Everybody’s talking about love this month. We get it. (What do romantic dinners and chocolates have in common? Eating.) But we say the most reliable, the most comforting, the most satisfying love affair of all happens on the kitchen counter: chopping, slicing, whizzing, preparing and planning meals and drinks for friends, family, and yourself. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we’ve found these 16 foodie gadgets to fall in love with. (You can buy them all online, so you might still be able to get yourself a date in time for 14 February.)

1. Cheeseboard and knife set

Maybe the cheese in the picture is distracting us, but this looks like a really nifty set. Mini butcher’s cleaver? Check! Mini chalkboard on which to playfully name the cheese? Check! Standby cheese in order to replenish the mini cheeseboard? Check!
Buy it from Yuppiechef.com.

2. KitchenAid artisan stand mixer

Look how red it is. It is so red. (We’ll be giving one of these away later this month. Keep checking our competitions page for details.)
Buy it from Yuppiechef.com.

3. Message mug

Scribble a message of love – or washing-up tip – to your tea-sipping companion.
Buy it from 5Rooms.com.

4. Wine bottle cooling rod

Unless you are awesome and have your own dedicated wine fridge (we bow down to your supremacy) it’s sometimes hard keeping the cold wine coming when the dinner party’s in full flow. This amazing cooling rod will have your vino chilling in no time, with no pesky ice blocks to dilute the fun.
Buy it from Yuppiechef.com.

5. Nesting doll measuring cups

These Matryoshka dolls will help you measure quarter, third, half, two thirds, three quarters and full cups of flour (read: vodka).
Buy them from Spree.co.za for R195.

6. Personalised whisky flasks

Give these as cute personalised gifts, or label them to keep the days of the week straight.
Buy it from Creative Love on Hellopretty.co.za.

7. Ravioli rolling pin

An engineering degree may be required to space the balls of ravioli filling perfectly, but playing around could be half the fun.
Buy it from Yuppiechef.com.

8. Herb scissors

If you aren’t blessed with mad knife skillz like this guy and can’t manage rapid chop-chops without endangering the life of your pinkie, this pair of scissors solves it all with five slices at a time. Ingenious.
Buy it from Yuppiechef.com.

9. Ceramic egg box

Ignore the old advice, you should keep all your eggs in one basket. This cute ceramic tray is glazed too, so it doubles up as a vessel for serving sauces as well as boiled eggs or anything else orb-shaped.
Buy it from Spree.co.za for R130.

10. Mini slow pop freezer mould

The mouthful of its name is quite appropriate given the perfect size of these babies. Make mini pops of tangy seasonal fruit juice, herb-infused ice tea, yoghurt or ice-cream. The world is your teeny lollipop maker! While these will be loads of fun for the kids, we also know that small things have no calories, so there’s no guilt for grown-ups either.
Buy it from Yuppiechef.com.

11. Pizza stone set

Many a homemade pizza has been ruined by a soggy base. The unglazed base of this stone absorbs moisture from the dough to keep things super crispy down under. Slice your gooey-on-top-and-crunchy-below result with the wheel and you’re in pizza party heaven.
Buy it from Yuppiechef.com.

12. Spaghetti measure

Always make the perfect amount of spaghetti with this clever gauge. (Or you could continue to make too much to allow for snacking and leftovers. Up to you.)
Buy it from 5Rooms.com.

13. Salt pig

Our love of pigs may not stop us from eating bacon, but we couldn’t resist this little guy.
Buy it from Yuppiechef.com.

14. Nigiro rocking glass teapot

You may have seen these beautiful glass teapots at Nigiro tea emporium in Greenpoint, but now you can have a tea ceremony in the comfort of your own nightgown. (Even if it’s midday. We don’t judge your lifestyle choices.) The gently rocking pot keeps the leaves infusing happily with your hot water.
Buy it from Yuppiechef.com.

15. Letterpress cookie set

Any groanworthy cookie/sugary/baking pun you ever wanted to make is yours for the taking. Be a little naughty, like Charly’s Bakery tends to be, or write sweet messages for your loved ones.
Buy it from Yuppiechef.com.

16. Chocolate moustache lollipop mould

The opportunity to make fun of hipsters, using the medium of chocolate? Deal.
Buy it from Yuppiechef.com.