Google’s 100 Most Popular Gifts of 2023 Include These CR Favorites

The GE Profile Opal 2.0 Nugget Ice Maker is the top-rated countertop nugget icemaker in our ratings. It produces the nugget type of ice and does it faster than all other models, which earned it the only top score for speed. It also has the highest water capacity and features a large, removable plastic water reservoir, which means fewer refills. It’s also among the quieter icemakers we tried. This slick-looking model, which comes in stainless steel and black stainless steel, is the only one that opens like a drawer. A handy hook keeps the drawer in place while open and prevents it from sliding out completely, so the user does not have to use a second hand to hold it while scooping ice.

There are three downsides: It’s the most expensive model by far. It also is among the least efficient models in our tests. And finally, the size—the GE is the largest model, weighing 37.65 pounds and measuring 16½ inches high, 13.4 inches wide, and 17½ inches deep. So you either need to have ample counter space or an extremely strong desire for nugget ice.

For more options: The Best Nugget Icemakers

An internet sensation, this Caraway ceramic-coated cookware set turned out to be a sensation in our tests, too, rising to the top of our nonstick-set ratings. It comes with 14 pieces, but only half of them are pots or lids. The rest are various racks, hooks, trivets, and things you might not want or have space for. But if this is your first cookware set—and you have the storage space—why not? It excels in all four of our key cooking tests (cooking evenness, simmering, nonstick food release, and speed of heating), and the handles are sturdy and stay cool to the touch while you’re cooking. It comes in six colors, including the Perracotta set shown here.

For more options: The Best Cookware Sets

This pricey 3-cup rice cooker consistently makes beautiful rice but takes its sweet time—almost 45 minutes to cook white rice and a whopping 90 minutes to cook brown rice. Still, it’s the all-around best-performing and most foolproof rice cooker we tested. It’s also the only rice cooker in our ratings that uses induction technology.

We also like that it’s intuitive to use. It has set programs for cooking rice (white, two types of brown, rinse-free, and sushi). Plus, there are additional programs for mixed grains, rice porridge, quick cooking, and delayed start. It’s the rice cooker to have if you love cooking all kinds of rice. The pot and removable inner lid are also easy to clean, and its markings are easy to read.

For more options: The Best Rice Cookers

The KitchenAid Artisan KSM150PSER churns through our tests, impressing us with top marks for whipping heavy cream and mixing cookie dough, and it does a solid job of kneading bread dough. It’s quiet and gets a top score in our convenience test, meaning you won’t have to struggle to remove the bowl or beaters or adjust the speed. The head tilts back, so remember to account for clearance on your counter. This mixer weighs 21 pounds and comes with a 5-quart stainless steel bowl with a handle for easy removal. A choice of 11 colors makes it easy to match any kitchen decor.

For more options: The Best Stand Mixers

The Samsung QN65S90C, a QD OLED set just below the company’s flagship series for 2023, delivers top scores for overall picture quality as well as HDR performance. It has very good sound—better, in fact, than Samsung’s flagship model. It includes an ATSC 3.0 tuner for receiving Next-Gen TV signals through an antenna as they become available across the U.S.

This 65-inch OLED 4K UHD TV from Samsung is internet-enabled, and uses the Tizen operating system. It includes built-in Samsung Bixby and Amazon Alexa virtual assistants. Samsung claims this model will also work with external Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa devices. CR’s tests found it has an unlimited (very wide) viewing angle, and HDR performance was very effective. Includes an ATSC 3.0 tuner for receiving NextGen TV signals.

For more options: The Best TVs

The Apple Watch Ultra has a thick titanium case with a beefier crown and large buttons on the sides that allow menu-free access to your most used functions. Its wraparound case helps to protect a screen that’s both larger and brighter than what you find on the Series 8. There’s also a larger speaker and better mics for making calls from the summit of Annapurna—or a noisy subway platform. If you’re a scuba diver, the Ultra has a host of new and unique underwater functions, and with an app from Oceanic+, it can function as a full-fledged dive computer. The Ultra performs very well in our labs, earning top grades in ease of use, scratch resistance, water resistance, and readability in low light, though our testers find the step-count accuracy to be only average.

