# Gifts for Cooks?



## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Ideas for people who cook? Uhm no, that custom outdoor kitchen with brick pizza oven is above budget!   

But seriously, beyond the basic cute stuff, what do you think people could really use in their kitchens?

1) For people who really COOK
2) For people who cook but not fancy, like pasta and jarred spaghetti sauce plus ground beef.
3) For people who like to use only five ingredients and don't like raw chicken.

Let's have some ideas before Amazon runs dry!


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Higher budget
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tillreda-portable-induction-cooktop-1-zone-white-10493520/
Maybe a basic immersion blender for $30 range

Dried porcini

A digital kitchen scale

Instant read digital thermometer

Lee valley measuring spoons that even the tablespoon will fit in every spice jar I've tried.

Silicone rolling matwwithmmeasured circles

Pack of precut parchment for half sheet pans


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Those Lee Valley measuring spoons look awesome.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

A Sous-Vide machine
I agree with parchment paper
Instapot
Le Creuset
A wooder rolling pin with ball bearings


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## Transglutaminase (Jan 9, 2019)

Julienne peeler
Old school tin nutmeg grinder/holder
Locking tong set - silicon &/or stainless
Butter ruler
Laser thermometer
SS fondue set


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Of cookbooks this year, (reflecting my Asian preferences so they may not have equal interest)


The regular predecessor to that book is also excellent


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I've been very impressed with the ideas and execution in How to Grill Vegetables by Steven Raichlen. Haven't finished it yet. 

I also think the 12" Idahone is another good gift idea. I've given a few of those over the years.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Well ever since I filled the kitchen with smoke while searing a pork chop on my cast iron grill pan recently, I've been wanting a one burner, portable butane unit. One I can take outside to make the smoke. I also need a nice range hood installed, and while I am at it maybe get a new range. And some new pot holders. Those won't cost me thousands of dollars like getting a quality range hood installed.

mjb.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

An exterior vented hood is a marvelous thing. Your house is probably not so tightly sealed that you would need to go for the Energy Recovery Ventilator, but if you have the budget, it will save you some money in the long run. Of course the building codes may just require it now as well.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

@teamfat you just need to open the window and use a box fan. 

Also I was at a kitchen store the other day and fell in love with this pan: https://smithey.com/collections/castiron/products/no-14-dual-handle-skillet


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

@phatch I think you can't just put a link in the message body. You need to physically hyperlink it.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Welcome to the gift recommendation thread. Here I hope to start a neverending list of gifts that we think cooks might like. I will start with this Danish dough mixer.

There is an in between phase where your dry ingredients are just getting mixed with wets but your traditional balloon whisk just doesn't get the job done. The stiff whisk gets clogged and the light whisk simply isn't stiff enough. This is where a Danish whisk can come in handy. I've always been skeptical of gadgets, but this one's been around a while and has a long and proven track record.

Danish whisk


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## chrislehrer (Oct 9, 2008)

For all those many people we know who "love" to bake... from a box mix... King Arthur Flour makes a wide range of remarkably good box baking kits: brownies, cookies, stollen, pizza, whatever.

And if you have friends or relatives who are also gluten-free, King Arthur also makes quite a lot of excellent GF box mixes.

Beyond to the obvious merits, (1) you can order from KA and have it sent directly, which makes things easier, (2) they're neither so expensive as to be annoying nor so cheap as to be embarrassing, and (3) if you choose something passably obscure but cool you can demonstrate that you really thought about the present and the recipient.


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## loomchick (Jun 11, 2013)

Really good spatulas
Really good kitchen towels (extra points if it's handwoven by a local handweaver!) 
A peeler-corer-slicer with a suction base for apples, potatoes, etc. (under $30) . . . my sister-in-law gave us one years ago and I have found it handy for preparing apples for dehydrating to preparing scalloped and au gratin potatoes
Long oven mitts (often called bar-be-que mitts) . . . I love good oven mitts that nearly reach my elbow. Why? If you saw the scar on the inside of my forearm you would understand
Souper Cubes (individual or a set) . . . this is great for cooks who make extra and want to freeze the leftovers . . . or for cooks who want to prepare items for those days where you don't feel like cooking, but still want something good
End grain cutting board
Gourmet popcorn
OXO angled measuring cups
Subscription to something like Cook's Illustrated, Food and Wine, Fine Dining, Bon Appétit


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## mgm0 (Nov 27, 2012)

love this thead.

personally I love gifting sharpening kits. It's one of those things that you can spend an afternoon learning how to do and it will be useful no matter who you are.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

A gift certificate to a fine local restaurant the chef in question has mentioned they like or would like to try.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

*Thermapen* - one of the best kitchen tools ever . . . unless they already own one of course, but the only home cooks who have one are a few people I've gifted them to.


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## chrislehrer (Oct 9, 2008)

mike9 said:


> *Thermapen* - one of the best kitchen tools ever . . . unless they already own one of course, but the only home cooks who have one are a few people I've gifted them to.


I would happily accept a second Thermapen!


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