Here Are Our Top “In” and “Out” Kitchen Products for 2026

This summer is a time for cleaning out your kitchen cabinets, resolving to cook at home more, or making light-hearted predictions about which trends are over and which are up-and-comers. We probably couldn’t have predicted the rise of Dubai chocolate last year, but we like to venture guesses anyway. All it takes is one review for a product to go totally viral and cement its top trending spot (looking at you, Ninja Creami). 

Will this be the moment when carbon steel cookware dethrones nonstick? Is this the time when we switch to hojicha lattes instead of matcha? We asked Food & Wine staff what products they’re leaving behind this summer and here’s what they came up with. 

Top “In” Products for This Summer

In: Wood Cutting Boards

Out: Plastic Cutting Boards

Chatter about reducing microplastics in the kitchen is at an all-time high. Wood is an excellent swap, especially for cutting boards. It’s easier on your knives, and many wooden cutting boards, especially end-grain boards like the J.K. Adams Professional End Grain Maple Cutting Board, resist the scratches and gouges that plague plastic boards. Plastic can also take on stains and unpleasant odors, but bamboo is naturally antimicrobial, so snag Freshware’s set of three bamboo cutting boards to replace your smelly or dingy plastic ones. 

• Epicurean All-In-One Cutting Board with Non-Slip Feet and Juice Groove, $40
• John Boos Chop-N-Slice Series Rectangular Wooden Maple Cutting Board, $87
• Caraway 4-Piece Double-Sided Wood Cutting Board Set, $225
• Made In Cookware Butcher Block, $129
• J.K. Adams Professional End Grain Maple Cutting Board, $183, originally $229
• Ironwood Gourmet Square Charleston End Grain Chef’s Board, $51, originally $54
• Freshware Bamboo Cutting Boards, Set of 3, $14, originally $20

Social Media Editor Alexa Rockwell says plastic boards are out, and wood, particularly composite wood, is in. She recommends this sustainably sourced paper composite board from Epicurean — it claimed one of our top spots in testing, too. We loved the non-slip grips and how easy it is to care for. 

This editor-favorite wooden board came in first place in our wooden cutting board tests and is also Ina Garten’s preferred brand. This maple board has a reputation for being thick, durable, and dependable — all things our lab tests backed up. We were impressed with its solid, sturdy design and loved that it stayed put on the counter even during tough chopping. 

In: Carbon Steel Cookware

Out: Nonstick Cookware

In a recent Instagram post, Food & Wine staff voted on our overall ins and outs for the summer. Among our highly controversial hot takes, we declared that nonstick cookware is out and carbon steel is in. If you’ve never used carbon steel cookware before, it’s kind of a hybrid of cast iron and stainless steel, with all the positives of each material and very few downsides. You’ll most commonly see carbon steel skillets, like the Merten and Storck 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pan that impressed us during testing for its high quality and low price. But carbon steel is an excellent material for woks, paella pans, and griddles. 

This carbon steel pan from Made In is nearly indestructible. It’s heat-safe up to 1,200°F and compatible with all cooktops, as well as the grill and open flames like campfires. It holds heat like cast iron, but at just 3 pounds, it’s much easier to maneuver. The pan is pre-seasoned, so it’s slick right out of the box but can handle much more aggressive heating than nonstick cookware. 

Carbon steel is the ideal material for a wok because it responds to heat changes lightning-fast, something integral to many recipes that require wok cooking. In our tests, this Yosukata wok was highly responsive, and the flat bottom gave us room for more zoned-cooking, taking advantage of all the best parts of cooking in a wok. 

In: Wooden Utensils

Out: Plastic Utensils

If one of your goals this summer is to remove black plastic from your kitchen, wood is a great swap. Wooden kitchen utensils are more durable than plastic utensils, offer greater heat resistance, and are non-reactive. Like cutting boards, bamboo tools like the Riveira 6-Piece Bamboo Cooking Spoons are naturally antimicrobial, if you’re concerned about how plastic can harbor bacteria. 

Writer Dillon Evans says plastic is out and wood utensils are in — even over silicone. “I’m actually finding that I like wooden utensils more than silicone for cooking over high heat,” he says. “For cooking almost everything besides eggs, I’m starting to use just wooden utensils.” Evans reaches for this Ayiaren 12-Inch Teak Wood Spatula due to its durability and ability to scrape up fond and stuck-on bits. He adds that while silicone is usually rated for high heat, it doesn’t have the longevity that this wood spatula does — silicone can take on gouges and get too hot. 

If you’re looking to replace more than just one spoon, this 10-piece set is the best value. It includes multiple serving and stirring spoons, spatulas, and more specialized tools, like a pasta claw. The smooth teak wood is safe for all cookware and won’t scratch fragile coatings. 

In: Cold Brew at Home

Out: Paying for Expensive Iced Lattes

A $7 iced latte every weekday over the whole year is almost $2,000. If you want to save money on coffee, consider making cold-brewed coffee at home. Instead of investing in an expensive espresso machine to make iced lattes, cold brew makers are much cheaper and deliver stronger, higher-caffeine brews for fewer cups throughout the day. If the allure of stopping for coffee is that it’s on the way, you need the Mueller RapidBrew Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker that can make your coffee on the go, so it doesn’t add much extra work to your morning. For households with tea drinkers, the Altura The Tube+ Cold Brew Coffee Maker and Tea Infuser is an inexpensive multitasker that fits snugly in a kitchen drawer. 

Senior Photo Editor Doan Nguyen is on a self-described cold brew kick and says this is the best brewer for her morning cup. The metal filter is rigid, unlike some cold brew filters that have malleable mesh that are nearly impossible to clean. Plus, this brewer fits right into a jar for convenient brewing with minimal equipment. 

If you’re totally new to cold brew and want an easy, all-in-one brewer, this Takeya is the one for you. When we tested cold brew coffee makers, this pitcher brewer stood out for its incredibly straightforward procedure and design — it really minimized the mess. 

In: Hojicha

Out: Matcha

Ok, so technically hojicha is also green tea, just like matcha — it’s a deeply roasted version of the same tea leaves. However, the flavor profile is totally different. Hojicha lattes have a rich, nutty, toasty flavor. If you’ve tried matcha and don’t like it because of the grassy, vegetal flavor, you might like hojicha. Like matcha, you can buy it as a powder to whisk with water, but it’s also sold as tea bags and ready-to-drink bottles. 

Executive Editor Karen Shimizu declared that matcha is out and this summer is time to switch to hojicha. She recommends this versatile powder from Jade Leaf. If you’ve made matcha before, the instructions will look familiar. The powder can be whisked with any temperature of water for hot or iced tea, as well as blended with milk for a toasty latte. 

You’ll often see hojicha brewed hot or mixed with milk, but it has a uniquely refreshing flavor when consumed as iced tea. Ito En doesn’t add any sweeteners or other flavorings, so you get a super clean, pure hojicha flavor in a convenient resealable bottle — perfect for desk lunches or a low-caffeine afternoon treat.