Februaryās for falling in love, but that doesnāt always have to mean falling in love with a person. You can also absolutely fall hard for that one thing you got served repeatedly in Instagram ads or a newfangled toaster oven. You know, replace human affection with stuff. Thatās what the Epicurious staff is doing this February. Here are all the kitchen tools, serving pieces, and more weāre buying to brighten a cold month.
Butter Warmer
Iām not going to lie, this butter warmer mainly caught my eye because of how dang cute it is. Every time I closed my eyes, Iād have visions of the cute cherry pattern sitting on my stovetop. Then my colleague Emily Johnson told me about theĀ benefits of this little piece of cookwareāwhich arenāt limited to heating up butter, by the wayāand I knew I had to have one for myself.Ā āMegan Wahn, associate commerce editor
Napkins
Iām hosting a party in a couple of weeks and took it as an opportune time to refresh my napkin collection. I picked up theĀ linen gingham cocktail napkins in olive from Food52 for happy hour and a few of itsĀ soft cotton dinner napkins in assorted colors to match my decor. They were supposed to be just for when we have guests, but I was doing laundry the day they arrived. My partner and I have been using them every day since.Ā āJoe Sevier, cooking editor
Tofu press
I finally committed to a tofu press, and was so excited for it to arrive. I love crispy tofu, and there's really no way around itāyou need that block to be dry and pressed before you get started. Iām over fussing with paper towels and plates and weights and really excited to see what this little guy can do.Ā āMaggie Hoffman, digital director
Lotion
Lately, my hands look about 20 years older than they are. So the other day, after washing dishes, I went in search of myĀ Weleda Skin Food, only to realize I must have finished off my last tube last winter. I immediately ordered another because it really is the best thing for dry winter skin.Ā āEmily Farris, senior commerce writer
Modern Sprout Smart Growhouse
Is it too soon to be thinking about gardening? As the days start to get longer, I start to dream and plan the herbs I'm going to keep indoors. This Modern Sprout Growhouse makes it a lot easier to do that. It works with an app on your phone, so you can program when the grow lights turn on and off, and it looks great on my kitchen counter. Iāve used it for herbs or as a starting place for chiles and peppers before moving the saplings into the ground when itās warm enough.Ā āUrmila Ramakrishnan, associate social media director
Zum Hand soap, lotion, and candles
Iām absolutely obsessed with the scent of this laundry detergent, and the company is actually local to where Iām from, Kansas City. I need to restock my detergent, but also I just learned that they makeĀ hand soap, lotion, candles...and basically any household item that can be scented comes in this smell. Iām in trouble.Ā āEmily Johnson, associate commerce director
Fila Manila Simmer Sauce
I re-upped my Fila Manila stash with this 5-pack of simmer sauces. Four of the jars are filled with a different classic Filipino sauce, which you can use to braise meat or vegetables, as is traditional. But you can also use them as a pasta sauce (the kare-kare makes excellent peanut noodles) or for the base of a shakshuka-style saucy egg dish. The fifth jar is filled with banana ketchup, which may steal the thunder from that squeeze bottle of Heinz. Use it to make homemade barbecue sauce and never look back.Ā āJ.S.
Bar cart
Iām on a mission to up my home bar game in 2023, starting with a decorative tray to hold all of my prettiest bottles (an idea I have Emily Farris to thank for). Iāve had my eye on this mirrored number from West Elm for a couple weeks now, and I think itās time I bite the bulletāand lucky for me, itās on sale.Ā āAlaina Chou, commerce producer
Verve Instant Coffee
I have been known to bring a hand-grinder and Aeropress when traveling for the weekend, but these days, I skip it and bring this instant coffee from Verve instead. The flavor is great and Iām left with more room in the suitcase for cozy clothes.Ā āM.H.
