Huilerie Beaujolaise Calamansi Vinegar
We absolutely love this small-batch vinegar from French artisanal producer Huilerie Beaujolaise. With a bright and tangy vibrancy akin to tangerine, this vinegar almost tastes like a shrub, or drinking vinegar. Ubiquitous to Filipino cuisine, calamansi is a citrus hybrid between kumquat and mandarin orange.
Kinto Butter Dish
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.
Kinto Kakomi Rice Cooker
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.
Earlywood Wood Trifecta Set
Why don’t home cooks use wooden scrapers for cooking more than wooden spoons? A scraper has a wide flat edge that is perfect for, that’s right, scraping the bottom of a pot or skillet. The problem with most scrapers is the wood deteriorates over time, damaged by repeated washings and use. That’s why we love this set. The long flat-edge scraper is made from Brazilian cherry, which is so strong and durable that it’s often used for tool handles and even railroad ties. The smaller scraper is fashioned from Mexican ebony, one of the hardest woods in the world that is, for all intents and purposes, waterproof. Finally, the spreader is made from hard maple (hard enough to be used for bowling alleys) and big enough for a big schmear of cream cheese or softened butter.
Earlywood NewlyWood Set
There is no better investment than the Newlywood set for those who want an instant, all-around upgrade to their kitchen tools. With its minimalist concrete holder and attractive array of wood colors, it is truly a stove-side work of art and all you need to prepare and serve multi-course meals. The Newlywood includes the flat-saute spatula, medium scraper and small spreader of the Trifecta set plus an extra flat-saute (use as a pair in place of salad tongs); a medium classic ladle for your soups and stews; an all-purpose, sleekly designed serving spoon that is especially comfortable to handle; and four elegant long-handled tasting spoons. Earlywood Designs combines engineering and design principles to make simple, beautiful and utilitarian products from some of the most durable hardwoods in the world, such as Mexican ebony, Brazilian cherry, and hard maple. All products are resistant to damage; hand wash and dry well to ensure long-term durability.
Earlywood Medium Ladle
The contours of this ladle flow smoothly from the bowl to the handle, emphasizing its beautiful Brazilian cherry wood grain and making for a balanced utensil. Given the sturdiness of its handle, you’ll be surprised at how lightweight it is. Even with a sleek, compact design, it still spoons up hearty portions of your favorite soups, stews and curries. Bradley Bernhart, the founder of Montana-based Earlywood Designs, was a mechanical engineer before he founded his company. All of his products combine physics and design principles to make simple, beautiful and utilitarian products that will last for generations and become your future family heirlooms.
Graf Lantz Bottle Cozy
This elegant bottle cozy made from 100% thick merino wool felt will keep your wine bottles cool during the summer and protected from damage during travel. The absorbent wool will absorb any condensation yet resists staining. The cozy can be packed flat for easy storage or transport. We keep one tucked into our market tote for grocery shopping.
Eva Solo Tabletop Grill
Nope, you can’t use this charcoal grill indoors, but you can use it at an outside table, on a patio, or at the beach to efficiently cook four burgers or a couple of pounds of steak tips or bulgogi. The grill, made of fireproof porcelain and just under 12 inches in diameter, holds about a third of a typical Weber chimney in charcoal so the coals will stay hot for a long time. It comes with a wooden trivet base, cleans up easily and is easy to transport.