In the last few years, picnic equipment has evolved into sleek gear that's cool enough to do double duty on a dinner table. We searched AT and the rest of the web for some of our favorite designs that, besides looking cool, also save space. We think most of these items could move beyond picnic duty and actually be used indoors during the winter without feeling out of place in a modern apartment...

Open Country 2-5 Cup Coffee Perk, $16.95 at REI


Clothespin Chopsticks from CB2, $3.95 each

Springtime Wrap for 2, $39.90

Guyot Designs Squishy Bowl and Cup Set, $14.95 at REI

Melamine Trays from Not Neutral, $18 each

Snack Ball by Boon, $6.99


Sommar Tray Tables from IKEA, $6.99

Sunshine Blanket Tote, $23.75


White Enamel Flatwa...
If you plan to use any of these as lunchboxes, it's worth considering whether or not they can be microwaved.
I was looking into some kind of tiffin solution for just bringing lunch to work. The DWR ones looked tempting, but the price tag not so much.
I settled on the To-Go Wear 2 tier tiffin-like stainless steel thing at reusablebags.com and love it. It's not for microwave-requiring foods, but it's ideal for salads, grain salads or anything you don't mind eating at room temp. And far more affordable.
Cost Plus has a couple of similar food containers too.
These are even better cuz their stainless
http://www.shopintuition.com/store/p-30443.html?cat=accessories
If you have any friends from India, you can ask them to get you the stainless steel tiffin box on their next trip to India. They cost around $5 there. Make sure you ask your friend for a thicker gauge of steel, the bowls made of thin steel CAN start cracking open near the edge.
In India, we carry our lunches in these tiffin boxes right from elementary school. You also get tiffin boxes that have the plastic thermal cylindrical case that you put the tiffin box in to keep you food warm/cold.
You can get the stainless steel tiffins from any Indian food / groceries supply store. For less than $20 usually!
I own the Bento Picnic Box from Plastica, I love it, but you can not microwave it. Although it is dishwasher safe.
call me crazy, but the $85 pricetag doesn't seem THAT extravagant to me