For experienced chefs and novice home cooks alike, seasoning by hand is objectively better than reaching for a salt shaker full of caked iodized table salt that’s been sitting on the counter since the early aughts. Take it fromcookbook author Cal Peternell, who is adamant when he says, “Using a salt shaker is a mistake.”
To eliminate any over- or underseasoned cooking mishaps, you need a trusty salt cellar by your side. Reaching into a salt crock and tangibly feeling how much salt you’re grabbing is not only more reliable (every shaker shakes different), but also hones your skills as a cook.
Over time you’ll gain a more intuitive sense of how to season your food to your own liking—two pinches of salt in threebeaten eggs, a palmful in a pot of water forpasta, just a touch in therice. (And not to reference a certain meme, but thereis something fun and dramatic about finishing up a meal with a flourish ofthe flaky stuff.)
Place your salt keeper next to your stove for easy access. With salt at the ready, you’re more likely to season as you go. BA contributor Sarah Jampel advocates for two cellars: one by your side in the kitchen when you’re cooking and one with flaky finishing salt for your tabletop.
There’s no need to make a fancy splurge; any vessel you can reach all five fingers into counts as a salt cellar in our book. A favorite short coffee mug,a nine pan, a small shallow bowl, evena pint deli container would do the trick. But should you choose to honor your salt with a dedicated ceramic vessel, opt for a cellar that’s as pretty as it is functional.
Senior cooking editor Emma Laperruque swears bythis ceramic salt cellar from Food52—as does,apparently, Courteney Cox. It’s spendier than a deli container, sure, but worth it: “For years, this has been the one item in my kitchen I use every time I cook,” she says. “Most loved ones in my life say I use too much salt (I don’t—they use too little), but even so, this dish’s ample size means refilling is rare. And the angled opening is just right for reaching into.” It’s handmade in San Diego but still sturdy enough—a.k.a. dishwasher-safe—that you don’t have to be precious about it.
Many of the best salt cellars are open to the air, as fussing with a lid can be cumbersome if you’re a frequent cook. That said, lids can be helpful in keeping out moisture (which can cause clumping) and preventing spills. Thissalt box is the best of both worlds. It comes with a hinged lid that can be propped open when you’re actively cooking and closed for safekeeping all other times.
ZERO JAPAN Salt Box
Perhaps you’ve heard salt storage containers referred to as “salt pigs,” a term that is possibly derived from the Scots Gaelic word for an earthenware vessel. French ceramics brand Emile Henry makes a version that looks a bit like a submarine periscope in a variety of colors.
Emile Henry Salt Pig
But for something a little more literal, we’re fans of this adorablePottery Salt Pig from JQ Dickinson Appalachian Mercantile.
Pottery Salt Pig
Senior commerce editor MacKenzie Chung Fegan thinks the best salt cellar comes with a bonus: cheese. “Saint-Marcellin-style cheeses—likelike Murray’s St. Mark’s or Vermont Creamery’s St. Albans—come in little round terra-cotta crocks that are just the right size for holding salt,” she says. Buy the cheese, eat the cheese, keep the container forever.
Murray's St. Mark's
As forwhat salt you should be stocking your salt container with, we strongly recommend coarse salt, whether it’s kosher or sea salt. Fine granules are tricky to grasp and can stick to your fingers or make a mess. And on that note: For everyday seasoning, stick to one type of salt to stay consistent versus buying a different brand every time you grocery shop. Diamond Crystal kosher salt is the test kitchen’s pick.
Asone of the most frequently used ingredients in your kitchen, salt deserves to be in its own cozy home within easy reach, not relegated to an unceremonious corner in a shaker. So, stock up on some quality salt, a nifty salt cellar, and get seasoning.
