12 Must-Have Gifts For The Home Cook

by Texas Homesteader ~

Do you know someone who loves to cook? Or maybe someone like me, who tolerates cooking and just needs tools to get it all done more quickly or easily?

There are tons of great gift ideas out there to make cooking more enjoyable. (and for me, most importantly – made EASIER! LOL) Here’s a list of my favorite, least expensive yet most-used items in my Homestead kitchen:

(Note: Some links in this post will take you to other related articles for further information. But links preceded with * are affiliate links. If you click and buy something I could receive a tiny commission.)

*Stainless Steel Tongs

I use these *Tongs often. The flared ends are convenient for grabbing food and I especially love that they have a small tab on the end that closes them when not in use.

I use them most often when turning food like fried chicken or crispy Southwest Eggrolls or serving up shredded pork. But RancherMan uses them when he’s grilling as well.

*Ninja Master Prep Blender Set

This little *Ninja Food Processor rocks my world. Seriously y’all, I could hit the road and be a traveling salesman for it.

I use it to whip up my homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk or to perfectly blend our healthier ‘Ice Cream’ that I make with frozen bananas.

We even use the blender that came with the set to make Watermelon Daiquiri’s.

Yep, love, love LOVE my Ninja Master Prep set of blenders.

*Silicone Food Huggers

These *Food Huggers mean there’s no need to use disposable plastic wrap for halved onions, peppers, etc.

I’ll snap that leftover 1/2 onion into one of these food huggers and pop it in the fridge & no onion smell escapes it!

I’ve used it for apples, bell peppers, onions and much more. The set I have has 4 graduating sizes.

*Silicone Spatula

The lowly *Silicone Spatula is the most underrated workhorse in the kitchen!

I can scrape enough peanut butter from that ‘empty‘ jar to make a couple more sandwiches.

I can easily scrape that last bit of batter from the bowl and add it to my recipe.

So no food is wasted and fully-empty containers are easier to clean. Easier to clean is ALWAYS a good thing!

*Covered Casserole Dish

I have my grandmother’s Vintage CorningWare Dishes and I love them. But you can certainly surprise that special cook in your life with new *Covered Casserole Dishes instead. They’re helpful for so much more than cooking casseroles.

I use mine for cooking or baking of course, but I often use them to store leftovers as well.

I can now supper, store leftovers, reheat leftovers and even serve in the same pretty dish. And fewer dishes to wash is a big plus for anyone in the kitchen #amiright??!!

*Large Skimmer Ladle

I bought this *Large Strainer Skimmer Ladle several years back. I’m constantly commenting to RancherMan that it’s one of the best gifts I’ve ever given myself!

I use this ladle for straining out the bones when I’m making my Homemade Bone Broth and it makes that chore a snap. Any time I need large amounts of food strained away, this large stainless steel ladle comes out. And it takes up precious little room in my utensil drawer too.

*Specially-Shaped Measuring Spoons

I have several sets of measuring spoons. But several years ago our daughter gifted these *Heavy Duty Measuring Spoons to me. Oh how I love them!

The rectangular shape is specifically made to fit more easily into spice jars, etc.

And they’re not lightweight like the other metal measuring spoons I own. These bad boys can take it, whether I’m measuring out spices or Bacon Grease. I always grab for this set first.

*Cast Iron Skillet

I have my grandmother’s cast iron skillet and I absolutely love it.

But whether an old vintage one or a brand new *Cast Iron Skillet, it’s a joy to cook with.

It can be used either on the stovetop or in the oven. And it lasts forever too! Plus cast iron cooks evenly. And properly seasoned cast iron is virtually non stick.

It all adds up to a long-lasting, versatile win. Mine is going on 85 years of constant heavy use!

*KitchenAid Stand Mixer

I use my *KitchenAid all the time. Of course I’ve used it for batters & such.

But I’ve also used it to whip up homemade butter from cream after I’d Milked One Of Our Cows.

I’ve used it to make my own Honey-Sweetened Whipped Cream too.

And of course it’s a super important appliance when making my Homemade Sandwich Bread.

*Bread Machine

I’ve had bread machines in the past and always hated them. In a short time they were gone.

Now I have an *Oster Bread Machine – bread machines have changed for the better!

Baking bread is virtually push-button easy for my 2-lb Loaf Of Honey/Oatmeal Sandwich Bread for my handsome RancherMan.

*Bread Slicing Guide

Speaking of homemade bread, this is the *Bread Slicing Guide I use.

RancherMan’s a bread fiend so homemade bread is always being made fresh in my kitchen.

But dang I can’t cut a loaf of bread straight to save my life!

This bread slicer guide is pulled out several times each week in my kitchen.

*Instant Pot Duo 60

We researched heavily when we purchased our *Instant Pot.

We found that the Instant Pot brand was the highest quality & perfect for us.

And for me, Instant Pot Roast means a quick meal when time is short. Mine has an Instant Pot Yogurt feature too. Game changing!

So there ya go, my very favorite kitchen helpers. What’s your fave?

~TxH~

*Products Mentioned In This Post:

Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas:

Gift Ideas

Homemade Gifts

Gifts Of Food

Gifts For The Home

Gift Wrapping & Presentation

See All Our Eco-Friendly Posts

All Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’

C’mon by & sit a spell! Come hang out at our Facebook Page. It’s like sitting in a front porch rocker with a glass of cold iced tea. There are lots of good folks sharing! And you can also follow along on Pinterest, on Instagram and on Twitter.

If you’d like to receive an email each time a new blog post goes live it’s EASY to subscribe to our blog!

~Texas Homesteader~

Working To Provide For Ourselves On Our Texas Homestead

12 Must-Have Gifts For Any Home Cook