Recommended Gifts for the Home Chef in Your Life
There are restaurant connoisseurs but then there are also home chefs. That’s typically where the passion for food starts and finishes – in the home. 36% of Americans cook every single night. While there are those who only choose to cook during big occasions, there are those who make gourmet meals for their families every day — because why not?
If there’s a serious home chef in your life, the gifts you buy for them this holiday season should reflect their passion and inspire them to continue refining their skills. Not only do you get to pamper that special person in your life, but you also get to reap the benefits of their home cooking.
But what do you buy the home cook? Here are our top choices for gifts for the home chef. This list includes the latest cooking technology plus tried and tested tools that all chefs need.
1. Immersion Blender
If you really want to wow your home chef, consider an immersion blender. Serious chefs love to easily puree and blend food without needing to use a traditional blender. The best way to do that is with an immersion blender. Also called a hand blender, these tools use a handheld blade grinder to blend, whip, chop, and more. At Fondi’s we make the dressing for our Bella Chopped Salad with an immersion blender – so, if you’d like to recreate this crowd favorite, we suggest getting yourself one.
There are many immersion blenders out there, but we recommend KitchenAid’s 2-Speed Hand Blender. Not only does this tool puree and blend ingredients with ease, but the ergonomic handle is also very comfortable and easy to use. For $44.99, you also get a three-cup blending jar.
2. Pizza Cooking Stone
While we believe that you should treat yourself to gourmet pizza at your favorite restaurant (wink wink), we understand home chefs get a kick out of making homemade pizza. Like our Margherita Pizza which you can make at home with our recipe.
That’s why the experts here are recommending you buy your home chef a pizza cooking stone. Stones absorb and retain heat, providing a perfectly hot surface to bake the pizza. Plus, you truly get restaurant-quality pizza without investing in a brick oven.
Williams Sonoma makes a great cooking stone for pizza. It’s specifically made to replicate a restaurant’s brick oven. The natural stone retains and disperses heat evenly, so your pizza is perfect every time. If you want to eat crispy dough and bubbling cheese on your pizza, you can do so from home easily with this cooking stone.
3. Food Processor
A food processor is necessary for any kitchen. You can easily chop everything, from herbs to cashews.
Fortunately, your food processor doesn’t have to be large. Look at the Cuisinart Mini-Prep as a perfect example. Whether you’re grinding cheese or chopping herbs, this food processor does it all. The Auto Reversing Smart Blade works for both hard and soft foods. For $39.95, you also get the 24-ounce bowl. It has dishwasher-safe removable parts or you can hand wash it easily.
4. Dutch Oven
Dutch Ovens are a timeless cooking pot. This heavy-duty pot is perfect for cooking veggies, browning meat, and more. Whether you’re braising meat or simmering a sauce on the stovetop, a Dutch oven can do it all.
If your gift receiver is still using their years-old cast iron Dutch oven, treat them to a brand new Dutch oven this year. And if they prefer to stick to the cast iron material, you can get them the Double Dutch Oven by Lodge Cast Iron. This Dutch oven really does it all. You can use it on the skillet, it’s oven-safe, and also includes a lid. It’s naturally seasoned, ready-to-use, and crafted in the USA.
5. Pressure Cooker
There are many benefits to cooking your meals in steam. Your meals retain more flavor, you don’t worry about burning your meals, and fewer vitamins and minerals are lost during the steaming process. And the best way to cook with steam is by using a pressure cooker.
The Instant Pot line is our choice the one we recommend. This nifty device is both a pressure cooker and a slow cooker. You can choose how to best cook your meals. On top of that, this particular one is also a rice cooker. At $59.95, that’s a pretty good deal. The locking lid also makes this pressure cooker safer. Keep in mind, it’s handwash-only.
6. Mandolin Slicer
No, we’re not talking about the musical instrument. A mandolin slicer is a device that has a flat surface and a sharp blade. You can slice fruits and vegetables extremely quickly, making this extremely handy for prepping meals, slicing fruits, and more.
However, mandolin slicers do have a drawback — they can be dangerous. This is why we recommend the Mandolin Slicer by Dash. The design of this is unique because your hands don’t go anywhere near the blade. Your loved one can slice, dice, julienne, and they have 30 more slicing options. At $49.99, this mandolin slicer also includes a cookbook!
7. Spatula Set
Is it possible to have too many spatulas? We certainly don’t think so, especially if you’re starting to make more elaborate meals that require more utensils. Spatulas are a kitchen staple, and these tried-and-true cooking tools will probably be one of the most used devices. Whether they’re flipping burgers on the grill or cooking their famous scrambled eggs, a handy-dandy spatula is something all chefs need.
If new spatulas sound like the win, splurge on a brand new spatula set. Zulay Kitchen offers a spatula set featuring four different spatulas in a range of colors.
They’re made of heat-resistant silicone with a durable stainless steel core. They’re flexible and non-stick, so your loved ones may ditch their old spatulas for these. They’re BPA-free and are perfect for both cooking and baking.
8. Avocado Slicer
Face it, avocados can be difficult to cut. Don’t worry, they make avocado slicers for a reason. The OXO Good Grip 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer is one we’re obsessing over. This baby can pit, half, and slice ripe avocados — all without bruising. Everything is mess-free and is a safer way to enjoy avocados.
9. Juicer
Fancy enjoying a fresh glass of juice? You can eve start making your own fresh press juiced at home – just like your favorite juice bar. For this instance, Ninja is our choice. Ninja is a trusted name that makes high-quality kitchen equipment, specifically blenders and juicers.
We personally recommend their Cold Press Juicer. The cold press technology produces more juice without the foam and pulp. It’s compact, easy to clean, and quiet. There are also three interchangeable pulp filters, from more pulp to no pulp. This juicer is completely dishwasher safe.
These Gifts for the Home Chef Are Perfect for the Holidays
If you buy any of these gifts for the home chef, your loved one will be excited to start cooking for the whole family! But let’s face it, even a professional home chef needs to take a break occasionally. If you’re based in Gig Harbor and the surrounding areas, we offer gourmet pizza delivery.
Take a look at some of our pizza specials.
