• Disney Plus is a new on-demand, ad-free streaming service that features movies and TV series from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox. 
• You get a free seven-day trial when you first sign up. 
• After the trial ends, the subscription costs $6.99/month or $69.99/year ($5.83/month).
• The free trial does not apply to the $12.99 Disney Plus bundle that includes Hulu and ESPN+.

The new Disney-centric streaming service, Disney Plus launched on November 12, 2019.

If you're a fan of everything Disney — meaning Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox — you've probably already signed up for the monthly or yearly subscription on the Disney Plus website.

On the first day of launch, more than 10 million people subscribed to Disney Plus, and the numbers will only climb from here. Analysts are predicting that Disney Plus will have 18 million customers by the end of 2020. 

But if you're just a casual Disney fan or you're not sure whether you'll like this new service, you don't have to commit to a subscription ($6.99/month or $69.99/year) quite yet.  

How to get a free trial of Disney Plus 

Disney Plus offers a free seven-day trial. This will give you the chance to browse and watch all of the movies and shows on the service. The free trial is only available to new subscribers. 

You can sign up via web browser, mobile device, Apple TV, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, and Amazon Fire TV. When you sign up, you're required to enter your payment information, which will be used to bill you at the end of the seven-day period. 

What's included in the Disney Plus free trial? 

Everything a paying subscriber has access to. In addition to classic features such as the Disney and Pixar movies you grew up watching and new, recently released movies such as "Captain Marvel" and the live-action version of "Aladdin," Disney Plus has all-new, exclusive original programming. We recommend using the trial as an opportunity to see whether these original movies and shows are worth the monthly cost. 

Learn more about all the original shows and original movies Disney Plus has to offer. 

Is there a free trial for the Disney Plus bundle? 

There's also an option to buy a bundled package with Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN+, which costs $12.99 per month for all three services. Individually, the ad-supported version of Hulu is currently $5.99 a month, and ESPN+ is $4.99 a month. If you haven't explored the world of streaming services fully yet, the bundle could be the perfect opportunity to do so for a competitive price. Signing up for all three of the services individually would cost $18. There's also a way to get the bundle with the ad-free version of Hulu. 

However, the caveat of signing up for either of these bundles is that you don't get a free trial. Your paid subscription starts the first day you sign up. 

Are there Disney Plus gift cards? 

Yes. With Valentine's Day approaching, you're probably looking for a great gift for the Disney fan in your life. If they haven't subscribed to Disney Plus already, you can get them a Disney Plus subscription card. The gift subscription is available for one year of the streaming service and costs $69.99. It's sent via email on a date of your choice. 

Learn more about how to buy a Disney Plus gift subscription.

Read everything else you should know about Disney Plus:

SEE ALSO: 30 fun gifts that grown-up Disney and Mickey Mouse fans will love

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• Luxury brand Louis Vuitton just purchased the second-largest diamond in the world for an undisclosed number of "millions" of dollars, according to Vanessa Friedman at The New York Times. 
• This news comes just months after Louis Vuitton's parent company, LVMH, announced its intention to buy American jewelry retailer Tiffany and Co. for over $16 billion. 
• "Nobody expects us to put such an emphasis on high jewelry," Michael Burke, chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton said, according to the New York Times. "I think it will spice things up a bit. Wake up the industry."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

French fashion house Louis Vuitton just bought the second biggest — and largest uncut — diamond in the world, signalling a new era for the luxury brand. The news comes just months after its parent company, LVMH, announced its intention to buy American jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co. for $16.2 billion, Business Insider previously reported. 

The 1,758-carat diamond, known as the Sewelo, is the largest rough (or uncut) diamond to have been discovered since 1905, Vanessa Friedman of The New York Times reported. The diamond was revealed in April 2019, given its name in July, then "disappeared" until the announcement earlier this month that Louis Vuitton had acquired it.

"Nobody expects us to put such an emphasis on high jewelry," said Michael Burke, chief executive of Louis Vuitton, according to the New York Times. "I think it will spice things up a bit. Wake up the industry."

The dance of the diamonds

Burke declined to reveal exactly how much the company paid for the diamond, though he said it was in the "millions," the Times reports. The diamond was discovered in Botswana in 2019 and is still covered in its carbon composite. 

The Times reports that Vuitton and its partners in Antwerp, Belgium, have already predicted the diamond will yield a 904-carat cushion-cut, an 891-carat Oval, or "several stones" between 100 and 300 carats. But, as noted by Lauren Indvik of the Financial Times, it could be months until experts figure out how to properly cut the rough stone. 

"A gamble is only as big as your ignorance," Burke told the Financial Times. "The more talent you have on your team the less of a gamble it is, and I believe we have the most talented team in the world." 

The high-end jewelry competition is kicking off

Although Burke said it was only a coincidence that this announcement follows the news of LVMH's Tiffany acquisition, it does not come at a unique time in the industry, when other fashion brands are also making the foray into the high-end jewelry market. Milena Lazazzera from Business of Fashion reports that, as the middle class continues to grow in developing countries "sales of entry-level jewelry pieces are expected to balloon."

"The past few years, however, have shown that the opportunity lies in entry-price lines, not six-figure pieces," Lazazzera reported. "Products above $100,000, while important, typically represent just 5% to 20% of established jewelers' overall sales." 

Last year, Gucci released its haute jewelry collection, shortly after Giorgio Armani Privé debuted its own high-end jewelry line in March. Brunello Cucinelli and Prada already have their own collections, as do Dolce & Gabbana and Hermès.  

Louis Vuitton debuted its new diamond to clients and members of the press this week at Paris Fashion Week, and the flashy rock is set to go on what Burke dubbed a "world tour," landing in Taiwan next, according to the Financial Times.

"We are experimenting with a different way of bringing a stone to market," Burke said. "It's a big, unusual stone, which makes it right up our alley."

SEE ALSO: LVMH just agreed to buy Tiffany for $16.2 billion — here are 17 of the most iconic brands the French luxury giant already owns

DON'T MISS: The CEO of Tiffany said customers 'don't care' who owns the brand just days before the company agreed to be bought by luxury giant LVMH

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The bizarre history of the Yule Log Christmas special

• Frank And Oak has always been eco conscious about its clothing, but the apparel startup is furthering its sustainability efforts with a denim collection that recycles old jeans.
• The Frank And Oak Circular Denim Collection takes old jeans, breaks them down, and mixes the fibers with new materials to create a new fabric. The process reduces the amount of virgin cotton used and saves lots of used denim from landfills.
• Ranging from $79.95 to $99.95 per pair, the more sustainable style is still a fair price for quality jeans — and you'd never know they were made with old denim.

It doesn't matter if you get dressed for fashion, function, or basic human necessity, I'm willing to bet that denim has a place somewhere in your closet. 

As common and popular as denim is in apparel, producing it negatively affects the planet in ways that probably don't cross your mind when you're stepping into your favorite pair of jeans.

Fortunately, plenty of brands have taken the initiative to make more sustainable jeans by using organic cotton, fewer chemicals, and less water in the production — a positive trend that will (hopefully) become an industry standard over the next few years.

Frank And Oak is already on the list of brands making sustainable denim, but they're proving to be ahead of the curve with a new collection called Circular Denim.

Rather than simply making cleaner, less impactful denim, Frank And Oak is saving post-consumer jeans from landfills by repurposing them in their production process — and that doesn't mean they want to sell you someone's old jeans. The new production process is broken down into four simple steps: collect, cut, combine, and create.

In the collection, you'll find two men's styles (skinny and slim) each in a variety of washes ranging from dark to light, along with black and grey pairs. For women, there are a few more styles, including a wide-leg pair, all of which come in a variety of denim washes and colors. 

My experience testing out Frank And Oak's Circular Denim

Last year, Frank And Oak sent over a pair of its HydroLess Denim for me to test out and I liked them so much that I went back and bought another pair. Going into the Circular Denim review, that was my gauge for quality and satisfaction.

As expected, you'd have no idea that these were made in part with old jeans that were ready to be thrown away. If you're weary of the jeans being of lesser quality than what you'd normally expect out of any decent clothing brand, you shouldn't be. The quality absolutely holds up. 

I went with the Dylan Slim in Washed Grey (Washed Grey no longer available) and they fit perfectly. I recommend going true to size.

The bottom line

For an average of $89.95 a pair, Frank And Oak's Circular Denim are only $10 more than other styles the company makes. Even with the small increase, that's still a fair price to pay for jeans that will actually last. The fact that they're made from recycled materials doesn't affect the way they look, feel, wear, or hold up in the wash. Just by looking at them, nobody will know how your jeans were made, but telling them is something you should be proud to do. 

Shop Circular Denim and other sustainable denim styles at Frank And Oak now. 

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NOW WATCH: Each year, the US gets around 4 times as many twisters as the rest of the world combined — here's why

• New York City's observation decks offer stellar views of the city.
• The most popular ones are at the top of iconic skyscrapers including the Empire State Building, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and One World Trade Center.
• Ticket prices for adults range from $36 to $72.
• The highest outdoor observatory is Edge at Hudson Yards, which is set to open in March 2020. 
• But the tallest observation deck overall is 1,268 feet above street level at One World Trade Center.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

For many visitors to New York City, a trip isn't complete without a visit to one of the Big Apple's quintessential destinations: the top of the Empire State Building.

But the iconic skyscraper's observatory, which has been featured in movies like "Sleepless in Seattle," is not the only sky-high observation point that offers panoramic views of the city. 

There's the Top of the Rock at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, from which you can get a stunning view of the skyline that includes the Empire State Building itself. At One World Trade Center, the observatory is the highest in the city at 1,268 feet. And soon, the Western Hemisphere's highest open-air observation deck will open in Hudson Yards.

Here's a breakdown and comparison of four of New York City's highest and most popular observation decks by location, height, and price.

SEE ALSO: The highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere opens in NYC's Hudson Yards in March 2020 — and you can now buy tickets to it

DON'T MISS: I was one of the first people to view New York City from 1,250 feet in the third phase of the Empire State Building's $165 million renovation. Here's what it was like.

Manhattan's observatories range in height from 800 feet to 1,268 feet — but the highest are enclosed rather than open-air.

The observatory closest to street level is the Top of the Rock at 30 Rockefeller Plaza at 800 feet, while the highest is 1,268 feet at One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.

But the highest open-air observatory will be Edge, the 100th-floor deck that's set to open at Hudson Yards in March. It's 50 feet higher than the Empire State Building's 86th-floor open-air observatory.

The cheapest observatory for adults is One World Observatory, and the priciest is the Empire State Building's 102nd-floor top deck.

The $72 ticket for the Empire State Building includes access to the 86th floor observatory and the museum on the second floor.

If you're a New York City resident, however, the cheapest observatory to visit is Edge, which offers a discount for locals, making it $34 for adults — just under the price to get into One World Observatory. 

These prices don't include taxes and fees, which can tack on almost $9 to the ticket cost in some cases. 

• A high-quality STEM learning toy offers limitless opportunities for open-ended play, will keep your child entertained for hours, and nurtures their interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.
• I liked the Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst STEM Kit because you don't need a smart device to play with it, there are several fun challenges, and it was a great introduction to engineering for kids.
• Though it is more expensive than most STEM learning kits (currently $59 on Amazon), the set comes with over 50 parts and can be used with a variety of the most popular robotics kits.

One of the biggest challenges in my house is trying to pull my sons away from video games and passive media like YouTube, Netflix, and other streaming services.

I'm not a monster. I let them have some screen time, but I try to limit it. I've found simply telling them to turn off the computer is not enough. I need to have a good diversion. This is where the open-ended play of STEM toys is helpful. Tinkering Labs recently sent me their Electric Motors Catalyst STEM Kit to test. Here are our experiences with it.

My first experiences with the Tinkering Labs STEM Kit

The Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst STEM Kit comes with safety glasses, electric motors with wires, a battery pack (two AA batteries included), a wooden chassis, axles, wooden connectors, washable markers, a giant piece of paper, bolts and wingnuts, L-brackets, springs, about a dozen wooden wheels, bushings, rubber bands, a screwdriver, 10 challenge cards, and a drawstring storage bag.

Everything you need to get started comes in the box. And, if the 50+ parts that come in the kit are not enough for you, there are expansion sets available on the Tinkering Labs website.

Out of the box, it all looked overwhelming. My five-year-old son, Bucky, was excited to play with the set and figure it out, but he needed help. Heck, I needed help. Unfortunately, my 16-year-old son, who has years of robotics experience, was too busy with teenager stuff to save us. So, I had to watch tutorials and really read the information in the provided booklet.

In the time between opening the kit and finally playing with it, I lost the user manual. "No problem," I figured. "I'll just pull it up online." No luck. So, I had to go back to my horribly disorganized files to find the manual. And after about 15 minutes, we had the booklet in hand and were ready to play.

How the Tinkering Labs STEM Kit performed

The kit comes with 10 challenge cards. Each challenge is designed to take about 30 to 60 minutes to complete. The challenges include "make a machine that can scramble eggs," "invent a robot that moves without wheels," and "create a vehicle with a suspension system."

For our first challenge, we chose "build a machine that draws curvy lines." I had to do most of the work while Bucky started his own project. I engaged Bucky for simple parts of the construction, but a lot of it was too hard for him. He basically barked orders at me while I strained to make his ideas a reality. In the process, I explained why some of his ideas were beyond the scope of the kit. To be fair, the recommended age for this toy is eight to 12 years old.

After half an hour of trying to conquer the challenge, we ended up with a circle-drawing maniac. It started as a car. Then, we lost a wheel, and things went off the rails. The robot drew crazy circles while Bucky cheered it on. The whole time he had the biggest smile on his face.

I liked that the kit pushes kids to be creative without holding their hand too much. There is a lot of trial and error before youngsters can create a machine that works well. It's in this trial and error that your child will learn about engineering and science. I also liked that the play is open-ended. There are virtually limitless ways to enjoy this kit. You can even incorporate household items and parts from other robotics sets.

Up until the Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst Kit, every STEM toy I'd tested required the use of a smart device, which means screen time. Granted, it's quality screen time that takes your child away from YouTube or other mindless media, but it's still screen time. With the Tinkering Labs kit, there's no need for screen time. You might want to check out tutorials, but your young one can have a great time without a smart device on hand.

