Inside the Brimly Test Kitchen—August Highlights We’d Love to Chat About

“Pull up a chair.”

BY STAFF @THE BRIMLY TEST KITCHEN

September 16, 2025

Image Source/Editors @ Brimly

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Welcome to the very first Brimly round-up! This is where we open the doors to the Test Kitchen and share what’s been going on — the wins, flops, tools that saved dinner, ingredients that blew our minds, and even some behind-the-scenes life updates. This is our monthly catch-up because life isn’t neat. It’s dishes in the sink, late dinners, and recipes that need a second try. We remain anchored by solving one small challenge at a time—and those tiny wins add up to something purposeful. So pull up a chair, let’s compare notes.

Test Kitchen Updates:

Our Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle recipe turned out freakishly amazing! But it didn't start out that way. In fact it began as a flop. The dough was uber-sticky and not acting right. We thought chilling it might work, which I resisted at first. Gluten-free doughs usually dry out in the fridge and refuse to bounce back. But hey! I needed it to work so I gave it a go. Well, that was the secret. Our recipe now recommends a short chill to firm the dough just enough. If you refrigerate too long, the cookies won’t spread nicely, so timing matters. I also tried adding extra almond flour at one point (thinking it would fix the stickiness). It didn’t. The short chill was the real solution.

I got so tired of making batch after batch that I froze some. Three weeks later, I baked them straight from frozen: 350°F for about 15 minutes. Perfect. I normally don’t recommend freezing cookie dough—especially gum-free doughs—but this worked. No gums, no weird “glue,” just normal pantry ingredients. Huge win.

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PSA:

Last month we recommended a splash guard we loved in July. It really did help… until we let a few days go by without cleaning it thoroughly. When I lifted it, there was a pink residue underneath. Not full-on mold, but still gross.

If you use a splash guard in a high‑traffic spot: wash it daily or wipe it down with a disinfectant wipe, and clean the surface underneath. Toss it in the dishwasher at night if you can. It takes seconds and will save you from replacing it (learn from our mistake—we had to repurchase).

Tools We’re Loving:

Ninja Combi All-in-One Multicooker

Bottom line: it cut our cooking time dramatically and helped us eat better on busy days. It’s an investment, but for us it’s been worth it.

This machine has been in daily rotation since early August. We bought it because we needed a way to pare down weeknight effort and still eat well while juggling our day jobs and Brimly. The Combi delivered.
It nails texture and doneness and saves time like nothing else. Not a sales pitch or affiliate thing—just honest love for something that changed our kitchen flow.
What it does: It’s a combo oven that allows different settings for the top tray and bottom pot at the same time. Think shrimp stir‑fry up top and rice in the bottom pot—both done together. There’s a heating plate at the bottom (like a built‑in cooktop) and a tray above, plus you can switch out of Combi mode and bake, roast, or air fry like a standard countertop oven. It also steams.

SHOP AT AMAZON

KitchenAid Grain and Rice Cooker

Bottom line: this rice cooker is sleek, advanced, and honestly one of the best “set‑and‑forget” tools we’ve added to our kitchen.

I’d seen it months ago and thought it looked futuristic. Didn’t think I’d buy it. But when we doubled down on efficiency, I revisited it, read reviews, and went for it. I even bought it in white (me being me), which cost about $100 more—but I don’t regret it.
Why I love it:
- There’s a water tank on the side, so you’re not fussing over exact water amounts.
- It weighs your grains and lets you mark them as rinsed or dry.
- You can choose soft, regular, or firm textures.
- It cooks all kinds of rice (long grain, basmati, etc.), quinoa, beans (hello, black beans and pinto), and even steams eggs for salads.
- You can put stock in the water tank for extra flavor.
We made black beans in about two hours—unattended. No pre‑soak. The machine handled the water and timing. I never thought I’d be able to walk away from rice and beans like that, but here we are.

SHOP AT AMAZON

Ingredient Spotlight:

Salt (yes, really)

Salt in sweets isn’t new, but giving it active attention in shakes and desserts has been life‑changing for me. A pinch in my almond‑banana power shakes woke everything up. Salt doesn’t just make things salty—it amplifies flavor and sweetness when used thoughtfully.

I’ve been leaning into it more as Brimly focuses on baking, and the difference is real. Be mindful of the amount, but don’t be afraid of it.

Yogurt

Yogurt has been a workhorse in my gum‑free, gluten‑free baking lately. I use plain, full‑fat, whole‑milk yogurt. It brings moisture and richness that water, milk, or even cream can’t match per tablespoon. It keeps bakes soft, moist, and less brittle—and they stay hydrated longer.

I use yogurt in cakes, cookies, and sometimes in shakes in place of heavy cream. I haven’t tested dairy‑free versions yet, so I can’t speak to those—but the consistency alone suggests it could work in some cases.

Yogurt vs. Applesauce: Applesauce hydrates, but unless I want apple flavor, I prefer yogurt. It’s more neutral and brings that dense, creamy moisture I want.

Quick Technique That’s Been Huge

Let your batter rest for at least 5 minutes before baking. It gives the dry ingredients time to hydrate, which leads to softer, fluffier, and less brittle results—especially important in gum‑free, gluten‑free recipes. My bakes have stayed moist for days using this approach.

Baking is science. Gluten‑free baking is its own science. Sharing techniques helps all of us get better with the ingredients we have.

Life at Brimly:

I turned 30 in August, which was pretty special. New chapter, new perspective, still grateful.

I’ve been working on my diet for years, and one sneaky trigger finally revealed itself: gums in heavy cream. Not every brand uses them, but many do—to thicken, improve appearance, and extend shelf life. In August I took the time to investigate and realized gums were causing reactions for me.

Switching to one‑ingredient heavy cream (just cream) has made a big difference. I found options at Whole Foods after searching online first (I used the Amazon app to preview what my location carried). I usually shop through Instacart, and I’ll often scan ingredients there before I buy anything.

Tools that help me shop

Instacart: I browse ingredient lists before I commit.

Fig (the app): I set it to my dietary needs (gluten‑free, soy‑free, no gums). In‑store, I use the barcode scanner; it flags items red/yellow/green and shows ingredients. Online, I use Fig to double‑check products I find on Instacart or in person.

This is not sponsored—just what works for me as someone who’s gluten intolerant, soy intolerant, and gum intolerant.

A Note on Monetization

We’ve added a few ads and affiliate banners around the site so we can keep doing the work we do in the Test Kitchen. If you click and buy through them, we may earn a small commission. That support helps—and we appreciate it.

Better-Than-Boxed Birthday Cake

“It’s exactly what you make when you’re craving chocolate cake but you don’t feel like stacking layers or pulling out every tool in your kitchen.”

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From Me to You:

Problem‑solve always, whatever the situation, there’s a path forward. If you’re new to gluten‑free living and it feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. Many of us have been there. You’re just as capable as anyone else of problem‑solving your way through.

These monthly Brimly roundups exist to share real problems and real solutions—from weeknight dinners to ingredient swaps to tools that actually help. Your solution might cost money or it might be free. It might be the Ninja Combi for us and something totally different for you. The point is to keep looking.

Even if a solution isn’t “the one,” the act of searching keeps the momentum and the hope alive. Go back to the drawing board as many times as you need. Pick solutions that are practical for your actual life—not just what works for someone else online.

Take inspiration from others, sure, but customize it to you. Your needs are unique, and your best answers will be, too. Keep going. Keep problem‑solving. You’ll get there.