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Equipment Corner
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A New Zest Trap It's a nice-to-have gadget, but is it a must-have?
Adjustable Measuring Cups Have sticky ingredients like honey and peanut butter finally met their match?
Aebleskive Pan For specialty baking.
All-Clad Petit Roti Pan Could this new pan be a bargain hunter's dream come true?
Alligator Chopper This gadget promises a tear-free solution to chopping onions, but does it deliver?
Any Way You Slice It: A Rating of Mandolines—Archived
Appearance test
Apple Corer A good apple corer should be a fast, easy tool for eliminating the core neatly. We found one that worked well.
Apple Corer—Archived A good apple corer should be a fast, easy tool for eliminating the core neatly. We found one that worked well.
Apple Parer
Apple Processors An apple processor peels, cores, and slices. But can any model do all three tasks well?
Are All Pepper Mills Created Equal?—Archived Pepper mills come in a vast range of styles and materials, but what really matters to serious home cooks is performance.
Avocado Slicer $15 is a lot of money for a single-purpose gadget, especially if it doesn't work.
Bagel Slicers Is there a bagel slicing contraption that’s actually worth buying?
Baguette Baking Pans Do you really need a specialty pan to bake baguettes?
Baker's Edge Could this simple redesign of a conventional baking pan really eliminate the problem of undercooked middles and burned edges when baking foods like brownies?
Banana Hanger
Bandage Badinage What good is a bandage if it falls off while you’re doing the dishes?
Barbecue Basting Brushes We wanted a good barbecue basting brush that allowed us to both neatly and safely baste our food, even over the highest grilling heat.
Batter Pro Some gadgets are more trouble than they're worth.
Battery-Operated Flour Sifter Is this really helpful or just a gimmick?
Bel Cream Maker
Biscuit Cutters Do you really need to buy a special ($100) set of cutters for biscuits?
Blenders Have fancy features (and hefty price tags) finally made blenders an essential kitchen tool?
Blenders—Archived
Bombe Mold For Escoffier admirers.
Boning Knives Our winner beat out competitors that cost three times as much.
Box Graters—Archived This article has been archived.
Bread Storage What's the best way to store bread?
Brown and Crisp Bags Can you really brown foods in the microwave?
Brown Sugar Bear Does this cute way of keeping brown sugar soft really work?
Building a Better Toaster—Archived Krups and Farberware combine consistency and convenience to come out on top, while the most expensive model bombs.
Burger Presses—Updated We found this time saver also helped the cooking process.
Butter Garnish Cutter A great gift for the chef who has everything.
Butter Keeper Try to spread cold butter on toast and you end up with a pile of crumbs. We found a solution.
Butter Knife If you've been annoyed by improperly wrapped sticks of butter—or unmarked blocks of butter—this measuring knife can be a real convenience.
Butter Paddles If you churn your own butter, these are useful.
Café Royal Spoon If you like specialty cofffee drinks, you might find this of interest.
Cake Cutters What's the best way to split a cake into two even layers?
Camp Oven
Can an Oven Thermometer Make You a Better Baker?—Archived
Candy Thermometers—Archived
Carving Boards Sturdiness was our top requirement for a carving board—but a nice appearance didn't hurt.
Carving Knives - Archived
Carving Stand For formal presentations of ham or roasted lamb—but you'll need to practice first.
Carving—or Slicing—Knives Whether you call them carving or slicing knives, a good one should make it easy to slice through pounds of roast beef, ham, or chicken.
Cascade Plastic Booster If stains and odors on plastic storage containers are a problem, we found a solution.
Cataplana A Dutch oven is a good substitute if you don't need that panache of this Portuguese specialty pot.
Cheap Cookie Sheet Tops Ratings—Archived This article has been archived.
Cheap Roasting Pan Fares Well in Testing—Archived
Chef's Knife—Archived
Chef's Knives We evaluated cutting ability, blade shape and sharpness, weight, and handle comfort to find the best chef's knives.
Chestnut Knife Effective—but use with caution.
Chestnut Roasting Pan For roasted chestnut lovers only.
Chimney Starter—Archived
Choosing Charcoal—Archived Which charcoal should you use? It depends on whether you're grill-roasting or simply grilling.
