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The holiday season is upon us, and there is nothing better than unwrapping a shiny new kitchen gadget on Christmas morning!
If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the special cooks in your life (or yourself!), I’ve got you covered.
Under 10 Dollars
Cookie Scoop
Once you have a cookie scoop, you will always wonder how you lived without it. Gone are the days of trying (and failing) to scoop out even balls of cookie dough with two spoons and a prayer. Now you can dish out perfect cookies every time.
Silicone Baking Mats
These nonstick mats are reusable, washable, and absolutely nothing sticks to them. You can use them for roasting, baking, candy making, and everything in between. If your home chef friend doesn’t have these, they need them!
Under 50 Dollars
Silicone 9″x12″ Trivet by ThermoWorks
This large trivet is amazing. It’s big enough to fit under the entirety of a casserole dish, so you’re not balancing a blazing hot dish on a tiny trivet and praying your table doesn’t get scorched. It’s also dishwasher safe, so you don’t have to be precious with it. Just throw that baby in the dishwasher when it gets dirty. Also, it’s only $17!
Silicone Spatula By ThermoWorks
This spatula is one seamless piece of silicone, leaving no chance for mold to grow in any crevices or cracks. It’s dishwasher safe and comes in 3 sizes and a whole bunch of colors. I have the medium size in green, and I love it!
ThermoPop Instant Read Thermometer
If the cook in your life does not have a high quality instant read thermometer, this is the gift to get for them. The ThermoPop 2 from ThermoWorks is accurate plus of minus one degree. One! Never guess if your steak or chicken is done again. I’m telling you, buy one for everyone on your list. You can get the 4.5 inch model for $35 or the 8 inch for $42.
Stanley 30 oz Quencher
I love to have a Coke Zero by the stove while I’m cooking dinner. My Stanley keeps my drink ice cold no matter how hot the kitchen gets. I prefer the 30 ounce size, but they go up to 40 ounces and come in lots of colors. Also, the Flowstate lid lets you use a straw, sip from the lid, or have the lid completely closed. Also also it fits in a cupholder. Very important.
Victorinox 8 Inch Chef’s Knife
This $40 knife is the America’s Test Kitchen winner for best chef’s knife. I bought myself one when I went to culinary school, and I still use it all the time. It keeps a nice edge, is really low maintenance, and has a great grippy handle. If there is a budding chef in your life, they would really appreciate this knife.
Under 100 Dollars
Thermapen ONE
This is the sports car of instant read thermometers. It’s super, super fast (less than one second read time), is crazy accurate, and the adjustable probe lets you get the perfect angle for measuring. As of writing this (November 2023), the Thermapen ONE is one sale for $70.85, regularly $109! Run, do not walk, and pick up this perfect gift for yourself, or anyone on your list. The Thermapen ONE also comes in a whole bunch of colors.
7 Quart Enameled Dutch Oven By Martha Stewart
A good enameled Dutch oven is an absolute kitchen essential. I bought a six quart Martha Stewart model ten years ago, and I still use it all the time. Enameled cast iron has all the benefits of regular cast iron, without the maintenance. I have both a Martha Stewart and a Le Creuset Dutch oven, and guess what? I love them both. You don’t need to spend $400 to get a quality piece of cookware. They don’t make the exact Dutch oven that I own anymore, but here is the new version, which is a whopping 7 quarts! Your lucky gift recipient will love you forever.
High Output Pepper Mill
Are you sick of cranking your pepper mill 100 times just to get a teaspoon of pepper? You (and your friends and family) need a high output pepper mill. One crank gets you TONS of pepper. This baby is constructed with high quality materials, has adjustable pepper coarseness, is refillable, and will last for many years. Once you use a high output pepper mill, you can never go back. It may seem like a silly thing to spend money on, but I’m telling you, it will change your cooking.
Thanks For Being Here!
Thank you so much for being part of the Gracious Cooking squad! I really appreciate you. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season filled with friends, family, and , of course, food. Also, don’t worry about the lack of cookbooks on this list. I have a whole gift guide coming just for cookbooks. 😉
Happy Cooking!
Carli Christiansen
