10 Remarkable Gifts for New Home Cooks
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Cooking can be a necessity for some people and a hobby for others, and it feels good to get better at it. These ten gifts cover the tools a beginner reaches for most, plus a couple of treats that make a simple meal feel special.
1. Thermapen ONE Instant-Read Thermometer
New cooks often guess at doneness, and chicken or a roast is where guessing goes wrong. The Thermapen ONE from ThermoWorks gives a reading in under a second, and the probe rotates for easy reading in any hand. It suits someone who is ready to cook meat with confidence, and it also works for bread, candy, and frying oil.
2. Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
One good knife does more for a beginner than a block of mediocre ones. The Victorinox Fibrox Pro chef’s knife has an 8-inch high-carbon stainless blade and a non-slip handle that stays grippy when wet. It suits anyone who still chops with a dull knife from a starter set.
3. Lodge 10.25-Inch Cast Iron Skillet
A cast iron skillet sears steak, crisps potatoes, and goes from the stove to the oven. The Lodge skillet comes seasoned and ready to use, and it is made in the USA. It suits a cook who wants one sturdy pan for almost any recipe.
4. Epicurean Natural Cutting Board
Beginners often chop on a slippery, warped board. This Epicurean board is thin, light, and dishwasher safe, and it has a hang hole for easy storage. It is a good fit for a small kitchen without much counter space.
5. OXO Stainless Steel Kitchen Scale
Weighing ingredients is the easiest way to get baking and bread recipes right. The OXO scale reads in ounces or grams, has a zero button for adding ingredients one at a time, and its backlit display pulls out so a big bowl does not block the numbers. It suits someone who is starting to bake.
6. Microplane Premium Classic Zester
A Microplane turns lemon peel, hard cheese, garlic, and ginger into fine shreds in seconds. It is small, stores in a drawer, and gets used more often than most gadgets. It suits the cook who has just discovered that fresh Parmesan beats the stuff in the shaker.
7. Taylor Oven Thermometer
Many home ovens run hotter or cooler than the dial says. This stainless steel oven thermometer either stands on a rack or hangs from it, with temperature zones marked from slow to very hot. It suits a cook whose cookies keep burning on the bottom or coming out pale.
8. King Arthur Flour Sack Towels
Flour sack towels dry dishes, wipe counters, and replace a lot of paper towels. This set of four from King Arthur is 100% cotton, machine washable, and has a red stripe on white. It suits anyone setting up a first kitchen.
9. Saltverk Flaky Sea Salt
Professional cooks finish dishes with flaky salt, and a pinch on a steak, a salad, or a chocolate chip cookie makes a difference you can taste. This jar of Icelandic sea salt is easy to sprinkle by hand. It suits the person who watches cooking shows and wants their own food to taste like restaurant food.
10. Hand-Crank Pasta Maker
Fresh pasta is impressive to serve and easier than it looks. This stainless steel pasta maker clamps to the counter and rolls dough to different thicknesses. It suits a cook who is ready for a weekend project.
Any of these will get used the week it arrives. Pair one with a handwritten favorite recipe and it becomes a gift they will remember.
