The Filter is two! 31 things we loved this year, from cloud-like duvets to the perfect running shoe 9 October 2026 at 10:00

The Filter is two! 31 things we loved this year, from cloud-like duvets to the perfect running shoe

9 October 2026 at 10:00

Whether it’s a super-glowy serum or a cult gardening tool, here are our writers’ favourite buys from the past year

• Don’t get the Filter delivered to your inbox? Sign up here

The Filter is turning two! To celebrate, we asked our contributors for their favourite products from the past year, and rounded up the team’s picks too.

From handbag-sized umbrellas and stylish yet practical wellies to reading lights and luxurious duvets, these are the products that stood out.

Côte de boeuf, caviar, chip shop curry sauce, and more 9 October 2026 at 08:06

Côte de boeuf, caviar, chip shop curry sauce, and more

MetaFilter

By: Wordshore

9 October 2026 at 08:06

In which someone in The Guardian taste-tests 100 varieties of crisps (not all unusual flavours). Back in 2020, the Museum of Crisps also tackled this subject - hedgehog flavoured, and Christmas tree flavoured, crisps - as has the subreddit r/crisps. Meanwhile, Lovefood have some international examples.

Cocktail of the week: All Roads’ daiquiri – recipe | The good mixer 9 October 2026 at 08:00

Cocktail of the week: All Roads’ daiquiri – recipe | The good mixer

The Guardian

By: Malika Green and Paschelle Brown

9 October 2026 at 08:00

A touch of homemade scotch bonnet jam turns up the heat in this classic concoction

Our daiquiri sums up what All Roads is all about: familiar flavours with a little twist. Pineapple, rum and lime are a classic combination, and the addition of scotch bonnet jam brings a subtle warmth that makes this just as good for those first crisp autumn evenings as it is on a sunny day.

Malika Green and Paschelle Brown, All Roads, London SW9

Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for toffee apple Basque cheesecake | The sweet spot 9 October 2026 at 01:00

Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for toffee apple Basque cheesecake | The sweet spot

The Guardian

By: Benjamina Ebuehi

9 October 2026 at 01:00

A crisp surface and creamy core are the traits of this cheesecake with no base, here topped with spiced and sliced apples and a sticky, caramel sauce

My go-to cheesecake these days is a burnt Basque. It’s so good it doesn’t even need a biscuit base, which might be the very reason some people aren’t fans. But Basque cheesecakes are rarely too sweet, because the burnt top provides just enough bitterness to balance things out and the insides stay ridiculously creamy. If I can give you one tip, though, it’s to make sure you take it out of the oven while it’s still really wobbly, to get the best set. An overbaked Basque is no fun at all.

The Guardian view on cancers in under-50s: the risks of obesity must be confronted | Editorial 8 October 2026 at 13:50

The Guardian view on cancers in under-50s: the risks of obesity must be confronted | Editorial

The Guardian

By: Editorial

8 October 2026 at 13:50

More research into the troubling rise in early onset cancers is needed. But we already know that food is among the culprits

The latest findings about the rise in cancers in people under 50, from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), are extremely concerning. While a cancer diagnosis is bad news at any time, it is a particular blow for those in younger age groups where most people are in good health. Overlapping trends observed in England, the Netherlands and the US include a troubling rise in the incidence of colorectal (or bowel) cancer. Other diseases that have increased in England include uterine and kidney cancers.

These diseases are still rare in young people: 10 times more adults in their 50s, 60s and 70s are diagnosed than those in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Earlier detection is thought to be one factor behind the rise in younger patients. Diagnosing more cancers sooner is an explicit policy goal in England, where late diagnosis and lower uptake of screening are two reasons for mortality rates that are higher than elsewhere in Europe.

Normal view