Life

16 Gifts For The Chef Who Has Everything

by Jessica Learish

Your favorite cooking enthusiast doesn't need any more boring potholders in his or her life. So this holiday season, spice up the kitchen toolkit of your favorite at-home chef with these kitchen gift ideas, because you never know when a kitchen gift will pay for itself in the form of perfectly flipped pancakes. (Seriously, these types of gifts really benefit everybody.)

My parents, in recent years, have taken to filling my stocking with every kind of flipper and slicer in the known universe, and that kind of novelty will never lose its magic, because as with other technology, kitchen technology continues to improve. I think I speak for all hobbyist chefs when I say that kitchen gadgets step right into the place of the toys you would beg your parents for as a child. Now, instead of a My Sized Barbie, I am totally lusting after a new set of non-stick, heavy-bottom frying pans, a wok, and a refillable olive oil sprayer. If any of my people are reading this, now you know what's missin' in this kitchen.

Here are some more ideas for gifting your foodie friends and family. From food processors and precision cookers to a super cool Star Wars toaster, there is something here for everybody.

1. Electric Breakfast Sandwich Maker

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this could very well be the most important thing under the tree. This feat of engineering toasts bread, fries an egg, and heats your chosen pre-cooked meats and cheeses in five minutes, and requires no other dishes. What's more is that it allows you to use egg whites and maintain the structural integrity of your sandwich. Brilliant.

Hamilton Beach Electric Breakfast Sandwich Maker, $23, Amazon

2. Grill Light With Fans

I can't tell you the number of times I've unsuccessfully attempted to hold a flashlight under my left arm while using both hands to flip a turkey burger, or check the underside of a chicken breast. If my grill magically were to have a lamp attached to it, that would no longer be a problem.

BBQ Grill Light And Fan, $80, Sharper Ima ge

3. Darth Vader Toaster

Does this really need any explanation at all? I would very much like to eat Star Wars toast.

Star Wars Toaster, $50, ThinkGeek

4. Handheld Spiralizer

Sometimes, a girl needs to make curly fries, OK? And other times, the only way to get curly zucchini pasta is to spiralize those zucchs. This one is mostly about presentation, but, as they say, we eat with our eyes first.

Paderno Handheld Spiralizer, $12, Williams-Sonoma

5. Three-Piece Spoonula Set

I truly thought that I had invented this concept, but apparently Rachael Ray has me beat, because she's selling these concave, flat edged hybrid tools somewhere in the magical realm between a spoon and a spatula.

Rachael Ray Three-Piece Spoonula Set, $13, Amazon

6. The Chork

While we're on the subject of hybrid utensils, can we talk about the Chork? According to its website, this is engaging for chopstick noobs and experts alike. I almost want to try one, just to see if it's useless or not.

The Chork, $6 for a pack of 12, Chork

7. All-In-One Avocado Tool

I actually have this bad boy, and lemme tell ya — it works. Basically, it totally idiot-proofs the process of slicing avocados for sandwiches, plus it looks awesome.

OXO Avocado Tool, $10, Crate & Barrel

8. Stainless Steel Pineapple Slicer

This is another one of my favorite kitchen gadgets that was gifted to me in the past couple of years. The best part about this tool is that it cuts down on wasted pineapple tremendously. Plus, your pineapple rings come out perfectly round, which is super helpful.

Stainless Steel Pineapple Slicer, $16, Williams-Sonoma

9. Keurig KOLD Drinkmaker

You know you can always trust Keurig for a cup of coffee, but now you can use the same technology for so many more types of drinks. With the Keurig KOLD, you can make sodas, sparkling waters, cocktails, and more — all with a simple push of the button.

Keurig Kold Machine, $370, Keurig

10. Margaritas For Your Keurig KOLD

Keurig released cocktail mixers for use in the Keurig KOLD Drinkmaker, and this classic margarita mix sounds pretty great. Tequila, sadly, is not included.

Rita's & Tina's Classic Margarita Pods, $5 for box of 4 pods, Keurig

11. Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker

Sous-vide cooking is reaching peak trendy in the home-chef universe. Basically, if you were to cook a steak sous-vide, you would submerge the vacuum-sealed steak in water and heat it at a low temperature, which cooks the entirety of the steak equally — that means no pink in the center and/or equal pinkness throughout. The Anova system allows you to start and stop the heating element from an app on your phone as well, so that's nifty.

Anova Precision Cooker With WiFi, $199, Anova

12. Draftmark Tap System

Drafmark's at-home tap system is the darling of the beer aisle. The mini-keg holds a gallon of beer, which is sold in its proprietary gallon bottles, and fits in most refrigerators. Check out the Draftmark website to find out what beers are currently offered.

Draftmark At-Home Tap System, $50, Target

13. Han Solo In Carbonite Ice Cube Tray

I'm in a Star Wars-y mood, OK? And what could possibly be more appropriate for your friends' freezers than frozen Han Solo?

Han Solo In Carbonite Ice Cube Tray, $10, Think Geek

14. The Bagel Guillotine

Avoid the risky practice of chopping bagels with an actual knife, and enjoy the perfectly sliced and wonderfully safe bagel guillotine. As an added bonus, you can shout "off with their heads!" as you make breakfast, which is always fun.

Bagel Guillotine, $17, Amazon

15. Cuisinart Food Processor

When I first busted out my food processor that I received last Christmas, my culinary potential increased dramatically. I can now make curries, sauces, doughs, and salsas like never before. This is a great gift for a budding chef.

Cuisinart 11-Cup Food Processor, $130, Macy's

16. Tea-Ceré Matcha Maker

This is a hipster's dream gadget. It automatically prepares four cups of matcha, allegedly preserving the traditional Japanese process. No more whisking by hand!

Tea-Ceré Matcha Maker, $200, Sharp USA

Looking for more holiday cheer? Check out Bustle on YouTube.

Images: ThinkGeek (2); Amazon (3); Sharper Image; Williams-Sanoma (2); Chork; Crate & Barrel; Keurig; Anova; Target; Macy's; Sharp USA