When I built my first home studio, I used a regular IKEA desk. It worked for about two months. Then my MIDI keyboard started hanging off the edge, my studio monitors were sitting at ear level on a stack of books, and cable spaghetti ruled my creative hours. That is when I learned the hard … Read more
Looking for the best bass amps for practice without breaking the bank or annoying the neighbors? I’ve been there. I spent the last two months hauling eight different bass combos and headphone amps into my apartment, bedroom, and rehearsal space to find out which ones actually deliver the goods at home. Whether you play in … Read more
The cajon is one of the friendliest percussion instruments on the planet, and finding the best cajons for beginners in is a lot easier than it looks. I picked one up about four years ago at an open mic, set it on a chair, and started tapping along. By the end of the night I … Read more
Finding the right vocal effects processors used to mean lugging a rack of outboard gear to every gig. I remember my first attempt at adding harmonies live, which involved a mixer, a multi-effects unit, and a prayer that nothing would feed back. Today, a single floor pedal can deliver harmonies, pitch correction, reverb, delay, and … Read more
Picking the best banjos for beginners is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a new player, because the right instrument can keep you motivated for years while the wrong one can send you straight back to the guitar store. After testing eight popular beginner banjos over the past several months, I’ve put … Read more
Looking for the best mandolins for beginners can feel overwhelming. There are dozens of brands, prices ranging from under $100 to over $500, and enough jargon (A-style, F-style, truss rod, action) to confuse anyone picking up their first instrument. Our team spent the last 90 days testing 8 beginner mandolins in home studios, jam sessions, … Read more
Last winter I hosted a raclette dinner for ten friends, and the night taught me one thing fast: not every raclette grill can handle a real party. Halfway through the second round of melted cheese, my old tabletop model started smoking, the heat dropped off at the corners, and one friend never got a fully … Read more
I hosted my first fondue party three winters ago, and I learned the hard way that a tiny ceramic pot and a single tea light do not work for eight hungry adults. After burning two batches of Gruyere and watching the cheese turn into cement, I upgraded to a real fondue set and never looked … Read more
I’ve been chasing the perfect homemade crepe for years, and let me tell you — the right tool makes all the difference between sad, rubbery pancakes and restaurant-quality crepes. After flipping hundreds of crepes with my team over the past 3 months, testing 8 different models side by side in my home kitchen, I can … Read more
I brewed over 300 pour overs on 17 different kettles across three months, and the difference between a regular kettle and a proper gooseneck is night and day. After all that testing, I can tell you the best gooseneck kettles for pour over in deliver three things every great pour over needs: precise pour control, … Read more