Gift Ideas for the Holidays

If you’re just beginning to outfit your first kitchen, the costs can add up. Even in a FINITE kitchen! Hopefully, you’ll receive some nice hand-me-downs from your parents or grandmother, but you’ll probably still need to buy a few items.

Although our approach to outfitting a kitchen is less is more, there are some key kitchen tools that are important investments. And no, we’re not talking about the latest specialty tools like the cake pop maker or the bacon cooker. We are not filling our cabinets with expensive specialty gadgets that only serve one purpose. We get by with the bare essentials, and that’s fine with us!

Here are our recommended items for your holiday list.

1. Global Chef Knife A good knife is essential for any kitchen. We believe that this item, in particular, is truly worth spending a little extra money on. When you get a good knife, you can really tell the difference! (Finding a great knife doesn’t mean you can’t look for a great deal. We chose the Bed, Bath & Beyond option because of the plethora of coupons that are offered but you may find a better deal on Amazon or elsewhere!) You can find other knife recommendations here.
2. Messermeister Sharpening Rod A good knife is only as good as the maintenance. We prefer a sharpening rod but there are other options out there. Just make sure you do your research and get the right sharpening agent for your knife.
3. Breville 16-in. Bamboo Cutting Board Every knife needs a cutting board! You will need to make sure you have a least two. You will want a designated meat cutting board that you don’t use for any other purpose to ensure your food stays sanitary. Learn more about our cutting board recommendations here.
4. Block Brothers Block Oil If you go with our recommendation and purchase some wooden cutting boards, you will need to be sure you are oiling them regularly.
5. Vitamix Blender Any decent blender is a good option but we cannot stop raving about a Vitamix. You may have some initial sticker shock but, trust us, it is worth it! We specifically recommend one of the shorter versions so it can fit neatly underneath your cabinets.
6. KitchenAid Immersion Blender While this isn’t “necessary”, it is so nice to have especially if you are a soup lover. We use this for many of our recipes to ensure a delicious and rich texture. (Think Black Bean or Tomato soup!)
7. Oxo Grater A grater is a very important kitchen gadget! Get the most bang for your buck by getting one with a measuring cup addition.
8. Food Turner You will probably want a couple different versions/types of food turners in addition to a traditional spatula. There are several packages available that offer a variety of kitchen utensils, which are also good options.
9.  Tongs If you don’t have these in your kitchen, you will notice that they are missing! These are absolutely valuable.
10. Fagor Slow Cooker/Rice Cooker Combo We love both slow cookers and rice cookers. You can find combo deals, like this one, to save some money or you can put both items on your list!

You can customize this gift list depending on what you need to equip your kitchen. We’ve shared our top 10 Small Kitchen Gadgets and our recommendations for getting the best knives for your kitchen. Check out our Limited Resources section for even more of our recommended kitchen tools. If you promise Santa some cookies, he might be especially generous this year!