Together, forever.
(Credit: Amazon)Salt and pepper seem to have a lot of superstition attached to their existence. For example, there's that whole thing about throwing salt over one's shoulder after spilling it. Another one is that apparently, salt and pepper need to be kept together at all times. What happens if your throwing arm goes out, or if you are on a salt-reduced diet, I'll leave for other brave souls to test out, but when it comes to the world's most common spices, there is no end to how we keep them at the ready.
Not only is it important where and how we keep the salt and pepper, but what we do with them, too. The Cuisinart SP-2 Stainless-Steel Rechargeable Salt and Pepper Mills answers all these questions. The pair of mills stand atop of a base station, silently recharging in place as they wait to be put into use. When the time comes, the mills can each be adjusted to a fine or course grind, while equipped LED lights illuminate the target food.
The low-profile recharging station assures the pair are kept together. With the ability to grind out 15-20 minutes of continuous use, the mills offer a long-lasting charge, capable of getting through even the longest of dinners--just be sure to keep them together while passing them around the table.
Shine a light on salt and pepper.
(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond)Salt and pepper are both indispensable spices. They sit by our side at practically every meal. Some people use a little, some people use a lot. Having the power over your own seasoning practically guarantees an enjoyable meal. From course to fine, the grind of our favorite spices makes all the difference in the world. Giving up on pre-filled containers of already ground pepper is probably the easiest way to increase your taste enjoyment.
The Cole & Mason Buzz Revolution Salt or Pepper Mill makes it easy to enjoy your favorite spices at their best. Fully adjustable from a fine to course grind, the mill uses a diamond-sharp ceramic mechanism for precision grinding. With an automatic start that is engaged simply by turning it over, the mill offers easy one-handed operability. While the ability to free one hand while preparing meals is certainly a good thing, there is a hidden feature in this mill that shines a light on your cooking.
When flipped over and set in motion, a light turns on in the mill. While you may not want to go replacing your flashlights just yet, the feature is sure to come in handy. Although salt and pepper may be the ubiquitous spices of choice, there is no faster way to ruin a meal than by pouring too much salt over it. Being able to see how much you're grinding can only be a good thing.
(Credit:
Foolish Gadgets)
This salt and pepper shaker may not be the kind of thing you'd keep on your dinner table during a fancy dinner, but they'd certainly make a good gag gift.
The Moustache Salt and Pepper shaker are designed to fit together to form a perfectly twirled moustache. The halves are distinguished from one another by differing numbers of holes, and each is made from a solid piece of walnut. Which spice you decide to put into the half with extra holes is up to you: they come to you empty.
Even with its unconventional appearance, the set sold out on Etsy just under a week ago. No word as to when they'll be getting them again, but when they do, you can pick up the pair for $34.
On my table, I have a set of salt and pepper shakers. The idea of a salt cellar just seems a little old-fashioned. After all, why keep salt in a dish and spoon it over my food when I can just shake out a little? But a salt cellar, like the Grapevine Salt Cellar from Clay Company, can offer a bit of elegance you might not otherwise find on a table. This pewter dish is custom-designed and comes with a matching spoon. To sweeten the deal, Clay Company has added vintage red wine infused sea salt to the set. Clay Company also sells other salt cellar designs, each matched with an unusual salt --the Sacred Heart Salt Cellar comes with Habenero Fire Sea Salt, for instance, while the Royal Crown Salt Cellar comes with Indian Curry Sea Salt.
The Grapevine Salt Cellar measures 5.38 inches by 4 inches by 1 inch. It is shallower than many salt cellars, although that may not be a bad thing if you're trying to keep your salt intake to a minimum. The salt cellar is priced at $33 when accompanied by the spoon and salt, although you can purchase a set without the salt for $26.
We've all been there: right in the middle of preparing a meal--say, a chicken dish--and you need to grab something, but your hands are a mess. In the case of the aforementioned chicken, it's usually a pretty good idea to keep cross-contamination to a minimum. Heck, it is always a good idea to keep cross-contamination to a minimum. So, you walk over to the sink, and wash your hands, only to mess them right up again after you reached for whatever you needed to grab. If it was salt and pepper you were after, things just got a little bit easier.
The William Bounds Baton Mill is a battery-operated salt and pepper mill. Unlike most grinders and mills, this one can be used with only one hand; there is no button to push. Instead, the process is triggered by gravity. Simply turn the baton on its respective side, and either salt or pepper will be automatically crushed via the ceramic grilling mechanism. Hold over your meal and the mill sprinkles salt or pepper directly onto your dish. When finished, return the mill to its base for horizontal storage.
Measuring 8.5 inches across, the mill makes for an interesting addition to the kitchen. The distinctive shape is sure to attract attention, so make sure any kitchen helpers you may have actually do some work too. Otherwise, you may end up with many little piles of salt and pepper scattered all about the kitchen.
My table may not be as long as those formal tables always shown in movies, but passing the salt can still be a bit of a problem when I have my hands full. Menu's new salt and pepper shakers can still make it across the table, whether or not I'm available to pass them, though.
