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New from America’s Test Kitchen, ATK Handmade is a web boutique presenting globally sourced, handmade tools that have been tried and are highly recommended by founder Christopher Kimball. The curated collection includes cooking supplies, gear, and foodie-approved decor, all crafted in small batches by skilled artisans. While, Kimball admits, the designs often cost more than many perfectly functional mass-produced options, their elegance and story of origin enhances the experience of putting them to use. Here are five of our favorite selections.
The American Maple Dipped Baker’s Pin is a tapered design crafted in Vermont by Farmhouse Pottery. Lathe-turned until smooth, the hardwood is finished with natural oil and dipped in a food-safe paint. The accent comes in one’s choice of white or seafoam green and highlights the drilled hole, which can be strung with twine to hang the pin. ($50)
Also made in the USA, the Waxed Kitchen Apron is a workshop-style accessory by MER BKLYN, a company perhaps best-known for their waterproof bags. Just as durable as their totes, the apron is handcrafted from heavy duty, 10-oz waxed canvas. Hand-dyed the color of sandstone, each piece has a unique finish. The kitchen essential comes with long waist ties for ease of wear. ($80)
Shining beauties, the Copper Turkish Coffee Pot and the Handmade Copper Frying Pan are made of copper, silver, and bronze, all worked by hand in Istanbul. Exemplifying traditional coppersmithing, the Soy Türkiye designs are hammered using the same techniques (and sometimes the same tools) that have been perfecting cookware since the Ottoman era. As copper is a highly heat-conductive material, it evenly warms the food, preventing unsavory, messy burnt patches. Additionally, Soy Türkiye reports that 98% of the copper and silver applied today is recycled from previously mined metal, making their products relatively sustainable. The designs are nonetheless incredibly strong and come with lifetime warranties on all parts.
The Copper Turkish Coffee Pot is fashioned from 1.5mm-thick copper and lined with silver, and the handle is solid bronze. Pleasantly weighty and stable, the durable design commands attention while doing its job well. The result? Creamy, full-bodied Turkish coffee for two. In addition to making a great morning perk, the design can be used for heating semi-solids and liquids throughout the day. Kimball uses the design to melt butter and warm maple syrup. Sounds like a perfect match for Sunday pancakes. ($67)
The Handmade Copper Frying Pan is a gleaming kitchen essential with five solid white copper rivets, 999-karat pure silver plating, and sand-cast bronze handles. Hammered from edge to edge, the bottom is strong, evenly distributes heat, and is as beautiful as they come. The metal design is heavy, letting the cook feel the work of frying in their arms. Nonetheless, one may appreciate the feeling, as it can help one focus on the task at hand. The pan is suitable for all of one’s drying desires, from sweet potato hash and herbed eggs to tilapia with lemon and garlic. ($160)
Last but not least in any sense of the word, the Japanese Clay Rice Cooker is a donabe-type item with pressure-cooker-like capabilities. The “Kamado-san” is made in Mie, Japan, by Nagatani-en, a family-owned company that goes back eight generations. Established in 1832, Nagatani-en continues to handcraft top-quality donabe rice cookers, making a single piece every two weeks. Their wares are sculpted from porous clay found in their home region. The material is intended for use with a gas range or an oven (at a maximum temperature of 450-500 degrees). It should not be used with an electric range, a dishwasher, or a microwave. Shaped with a thicker-than-average base and a vented double lid, the earthenware evenly distributes and traps heat so that there is no crust and the rice stays warm and “shiny” throughout mealtime. Imported by Naoko Moore of Toiro Kitchen, the three-cup rice cooker comes with a ceramic trivet, spatula, rice measuring cup, and instruction sheet. ($180)
