The 17 Best Things Our Editors Bought (and Loved) in January

As editors and writers who are obsessed with food and kitchen gear, we’re constantly on the hunt for new things to try. Not everything is a hit, though, so when we find a good ’un, we’re all about sharing the love. 

Here’s everything that our team of food nerds and gear aficionados bought and loved in January, starting the year out strong with some fantastic-smelling hand lotion, a book about Viennese cuisine, and a jar of cara cara marmalade.

“It's the dead of winter, and that means my skin is like a sea sponge in the Sahara. After washing my hands or cleaning dishes, my digits and palms are in much need of some moisture. This affordable bottle of Mrs. Meyer’s hand lotion has been my salve, literally. It soothes and softens, and mine smells like snowdrops, whatever that means (but it really does smell good).” – Grace Kelly, senior editor

“Over the holidays, I baked a lot of cookies and realized I didn't have an aesthetically pleasing container to house them in. (We go through cookies far too fast for them to be stashed in a cabinet.) I ended up buying this canister from Le Creuset, which is classic-looking and the perfect size for storing sugar, rice, or whatnot, too.” – Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate editorial director

“I got the flu over the holiday break (so sad), and I'm still trying to shake a cough. This tea has become my throat-soothing, immune-boosting go-to every afternoon. The anti-inflammatory turmeric is nicely complemented by cardamom, cloves, and black pepper, and it's delicious with a spoonful of honey.” – Rochelle Bilow, editor

“It might be dry January, but I've been making an exception for this herbal, anise-scented liqueur. I like to drink a little over ice after dinner, but when my resident bartender (aka my partner) is at his station, I'm ordering up Bee's Knees with a splash of Flora Green mixed in for a botanical take on one of my favorite classic cocktails.” – Ashlee Redger, writer

“I’ve been using my new Fable glassware set a lot. It’s simple and elegant, and sturdy enough that I don’t worry about using it every day. It’s the kind of glassware that feels good in your hand, works for both water and cocktails, and makes the table feel more put-together without trying. They also nest neatly, taking up little cabinet space—though they’re rarely put away.” – Jessie YuChen, visual editor

“This candle smells like a chocolate chip cookie...or like you just stepped into Levain Bakery, the scent of butter and sugar blanketing you. I love its packaging, too, and I'll definitely be repurposing the striking blue jar once I've burned through the candle.”– Riddley 

“I recently updated our boxed chocolates review (lucky me!) and this eye-catching, lime green box from Normal Love has become one of my new favorites. The chocolates are gorgeous, but even more importantly, they are refined and delicious; no duds in this box! Each bonbon has a thin chocolate exterior that melts smoothly, and the flavors are fun but not overly wacky. Think creamy Alfonso mango, New York cheesecake, and a decadent, rich Sicilian pistachio. Valentine's Day is coming up, just sayin'.” – Grace

“My favorite January purchase was an assortment of loose-leaf teas and tisanes from STEAP—a belated Christmas gift to myself. I’ve been buying from them since their shop was in downtown Philly, back when I loved stopping in just to sniff my way around the jars. The teas are consistently excellent, and brewing a good cup of loose-leaf is exactly what January calls for.” – Leah Colins, senior culinary editor 

“I'm a hot sauce weenie who can’t handle the heat, but I've fallen hard for this not-too-spicy condiment. I bought it for my partner this Christmas, and he liked it so much that he bought one for his brother and sister-in-law. They recently texted us to say they love it and put it on everything. Honestly, same.” – Rochelle

“I tried Ghia's aperitifs for the first time this year, and bought myself their full collection for Damp January. Now I'm making myself a nonalcoholic cocktail almost every night. I love the bitterness and complexity of the original mixer. It's so nice to have a little treat before or after dinner or while reading or watching TV.” – Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director

“I've been a fan of Good Store for a while (its Sun Basin body soap bars are to die for; I'm a Daydreamer loyalist, myself), but I hadn't tried any of its Keats & Co. line of loose-leaf teas. I finally placed a big order of all the flavors I had bookmarked, and the Blooming Wild Black has been the standout. It's a black tea that gets its floral, honey-like note from marigold petals and bee pollen. It makes for an excellent mid-morning warm-up, and I feel good knowing all the profits go to charity.”– Ashlee

“I bought this mousepad for my desk, and the three olives skewered by a pick bring me infinite joy as I scroll, edit, and click. I had a hard time choosing between the olives and the tinned fish!”– Riddley

“We stayed with my in-laws in Scotland for all of January, and their dysfunctional oven made it extremely hard to cook or bake anything. After watching my father-in-law burn salmon and undercook bacon, I took matters into my own hands and bought them an oven thermometer, which they desperately needed!” – Genevieve Yam, senior editor

“Grace gifted me a trio of marmalades from this company for Christmas. All three flavors—Pixie Tangerine, Meyer Lemon, and Cara Cara Hibiscus—are great, but my favorite is the Cara Cara Hibiscus. I finished that jar in a week and ordered another! My favorite way to eat it is on toasted semolina bread or swirled into a yogurt bowl.” – Rochelle

“At the start of the year, I went back to Jordan to see my family, and one of the first stops I made was my favorite spice shop. I picked up a bag of local sumac to bring back to New York with me. Jordan's Ajloun region is especially known for its sumac—exceptionally tangy and strikingly vibrant, with a deep purple-red color. I’m not a huge fan of most of the sumac available in the US, but Morton & Bassett sells a solid one—it’s the brand I usually recommend.”– Laila Ibrahim, associate culinary editor 

“My aunt bought me this perfume for Christmas, and it was a recommendation from my very cool sister, who has an equally cool group of friends, all of whom are obsessed with this perfume. Snif calls it its ‘flapjack fragrance,’ and it really does smell like pancakes. Buttery, vanilla-y, sugary...basically how I want to smell all of the time.”– Riddley

“I take my recipe research seriously, which means going to the source as much as possible. My favorite acquisition along those lines is this Austrian cookbook, written by and for Austrian cooks. Modern digital translation tools make it possible to read even in languages I don't know, which allows me to learn from more primary sources from around the world. Along those lines, stay tuned for more Austrian recipes from me soon.” – Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

Why We’re the Experts

• The Serious Eats team is obsessed with food and cooking—we love trying new products that make our lives a little bit easier and tastier. 
• Grace Kelly is a senior editor on the team. She ate way too much chocolate in January to find the best chocolate boxes and had to share her favorite here.