The Wooden Palate Salt Cellar
Storing your everyday cooking salt in a cellar makes seasoning food, not to mention measuring out teaspoons, a faster and neater task. (No more fiddling with a pour spout!) This beautiful, functional pick is made from a single piece of polished hardwood from South Africa.
To buy: $50, thewoodenpalate.com.
Iris Hantverk Dough Scraper
Every baker needs this simple tool that quickly cuts pastry and makes cleaning off stuck-on dough a breeze. This Swedish version with a birch handle and a stainless steel blade is as beautiful as it is utilitarian.
To buy: $26, fjorn.com.
English Ceramic and Wood Mortar & Pestle
Ideal for grinding up whole spices (which taste more fragrant than pre-ground), vanilla beans, or even mashing avocados (hello, guacamole) this tool is made from extra-hard porcelain that won’t absorb odors and can washed in the dishwasher.
To buy: $35, kaufmann-mercantile.com.
Zalto Universal Glass
Though dishwasher safe, these sommelier-designed wine glasses are the lightest and thinnest we’ve ever held. The bowls are large and the stems are so thin that you barely feel them. They are a bit pricey—but they can also make a $10 bottle of wine taste like a $30 one...so, you do the math.
To buy: $60, aldosohm.com.
Bulls Bay Saltworks Bourbon Barrel Smoked Flake
Flaky finishing salts are a cook's staple, but how about flaky salts that add a layer of smokiness to food, too? Talk about a kitchen power player. This solar-evaporated sea salt is smoked with aged oak bourbon barrels and will quickly become one of your most used ingredients. For starters: try sprinkling over pan-seared steak.
To buy: from $3, bullsbaysaltworks.com.
Bialetti Moka Express
Fancy espresso makers are luxurious—and expensive. Especially when this simple, inexpensive, and compact gadget makes espresso in a matter of minutes, right on your stovetop.
To buy: $35, surlatable.com.
