Tools & Equipment Gift Ideas

The holidays are here, which means the stores are flooded with a dizzying array of cooking tools, appliances and gadgets meant to tempt home cooks. What’s the discerning shopper to do? We decided to talk to some of our favorite professional chefs — the people who spend serious time with their kitchen tools — to find out what can’t-live-without-it cooking gadgets are on their holiday wish lists this year.

We asked a few of our favorite Food Network stars (including Guy Fieri, Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, and more) what they have on their wish lists this year.

This season, give the gift of a trip to Flavortown.

Ree Drummond already has her own Instant Pot and her own Barbie doll, so we may as well make a gift guide dedicated to her.

Have you ever watched an episode of The Pioneer Woman and found yourself dramatically doing a double take when Ree whips out her KitchenAid stand mixer? Her trusty appliance has a particular aura about it — a vibe that’s just so utterly “Ree.” That’s because it’s custom-painted by KitchenAid artiste, Nicole Dinardo, and swathed in a signature array of brightly colored florals.

We asked more than a dozen moms about what they REALLY want for Mother's Day.

It’s Birthday Week, and we’re rounding up some of our favorite gifts for food-lovers and cooks. Our earlier roundups were on the economical end, but now is the time to look at that handful of covetable, forever-useful kitchen tools that cost a little more (and rightly so), but will last a lifetime. There are the usual suspects — Dutch oven, stand mixer — plus a few other special splurges for a loved cook or for yourself!

Shopping for new cooks is a real pleasure. There’s so much excitement and optimism to work with! You could probably rattle off a list of must-haves in the kitchen (our Essentials postsTOP ROW• 1 Starter Salt Set, $38 from The Meadow: the best way to explore finishing salts, and something a new cook could get exited about! • 2 End Grain Butcher Block, $175 from End Grain Butcher Blocks: Ok, this is the butcher block to end all butcher blocks, and a bit of a splurge.

‘Tis the season of office parties and holiday soirées, where giving a little something to your coworker or your hostess-with-the-mostess friend is a nice way to say, hey, thanks for being great. From a set of glam gold-dipped spoons to smoked sea salt and fancy soap, here are 10 of our favorite finds for when you’re looking for that small but special gift. 1 Maldon Smoked Sea Salt Flakes, $6.

While we publicly disdain unitaskers and frivolous gadgets in the kitchen, we each have a secret love for the tools that make our cooking lives a little easier. There are plenty of gadgets and little tools that are very useful in the kitchen; it just comes down to how you cook. If you love it and use it, it’s good for your kitchen! What is that gadget for you? Your garlic press? A strawberry huller?

Thanksgiving is over and the holiday season has officially begun, pulling in its wake parties and gatherings galore. These present many opportunities to say thank you to an array of good people: your boss, your doctor, your child’s caretaker or teacher, a neighbor. Here are a few gifts we love that don’t cost too much and are easy to pack when traveling, and that all still say thank you in a thoughtful way.

You probably don’t realize just how often you reach for these handy gadgets when you’re cooking. And that’s exactly what makes them great gifts! From an oil mister to a spice grinder to the best mandoline on the market these 11 actually great gadgets are about to make someone’s life ten times easier. Wonderbag, $55 from Amazon: A product with a great story. Plus, it’s a slow cooker! (See our full review here.

You can’t go wrong when you give books for the holidays. And when there are so many great cookbooks to choose from, your shopping list just got a whole lot easier. Here are our favorite cookbooks that might have escaped your notice this year. Plus, we think it should be customary that if you give a cookbook, the thank you comes in the form of a baked good or meal. Bitter, $30 from Amazon: Tobacco panna cotta? Gorgeous moody photos?

For the last two weeks we’ve been sharing The Kitchn’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer a guide for the littlest cooks in our midst. If you’ve got a budding chef on your hands or a curious toddler following you around the kitchen, we’ve got 12 food gift ideas to excite, educate, and encourage them!

Home bakers know: The right tools make all the difference in the world. That’s what we had in mind when we put together this gift guide for the geeky (read: lovably enthusiastic!) home baker. From a bread-proofing bowl to a patterned rolling pin, these 10 gifts will make baking better, easier, prettier, and more delicious! Cake Tester, $5 from Minam: A full bunch of cake testers to keep right by the oven.

It’s always a lovely gesture to give a donation to charity for a holiday gift. But it does kind of take the fun out of having presents under the tree and something to unwrap on Christmas morning. Luckily, there are plenty of gifts that both give to your favorite charitable causes and have something tangible to give. Here are 10 of our favorites that we wouldn’t mind seeing under the tree. (Hint, hint!

Every year for the last four years we’ve rounded up our favorite food-related cards for Valentine’s Day. I’ve asked you to lettuce grow old together because you make miso happy, and by god, just go on and take another little pizza my heart already! Today we’re back with more food pun-and-pairing cards that’ll make your food-lover lover’s heart beet wildly this Valentine’s Day. (You’re welcome.) Kinda a Big Dill, $4.

Everyone likes receiving a thoughtful piece of actual mail that is not a bill or catalogue. Another thing everyone likes? Food. Given these two universal truths, we have trawled the web in search of multi-purpose note cards that will delight your friends, charm your colleagues, and make your family very, very hungry. We Go Together Box Set, $31 for six at Black Lamb BK: You are the bacon to his eggs. She is the macaroni to your cheese. Use these to express your undying devotion.

