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You won’t find these at your local kitchen supply store. These terracotta pots by Benjamin Hubert are glazed internally and have silicone lids for a tight seal, which make them perfect for storing dry goods- pasta, cereal, etc.- in the kitchen. No sacrificing design style here, as each piece could easily double as a vase (or group them together for a bigger centerpiece). Plus, they’re on sale (!).
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If you want to look cool while cooking, throw one of these aprons on. Then, when someone says, ‘Hey, that’s a cool apron’ you can say, ‘Oh, this thing? Yeah, it’s a repurposed beer cloth with old climbing rope for the neck strap and waist tie. Kind of cool, huh?’ And then you’ll flip your omelette (or gourmet pancakes or some other incredibly delicious breakfast food) and look like you’ve got your life completely figured out, you smug bastard.
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Paper towel holders aren’t big business, so there’s not a plethora of options out there to fit a picky person’s aesthetic. However, Ferm Living comes to the rescue with this Hexagon Stand. Made of solid brass (matte polished) and a marble base, it’s subtle and, dare I say, beautiful. Does a paper towel holder deserve such high praise? This one does.
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This is an expensive knife block. My twenty-some-odd-old self probably would have not posted it back in the day because of the price, but my firmly-in-my-thirties self has a bit more disposable income. I hope you do too, of course, because then we could convince each other that we could afford to spend this much on a block, especially if we plan to have it for decades. Aged brass and a detachable cherry wood five-slot top will certainly last that long, and more, if cared for appropriately.
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If ordinary storage jars just won’t do, you’ll want to take a look at the Obtineo Collection by Yorkshire-based designer Tom Hutchinson. Handcrafted entirely in the UK, each storage jar is made from turned solid ash and oak, hand-blown glass, 100% wool felt, and a silicone seal to ensure a tight fit. Use them in the kitchen for storing foodstuffs or in the bathroom or office for organizing smaller items. Pledge £30 or more to back the project and receive one (or many) jar(s) of your very own.
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Have you ever walked into a kitchen showroom like Bulthaup or Poggenpohl? If you have, you’re familiar with their customized drawer organizational systems, and you may have even (metaphorically) drooled over the sleek lines of perfect boxes in which to place your utensils, spices, plates, and pans. Dropping $60k to $80k for kitchen cabinets is unfortunately much more than many of us can afford, and, sadly, we say goodbye to such lovely drawer interiors, thinking they are beyond our budgets.
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Get ready to crack some nuts with the Normann Copenhagen Silicone Nutcracker. Silicone ensures a soft, comfortable grip so that almost anyone can use it, young or old. The silicone bounces back into its original shape after the nut has been cracked and that means more nuts cracked with less faffing about.
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Quick, what is the item above? I bet you have some good guesses: a fancy torture device, a cocktail muddler, a writing implement… but all of those are not the case. It’s a bottle opener, a “rotationally symmetrical bottle opener cut from solid brass” to be exact. Nice, right? Designed by Luke Smith-Wightman and available at FAO Shop in the UK.
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Why are aprons a good gift idea? Beats me, as I’m not fond of the kitchen, but I can guess they protect clothing and also are a little fun in the apparel arena, as no pattern is too big or crazy within the confines of your own home. Now, these patterns by Alvar and Elissa Aalto are not too big or crazy, and you could easily appropriate it for items of clothing worn outside the home (there’s an Artek Tote, after all), but for now you have the option of adding an Apron, Oven Mitt, Trivet or Tray to your kitchen for a little bit of pattern play on very useful items.
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Any amateur chef needs functional cooking accessories, and the Tilkkutäkki pieces from designer Maija Louekari will offer suitable heat protection along with a jolt of bold color. Maybe the Oven Mitt and/or Pot Holder is plenty enough pattern for you to handle, or, only if you’re truly brave, get the Tilkkutäkki Waist Apron (shown below) to match and have a crazy rainbow kaleidoscope each time you cook up a storm in the kitchen.
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Here’s hoping to a happy Thanksgiving for everyone… fingers crossed that it’ll be a safe day full of friends, family and/or stuffing ourselves silly. Posts will return as usual on Monday.

Pictured above:
Genius: oven mitts attached to your apron. Oven Mitt Apron, $28.00, available from UncommonGoods.

It’s always smart to have a clip or two on hand. Why? Maybe to keep your shirt closed after pretending to be the Incredible Hulk, or maybe to keep your nose from smelling your coworker (those strong, semi-jagged teeth on the clip’s edge will keep your nostrils shut tight, even when you move around the office! or break into a dance!). Or, maybe, and I know this is crazy, you can use the clip with the spoon attached to keep your coffee bag closed.
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Your guest(s) peering into the kitchen: “Uh, why do you have a big oven mitt made of bubble wrap? You know plastic melts, right?” You: “Yes, I do know, but this is a magic bubble wrap oven mitt.” It’s always best to answer questions this way, as you’ll appear enigmatic, if you aren’t already. Made of durable, heat-resistant silicone, this oven mitt has a secure and flexible grip.

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What in the world? $5,800! That’s extraordinarily expensive for a set of kitchen tools, so you say. Yes, it is, but this set is the ultimate set, and you’ll see why in a second.

The Malle W. Trousseau is a collection of the very best utensils from around the world. Inspired by their daughter leaving home and needing her own kitchen items, French couple Isabelle Mathez and Frederic Winkler created this trousseau by selecting each item for its “unparalleled functionality, beauty, and quality.”

When you think about not needing to replace or add to the collection, perhaps ever, and that it would most likely last more than a lifetime, that price tag starts to make a lot of sense. More of the trousseau below.
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Don’t worry, Food Huggers are not a group of people lecturing you about loving your food, they’re small silicone thingamajigs that help you save your fruits and vegetable from the trash or compost bin. The flexible inner edges of the Food Hugger seals in the juices so that your food won’t spoil or dehydrate as quickly as it would otherwise. How many times have you thrown away half an onion, tomato, cucumber, etc. because you didn’t use it in time? That will become a thing of the past with these little brilliant things. 4 different sizes fit all sorts of fruits and veggies, and they nest together in a drawer for storage.
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