Putting together a wedding registry is an overwhelming and uncomfortable task, right up there with making the guest list and keeping track of all the deposits. But while you can’t guarantee the happiness of your guests when it comes to the seating arrangement or dinner music, you can rest easy that if your wedding includes the tradition of gift giving, your registry can actually be great, especially when it comes to food-related gifts.
Whether you already live with your future spouse or are combining lives and furniture for the first time, the registry gives you the opportunity to finally ask for the items you’ve always wanted in your kitchen, dining space, and beyond. Maybe it’s time to replace those hand-me-down wine glasses that never quite matched your aesthetic or settle down with a Vitamix.
The following wedding gifts have stood the test of time for many of our editors. Some are things we still use today. Some have turned into favorites to give to others. There are also a few splurges, because when else would you be wholly comfortable with asking someone to buy you a luxurious postmodern Italian flatware set? More than anything, these items likely won’t get shoved to the back of a cabinet or pop up only during a move or deep-cleaning session. These are things we would ask for if we had to do it — plan a wedding (did we mention that we’ve shortlisted our favorite NYC restaurants in the Eater app for big groups?), put together a registry, argue with family, panic all the time, actually get married — all over again.
Cookware that goes the distance
I often joke about how my descendants will fight over certain items in my will (others, I know, will be fated for Goodwill), and it feels safe to say that this robust cookware set from the Eater x Heritage Steel collaboration will make the list. The Eater team worked with the family-owned cookware manufacturer to create our Platonic ideal of stainless-steel cookware sets; each piece is made out of 5-ply steel and is compatible with every kind of stovetop. No wonder Bon Appétit just crowned the 4-quart sauté pan one of the best on the market.
A Dutch oven you’ll want to display
Owning an iconic item like the Le Creuset Dutch oven is a two-step process: 1) Upon receiving it, follow let it live permanently on your stove, and 2) use it all the damn time. Whatever signature color you choose, from red to ganache, know that your Le Creuset will probably be around long enough to witness your marriage’s golden anniversary.
The best rice cooker (literally) sings
With options to make silky congee, oatmeal, and sushi rice, among staples like white and brown rice, the Japanese-made Zojirushi rice cooker is the Cadillac of rice cookers. The “perfect machine” also sings a cute jingle every time you hit the “cooking” button. (You can turn that feature off, but why would you?)
A set of classic, versatile coupe glasses
Coupes are an essential addition to any chic home glassware collection. (Champagne or daiquiris, anyone?) These Wolcott Optic coupes are sturdy, dishwasher-safe, and just really nice to look at. The price point also means you’ll likely end up with a large enough set to bust out at cocktail parties and other martini-worthy celebrations.
A sturdy salad spinner
A lightweight Zyliss salad spinner will remain a loyal workhouse of your kitchen for years to come, thanks to its BPA-free plastic, non-slip base, and sturdy pump. It’ll be in your weekly rotation so much that you won’t even bother locking the handle down (another standout feature for easy storage, as it makes it more compact).
KitchenAid is a classic for a reason
No registry is complete without the classic KitchenAid stand mixer. It’s really the gift that keeps on giving (it whips cream, kneads dough, spiralizes produce, and makes pasta if you have the right attachment) and one that people haven’t stopped giving since it became a wedding gift standard in the mid-20th century.
KitchenAid Stand Mixer (4.5 Quart)
Where to Buy:
A stainless steel kettle with presets
This small but mighty electric kettle is a dream, and comparable in function (but way more affordable, price-wise) with Fellow’s gooseneck electric kettle. It includes several presets for temperatures that are ideal for coffee, oolong, green, and white tea, and it has a hot plate-esque function that will keep your water at the desired temperature for an hour.
Who said pantry storage can’t look cool?
You might recognize these modular, stackable storage containers from our guide to shopping for cool food storage containers outside of the Tupperware realm. I think they’d look at home in Pierre Cardin’s iconic Palais Bulle, and I love the fact that both the retro orange lids and the bottoms of the jars are magnetized for more secure pantry storage.
A chic (yes) compost bin…
… Ok, so technically the Mill team calls it a food recycler. But the eponymous, high-tech Mill bin makes one of the best cases yet for investing in a chic (yes, really) trash can that will pull its weight in your home every single day. The Mill is designed to make composting easy and stench-free, and it will quite literally dry and grind your food — from turkey bones to avocado pits — while you sleep.
Stay on the grind (aesthetically)
This display-worthy solid granite mortar and pestle will not only take the spotlight on your kitchen counter, it will also make grinding whole spices and herbs the most pleasant part of your cooking process.
A solid salt cellar
There’s nothing over-the-top about this salt cellar, which is exactly the reason it makes a very reasonable registry request. It’s easy to use with one hand, tucks neatly into a counter, and goes with just about any kitchen decor.
Nothing beats an Escali scale’s precision
Weighing dry ingredients with a scale as gorgeous as the one from Escali almost feels like you’re cheating on all those measuring cups you’ve accumulated over the years. But nothing beats precision. And nothing beats the feeling of not having to wash measuring cups.
The small but mighty prep cup
At first thought, they might not be the most exciting thing to ask someone to buy you, but I can attest to how helpful little prep cups are in the kitchen. You can use them to make spice blends, as dip cups, for housing nuts on charcuterie boards, and general mise en place.
Status cutlery
If you’re getting a set of flatware for the first time or need a serious upgrade, go big with this 24-piece set designed by Italian architect and industrial designer Achille Castiglioni. This is the same Castiglioni who, with his brother Pier Giacomo, designed the iconic curved Arco floor lamp for Flos in the 1960s.
A fish spatula isn’t just for fish
In her time giving gifts for weddings and other occasions, editorial director Missy Frederick has found that the fish spatula is something that most people tend to not have, or are happy to receive a second one if they do. And it’s been her pleasure to give them over and over again.
The unmatched power of a Vitamix
The Vitamix 5200 is a star of any kitchen it enters thanks to its ample 64-oz. container and 2-horsepower motor. As both a food processor and chopper, it’s great for making soup, ice cream, hummus, margaritas, smoothies, pesto, pancake batter, and muffin batter. All that, and it’s incredibly easy to clean: just fill it with a little warm water and dish soap on high for about a minute, and voilà.
A microwave that doubles as an air fryer
Counter space is a precious commodity, which is part of what makes this multi-purpose microwave such a great choice for a couple looking to consolidate their housewares. This sleek Vissani model microwaves, but it also functions as an air fryer and convection oven.