Ceramic and wood kitchen gear that’s almost too beautiful for cooking.

Grind black peppercorns, sea salt, and even larger spices like cardamom with Menu’s ceramic and wood bottle grinders. $59 at Zinc Details; 1905 Fillmore St., 415-776-2100, zincdetails.com

Outer Sunset crafter Luke Bartels made this elegant, oversized chopping block from salvaged hardwood. $160 at General Store; 4035 Judah St., 415-682-0600, shop-generalstore.com

Hand-carved teak measuring spoons make for precise scooping when following recipes to a T. $19 at Pot+Pantry, 593 Guerrero St., 415-206-1134, potandpantry.com

Crack and crush with this glossy, generously sized white porcelain mortar and pestle by Mint. $38 at Propeller; 555 Hayes St., 415-501-9182, propellermodern.com

A vegetable oil finish brings out the richness in these slender, mixed-wood spoons for stirring and tasting. $38 for a six-piece set at The Curiosity Shoppe; 855 Valencia St., 415-671-5384, curiosityshoppeonline.com

Use Design House Stockholm’s delicate pick-up tongs, made of light plastic or wood, to sauté your ingredients and then arrange them artfully on the plate. $15-34 at Zinc Details; 1905 Fillmore St., 415-776-2100, zincdetails.com

A removable wood handle adds the finishing touch to a classic Finnish cast-iron casserole designed by Timo Sarpaneva for Iittala. $290 at Karikter; 418 Sutter St., 415-434-1120, karikter.com