Gifts for the cooks on your list!
Here’s my list of best bets for giving (and my whole kitchen shop can be found here):
The first thing you need to do is get YOURSELF a present! I encourage you to consider this thermos as a little indulgence for you. It has a special leak-proof seal, so you can press a button and it stays closed. It keeps liquid hot for 5 or 6 hours (!!!) and cold stays cold forever. I carry mine around in the winter filled with Magic Mineral Broth or tea. I fill it up with soup when I have an all-day workshop. You HAVE to have it. You have to take care of yourself first!
For soup makers, or wanna-be soup makers, either a 12-quart stock pot or this All-Clad Essential Pan would be thrilling! The All-Clad is the one I use in the Clean Soups Course, and Williams Sonoma is offering it for a very special price with fast free holiday shipping right now.
The Microplane Classic zester/grater is a great stocking stuffer! It’s like a magic wand, it’s SO useful, for grating citrus, ginger, garlic or nutmeg. It’s packaged really nicely, it’s one of the most useful tools in the kitchen, and it’s not very expensive.
If you’re looking to get someone’s kitchen started: the zester and the lemon squeezer together is just perfect. Easily get every drop of lemon juice without the seeds!
Or add the best peeler to make your kitchen starter kit even MORE perfect.
The ultimate gift, for the person who has everything? The Vitamix, the Ferrari of the high-speed blender set. For somebody who has been REALLY good this year! Essential for my blended, cashmere soups. With holiday savings of up to $90 off select machines.
For the Magic Mineral Broth maker on your list who already has a stock pot, I recommend the large scoop colander, so they don’t have to lift the pot and pour it over a strainer — they can simply scoop out the solids.
If there’s a young person in your life who is starting to cook and they need a knife, this ceramic knife can’t be beat. Ultra-lightweight, easy to wield, super sharp — an excellent quality knife for a great price.
A lovely gift for a good cook would be this ceramic salt box with a little fleur de sel to go in it.
Another affordable gift that is surprisingly useful is this Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus, which comes in a multitude of colors. This is my mother’s favorite gift to give, because it’s always a big hit! Perfect for pestos and all those dreamy dollops that can add the bling to any dish.
And lastly, a weighty, classic gift that will last decades, possibly generations! My mom still has hers from 1953: the Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Dutch Oven. A really special, substantial gift.
You cannot go wrong with any of these.