Kitchen Essentials to Gift This Holiday Season

By Katie Donbavand
Updated Dec 01, 2017 @ 10:00 am
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The most thoughtful, well-used gifts live in kitchens. Sure sweaters are nice and everyone loves a great perfume, but it's those workhorse cooking gifts that are regularly used to bake up love-filled meals. 

"The gift that keeps on giving" is a cliché, but it's a cliché because it's the truth. That gorgeous coffee maker? They'll think of you every single morning when they begin their bleary-eyed brew ritual to shake off their sleepiness. That beautiful set of bowls? You'll pop into their head every time they whip up a blueberry turnover or Thanksgiving pie. Kitchenware gifts beget love in the form of homemade pancakes and freshly squeezed lemonade. 

RELATED: Gifts for the Wellness Obsessed

We rounded up presents for every level of chef on your holiday shopping list. From beginner cooks, to that dinner party pro who *lives* for beef bourguignon, we found a present that will spark joy in anyone's kitchen. 

Read on for our 14 best kitchen gift ideas that your friends and family are going to love—no returns necessary.

VIDEO: 4 Healthy & Tasty Desserts

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For the Amateur: Flavor Infusing Carafe

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$40
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Gifting this carafe to someone means bringing a whole lot more glamour into their lives. Picture it: batches of spa-like infused water, handmade fruity aqua frescas for Sunday brunch, and party-sized batches of sangria for warm summer nights all easily made with this graceful vessel. 

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For the Pro: Sparkling Water Maker

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$94
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Upgrade your favorite mixologist's bar with this streamlined carbonator. This seltzer- and soda-maker does double duty of making "how did I live without this?" drinks AND saving a serious amount of trash—users save an average of 550 plastic bottles every year. 

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For the Amateur: Mini Ice Cream Sandwich Maker

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$20
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Perfect for the beginner chef, this gadget makes Pinterest-worthy ice cream sandwiches with minimal room for error. Oh and, don't worry, the recipe is included!

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For the Pro: Chef-Level Stand Mixer

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$400
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Cookies from scratch in less than 15 minutes. Homemade bread kneaded with zero hand fatigue. Mashed potatoes fluffier than a cumulus cloud. All things are possible with this Holy Grail-level mixer (on Amazon alone, it has almost 3K 5-star reviews!). Gift this to the most deserving chef in your life along with a entry form for The Great British Bake Off and stand back to let them work some culinary magic.

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For the Amateur: Cold Brew & Fresh Press Coffee Maker

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$130
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This game-changing gadget is perfect for the Starbucks addict who isn't quite confident enough for a serious espresso machine. This three-in-one coffee maker is the chameleon of the caffeine world: a pour-over maker, French press, and cold brewer all in one. 

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For the Pro: Espresso Coffee Machine

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$450
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For someone who is definitely on Santa's "nice" list, behold: the most beautiful espresso machine of all time. A retro aesthetic teams up with NASA-level technology to make the best damn latte you've ever had. 

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For the Amateur: Nested Prep Bowls

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$50
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This stackable kit is everything a beginner chef needs for their first foray into the kitchen: 2 mixing bowls, 5 measuring cups, a sieve, and a strainer all in one compact little rainbow.

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For the Pro: Heirloom-Level Dutch Oven

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$320
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Upgrade time: Start their Le Creuset collection with this stunning, heirloom-worthy piece. It's more beautiful than a sunset and will last longer than a lifetime.  

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For the Amateur: Signed Copy of Zac Posen's Cookbook

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$27
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Fashion designer Zac Posen's culinary tastes are as inspiring as his couture creations. Posen's new book is filled with lavish images and mouth-watering recipes ("from rustic to refined") that will galvanize even Grub Hub addicts to pull out the oven mits. Getting a signed copy (for no added cost!) is the cherry on top. 

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For the Pro: Hand Carved Wooden Cookbook/iPad Stand

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$75
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Does your favorite chef have all the cookbooks in the world already? Surprise them with this absolutely stunning wooden stand. Hand carved by Indian artisans, this gasp-worthy piece features a delicate design of mandalas and folds flat for easy storage when not in use.

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For the Amateur: Hand Juicer

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$20
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Budding bartenders take note: this gadget and it's dual-gear mechanism produces up to 20% more juice than whatever other method you're currently using while reducing hand fatigue (key for making a Beyoncé-level amount of lemonade from scratch). 
Bonus: It's dishwasher safe!

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For the Pro: Handmade Tabletop Juicer

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$90
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Is there anything more luxe than freshly squeezed OJ every morning? This juicer, handmade in Mexico, is so good, the recipient might invest in an orange tree—heck, a whole grove!—once they're addicted to that oh-so-pampering freshly squeezed goodness. 

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For the Amateur: Easy Hand-Powered Chopper

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$19
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This chopper will make prep work wayyyy easier for the chef who hasn't quite mastered knife skills yet. It's great for quickly chopping veggies, fruits, nuts, etc., but it turned out to be a life-changer once we started using it to make batches of salsa, guac, hummus, and other Netflix-and-chill snacks.
Bonus: the chopper comes with a sealing storage lid and everything (blade included!) is dishwasher safe.

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For the Pro: New Quiet Technology Digital Blender 

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$68
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Finally, a high-power blender at a low-key price point! From daiquiri night to a perfectly velvety tomato soup, this Black + Decker pro can handle the full spectrum of blending duties all while being 40% quieter than the competition. 
We especially love the personal-sized jar to easily throw together a pre-yoga, single-serving smoothie in seconds.

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By Katie Donbavand