For more options: The Best Smartwatches

The Google Pixel Fold is the first generation of the Pixel Fold. It’s a 5G-capable phone that supports both the sub-6-gigahertz bands and 5G millimeter-wave technology. The Pixel Fold opens up to resemble a small tablet, and as a result, it is heavier than most other smartphones on the market. Its outer, 5.8-inch, and inner, 7.6-inch, foldable AMOLED displays receive above-average ratings from our testers, but its screen does rate near the bottom on scratch resistance. Its front, or selfie, camera earns excellent ratings, while its rear camera and video receive above average ratings. Its batteries last 29.5 hours in our testing, below the average of tested phones. Overall, the Pixel Fold tests average in our rigorous durability test.

For more options: The Best Smartphones

The 20-volt, heavy-duty brushless DeWalt DCD991P2 is one of our best performers across all three drill types, snagging top ratings for power, speed, and run time. But the hefty 5-amp-hour battery that produces all that power makes this drill heavy, unbalanced, and a bit awkward to handle. At 4.7 pounds, it’s at least 1 pound heavier than most other heavy-duty drills and more than double the weight of some 12-volt models we’ve tested. Unlike most drills in our ratings, this DeWalt is equipped with three speed settings, providing a handy middle option for drilling into soft metals, such as aluminum, when the slow speed required for steel isn’t enough and the fast speed for wood is too much.

For more options: The Best Cordless Drills

The energy-efficient Coway Airmega 300 air purifier earns top marks for clearing dust from a room when running at its highest speed. It’s also impressive at removing smoke and pollen from a room’s air when running at its highest speed, but it’s not very effective at a low-speed setting. A filter indicator light tells you when it’s time to change the main filter. Its controls are easy to operate, and cleaning or replacing its filters is a cinch.

For more options: The Best Air Purifiers

While the model we’ve tested isn’t the Mesa model, it’s still a solid option. The Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 is constructed from stainless steel and its burn chamber is 10¾ inches deep. Designed to burn wood, ash from fires is collected in an interior tray which, captures most of the ash, but some unburned pieces fell into the firepit’s bottom chamber from which they were difficult to remove. According to our tests, the Solo handles large fires well but it also left a fair amount of unburned wood after the fire had died down completely. This model comes with a cover.

For more options: The Best Smokeless Fire Pits

The Weber Q 2200 54060001 is one of the largest portable models in our ratings, with a 315-square-inch cooking surface. It cooks well, earning a very good rating for heating evenness in CR’s tests, and it nabs a stellar convenience rating. But its temperature range is substandard. The grill is equipped with an electronic igniter, coated cast-iron grates, and two side shelves. 

Per the popular searches on Google, this model is also available at Wayfair.

For more options: The Best Portable Gas Grills

This basic, hard-shell carry-on by Away impresses in our tests for impact resistance and construction quality. Away is also a top brand for carry-on luggage based on our CR member survey. The bag’s special features include a compartment divider, leather luggage tag, and laundry bag. It has an unusually generous limited lifetime warranty and, like a mattress, a 100-day trial period so you can see how you like it on the road.

For more options: The Best Carry-On Luggage

The Cityrun has top-notch performance in our range, acceleration, braking, hill climb, and unassisted cruising tests. (And without using battery power, it still manages to perform capably when climbing a hill at the lowest gear setting possible.) It also offers hydraulic disc brakes and a hub-drive motor, as well as front LED lights and a seven-speed Shimano shifter. Heybike’s Cityrun is available in three different colors—black, green, and orange. At 64 pounds, it is a bit heavier than some other models, which can make it more difficult to move if you need to put it away or load it into a car.

For more options: The Best Electric Bikes