Some concerns about the kit

I could not get the on/off button on the battery pack to work correctly. It seems cheaply made. Our motors would lose power for seemingly no reason while the switch was in the on position. On other occasions, the motors would keep running once the unit was off. This was frustrating.

Two of the rubber bands broke pretty quickly, which was also frustrating since these are used to keep the battery pack and motors on the robot. Of course, we could use any old rubber bands for the task, but I would have liked something less MacGyver-like to keep these elements attached to the chassis.

Another durability concern is the motor wires. The insulation frays easily so you need to be careful to secure the wires away from moving parts, such as the wheels. We learned this the hard way. Fortunately, we did not wear all the way through the insulation, and the wires did not lose their ability to operate properly.

Lastly, I didn't like that I had to help Bucky every step of the way. To be fair, this has more to do with his developmental age and isn't due to any failing of the toy. After all, it is meant for kids at least eight years of age. I'm excited to see what Bucky can do with this once he's a year or two older and able grasp the concepts behind how the elements of the kit work together. Meanwhile, it's a fun toy for father-son time.

The bottom line

Despite the durability concerns, the Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst STEM Kit is an excellent kit that offers countless ways for your child to play, pushes them to learn engineering concepts, and challenges them to think outside the box. Overall, I would recommend it if you are looking for a toy that nurtures the STEM skills of a youngster between the ages of eight and 12 years old.

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• Bob Barrow is a winemaker at Brotherhood Winery, located 1.5 hours north of Manhattan in Washingtonville, New York.
• Brotherhood sources grapes from the Finger Lakes and Long Island regions, as well as from other areas across the United States. 
• Business Insider asked Barrow for his top wine-tasting tips as well as some of the most common questions he's asked as a winemaker. 
• Wine-tasting is a five-step process that starts before you even taste the wine, and not all wines are meant for aging, he told Business Insider.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

For over 20 years, Bob Barrow has worked as a winemaker at Brotherhood Winery, the oldest continuously operated winery in the United States.

Brotherhood sources grapes from across New York State, including the Finger Lakes and Long Island regions, and from elsewhere across the US. Much of Barrow's day-to-day involves quality control of wines that the winery produces and bottles. 

Business Insider recently visited Brotherhood Winery and caught up with Barrow to get his tips on how to become a more savvy wine-taster. Turns out there is a right way to do it — and not all wine ages well.

Here's what Barrow told us:

Editor's note: Barrow's tips are presented below in his own words. They have been top-edited for clarity and organized into sections.

There's a right way to taste wine, and it's a five-step process

Step 1: Look

You always start out by looking at the wine before you even smell it. The color will tell you something about it. If it's a white wine, and it's very golden yellow, that might be because of the variety it's made of. But usually for white wine, it'll progress from sort of a light straw yellow to a golden hue as it ages. If you have a glass of wine that's golden yellow, you might have the fair expectation that that wine has had some age.

Same thing with red wine. It starts out as a purple color and then works its way to more of a red, to kind of a brick red, and then usually transitions to brownish after that. So just by the looks of it, you might be able to tell something about the age of the wine.

Step 2: Swirl

If you swirl the glass, you see that it has those "legs," the streaks of a wine kind of cascading down the side of the glass. If it has heavy legs, you can tell that the wine is either going to be high alcohol, or have a fuller body — and that's all before you stick your nose in the glass. ("Body" is a term for the weight of the wine on the palate.)

Step 3: Sniff 

So you look at the wine, you swirl it, then you take a sniff and get a feel for the aroma — whether it's fruity or oak-aged, whatever the wine happens to be. 

Pro tip: "Bouquet" is a subtly misunderstood wine term

It's a little technical, but the term "bouquet" is not just the aroma of a wine. A bouquet specifically refers to aromas that have developed as the wine is in the bottle. Aroma and bouquet are not the same thing.

Pro tip: "Sweet" is not a smell

A wine might have an aroma that reminds you of something sweet or it might be floral or fruity, but technically nothing can smell sweet because sweet is a taste. 

Step 4: Sip 

After that, you take a sip. Make sure the wine coats the inside of your palate, which will tell you how acidic the wine is, how sweet it is, and how much tannin there is. (Tannins are a naturally occurring compound in grapes that contribute to how dry a wine feels.)

Step 5: Savor

After you've either spit the wine out or swallowed it, ask yourself: How long is the finish? What is the finish? ("Finish" is the impression the wine leaves after leaving the mouth: the tactile feeling, any lingering tastes, and how long the taste and feeling linger.)

If you're wine tasting on your own, be wary of that really old bottle of wine 

A question I often have to answer is "I have this old bottle of wine. Is it still good?" Most of the time it's wine that is probably too old.

I think the misunderstanding that a lot of people have is that every wine is a good candidate for longterm aging. You know, "If I buy this bottle of sweet Concord wine, it's going to be better in 20 years." That's just not the case. There are some wines that are good candidates for longterm aging and some that aren't.

Heavier, dark red wines are generally better suited for aging than white wines

In general, heavier, dark red wines have a structure that holds up better over time. ("Structure" is the wine term for the combination of acidity, tannins, alcohol content and residual sugars.)

[Brotherhood] makes a very sweet Riesling, and the sugar in a way acts as a preservative. That one actually can improve with age, but it's kind of a rarity for white wines.

Some wines are meant to be consumed right away

[Brotherhood] makes a sweet Concord-based wine called Rosario. That wine is meant to be consumed, well, immediately. It's supposed to be young and fresh and fruity. As a wine matures, it has a tendency to lose its fruitiness.

The whole idea of aging, say, a dark red wine, is this: When the wine is young, you have a lot of tannins, which can give you that sort of a dry mouth feeling after you've taken a sip of it. That feeling tends to soften over time. What happens when the wine is very young is that you have these very bright, fresh and fruity flavors that are kind of more forward on the nose; and as the wine matures, the fresh and fruity aromas diminish a little bit and allow some of those background aromas that might be a little more subtle to come through.

SEE ALSO: Today is the 100th anniversary of Prohibition. Take a look inside the oldest winery in America, which found a loophole so it could stay open even when alcohol was banned across the US.

NOW READ: We went to a Champagne vineyard in France to find out why it's so expensive

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NOW WATCH: The bizarre history of the Yule Log Christmas special

• California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) went into effect on January 1, 2020, and it requires employers to adhere to a stricter definition of 'independent contractor.'
• If a worker is incorrectly classified, there can be significant fines as penalties — which can range from $5,000 to $25,000.
• All California-based businesses or companies that do business in California should evaluate their contractors against the ABC test. 
• If the contractor does not meet all three parts of the ABC test, they can either try to change the current work arrangement so they can be classified as an independent contractor or become an employee. 
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

California Assembly Bill 5  — most commonly referred to as AB5 — went into effect on January 1, 2020. 

At its core, the main purpose of AB5 is to ensure employers correctly classify their workers and remain accountable to a stricter definition of 'independent contractor.'

To comply with AB5, every worker — excluding those in exempt occupations like healthcare professionals, investment advisors, and direct salespersons — is now subject to the ABC test. If they meet all three qualifications, they're considered an independent contractor. If they don't, they must either be transitioned to employee status or the work arrangement has to change.

The intention of the bill is to prevent employers from taking shortcuts to save money — nationwide, incorrectly classifying independent contractors resulted in over $44 billion in unpaid taxes from 2008 to 2010— and to provide workers who should be classified as employees with the rights they deserve, such as healthcare, workers' compensation, paid time off, disability leave, and more.

While some workers will benefit greatly from the passing of AB5, others hope to remain independent for a number of reasons. And, many companies aren't too happy with the bill, either.

Rideshare behemoths Uber and Lyft claim that AB5 could send them into bankruptcy. Their two million drivers are all independent contractors — making them full-time employees would be financially devastating.

Uber, Lyft, Postmates (an on-demand delivery company), and a few more similar companies proposed a measure for California's 2020 ballot. They hope voters will choose to protect companies like them from the law. 

If you're a California business — or do business in California — you should do everything you can to make sure you're compliant with AB5. If you don't, there could be significant penalties.

"Business owners need to be mindful that the Franchise Tax Board will be auditing businesses going forward, and they can collect the back payroll taxes owed, plus interest, fines, and penalties," explained Emily D. Baker, a California-based lawyer and host of the "Get Legit Law and Sh!t" podcast.

And according to Baker, these aren't meager fines by any means. For each worker who is misclassified, the employer can be fined anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000. And, if they find that you have a habit of doing this, that range is bumped up to $10,000 to $25,000. 

Here are the steps you should take as a small or large business that employs contractors and freelancers in California.

Step 1: Evaluate the true status of your current independent contractors

First and foremost, you — and all members of your leadership team — need to familiarize yourself with the law. Don't hesitate to consult with an employment lawyer to help you understand the ins and outs of it. And if counsel isn't in the budget, there are other options, too.

"Small business owners with particularly limited in-house resources don't have to tackle complex compliance issues all on their own," explained Michael Cole, employment counsel at Gusto, a California-based payroll, HR, and benefits platform. He added that there are many affordable online resources that can help.

"As business owners consider HR technology,  it's important to look for solutions that offer tools, features, checklists, and templates designed to keep them on track when it comes to compliance," Cole shared. "Additionally, some may want to consider a platform that includes support from certified HR professionals." Some HR tools you could consider are: Zenefits, ADP, Rippling, and Workday HCM, among others.

Whether you're doing it on your own or having someone help you, you need to analyze the role of every single independent contractor you employ. 

First, check to see if they're exempt. (A list of exempt occupations is included in the text of the bill.) Even if they are exempt, they're still subject to the Borello test, which has 11 parts. Unlike with the ABC test, in which all three parts must be met, no single item of the Borello test is determinative. The main goal is to ensure that workers control when and how they do their work. If they don't pass the Borello test, then you can consider the same options you have for non-exempt workers who don't pass the ABC test.

Step 2: Apply the ABC test to those who aren't exempt

The ABC test includes the following three criteria:

1. The worker must be free from the hiring company's control in how and when they do their job.
2. The worker must perform work outside of the hiring company's core business.
3. The worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same nature as the work performed for the hiring entity.

In regards to what a company's core business is, Elliot Dinkin, president and CEO of Cowden Associates, a compensation, health and benefits, and retirement consulting firm, said, "Core business is one that's central to generating the larger share of revenues and is instrumental to the primary function of business."

Uber, for example, currently doesn't pass AB5 because transportation is considered part of their core business. Without drivers, transportation by car is hard. (Though they are still working hard on self-driving cars). The rideshare giant, however, argues that their core business is providing the software that drivers and riders leverage. 

What to do if you believe an independent contractor meets all three requirements of the ABC test

Be very well prepared to prove and back your reasoning in case you get audited.

"Strengthen your position to ensure solid footing exists and enforce your position through communications, operations, and related activities," Dinkin said.

One way to do this is by requiring all of your contractors to present solid evidence that they're an independently established corporation. Encourage them to create an easy-to-search website for their business, clearly stating how they can be contacted and providing a list of clients they've worked for or are currently working for (with each client's permission, of course).

For freelancers — writers, designers, editors, and so forth — keep close track of how many pieces each one has submitted throughout the year. With the passing of AB5, freelancers can no longer submit more than 35 pieces to a single publication within one year. If they do, they are technically considered an employee. Establish an internal tracking system, and encourage your freelancers to keep track, too. On each submission and/or invoice, for example, they could note what number submission it is ("4/35 for 2020," for example).

In addition, "communicate clearly with [your freelancers] to make sure they're clear on what counts as a submission," explained Baker. You need to be clear, for instance, if a multi-piece story is one submission or more, in addition to specifying how many rounds of edits a single submission includes.

"Clear internal policies will put publications in the best position to defend themselves if they're audited over AB5," Baker said. "You can't go wrong with documentation and clear communication."

What you should do if someone doesn't pass the ABC test (and isn't exempt from it)

If one of your independent contractors doesn't meet all three parts of the ABC test, something needs to change. Here are two paths you can choose from:

1. Make changes to your work agreement

Look at the parts of the ABC test that the contractor didn't meet. Are there any changes you can make to your current work arrangement that will allow them to be classified as an independent contractor?

For instance, if they didn't meet part A because you tell them certain hours and days they have to work, can you relinquish some control? Perhaps they still do the same work, but they choose when they complete it — you just tell them the deadline.

Or, say they didn't meet part B because part of their work is considered core to your business. Can those tasks be redistributed to a current employee, leaving the contractor with responsibilities that aren't critical to the business?

If a freelancer you employ currently doesn't classify as an independent contractor because they submit more than 35 projects a year, you'll need to decrease their number of assignments (and make sure to track them!).

Again, it's wise to consult with an expert (or leverage some HR technology) for this. You want to make sure that any changes you make to properly classify someone as an independent contractor are actually compliant.

2. Reclassify them as an employee

If the above isn't possible, or if the independent contractor isn't open to having their type or amount of work changed, consider making them an employee.

However, "[you'll] need to factor in the costs and logistics of doing so, particularly when it comes to increased wages and benefits," explained Cole. And, prepare yourself for any questions and pushback your independent contractors may have.

"Some contractors who are reclassified may not welcome the change, while others may ask about whether they'll be paid some form of back pay or other compensation for previously being treated as a contractor [when they shouldn't have been]," Cole added.

Of course, reclassifying someone as an employee isn't as simple as just checking a box. You'll need to go through the official hiring process and figure out how much money you can dedicate to their role for salary, benefits, taxes, and other associated costs.

This is a tricky spot for many businesses to be in, but to avoid possible disastrous audit outcomes, take action as soon as possible and ensure every independent contractor you have is correctly classified. If they're not, either readjust their role, bring them on as an employee, or part ways with them entirely.

"Organizations should strategize and build out an action plan best suited to their particular circumstances," said Jennifer Hwang, the chief strategy officer at gig platform Tilr. "Being educated and executing on a plan to ensure compliance with the law is prudent not only for California-based businesses, but also any non-California businesses that have work being conducted or done in California."

