Where to Find (Legal) Weed in the US in 2024

After a string of election cycles during which ballot measures and legislative efforts to legalize recreational cannabis expanded access to the drug to nearly half of the United States, things seem to have hit a wall in 2024. Ballot measures to legalize cannabis failed in three states—North Dakota, South Dakota, and Florida (a majority of voters opted for legal weed in Florida, but the proposal fell short of the 60% approval needed to pass).

Elsewhere, proposals to legalize cannabis for medical use in Nebraska and establish a government board to regulate it both received overwhelming approval, but face challenges in the courts.

Meanwhile, cannabis remains a Schedule I Drug at the federal level, despite President Joe Biden's announcement back in May that it would be reclassified to a Schedule III drug. In September, the Drug Enforcement Agency announced that an administrative hearing on the reclassification is scheduled for Dec. 2 of this year. Reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III drug would mark a major change in federal policy, but it is not the same as federal legalization. Instead, it would mean cannabis is no longer classed with more serious drugs in Schedule I (drugs considered to have "no medical use" and a high potential for abuse; examples include heroin and ecstasy). Schedule III drugs are considered to have a mild to low risk of physical or psychological dependance.

While reclassification won't federally legalize the drug, nor change its legal status at the local level in states that have legalized medical or recreational use, it could make it easier for scientists to research its benefits for medical use, as well as allow business to claim more credits and deductions on their federal taxes.

Federal policy is following public sentiment

Biden's May announcement mirrors changing public opinion on the drug, and follows a surge in state-level legalization efforts. A PEW research study published in March 2024 showed 88% of Americans support legalization for medical or recreational use. And for what it's worth, during his reelection campaign, Trump indicated he would potentially support federal legalization during his second term.

As of November 2024, 24 states have legalized cannabis for recreational use; cannabis (as opposed to THC-free CBD) is still (more or less) wholly illegal in 11 states, while the remaining 15 allow for legal medical use, with varying restrictions.

Here’s a rundown of where weed is legal for recreational and medical use (and where it isn’t) as of May 2024.

States that legalized weed in 2024

• Nebraska: Two ballot measures, one to legalize medical cannabis and one to create a government commission to regulate it, passed with more than 65% voter approval during the 2024 presidential election. However, they currently face court challenges due to the way signatures were collected to get those measures onto the ballot.

States that have legalized recreational cannabis as of November 2024

In 24 states, including 2023's new additions, weed is treated like alcohol—it’s legal for adults (21 and over) to purchase and is regulated and taxed by the government. The specifics of what you can purchase and possess (and where) vary a bit by state. These states also have medical cannabis.

• Alaska

• Arizona

• California

• Colorado

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Illinois

• Maine

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Minnesota

• Missouri

• Montana

• Nevada

• New Jersey

• New Mexico

• New York

• Ohio

• Oregon

• Rhode Island

• Vermont

• Virginia

• Washington

Recreational weed is also legal in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Areas that have legal weed but no sales

In the District of Columbia, it’s legal to possess and grow limited amounts of weed, but there are no commercial sales outside of medical cannabis from a limited number of licensed dispensaries.

States that have medical cannabis laws as of November 2024

A number of states have legalized medical cannabis but do not allow broader recreational use.

• Alabama

• Arkansas

• Florida

• Hawaii*

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Minnesota*

• New Hampshire*

• North Dakota*

• South Dakota

• Nebraska**

• Oklahoma

• Pennsylvania

• Utah

• West Virginia

*According to the Marijuana Policy Project, these states have also decriminalized cannabis, reducing or removing jail time for possession of limited amounts of weed.

**Currently facing court challenges

States that have (almost) nothing

The remaining states do not permit broad medical or recreational cannabis—nor is weed decriminalized—though all except for Idaho allow access to low-THC products containing CBD for medical use (which, while technically “legal medical cannabis,” isn’t quite the same thing as a robust legal medical market).

