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Today is your last chance to get these kitchen deals at the Amazon Big Spring Sale
Amazon
Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is wrapping up today. That means this is your last chance to shop the especially good kitchen organization and cookware deals available for spring.
Being a food writer with years of experience writing about cookware, I was so excited to peruse the pages and pages of deals available. Below is my roundup of the best kitchen deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, including a couple of products that I own and love. But hurry: These deals end at midnight tonight.
Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom rice cooker, 5.5 cups: Save 14%
Amazon
If you don’t have a rice cooker yet, you’re doing rice cooking all wrong. Zojirushi’s rice cookers are considered the creme de la creme in the rice cooking world. I think this model is one of the best rice cookers on the market for its variety of cooking options, the ability to program the cooker to make rice at a later time and the ability to customize the sound the machine makes when it alerts you that your rice is done. (People have called Zojirushi rice cookers “singing rice makers.”)
Rice cooking options include white/sushi, quick cooking, mixed, sweet (also commonly referred to as sticky rice) and brown rice. I like that this machine can make sushi and quick-cooking rice, which isn’t as common in rice cookers that are at a similar or higher price point. There’s also a steam setting to keep your rice warm and, believe it or not, a cake-cooking option.
Save 14% on this top-of-the-line rice cooker at Amazon’s Big Spring Sale.
Lodge 10.25-inch cast iron skillet: Save 42%
Lodge
Ask any chef and home cook and they’ll tell you the best way to cook a steak is with a cast iron skillet. And the brand that makes the best? Lodge. Lodge has been making cast iron cookware since the 1800s. This on-sale cast iron skillet is roomy, pre-seasoned with vegetable oil and can handle up to 500 degrees of heat. It can also be put in the oven, on a grill, on a stovetop, including induction. What’s more, cast iron skillets are so durable that, when taken care of, can last a lifetime.
The Lodge cast iron skillet has a 4.5-star rating out of nearly 85,000 ratings on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, “Been using it for over a year and [it’s] still as good as the day I bought it.”
Another verified customer said: “Cooked the best steak of my life on this thing. I will be purchasing more cast iron in the future.”
Fullstar six-in-one vegetable chopper: Save 51%
Amazon
This vegetable chopper has gone viral on TikTok time and time again for good reason: it saves loads of time when it comes to ingredient prep. I should know, because I’ve had this for two years and it has changed my life.
Having this convenient tool to do all of my chopping for me has saved me around an hour when cooking my meals. The vegetable chopper comes with five interchangeable blades, including one for dicing, chopping, slicing, grating and julienning. You also get a spiralizer, tools for cleaning the blades and a protective glove.
And I’m not the only one who loves the Fullstar veggie chopper. The product has a 4.6-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, “Love this chopper and how quickly I can get a big bowl of pico de gallo done or almost any kind of veggie for anything. It’s sturdy enough for onion halves or carrots and the slide out container is great!”
Be sure to apply the $3-off coupon at Amazon to get the best price.
Vtopmart airtight food storage containers, 24-pack: Save 37%
Amazon
These dry food containers are great for organizing your pantry. The set size is quite generous; you get a whopping 24 food storage containers of varying sizes. I did the math, and with the 37% discount, you’re paying $1.40 for each container. That’s an absolute steal.
Sizes include 12 tall containers (six that are 2.5 quarts and six that are 1.8 quarts), six medium containers (1.5 quarts) and six small containers (0.7 quarts). In addition to the fantastic price, I also like that the set comes with chalk labels and that the corresponding lids are the same size. Make sure to add the available $3 coupon to get the biggest discount.
The Vtopmart airtight food storage containers have a 4.7-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, “My daughter first purchased these for me for Christmas and I loved them so much I ordered more. They come with plenty of labels and a chalk pen to write on the labels. The seals on the container lids are easy to use and it keeps the food fresh.”
Wildone mixing bowls, set of five: Save 40%
Amazon
Every home cook needs a great set of mixing bowls, and I think this five-pack from Wildone will serve you well. The set includes five bowls for mixing, including 0.63, 1.5, 2, 3 and 5 quarts. They are made of stainless steel, the best material for mixing bowls — stainless steel is practically indestructible and can last a lifetime.
These Wildone mixing bowls feature measurement marks, silicone bottoms to prevent slipping and airtight lids for storage. The biggest lid has a removable center that can accommodate the included fine grating, thin slicing and thicker shredding attachments.
