Please share your memories about interesting housewares or tools you have encountered in Europe. The toast holders in the UK immediately come to mind. In Paris, I remember the street cleaners sweeping the streets with brooms made up of plastic twigs or branches. In the States, we have brooms made of plastic straw, but their brooms were made up of fake twigs or branches (in other words, the bristles were not straight like straw, but instead resembled sticks, or small brush branches). Just a different, yet similar, take or design of a common tool. <BR>

Interesting, and something I have not seen in the states. One night for dinner at a fondue restaurant in Paris I had Racelette (I'm sure I've misspelled it). It was fun to melt the cheese in the little oven and then pour the cheese over vegetables. Then while I was shopping a few days later in the kitchenware department of Samaratain , I saw lots of those special ovens.

In Paris, I once saw and bought a salamander, a heavy cast iron disc on the end of a long cast iron handle. The disk was to be heated by a gas flame until it was red hot, and then used to burn the sugar on top of a creme brulee <BR>Replaced only recently in my house by a small propane torch which is easier but <BR>not nearly as charming

the main thing that sticks in my mind are the wonderful light shops! <BR>I love the really diverse halogen lamps/bulb displays!!! <BR> <BR>and, of course, I love the flea/antique markets where there are some awesome housewares to be found!

You might take a look at the housewares in Dehilleran, corner of rue du Louvre and Coquillère. Two weeks ago I was at Resonances, a housewares store in Bercy Village, 9 Cours St.-Emilion. Bercy Village is going to be interesting as more stores fill the charming places for rent. Take the Méteor metro line to Cours St.-Emilion. If you have not yet been on this subway line, it, too, is a nice experience. Boots

Plastic bags that make ice cubes which are found throughout Europe and clips to hang kitchen towels from Denmark.

In French supermarkets you can find plastic freezer bags in many more sizes than are available here. I especially love the &quot;grande,&quot; which is large enough to freeze big holiday breads, and the small, perfect for an individual pastry. You can also find insulated bags for taking frozen and cold foods home from the market in warm weather.

One of my favorite items for gifts is the fold-up bread/roll basket to be found in France in beautiful fabrics.

In Italy we bought a pasta roller; it weighed about a ton, and because I wanted it I had to carry it. All the way back, on the train, on the plane...and now I hardly ever use it.

The raclette grills are wonderful, but the European ones won't work in the US. However, you can buy them here now for a decent price.