An exceptionally well-wrapped gift is a double present. You are giving the gift of whatever your gift is, but you are also giving the gift of joy. All presents are fun, but a beautifully packaged present is even more fun. Isn’t it nice, in a warm, sappy way, to let someone know that you care enough not only to give them something, but also to wrap it with little jingle bells on top? That is thoughtfulness; that is love.

Pick up some of these top titles for anyone on your list — including yourself!

Chocolate is an appropriate gift for (almost) all occasions. It is easy; it is universally appropriate, unless you are looking for a present for a dog; it is ideal for hostess gifts, cheer-up gifts, thinking-of-you gifts, Valentine’s Day gifts (tread carefully), no-reason gifts, and I-forgot-to-buy-a-present gifts; and it is festive, yet impersonal. Chocolate may be the one gift you can give to your lover, your mother, your 9-year-old nephew, and your boss.

As much as you want to, some years you might not be in a position to spend a million (or even a hundred) bucks on your mom for Mother's Day.

Any of these gifts are practical and long-lasting, which means grads will get tons of use out of them as they make their way through the school of life.

We know: If you could, you'd spend your entire paycheck on your mom.

Before my son was born, I was really into elephants — elephant banks, elephant picture frames, elephant toys, a super-expensive monogrammed elephant blanket, elephant decals, elephant curtains. Our nursery theme was elephants and I was running with it. But the best gift I got at my baby shower had less to do with elephants and more to do with kangaroos. It was my baby carrier. The baby carrier was — and is — the greatest invention to enter my life since two-ply toilet paper.

It’s never too early to start your holiday shopping. That’s right — it’s September and we’re talking about the holidays. If you do your holiday shopping periodically throughout the fall, you won’t have to run around in a panic on December 24. You’ll also be able to take advantage of a ton of great deals, like this pineapple-shaped cocktail shaker, which is now on sale, for example.

Every Thanksgiving with my family is like a reunion. We gather from places all over the East Coast to chow down on a plate of collard greens, turnips, and of course, turkey (don’t forget the gravy). Traditionally, my Godfather and his brother have always cooked and served Thanksgiving dinner to the family.

I am the type of person the holidays sneak up on. If not for Amazon Prime and its free two-day shipping, I do not think I would have been on time with a present in 10 years. Fortunately Amazon does exist, and it’s full of weird, whimsical toys and useful gadgets that are perfect for last-minute stocking stuffers. Here are 10 great stocking stuffers to order on Amazon right now.

Where else can you go to buy a sofa, Scandinavian salty licorice, a bunch of plush toys, and enough spare towels to take care of all your holiday guests? IKEA is actually the perfect place to shop for stocking stuffers. A Billy bookcase might not fit in a stocking, but some of the smaller items will. These things make fabulous stocking stuffers — and they’re all wildly inexpensive!

These cookbooks, in our expert opinions, are the best ones to give this holiday season.

Fun fact: Etsy is a serious shopping destination for all sorts of kitchenwares. You just need to know where to look.

With the new year fast approaching, we can't help but think about all the advancements and changes that are happening in American kitchens.

These are all bound to put a smile on any grown-up's face.

These practical finds are all under $50.

From punny plant merch to cute handmade pots, you're bound to find something fun and different in this lineup of budget buys.

They're not just organized — they're neat, too!

You probably have at least one friend who's obsessed with the great outdoors — someone who is always camping, hiking, or just plain outside for some reason or another.

A serious warehouse shopper will be able to put these presents to good use.

Calling all you readers who are always cold: Have I got the perfect holiday present for you to buy for yourselves! See, I’m one of those people who complains the second the temps dip below 70 degrees, so you can be sure that I’m unpleasantly chilled from September through April.

Cross off everyone on your list in one fell swoop.

Most of us make a habit of throwing out pre-paid debit and credit cards once we’ve spent them, but believe it or not, they might actually be worth hanging on to. Turns out that even when they’re empty, Visa gift cards and the like, can still be useful; for reasons you probably never thought of. So before you cut and toss all the depleted pre-paid debit and credit cards you’re gifted this season, read ahead for a few reasons why you should consider saving them instead.

Whether your group is wacky, competitive, or overly serious, we've got some suggestions.

There are people who love their Instant Pot, and then there are people who still don't have one. Those are basically the only two camps.

The gifts on this list are in no way necessary to own, but they sure are nice to have.

Check out this list of awesome presents to make your loved one's kitchen (and brain) even smarter than ever.

The Consumer Electronics Show, the world’s largest consumer electronics show, is well-known for its innovations in areas like smartphones, home automation, televisions, and cars. But CES is also a giant playground for home cooks. Here are the three things home cooks would love at CES. Three of the machines brewing up buzz at CES are meant to make drinking at home easier and more fun. First up, there’s the D-vine machine (not yet on sale in the United States).

Have a newbie cook you’re eager to support in the kitchen? If they’re already set with the basics — a few pans, a good chef’s knife, measuring cups and spoons — you’re left with the fun part: picking out a classic cooking tool to give them that’ll go far and live long in their kitchen. Here are 10 ways you can show them you believe their best cooking days are yet to come. Le Creuset Heritage Baker, $49.

‘Twas the night of the white elephant party, and all through the kitchen the tools were stirring. (Especially the wooden spoon.) Word on the countertop was that one of the RUTs — the Regrettable Unitaskers, for those who aren’t familiar with interior kitchen cabinet slang — was on deck to be that year’s giveaway, and tensions were high. “It’s going to be me! I know it’s going to be me,” sobbed Avocado Saver to Salad Spinner.