SEE ALSO: A 34-year-old freelancer who quit the job she hated and now makes $200,000 a year debunks 5 of the biggest myths she's encountered about becoming your own boss

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Maelove's Glycolic Acid cream, The Night Renewer ($27.95), was designed as a highly potent AHA cream that's gentle enough for sensitive skin.
• AHA helps create smoother, brighter skin by encouraging rapid cell turnover and stimulating collagen production. It's often used to fade scarring, reduce fine lines and pores, and soften skin. 
• I used The Night Renewer for a few weeks consistently, and it made good on claims of delivering the benefits of a chemical peel without the harsh side effects.

If you — like many of us lost souls — sometimes feel like you've been put on this earth just to complete a seemingly impossible crusade for effective, cheap skin care products, you may have already stumbled across newcomer Maelove. If not, take note: It's a line of skin-care basics meticulously formulated by MIT grads (with the help of some AI) and designed to work for all skin types. Best of all, each product is priced under $30.

Maelove's line is full of standouts, but perhaps most noteworthy is the gentle Glycolic Acid cream, The Night Renewer ($27.95), that took the company two years to accomplish. It's noteworthy because, unlike many potent AHAs, it's not supposed to be too harsh for sensitive skin types to use. The Night Renewer combines 10% medical-grade glycolic acid to slough away dead skin overnight, as well as hyaluronic acid to hydrate and calm the skin. While AHA breaks down the glue holding tired, dull skin cells together to even tone, stimulate collagen production, and give you smoother skin overnight, ingredients like Vitamin E, Squalene, and Aloe nourish the skin.

In other words, it's supposed to be the secret to locking in the benefits of glycolic acid without paying for it in irritated, dry skin.

When asked by Business Insider which Maelove product was her favorite in February 2019, Maelove co-founder Jackie Kim gave the nod to The Night Renewer. After testing the nighttime cream for myself, I can see why Kim elected this as her all-time favorite, even in a line with a $28 Vitamin C Serum that launched the startup to fame.

I started out using The Night Renewer three times per week as recommended. On application nights, I'd wash my face with my Holy Grail cleanser (a $38 cleansing gel from Dr. Dennis Gross), pat my skin dry, and evenly cover my face with a small dollop of The Night Renewer cream (a little goes a long way). Most of the time, the glycolic acid stung slightly upon application — but, while noticeable, the sting wasn't painful, and the tingling sensation disappeared about 30 seconds post-application. In the morning, I'd swipe my go-to micellar water across my face to remove any residue and proceed with my typical morning routine. 

I've been using it consistently for a few weeks, and my skin is markedly softer, scars are noticeably faded, and fine lines and pores both appear less defined each morning after using. 

When Kim describes The Night Renewer as gentle but effective — two words I grew up viewing as incompatible variables in skin care — she's telling the truth. My pale combination skin often responds to powerful resurfacing agents like glycolic acid and deep clay masks by turning bald-uakari-monkey-red —  like I just moved a couch into a seven-story walk-up. This isn't the case with The Night Renewer. Other than the initial tingling, I don't notice any overt reaction from my skin. 

Despite the transactional mindset (pain exchanged for beauty) we often apply to skin-care, The Night Renewer manages to resurface the skin without requiring discomfort. It makes good on its claims of delivering the effectiveness of a chemical peel without the harsh side effects.

I often recommend Maelove as one of the internet's best-kept secrets. It's radically affordable for the no-nonsense quality, and it's designed to work for all skin types. And if you're looking for a glycolic acid cream that will resurface the skin for a brighter, smoother, more even complexion, I recommend checking out The Night Renewer. 

However, it bears repeating that skin-care is notoriously subjective. Luckily, Maelove also has a 100-day, 100% money-back guarantee — so you're not risking much if you want to give it a try yourself.

Tip: Use the code "TEN" at checkout for 10% off any purchase of two or more products for a limited time.

Join the conversation about this story »

• In November 2018, Morocco unveiled the first high-speed railway system in Africa, connecting the coastal city of Tangier with the capital, Rabat, and Casablanca, the country's business hub — and eventually the tourist destinations of Marrakech and Agadir.
• In December 2018, I rode the train roughly the distance between New York City and Washington, DC, in two hours.
• The ride, which takes over five hours on conventional rail, is set to be cut down to 90 minutes.
• I found the experience delightful, with cheap first-class tickets, plush comfortable seats, air-conditioned cabins, plenty of leg room, and an interior design that evoked rail's golden age.
• While the $2 billion train system is impressive, it's hard not to think of the robust public debate happening in Morocco that has left some critics questioning the economic viability of the train.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

People often visit Morocco for a glimpse of the past.

There are snake charmers and monkey tamers putting on a show for tourists in the central square of Marrakech, and winding labyrinths of the country's old medinas. There are remote mountain villages that make you feel like the first foreigner to have ever stepped inside, and golden, timeless seas of sand.

One thing most people don't visit Morocco for, however, is a glimpse of the future. The Moroccan government and its king, Mohammed VI, are hoping that will soon change with the opening of a high-speed rail system.

Opened in November after over a decade in development, the Al Boraq is Africa's first high-speed train. Morocco is hoping that foreign investors and Moroccans will look to the project as evidence that the country is on the fast track to progress. Whether that is actually the case is up for debate.

"In French, it's called 'les grands chantiers,' the closest translation of which is 'grand design,'" Zouhair Ait Benhamou, a doctoral candidate at Paris Nanterre University who studies big-ticket projects like Morocco's high-speed rail, told The Guardian in December 2018.

For some Moroccans, the train is an expensive folly whose funds would have been better spent on overcrowded schools or the overtaxed medical system. For others, the belief is that the benefits of having futuristic infrastructure will "trickle down" to the rest of Morocco. Only time will tell.

After riding similar trains in China, Russia, and Korea, I knew I had to give Morocco's version a try. Here's what it was like to ride first-class from Tangier to Casablanca.

This article was first published in January 2019.

SEE ALSO: I rode China's superfast bullet train that could go from New York to Chicago in 4.5 hours — and it shows how far behind the US really is

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I arrived at the Tanger Ville Railway Station in the northern coastal city of Tangier about a half hour before my train at 5 p.m.

Though the station opened in 2003 with regular rail, Morocco spent $37 million to renovate it and add a building for a new high-speed train system.

Source: Morocco World News

While Morocco already has an extensive rail network that serves 40 million passengers, the country has been developing high-speed rail for a decade.

The $2.3 billion project has been funded with nearly $1 billion from France and $500 million from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

The first leg of the project — from Tangier to Casablanca, Morocco's business hub — opened in November.

Plans are underway to extend the line to the tourist hotspots Marrakech and Agadir in the next few years, and eventually Fez.

Source: Morocco World News, CNN, The Guardian

Many analysts have suggested that the bullet train is about more than the revenue it will generate — it's "a flagship project that enables Morocco to shine in Africa," one geopolitical analyst told The Guardian.

The spotless, light-filled Tanger Ville station sends the message that the train is as much about prestige as anything else.

Source: The Guardian

As I've observed with the high-speed rail stations in China, the Tanger Ville station looks more akin to an airport than a train station. There are high-end shops, a cafeteria, and even a first-class lounge.

It's important to remember that the bullet train is far from the only big-ticket infrastructure project the Moroccan government has invested in. Over the past decade, the country has developed numerous ports and a $600 million solar plant considered the biggest in the world.

Source: CNN (1, 2)

Buying a ticket is very easy. You can buy online from ONCF, the Moroccan train authority, or in the station.

Fares for the high-speed train are about 30% higher than those for a regular train, which costs $14 to $27.

Source: ONCF,Travel + Leisure

A helpful sign tells you all the train times for both regular and high-speed trains.

All trains leaving Tangier pass through Tanger Ville station, so you don't want to buy tickets for the wrong one. A ride from Tangier to Casablanca on the regular train is a whopping five or six hours.

The machines are easy enough to use. Anyone who has visited a major city and used the metro system can figure it out. It accepts cash and credit cards.

Depending on the time, high-speed fares range from $15 to $24 for a second-class ticket and $25 to $38 for a first-class ticket.

Source: Morocco World News

I got a first-class ticket for $25.

Stop TGV, a local coalition that has protested the project, has said the fares are a third of what they would need to be for Morocco to pay back its loans to its international partners.

But Mohamed Rabie Khlie, the director general of ONCF, has said that it's important that the train be able to serve all Moroccans and not just "a high-end clientele," and that keeping costs down is a major part of that.

Source: The Guardian,Stop TGV, Le Monde

After getting my ticket, I headed to the Al Boraq lounge for people traveling on the high-speed train.

Mohammed VI named the high-speed train Al Boraq after a mythical winged horse in Islamic culture.

Source: Maroc

The lounge was nice but packed. The downstairs was filled with people, and no seats were available.

Analysts have expressed worry that the high-speed train will not be able to get enough passengers to become profitable. Khlie has said the rail would need to double its volume to 6 million passengers annually within three years of operation.

Source: Le Monde

At least there was plenty of free coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.

I made myself a hot chocolate and looked for a place to sit for a few minutes.

Thankfully, there was an upstairs.

Benhamou told CNN that in the event the high-speed rail doesn't reach 6 million passengers annually within three years, the government would have to give out subsidies.

Source: CNN

The vibe of the Al Boraq lounge was very tech-coworking-space circa 2016.

The government hopes that the high-speed train will encourage foreign investment in the country and convince global business leaders that Morocco is an attractive place for development.

The Al Boraq lounge was one of the few places that I found working public WiFi over about a month in the country.

The Tanger Ville station can feel worlds away from the parts of Morocco like the undeveloped rural interior of the country.

It's understandable why the railway has infuriated people like those in charge of the Stop TGV campaign and politicians like Omar El Hyani, a Rabat city councilor, and Omar Balafraj, a member of parliament for the Federation of the Democratic Left political party.

To critics like Balafraj and Hyani, the railway is an expensive project that is big and loud but does little to help everyday Moroccans.

"Morocco is a poor country, and the top priority should be education," Balafraj told CNN.

As a voice over the intercom informed me and the other passengers that the train was ready to board, I headed out to the platform.

The project does have the support of many Moroccans, a point that even critics concede. Hyani told The Guardian that "in Morocco, when you present people with a fancy new idea, they tend to agree with it," though he added that the phenomenon was due in part to skillful propaganda.

There's a sign that lets you know whether you are at the correct platform.

Once I found that, I rushed down the concourse to find the first-class car.

It's easy to be dismissive about the prestige factor, but I saw the excitement of Moroccan passengers, many of whom took selfies in front of the train.

As Hassan, an IT worker in Tangier, told Morocco World News shortly after the opening: "Those who say that it is all about prestige are right. But they are missing something important: Prestige counts for an emerging country that aspires to greatness, to big development plans."

Source: Morocco World News

Because I'm a bit of a worrywart, I double-checked the other sign above the train to make sure I was getting on the right one.

I didn't want to end up in Fez.

As I walked, I made a mental note of the cafeteria car.

Unlike the trains of old, most high-speed trains don't have a traditional dining car but a cafeteria car that sells a few snacks like sodas and sandwiches. The one exception was the bullet train in Russia, which had full meals.

The first-class car was at the end of the train. I almost went into the wrong car a few times.

Morocco's high-speed trains are double-decker cars made by Alstom, a French manufacturer of high-speed rail systems for countries all around the world. Still, the feeling among some Moroccans is that the French company got a "sweetheart deal" because of France's colonial history with Morocco.

Source: The Guardian

As I walked into the first-class cabin, I was struck by the distinctly Moroccan interior.

The seats are covered in a rich red fabric.

There's a large set of racks to stow your luggage.

Much better than keeping it underfoot or on my lap.

I enjoyed that the design had an old-school flair that integrated classic elements like the art deco lamps and seats that face each other.

It was classic and modern at the same time.

Not all the rows were double rows that faced each other. But I happened to be in one.

The benefit was that I had extra leg room. The downside was that I had to negotiate with the person across from me for the space.

Each seat reclined via a motorized switch. It was a little jarring at first.

Pressing the button opens the seat part so you can extend your legs, while also reclining the back section.

Each row had a privacy shade to block the sun.

It was very needed during my sunset train ride, with direct sunlight in the compartment as we rode down Morocco's Atlantic coast.

There were a couple of hooks on each row so you could hang your jacket.

For anyone thinking Morocco is warm year-round, fair warning: The winter is bone-chilling cold.

Each row had a power outlet so I could plug in my laptop. But there seemed to be only one power outlet per row.

So if you get unlucky, you'll have to make friends with your neighbor.

The tray table on the double rows folds out for each person. It's a much roomier table than you'd typically get on an airplane.

There's plenty of room to spread out and work.

With no stops until Kenitra, 128 miles south of Tangier and almost all the way to Rabat, the train quickly picked up speed.

The landscape blowing by is sea and beaches on one side and rolling green hills and pine forests on the other.

The high-speed train to Casablanca takes about two hours and 10 minutes, less than half the time it takes on a regular train.

After about a year or so of track improvements, that time is set to be cut to a blazing 90 minutes.

Source: Telegraph

After settling in, I walked through the train to get a feel for what the other compartments looked like.

To be honest, the second-class compartment didn't look much different from first class. The seats were leather (or fake leather) and not as plush, but otherwise I couldn't see a difference.

The second-class compartments were closer to the cafeteria car as well.

I had to pass through three or four cars to get to it.

The menu was nothing to write home about: a mix of sandwiches, coffees, pastries, and snacks.

But with the longest ride on the train topping out at a little over two hours, it makes sense that it wouldn't be more elaborate. I'm sure most people will wait to eat a real meal.

I bought a bag of chips and took a moment to take in the landscape.

It was passing by almost too quickly for my camera.

By then, the train had hit its top speed of 320 kilometers per hour (200 mph).

That's a lot faster than Amtrak's Acela Express, the fastest train in the US, with a speed of up to 241 km/h (150 mph).

The cafeteria car had a retro but futuristic vibe with its curved ceilings, wavy bar table, and colorful stools.

It reminded me of what people in the 1960s imagined the future would be like.

After finishing my bag of chips, I headed back to my car for the remaining hour or so of the ride.

Each car is separated by these automatic doors. You press a button to open them.

You could feel the higher speed, though it's probably a credit to the engineering that I didn't feel it too much.

