In case you missed it, yesterday I posted a list of ideas for the your loved ones who are into fitness. Check it out!
Today, I’m going to focus on gifts for the cook. This is my favorite list to think about as anything cooking or kitchen related really gets me excited. For those people in your life that are like me, this list will come in handy for shopping. Or it might give you some ideas to put on your own Christmas list. I did a list of gift ideas last year as well that I would encourage you to check out. I wouldn’t change a thing about that list. Today I’m going to lengthen the list.
Stocking Stuffers (under $20):
Microplane: This is a workhorse in my kitchen. So much so that I have two of them and you’ll often find them both in the dishwasher. I used my microplane to grate citrus for zest, for fresh nutmeg, for finely grated garlic, for parmesan cheese and for chocolate. There are so many uses!
Spices. I love getting spices as gifts. Maybe it is a jar of smoked salt, or a spice blend that someone made for you or a gift set from Penzeys. The gift of spice will likely inspire your chef. Plus, sometimes they may not want to shell out the dough for some finishing salt, but getting it from you will make it the best finish of all.
Spice blends from Meghan - Awesome gift!
Flour sack towels. Maybe you’re thinking that flour sack towels are too boring. I say heck no! These are some of the most used and abused items in my kitchen. Nothing dries dishes better and when I have a cooking marathon going on, they becoome an extension of my arms. They wipe up my spills, act as a pot holder and on occasion wipes sweat from my brow. I love them even more when they’re embroidered – so retro!
I love these two, both of which I found on Etsy for under $10. Click on the photo to take you to the ordering page.
Mid-range ($20-$100)
Silpat. I received one of these last year and I absolutely love it. Silpats are a French product that making baking a breeze. You use the silpat on your baking sheets and they create a non-stick surface. Cookies practically slide off these babies. Plus, clean up is a breeze – just wipe them off with soap and water, dry and roll back up for strage. Although I use them for more than just baking, they would be a great gift for the baker in the family. Pair it with some good vanilla and a new cookbook? Perfect gift.
Cookbook. Personally, I don’t think one can have too many cookbooks. This is always a safe gift idea for me and I’d be willing to bet for most cooks. There are so many great books to chose from!. If you know your loved one has a desire to get into a certain cuisine, go for one in that category. If they like just about anything, check out the top 10 of this past year. Here’s some of my picks. Let me know if you want to know about others!
- For the new vegetarian? How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
- For the new health nut? Clean Food or Super Natural Cooking
- For the “I don’t cook from a recipe gal”? The Flavor Bible
- For the “More info is Better” ? The Joy of Cooking (this is Brette’s pick)
- For the analytical cook? Ratio
- For the Midwest Localvore? Trout Caviar:Recipes from a Northern Forager
- For the entertainer? Any Barefoot Contessa Book
- For the wild card entertainer? Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in 5 Minutes a Day (pizza party!)
A custom recipe box. Did you catch Amanda’s post on this great idea for a gift? Check it out. I have seen them and they are beautiful. It would make a wonderful gift. Wanna step it up a notch? Fill it with your favorite family recipes.
Cherry & Koa Recipe Box Wedding Gift
A cooking class. I had so much fun taking a pasta class as a birthday gift from Willa and Meghan and I don’t know if I would have done it on my own. Check your local kitchen or grocery stores. Here in the Twin Cities Metro, Kitchen Window, Cooks of Crocus Hill, the Seward Co-op and Local D’Lish all do cooking classes. I’m sure there are many other places as well. Pick something fun and go along. Make a night out of it!
Gifts to Impress ($100+)
Pressure Cooker. I do not have one. Willa says it is her most treasured kitchen tool. She also claims is makes the best and creamiest risotto she’s ever had. Those are no small words. I’m very intrigued by the pressure cooker and would welcome one into my kitchen. A pot of beans would no longer take 2 hours, but 30 minutes. I love the convenience that a pressure cooker would bring. Santa, what do you think? I’ve linked to the one that Willa has and recommends.
The Vitamix. I’ve been wanting one of these bad boys for a long time. Yep, it’s a blender and yes, it’s crazy expensive. However, I know it will kick any other blender’s ass and then it will make soup out of it. Ask anyone who has one and they’ll tell you it’s life changing. For a serious chef, they’ll love you forever if this is under the tree.
Did I miss anything on this list? What about last year’s list?
GIVEAWAY!
To get your holiday shopping started right, we have a giveaway for you! One lucky reader will get microplane. This one to be specific.
As I mentioned above, I love the microplane. Every kitchen should have at least one. You can chose to keep this for yourself or gift it to a friend. All you need to do is leave a comment on your favorite gift you’ve received so far in your lifetime. My Little Pony? A Wii? A Le Crueset? A favorite book?
Winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 23rd.
This giveaway is sponsored by….Anne. Thanks Anne!
Last year: 25 things – Anne
Two years ago: betty says: thanksgiving dinner
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
Jen I have a new fav kitchen tool. 8inch victorinox chef knife recommended by cooking inc and sold by amazon for $25. It can cut down a pineapple in a couple of minutes. Chop a lot of garlic really fast. Very sharp. Bought the plastic sleeve and dishwasher safe.
Cool Cheryl! Gotta love a sharp knife!
What a great post! Now that I’m all old and lame, I think my favorite gift is every moment I get to spend with my family all together and everyone is healthy – but I think you were looking for something a little more specific. I remember being 8 and dying for this roller skating doll. The commercial made it look like she was a roller derby pro. My head almost exploded with delight when I found Santa had left her for me! After like 19 DD batteries her legs slowly shuffled like a geriatric patient. Still, IT WAS A ROLLER SKATING DOLL!
