These shakers taunt you to play with your food. Made from hand-finished maple.

It looks like a spinning top, but pulling apart the ends reveals one side is salt and the other is pepper. The holes of each are strategically placed to avoid any spice mixing.

Brush up on your chemistry: These shakers bring molecular gastronomy to the table.

Mr. P and his brother smile as you season. Remove their teeth to fill.

Dutch designer Henk Stallinga reclaimed mouthpieces from vintage telephones and turn signal covers from original Morris Minis for these clever shakers.

Here are a couple of birds that won’t steal your food. Their tails are different colors so you can tell your salt from your pepper.

Salt and pepper, together forever. Alberto Mantilla designed these interlocking shakers.

Give them a push and they weeble and wobble, never managing to tip over or spill.

Quirky and cute, these porcelain shakers will liven up any table.

If your bread is out of mind when it’s out of sight, a clear box is a good solution. This one expands to fit larger loaves. It comes with a small plastic cutting board with grooves for uniform slicing.

A red powder-coat finish takes this durable Polder breadbox from mere functional storage system to an attention-getter. It’ll fit lots of baked goods.

This Typhoon breadbox would look right at home in a 1960s kitchen but is equally comfortable in a modern space. It has a removable wire rack for smaller items like rolls and bagels.

The stainless steel roll top model is an icon. Added bonus: This one’s fingerprint proof.

This brushed stainless steel breadbox is a good choice for storing larger loaves, and its rubber base won’t scratch the counter.

The word bread is stenciled across this bin’s face, in case there’s confusion. The handles make it easy to transport fresh loaves to the neighbors, and the wooden lid doubles as a cutting board.

If space is at a premium, this front-loading breadbox from Brabantia has a flat top so you can stack items on it. Or hang it up using the wall mounts on the back.

This one from Danish design firm Eva Solo is pricey but beautiful. The flexible cover wraps around the box and is held in place by magnets.

The silicone rotors of Danish designer Jakob Wagner’s aerodynamic trivet fold together for easy storage. The product is dishwasher safe, comes in seven colors, and can withstand extreme temperatures (up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit).

You get to play artist with these interlocking strips, which can be configured into an endless array of designs. Each set comes with six light and six dark pieces, made from recycled cork.

We like the simple design of this combo, which can also double as coasters. The interchangeable circles are made from ecocertified felt.

Japanese designer Tomita Kazuhiko worked with the Italian design house Covo to create this sturdy iron trivet.

The nylon triangles of Normann Copenhagen’s design flip out from the center, allowing different trivet (or coaster) shapes.

These pretty ceramic tiles are hand-painted with blossom motifs. The crackle glazes add luster and protect the art from heat.

It’s autumn all year with this set from NotNeutral. The paint is baked onto the steel alloy, adding to the trivets’ durability.

This is like a sleeker version of those old-fashioned coat pegs. Made of stainless steel, it expands enough to hold a casserole dish.

Kuhn Rikon’s expandable magnetic trivets are perfect for pot-to-table meals. The “feet” of each trivet hold onto any steel or cast iron cookware, and the nonskid surface ensures stability.

Doesn’t your table deserve a pearl necklace? The flexible Perle trivet from Berlin design duo Adam und Harborth consists of a string of porcelain beads that can form circular or figure-eight shapes for pots to rest on.

From the Berlin furniture design group FormSache21, this matte stainless steel tray is good-looking and practical. The black linoleum insert, which provides a nonskid surface for cocktails, is removable for easy cleanup.

The leaf pattern on this melamine tray reminds us of coveted vintage Pyrex from the 1960s. Its simple design would be a lovely addition to any kitchen.

This tray from ecoconscious company Bambu is made from 100 percent renewable bamboo, uses nontoxic materials, and is finished with a natural wood oil. It doesn’t hurt that it looks great, too.

This tray stays steady with one hand while you glad-hand with the other. Design group Droog’s carefully balanced server passed our test involving hot drinks and spinning around the room. The handle folds down for easy storage.

Trays from French designers Ibride merge century-old woodworking and modern laser-cutting. The Louise Tray is a collage of muted colors, iconic imagery, and floral patterns. When not in use, it looks good on the wall.

Orange lacquer is hand-poured over a resin mold to create this vibrant Jonathan Adler tray. The raised border helps keep drinks in place.

This sleek tray is designed by Danish modern architect Arne Jacobsen. We like it for its seamless lines, streamlined handles, and high-quality brushed stainless steel.

This poplar tray gets its color from graphic prints or woven fabric that is pressed onto it and coated with a clear resin gloss. With nine colors to choose from, it should be easy to find the one that’s right for you.