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Articles by Maxine Builder
The 3 Easiest Ways To Tell if a Watermelon Is Ripe Original
Credit: Simply Recipes / Lori Rice Look for a watermelon with a uniform shape and a dull, matte finish. A creamy yellow field spot signals the watermelon ripened naturally in the sun. Avoid watermelons with stems attached, as they were likely picked too early. Try as you might, it’s impossible to tell what the inside of a watermelon looks like without cutting into it.
30 Prime Day Finds Under $50 We’re Actually Buying
Beauty and skin-care deals What we like: The best retinol product for adjustable potency. Active ingredient is encapsulated retinaldehyde, which is considered to be the most effective retinoid sold over the counter. Creamy and absorbs beautifully. Smells good, with no added synthetic fragrance. Other things to know: Contains 0.03% retinal; beginners can slowly increase the concentration to match their skin’s needs.
30 Prime Day Finds Under $50 We’re Actually Buying
Now If you tend to make last-minute purchases—or have a type B person in your life who makes everything last-minute—today is for you. Amazon Prime Day is officially here, meaning you’re getting up to 50% off sex essentials like lubricants, toys, and everything else you need to elevate your sex …
Is That Extended Warranty Worth It? Take Our Quiz.
1 of 7 What was the estimated value of the extended-warranty industry in 2025? 2 of 7 Statistically speaking — and assuming you play smart — what’s your best bet over the long run? 3 of 7 There is evidence of product warranties dating back millennia, as early as 18th-century BCE Babylon, in the Hammurabi Code. What was protected then? 4 of 7 How many individual protection plans did Allstate, owner of SquareTrade, report that it had in effect in 2025?
How to store hard boiled eggs so they stay fresh all week
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How To Store Hard Boiled Eggs So They Stay Fresh All Week Original
Kelly Hamilton Key Takeaways Hard boiled eggs in their shells can last up to a week in the fridge for easy meal prep. Cooling eggs in an ice bath and refrigerating them within two hours prevents bacterial growth. Hard boiled eggs should be eaten the same day they're peeled to ensure freshness. It doesn't take that long to make a hard boiled egg. All you need is about ten minutes, a stove, and a pot of water. But knowing how long they last after you've cooked them? Well, that's a little trickier.
How To Store Hard Boiled Eggs So They Stay Fresh All Week Original
Kelly Hamilton Key Takeaways Hard boiled eggs in their shells can last up to a week in the refrigerator. Peeled hard boiled eggs should be eaten the same day they are peeled. Quickly cooling eggs in an ice bath helps keep them safe for storage. It doesn't take that long to make a hard boiled egg. All you need is about ten minutes, a stove, and a pot of water. But knowing how long they last after you've cooked them? Well, that's a little trickier.
The best way to store Sriracha, according to Huy Fong Foods
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The Best Way to Store Sriracha, According to Huy Fong Foods
Storing sriracha in a cool, dry place keeps it safe. It's no secret that sriracha can make almost anything food better, from scrambled eggs and fried rice to Bloody Marys and noodles. (Sriracha as I know and love—the Huy Fong Foods brand, green-lidded squirt bottle with a rooster on the side— in its original form is a Thai sauce from Si Racha, traditionally used for seafood.) I have it around always, and I tend to store it in the fridge.
Ever Wondered If You Really Did to Refrigerate Hot Sauce? Here's What the Experts Say Original
Simply Recipes / Kate Welsh Growing up, my parents always kept hot sauce in the refrigerator. I never once questioned their choices, even though I never liked putting chilled hot sauce on my warm food. So imagine my shock when I recently learned that my parents were doing hot sauce storage wrong for all of these years. It turns out that you do not need to refrigerate some brands of hot sauces after opening the bottle. That's right.
The Only Way To Prevent Sweet Potatoes From Shriveling Up and Rotting Original
Simply Recipes / Lori Rice Key Takeaways Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dry, ventilated space to maintain their flavor and integrity. Sweet potatoes can last up to 10 days but should be checked for spoilage signs. Sweet potatoes are the unsung heroes of fall cooking. These sweet-fleshed tubers are delicious simply baked, steamed, microwaved, or served in their jackets. My favorite way cook sweet potatoes is to cube and roast them for salads, rice bowls, or a simple side dish.
