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Gift ideas for cook
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I'm at a loss on what get my brother and his wife for Christmas. I've asked them for ideas numerous times and have received zero. The only thing I can think of at this point is that they do a lot of cooking and they're both into healthy eating. So maybe some kind of appliance, cookware, or something in that nature? My budget is $100-200 and I'm open to ideas outside of cooking if it's interesting because I really don't know.
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This has a decent list, though I will say getting a nice high carbon steel knife from Japan is the way to go (8 or 10 inch chefs, no santokus)
http://shopping.nomnompaleo.com/2012/03/kitchen-tools.html
http://korin.com/Knives/Style-Gyutou_2
Search for OXO kitchen goods
buy them an an assortment of high quality, random toys.
Be careful with this. Most of that shit just clutters up the kitchen. I've got a drawer full of stuff that never sees the light of day. Shit like a garlic press, or all the various 'slicers' & 'choppers'. 90% of the time a knife is faster and does a better job.
For knives Globals G series is pretty fucking boss. http://www.amazon.com/Global-G-2338-Starter-Utility-Paring/dp/B000KKUYCY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386954256&sr=8-1&keywords=global+knives
Honestly say away from the big blocks of knives. You're just buying shit that won't get used. Like I have a santuko/smaller santoko(i think it has a separate name). I use them only when the other knives are in the dishwasher or buried under a stack of dishes.
Knives - you need a large chefs knife, a paring knife, a bread knife and a small chefs knife. Possibly a boning knife if you do a lot of boned meat dishes. Globals are also great knives, but some people do not like them due to their construction/weight balance.
There are things like Dutch dough whisks, molcajetes, silicon basting brushes, bench scrapers, French rolling pins, pressure cookers, stick blenders, and so on that aren't things that everyone would own but that can be useful depending on the sort of stuff you cook, but that again depends on them cooking things that would use these tools.
I know that you say they get veg from someone's garden but a membership in a local CSA may still be good. Local involvement and they could get some fruit and veg they might not have access to. Do they can at all or have they expressed interest in canning? A canning set or a reload of canning supplies could be nice.
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If you really want to get something to wrap, put 25% of that budget into something small, and then put the rest onto an awesome giftcard to somewhere you know they like to go. If they are both into healthy eating, I would consider something like a giftcard to a Farmshare in the area, or a nice restaurant you know they enjoy.
As is a cast iron skillet that has been seasoned, if they don't have one already.
Finally, vegan cookbooks offer vegetable ideas you don't get with other cookbooks, if they don't have one already.
Yeah, cause most cook books try and make the food actually taste good.
This is a pretty good idea, but I suggest a Santoku style knife. The style is sort of catching on as an all purpose and the form factor and edge angle have always fit my hand better.
No, just no. Santoku's suck for a lot of cutting tasks and still can't match a traditional chef's knife for versatility. Go watch Top Chef and tell me how many are using Santoku's.
http://anovaculinary.com/
http://sansaire.com/
Looks like the Sansaire isn't shipping retail units until probably January though.
Also, a set of silicone spatulas are a great present. No one ever has enough of them because they're surprisingly expensive, but they're so obscenely useful.
--LeVar Burton
They are. They're no good for spills, but being able to just drop one on top of a bowl is awesome.
--LeVar Burton
Ok lets start in.
Knives are personal preference, it doesn't matter what *Insert TV chef flavor of the month here* is using. Brand, style, tang, material all fall down to what a person likes, if I'm doing general veggie work I'll grab a Chinese Chef's Knife [Dexter-Russell (S5197)] which is made by a brand that most people who haven't worked a line haven't heard of, It isn't made of some miracle metal and its an inexpensive knife but it fits my hand and I can process a ton of work faster than using any other knife. Now someone else might say a ______ knife would work better but it falls on what works for you.
The correct knife for the job is the one that works and works for you.
The simple and easiest thing to do is to get them a gift certificate to Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma and they can choose what they want.
http://www.surlatable.com/
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/
Silicone items are again personal preference, I will not use a Silpat due to some health concerns I have with them (mostly unfounded but I avoid them anyhow) same goes for OXO items. I have a couple of things from OXO that I do like but it is entirely situational. Cookbooks are the same way, while I love picking them up for myself but if someone gives one to me it is very very likely that I'll be donating it to goodwill or somewhere.
With a budget of 100-150 just get them a gift card to a nice place and they can choose.
Cookie cutters are fun, or you could get them a nice Springerle mold. (Springerle cookies are awesome, and their molds are generally attractive enough to function as display pieces when not in use. A really nice one can run to 100 bucks.)
Also, if they don't have one already a pastry blender is one of the most useful things ever if you bake. Yes, you could use a fork, but this massively cuts down your blending time and is a lot easier on the hand.
You claim Wusthof are overpriced, then link a range of knives that are more expensive? Japanese knives aren't magical, they're just knives.
A Thermapen is a must-have, or an infrared if you want to be fancy.
And I'll re-pitch my idea from the high-brow gift thread; Spice House. Get something different like real cinnamon or match up what they tend to cook (Asian, Italian...).
This too. I like gift cards. My uncle gave me a generous gc to Amazon which let me get the knives mentioned above. Just don;t buy those silly Visa ones you have to pay for. They're a pain for buyer and receiver.
