What better time of year than Valentine's Day to get a little whimsical in your kitchen? Make heart-shaped pancakes, decorate with tea bag tags, prettify your milk with frozen hearts, or add some lovin' to your cooking with one of these heart-shaped kitchen products: More

Le Creuset is working in shades of blue this year — remember this purple-blue gorgeousness? Here's their latest release, a rich blue indigo for Sur La Table. Have a peek at the whole collection! More

I'm not quite sure what's happening to me but it seems that some how color is slowly but surely making an appearance in my home (gasp!). Maybe it was my recent trip to the Rose Bowl Flea Market that got me loving color again — who knows, but I love it! More

Q: I would LOVE to be able to use a cast iron skillet on my glasstop electric Kenmore range. Do I really need to pay attention to the manufacturer's caution that it might damage the cooktop?

Has anyone ignored this warning and had good luck cooking with a cast iron pan on this type of cook top?

I know it would be imperative to be super careful. Any advice?

Sent by Debbie More

I'm certainly not quiet about my love for white kitchens and that includes the items in my cabinets too. I've been dreaming of purchasing a cast iron Dutch oven for quite some time and obviously, it's going to be white. More

Q: I've only been living on my own for a few months, but the kitchen is quickly becoming my favorite place to be. As I slowly add to my ever-growing array of cooking equipment, it's becoming evident that one of my next purchases should be a cast iron skillet — but what size is a good bet for a first timer?

I live on my own, so I'm generally cooking just for me. I think I'll be using it for oven-cooked steaks, bacon and eggs, and I'd love to try to bake in it. What do you think?

Sent by Abigail More

Oval Cocotte by Richard Sapper for Alessi

• $250
• Canoe

Dutch ovens are among my very favorite kitchen tools, and this sleek yet classic cocotte is a really gorgeous example of a pot that can go from the fridge to the stove to the oven to the table. It's expensive, yes, but it will replace five lesser pots.

17.25"L x 9"W x 6.5"H More

Nesting Earthenware Bakers from NapaStyle

• $129
• NapaStyle

These bakers cost a pretty penny, but they are just pretty themselves that I can't help but covet them. I love the rounded handles and the bright colors. I'd love to serve a whole meal in them.

Dishwasher, oven, and microwave safe. Small: 7 1/2" diam.; Medium: 9" diam.; Large: 11 1/4" diam. More

I am newbie to the immersion blender fan club, and I'm still consistently surprised by what a versatile and all-around awesome tool it is. Just the other day, I was innocently drooling over Tracy from Shutterbean's recipe for Cardamom Pear Butter, when her unexpected use of an immersion blender to puree the fruit just about made me fall off my chair. More

We here at The Kitchn are big proponents of only buying the kitchen tools and cookware that you really need and then making them work in lots of different situations. So if you're only roasting once or twice a year, we say skip buying a roasting pan and see if one of these alternatives will work for you instead. More