Kitchen Gift Guide – Christmas 2019

AD- Items in this guide have been provided in exchange for inclusion
but all thoughts and opinions are my own

When I was younger practical items or home-based items didn’t interest me as Christmas presents.  But you know you’re getting a little older when these things physically excite you. As we’re going to be moving next year I’ve definitely been asking for more home-based items. And I don’t think you can go wrong with good quality kitchenware. That’s where this gift guide comes in as it’s full of some amazing gifts you can buy for anyone who loves cooking or baking. Or perhaps someone who recently moved house.

First up is this set of Cole & Mason Gourmet Precision Salt & Pepper Mill* (£99.99) which is the ultimate indulgent kitchen item. There’s something really smart and sleek about this set, made from sustainably sourced ash wood. One thing I love about them is that they’ve got a good weight to them so you know they’re high quality, but they’re not too heavy.

As they’re part of the precision range you get a lot of great features including the grind select. There are six pre-selected settings for pepper and three for salt ranging from fine to coarse. So you can get the exact right grain size for your seasoning. And as you just move the dial you can change it depending on whether you’re using them when cooking, or at the dinner table. There’s no need to fill them to start with as they come with whole black peppercorns from Vietnam and coarse sea salt from Belgium. So they can be used straight away!

The mechanism is hidden into the top of the mill underneath the stainless steel disc which means you don’t have to worry about making a mess. Such a simple thing that will make such a huge difference

Something which will help you no end in the kitchen is this Zyliss twist and roll mini chopper* (£). I hate fine chopping things like garlic as I can never get it fine enough. And that’s where this gadget comes in which helps easily chop garlic, shallots, chilli, ginger, herbs and other small food. It has dual-sided blades to get the chop really fine without you having to put in all the effort.

All you have to do is roll the rubber grip base along a work surface or roll it in your hands. And this activates the chopping. So you can easily control how much you chop your food by rolling it more for a finer chop, or less for coarser. One of the best things about this gadget is its size. Yes having a huge food processor would be great, but we don’t all have the room in the kitchen for one. This mini chopper is really compact

If you know someone who loves a good dressing then the Jamie Olivier Shaker Maker* (£16.99) will be right up their street. Whether that’s a dressing for salad, or a sauce for your meat. You can mix, blend and infuse in the dressing shaker as it has integrated blending discs.  The measurements are printed on the shaker so you can use it to blend your mixture without having to dirty up and use other pieces of kitchenware.

The dressing shaker has a spout so you can serve and pour directly from it. And it has a sealed screw-top lid so you can keep your dressing in the fridge for as long as you need.

Something I have been meaning to get for ages is a garlic store so this Mason Cash Garlic Store and Grater* (£11) came at just the right time. We use a lot of garlic to cook with so there is always quite a lot in the house and having it stored somewhere dry with airflow is best for its freshness. This is why the garlic store has both a hole on the lid and three at the back. The back of the lid doubles up as a grater so you can quick and easily grate garlic for your cooking.

The kitchen juicer and storer* (£16) comes from the same collection with Mason Cash and is just as handy. It’s a traditional style juicer at the top, with plenty of storage space for the liquid underneath. Both items are made from high-quality stoneware and can be put in the dishwasher.

If you’re looking for something practical for the home and kitchen, but don’t want to spend a fortune then a Huski Travel Cup* (£11.99) may be what you’re looking for. This is the large size for anyone who drinks hot drinks by the half-pint load. But there’s also a small size. The cups themselves are biodegradable, sustainable and eco-friendly so you’re doing your bit for the environment as well. In a time where little changes can make a huge difference, this could save someone using a lot of disposable cups.

The cup doesn’t have to be used for hot drinks as it can keep the cool in and would be great for iced drinks in the summertime. Either way, it has a twin wall to keep your drinks at the right temperature for longer and to stop you from burning your hands. I really liked the way it felt in my hands when I held it, and the non-slip base was very handy as I can be quite clumsy. It even has a leak-proof flip lid so it’s great for someone who may need the extra hand. This cup comes in a number of different colours but the pistachio is such a lovely colour.

