The Wirecutter Show

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...

In the second part of our series, we learn more about what’s happened to Wirecutter writers Mike Cohen and Gregory Han in the year since the LA wildfires. And how they both wish they’d better understood their insurance policies before the fires.     Mike and Gregory both found temporary housing after the fires, but they soon needed to start replacing the things they use daily. And to do that, they...

Exactly one year ago, on January 7, 2025, the Palisades and Eaton Fires erupted, eventually burning down more than 16,000 structures and killing at least 31 people , becoming among the most destructive and deadly wildfires in California’s history.    Two Wirecutter writers, Gregory Han and Mike Cohen, lived through the Eaton fire. Both lived in Altadena, just outside Los Angeles. Gregory’s home wa...

In this episode, our guest is Suleika Jaouad, author of The Book of Alchemy and creator of The Isolation Journals Substack . We delve into how journaling can help you unlock creative potential and navigate life’s challenges.    Suleika shares her personal journey with journaling as a lifeline during her battle with leukemia and a pathway to "creative alchemy" – transforming difficult experiences i...

In case you missed our bonus episode, we are re-airing it! Wirecutter’s staff tests thousands of products every year, and of that mountain of items a few always stick out as the best of the best. To close out 2025, we asked our experts to share the things they loved most–and what they think would make great holiday gifts.    Whether you’re still finishing up your holiday shopping or you’re just he...

It happens every year: the season sneaks up, the calendar fills, and suddenly it’s gift-giving time… and you’ve bought nothing. To help you avoid the panic-buy spiral (and the regrettable “kitchen TV”-style gifts that follow), we brought in Samantha Schoech, senior staff writer on Wirecutter’s gifting team. Sam spends all year researching, testing, and vetting gift ideas—so she knows exactly what...

Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the way people use the internet, gather information, shop online, and interact with products at home. If you’ve ever wondered what chatbots (like Gemini or Claude) are truly good for and how to use them smartly, this episode is essential.    Our guest Kevin Roose, a New York Times tech columnist and co-host of the NYT podcast Hard Fork , has spent...

The holidays are here, and that means it's time to tackle the hardest shopping challenge of all: finding the perfect gift(s) for the children in your life. In this episode, we skip the parental guessing games and go straight to the experts!   Rosie sits down with three brutally honest critics—Dior (8), Robinson (11), and Chloe (6)—to get the definitive, unfiltered word on what kids really want thi...

When the holidays roll around, many of us romanticize the idea of a cozy game night—only to remember the part where someone has to read the rules, explain them, and keep the vibes going while everyone tries not to flip a table. If you’ve ever sighed at the sight of a board game box (or struggled through a four-hour strategy game you didn’t sign up for), this episode is for you. James Austin, Wirec...

Gift giving can be challenging when you're shopping for people who seem to already have everything they need (or who are just super hard to please). Hannah Morrill, Wirecutter’s gift editor, walks us through how to approach selecting presents for these trickiest recipients.    Hannah also answers listener questions with dozens of specific gift recommendations.   If you’d like to receive hand-picke...

Holiday baking season is here, and nobody knows how to bake a delicious cookie better than Vaughn Vreeland, host of NYT Cooking’s Bake Time and author of the book, Cookies . In this episode, Vaughn breaks down the gear you actually need, and shares clever fixes for common cookie problems—from his best advice to using browned butter in a recipe to reducing sugar without sacrificing flavor. He also...