I only really noticed the speed when I looked out the window and saw the scenery whizzing by.

The scenery in Morocco never stops being stunning. To be honest, it wouldn't be so bad to take the slow train.

The bathroom, though new, didn't seem well kept. The bathroom for the first-class cabin had rust already forming around the sink and soap spilling out of the dispenser.

The other bathrooms must've looked worse.

The two-hour ride goes by quickly. Before I knew it, we had passed Rabat and were just a few minutes away from Casablanca, the end of our journey.

Having done many daylong car trips all over Morocco over the previous month, I can't wait until the service is extended to major tourist hubs like Agadir and Marrakech.

Though the train's Moroccan critics have a point about public resources being put into a shiny bauble, it's hard to ignore how well such developments have worked out for similar developing countries.

China famously has facilitated much of the development of its ultrafast rail network. Russia — and soon India — is aiming to do the same thing.

Morocco's success will largely depend on whether foreign investors buy what it's selling and, more crucially, whether Moroccans use the train as much as the ONCF is projecting they will.

The train came into the Casa Voyageurs station, the primary train station in Casablanca.

While it has been open since 1923, the station was recently renovated for $47 million in preparation for the high-speed train.

The Casa Voyageurs station looked just as snazzy as the Tanger Ville Station.

While it will take some time for Morocco and the global cabal of analysts to determine whether the high-speed rail project is a success economically, from a tourist's perspective the experience couldn't have been better.

As I always do after riding a bullet train — whether in Korea, China, Russia, or Morocco — I wondered why the US can't execute such large projects. But one thing I've learned is that these projects usually happen in countries where ruling parties can make decisions without public debate.

That's what happened in Morocco too. Balafrej described the train to The New York Times in 2012 as "a symbol of a Morocco that we do not want — where the most important decisions ... are made without consultation or a public and democratic debate."

• Shortform video app TikTok — which has grown 400 employees in the US — announced on Wednesday it has opened a new LA office.
• TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, which is currently seeking a new head for US operations.
• TikTok also revealed that it will open its own content creation studio in the summer.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

TikTok seems to be everywhere right now.

The app, which allows users to share audio and pair it with different videos, has become a place where memes start and grow, and one politician is even betting it can get elected to congress. With the announcement of its LA office, the company shows that it's planning on sticking around.

It was the second-most downloaded app in the Apple App Store and Google Play store in 2019, surpassed only by Facebook-owned WhatsApp. It has 1.65 billion downloads to date, according to SensorTower.

Check out the photos here.

SEE ALSO: Inside Slack's wild San Francisco headquarters, where each floor is designed to look like nature — from rocky deserts to soothing waterfalls

The five-story office was designed to "embody TikTok's fun and joyful personality."

The company seems to be trying to grow its US presence with a new Culver City office in Los Angeles, where it says it will "continue to scale" its "local operations."

TikTok's past growth in the US has positioned is as a rival to services like Facebook and Instagram, which Facebook owns, and other US tech companies.

The entire office is an open floor plan.

In October, TikTok opened a Palo Alto, California office only minutes away from Facebook's headquarters, in the office that Facebook's messaging app WhatsApp used to occupy. Now it joins Facebook and Google with an LA presence.

It also has what the company described as a "stadium-style presentation and gathering space."

This Culver City office seems to be the next step in TikTok's path to US growth, which TikTok acknowledged in a statement.

"While we are a global company, having a permanent office in LA speaks to our commitment to the US market and deepens our bonds with the city, and the talent and companies, that call it home," the company said.

Decor nods to some of the most popular videos on the app...

...while custom murals add to the youthful, modern aesthetic. The office is even dog-friendly.

TikTok said that it will continue building its LA team, with "key leadership hires across functions like product, content, music, safety, and operations."

While TikTok has nowhere near the number of daily users as Facebook, the app's parent company, ByteDance, is growing quickly. ByteDance has been described as "China's Facebook," and with a valuation of $75 billion, it is the highest valued private company in the world.

The company added that it plans to build a content-creation studio in the office by the summer of 2020, something other platforms like YouTube already offer.

Last month, ByteDance publicly rejected rumors that it was considering selling off its TikTok stake, and now TikTok is seeking a new US-based CEO.

• Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world, has amassed a massive real-estate portfolio across the US.
• Last year, he dropped about $80 million for three adjacent New York City apartments.
• He also owned four other apartments in the city for years. 
• The Amazon CEO's other real-estate holdings include a 29,000-square-foot Seattle estate, a Texas ranch, a Washington DC mansion, and two neighboring Beverly Hills homes.
• It's unknown how Bezos' properties were divided after his divorce from MacKenzie Bezos.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Jeff Bezos has amassed a massive real-estate portfolio across the US, from his home state of Washington to New York City.

A 2017 Land Report named Bezos the country's 28th-largest landowner. In June 2019, the Amazon CEO dropped about $80 million on three adjacent New York City apartments in the priciest real-estate deal ever south of 42nd Street in New York, according to appraiser Jonathan Miller. But he had already owned four apartments in a historic building in the city for years. Bezos also owns two homes in Medina, Washington, and a 30,000-acre ranch in Texas.

It's unknown how Bezos' properties were divided after his divorce from MacKenzie Bezos was finalized in July 2019. Everything acquired throughout the marriage from real estate to income is considered joint property in the Bezos' home state of Washington, as Business Insider's Tanza Loudenback previously reported. Amazon did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on how the properties were divided after the divorce. 

Bezos remains the richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $117 billion, while MacKenzie Bezos is now worth $38 billion, making her one of the richest women in the world.

From two neighboring Beverly Hills mansions to a sprawling estate in an exclusive Seattle suburb, here are all the residential properties Bezos is known to own in the US.

SEE ALSO: A Hong Kong property tycoon is in contract to buy a $262 million mansion in London. The deal stands to shatter the UK's real-estate record.

DON'T MISS: Jeff Bezos had a wild summer of yacht-hopping and jetting off to Wimbledon with his girlfriend. Here's how the world's wealthiest person spent his time.

Jeff Bezos has spent millions of dollars amassing a collection of residential properties over the years.

A 2017 Land Report named the Amazon CEO the country's 28th-largest landowner.

Over the years, he's picked up several New York City apartments, a ranch in Texas, and homes in Washington state, California, and Washington, DC.

Before Bezos' divorce was finalized in July 2019, these properties also belonged to his wife MacKenzie Bezos, as all real estate acquired throughout a marriage is considered joint property in the Bezos' home state of Washington. (They were married in 1993.)

Although Bezos made at least one major real-estate purchase after his divorce was announced, it's unknown how the properties were divided after the couple split up. Amazon did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on the matter.

In June 2019, two months after the couple announced their divorce, the Amazon CEO reportedly dropped about $80 million on three adjacent New York City apartments.

The spread included a three-story penthouse and two units directly below it.

It was the priciest real-estate deal south of 42nd Street in New York, appraiser Jonathan Miller told The Wall Street Journal.

Renderings of the inside of the apartment from creative agency VisualHouse show the opulence of the penthouse.

The apartments have 12 bedrooms in total and span 17,000 square feet of living space.

Bezos' home base is a nearly 29,000-square-foot estate in Medina, Washington.

Bezos' two homes in Medina span about 5.3 acres. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, he paid $10 million for the property in 1998. One home is a 20,600-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom house, and the other is an 8,300-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom home rumored to have cost $53 million. 

Medina, located on a peninsula just across Lake Washington from Seattle, is an exclusive suburb that's also home to Bill Gates, as well as other Microsoft bigwigs, tech entrepreneurs, and telecom magnates.

Many of the neighborhood's mansions are hidden away behind gates and protected by elaborate security systems.

Bezos' estate underwent a $28 million renovation in 2010.

The home, which sits right on the shores of Lake Washington, includes 310 feet of private shoreline and a boathouse.

Bezos also owns property in Beverly Hills, California, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

Bezos bought this Spanish-style mansion in 2007 for $24.45 million.

The seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom Beverly Hills home is advertised by Dream Homes Magazine as having a greenhouse, a sunken and lighted tennis court, a huge swimming pool, four fountains, and a six-car garage. The street is a hotspot for Hollywood stars, and is said to have been home to Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and Walter Matthau.

Ten years later, Bezos also bought a smaller house just next door.

Apparently, the first Beverly Hills house did not fit Bezos' space requirements. In 2017, he bought a comparatively modest four-bedroom, 4,568-square-foot home for $12.9 million right next door to his first house. As you can see in the above picture, Bezos' property dominates the mansion-filled block. 

Bezos owns a 30,000-acre ranch about 30 miles from the town of Van Horn, Texas.

Bezos grew up spending summers on his grandparents' ranch outside of Cotulla, Texas and bought the 30,000-acre Figure 2 ranch to give his family the same experience.

Bezos bought the 30,000-acre property after the seller spent "millions" renovating it.

The U-shaped ranch house seen above is a remnant from the seller, who reportedly put "millions" into renovating it. Behind the home is a bunkhouse that sleeps 12.

The property is also the base for Bezos' private space company, Blue Origin.

Blue Origin made history in 2015 when it successfully launched and landed the reusable rocket, New Shepard. Its goal is to become a space tourism company, ferrying passengers up for weightless rides as soon as April 2019. 

The Amazon CEO can also call the US capital home as of 2016.

In 2016, Bezos bought a former textile museum in Washington, DC for $23 million.

The 27,000-square-foot space in DC's Kalorama neighborhood is a former textile museum and dates back to 1912, earning it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The neighborhood, Kalorama, is a hot spot for Washington big wigs.

The Obamas own a $5.3 million home nearby, and Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner recently moved in right down the street. 

The two joint structures on the property have nearly 27,000 square feet of living space, making it the largest home in Washington, DC.

Bezos is said to be spending $12 million to renovate the homes and the surrounding property.

In January 2020, a source told The Washington that Bezos had also bought the four-bedroom home across the street.

The brick house went on the market for just under $5 million in December 2019 and sold less than a month later, according to the The Washingtonian.

The publication suggests that the Amazon CEO may have picked up the neighboring property to protect his privacy, as the home had a direct view into his mansion across the street.

An Amazon spokesperson did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment on Bezos' rumored purchase of the home.

In addition to his 2019 New York City real-estate purchase, Bezos has already owned real estate in the city for years.

In December 2019, Amazon announced plans to open a new 1,500-employee office in New York City, less than a year after scrapping its plans to build its second headquarters in the city.

But the Amazon CEO has already owned residential property in the city for years.

He bought three condos in a historic Manhattan building overlooking Central Park for $7.65 million in 1999.

In 1999, Bezos bought three condos in the Century building at 25 Central Park West in New York City's Upper West Side under an LLC called "Jetima." The purchase was from former Sony Music head Tommy Mottola for $7.65 million. 

Bezos bought an additional unit for $5.3 million in 2012, making him the owner of four condos in the historic building.

The 32-story Art Deco building was built in 1931 and boasts a concierge, elevator attendants, and three separate entrances, as well as a prime location right next to Central Park.

• Finnair flies between New York and Helsinki with daily service on an Airbus A330-300. I recently flew on it during a trip to Copenhagen for $280 roundtrip in basic economy.
• Basic economy is known for being the most restrictive fare with strict rules limiting what passengers are entitled to including seat assignments and baggage allowance.
• Despite flying in basic economy, Finnair's customer service agents didn't treat me like a steerage class flyer and I was able to get extra amenities just by asking. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Finnair is one of the many airlines that connects New York with Europe, offering daily service between the Big Apple and the airline's hub in Helsinki.

The Finnish flag carrier has been faithfully flying the route for over half a century, celebrating its 50-year anniversary in 2019, while operating the only current nonstop link between the US and Finland with connections into Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Clicking through Google Flights one day, I noticed an unbeatable flight deal to Copenhagen from New York for Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend that involved two legs on Finnair with a return on British Airways for only $280 in economy. 

The catch: the ticket was a basic economy fare. 

Finnair joined the growing list of airlines adopting a basic economy fare for transatlantic flights in 2018 when it introduced an economy "light" fare. The fare has allowed full-service carriers such as Finnair to fight back against the low-cost carriers that entered the transatlantic market in recent years, selling deconstructed tickets where passengers could select what add-ons they wanted. 

With this ticket, according to the American Airlines website where I booked the ticket, I would have to pay to select a seat, pay to check my bags, and board the aircraft in the last group. While I was getting a great deal, it seemed I was being intimidated to pay more for the standard economy fare, which had a difference of a few hundred dollars. 

As it would only be a quick weekend trip with no reason to check bags, I decided to book it and flew my first transatlantic flight in basic economy from New York to Helsinki on Finnair.

Here's what it was like. 

SEE ALSO: I flew long-haul economy on both American Airlines and British Airways to see which was better — here's the verdict

Finnair operates a once-daily flight between New York and Helsinki, departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport at 7:05 p.m. as Finnair flight AY6.

The airline uses Terminal 8 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, a stronghold for American Airlines and the Oneworld airline alliance of which Finnair is a member.

American Airlines is the main tenant in the building, which regards the airport as a gateway rather than a hub but still offers a mix of transatlantic, international, domestic, and regional services.

I arrived at the airport around two and a half hours from the scheduled departure time since early evenings are typically busy at JFK.

Having already checked in on the Finnair mobile app and received my boarding pass, I could skip the check-in desk and head straight to the gate.

Despite not being able to select a seat in advance with the basic economy fare, I was able to select one at check-in free of charge, which is why you should always check-in exactly 24 hours in advance.

I selected a window seat towards the front of the aircraft — not bad for basic economy. I wanted to test my luck and see if there were any rows open so I went up to the counter to ask the check-in agents.

Thankfully, there was no line and I was talking to a check-in agent in seconds.

First, my carry-on had to be weighed to ensure it was under the weight limit of 17.5 pounds (it was).

While there were no rows open to lie down in, the check-in agent offered to put me in an aisle seat and block the seat next to me so I'd have more room. Again, not bad for a $280 basic economy ticket.

After getting my ticket, I head to the security checkpoint where Finnair participates in the TSA PreCheck program.

Being a part of the program, which I get as a perk of being a Global Entry member costing $100 for five years, saved me 32 minutes compared to the normal line.

Only a handful of people were ahead of me in the line and I was through in minutes.