11 Birthday Gifts We’ll Be Giving All Year
In this edition of The Gift, we’re making the case for going big on January birthdays. Plus: a medieval-looking cheese cutter and the best present for most people. Ah, mid-January. The holiday decorations and twinkling lights have been down for a couple of weeks, and the festive feelings have faded. We’re new people now. We have resolutions. We’re recommitted to a more ascetic life, fueled by more fiber and protein and deep breathing exercises — and it is, in fact, all we can talk about.
The Only Way To Prevent Mushrooms From Turning Slimy Original
Key Takeaways Store mushrooms in the fridge to extend their freshness up to seven days. Avoid airtight containers to prevent condensation and spoilage. Use paper bags or original packaging to allow airflow and reduce moisture buildup. Mushrooms are delicate vegetables both in taste and temperament. If you forget to cook them right away, the mushrooms can go from beautiful to a sludgy, slimy mess in what feels like overnight.
What's the Difference Between East Coast and West Coast Butter? Original
Simply Recipes / Adobe Stock Key Takeaways Butter sticks differ in size and shape depending on whether you're on the East or West Coast. East Coast butter sticks are long and skinny, while West Coast sticks are shorter and fatter. Born in New York and raised on the East Coast, I've only ever known butter sticks to be long and skinny, sold in sets of four and stacked as a cube. But it turns out that they do butter a little differently west of the Rocky Mountains.
The Genius Trick That Prevents Your Brown Sugar From Hardening Original
Simply Recipes / Getty Images Key Takeaways Brown sugar is white sugar coated with molasses. When air hits it, the moisture in the molasses evaporates, and the brown sugar gets hard. Store brown sugar in an airtight container that's not too big, so there's not a lot of air inside. A terracotta brown sugar saver, soaked in water for 15 minutes and stored with the sugar, can also help keep it from getting hard.
The Right (and Wrong) Way to Keep Donuts Fresh Overnight Original
Jennifer Valencia / EyeEm / Getty Images In This Article Don't Refrigerate or Freeze Storing a Few Donuts Storing a Box of Donuts Reviving Stale Donuts Key Takeaways • Donuts stay best overnight when stored in a cool spot, not in the fridge or freezer. • Wrap a few donuts in a napkin then store them in a paper bag for optimal texture. • To revive stale donuts, microwave them in 15-second bursts. You can never go wrong with a fresh doughnut, served straight out of the fryer or still warm with glaze.
The Best Way to Store Sriracha, According to Huy Fong Foods Original
Simply Recipes / Getty Images Key Takeaways • According to Huy Fong Foods, you don’t need to refrigerate Sriracha—even after opening—because its ingredients naturally resist bacterial growth. Simply keep your bottle in a cool, dry spot rather than in the refrigerator. • While not necessary for safety, refrigeration is encouraged only if you want to keep the sauce tasting fresh and maintain its bright red color—room-temperature storage may lead to flavor changes and browning over time.
The 11 Prime Day Deals Wirecutter’s Experts Have Been Eyeing for Themselves
Wirecutter tests thousands of products each year, and only recommends the best of the best. On top of that, the Wirecutter Deals team tracks prices year-round to confirm that the discounts you see during big sales events like Amazon’s Prime Day are worth your while. But being so discerning doesn’t mean that we don’t get excited about a good deal.
You Might Be Storing Your Hot Sauce All Wrong
When I was growing up, my parents always kept hot sauce in the refrigerator. I never once questioned their choices, even though I never liked putting chilled hot sauce on steaming food. So imagine my shock when I recently learned that my parents were doing hot sauce storage wrong for all of these years. It turns out that you do not need to refrigerate hot sauce after opening the bottle. That's right. You can safely store hot sauce in your pantry or cabinet at room temperature for literally years.
How to Store Hard Boiled Eggs So They Stay Fresh All Week
Kelly Hamilton It doesn't take that long to make a hard-boiled egg. All you need is about ten minutes, a stove, and a pot of water. But knowing how long they last after you've cooked them? Well, that's a little trickier. According to the experts at the American Egg Board, you can keep a hard-boiled egg in its shell (i.e. not peeled) for up to a week in the refrigerator. A peeled hard-boiled egg, however, should be eaten the same day it's peeled.