Citrus Juicer—Old-Fashioned
Citrus Juicers—Squeezers We tested a number of methods to not only get the most amount of juice, but also get it easily and fast.
Coconut Grater If you use fresh coconut frequently, you might want to take a second look.
Coffee Grinders It's more of a challenge to choose among available coffee grinders than it is to actually grind coffee beans.
Coffee Maker--Stovetop Cappuccino Did we find a low-tech alternative to high-tech espresso machines?
Coffee Makers, Auto Drip—Archived
Coffee Toddy You might want to look at this specialty item twice if you enjoy an exceptionally mellow brew.
Colanders Mega-perforation is the key to a great colander.
Collapsible Strainers and Colanders Saving storage space is always a good idea—as long as the tool still works.
Cookie Dropper An ice cream scoop is more effective.
Cookie Sheets You can pay anywhere from $10 to a whopping $90 for a single cookie sheet. Does it matter? We baked 2,900 cookies to find out.
Cool Touch Oven Rack Guard Does it provide protection?
Cooling Racks A cooling rack is an essential piece of baking equipment—but which ones won't scar your cupcakes?
Cordless Hand Held Mixer What good is a Gizmo without oomph?
Corn Slitter
CorningWare AnyWare Could this pan solve the problem of how to transport a hot casserole to a potluck party?
Creme Brulee Set This set provides precision, but is it flexible enough?
Crepe Makers—Updated A well-seasoned steel crêpe pan is ideal for crêpes, but hard to find—could we find an acceptable alternative?
Crumb Box Crumby or Not?
Curved Paring Knives Also called a "bird's beak" or "tournée" knife, we wondered if it offered any advantages to less-elaborately named knives.
Cutting Boards-Archived After putting a number of boards to heavy use in the test kitchen, we found that dimensions are more important than brands.
Deep Fry Baskets We found this option to buying an electric deep fryer definitely worth considering.
Dessert Whip Our test kitchen wanted to find out if making whipped cream was easier with this gadget, and is it worth buying.
Devices for Peeling, Coring, and Slicing Apples—Archived
Digital Scales—Archived This updates two testings from March, 2000 and July, 2003.
Digital Thermometer Forks In a perfect world, the idea of combining a thermometer and a barbecue fork would be a great idea. But how does it work in the real world?
Dip It Just a gimmick.
Do Electric Knife Sharpeners Really Work? - Archived
Do Espresso Machines Under $200 Really Work? Could we find espresso machines that could compete effectively with high-end, pricey models?
Do I Need a Real Crepe Pan?—Archived It's ideal--but there are acceptable alternatives.
Do You Really Need a Saucier Pan?—Archived
Do You Really Need This? Collapsible Funnel For space-challenged kitchens, this can be an option.
Dough Divider If you like to top a pie with a lattice topping, this device can be helpful.
Dry Measuring Cups Measuring cups should be accurate, comfortable, easy to use, and durable.
Egg Slicers—Updated Besides eggs, we asked our models to slice mushrooms, fresh mozzarella cheese, and strawberries.
Egg Topper
Egg Wave Don't waste your money.
Eight Top Kitchen Essentials Those items that we feel are essential in every kitchen.
English Cake Mixer Only for those who like to mix batter by hand.
Espresso Machines, Secrets of Homemade Brew—Archived
Expensive Slow Cookers Should You Buy a $250 Slow Cooker?
Fattigmann Cookie Cutter For a special Norwegian-style cookie.
Finding the Best All-Purpose Peeler—Archived
Finger Guards Do You Really Neeed This?
Fish Scaler No fisherman should be without one.
Fish Spatulas These flexible, thin spatulas are adept at flipping more than just fish.
Flexible Cutting Mats We found these to be a perfect supplement to a single cutting board.
Flour Wand It's old-fashioned, but still effective.
Foil Muffin Cups We found a way to get double the value.
Food Injectors Do You Really Need This?
Food Loops An Alternative to Tying Knots
Food Mill—Updated We have both a winner and a Best Buy.
Food Processors-Archived
For Smokers, Go Electric Electric smokers outperform charcoal models because they deliver steady, predictable heat.
French Fry Cutters Only the strong need apply.
Fruit Scoops Do You Really Need This?
Gadgets and Gear for the Bread Baker Having the right equipment is half the battle when baking bread.