Avoiding the stress of having to wait in that line really made the airport experience more enjoyable.

As I was flying economy and had no elite status, I headed straight to the gate.

Our flight wasn't the only one going to Europe that evening but it would be the only one to Scandinavia.

My gate was in the concourse nearest to security, making for a short walk.

Terminal 8 is one of the more spacious terminals at JFK, with American Airlines renovating it in the early 2000s.

Finnair operates the New York to Helsinki flight with its Airbus A330-300s, formerly the largest aircraft in its modern-day fleet before the arrival of the Airbus A350-900 XWB.

I arrived at the gate two hours early but despite our fight being on a widebody aircraft, boarding wouldn't begin until 35 minutes before departure.

Maximizing chaos at the gate, the boarding area was arranged into only two categories: priority and economy, with no set lines.

And one gate agent holding up signs when it was time for each group to board.

After pre-boarding, the process began with priority customers including business class passengers and any elite status holders.

Economy was divided into groups 3-5, though nobody seemed to pay attention to their group number and just boarded without issue.

The first thing I noticed about the plane was how dark it was for boarding, giving the cabin an icy feel.

The seats were blue with white headrest covers, reflecting the colors of a snowy Finnish day.

My seat was 52H, an aisle seat in the center aisle section of the aircraft.

While it appeared to be cushy just like an older airline, the seat was quite firm and featured a quasi-moveable armrest that didn't really do much for comfort.

According to SeatGuru, the seats feature 32 inches of pitch and 18 inches of width.

A pillow and blanket, headphones, and a bottle of water were left on the seat for passengers to use in lieu of an amenity kit.

Much to my disappointment, the armrests between the seats were only semi-moveable and the aisle armrest was fully immoveable, making the seat seem much smaller. I likely wouldn't have been able to comfortably lie down had the row been open.

Coat hangars were affixed at every seatback, though my heavy winter coat was too big for to coexist with me in the same seat.

The seats had a deep recline but nothing too invasive.

Each seat also had its own in-flight entertainment system that, though weren't the high definition screens found on modern airliners, were loaded with content.

It could either be controlled via the touchscreen or the tethered remote found in the armrest.

The system featured movies, television series, playlists, and games, but required the use of the headphones provided by Finnair as the input was two-prong only.

The highlight, however, was the two exterior cameras that could be viewed from the system, one from the landing gear and the other looking down from the belly.

The seats did have power outlets for 110v AC plugs, but mine didn't work when I plugged in my iPhone charger. Thankfully I packed my portable charger.

Despite having started boarding at 6:30 p.m., we were pushed back from the gate at 7:05 p.m. on the dot.

After a quick taxi to JFK's Runway 4L, we were off to Helsinki.

Our flight path first took us north near Albany before we headed towards Europe.

After takeoff, I started a short movie to pass the time until the meal service, after which I'd head straight to sleep for the overnight crossing.

The flight attendants began the meal service for economy passengers around one hour after departure, announcing the menu would be either chicken with rice or beef stroganoff with complimentary beer and wine.

But first, a "refreshing towel."

I chose the chicken dish consisting of chicken teriyaki, rice, broccoli that came with a small salad, cheese and crackers, and a chocolate crumb cake. As my only meal for the night, I found it very filling and tasty for airplane food.

After dinner, I decided to get some sleep using the eye mask that I brought.

I was able to catch a few hours of sleep before being abruptly awoken by the terrifying, prayer-inducing turbulence that the North Atlantic is known for and wasn't able to fall back asleep for a while.

Eventually, the turbulence passed and I fell asleep again, waking up just as the sun was rising over Scandinavian skies.

The high latitudes that our flight took us to meant sunrise wouldn't come until an hour before landing.

Which is when the breakfast meal service started, with a cold ham and cheese croissant being the only option.

Before being capped off with a before landing chocolate from Karl Fazer.

Finally, after just over seven hours of flight, Helsinki Airport came into view on the camera and our journey had come to an end. Welcome to HEL!

While the Finnair in-flight experience was normal for a transatlantic hop to Europe, the customer service was what stood out. Although I was in basic economy, I wasn't treated as a sub-par passenger who was trying to skirt the system to get a good deal and instead, was given every courtesy.  

When I checked-in for the flight on the app, I had free reign to choose any available seat while other airlines charge for seat changes at check-in for basic economy. Additionally, I was also offered the opportunity to check my bag for free at the airport counter, as well as having the seat next to me blocked off so I could have it to myself. 

This shocked me as my other basic economy experiences have paled in comparison to Finnair and I was glad to be treated as a passenger rather than punished for being a basic economy flyer. Though it wasn't initially my airline of choice for heading to Europe, I certainly would take it again — if the price was right. 

• Laurene Powell Jobs is the widow of the Apple cofounder Steve Jobs and a powerful impact investor with a net worth of $26.8 billion, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimates.
• Powell Jobs will be among the most sought after Democratic megadonors in 2020, having previously supported Sen. Kamala Harris.
• Powell Jobs backed Hillary Clinton in 2016, donating $2 million to her super PAC and hosting $200,000-a-plate fundraiser that raised over $4 million, CNN reported.
• Powell Jobs hosts elaborate Halloween displays at her Palo Alto home, drawing as many as 3,000 trick or treaters each year.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Laurene Powell Jobs is much more than just Steve Jobs' widow. 

The 56-year-old billionaire is a formidable presence in the investing world, and will likely be one in the 2020 election too. Powell Jobs used the $27.5 billion fortune she inherited after the Apple cofounder's death in 2011, to launch her own businesses and philanthropies. 

Here's a look at the life of the businesswoman and philanthropist.

SEE ALSO: Meet secretive Nutella billionaire Giovanni Ferrero, who built a $32 billion fortune off Tic Tacs, Butterfingers, and his namesake chocolates

DON'T MISS: A researcher who interviewed 45 millionaires and billionaires found that they all shared a similar trait: a problem with authority

Laurene Powell Jobs was born in West Milford, New Jersey, in 1963.

Source: Vogue

Her father, a pilot, died in a plane collision when she was 3 years old, and her mother later remarried.

Source: Vogue

Powell Jobs double-majored in political science and economics at the University of Pennsylvania, later heading west to Stanford University for an MBA.

Source: New York Times, Stanford

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, she worked on Wall Street for Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs.

Source: New York Times, Stanford

She enrolled in Stanford's Graduate School of Business in 1989.

Source: New York Times, Stanford

That's where she met Steve Jobs, her future husband.

Sources: New York Times, International Business Times

According to Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs, Powell Jobs got dragged along to a campus event by a friend. It turned out to be a guest lecture by Jobs.

Source: "Steve Jobs"

"I knew that Steve Jobs was the speaker, but the face I thought of was that of Bill Gates," Powell Jobs told Isaacson. "I had them mixed up."

Source: "Steve Jobs"

"This was 1989," Powell Jobs added. "He was working at NeXT, and he was not that big of a deal to me. I wasn't that enthused, but my friend was, so we went."

Source: "Steve Jobs"

The pair arrived late and were told they couldn't just sit in the aisle. Powell Jobs and her friend ended up sneaking into the reserved seats at the front of the hall.

Source: "Steve Jobs"

Jobs ended up sitting next to his future wife. "I looked to my right, and there was a beautiful girl there, so we started chatting while I was waiting to be introduced," Jobs said.

Source: "Steve Jobs"

Powell Jobs joked that she was sitting up front because she'd won a raffle and the prize included a dinner with Jobs.

Source: "Steve Jobs"

Jobs finished the lecture and chased after his future wife, who had already walked out of the hall.

Source: New York Times, International Business Times, "Steve Jobs"

He found Powell Jobs in the parking lot and asked her about the raffle. She agreed to go to dinner with him on that Saturday, and they exchanged numbers.

Source: "Steve Jobs"

Jobs prepared to leave for a work dinner, but returned to Powell Jobs. He asked if she'd like to go to dinner that night. She agreed, and they headed to a nearby restaurant called Saint Michael's Alley.

Source: "Steve Jobs"

While Jobs' NeXT colleagues waited for their boss to show up, the tech founder and Powell Jobs spent four hours at the restaurant.

Source: "Steve Jobs"

The couple remained together after that night.

Source: New York Times, International Business Times

They married in March 1991 at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park.

Source: International Business Times, Vogue

The couple had three children: Reed, Erin, and Eve.

Source: International Business Times, Vogue

When Jobs died from cancer in 2011, his wife inherited his wealth, including stakes in Apple and The Walt Disney Company. The inheritance left Powell Jobs a billionaire.

Source: Bloomberg

Her stake in Disney initially made her the company's largest individual shareholder, but she has reduced her ownership to 4%.

Source: Variety, Bloomberg Billionaires Index

Powell Jobs spends a lot of her fortune on philanthropy.

Source: New York Times

"In the broadest sense, we want to use our knowledge and our network and our relationships to try to effect the greatest amount of good," she told The New York Times in 2013.

Source: New York Times

In 1992, she founded a health-food truck called Terravera with fellow Stanford MBA grad John Mullane. The pair sold Basmati rice platters and burritos with black bean dressing to white-collar workers in office parks. "We just wanted to offer a convenient way for them to eat healthy food," Powell Jobs told the Chicago Tribune in 1992.

Source: Chicago Tribune

She later backed away from Terravera to focus on her volunteer work tutoring underprivileged students in East Palo Alto.

Source: Vogue

In 1997, Powell Jobs founded College Track, a nonprofit organization that helps prepare low-income students for college through tutoring and mentoring.

Source: College Track

College Track now operates centers in three states and the District of Columbia.

Source: College Track

Powell Jobs founded Emerson Collective in 1997, a "social change organization" named after one of her favorite authors, Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Source: Los Angeles Times, Motley Fool, Vogue

The Emerson Collective makes grants and investments that focus on immigration, social justice, and education.

Source: Los Angeles Times, Motley Fool, Vogue

The Emerson Collective is a private company rather than a traditional nonprofit and has funded several startups. The Washington Post described it as a "kind of Justice League of practical progressives."

Source: Motley Fool, Washington Post

Emerson Collective projects include AltSchool, a venture-capital-backed school that aimed to transform education by personalizing student instruction with technology. AltSchool made disappointing revenues and handed over control of its four schools to another start-up in 2019.

Source: Forbes

In September 2015, Powell Jobs pledged $50 million via Emerson to fund a campaign called "XQ: The Super School Project."

Source: New York Times

That venture aims to transform education by revamping how high schools approach curriculum. Powell Jobs is the chairwoman of XQ's board of directors.

Source: New York Times

Powell Jobs has also served on the board of several other organizations, including Teach for America, Conservation International, and the New America Foundation.

Source: Bloomberg

She's a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Stanford University's board of trustees.

Source: Bloomberg

Along with Michael Bloomberg and Ray Dalio, Powell Jobs is a founding member of the Climate Leadership Council.

Source: Climate Leadership Council 

In addition to her work with various causes, Powell Jobs has a reputation as a major art collector.

Source: Art News

Powell Jobs collects contemporary art and she was named one of Art New's Top 200 Collectors in 2019.

Source: Art News

She's also a big sports fan. She bought a 20% stake in the company that owns the NBA's Washington Wizards, the NHL's Washington Capitals, and Washington, D.C.'s Capital One Arena in October 2018.

Source: Washington Post

Powell Jobs and Emerson Collective partnered with writer Leon Wieseltier to form a new magazine called Idea. She scrapped the venture when Wieseltier's former colleagues at the New Republic came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against him in October 2017.

Source: CNN, The Wrap

In July 2017, Emerson Collective acquired a majority stake in The Atlantic.

Source: Forbes, Atlantic

Powell Jobs released a statement commending the magazine for its drive to "bring about equality for all people; to illuminate and defend the American idea; to celebrate American culture and literature; and to cover our marvelous, and sometimes messy, democratic experiment."

Source: Forbes, Atlantic

Emerson has also waded into politics. The Collective purchased television ads attacking President Trump's decision to rescind DACA in 2017.

Source: Vox

Powell Jobs has also put millions of dollars into political campaigns. She backed Kamala Harris's presidential campaign before the California senator withdrew from the race in December.

Source: Business Insider

Powell Jobs backed Hillary Clinton in 2016, donating $2 million to her Super PAC and hosting $200,000-a-plate fundraiser at that raised over $4 million.

Source: CNN

Powell Jobs is most passionate about education and immigration policy. She met with President Trump to discuss the topics in March 2017.

Source: CNN

Powell Jobs lives in a $16.5 million home in San Francisco that boasts six bedrooms, 6 1/2 bathrooms, and incredible views of the city.

Source: Business Insider

Powell Jobs owns three other homes in the Bay Area, including this 5,768-square-foot house she shared with her late husband.

Source: Business Insider

She puts on elaborate Halloween shows in front of that house each year that attract as many as 3,000 people. In 2019, the event was called "Fog Town" and featured a jack-o'-lantern tower and professional lighting, actors, and special effects.

Source: Business Insider

Powell Jobs also spends some of her free time beekeeping.

Source: Vogue

When she and her family are looking to get away, they sail off on the Venus. The yacht cost at least €100 million ($110 million) to build, and was commissioned by Jobs but completed after he died.

Source: Boat, Yachting, Feadship, Cult of Mac

The yacht has been spotted in Göcek, Turkey; Milos, Greece; and Brijuni, Croatia.

Source: Boat, Total Croatia News

Despite her luxurious lifestyle and widespread influence, Powell Jobs tries to keep a low profile.

Source: Washington Post

"I'm very aware of the fact that we're all just passing through here," Powell Jobs told The Washington Post. "I feel like I'm hitting my stride now ... It is my goal to effectively deploy resources. If there's nothing left when I die, that's just fine."

Source: Washington Post

• A company called MSCHF has quietly been creating some of the most absurd, cynical, and viral projects and products that have spread across the internet.
• Products from the seven-person company range from an astrology-based stock trading app, to a toaster-shaped bathbomb, to Holy Water-filled sneakers.
• CEO Gabriel Whaley recently told Business Insider that MSCHF runs on "unstructured chaos" — the team believes that nothing is off limits, allowing them to do "whatever the f--k we want."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Their only post on LinkedIn refers to themselves as a dairy company. It's probably the best, and only, description you'll ever get of the startup behind AI-generated feet photos, an app for making stock investments based on astrological signs, and Nike sneakers filled with Holy Water.

