Luxury Kitchen Gifts and Fine Tableware

The best luxury kitchen gifts are pieces someone reaches for often: a pair of espresso cups for the morning ritual, a platter that comes out whenever friends arrive, a set of tumblers for long summer evenings. Before choosing, picture how the person actually eats and entertains.

• The everyday host tends to value mugs, breakfast cups and saucers, or pieces that work on a weekday.
• The dinner-party cook will appreciate serveware: a large platter, a salad bowl, a cake stand or dessert plates.
• The collector may already own a pattern, in which case adding to it is more thoughtful than starting something new.
• The design lover often prefers a single statement object, such as a decorative bowl, vase or tray, that sits between tableware and décor.

If you are unsure of someone's taste, accent pieces are safer than a full dinner service. A platter or a pair of cups sits happily alongside whatever they already own, while a complete set asks them to commit to a style.

Material shapes how a gift looks, how it feels in the hand and how much looking after it needs.

Hard-paste porcelain is fired at high temperatures, making it dense, white and durable. Plain or simply decorated porcelain often copes well with daily use, though the maker's guidance always comes first.

Bone china contains bone ash, which gives it a warm translucency and lighter weight. It is strong for its thinness but rewards gentle handling.

Crystal and fine glass bring sparkle to the table. Hand washing is usually wiser, as dishwasher detergents can cloud the surface over time.

Silver and silver-plate need occasional polishing and are best stored away from damp.

A few care points worth passing on with any gift:

1. Gold or platinum rims and lustre decoration should never go in a microwave, and most makers recommend hand washing them.
2. Hand-painted and overglaze patterns last longer away from harsh detergents.
3. Avoid sudden temperature changes, such as moving a cold dish straight into a hot oven.
4. Store plates with a soft separator between them to protect glaze and gilding.

Some names in fine tableware are centuries-old porcelain manufactories; others are fashion houses that carry their signature motifs onto the table.

Ginori tableware comes from a manufactory founded near Florence in 1735, and its Italian heritage shows in classical shapes and painterly decoration. Royal Copenhagen tableware is best known for hand-painted blue-and-white patterns, with Blue Fluted the most recognisable, and suits anyone who loves Scandinavian craft. Rosenthal tableware, from the Bavarian porcelain tradition, has a long history of working with designers and artists, which makes it a natural choice for someone with a modern eye.

Among fashion houses, Hermès tableware draws on the colour and detail of the house's silk scarves and its equestrian roots, while Dior tableware often turns to motifs such as toile de Jouy. Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Bvlgari also bring their own signatures to objects for the home, from monograms to bold botanical and animal prints. A fashion-house piece tends to read as a design statement; a manufactory piece often appeals to people who value the craft itself.

Tableware has long been a gift for settling-in moments, and it suits occasions where you want something lasting rather than intimate.

• Weddings: adding to a couple's chosen pattern, or giving serving pieces in a complementary style, is practical and enduring.
• Housewarmings: one generous object, such as a platter or a pair of carafes, marks the new home without crowding it.
• Anniversaries: china is traditionally linked to certain wedding anniversaries, and a pair of cups or glasses carries a natural symbolism; our anniversary gift ideas offer more inspiration.
• Christmas: in South Africa the festive season falls in high summer, so salad bowls, platters and glassware for long outdoor lunches often see more use than formal dinner plates.
• The braai host: a substantial platter or serving board brings a sense of occasion to an outdoor meal.
• Clients and colleagues: a boxed pair of cups or a small tray is refined without being too personal, which suits corporate gifts where restraint matters.

When taste is hard to read, white or monochrome pieces with one distinctive detail mix easily with almost any table.

Prices for luxury kitchen gifts vary widely, and the same house may offer a small accent piece and a full service at very different levels. The main factors:

• Decoration: hand-painting and gilding take skilled hours, so they cost considerably more than printed or plain designs.
• Size and number of pieces: a single cup is a different proposition from a twelve-place setting.
• Material: crystal, bone china and silver typically sit above everyday porcelain.
• The name: fashion-house pieces often carry a premium for design.

A sensible approach is to fix a total figure first, then decide between one exceptional piece and a smaller set. Starting a pattern with a few place settings or a pair of cups leaves room to add more on later birthdays and anniversaries.

For authenticity, look for the maker's backstamp on the underside, consistent quality of glaze and decoration, and original packaging. If you have a pattern, house or occasion in mind, tell us what you are looking for and we will come back with options.