Garlic Peelers Do you really need to spend $35 for an electric gadget that does the same thing as a simple rubber tube or the broad side of a knife?
Garlic Slicer
Gas Grills - Product Redesign—Archived
German Bottle Corker Effective, but pricy.
Gifts, 2006 We’ve compiled a selection of fun and unusual gift ideas from among the equipment we’ve tested this year.
Ginger Grater If you grate a lot of ginger, you may want to consider this option.
Grapefruiter Yes, it sections grapefruit fast—but neatly is a different story.
Grate Expectations—Archived
Grill Grate Lifter Is a grill grate lifter a viable alternative to using a mitt?
Grill Grates Does grate style matter?
Grill Press Do you need to spend money on a full-fledged indoor grill or is there a cheaper solution?
Grill Spatulas What's helpful—and what's not—in a specialty grill spatula?
Grill Sponges Are they good for getting the gunk out?
Grill Wipes Did these deliver the clean grates they promised?
Grip 'n Flip We're definitely of two minds about this kitchen gadget.
Hand-Held Mixers Is there any reason to purchase a hand-held mixer in this age of all-purpose (but expensive) standing mixers?
Hardtack Rolling Pin If you enjoy Swedish crackers, you may find this useful.
Hearth Kit If you're an enthusiastic bread baker, this just might be for you.
Herb Keeper We tested the Herb Keeper against our preferred herb storage method: wrapping the herb in a damp paper towel and refrigerating it in a plastic bag to see which was better.
Herb Snips Can a pair of scissors replace a knife when it comes to mincing herbs?
High-Design Bundt Pans Just how much risk are you willing to take for a fancy decoration?
Holiday Gift Ideas From Our Test Kitchen We asked our test kitchen cooks to recommend items they'd like to see under their tree—if they didn't already have one.
Hot/Cold Trivets We recently found thermal trays/trivets that claimed to keep hot food hot and cold food cold—one brand was half right.
How to Buy a Digital Scale—Archived
How to Choose a Saute Pan—Archived Among pricey sauté pans, good performance is a pretty sure bet, but subtle design features distinguish the cream of the crop.
Ice Cream Scoops Almost every ice cream scoop can do the job—but we demanded ease and comfort.
Ice Cream Spoon For old-fashioned help with ice cream.
Ice Crusher Crushing ice one cube at a time is a slow way to go.
Indoor Smokers Do indoor smokers perform, or are they just 'smoke and mirrors'?
Inexpensive Blenders Can a cheap model meet a home cook’s basic pureeing, grinding, and blending needs?
Inexpensive Dutch Ovens—Archived
Inexpensive Ice Cream Makers Could a $50 appliance make ice cream that tasted creamier and fresher than our favorite store-bought brand? Yes…and no.
Inexpensive Instant-Read Thermometers—Archived Are inexpensive brands any good?
Inexpensive Mandolines We found three good options that can speed up slicing onions and maybe save a few tears.
Instant Marinater We put the Vacu Vin Instant Marinater to the test with boneless chicken breasts and steak tips, using a soy sauce marinade for both.
Instant-Read Thermometer—Archived
Jar Opener We found this approach required too much effort.
Jar Openers We found one opener that could open anything from a small bottle of vanilla to a quart-sized jar of pasta sauce.
Julienne Peelers We found it surprisingly necessary to be very careful when handling some of these models.
Jumbo Fish Tongs Do you need special tongs to flip a fish fillet?
Kitchen Rulers Possibly one of the most overlooked but valuable kitchen tools is the standard measuring ruler.
Kitchen Timers—Archived
Kitchen Tongs—Archived
Knife Guards In a crowded drawer, our favorite guard will keep your knives safe.
La Cotta
Larding Needle A very effective, special-purpose tool.
Large Saucepans A large saucepan is a true kitchen workhorse—we tested nine models to help you choose the right one.
Lasagna Pans Do specialized lasagna pans offer any advantages?
Liquid Dish Detergent Two unlikely brands clean up.
Loaf Pan-Archived
Magic Bullet Our favorite blender is half the price—so to earn a recommendation, this highly advertised appliance really needed to perform.
Magic Knife Pretty good isn't good enough.
Manche à Gigot For a formal presentation of roast lamb.