Even its CEO and founder isn't sure how to characterize the company.

"A brand of what? I don't know. Being a company kills the magic," Gabriel Whaley recently told Business Insider. "We're trying to do stuff that the world can't even define."

Whaley is the founder and CEO of MSCHF, the company behind some of the most viral stunts, stories, and products that have spread throughout the meme-laden, cynical internet community. Their products are meant to poke fun at everything and anything, because MSCHF takes pride in pushing the boundaries.

There's no apparent thread connecting MSCHF's slew of projects: The team has built a browser add-on that disguises your Netflix watching as a conference call, designed a squeaking rubber chicken bong for smoking weed, and created a YouTube channel solely consisting of videos of a man eating everything from a tub of mayonnaise to a photo of Pete Davidson. But for Whaley, the lack of continuity is the point: As long as the team can figure out the resources to create and launch a product, "nothing is safe."

"Our perspective is everything is funny in a nihilistic sort of way," Whaley said. "We're not here to make the world a better place. We're making light of how much everything sucks."

Business Insider visited the headquarters of MSCHF in December, located at a nondescript address that blends in among the warehouses peppered throughout Brooklyn's trendy Williamsburg neighborhood. The space is dingy, with cult-classic movie posters on the walls and tables covered in loose papers and partially unpacked MSCHF products. The "conference room" is a tiny loft located up a flight of stairs bearing a sole plastic chair. Whaley is quick to share that the roof leaks when it rains and the heating isn't great, and takes pride in showing off the inside of the single-stall bathroom filled with graffiti and artwork.

Before MSCHF, Whaley was a West Point military academy dropout who was already heralding goofy viral projects on his own, such as an app that was essentially Tinder for airplane travelers. His work landed him a brief stint at BuzzFeed in 2013, but he left after a year when the department he worked in was shut down. He officially launched MSCHF in 2016.

Now, MSCHF is 10 employees strong. They're all twenty-somethings — including just one woman who was hired in 2020 — and Whaley describes them as "fans of mischief." In the four years since founding MSCHF, Whaley hired his team along the way: one employee he found playing soccer in Chinatown, and another he hired by sliding into his DMs.

When a mass shipment of MSCHF's latest product is delivered to the office — a dark $10 toaster bath bomb— all seven employees in the office that day crowd to the center of the warehouse to unpack them and get them ready to be shipped to customers. It's a flurry of activity, a cloud of cardboard boxes and packing materials.

The layout of its headquarters is a stark reflection of the MSCHF's unofficial doctrine to adhere to "unstructured chaos." Daniel Greenberg, MSCHF's head of commerce, flaunted how MSCHF shirks the traditional business model: The MSCHF team currently sets aside no budget for advertisements and marketing, and conducts no user testing of its products.

It's also unclear whether, or how, the MSCHF team makes any money. In the past three months, the company has closed two rounds of funding from investors — including an $8 million round just made public this week — totalling $11.5 million, according to PitchBook's funding database.

However, Whaley told Business Insider he's not worried about the sustainability MSCHF's current way of business, and how the company can continue to scale. To the MSCHF team, the only opinion that matters is theirs, and their only goal is to get people to notice them — whether that attention is negative or not.

"If we can make people a fan of the brand and not the product, we can do whatever the f--k we want," Greenberg, the head of commerce, told Business Insider. "We build what we want. We don't care."

There are times when this dissident outlook has gotten MSCHF in trouble from entities and companies that don't share the same attitude. Slack shut down an open Slack workspace where anyone could compete in guessing the word of the day to win $1000. In its most blatant middle finger to the establishment, MSCHF created a shell restaurant called "The Blue Donkey", where employees who pay for meals using company money or corporate perks could pretend to order "food" using an online delivery app, like Grubhub or Seamless. In actuality, those "food" orders were political donations to candidates with anti-corporate policies. Blue Donkey lasted only hours before it was shut down.

MSCHF has since committed itself to releasing a new product every two weeks: Its newest release is Clickswipe, a desktop app that swipes right on Tinder anytime you click the mouse on your computer. In line with its anti-establishment attitude, MSCHF only announces its products via text message (you can sign up for early access on its website). Despite their limited publicity, MSCHF frequently sells out their products — they only make 1,000 units — "in minutes," Greenberg, the head of commerce, told Business Insider.

"We're in this weird place where we're not really thinking like a business," Greenberg said. "We just do shit, and people buy our stuff."

SEE ALSO: The married couple who created a wacky sex button went on 'Shark Tank' and the investors didn't understand why it even exists

Join the conversation about this story »

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• The Insider Picks team has tested hundreds of handy cooking tools and gadgets, many of which we use every day.
• From $6 fish spatulas to $130 Breville juicers, these 20 items have a permanent place in our kitchens and are never placed further than our arms can reach.
• Read more: The best juicers you can buy

Every time I go to my local grocery store, a general home goods store, or Target, I'm surprised at the sheer amount of kitchen gadgets and cooking tools that exist. It seems like there's a slicer, dicer, peeler, and chopper for just about every fruit and vegetable. There are different spatulas and pans for cooking all sorts of things. You can even get machines that are made to only make waffles. 

When shopping for your kitchen, many of these little gadgets and tools may seem frivolous. You may be left to wonder, "Will I actually use that avocado slicer? Or would a regular knife suffice?" 

To help you answer that pressing question, and others like it, we rounded up our favorite handy kitchen gadgets and cooking tools we've come to rely on.

Here are 22 clever cooking tools we use every day:

Silicone oven mitts

Honla Silicone Oven Mitts, available at Amazon, $10.58

I tend to take things very literally, so to me, the "hand-iest" tool that I use in the kitchen has to be these silicone oven mitts from Honla. While there is nothing flashy about these mitts, they perform exactly as you would hope a pair of oven mitts should. They slip on and off easy, the silicone exterior provides a solid grip on whatever you may be pulling out of the oven, and they do not let any heat through to your hands. — Danny Bakst, senior content producer

A handheld citrus juicer

Cucisina Lemon Juicer, available at Amazon, $7.68

If you frequently cook with lemons or limes, or you just make a lot of guacamole, you need this $7 tool in your drawer. It stops seeds falling into your food and ensures you get every last drop of juice. — Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy for Insider Picks

A foldable cutting board

Joseph Joseph Foldable Cutting Board, available at Amazon, $9.83

If you do a lot of batch cooking or you tend to prepare meals that require lots of chopping, you need this cutting board. The handle makes it easy to hold and maneuver around the kitchen, and the foldable sides ensure that nothing falls off the board while you do so. — Remi Rosmarin, reporter

A hand mixer

Breville Hand Mixer, available at Amazon, $112.41

I don't have the space for a KitchenAid stand mixer in my small New York City apartment, so I opted for a Breville hand mixer instead — and woah, I did not realize how effortless it could be to prepare cookie doughs and cake batters. I especially like this mixer's easy-to-adjust speed control and built-in light. It comes with three different types of attachments and a see-through container to store both the attachments and the device itself. — Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy for Insider Picks

A citrus zester and cheese grater

Microplane Coarse Grater, available at Amazon, $14.28

Whether you're zesting lemons or grating Parmesan cheese or even fresh nutmeg, this is the best possible tool for the job. The top has a little rubber cover that keeps the grater stable on a cutting board, and the handle provides a comfortable grip. It's dishwasher safe, very sharp, and extremely effective. I store mine on a hook for easier access I also really appreciate that there's a built-in loop for hanging. — Sally Kaplan, senior editor

A fish spatula

AdeptChef Stainless Steel Fish Spatula, available at Amazon, $8.97

I think I've told everyone I know about this fish spatula. I'm actually a vegetarian, so I don't even use it for fish, but it's designed precisely to be able to handle and flip delicate foods. So yes, it's great for fish (probably) but it's also great for literally anything else you cook in a pan. It's flexible with a razor-thin edge so you can get underneath anything to flip it without dislodging that crispy crust or perfect sear you worked hard to achieve. Throw away your other spatulas and replace them with these — you won't be sorry! And if you need further convincing, here's my in-depth review of this fish spatula. — Sally Kaplan, senior editor

A splatter screen for frying pans

Williams Sonoma Silicone Splatter Screen, available at Williams Sonoma, $19.96

Williams-Sonoma's splatter screen has helped me crack down on kitchen grease big time. The screen's small perforations let steam escape so that my food never gets soggy, but they keep in all the grease that would have otherwise ended up all over my stove and the areas that immediately surround it. — Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy for Insider Picks

An indoor grill press

George Foreman 4-Serving Grill and Panini Press, available at Amazon, $32.64

Upon learning that my meals mostly consisted of whatever I could boil, my father sent me this handy $40 George Foreman Grill to make cooking full meals — including protein — easier and therefore more appealing. It really has been a lifesaver. It makes a quick healthy meal of chicken and veggies in minutes, and it works as a panini press. The plates are removable and easy to clean, and it's extremely versatile for how affordable it was. It also doesn't hurt that the sloped surface drains about 42% of the fat. — Mara Leighton, reporter

An air fryer

Krups 2.5-Liter Air Fryer, $73.14, available at Amazon

I've used this appliance way more than I expected because it basically acts as a speedy convection oven. I hate cranking up my oven just to re-crisp my leftovers or make a small side dish, and this air fryer is the perfect alternative. It's easy to use and clean, and helps you make healthier versions of your favorite fried foods. — Connie Chen, senior reporter

A detachable grater

Chef'n Tower Grater, available at Amazon, $39.99

This clever tower grater from Chef'n is a new favorite for me. Each of the three sides, which have differently-sized grating holes, can be removed from the base and used on their own. If you keep the tower intact while you grate, your cheese or veggies will stay safely tucked inside. — Sally Kaplan, senior editor

A potato ricer

UberChef Stainless Steel Potato Ricer, available at Amazon, $17.99

My time-saving hack for silky-smooth and creamy mashed potatoes is a potato ricer (you also need to add lots of butter and sour cream). You simply place boiled potatoes into the ricer and give it a squeeze, forcing the potatoes through the many tiny holes and into a bowl. It's much less arm work than a regular masher, and the results are 1,000 times better. No lumps, no problems! — Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy for Insider Picks

A miniature spiralizer

Vegetti Spiralizer, available at Amazon, $9.99

Get your laughs out now, everyone. I know the name of this gadget is not great, but it works really well for such a simple tool. Each end makes veggie noodles in a different size, and all you have to do is twist your zucchini, cucumber, carrot, or other long veggie around to create them. It takes up a lot less space than those huge spiralizers, but one thing to watch out for is that you don't catch your finger on the blades inside when you get down to the last little bit of whatever you're spiralizing. — Sally Kaplan, senior editor

A waffle maker

Krups Belgian Waffle Maker, available at Amazon, $59.17

A waffle maker is one of those single-use tools most people are unsure about, but Krups' has earned its place in my kitchen. It turns out perfectly shaped diner-like waffles in about 10 minutes and has become a regular part of my weekend routine. Plus, its grates pop off, so you can easily clean it without risking any damage. — Brandt Ranj, former reporter

A sous vide tool

ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide, available at Amazon, $239.95

Sous vide cooking, which uses an immersion technique that involves putting food in sealed bags and cooking it in a water bath, used to be restricted to restaurants because of its expense, but ChefSteps puts that power into the home chef's hands with the Joule. This tool cooks meats and vegetables perfectly by bringing them up to a pre-set temperature and doesn't let anything overcook. — Brandt Ranj, former reporter

We also named the Joule the top pick in our sous vide buying guide.

A smart speaker

Echo (2nd Generation) Smart Speaker, available at Amazon, $99.99

I'm an amateur cook, and one reason why I don't do it often (and thereby don't get any better) is because I hate having to continually refer back to a cookbook or a recipe on my phone. This lets me ask cooking questions to Alexa without taking my hands off the cutting board or having to pause my podcast or music — since I'm probably already using the Echo to listen. It also helps with the boredom I still feel whilst cooking. — Mara Leighton, reporter

A utensil holder

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Rotating Utensil Holder, available at Amazon, $19.95

If your kitchen drawer can't easily open or close because it's overstuffed, OXO's utensil holder is the answer. It has three sections that hold everything from my spatula to my citrus press, and its rotating bottom makes it easy to get at whatever I need. — Brandt Ranj, former reporter

A silicone muffin pan

Silpat Silicone Muffin Pan, available at Williams Sonoma, $59.95

I was perfectly content using regular muffin pans until I had the opportunity to try Silpat's. Now I'm ruined. What makes this pan so good is its non-stick material, which allows you to pop out the muffins without letting them cool first or using grease. — Brandt Ranj, former reporter

Seconded! Brandt and I are both obsessed with these muffin pans. I threw out my metal one immediately after trying this for the first time. We tested out the Silpat muffin pans together a little while back in case you want a more in-depth review. — Sally Kaplan, senior editor

A juicer

Breville Juice Fountain Plus Juice Extractor, available at Amazon, $128.99

I don't know if this counts as cooking, but it's definitely an unexpected key player in my kitchen. It's pretty big and bulky, but it's relatively easy to clean and makes a flawless eight-ounce. cup of juice in only five seconds. — Mara Leighton, reporter

A set of just the essentials

The Fundamentals, $175, available at Material

If you're a minimalist whose goal is to pare down, not add to the clutter of your kitchen, you'll want to take a look at kitchen essentials brand Material. Its Fundamentals Set comprises two knives, a pair of tongs, a wooden spoon, a metal spoon, a slotted spatula, and a wooden base to hold it all together, but my favorite is the tongs. You can lock and unlock the tongs simply by squeezing and flipping with one hand, giving you the power to multitask and the feeling of a pro chef who knows exactly what they're doing. — Connie Chen, senior reporter

Adhesive hooks

Fufcu Adhesive Wall Hooks (16-pack), available at Amazon, $6.86

Another tool I use to clean up my drawer is this set of adhesive hooks, which line the wall behind my sink and counter. They're the perfect size to hold awkwardly sized utensils, like a burger mold or measuring cups. — Brandt Ranj, former reporter

• Everlane has a great line of $100 cashmere sweaters for women and men.
• The relatively low cost reflects Everlane's transparent pricing and declining costs in raw materials.
• I wore the $100 Cashmere Crew as an unofficial uniform the last two winters, and it's a great deal.