How to Store Hard Boiled Eggs So They Stay Fresh All Week
It doesn't take that long to make a hard-boiled egg. All you need is about ten minutes, a stove, and a pot of water. But knowing how long they last after you've cooked them? Well, that's a little trickier. According to the experts at the American Egg Board, you can keep a hard-boiled egg in its shell (i.e. not peeled) for up to a week in the refrigerator. A peeled hard-boiled egg, however, should be eaten the same day it's peeled.
The Best Deals From Amazon’s Big Spring Sale (and Across the Internet) This Week
If you tend to make a beeline for the bargain basement, you know that March hasn’t historically been a good time to find a deal. So you might be surprised to discover that several merchants are trying to make spring sales a thing—Amazon’s Big Spring Sale and Walmart’s Spring Savings Sale chief among them. What should be less surprising, especially for regular readers of Wirecutter, is that most of the deals in such sales aren’t worth your attention.
3 Easy Ways To Prevent Bananas From Turning Brown Too Quickly
Whenever I bring home bananas from the grocery store they seem to turn from green to brown and mushy overnight. Though I can always bake banana bread—overripe bananas are a gift—I do want to enjoy perfectly ripe bananas over a few days. As a banana ripens, it gets sweeter, softer, more aromatic, and browner. That discoloration isn't a sign that the fruit's gone bad. It's a natural part of the ripening process, and the browner, generally the riper and sweeter the fruit.
The Only Way To Prevent Mushrooms From Turning Slimy Original
Mushrooms are delicate vegetables both in taste and temperament. If you forget to cook them right away, the mushrooms can go from beautiful to a sludgy, slimy mess in what feels like overnight. The key to longer-lasting fresh mushrooms is in how you store them after you bring them home from the grocery store. Proper storage and handling are what prevent mushrooms from going bad before you have a chance to eat them.
The Best Gift I Ever Received Was This Bug-Like Silk Eye Mask Original
Still looking? See more results on Wirecutter. We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more› Photo illustration by Dana Davis; source photo by Maxine Builder NYT/Wirecutter One of my favorite pastimes is going to bed. My ideal bedtime is between 9:30 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., and I strive to get at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
My Holy Grail White T-Shirt Costs $15 Original
Staff pick This T-shirt from Uniqlo has a slim fit and is made from a soft cotton with just the right amount of stretch, so it works as a first layer or on its own. Uniqlo has long been my source for unobtrusive basics, and it’s a brand that comes up over and over when we’re debating the best white T-shirts.
This Hair-Removal Device Saved Me From a Year of Painful Bikini Waxes Original
It was only after I unboxed Braun’s at-home hair removal device — and showered and shaved and started mentally preparing to blast a strong, laser-like light along my bikini line — that I found myself wondering if I had lost my mind. I had learned about Braun’s Silk-Expert Pro 5 on TikTok, and in my defense, the woman talking about it seemed trustworthy.
The Only Way You Should Store Sriracha, According to Huy Fong Foods Original
It's no secret that sriracha can make almost anything food better, from scrambled eggs and fried rice to Bloody Marys and noodles. (Sriracha as I know and love—the Huy Fong Foods brand, green-lidded squirt bottle with a rooster on the side— in its original form is a Thai sauce from Si Racha, traditionally used for seafood.) I have it around always, and I tend to store it in the fridge. So when someone told me I don't need to worry about keeping it unrefrigerated, I had to learn more.
12 Things on Sale You’ll Actually Want to Buy: From Veja to Clare V.
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers There’s been a lot of attention on Sephora’s Savings Event, but we noticed that Ulta Beauty is having its own Spring Haul Event, with lots of discounts on Strategist-approved items — including many skin-care staples that you can’t find at Sephora. I also found a cache of nice-looking sneakers at Nordstrom and a couple deals at Shopbop’s Style Event (which ends later tonight, so don’t dillydally).
The Strategist’s Two-Day (Actually Good) Sale Is Here
Illustration: Pete Gamlen The Strategist’s Two-Day (Actually Good) Sale has officially started, and for our fifth year, we went back to basics, with a tightly curated collection of essentials that we use (just about) every single day. Now’s your chance to stock up before you run out, at some of the deepest discounts we’ve seen all year.
