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The Best Food Dehydrator

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Dehydrating food is an ancient art. For millennia, people dried everything from meat to vegetables to fruit, relying on just sun, wind, and simple structures. You can still preserve foods using those age-old methods, but a modern-day electric food dehydrator makes the process a whole lot easier. Good versions, equipped with powerful, not-too-loud fans, can transform raw ingredients into delicious, shelf-stable provisions. Though fruit leather and beef jerky are food-dehydrator classics, these machines can prepare all kinds of things — think homemade dog treats and dried citrus wheels for holiday decorations. We’ve tested 17 popular models over the years, and we’ve found that the sleek, powerfully effective Magic Mill Food Dehydrator MFD-7070 is the best option for most home cooks. But if you want to tackle especially large-scale projects, we recommend the more-spacious Magic Mill Premium Food Dehydrator (10 trays) . from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real ...

The Best Blackout and Room-Darkening Curtains

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In one of John Donne’s most beloved poems , he describes the sun as a “saucy pedantic wretch” for having the gall to disturb him and his lover as they’re sleeping. Perhaps a bit dramatic, but if you’ve ever woken up unintentionally because of that fireball’s mean glare, or if your child refuses to nap in the brightness of day, well … you get it. Donne was not lucky enough to live in the age of Wirecutter, but you are: We’ve researched dozens of blackout and room-darkening curtains and put 35 to the test so that when you want darkness, you get it. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/txCk1iL via IFTTT

The End of Passwords

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Listen and follow The Wirecutter Show Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio If you feel burnt out by endless passwords, security alerts, and authentication codes, you’re not alone. It can feel like the rules for staying safe online are constantly changing. In this episode, Wirecutter writer Max Eddy, who covers online privacy and security, demystifies modern password hygiene. Max breaks down why reusing passwords leaves your accounts vulnerable and how a password manager can lighten your cognitive load. He also explains why passkeys—a new technology—may finally render passwords obsolete. Plus, discover practical, stress-free tips to upgrade your online security step-by-step and protect your devices on the go. This episode covers Password managers 101: Why dedicated tools like 1Password and Bitwarden make online safety seamless, reducing cognitive fatigue and automatically generating complex logins. Understanding two-factor authenticat...

Why the ChefsChoice Trizor XV Knife Sharpener Has Been Our Pick Since 2016

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In our many years of testing , the Chef'sChoice Trizor 15XV has proved to be a foolproof tool for keeping kitchen knives in their ideal state: razor-sharp. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/DnqHLoj via IFTTT

The Best Home Bluetooth Speaker

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Using a Bluetooth tabletop speaker is the simplest way to get satisfying sound in the home, since it will work with almost any mobile device and doesn’t require a network connection or the use of a special app to set it up. Klipsch’s The One Plus is the best all-around home Bluetooth speaker. It has a full, clear sound with surprisingly strong bass for its size, and its operation couldn’t be simpler. Plus, the Klipsch speaker’s handsome, retro design should make it a welcome addition to practically any room. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/S0lfoBb via IFTTT

Repeat After Me: Aquaphor Is Not a Moisturizer.

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If you’ve ever scrolled skin-care TikTok, you’ve probably seen people gleefully slathering Aquaphor on their faces before bed. The practice, nicknamed “slugging,” has been trending for years. (But it’s far from new. Many Black women and other communities have had petroleum jelly in their skin-care routines for generations.) One viral video with nearly 6 million views shows a creator coating their face, saying it’s the way to wake up to “reborn skin.” Another encourages you to finish your nighttime routine with Vaseline. But the word occlusive keeps getting tossed around as if it’s a type of moisturizer . It’s not. An occlusive isn’t a product. It’s a type of ingredient. Common examples include petroleum jelly, mineral oil, beeswax, shea butter, and dimethicone. They don’t add hydration in the way humectants like hyaluronic acid or glycerin do, and they don’t soften skin the way that emollients like ceramides or plant oils do. Instead, you can think of it as the ...

The Best Baby Bottles and Bottle Brush

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There’s no single best baby bottle, and finding the right one for your baby can involve trial and error — as well as a lot of patience. After more than 40 hours of research — including interviewing bottle-feeding specialists and pediatricians, and testing 43 bottles since 2017 — we’ve concluded that the Lansinoh NaturalWave Feeding Bottle is the bottle to try first. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/mhDx1q6 via IFTTT