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This isn’t a typical luxury gift guide. On a fundamental level, I believe that cookware is supposed to be practical, and I don’t really think there’s anything that practical about diamond-encrusted salt and pepper shakers or a Dolce & Gabbana refrigerator. While those products exist, they aren’t good examples of what truly high-end kitchen equipment looks like. What do I mean when I say truly high-end? I’m talking about things that are expensive because of what they do rather than how they look.
Over the four years I’ve tested kitchen tools and appliances, I’ve come across plenty that I’d consider to be quite luxurious. These items are expensive because of their craftsmanship, scarcity, historical significance, or technical complexity. Consider this is as much an exercise in digital window shopping as an exhibit of niche big-ticket kitchenwares that are still, at their core, “practical.”
A couple of these items are tools that we actually use and recommend as worthwhile splurges. Others are things that only an eccentric, food-obsessed hedge fund manager might desire. If you’ve ever wondered what the most expensive coffee grinder or trash can looks like, you can find out below.
The most luxurious pots and pans
Hestan pan, Hestan pan in my hand, who is the fairest cook in all the land? The titanium layer on Hestan’s Nanobond cookware not only makes it more scratch-resistant than stainless steel, it also gives the pan an enduring, truly mirror-like luster. I’ve cooked with this pan for over a year, and with a little dab of Pink Stuff, it still looks like it just came out of the box.
Smithey isn’t the only brand making high-end vintage style cast iron, but its pots and pans are some of the most well-made and visually striking I’ve encountered. The brand maintains high production standards, and its pans have a smooth and polished seasoning that continues to develop as you cook and live with it. As a testament to their quality, each pan carries a lifetime guarantee.
Mauviel is one of the oldest cookware manufacturers in the world, famous for the copper pots and pans associated with French haute cuisine. Copper cookware is highly responsive to heat, which makes it suitable for cooking methods that require quick and precise adjustments in temperature or for dishes that might easily overcook. This 16-piece set includes several saucepans, two fry pans, a sauté pan, rondeau, and a stockpot, all with polished brass handles. If you don’t want to spring for a full set, Mauviel also sells individual pieces.
Small-but-precious kitchen gadgets
This pepper mill is actually one of Epi’s Kitchen MVPs, and my editor Noah Kaufman is an avowed fan of the device because it produces large amounts of pepper at the click of a button. A couple hundred bucks is a lot for a pepper mill, but if you’ve ever embarked on a recipe that called for a tablespoon or more of freshly ground black pepper, your wrists will thank you.
“Hey, isn’t this just a designer cheese grater?” Well, yes, but there’s more to it than that. The Todo grater is striking, but its long shape serves a purpose. According to Alessi, it produces a complete portion of cheese with a single swipe. Cheese freaks may beg to differ on that, but don’t take it up with me.
Jacob Bromwell invented the world’s first flour sifter in 1819, and its sturdy and dependable design has remained largely unchanged. They last for generations, so if you weren’t lucky enough inherit one, you can always buy a new one and pass it down.
For this one, I may have just gone on 1stdibs to find the oldest and most expensive mortar on sale. But hey, this thing has demonstrated enough longevity to produce a family dynasty’s worth of pesto, and that is something. Note that a pestle is not included in the $5,900 price.
A yanagiba knife is a long and narrow style of Japanese knife meant for skinning and filleting fish with exacting precision. This particular knife is made with tamahagane, a high-grade Japanese steel that is smithed using traditional methods and historically reserved for sword making.
Some sensible home appliances
Vipp can’t claim to have made the original pedal bin—that honor goes to Lillian Moller Gilbreth—but Vipp’s iconic rendition, which Holger Nielsen designed for his wife for use in a hair salon in 1939, helped popularize the now ubiquitous design. Very few trash cans can claim to be on display in MoMA. This one can.
The Lello is considered the best of the best when it comes to home ice cream makers, and it’s a top favorite among ice cream makers we’ve tested. It has its own compressor, which means that you don’t have to freeze any components overnight: Just pour in your base and enjoy restaurant-quality ice cream in half an hour or less.
This appliance deserves to be on the list because it exists purely for the people out there who are so passionate about nugget ice that they will both spend hundreds of dollars and sacrifice serious counter space to have it on hand at all times.
Hobart was the original manufacturer of KitchenAid stand mixers until 1986, and some might argue that these machines are the “true” kitchen aid. While the brand caters to the commercial crowd, a home baker flush with cash can purchase the five-quart model if they want to experience this professional-grade mixer.
BlendTec, the blender famous for its ability to blend an iPad, also manufactures a version that can do that, only quieter. BlendTec claims that the blender is so quiet you can maintain a conversation while it runs, which merely tells me that BlendTec doesn’t come from a family of yellers.
This is Ooni’s most expensive pizza oven, and the only one that runs on electricity. Oprah loves it, our Commerce Producer loves it, and if you have money to spend but are somehow lacking in outdoor space for an outdoor pizza oven, you might love it too.
Who is dry-aging meats at home? Who are you? How did you get to where you are in life for this to be something you’d own and actually use? Please email me.
Aga ovens are iconic enough that there’s a genre of British literature named after them, the “Aga Saga.” They are famous for requiring immense amounts of energy, because they are technically always on. However, people swear that once you cook with radiant heat, you’ll never go back, provided you can afford the energy bill.
Coffee equipment for the serious connoisseur
As someone who doesn’t drink coffee except for the occasional latte, I can’t really explain the reasons why a coffee grinder would need such sophisticated engineering. However, I’ve encountered enough dogmatic coffee enthusiasts that I’m not surprised something like this exists. In the realm of cutting-edge coffee equipment, Weber Workshops is as hyped as it gets.
Can a 30-pound machine that requires a gas hookup truly call itself mini or portable? Who’s to say! I also can’t picture what roasting coffee “on the go” really looks like, or why one would want to do that, but I guess what you do with your coffee beans is none of my business.
You might recognize this as the machine that runs your local third-wave coffee spot. I imagine if you can afford to have this in your home, you can also afford to have a live-in barista to make the espresso for you.
