I really love kitchen tools and what you’ll find in my kitchen is a good mix of super-specific items and general use. I don’t tend to get a lot of one use items, but when I do, I think long and hard before I purchase. This is my ultimate kitchen gadget-y wish list – a mix of high-end and affordable products. To make these products even more affordable, you might be able to find some voucher codes! I would love to receive any of these items this holiday season and I’m sure the cook in your life would too!
Ever since I tried rigging up a ghetto-sous vide machine to make Momofuku’s 48 hour short ribs, I’ve been wanting a sous vide machine. Nomiku just came out with a new wifi home sous vide machine and I backed it because I was so impressed with their past incarnation. Essentially, a sous vide machine lets you cook food (usually in a vacuum sealed bag) in water bath set at an extremely low temperature. The sous vide machine both heats and circulates water and your food is gently cooked to scientific precision.
If you’re going to ask for a sous-vide machine, the next thing you might want to add to your wish list is a Searzall. I don’t have one of these (they just finished their kickstarter and are gearing up to sell on Amazon), but it’s definitely on my radar. It’s basically a portable salamander – use to sear sous vide steaks, melt cheese, or finish dishes off with a blast of heat.
The above two items are things that I think I’ll love, but they’re definitely more things I wish I had rather than things I need. These spatulas on the other hand, I have in my drawer right now and reach for all the time. I’ve talked about my love for silicone spatulas previously and I’m still a big fan of them. These colorful guys from Get It Right make me happy every time I reach for them. They make a perfect little gift. They’re unibody (which means no grotty parts to clean), hold up to heat well, and are dishwasher safe.
One of my favourite kitchen tools is a garlic press. I actually like mincing garlic (I’m weird, I know) but I don’t really like my fingers smelling like garlic every time I do it. Garlic presses take that problem away. This press from Savora is both pretty and functional. It’s an excellent gift for a garlic lover.
I wish I could send everyone a holiday present but since I can’t, I’m doing the next best thing and hosting a little Le Creuset Giveaway!
Giveaway: I’m giving away a Le Creuset Cherry Wok, a Le Creuset Balti Dish and a cute little Le Creuset Condiment Pot. They’re cherry red and perfect for the holiday season – thank you Le Crueset!
Enter: Leave a comment letting me know what the best gift you received was and why and then use the widget to enter. Open to US residents only. Winner will be selected at random and contacted by email. Good luck!
Update: Congrats Vicky! Get ready to start cooking! :D Look for an email from me shortly.
One Christmas, about seven years ago, my husband surprised me with a trip to Iceland. The surrealness of the moment overwhelmed me because that very morning I had been wondering what I was going to get for Christmas; I was secretly wishing for a trip to Reykjavik, Iceland. Of course it was a trip we had never discussed– to a country we’d never discussed. The moment I unwrapped the travel brochure was almost more than my head could process. I can’t remember loving him more than that very moment– the moment I knew he could clearly see inside my heart.
Homemade advent calendars – so thoughtful and personal.
My favorite was my chef’s knife!
I got a mini instax camera last year and it’s been so fun to be able to capture life’s little moments without all the fuss!
also, if you rub a spoon over your hands while running them under cold water it gets rid of the garlic smell, easy peezy!
The best gift for me is always a photo gift. I am a hobbyist photographer and love pictures of my kids!
My first bicycle was the best ever!
My children. I love them so very much. They bring me so much joy and pain and craziness and calm and they keep life more interesting. I cannot imagine my life without them. If you were thinking of something more retail related then it would have to be my stove. My son and his girlfriend bought me this stove. It’s a convection oven and has big beautiful grates on the top and a power burner and a griddle. The thing is also stainless steel and it’s fabulous.
The best gift I received was LASIK eye surgery. I have been wearing glasses/contacts since I was in 4th grade…over 20 years ago! Without them, I would be legally blind. So, needless to say, it was an amazing gift from my grandmother…the gift of vision…waking up in the morning and actually reading the alarm clock, seeing the leaves on a branch out my window…simple pleasures. However, what made it even more special was because my grandmother had passed away and left me an inheritance to pay for the cost of the surgery. Now I will forever be thankful, each and every day.
The best gift I’ve ever received was my Grandma’s vintage coach bags. I’ve used them for years and get compliments on them all the time!
the best gift i ever received was a set of breyer horses when i was a kid! i loved them!