At some point in the last decade, we’ve all experienced the awkward balancing act: lying in bed, arms raised, tablet swaying dangerously above us as if testing the laws of gravity. Enter the Tablift MaxPro, a flexible, adjustable stand that feels less like a device and more like a personal assistant dedicated solely to your comfort. Instead of juggling positions, it effortlessly holds your tablet steady, allowing you to browse hands-free at the perfect viewing angle, every single time. The MaxPro builds elegantly on an already successful design. Its look is distinctively functional, thoughtfully designed with a charm that’s uniquely purposeful, making its practical brilliance clear from the first use. You get four independently adjustable steel gooseneck legs, each with a protective rubber sleeve and a grip that sticks like it’s clinging to relevance in the age of standing desks. These legs are longer and more robust than before, giving the MaxPro better reach, higher elevation, and stability that feels nearly physics-defying. Designer: Greg Thüne (Primer Studios) Click Here to Buy Now: $38 $65 (42% off). Hurry, only 327/500 left! While the original Tablift exists online as a product success story, the MaxPro gives it a clever upgrade in the form of a 5-angle tilt system. With it, you can fine-tune your screen’s position from upright work mode to full recline binge-watching, no micro-adjustments or pillow origami required. Whether you’re doomscrolling on your phone, flipping through a digital cookbook, or calling your boss in pajama bottoms, the MaxPro keeps everything comfortably in frame. It handles devices up to 12.9 inches wide, and it doesn’t care if you’ve wrapped yours in a tank of a case or left it bare. It’s easy to appreciate how well it slides into everyday life. In the kitchen, it stands tall over flour-dusted countertops without tipping. On the couch, it flexes like it’s been doing yoga with Adriene. In bed, it grants that rare luxury of using your tablet without turning into a human origami swan. For the remote worker with two screens but one desk, it’s the second monitor stand you didn’t know you needed. And yes, for the fitness crowd, it stays eye-level during yoga or floor workouts without requiring a break to reposition. There’s also a joy in how unapologetically tactile it is. Nothing digital about it—just a physical object with physical utility. No apps. No firmware updates. Just unfold, insert your device, set the angle, and you’re off. It collapses down neatly too, its spindly legs folding inward like a retreating Transformer. Toss it into a tote bag or tuck it in a drawer; it doesn’t fight back. The MaxPro comes in three colors this time, because even utilitarian tools deserve a bit of flair. Kickstarter backers can snag one early, with optional add-ons like a screen cleaner and tote bag that feel more like thoughtful gestures than upsells. What the Tablift MaxPro truly excels at is not flashy tech, it’s the seamless convenience and practical comfort it brings to everyday life. In a world drowning in algorithmic solutions and smart-this or AI-that, a physically elegant answer to a common frustration feels strangely refreshing. It doesn’t buzz or glow or send notifications. It just works. And that, somehow, makes it one of the smarter designs on the market. Click Here to Buy Now: $38 $65 (42% off). Hurry, only 327/500 left!The post 13 Years Later, This Is Still The Best iPad Stand Available Today… And It Just Got An Upgrade first appeared on Yanko Design.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own. My cookbook of the week is often a hot new release, unless I decide to spotlight one that has been out for a few years. But I haven’t done a real throwback cookbook in a while. My very first cookbook of the week was Hershey’s Best-Loved Recipes, and while not quite as old, this week’s selection has been my trusted companion for quite some time. This week I chose to highlight Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbook not only because it is packed withrecipes for fabulous sweet treats, but because it always offers a nice break from the annoyances of modern internet baking.A bit about the bookTate’s Bake Shop is an actual bakery in the Hamptons on Long Island. It’s a small shop with creaky wooden floors and a warm atmosphere—at least that’s how I remember it from when I worked in Bridgehampton for a summer. I would occasionally pop in and grab some cookies, but this was long before I realized they were the Tate’s Cookies—before their green bags started popping up in every grocery store cookie aisle. You may have tried the crispy, flat cookies Tate’s is now famous for, but did you know that they make more than cookies?This cookbook is from the founder of Tate’s Bake Shop, Kathleen King. It turns out she makes a heck of a cookie...and a heck of a pie, and scone, and blueberry buckle. I love Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook because it’s filled with reliable, classic bakes. The entire Tate's brand is built on homemade, cozy, old-fashioned vibes, and that’s what you'll find in the pages of this cookbook. There’s nothing flashy about it. It’s not striving to be a part of your coffee table decor. The recipes are mostly one-pagers with short head notes and simple text, and you’ll only find pictures in the center section. This is a cookbook that’s meant to be dog-eared, annotated, used by your kids, and accidentally splattered with flour—a cookbook made to be loved.A great cookbook for a spoon and a bowlWhile I’ve owned this cookbook for nearly 15 years, I haven’t cracked it open in a while. I meandered through the recipes and marked some titles that caught my eye, or that I remembered being tasty. As I read through the short directions, I noticed some trends: most of the recipes are mixed by hand, several recipes are from family or friends, and King uses salted butter without a care in the world for anyone else's opinion. Seeing a cookbook, especially a baking cookbook, filled with short, easy to follow recipes is a breath of fresh air. Recipes that don’t require the use of an electric mixer are almost too good to be true. But here it is, each recipe is enticing in its simplicity: Sour Cream Pound Cake, Chocolate Jumbles, Sticky Toffee Date Pudding, and the recipe for the famous chocolate chip cookie that you know from the store. Reading these recipes feels almost soothing. Dramatic, I know. But I often feel like social media recipes and newer cookbooks are throwing everything at me at once to catch my attention. This cookbook seems less an attempt at impressing readers with being on trend or shocking us with new flavor combinations, and more like a collection of personal favorite recipes from your hometown baker. Baking from this cookbook feels like pastry meditation. No need to plug in an appliance or pause a YouTube video. Grab a bowl and a wooden spoon and take a moment to make something delicious. It’s great for a beginner baker, or anyone who enjoys baking in theory but hates dirtying too many bowls, or when recipes get complicated.The dish I baked this week Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I love a cookie, but we already know how good the Tate’s cookie is, so I wanted to showcase something else. Luckily, blueberry season is here, and that made my decision for me. I settled on the Blueberry Buckle. Without taking a picture of the actual recipe (which isn’t cool to do), I want to illustrate the simplicity of this buckle: The instructions for the whole cake, with a crumb