Nothing quite says "home sweet home" like a homemade meal, especially if a loved one makes it. If you have a passionate home cook on your shopping list, you're looking for the perfect kitchen gadget gift. We've made finding that gift easy-peasy with this list of top kitchen tools. Whether the home cook in your life is an enthusiastic beginner or a practiced veteran, you'll find just what she needs this Christmas.
Kitchen Gifts for Her:
1. Slow Cookers & Pressure Cookers
A home-cooked meal is always a plus, but a busy lifestyle doesn't always accommodate the home cook's schedule. The beauty of slow cookers is the walk-away-ability. You simply place all your ingredients in the cooker, set the time, and walk away — potentially all day — until your meal is done. Conversely, a pressure cooker drastically speeds up the cooking process for faster weeknight meals. Some brands now offer multi-cookers, which function as a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, and a rice cooker. Look for brands like Crock-Pot, Hamilton Beach, and Cuisinart, and visit our How to Select a Slow Cooker page for more tips.
2. KitchenAid Mixers
From whipped cream and meringue to scones and pizza dough, a stand mixer is a virtually endless multi-purpose tool in the kitchen, and no brand knows that better than KitchenAid. The beauty of KitchenAid is that a myriad of attachments are available to make a mixer a gift that keeps on giving. If your home cook already has a stand mixer, consider attachments like a spiralizer, a pasta maker, a meat grinder, an ice cream maker, and much more, or consider a handheld mixer for smaller and faster cooking jobs. Learn more from our Kitchen Mixer Buying Guide.
3. Blenders & Immersion Blenders
Smoothies and protein shakes are the name of the game in dietary trends, but when it comes to blenders, remember the power of a milkshake. Whatever the home cook on your list is blending up, she will appreciate a quality blender that can tackle the toughest jobs. If a blender has enough power, you can blend nuts for homemade nut butters, grains to make flour, ice for blended margaritas, and even eggshells for gardening needs. Look to tried-and-true brands like Vita-Mix and Blendtec for the most powerful blenders, or check out KitchenAid and Ninja blenders for mid-power models. Visit our Blender Buying Guide for more information. If your giftee has her countertop blender needs covered, consider an immersion blender for smaller jobs, like blending soups right on the stove and making mayonnaise.
4. Food Processors
If the home cook on your list is looking to step up her kitchen game, the real workhorse of kitchen tools is the food processor. It slices, dices, purees, grates, and shreds at lightning speeds and with minimal effort. From mixing up a delicate pie crust for a holiday treat to shredding entire blocks of cheese in seconds for a backyard taco fiesta, a food processor is a welcome addition to any kitchen. If the home cook on your list already has a food processor, consider expanding the machine's use with more attachments and accessories. Hamilton Beach, KitchenAid, and Cuisinart are brands to look for as you do your Christmas shopping. Read our Food Processor Buying Guide for more information.
5. Juicers
A juicer can do more than give you the most amazing glass of OJ you've ever had for breakfast. It's a friend to all those who love to get their five servings of fruit and vegetables every day, it's a pal to those stuck in the kitchen squeezing limes for margaritas during a party, and it's a helper to those looking to boost their workout protein shakes naturally. Brands like Breville, Black & Decker, and Cuisinart have both citrus juicers and juice extractors for the home cooks on your shopping list. Learn more about juicer types from our How to Choose a Juicer guide.
6. Baking Pans & Dishes
Baking pans and baking dishes are multi-use kitchen basics. Your home cook can bake cakes and rolls, roast veggies and chickens, and make Jell-O salads and casseroles galore with a gift of baking pans. If the baker on your list has plenty of aluminum baking pans, she will appreciate an upgrade to glass baking dishes. If cookies are her specialty, consider adding a few more cookie sheets to her collection. Look for brands like Pyrex and Rachel Ray for all your kitchen bakeware gifting needs.
7. Knife Sets
A chef is only as good as their knives, so they say, and your home cook will flip for a new kitchen knife set. A sharp knife reduces resistance when chopping, slicing, and dicing, which makes food prep easier and faster. Look for knife sets that include a variety of blade types. A chef's knife is a must, as is a paring knife. Most sets also come with a good set of steak knives and the ever-useful kitchen shears. Any well-known kitchen brand — like Cuisinart or KitchenAid — will have good mid-range knives. But to really brighten her Christmas morning, consider tried-and-true knife brands like Wusthof, J.A. Henckels, and Shun. Check out our Cutlery Buying Guide for more knife tips.
8. Saucepans & Skillets
Home cooks appreciate pots and pans that cook evenly and consistently. Give the gift of that glorious feeling with a new saucepan or skillet. From copper pots to stainless steel pans, our Cookware Buying Guide will help you decide what cookware material and style will work best for the home cook on your list. Look for brands like Rachel Ray, Cooks, and Viking to find the perfect saucepan, skillet, or cookware set.
9. Colanders
From washing fresh fruits and vegetables to straining pasta, a colander is a simple yet important kitchen staple. Other than its practicality, the great thing about gifting a colander is the number of options available. You can find colanders in an array of sizes, colors, and materials to match your giftee's kitchen and personality. Some colanders even have the draining holes arranged in different shapes to add themes to the design. Any kitchen brand will have several colanders available.
10. Griddles
From pancake breakfasts to neighborhood cookouts, a griddle is a welcome addition to a home cook's tool collection. There are three major styles of griddles to choose from: stovetop griddles, electric griddles, and outdoor griddles. A stovetop griddle is perfect for cooking up a big breakfast on weekend mornings; an electric griddle handily frees up your stovetop when cooking a big meal; and an outdoor griddle is just the ticket for big cookouts at backyard parties. There are griddles available for any holiday shopping budget. Look for brands like Blackstone, Oster, and Lodge to find the gift your home cook craves.
Holiday Gift Specialist