The holiday season is already well underway and if you’re anything like me then you’re still looking for gift ideas for the foodies in your life! To help out my readers I have compiled a list of the most dependable, beautiful, and high-quality products I use in my own kitchen, all of which I have thoroughly tested in the production of my site, and any of which I wholeheartedly recommend to my readers as excellent gifts. From kitchen essentials and barware to bakeware, dinnerware and small appliances, this is my list of the best products of 2018.
M.O.C. Woodworks
Magnetic Knife Holder
Retail Price:$55.00 +
These beautiful knife holders are my go-to favorite! M.O.C Woodworks handcrafted magnetic knife holders are available in a variety of woods and can be custom engraved to make the perfect gift. Powerful hidden magnets hold even large kitchen knives securely while keeping them within easy reach. Available in a range of woods from common furniture grade species like cherry, maple, walnut, oak, and beech to more exotic hardwoods like wenge, bubinga and zebra wood. The dimensions can be customized to fit perfectly in your kitchen.
Growler Works
uKeg Copper 64 Retail $169.00
Looking for a perfect gift for your craft brew lover? Look no further! Growlerwork’s uKeg 64 is small enough to take along to outdoor get-togethers while the vacuum insulated construction and internal pressure regulator ensure your beverage stays ice cold and carbonated all day long.
The 64oz size pictured holds a half gallon of craft beer or home-brew and will keep it fresh for weeks. If beer isn’t your thing use it to carbonate and serve craft cocktails, sparkling wines or even kombucha! Dispense your drinks with style via the integrated tap and keep an eye on the pressure with the pressure gauge. Need more capacity? Growlerworks also makes a 128oz version; both sizes are available in brushed stainless steel or classic copper finish.
Set of Three French Classics Individual Baking Dishes
Retail $149.99
Three elegant rectangle bakers are perfect for baking side dishes, and casseroles as well as sweets and desserts. The sleek, handle-less design makes them also ideal for serving nuts, fruits, and cheeses. Available in three colors: all white, black clay with a matte black finish or black clay with a pepper grey matte finish. Oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe.
Crumbled Coffee Mugs
Retail $13.59
Truly a Revol design icon, these little beauties are available in a range of colors and capacities making them perfect for almost anything. From serving coffee, espresso, cappuccino or teas to baking individual desserts or as a pot for kitchen herbs to dress up a window sill, the durable porcelain construction makes them oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe. The large size makes a lovely utensil holder and doubles as a champagne bucket.
Bold contrasting tones and subtle metallic sheens transform your plating and create a striking tablescape. Reactive glazes create one-of-a-kind pieces with distinct zones for food presentation. Bowls feature a reflective interior for eye-catching presentations that beg to be photographed. Available in a range of color palettes, each celestially inspired and strikingly beautiful.
Peugeot
Whiskey Tasting Set
Truly worthy of a connoisseur, Peugeot’s Impitoyable whisky glass features an elegant and modern glass form specially shaped to enhance aromas. The glass sits atop a polished cast metal base which chills spirits without diluting or changing the flavors the way ice cubes do. Pop it in the freezer a few hours before use, or I like to store the metal base in the freezer, so it’s always ready to go. Includes a stitched leather coaster to protect table surfaces and extend the effect of the chilling base. Makes an excellent gift for the whisky aficionado on your list.
Cuisinart
Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven
This is an excellent gift for that foodie in your life. Lightning-fast preheating, ultra-precise temperature control and sized perfectly for everything from baking a 13” pizza, toasting sandwiches, baking bread and roasting a whole chicken to firing off individual desserts and pastry. With fifteen pre-programmed cooking cycles, powerful 1800 watt performance and a gleaming stainless exterior, this is the perfect countertop oven for serious cooks!
14 cup 2.0 Food Processor (Elite)
I love black truffles; they are one of my favorite menu specialties when dining out. When it comes to cooking at home, I turn to The Truffleist for easy to use truffle-infused ingredients that make it a snap to incorporate the rich flavor of summer truffles into my cooking. Their black truffle butter is packed with 6% black truffles from northern Italy; this is perfect for finishing a steak. Truffle infused sea salt makes it easy to add truffle aroma and a salty crunch to any dish, and black truffle oil is perfect for adding truffle flavor to pasta and roasted vegetables. Truffle-infused fresh ground mustard is incredible on hot and cold sandwiches, then experience sweet truffle notes with black truffle honey.
Colorado-based Epicurean Butter offers a broad range of artisanal compound finishing butters. Both sweet and savory flavors add variety and flavor to your cooking with high-quality butter and chef-inspired formulas. Made with the freshest all-natural ingredients, each flavor is carefully balanced to lend an expert touch to your cooking. Convenient tubs keep your butters fresh and are easy to store. Portions are perfect for the home chef and store well until needed making it convenient to keep a range of flavors on hand.
I’ve been working on a seasonal cocktail with a tequila base featuring local Chicago-based spirits by Apologue. Their exquisite line of liqueurs are the result of some of Chicago’s best and brightest mixologists and spiritologists; Robby Haynes of Violet Hour, renown bar chief and beat virtuosos Ziyad Asrar, and local ingredient sourcing guru Jordan Tepper. This gifted trio has created three all-natural liqueurs: Aronia Berry, Persimmon Bittersweet, and Celery Root Herbal. Their liqueurs are presented in a 100% natural state, made with organic cane sugar, and all ingredients are sourced in the Midwest.
Apologue also fulfills an important role in the community by forming partnerships with nonprofit groups such as Growing Solutions Farm, which teaches agricultural skills to people with autism. The farm has dedicated some of its land to growing celery root for the exquisitely savory Celery Root herbal liqueur.
Jura Ena Micro 90 in Micro Silver
The ultimate in push-button coffee convenience, this amazing machine prepares an array of coffee specialties including steamed and frothed milk drinks. Just fill the hopper with freshly roasted coffee beans, and you’re ready to go. A high-pressure pulsed extraction system is the first of its kind in a one-cup machine and delivers incredible aromas and a gorgeous crema. An easy-to-clean waste tray, internal water filter, and a self-cleaning cycle make it easy to own and maintain. Lightning fast heat up and fully-automated brewing at the touch of a button means that crucial first cup of the morning is only a few moments away. Each pre-programmed drink can be customized for strength and size to suit both your tastes and your mugs.
A Cook's Canvas 