Mandolines—Updated What's not to like about a device that's cheaper than a food processor and faster than a chef's knife?
Mango Fork Does this trident-shaped utensil really prevent a sticky mess when peeling mangos?
Mango Splitter Removing the flesh from a mango in tidy pieces can challenge even a seasoned pro's knife skills.
Marinating Needles They may look more appropriate for an operating room, but these were surprisingly effective in the kitchen.
Marrow Spoon For those who enjoy this special treat.
Melon Cutter For an attractive presentation.
Microwave Popcorn Poppers Sometimes simplest is really the best.
Mini Offset Spatula You need control when spreading batter or icing.
Molinillo This is both decorative and useful—if you like especially light and foamy hot cocoa.
Muddler Any well-stocked bar should have one.
Muffin Top Pans If you like top-heavy muffins, you might want to consider this pan.
Multifeatured Electronic Timers Win Testing—Archived
Natural Defrosting Trays Is this high tech, magical device all that it's cracked up to be?
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No-Skid Mixing Bowls Can no-skid mixing bowls pass the mayonnaise test?
Nonstick Aluminum Foil Could this product foil the super-adhesive edges of our raspberry bars?
Nonstick Baking Pan Liners, Updated Can nonstick pan liners replace our beloved parchment paper?
Nonstick Oven Liner Can this specialty item replace aluminum foil?
Nonstick-Friendly Tongs None of the models we tested hurt our nonstick pans, but there was a difference in ease of manipulation.
Nutcrackers Good leverage and control distinguished our winning nutcracker.
Nutmeg Grinders Fresh nutmeg is definitely better than preground—so what's the best way to grind it?
Oil and Vinegar Cruet
Oil Misters We found a surprising number of differences among oil sprayers.
Old-Fashioned Cookie Press For fans of Swedish cookies.
Olive Pick
Onion Goggles Do these solve a tearful problem?
Onion Gripper
Orange Peeler If you peel a lot of oranges, this gadget should be of interest.
Orka Oven Mitt We wanted to put this oven mitt's manufacters' claims to the test.
Outdoor Pizza Maker Is there a better way to grill pizza than directly over the coals?
Oven Rack Adjustor Surprisingly effective and inexpensive.
Oven Thermometers—Update We ask a lot from oven thermometers—accuracy, stability, and endurance. Here's where we found it all.
Panini Presses For such a simple concept, there are a surprising number of designs.
Parchment Parchment paper is a work horse in our kitchen—can any retail-grade brand match the sheets we order from professional kitchen stores?
Pasta Express This pasta cooker is certainly well-advertised—but does it deliver?
Pasta Portioner An effective way to control portion size.
Pastry Blenders The basic question to ask when buying a pastry blender is wires or blades?
Pastry Brushes—Archived Our test kitchen took the challange of finding one pastry brush that could do it all, brush barbecue sauce, garlic oil, or lightly brush pastry.
Peach Peeler
Peach Pitter
Pear Coring Hook Effective—but only necessary if you need to core a lot of pears.
Pepper Mills, Traditional—Archived
Pie Crust Bags We brought in professionals and novices to see if this plastic pouch made quick work of rolling out dough.
Pie Marker To ensure uniform pie slices.
Pie Plates Is there a better pie plate than the simple Pyrex dish?
Pie Servers We baked 100 pies to find the pie server that could deliver a flawless slice.
Pig Tail Can one device really replaces tongs, forks, spatulas?
Pinch, Dash, and Smidgen Measuring Spoons When it comes to measuring spoons, just how low do you need to go?
Pineapple Gadgets Specialized gadgets to core a pineapple.
Plastic Baking Pans We tested two plastic brands and one aluminum brand and found one to be a decent bargain.
Plastic Fish Spatula Do you really need more than spatula in the kitchen?
Plastic Wrap—Archived
Plättar For fans of Swedish pancakes.
Poffertjes Fork
Pommes Vapeur
Popover Pans We only found one brand commonly available, but it works well.
Pot Clips Is there a better way to keep messy spoons and spatulas from dirtying your countertop or stovetop?
Potato Chipper Modern french fry cutters have made this a rare gadget.
Potato Masher Variations Could two discs be better than one? And is rocking better than mashing?
