The Wirecutter Show

Battery-powered socks, insoles, hand warmers, and vests can offer instant warmth in freezing temperatures. Yet, some of these items have caused burns and even fires, resulting in recent recalls.
This week, Wirecutter outdoor gear writer Kyle Fitzgerald explains what you should know about heated gear, and how to avoid riskier products. He walks us through the safety certifications to look for, why you should only buy from a trusted brand, and what to know about traveling with battery-operated clothing.
Plus, he shares classic layering principles and Wirecutter’s top-tested winter gear to keep your core, hands, and feet warm on the coldest days.

This episode covers:
How to spot safety risks in battery-powered gear: Lithium-ion battery issues like bulging, discoloration, or an unusual electrical odor indicate a problem. Stop using the product if you see these signs.
What safety certifications to check for: Verify that heated apparel has a mark from an OSHA-recognized Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory program (NRTL) or through UL before buying, and steer clear of unverified "alphabet soup" brands.
How to charge and care for heated apparel safely: Charge batteries in open view, avoid leaving them plugged in overnight, never wash garments with batteries attached, and keep lithium-ion packs out of checked airline luggage.
How to layer effectively without batteries: Master the three-layer system—moisture-wicking merino wool base layers, air-trapping down or fleece mid-layers, and weather-protective outer shells—to stay warm naturally.
How to protect cold hands and feet: Choose mittens over gloves for better heat retention, and pair heavyweight merino or alpaca wool socks with insulated winter boots.

Products we recommend:
The best ski and snowboard gloves: Black Diamond Guide Gloves
Floofy foot nests: Tabio Extremely Warm Alpaca-Merino Lounge Socks (unisex)

Additional reading:
Heated Gear Keeps Catching on Fire. How Can You Know What’s Safe?
The 3 Best Hand Warmers of 2026
The 7 Best Insulated Vests of 2026
35 Best Socks of 2026
The Best Winter Boots


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The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel. Studio support from Maddy Masiello, Nick Pitman, Kyle Grandillo, and Samantha Winter. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Daniel Ramirez, and Sophia Lanman. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.
Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

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One-pot meals promise less cleanup and easier dinners, but the best tool depends on what you’re cooking and how much time you have.

Wirecutter senior kitchen writer Lesley Stockton breaks down the pros and cons of Dutch ovens, slow cookers, and pressure cookers, including when an Instant Pot makes sense and why she prefers a stovetop pressure cooker. She also shares some of her favorite recipes from risotto to whole fish, and where to find reliable one-pot recipes.

This episode covers:
How to choose the right equipment for your needs. Dutch ovens excel at deeply flavored braises, slow cookers offer inexpensive set-it-and-forget-it convenience, electric pressure cookers save hands-on time, and stovetop pressure cookers cook quickly.
Why foods taste different cooked in a Dutch oven and pressure cooker. Dutch ovens allow moisture to evaporate, concentrating flavors and thickening sauces as food cooks. Pressure cookers trap moisture, so you may need to reduce the liquid afterward to get the flavor and consistency you want.
Why you shouldn’t fear stovetop pressure cookers. Modern models have safety features, and they can release pressure much faster than electric pressure cookers. That makes it easier to add ingredients during cooking and build more complex flavors.
Why you should think beyond stews and braises. Lesley uses pressure cookers for risotto, beans, eggs, and even whole steamed fish. Risotto takes just seven minutes at pressure, without the constant stirring traditional recipes require.
How pressure cookers can make meal prep easier. Lesley’s favorite thing to make in a pressure cooker is stock and big batches of soup that she can freeze in individual portions. It’s a practical way to have homemade meals ready when you don’t have time to cook.

Other Resources For One-Pot Recipes We Love:
A great consolidated resource for one-pot meals: NYT Cooking One-Pot Dinner Recipes
One-pot recipes from Lesley’s past: Martha Stewart’s One-Pot Recipes
A dedicated pressure cooker resource: Hip Pressure Cooking by Laura Pazzaglia
Christine’s favorite one-pot meals cookbook: Instant Family Meals by Sarah Copeland

Products we recommend:
A dutch oven made to last: Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 5½-Quart Round French Oven
The best Dutch oven: Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
The best slow cooker: Hamilton Beach Set & Forget 6 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
The best electric pressure cooker: Instant Pot Rio 6-quart
The best stovetop pressure cooker: Fissler Vitavit Premium Pressure Cooker

Additional reading:
The Best Dutch Oven
The Best Slow Cooker
The Best Electric Pressure Cooker Is an Instant Pot
The Best Stovetop Pressure Cooker
I Make Creamy Risotto in 7 Minutes in This Magic Pot


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Wirecutter Social and Website
Instagram: /wirecutter
Threads: /@wirecutter
Twitter: /wirecutter
Facebook: /thewirecutter
TikTok: /wirecutter
LinkedIn: /nyt-wirecutter
Website: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/
Newsletter: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/newsletters/

The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel. Studio support from Maddy Masiello, Nick Pitman, Kyle Grandillo, and Samantha Winter. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Daniel Ramirez, and Sophia Lanman. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.
Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mediocre slippers trap sweat, lose their shape, or wear through after just a few months. The good news is that there are plenty of options that will keep your feet perfectly toasty and last for years.
Wirecutter senior editor Jen Hunter explains how to choose between shearling, felted wool, synthetic fleece, and cotton. She elaborates on when to go for rubber soles over soft bottoms, and how replacing an insole can give your favorite pair a second life.
Plus, she shares top picks for cold floors, sweaty feet, and people who need real arch support indoors.

