When I first glanced at my screen to see the image of Meneghini’s Cambúsa, I instinctively thought there was something vaguely nautical about it. The richly tinted wood, the rigidly straight lines, the over-sized vertically-oriented planks, and the formidable brushed brass hardware all suggest the requisite hardiness of seafaring wares. Of course—as one trained in the art of perpetual self doubt—I began to attribute this interpretation to an active imagination, as well as to my present immersion in Nathaniel Philbrick’s excellent Heart of the Sea (a non-fiction narrative about the actual events that form the basis of Moby Dick).

Cambúsa . Designed by Meneghini.

So imagine my pleasant surprise when I clicked the “info” tab to discover this combination “ice-chest, larder, and accessories unit” comes in “Double Porthole” models. Of course, if I knew Italian, I would have realized straightaway that Cambúsa translates as “storage,” “caboose,” and “galley,” the last term suggesting not only the overtly nautical theme but also the catch-all metaphor for the multi-purpose functionality required of storage in close confines. The double-door model is a 334 litre-capacity refrigerator and an 86 liter-capacity double-drawer freezer. Finish options include ash-dyed aged oak and lacquered ash in all sorts of surprising colors (red, purple, and yellow for starters). As to the “Porthole” accessory, it’s optional for the double-door model—not sure of the functional quotient here, as the only thing you’ll gaze on is your slumbering eggs and milk, but it sure looks nice all the same; the feature is standard with the three-door version.

And speaking of the three-door model… I liken it to the “Deluxe Steamer Trunk” popularized in Tom Hanks’ hilarious Joe vs. the Volcano. Like that seminal travel accoutrement, Cambusa’s flagship number would definitely be my appliance of choice if I were stranded on a desert island. Offering, in addition to the spacious fridge and freezer, room for a “coffee maker, ice-maker, microwave oven, steam oven, and multi-function oven,” this enviable ensemble is distributed over four compartments divided by acidated glass shelves and four small door shelves, and punctuated with automated internal lighting.

Essentially a handsome, hand-crafted wardrobe for your comestibles, Meheghini’s Cambúsa offers a tempting aesthetic choice for the most functional of appliances. So for the low, low price of $19K (for the double-door model) you can do away with stark stainless or brazen black and pretend that your kitchen is the point of embarcation for an astonishingly well-provisioned, if imaginary, ocean voyage.