topping, are completed in 12 lines. The headnote includes a three-sentence story about how it won a bake-off in Maine, and how King’s niece improved the crumb texture. If you’ve ever just wanted a recipe to cut to the chase, this is it.A buckle is a cake-like treat with a crumb topping and fresh fruit mixed into it. (Between buckles, betties, cobblers, and crisps, it’s easy to get confused.) The cake batter is easy to stir together by hand. Employing salted butter eliminates worrying about measuring yet another ingredient, and all of the other ingredients were readily available in my pantry. In roughly 15 minutes, I was ready to throw an entire cake into the oven. I don’t know that I’ve had a buckle before, but I definitely would have voted for this to win that bake-off. The cake component is utterly tender, and I don’t really know why or how—there’s no sour cream or buttermilk involved. It must just be a perfect balance of tenderizing fat and strengthening gluten. The ratio of blueberries to cake is also perfect. I know folks are always begging for more berries, but if you have too many then the berries sink or they make the cake too wet. The crumb topping is exactly as it should be—sweet, buttery, and lightly spiced. It’s good enough to eat on its own. I could see myself making this buckle for a picnic, or a friend’s summer birthday brunch. June is just around the corner, so I'll keep my copy of Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbook handy for other berry-centric bakes this summer. How to buy itDespite being an older book, it’s still available in the hardcover. However, if you’re keen to save a buck, do check out your local used bookstores. Older books like this are almost always available used for a fraction of the original retail price. If you’re more of a digital baker, you can also spend less and download the ebook.  Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook: The Best Recipes from Southampton's Favorite Bakery for Homestyle Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Muffins, and Breads $31.94 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $31.94 at Amazon

Even the most gracious host can be thrown off by a well-meaning—but ill-timed—gift. Just ask Ina Garten. During a recent Sunday Sitdown with TODAY’s Willie Geist, the beloved entertainer and cookbook author known by her blog name, Barefoot Contessa, shared her top two dinner party don’ts—and they’re more common than you’d think.Geist mentioned that there can be a "gift that messes with the plan of the evening," noting, "in other words, don't show up with chips and guac to a dinner party." Garten agreed and added in some other common dinner party blunders. “There are two things that I don’t think you should ever bring to a dinner party—and they’re so common—is something that the host feels like they should serve," she said, adding that Jell-O salad first comes to mind. "What are you going to do with that?" she adds. The second faux pas? Loose flowers. “Don’t ever bring flowers that aren’t in a vase,” she advised. “You're there. You're like, everyone's arriving, and then all of a sudden you’ve got these flowers and you have to figure out what to do." John M. Hall for ELLE DecorIna Garten’s lush garden in East Hampton.Garten knows a thing or two about effortless entertaining. In her hit series Be My Guest, viewers got a peek into her many gatherings at her verdant East Hampton garden, which features a kitchen garden, flower beds for miles, and an orchard with 25 crab apple trees—all thanks, in part, to landscape designer Edwina von Gal (who she was introduced to by Martha Stewart). There's also a wood-shingle farmhouse on the property that is prime for dinner party moments, which she had shared with many of her famous friends on the show, including Wendell Pierce, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Stephen Colbert—even Geist and his wife, Christina.In 2022, Garten appeared on the TODAY show with cohosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, teaching them how to how to set a table for a dinner party. “The first thing about a dinner party is it can be four people," she said in the show . "It doesn’t have to be 12; it’s overwhelming, even for me,” she said on the show. Rachel SilvaAssociate Digital EditorRachel Silva is the associate digital editor at ELLE DECOR, where she covers all things design, architecture, and lifestyle. She also oversees the publication’s feature article coverage, and is, at any moment, knee-deep in an investigation on everything from the best spa gifts to the best faux florals on the internet right now. She has more than 16 years of experience in editorial, working as a photo assignment editor at Time and acting as the president of Women in Media in NYC. She went to Columbia Journalism School, and her work has been nominated for awards from ASME, the Society of Publication Designers, and World Press Photo. 

On TikTok, soup is getting a rebrand. It’s now water-based cooking to you. “Pov you started water-based cooking and now your skin is clear, your stomach is thriving and you recover from illness overnight,” one TikTok post reads. Others claim the method is making them age backward. But a quick scroll through the comments has many pointing out the obvious: “Bro invented soup,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “As an Asian, what’s new?” The post made its way to Bluesky, where one user joked: “I need to start jumping on these phony trends. Get a water-based cookbook self-published by tomorrow. Hit TikTok running.” They added, “Send me soup recipes. Let’s all get rich”—to which one user replied, “I have one that involves chicken and noodles,” or as they called it: “chicken noodle water-based meal.” While this cooking method predates TikTok by at least 50,000 years, it has been recently popularized on TikTok and Instagram by scientist and registered dietitian Michelle Davenport, PhD, whose work focuses on slowing the deleterious effects of aging. She argues that cooking mostly with broth and water can help slow aging by reducing the amount of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), the compounds that attach to our DNA and cells. These are formed when food is cooked at high, dry temperatures and contribute to various health issues. On Davenport’s Instagram page, which has over 250,000 followers, you’ll find recipes for dishes like water eggs and breakfast soup. (“Dr. Michelle Davenport the woman you are,” the caption of the original TikTok post reads.) “Water-based cooking—like steaming or simmering—is a simple way to get more out of your food,” dietitian Kouka Webb, MS, RD, CDN, told Fast Company. “It helps preserve delicate nutrients that are often lost with high-heat methods, and it cuts back on the need for heavy oils. As a dietitian, I’ve seen how small shifts like this can support things like blood sugar balance, better digestion, and even lower inflammation over time.” But while the health benefits of water-based cooking are plenty, clearly not everyone is here for the TikTokification of recipes and cooking methods that have existed for generations. And on TikTok, food trends come and go quicker than you can say, “lemony miso gochujang brown butter gnocchi.” Last year, there was the “dense bean salad” trend—which is exactly what it sounds like: a bean salad. There was also the “tadpole water” trend (just add chia seeds to a glass of water). And, of course, who could forget the classic “girl dinner”? May I interest you in a delicious bowl of alphabet soup?

