Costly Rocks The familiar blue canister can be had for just a dollar or two; gourmet salts can cost many times that. The priciest on the market is the rare amabito no moshio. This hand-cultivated Japanese salt is boiled off seaweed harvested from the country's coastline, and costs more than $8.50 an ounce. Fleur de sel, which is hand-harvested with wooden rakes off the coast of Brittany for only a few months a year, commands as much as $7 an ounce. Sel gris is a less expensive alternative that is left behind after the light top layer of fleur de sel is raked from the salt beds. It has a less delicate flavor but is considerably less expensive at $3.75 an ounce.

Shaken or Ground With specialty salts, nix the salt shaker—the varying sizes and shapes are likely to get stuck in the holes. Use salt cellars for the more delicate varieties and put coarse salt in a grinder. Models that let you adjust the coarseness of the grind are most useful.

Smart Storage  While specialty salts are often sold in zip-top plastic bags or tins, the best way to store them is in airtight containers such as glass jars with cork or glass tops.  

Wet Salt? Some artisan varieties of sea salt contain up to 13 percent residual moisture, which has advantages for the home cook. In baking, the salt sticks to the surface of dough when sprinkled. For searing and roasting, its existing moisture prevents it from drawing the juices from the meat and drying it out.

The Smoking Section  Another increasingly popular variety is sea salt that has been hardwood-smoked over hickory, ash or beech until it turns a light brown. Laurent Tourondel, owner of the BLT Restaurant Group, makes his own, which he sprinkles over grilled or roasted dishes. For home chefs, it's a good alternative to artificial flavoring agents.