Emily Parker

Last summer, our team set up 12 inflatable movie screens across three backyards to find the best inflatable movie screens you can buy in . After 30 days of weekend movie nights, family gatherings, and one surprisingly windy block party, I can tell you exactly which screens hold up and which ones leave you fumbling … Read more

When I set up my first dedicated home theater room three years ago, I went with a traditional lamp projector because it was what every guide recommended. Two lamp replacements, $400 in bulbs, and one dramatic color shift later, I switched to laser and never looked back. After 90 days of side-by-side testing with 10 … Read more

Picture this: your dinner party is in full swing, the cocktails are flowing, and someone walks over to the freezer only to find an empty ice tray. We have all been there, fumbling with plastic bags of ice from the gas station while guests wait. After spending six weeks testing 15 different countertop ice makers … Read more

If you have ever pulled up to a Sonic drive-in just for the ice, you already understand why the best nugget ice makers are flying off shelves in . That soft, crunchy, slightly porous pellet ice soaks into drinks, chews like a snack, and somehow makes a glass of tap water feel like a treat. … Read more

We’ve been testing the best electric wine openers for to find the ones that actually deliver on their promises. After putting 8 popular models through dozens of bottles of natural and synthetic corks, we found clear winners that handle everything from weeknight dinners to dinner parties for 12. An electric wine bottle opener takes the … Read more

I’ve been collecting whiskey for years, and I learned pretty quickly that the bottle you pour from matters almost as much as what’s inside it. After testing more than 30 sets over the past year, I can tell you that finding the best whiskey decanter sets comes down to three things: a stopper that actually … Read more

Last summer I hosted a backyard taco night and tried to blend margaritas with my old 300-watt blender. The motor whined, the ice spun around in chunks, and half my guests got drinks with icebergs floating in them. That embarrassing moment sent me down a rabbit hole testing the best blenders for frozen drinks across … Read more

I still remember my first proper espresso at home. The shot came out sour, thin, and completely lacking crema. After months of frustration with cheap machines, I finally invested in something decent. That single change saved me an estimated $1,400 in coffee shop visits over the next two years. Finding the best espresso machines for … Read more

After 60 days of testing 10 popcorn machines across four households, our team landed on a clear winner for most people: the Presto PopLite Hot Air Popper for everyday snacking, the West Bend Stir Crazy 6-Quart for movie theater flavor, and the Great Northern Matinee for entertaining a crowd. We measured unpopped kernel ratios, cleanup … Read more

Snow cones saved my summer last year. After my daughter turned seven, we hosted a backyard birthday party for twelve kids, and I realized our ice-crushing setup could not keep up. I bought four different snow cone machines within six weeks, ran them through pool parties, sleepovers, and a fundraiser, and finally figured out which … Read more