Holiday Gift Guide, Most Useful Gifts for the Kitchen

Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year sending many people out to the store in the wee hours of the morning. Shopping online is my preferred way to find gifts. Sitting at my desk, with my coffee and muffin, far away from the bustling crowds and from feeling overwhelmed. The items in this Holiday Gift Guide, Most Useful Gifts for the Kitchen, are products I personally use and find helpful, and think others will too.

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Espresso Coffee Maker

I have loved espresso coffee ever since I had my first cup. I wrote an article, Espresso with Frothed Milk with detailed instructions for making it at home and compared two espresso makers. This easy to use espresso maker is my favorite and I am currently enjoying a cup as I write. I like it so much, I gave one to my sister as a just-because-I-love-her gift. I make it on my electric stove top and in less than ten minutes I have a fabulous beverage.

Starbucks Espresso Roast Dark Roast Ground Coffee

I have tried different brands of coffee for my espresso maker and though each is good they all have a slightly different taste. One brand had a slight caramel taste and another different still. Starbucks Espresso is my favorite and I order several packages at a time and store the extra in the freezer.

Microplane Stainless Steel Zester

A microplane stainless Steel Zester is an inexpensive item but one that I use often like when I zest lemons or oranges, grate cheese or add nutmeg to a recipe using a whole nutmeg. It does a great job and indispensable in the kitchen.

Silicone Baking Mat

Silicone baking mats are another one of those items that makes life easier when cooking or baking. Nothing sticks to them and there is no need to grease the pan or worry about your food being ruined. I like to roll out pie crusts and work yeast dough on them as well. A great product in my opinion.

Electric Kettle

I have long replaced my stove-top tea kettle with an electric tea pot. No more worrying about the kettle running dry because this kettle turns off when the water is boiled. It looks nice and I like using it.

Digital Multi-functional Food Scale

I bought my first kitchen scale years ago to weigh packages for mailing and never would had guessed I would use it so frequently. I do occasionally weigh a letter or package but I use it most for weighing food portions so I get an exact weight for calorie control, eliminating guess work. I use my digital multi-functional food scale when cooking and baking too. When a recipe calls for two-pounds of apples, I get out my scale, place a plate on top, press tare and weigh the apples. That easy and that exact.

KitchenAid Hand Mixer

When I first ordered and began using this KitchenAid Hand Mixer, I wasn’t sure I liked it. I had only used my counter top KitchenAid mixer and this handheld mixer didn’t seem to have the power. But it really does do the job well and now I use it all the time, rarely getting out the large mixer. I LOVE this aqua color but it is also available in many gorgeous colors. It is convenient, easy to store and a nice mixer for all mixing tasks.

Decorative Dome Cake Stand

Through the years I have bought and been gifted lovely cake plates. My favorite are pedestal stands and one with a cover keeping baked items fresh without the need for plastic wrap. This Anchor Hocking Decorative Cake Stand and Dome is large, heavy and best of all is that it is see-through. When you have gone through the process of creating a lovely dessert, it looks so inviting and decorative displayed in a pretty cake stand.

Pizzelle Maker

There are many, many wonderful cookies that folks enjoy, but Pizzelles are truly special. They became our family Christmas tradition when I hosted a cookie exchange the first year all of our neighbors moved in to our new houses. A lady shared her recipe and we happen to think it is the best. Of course, I make them for the holidays but they are great anytime, especially with coffee (see above 😉

A pizzelle maker is a great gift for just-married couples or someone who thinks the store-bought ones just aren’t as delicious as homemade. Find my recipe by clicking Pizzelles, a Favorite Italian Cookie.

Porcelain Embossed Rectangular Platter/Serving Plates

Multi-purpose serving plates are essential and I prefer clean lines and plain white so the food is the star. These plates have style in design and perfect for breads, appetizers, crudites, salads, entrees or snacks. This set of three, rectangular serving plates will compliment formal or casual table-settings.

There are affiliate links in this post. That means if you buy something from that link, I will earn a small commission, but it won’t cost you anything additional.

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