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The 25 most popular things our readers bought this year (so far)

Have you bought any of these things this year?

The 25 most popular things our readers bought so far this year Credit: iLife / Instant Pot

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

It’s been a heck of a shopping year thus far, and it’s only going to ramp up during the holiday season. So we thought it’d be fun to see all of the wonderful things our readers have bought so far in 2018. With the incredible sales we’ve seen on popular products and the crazy prices of Amazon Prime Day, we have quite the hodgepodge of items on this list.

We can tell that our readers are big on buying cooking products and meal kits—especially when they’re on sale. There are some so fun and inexpensive health and wellness items that have made the list too. Curious what our readers bought? Here are the 25 most popular purchases of 2018:

1. The cult favorite Instant Pot

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Credit: Instant Pot

Our favorite cooking gadget is still #1.

It’s no surprise that this popular multi-cooker topped the list. People love this kitchen gadget because it has all the functions of a pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, and more. It was at its lowest price on Amazon during Prime Day and a few sales have popped up throughout the year that our readers jumped at. We’re expecting it to drop lower in price again during Black Friday, but if you want it now, it's currently $20 off.

Get the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Pressure Cooker at Amazon for $79.95

2. Our favorite affordable meat thermometer

Habor Instant Read Thermometer
Credit: Reviewed /Lindsay D. Mattison

Never overcook your meat again.

No one wants to cut into a piece of undercooked (or worse, overcooked) meat. But if you’re an amateur griller, getting your dinner just right can be hard to perfect. That’s why our readers love this meat thermometer from Habor. It’s the best affordable meat thermometer we’ve ever tested, and it works just as well as some of the more expensive models.

Get the Habor Instant Read Thermometer at Amazon for $10.29

3. An easy meal kit delivery service

Home Chef
Credit: Home Chef

Our readers favorite meal kit delivery service.

Meal kits are all the rage right now for home cooks everywhere, so we decided to test them out for ourselves. Although Home Chef didn’t earn our top spot, our readers preferred it most out of all the meal kits out there. We loved that the recipes always have great flavor, and we had a ton of fun using it. Plus, it had one of the lowest cost per serving of all the meal kits we tested.

Get the Home Chef Meal Kit Delivery Service

4. Charcoal powder for whiter teeth

Active Wow Teeth Whitening Charcoal Powder
Credit: Active Wow

An odd way to get a brighter smile.

We all want a brighter smile, right? This charcoal powder claims to start a process called adsorption that's said to help remove stains from teeth naturally. Although we haven’t tried it, it has more than 17,000 reviews and a 4.3 out of 5-star rating, making it a cult favorite product on Amazon. It’s not too expensive, so if you're curious, you might as well give it a shot.

Get the Active Wow Teeth Whitening Charcoal Powder at Amazon for $19.99

5. A pressure cooker without a huge price tag

Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker
Credit: Crock-Pot

This thing works just as well as the Instant Pot!

The Instant Pot may hold the title as the pressure cooker on the market, but if you don’t care about brand names we found one that works just as well for a lot less. After testing the best electric multi-cookers, we gave Crock-Pot's pressure cooker the top spot because it has all the same functions and performance of an Instant Pot for about $30 less—and our readers seem to agree.

Get the Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker at Amazon for $68.95

6. A smart water detector for unknown leaks

Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak & Freeze Detector
Credit: Lyric

Be prepared for any leak.

Leaks are not only expensive to repair, but they also damage the stuff around it. But you can install a smart water leak detector near high-risk areas, such as the water heater or washing machine, so you can catch leaks before they happen thanks to phone notifications. This one from Honeywell is the best smart water leak detector we’ve ever tested. During the summer it went on sale a few times, and our readers jumped at the opportunity to keep their valuables safe while they were away.

Get the Honewell Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak & Freeze Detector at Amazon for $61.74

7. An inexpensive wireless charging pad

RAVPower Qi Wireless Charging Pad
Credit: RAVPower

Charge your phone—wirelessly.

If your phone has wireless capabilities, then you should definitely take advantage of it. But some wireless chargers are pretty expensive, which is why our readers loved this one from RAVPower that’s only $10. It’s not the best wireless charger out there, but it gets the job done. At this price, you can get multiple for different rooms of your home and office.

Get the RAVPower Qi Wireless Charging Pad at Amazon for $9.99

8. Our favorite affordable hair dryer

Revlon 1875W Infrared Hair Dryer
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

A salon style blow out without the high cost.

