Take rice up a notch

Plain white rice makes its way into plenty of meals, but it isn't exactly an exciting dish. The Inomata Sushi Mold Rice Ball Maker can change your opinion of that bowl of rice, though. By filling the mold with rice, placing the cover on top and pushing, you can create rice balls that look like hearts, stars or even bears. The options for what you can do with such adorably formed rice are endless: they can be decorated for bento boxes, filled for something a little more unusual than the average rice ball or even put a piece of fish on top for a cute piece of nigiri. While these molds are officially made for sushi, you can do all sorts of things with them.

The Inomata Sushi Mold Rice Ball Maker is made from plastic, offering a nonstick surface that is easy to work with when you've got a bowl full of sticky rice. It's certainly easier to manage than a bamboo sushi mat. The mold is made in Japan, but you won't need to worry about translated instructions--it's very easy to use. Inomata offers a variety of kitchenware, including bento boxes. The Inomata Sushi Mold Rice Ball Maker is $3.95.