The Wirecutter Show

Have you ever wondered what happens to products that aren’t sold or the items that you return to a store? It turns out, a lot of them end up in the trash. This week, Wirecutter Deputy Editor Annemarie Conte discusses her recent reporting on how and why stores throw away perfectly good products.    Annemarie takes us from the strip malls of Dallas-Fort Worth to the curbs of New York City, shadowing...

Finding a swimsuit you feel good in can be daunting. This episode, we’re sharing insider tips on choosing designs, fabrics, and brands that you’ll actually love. Wirecutter style writer Zoe Vanderweide walks us through the finer points of finding high-quality swimwear that fits and flatters.   Zoe shares the construction details to look for that will emphasize (or de-emphasize) different body part...

If you need fresh gift ideas for Mother’s Day this year, this is your episode. This week, Wirecutter gifting expert Samantha Schoech brings a range of ideas that go far beyond a bouquet of flowers and brunch.    Instead of generic ideas, we’re approaching gifts by personality type—from the exhausted new mom to the outdoorsy adventurer. Samantha also shares her core gifting philosophy (including wh...

The Nintendo Switch 2 was released in June 2025. In just four months, it sold over 10 million units, making it the fastest selling console of all time in the U.S. But at $450, is it really worth the hype?    Arthur Gies, supervising editor on the tech team at Wirecutter, has spent nearly a year testing the system, playing the new games, and weighing the pros and cons. In this episode, he gives us...

Dish soap might be the most underrated cleaner in your home. It's cheap, it's safe to use with bare hands, and it’s the star of many Wirecutter cleaning tutorials — from how to clean wood floors to stainless steel appliances to laundry stains . It also makes a great alternative to “green” cleaners—cleaners that are marketed as less toxic, allergenic, or supposedly better for the environment.    In...

It’s not your imagination. Climate change is making seasonal allergy season longer and more intense.    New York Times health reporter Nina Agrawal joins us to discuss what to do when the pollen count is high, how to improve your indoor air quality this spring and summer, and the differences between allergy medications.    Check out Nina’s reporting on how to tell if you have allergies and what ac...

Kitchen knives are one of the most important tools in your home.   In this episode, senior kitchen writer Lesley Stockton reveals which knives you actually need, how much to spend, and the proper way to store and sharpen your knives.   From breaking down the differences between Japanese- and Western-style blades to explaining why a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one, Lesley walks throug...

All hail the winners of Wirecutter’s inaugural Best New Picks Awards! These products are absolute gems discovered over the past year. Tune in to hear Wirecutter staffers share their delightful, surprising, and useful recommendations for everything from a micellar water beauty editors love, to a CD player you can stream to your bluetooth speaker.    To find out more about these products and over 70...

Camping might feel intimidating for a beginner. But car camping–-where you can simply drive to a spot and bring some creature comforts—lowers the barrier to entry. In this episode, we talk with Wirecutter outdoor writer Trey French about how beginners can get into camping without overcomplicating it.    Trey walks us through the gear that’s actually worth investing in, what you can skip (or borrow...

Tinned fish is having a moment. While countries like Portugal and Spain have long appreciated preserved seafood as a culinary art form, only recently has it caught on as a high-end appetizer in the United States. For the uninitiated, it can be hard to know which cans you’ll like and which are worth the steep price tags.    In this episode, we chat with Wirecutter editorial director Marguerite Pres...

Car accidents where a vehicle is submerged in water or erupts into deadly flame are rare. But a simple tool to break your own car window could be life-saving in such an emergency. The only catch: not all car windows are created equal.    This week, Rosie talks to Wirecutter editor and emergency preparedness expert Jen Gushue about the high-stakes world of car glass breakers. Jen enlisted a firefig...

Counterfeit beauty products are more common than many people realize, and they’re increasingly difficult to spot. You may think you’re buying an authentic foundation, lip gloss, or moisturizer on Amazon or other big marketplaces, but a recent Wirecutter investigation revealed how easy it is to buy fakes.    In this episode, we talk with Wirecutter senior writer Rose Maura Lorre about her six-month...

