Profile

Amateur chefs Taylor Erkkinen and Harry Rosenblum opened the Brooklyn Kitchen in 2006 after scouring the neighborhood for kitchenware and coming up empty-handed. Their homegrown shop is crammed wall to wall with tools for both serious cooks and new-to-the-neighborhood twentysomethings filling their cabinets with basic plates, pots, and pans. Bare white walls, light-green linoleum flooring, and a gleaming spread of kitchen knives near the register give the store a no-nonsense look, but a selection of vintage enamel pieces, handmade dishcloths, locally made Hammersmith copper mixing bowls, and a resident dog named Woody add a dash of quirk. Utilitarian All-Clad pots and pans are best sellers as well as enameled steel Le Creuset cookware in appetizing shades like citrus and Dijon. The Kitchen also specializes in home canning and pickling supplies, stocking an abundance of jars, strainers, and funnels. — Jacquelyn Lewis

Sign up for giftable classes such as knife skills, wine appreciation, even tutorials on cooking the perfect pasta (from $40). Misura wine carafes go for $10, and All-Clad five-piece starter sets are $300.