Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Brooklyn, UncommonGoods is a privately-owned retailer that “endeavors to feature unique designs and handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment and without harm to animals or people”. Most of the products it carries are created in the USA, and about one-third of the entire portfolio incorporates recycled and/or upcycled materials.

Molecular Gastronomy Kit

As I learned a bit more about UncommonGoods, I enjoyed reading about the various artists involved in the business. The UncommonGoods blog offers Studio Tours where one can familiarize him/herself with the artists – how neat is that!? Many of the items are hand-made and it’s easy to identify them by a blue hand next to the products.  

As a food and wine blogger, obviously I was drawn to the Dining and Entertaining section of the website. There, I found everything from hip glasses to kitchen tools to dishware and service ware, in short everything one would need, or want, for the home and entertaining.

The item I was most intrigued with was the Molecular Gastronomy Kit – Cuisine (see neat video of the kit). I’ve dined at a few molecular gastronomy restaurants and really didn’t envision I’d be able to replicate any of the techniques at home, but I was mistaken. The kit I was sent includes – 4 food additives (20 sachets), 3 pipettes, 1 slotted spoon, 1 measuring spoon, 1 food grade syringe, 2 silicone tubes and 1 DVD of 50 recipes. You basically get everything you need to turn your kitchen into a food lab that teaches you how to transform liquids, like honey, into jelly-like cubes, gelify chopped produce into flavor-packed beads or even morph melted chocolate into a delicate powder or spaghetti-like strands. It’s simply a very cool product that I’m looking forward to experimenting with.

For those of us who have a hard time shopping for certain people in our lives, UncommonGoods makes it simple by dividing sections into “for her”, “for him” and “for kids” – easy! From items specifically for teen girls or boys to clever options for hard-to-shop-for men, UncommonGoods has its clients covered. 

Be sure to visit UncommonGoods to view all the neat gift ideas and products it offers. If you’d like to get a catalog (yes, printed on recycled paper), click here.

Cheers,

Veronique