We all want to spend as little time as possible styling our hair. Thankfully, this hair dryer only took about 20 minutes to give a good blow out in our tests of all the best hair dryers. We also gave it our Best Value award because it costs less than $20. It has gone on sale a few times, but at this low price, we still think it’s worth the purchase even without a discount.

Get the Revlon 1875W Infrared Hair Dryer at Amazon for $16.69

9. An affordable robot vacuum

iLife A4s
Credit: iLife

Have this robot do your dirty work.

We all hate vacuuming, right? But most of us also don’t want to shell out hundreds of dollars on a Roomba. That’s why our readers loved this one from iLife, which used to top our list of the best affordable robot vacuums. Although it got bumped simply because there are newer, inexpensive models, we still like the A4s because it gets the job done with no frills for not too much money.

Get the iLife A4s Robot Vacuum Cleaner at Amazon for $179.99

10. A sharpener so your knives are always ready

KitchenIQ 2 Stage Knife Sharpener
Credit: KitchenIQ

Sharpen your knives without spending too much.

Dull knives are useless and can be dangerous, but it’s expensive to replace them or invest in a fancy knife sharpener. But this inexpensive knife sharpener gets the job for just $5. It’s a cult favorite Amazon product and our readers seem to love it too.

Get the KitchenIQ 2 Stage Knife Sharpener at Amazon for $5

11. A smart robot vacuum to do your dirty work

Ecovacs Deebot N79S Robot Vacuum
Credit: Ecovacs

Because who really likes vacuuming?

We’ve said it before, but vacuuming sucks. So when there’s a sale on a robot vacuum our readers usually jump on it. We loved the Ecovacs Deebot N79 after testing it, and the N79S was upgraded with Alexa connectivity, which our readers go for whenever it drops in price.

Get the Ecovacs Deebot N79S Robot Vacuum at Amazon for $229.98

12. A shower curtain liner that keeps clean

Liba Shower Curtain Liner
Credit: Liba

Get rid of your old, gross shower curtain liner.

Your shower can get pretty gross, especially if you don’t clean it all that often. Our readers understood that and decided to buy this shower curtain liner from Liba when it appeared on our list of products with a cult following on Amazon. It inhibits mold and mildew growth and is made with non-toxic, chlorine-free PEVA material—and it’s only $10, so you have no reason not to replace your current liner.

Get the Liba Shower Curtain Liner at Amazon for $9.99

13. A meal kit with unique flavors

Green Chef
Credit: Green Chef

A different meal at your doorstep.

After testing a bunch of meal kit delivery services, Green Chef came out on top. We loved how unique the recipes were and how it had the most numerous and diverse ingredients of any meal kit. Plenty of our readers decided to give it a shot, too.

Get the Green Chef Meal Kit Delivery Service

14. An easier way to slice vegetables

Reviewed /Lindsay D. Mattison
Credit: Reviewed /Lindsay D. Mattison

Cut your chopping time in half.

Whether you’re attempting to make ratatouille or just want to get through chopping cucumbers for a crudite platter, a mandoline makes things way easier. This one from KitchenAid is the best one we’ve ever tested because it provides even slices and a finger guard so you won’t slice yourself. Our readers mostly bought it when it was on sale, but we still think it’s a good buy at $20.

Get the KitchenAid Adjustable Hand-Held Mandoline Slicer at Amazon for $19.99

15. A streaming stick for your TV

Amazon Fire TV Stick
Credit: Amazon

Stream your favorite shows from your TV.

We all love our Netflix, our Hulu, our HBO Now, and our Amazon Prime Video, but it all looks even better watching on a TV rather than your small laptop screen. The Amazon Fire TV Stick isn’t the best streaming device we’ve ever tested, but we still think it’s a great choice for its relatively low price. Plus, you can usually find it for $10 off, like right now.

Get the Amazon Fire TV Stick at Amazon for $29.99

16. A DNA test that shows you more than your heritage

23andMe DNA Test, Health + Ancestry
Credit: 23andMe

What are you made of?

A DNA testing kit can actually reveal more than where your ancestors are from. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry test gives you insights about your health through your DNA, like traits, health risks, and carrier status. It’s pretty cool. It’s also pretty pricey at $200, but our readers love it when it's on sale.

Get the 23andMe DNA Test, Health + Ancestry at Amazon for $199

17. An upgraded Instant Pot

Instant Pot Duo Plus 6 Qt 9-in-1
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Get more out of your Instant Pot.

