Butter left exposed to the air in your refrigerator will turn sour quickly, picking up off flavors. This lovely Japanese porcelain and bamboo butter container seals tight enough to prevent your butter from absorbing off odors in the refrigerator. The angular, compact shape won’t command too much space on the shelf, and both the bamboo and porcelain are easy to wipe clean. Take your pick of crisp white or glossy black.

The gritty texture of Skeppshult's hand-held grinder makes it easier to coarsely grind spices and is designed so ingredients stay in a concentrated area for efficient crushing. The softly radiused iron base fits the hand well, and the walnut-wood top provides a better grip and looks beautiful. Weighing just over two pounds, it feels great, looks great and is a pleasure to use.

Chopsticks come in all shapes, sizes and materials, These vibrantly colored, durably fashioned chopsticks from Japan are just the right length and width for most anything. We use them beyond the dinner table for stirring drinks, stirring batters and frying delicate items. Take note: The chopsticks come in a six-piece set.

Opinel's Brunch Knife might be the new favorite knife you never knew you needed: a breakfast knife that actually cuts. The blade is partially serrated to slice crusty toast and chewy sausages—it's not overly sharp, just keen enough to get the job done without a struggle. The 4.5-inch broad blade and rounded tip are very effective at scraping the bottom of jars and spreading butter and jam on toast. Choose between a natural beechwood or blood orange handle, both of which have sleek, classic designs that will match any table setting. To keep your knife in good condition, we recommend hand-washing and drying promptly.

French company Opinel's flagship No. 8 size has been produced virtually unchanged since 1890. Its 3.25-inch blade is made of high-grade Swedish Sandvik steel that holds an edge well, tunes up easily on any sharpening device and is thin enough to slice beautifully through delicate foods. We especially love the French company's ingenious “virobloc” collar-style lock, which firmly holds the blade in place by twisting sideways—it's far easier to use than most any other locking-blade knife and basically removes any risk of the blade folding onto exposed fingers. And the contoured wood handle nestles perfectly into the palm for firm control, making it a terrific choice for close hand work, like peeling garlic cloves or slicing apples.

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.

This knife from French company Opinel has a broad blade that is ideal for all of your butter, jams and nut or seed butter, and its shorter length also allows for more control when slicing solid terrines or hearty tapenades. We like to think of it as a multifunctional cousin of the company's Brunch Knife, with the compact shape designed exclusively for spreading. Made with high-grade Swedish stainless steel, it's durable and dishwasher-safe, while the varnish wood handle is smooth, comfortable to hold and will continue to look beautiful over time.

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With three unique blade edges, this smartly-designed serrated knife combines the function of two knives in one—slicing through any and all loaves with ease. The blade is 9 inches, so long enough to cut the largest loaf cleanly without sawing back and forth. And the tapered blade features a gently curved belly to facilitate clean slicing. A 2-inch section of wide wave serrations located closer to the tip of the knife dives in and saws through a crunchy, rustic outer crust, while the smaller teeth cleanly slice through the inner crumb. It’s also ideal for delicate foods like soft sandwich breads and juicy tomatoes. The knife features a small length of straight blade at the tip to slice through stubborn areas like a bit of bread crust of melon rind that just needs one last pass to break through. Plus, the handle is specifically designed for a comfortable grip, with a slight curve to it.

We found these cocktail muddlers from an artisan in Wisconsin, who individually sculpts each by hand to ensure a high-quality and unique product. The detailed contours of the handle make the muddler not only comfortable and easy to use but also beautiful for displaying on a bar cart. Crookedwood uses dense, lustrous hardwoods that are both attractive and durable.

This intricate wooden whisk from Mexico is the traditional tool used to prepare Mexican hot chocolate. Each molinillo is beautifully carved by hand from a single piece of alder wood, resulting in a one-of-a-kind product. And the designs aren't just decorative—the extra nooks and crannies are great for aerating liquid, resulting in an especially creamy drink. Simply roll the shaft back and forth between your palms to whip milk into a light, frothy consistency. For the most authentic experience preparing your hot chocolate and a visually appealing addition to your kitchen, Mexico's time-tested molinillo is perfect.

To save money and reduce waste, switch to reusable, machine-washable UNpaper Towels made from 100% cotton. We like that the cloth is soft, with an absorbent felt-like texture that helps the cloths cling to each other for more compact storage—the towels can even be wrapped around a paper towel roll. Marley's Monsters cuts its squares a little larger than standard disposable paper towels because after a few washes, the cotton material shrinks but also becomes more absorbent. The pack also has a serged edge, which means each cloth is wrapped by one long continuous thread that is unlikely to unravel and prevents fraying. Sarah Dooley's company started in 2013 when she was pregnant with her first child, Marley. She now runs Marley's Monsters in Eugene, Oregon, along with her husband, focusing on eco-friendly household products and soft goods. Wood Paper Towel Holder NOT Included

From breakfast in bed to backyard barbeques, there’s much to be said for the utility of a good serving tray. We found this beautiful pressed-wood tray with a terrific secret: a non-slip coating. The top has a thin, invisible layer of polymer that prevents slippery glasses, mugs and plates from shifting during transport. Choose between sizes or pick up both for varying loads. Established in 1972 in Shiga, Japan, Kinto incorporates Japanese principles of simplicity and subtle elegance into its tableware designs.

