Finding the perfect present for the person on your list who loves to cook can be tricky. Sure, you could walk into your local Williams Sonoma and be bombarded by any number of kitchen gadgets and gizmos, but the sheer number of options and pressure from a peppily commissioned salesperson can be overwhelming. Not to mention the fact that you have absolutely no idea what a double mezzaluna is, and everyone seems to be talking about something called Willie Bird’s breasts. It’s okay. Take a deep breath. We’ve got you covered.
These are some of our top kitchen gifts for every culinarian on your Christmas list.
GIR spatulas
GIR spatulas are the perfect stocking stuffer for any cook on your shopping list. These colorful little cuties are each made from a single piece of heat-resistant silicone, withstanding temperatures up to 464F. With their sleek, single-piece design, gone are the troubles of scorchable wooden handles or cheap rubber heads that fall off into your soup. These spatulas come in a wide range of colors for every decor style and slip perfectly into a stocking.
Thermapen ONE
This is our favorite food thermometer on the market. Thermapen ONE gives complete temperature readings in one second or less, expelling any need for extensively long and cooling oven door openings or risk of overcooking. Thermapen ONE’s features include an auto-rotating display, motion-sensing sleep, and wake mode, waterproof to IP67, and NIST-traceable calibration certificate, to name a few.
And if you love Alton Brown as much as we do, he even has his own Thermapen ONE design, complete with his website’s signature “wallpaper” pattern.
All-clad cookware
If you’re looking to give the gift of exceptional cookware, All-clad is the way to go. Known for its sleek design, excellent temperature control, and quality performance, All-clad is one of the best brands on the market. These pieces will last a lifetime when given proper care, so it’s an investment that’s well worth the price. If, however, you’re looking to save a few dollars on All-clad, our favorite site is Home & Cook, an authorized outlet store that sells All-clad at heavily discounted prices!
GE Profile Opal pellet ice maker
Ice is one of those things that’s been around forever, obviously, but for some reason, it has gained a lot of attention in recent years. Of course, we’ve always appreciated these frozen little cubes for their frosty contributions to our beverages and picnic coolers, but the avalanche of attention craft ice has been receiving lately has been massive. While most home refrigerators make and disperse some form of ice cube, apparently, for the ice aficionados out there, refrigerator ice doesn’t quite fit the bill.
For a softer, crunchier, restaurant-style ice, our favorite choice is the GE Profile Opal Ice Maker. This countertop ice machine produces chewably delicious little ice nuggets in just 20 minutes and is perfect for just about any Christmas cocktail one could concoct.
Boldric 17 pocket leather knife bag
If the cook in your life likes to take their culinary talents to-go, this sexy leather knife bag from Boldric is the best way to tote those chef knives in style. Made of real water buffalo hide with beautifully polished brass accents, this gorgeous leather bag has room for every single one of your chef’s knives and kitchen utensils.
Santa Fe Stoneworks carving set
This absolutely gorgeous carving set will be cherished by any cook for decades to come. Beautifully crafted by Santa Fe Stoneworks, these carving sets feature turquoise and azurite from the Southwest United States, lapis from Afghanistan, Apache gold from Arizona and Oregon, and truestone malachite. They are then accented with Mother-of-Pearl and coral from the Philippines and Jet or Black Amber from the Southwest.
This carving set is the perfect gift for the cook or host on your list who already has everything, and appreciates true beauty and craftmanship in their serveware.
Masienda molcajete
Of course, most of us have a standard mortar and pestle set gathering dust in the back of the pantry, likely picked up on clearance at Home Goods or Target. These cheap little versions are usually impulsive buys that are lucky to see life outside of the box they came in. And for good reason. They just don’t do what they’re supposed to. Enter Masienda.
Masienda’s molcajete is a beautifully authentic mortar and pestle set made of fine-grained lava rock. Having partnered with artisan Don Enrique of San Salvador El Seco, Puebla, to create a design that produces the ideal texture and consistency for your ingredients, this gorgeous molcajete will quickly become your cook’s favorite kitchen tool.
Risdon & Risdon black apron
There are aprons, and then there are aprons. The ones that have absolutely nothing to do with floral frills or cheesy “Kiss the Cook” designs. These Risdon & Risdon aprons are just downright sexy. Available in a variety of sleek colors and sizes for the perfect fit, your cook will feel like a professional chef after tying on one of these bad boys.
Breville Joule Turbo Sous Vide
It’s no secret that we love our Sous Vide here at The Manual. After all, these machines can do everything from making perfect ribs (yes, ribs) to decrystalizing honey, and that’s just the teensiest scratch on the surface of this magical appliance’s capabilities. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your favorite culinarian, we recommend Breville’s Joule Turbo Sous Vide. This amazing time-saving sous vide machine does everything your sous vide machine does, but in half the time.
The Boardsmith walnut end grain cutting board
A perfect cutting board is something of a white wale to most home cooks. With such a saturated market, and neverending varieties of woods, finishes, and sizes, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Thankfully, The Boardsmith has simplified the confusion with its incredible selection of cutting boards, each one as beautiful as it is impressive. Our favorite is the walnut end-grain cutting board, which features a deep chocolate color highlighted with black streaks, and accents of lighter-colored sapwood. Walnut is unparalleled in terms of durability, and this particular board has the perfect balance of scratch resistance and gentleness on knife edges.
Cascadia Mushrooms Shiitake mushroom grow kit
While foraging for mushrooms has become an incredibly trendy activity in recent years, it isn’t without its risks. As fun as it is, foraging for one’s own fungi can have potentially poisonous consequences and shouldn’t be done without an expert forager. Thankfully, Cascadia Mushrooms has come to the rescue if you don’t happen to be friends with any mushroom experts. Their at-home Shiitake mushroom grow kit makes growing your own mushrooms a safe and incredibly fun experience. Not only that, but each and every mushroom kit comes with its own recipes!
