Katie Okamoto

Los Angeles, New York

Sustainability Lead Editor at Wirecutter

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Articles

I’m Wirecutter’s Sustainability Editor. Here’s My Advice For Reducing Your Exposure to Microplastics.

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Katie Okamoto

In part two of our three-part plastics challenge, our sustainability editor walks you through how to reduce exposure to microplastics and their chemicals, including in your food, drinking water, and air. Last week, we took a bird’s eye view of the plastic problem. Globally, plastic production has been steadily growing for decades and is projected to continue rising.
The Wirecutter Show Episode 38: “Detox” Your Kitchen

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Christine Clisset |Rosie Guerin |Abigail Keel |Katie Okamoto |Marilyn Ong

Listen and follow The Wirecutter ShowApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio | Other platformsLooking to limit exposure to plastic and nonstick kitchen gear? In our first roundtable episode, two of our staff experts share their best advice. Sustainability editor Katie Okamoto digs into the health risks of various materials, while kitchen editor Marilyn Ong shares swaps that are beloved by chefs—and that may last a lifetime.
Plastic Is Everywhere. Now What?

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Katie Okamoto

In the first edition of our three-part plastics challenge, our sustainability editor breaks down what the science says (so far) about the plastic in our environments and how to start making thoughtful decisions about your consumption. Plus: one tip you can do today to reduce microplastic shedding. The headlines are full of plastic these days. From black plastic kitchen utensils to microplastics, it’s all a bit alarming.
The 3 Best Creamy, Nut-Free Seed Butters of 2025

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Katie Okamoto

If you grew up with a peanut allergy, someone might have told you, oh so helpfully, that you’ve missed out on an American school lunch classic. (Might? Who am I kidding? I know you’ve heard that one.) I felt this acutely in 1991, the year I started kindergarten. But this is 2025, and you know what? They’re wrong.
It’s Time to Clean Your Books

2 months ago | nytimes.com | Katie Okamoto

Of all my possessions, the only ones I really, truly love are my books. They are like friends—no, they’re family. And I have been neglecting them. True, some books I handle regularly, mainly poetry collections and cookbooks. But most of them—novels, essay collections and memoirs, tomes about apples and oysters and architecture—are parked on my shelves, quietly keeping me company, warming my room with their array of colors and textures. And they’re gathering dust.
The Veggie's Editor Dishes on Her Favorite Kitchen Tools

2 months ago | nytimes.com | Katie Okamoto

If you subscribe to The Veggie, you probably already know a little bit about its author. “I want our readers to think of me as a friend who is going through some similar things in their life,” Tanya Sichynsky, the editor behind the weekly New York Times Cooking newsletter, explained as she answered my questions from her Brooklyn apartment kitchen.
These Silk Pillowcases Are an Affordable Bedtime Luxury. Just Don’t Expect Miracles.

Feb 13, 2025 | nytimes.com | Katie Okamoto

In my ongoing quest to have East Coast hair in Los Angeles (dry land of hard water), I succumbed to the silk pillowcase hype a few years ago and sprung for one with a luxury price tag. The bill hurt, but the pillowcase! I was not prepared for how delicious it would feel against my cheek. I have always had sensitive skin, and laying my head down to sleep, I wished I had switched from crisp percale cotton (my previous favorite) sooner.
Do You Use a Humidifier or Diffuser Before Bedtime? You Might Want to Stop.

Feb 12, 2025 | flipboard.com | Katie Okamoto

Derms Say These Shower Water Filters Can Actually Improve Your Hair And SkinJust like the ones you use on the kitchen sink, these filters can remove “minerals and chemicals [that] can potentially dry or irritate hair and skin,” said a dermatologist. In recent months, I’ve been bombarded with social media ads singing the praises of shower head water filters. My immediate …
Do You Use a Humidifier or Diffuser Before Bedtime? You Might Want to Stop.

Feb 12, 2025 | nytimes.com | Katie Okamoto

About a year ago, I started running an essential oil diffuser in my bedroom in the evenings. The hinoki oil I used in it was soothing and grounding, an olfactory signal to my body that it would soon be time to sleep. Besides, the water vapor from the diffuser, I reasoned, might help add some moisture to the perennially dry air in my Los Angeles apartment. That scent diffuser is now bound for my local electronics-recycling center.
This Cotton Yoga Rug Is Beautiful. But It’s Not for Every Body.

Feb 3, 2025 | nytimes.com | Katie Okamoto

My loyalty to the natural-rubber JadeYoga Harmony Mat, Wirecutter’s current top pick in our guide to the best yoga mats, is well documented. I’ve been practicing on the mat for more than a decade, replacing it every few years, through multiple yoga-teacher trainings and a mentorship. But sometimes the eye wanders. In my case, I kept hovering over social media ads for an Oko Living cotton yoga rug in vibrant natural-dye colorways that evoked lavender, cantaloupe, sage, and sand.