Gifts for Cooks
I thought it might be nice to share some of my favorite kitchen items with you… things that any cook or chef in your life would love to have.
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Swiss Diamond Cookware - This is hands down my favorite non-stick pan. Here's why - it's made from a heavy weight cast aluminum core that will never warp, it's oven safe up to 500F, it has an awesome non-stick diamond-reinforced coating that eggs never ever stick to, and most importantly, it has survived the abuses of my husband and teenagers. It's a keeper!
End-Grain Cutting Board - Aside from the great feel of cutting and chopping on a quality wooden cutting board, I love end grain-boards over edge-grain for a number or reasons. They look amazing, they won't dull your knife blades as quickly, knife marks kind of disappear on them, and did I mention how good they look?
AccuSharp Knife Sharpener - Not as professional as a sharpening stone, but Cook's Illustrated rated this their #1 quick and easy to use manual knife sharpener…. and they have a sharpener for your scissor and kitchen shears too!
Magnetic Knife Strip - I really like hanging my knives on the wall. I did the knife block thing for years, but the block got all nicked up and I hated the space it took up on my counter. They seem so much neater hanging on the wall and no more guessing to find the knife I want to use.
All-Clad Double Grill Pan - I use this pan for burgers, chicken, pork chops, shrimp, veggies, hot dogs, steak, and so on. It's holds a ton of food, is oven safe, leaves cool grill marks on my food, and is super easy to clean.
Le Creuset Dutch Oven - Every kitchen should have at least one of these workhorses. The 7.25-quart is a pretty good medium-size for any size family. I use mine to braise roasts, simmer soups and stews, make chicken stock, and do much more. These things last for generations.
6-quart Instant Pot - For years I resisted buying an instant pot, but I finally caved and now I wonder why I waited so long to get one. Wow, I can’t believe how often I use it. I make ribs, stews, rice, chicken stock, brats, steel cut oats, steamed potatoes, quinoa, soups, italian sausage, and even homemade greek yogurt (not available with all models). I also like discovering new recipes online as there are literally thousands and thousands of IP recipes available.
SushiQuik - Looking for new ways to entertain company? Have a Sushi Party! This kit provides everything you need to roll perfect sushi or maki rolls. It even includes a nifty cutting guide for perfect slices.
Wusthof Classic Serrated Bread Knife - A serrated knife is essential for cutting things like bread, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella cheese. Works beautifully for cutting cake and melons too.
Miyabi Morimoto Chef’s Knife - Without question, my very favorite knife out of my entire collection. It’s RAZOR sharp and cuts through everything like buttah!
Wusthof Classic Santoku - I was first introduced to this knife watching Rachael Ray on TV. I was so impressed with how she handled it that I had to get one for myself and and it has served me well for decades. I love the shape of the blade, I love the way it feels in my hand, and I love that it's large enough to scoop and transfer a lot of veggies from my cutting board. Love, love, love.
Bonavita Coffee Maker - Forget the bells and whistles, this coffee maker does one thing well… it brews an awesome cup of coffee. This coffee maker is half the price of the winning coffee maker as rated by America’s Test Kitchen, but this was their #2 pick and they rated it the “Best Buy”. Also, the winner coffee maker was really ugly so that’s kind of a thing for me. I love the stainless steel carafe so that’s a bonus.
Bamboo Tablet Stand - This stand is super awesome for those who use their iPads/tablets in the kitchen. The stand can be set to 3 different viewing angels, it has a little cutout to accommodate the power adapter thingy, it's expandable, it folds flat for easy storage, and it will even hold a small-ish cookbook. It's extremely sturdy too - I was constantly knocking my iPad over while typing on the screen, but not anymore.
Cole & Mason Salt and Pepper Grinders - This salt and pepper grinder has a cult following. The grinding mechanisms are easy to adjust, and the salt ginger features a ceramic blade (to resist corrosion). I especially like the crumb catcher tray that’s included. No more messes on the counter or tabletop.
Fleur de Sel - The flaky crystals of this French sea salt is prized for it's delicate flavor which is best when used as a finishing salt on meats and vegetables. It has a slightly moist texture and and gray-ish color from the high mineral content, comes in a cork topped canister, and each container is signed by the salt raker who harvested it.