You ever wonder who the first person to put peanut butter and chocolate together was? Part of me feels like whoever it was must be loaded; I mean, you’ve combined two already great flavors into something that Reese’s would more or less build a whole brand on. And then part of me thinks it plays out like the hypothetical guy who invented the Chicken McNugget in The Wire. A pat on the back from a big shot, and then it’s back to the basement to figure out a way to make the fries taste better. I don’t know the answer; I hope it's the former. But every now and then, you come across an idea, a combination of things, that’s so good that you wonder how nobody’s ever done it before. And every time my squad and I sprinted back to our time-traveling dropship, stopping only to deal with the Time Reapers that stood in our way, I wondered how the hell nobody had ever said “Hey, what if we combined Overcooked and Gears of War?” pre-Pizza Bandit.Pizza Bandit’s setup is pretty simple. You’re Malik, a former bounty hunter with dreams of being a chef who is pulled back into the bounty game when he’s scammed out of his pizza shop and his former crew needs his help to get out of a jam. Pizza Bandit’s writing is pretty silly, but that’s part of the charm. I can’t get mad when Albert, the android that upgrades your weapons, tells me he doesn’t know how to apologize for what happened to my pizza shop because he’s just an android, or when my pilot waxes nostalgic about how he misses the fog, or when someone utters the odd nonsensical line. It’s too silly, and the whole setup is just there to, well… set up Pizza Bandit’s wackiness.PlaySee, you’re not just any bounty-hunting crew. You’re a time-traveling bounty hunting crew, and that means you’ll be going all over space and time to get the job done. Don’t ask me how any of this works. All I know is that pizza heals and bullets kill, and that the Time Reapers — nasty little buggers that seem to be invading every timeline — don’t want this pizza shop owner to make any dough. And that’s not gonna fly. Pizza Bandit’s writing is pretty silly, but that’s part of the charm.“What makes Pizza Bandit unique is that you’re not just shooting stuff. You’re also, well, kinda playing Overcooked. After squading up, my first mission saw my crew (you can play with up to three friends) heading to the Restaurant from N owhere, a hidden outpost run by another bandit crew. Our job: fulfill the pizza orders for other bounty hunting teams, and send them off in time-traveling rocket pods. That meant putting together the right type of pizza, getting it to the oven, making sure we were getting their drink orders right, and adding some extra bullets for when things got spicy, cramming it all into a pod, and doing it on time while fighting off the Time Reapers, who really, really don’t like supporting small businesses.Pizza Bandit ScreenshotsAnd that’s where the other part of the Overcooked/Gears of War marriage comes into play. See, the Time Reapers mean business, and you’re not going to talk them out of some time reaping. That’s their whole bag. The only solution, fellow bandit, is incredible violence. I’ve played several builds of Pizza Bandit at this point, and let me tell you, your arsenal is up to the task. You start with your choice of assau lt rifle, minigun, and sniper rifle, but the fun really begins when you start unlocking your secondary weapons by completing jobs. They start simple: landmines, grenades, that sort of thing, but once you unlock the disco ball that attracts enemies and gets them dancing before it explodes? Whew, buddy. And the sentry turret? Perfection. You could slice and dice them Time Reapers with a katana, but have you ever considered using a pizza slicer as big as a man? It’ll change your life.And the Time Reapers will force you to use everything in your arsenal. You got your standard guys who will just run at you, but there are also Time Reapers that’ll crawl around on all fours, Terminator-looking ones that will leap at you, giant ones with hammers, guys who throw fireballs (these can really ruin your day), the works. You gotta prioritize.Pizza Bandit is at its best when you’re with a good team, calling out orders. A good match should be shouts of “We need a pepperoni pie!” and “I’m on the Coke!” and “I’m down!” interspersed with lots and lots of gunfire. Simple choices, like when to call down your own, once-a-mission rocket pod full of pizza and supplies, and more complex ones, like where to put it (you can block off a stairway, for instance), spice things up, too. And here’s the thing: so far, I’ve just talked about Restaurant from Nowhere, which is only the first level. Pizza Bandit isn’t a one-trick pony. One of my favorite levels has you taking over a sushi joint and making sure you have the right stuff on the delivery turntable for your customers. Sometimes that means running downstairs and grabbing a big ol’ tuna, taking that bad boy upstairs, and chopping him up before the Time Reapers whack you and you drop him. Other times that means frying an egg, or making a cucumber roll. You gotta stay ahead of the curve, because new customers are prioritized over old ones, and the Time Reapers aren’t gonna sit there and wait for you to plate your masterpiece.Sometimes, you’re not even cooking food at all. Another favorite level, Wizard’s Tomb, has you exploring a magically booby-trapped tomb in search of a sarcophagus. You’ll have to navigate the tomb’s traps, solve basic puzzles to reveal the way forward, and take out the arcane heart powering the whole enterprise before getting to the sarcophagus itself, which you’ll naturally transport with jetpacks before booking it back to your ship. It isn’t enough to get any given job done; you gotta get home, too. Just another day in the life of a pizza bandit.Pizza Bandit is always ludicrous, and its inspirations are obvious, but it’s never less than fun.“There are more, of course: in one, you’ll defend a cabin with Dr. Emmert Browne (Great Scott, Jofsoft, I see what you’re doing here, and I like it!) while he invents the time travel device that makes your whole business profitable. Winning it all means keeping him warm, satiating his hunger with rabbit or venison, and stopping all those nasty Time Reapers (and Wendigos?) who are trying to stop time travel from happening. You’d think that the Time Reapers would understand time paradoxes, but I guess not. Can’t reap time if there’s no time to reap, y’all. Or maybe you’ll break into an enormous safe with a laser drill, like you’re roleplaying the opening scene of Michael Mann’s Thief with a drill that’s constantly exploding. That seems safe, right? But hey, apparently there’s a magical cookbook in that vault whose recipes can alter reality, and we’re being paid to get it, exploding drill or not. A Pizza Bandit always gets the job done. And there’s always time to do your best Breaking Bad impersonation and help a couple of guys cook some “magic powder” and hide it inside some chicken. Oh, and you have to kill and cook the chickens. Only fresh, never frozen, baby. Pizza Bandit is always ludicrous, and its inspirations are obvious, but it’s never less than fun.Between missions, it’s back to Pizza Bandit (your restaurant), where you can acquire and upgrade your weapons, decorate Pizza Bandit itself, use the ingredients you find during missions to bake and share a pie for some stat boosts on your next run, or get some spiffy new duds for your bounty hunter. The milk carton backpack is a classic choice, if I do say so myself, but I’m still saving up for one of the cat ones. The things we do for fashion, am I right? Then it’s right back to it. A bandit’s work is never done.Sometimes, you don’t know you want something until you get it. I didn’t know I wanted Pizza Bandit until the first time I played it at PAX two years ago. It was one of those games that generated a lot of word of mouth, but it’s one of those concepts that doesn’t seem like it’ll work until you get a controller in your hands and everything makes sense. I don’t know why we’ve never gotten something like Pizza Bandit before, but once I played it, I knew I wanted more. Pizza heals, bullets kill, and Pizza Bandit rocks. If Jofsoft can stick the landing, we’re in for a tasty slice of New York pie.

