Every perfect meal begins with a well-equipped kitchen. When you have someone in your life who can whip up a crème brûlée, spends his weekends smoking endless cuts of meat or mixing up his own barbecue sauce, he needs the perfect equipment. The more complete his kitchen, the better the food he will concoct. It would be a disservice to him – and your taste buds – if you were to deny him the proper cooking gear.
In the 20 items below we’ve found something for every chef. Whether he prefers baking or broiling, sautéing or steaming, something from our gift guide will surely put him in the mood to make a meal just to say thanks.
Poler Cast Iron Skillet
Outdoorsy: Ready to use right out of the box, the Poler skillet is pre-seasoned cast iron that allows any cook to take his work to the grittiest campsites and still fillet, flip, and fry a masterpiece on a full foot of hard-core cookware. [Purchase: $50]
Pizzacraft Outdoor Pizza Oven
Ditch Delivery: The propane powered pizza oven is the ideal way to make a savory Italian pie. Powered by propane, the tiny oven can cook a pizza to perfection in just 5 minutes while venting away moisture to prevent a soggy mess. Completely portable for easy pizza anytime, anywhere. [Purchase: $270]
CTA Digital Kitchen Tablet Mount Stand
Hands Free: No one uses a cookbook anymore. Even the most old school chef keeps their secret family recipes stored digitally, and they need a way to read them that is easy and accessible. With the tablet mount, their iPad, Nexus, Kindle, or other tablet will be away from spills and ready to be read right at eye level. [Purchase: $36]
Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor
Real Cut-Up: Cuisinart is the first and last name in food processors, and this is their flagship model. Sporting a massive 14-cup work bowl and capable of kicking out 720 watts of power, this can slice and dice as well as churn, mix, chop, and liquefy anything. [Purchase: $164]
SteakStones Hot Stone Cooking System
Meat Maestro: Cooking needn’t take place over a hot stove or in a scorching oven with the SteakStones. Simply heat these lava stones up they’ll let you sear up a perfect steak wherever you lay them. Bonus points for being able to grill vegetables and keep food naturally warm. [Purchase: $94+]
Ekstedt BBQ Apron
Kiss the Cook: Aprons are serious, manly business, which is why master chef Niklas Ekstedt created this cotton canvas piece with huge pockets, leather straps, and brass rivets. Made with grilling in mind, this is a man’s apron for any culinary cause, from butchery to baking. [Purchase: $124]
Cool Cookbooks
Cheat Sheets: A guy might not like to admit he needs a recipe any more than he wants to read the instruction manual, but he does. To help him out with everything from meat to…other meat, one of these will add some new spice to his repertoire. [Man-B-Que: $10+ | Hot Sauce Cookbook $10+ | Thug Kitchen: $10+ | Hemingway Cookbook: $10+ | American Craft Beer Cookbook: $10+]
Smart Food Scale Prep Pad
Banquet Breakdown: Know exactly what you are putting in your body with the Bluetooth-enabled prep pad. It measures exactly the amount of protein, carbohydrates, nutrients, vitamins, and fats your food contains then sends it to your phone or tablet so you know just how guilty to feel after you eat it. [Purchase: $150]
Wine Pairing Towel
Vino Veritas: Your cook might not know a Pinot from a Riesling from a Chardonnay, but now he doesn’t have to. With an easy to read chart coupled with a super absorbent towel, he’ll be able to complement a meal with the perfect vintage as well as clean up spills. [Purchase: $28]
Chef’n Panini Spatula
Sandwich Handler: Specifically designed for lifting paninis off the grill, this spatula has a solid stainless steel core, a broad, silicone coated heat, and a cutting guide for handling the heartiest sandwiches, from Reubens to deli-grade smoked Caprese. [Purchase: $20]
Boska Holland Toastabags
The Cheese Stands Alone: The best way to become a master chef is to cheat. The Toastabags from Boska Holland allow you to make the best cheese sandwiches right in your toaster without making a mess. They’re even dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. [Purchase: $10]
Crock-Pot WeMo Slow Cooker
Cook Smarter: The Crock-Pot WeMo is the lazy chef’s best friend. It is completely Wi-Fi enabled so changing temperature, cook time, and every other setting can be handled from any iOS or Android device wherever you happen to be. [Purchase: $129]
Condiments
Spice of Life: Sure, “Love” might be the secret ingredient, but a cook still needs all the others in order to make a meal truly delectable. With these additions you’ll have everything covered from the sweet to the spicy to the sweet and spicy. [Sugar Bob’s Smoked Maple Syrup: $13 | Beer Jelly: $28 | Bacon Mayo: $8 | Bees Knees Spicy Honey: $14]
Philips Digital AirFryer
Fry Away: Fried foods are one of the major food groups along with meat, sugar, and booze, but they can be very unhealthy for you. To help with that, the AirFryer cuts down far more fat than most deep fryers without sacrificing any taste. Easy to use and clean as well. [Purchase: $300]
Norpro Cast Iron Pig Bacon Grill Press
Even Steven: A piece of bacon with parts that are burnt and parts that are still raw is an affront to any kitchen. Never let another rasher escape with this bacon press. It keeps the meat flat in the pan for an even charring that also reduces hot grease splatter. [Purchase: $11]
Wusthof 7-Piece Professional Knife Set
A Cut Above: Wüsthof is one of the premier knife brands, and this set is ideal for use either in the home or on the go. It has every kind of basic knife you could need for paring, slicing, cutting, chopping, and, of course, boning, all wrapped up in an easy-carry pouch. [Purchase: $160]
Bear Paw Meat Handles
Get a Grip: These durable plastic handles are great for grabbing and cutting hot food, shredding beef, chicken, or pork quickly, and can even toss a salad if you allow salad in your home. Don’t let your cook’s hands get burned ever again. [Purchase: $13]
Bluetherm Duo
Mercury Rising: Gone are the days of opening your oven to insert a standard thermometer. Now you can insert a probe into your food and watch the temperature rise on your phone or tablet without ever getting up. Includes an alarm and the ability to track two probes at once for double trouble. [Purchase: $199]
Rosle Pizza Wheel
Spinner Supreme: Never again deal with a pizza that has not been cut all the way through, or cheese that hangs on to the wrong slice. The Pizza Wheel is deadly sharp while the ergonomic handle allows for even pressure across the entire apparatus so even Chicago deep dish is split quick and clean. [Purchase: $38]
T-fal OptiGrill Indoor Electric Grill
That Was Easy: Contrary to popular belief, not every guy knows exactly how long to grill a chicken breast – and that’s where T-fal comes in. It comes programmed with both ideal cook times and temperatures for a wide variety of common grill items, taking all of the guess work out of the equation. The built-in sensors automatically adapt to the thickness of the meat, and the angled, stick-free cooking surface is designed to drip fat right into the tray below. [Purchase: $166]
