Sur La Table

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With its brightly lit, blonde-wood interior, this Seattle-based chain’s store is a far cry from the catch-as-catch-can kitchen-supply shops on the Bowery. Gleaming steel shelves are arranged so that one side shows off cookware from All Clad, Anolon, and Le Creuset while the other side focuses on sundry homemaking helpers: Shoppers can get a caffeine fix from the Nespresso capsule machine as they peruse dips, sauces, and condiments endorsed by Food Network regulars (who occasionally stop in to sign their cookbooks). Though dishware and linens sometimes border on Christmas Tree Shop kitsch, the breadth and quality of the culinary gadgetry—everything from generic meat hooks to Mario Batali basting brushes; from woks and fondue pots to ice buckets and drink umbrellas—should silence any complaints. A cabinet near the exhaustive baking section (cookie cutters of all shapes, including five varieties of dinosaurs) displays chef’s knives from Wusthof-Trident, J.A. Henckels, Global, and Shun. This place is clearly a cut above the competition. — Daniel Maurer

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Registry

This spacious Soho shop has a wide selection of kitchen gear and housewares, and also stocks cookware (including the hard-to-find French Staub).

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