Some people possess an innate talent for finding gifts on a budget. No matter the occasion (anniversary, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day) or recipient (wife, boyfriend, teens, in-laws), they somehow nail it every time — winning the unofficial "best gift-giver" award among those who are lucky to know them. If you're not the most intuitive gift giver, fear not. We've put together a list of the best gift ideas for under $50. These unique, budget-friendly gifts won't break the bank, and you might even see some solid discounts on them if you're lucky. Opens in a new window Credit: Uncommon Goods Acupressure Tension Release Mat For relieving tension Great for the person who loves trying out the latest alternative therapies, but is perhaps a bit squeamish around needles. Lay on it, roll it up and use it as a pillow, or even stand on it to help relieve tension built up in the body throughout the day. Buying Options $48 from Uncommon Goods Opens in a new window Credit: Crock-Pot Crock-Pot Electric Lunch Box For having a hot lunch For that person who has everything. We love this electric lunch box with an internal capacity of 20 ounces, an ideal side for a personal meal portion. Available in four different colors, the stainless steel interior can be removed and washed in the dishwasher. Buying Options See Details Opens in a new window Credit: Nisaku Hori Hori Garden Knife For those who love to garden A beloved tool for anyone who spends all their spare time in the garden. Part knife and part trowel, the stainless steel blade includes measurements so you always have a sense for depth when planting. Plus the serrated side helps tackle tough soil and weeds. Buying Options $29 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Roku A Roku Express 4K+ For Netflix binge-watchers Mashable contributor Callum Bains called the Roku Express 4K+ a "fast, no-nonsense streaming device with a price to match." (It's our favorite budget media player on the market.) Plug it into a TV's HDMI port for all-in-one entertainment and hands-free voice control. Buying Options $39.99 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Kasa Kasa Smart Plugs For a quick home upgrade Set a schedule for the living room lights, use the app to turn on the white noise machine in the nursery, or pair with an Alexa device to make them voice-activated. Smart plugs provide greater control over the devices within a home and are a quick and simply way to upgrade a space. Buying Options $29.99 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: YETI YETI Rambler Stackable Mug For coffee fiends If they frequently take their coffee into the great outdoors, whether that's on their porch or on a camping trip, grab them a Yeti Rambler mug. It's dishwasher-safe and comes in tons of colors, from basic black to fire-engine red. Buying Options $30 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Dash Heart-shaped waffle maker For cute little breakfasts What's cuter than a tiny heart-shaped waffle maker? A tiny heart-shaped waffle maker with a tiny heart-shaped waffle inside. Breakfast is about to get so adorable — especially when they realize they can make heart-shaped hash browns, too. Buying Options $19.99 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: JBL Wireless JBL earbuds For daily commuters Who says you have to pay $300 for a decent pair of true wireless earbuds? JBL has proven time and again that it can deliver high-quality audio — and for a lot less than its competitors. These buds are available at Amazon for just a hair under $50, but you can usually grab them for a lot less. Buying Options $49.95 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Hemlock Park A crackling wood-wick candle For candle-heads These unique candles ditch the standard cotton wicks for wood wicks, and that results in a crackling effect that will remind you of sitting around a campfire. If you're tired of the same old candles, they bring some excitement to the product category. This complex and woodsy scent uses pleasing notes of palo santo wood, myrrh, bergamot, amber, frankincense, and rosewood. Buying Options $24.95 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Lodge Cast Iron A Lodge cast iron skillet For home chefs Cast iron skillets are the versatile workhorses of any kitchen — they retain heat tremendously well and can be used for almost any dish, from steak to skillet cookies. (They're also durable enough to be used over a campfire, if your recipient's into that.) Lodge's pans come pre-seasoned for immediate use and can last for decades with proper care. Buying Options $26.71 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Stasher Stasher bags For eco warriors Stasher's popular reusable bags are made from heavy-duty, food-grade silicone that can be frozen, boiled, microwaved, baked, and tossed in the dishwasher. They come in myriad sizes, colors, and shapes, including snack pouches, bowls, and new "beauty bags" for makeup. Buying Options $18.99 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Wild One / Mashable composite A Wild One Treat Pouch For dog parents "Walkies," but make it fashion. Wild One's Treat Pouch has a hidden compartment for a roll of poop bags and adjustable carrying straps that let you wear it like a crossbody bag or a fannypack. It's available in at least five colors (depending on the season) and overall super stylish — you'd never know it was made from recycled water bottles. Buying Options $44 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: National Geographic A National Geographic Earth Science Kit For young scientists If you know a kid who goes crazy for science experiments, this STEM gift kit will delight them to no end (and make you their favorite grown-up). It comes with over 15 activities — including crystal growing, building a volcano, and unearthing geological treasures — that are both easy to follow and easy to clean up after. Buying Options $29.99 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: LEGO A LEGO Orchid building kit For LEGO masters This bestselling kit from LEGO's Botanical Collection for adults builds into a realistic orchid with six large flowers, two newly opened buds, and a fluted pot (complete with some "bark mix" the actual plant would grow in). It contains 608 pieces, so it'll take the better part of an afternoon to assemble. No watering or pruning required! Buying Options $49.99 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: OXO An OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker For coffee connoisseurs Starbucks gift cards are a nice gesture, but categorically lame. The Mashable's Choice Award-winning OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker is a better way to gift someone their next caffeine fix: "[It] pays for itself in one or two brews, and the cold brew concentrate it produces is consistently strong, velvety smooth, and richly flavorful," wrote contributor Sam Stone. Buying Options $34.95 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Apple An Apple AirTag For forgetters This quarter-sized Bluetooth tracker works seamlessly with the Find My app, which comes pre-installed on iPhones and iPads — super convenient for anyone who's already plugged into the Apple ecosystem. If an item the AirTag is attached to ever gets lost or