It’s no surprise those bags of frozen meatballs are a top seller at IKEA’s U.S. stores. But the bright-blue tubes of Kalles Kaviar smoked fish roe spread? No way. Who buys those? Turns out, lots of people. In fact, they’re the most popular of all IKEA’s seafood products. And those bland-looking cylinders of dry crispbread? They’re a best-seller too, as are those suspect-looking jars of pickled fish fillets. In fact, everything I’ve usually avoided in IKEA’s “Swedish Market” grocery section is a top-seller for the chain’s stateside stores. I had to wonder, is it the novelty factor? Or are there really that many Swedish ex-pats living in the States?

Or maybe that stuff is actually pretty good. The only way to know is to put them to the test, so I sampled IKEA’s most popular products in six different categories, plus a few of the chain’s newer items, in order to find the store’s best groceries.

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When viral videos circle the web, often they’re for super-human acts. (For instance, toddlers that can do anything an average adult can’t usually manage to accomplish.) This video follows the same vibe, but leaves us wondering how one learns they can catch apples when hurled at their face?

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(Image credit: @Daibellaaa)

There are some things in life we don’t question. Unlike tying your shoes, where you might use the loop, swoop, and pull method or the bunny-around-the-tree method, the kitchen colander leaves little to interpret.

Up until this point the colander seemed like something that needed minimal directions, if any at all. Like IKEA directions! First, place in sink; second, dump in pasta. It seems unquestionable until you see this alternate method that had me looking for the face-palm emoji!

Why haven’t I been doing this my entire life?

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When I stop to think about the things I shout from the rooftops and spread around social media to friends and family in regards to a new movie, usually it’s about the latest Thor movie (everyone who stars in them is just so dreamy!) This time, however, I couldn’t text the link fast enough to my foodie friends about a great movie that’s getting a Bollywood remake.

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As the number of products on supermarket shelves continues to grow, marketing, package design, and uniqueness in branding have become big business. This is especially true for smaller labels trying to sway the average consumer to purchase their product.

This was the case with Nashoba Brook Bakery‘s granola, which lists an ingredient on its bag that makes a consumer’s heart go pitter-patter: love! But the FDA has something to say about that.

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If you’re anything like us, your morning is completely centered around coffee. But just because getting your daily caffeine fix has turned into a well-worn routine doesn’t mean you have to drink the same ol’ coffee every day. There are so many different coffees to try!

With literally thousands of roasts from all over the world, however, attempting to be adventurous with your coffee selections can get a little overwhelming. Which ones do you try? Where do you start? Easy. Sign up for a coffee subscription and let the experts do all the work for you. They scour the best roasts and deliver them to your door on a recurring basis. Here are three of our favorite coffee subscriptions — and a bonus one for espresso obsessives! — that will turn you into a coffee aficionado, rather than just a caffeine junkie.

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A few weeks ago, we spent some time talking to Ted Lindeman, a professor in the biology and biochemistry department at Colorado College. We originally wanted to know which packing material he preferred for bagged lunches: plastic zip-top bags, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap. (He picked the bags as long as we all promised to use each bag at least five times before tossing them — and that when washing them between uses, we use just a little bit of not-too-hot water.)

But then he said two things about dishwashers that stood out to us even more than his unpredictable pick (we thought for sure he’d pick the foil, but that came in second place). Here are the two dishwashing mistakes we’ve been making. Are you making them too?

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Often times when tragedy strikes around the country we see celebrities coming out of the woodwork to raise awareness for those who have no way to truly convey their needs. Chef José Andrés is leading the charge with relief efforts in Puerto Rico this week, where he’s attempting to feed upwards to 40,000 people a day in need. Warning: You might need a tissue for this one.

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(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

Starter. Sourdough starter. Levain. Starter sponge. Mother sponge. Biga. Chef. Poolish.

You’ll hear many names tossed about in bread recipes. What do they mean? And what exactly is the difference between them all?

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman/The Kitchn)

I recently read an article that mentioned most people are satisfied with one Pumpkin Spice Latte every fall. Just one. The same cannot be said for soft, lightly spiced pumpkin muffins. These breakfast treats are especially wonderful right now, as we settle into autumn, but are also perfectly acceptable to eat year-round.

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