Next time you watch a big Hollywood blockbuster, keep an eye out for when the kitchen makes an appearance. More likely than not it’ll be some sleek marble or glass adorned room with a big island, beautiful appliances that disappear into the furniture, and tasteful and expensive knives, pots, and glasses. The implication with these types of appearances is that this is what the ideal kitchen should look like.
We want to make the argument that you don’t have to spend a fortune in order to have a well stocked and attractive kitchen. Whether your goal this holiday season is to get the aspiring chef in your life some unique utensils or some basics like a salt and pepper mill – we have a bunch of good picks that won’t break the bank. Take a scroll through and see for yourself the 15 best kitchen gifts under $50.
Bear Paws
Pulled pork, shredded chicken, tossing salads, fighting crime – whatever the task, these shredder claws are up to the challenge. Boasting six pointed claws each they turn the chef into a kind of culinary Wolverine with super cooking powers. While they’re great for a bit of a laugh when you open up gifts, they actually do come in handy when you’re prepping meals for the family. A good gift to be sure.
Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook
A New York Times Bestseller that gets aggresive about it’s cooking. Containing over 100 healthy recipes and a whole lot of attitude, it’s a solid gift for the guy in your life who wants to step away from the microwave oven and start making their own meals.
Toastabags Reusable Grilling Bags
Don’t want to throw down for a panini press? Have a grilled cheese fanatic in your family? These Toastabags are designed to turn the average toaster into a kind of broiler/panini press hybrid. Just throw a sandwich into one of these bags, put them into the toaster, and they’ll protect your sandwich as cheese melts. Best part about it? Each are good for up to 50 uses each.
Hario V60 Drip Decanter
A simple coffee brewer designed to get the most out of your coffee beans. Made out of borosilicate glass and featuring a removable silicone band for insulation while pouring, it’s a sharp looking decanter and dripper that any bean fiend would be happy to have on their kitchen counter.
Bialetti 6-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker
If pour-overs aren’t quite gunna cut it, this little stovetop espresso maker from Bialetti is a great choice. Ever since the 1950s the Italian company has been churning out these simple and fun coffee makers. In order to brew up a pot of this stuff, just put coffee in the center catch, throw it on the stove, and the water from the bottom chamber will rise up through the coffee grounds and move its way up to the top chamber.
Stella Chopsticks
These chopsticks designed by Mario Bellini add that much more character and color to already bright and flavorful sushi or ramen dishes. More than just fun and colorful looking, these things are made from a dishwasher safe polycarbonate and designed to be easier to grab on to – making them a perfect addition to any collection of silverware.
Ravioli Mold With Roller
When bought from the store, making pasta or ravioli for yourself or the family is one of the easier kitchen tasks out there. Set water to boil, add pasta, strain, voila. You have dinner. If you have a more adventurous cook in your life, however, this ravioli mold and roller from Williams Sonoma is worth considering giving as a gift. Made from aluminum and fitting up to 12 two inch raviolis at one time, it allows cooks to add their own flair to a simple but satisfying dish.
Victorinox 8 Inch Chef’s Knife
An all-around kitchen knife perfect for slicing, mincing, dicing, and crushing. Made from a lightweight but incredibly sharp European steel and featuring a Fibrox Pro handle, it’s both easy to handle for big or small tasks and sure to last through years and years of use.
Simple Storage Container
A lot of folks will simply store their flour, sugar, coffee, or other bulk kitchen items in cabinets or shelves away from sight simply because the bags they come in are too large or unattractive. As result, it becomes somewhat less convenient and easy to grab the flour when you’re ready to whip up a batch of cookies. These containers make it so the chef in your life can store all their cooking and baking needs right on the kitchen counter for easier access without feeling like they’re cluttering everything up.
Fletcher’s Mill Salt And Pepper Mills
A simple but fun gift, this salt and pepper mill makes it so users can easily crack some fresh, salt and pepper over their eggs, avocado toast, or cuts of meat. Made from stainless steel and featuring a small acrylic window so users can get an idea of how full their grinders are, they’re a useful and attractive addition to any kitchen table.
6 Quart Crock Pot
Few things in life beat coming home out of the cold after a long day at work to your apartment or home smelling like a well made stew or soup. A great gift for the workaholic who still endeavors to make their own homemade meals, this 6 quart crockpot offers three simple settings – high, low, and warm that makes whipping up a soup while you are out for the day simple and easy.
Opinel Les Essentiels Natural Beechwood Knives
The same company that is often credited for popularizing folding knives starting in the 1890s have moved on to creating kitchen knives. This set of essentials – a peeler, paring knife, serrated, and straight blade – all come with a naturally varnished beechwood handle that make them as attractive as they are sharp.
Lodge Cast Iron Deep Skillet
An American made deep 5qt skillet that can do anything from cook up some eggs in the morning to serve as a dutch oven or pot for making some soup. The cast iron build on this thing evenly distributes heat, making it reliable when it comes to making everything from bread to stews and roasts.
Heritage 15 Inch Pizza Stone
A simple way to make homemade pizzas that much better. Just place this in the oven while it is pre-heating and throw the pizza on. It’ll both speed up the cooking time, and also give the crust a crunchy and crisp texture. Who needs a pizza parlor when you have one in your own kitchen?
Salad Servers
Made from a hard to come by palisander wood and featuring copper tips, these salad servers designed by Matteo Thun are great for pulling out when guests are over or when you’re feeling like making up a particularly nice dinner for the family.