misplaced, its owner can pull up its last-known location on their device or ask Siri to find it. Buying Options $29 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: AnotherStudio Houseplant ornaments For plant parents Made by the London-based design company AnotherStudio, these miniature metal ornaments are cute accessories for houseplant pots and terrariums. If you don't think your recipient would be into the mushrooms (available in brass and stainless steel), they also come in impressively detailed animal, flower, and fruit shapes. Buying Options $17.88 from Etsy Opens in a new window Credit: Hearth and Hand Cookbook stand by Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia For the home chef Cooking from a recipe you found online is great — until you have to keep touching your phone every few minutes to see it. Gift the home chef in your life this aesthetically pleasing stand to give them a much-needed kitchen assist. Built to easily hold a cookbook at reading level, it'll just as easily accommodate a tablet, phone, or 2-in-1 laptop. Buying Options $19.99 from Target Opens in a new window Credit: Piecework Puzzles A Piecework puzzle For puzzlers Mashable's most dedicated puzzle fiends swear by Piecework, which makes unique puzzles out of stunning (and intricately detailed) photos. This 500-piece puzzle won't drive anyone too crazy, but if your puzzle fan loves a challenge, check out the brand's 1,000-piece sets. Buying Options $34 from Piecework Opens in a new window Credit: PetSafe A PetSafe Bolt Automatic Laser Light Cat Toy For cat parents For senior culture reporter Christianna Silva and their feisty cat, Colby Jack, the Mashable's Choice Award-winning PetSafe Bolt "was a godsend...It works reliably, solves a problem, turns off automatically, and is virtually hassle-free." It operates in two modes, so your recipient can control it themselves or set it to a random pattern and have their cat burn off some energy solo. Buying Options $23.95 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Vitamix personal-size blender For making smoothies Personal, portable, and extremely adorable — that's the name of the game with this 16-oz travel blender from beloved kitchenware brand Ninja. Ideal for meal prepping the night before or stashing in a cooler for a quick, on-demand smoothie, this is one of those practical gifts that quickly turns into a fun (and did we mention cute?) daily ritual for its recipient. Buying Options $49.88 from Walmart Opens in a new window Credit: Shutterfly A custom Shutterfly photo book For sentimental types Starting around $25, Shutterfly's photo books can be personalized from top to bottom with different layouts, bindings, cover finishes, stickers, and ribbons — it's like scrapbooking on steroids. If you're looking for a gift idea that'll speak from the heart and be cherished for years to come, they're guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye of any parent or significant other. Buying Options See Details Opens in a new window Credit: Le Creuset A Le Creuset Mini Round Cocotte For foodies Yes, you can gift someone a Le Creuset cocotte for less than $50 — a *very small* Le Creuset cocotte, but the point technically still stands. Made from nonstick stoneware that's safe for oven, broiler, microwave, and dishwasher use, the 8-ouncer is a nice size for individual cobblers and pot pie. It's available in colors like Cerise (pictured), Artichaut, Nectar, Chambray, Azure, and more. Buying Options $32 from Le Creuset Opens in a new window Credit: BaBylissPRO A BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Mini Straightening Iron For beauty buffs Ideal for on-the-go touch-ups, this miniature version of BaBylissPRO's premium flat iron can get as hot as 430°F. It features the exact same titanium-ceramic plates as the standard size (only these are half an inch wide), which are designed for even heating and reducing frizz. Buying Options $34.99 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Clarkson Potter 'What's for Dessert: Simple Recipes for Dessert People' For bakers From "Dessert Person" Claire Saffitz comes this beginner-friendly cookbook with over 100 simple and efficient recipes for sweet treats. (Emphasis on "simple and efficient" — none of them require a stand mixer and only half need a hand mixer.) Entries are accompanied by beautiful retro-style photography and helpful troubleshooting tips. Buying Options $37.50 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Annapurna Interactive 'Stray' For PlayStation gamers Available for PS4, PS5, and PC (via Steam), "Stray" is a 2022 third-person game that follows an orange tabby cat who's trying to escape a grungy cyberpunk city — and yes, you play as the cat. Mashable tech and games reporter Alex Perry described it as a stunning sci-fi adventure "with a sweet story, endearing characters, and some truly gross art design at times (in the best way)." Buying Options $39.99 from Best Buy Opens in a new window Credit: LIFX A LIFX Color smart bulb For techies LIFX Color smart bulbs are vibrant and easy to install — and unlike the Philips Hue variety, they don't require a bridge or a hub to work with WiFi. Mashable contributor RJ Andersen has replaced about half the bulbs in their house with these things: "Would I recommend [LIFX bulbs] to anyone looking to tip-toe into smart lighting? Absolutely," they said. Buying Options $39.99 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Stanley A Stanley Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler For hip sippers TikTok's favorite reusable drinking vessel is a 40-ounce, travel-friendly tumbler with a removable straw, a comfort-grip handle, and an insulated, stainless steel body that can keep drinks iced for up to 40 hours. It comes in a bunch of trendy colors, including some limited-edition ones that'll earn you some extra cool points. Buying Options $45 from REI Opens in a new window Credit: Kenneth Bachor / Mashable A Death Digital fisheye lens For amateur videographers Death Digital's fisheye iPhone lens makes it possible to recreate the unique style of '90s music and skateboarding videos with your smartphone. It earned our Mashable's Choice Award for its durable build quality and user-friendliness: "For under $50, it’s a great timeless accessory that’s small and easy to throw in your pocket," wrote contributor Kenneth Bachor. Buying Options $45 from Death Digital Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack For Nintendo Switch gamers Nintendo's premium membership tier unlocks online play, libraries of classic retro games, cloud saves, and access to select DLCs. (That includes 48 additional courses for "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" and the "Happy Home Paradise" expansion for "Animal Crossing: New Horizons.") A year-long individual plan comes in just under $50, which is easily one of the best deals in gaming. Buying Options $49.99 from Nintendo Opens in a new window Credit: Yonanas A Yonanas soft-serve machine For ice cream lovers The Yonanas is a borderline brilliant kitchen gadget from Dole that can successfully turn frozen fruit into a smooth, soft serve-adjacent dessert — a great gift for regular ice cream eaters who want to switch things up, *or* anyone who follows a vegan, keto, or dairy-free diet. Another Mashable Choice Award-winner, it "seriously impressed" contributor Michelle Rostamian. Buying Options $49.99 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Necessaire Necessaire body wash For pampering This eucalyptus-scented body wash from the trendy brand Necessaire is the perfect "fancy-version-of-a-staple" gift. (That's also why we're suggesting the large pump bottle.) There are also exfoliators, serums, and body lotions available, just in case you want to make it a set. Buying Options $38 from Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Bloomscape A high-tech mister For advanced plant care For plant parents who really go the extra mile, the Mossify Mistr sprays a "continuous fine mist" to keep humidity-favoring plants happy. Think spray bottle, but fancy: This is great for the person who likes to have a USB-compatible version of everything. Buying Options $50 from Bloomscape