Products we recommend:
Cozy women’s shearling booties: L.L.Bean Women’s Wicked Good Slippers
The men’s version: L.L.Bean Men's Wicked Good Slippers
Extra-plush women’s shearling moccasins: L.L.Bean Women’s Wicked Good Moccasins
The (less-floofy) men’s version: L.L.Bean Men’s Wicked Good Moccasins
The GOAT wool slip-ons: Glerups Slip-On with Natural Rubber Sole
The GOAT wool mid-height pair: Glerups Shoe with Natural Rubber Sole (unisex)
The GOAT wool ankle booties: Glerups Boot with Natural Rubber Sole (unisex)
Squishy, secure slip-ons: Bombas Women's Sunday Slipper
The men’s version: Bombas Men's Sunday Slipper
Silly (in a good way): Crocs Classic Cozzzy Slipper (unisex)
Grab-and-go slippers: Muji Cotton Plain Weave Insole Slippers (unisex)
A striped terry pair: Parachute Terry Stripe Slippers (unisex)
Supportive, shoe-like slippers: Birkenstock Zermatt Premium (unisex)

Additional reading:
The 8 Best Slippers of 2026
How to Restore Shearling Slippers to Their Original Fluffy Glory
Why You Need Indoor Shoes



We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more›

Wirecutter Social and Website
Instagram: /wirecutter
Threads: /@wirecutter
Twitter: /wirecutter
Facebook: /thewirecutter
TikTok: /wirecutter
LinkedIn: /nyt-wirecutter
Website: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/
Newsletter: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/newsletters/

The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel. Studio support from Maddy Masiello, Nick Pitman, Kyle Grandillo, and Samantha Winter. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Daniel Ramirez, and Sophia Lanman. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.
Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s no secret that Wirecutter has great advice for cleaning just about anything in your home. And now all that great advice is collected into Wirecutter’s first book: How to Clean Everything.
For the past two years, our co-host Christine Cyr Clisset has combed through Wirecutter’s extensive cleaning coverage to build the ultimate manual, which you can now pre-order (it officially publishes on March 16)!
The book is packed with expert advice from dozens of Wirecutter experts who have spent countless hours researching and testing the best ways to clean and maintain the products we recommend.
Whether you struggle with getting stains out of laundry, organizing closets, de-gunking cookware, or making your bathroom sparkle, this book has the guidance, with step-by-step instructions and the exact list of cleaning supplies you’ll need.
We’ll be sharing plenty more about the book in the coming months. In the meantime, pre-order your copy now!

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more›

Wirecutter Social and Website
Instagram: /wirecutter
Threads: /@wirecutter
Twitter: /wirecutter
Facebook: /thewirecutter
TikTok: /wirecutter
LinkedIn: /nyt-wirecutter
Website: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/
Newsletter: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/newsletters/

The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel. Studio support from Maddy Masiello, Nick Pitman, Kyle Grandillo, and Samantha Winter. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Daniel Ramirez, and Sophia Lanman. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.
Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From sleep trackers to self-pay bloodwork and full-body MRIs, health tracking has exploded in popularity. These tools promise to potentially catch diseases earlier, so that you can live a happier and healthier life. But can they deliver?

This week, we’re turning the tables to interview Wirecutter Show co-host Christine Cyr Clisset about her six-month experiment tracking her health 24/7. She spent six months testing an array of Wirecutter-recommended wearables, as well as direct-to-consumer tests to see what, if anything, could help improve her health.

We discuss the surprising insights she gained, as well as the significant perils of health tracking, from privacy risks to data-induced anxiety.

This episode covers:
What health and fitness trackers do best. Devices like the Oura Ring and Apple Watch can act as "accountability buddies" to help people change their daily habits.
The pros and cons of self-pay tests. Many doctors don’t recommend self-pay bloodwork or full-body scans (like MRIs), because they can lead to overdiagnosis and health anxiety. Yet Christine found external bloodwork helpful (to an extent), as well as a DEXA scan, which helped flag her thinning bone mineral density..
How AI can help. Christine found that feeding her various health reports into chatbots helped her come up with better questions for her doctors.
The risks of tracking. Tracking can cause data-induced anxiety. Plus, many wearables, apps, and AI tools fall outside HIPAA protection, which means your data may be used in ways you don’t want.

Products we recommend:
A stylish wearable with tons of data: Oura Ring 4
The best smartwatch for iPhone owners: Apple Watch SE (3rd generation)

Additional reading:
The Promise and Peril of Tracking My Health 24/7
The Best Sleep Trackers: Rings, Watches, and Other Wearables
The 4 Best Fitness Trackers of 2026
Can You Really Disappear Online?


We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more›

Wirecutter Social and Website
Instagram: /wirecutter
Threads: /@wirecutter
Twitter: /wirecutter
Facebook: /thewirecutter
TikTok: /wirecutter
LinkedIn: /nyt-wirecutter
Website: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/
Newsletter: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/newsletters/

The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel. Studio support from Maddy Masiello, Nick Pitman, Kyle Grandillo, and Samantha Winter. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Daniel Ramirez, and Sophia Lanman. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.
Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.