I am absolutely obsessed with these Anton Studio Designs glasses as the colours are just so vibrant. Above is the four set of fizz shot glasses* (£17.95) but I also have the hi-ball set* (£32.50) which match perfectly. Every household needs a great set of glasses and these are just that. They’re designed by Anton Studio Designs and each one is mouth-blown and hand-crafted. So because of this, the bubble effect on the base of each glass is 100% unique. So no two glasses will look identical.

The splash of colour on the bottom really makes them stand out and is a great way of knowing who’s drink is who’s when you have people around. I’m a huge fan of the rounded bowl shape as it’s really comfortable both to hold and drink from. And what I’m sure a lot of people care about is that they are dishwasher safe.

In my mind, marble style serving boards are pretty pricey but can you believe the Typhoon Elements Terrazzo/ Marble handled board* above is just £17.95? I think that’s such an amazing price for the quality of the item. The board is 25cm round and would be a great statement piece in the middle of the table at Christmas with sauces and dips on. Or if you’re a cheese lover like me as a cheeseboard.

The marbled design and gold detailing is so fashionable and it makes a change from the plain wooden boards you see around. The handle makes such a difference as it makes it a lot easier to carry, especially as it’s such a heavy item. I think that’s what shocked me so much was the weight as you assume that when the price is lower that the quality drops but this certainly doesn’t. This is an item I can’t give away and have kept for myself as it’s so beautiful.

I’ve been making a huge effort to try and get reusable packaging for our food, especially when it comes to lunches as I used to use a lot of tin foil. And fewer plastic sandwich bags when it comes to storing things in the fridge. And these stasher bags are making it much easier to do.

The stasher bag in lime* (£12.99) is 18cm x 19cm and pretty much sandwich-sized so great to use for lunches. Or you can add in some snacks like popcorn, sweets or little pastries. Whatever you want to use. And because it’s pure silicone you can pop it in the dishwasher or hand wash it and keep using it. One thing which makes this one quite unusual is it’s also microwave safe so you can cook in it. This would be a great idea if you’re taking it to work and need to warm up the contents in the microwave.

There’s also a stasher raspberry snack bag* (£10) which is the same in design but smaller. And a great size for taking out and about in your bag with some snacks in. The seal at the top is very secure so you don’t need to worry about things rolling around in your bag.

Alongside some kitchen gadgets, I thought I’d add in something that’s actually food-related. After a few delivery based issues I was so excited for my South Ormsby steak box* (£79.99) to arrive. Anyone who knows my family will know that they’re massive carnivores. So sorry this gift idea isn’t suitable for the veggies and vegans out there. But South Ormsby aren’t just any old farm, the Lincoln Red cattle are one of the countries favourites and have been bred for thousands of years. They take longer to mature than other European breeds, but they’re worth the wait.

The herd are sustainably farmed which is really important. The cattle have a forage-based diet which makes them less dependent on cattle feed. This has a great impact on the taste of the meat, but also the impact they have on the environment around them.

The box comes with a selection of 10 steaks including rump, sirloin, rib-eye and fillet. So there’s something for everyone regardless of your steak preference. And the steaks themselves are of incredible quality with marbling in the meat and a succulent flavour. We’ve tried a lot of steaks but these certainly had superior flavour compared to anything we’ve bought in a shop or even a butcher before.

And the final item in this guide fits well with the steak set above and that’s this 6 set of ProCook gourmet steak knives* (£32).  This is a truly great quality set of knives with serrated edges which are sharp and glide through thicker bits of meat really easily. This is helped by the fact that they’re made from X30 Stainless Steel.

We had a set of steak knives before that we just bought from TKMAXX and you can really tell the difference, just from holding them. The ProCook set has contoured handles so they’re really comfortable to hold and use. The ProCook knives have a 10-year guarantee on their items

The set comes beautifully boxed so it’s great as a Christmas present for any foodie.

Pin It