In my 10 years reviewing kitchen equipment, I’ve fielded dozens of messages from companies asking if they can publish the news that one of their products was named a winner in our testings.
Inside ATK
Announcing “ATK Recommended,” Our Kitchen Product Seal of Approval
Find our top-rated kitchen gear wherever you shop.
By Published Sept. 1, 2022.
Our answer has always (regrettably!) been no.
While we would have loved to publicize the gear we’re excited about, our integrity is everything to us and we were concerned the seal would be misused. Our recommendations have historically been available only on our websites and cooking shows and in our magazines and newsletters, where we’ve been able to keep careful track of them.
We are constantly testing and retesting products—when a product is redesigned or there are new items on the market, we conduct follow-up testings to confirm that our winner is still the best. Keeping the seals accurate across the vastness of the internet was a daunting task indeed.
But there are so many products these days. So many choices!
We want folks to be able to know at a glance, wherever they’re shopping, which products are worth buying. So after almost 30 years of reviewing products, America’s Test Kitchen is partnering with the EnVeritas Group, a digital marketing firm, to bring our seal of approval to life in a program we’re calling ATK Recommended.
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So, what does this change for our process? Nothing.
Our ATK Reviews team is working as it always has, purchasing all of the products we review and conducting rigorous hands-on testing (on average it takes us six weeks of testing and research to pick a winner). In addition to seeing how well a product works, we conduct durability testing and outside lab tests and consult scientists and experts—thorough, unbiased testing that truly sets us apart.
Once we find top items in a certain category, the badges may be used by companies in their own marketing information to celebrate their win. They are managed by EnVeritas to eliminate all bias, and EnVeritas will keep the badges accurate across the internet so that they will only be used on products that have earned them.
If you’re shopping for a new piece of equipment for your kitchen (anything from a can opener to an air fryer) and see an ATK Recommended badge, it means the item has been rigorously, independently tested and has earned top marks. And you can rest assured that you are viewing the most up-to-date information.
We hope this badge will help you shop with confidence and ease. It’s just another way we’re helping home cooks make educated purchases that will serve them for years to come.