The Wildone mixing bowls have a 4.7-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, “We have never really had mixing bowls until we got these a few months ago. They have made food prep, cleaning and storing so much easier. We often make things, pop the lid on and store them in the fridge just like that. I also love the attachment options to grate and slice straight into the bowl, helps cut down on dishes for sure!”
Make sure to add the available $8 Amazon coupon to get the best discount.
Cuisinart supreme grind automatic burr mill: Save 25%
Amazon
I’ve owned this Cuisinart coffee grinder for a couple of years now and it’s worth the extra expense and counter space it takes up. There are an impressive 18 grind options available and you can grind between four to 18 cups of coffee in one sitting. It also boasts a burr grinder, which is known for producing more consistent, uniform grounds compared to a blade (blades are commonly used to break up coffee in coffee grinders).
Reviewers have good things to say about the Cuisinart supreme grind automatic burr mill’s performance. The product has a 4.3-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, “I use the finest setting and get the BEST brew and lovely crema from my Breville espresso machine. Love this grinder.”
Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus 24-ounce food processor: Save 25%
Williams-Sonoma
The blade on this little food processor is very sharp and has remained so for the years that I owned it. I’ve never had a problem with food not getting chopped or ground as it should. I’ve chopped veggies, made hummus and whipped cheese spreads. I’ve even used it to puree soups, although that took a few batches to complete. (That’s why I eventually upgraded to the bigger Cuisinart nine-cup food processor, which is on sale for 17% off on Amazon.)
The plastic bowl and blade are both dishwasher-safe. The fact that the quality of each didn’t significantly lessen after years of getting cleaned in the dishwasher is impressive. For those who don’t know, blades dull when put in the dishwasher, which is why it’s recommended to always hand wash your knives. And plastic does worse. Considering this, as well as its consistent performance, the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus 24-ounce food processor’s value is pretty impressive for the price.
I’m not the only one who is a fan of the Mini-Prep. The product is the bestselling food processor on Amazon, boasting a 4.6-star rating. One reviewer called it a “kitchen must-have”, adding: “This is a great little appliance that saves so much time and does such a good job. It takes up very little room in your cabinet and is so easy to clean. Makes the job of chopping onions, vegetables, nuts, etc. so simple and fast. After buying one for myself, I bought one for my daughter.”
Vtopmart clear plastic drawer organizers: Save 43%
Amazon
Just about everyone has that one drawer in their kitchen. You know the one — the junk drawer filled with rubber bands, old keys, playing cards, random tools and other miscellanea. With so much unrelated stuff being stored in one place, it’s likely a drawer that requires a lot of digging through to find what you want.
Get all that that junk organized with this 25-piece drawer organizer set by Vtopmart. You get small storage bins in varied sizes to keep everything separate: There are three 9″ x 6″ x 2″ containers, six 9″ x 3″ x 2″ containers, eight 6″ x 3″ x 2″ containers and eight 3″ x 3″ x 2″ containers. A pack of 200 silicone pads is included to make these tiny trays non-slip.
Regularly $27, get them now for $15 after coupon at Amazon.
Nearly 3.5 tons of hot dogs shipped to restaurants and hotels in Ohio and West Virginia are being recalled by AW Farms of Argillite, Kentucky, because the meat was not inspected, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Monday.
The recall involves approximately 6,900 pounds hot dogs that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The ready-to-eat dogs were manufactured on various dates starting on about May 30, 2024, and have a shelf-life of 45 days, the notice stated. The recalled products bear establishment number “EST. 47635” inside the USDA mark of inspection, it added. You can view the product labels here.
The issue was uncovered when a state public health partner notified FSIS about the products, which could still be in restaurants’ or hotels’ refrigerators or freezers, the federal agency said.
The following products are part of the recall:
- 10-lb. boxes containing two 5-lb. vacuum-packed packages containing “FRENCH CITY FOODS 6″ 12-1 HOTDOGS” and “PACKED ON” with various dates since approximately May 30, 2024, represented on the label.
- 10-lb. boxes containing two 5-lb. vacuum-packed packages containing frozen “PORK, BEEF, DEXTROSE, SALT, SUGAR MAPLE GEO BROWN ALL MEAT HOTDOGS” and “PACKED ON” with various dates since approximately May 30, 2024, represented on the label.