Caregiving can be one of the most meaningful roles you’ll ever take on—but it can also be overwhelming. Between managing appointments, medications, paperwork, and communication with family members or professional aides, there’s a lot to keep track of.   In this episode, senior tech writer Rachel Cericola joins us to talk about the tools and systems that can help caregivers stay organized. From sha...

Apple recently expanded its lineup with two new budget-friendly entries: the iPhone 17e and the MacBook Neo. Both start at $600—hundreds of dollars less than their standard counterparts—but what exactly are you giving up for that lower price tag?   This week, host Rosie Guerin talks with Wirecutter senior staff writer Brenda Stolyar to break down the trade-offs. Plus, Brenda explains why Apple is...

Minor home renovations can have a huge impact for how long you (or a loved one) can live independently into old age. This episode, Wirecutter’s home-improvement expert Doug Mahoney joins us to discuss the renovations to consider–-whether you’re looking ahead to your own future or supporting a loved one as they age in place.   Doug recently wrote a room-by-room tour of the best modifications to con...

Spring cleaning season is here, and we asked listeners to send us their most stubborn, embarrassing, and downright horrifying odor problems. Staff writer and cleaning expert Caroline Mullen joins us to answer your most confounding smell questions–from how to get rid of the odor of rotting meat in a freezer to  removing the persistent stink from workout clothes.   Caroline explains what actually wo...

For some people, shorter days and reduced sunlight in the winter can seriously disrupt sleep, mood, and energy levels. A light therapy lamp can help.   In this episode, senior staff writer Nancy Redd explains what seasonal affective disorder (SAD) actually is, how light therapy works, and why not all lamps are created equal. We cover what 10,000 lux means, why timing matters, and why you should ta...

For the perfect cup of coffee, you need good beans. In this bonus episode, we talk with Sum Ngai, co-founder of Coffee Project New York and certified Q-grader (it’s like a sommelier, but for coffee!), to demystify the art of choosing a bean you’ll love.    Sum breaks down everything a novice needs to know to shop with confidence, from decoding mysterious tasting notes, to understanding why you sho...

If you want to make great coffee at home, the right gear makes a difference. In this episode, Wirecutter editorial director Marguerite Preston shares how to choose the right setup based on your space, budget, and desired level of effort.    We discuss why you may want to rethink how you’re grinding your coffee, the reasons that good drip coffee makers tend to be expensive, and when you may want to...

Buying a vibrator can be tricky without a great recommendation. This week, we’re reairing our episode on why vibrators are still so taboo—and how to pick one you’ll love.   Bianca Alba, Wirecutter’s longtime sex toy writer, talks us through the societal double standards around sexuality and how vibrators can help with sexual health. We cover the different types of vibrators you can choose from, ho...

We’re demystifying what separates luxury boxed chocolates from standard supermarket candy. Gabriella Gershenson, Wirecutter’s taste test editor and author of our boxed chocolates guide , explains what ingredients to look for on labels, the textures that separate the great from merely mediocre, and why good chocolates cost so much.    Whether you’re a traditionalist who loves a classic toffee or an...

Your workout shouldn’t stop after you’ve finished your cardio or weightlifting session. What you do right afterward can make the difference between feeling good for the rest of the day or dragging with soreness and fatigue.    We brought in two experts to break down what recovery really means, why it matters, and how to approach it without overcomplicating things. First, Dr. Leada Malek, a license...

Winter is brutal on skin and most moisturizer advice online is either oversimplified, wildly inconsistent, or driven by marketing.   So we brought in Jenn Sullivan, senior editor of Wirecutter’s beauty team, to explain what moisturizers actually do, and how to use them in a way that makes a real difference. Jenn breaks down the ingredients that matter, the mistakes that leave skin feeling drier, a...

January is peak return season. Maybe you got holiday gifts that weren’t quite right, or you’re just clearing out the things you over-ordered. But where does all that stuff actually go?   In this episode, Deputy Editor Annemarie Conte walks us through her investigation into the hidden world of returns. For her reporting, she bought a 450-pound, six-foot-tall pallet of returned goods to see what rea...

In the final installment of this series, we examine the longer-term costs–the time, the money, and the emotional toll–that finding your feet after a natural disaster can take.    Mike and his family are still displaced. The possibility of a future natural disaster looms over them, on top of the financial predicament of being stuck in the “insurance gap”--where their insurance payout isn’t enough t...