The Best Salt Boxes—and Why You Need One

Salt is undeniably the most important ingredient in the kitchen. It brings out the flavor of your food and drinks, adds texture, and can even be used as a preservation or cooking method (think preserved lemons or salt-baked fish). So why is such a crucial ingredient so often stowed away in the spice cabinet or trapped in an imprecise grinder or shaker? Salt deserves its own designated container, one that's handsome enough to live on your kitchen counter at all times. We recommend using a salt box—the wide mouth makes it easy to dip your fingers or a measuring spoon into, and the vessel serves as a gentle reminder that whatever you're cooking could probably use a little more salt. Whether you call it a salt box, cellar, pig, or keeper, here are our favorite containers for keeping salt within reach–where it should be.

If your kitchen aesthetic is more along the lines of French farmhouse, this classic French ceramic salt pig is the way to go. It has an elegant curved shape and is available in a variety of rich colors.

Whether you need a pinch of salt for a seven-minute egg or a handful for a pot of pasta water or a pickling project, it'll be easy to access in this Japanese salt box with a flip-up lid. The modern design comes in more than 10 colors—get one for your everyday kosher salt and another for your fancy sea salt.

If you have a penchant for losing lids, this handcrafted olive-wood salt box with a magnetic swivel lid is a great option. It comes in two styles: all wood, or wood and white concrete.

A clear glass salt box allows you to take inventory of how much salt you have at a glance. The matching lid keeps the seasoning free from moisture (and curious house pets). Bonus: since "salt" is embossed on the front, no one will accidentally mistake it for sugar.

This handmade salt cellar with a wooden lid is perfect for the minimalist kitchen. Made out of concrete (in gray, dark gray, or white), it's durable and easy to keep clean.

This wooden salt box with three swiveling compartments is ideal for showing off a salt connoisseur's collection, from Himalayan pink to Icelandic black lava to French sel gris.

Hand-thrown from stoneware clay, this striking turquoise salt box combines form and function. It holds about a cup of salt and would add a welcome pop of color to any kitchen.

You're likely to find one of these ninth steam table pans filled with salt in restaurant kitchens across the country. While it's not technically a salt box, it's just the thing for the home cook who dreams of turning their kitchen into the city's hottest pop-up restaurant.