The 2022 Kitchen Gift Guide

In past years, we’ve focused more on form than function in our kitchen gift guide, favoring the look above all else. This year, we set out to curate a collection of items true-blue cooks and foodies will use immediately, use often, and use with joyful abandon. Of course, they’re still luxurious, dahling – who would we be if not? – but they’re practical art.

UPGRADED BASICS

KitchenAid Artisan Design Series Blossom Stand Mixer

Another year, another tempting stand mixer from this institution. This Williams-Sonoma exclusive has a thyme-green base with botanical accents and a hammered copper bowl. There’s a certain je ne sais Julia to it, non? Bon appétit! $699.95

Le Creuset Ganache

The French cookware house lit up social media this fall with the debut of its newest color: rich, sweet, chocolatey Ganache. The deep, multi-tonal hue enrobes skillets, Dutch ovens, braisers and even the autumnal pumpkin cocotte $120-$750

Burlap & Barrel – The Complete Collection: Every Single Spice

Purge your spice cabinet of dusty jars of musty turmeric and cumin and start fresh with this stunning collection of single-origin spices harvested responsibly and respectfully from farmers around the world. In addition to mainstream classics like ground ginger and garlic powder, your giftee will enjoy esoteric selections like true herbes de Provence (the only in the U.S. harvested solely in Provence), wild Icelandic kelp, grains of paradise, and sweet Jimmy Nardello pepper flakes. For a stocking stuffer or Hanukkah gift, we suggest the Spice Passport ($9.99) for a global sampling. $649.99

 

Diaspora Co. Masala Dabba 

More spices? Yes, one can never have enough. Diaspora Co.’s beautiful brass spice box was designed by Tiipoi and handcrafted by metal workers in Bangalore. You can choose your own seven spices to populate it, or get the Bestseller Dabba with the BIPOC-owned, single-origin spice company’s seven best-selling varieties. $200+

Zingerman’s Barrel of 16-Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Everyone went to Italy this year, if Instagram is to be believed. But did everyone come back with a barrel of balsamic vinegar? Made primarily of chestnut and oak, the barrel and its precious cargo come from the “aging attics” of La Vecchia Dispensa outside Modena. The staves contain more than a quart of Italy’s beloved aceto. $350.

MacKenzie-Childs Pucker Up Pot Holder

Iridescent hot pink lips trimmed in red make this a kitschy glam addition to any irreverent kitchen. Is this kisser more Kylie, Rinna, or Marilyn? Use it as a Rorschach test for guests. $42.

Michael Aram Gold Orchid Large Lock-Spring Tongs

These elegant stainless-steel tongs are adorned with a gold-plated orchid. The design is versatile – pair with neutrals for a moneyed minimalist look, or with a vibrant tablescape with layered patterns and textures for a more eclectic, brash assemblage. $80.

Beryl Hobnail Jug 

Texture lovers won’t be able to resist running their fingers over the bubbled glass of the “hobnail” of this pitcher, which can be used as a water vessel or as a vase for flowers. We love it either way. $159

Feast of Burdens Portofino Tablecloth

This Los Angeles company makes “maximalist tablecloths for minimalist hosts.” We adore all of its boldly patterned creations, but particularly the Portofino, which has shades of 1970s Pucci. It’s a vacation on the dinner table. $100

PRETTY POTTERY

The Christina Tosi x JPD Cookie Tray

Elevate everyday cookies with this brown and pink ombre platter from the vaunted pastry chef and legendary ceramic studio Jono Pandolfi. Included with purchase: a recipe excerpt from Tosi’s latest tome, All About Cookies. $55

Gordon Hull Hand-Painted Platter

Another Jono Pandolfi collaboration, this time with visual artist and creative director Gordon Harrison Hull. Each ceramic tray is stamped and numbered by the artist himself. Our favorites: the ones festooned with blue eyes and the version with highlighter-meets-daffodil yellow brushstrokes. $400

L’Objet Han Glazed Soy Pot

The four-century-spanning Han dynasty – widely regarded as a golden age in Chinese history – inspired this gilded porcelain pot. Use it for soy sauce, as designed, fill it with something else, or just display it in a collection of objets d’art, a nod to the designer. $80

SPECIAL INTERESTS

Komodo Kamado Grill

This is no mere grill – it’s a work of art. The cobalt blue pebble exterior makes this refractory grill, smoker, and oven look more like an art installation than an appliance. It’s an aesthetic-minded grill goddess’s dream come true. $5,240

Dry Ager UX 50

Steak connoisseurs with DIY impulses will drool over this compact dry-aging cabinet, which holds up to 44 pounds of meat. It’s a natural for beef (we recommend dry-aging a ribeye or two), but you can also use it for pork, fish, and game meats, and to make your own charcuterie and jerky. $5,695

Dacor WineStation

Serious wine lovers will adore this automated, temperature-controlled dispensing system, which holds up to four bottles of wine and preserves them for up to 60 days. It’s like having your own wine bar at home. $5,999

Mauviel Hammered Copper Jam Pan

For the canning and preserving enthusiast in your life, there’s no better gift than this 1.2-mm-gauge copper pan, which is purpose-built for turning fruit into tasty jams and jellies. While its unlined copper interior is not suitable for everyday cooking, it’s perfect for other foods with high sugar content, like caramel. $320

TAKE THE KITCHEN WITH YOU

Kate Blairstone Gift Wrap

This Portland designer’s gorgeous radicchio gift wrap was out of stock as we wrote this, but you can still get her trippy Forest Floor version, festooned with flora, fauna and edible mushrooms; or her Wheat iteration, with groovy stalks. The Shiitake and Pike Place wallpapers are also delicious, adorned with ’shrooms and fishes, respectively. $5+

Cire Trudon Abd El Kader Candle

This historic brand was established on the Rue Saint Honoré in Paris in 1643 and eventually became the candle-maker and perfumer of the French royal court. Its Algerian-inspired candle smells of Moroccan mint tea, with notes of ginger, tea, and tobacco. $52-$650

Nicoletta Carlone “Mr. Snappy” 1950s-Style Novelty Wicker Rattan Bag

A 1950s original – a coveted and extremely rare vintage find – inspired this crustacean re-creation. On the outside, Mr. Snappy is natural red wicker, hand-woven into his crabby shape. His insides are white and cherry red gingham cotton. Perfect for modern pinups and coastal kitsch fans. $98

Dolce & Gabbana Il Pane Italiano Charmeuse Calf-Length Dress

Look like a snack – literally – in this quirky pastel sheath from the Italian design house, which is covered in illustrations of Italy’s famed breads. The gang’s all here, from focaccia to friselle. $2,495

Cold Cream Bucatini Sweatshirt

Rep your favorite pasta shape with this comfy cotton sweatshirt, which also comes in Rigatoni and Ravioli (and Gravy and Meatball, if those are more your jam). $45