Gift Guide for Home Chefs (and those who want to be)
Do you struggle to build a Christmas list? Or do you have a relative to shop for that seems to have everything? I feel your pain, every Christmas season I suddenly cannot think of a single thing that I need. So this year I went ahead and did some research to find the best gifts for the home chefs in your life (or yourself).
Even if you don’t think of yourself as a home chef, these are great tools and gadgets to add to your kitchen arsenal. I have taken all of the hard work for you, and included direct links to amazon with each items listed, just click on the images below.
These are affiliate links and if you choose to buy a product through a link I provide, I receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
1. Food Thermometer
I know I have mentioned before in my Kitchen Essentials post that everyone needs a meat thermometer. But I totally believe it is true and sooooo important. This belief comes from my former job as a health inspector. I spent days testing the temperatures of food in restaurants to prevent food born illness.
As silly as it may sound, keeping food at the right temperature is HUGE for your health. Who really wants to be remembered as the girl who gave her friends food poisoning with her under baked chicken?
Don’t be that girl, and don’t let your gal pals be that girl. A food thermometer is a great home chef gift. This one is super similar to the one I had at the health department.
2.Avocado Slicer
You guys look how cool this tool is! Not only does it slice the skin of the avocado, but it also can be used to remove the pit and scoop out the flesh! My mom has one, and I’m seriously jealous. (Pretty sure she found a reason to make guac the last time I was over just to show off this nifty tool).
3. Salad Slicers
Again, another tool I discovered from a mom (my mother in law in particular) because mom’s of course have the coolest kitchen tools. I actually got these slicers/scissors as a gift and LOVE them. I just throw all of my leafy greens, cabbage, and whatever else into my salad spinner, chop with these scissors and boom, a beautiful salad.
Plus, it’s a great thing to have a special set of scissors to use for produce. Then you know that they aren’t being contaminated from debris left from other uses.
4. Snap and Strain
Exactly what it sounds like: a strainer that snaps onto the side of your pot for easy straining. I love that this lets you keep all of the pasta or whatever your straining right in the pot you cooked it in. No emptying your pot in the sink..setting the hot pot on the stovetop, and then rushing to get the strainer back to the stovetop and getting water everywhere. (Literally what I do every time I make pasta).
The fact that this is super useful, comes in fun colors, and is unique, makes it another great option for a home chef gift.
5.Bench Scrape
You guys, Rachel Ray has one of these and I need one. Basically, this is the tool that helps you get the veggies you just diced from the cutting board to the frying pan without spilling them all over the floor. Or having to scoop them up with your bare hands. Because although we are amazing cooks who can make anything work, most of us don’t have a fancy kitchen island with an amazing gas range built in.
6. Foodie Dice
I just think these are sort of fun. As someone who often is undecided on what to make for dinner (yes, even when I create a weekly meal plan). This would be a creative way to decide what to eat. They just might get you out of a boring food funk and experimenting with something new.
7. Counter Garbage Bin
Where has this been hiding my whole life?! (Or maybe just the 10ish years I’ve been cooking). I am notorious for creating a HUGE mess anytime I cook. Don’t believe me? Literally the first thing Sam said when he came home last night was,
“Winnie (our dog) what’d your mom do to the kitchen, it looks like something exploded in here.”
Not that an attachable waste basket will fix all my messy kitchen woes…but it would go a long way.
8.Rub Away Scent Removing “Soap”
I love cooking with fresh garlic and onions, but don’t love the way my hands smell after cutting them up. This is the perfect solution! This stainless steel “soap” never runs out and removes unwanted scents from your hands!
How cool is that?!
9. Canister Set
I love canister sets. There is something classy about keeping my dry goods in pretty containers…not to mention less of a mess in my pantry from leaking bags. Here in the Mid Mitten Kitchen I have a set of vintage canisters I found a few years ago from a thrift store. They are classic 1950’s teal plastic, and match nothing else in my kitchen. So I hide them in the cupboard above the stove and smile every time I open the door. 🙂
However, these beauties in the link above are something that I would proudly display on my counter.
I hope this gift guide helps you pick something out for the aspiring cook in your life. Or maybe you even found something for yourself! Either way I wish you all the best in your Christmas shopping!
~Chloe M.