Preseasoned Cast Iron Cookware-Archived We decided to test the difference in cooking with a preseasoned cast-iron skillet, compared to that of a new cast-iron skillet we seasoned ourselves, and with our own 60 year old well seasoned cast-iron skillet.
Pressure Cookers The current generation of pressure cookers is far safer than the those of yore—do they deserve more popularity?
Propane Indicators For long and slow barbecuing, it's especially important to monitor grill temperature.
Pyramid Toaster Useful to toast bread over a wood stove or an open flame such as a camp stove or campfire.
Pyrex Serveware Is this dressed-up version of the basic Pyrex pan worth the extra money?
Ramekins If you want to purchase one set of ramekins and one set only, which one should you buy?
Rasp Graters We put three new rasp-style graters through their paces to see how they compare to our long time favorite.
Rating Electric Pasta Makers These high-tech “wonders” mix, knead, and extrude pasta in minutes. But even expensive models have flaws, while cheap units fail miserably.
Rating Free-Standing Mixers—Archived
Rating Large Dutch Ovens We couldn't live without our Dutch Oven—but given its high price, we demand a top-notch performance.
Rating Nonstick Baking Pan Liners—Archived
Raytek Noncontact Thermometer We've had a lot of fun with this thermometer, but still have a few questions about its practicality.
Rib Rack A standard kettle grill only holds two racks of ribs at a time. Is there a way to barbecue twice as many slabs of baby back ribs at once?
Roasting Pans—Updated We found everything we wanted in a roasting pan—including a reasonable price.
Roasting Racks—Updated A roasting rack is as unglamorous as it is essential.
Rolling Docker A simple fork is a good substitute.
Rolling Pin Guides These gadgets promise to help roll out an even crust—do they work?
Rotisserie Attachments We asked two questions: Are these grill extensions worth the money? Is there a universal model that will work on all grills?
Roul'Pat Is this Silpat variation significantly different?
Rubber Mallet Thought the only place you might find this tool was in the toolshed? Not exactly.
Safety Grater
Salad Spinners—Updated We've tested two types and given you a choice.
Salt Pig Does this hooded bowl really prevent moisture from collecting on salt?
Sauce Whisks Never trust a fat whisk.
Serrated Fruit Peelers We really liked these peelers for delicate tomatoes and peaches—and found two brands to recommend.
Sesame Seed Toaster
Shrimp Deveiners Do shrimp deveiners really work? Yes, but not 100% of the time.
Skeleton Knife Does it help a cheese knife to look like Swiss cheese?
Skewers We gather six models to test which grill was the best traveling companion.
Skewers
Skillets: Calphalon One Does the Calphalon skillet deliver what its advertising promises?
Slice-A-Slice For extra-thin bread slices.
Slicing Knife
Slicing through Knife Myths
Slow Cooker Liners Some slow cooker recipes—like chili or baked bans—can really leave a mess. Do these really help?
Slow Cookers—Archived We put our eight candidates for slow cooker through some very slow kitchen tests.
Smoked Salmon Slicer This tool creates ultra-thin slices, without tearing.
Solar Cookers Solar cookers use just the sun's rays to work—they don't require fuel or emit smoky fumes, and they use minimal water. They're environmentally friendly, but are they really useful?
Something Special Gift List, 2006 We’ve asked 10 members of our editorial staff to recommend a special item for the serious home cook.
Specialty Citrus Knives Could a specialty citrus knife perform well enough to earn a place in the kitchen drawer?
Specialty Dutch Oven---Le Creuset Doufeu Can a few cups of ice take the guesswork out of braising?
Speedy-Peel Does the Speedy-Peel really have appeal?
Spice Toasters These specialty skillets do keep the spices in the pan, but we found other problems.
Spider - Mesh Skimmer—Archived
Spider Skimmers Most chefs won't part with their spiders—we wondered whether one species was better than the others.
Spiral Sauce Whisk We found this to be an effective design to prevent scorching a sauce.
Splatter Screens Pan-frying can be a messy business—here's how to make it a little neater.
Spring-Valve Pressure Cookers—Archived
Springerle Rolling Pin For specialty baking.
Springform Pans After three years of testing our favorite models side-by-side, one model now stands out.
Spurtle Invented by the Scottish, this gadget will prevent lumps in your oatmeal.
