2016-11-25



I’m excited to be sharing my last gift guide of the holiday season today!

Are you one of the crazy people doing real, live Black Friday shopping today? I prefer to sit in the warm comfort of my own home and shop online or shop among other humans any other day except Black Friday. If you’re the same, scroll through this list because some of these items are on KILLER Black Friday sales today online and I don’t want you to miss them!

Nothing sponsored on here, just things I love, love, love. There are affiliate links for Amazon products scattered below if I’ve bought the product from there, but as always, feel free to shop around!

Today it’s all about my favorite kitchen gifts, plus some ideas for the guys and gals in your life. These are current favorites (maybe some day I’ll do an Ultimate Gift Guide with my favorites from all the years), so check out past gift guides for even more gift-giving inspiration. Here we go!



1. Waffle Cone Maker. Such a fun little tool, especially if one loves waffle cones as much as I do. I generally stay away from one-task only appliances, but we make waffle cones right and left because of this, and I love, love, love it (I have perfected the almighty waffle cone if anyone wants the recipe) – plus, it makes my house smell like no candle every could.

2. Little black knife. I have used many a high-end knife (I’ll give a recommendation for my favorite one below that’s actually worth it), but there’s something to be said for this powerhouse, inexpensive knife. It’s stayed sharp for over a year and I pull it out all the time (it’s the go-to knife for my kids to use, also); it really is the perfect, little knife. This would make a perfect, albeit slightly dangerous, stocking stuffer.

3. Kilner Honey Pot. Adorable and functional, this honey pot and accompanying dipper makes me smile every time I open the cupboard and see it. Because I buy honey in bulk, it’s perfect to portion some into this cute jar so we can use it on the daily without digging into our big bucket o’ honey. Honey pots are the new honey bear, didn’t you know?

4. USA Bread Pans. I’ve had a favorite bread pan for years (the Chicago Metallic brand) but I have to say, there’s a new kid in town when it comes to bread pans. My cousin-in-law, Julianne, told me about the USA brand long ago, and I’m finally converted. I looooove these bread pans. Nothing sticks, bread bakes evenly; they are wonderful.

5. Wilton 48-Cup Mini Muffin Pan. Do you remember when I told you about this mini muffin pan on steroids? It’s been a while, and I used to only see these hit and miss at Target, but it seems the popularity has caught on. You can catch the dark, nonstick version on Amazon (works best to bake 25 degrees lower because of the dark coating) or the lighter coated pan at Bed, Bath and Beyond (this is the one I have).

6. New West Knives. I’ve gone the rounds on investing in good-quality, higher-end knives, and I’ve finally committed. I can’t say enough about the New West Knifeworks Company and Knives. I’ve had the Santoku knife for several years now. It is amazing – high quality and a dream to chop with. I recently bought the smaller Fusion Chopper, and other than that black knife I talked about above, I may never use another knife again. Bonus?? All the knives at New West are on sale! Sweet.

7. Instant Pot. I know, I know. I’ve waxed poetic about this thing forever now, but honestly, I am still a huge fan. If yogurt-making isn’t your thing, I’d recommend saving money and getting the 6-in-1. I have the 7-in-1 6-quart model and also have the 8-quart Instant Pot, and it’s the one I use almost exclusively these days. BONUS: The 7-in-1 (probably the most popular model) is on a KILLER Black Friday sale on Amazon just for today (assuming the haven’t al sold out yet)!

8. In-Drawer Bamboo Knife Block. I love storing my knives in the drawer in my island where I can easily access them. This bamboo knife block that sits right in the drawer keeps the blades safe and secure and the knives organized. I almost wept with the joy the day I got it and saw how clean and well-kept my knives looked.

9. Great Food Fast. The best pressure cooker book on the market, in my opinion. I’ve made a lot of recipes in this book – all delicious! A perfect gift for the pressure cooker lover in your life.