Although the Instant Pot Duo60 is the most popular model, there are a few other models that can do even more. When the Instant Pot Duo Plus went on sale for the same price as the Duo our readers went for the upgrade. It has two additional functions for sterilizing and cake making, and its digital screen is easier to read than the Duo60.

Get the Instant Pot Duo Plus 6-Qt. 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker at Amazon for $129.95

18. All-Clad cookware when it's on sale

All-Clad Cookware
Credit: All-Clad

The best cookware money can buy.

Every so often we find an awesome All-Clad factory seconds sale, which features this incredible (and incredibly expensive) cookware at up to 80% off. The goods have a few imperfections like slight scratches and dings that stop them from being sold at full price and the sale only happens every so often. But if you wanted a brand new set, we still recommend it—if you can afford it.

Get the All-Clad Cookware Set at Amazon for $549.21

19. Another upgraded Instant Pot

Instant Pot Ultra
Credit: Instant Pot Ultra

This Instant Pot has a few new functions.

When the Instant Pot Ultra was the same price as the Instant Pot Duo, our readers couldn’t help themselves. This upgraded model had new features like altitude adjustment, a cooking indicator, and a steam release reset button that made it even easier to whip up an easy meal.

Get the Instant Pot Ultra 6-Qt. 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker at Amazon for $139.96

20. Tax software that helped out during tax season

TurboTax Home & Business Tax Software
Credit: TurboTax

Tax season is over—for now.

During April, our readers needed help with their taxes—as we all do—so they purchased some tax software from TurboTax when it was on sale. We actually preferred H&R Block in our tests of the best tax software. Although it won’t be time to file your taxes anytime soon, you should keep an eye out for more sales. Last year, we started to see tax software discounts in early December.

Get the TurboTax Home & Business Tax Software at Amazon for $84.99

21. The most affordable Echo model

Echo Dot
Credit: Amazon

"Alexa, order me a new Echo Dot."

The Echo Dot is the perfect size for a small apartment or dorm room. You can use it to set timers, ask about the weather, or just talk to someone when you’re lonely. It’s also the cheapest Echo you can buy, which is why we think our readers gravitated towards it. Now that Amazon has unveiled the 3rd-gen. Dot, you can snag the second-gen. for $10 off (but we recommend waiting for or preordering the new one, as it's going to sound much better).

22. The easiest way to clean your cast iron

Amagabeli Stainless Steel Cast Iron Cleaner
Credit: Amagabeli

Your cast iron crust won't stand a chance!

Cast iron skillets are a fan favorite in any kitchen, but they're almost impossible to clean without using major elbow grease. To make things a little easier, our readers like to use a chainmail scrubber made of stainless steel that will cut through crusted food without scratching the pan. This one from Amagabeli is a reader favorite, and isn’t too expensive either.

Get the Amagabeli Stainless Steel Cast Iron Cleaner at Amazon for $12.99

23. Our favorite car charger

RAVPower Mini Dual USB Car Charger
Credit: Reviewed / Dan Roth

Don't lose a charge on a road trip.

You don’t want to be on the road without a car charger. If your phone runs out of battery, how will you listen to music, make calls, or use your GPS? This one from RAVPower is the best USB car charger we’ve ever tested and it went on sale a few times this year. However, it’s still only $9 at full price, so we think it’s worth buying any time.

Get the RAVPower Mini Dual USB Car Charger at Amazon for $8.99

24. The best transition cup for toddlers

OXO Tot Transitions Cup
Credit: OXO

The perfect sippy cup for your little one.

We get a lot of parents perusing our site, looking for the best products for their little ones. They bought a ton of the OXO Tot Transitions Cup, which is the best sippy and transition cup we’ve ever tested. It’s easy to clean and it doesn’t leak, making it perfect for young children and busy parents.

Get the OXO Tot Transitions Cup at Amazon for $9.99

25. One of our favorite smart plugs

TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug
Credit: TP-Link

Your electronics just got smarter.

Smart plugs are one of the easiest ways to make your home a little smarter. Plug your electronics into one and you can turn them on and off from your phone (or via Alexa or Google Home). This one from TP-Link is one of the best smart plugs we’ve ever tested. Although it doesn’t have the most functions on the list, it does a lot for its low price.

Get the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug at Amazon for $19.95

Prices are accurate at the time of publication, but may change over time.

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