• Georgia

• Idaho

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Kansas

• North Carolina

• South Carolina

• Tennessee

• Texas

• Wisconsin

• Wyoming

The legal status of hemp-derived cannabis

All of the above references cannabis containing delta 9 THC, the intoxicating substance naturally found in the cannabis plant. However, new extraction techniques have allowed manufacturers to create synthetic forms of cannabis derived from hemp plants, including delta 8 THC and, more recently, THCa.

These substances are federally "legal" due to a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill that allowed for the cultivation of hemp. While some states have tried to rein in these products with local legislation, they continue to proliferate, providing a (more or less) legal alternative to tried-and-true cannabis—though the lack of regulations governing their manufacture has raised questions about their safety.

Originally published in 2020, this article has been updated periodically to reflect changing laws around the country. It was most recently updated in November 2024.

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This Amazon Kids' Fire Tablet Is Half Off Right Now

If you’re in the market for a kid-friendly tablet, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro (2024) is worth a look—especially at its current price of $69.99, half off the usual $139.99. Designed for kids aged six to twelve, this tablet comes with a protective case (available in fun styles like Hello Teal, Discovery, and Jungle Cat) that'll likely survive a few drops or more. Plus, if you’re expecting some rough handling, a two-year warranty covers pretty much any mishaps. You also get six months of Amazon Kids+ for free, giving kids ad-free access to a huge selection of age-appropriate content. After that, though, it’s $5.99 per month if you’re a Prime member (or $7.99 if you're not), so there’s that recurring cost to consider.

New Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet, ages 6-12 | 3GB memory, 8" HD screen, slim case for older kids, ad-free content, parental controls, 13-hr battery, 32GB, Hello Teal, (2024 release)

$69.99 at Amazon

$139.99 Save $70.00

$69.99 at Amazon

$139.99 Save $70.00

The tablet has 3GB of RAM, which generally keeps things moving without major hiccups. Still, you might notice some lag now and then, especially when it’s waking up, which may try the patience of eager little fingers. Additionally, according to this PCMag review, intense gaming apps with 3D graphics tend to lag too, so for a 12-year-old, this tablet might not cut it. The cameras—a 5MP on the back and 2MP on the front—aren’t exactly Instagram-worthy either. Photos tend to look a little washed out, especially in low light, but video chatting works well enough.

Parents, you’ll probably love the control features like setting daily screen limits, managing in-app purchases, and adjusting content based on age, making it easy to keep things kid-friendly. There’s also an option to lock the tablet during specific hours, which is handy for homework time or bedtime. And if you’ve got more than one kid, it supports up to four profiles, so each child can have their own setup. Battery life is decent too, giving over nine hours of streaming.

If you have an older kid who’s likely to want more power or sharper graphics, you might want to consider the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro instead—it’s $109.99 right now (down from $189.99), but that extra boost in speed and screen quality could make a difference for a kid who’s outgrowing simpler tablets.

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The Ray-Ban Meta Glasses Work Great and Don't Look Dorky

If this was 1987, I’d create a syndicated adventure show around a pair of Ray-Ban Meta Glasses. Here’s my pitch for CodeName: SPEX: “Sgt. Steve Johnson, accused of a crime he did not commit, liberates a pair of super-intelligent Wayfarers from a secret government lab. Steve and SPEX (Surveillance, Proximity, Enhancement, eXtraction) roam the country using SPEX’s powers to solve mysteries, all while keeping one step ahead of the agents pursuing them.”

All this to say that Meta’s smart glasses are 1980s-syndicated-TV-show, living-in-the-future kind of cool. Not just cool for their impressive technology, but cool because they’re actually useful; maybe not for outsmarting government agents, but for solving everyday mysteries, like “where did I park my car?”

