Spaghetti Made Out Of Steel

I love how these BRABANTIA cannisters look on my kitchen counter-top. Obviously, taking your spaghetti out of its box and keeping it in a cannister is a good idea only if you are using the same type of spaghetti. These cannisters come with a discreet label on the side that can be colour-coded as well.

The measure contraption is a bit generous in portions (and one can use the opening off a 2L soda bottle with equal results) but it is a convenient idea and it looks nice.

The quality of the fingerprint-free steel is unparalleled. It looks and feels sturdy and it will not accumulate fingerprints most brushed steel items do. Not the same can be said about the plastic lid though. The clear part at the top came with small but quite obvious molding imperfections. The first cannister I received I asked to be replaced but, when the second arrived with exactly the same issue as well, I realized it must be a common issue.

Brabantia keeps offering products of excellent design and made of good materials. That is why I will keep favouring their products. However, they do need to look into bringing their manufacturing back to their old standards.

Everyday Objects Of Art

This is not the salt mill I use at home. To my delight, my brother, who knows how much I like Alessi products, offered me a set of Queen Chin Salt & King Chin Pepper as a present.

All four of them (the blue, the red, the green and the yellow) are simply beautiful and I smile everytime they catch my eye. However, as I did not think these to be as durable as my metal set, I decided to keep them as everyday art. As mills go, they are quite expensive. As objects of art that will make your life just a little more beautiful, they are not.

And, just because a Queen always needs her monkey, this was the toothpick holder that followed her home!

Life is too short. Treat yourself.

A Pyramid Built Just For Cheese

I was looking for something to balance our Alessi Juicy Salif Citrus Squeezer on my kitchen counter and ended up with one of the best kitchen products ever! This Alessi Cheese Grater is easy to hold and it can grate a large quantity of cheese very fast. And, to top it off, it looks very impressive.

The best product is always the best designed one. Because that is the one you will keep reaching for.

Can One Put A Price On Beauty?

Apparently, Alessi can.

Although, yes, this is a kettle and one can find a much cheaper ones that do exactly the same thing (that is, ...boil water). However, if you are considering buying this you are not looking for a practical kettle - but a piece of modern design that will bring some beauty into your everyday life.

This is a classic Alessi product and it is mostly well designed (the singing bird has a tendency of getting ...burned - there are replacements but, you guessed it: they are not cheap). The sky blue handle cover blends beautifully with the polished metal, the kettle is very easy to clean and, most importantly, it will bring a smile to your face every time you look at it.

Makes The Flu Just A Little Bit More Tolerable

I ordered this full knowing from other reviews that this tissue-box novelty cover cannot be used in the upright position. It can stand but once you start pulling the next tissue it will topple over.

The solution I came up with was to attach a small pin on my bookshelves back panel and tie the top of the box to it with a nylon thread. It works and it is not too much hassle when it comes time to change the tissue box inside; however, it would had been so much easier to simply have an (attachable?) stabilization stand.

Also, make sure to remove all the sticky foam from inside the nose when using for the first time. It is there to hold the mock-tissue in place but it will mess-up your tissues if not completely removed.

Overall, a fun purchase. If the Easter Island Giants can have a runny nose, who am I to complain, right?

The Only Sober Face Is Staring At You From...Inside Your Drink

I may be going through a Moai phase - I bought this Easter Island Heads Ice-Tray together with an Easter Island Head Tissue-Box Holder. And did not regret buying either of them. I find those statues mesmerizing, in whatever form or size.

Followed the instructions and gave it a good wash before using it for the first time (I let it soak in soap-water for a couple of hours and then gave it a good scrub). I did not detect any strange taste in the ice-figures (and I can taste water depending on its source!). The silicone-based material make it easy to get the ice-figures out without breaking them. It is a pain to bring to the freezer without spilling all over the kitchen though. I have to fill them up while in the freezer, using a small measuring cup. And that is my only gripe.

It's no big a deal but is there a real reason why this ice-mold should be almost double the price of every other novelty ice-mold made by the same company? Increased demand I guess.

An Alien Has Landed In My Kitchen

This beautiful streamlined citrus squeezer was designed by Philippe Starck in 1990 and I had been coveting it from the moment I saw it. So, when I moved into my new house, this Alessi Juicy Salif Citrus Squeezer was one of the first products I bought.

It is solidly built and although it may not be the most practical squeezer (the citrus juice will splash around your container if it is not large enough), it has never left my counter-top.