After a summer in which I spent as much time as possible outside of my apartment—and outside of New York City, for that matter—these first weeks of fall have been marked by cozy evenings spent cooking at home. And while I hung onto those last moments of sunshine and warmth for as long as I could (I’m a summer baby, after all), I’ve officially ushered in the new season by breaking out my Dutch oven for some day-long braises, making an inaugural batch of my favorite pumpkin bread, and transitioning my weeknight cooking approach from the vibrant produce-laden salads I pepper my summers with to some heartier fare.
All that to say, here are some recent kitchen improvements I’ve been making use of—upgrades and maintenance moves that will make for seamless cooking experiences this fall and into the holidays.
The ultimate lazy girl knife sharpening hack: Knife Aid
I have a confession: I never used to sharpen my knives. I don’t even own the right equipment to do it. When I moved into my first post-college apartment I brought one (very mediocre) chef’s knife with me, the blade of which hadn’t so much as grazed a honing steel throughout its multi-year lifetime. Eventually I got a new knife (nine to be exact, thanks to some santoku knife testing), but still didn’t have the knowledge or means to keep them in top condition.
Enter Knife Aid, a mail-in knife sharpening service that’s perfect if you, like me, are daunted by the prospect of properly sharpening your prized knives. The process couldn’t be simpler: They mail you an envelope with materials for you to safely pack your knives for shipping. You send them away, and within a week or so they’ll be back on your doorstep, good as new. I’ll learn how to sharpen my own knives eventually, I promise; but for now, I’ll be relying on Knife Aid’s seamless process and seasoned knife sharpening pros to bring my blades back to life.
A storage solution for all of those razor sharp knives: Magnetic knife block
Now that I had all of these newly sharpened knives, I needed a storage solution that was better than the combo of the traditional knife block I inherited from my mom and a kitchen drawer for overflow. This magnetic knife block from Marcellin is slimmer than my old insert-style block, fits all of my knives and then some, and looks great on my countertop.
Working in commerce at a food publication for nearly two years means that I am now an expert in all things air fryers and protein powders, but it also means that I’ve somehow come into possession of an ungodly number of pepper mills. But the pepper mill I reach for repeatedly—the one I use the most—is the Mannkitchen Pepper Cannon. Let me preface by saying that I was highly skeptical of a $200 pepper grinder. But after testing this one out and using it in my kitchen for the better part of a year, I can confidently say it’s such a game changer. If it were to disappear from my kitchen tomorrow I would buy another one immediately.
It’s more powerful than any other mill I’ve used by a landslide. It’s called the Pepper “Cannon” for a reason, able to produce a mountain of perfectly ground pepper (at your desired coarseness) at an astonishing rate and with very little effort. I’ve been on a late night cacio e pepe kick recently, and I love that just a few twists of this thing will grind out more than enough pepper for my pasta needs.
As I mentioned, I’m a summer baby through and through. While I’m happy to have officially kissed those brutal 90 degree days goodbye, I like to hold onto my favorite season in any way I can throughout the year. This room spray from Homecourt—or “room deodorant,” as they call it—smells like a peak summer caprese, or my mom’s garden in the height of August. It’s also formulated to neutralize odors, which makes it an ideal solve when kitchen smells come drifting down my small apartment’s hallway and into my bedroom.
The junk drawer: a little bit of everything else I’m loving right now
I found denim shorts that actually fit me properly (finally)
It’s been several years since I’ve owned a pair of denim shorts that fit in all the right places, and I made it my mission to find one this summer. I’d say mission accomplished, because I actually found two: One’s a more classic cut from Reformation that fits just right around the waist while still being roomy in the legs (my number one complaint with most denim shorts). The other is a longer style from Rolla’s that I can’t wait to pair with a white tank top and my red ballet flats.
And a pair of “denim” pants that are actually sweatpants
I’m not exaggerating when I tell you I think I’ve worn these pants more than any other item in my closet since I got them last month. The pants in question are the Miramar “jeans” from Rag & Bone, which are essentially a terry cloth sweatpant printed to look just like denim. They’re my new favorite party trick: shockingly convincing, ultra-soft and stretchy, with a super flattering wide-leg, high-rise fit that drapes infinitely more nicely than stiff real denim could. They’re so comfy I wore them on a 7-hour red eye plane ride, and they’re lightweight enough to wear out and about even in the peak of NYC summer.
A wearable tracker that’s helping me get on top of my sleep routine
I used to be a big time bullet journaler. I’m a Notion devotee for all of my life planning needs, and an avid Apple watch wearer. I find habit tracking fun and satisfying, and data about those habits fascinating. So it’s no surprise that my latest obsession is the Whoop, a wearable activity tracker that delivers ultra accurate data and insights about everything from your morning strength workouts to your stress levels. The thing I find the most interesting, though, is the information it provides about sleep cycle and recovery levels. It’s the only tracking system that’s ever made me mindful enough about things like bedtime, drinking, and rest days to inspire actual changes in my daily routine.
The tinted sunscreen that’s my holy grail all year round
In case you haven’t heard, sunscreen is just as important in the depths of winter as it is during the summer months—especially for your face. This glowy tinted SPF from Supergoop has been my go-to for years now. I use it year round as a sub for a tinted moisturizer, and once the weather gets warmer I make sure to keep a tube in my bag for easy reapplication whether I’m chilling at the beach or picnicking at the park.