Tabletop

A few weeks ago we asked readers to share their best advice for buying a new set of dishes. From those responses we pulled 6 helpful shopping tips for anyone looking to invest in new dinnerware: You may love the look of those big, beautiful plates, but you won’t love them so much when you can’t close your cabinet doors! Consider your space and storage restrictions before buying dishes or dinnerware.

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You may not think a juicer is super unique, but I’m telling you, this sucker was not easy to find. In my favorite posts of 2010 roundup, I mentioned a juicer just like this, pictured on another blog, and promised anyone who could find it a hand-written thank-you note. Well, I guess I owe one to Faith.

We have a love/hate relationship with IKEA when it comes to kitchen supplies. (Well, and everything else too, I suppose.) On the one hand, you can find some terrific kitchen tools at low prices. On the other hand, we’ve been guilty of buying too much and taking home low-quality things we just never use. So now we usually stick to our tried and tested favorite kitchen tools from IKEA.

Here’s a question from Amy. Can you help her? My husband and I are deciding to stay put in our small home because of the horrible housing market, and we’re trying to make it feel a little more spacious. One effort is downsizing our kitchenwares. Instead of separate mugs, small and large glasses, and wine glasses, we’re looking for an “everything” glass. We love the double-walled Bodum glasses, and even found a great stacking version, but at $19.99 – $29.

For some of us, our obsession with all things food doesn’t stop in the kitchen but extends out into the dining room. We’re talking plates, bowls, and glasses. Passing by a yard sale or a store display, sometimes those dishes just call out to us! Do you collect multiple sets of dishes or are you satisfied with just one?We think everyone should own at least one set of basic white plates and bowls. Food always looks rich and elegant when framed against white.

The Kitchn Cure Day 13: Wednesday, August 27 Assignment: Declutter dishware, glassware, utensils, gadgets, and tools. Make a list of anything you need. (See all the assignments so far here) Sign Up: Sign up here for The Kitchn Cure Do your cupboards runneth over? Is your utensil drawer starting to look like a survival of the fittest contest? Have you accumulated one too many kitchen gadgets?

Faith has been highlighting some of the great IKEA findsThey’re cheap, naturally, but we have a couple of other reasons why they’re a favorite in our house…In our experience, most trivets are made of metal. Some have little metal feet on the bottom, which means that this thing designed to protect our table from hot pots ends up clanging around and possibly scratching the table.

After Sara Kate’s post on the crazy All-Clad Tomato Slicer and in light of Faith’s upcoming wedding, we thought we’d share one of our favorite wedding gifts…I have quite a collection of sterling silver flatware and serving pieces, most of which were gifts when I got married. This was one I looked at with bewilderment when I first opened it, but the shape and the intricate, curly-cue holes clued me in — tomatoes.

Even if you think they’re fussy or too much work, we’ve got some good reasons why you should own (and use!) cloth napkins. No one wants to use paper napkins that are going to disintegrate after a few quick hand wipes during a messy meal. A cloth napkin can stand up to the messiest fingers — every single time. If your response to the gripe above is to just use paper towels, please stop right there. Paper towels (and paper napkins) are super wasteful.

Some are even less than $2 each!

They're $9.99 each but look so much more expensive!

Keep your eyes peeled for these sorts of things on your next trip!

Because anything that makes serving easier is worth the investment.

A little flair goes a long way.

This cheery-hued, inexpensive glassware trend is back. In a big way.

The perfect festive dinnerware set awaits.

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You don't have to sacrifice style for savings anymore.

Including ice cream, cookware, jerky, a pizza oven, and more!