Steak Knives Which set of steak knives can really cut it?
StirChef Of the more than a dozen types of food the StirChef is supposed to be able to stir, we tried three to see if the price was worth the convenience it claims to offer.
Stollen Mold For holiday baking, this mold creates a seasonally appropriate pastry.
Stovetop Popcorn Poppers Are old-fashioned poppers new again?
Straining Tea What's the best way to keep spent tea leaves out of your cup?
Swedish Visp A natural-style whisk.
Synthetic Spoons Have we finally found a replacement for wooden spoons, with all of their drawbacks? Not quite, but awfully close.
Tabletop Grills Can you bring restaurant-style tabletop grilling home?
Taco Press
Tagines Tagines are now fashionable, but do you really need one?
Tagliapasta An effective way to evenly cut homemade fresh pasta.
Tart Pans A crumbled tart is a disappointment; we found it pays to choose your pan carefully.
Tea Infusers We tested five infusers to see if they could best our favorite make-your-own teabags.
Tea Tongs Good to the last drop.
Tea-Brewing Machines In developing our recipe for iced tea, we tested two devices for brewing tea.
Testing Mini Food Processors—Archived
Testing Roasting Racks for Poultry—Archived
The $475 Chefs Knife What do you get when you go beyond mass-produced chef's knives?
The Best Coffee-Brewing Method—Archived
The Fat-Fighting Foreman Grill—Archived
The King of Blenders—Archived
The Perfect Pancake We ordered a Perfect Pancake and quickly put it to the test.
The Saw-Toothed Truth -- Serrated Knives-Archived Judge a bread knife by the length and shape of the blade and the type of serrations.
The Shrimp Butler Our test kitchen wanted to see this assistance worth its price of $39.99.
The Spin Cycle: Rating Salad Spinners
The T-Spot We challenged the T-Fal Thermospot to deliver on its promise that a pan could tell us when it was perfectly pre-heated.
Thermal Carafes Which carafe really keeps your coffee hot? And for how long?
Thermometer Whisk We really like this gadget's ingenuity.
Thermometers, Refrigerator or Freezer Keeping your freezer at 0 degrees and your refrigerator at 40 degrees is important.
Toasters Can you buy something decent for less than $30?
Tomato Knives Tomato knives are designed to let the blade ease through tough skin so as not to mar the delicate flesh beneath—do they deliver on this promise?
Tomato Slicer A serrated knife is just as good and more useful.
Tortilla Warmers If you don't care about appearance, there's an easy solution to keeping tortillas warm.
Truffle Slicer Not just for truffles—we found this slicer also created very thin chocolate shavings to garnish a cake or cookies.
Turkey Brining Bags Great idea but fraught with problems.
Turning Mandoline Most home cooks can't justify the expense, but the next time you see an intricate vegetable presentation in a restaurant you will know the secret.
Tweezer Tongs: A Fine Job Are precision tongs really precise?
Uneasy about Nonstick Cookware? Should you be nervous using nonstick cookware?
Universal Lid This device claims to be a universal lid, a trivet, and a splatter guard—one out of three isn't bad.
Using Immersion Blenders—Archived
Vacuum Stoppers for Wine
Vegetable and Herb Choppers and Slicers Here's what works and what doesn't.
Vegomatic Versus the Chef's Knife
Vertical Chicken Roaster—Updated We were unimpressed with vertical roasters in our previous testing, but the craze for beer can chicken made us take a second look.
Vertical Roasters—Archived
Weight Is Key for Inexpensive Chef’s Knives—Archived
Welding Glove Potholders Just how tough does a potholder have to be?
Well-Rounded Cookie Cutters Shape isn't the only factor to consider when choosing a set of cookie cutters.
West Bend Ovenette
What's the Hottest Charcoal?—Updated Our answer overturns conventional wisdom.
Windsor Pan Windsor saucepans are designed to reduce liquids efficiently, and our kitchen tests proved this true.
Wine Keeper—Archived
Wine Openers We have two recommendations for wine openers—one elegant but expensive, and one more moderately priced but still effective.
Wonder Cup—Archived
Wood Soaker Is there a need for a dedicated wood soaker?
Zabaglione Pot A specialty pot that really works—but it's costly.
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