Why We Believe Crazy S**t —And What We Can Do About It - The Assignment with Audie Cornish - Podcast on CNN Audio
Conspiracy theories are not new. They're as old as time itself. But if you feel like they're everywhere right now, you're not alone. So, what do you do when somebody you love has fallen down a rabbit hole? CNN's Donie O'Sullivan has been covering the world of misinformation for more than a decade, but now he's less interested in what people believe than why they believe it. So, he's trying to find out.
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These Oxo products are the unsung heroes of our editors' kitchens
CNN Underscored Oxo favorites For slicing veggies: Oxo Handheld Mandoline Slicer For homemade dressing: Oxo Little Salad Dressing Shaker For liquid measuring: Oxo Good Grips Angled Measuring Cups, Set of 3 For food storage: Oxo Good Grips 5-Piece Pop Container Set For our morning cup of Joe: Oxo Rapid Brewer Whether you're fully immersed in the world of product testing or not, Oxo can feel sort of inescapable. The brand is seemingly everywhere. Next time you need a tool in the kitchen or a storage solution, Oxo will almost certainly have an option worth buying. And it'll only take a few clicks on Amazon or a short drive to the nearest Target to add it to your cart. If (and when) you do choose to buy it, it's a reasonable bet that Oxo's product won't let you down. I've probably owned about a dozen Oxo products over the years, and reliable, accessible and affordable are repeatedly appropriate descriptors. If that feels like an ambitious blanket statement, I have the data to back it up. Banter around the CNN Underscored office led my colleagues and me to realize that we all had a favorite item made by Oxo. The variety, though, was so intriguing that I decided to poll the group. Participants could name up to five of their favorite Oxo products, then I tallied the votes. The following five champs — cookware stars that streamline kitchen prep and form the foundation of our morning coffee rituals — had the most support. Oxo Good Grips Handheld Mandoline Slicer This mandoline can thinly slice any veggie you throw its way for a surprisingly low price point. Its design features a comfortable, secure grip and nonslip feet, significantly reducing the likelihood of accidentally cutting our review Oxo Good Grips Little Salad Dressing Shaker Everything you need to make, shake and serve salad dressings at home is in this little bottle. We love that it has measurement markings so you don't have to use a separate cup to be precise. Oxo Good Grips Angled Measuring Cups, Set of 3 This trio of measuring cups is the upgrade you didn't know you needed until you have it. The angled markings inside mean you don't have to crouch or bend to see just how far you've filled them up. Oxo Good Grips 5-Piece Pop Container Set Chip clips are shaking, knowing how much better these food storage containers are at maintaining an air-tight seal. Oxo Rapid Brewer Hot or iced coffee concentrate doesn't have to take hours to brew. This device — which requires no more than five minutes to do its job — is portable, repeatable and the most affordable way to make a dang good Americano. It's fair that many restaurants and chefs name-drop the Benriner Super Slicer as their go-to mandoline slicer. After all, it offers the almost industrial-grade build quality necessary for restaurant-level demands alongside its very sharp Japanese blade. The thing is, I still don't see it as a necessary tool for every household, especially not at that price point — and I say this as someone who meal preps three different dishes every week. The main reason I feel this way, however, is because of Oxo's sub-$20 option that has proven itself capable of tackling my home-cooking demands just as well as the Benriner slicer. Its stainless steel blade, while not Japanese-made, cuts and slices through potatoes, onions, cabbages, carrots and other veggies effortlessly, making those usually tedious thin-slicing jobs faster, easier and, surprisingly, really fun and a little addictive. I rely on it for many of my meal prep needs. When I'm making my favorite potato gratin recipe, it's the first thing I pull out. If a recipe calls for caramelized onions, I whip it out. Whenever I want coins of zucchini to barbecue, it's there. I love its angled rubber-covered handle as well. It offers a good, secure grip and allows me to position the mandoline in different ways, depending on what plate or bowl is most accessible to me in the moment. Plus, its included food holder can effectively cling to the last thinnest slice of the veggie to ensure that you're not making finger julienne. The Oxo Good Grips mandoline slicer