Don’t call Kylie Kelce a WAG. The acronym for the “wives and girlfriends” of professional athletes rankles the podcaster, who first rose to fame as the wife of retired Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce. As Kelce explains, the phrase suggests that “your spouse’s profession swallows you up as well.”But many in the media are heralding this moment as a “new era” for WAGs, and Kelce is just one of several famous women who are at the fore of this renaissance: Everyone from TikToker Alix Earle, who is dating Miami Dolphins player Braxton Berrios, to Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles — unquestionably the more famous athlete — who is married to the Chicago Bears’ Jonathan Owens. Then there’s Taylor Swift, one of the most successful musicians on the planet, who, thanks to her relationship with Kylie’s brother-in-law Travis Kelce, has become the ultimate symbol of the new WAG.Meanwhile, a host of lesser-known women are experiencing their first taste of fame through their relationships with tennis players, Formula 1 race-car drivers, and even pole-vaulters. A sizable number have leveraged their romantic lives to receive brand deals, podcasting opportunities, and magazine profiles.By and large, our understanding of WAGs is rapidly evolving to acknowledge their own social and economic power. They’ve transformed from tabloid punching bags to an appealing status symbol. Still, the continued use of the term does raise some complicated questions: Why are we so interested in defining these women, some of whom are independently successful, by their relationships to men? And what does it mean that they might be raking in more attention and financial opportunities than some female athletes? The rise of the new WAG The public’s fascination with WAGs isn’t new. The acronym originated across the pond in the early 2000s to describe the wives and girlfriends of English footballers. British tabloids and football fans alike lambasted women — celebrities in their own right — like former Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham for their partying, extravagant spending, and flashy, maximalist looks. When the England national football team lost the 2006 FIFA World Cup, their partners were blamed in the press for the defeat. In the United States, being a WAG could be an equally dangerous public position. From Jessica Simpson to the Kardashians, they’ve been painted as distractions, attention-seekers, and bearers of bad luck. Over the past two decades, though, a WAG has become less of an involuntary title and more of an identity that some women are willing to cultivate, given that it can come with its own rewards.David and Victoria Beckham at the MOBO Awards on October 6, 1999. Dave Hogan/Getty ImagesThis modern version of WAG-dom can be credited to early 2010s reality shows like WAGS, Basketball Wives, and La La’s Full Court Life. These platforms allowed these women — some anonymous before they entered into relationships with athletes — to craft their own public narratives and become notable personalities on their own. For years now, Ayesha Curry, wife of Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, has modeled what it means to be a “WAG influencer,” embracing her public relationship with her spouse while building a separate career as a successful cookbook author and host. Since then, WAG-influencers have become a welcome staple of certain sports cultures. Formula 1 has exploded in recent years, with a small part of that popularity owed to the sport’s stylish other halves. Since 2017, female viewership has grown from 8 percent to 40 percent. This has been largely credited to the popular Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which put a spotlight on the personal lives of drivers and, naturally, their partners. Lily Herman, who writes the F1 newsletter Engine Failure, says that the current popularity of WAG-influencers in Formula 1 can be credited to the former partners of a few young popular drivers from 2019 to 2022, like Carlos Sainz’s girlfriend Isa Hernáez and Charles Leclerc’s girlfriend Charlotte Sine, who were both featured on Drive to Survive. In 2022, Sine was the first WAG in the sport to explicitly use her access to the F1 circuit as a part of an ad campaign for the skincare brand Sunday Riley.“They were around during an era where the sport saw a lot of growth in its younger fan base, especially among teen girls and younger women, and there was a new wave of interest in these young drivers’ personal lives,” says Herman. These women have inspired fan pages, Tumblr accounts, and subreddits dedicated to their relationships, fashion, and rumored drama. Lately, the organization has fully embraced WAGs as recognizable supporting characters in the F1 universe, featuring them on social media and including them on chyrons during racing broadcasts. Tennis has tried to replicate the WAG-to-influencer pipeline too, although the sport and its fans are still warming up to the presence of outside partners. Morgan Riddle, who’s dating highest-ranked American male player Taylor Fritz, has been making get-ready-with-me videos for tournaments and vlogging about her life on the tennis tour since 2022. Ayan Broomfield, a former college tennis player who’s dating Frances Tiafoe, and influencer Paige Lorenze, who’s dating Tommy Paul, have mimicked the same career path, broadcasting their lives as WAGs on social media. Herman says that WAGs play a role in “adding dimension” to their male partners, contributing to the marketability of both. “Fritz is pretty bland as a public figure without his girlfriend,” says Herman. “She’s done way more in her work as an influencer and content creator to make him seem multidimensional than he has through solo interviews and profiles.”It certainly benefits younger, newer WAGs who are already powerful women. Biles and Swift have joined their ranks and seem to take pride in the role. Beckham, now a successful fashion designer, has also played a role in igniting a nostalgia for WAGs, thanks to the popular 2023 Netflix docuseries Beckham. The business of being a WAG is still very traditional In our current political climate, the WAG boom raises interesting questions. Research shows that some Gen Z-ers are identifying as more conservative than their parents. “Trad wife” content abounds online. Where do WAGs fit in? WAG influencers share some obvious similarities to tradwife influencers, women