Looking for creative gifts for the food nerds in your life? We’ve got you covered with our top product, app, book and tasting box picks. These gifts are perfect for a variety of budgets and should keep your favorite makers, hackers, and food lovers alike happy. We will be updating this list over the next couple of days, so please feel free to leave tips in the comments below. GROW & MAKE YOUR OWN Growing your own food can be challenging in urban settings where space is limited. Windowfarms offers DIY hydroponic home kits and newly designed (easy to assemble) growing systems. They also come with a built in social network, so windowfarmers have a support network to share about their own growing experiences and to learn from others. Windowfarms are perfect for teachers, gardeners, foodies, and makers. Prices for newly design growing systems start at $199 for a one-column starter bundle. Order your’s here by Dec. 19th to have it by Christmas. Beer Making Kit from Brooklyn Brew Shop This 1 gallon kit comes with your choice of mix – Rye PA, Jalapeño Saison, Smoked Wheat, Everyday IPA, Bruxelles Black, Chestnut Brown Ale, Grapefruit Honey Ale, Choc. Maple Porter, Coffee & Donut Stout – a 1 gallon glass fermenter and all the additional tools you need to brew 1 gallon of beer. Bottling supplies are not included, but a bottle capper and caps can be purchased separately through the website. Kits are $40 and bottle capper & caps are $20.00, both of which can be ordered here. Brooklyn Homesteader’s Online Farm-Based Workshop Brooklyn Homesteader is now offering gift certificates for any of our online or farm-based workshop, including beekeeping, sustainable gardening, backyard poultry, mushroom foraging and cultivation, raising dairy goats and intro to herbal medicine. Buy your year-long passes ($225/ 12 months) and couples certificates (half off for partners) here. APPS (Perfect Stocking Stuffers) “The Better Bacon Book” from Tom Mylan and Open Air Publishing, is a how-to guide for bacon lovers who truly care about food. Tap, swipe, and slide your way through 20 video tutorials on how to make your own bacon, as well as 31 original recipes from the top bacon-obsessed chefs in North America. Learn the history of bacon, then cure, smoke, and fry your own delicious cured pork. The app is available through iTunes for $3.99. FOOD52′s new Holiday Recipe & Survival Guide features 75 curated recipes from home cooks and is easily one of the best cooking iPad apps on the market. Designed to help anyone host a holiday dinner, brunch, or cocktail party, the app offers event and execution planning, from menu design to shopping to serving the meal. There are also 100 minutes of expert video tutorial from FOOD52 co-founders Amanda Hesser and Merril Stubbs, including a chocolate ginger bread house making tutorial for the adventurous. The app is available through iTunes for $3.99. Wine Simplified is an iPad-based book that offers common sense guidelines to understanding what you like and how to get it. Skip the memorization and build the confidence to conquer any wine list or store. Wine Simplified is made for iPad and iPhone and includes 90 minutes of video tastings and tutorials, dozens of interactive guided tours and infographics, and 240 audio pronunciation guides. The app is available through iTunes for $9.99. GADGETS OXO Good Grips 5-pound Food Scale with Pull-Out Display OXO’s user-friendly Food Scale with Pull-Out Display is perfect for weighing all ingredients. Weigh items directly on the platform, on a plate or in a bowl, and pull the display away from the base to prevent shadowing from large plates and bowls. Accurately measure ingredients when cooking and baking or stick to a diet by weighing portions. A weight indicator shows the capacity left on the Scale before maximum capacity is reached. Available on amazon for $29.99 here. The Belkin Kitchen Stand and Wand for Tablets is an ideal accessory for chefs who keep recipes on their tablet device. Designed for use in home kitchens, this stand fits neatly on your countertop and allows for several viewing orientations so it’s easy to watch your favorite cooking channel or any other show while you’re in the kitchen. It also comes with a magnetic-tipped stylus, which lets you use your tablet’s touchscreen even when your hands are messy. Available here for $39.99. Disposable Sleeves for iPad Chef Sleeve for iPad is the ideal solution to messy situations including spills, batter, powder and messy fingers. Simply slide your iPad into a sleeve and close the sticky strip.Available here for $19.99. Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen – Instant Read Thermometer The Super-Fast Thermapen has been a favorite among restaurant chains, health inspectors and quality managers worldwide. The clever fold-away probe and the simple pocket design replace more costly and bulky handheld thermometers while using the same professional thermocouple technology. Available here for $89 iSi Brushed Stainless Steel Gourmet Whip Plus is a favorite among the modernist cooks. The multifunctional cream whipper has been designed to prepare both hot and cold creams, sauces, espumas, soups or whipped cream and other desserts. Let your imagination run wild – you’ll be amazed at the range of products that you can create with this essential kitchen tool. Available here for $108. Vitamix 1732 TurboBlend VS Blender Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or turning over a new raw, vegan, or vegetarian leaf, the TurboBlend VS is just the tool for you. Your loved ones will thank you for this one. Available here for $449. The Modernist Cuisine At Home – Sous Vide Professional™ CREATIVE Series Kit bundle from PolyScience is everything you need to get started cooking sous vide at home. The easy-to-store immersion circulator simply clamps to a stockpot or tank up to 20 liters (5.3 gallons), transforming it into a precisely controlled bath capable of preparing a meal for up to 12 people. Combined with the 2-book Modernist Cuisine at Home series, this is a pretty good deal at $599.95. BOOKS Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of [...]
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