Trash Bags You'll Have a Crush On (and 4 More Products the Epi Staff Bought This Month)

This month at Epicurious, we finally pulled the trigger on that cast-iron scrubber we'd heard so much about, the eco-friendly alternative to coffee filters, and the hot-pink dishwashing gloves that keep our hands soft and dry.

And we didn't stop there. Here are the other products we stocked our kitchens with in April.

Herbes de Provence

"I've been making fun of how passé herbes de Provence are for years," says Associate Editor Joe Sever. "But a few weeks ago I made this Andy Baraghani recipe and completely changed my tune—and immediately bought a fresh jar of the stuff. Andy's recipe is blistered asparagus salad with a warm dressing that gets a full tablespoon of herbes de Provence. Now that I've replenished my stash, I can make it all summer long."

BUY IT: Morton & Bassett Herbs from Provence, $7 on Amazon

Milo 3.5 quart Dutch Oven

"I bought this small Dutch Oven for my mom," says Senior Commerce Editor Elaheh Nozari. "I’m trying to get her to use a Dutch oven more regularly and not just when she’s making coq au vin for a dinner party. This tiny black Milo model is a great utilitarian Dutch oven that’s a good size for weekday dinners, when she’s cooking for just three or four people. She’s also been on a bread kick—she uses Jim Lahey’s no-knead recipe—and this pot makes a decent-size boule that lasts a week."

BUY IT: Milo 3.5 quart Dutch Oven, $65 at Food52

Simplehuman Trash Can & Custom Fit Simplehuman Trash Bags

Senior Food Editor Anna Stockwell suggests this conversation starter for a first date: Would you rather show me your Netflix watchlist or your Amazon order history?

"Personally," she says, "I'm a little embarrassed of both, but I think I would show both to anyone who wanted to see. I believe in full disclosure, after all.

When I opened up my Amazon history for this past month, what did I see on the top of my list? Kitchen trash bags. That's right. I'm very particular about my kitchen trash bags. I order a box of the custom fit Simplehuman trash bags that match my trash can every few months.

There is something so satisfying about a trash bag that fits perfectly inside of my trash can. It's strong and sturdy and easy to pull out of the can, and never slips off the sides. Every time I've tried to break this admittedly expensive habit, I've regretted it. So now I've just accepted it.

Also, the second-most-recent purchase on my account was cat litter. Which makes me even more grateful for the trash bags that make disposing of that cat litter a little more pleasant."

BUY IT: simplehuman Code G Custom Fit Drawstring Trash Bags, $19 on Amazon

BUY IT: simplehuman 30L / 8 Gallon Round Step Trash Can, Brushed Stainless Steel, $50 on Amazon

Indian-ish by Priya Krishna

Commerce Editor Emily Johnson somehow found room in her house for one more cookbook. "Priya is my old co-worker and friend, and I'm so excited that I finally get to cook from her new cookbook, which she wrote with her mom as a way to preserve her mom's particular style of Indian-American hybrid dishes. Some of my early favorites include the paneer with feta, roti pizza, and Dahi toast. It's full of recipes that feel easy enough for me to pull off, even when I don't feel like cooking after work."

BUY IT: Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family, $18 on Amazon

Chile Crunch

Emily also stocked her pantry with the world's best condiment. "I'm officially the last person in the world to hop on the Chile Crunch bandwagon—my colleague Rhoda has been talking about this crunchy condiment for years. I now realize that I've been living in a dark, flavorless, terrible world where crunchy chile condiments don't exist. Chile Crunch is unlike any other food thing I've ever tasted. It's garlicky as hell, a little spicy, sweet, and—best of all—crunchy, since the chile flakes are fried. I'd tell you what it's good on but the list would be too long. Plus, why bother putting it on anything? I just eat it with a spoon."

BUY IT: Chile Crunch, $12 on Amazon