Another wedding gift to buy? Don’t panic

As wedding season swings into high gear and the time for buying gifts is at hand, it’s always tempting to simply purchase a place setting or a small appliance for which the happy couple has registered. But you want them to have the best! Are they really old enough or experienced enough to know what becomes a kitchen classic?

We’ve turned up a few brand-new items we think are so cool they’re destined to become favorites, as well as new versions of a couple of bona fide classics. Any would be perfect wedding gifts because they’re either excellent examples of must-have basics or top-of-the-line splurges that are worth every penny.

Susan La Tempa

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Two-part harmony

You can toast an English muffin to well-done while your spouse simultaneously lightly warms a thick slice of brioche in Cuisinart’s dual-control wide-slot toaster. New tech with vaguely deco styling, the toaster’s matte stainless steel finish doesn’t show fingerprints.

Cuisinart CPT-180 Metal Classic four-slice toaster, $79.95 at Williams-Sonoma, Cookin’ Stuff in Torrance, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s.

Intro to a classic

Everyone dreams of copper cookware, but it’s not the kind of thing most people buy for themselves. That’s what makes it a great gift. Cooks love copper for its even heating and quick responsiveness to temperature change. Mauviel’s Table Service French copper cookware line is a good value and so beautiful that it begs to be used for serving too. Lighter and easier to handle (it’s 1.66 millimeters thick) than professional copper pans, this round sauteuse is nevertheless sturdy and well made, with a stainless steel-lined interior and a riveted brass handle.

Mauviel Cuprinox 10 1/2-inch round frying pan, $149 at Sur La Table stores.

Nesting gift

High-fired earthenware nesting bowls in a delicious rainbow of colors are sturdy enough for mixing, yet pretty enough for serving everything from salad to salsa. Made in Portugal; dishwasher and microwave safe.

Tivoli II Bowl Set, $31.95 at Crate & Barrel stores.

Fast and furious

Travelers have long envied Europeans their practical electric kettles, but now there’s an American-made version that outshines them all. The elegant silhouette of Capresso’s cordless electric glass kettle is what attracts us, but its efficiency -- rapid boil, 48-ounce capacity, automatic shut-off -- is what keeps it on the counter, deck or desktop.

Capresso H20 Glass Water Kettle, $59.95 at Sur La Table stores and Cookin’ Stuff in Torrance.

By popular demand

Start them off with their first piece of Le Creuset enameled cast iron cookware, and they’ll think of you every time they braise. This 5-quart oval casserole, in the recently reintroduced jade color, is the one we’d choose if we could have only one. The French company’s porcelain enameled pots and pans are nonreactive, spread heat evenly and retain heat.

Le Creuset 5-quart oval casserole in jade, $175 at Sur La Table, Bristol Kitchens stores and by special order at Cookin’ Stuff in Torrance.

Meltingly superb

This impressive appliance not only does its job in fast-forward (a standard grilled-cheese sandwich takes less than two minutes), but it’s also thoughtfully designed. Big enough to make two sandwiches at a time, it stands on end (into laptop computer shape) for storage, and its free-floating hinges allow for adjustment for thick sandwiches.

Krups’ Universal Grill Panini Maker, $80 from Williams-Sonoma and select Macy’s stores.