When You Just Aren’t Sure What to Get Them
Everyone is hustling and bustling, trying to find gifts that say 'I love you', 'you matter to me' or even 'I really love the food you make, even if we're just coworkers.' We're right with you. Trying to figure out what the buy or make for people is complicated! So we've put together a list of potential gifts for the special chefs in your life.
Starting off with something every chef needs, a good set of knives. If you've ever listened to your chef-y friends talk then you know that with a proper knife there's almost nothing you can't do. On the other hand, if you're stuck with a poor quality knife, you're constantly having to sharpen it before you ever start to work. This Wakoli 3 piece Damascus steel knife set is a fantastic gift for the favorite chef in your life. It comes with a 9-inch Santoku knife, a 7-inch Santoku and then a 5-inch paring knife. If you want something that serves as both very pretty and a will be used for decades to come, this is a good bet.
Next up we've got something that hits both 'cute' and 'useful' marks on your list. A set of Matryoshka dolls that serve as measuring cups. The dolls are made of white pressed plastic, and stack together when not in use. They range from 1 cup at the largest and each doll 'half' steps down by 1/4 cup. Absolutely adorable, easily stored and they can flavor to your kitchen. These might be perfect for a young nice or nephew who is just getting started in the kitchen or someone who loves cute things, but also practicality.
Think about the nonstick pans that you love. Now think about all the times when you're in the middle of cooking and you accidentally grab a metal spatula instead of a silicone one. By adding a few more tools to your kitchen and keeping them closer to the stove, you can fix that. This set comes with 2 spoons, 2 spatulas, 1 jar 'spatula' and a brush for sauces, glazes etc. It's also available in several different color options, and comes with a steel core so that it'll be more durable than some of the other silicone tools you can buy.
If your favorite chef is a lover of different spices, this can be a great gift. A stainless steel spice tower with solid glass jars, to make it easy to look at the different spices, as well as being clearly labeled. This spice tower spins in place and easily holds of 20 jars of their favorite spices. The company also offers a 5 year spice renewal program. You can purchase the tower and register it with them and for 5 years you get free spices, all you have to do is pay shipping. It's two gifts in one, unlimited spices and a place to store them.
Following hard on the heels of our last gift, this one is a bit.. different. It's a label maker. For those of us that love cooking and baking you can end up with all sorts of unlabeled jars. You have friends that give you jars of spices from around the world, you experiment with different combinations, and sometimes labels just fall off. Then you're left staring at a jar going "I know I put some nutmeg in here, and I can taste a little anise, but what the heck is that third one?" Enter the label maker. Now it's easy to label your jars and you're not going to mix up your poultry seasoning with your baking spices. (Yep, we've done it. That's what happens when you don't sniff an unlabeled jar and just toss it into the pot instead.)
For the coffee loving chef in your life, you might consider this gift. An easy-to-use grinder that can handle enough beans for 12 cups of coffee at once. The center chamber is removeable to make for easy cleanup and pouring. You can also use it for spices if you prefer to grind your own before use. And at this asking price, you could even go so far as to buy 3. One for you, one for coffee and one for spices!
Sometimes you don't want to fight with finding the 'right' spot on your stove for your frying pan. You want to turn it on and get cooking. You also don't want to deal with food sticking to the pan and becoming scorched. Both of these problems are solved by the BELLA Electric Ceramic Skillet. It's able to heat smoothly and consistently in a way that your stove usually doesn't and keep food from sticking to it. You can use it to saute, fry, roast and steam, all without having to argue for space on your stove. Using the skillet also means that you can use it for a main dish while you use your stove to cook sides of your meal. Alternatively, this could be used if you're in a tiny home without much of a kitchen.
If you're looking to find out what all of the fuss is over air fryers, this might be a good place to start. Not only can you use it for everything from frozen foods to donuts (fresh donuts! At home!) but you can also try it out for a wide variety of different recipes from everyone's favorite food & craft site, Pinterest. While this is a slightly more expensive model, it's well worth it when you can cook 6qts of food in one go rather than having to do batch after batch.
What's worse than having to wait for your kettle to boil so you can wait to brew tea? Having to wait for that perfect cup of tea for whatever the day has thrown at you? Nothing. Nothing is the answer we're looking for. Fortunately, this electric kettle from Mueller can help. Able to hold 1.8 liters or a little over 7 cups, it's perfect. It boils quickly, auto shuts off, and has 'boil-dry' protection. (Tell us you haven't accidentally turned the stove on without checking if there was water in the kettle at least once. No? We didn't think so. We get it though.) Best of all, there's no frustrating cord to fight with. The kettle sits on a plate that heats the water inside it, and can be removed and carried wherever you need once it's come to a boil. We'll take two.
For those of us that are coffee drinkers, whether that's solely coffee or in addition to tea, we've got a lovely French press maker. Made of borosilicate glass just like the electric kettle, the Cafe Du Chateau press also comes with a 4 level filter to ensure that you're only getting coffee in your cup. Capable of brewing 34 oz of delicious coffee at a time, the French press is something that many coffee lovers swear by. Plus, if, somehow, there's an issue with your press? Cafe Du Chateau will replace it.
IF YOU WANNA SHRED MEAT LIKE THE WILD ANIMAL WITHIN, you should look at getting these lovely claw-shaped meat shredders. Great for making pulled pork LIKE A BEAST or just adding a bit of fun and ease to the cooking process, these will surely find a home within any barbecue master's kitchen. We love them because you can shred the meat more easily than trying to do many tiny shreds using a pair of forks.
If you want to have a nice, melted cheese to put on your food after it is cooked, rather than melting on during the cooking process, this is an excellent option for you. Offering a small pan that will accommodate 2 standard cheese slices side-by-side, this will allow for you to get your cheese to just the right consistency before putting it on your food. And if you don't want to just use a slice of cheese? You want to mix your cheeses together? You can go for that too. Just make a small mound of the mixed cheeses and let them melt together.
If you're still looking for Christmas gifts, we suggest booking an appointment for your loved one to have one of our technicians go over all of their appliances. Showing you love them by taking care of their favorite space, is a great way to show that you pay attention, and it will also make it so that any problems that might be there can be caught before they cause major trouble for the favorite chef in your life. To set up an appointment you can call us at ((214) 599-0055) or go to our website to set up an appointment.