Favorite Kitchen Gadgets Gift Guide

My favorite tried, tested, and loved kitchen gadgets and tools! Tons of great, affordable gift ideas for the foodie or cook in your life. 

Oxo Salad Dressing Container – I can’t even describe how much I love this thing. It has measurements on the side (perfect for reducing clean-up and throwing together batches of homemade vinaigrette), is airtight once closed, and does not spill, even when shaken…aggressively. We use ours every single day!

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set – I don’t know where I would be without my set of stainless steel mixing bowls! This is another kitchen gadget (do bowls count as gadgets?) that I use every single day in the kitchen without fail. These ones are light-weight, shallow, and stack together. I use mine for  setting up a quick bain marie on the stove, mixing together batters, whisking ingredients, serving salad, or using as a scrap bowl to keep my work-space clean.

Baking Stone – If you’re passionate about homemade pizza (we have this margherita pizza almost every week around here) or homemade bread, I highly, highly recommend investing in a baking stone – and while you’re at it, a pizza peel. I store my stone in the oven 99.99% of the time, so that it doesn’t take up valuable storage space. Just remember to remove it from the oven when you’re using the oven for other recipes.

Kuhn Rikon SoftEdge Fish Spatula – I don’t even know why fish spatulas are called fish spatulas, because they are useful for everything. I use mine as a cookie spatula, flipping roasted vegetables, pancakes, etc. Most fish spatulas tend to be 100% stainless steel, but this version comes with a high-heat resistant silicone edge, allowing you to use it on non-stick cookware as well!

Lemon Saver – Ok, this seems trivial and silly, but I love this little lemon saver. I’m a citrus freak and always have lemons and limes in my fridge. After years of wrapping lemon halves in plastic wrap, I was given one of these little guys and it works fantastically! Lemon doesn’t dry out and the container stands out in the fridge, so I can always find it in a pinch.

Kuhn Rikon Peeler – The best peeler ever. Period. They are workhorses in my kitchen! Plus, the price tag allows you to replace them every year or so without breaking the bank.

Kuhn Rikon Garlic Press – When you really need incredibly well minced garlic, this garlic press can’t be beat. It is incredibly solid and the crushing power is incredible. Plus, all of the pieces swing and hinge out, making it incredibly easy to clean.

ThermoWorks Thermapen – A splurge for sure, but if you love candy-making or are looking for an incredibly reliable, properly calibrated, and fast instant thermometer, the thermapen is the best one on the market. Just check out those reviews! Another great, much cheaper option, is this Thermoworks ChefAlarm (which we received off of our wedding registry), which is a life-saver during the holidays.

Benriner Japanese Mandoline – Mandolines scare me to death, but this brand makes the best ones. They are very affordable and take up minimal space, unlike most other mandolines! If it says anything, these are the only brand of mandolines that you can find in professional kitchens, so that says something, right?

Simple Human Sensor Soap Dispenser – Ok, this is totally a want and not a need, but I love it all the same! Great for when you chop meat or fish and don’t want to get germs all over your soap dispenser. Plus, it doesn’t make any soapy mess. The charge lasts forever and you can adjust the amount of soap that dispenses. I love all of Simple Human’s products! Oh, and it totally works with any old kitchen soap.

Kitchen Shears – One of my must-have kitchen tools are basic, good-quality kitchen shears! I use them to open stubborn food packaging, trim flowers, and even as poultry shears.

Pit Mitt – I got my dad a pair of these as a Father’s Day present years ago and he loves them! They protects your hands  and wrists from ridiculously hot temperatures (up to 475 degrees F) from the grill, but allow for so more dexterity than traditional oven mitts.

Caphalon Silicone Pot Holders – Personally, I’m not a fan of traditional kitchen pot holders, because I find them very cumbersome and dangerous. I love these silicone pot holders from Caphalon (I think I own at least four of them?)  because they are non-slip, lay flat and can easily fit in a kitchen drawer, and they are very easy to maneuver. In a pinch, I’ll even throw them onto my counter top as a make shift trivet.

Bench Scraper – Can you live without a bench scraper? Of course, you can, but I love them! They are great for scooping and transferring chopped vegetables to pots and pans for cooking. I also use them to scrape and clean my kitchen counter top after working with homemade pastries and dough.

Silpat Baking Mat – A fantastic gift for a friend or family member that loves to bake! Nothing beats these silicone baking mats. You’ll save a ton of money on parchment paper too!

Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Sieves – Another kitchen tool that I couldn’t live without! Fine mesh sieves! All of these sizes come in handy and I’m constantly using mine. I place the small one over my OXO salad dressing container to catch seeds when making lemon vinaigrette. It also comes in handy for sifting powered sugar over baked goods. The large and medium ones work well as strainers (as I described in this pasta recipe!), when sifting dry ingredients, or for straining liquids or custards.

Microplane Zester – Is there anything a microplane can’t do? This would make an excellent stocking gift! I use mine to zest (obviously), as well as grate hard cheese, ginger, whole spices (think cinnamon sticks and nutmeg), chocolate, or even shaving rough edges of tart shells (try it!).

In case you missed it, check out part one and part two of my favorite things holiday gift guide for more ideas. 

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