I don’t know about you, but I’m not even close to done with my holiday gift shopping. For some loved ones the gift purchases are clear, but for others it is tough to figure out the perfect gift. So this year I thought I would help all of you out by suggesting fun and helpful cooking gifts for some different categories of gift recipients: kids, new or reluctant cooks, and avid cooks.
I hope this list will help you in your gift buying this year!
Gifts for Kids:
Curious Chef Knives: These knives are safe to use and can actually cut quite well! They are a great way to start introducing knife skills to kids (even really little ones!). I use these in my cooking classes with kids and everyone loves them!
Kids Apron: What kid doesn’t love a costume? Help them get into the mood for cooking with this great apron!
Chop Chop Cookbook: A beautiful, fun, and delicious cookbook written for kids. They also clearly lay out when kids need adult help and when they can do the steps on their own. The recipes are manageable and will teach real cooking skills. My kids love this book!
The Dutchess Bakes a Cake: A family favorite! I also read this to my students in my kid cooking classes and they always love it. This funny book will get anyone inspired to bake a lovely, light, luscious, delectable cake!
Gifts for New or Reluctant Cooks:
Immersion Blender: A game-changing kitchen appliance! Great for pureeing vegetable soups and sauces, making salad dressings, blending smoothies, whipping cream, and much, much more. Plus you just throw it in the dishwasher!
Slow Cooker: An essential appliance for anyone who is very busy and doesn’t have time to cook when they get home. Also a great way to start cooking if you haven’t done much cooking before because many recipes call for dumping in ingredients, turning it on, and leaving it alone for many hours–can’t get much easier than that…
How to Cook Everything FAST: This is a great cookbook for anyone, but is especially great for new and reluctant cooks because nothing in the cookbook takes more than an hour to make (many take only 30 minutes) and, perhaps even more importantly, it has a wonderful section that offers really practical and concrete lessons on how to cook efficiently.
10-Day Cooking Challenge: The 10-Day Cooking Challenge, which starts in January, is a great introduction to cooking for those who either haven’t cooked much before or don’t really enjoy cooking. I help participants to learn how to cook quickly and efficiently, which still producing delicious meals, in a fun and interactive way.
Gifts for Avid Cooks:
Cast iron skillet: I use mine almost daily. They are wonderful to cook in, easy to care for, and will last forever.
Knife sharpener: The key to quick, easy, and safe cooking is sharp knives. This knife sharpener is easy to use and does a great job.
Chef sleeve for iPad: Many cooks now use their iPad to refer to recipes as they cook. These sleeves will keep the iPad clean and safe from spills and splatters!
The Flavor Bible: A fantastic and fun addition to the cookbook library of any serious home cook! This book helps cooks to become truly creative in the kitchen. I love this book and refer to it all the time!
Kitchen and Pantry Evaluation with me!: Contact me and we can arrange for your loved one to have a kitchen and pantry evaluation with me. I will help them to think about ways to make their kitchen more efficient and fun to cook in. This can be done in person or over video chat, so location is not an issue.
What is the best cooking-related gift you ever received?
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