Indian cooks keep their most frequently used spices close at hand in a convenient container called a masala dabba. The round, stainless container, fitted with a tight lid, securely holds 7 individual storage pots. Pop the dabba’s lid and each is readily accessible—no futzing with the screw-on lids and shaker tops of most spice containers. At 5 1/2 inches across, this model is small enough to suit any kitchen and sturdy enough to last a lifetime. Feel free to add your favorite spices and spice blends. Chris keeps his stocked with basics like cumin, coriander and Aleppo pepper in addition to his go-to seasoning blends za'atar and schichimi.

Our supplier partners with a single Mexican artisan to source these handcrafted terra cotta jugs, which are meant primarily for serving hot chocolate but can be used for a number of functions. The hourglass shape prevents liquid from splashing when you're whisking hot chocolate, and the clay can be heated directly on the stove over low flame to warm tea, coffee or even soup. Plus, the dramatic curves of the pitcher and handle make it an elegant and inviting decorative piece. To cure the jug before first use, fill with cool water below its rim and bring the water to a boil on the stove. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then allow the jug and the water to cool on their own. As with all clay cookware, this product should not be exposed to extreme temperature shock. Rinsing a hot jug under cold water, for instance, may cause it to crack.

A set of high-quality storage bowls is essential in any kitchen for storing prepared ingredients and leftovers. These lightweight polypropylene bowls from Dutch company Mepal nest snugly for storage, have tightly locking lids and are safe for use in the freezer and microwave. The bowls have a clean, compact design and are available in two colors: a warm berry red or elegant dark blue. With four pieces varying in size, the Mepal bowls will cover all of your food storage needs.

Here at Milk Street, we love crushing spices or herbs by hand to create more variation in texture and extract more flavor, and a mortar and pestle allow us to blend them more precisely. The molcajete is a traditional Mexican variation of a mortar and pestle for grinding dried chilies to use in salsas or for making perfect guacamole. It has a shallower, wider bowl than a typical mortar—about 6 inches in diameter—which helps for closer control and more surface area to break down tough textures, like the skins of guajillo or ancho chilies. Plus, the molcajete is made of coarse and incredibly durable volcanic stone that creates plenty of natural friction. Its accompanying pestle is called a tejolote; at 3 inches long, it's perfectly proportional to the shallow bowl of the molcajete. Our food editor, Matt Card, says this tool is worth owning for guacamole if nothing else—the texture it yields is the ideal balance of creamy and chunky. Try our recipe for Central Mexican Guacamole, picked up from Mexican cooking doyenne Diana Kennedy. Each molcajete comes in a one-of-a-kind, hand-woven and vibrantly colored basket made from palm leaves. It's meant to hold tortillas and has a lid to keep them warm, but we also like to use the basket to keep fruits and vegetables on the counter, such as tomatoes, onions or avocados for the guacamole you'll be making. It even makes an attractive container to store kitchen clutter—loose change, receipts and the like.

It's hard to find glassware that is both sturdy and delicate. We like the simple, appealing design of Kinto's iced tea glasses, which are heat-resistant and sturdier than traditional glass. The subtle lip on the rims of the glasses emphasize their sleek tapered shape and also make for easier drinking. Established in 1972 in Shiga, Japan, Kinto incorporates Japanese principles of simplicity and subtle elegance into its tableware designs.

The Sora Short Tumblers from New York-based Hudson Wilder will look beautiful with any table setting and are appropriate for any occasion, from your Tuesday night dinners to your finest dinner parties. They look like updated versions of a lowball glass, with an even height and diameter of 3 inches and about a 10-ounce capacity. Unlike most drinking glasses that have thick, cumbersome bases, this elegant set of four features an evenly thin construction from the sides to the bottom, for an understated minimal design. The glass is almost imperceptibly tapered, for a modernist look that is utilitarian but not austere. And we absolutely love their delicate craftsmanship—each is individually hand-blown to ensure a consistently high quality and clean, rounded edges. Despite being incredibly light and thin, the Sora Short Tumblers are also exceptionally strong; borosilicate glass is much more durable than traditional glass, so the tumblers have the fineness of crystal without the fragility. They are less likely to crack, chip or scratch than other types of glass and are even dishwasher-safe. We also like that the tumblers are resistant to thermal shock, similar to Pyrex, so you can use the glasses for both hot and cold liquids without any risk of shattering.