Gourmet Basics by Mikasa Storage Box

This review is for the MIKASA Gourmet Basics Spice and Herbal Storage Box. I received a free taxable sample of this box to review in my search for a storage box I could use for my herbs, teas, and spices. The box arrived in a plain cardboard box that looked like it got shipped directly overseas from the factory, with basic product information and parent company branding printed on one side. Inside the cardboard box was the wooden box containing three small glass bottles, all of these items were nestled within foam cutouts. If you plan on gifting this box and the bottles, I recommend taking them out of the cardboard and foam packaging and placing them within a nice gift bag with tissue paper and a gift tag. The body of the box weighs 776 grams and has an 11" x 8" x 1/8" rectangular base with four 1/2" diameter black rubber buttons stuck to each of the four corners. The total height of the box is 4 1/8" with 1/2" thick walls that have been joined with simple but functional box joints. The cover for the box weighs 395 grams and measures 10 15/16" x 8" with four rounded strips of wood glued onto the bottom to create a 10" x 7" rectangle with rounded corners. Each of the three glass bottles weighs 120 grams and has a 2" square base that rises 2 5/8" to a circular neck with a 1 3/8" diameter opening. The glass lid to the bottle is approximately 1 3/4" in diameter and is secured with a locking wire mechanism and silicone gasket. I have mixed feelings about the overall aesthetics and craftmanship of this box as the exterior looks okay, but the interior leaves something to be desired. The exterior has a smooth polished finished that shows off the grain of the wood, and the look of the box joints and mixed grains is okay. The interior walls look more like someone's unfinished woodshop project as the walls are not finished or polished and have obvious glue and stain residue. Further compounding the issue are the visibly misaligned strips of wood glued to the inside of the lid, such that the lid doesn't sit square or flush with the body of the box. The glass bottles are fairly generic and need to be cleaned before use, but on the whole they can be used to store small amounts of herbs and spices within the box. Outside of a paper tag attached to one of the glass bottles, there is no branding or decoration to the bottles or the box that would distinguish it from anything you could find at your local crafts store. Overall, this box and the bottles are not on par with the standards set by Mikasa's bone china and fine dinnerware. Side notes about smell: as per the digital product information, this box is made out of acacia wood which some have described as having a spicy and sweet scent. There are those spicy and sweet tones, but I would also add a lower tone such as cloves and a slightly higher almost herbal smell. The overall scent is bearable and dependent on your own personal taste, but I personally wouldn't describe it as the best or pleasant. All in all, the craftmanship and look of this box were disappointing given the Mikasa name that it's being marketed under - even if this is supposed to be the basic or entry level brand. I would recommend considering other functionally equivalent storage boxes with better workmanship.