I google “gift ideas” many times during the course of a year. I look for inspiration for birthday gifts for my husband, my mom, my best friend. During holiday season I devour these gift guide posts like candy. Even if I have a perfect gift idea in mind for this year, then these posts often help me organize myself for another year too and who wouldn’t want some help with Christmas shopping?
Recently I looked around my kitchen and realized that there are a few items that I keep recommending to my friends over and over again. Certain books and gadgets and products that I use daily and wouldn’t imagine not having them. I give them as gifts to my friends and family. If I like them so much, then I’m sure other foodies would love them too.
This is a gift guide for foodies and it has stocking stuffers, medium size gifts and more expensive items too, so it’ll appeal to various budgets. Please note that there are affiliate links in this post.
Toastabags – reusable non-stick sandwich in-toaster grilling bags
Now that I’m staying home on maternity leave, I don’t use these too often. But when I was working in my office, I used these nifty Toastabags a few times a week. Assemble a sandwich at home, place it into one of these toastabags and pop it into a toaster – bread will get nice and toasty, cheese will melt into a delicious gooey layer and all other toppings will get warmed up for an ultimate grilled sandwich experience without a pan or a grill. I converted quite a few people at the office and they all now use these bags!!
Round silicone bowl lids and Rectangular silicone lids
My mom gave me these lids a few years ago and I was pretty sceptical at first – why would I use them when I can use foil or saran wrap? But now I use these lids all the time! They work great for covering bowls and pans and placing them in the fridge thus eliminating unnecessary waste of plastic wrap. These lids also work in the oven. I use square lids on casserole dishes all the time. Round covers also work on the stove. I have many different size pans and not all of them have regular lids, so these silicone lids are perfect for that. I linked to the ones that I have, but there are different kinds that are less expensive, although I haven’t tried them.
I use this orange oil all the time when baking. It’s my secret ingredient in banana bread, chocolate cakes, waffles, brownies and many more! Half a teaspoon goes a long way, so the bottle lasts for a long time. I highly recommend this product as it makes any dessert just a little bit more special and every single person always asks what is it as they can’t really tell what that hint of goodness is, they just know that it’s delicious. If you live in GTA then you can find it at Golda’s Kitchen store too.
We were given this for Christmas last year and haven’t really used it until a few months ago. Now I use it daily. It’s my ritual while baby is taking a morning nap. I make myself a big mug of coffee and unwind before the start of a hectic day. This Hario decanter is a perfect way to have a cup of coffee without committing to another appliance and it also looks beautiful on a table if you are hosting brunch.
I have these spatulas in green and I use them daily. I have quite a few different spatulas and some are made out of really soft material, so they can’t be used for mixing thick doughs for example. These spatulas are sturdy enough to mix cookie dough by hand, but soft enough that they won’t scrape non-stick pans. Out of many different brands of spatulas that I have these are my favourite.
This is one gorgeous, cozy, inspirational, festive, delicious Christmas cookbook! I love just leafing through it in november and december. I made many recipes from it and they all turn out well. It’s not new, but it definitely one of my favourite cookbooks! If you love Christmas and love cookbooks then it’s a must have!
Barefoot Contessa – Cooking for Jeffrey
This is the latest book in Barefoot Contessa series by Ina Garten. I have all of her books and they have a place of honour in my kitchen. I love her recipes, her photos, her stories. She’s not shy about using butter and sugar, so I usually try to adjust her recipes to my taste, but the flavours are incredible and very inspirational. If you want to invest into just a few cookbooks, then I’d recommend Ina Garten’s series.
Why do I have both drip coffee decanter and nespresso on this list? Well, both coffee makers serve different purposes. Drip coffee is perfect for those long mornings when you want to relax with a big mug of coffee. Nespresso is great for a quick afternoon pick me up or when you want to make a nice cup of latte or cappuccino. I use it almost daily although I mostly make decaf for myself. We actually have two Nespresso makers, one at home and one at my husband’s office. I also gave it as presents to quite a few people. It’s just an amazing gift to give.
Over the years I tried many different pans. I once purchased a 500$ pan (yes, one pan) at some food show because they promised that it’ll last forever and will be non-stick. In a year it was garbage. Calphalon pans, however, stood the taste of time. I have a pan that I got five years ago and although it needs replacing, it is totally my fault since I didn’t care for it as I should have. And even now it still works great, it just looks ugly. Other Calphalon pans that I have still look new after five years.
I wanted a SodaStream for a few years and kept bugging my husband who was really against yet another appliance on the kitchen counter. Finally he gave up and got it for me two years ago for Christmas. It is now one of the most used items in my kitchen. I don’t use any syrups for the soda water, but I make sparkling water multiple times a day. It is an investment in the beginning, but if you love sparkling water and buy Perrier or San Pellegrino on regular basis, then this will definitely save you money in the long run. It is also better for the environment!
So here you have it, 10 gifts that any foodie would love. I use some of the items daily, some a few times a week, but I use them all regularly. I’ve given some as gifts over the years and I recommended many of them to my friends.
What are you favourite Foodie Finds that you love, recommend and give as gifts? I’d love to hear about your favourite gadgets, cookbooks and “secret” items in the kitchen!!
Samantha Dawn says
So good to know about the new Ina’s cookbook. I’ve actually never used any of her recipes … which is silly. I should definitely start. and orange oil sounds amazing. I need to find it here.
Imagelicious says
Hi Sam, from what I can see that orange oil can only be found on amazon or at Golda’s Kitchen. I couldn’t find it anywhere else either in store or online.
Natalie @ In Natalie's Shoes says
Great list! I’ve never considered trying orange oil in baked goods. Will have to try!
Imagelicious says
That orange oil is my secret ingredient. Every single person loves it! I highly recommend it!
Gloria Duggan says
Yup those are some great gift ideas. I could use a couple of them myself.
Imagelicious says
Haha! Yea, all items on this list are tried and true!
VeenaAzmanov says
Love the list Julia. That Nigella book is a keeper. Love her recipes. Just added cooking with Jeffery on my list. My hubby would love that Nespresso..
Thanks
Imagelicious says
Not sure about your country, but there are deals on Nespresso machines here a few times a year. It makes a really good espresso!