If you’ve never used a clay rice cooker like this one, then you’ve never had fabulous rice. Here’s how it works: Rice and water are placed in the pot and allowed to sit for 20 minutes covered by the cooker’s two lids—an inner lid with one small hole and an outer lid with one as well. Turn on the heat and wait about 10 minutes for steam to escape. After two minutes of steaming, turn off the heat and let the pot sit for another 2-5 minutes. Yes, it’s a bit fussier than an electric rice cooker, but the results are incredible. I’ve been using mine for more than a year and refuse to make rice any other way. A caveat: This pot only works on a gas stove.

The first time I saw this oven at Milk Street and the price I was, to say the least, skeptical. But when our product tester tried it out at home, she came back with a rave review. (And she wanted to keep it too!) Heated with wood pellets, it reaches over 900 degrees Fahrenheit in just 10 minutes and can cook a pizza in just 60 seconds, about as long as it takes at Michael’s in Naples. (I know since I actually timed it during a visit there a few years ago.) Made from stainless steel, it sits on three sturdy legs and is easy to set up and move around. It can take a stone baking board that is roughly 13 inches square which is plenty for homemade pizza. You can also use it to cook flatbreads, meat, vegetables or anything you want to cook quickly using high heat. This contraption may look crazy, but we loved it! 

• Included: 1 Ooni Fyra pizza oven, stone baking board
• Note: Pizza peel sold separately. Not compatible with 14-inch pizza peel. Pellets are sold separately find them here.
• Weight: 22 pounds
• Dimensions: Length: 29.2 inches, Width: 15.1 inches, Height: 28.6 inches
• Cooking Surface: 12 inches
• Material: Pizza oven: Powder-coated carbon-steel shell, Baking Board: cordierite stone
• Temperature Range: Up to 932°F

These premium wood pellets are designed for use with Ooni pizza ovens. Made from 100% oak that is sustainably sourced directly from U.S. forests, these pellets light easily, burn efficiently, and produce very little ash waste. This 20-pound bag will fuel 8 to 12 hours of continuous cooking, and the pellets can be used with other pellet grills and barbecues in addition to Ooni ovens. Just be sure to store the oak pellets in a warm, dry place, as moisture will affect their performance.

Also known as a “wok shovel,” this broad, short spatula perfectly fits the radius of our wok and is an essential tool for the quick movements of stir frying and sautéing. It’ll also work well with most any stainless or cast-iron skillet, much less looks tidy enough for tableside serving.

These salt cellars by French company Berard have magnetic lids that easily pop open when you need seasoning but also fit securely for storage. Choose either the gray speckled ceramic for a lid that comes off completely or the olivewood for a swivel-top mechanism. This salt box is attractive enough that we sometimes use it on the dinner table for an elegant addition that doesn’t require shaking.