Yuasa Ki-ippan Kuromame Shoyu
Made from premium black soybeans and aged in cedar barrels for over two years, this Ki-ippan Kuromame Shoyu is thick and rich in flavor—full of funk, earthiness and a bit of sweetness. Crafted by fifth-generation Japanese company Yuasa Soyu Sauce Co. in Yuasa—a traditional brewing city that’s like a living soy sauce museum—it has won the Grand Gold Medal at the Monde Selection for 10 consecutive years. The deep umami and sweet notes that make this shoyu stand out come from the premium black soybeans, sourced from Tanba in Hyogo Prefecture. Known also as “Kuromame,” they have a black skin and white interior, and contain a distinctive taste. Use this anywhere you would soy sauce, from dumplings to meat to noodles, or in marinades, dipping sauces and salad dressings.
Milk Street Garlic Confit
The worst recipe ingredient is, “4 cloves garlic, minced.” You know that it is going to be hard to do, it will make a mess, and you will end up with garlic all over your cutting board and knife. Jarred supermarket garlics are, well, awful! They often taste bitter and harsh or lack flavor altogether. Our solution to this problem is to create a garlic confit—mellow but full-flavored and enhanced with a few nice touches, including bay leaves, Aleppo pepper, ghee, olive oil and a hint of lemon. You will never have to mince garlic again with Milk Street Premium Essentials Garlic Confit!
Work Sharp E2 Sharpening System
Oregon-based Work Sharp’s newest electric knife sharpener is small enough to fit in a drawer and more economical than other systems, designed for home cooks who want the best for their knives without a learning curve. Using flexible abrasive disks that sharpen knives gently yet produce a fine edge, the E2 is excellent for everyday kitchen knives. Precisely angled guides and automated timing ensure complete and accurate sharpening with no guesswork—simply turn it on and run your knife through. Choose the upgraded model for an additional angle guide for pocket knives, two speed options, and an upgraded motor for thicker blades.
Izumo Soba Noodles
These soft, fresh noodles are made from equal parts buckwheat flour and wheat flour, which yield an especially springy, yet tender texture and full flavor compared to other soba we’ve tried. The flour is milled in-house and no preservatives or other binding agents are used in the noodles—just a dash of salt to round out the flavors. We love the subtle nuttiness of buckwheat and how it plays up the overall umami flavor of soba. Plus, the wider surface area of these noodles allows them to sop up even more sauce.
Poterie Renault Condiment Jar
Though the region is best known for wine production, the Loire Valley of France also once contained a secret gem frozen in time: Poterie Renault. Dating back to 1847, the French pottery workshop was filled to the brim with stoneware pieces, all handcrafted from some of the richest and finest clay France has to offer. And while the factory shuttered its doors in 2016, it left behind a treasure trove of salt-glazed ceramics that have become collectible items. Included in that collection, reminiscent of charming French country kitchens, these stunning, well-insulated condiment jars, perfect for everything from butter to spices to jam.
Namikura Red Miso
Red Miso is stronger, saltier and more assertively flavored than yellow or white miso due to its six-month aging process and has a higher proportion of soybeans for a richer taste. This particularly interesting version has sweet flavors reminiscent of sherry and milk chocolate that are perfect for pairing with red meat and other robust dishes.
The Organic Company Dinner Napkins - Set of 4
Replace disposable napkins with the Organic Company’s set of four dinner napkins. Made from machine-washable, 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton, these beautiful napkins are a sustainable and attractive choice for your table. Plus, all fabric is certified to be free from toxins and heavy metals and made under fair working conditions. Available in dark blue or clay.
Marukin Koikuchi 40% Reduced Salt Soy Sauce
Most low-sodium soy sauces lack flavor or complexity, but this premium product from Marukin packs a ton of rich umami flavor with half the salt. Established in 1907, Marukin is one of only 1% of Japanese soy sauce producers that maintain traditional production methods from the past century. Their low-sodium sauce is made from the same ingredients as regular soy sauce and is fermented in cedar barrels over a hundred years old; the natural bacteria and yeast that live on the barrels and in the air slowly ferment the soybeans into this naturally sweet, malty and complex sauce. It's the perfect substitute for regular soy sauce for anyone who is looking to reduce their sodium intake without sacrificing flavor. Add this reduced sodium soy sauce to any number of dishes, marinades and sauces.
Topfi Pot Lid Holder
Most home cooks can relate to the annoyance of scrambling to find some counter space to put down a pot lid, all while dripping liquid all over your floors and counters. But with a bit of German engineering, this problem is solved. Topfi’s Lid Holder, made of pure stainless steel, attaches to virtually any pot to provide a convenient and sturdy spot to store your lid when not in use. Small but mighty, it was a hit during testing with everyone in our kitchen. It’ll keep your surfaces clean, is dishwasher safe and, once you put the lid back on, it doubles as an easy way to allow some steam to escape from your pot. Plus, it has attached silicone tips to protect your pot from damage. It may just become the most used tool in your kitchen!
Mount Mansfield Maple Products Maple Syrup
This incredibly rich syrup has notes of butterscotch, honey and toasted sugar, with a heady base of vanilla and dried fruit. A member of our kitchen team likened its richness to a melted Werther's candy. It’s medium-bodied, which means it can easily be drizzled, but never too watery like store-bought versions. Compared to others, this one has a strong “true maple” flavor to it—nothing like more run-of-the-mill syrups that often have an off pine taste.