A quick look at Ray-Ban Meta Glasses

Pros

• Stylish design

• Useful AI

• Easy operation

Cons

• No display screen

• AI limitations

Specs

• Price: $329 and up

• Weight: 49 grams

• Still camera: 12 MP, 3024x4032

• Video: 1080p

• iPhone requirements: iPhone 11 or newer, running iOS 14.4 and up

• Android requirements: Google Pixel 5 and newer, or Galaxy S20 and newer, running Android 10 and up

What even are Ray-Ban Meta Glasses?

For the three people who haven’t seen Meta’s ubiquitous advertising campaign: Ray-Ban Meta Glasses are sunglasses/eyeglasses with a built-in camera, speakers, and AI that can be controlled with your voice and simple gestures. They do not have a display screen, though, so you’ll need to look elsewhere if that’s your bag. Meta is working on true AR smart glasses with a built-in display (Orion), but that's likely far off.

Design: Wayfarers are perpetually cool

Credit: Stephen Johnson

The design of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses may prove to be the “killer feature” that elevates them above the competition. With glasses, looks are important—you’re wearing them on your face, after all—and unlike the infamous Google Glasses of years ago or other brands of smart glasses on the market, Ray-Ban Meta Glasses are stylish enough that I’d wear them if they didn’t have built-in technology. They come in three time-tested Ray-Ban frame shapes—Skyler, Wayfarer, and Headliner—and offer multiple colors and lens combinations, including the option of prescription lenses. Ray-Ban Metas weigh 49 grams (10 more than my regular specs) and the built-in camera is unobtrusive, so you can wear them all day and not look like a dork (until you say “Hey Meta, what’s the score of the Eagles game?” to yourself on a crowded bus.)

Technology: Say hello to your little AI friend

There has been a lot of talk in techie circles lately about the possibilities of wearable AI assistants like Humane’s AI Pin or the Rabbit R1, but early reviews have not been positive about either. The idea of replacing your phone with a phone-sized gadget (but only for some tasks, so you still need to carry your phone) just isn’t appealing to most. But cramming AI into your eyeglasses means there’s no extra gadget to take up pocket space, and, because it’s voice activated, it can be operated hands-free. 

The set-up and pairing with the companion app, Meta View, was uneventful. A lot of thought seems to have gone into making the user experience as easy as possible. After a brief tutorial, you’re on your own, but if you forget the gesture controls or something, you can ask your glasses to explain them to you again.

What Ray-Ban Meta’s AI can do

In basic terms, Ray-Ban Meta’s AI assistant can see what you’re seeing, translate text, and answer questions. If you’re looking at a cool flower, you can say, “Hey, Meta, what kind of flower is that?” Or you can ask, “Hey, Meta, what am I looking at?” And it will describe your view with scary accuracy. 

Meta’s AI can translate signs and other text into multiple languages, tell you what the breakfast hours are of the McDonald’s you’re looking at, tell you whether it gets good reviews, and give you a suggestion for what to order. (Meta recommends the Egg McMuffin.) You can ask it general questions too, like “When does the new season of Severance premiere?” or “What’s the address of Circus Liquor in North Hollywood?” It can even tell jokes—not funny jokes necessarily, but things that are technically jokes. 

You can use it to remember things for you, too. Tell it “remember that I have a doctor’s appointment on the 12th” or “remember that my car is parked in the orange section in space 435,” then later have it recall the information. 

What Ray-Ban Meta’s AI can’t do

As cool as it would be to say, “Hey, Meta, book me a room at the MGM Grand Hotel for this Saturday,” it’s not there yet. Complex tasks that would involve potentially using other apps on your phone aren’t possible. It also can’t give you turn-based-directions, identify the song you’re listening to, or remember the name of the person you’re looking at. Also: It only responds to “hey Meta,” not “Hey SPEX” as I’d prefer.

Ray-Ban Meta picture and video quality

Credit: Stephen Johnson

For influencers and other perpetually-online folks, the Ray-Ban Meta’s main selling point is likely its ability to capture images and video, then instantly upload them to Instagram or Facebook with a word. You can also livestream, but only to Instagram and Facebook. A click of the button on the glasses arm, or saying “Hey, Meta, take a picture,” will take a snapshot of what you’re looking at, so you can capture a still or a video while you're riding a bike or driving.

The resolution of the Ray-Ban’s photos doesn’t equal a modern smartphone, but a 12 MP camera that takes 3024x4032 still images and 1080p video isn’t potato-quality, either. It does a fairly nice job with lower light situations, too. Speaking of the video: I was impressed with the Meta-Ray Ban’s image stabilization and the wide field of view, but bummed that it only shoots in one, vertical aspect ratio: perfect for TikTok but bad for a feature film. Check it out yourself:

Because there’s no viewfinder, it’s difficult to frame shots, so it’s best used for casual, on-the-fly images instead of careful compositions, and you’ll probably need to crop everything later for best results. Here's a straight-from-the-glasses photo, taken in a lower-light hallway, to give you an idea of the image quality:

Credit: Stephen Johnson

Ray-Ban Meta glasses as a communication tool

Conversations with your eyeglasses are cool and all, but if you want to interact with other humans, you can use Ray-Bans to send texts, make and answer voice calls, and make video calls. You can switch between your glasses-camera and your phone's camera in a video call on WhatsApp and Messenger, so if you need to show someone something, your pal can see the world through your eyes. (It won't work on FaceTime or other non-Meta platforms.) Kind of creepy, but kind of cool. This all worked exactly as expected, with little hassle—all I really want out of tech gadgets.

Using your Ray-Ban Meta glasses to play music

Along with taking snapshots and telling jokes, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses pair directly with Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Calm through a connected device, and can be used as a Bluetooth speaker to play whatever you like. With a command of “play music” you can start the tunes, and then skip ahead with a tap on the glasses or a “skip song” command. The volume can be controlled the same way. 

Like the video quality, the audio is fine, but not near the level of a decent set of headphones or earbuds. The highs and mids are clear; the bass is weak, but it’s adequate overall.

Battery life

The glasses boast a battery life of “up to four hours,” but this varies based on usage. While it might seem short, especially if this is your everyday wear, the Ray-Ban Meta case contains additional battery power, allowing for eight more charges on the go. 

The bottom line: You can have my Ray-Ban Metas when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers

Any discussion of what something is worth is subjective, but $329 for the base Wayfarer model is less than I paid for my last set of frames, and they don’t ever answer me when I talk to them. For comparison, the cost of the cheapest Humane AI pin is $499 and requires a monthly subscription, while the Rabbit R1 runs $199. 

With their retro design, practical AI capabilities, and hands-free operation, Ray-Ban Metas are the kind of glasses Q would have given to James Bond. While there are limitations, like the lack of a display and some complex task constraints, overall, Ray-Ban Meta glasses are an “I didn’t know I always needed this” gadget that makes many things I do anyway, like taking pictures and sending texts, easier and cooler. 

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Apple Will Fix Your iPhone 14 Plus' Camera for Free

Has this ever happened to you? You pick up your iPhone to take a photo or a video of something, but when you pull up the Camera app, nothing appears on screen. The rear camera displays a black screen, but if you tap the "switch camera" button and swap over to the selfie cam, your face pops-up without issue on the preview.

The problem likely lies with your iPhone's rear camera, which for some reason isn't displaying a preview in the Camera app when active. There's often not much you can do yourself to fix it. Force quitting the Camera app, resetting your iPhone, or tapping the back of the camera to shake something loose may not work. The good news is, Apple will happily fix the issue for you for free—so long as your device is an eligible iPhone 14 Plus.

There's an issue with some iPhone 14 Plus phones

According to a new Apple support page, the company has identified a problem with the rear camera on a "very small percentage of iPhone 14 Plus devices." Affected devices won't display anything when you have the rear camera active, so if your 14 Plus' camera is acting up like this, it's probably Apple's fault.

Just because you have an iPhone 14 Plus with this issue doesn't mean it is automatically eligible for the repair, however: Apple says the affected devices were manufactured between April 10 2023, and April 28, 2024. If you bought your iPhone 14 Plus on launch day back in 2022, for example, it isn't covered. You'll need to plug your serial number into the text field on the support page to confirm whether your device is covered under this program.

If your eligible 14 Plus does have this issue, you have a few choices to get it fixed. First, you can simply take your iPhone to an Apple Store: Make an appointment, bring your iPhone, and they'll make your camera work again free of charge. You can also go through an Apple Authorized Service Provider, which is a repair shop that Apple has officially approved for servicing. Finally, you can mail in your iPhone, if you set up a solution first with Apple Support.

If you previously had your iPhone 14 Plus' camera fixed and paid for it, Apple says you can ask them for a refund.

One final caveat: There is a time limit on this program. Apple says it will only fix your camera within three years of the "first retail sale of the unit." That means if you bought yours second-hand six months ago, you still have to go back to when the device was originally sold at retail to figure out when that three-year deadline ends. However, since the first affected devices weren't manufactured until April 10, 2023, the oldest devices in the program are, at most, a year and a half old, so you have until at least April 2026 until the first batch of 14 Plus models won't be covered.

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Blocking People on X Is Officially Pointless

After confirming in September that blocking as we know it would soon be gone from X, Elon Musk’s social media company started rolling out the change over Halloween weekend. This fundamentally alters the way you’ll be interacting with the site from now on, so let’s take a moment to break down how blocking used to work on X, how it works now, and what you can still do to keep your content away from prying eyes.

How blocking used to work on X

In the past, blocking a user on X prevented that user from both interacting with your posts and seeing them altogether. They wouldn’t show up in the blocked user’s timeline, and if all went well, that user wouldn’t even know you had posted. 

It wasn’t a cure-all, since if your posts were public, that user could easily log into a different account and see them elsewhere. But it served as a preventative, forcing anyone who wanted to snoop on you to go out of their way to do so. It also kept blocked users from following you, sending you direct messages, adding your account to a list, sending you notifications, or tagging you in photos.

How blocking on X has changed

Fundamentally, blocking on X maintains most of its features, save for its most obvious one: Blocked accounts can now see your posts.

This allows blocked users to keep tabs on you without swapping to another account, so long as your posts are public. According to site owner Elon Musk, “the block function will block that account from engaging with, but not block seeing, public post [sic].”

In other words, a blocked account will not be able to like, reply, repost, or otherwise interact with a public post or the person who wrote it, but they’ll still be able to view (and screenshot) it.

A quick look at the responses to and quote tweets of Musk’s announcement show that the move has been controversial, although Musk himself said it was, “High time this happened.” Note, however, that it might be some time until the update takes effect for you. When I tried blocking one of my burner accounts from my main account, that account still couldn’t view posts from my main.

Overall, it’s a bit of an unusual move, and it’ll be some time before we know if it will stick. Both Apple and Google’s stores require apps with user-generated content to have blocking functions built-in, and it’s unclear whether Musk’s new rules meet these requirements. For instance, while Google says an app must include “in-app functionality for blocking users,” it does not define exactly what that block function should look like.

How to keep blocking users on X

It’s possible that, in the face of Musk’s change, we’ll see Apple and Google clarify what exactly a block function should entail. However, neither company has made any public statements on the matter yet. In the meantime, there is one step you can take to keep the wrong people from seeing your posts.

The most obvious step will, unfortunately, turn your X account into more of a Facebook-lite: Right now, the best way to ensure abusive posters do not see your X posts is to set your account to private.

X refers to this as protecting your posts, and on desktop, you’ll find the toggle for it in the sidebar’s More menu under Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Audience and tagging. On mobile, click on your profile picture and scroll down to Settings and privacy to find it.

Once you’re on the right page, you’ll see a toggle for Protect my posts and a toggle for Protect my videos. Protected posts and videos will only be visible to your followers, and you’ll see a lock icon next to protected accounts. You’ll also have to approve any future followers, although any followers you had already accrued will still be able to see and interact with your posts. Reposts will be grayed out on your posts, too, and they’ll stop showing up in search engines or when people who don’t follow you search for them on X.

In other words, you’d essentially be limiting your account to interactions with friends and family. That removes some of the functionality that sets X apart from older social media sites like Facebook, but could be helpful if you don’t want to lose track of any friends you’ve made there. All that said, X’s biggest competitors still let you block as usual.

How blocking works on Threads and Bluesky

Anecdotally, I’ve seen a massive slump in posting after Musk announced that he would be changing how blocking works on X, with many of my mutuals leaving the site for either Threads or Bluesky. With that in mind, let’s quickly go over how blocking works on those sites, in case you want to follow suit.

On Threads, blocking keeps users from seeing or interacting with “anything you post,” plus removes their likes from your posts and keeps them from mentioning your username or tagging you. The only complication is that, because Threads is on the Fediverse, you’ll need to request to block users on other servers before they stop seeing your posts. For instance, to block someone on Mastodon, you’ll need to navigate to Settings > Privacy and enter their username and their server under External server username, then hit Send Request. Meta can’t promise that the server will honor the request, but it’s a start.

For something a bit more surefire, you can try blocking on Bluesky. Here, blocking will prevent you and the blocked account from seeing or interacting with each other’s posts. The catch? Your whole blocklist will be public through the app’s API, which could lead to some awkward interactions if you know the person you’re blocking in real life.

And that’s about it. Blocking on these public platforms has always been more about putting steps in between abusive eyes and your content rather than outright keeping them from seeing it, so it’s always best to remain vigilant even on platforms with more restrictive blocking features. Alternatively, if you’re not quite at the point of blocking someone, there are less aggressive steps you can take against them, like muting or restricting their posts, so they don’t show up for you unless you go looking for them. These also tend to be more private, since blocked users will find out they’ve been blocked once they work their way over to your account and see themselves locked out of either viewing or interacting with your content.

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These Are My Three Favorite Appliances to Cook Thanksgiving Dinner (Besides the Oven)

Welcome to The Cheater’s Guide to Thanksgiving. While there are plenty of tips out there for folks making scratch desserts and artisan loaves, the Cheater’s Guide focuses on the person who could use a helping hand—even from some unconventional sources. Some might call it “cheating” (like that’s a bad thing), but there’s nothing wrong with using modern technology and supermarket know-how to help you make a bangin’ traditional feast—with much less of the traditional work.

While the conventional oven might be the most traditional way to prepare a Thanksgiving feast, we have a few transformative modern appliances available now, and it would be silly to leave them on the sidelines. The three that I’ve incorporated into my holiday routine are the slow cooker, air fryer, and microwave. Supporting the leadership of my conventional oven, this team of appliances spreads out the tasks and makes an overwhelming menu almost feel light. 

How to use a slow cooker for Thanksgiving dinner

I have two slow cookers: a large one (an eight-quart) and a small one (a two-quart). You certainly don’t need two but I like having the little one around for warming sauces. I use the large slow cooker to handle any large side dish. It has changed from year to year: One time I used it to take care of the stuffing, and another time I did the mashed potatoes in the slow cooker. For me, the point is that large side dishes are often the most annoying to have in a pot on my stovetop burner or the most cumbersome to try and puzzle into the oven. It helps to get that one high maintenance dish out of my hair, and the slow cooker is exactly the appliance to get the job done. You dump the ingredients in, and hours later, finish it off. No need to stir, whisk, boil, or tend to it.  

For a dinner party like Thanksgiving, I recommend a large one like either of these to handle popular sides because you’re probably making a large batch.

• The Crock-Pot Large 8-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

• The Hamilton Beach 10-Quart Slow Cooker

Crock Pot 8 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

$74.99 at Amazon

$99.99 Save $25.00

$74.99 at Amazon

$99.99 Save $25.00

How to use an air fryer for Thanksgiving dinner

You’ll hear me go on and on about the air fryer. It’s the latest to join my roster of Thanksgiving worthy appliances, and it’s my star player. It’s a countertop convection oven, which is the type of oven many restaurants and bakeries use for fast, even cooking. Not only does it give you restaurant-grade cooking power, but they’re mobile, and every year they get more and more affordable. 

Since I have a rather small kitchen, I might not have space to cook one dish while I prepare another. With an air fryer, I can actually move it to a different plug, counter, or different room entirely if I need the kitchen space. I can toss the veggies in the air fryer in the living room, and free up the kitchen counter to cool two pies. Plus, it speeds up the cooking of anything you put in it. You can crisp, roast, and air fry half of your side dishes in the time it takes you to bake a single casserole in the conventional oven. When I’m done, I unplug it and store it away to set up the table for guests. 

I like the Instant Vortex for a small kitchen where you see yourself moving the appliance around, and the Ninja DoubleStack for cooking multiple things independently and simultaneously.

• Instant Vortex XL 6-Quart

• Ninja DoubleStack XL 2-basket

Ninja SL401 DoubleStack XL 2-Basket Air Fryer, DoubleStack Technology Cooks 4 Foods at Once, Compact Design, 10 QT, 6-in-1, Smart Finish & Match Cook, Air Fry, Broil, Bake, Easy Meals, Easy Clean,Grey

$249.95 at Amazon

$249.95 at Amazon

How to use a microwave for Thanksgiving dinner

She isn’t new on the everyday scene, but for Thanksgiving, the microwave is often forgotten. It’s literally the fastest cooking machine, and most people already have one. While you shouldn’t be cooking roasts from scratch in the microwave, you can be smart about how you use it for planning ahead. Knowing you can reheat in the microwave allows you to pre-cook sauces or side dishes. I use my microwave for quick solutions when it’s crunch-time—heating broth or milk for a roux-thickened sauce, melting butter for numerous uses, or cooking crispy bacon for my Brussels sprouts. 

The best microwave for Thanksgiving is definitely the one you already have. If you don’t have one or you’re looking to upgrade (besides finding one that’s the right size), you can check out the following, or spring for a combi microwave—a mashup of a microwave and an air fryer.

• The Cuisinart Stainless Steel Microwave Oven

• Toshiba 6-in-1 Inverter Microwave Oven Air Fryer

TOSHIBA 6-in-1 Inverter Countertop Microwave Oven Healthy Air Fryer Combo, MASTER Series, Air Fryer, Broil, Convection, Speedy Combi, Even Defrost, Sound On/Off 27 Auto Menu Stainless Steel

$259.99 at Amazon

$399.99 Save $140.00

$259.99 at Amazon

$399.99 Save $140.00

While you don’t need to have all three appliances firing to have a delicious Thanksgiving, I do recommend delegating at least one or two side dishes to any of these modern wonders. Check out more of The Cheater's Guide to Thanksgiving to see what recipes you can make in each one. You’ll be pleased to see how a little help removes a lot of stress. 

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You Can Get This HP Stream Laptop on Sale for $120 Right Now

You can get this HP Stream laptop on sale for $119.99 right now (reg. $195). This budget-friendly laptop is a good choice for kids or students, running on a Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and Windows 10 Home, providing enough power and quick boot-up times for everyday tasks. The device also features an 11.6-inch anti-glare display, 32GB of storage, up to 14 hours of use on a full charge, and USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, and SD ports. The device is so affordable because it’s refurbished, in grade “A,” near-mint condition, meaning is has only minimal cosmetic wear and a minimum of 80% battery health.

You can get this HP Stream laptop on sale for $119.99 right now (reg. $195), though prices can change at any time.

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