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Kitchen Gift Giving Can be Tricky
Working at the Sur La Table cooking store for years, I’ve learned how to help people choose the best kitchen gifts for themselves, friends, or family. There are many great kitchen essentials, and every cook has different interests and skill levels. Choosing the perfect cooking gift can be daunting. Whether buying a must-have cooking tool for a wedding, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthday, Christmas, or just spoiling yourself, a few considerations will help you narrow down the choices so you can show love to your favorite home cook.
How to Buy a Meaningful Gift for Every Skill Level
First
Consider a few questions about the kitchen tool.
Second
Look at the occasion for gift-giving inspiration.
Third
Think about the recipient's personality and lifestyle.
Kitchen Tool Considerations Before Buying
- What type of kitchen essentials are you thinking about buying? Here are the categories:- Appliances
– Bakeware
– Cookware
– Cutting Tools
– Gadgets
– Utensil
– Knowledge Items (cookbooks and classes) - How much do you want to spend?
If your budget is limited, look for gadgets, utensils, and basic baking items. You can purchase useful kitchen tools from these categories that won’t break the bank account. - Is this an investment gift?
Consider the quality of the product and its durability. Great investment pieces include cookware and knives. Even if your loved one has these items, an upgrade to an enameled cast iron cookware piece or a chef knife will be greatly appreciated and valuable for a lifetime. - Do you want something trending that’s fun and new?
There is always a new appliance on the market or an upgrade to a classic gadget.
What about learning new skills?
Cookbooks and cooking classes are great options. If you have a Sur La Table store in your area, check out their in-store cooking school. A professional chef will guide you through a fun-filled cooking experience. They also have multi-day cooking camps for kids and teens.
Improve Cooking Skills
If you want to improve your kitchen skills, Le Cordon Bleu has some tips. After all, Julia Child was a student at this famous Culinary Arts Institute. Four Top Tips:
- Get the proper tools for the job
- Get to know the ingredients
- Learn basic cooking techniques
- Practice, practice, practice
Can the Occasion Inspire Gift-Giving Ideas?
- Wedding – Review the couple’s bridal registry for gift ideas. It is helpful when they curate the list of everything they want and need.
- Mother’s Day – Cooking class for Mom and a friend.
- Father’s Day – Look for fun summer food like an ice cream maker, or maybe Dad needs a new hobby like homemade pizza making. Get a pizza oven or put a kit together of flour, yeast, sauce, and a pizza pan or stone.
- Birthday – Fun gadgets and a cookbook or heavy-duty sheet pans for roasting.
- Christmas – cold weather cooking tools like a waffle maker, bread baking kit, or Dutch oven for stews, soups, and One Pot Meals.
What to Consider About the Recipient
- Are you buying a kitchen gift for a novice or skilled cook? Consider a chef knife and a knife skill class for the aspiring cook. For the experienced cook, consider expanding their skills with a cooking class featuring a new cuisine.
- Does this person have a kitchen color scheme? Do they prefer traditional or modern kitchen tools and gadgets? Look for unique items that match their kitchen.
- What does this person already own? Do you want to get a missing item or provide an upgrade? Even the most adept cook loves a new twist on an old standby kitchen tool.
- What are their cooking style and interests? Do they entertain, cook for a family, or cook for one? Find a cookbook that matches their personality.
- What is the size of their kitchen and storage space? Some appliances combine many tasks and can eliminate unused devices to save space in the kitchen.
- What cuisines or vacation destinations does this person love? Think about the cuisine they enjoy eating or vacation destinations. Can you build a theme around the recent vacation spot’s ingredients and cooking methods?
Pick a Perfect Cooking Gift for Yourself
Don’t forget to reward yourself. Preparing a meal takes time and effort and is often a thankless job. It may be time to spoil yourself with some upgrades. Do you have hand-me-down pots and pans, scratched non-stick skillets, or warped and rusted baking items? New kitchen tools can inspire you to try new recipes or cuisines. It makes cooking a little more enjoyable, and who doesn’t need that? Kitchen tools are an investment, and the correct equipment makes meal preparation easier. A well-stocked kitchen includes must-haves like bakeware, cookware, cutting tools, gadgets, and small kitchen appliances. Turn that junk drawer into kitchen essentials that help get the job done! Get my FREE Kitchen Essentials Checklist below.
Free Kitchen Essentials Checklist
Sign-up to receive the Complete Kitchen Essential Checklist and discover the perfect cooking gift for yourself and your favorite cook. Get the list of cooking must-haves delivered right to your inbox.
Buy a Kitchen Gift the Entire Family Can Enjoy!
Planning a food-preparing event around family-friendly meals creates connections and lasting memories. Activities can include:
- Baking bread, cookies, waffles, or pancakes together
- Setting up a station to build homemade pizzas or tacos
- Designing several charcuterie boards with a contest for the most creative
My personal favorite is making homemade pasta. It takes many hands, so it’s a perfect group activity. It is so much fun, and the reward is delicious pasta. Preparing and sharing food generates memorable meals – one of life’s greatest gifts. Giving an appreciation kitchen gift to your favorite cook may result in being invited to a great meal.
Perfect Cooking Gift Ideas
Miyabi Evolution Chef Knife
This versatile chef’s knife is made with exceptional steel for a keen edge and an ergonomic handle to ensure comfort.
Ooni Wood Pellet Pizza Oven
The Ooni Fyra 12 takes the power of a traditional wood-fired oven and packs it into a portable, efficient mini cooker you can take anywhere.
Cuisinart Gelateria Ice Cream Maker
Create delicious ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, or sorbet in a fraction of the time with this gourmet ice cream maker.
KitchenAid Pasta Maker Attachment
Turn your KitchenAid stand mixer into a pasta maker. Easily rolls the dough, and cutting attachments make either fettuccine or spaghetti.
Staub Dutch Oven Enameled Cast Iron
5 Qt. Dutch Oven is a versatile kitchen essential. Enameled cast-iron construction distributes and retains heat evenly and requires no seasoning.
Sur La Table Platinum Pro Half Sheet Pan
Commercial-quality sheet pan offers superior heat transfer, corrosion and rust resistance, and excellent durability. Withstands heat to 450º.
My Favorite Kitchen Tools
Check out these gift suggestions and the recipes that use them!
Cookware Gift Idea - Dutch Oven
A Dutch oven is a kitchen must-have. Fantastic for soups, stews, tender roasts, and even crusty homemade bread. If you can afford an enameled cast iron Dutch oven, they last a lifetime and are the kitchen workhorse. Any of the below recipes do wonders in a Dutch oven.
Bakeware Gift Idea - Sheet Pans
Cooking one-pot meals on a sheet pan has been a trend for several years for a good reason – It’s a time and clean-up saver. Cooking at 400º or higher can cause havoc on a cheap sheet pan that can’t withstand heat. Time to invest in sheet pans that you can bake and roast. Try these recipes out on your new pans!
Cutting Tools Gift Idea- Chef Knife
There’s a reason the chefs take their knives with them to work and vacation. They cannot be without them. A chef’s knife is the ideal tool in the kitchen. They make chopping so much faster, and using freshly cut vegetables makes everything taste better too. These recipes all require the cook to chop-chop.
Gadgets & Utensils Gifts Ideas
Mandolin, box grater, whisk, apple/pear slicer, zester, batter scoop, garlic press, and citrus press. These gadgets and utensils are must-have kitchen tools. They make cooking from scratch much more effortless and encourage cooks to use healthier, natural food ingredients. Try these recipes to ditch pre-made convenience foods.