Boyajian Garlic Oil - There are a lot of garlic oils out there, but most of them don’t taste very good, but this one is amazing! Use it to sauté veggies, brush on pizza crust, and you simply must try making this recipe for the very best recipe for Garlic Oil and Sea Salt Focaccia you’ll ever have.
Oxo Mandoline Slicer - The mandoline works so well for cutting fruits and vegetables quickly and evenly. I use it to cut super thin tomato slices when I'm making subs, apple slices for apple tarts, mountains of sliced spuds for scalloped potatoes, and it'll shred an entire head of cabbage in less than a minute. This one comes with additional crinkle, french fry, and julienne blades as well. It comes apart for easy cleaning too.
Ninja Prep - I love my Ninja and it comes in really handy when I don't feel like lugging out my big food processor. The small container is great for chopping nuts, making dressings/marinades, and grating Parmesan cheese. The large pitcher container is what I use to puree tomatoes, blend smoothies, and mix batters.
Garlic Keeper - It’s amazing how this little gem prolongs the life of fresh garlic bulbs.
Food Mill - I use my food mill mostly for making homemade applesauce, but it works well for making mashed potatoes, pureeing tomatoes, and straining berries. There are 3 discs that will grind from fine to coarse, and the non stick legs fold up for storage.
Immersion Blender - Great for blending hot soups right in the pot or reaching down into a tall pitcher or beaker. This model has a high and low speed and the stainless shaft is dishwasher safe. Available in a rainbow of colors.
Coffee/Spice Grinder - I own two grinders. I use one just for grinding coffee beans, and I use the other one to grind whole spices, turn whole grains and rice into flour, turn granulated sugar into confectioners sugar, grind peppercorns, and so much more.
Le Creuset Platters - Every cook needs a set of platters to present their masterpieces. These French porcelain platters are very well made and they come in several colors.
All-clad Ladle - You'd be surprised what a difference the rimmed edge of this ladle can make. I stopped using my old ladle when I was sent one of these.
Probe Thermometer - Using a probe thermometer and you'll never have to eat a dry overcooked roast again. Just insert the probe into a roast, program your desired temperature, and pop the roast into the oven. An alarm will sound when the the target temp is reached. Perfection every time.
Locking Tongs - Every cook uses tongs, but not all tongs are created equally. Oxo tongs have the best locking mechanism so they stay closed, nice and neat, making them easy to store. Available in several sizes, colors, with silicone tips, with nylon tips, or just stainless tips. I use the 9-inch length most of the time in the kitchen. The hubs uses the 12 and 16-inch lengths when he grills.
Long Bread Board - Baguettes look so much more appetizing when presented on an elegant maple bread board. Works nicely for serving cheese as well.
Baking Stone - Nothing beats a baking stone for making bread, reheating leftover pizza, and baking biscuits. They will darken and naturally develop a non-stick patina over time.
Huge Roaster/Lasagna Pan - Whether you’re roasting a turkey or making enough lasagna to feed a small army, this pan will never fail you. The generously sized handles are easy to grab with oven mitts on, and the roasting rack is a great addition.
12qt Stockpot - I purchased this workhorse years ago and I've gotten every penny of my money's worth out of it. This stockpot doesn't just have an aluminum disc in the bottom, the aluminum core goes all the way up the sides to the rim. I use it for everything from boiling pasta to simmering chicken stock to making chili. Easily the most used pieces of cookware I own.
BluApple Fruit/Vegetable Preserver - I discovered these non-toxic ethylene gas absorbers a few years ago at my grocery store and I was very impressed with the way they prolonged the life of my fruits and vegetables. Place the gas absorbing packets in the blue apples or use them alone - I just toss a packet into my fruit bowl or crisper drawer. I even tuck a packet into the strawberry clam shell. Each packed will last for 3 months. After that, sprinkle the granules on your houseplants or in your garden as natural fertilizer.
Pasta Machine - Make homemade pasta just like Mamma. This manual pasta rolling machine is so much fun to use. This one rolls and cuts spaghetti and fettuccine. Additional cutting attachments are available.