- 10-lb. boxes containing two 5-lb. vacuum-packed packages containing frozen “GEO BROWN ALL BEEF HOTDOGS” and “PACKED ON” with various dates since approximately May 30, 2024, represented on the label.
The recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the place of purchase, the recall notice stated.
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Summer heat is causing soda cans to burst on Southwest Airlines flights, injuring flight attendants
The intense summer heat is causing soda cans to burst after being loaded on some Southwest Airlines flights, the airline confirmed to CBS News on Wednesday.
Airline officials say they are aware of a series of incidents where cans of carbonated drinks have ruptured, often while being opened, resulting in an onboard mess and reports of about 20 injuries to employees so far this summer.
There have been a few hand injuries reported by flight attendants because of the issue, including one that resulted in stitches. Southwest says the injury reports are similar to last year. The issue is generating more focus this year because it appears, at least anecdotally, to be occurring more frequently this summer.
Southwest Airlines officials say they are implementing measures to address the issue, including at several of its hotter provisioning locations such as Austin, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Sacramento.
Chris Perry, a Southwest spokesperson, said the airline has been “communicating to our employees about it throughout the spring and summer.”
“We’ve developed a mitigation plan to address it,” Perry said.
The issue may have to do with how Southwest stores and loads drinks on planes in extreme heat. Unlike other airlines, Southwest does not stock perishables on board, so it is not required to use air-conditioned catering trucks to deliver meals and drinks to the aircraft. Instead, drinks on Southwest provisioning trucks are more frequently exposed to outside temperatures.
In an internal email obtained by CBS News from July 12 sent to flight attendants titled “Hot & Bursting Cans: Provisioning Procedural Changes,” company leaders said finding “viable solutions to bursting hot cans is our top priority.”
The message, from Rachel Loudermilk, managing director of base operations, and Matt Sampson, provisioning director, tells the airlines’ 21,000-plus flight attendants that “none of us are satisfied that we are still seeing reported events.”
The email lays out a series of changes Southwest has undertaken, especially in cities with hot temperatures, to address the problem since the beginning of the summer, including stocking fewer cans on provisioning trucks to limit the amount of time the cans spend on the flight line (and in the heat), placing carbonated drinks in coolers on trucks in hot weather locations, monitoring truck and can temperature with thermometers during shifts, and “not boarding product when the outside temperature reaches levels known to elevate the risk of bursting cans.”
The airline confirmed it has also told employees not to open cans that are noticeably hot to the touch or appear deformed due to heat exposure.
But the email adds that the airline has come to “recognize that additional immediate solutions are necessary” and are now considering making additional changes in Phoenix and Las Vegas, including halting the onboarding of cans with a temperature over 98 degrees (which would be checked with heat guns on the provision trucks). Non-alcoholic beverages that top 98 degrees would be returned to the warehouse to cool. The airline is also considering positioning refrigerated trailers at its warehouses to keep cans cool before they are loaded onto provisioning trucks to be brought to the flight line.
The email says Southwest began testing air-conditioned provisioning trucks this month and is having conversations with Coca-Cola to analyze the viability of the current cans and to consider alternatives, including a 7.5-ounce option. The airline currently stocks traditional 12-ounce soda cans.
As part of the testing in Arizona and Nevada, cans are being marked so they can be identified if they originated from refrigerated or non-refrigerated trucks.
Perry, the Southwest spokesperson, stressed that the airline is taking the issue seriously.
“We are investigating the issue and looking at changes to ensure safety for our employees and customers in the midst of extreme temperatures and climate change,” he said.
TWU Local 556, the union that represents Southwest Airlines flight attendants, did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but pictures of the burst cans are circulating online in postings to Facebook groups dedicated to Southwest employees. Many posts express frustration and concerns over safety. Some noted the cans that burst did not appear to be hot at the moment.
Southwest operates about 4,200 flights a day.
Almost 3.5 tons of hot dogs shipped to hotels and restaurants are recalled
Watch: Trump takes stage at RNC for walkthrough ahead of Thursday speech
Summer heat is causing soda cans to burst on Southwest Airlines flights, injuring flight attendants
Almost 3.5 tons of hot dogs shipped to hotels and restaurants are recalled
Watch: Trump takes stage at RNC for walkthrough ahead of Thursday speech