.
How we choose products
- Start with the task. We decide what the tool has to do in an everyday home kitchen, for example which knives a set really needs or what size a stand mixer bowl should be.
- Collect the documentation. We read the manufacturer’s product pages, specifications, care instructions and warranty terms.
- Compare the details that matter. Each guide explains its criteria under “How we chose”. We compare what is included, how it is made, how much space it needs and how much care it takes.
- Check every fact. Before a guide is published, we check the product selection, dimensions, materials and every factual statement against the manufacturer’s information and the retailer’s listing. Prices change daily, so we do not print them.
- Keep it current. We review every guide at least every six months: models, availability and the date at the top of the page.
How the editorial score works
Every product in a buying guide has an editorial score out of 10. It rates the documented features and practical tradeoffs of the product on four criteria that matter for that product type, for example blade steel, handle, versatility and care for knives. The criteria are weighted, and each guide lists them under “How the editorial score works”.
- 10 fully meets the criterion without a documented compromise; this is rare.
- 9 particularly complete support with minor limits.
- 8 strong support with one clear limit.
- 7 good, with several practical limits.
- 6 useful, with substantial documented constraints.
Half points mark an assessment in between. When the manufacturer information does not establish a criterion, we mark it “not rated” and calculate the score from the rated criteria only; the product then shows how many criteria were rated. Under each score, “Why this score?” gives the reason for every criterion.
The editorial score is our judgment based on manufacturer information. It is not a hands-on test, a lab measurement or a customer rating, and we do not show star ratings. The order of the picks also reflects who each product suits best, so it is not decided by the score alone.
How we make recipes
When we bring back a recipe from the old KitchenSimplicity blog, we keep the dish, so that old links still lead to what they promised, but we write the recipe and the instructions ourselves. We take only facts from the old pages, such as the ingredients, quantities, times and temperatures.
We are cooking the recipes one by one. Until then, a recipe’s picture is an AI-generated illustration, labeled as such, not a photo of the dish. When we have cooked it, we replace the illustration with a photo of our result and correct anything that did not work.
Our use of AI tools
We use AI tools for outlines and first drafts. Product choices, measurements and every factual claim are checked against the manufacturer’s information and the retailer’s listing before publishing. Recipe pictures that are not our own photos are AI-generated and labeled as illustrations.
Money and independence
Some links are affiliate links: if you buy through one, the retailer may pay us a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions do not decide what we recommend, and brands cannot pay for a place in our guides. See our affiliate disclosure.