The Wirecutter Show is planning a special episode for the holidays and we need your help! 

Send  a voice memo to us at [email protected] about your hardest-to-shop-for gift recipients! Let us know: 

• your name and where you're calling in from 
• who your hard-to-please gift recipient is 
• what makes them hard to shop for
• what they like & don't like

We'll play your stories on the show for an expert from Wirecutter's gifting team and see if we can stump them! No matter what, you'll walk away with some great gifting advice. 

Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at [email protected]. 

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Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

Buying a vibrator can be tricky without a great recommendation. This week, we discuss why vibrators are still so taboo—and how to pick one you’ll love.

Guest: Wirecutter writer Bianca Alba 

Additional Reading: 

• The Best Vibrators
• The 6 Best Personal Lubricants of 2024 
• How to Clean Sex Toys

Products We Recommend: 

• The Classic Wand style: Magic Wand Rechargeable
• The Classic Wand style, but corded: Magic Wand Plus
• Affordable and versatile: Satisfyer Purple Pleasure
• For suction and vibration: Dame Aer
• For precise stimulation: Lelo Dot
• Bianca Recommends: Beast Blender for single serve smoothies

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Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

This week, we discuss microplastics (the small pieces of plastic that shed off many products), how they may impact your health, and how to mitigate exposure. 

Guest: Wirecutter's sustainability editor, Katie Okamoto

Additional Reading:

• Microplastics Are Everywhere. Here’s How to Avoid Eating Them.
• The Best Water Filter Pitcher and Dispenser
• The Best Under-Sink Water Filter

Products We Recommend: 

• Pitcher Filter: Brita Standard Everyday Pitcher
• Under Sink Filter: Aquasana AQ-5300+ Max Flow
• Glass Food Containers: Pyrex Simply Store 9-Pack Mixed Sized Glass Food Storage Set
• Katie Recommends: Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls

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Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

A natural disaster can happen to anyone, at any time. Are you prepared? Here’s our best advice on what to have on hand.

Guest: Wirecutter senior editor Harry Sawyers

Additional Reading:

• The Best Emergency Preparedness Supplies
• How to Clean a Flooded Basement
• Everything I Did to Flood-Proof My Old House 
• The Best Hurricane Preparedness Supplies and Strategies for 2024
• The Best Gear for Your Bug-Out Bag

Products We Recommend: 

• Best rigid water container: Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7-Gallon
• Best flashlight: ThruNite Archer 2A V3
• Best floating solar lantern: LuminAid Titan 2-in-1 Power Lantern
• Best weather radio: Midland ER310
• Best portable solar charger: BigBlue 28W USB Solar Charger
• Best multi-tool: Leatherman Skeletool CX
• Folding saws Harry likes: Silky Pocketboy 130 mm Folding Saw Medium Teeth 340-13, Silky Professional BIGBOY Folding Saw 360mm Large Teeth (354-36), Silky Zubat Curved Hand Saw 270mm Large Teeth (270-27) 
• Harry’s favorite recent purchase: Aquatabs

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Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

We’re getting nerdy about sheets–why you might be unhappy with your current set, how to pick ones you’ll actually love, and the marketing scams to avoid.

Guest: Wirecutter senior staff writer Jackie Reeve

Additional Reading:

• The Best Sheets
• The Best Cotton Sheets
• The Joy (and Anxiety) of Sleeping on $2,000 Sheets
• Best Linen Sheets
• Best Flannel Sheets
• What Is the Best Thread Count for Sheets?
• Should You Spring For Egyptian Cotton Sheets?

Products we recommend: 

• 280-Thread-Count Pima Cotton Percale Sheets
• JCPenney's Wrinkle Guard’s 400 Thread Count Sateen Sheets
• L.L.Bean Ultrasoft Comfort Flannel Sheet Set
• Jackie Recommends: Swoveralls

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Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

What you need to know before giving your kid a phone, plus the Wirecutter-tested trackers, smartwatches, and phones to consider.

Guests: Wirecutter senior staff writer Ellen Lee &  Dr. Devorah Heitner

Additional Reading:

• The Best First Phones for Kids
• The Best Smartwatches for Kids
• The Best Parental Control Apps to Manage Screen Time (and Keep Your Kid Safer Online)
• Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World  by Dr. Devorah Heitner
• Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World by Dr. Devorah Heitner

Products we recommend:

• Apple AirTag
• Tile Mate
• Bark Phone
• Pinwheel
• Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation, 128 GB)
• Verizon Gizmo Watch 3
• Apple Watch SE GPS + Cellular

Check out more NYT podcast coverage about the recent push to ban phones in schools from The Daily and Hard Fork.
 

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Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

Expert tips to waste less food — and save on your grocery bill — from Wirecutter kitchen editor Marilyn Ong and New York Times Cooking deputy editor Genevieve Ko. 

Additional Reading 

• Best Food Storage Containers
• Best Dry Food Storage Containers
• The Best Vacuum Sealer
• Kitchen Compost Bins We Love

Products We Recommend

• Rubbermaid Brilliance Pantry Food Storage Containers
• Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro
• Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with Lids

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Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

Our best-in-class advice to breathing a little easier. 

Guest: Wirecutter Senior staff writer Tim Heffernan

Additional Reading

• The Best Air Purifier 
• The $650 LifeStraw Max Water Filter Can Save You From Contaminated Water
• How Can I Clear My Air of Wildfire Smoke?
• How to DIY An Air Purifier

Products We Recommend

• Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty
• LifeStraw Max
• Knipex Carpenters’ End Cut Pliers

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Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

We’re going deep on laundry—what you’re probably doing wrong, how to actually pretreat stains, and the tips and tricks to make it all easier. 

Guest: Wirecutter Staff Writer, Andrea Barnes 

Additional Reading 

• The Best Laundry Detergent
• So You Stained Your Shirt? Now What
• The Best Stain Removers
• The Best Detergent for Hand-Washing Clothes
• This Steamy Grill Brush Makes Me Excited to Clean My Grill

Products We Recommend

• Tide Ultra Oxi Powder Laundry Detergent
• Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent
• Dirty Labs Free & Clear Bio Laundry Detergent
• Amodex Ink & Stain Remover
• Restoration Fabric Cleaner

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Follow us on instagram @wirecutter

Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast

Our new podcast aims to solve your everyday problems, with life-changing tips, tricks and product recommendations from Wirecutter’s best-in-class journalists. Find out more at nytimes.com/wirecutter.

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

Follow us on instagram @wirecutter

Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast