The Best Paper Towels for Kitchen Messes



Equipment expert Adam Ried reviews paper towels.

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37 Comments

  1. I Am Loyal To Viva FOR LIFE! Or at least as long as they are around. I have them in my kitchen, truck, bathroom, and barn. I’m a rancher and they come in handy in a lot of situation where others won’t hold up.

  2. To me the best is target store brand strong and durable I don't like bounty or viva target Store brand or Brawny paper towels those 2 are my choices all the time viva no way other brands like Walmart garbage

  3. I've used a variety of paper towels, including Bounty, Viva, Scott, shop towels and others, and have settled on the house brand ultra-quilted "our best quality" 2-ply (much better than single ply) paper towels from Dollar General. They have periodic sale prices for those who prefer them.

  4. If you tested again (mid 2021) Bounty wouldn't be your winner. Bounty has cut their thickness almost in half and kept the price the same. Bounty no longer is a quality paper towel – it's indistinguishable from some average run-of-the-mill bargain brand. This angers me to the point where I'm looking for an alternative to paper towels for most cleaning jobs. I'd rather have less convenience than to be deceived and ripped off by huge corporations.

  5. IN CONTEXT: 1) ATK conducted this review in 2017. 2) Here's a link to their article explaining their process: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/477-testing-paper-towels. 3) It's not that Viva isn't great… apparently, at the time of testing, they wanted a lint-free user experience (tested on wine glasses) and the strength to hold heavy produce when dry and wet (e.g.: a bushel of grapes). It didn't perform well at these tasks. 4) Up to this point, ATK avoids reviewing products from Sam's, Costco, etc, as these require an additional memberships and are not universally accessible in general grocery stores. Same goes for individual, store-brand products. 5) In the end, like what you like, use what you use, and keep on keeping on!

  6. I have an tiny old lady chihuahua who is not going out into our freezing N.Y. winters to do her business these days. She uses pads but her accuracy leaves something to be desired. I use a lot of paper towels and want something that doesn’t soak thru to my hands. Target brand, up and up in the select a size….3 half sheets does the job well soaking up her mess and one half sheet to wipe up the cleaning spray, breaking the bank. Maybe a little tmi but I think you missed a good competitor, especially for the price.

  7. As a professional house cleaner and B&B owner, I used to use Bounty for over 20 years, but they aren't as good as they used to be. Viva has taken over that market, so I'm thinking that this was a paid promotion. "Sponsored" if you will.
    Regarding cleaning all that stuff:
    Cooking pots with baked on food with vinegar gets most thing off with no scrubbing. Boil the pan with an inch of vinegar for 5-10 minutes, and finish removing any residue with baking soda.
    I haven't used steel wool for over 30 years.
    Baking soda, vinegar, and dishwashing soap is all I use, with Viva, nylon scrubbies and brushes in addition to my dishcloths which are crocheted or just sturdy terrycloth washcloths. My 10-year old stainless steel pans that I use with only wooden, nylon or silicon utensils look like new, with no scratches, and food doesn't stick. No metal on metal for me. I don't have time or energy to waste on cleaning.

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