Elevated Craft Double Walled Hybrid Cocktail Shaker
This cleverly designed cocktail shaker from Elevated Craft includes upgraded features that solve common problems for a home bartender—while keeping you from making a mess. Founder Adam Craft spent two years developing a tool that prevents leakage, sticking and freezing your hands. With double-walled stainless steel and vacuum insulation, this shaker will make the drink ice cold while protecting your hands and keeping condensation at a minimum. Its high-capacity measuring top, with both ounces and milliliters, brings an element of precision to craft cocktails, and the screw-on lid is secured with gaskets to prevent leaks while shaking. A strainer built into the pour spout keeps seeds, ice and other large items out of the glass. And the generous size holds up to 750 milliliters (that’s an entire standard bottle of liquor) even as the slim design makes it easy to grip and shake.
Pure Indian Foods Alphonso Mango Puree
Rarely have we seen a mango puree in supermarkets and, if we do, it’s often full of sweeteners and additives. Made from Alphonso mangoes, which are renowned in India for their natural sweetness and buttery-smooth texture, this puree contains no added sugar or preservatives—it’s just pure, juicy mango. About five fresh mangos are packed into every jar of this luscious puree and its silky texture is pourable, yet decadent like yogurt, and has a rich, bright flavor that balances sweet and tart, akin to snacking on refreshing mangoes at their peak season.
Kinto Capsule Cold Brew Carafe
Irish Black Butter
A conserve of apples, cider, brandy, and spices, Irish Black Butter has a uniquely deep, caramelized apple flavor with subtle spice notes and an almost earthy, smoky finish. It’s made by cooking down the country’s famous Armagh Bramley apples until they developed a rich molasses-like quality and warm complexity; the apples themselves have a Protected Geographic Indication recognized by the European Union. Irish Black Butter has an excellent smooth, spreadable texture that is a bit thicker than store-bought apple butters; it isn’t silky or gelatinous on the tongue but rather has a very fine granularity like any good homemade apple butter. We absolutely love this award-winning paste for its depth of flavor—it’s the best apple butter you’ll ever have.
King Foods Carrot Dressing
Carrots are the star ingredient in this unique dressing. Prepared by accomplished chef to the Japanese royal family and head of King Foods, Takashi Hidie, it combines carrots with honey, vinegar and garlic for a tangy and savory result that strikes a lovely balance between sweetness and zest. We don’t just reserve this pleasantly thick dressing for salad, though—use it to marinade meat or as a dipping sauce, add it to rice and noodles, steaks, burgers or sandwiches.
CrushGrind Kim_Bo Dutch Oven
This 4-in-1 Dutch oven designed by Danish company CrushGrind is your new do-everything pot. Made from durable enameled cast iron, with a capacity of 6.75 quarts, the Kim_Bo has all of the heat retention properties of a true Dutch oven, but it does so much more. It works as a pot, pizza stone, grill pan, bread dome and griddle, thanks to the base pot and two convenient lids: a flat cast-iron one without a handle, and a silicone one that seals tightly to the pot for heat and steam retention. Use the cast-iron lid to grill vegetables or fry eggs, while adding the silicone lid simultaneously to cover the main pot (it’s heat-safe up to 465°F and can go into the oven, too). The Kim_Bo works on any stovetop—gas, electric, induction—or on grills, in the oven and even on a campfire. Plus, the sturdy pot is scratch-resistant.
Dutch Oven: The pot, paired with either the flat cast-iron lid or silicone lid, works beautifully as a Dutch oven. Try it for boiling, frying, braising, searing, poaching or baking—it even works for sous-vide cooking. The Kim_Bo’s heavy-duty cast iron retains heat, and either lid redirects heat and steam back toward food.
Grill Pan or Griddle: The flat, handle-less lid works on the stovetop as its own piece: Use the ridged side as a grill pan, or the smooth side as a griddle. Try the grill for meat, fish, vegetables or fruit; the tall, chunky grill lines sear food thoroughly, leaving bold cross-hatch grill marks.
Pizza Stone: A hot stone is the key to Italian-style crispy pizza crust. The Kim_Bo’s flat lid works perfectly for a quick bake and perfectly browned crust.
Bread Dome: Making bread? Place your boule or loaf on the lid, then turn the pot of the Kim_Bo upside down over it to steal in steam and retain heat for a proper rise and beautifully golden crust. The Kim_Bo’s heirloom-quality seasoned cast iron delivers radiant heat for evenly baked loaves every time. Plus, the sturdy cast iron won’t crack like clay bakers will.
King Foods Kabosu Dressing
A popular Japanese citrus closely related to yuzu, kabosu is the star ingredient in this tangy dressing. Prepared by accomplished chef to the Japanese royal family and head of King Foods, Takashi Hidie, it combines satisfyingly acidic kabosu juice with sugar, vinegar, EVOO, dashi and bonito powder for a tart and smoky result with the right amount of sweetness. We don’t just reserve this light dressing for salad, though—use it to marinade meat or as a dipping sauce, add it to rice and noodles or drizzle on steaks, burgers and sandwiches.
JIA Inc. Kkini Bowl & Chopsticks — Set of 2
Inspired by Korean stoneware dolsot bowls, traditionally used for bibimbap, these warmly colored, matte-grey porcelain bowls are just the right size for a bowl of rice, miso soup or even late-night ice cream. The snugly fitting bamboo cover keeps food warm and prevents spills during transport, as well as providing elegant visual contrast. We especially love how the lid’s simple handle serves double duty a chopstick rest when placed on the table (it’s considered rude in Chinese culture to stick chopsticks upright into your bowl). The Kkini bowls and chopstick set are produced by JIA, an importer of fine Chinese ceramics and tableware. The company, whose name means “home”, works with international designers to put a modern spin on classic Chinese designs. Try this set for your next dinner for two, with dishes like our Taiwanese Five-Spice Pork with Rice or Chicken Teriyaki Donburi.