Parisian Glassware, Chef-Approved Sneakers and Other Recent Strategist Finds
Photo: Courtesy of La Soufflerie An all-over-the-place assortment of stood-behind products culled from this very website that appears in the most recent February issue of New York Magazine. Best in Class (Still) the Top Hair Dryer Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer $429 $429 When the Dyson Supersonic came out in 2016, we wrote an early, excited review: Never had we seen a hair dryer so lightweight that could dry hair so quickly—without causing heat damage.
17 Things on Sale You’ll Want to Buy: From Patagonia to Birkenstock
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers If you’re a last-minute shopper — and if you’re a regular reader of the Strategist, I know you’re a last-minute shopper — your time to buy a Valentine’s Day gift is dwindling. The good news is that I, too, am a last-minute shopper who still needs to find a Valentine’s Day gift for my husband (and a birthday gift for my mom and a birthday gift for my father-in-law), so that’s what I was searching for in the sales bins this morning.
21 Things on Sale You’ll Actually Want to Buy: From Paravel to Patagonia
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers There are few things I love to find more than a sale-on-sale — when already discounted items are eligible for an additional markdown — and there are a bunch of excellent ones happening right now as we cruise into the long weekend. You can take 25 percent off sales items at Shopbop, an extra 40 percent at Madewell, 50 percent off clearance at Levi’s and Urban Outfitters, and a whopping 70 percent off end-of-season styles at J.Crew.
10 Things on Sale You’ll Actually Want to Buy: From Levi’s to Le Creuset
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers The best sale on the internet right now is at Levi’s, where already-on-sale jeans are an extra 50 percent off. It’s so good that sizes and washes are already selling out, so you may have to do some clicking around to find what works for you — but I pulled some of my favorite styles to get you started.
13 Things on Sale You’ll Actually Want to Buy: From Everlane to Klorane
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers If you’re hopping online and checking your email for the first time since Friday, December 22, welcome back. I spent the last week with one eye on the best after-Christmas sales (and the other on Saltburn, playing in the background). The bad news is that the bulk of those deals have ended, but there’s still great discounts to be found at Everlane, J.Crew, and Madewell, if you’re willing to dig.
Our 18 Favorite Deals From Ulta Beauty’s Cyber Monday Sale
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photo: Retailer In my experience, the sales at Ulta Beauty can be pretty hit or miss. They tend to favor limited drops of deals, with big discounts on specific brands or categories of products that only last a day or two. As a result, there’s often a lot of stuff that’s not on sale. The big exception to that is Ulta’s Cyber Monday sale.
This Is How Long Hard-Boiled Eggs Last in Your Fridge
It doesn't take that long to make a hard-boiled egg. All you need is about ten minutes, a stove, and a pot of water. But knowing how long they last after you've cooked them? Well, that's a little trickier. According to the experts at the American Egg Board, you can keep a hard-boiled egg in its shell (i.e. not peeled) for up to a week in the refrigerator. A peeled hard-boiled egg, however, should be eaten the same day it's peeled.
Black Friday Is an Excellent Time to Buy That Vitamix Blender
Photo-Illustration: retailer I’ve been singing the praises of Vitamix blenders on this very site since 2018, since I put one to a head-to-head test against a then-new Instant Pot blender. In my experience, they can do anything you throw at it — juicing celery, making hummus, crushing ice cubes for frozen fruit margaritas — and they’re designed to last you a lifetime. I’m not the only one who thinks they’re the best.
13 Things on Sale You’ll Actually Want to Buy: From Paravel to Patagonia
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers Halloween is not really a shopping holiday, but the brands are coming up with quite a lot of treats today. Shopbop is having a four-day sale with discounts up to 40 percent, and I found lots of little things under $30 that would make truly excellent gifts. The sales at Amazon have been surprisingly, reliably good, and Everlane’s Fall Edit Event is going strong, with lots of sizes and colors still available, even in its most popular styles.
