I spent the last 60 days living with eight different sets of swivel bar stools, rotating them through my kitchen island, breakfast nook, and home bar. I sat in them for everything from quick morning coffee to a four-hour family dinner. Below, I’m sharing exactly which swivel bar stools earned a permanent spot and which … Read more
I spent the last six weeks sitting on 8 different bar stools with backs, and my back never felt better. After two years of writing about home furniture from a standing desk, I finally admitted that backless stools were wrecking my posture. So I tested these in my own kitchen with my wife (who’s 5’4″) … Read more
I spent three months testing outdoor bar stools on my deck, through two rainstorms, one heat wave, and a coastal weekend trip. My goal was simple: figure out which ones actually survive real weather without falling apart or leaving me with a sore back. The best outdoor bar stools in need to handle sun, rain, … Read more
After spending six weekends testing 12 different home bar sets in my kitchen and at three separate dinner parties, I can tell you which cocktail shaker sets actually deliver on their promises. Our team shook through roughly 180 cocktails across Negronis, Old Fashioneds, Margaritas, and Mojitos to find the best home bar sets that combine … Read more
The bar cart era is officially over. After years of open-shelved carts showing every empty bottle and dust-covered decanter, homeowners are rediscovering the timeless appeal of a proper bar cabinet. I spent the last three months testing 10 different bar cabinets across two apartments, a basement renovation, and a friend’s coffee bar setup. I measured … Read more
Wine racks have gotten noticeably better in . The bamboo options we tested this year feel sturdier than the same models we pulled off shelves in 2024, and the new wave-shaped bottle supports on stackable racks have all but killed the wobble problem that used to plague cheap freestanding designs. Our team spent six weeks … Read more
A wine cabinet should protect the bottles you already enjoy and make the bottles you plan to open easier to serve. The best wine cabinets do that with stable temperatures, useful bottle storage, and enough furniture-style presence to belong in a living room, dining room, or game room. I compared 10 real products for this … Read more
I’ve been shaking cocktails at home for over eight years, and I can tell you the difference between a cheap tin and a quality shaker is night and day. The right cocktail shaker chills your drink to the right temperature, dilutes it to balance, and aerates it for that smooth, frothy finish. The wrong one … Read more
After spending the last three months shaking, stirring, and straining our way through eight top-rated bar tool sets, our team has a clear answer for anyone shopping for the best bar tool sets in . We made over 200 drinks across 14 recipe categories, dropped a few shakers on hard floors on purpose, and weighed … Read more
If you have ever sipped a pour of bourbon that tasted flat, the problem probably was not the bottle. It was the glass. After running our team through 8 of the best whiskey glasses on the market over the past three months, side-by-side tastings of bourbon, scotch, and rye at our own home bar, I … Read more