The Boogie Woogie Salt and Pepper Shakers just need a little push to roll across your table. These shakers are made from anodized aluminum and have synthetic wheels: white for salt and black for pepper. The combination of the aluminum and the solid wheels will fit in with a wide variety of designs. You can shake out a little salt or pepper normally.
The Boogie Woogie Salt and Pepper Shakers are part of Menu's newest collection of designs. The collection will be available in shops later this spring and includes a number of other innovative serving designs. Murken Hansen provided the design for the shakers. Even adults will be tempted to devote a little time to rolling the Boogie Woogie Salt and Pepper Shakers across the table: at least we can claim that we're not playing with our food. We're just passing the salt and pepper, right?
Woot Wine, an offshoot of one of the original "deal-a-day" Web sites, has branched out from its usual tempranillos and cabernets to offer a few gifts aimed at gourmets this season. Today's deal, the GRIND Reflex II Salt and Pepper Set, caught my attention because it's just the kind of useful and lovely item that makes an excellent hostess gift.
The 6-inch-tall salt and pepper grinders feature a pump mechanism that you operate with your thumb, so you can grind salt and pepper with one hand. (Obviously, this set is designed for use at the table and not while cooking, unless you want to wear out your thumbs.) A handy viewing window lets you see what's inside each mill--no more mindlessly salting a dish when you'd meant to add pepper. And, if you're worried about longevity, the mills are backed with a lifetime guarantee.
What makes this Reflex II set gift-worthy, though, are the little extras, like an acrylic stand that keeps salt and pepper from falling onto your table. The set is also packaged in a gift box with starter doses of Tellicherry peppercorns and Australian sea salt.
If you're attending someone else's holiday feast this season, or just know someone who hosts a lot of dinner parties, this set would likely be a welcome gift. The whole package, which usually costs $50, is $34.99 plus $5 shipping, just for today.
You know you want it.
(Credit: Baconnaise)There's a new player in town vying for the attention of your sandwiches and vegetables. J&D, a.k.a. Justin and Dave, first opened our eyes with Bacon Salt, which made everything taste like bacon. But for those of us who don't salt our bread, now we have Baconnaise.
Stemming from a customer suggestion about 6 months ago, it seems inconceivable that the world has been deprived of such a culinary achievement. As a nation of bacon-eaters would attest, it is a concept whose time has come. How we ever got along without Baconnaise is the real question. Some inventions clearly are for the benefit of humanity.
While I was under the impression that bacon went well with everything, apparently bacon and mayonnaise never really got along too well. (Could have fooled me!) They decided to settle their differences in the only way the knew how: mayonnaise wrestling. In the spirit of Halloween, click on through for some prefight smack-talk between bacon and mayonnaise.
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You break it, you use it.
(Credit: designboom)I love the sound of breaking glass. But, with all apologies to Nick Lowe, the sound of breaking ceramic may be better. Or at least more constructive. It may seem odd to suggest that the act of breaking something could result in a sum greater than its parts, but that is exactly what the Fragile salt and pepper shaker sets out to do.
A concept piece, Fragile was designed by Mey Kahn and Boaz Kahn from Israel. Looking somewhat like milk bottles stacked top to top, the immediate impression of Fragile, is that it is, well, fragile. Just toppling it over could result in spilled spices. In fact, that is the whole purpose of the design. To actually get at the salt and pepper inside, it is necessary to snap the "bottles" in half.
In the designers own words:
When was the last time you emphatically broke something? The ceramic salt and pepper shaker offers you the opportunity to do it! The product comes in one piece and by breaking it, you make it useful. Breaking is an experience of impulsive outburst, but this time is an act that builds rather than destroys. In a world of products whose shape is completely dictated by the designer, we enable the user to complete the design himself. The event of the breaking leaves its mark on the shaker and gives it its final, unique, one-of-a-kind appearance.
As a concept, I like it. I like it even in execution. It actually sounds kind of fun breaking into a salt and pepper shaker. And, as the nice finishing touch, I really dig how no two sets could ever look alike.
Batman's wrist communicator shakes salt, doesn't call Robin.
(Credit: Cookie Jar Collectibles via Oh Gizmo)On some distant birthday past, I received a salt and pepper shaker set. Not an ordinary set, what with tubular glass canisters tapering up to a functional stainless steel screw top. No, these were teeth. Top ridge for the salt, separate bottom for the pepper.
As confusing as I found the gift to be, there was something pretty cool about it. I mean everybody uses salt and pepper right? Why not make a cool delivery device for them? For some reason or another, I had a vague knowledge that people collected shaker sets and I imagined that I could build upon my newly gifted set of ceramic teeth by perhaps continuing the tradition with a set of ears, eyes, arms, and legs. With the human body and its love for symmetry, I imagined a plethora of potential designs for the shaking of salt, so why not try to complete the set?
This Batman wrist communicator would have been an awesome choice to accessorize my finished collection--had it ever got started. The teeth are still sitting on the counter waiting for others to come in and complete the collection. I don't know if they will ever have company in the form of other like-minded shaker sets. One thing for sure is that even if this cool Batman wrist communicator can't call Robin, salt and pepper shakers might not be just for little old ladies anymore.
Sorry, no utility belt included.
