After reading about salting early and often in Judy Rodgers' Zuni Cafe Cookbook, I switched from cooking with table salt to using kosher salt.
While table salt is usually packaged with a spout, kosher salt isn't that user friendly. It's too easy to pour too much salt from that big red box. I noticed that Tyler Florence grabs salt from a wooden box on his Food Network show Tyler's Ultimate, but I couldn't find the salt box he uses.
I settled for this $20 maple salt box from Williams-Sonoma. Decanting my salt into this handy box gives me precise control over how much salt I add as I cook. The swivel hinge and magnetic closure make sure I can't lose the lid. The finish on the salt box is not as fine as it looks in the catalog on Williams-Sonoma's site.
I wonder if there's a reason why the box is made it out of maple. Anyone know?
I have the same salt box, but got it for $15 at Crate & Barrel:
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=850&f=8842&q=salt&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=2
I love it. I love that unlike a lot of salt cellars, it has a lid, and dipping into a container of salt definitely helps you control the amount of salt you're using. And I am a convert to Judy Rodgers' pre-salting method--I use it for non-Zuni recipes, too.
I have an grated cheese container with a lid that I've modified for exactly the same purpose. Once you've moved to kosher, you'll never go back. And I love getting my hands in the nitty gritty of the salt.
Along the lines of the grated cheese container is Alton Brown's Salt Cellar- http://catalog.fullpond.com/altonbrown/productdetail.aspx?CatalogName=General&CategoryName=All+Merchandise&ProductID=ABRN+AB1000
Fans of his show will recognize this wonderful little container, with easy flip top, keeping one hand available for pinching.
Tempting to make the switch. I usually don't cook with iodized salt, but I do have the ubiquitous salt shaker lying around. A salt cellar would probably help me control how much salt I do stick in certain recipes a bit better.
I do have the bad habit of reaching for the salt mill though, which contains whatever flavor of sea salt I thought sounded nifty at the grocery store at the time. I do realize this is wasting really good salt and that the flavor is best reserved for seasoning after you've cooked the meal.
Aaron - thanks for pointing out Alton Brown's store. I'd never heard of it before. Do you have his "plungers" too?
Chris-
I actually don't even have the salt cellar, though I've been lusting at it for years now. The plungers too would be magnificent, but I keep on finding myself buying other "necessities" before pulling the trigger on these guys. Currently in a tinsy nyc apartment kitchen, where I can't waste space by having salt both in the box and a container. I instead waste salt by pouring some into my hand and pinching outta that. Some day I will have the glorious salt cellar...
Saltboxes are traditionally made from wood. This is primarily due to availability of raw materials, but wood is a good choice because it would not rust as metal would. Most saltboxes have a hinged lid so that as your hand went away, the lid closed by its own weight.
I have a 3.5" diameter push-to-open tin (similar to those promotional mint containers) that I use for my kosher salt. Always feels oddly satisfying each time I bop the lid open with my fist.
I can't see the point in blowing a nice $20 dollar bill at Williams of Sonoma on one of these. I do in fact love that store & have used them many times in the past.
I just use a simple clean used glass jar w/a screw lid. Won't rust, won't rot, etc. I can see the salt level. It's kept next to the stove.
I know this thread is a little bit older, but...
Chris, I have the "pungers" and LOVE them. I hate it when they are in the "dirty" dish pile and I have to use an 'old fashion' measuring cup. They are excellent for sticky things that you can never quite get out of the traditional measuring cups, with the plungers it all comes out perfectly. We just ordered the salt cellar (Christmas gift for my husband) and I am anxiously awaiting its arrival. He has been asking for it for YEARS! WE love ALton's gadgets.
I just use a shallow, small plastic Tupperware container that came in one of those sets that one gets at a white goods store like Crate and Barrel. It comes with a tightly fitted lid, matches other stuff I have in my kitchen, and holds a half-years supply of salt.
I got a salt box for christmas from my friend who knows I like to cook. When I opened this round wood box I thought it was a trinket/jewelry box or something. She said the look on my face was the oh my goodness what am I going to do with this. Once I found out what it was I was excited. I store my kosher salt in it and now I am looking for another one to store my homemade seasoning mixture. I am addicted to these salt boxes now. I will now be the one giving these as gifts watching people who have never seen them look at me with that what the heck is this look.
I have the same wooden box, but I got it at the King Arthur Flour store when I lived in NH. I always assumed it was made of wood so the wood would absorb any humidity and keep the salt from clumping...
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