is versatile as well, allowing you to easily adjust the thickness of your slices with settings for 1 millimeter, 2.5 millimeters or 4 millimeters. You can also lock the blade away so you don't accidentally cut yourself when you're rummaging around in your kitchen tool drawer. I've only had mine for a few months — right around the time the cucumber salad recipe started trending on TikTok — but it hasn't failed me yet. Nor has it shown any signs of wear or breakage. That's saying something considering I am not precious about how I clean or store it. I just wash it with my regular dish soap, leave it on my dish rack to dry and toss it in my drawer for storage. So, why buy a $50 mandoline when you can get this one for more than half the price? — Michelle Rae Uy, testing writer As a frequent at-home salad chef, I've come to realize over the years that no bottled dressing can truly compare to the homemade stuff. This shaker is my all-in-one go-to for whipping up a bespoke dressing. It has measurements listed right on the side of the container, so you can put away those measuring cups and spoons. And once your ingredients have been added, you can simply push the lever backwards to create a seal and shake up your creation. Then, it's ready to pour via the handy spout, and the whole shaker can be stashed in the fridge to dress future salads to come. When it's time to clean up, unscrew the top and toss both pieces into the dishwasher. — Chelsea Stone, editorial director I never really thought much about the measuring cups in my kitchen. I just figured they were all kind of the same (that is to say, not great). Then I tried these Oxo measuring cups. They have an angled design and inner measurement markings, which make it easy to see exactly how much is in there from above — no bending down required. They're made of Tritan Renew (aka recycled plastic), which makes them super lightweight too. But my favorite part is that they make pouring liquids mess-free. I use the 2-cup option most often, whether I'm mixing up eggs, liquid egg whites and cottage cheese for a high-protein breakfast or making brown sugar cinnamon coffee syrup in the microwave. The biggest one (4 cups) is perfect for refilling my cat's water fountain and meal prepping for the week. The set also comes with a 1-cup option, but I reach for that one the least often. One slightly frustrating thing is that it can be hard to use a mini whisk to mix things in the cups. There's an indentation where the measurements are listed on the inside, and it often gets in the way. There's a downside to them being so lightweight too. I've once or twice accidentally knocked over a cup full of pasta water that I couldn't get back. Cleanup is super easy because they're top-rack dishwasher-safe. I throw mine in the dishwasher after every single use, and they're still looking brand-new. And when not in use, all three measuring cups stack well to take up less storage space. — Amina Lake Patel, home and gifts editor I've had my Oxo Pop containers for over six years now, and I still love them just as much as I did when I first got them. The BPA-free plastic is decently thick and durable, and as long as a toddler doesn't repeatedly throw the same container against the floor 20 times, you should get just as many years of use — or more — out of them. (We recently had one succumb to such a fate.) The plastic also doesn't seem to retain odors after washing, which is an issue I've noticed with other plastic food storage. The lids make a nice airtight seal with just the press of a button, not only keeping food fresher longer but keeping critters and crawlies out. They are far easier to open and close than Mason jars (and not as breakable), and they can even be used one-handed. Though we've highlighted the five-piece set above, there are a variety of dimensions and shapes available, making them a convenient way to store many different items in many different-sized spaces. Whether it's a small container of trail mix to keep in your desk drawer, a tall container to hold angel hair pasta or a big round container to store bulk rolled oats, there's a size for nearly every need. They also stack so neatly with their modular design, so you can really maximize the space in your pantry. There are a couple of downsides to these containers, but the pros far outweigh the cons. Mainly, while they are dishwasher-safe (top rack only), the two-piece lids can be a hassle to dry. One of the pieces can easily be towel-dried if your dishwasher doesn't do a good enough job, but the other has several small nooks and crevices that are difficult to get to, and water is likely to accumulate, so air-drying is the way to go. Just know that washing the lids properly (which I don't always do, let's be honest) doesn't allow for immediate use post-wash, even in the dishwasher. My only other gripe is that if the lid isn't on completely straight, it won't seal properly when you pop the lid. It will still let you do it, though, so you might not realize until it just plain falls off when you go to pick it up by the top (I may have done this a few times). It's an easy problem to address, though: Just pay attention and don't rush around like a madperson the way I do. — Danielle Poiesz, copy editor I'm no coffee snob, but I can't survive without a daily cold brew. To tighten my budget and reduce plastic waste, I've started making coffee at home, and I can't rave enough about the Oxo Rapid Brewer. I'm fortunate to test some of the newest and shiniest coffee appliances on the market thanks to my job, but I always come back to my trusty Oxo Rapid Brewer. I love that I can make Starbucks-level coffee concentrate in just minutes, without any charging, plugs or disposable filters. It's extremely intuitive too. Simply fill the container with coffee grounds, tamp it, pour in water (hot or cold) and wait for the magic to brew. It's that easy and costs just $40 at that. — Carolina Gazal, associate testing writer While the products covered in depth above got the most love in our staff-wide survey, several others received first-place votes and play a major role in our editors' kitchens. Oxo Good Grips Etched Zester It doesn't matter whether you need to grate Grana Padano, lemon or garlic with this zester. It'll transform them all into fine shavings for your next pasta al limone — and quickly. The best part is you can throw it in the dishwasher when you're finished. — Maxwell Shukuya, associate writer Oxo Outdoor Kitchen 3-in-1 Squeegee and Scraper I've had this simple scraper for probably five years and use it all the time. It has three different materials for various cleaning applications, including a soft silicone side to wipe down counters, a harder plastic side to scrape stubborn or burned-on messes and a stainless steel side to clean grills or cast-iron pans. It's a small but mighty kitchen cleaning tool that I find myself reaching for over and over. — Kai Burkhardt, outdoors, sustainable living and pets editor Oxo Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder No appliance gets more use in my kitchen than this coffee grinder, which has been going strong for about seven years. With 15 grind settings from fine for espresso and coarse for French press, it rivals other burr grinders that are far pricier. — Joe Bloss, associate testing writerRead our review Oxo Good Grips Squeeze and Pour Silicone Measuring Cups, Set of 3 I'm a big fan of the Food Network, and I noticed a lot of pros using these silicone measuring cups. I figured they must be onto something, so I swapped out my old plastic ones and haven't looked back. I love that they work for both hot and cold ingredients (think melted chocolate or butter) and can go straight into the microwave or dishwasher without a problem. — Lindsey Smith, newsletter editorRead our review Oxo Good Grips Grilling Tongs and Turner Set This dishwasher-safe set of grilling tools does all the work on my grill and handles the heat. It's a steal for its price considering both the tongs — which received multiple votes in my poll of our editors — and the spatula are nearly the same price on their own. — Joe Bloss, associate testing writer Where can I buy Oxo products? Where can I buy Oxo products? Oxo products are sold just about anywhere you'd expect to find kitchen tools — in-store or online at Amazon, Walmart, Target, Macy's and The Container Store, among others — as well as on the brand's own website. Is Oxo an acronym for a longer name? Is Oxo an acronym for a longer name? No. The name, pronounced 'ox-oh,' is an ambigram and a palindrome, meaning it can be read in any direction. Is there a difference between Oxo and Oxo Good Grips? Is there a difference between Oxo and Oxo Good Grips? Not really. Anything under the 'Good Grips' umbrella is simply a matter of branding. The line is designed to promote a comfortable, secure hold, otherwise known as a good grip. CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors with many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products who ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this article, these are not just products the team has tested, but they're mainstays in their lives. Associate testing writer Joe Bloss assembled this guide with submissions from several other CNN Underscored writers and editors who swear by these Oxo products. Bloss has penned numerous kitchen guides, including the best toasters and the best coffee makers.
