Whenever guests come over and see something simmering away on the stove in my Black Chamba Pot, they ooh and ahh a little. And it is pretty stunning, don't you think? Sexy, sleek and rustic all at once.

But it's not all about looks. The pots are both eco- and good-food-friendly. Clay cooks food efficiently because it retains heat much better than metal, and, when you take your stew or soup straight from the stove top or oven to the table, the pot keeps it hot throughout the meal, while looking beautiful with any table décor.

As a cook, I swear the Black Chamba Pot imparts my stews, soups, and beans with a deep, subtly smoky flavor that metal doesn't. That's because the pots come into contact with smoke during firing and because clay is porous and absorbs the personality of the cook over time. Black Chamba Pots are durable and have a naturally non-stick finish, making them easy to clean. Columbian artisans shape each one by hand from indigenous clay, so every pot is a unique work of art. Available at sponsor Viva Terra  for $69.