who’ve created lucrative identities and even businesses by perpetuating conservative ideas of marriage and motherhood. In a Substack essay, sports writer Frankie De La Cretaz argues that WAGs are essentially the tradwives of men’s sports: “No matter how many businesses a WAG starts or how many charities she runs, she still embodies a heteronormative idea of family and a woman’s place in society.” It’s hard to get around the fact that most WAGs are initially famous for their association with a male partner, although they may ultimately transcend that attachment (see Kylie Kelce’s complaint about being called a WAG and consider that her podcast, Not Gonna Lie, briefly dethroned The Joe Rogan Experience when it debuted in 2024).WAGs are gaining visibility while the most talented female athletes are still fighting for wage parity and struggling to land brand deals.But even attempts to define WAGs outside of their relationships come off a bit shallow. Stories about how these women are impacting sports largely focus on their brand deals and follower counts. When we celebrate the influence of WAGs, we’re mostly talking about their ability to turn other women into consumers and spectators, not athletes. Meanwhile, WAGs are gaining visibility while the most talented female athletes are still fighting for wage parity and struggling to land brand deals. Back in March, Australian tennis pro Daria Saville made a TikTok about the lack of sponsorships she and other female pros receive compared to tennis WAGs. “Female tennis players are not getting those brand deals,” she said. “It’s actually tennis WAGs that fit into the ‘aesthetic’ rather than, us, sweaty tennis players.” De la Cretaz tells Vox that the WAG boom echoes the mainstream platforming of tradwives. “It’s an extension of “girlboss” feminism, the idea that promoting women regardless of what that looks like is somehow good for women,” De la Cretaz says. “It’s also this idea that whatever you’re choosing is valid, even though those choices don’t exist in a vacuum.” The most visible WAGs are still predominantly in straight relationships, and a large part of being one still involves affirming a male athlete’s heterosexuality. As journalist Kira Cochrane wrote in a 2010 piece for the Guardian about football WAGs, “consciously or not, the women know their role is to boost their partner’s masculinity.” She added that their often highly feminized presentation “underlines [their] status as possessions, part of the package for footballers.” WAGs, with their new clout and influence, haven’t exactly gotten a total makeover. Rather, their hustle has grown more appealing. After all, they represent all the things women are encouraged to be in a time when mainstream culture is trending more conservative. They’re tradwives. They’re girlbosses. They’re stylish and beautiful. Most of all, they’re sitting on the sidelines. See More:

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own. I’m nearly positive the first biscuit iteration I ever ate was a Bisquick drop biscuit. While my mom was a well-practiced savory cook, she usually baked from boxes. That was just fine by me and my brothers. But as I grew fond of baking myself, I was pretty surprised when I learned that baking biscuits from scratch was not quite like Bisquick. Simple? Sure. But only where the ingredient list is concerned. In fact, the simpler the ingredient list, the more difficult some types of foods are to make. Biscuits are a great example of the illusion of ease in baking. There’s a balance to strike between shortening gluten and strengthening gluten, adding richness and maximizing lift, and then there’s the question of what to eat it with. This week’s cookbook spotlight shines onto Still We Rise, a cookbook that contains every type of biscuit—from those that can suffice as a butter-slathered side dish to others that are a vital source of comfort.A bit about the bookStill We Rise dropped in 2023 from the owner and chef of Bomb Biscuit Company, Erika Council. You might think to yourself: How many recipes for biscuits could there possibly be? A lot, in fact. There are over 70 recipes in this book—yes, for different types of biscuits, but also for jams and spreads, as well as recipes for savory, stacked biscuit sandwiches.  Aside from serving as a collection of easy-to-follow biscuit recipes for you to enjoy, you’ll find anecdotes and one-page personal stories related to the recipes that follow. Council uses this cookbook as a place to tell the stories of accomplished female chefs, of her family, their experiences as Black people living in America in the 1940s and onward, and how the food cooked and shared by Council's family members has played a crucial role in how she connects to her past and present. The recipe I made this weekWhen I first chose the recipe I wanted to make this week, I was expecting a routine biscuit preparation. I chose the Sour Cream and Onion Biscuits, so I made sure to have flour ready, sour cream, green onions, and plenty of cold butter. I stretched my hands and prepared myself for several minutes of “cutting in” butter. That’s a process where you break cold butter into tiny pieces to eventually flatten them so they bake into flaky layers. You’ll see it often in pie crusts too. It’s like a hyper-lazy version of laminating dough, which you see in croissants and puff pastry. To put it bluntly, it’s pretty annoying, but biscuits taste good, so it’s worth it.  Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I started mixing the dry ingredients in a bowl and scanned the page for the butter sequence. I scanned again. Where was the butter? Oh, there’s no butter—there’s no butter? (Well there was, but only a couple tablespoons for brushing on at the end.) This recipe uses sour cream and a splash of full-fat buttermilk to lend richness to the dough, and that’s it. No breaking up butter or shredding it with a grater? For those who don’t know off-hand what this news means in a practical sense, this recipe would potentially only take about 10 minutes to prepare. And it did. It was so easy to make. Too easy to make? I was suspicious at first, but the smell wafting from the oven dispelled my fears. The first thing I noticed when I bit into one was the hydration. This biscuit wasn’t your typical towering, flaky specimen, but instead a fluffed and tender oniony morsel. It wasn't wet or cake-y by any means, but it was nowhere near in danger of being a dry biscuit. I should have made a double batch because the sour cream prevented the biscuits from becoming hard or stale even after they had been sitting out for a day. A great cookbook for biscuits that fit your situationIt’s obvious that this is a biscuit cookbook; don’t come here looking for a pizza recipe (though there are pancakes in here). What’s special about this book is that there seems to be a biscuit for every possible need, limitation, or random craving. It speaks to more than simply a variety of toppings or mix-ins.There are recipes that don’t have butter in them, ones that use alternative fats like duck fat, biscuits with regular milk and some with buttermilk, recipes for sweet occasions, savory needs, quick and low-lift recipes, and more complex ones. I can easily see myself thinking, today I don’t have buttermilk and I need savory biscuits ready in 1 hour, so what can I make?—and finding a biscuit that matches my current pantry inventory and time needs.How to buy itI always recommend a jaunt to the local bookstore, but seeing as I couldn’t do it this week, I can’t blame you for ordering online either. I selected the hardcover this week, but if your cookbook bookshelf is getting tight, you can download the ebook for a steal. I’ll be keeping my copy right in the kitchen for strawberry and peach season. (There’s a Honey Roasted Peach Biscuit recipe in here that I have my eye on.)  Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit with Over 70 Sweet and Savory Recipes $4.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $4.99 at Amazon

