An important part of growing your house into a home is the kitchen. Buying all the different tools and utensils needed to always have the right one for the job goes a long way towards taking the stress out of cooking. The right supplies and equipment can be the difference between a pleasant cooking experience and a frustrating one. But as any homeowner will tell you, your kitchen will never be totally and perfectly stocked. There will always be some new niche kitchen gadget or item that you didn’t even know you needed until you saw it. Then once you finally have it, you wonder how you survived so long without it. As a part of our Gourmet Collection, we aimed to identify and create high quality wooden versions of the best and most useful kitchenware items. We’ve come up with 4 pieces of wooden kitchenware from our Gourmet Collection that will elevate your cooking and dining experience in ways you could have never imagined.
1. STEAK BOARD
Steaks – as well as other large cuts of meat, poultry, and seafood – are often the centerpiece of the meal. That’s why we want to treat it with the importance it deserves. The Gourmet Steak Board is specially designed to cater to all your protein’s needs. Whether it be steak, barbecued chicken, lamb chops, roast beef, grilled salmon, or anything else you might try, the Gourmet Steak Board has carefully designed features that make it perfectly equipped for these kinds of dishes. Working well as a cutting board before cooking, or as a carving board afterwards, the versatility of the Gourmet Steak Board cannot be overstated.
Hand-carved grooves run all along the board to channel excess juice away from the meat. These grooves divert the liquid away from your food, allowing it to pool in a convenient basin off to the side of the board. Leading the juice away from the steak or meat prevents the bottom side from becoming soggy and losing any crust that you worked so hard to develop on the grill or in the oven. Not only do the grooves work for liquids, but they also serve to segment your board. If you are chopping or cutting multiple ingredients, the segmented parts created by the grooves make everything much easier. It can even play a role in helping to prevent cross contamination. You can also use the board to serve your protein and side dishes thanks to the separate compartments. The basin at the bottom of the board makes a perfect spot for items like mashed potatoes, where adding natural juices from the meats enhances the flavor. Alternatively, meats can be carved, and the basin emptied prior to serving in which case you can hold on to the leftover flavors and make them into a gravy or cooking aid.
When designing the board, another feature we paid special attention to was its size. This steak board is 17 inches long and 10.5 inches wide (43 x 26.5 cm). Meaning it can comfortably fit just about any piece of meat you may be preparing. In addition to its large size, the board is also raised, giving it a height of two inches (5 cm). The board sits atop four short and sturdy legs. These legs elevate the board to offer a more comfortable cutting position, while also helping to ease the cleanup process. Thanks to the juice grooves, any excess liquids from meat or even fruit will be channeled into the basin rather than spread across your kitchen countertops like with a typical flat cutting board. However, if there is significant spillage and you need to really clean up your counters, the elevated nature of the board prevents the mess from spreading around and exacerbating an already frustrating situation.
2. SALT BOX
A crucial step in any recipe is the seasoning. No matter when in the process the seasoning takes place, we always think that the task is made easier with a wide topped container like our Acacia Wooden Salt Box. Being able to feel the seasoning with your hand, grab exactly how much you need, and then dispense accordingly is a luxury that only makes sense after trying it for yourself. Sprinkling your salt or seasoning by hand makes it easier to get a more even spread over your food; avoiding patches that are oversalted and under seasoned, making this salt box a must have kitchen essential.
Our wooden salt boxes with swivel tops are perfect for this application. Acacia wood is durable and like other woods it boasts natural anti-bacterial properties which make the need for cleaning rare. Its swivel top allows for easy access, even when your other hand is full or dirty. Adding a new seasoning container to your kitchen is also beneficial because it can help you to keep your cooking salt separate from your table salt.
Thanks to the beautiful look of these acacia wood containers, they can remain out on your counter in your kitchen even when they aren’t in use. Keeping frequently used cooking seasonings like salt, garlic powder, or even cilantro stored in these beautiful easy-access containers can help to make your life in the kitchen a whole lot easier.
3. SALAD TONGS
Salad tongs are an item that you likely already have in your kitchen somewhere. However, it is very unlikely that they are as useful and versatile as our Minima Salad Tongs. Inspired by Japanese minimalist style, these tongs appear simple, because they are. Although simple, they are highly functional with no wasted space or features. Probably their most obvious characteristic is the way that it can fold back flatly to fit conveniently in drawers or cabinets.
Beyond the obviously functional design and being able to fold away neatly, just as much care and thought was put into crafting everything else about these tongs too. The dimensions in particular are purposefully measured to be broad enough to grasp every component of a salad, as well as other applications like meat, fries, or pancakes. Despite the rather large jaws, they are still capable of being used to remove items from a toaster or air fryer thanks to their thinness.
Lastly, like almost everything else in our Gourmet Collection, these Minima Salad Tongs are made from Thai acacia wood which means they are solid and durable. These tongs are sturdy enough to grab heavier items like meat with ease. Acacia wood also has beautiful natural tones and grain that make it a pleasure to look at. These tongs are attractive enough to always fit in on the table alongside your favorite salad dishes, but also pair especially well with our Grand Gourmet Bowl.
4. OLIVE TRAY
At first glance, Long Olive Trays may appear to be the least functional or useful of the bunch, however that could not be further from the truth. Despite their straightforward design, they offer endless possibilities and uses for your kitchen or home. Unlike the salad tongs, our olive trays aren’t hiding any special features, but they remain just as practical.
Olive trays can, of course, be used for olives. Presenting olives prior to a meal, or even alongside in a separate dish allows your dinner guests to share and enjoy olives at their leisure. Offering olives to guests is a tradition that dates back thousands of years to ancient mediterranean cultures, and this tradition has remained thanks to the continued popularity (and deliciousness) of olives. However, serving just olives specifically is only one of the many ways to utilize this dish. It is perfect for serving pre-meal bites like crackers, potato chips, nuts, berries, cheese cubes, or any kind of charcuterie bits. They are equally effective at serving small dessert items like candy, fruits, and cookies. One of the more popular applications is to use these trays alongside a larger charcuterie spread. Which helps keep the bitterness of the olives separate from the other options on the board.
It is obvious that these olive trays can be used for a plethora of smaller finger foods, however the possibilities still do not end there. Some of our customers have mentioned how great the olive trays work to house various dips, and even shrimp cocktail. There are no limits to what can be done with these long olive tray boats. If you ever feel like your kitchen needs an added element of compartmentalization, these trays are perfect. So much so, that we even have customers who take their olive trays outside of the kitchen for other uses. Some use them in hallways to hold keys or coins while others have them in their bedroom where they hold crystals and jewelry. This versatile kitchenware gadget is one that can really change your life both in and outside of the kitchen.
Shop the rest of the SiamMandalay Gourmet Collection here.
