Choosing a great cooking gift for family or friends can be a frustrating task. These ideas may be the perfect solution if the gift is for someone who loves to cook.
Birthdays, housewarmings, retirements, major holidays-whatever the occasion, gift-giving is usually involved. To avoid having that gift returned or set on a dusty closet shelf, take a look at these ideas for the home cook.
Simple, practical, and fairly inexpensive, these gifts are easily found on the internet or in any major retail store.
Electric Pepper and Salt Mill
This gift is a great choice for anyone. The mills are battery operated and can be purchased individually or in sets. By simply pressing a button, fresh peppercorns and sea salt are ground, and the size of the grind can be adjusted from fine to coarse.
This is a great idea for someone with arthritic hands where using a regular mill can be difficult or painful. Include batteries and packages of peppercorns and sea salt.
Pasta Maker
This gadget can be either electric or hand-cranked. A real pasta lover or gourmet cook will enjoy making fresh ravioli, fettuccini, and spaghetti.
Electric Meat Thermometer
This handy item is more accurate than the standard meat thermometer. The great advantage is that the probe is inserted into the meat while it’s in the oven, and the gauge hangs outside the oven door for constant monitoring of internal temperature.
Micro-planer
Used for zesting fruit or finely grating cheese, micro-planers are very inexpensive but are an essential item for the serious cook. If this doesn’t seem like enough, add an electric or hand juicer to round out the gift.
Knife Sharpener
Every cook needs sharp knives, and over time, they dull, which actually makes using them more dangerous. Although many different types of electric sharpeners are available, don’t overlook the hand-held type. Some of them are very effective and work better than a more expensive electric appliance.
Decorative Wine Corks
Everyone has opened a bottle of wine and pushed the cork into the bottle or shredded the cork into bits. Decorative wine corks are reusable, pretty, and very useful. They can also be used as a stopper for olive oil.
Fresh Herb Garden
Fresh herbs add flavour to any dish, and serious cooks always prefer them to dry herbs. Pre-packaged gift sets are available year-round, but for a more personal touch, purchase a few decorative clay pots and buy an assortment of herbs at a local greenhouse. Herbs are easy to grow and look great on a windowsill.
Cookbook
The gift that keeps giving, a cookbook will be used time and time again and we love this one which encourages a waist and planet friendly lifestyle.
Personalised Apron
Cooking is a messy business, and aprons have saved many blouses from gravy stains. The aprons available today are not the same as Grandma used to wear, and men will enjoy them as much as women. They’re cute, whimsical, and can easily be personalised. Choose a pattern or saying that reflects the personality of the recipient or even one that matches the colour of their kitchen.
Recipe Gift Box
For those shoppers on a tight budget, nothing could be easier than buying a pretty recipe box. Include a package of blank recipe cards, and the home cook will always have their recipes available. To personalise the gift, add a few favourite recipes to start off the collection.
There are many ideas that would be appropriate and fun for the home cook. If nothing on this list seems just right, consider these ideas:
- A favourite celebrity cookbook
- A gift basket filled with kitchen utensils
- A pretty tablecloth and placemats
- A set of wine glasses
- A gift certificate to a speciality gourmet shop
