Eater Staff
Last month, Eater staffers waxed lyrical about a cult-fave Japanese toaster, a confetti-colored cutting board, and a moka pot by Alessi that deserves a place in a modern art museum. This month, our staffers are sharing how the items they bought this month make their life better on a practical level (Liquid I.V.! microplanes!) but also noted their coolest, most aesthetic purchases — see: a kitsch candelabra cake topper and a Stagg kettle dupe — that add a lot of panache without breaking the bank.
Here’s a big, heaping tablespoon of what Eater staffers bought (and loved) in the month of April.
Microplanes: the Swiss Army knives of graters
The only thing that has stood between me and a bunch of bright, beautiful spring and summer recipes with heaps of lemon zest has been a great grater (for years, I have been making do with this wonderfully kitsch — albeit far more decorative — Eiffel Tower-shaped grater). I’ve finally come to experience myself why Microplane’s namesake product has become synonymous with the act of grating and zesting, because it’s just that well-designed; the sharp stainless steel holes help me zest slippery fruit skins in seconds, while the long and narrow shape assists in grating even the most abstract hunks of cheese with precision. Every mason needs their tools, and this is no different. — Francky Knapp, commerce writer
Lemony cocktail napkins
I threw an Easter brunch a couple of weekends ago for far more people than I could accommodate for a proper seated meal, and I was reminded that most people are perfectly happy to stand around and chat while they eat if they have a decently sturdy plate and a proper napkin. But I also detest when things are BORING! So I upgraded my stash of regular old paper napkins to these really lovely ones with lemons that remind me of dining al fresco in a garden with a trellis and all that, and they were a hit. I wish I had a real lemon grove on my property (I live in an apartment, so some logistics remain to be solved), but these will do for now. — Hilary Pollack, senior commerce editor
A whimsical butter dish
I am deeply resentful that this $60 butter dish has brought me so much joy, because $60! For a butter dish! But I can’t deny that the waves and colors that make it look like a fussy old woman’s apron makes me smile whenever I see it on my counter. Is it the ascendance of little treat culture that has convinced me I not only want but deserve to display room temperature butter in such a vessel when many other options would suffice? Sure! But look at it! I rest my case. — Jaya Saxena, correspondent
Everything you need to make boba at home
It’s 2025 and outside feels more expensive than ever, so I finally decided to reverse engineer my local coffee and boba shops’ drink recipes to make my own riffs on the specialty drinks threatening to bankrupt me. To supplement my stash of loose-leaf and bagged teas, I bought a caramel cream tea mix, a tub of coffee jelly, reusable straws, my go-to vanilla bean paste, and some cans of dulce de leche, because even budgeting baddies deserve a little treat. Next up? blue spirulina, thanks to Morgan Eckroth. — Jesse Sparks, senior editor
Start with this cream tea mix
Vanilla bean paste
Last but not least, jumbo boba straws
This bowl feels like a hug
Haand makes beautiful ceramics, no question about it. Every piece is guided by the hands of ceramicists throughout the creation process, from casting to polishing, and has just the right amount of satisfying weight without ever feeling cumbersome; I always say the mark of a great little bowl is whether or not I can carry it with one hand. The Burlington, North Carolina-based company makes plenty of dreamy breakfast bowls, but its rice bowl has actually become my comfort vessel for eating cereal, Cheez-Its, poke bowls, and stews. I can’t quite explain it, but it just feels like a hug in bowl form. — FK
This elite sardines and beans combo
I love sardines. I love beans. I especially love being able to consume compact amounts of protein-packed food, but not in a Tiger’s Milk protein bar way. Patagonia Provisions — yes, as in, the good folks making your favorite puffer jacket and (actually) putting up a good fight against climate change — has a surprisingly solid selection of pantry goods, including this tin of sardines (sourced from family-owned fishing boats in the Cantabrian Sea) combined with white beans, lemon, garlic, and leeks. When I don’t know what to eat for lunch or dinner, I’ll pop open a tin over some leafy greens, and voilà. — FK
