Riedel Decanters

New from the generations-old family glassware-makers While the Swan (above right) and Paloma (top) feature sloping tails that double as handles and a curved neck serves as a drip-free spout, the Flamingo (above left) takes a cue from a traditional wine bottle. A deep indent in the bottom for the thumb provides stability with which to pour wine out of the nearly two-foot tall decanter. …

Luminescent Gravel

Mixing glow-in-the-dark particles with flooring materials, the Dutch company S. Lövenstein BV created one of those no-fuss design fixes that improves safety and convenience. The substance has limitless applications for things like signage or guide strips with the ability to be evenly and seamlessly distributed throughout a surface and masked into shapes and patterns. Integrated with contrasting colors, it serves a purpose in both light …

Toaster Challenge

The household toaster serves a simple purpose, but some models do it better than others. At CH we take this responsibility very seriously, and in hopes of separating the best from the average, we recently pitted four models from different manufacturers in a head-to-heat toast-off and recorded our highly subjective results. The toasters we used were the Alessi SG68, Viking VT200, Breville Smart Toaster BTA820XL …