Sure, that panini press looks like fun, but how often are you going to actually use it? Consider the cookware and dining pieces you reach for again and again — and put these elevated versions of everyday items on your registry lineup.
1. Classics Fjord Flatware by Dansk
The on-point Scandi style may be the initial draw but add in the pleasing weight and feel of this flatware, and it's easy to see why this teak-handled place setting (designed by Jens Quistgaard in 1953) is a bestseller at the MoMA Design Store ($115). Want!
Photo Credit: Dansk
2. Le Creuset Storage Canisters with Wood Lids
Wildly colorful, eminently stackable: What better way to corral and store all the ingredients rattling around the kitchen than with these destined-to-become-classic canisters? Available in nine colors — including the prettiest new blush hue, Hibiscus — and five sizes ($25 to $60).
Photo Credit: Le Creuset of America
3. Vitamix S55 Personal Blender
So revered is Vitamix, the brand has become a verb — fans no longer blend, they “vitamix” ingredients into silky submission. (Full disclosure: As this is an item I've crossed off my wish list, I can attest to the blender's power and precision.) If your counter real estate is lacking, the blissfully compact yet totally adequate for two S55, with its small footprint, would be an uber-useful addition to your kitchen arsenal ($419).
Photo Credit: Vitamix
4. Stagg Pour-Over Kettle by Fellow
Even though I've made pour-over coffee for ages, it turns out I've been brewing it wrong, letting the hot water flow through the coffee grinds way too fast. Enter the gooseneck kettle, designed for pour-over perfection, with a graceful, ultra-fine spout that dispenses the water —slowly — with precision. The Stagg kettle by Fellow features the requisite delicate spout, but goes even further, with a built-in thermometer (to ensure the perfect water temp) and an ergonomic handle. A must for coffee nerds and design freaks ($69).
Photo Credit: Stagg
5. Calphalon Contemporary Self-Sharpening Cutlery Set with SharpIN™ Technology
In the “why didn’t someone think of this before?” category, Calphalon has cleverly done away with the need to master the elusive art of knife honing, designing a storage block that does the work. Each time a knife is pulled out or put away, ceramic sharpeners built into the slots apply a quick, sharpening swipe ($219.99).
Photo Credit: Calphalon
6. All-Clad d7 Stainless-Steel Round Dutch Oven, 3 1/2 Qt.
Before you register for a brawny, feeds-an-army capacity Dutch oven, consider instead a scaled-down version of this kitchen essential for your everyday cuisine. Perfect for dinner à deux (check out this braised chicken with lemon, olives and capers cooking demo), this sturdy 3.5-quart pot would be just as handy for, say, chili, oatmeal, risotto, soup and stew ($199.95).
Photo Credit: All-Clad
—Mary Clarke
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