It's that time of year again. The cold is creeping in through drafty windowsills, Central Park once again smells like decomposing leaves and roasted peanuts, and cashmere and wool coats — the unofficial mascots of the winter season — are being unfolded from their summertime storage. 

For me, that means Everlane's $100 Cashmere Crew, which without much conscious involvement, becomes my cold weather uniform — a reliable choice for everything from weekend apple picking outings to groggy Monday mornings. 

It's warm and soft, but still ultimately lightweight, making it perfect on its own, layered, or tucked into a skirt. The relaxed fit works for the office, weekend plans, or lounging around the house with a cup of coffee and a book. This also makes it a good investment piece, since I can wear it alone on chilly fall nights and layered during colder winter nights. It is a closet staple for six months of the year.

In other words, the Cashmere Crew has been a great use of $100.

It's a foundational closet piece, and it never disappoints. I've had more fun buying statement pieces, but rarely have I ever gotten so much wear per dollar.

The Crew comes in seven sizes (XXS-XXL) and 15 colors for women and six sizes (XS - XXL) and 10 colors for men, but I suggest starting with a staple color that works with the bulk of your closet, like black, charcoal, or dark navy. You can always stock up on more colors, but I guarantee you will thank yourself for beginning with one that weathers repeated wears gracefully. I ordered true to size, but if you're concerned about tightness, you should be happy with the next size up. 

Read more: These new upcycled knit boots from Everlane fit like a glove — here's what 5 women thought about its new sock-like ankle boot

It's not cheap, but it is relatively affordable. Everlane uses Grade-A cashmere — the best there is — but sells it at the same price you might find Grade-C in another store. Unlike lower-quality options, Grade-A is stronger and doesn't pill as easily. 

According to Everlane, the cost of raw cashmere fluctuates wildly, and retailers raise prices to reflect higher cashmere costs when necessary. However, they rarely lower prices when the raw cost declines. Because of their 100% transparency model, Everlane has adjusted prices to reflect the declining cashmere costs in recent years (from $125 originally to $100 for the last few years).

Cashmere sweaters — like many items on the site — have a pricing breakdown for the interested customer. According to the company, it cost $46.21 to make the women's Cashmere Crew, and traditional retail markup would sell it for $210. Everlane has priced it at $100. 

Though you are getting a nicer form of cashmere, $100 still isn't chump change. But, if you're looking for a good deal, then this is a great option.

I don't have a minimalist closet with spare options, but I opt to wear this sweater at least once a week during the cold season. It's soft, comfortable, flattering, and comes in a silhouette that makes it even more versatile than the average crewneck cashmere sweater. If you need to stock up on winter closet workhorses you know you're going to inevitably live in, you may want to take a look. 

Shop all Everlane Cashmere.

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• Realtor.com determined the best affordable beach towns in the Caribbean and Central America area for those looking to buy a home. 
• Realtor.com looked at the best beach destinations as ranked by travel publications like Condé Nast Traveler and TripAdvisor, then checked to see which towns near those destinations met certain affordability criteria.
• Researchers found that popular tourist spot Tulum, Mexico, was one of the most affordable beach towns.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Winter is in full swing, and many are already dreaming of an escape — perhaps to a beach-side investment property of one's very own.

In 2019, the data team at Realtor.com determined the best and most affordable beach towns in the Caribbean and Central American area.

To develop their ranking, Realtor.com took into consideration various factors, including the home price per square meter, population growth, local homicide rate, life expectancy, gross domestic product growth, and the town's international beach ranking. The website also noted the conditions which American buyers must follow in order to invest in real estate overseas, resulting in towns with overly restrictive real-estate guidelines being excluded from the list. 

It concluded that Tulum, Mexico, is the best affordable beach town for prospective homebuyers. Beyond just beautiful beaches, Tulum is also one of the top culinary towns in Mexico and home to well-preserved Mayan ruins, Realtor.com notes.

Keep reading to see which other beach towns made the ranking, in order from most to least expensive price per square meter.

Note: All figures are sourced from Realtor.com unless otherwise indicated.

SEE ALSO: 9 countries where you can buy a second passport — and what it'll cost you to secure it

DON'T MISS: The world's top 20 trending travel destinations for 2020, according to Airbnb

10. Falmouth Harbour, Antigua ⁠— The town offers breathtaking views of the beach and is in close proximity to a reef teeming with sea-life. Condé Nast Traveler once reported that Falmouth Harbour was one of the top beaches in the world.

Price per square meter in Antigua: $3,501

Note: Foreign buyers have to get a license first and have to pay a fee equivalent to 5% of the home's value. 

Source: Condé Nast Traveler, Realtor.com

9. Kittian Village, St. Kitts ⁠— This tiny island offers guests sandy beaches and dolphin adventures.

Price per square meter in St. Kitts: $3,496

Note: You'll probably need to secure a local lawyer to help you handle applying for a land-holding license, which is necessary for most Americans looking to invest in St. Kitts real estate.

Source: Instagram, Realtor.com

8. St. John, US Virgin Islands ⁠— After being hit with back-to-back with hurricanes in 2017, home prices have dropped dramatically in this region. But the island of St. John is slowly bouncing back to reclaim its title as one of the "most naturally beautiful isle[s] in the Caribbean," according to Realtor.com.

Price per square meter in St. John: $3,235

Source: Realtor.com

7. Crane Bay, Barbados ⁠— This town is surrounded by gorgeous cliffs that look down upon what Realtor.com noted as "one of the prettiest beaches in the Caribbean."

Price per square meter in Barbados: $2,739

Note: Americans are treated like locals when buying here, in terms of real-estate transaction fees and taxes, but foreign buyers must pay in all cash upfront.

Source: Instagram, Realtor.com

6. Maracas Bay Village, Trinidad and Tobago ⁠— Just hours away from Port of Spain, this village is located right next to the country's rainforest and provides clear views of the beautiful ocean.

Price per square meter in Trinidad: $2,334

Note: Foreign buyers have to acquire a license before purchasing property.

Source: Realtor.com

5. Caye Caulker, Belize ⁠— With a population of under 2,000, Caye Caulker is also known as "budget island." The island is also right next to the Belize Barrier Reef, the third biggest coral reef in the world.

Price per square meter in Belize: $2,322

Source: Realtor.com

4. Playa Bonita, Dominican Republic ⁠—Far from tourist-crowded areas like Punta Cana and Santo Domingo, this beach town is a cosmopolitan of Italian, French, and Spanish influences.

Price per square meter in Dominican Republic: $2,078

Note: All Americans need to do to buy a home is show a copy of their passport. 

Source: Realtor.com

3. Dominical, Costa Rica ⁠—This town sits at the intersection of the jungle, mountains, and beach. It has year-long surfing weather, with beautiful sunsets over the Pacific Ocean.

Price per square meter in Costa Rica: $1,938

Note: Costa Rica has particularly low property taxes, and Realtor.com notes that Costa Rica's relatively unrestrictive property laws tend to treat foreign buyers the same as local buyers. 

Source: Instagram, Realtor.com

2. Rodney Bay, St. Lucia ⁠— This bustling port is home to a vibrant international expat community. There are shops, bars, and of course, beautiful beaches.

Price per square meter in St. Lucia: $1,860

Note: Realtor.com notes that in order to buy land here, Americans must hire an attorney to acquire a local license for them.

Source: Instagram, Realtor.com

1. Tulum, Mexico ⁠—Filled with beautiful white sandy beaches, Tulum, over the years, has garnered the reputation of being one of the culinary hubs of southern Mexico. Also home to well-preserved ancient Mayan ruins, this town offers affordable condos and homes, just minutes from the Caribbean coast.

Price per square meter in Mexico: $1,852

Note: Mexico forbids buying in some coastal areas and also requires foreign buyers to have a trust set up with a Mexican bank in order to purchase property.

Source: Realtor.com

• Ironing is a real hassle, but you can get the wrinkles out of your clothes much easier with a great steamer.
• All of our research points to the PurSteam Elite Garment Steamer as the best clothes steamer you can buy to keep your clothing wrinkle-free.

Crisp, unwrinkled clothes simply improve your look, whether you're trying to attract someone or score a job, but getting perfectly pressed clothes takes time and effort. By most standards of thinking, your options for fresh-pressed clothes are to A) send your clothes out and have a laundromat or dry cleaner make them wrinkle-free, which can weigh down on your wallet quickly, or to B) bring out the ironing board and iron your clothes each day, which requires time as well as some level of skill. Luckily there's a third, often-overlooked option: steaming.

Steaming clothes is a less complicated process than ironing that achieves equally wrinkle-free results. It's the go-to choice in various professional industries such as fashion and broadcast where items may need to be packed up and moved often.

There are various types of garment steamers, but they all generally function the same way. Water is placed in a base or reservoir, heated to produce steam, and that steam is released through a wide nozzle which you hover over whatever it is you're looking to de-wrinkle. Usually, pressure or direct contact with the wrinkled fabrics is not required as the high heat of the steam is what removes the wrinkles.

Steaming saves time, reduces wear and tear, is safe for nearly any fabric, sanitizes your clothes, helps you avoid chemicals, and best of all, steaming your clothes saves you money. That's why we've picked out the best clothes steamers you can buy.

We evaluated each of the following models by looking at the steam production, heat-up time, wrinkle removal efficacy, and durability. We referenced online recommendations from industry leaders, and sites that specialize in the cleaning of household industries, as well as personal experience. Read on to find out which clothes steamer is best for your needs and budget.

Here are the best clothes steamers:

• Best clothes steamer overall: PurSteam Elite Garment Steamer
• Best budget steamer: URPOWER Garment Steamer
• Best handheld steamer: Rowenta X-Cel Steam Handheld Steamer
• Best steamer for travel: Conair Travel Smart Garment Steamer
• Best heavy-duty steamer: J-2000 Jiffy Garment Steamer

Updated on 1/23/2020 by Jen Gushue: Added new pick for best travel steamer.

The best overall

The PurSteam Elite Garment Steamer produces perfect steam for 60 minutes to remove wrinkles from all your clothes.

The PurSteam Elite Garment Steamer accomplishes two vital tasks with perfection: It removes wrinkles and makes steaming easier. Plus it comes with a money-back guarantee and five-year warranty, so you know it's made to last. While it's not a professional unit, it can handle a family's worth of clothes with the 61-ounce tank that heats up in just under a minute and provides 60 minutes of stable steam.

The design is part of what makes this steamer so appealing. It has a handy, adjustable hanger that is expandable from 15 to 19 inches. That means no more holding up your clothes or searching for a hook just to steam. It also has clips to help hold other fabrics, such as small children's clothing, pillowcases, and more in place. The hanger is collapsible and the top hanger part can be replaced with a brush hook which makes for easy storage.

It comes with a convenient handheld steam board to de-wrinkle collars, pockets, and sleeves, that also doubles as a crease attachment to provide a more polished, or what one might call dry-cleaned look that gives structure to collars, sleeves, plackets, hems, and other clothing areas where a completely steamed, flat finish would just appear odd. 

It can handle delicate to heavy materials, as it provides steam up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit that penetrates deep and relaxes fibers. The high temperature means it works faster than ironing and allows it to freshens clothes killing up to 99.9% of germs. Finally, the cost is actually reasonable, especially compared to other standing steam steamers.

The PurSteam Steamer is featured in Parents Need, where the author notes it can even disinfect your carpet. It's listed in Smart Home Guide and Best Advisor, too.

The critical reviews mostly center around the product not having a consistent flow stream, which may be caused by calcium or mineral buildup due to using tap water instead of distilled water in the unit.

Pros: Reasonable price, quality customer service/guarantee, handy built-in hanger, steams for 60 consecutive minutes, convenient add-ons and accessories, sanitizing features   

Cons: May not provide a consistent steam flow

The best budget steamer

More powerful than a travel steamer but still mobile enough to carry, the URPOWER Garment Steamer eliminates wrinkles faster than your average iron.

The URPOWER Garment Steamer makes steaming anywhere a quick and easy process. The 1.2-pound device heats up and provides steam in only two minutes, yet with a 130-milliliter tank, it provides constant steam for 7 to 10 minutes. This upgraded model has a new nozzle design that distributes steam more powerfully and consistently, making it easier to remove stubborn wrinkles.

Even if you're new to steaming, you won't have much trouble learning how to use this steamer. It conveniently features an automatic shut-off function if the unit gets too hot or the water level is too low, which protects your clothing as well as the longevity of the unit, which already comes with a two-year warranty.

Because it measures 3.7-by-8.8-by-6.2 inches, it's smaller than an iPad, so you could carry it around without much of a hassle in case your steaming needs take you out of your house. It comes with a handy travel pouch, too.

The steamer has a 4 out of 5-star rating in the Parents Need, is listed in BestSeekers, and is ranked number one in an AOL article.

Pros: Price, built-in safety features, easy to use, small enough it's portable, upgraded nozzle design

Cons: May spit water occasionally, questionable longevity

The best handheld steamer

Rowenta X-Cel Handheld Steamer emits powerful steam to make wrinkles disappear, plus, it's not too big.

Rowenta's X-Cel Handheld Steamer is a small, handheld steamer that's just the right size for anyone who needs to quickly steam some wrinkles out of tomorrow's suit, dress shirt, and tie. It's not a huge steamer, but it gets small jobs done quickly with little fuss.

The steamer emits 1500 Watts worth of steam for 10 minutes straight and heats up in about 40 to 45 seconds. The stainless steel head has several holes for even steam distribution, and it comes with fabric brush, lint pad, and steam bonnet attachments so you can steam any fabric without destroying it.

Because it's not overly large, Rowenta's steamer is easy to hold and fairly lightweight. I use it to steam my clothes on a regular basis and find it very easy to use. The water tank may be small, but I've never had trouble refilling it and I rarely use it for 10 minutes straight, so I've never exhausted the water supply mid-steam.

If you don't steam too many clothes or fabrics all at once and you want a small steamer that you can pack away at a moment's notice, this is it. — Malarie Gokey

Pros: Strong steam, small size, easy to hold, not too heavy

Cons: Pricey, small tank

The best for travel

With a compact, foldable design, the Conair Travel Smart Garment Steamer is a versatile steamer that does the job on the go.