Small apartments and homes offer plenty of charm, but they tend to be lacking when it comes to kitchen space. Luckily, there are tons of small kitchen ideas that maximize storage and efficiency. By thinking creatively about how to make the most of your tiny kitchen floor plan and utilizing whatever countertop and wall real estate you have, you can make even the tiniest of kitchens a space you enjoy cooking—and hanging out—in. Ahead, we’ve gathered 51 small kitchen design tips to help you maximize your space, be it a petite galley kitchen or just a single wall in an open-plan apartment. Whether you’re renovating and starting from scratch or just looking to refresh your existing space, read on to get your small kitchen in tip-top shape.1. Add a prep areaAdjustable Kitchen CartKaloh Storage CartsYou may not have space to expand or add a full island, so think about bringing in a slim rolling kitchen cart or bar cart to hold your mise en place or serve as extra counter space. Even a narrow console can work as a spot to set tools and ingredients on while you cook.2. Remove upper cabinetsHandmade Rustic Live Edge Floating Shelves“Open shelves are extremely functional and make it so much easier to access dishes and glasses,” says New York–based interior designer Jenny Wolf, adding that you should think about your kitchen architecturally, as it doesn’t always make sense to have upper cabinets—“especially if the ceilings are 10 feet high.”3. Get custom hardwareDesigner Catrina Stewart used red hardware to highlight the pantry in this London kitchen, as well as a tinted mirror and teal paint to fabricate an eye on the door that looks like it's winking when you open the doorFrench + Tye“I try to use hardware as statement pieces. It’s the jewelry you put on to complete the look,” says architectural designer Karen Williams, who serves as the creative director for St. Charles New York.4. Or opt for invisible hardware“When you lean up against the counter, you don’t want to feel a handle poking into your side. You also want a clean surface where you really see the materiality of [it]. We’ve worked a lot with Dada and have been generally seeing less hardware and more integrated pulls or touch-to-open cabinetry. It makes working much more efficient,” said designer Stephanie Goto.5. Get super organized inside your cabinetsExpandable Lid & Pan OrganizerShelf Risers, Set of 2For any small room (a kitchen or otherwise), getting organized is essential. When space comes at a premium, you can’t afford to waste any of it—even the hidden space inside your cabinets. Stock up on risers, lid organizers for your various pots and pans, spice-sorting systems, and anything else that will streamline and maximize your kitchen storage.6. Streamline dish dutysimplehuman Kitchen Compact Steel Frame Dish RackIf your small kitchen doesn’t have room for a dishwasher, making sure that the kitchen sink is both an efficient and tidy space is key. Consider adding in a compact dish rack, like this one from Simple Human, that drains directly into the sink and will never rust.7. Splurge on fun glasswareWave Glass PitcherSophie Lou Jacobsen Totem GlassesThere might not be room for much decor—so let your dishes do the talking. Unlike hefty serving pieces, colorful drinkware adds visual interest without bulk. Display arty stemware on an open shelf, or let a pitcher pull double duty as a countertop vase.8. Add a kitchen islandWhitmor Supreme Kitchen and Microwave CartFrench Kitchen IslandEven if your kitchen is on the narrow side, you can still bring in a small kitchen island for prep space and conversation. Consider a rolling island, which can be pushed out of the way once dinner is ready. “Don’t think if you have a tiny kitchen that you can’t have an island. You can; you just need to put it on wheels so that when you’re working and you need an island it’s there, and when the guests arrive you can push it over to the side or move it into the dining room or living room and let it be the bar,” says interior designer Ellen Cheever. Alternatively, choose an island with slim legs that you could pull a few stools up to and let it double as bar or breakfast seating.9. Use light colors to visually expand your small kitchenCookware SetThe reBoard“The lighter the kitchen, the larger it can feel,” Wolf says. “Sometimes, if there is a good view out a window, I like to focus on bringing the outdoors in and using nature to dictate the palette.” Keeping an especially light palette on countertops, backsplashes, walls, and millwork also helps a small kitchen feel more open. If you’re not in the market for a full renovation, consider the cooking tools that you always have out: Cutting boards, pots and pans, and linens can all lift a space if you opt for pieces in light shades.10. Double down on whiteCasafina Modern Classic Ceramic DinnerwareMade In Tabletop SetThe lightest palette of all, of course, is all white. “White paint will help spread and reflect light around, which also makes a space seem bigger,” says interior decorator and blogger Emily Henderson. If you have exposed shelving, create a wall of white by displaying white dish sets.11. Maximize floor space with a dining nookVera Pedestal Dining TableRound White Marble and Black Metal Bistro Side TableThe shape of the room can have just as big of an impact as the square footage. “It’s important to pay attention to the structure of your kitchen,” Henderson says. “If you have a small dining nook, then go for a round table that opens up floor space and seats more people than a square one would.”12. Pair utilitarian appliances with refined cabinetryAnza Concrete Espresso Machine“People who frequently cook want to maintain something visually appealing. For one client—a New York City lawyer who has eaten at virtually every major restaurant in downtown Manhattan—it wasn’t about being a show kitchen, but a foodie’s kitchen. It’s very utilitarian—he wanted a heavy-duty Wolf stove—yet we took care in the selection of the finishes. The white cabinets are glass, and the gray cabinets are lacquer—they really play with materiality. This way, it’s not too precious or too utilitarian,” said designer Goto. For those not in the market for a whole new range, consider a striking espresso machine, like this Brutalism-inspired one by Anza, instead.13. Think verticallyMagnetic Knife HolderJust can’t get rid of that timeworn cookbook or prized flea market find? “Installing pot racks, knife mounts, and open shelving above your stove will free up tons of space,” says Henderson.14. Build a storage benchInstagram contentThis content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.