I am a huge fan of affordable quality, which seems hard to find these days. But one place where I feel like I have really discovered something great is Williams Sonoma’s Open Kitchen line. Like the great Alton Brown, I don’t like single-purpose items, so I don’t own a cherry pitter or popcorn popper. But I do love kitchen items. If we had more than two cabinets and six drawers and had a billion dollars, I would own everything at Williams Sonoma. But I don’t. C’est la vie.
So instead, here is my list of some of the best things you can buy in the Open Kitchen line. Especially if you have a tiny kitchen or are just starting your first home.
Baking Stone - This is what started my obsession with this line. I was looking for a stone small enough to fit in my toaster oven that didn’t come from some made-up sounding Amazon store. This one was perfect for my Daily Demi-Baguettes.
Citrus Press - This metal citrus press makes it simple to whip up a quick lemon vinegarette or to add some lime to a margarita. They have ones for lemons, limes, and oranges (or this lemon-lime combo) but I like to use my lemon one for everything, even smaller grapefruit.
Acacia Cutting Boards - I bought the long and skinny one for my narrow credenza “countertop” in my pseudo-kitchen. It was a perfect size and we use it constantly. I like to keep a cutting board on the counter so we don’t get lazy and cut things directly on the counter and it just makes things look homey. These cutting boards also turn into great cheeseboards!
Champagne Stoppers - You should have several of these on hand in my book. Who knows what reason you will find to open a bottle of champagne on a Tuesday and then a bottle of Lambrusco on a Wednesday?
Latte Bowls - If you a really trying to recreate the French cafe experience, you will drink your cafe creme’s out of the smaller size of these. But in general, both sizes are great utility players and I love having these classically designed bowls around.
Zester/Fine Grater - This is such a great utility player. I use it to zest citrus for cakes and to add a thin, wonderful layer of cheese to the top of things. I rarely use a larger grater because I just love the coverage you get when you use this guy.
I strongly encourage you to spend a few minutes perusing the whole line, because, with so many great things under $20, you can dip your toes in the waters of quality kitchen items or find new favorites at a lower price point than you are used to.
Have you discovered this gem already? If so, let me know your favorites in the comments!