The Vintage Brand That Feels More Like Art Than Kitchenware

Designers know how to turn everyday living into art, and certain brands have brought this aesthetic sensibility straight into the kitchen. Among our list of vintage kitchen brands still worth buying is Alessi, a gorgeous collection of products that has been dazzling consumers for decades. Alessi has collaborated with hundreds of creative minds, having produced over 1,000 objects alongside over 900 recognized designers. To this day, vintage cocktail shakers are listed online for close to $800, and vintage fruit bowls can be purchased for $30.

Whether you're looking for thoughtful gifts for the chefs in your life or are setting out to try your luck at the local thrift store, the Alessi brand has earned a welcomed reputation with its quirky utility. Blending function and unexpected visuals, items like a whistling bird kettle, a lemon squeezer perched on three long legs, the Anna G corkscrew, and clear storage jars with a little man dangling from the lid have become easily recognizable by those in the know.

The Italian village in which the Alessi brand was established was known for metal and wood working. There, a workshop and foundry focused on brass and nickel silver sheet was started by the Alessi brothers in 1921. Called Fratelli Alessi Omegna, products out of this operation garnered appreciation. Though historical events shifted the focus of the enterprise, products made for professional settings were eventually joined by household objects like silverware and stain-finish steel designs. Though the business remained consistent, its use of outside designers and uniquely designed products helped catapult the brand's fame in the 1980s. A museum has been established to display Alessi's legacy of weaving art, craftsmanship, and design.

Alessi's products aren't exactly cheap — a normal kettle runs around $275 and a set of 8 artful coffee spoons will set you back $130 — but these kinds of pieces are worth an investment. Brush up on a bit of history before setting out to buy, and you may get lucky and find yourself in possession of valuable items picked up at an estate sale.