The other issue is that all those little helper tools suck. They just fill up drawers and are annoying to clean. The only time they help is when they obsessed with one activity where they would repeatedly use the item.
What I would suggest is maybe looking at upgrading their cookware. Maybe upgrade their French oven or give them a new size? I also liked the suggestion of upgrading their cookware to silicon.
Satans..... hints.....
The togiharu's and Suisin's are badass and like 80 bucks for an 8 inch chefs knife. Wusthofs of comparable grade are 150+.
Also yes, there are some stupid expensive knives on there, which I laugh at.
Again, Japanese knives aren't magical. Other brands also have 'budget' lines, for example: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001FATMI/
You seem to be under the impression we're comparing Rolls Royces and Kias, when in reality we're comparing Mercedes and BMW. You've got your S-class and my 7 series, and your C-class and my 3 series.
It also is this massive e-peen thing that you'll encounter on any "chef"/"gastro"/"food" forum where people will swear up and down that their _______ brand is better than anything you have. Oh but I have a Bukiewicz that works amazing for fine work..."A Bukiewicz? That's shit, its garbage, my $20 Ginsu knife set cuts better than those pieces of garbage"
I have seen people and called out people who have never seen, heard of, or handled something from Joe or from Kramer (a true knife from Bob Kramer not the Shun line) that will just tell you how horrid overpriced they are and just what junk they are. It all boils down to ego and people being such stubborn asses about how "X" brand is the best brand or "Y" knife style is the best style.
At the end of the day you could use a $1200 Kramer knife or a $20 Update International chefs knife to prepare a meal. The meal would taste the same either way and if you presented it to someone they wouldn't be able to tell the difference by taste. If you can afford the Kramer and you want it then go and get it, if you don't want to spend that much on a knife and don't desire it then do your research and make an educated purchase based on your preferences.
We can sit here and debate till we're blue in the face what brand or style is best and no one will be correct because as I've said it boils down to PERSONAL PREFERENCE. The only thing that actually is important in this or relevant advice would be to tell him/them to invest in a good sharpener (set of stones) and learn how to use it to keep his/their cutlery sharp and maintained.
I second the idea of a Thermapen.
Forged steel is going to be way superior to stamped for a general purpose chef's knife.
Anyways, if they enjoy cooking I'm going to agree that the gift certificate or a subscription to something fancy delivered (like fruit, veggies, spices, wine) would be safer then trying to guess what utensils they would like but do not have.
Seriously, don't do it. You are never going to get the one that the cook wants, unless they've told you, in which case you're probably springing some real cash--I think most cooks have a knife or two they covet that they won't buy for themselves, but it's personal which one you want.
I recommend something nice & decorative that they can keep or get rid of.
Salt cellars
A good salt cellar is nice; you can get ones for cooking (http://www.gourmetkitchenware.co.uk/70/2981/Wm-Bartleet-Sons-Small-Salt-Pig-Red/product_info.php typically open) and ones for the table (http://raredevice.net/products/salt-box I bought the mint green, love it)
Do they have a good mandoline? It's an excellent kitchen accessory, but not one every cook owns, and even if they own one it probably isn't a beautiful one:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/de-buyer-mandoline/?pkey=cmandolines-slicers (Yes I want this)
A nice apron is a good "side gift".
Something for the table--napkins, table settings.
Ingredients are a good side gift--maldon salt to go with their salt cellars, good black pepper.
Just be creative--don't get them boxed gift sets of weird things (ice cream dishes, who has room or need?). If they like tea (sounds like they do) why not a set of nice "blooming teas" (those little balls that turn into flowers) and a really pretty glass tea pot to steep them in?
Every cook can use a nice cutting board, and we rarely are willing to waste the money on a nice one. Buy them a beautiful wood cutting board.
I'll second this advice.
I hate buying nice salt and pepper. I don't know why, but I do. I'd love for someone to give me a big old thing of mixed peppercorns so I don't have to plunk down $15 or whatever on it.
I have an Anova and I can tell you it's a great buy. I use it practically everyday. Makes post workout meals easy. Throw in a couple chicken breasts and have perfectly cooked chicken everytime.
This past Thanksgiving, I decided to make some fresh ham. Bought a brining bucket, filled it up until the water level met the min water level of the immersion circulator, preheated the water to 140F, and threw in a pork shoulder I stuffed into a 2 gallon freezer bag. Cooked for a day. Nice tender pork all the way through. No need to use a thermometer. Gonna try porchetta this Christmas.
Also great for using as a bulk yogurt maker. Pour milk into a gallon jar, heat up the water to 185F and hold the milk in for about half an hour. Cool. Throw in some probiotic powder and hold at preheated 115F for half a day. Throw yogurt in fridge. Then eat, or strain to get greek yogurt.
As others have said: nothing is better for a casual chef than a truly quality prep-knife. With your price range it would be the most used, and most appreciated, gift he likely will ever get.
Gadget-wise, these spatulas are more expensive than normal ones, but should also last forever, and are actively nicer to use than the cheapy ones we had before.
Also, The Snug works very well, and is a kitchen gadget that, unlike most, I actually use every time I cook.
Be warned right now Le Creuset dutch ovens do not have any advanced texture on the inside of the lid, you may want to look at other brands that have pyramiding or some form of texturing.
I do like Le Creuset items of other stuff, but you need to be aware of that and look into other brands when it comes to those.