The Daily Meal's 2012 Gift Guide For The Home Cook
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Chef Sleeve ($19.99)
For the person in your life who always has their iPhone or iPad in the kitchen with them, Chef Sleeves are the perfect stocking stuffer. These disposable and re-sealable sleeves make it easy for someone whose hands are dirty to navigate their touch screens. Touch-sensitive, ultra-clear, and 100 percent recyclable, Chef Sleeves make the kitchen a safe place for electronics to hang out.
Le Creuset Grill Pan ($130.00)
A Le Creuset piece is a classic gift to give anyone for a special occasion, but we say switch it up this year and give an unconventional item like this square skillet grill. Ideal for smaller workspaces, this indoor grill provides the look and taste of grilling outdoors with a black enamel grooved surface that ensures even and steady heat while cooking.
Ninja Cooking System ($199.80)
Move over slow cookers, because the Ninja has come to town. This one-pot wonder is a stovetop, oven, steamer, and slow cooker all in one. Along with its many basic functions, the Ninja Cooking System allows you to steam-roast and steam-bake your meals, creating moister, healthier dishes. Its sleek design and revolutionary cooking technology makes it the perfect gift for that person in your life that has to be on the brink of culinary trends.
Recipe Box ($46.00)
We all have that friend or family member who pulls out a messy cookbook every time they're cooking for us — so buy your food-obsessed friend this recipe box filled with letterpress recipe cards so they can easily organize their work. Made by 1Canoe2, the unfinished oak wood box comes with a set of 42 cards that are hand-designed and letter pressed on recycled French paper cardstock. Packaged in six different colors, the cards come with dividers that help you organize your recipe by bread, appetizer, entrées, and other dishes.
Wüsthof Electric Knife Sharpener ($189.99)
Anyone who knows anything about cooking knows a chef's work is only as good as his or her knife, and this electric sharpener featuring Wüsthof's Precision Edge technology is the perfect holiday gift for the knife-obsessed. No matter what type of knife you need to sharpen, Wüsthof's powerful tool will yield a smooth and refined blade that could never be accomplished by hand.
GneissSpice Magnetic Spice Kit ($30.80)
For that someone who is just starting to branch out with their cooking, give them a starting point with this magnetic spice kit that contains seven basic spices and organic herbs. Created by GneissSpice, the kit comes in small, re-sealable jars that can be stored on any magnetic surface — doing away with the problem of burying hard-to-find jars in the spice cabinet.
TriScale Folding Digital Scale ($30.00)
Have someone in your life who feeds your sweet tooth? Give them the ultimate baking "geek" gadget, a scale. This TriScale Folding Digital scale not only serves its purpose but does so in an easy and compact way. Its three legs are easily folded together so the scale turns into a small, condensed unit that can easily be stored in a kitchen drawer. Its digital screen and Add & Weigh function makes it a convenient gadget to have on hand for whatever baking your loved one is getting into.
All-Purpose Kitchen Towels ($19.95)
Help your loved one go green this holiday and buy them a set of these Williams Sonoma cotton terry-cloth towels. Packaged in a set of four, these towels make the perfect companion for the cook — messy or not — and provide an easy cleanup and drying solution.
Bambu Cutting Boards ($26.54)
A cutting board sees a lot of wear and tear in the kitchen, but it's also the last thing a cook would probably think to replace. Help your loved one revamp their equipment this year and give them Bambu cutting board made of 100 percent all-natural bamboo. Made from all sustainable materials, these boards are sleek and functional, providing a large and durable work space that's nice to look at as well.
'Modernist Cuisine Team at Home' Cookbook ($105.00)
A cookbook is a no-fail gift to make the cook in your life happy, but this year give them something that'll help them improve their craft. From Nathan Myhrvold and The Modern Cuisine Team, Modernist Cuisine at Home breaks down basic and advanced cooking techniques for the home cook (it also made our list for the best 25 cookbooks of the year). Containing recipes, tutorials, and beautiful photographs, this is a unique cookbook to give to that special someone.