Equipment Review: The Best Kitchen Sponges

You may think any old sponge will do the trick, but a great one will make a world of difference. Lisa discusses which sponges we tested and which one came out on top.

ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.

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[Danielevans]

I must be a certified Adult now that im watching sponge reviews

[micoramos]

YESSS!!! These are the videos I've been hoping for. No YouTube backyard scientist nonsense. Just the methods and the results. Please keep making these videos.

[heidihinter]

For those talking smack about kitchen sponges being a dirty cleaning tool, you just need to have a very simple routine of keeping them clean. Rinse thoroughly after each use, dry daily (Ie don't leave them wet and sitting in your sink; I dry mine on the windowsill) and every few days, either microwave them, or alternately, I boil a kettle, throw the sponge in the sink with some soap and agitate a bit. My sponges never smell and they last ages. RESPECT YOUR SPONGE!

[markw]

Another great review. Missing 1 thing; how does it smell after a week?

[lohphat]

In Asian families there are only two sponges: the sink/counter sponge, and the floor sponge. The sink sponge graduates to the floor sponge after it get too gross even for grandma.

[michaelvegas]

She’s quickly becoming my favorite host from the test kitchen.

[JamesCarneval]

I live in Italy and I use virtually the same sponge, I know it sounds dramatic but I swear by them, one lasts me for months given you should microwave while soaked in white vinegar every couple of weeks. If you live in Europe and you're interested the brand Vileda makes a sponge that looks almost identical and it's called Vileda Glitzi Pur Active. The thing they didn't mention is that because the scrubbing side is impenetrable, food doesn't get stuck in the sponge making it disgusting, plus it never scratches non-stick Teflon coatings and the abrasive side starts to crack after a very long time as opposed to those gross sponges with the compressed fibers on one side. Thank you America's Test Kitchen for confirming my favorite sponge

[shachar]

if you've burnt something in your pan just boil water and dish soap before cleaning. it will separate the burnt food from the pan and make cleaning easier.

[tom_something]

A brush with a long handle is my winner for washing up. It goes into tight spots, can scrub off stubborn particles, keeps my hand away from sharp things, and can last for months without going funky.

[vociferonheraldofthewinter]

I absolutely LOVE these equipment reviews. The grill tongs they recommended are an absolute DREAM. I was so frustrated with previous tongs and SO mad about wasting money and dropping hot dogs and expensive steaks in the dirt. They've saved me so much money.

The only 'failure' that I've had was a dutch oven that they recommended. The enamel surface chipped away on the very first use. There were tiny pits and bubbles in the enamel and those bubbled burst and fell apart as soon as I tried to braise some beef. But when I called the company, they were SO HELPFUL. I just had to email proof of purchase and some photos of the damage. They put a brand new, perfect dutch oven in the mail that day. That one is unflawed and has served me very well. They didn't even make me go to the trouble of returning the defective oven. So ultimately I wasn't put out very much and I'm an extremely satisfied customer. The best part? This dutch oven cost much less than the expensive brands I was considering.

Keep it up ATK!! You're saving middle America a LOT of cash and making cooking a pleasure again instead of a frustrating endeavor.

[dinahsoar]

The scrub daddy or mommy is more than cute, it's amazing...I've used it to clean dried on scrambled eggs in my greasy skillet and it cleaned up like magic ...AND ....none of the eggs stuck to it, they rinsed right out.... I've tried a lot of cleaning sponges and nothing compares to scrub daddy or mommy. I pair them with Dawn Platinum Powerwash and that duo performs miracles in my kitchen.

[heidihinter]

My Saturday morning: sipping coffee in bed, and watching this wonderful cleaning porno about kitchen sponges.

[autostuff]

I bought a pack of the O-Cedar's based on Lisa's review and they're the best traditional-style sponge I've ever used. There's not really anything that could be improved. They scrub well without scratching delicate stuff, they take a long time before they start smelling, and she's right, even dough is easy to wash out of the sponge. My sister got me a Scrub Daddy and I have to say, for my dish-washing style it's a toss-up. Scrub Daddy and O-Cedar have the same pluses just in their own way. I do agree with Lisa that the SD does compress a lot when you apply firm pressure and I feel like the O-Cedar does a slightly better job when scrubbing tough jobs. However, the SD can go even longer than O-Cedar before smelling, which I attribute to the very large pore size reducing the amount of time the sponge is moist after using.

Both are fantastic products and I keep both. If you're a traditionalist, go with O-Cedar. If you want to try something new, get a Scrub Daddy. They're sponges. They're cheap. Get both and see what you like.

I have never been more excited about having a certain type of sponge! 😅 Was extremely happy when it was announced that the best sponge was the one that I've been using for a couple of years. 😂

[kekzinj]

I haven’t said this about a YouTube vid in a long time...this is the video I didn’t know I needed but am so glad I found

[PrincessKate]

I have used most of those sponges and must say I love the Sponge Mommy...foamy on one side and scrub surface on the other. Food washes out easily and doesn't stick to sponge. And can control how firm or soft it is by water temp. I know she said it was a fail, but it has my vote through and through.

[altheamcnabb]

Hey Lady, we LOVE hearing from you. The way YOU explain it sits with us long after the video is over. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK

[aprild]

To keep sponges from smelling like mildew and disgusting bacteria traps, rinse out as much food as possible and wring them out really, really good every night. Get out as much water as possible and then set to dry in a well ventilated area. Ideally, your sponge should be completely dried out once every 24 hours. It’s the continuous moisture which causes sponges to smell. Do it every night. If you forget just once, your sponge will be ruined and start to smell. It’s a pain, but it works. I’ve had sponges that stay fairly fresh smelling for weeks or even months at a time.

[sigh_anna]

In Canada the scrunge is marketed under the brand name Vileda
Very good sponge

[nancybarnett]

I don't use a sponge. I like to use a scrub brush. They last for years, and I put it in the dish washer a couple times a month.