The 8 Very Best Home Printers
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers In this article Best overall monochrome printer Best overall color printer Best all-in-one monochrome printer Best all-in-one color printer Best photo printer Best (less-expensive) photo printer Best for high-volume printing Best for ease of use Home printers are as essential as they are polarizing.
The One Easy Way To Tell if a Butternut Squash Is Ripe
With the first twinge of fall, I start dreaming of eating butternut squash for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Can you blame me? They're delicious, versatile, and piled way high at my local grocery store and farmers market these days. There's only one thing standing in the way between me and filling my kitchen with this beloved gourd right now: How can I tell if the butternut squash is ripe? How can I avoid that dreaded pale, tasteless interior?
The Only Way To Prevent Sweet Potatoes From Shriveling Up and Rotting
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What Melissa Etheridge Can’t Live Without
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photo: Chelsea Lauren If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair but the hair spray and electric toothbrush. We asked Grammy- and Oscar-winning musician Melissa Etheridge — who just published her memoir, Talking to My Angels — about the tissues she always keeps on hand, the wireless earbuds that helped her get through a trip to Dave & Buster’s, and her favorite gold lighter.
The Only Way To Prevent Sweet Potatoes From Shriveling Up and Rotting
And how long do sweet potatoes last, exactly? The experts weigh in. Simply Recipes / Lori Rice Sweet potatoes are the unsung heroes of fall cooking. These sweet-fleshed tubers are delicious simply baked, steamed, microwaved, or served in their jackets. My favorite way cook sweet potatoes is to cube and roast them for salads, rice bowls, or a simple side dish. There are so many easy and nourishing ways to enjoy them.
The Only Way To Prevent Sweet Potatoes From Shriveling Up and Rotting
Sweet potatoes are the unsung heroes of fall cooking. These sweet-fleshed tubers are delicious simply baked, steamed, microwaved, or served in their jackets. My favorite way cook sweet potatoes is to cube and roast them for salads, rice bowls, or a simple side dish. There are so many easy and nourishing ways to enjoy them. So right about when the temperature outside starts dropping, I start stocking my pantry with sweet potatoes.
23 Things on Sale You’ll Actually Want to Buy: From Blundstone to Madewell
23 items in this article 23 items on sale! Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers We’ve reached the point of the year when brands start hoarding their best discounts for Labor Day sales — but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a deal right now. Reformation is deep in its summer sale, with 30 percent off hundreds of items, and Patagonia has launched its summer sale, too.
The 3 Easiest Ways To Tell if a Peach Is Ripe
Learn to pick a perfect peach every single time. Jorge Villalba / Getty Images Nothing feels like summertime quite like taking a bite of a juicy peach—and it's hard not to feel cheated when you bite into an unripe, hard, or mealy one. So how do you know when a peach is ripe and ready to eat? Next time you’re at a farmer’s market or grocery store, rummaging through a pile of peaches, look for these three telltale signs to pick the right one. Read More: A Guide to Peaches and Nectarines 1.
The 3 Easiest Ways To Tell if a Peach Is Ripe
Nothing feels like summertime quite like taking a bite of a juicy peach—and it's hard not to feel cheated when you bite into an unripe, hard, or mealy one. So how do you know when a peach is ripe and ready to eat? Next time you’re at a farmer’s market or grocery store, rummaging through a pile of peaches, look for these three telltale signs to pick the right one. 1.
Which Vitamix Blender Should I Buy on Sale This Prime Day?
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photo: Lewis Osborne, Retailer I’ve been covering sales for the Strategist since 2017, and if there’s one thing I’ve seen over the past six years, it’s that you can always find a good deal on a Vitamix blender on Amazon Prime Day. And just like this reliable sale on the most dependable blender, my sales pitch has remained remarkably consistent: The Vitamix is powerful, it’s simple to use, and it lasts a lifetime.
If You Buy One Thing on Prime Day, Make It This Jaw-Sculpting NuFace Mini
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photo: Retailer When our associate editor Jenna Milliner-Waddell went on a hunt for the best skin-care tech devices, four of the six dermatologists she spoke with recommended the NuFace by name. “If you think you need Botox, you can start using this gadget instead,” said one. It’s the granddaddy and gold standard of microcurrent devices, which send a gentle electrical current to stimulate the muscles in your face.
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