It’s that time of year again, when you need to find the perfect gifts for everyone on your Christmas list.
• Citrus juice sprayer – This small gadget is perfect for the stocking. It’s a small spray pump that gets inserted directly into your favourite whole citrus fruit and allows you to spray juice directly from inside the fruit.
• Culinary torch – Whether it’s for crème brulee, adding a bit more browning to a piece of meat, igniting a flambé, or for just lighting candles, this little device is awesome. It’s a small refillable torch that is kept in the kitchen for all these jobs and more.
• Oven gloves – I prefer these over oven mitts because grasping hot objects is always easier when you have the dexterity of your fingers available.
• Sousvide – Recent innovations have made this one of the most popular cooking devices for the home chef. Basically, it is a hot water cooker where your food is sealed in bags and cooked to an exact temperature.
• Memory foam or gel floor mat – People that do a lot of cooking, also do a lot of standing, and typically kitchen floors are hard surfaces. Having a memory foam or gel floor mat offers great comfort.
• Cut resistant gloves – These are great for someone that is just learning how to use a knife, or someone who is not very steady with their hands. They are lightweight and washable too.
• Enamel coated cast iron pot – Cast iron holds heat extremely well, so these are perfect for any home chef. The enamel coating makes them easy to clean, and they come in a variety of colours and sizes.
• Electric Belgian waffle iron - Authentic Belgian waffles have deeper pockets and are yeast risen, and having the perfect waffle iron is the key to cooking them properly.
• Panini press – In my opinion, bread is a blank canvas for culinary creations. Having a good quality non-stick press is a perfect gift for any sandwich chef.
• Ice cream maker – Making your own ice cream and frozen yogurts is another great way for home chefs to unleash their culinary skills onto a blank canvas. There are many kinds of ice cream makers out there, but I prefer the higher-end electric ones that do most of the work for you.
• Tagine – These oven ceramic cookers are great for moist slow cooking. Because of their unique sloped pointed design, they easily distribute evaporated juices back onto the food for incredibly moist results. They also come in a variety of colours and sizes.
• Sil pat baking mat - These silicone mats that are inserted into baking sheets are non-stick make for easy clean up after cooking.
• Milk frother – This is a great little device for people that would like to create fancy coffees but don’t have an expensive coffee machine at home. There are many varieties on the market from a small handheld device, to ones that plug in and heat the milk too.
• chefdez.com.