Dwell, the beloved magazine about living with modern design, recently offered a short series on kitchen items that have rightfully achieved icon status. In the July/August issue, Heather Wagner rounded up nine classic tools and gave background on the origins and creators of each. From the Peugeot pepper mill to the Iwata rice cooker to the Starck lemon juicer, the list is a fascinating starting point for discussion about what kitchen objects we hold as timeless and which are simply commodities. I, for one, consider the KitchenAid stand mixer pretty close to synonymous with the actual idea of a mixer. I really can't see myself replacing it with anything else. Here is Wagner's honor roll:

• Peugeot pepper mill by Jean and Jean-Pierre Peugeot
• Sarpaneva cast-iron pot by Timo Sarpaneva
• Automatic rice cooker by Yoshiharu Iwata
• Pedal Bin by Brabantia Design Team
• Juicy Salid by Phillipe Starck
• Kitchen Scale by Marco Zanuso
• Minitimer by Richard Sapper
• Bialetti Moka Express by Alfonso Bialetti
• Dish Doctor by Marc Newson

For other occasional pieces on kitchen gear and kitchen design, head to the newsstand and pick up a copy of Dwell. The magazine's website is making great strides (its blog even has an RSS feed now), but it still can't hold a candle to the print version.