If you’re looking for a holiday gift that sizzles, look to the kitchen.
Consumer Reports’ trained chef Paul Hope offered up a few tried-and-true ideas.
“The person on your list doesn’t have to be a professional chef. A lot of the ideas are just designed to help make life in the kitchen easier or elevate one’s cooking game,” he said.
With the right chef’s knife, your loved one can slice, dice, chop, and mince with one tool. In CR’s tests, the Henckels Premio 8″ Chef’s Knife for $40 did just that, effortlessly.
A wooden cutting board is perfect for serving food at large gatherings. The TeakHaus Traditional Edge Grain Professional Cutting Board, a splurge at around $100, did well in CR’s evaluations.
Or consider cookware that can multitask and last a lifetime, like a Dutch oven that can bake, brown, and slow-cook and is a great gift for someone with a new home or kitchen.
The Spice by Tia Mowry Savory Saffron Enameled Cast Iron for $60 earned a top spot in CR’s tests.
If your foodie likes fried foods, you can help them turn out healthier versions of their favorites with an air fryer. The recommended Chefman Accufry RJ38-SQPF-5T2P-W for $100 features a decent-sized basket with a viewing window so they can peek in on those goodies.
If you’re shopping for someone who already has an air fryer, add-ons are a great idea because they let you make things that you couldn’t in the regular basket. The Crux x Marshmello miniature loaf pans for $20 can turn an air fryer into a bread maker.
CR also took a look at several other air-fryer accessories, including a grill pan tray, pizza pans, and reusable liners, which can help make cleaning up easier.
Finally, if you need a last-minute stocking stuffer, consider some CR-tested kitchen supplies, like the Cuisinart Neoprene Mini Mitts for $15. And the Chef’n FreshForce Citrus Juicer for $20 makes juicing lemons and limes a breeze.