If you've ever tried to use a hotel's iron and been disgusted by the rust, calcium buildup, and other gunk that you'll inevitably find, you'll understand the importance of a good travel steamer.

While handheld steamers can often be used as travel steamers as well, the Conair Travel Smart Garment Steamer is designed specifically with travel in mind. It's portable and lightweight, weighing just over a pound. And at 4.5 by 4.5 by 9.5 inches, it's one of the smallest we could find on the market.

If you're having trouble visualizing how big that actually is, it's a bit bigger than your average thermos, so you won't have much trouble packing it in your suitcase or backpack. The handle folds out for use, keeping it nice and compact when you need to store it away.

The reservoir holds enough water for about 10 minutes of continuous steam, so if you're planning on doing an entire trip's worth of clothes in one sitting, you may find yourself refilling the steamer a time or two. But it's great for quick touch-ups to ensure your shirt sleeves are looking crisp before your meeting.

Another great travel-specific feature of the Conair Travel Steamer is its dual-voltage power, making it safe to take on international trips. You won't need a power converter — just a plug head adaptor — and you won't have to worry about European outlets frying the device.

If something does malfunction, however, Conair offers a limited one-year warranty, so even though this steamer is reasonably affordable, you'll have a bit of extra peace of mind that you're not throwing your money away if something goes wrong. 

The Spruce also recommends the Conair Travel Steamer and particularly appreciate the detachable bristles and lint brush that enhance the versatility of the tool.

Pros: Travel-friendly, sanitizing features, works on a variety of materials, dual-voltage, lightweight

Cons: Steam may not be strong enough to get out tough wrinkles, small reservoir

The best heavy-duty steamer

The J-2000 Jiffy Garment Steamer is robust and durable, providing powerful wrinkle-killing steam for a full 90 minutes.

If you plan on steaming more than an item or two at once, you'll want a more heavy-duty steamer and that's where this J-2000 Jiffy Garment Steamer comes into play. The standing steamer features a plastic removable 3/4 gallon water reservoir with a no-drip check valve system that fits securely into the base of the steamer and gives you 1.5 hours of steaming per fill. 

The steamer is designed to withstand a good amount of use, so it can be used at home or for light commercial use. It has a high-impact polymer outer housing that provides an extra layer of durability along with wheels that swivel for mobility.

The steamer has a quick two-minute heat up time, which is rather quick considering the amount of water it holds. It has a 5.5-foot hose with a 6-inch steam head, so it can cover a good amount of fabric at once. It comes complete with color-coded high-temperature wiring and a fusible link with an automatic shut-off feature for safety. It can be used on clothing, bedding, and table linens. It can even remove wallpaper.

The J-2000 Jiffy Garment Steamer is listed as a top pick by Consumer Search, and Parents Need.

Pros: Steams for 90 consecutive minutes, tough on wrinkles, long-lasting

Cons: Price, design, possible water spit issues

How to choose a clothes steamer

How to pick a clothes steamer

Standing garment steamers are the most traditional type and keep water in some type of base on the floor, while a long tube with a nozzle at the end shoots out steam. Handheld garment steamers typically look like an oversized tea brewer with a wide end rather than a spout and come with a cord. With handheld steamers, the water basin is generally smaller but attached to the nozzle portion of the product and there is no long tube so they're easier to maneuver and move around. Travel garment steamers come in a variety of shapes and designs, but most function the same way as a handheld garment steamer, just with a more compact body.

When shopping for a garment steamer you want to consider a few factors:

• Performance: The best steamers heat up quickly, although a larger water reservoir can take longer to heat. Of course, the larger the water reservoir, the more steam time you'll get in-between refills. Standing garment steamers almost always provide the largest water reservoirs, and thus longest continuous steam time, and travel ones provide the least. Beyond water capacity, the best steamers will not spit water at you or your clothes, but rather produce uniform steam.
• Ease of Use: If you're just steaming clothes that can easily hang on a clothes hanger, you may not need a long tube or power cord for your steamer. Other fabrics like drapes that may be harder to reach are easier to steam when you have a long tube and cord that can reach far. Some steamers have attachments to make it easier to steam hard-to-reach fabrics or awkwardly shaped clothing.
• Easy to clean: Removable tanks are preferred as they are easier to fill and clean. If the garment cleaner base you go with that isn't removable, make sure the product comes with clear cleaning instructions, as improper cleaning can all too easily damage the steamer.
• Accessories: Some steamers have unique features or come with add-ons that make steaming easier, such as an automatic shut off feature, wheels, built-in hangers, steam boards, and more.
• Price: Garment steamers vary in price from around $30 to upwards of $200 and are usually more expensive than irons. Price depends on features, brand, and more often than not, the amount of water the steamer can hold and the steam time it can provide. By this logic, travel steamers will be the lowest priced option, followed by handheld and then standing garment steamers.

Check out our clothing organization guides

How to organize a bedroom closet and the tools you need to do it

When your closet is messy, it's nearly impossible to find what you're looking for. That's why we've put together this easy four-step method to help you organize your bedroom closet. We also recommend a few products that will help you store everything in its rightful place.

The best closet and drawer organizers

Proper drawer and closet organization can mean the difference between a calm, enjoyable morning routine and a frenzied mess to find the right clothes and accessories before you rush out the door. Our guide features a range of hardware ideal for all sorts of garments and for all sorts of closets and dressers, too. These are the best closet and drawer organizers.

The best storage containers

Organization is a challenge for the best of us, but good quality storage containers can help you get your stuff organized and make it all easier to access when you need it. There are so many storage container options out there, from stackable plastic boxes that hold a ton of stuff to decorative bins that sneakily house items you use often but want to keep out of sight. These are our picks for the best storage containers.

The best clothes hangers

There's nothing worse than a messy, disorganized closet. Having high-quality clothes hangers that match is an absolute must. Hangers come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, types, and materials, but sturdy, well-made wooden hangers are best. These are the best hangers to keep your clothes organized.

• I nearly ruined one of my favorite pairs of sneakers by stepping in a deep muddy puddle. To bring them back to life, I used the Jason Markk Essential Shoe Cleaning Kit.
• The $16 kit includes a cleaning solution that's biodegradable and 98.3% natural, plus a synthetic bristle brush.
• It's safe to use on all colors and works on suede, leather, mesh, plastic, and just about any other material you'd find on a pair of sneakers.
• Below I'll walk you through the process of cleaning my shoes (with before and after photos) and provide instructions on how to use the solution.

The white and university red Nike Air Max 1 is one of my favorite sneakers ever, and this very dirty pair is mine. I loved them, I wore them, and as you can see, I completely ruined them.

It all happened a few months ago on a cold, dark, and rainy morning when my misjudgment of a puddle left me ten toes deep in muddy water. As infuriated as I was, I had no choice but to wear them for the rest of the day — and when I did finally make it home, I immediately put them back in the box to just get them out of my sight.

After giving myself some time to recover from the punch in the gut that damned puddle delivered me, I decided it was time to bring my beloved sneakers back to life — and I chose to do it with Jason Markk Premium Shoe Cleaner.

Jason Markk was founded in 2007 to provide sneakerheads who regularly resorted to harsh chemical-filled household cleaning products with a cleaning product specifically for footwear. While the brand now has an all-encompassing line of shoe care products including cleaning foam, wipes, and stain-repellent sprays, I stick to the Premium Shoe Cleaner because it's worked well for me over the last eight or nine years.  

Free of harsh chemicals or abrasives, the solution is 98.3% natural and completely biodegradable. It's safe to use on suede, leather, mesh, plastic, and just about any other material you'd find on a pair of sneakers. The kit also includes a synthetic bristle brush that's just hard enough to work away dirt without damaging materials.

How to use the cleaner

Before you begin cleaning, you should remove the laces from your shoes. It'll make cleaning the tongue and upper a lot easier. Plus, you'll want to clean the laces on their own anyway.

The first step is to wet the brush, put a small amount of the cleaning solution on the brush, and quickly dip the top of the bristles into clean water. Now, you're ready to start scrubbing away the dirt. As you scrub the shoes, the solution will begin to form soap suds. You should also have an old rag or towel that you don't mind getting dirty to wipe away the dirt and suds throughout the process. Repeat these steps as needed until the shoes are clean.

Next, you'll want to clean the laces. I didn't get any mud on my laces, but I had never cleaned these shoes before, so they still had minor dirt and denim stains. I like to clean my laces by thoroughly rinsing them off with water and then filling the sink with a small amount of clean water and some Jason Markk Premium Shoe Cleaner. All you have to do is work the cleaning solution and water into the laces with your hands. Think of it as washing your hands, but while holding the laces. Rinse them off once more and you're all done.

Give both the shoes and laces ample time to air dry (don't try to speed it up by throwing them in the dryer), and you'll be ready to lace them up.

The final results

As you can see, the mud stains are completely gone. Granted, they're not perfect as I've worn them a countless number of times, but they're definitely cleaner than before I stepped in the deep puddle. 

Instead of spending nearly $200 on a brand new pair, which I wholeheartedly contemplated, this $16 shoe cleaner did the trick. I definitely recommend using Jason Markk to clean up your shoes if they're dirty from normal wear or from an accident — but these results should speak for themselves. 

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• I recently made the switch from my Keurig single-cup coffee maker to this 34-ounce Coffee Gator French press. 
• Though it takes a little longer to brew, I'm really pleased with my choice. This French press is easy to use, makes a great cup of coffee, and looks nice in my kitchen.
• It's not super cheap at around $38, but its features — like an insulated carafe to keep your coffee hot — make it a worthy investment.
• See more: The best French press you can buy

Chaotic weekday mornings happen more often than I'd like to admit. Either the subway is running behind, my hair isn't cooperating, or I need to run back to my apartment for my phone. Despite the unpredictable chaos, one thing is certain — I always have a cup of coffee in hand.

I drink black coffee, meaning a bland brew can't hide under a ton of sugar and cream. Since my early high school days, I've counted on my trusty Keurig machine for my morning coffee fix, and though my colleagues claimed that I needed to "up my coffee game," I was hesitant to make a switch.

After talking to our team's coffee expert, Owen Burke, I finally caved and decided to try a French press. Not knowing anything about how a French press works or what specifications to look for, I resorted to the review section on Amazon. I ended up settling on the large, 34-ounce French press by Coffee Gator. With over 2,500 reviews and an impressive 4.7 stars out of five, I was willing to give it a shot.

The design

The Coffee Gator French press comes with three separate pieces — a vacuum-layered stainless steel carafe, a double-layered filter, and a to-go container for grounds (great for camping). You can choose one of five colors for the carafe, and each one is built from military-grade steel. I got the gray one for less than $40 and was pleased with the sleek design, packaging, and the durable feel of the product.

One of the best features of the product is the vacuum-layered carafe that keeps the coffee hot for longer. Most French press devices (including the ones in our guide to French presses) are single-walled, meaning that the hot water will cool quicker since it has closer contact with the temperature outside the container. The double-layered wall is a strong insulator and seals the heat inside the container — I noticed that my coffee stayed hot for over an hour after brewing, eliminating the need to microwave my second cup (and this size holds quite a few cups too). 

As an avid Keurig user, I didn't know how to gauge the quality of the filter, so my coffee-knowledgeable teammate checked it out and agreed with reviewers — it seemed to hold its shape during the drop test and fit flawlessly in the carafe to avoid grounds flowing into my mug.

Read more: The best coffee and espresso pod machines you can buy

Brewing process

I'm used to popping a pod into a single-serve brewing machine or going next door to my nearest coffee shop, so I was hesitant about putting in extra time and effort to use a French press. To my surprise, the process was actually pretty simple.

I use the grocery store grinder to grind my coffee beans, but if a grinder isn't available, you'll want to purchase medium- or coarse-ground coffee for best results. You can also grind your own whole-bean coffee beforehand. Once you have the French press and coffee grounds, you'll need to heat water — Coffee Gator recommends using near-boiling water at around 200-degrees Fahrenheit.

Once your supplies are gathered, follow these steps:

1. Measure the grounds and water according to the Coffee Gator recommendations — approximately two scoops (4 TBSP) of grounds per cup of coffee.
2. Add your pre-ground coffee to the bottom of the container.
3. Pour the hot water into the carafe, stir, and cover with the lid (making sure the filter is at the top of the container).
4. Let it sit for four minutes.
5. Open the container, stir the contents, and replace the lid for another five minutes.
6. Push the plunger down slowly and as far down as you can.
7. Pour the coffee into a travel tumbler or mug.

I found that the suggested process worked almost perfectly. The brew wasn't as strong as I would like it to be, but could have been a result of the water temperature, time, size of the grounds, or the water-to-coffee ratio. I tried a second batch with more grounds and my coffee came out much stronger.

Things to consider

The recommended coffee grounds-to-water ratio might not be ideal for everyone, but it's not too much of a hassle to go through some trial and error to figure out what works best for you.

When it comes to the French press itself, I didn't encounter any major issues. At 11.9 inches tall and 5.8 inches in diameter, it might pose a storage issue in a small apartment, but other than size, I didn't have any problem using it.

Some Amazon reviewers claimed that it was difficult to clean and that the filter scraped the interior of the carafe. I didn't find much difficulty cleaning it and the entire process took under two minutes. I simply dumped the grounds from the container, rinsed the carafe with a small amount of dish soap and water, and left the carafe and filter to air dry on a towel for a couple hours.

The Coffee Gator doesn't include a cleaning brush, but I didn't feel like I needed one after a couple uses. After a week's worth of use, you might want to give the interior a scrub with a dish sponge. I don't recommend putting it in the dishwasher because some reviews on Amazon reported that it caused the paint to chip.

The bottom line

The Coffee Gator French press seems to be a great option for the price, and I was happy with the detailed instructions and ease of use. The process of brewing a few cups of coffee from start to finish took under 10 minutes, and I appreciated the ability to control the strength of my brew — an advantage of using a French press versus a single-cup coffee maker. I would recommend The Coffee Gator to anyone looking for a quality cup of coffee with minimal investment and minimal hassle.

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