10. Candy Thermometer Spatula. The good news is this candy thermometer in spatula form is awesome. The bad news is it is no longer available on Amazon (where I bought mine). But keep it on your wish list or search for it elsewhere online, because it makes candy-making a breeze.

11. OXO Good Scraper/Chopper. I very well may have suggested this handy bench scraper before, but here I am talking about it again, because it is awesome. One of my very favorite kitchen tools. I use it for slicing bread dough/rolls into portions, cutting cinnamon rolls, dicing some vegetables, scraping up a dirty workspace. I’ve given it as gifts so many times and kind of wish I had two in my drawer – it’s that wonderful.

12. Iwatani Cooking Torch. If you’re ready to take your cooking game up a notch (or help someone else through a gift), this is THE cooking torch to get. Surprisingly, I use it all the time, not just for creme brûlée and the like (although it’s perfect for that). We toast marshmallows for quick s’mores, blister peppers for roasted pepper flavor, and we’ve been known to light birthday candles with it when we were out of matches, among other things. Every time I pull this out, I feel instantly cool.

13. Zyliss Stainless Steel Potato Masher. If potato mashers could talk, this beautiful tool would tell you how much  I adore it. I had to replace my 14-year old potato masher (which was kind of a piece of junk I dealt with over a decade) a few months ago, and am crying myself to sleep that I waited this long. The design and functionality of this little potato masher is spot on perfect.

14. Kitchenaid Kitchen Scissors. Everyone needs a heavy-duty, functional pair of kitchen shears that are off limits to making crafts, cutting hair, or repairing household plumbing. These are the kitchen scissors I have and love (and have been known to get very irate when they’ve been confiscated for any of the above projects).

15. Portmeiron White Platter/Cake Plate. This beautiful white platter/cake plate has just enough unique charm to get compliments wherever I take it. I most often use it as a cake plate or for cookies and brownies. It’s one of my favorite serving pieces.

1. Digital Picture Frame. Ok, obviously this would work for guys or gals, but I snuck it right here on the gift guide. Digital picture frames are so fun; I love going to my parent’s house and seeing theirs (this one!) up and running with hundreds of pictures. We watch it over and over and over.

2. Antigravity Battery Charger. This thing is amazing! Our friends lent us theirs when our battery kept dying and I was afraid I’d get stranded on my own. This can be kept in your car and can jump your car batter without another car present. Amazing! It’s also a great all-purpose battery charger (for phones and other electronic devices). Very, very cool.

3. Sherpa Outdoor Table. I always feel like I want to declare a favorite gift on each gift guide, and this Sherpa table would definitely be The One this year. I can’t even tell you how much I love this outdoor table. We’ve taken it to the hills when we’ve gone 4-wheeling and RZR-ing for our food stuffs, and we’ve used it countless times just in our backyard. The cooler drawers are so functional and handy – and one of them is seamless so it can double as a sink or for liquids. It’s available at a super low price on Amazon (way cheaper than when I bought it for a gift last month) or directly from the Camp Chef website.

4. Bike Tool. Well hello, perfect stocking stuffer! This multi-functional bike tool is awesome. Brian’s already used his on a 22-mile scout bike ride (it has a universal chain tool + screwdrivers + spoke wrenches, among other things). It almost makes me want to go on a 22-mile bike ride. Almost.

5. JBL Clip Speaker. This bluetooth speaker that clips on just about anywhere is a great gift and one we use all the time (in the car, boosting sound on phones and iPad in the house, and working around our property because music makes shoveling dirt more fun, right?).

6. Credit Card Knife. My brother gave Brian one of these knives ages ago and Brian accidentally left it in his wallet going through airport security a year or so ago (major oops!). This last year for Father’s Day, we gave him a new one, and it made him very happy. You’d be surprised how often this cool little gadget comes in handy (talk about the perfect tool for Christmas morning present opening!).

1. Essential Oil Necklace. I’m not a huge jewelry wearer, but I’ve been wearing this diffuser necklace nonstop. Sometimes I even put a drop of essential oil in it. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2/72x72/1f642.png" alt="

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