1. Impressive performer
The lid of the mattone, used in Northern Italian cuisine, is a brick (or stone) press that flattens food as it cooks. Typically used for chicken, it reduces cooking time and seals in the flavor of the bird. Terra-cotta mattone by Lotti Paolo, $49.95, at Sur La Table, Chicago.
2. Strain the imagination
This ingenious strainer is a space saver, but you won’t want to hide it in a cabinet. Yellow collapsible strainer by Normann Copenhagen, $67, at Luminaire, Chicago.
3. Guac rocker
All-in-one avocado scoop lets you remove the flesh, then mash it smooth or chunky. By Copco, $18, at Sur La Table.
4. Cutting edge
Miyabi 7000D santokuknife by Zwilling J.A. Henckels, $180, at Bloomingdale’s. This all-purpose kitchen knife is designed and made by Japanese craftsmen. The santoku knife performs well slicing, dicing and mincing, whether it’s meats, fish or vegetables. The handle, forged from layers of pressure-treated linen in a process called micarta, is moisture-resistant and also will not shrink or expand over time, as wood often does.
