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Here the holidays are, barreling down the road at us whether we like it or not. And I know what you’re thinking, where will you put your fancy cheeses? Actually, that’s probably at the bottom of your list, and understandably so, but don’t forget that presentation is almost as important as the food. A rectangular inlay of stainless steel on this Teak Cheeseboard provides a clean surface for your artisanal cheeses with a fair bit of room left for breads, crackers, and grapes.
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What will you give this holiday season? A bunch of presents, some of which will be successful and wonderful and others of which might just be ho-hum. Newsflash: you’re not perfect. You don’t have a whole workshop full of elves to craft the perfect gift. But how about giving clean drinking water to a village? That’s a stellar idea. For every limited edition Soma Water Filter purchased, $12.50 will be donated to charity: water’s life-changing projects. So, you’ll give clean water to a friend or family member and also to a whole village. Top that, Santa Claus.
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Tea, anyone? Look like a grown up with this very proper, polished brass tea set by Tom Dixon. Rounded shapes made from spun brass are polished and then dipped in a warm gold wash to give each piece a subtle matte surface. The six-piece set includes a Tea Caddy, Jug, Milk Jug, Sugar Dish & Spoon and Tray (links & prices below).
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Porcelain paired with cork. It’s such a lovely contrast in materials that makes for a pleasing look as well as a comfortable grip. Should you wish to upgrade your own salt & pepper shakers, note that this pair from Normann Copenhagen is on sale and discontinued, so best act fast if you think they’re a good fit for your tabletop.
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I rarely open a bottle of wine without finishing it, but that’s because I’ve got someone with a hollow leg to share it with me. However, a nice bottle of wine sometimes deserves to be enjoyed over a few nights, and this Wine Preserver Bottle will provide an air tight seal to lock in flavors for up to a week.

After you pour in your wine, you drop the float on top to create the seal, thus protecting your precious wine from that pesky oxygen. And, when it’s time to pour the wine into your glass, remove the spill-proof lid, tip the bottle and the float automatically adjusts to the pouring angle.
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Just for fun, let’s take a look at the DISH Plate Series by the Patella Brothers. Each trompe l’oei design has a strange sort of narrative, and for that very reason I think most of us would vote to hang these plates on the wall as art rather than use them day in and day out. However, if you’d like your food to be presented alongside insects and other odd things, food-safe ink is used and each plate is dishwasher safe.
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Trivets aren’t necessarily exciting, are they? Charged with the task of protecting our tabletops, they’re meant to be covered up with pots and dishes with little thought to their aesthetic value. However, this walnut trivet does a neat trick of extending from a small area to a rather long length, allowing it to fit your feast from one dish to several. It looks like a stack of chopsticks when closed, which is exactly what I thought it was when I saw it in person.

Designed by Sabine Meyer with SidebySide, a studio partnered with Wendelstein Werkstätten, a workshop for the handicapped.
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It’s a bottle opener, so what? Well, it hides a handy little magnet that picks up those pesky bottle caps. Up to 52 bottle caps are easily caught to its base, allowing you to showcase just how much beer you drank last night, and look, no mess! I’m sure your family/friends will be impressed.
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“Avoid late hours, pickled salmon, public meetings, crowded crossings, gutters, water-carts
and over-eating.” So says Rudyard Kipling to his youngest daughter, 12-year-old Elsie, in a letter specifying a few rules for her trip to London. You and your family can now have this wisdom at your dinner table, for this letter and others are printed on 100% cotton napkins. Fatherly advice from Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Thomas Jefferson are included in the set. You may see the complete text of each letter via the retailer.
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As a companion piece to the Good Grief Glasses, this pint glass shows the unfortunate decline of our standards as our alcohol intake increases. Funny, right? Keep it in mind for the next birthday gift for your favorite drinking buddy, but be sure to buy two as one alone is just depressing.
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What to get someone that enjoys preparing and serving food? This set of 6 ‘Scoop, Stab & Spread’ appetizer tools might fit the bill with their specific functions. The Scoop has an integrated draining slot, the Stab includes a double-pronged fork and a single pronged spear (to skewer delicate meats, of course), and the Spread has an angled and straight spreader (a good fit for soft or hard cheeses).
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A fresh cup of coffee in just three minutes? Yep, that little wish just came true with the Impress Coffee Brewer Travel Mug by Gamila Company. Add your grounds and hot water and stir. Leave it for a few minutes and then gently plunge the reverse-flow filter into your brew; the grounds are filtered out and kept safe (at the bottom) for your perfect cup, ready to go. No filters, no mess, and the triple-walled design keeps your coffee hot just the way you like it.
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Spork, knoon, fife, knork. Only two of these things exist as far as I know, and I give you two guesses to pick the other one (other than the Spork, of course). It’s the Knork, as you could probably tell from the title and the picture, and it’s a combination knife/fork. I don’t know how well it works, but you can find out with $5. Could be worth every penny for the novelty, and who knows, you might just simplify your utensil selection after trying it out.
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Welcome all, please take your seats. Did you sign in? Do you have a name tag? Good… the Scholten & Baijings’ fan club is now in session. First order of business is admiring their new modern, crystal stemware with pinstripes and gradient colors. Fantastic, isn’t it? The colors and stripes are hand-applied, hence the cost, and have been noted to cause feelings of extreme distress to those individuals who can’t quite afford the whole collection, so please be aware and conduct yourself appropriately.
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You know what’s impressive? A water filter from the future. That’s really the only explanation for such a well executed design, after all. The handcrafted glass carafe is a beauty all on its own, then you add the filter on, and you’ve got an excellent option for purifying water. No need to mess with finicky lids either, as the Soma has a pour-through lid that automatically opens when you add water. The all-natural filters are biodegradable, and you can sign up to have fresh filters delivered every two months for $13, shipping included.
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