5 things Eater's commerce writer is excited to buy right now

Photo illustration by Lille Allen; see site for full credits

Francky Knapp is the commerce writer at Eater. She has a deep love of food as it is depicted in ’80s fantasy films, hobbit holes, and sobrasada (in that order).

Every year, gift shopping season — sorry, the holidays — feels increasingly saturated with stuff. Do I really need meat shredder claws? No, but there they are in Instagram ad form, sandwiched between stories that have nothing to do with pulled pork. Is it ever appropriate to gift someone a shoehorn? (Depends.) What’s the best present for the obligatory weird, distant uncle in your life? (Olive oil, always.) These are some of the questions that scratch my brain as Eater’s new commerce writer (hi!), and that ultimately bring me to the same conclusion about what makes not only stuff, but especially gifts, worth buying: It has to feel like it’s finding its way home.

Stuff matters, if only because the space we make for it is telling. (I didn’t know what I was missing until I saw this veritable butter guillotine on TikTok.) Eater has been recommending delicious stuff — places, recipes, stories, cookware — for years, and now, we’re leaning further into the shopping realm to be your guide as you pick the right Dutch oven for soup season, virtually taste test Molly Baz’s new line of mayonnaise, and generally navigate the digital aisles of everything kitchen- and food-related. My job is to serve as the happy, human sieve between you and the big, wide world of mouth-blown martini glasses, small-batch soy sauces, and authentic Maison Gatti bistro chairs (the Platonic ideal of Parisian bistro chairs; fight me). And while I’m tempted to say that there will be equal parts function and whimsy on Eater’s virtual shopping shelves, that ratio won’t always stand. Occasionally, you will simply need to know the dry specs on the best ways to store your wine or pick a big new appliance; other times, however, you will need to know where to buy a Shrek sandwich maker, or a lobster-shaped apron that deserves to be anthropomorphized on Pee-wee’s Playhouse.

Unless you live like a hermetic druid (good for you, honestly), you have probably noticed that early Black Friday deals and holiday sales began popping up before the pumpkins left your neighbors’ stoops. All month (and then some), we will continue compiling the deals that are actually worth their salt on affordable Japanese chef’s knives, vegetable choppers, and our editors’ favorite kitchen-to-club (okay, wine bar) transition clog. Our holiday gift guide page is also bustling with some of our writers’ favorite finds, from pasta-themed tarot decks to panettones.

In the spirit of whetting your holiday palate, I rounded up five of my favorite giftable and party-ready items — many of which are on sale — for the season.

Staub vertical chicken roaster

I did not know that a vertical chicken roaster was even a thing until I saw this stunner in a friend’s Instagram story. Apparently, the vertical roasting process is much faster, and it gives the chicken an even crispier skin. But most of all, I love that it gives the turkey its own stage.

Accoutraments bird toothpick dispenser

Another dinner party delight. This toothpick dispenser was recently presented to me like the Ark of the Covenant at the end of a long and delicious dinner, in the home of a pop art-collecting couple that keeps their kitchen utensils in Vitra Becker Uten.Silo (the Holy Grail of 1960s organizers). I thought the evening ended perfectly with a little affogato, but then this charming woodpecker (?) proved me wrong.

Hot Bread Kitchen Challah

Hot Bread Kitchen is a nonprofit in New York City that helps women, immigrants, and people of color break into the food industry via food-related career, entrepreneurship, and language courses — and its talented staff also makes a mean pack of challah buns. There’s no artificial sweetener in the bread (just honey), and I love that they’re versatile enough to serve as slider buns or be turned into French toast.

Casalinghi chrome espresso cups

Cocktail coupes, serving trays, espresso cups — chrome dishware is everywhere right now, and delivering a much-needed departure from the over-saturation of terrazzo and blob art mugs. This set of sleek vintage Italian espresso cups makes a bold but minimalist statement (and that statement is, “I have Rick Owens on speed dial”).

Taschen Dali: Les Dîners de Gala

For the folks who make kale and shrimp Christmas trees, push the limits of aspic, and just generally crave a little dose of surrealism in the kitchen, Les Dîners de Gala is a gold mine. Originally published in 1973, the book features over 100 recipes from celebrated Parisian restaurants such as Maxim’s and La Tour d’Argent, and is filled with all kinds of dreamlike — sometimes, even phantasmagoric — photo spreads, collages, and illustrations by Salvador Dalí.