Here it is…my holiday gift guide for your home cook. These are 12 must-get gifts for the cuisiniere in your life. The products that you see here are the products that I use in my kitchen. I would not promote products that I do not think are good quality or useful to the home cook.
Good kitchen knives
I could not cook without my kitchen knives. After my wedding shower, I used all of the gift cards I got to buy a really nice set of kitchen knives.They are amazing and I used most of them. If a set is not in your budget, then opt for a good chef’s knife. You can use this to do mostly anything. This is the knife that I use the most. I use it for everything from chopping vegetables, to cutting meat, finely mincing garlic and herbs, etc. Before I got married, I had one really good chef’s knife. I still have that knife and I still use it from time to time. I have a Wusthof set like this one.
Microplane
I love these! I have two of them. We eat a lot of cheese in my house. Microplanes are great for grating hard cheeses, like Parmigiano Reggiano or an aged cheddar. I use one of them at least everyday. My dishwasher cannot keep up with it. On that note…I should order another one.
Salt keeper
This is an essential to me. My salt keeper sits next to my other two essentials…pepper mill and extra virgin olive oil. It is great to have right by you as you are cooking. Every home cook needs one! This is the salt keeper that I have.
Electronic meat thermometer
These are great! And they can be used for all sorts of meat. Roasted chicken, turkey, pork loin, roast beef, you name it. Don’t leave your dinner up to chance and guessing! Make sure it is cooked before you slice into it. Because if you have to put that beautiful filet mignon back into the oven to continue cooking after you sliced into it, all of the juices will have already come out, leaving your meat dried out. For the love of all things delicious, get the darn meat thermometer!
Mandoline
Mandolines are very useful to the home cook, especially when a lot of slicing and cutting is involved. Mandolines save a lot of time (and if you are me, prescious finger nails). The slices come out even and perfect every single time. Potatoes au gratin will thank you for getting this mandoline. I promise you, this one will excite your home cook.
Nesting mixing bowls
I get a lot of use out of my mixing bowls. I use glass nesting bowls that you see below. I use them every day for all different reasons. Not only are they handy, but they store nicely too and don’t take up too much space. Every home cook needs these.
Baking sheets
I use baking sheets for roasting vegetables more than I do baking. I love using baking sheets to roast veggies because I can spread the veggies out, coat with olive oil, salt and pepper and pop them right into the oven. The baking sheet allows the veggies to be spread out so the air circulates around them and gives them the nice roasted flavor and color. Plus, it’s easier to flip them halfway through the the roasting process when using a baking sheet. Oh, and they are great for baking cookies too. And tis the season for baking cookies.
Tongs
I have two pairs of these tongs in two different sizes (12 inch and 16 inch). The tongs I use are OXO Good grips. I recommend having at least one of each size. The link below is for the 16 inch. Tongs come in handy all the time. I could probably use another pair (mental note to tell husband that this would be a great stocking stuffer…hopefully he is reading this). But honestly, they are extremely useful. I use them to flip sautéed shrimp, toss French fries, salad, pasta, the list goes on and on. Every home cook needs a couple pairs of these.
Immersion blender
With fall and winter upon us, your home cook is going to be in soup-making mode. Creamy tomato, butternut squash and potato leek soup are all good options. But you can’t make these delicious, creamy soups without an immersion blender…ok, that is a lie. You can totally make them without an immersion blender, but it would be a lot messier and would require the use of more kitchen appliances and gadgets. Being that my husband cleans up after me (I know, I am super lucky), he is very grateful for the immersion blender. In fact, he would probably buy me ten more to have as backup incase mine breaks. I use the immersion blender by Breville.
Salad Spinner
Best. Invention. Ever. Nothing is worse than your salad dressing being watered down because your salad didn’t drain well enough. Been there, done that. Watered down salad is the worst. Don’t do it. Get the salad spinner. It might be one of the best kitchen inventions ever. This is the one I have. I love it and have had it for years. Get it…now.
Slow Cooker
I treat my slow cooker like a baby. I am gentle with it. I clean it regularly. I keep my two toddlers away from it. It is that valuable to me. It is my favorite kitchen appliance in the colder months. I make everything in my slow cooker…pot roast, whole chicken, chili, stew, etc. The good thing about slow cookers, is that you don’t need to be a good cook to use one. You can literally dump ingredients in, set the time, and walk away. And when you come back 4-8 hours later, you have a delicious meal ready to go. I use the slow cooker made by All Clad. I highly recommend it…I’ve had no regrets. You won’t either.
Le Creuset
These are my favorite. I love Le Creuset products. I love the vibrant colors that they come in and their durability. Most people buy them in the same color. I have them in all different colors. I have red, green, white, blue and orange. I love them all. They are just so darn pretty. I have three different sized dutch ovens. I use these for roast beef, stewed chicken, chili, soups, etc. I have a cast iron fry pan which I use to brown meat. I have the tea kettle, which looks oh so pretty sitting on top of my stove. Check them out. Get one for your home cook in her/his favorite color.