I love the old and lame….and it’s truly heartwarming. I also love the geriatric roller skating doll.
Too funny. I remember ads for the roller skating doll. I hope doesn’t qualify me for being “old and lame” too. Great reply.
I LOVE my vitamix and would also welcome a pressure cooker in my life though I am deathly afraid of them! Another great gift idea is truffle oil. One of those things that you LOVE having when you are out but feel like you could never buy for yourself. But do some research before buying as all truffle oils are not crated equal:)
Pressure cookers are terrific tools and you can use just the pot for high temp candy making.
Favorite gift I’ve ever received? That’s just too hard to pinpoint! I’m fond (as you know) of cookbooks, so I’m usually quite pleased when I receive one of them as a gift.
Love the list!!!!! I have a vitamix (and yes…it truly is life changing, lol) but not a microplane! I also want a silpat…putting that on my Christmas list…thanks for the reminder!
I got my silpats about 15 yrs. ago from Fr. Tom – he was always ahead of his time when it came to cooking and the kitchen. I would have to say my favorite gift I ever got was my KitchenAid mixer. We use it all the time. We use the grinder for making Grandma Tremblys dressing at Thanksgiving, we use it to grind and case sausage, we use it to make bread dough and of course, cookies and other lovely baked goods.
I have a citrus zester but that is really all one can use it for. I have a pressure canner/cooker that I never use as like Megan, I’m a bit afraid of it. Gary uses it all the time though!
One thing I do not have is a microplane! Just never had one. Thanks for all the great ideas Jen! Got me thinking of gift giving and gave me great ideas – best I start my shopping list!
I do love my kitchenAid mixer. That thing is a workhorse.
Favorite gifts are a tie between two. One is a necklace that was my grandmothers that I wore at my wedding and the second is pair of earrings from my husband.
Ah, the vitamix, I’ve been lusting after one of those for almost ten years. All of these look like great ideas! I think my fav gift ever is probably a tie btwn the kindle I got last year, and the 50mm lens my husband gave me a couple of years ago. I use the kindle every day, and it has resparked my love of reading. And the lens is my little workhorse.
I love that lens – such fantastic photos.
Great post! We got a Vita-mix this past summer. I have yet to make soup, but we do smoothies, shake/malts, and blended lemonades. It rocks. It takes ice down in a heartbeat. Love it!
Favorite gift? After Trent and got married I asked for a kitchen-Aide mixer for Christmas. Thought for sure he would get this great device for me. Alas, I asked for for 5 years before it showed up under the tree. I usually use it for baking and my hubby doesn’t have a very big sweet tooth. That is probably why it took forever to get it. It would have been a different story If I was wanting a food dehydrator for making jerky. That would of showed up before Christmas:)
My favorite gift ever? A dollhouse my grandfather made for me.
If you’re going to use a microplane grater as a stocking stuffer, wrap it first!
Ha – yes. Excellent Tip!
I was seven-years-old and I got Cricket, the talking doll. I remember opening her and being so surprised! I played with her everyday for at least a couple of years. I still have her though she is looking a bit rough. As a little girl, she was the bees knees and it still makes me think of the magic of Christmas.
Love this story!
this is a really great post – as i’ve just started to brainstorm gift ideas for other people
it’s really hard to think of an all-time favorite gift, but one of that’s up there is definitely the year i have given a cupcake carrier. i use it constantly 
My favorite gift was a trip to Disney World when I was in fourth grade
I have gotten some very memorable gifts. The kid size card table and dishes I got from Santa when I was five or six. The diamond necklace I got from my husband for our 10th anniversary. That was a unexpected surprise.:)
I know my sisters know this story but one of my favorite birthday gifts was when my daughter, age 13 at the time, made my favorite cake. German Chocolate. She called grandma to get her recipe for the frosting and then got the neighbor to take her to the grocery store. The frosting didn’t turn out the first time so she started over and the second time was a charm. It was perfect. The cake was delicious and I was touched by her thoughtfulness and hard work to make my birthday special. Sorry about the long post but you did ask.
P.S. – My favorite wedding gift is my KitchenAide mixer. Still going strong 23 years later.:)
The story never gets old. Those are the best gifts.
I don’t remember that story..sweet:)
My favorite gift I’ve received has to be my Kitchen Aid mixer. I’ve often joked I wish it came with a baked goods tracker! I’m sure its made thousands of cupcakes! My favorite affordable kitchen gadget gift is a Wonder Cup measuring tool. It is great for measuring sticky things like peanut butter and corn syrup-after you measure, the ingredients slide right out, no sticking! A perfect gift for someone who likes to bake!
Recently my favorite gift was a scarf my grandma gave me, which I had actually bought for my grandpa when I was in Ireland. He passed away a couple years ago so it was cool to have something of his.
The flour sack towels are great. We actually have boxes of them as my grandma embroiders everyone in our family a set each year. I even have one set with all scottie dogs on them. Awesome.
My favorite gift was my Tim Tebow Jersey
katherinedibello (at) gmail (dot) com
I have 2 bestest gifts – 1 was my laptop backpack about 12 years ago – it helped get rid of shoulder pains and the 2nd gift was my first (grown up) bike about 15 years ago – it helped me get in shape and do several charitiy rides.
I think my favourite gift was a sweater my grandma knit for me when I was a kid. I wore it so much that she made me the same sweater in the next size up.
My grandfather made me a crib for my dolls and my grandmother kniitted an afghan. I’d have to say that was my favorite gift ever.
rjs682 at yahoo dot com
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