Christmas gifts for the cook (2011)

[Peter the eater]

Check out the 2010 topic.

What are we all hoping for this holiday season?

[Peter the eater]

Despite the groovy handlebars and overall shininess, I'll pass on this $400 Gas-Powered Drink Blender.

[Kerry Beal]

Despite the groovy handlebars and overall shininess, I'll pass on this $400 Gas-Powered Drink Blender.

That would add a little something to a tailgate party!

[Darienne]

My DH is insisting that we put in a new propane furnace and hot water heater. OK. I said. I want a gas stove and oven. OK. He said. It's a done deal for the spring. But it could count as a Christmas gift.

Tomorrow morning I am stopping at the Mississauga Kitchen Stuff Plus and picking up: a new pastry blender, a little specialized lime juicer, a handled micro-plane and a ruffled chopper.

(My pastry blender broke after 50 years of little use, and I can't stand the non-handled Lee Valley micro-plane any more. It hurts my hands after a while. I WANT the lime juicer and yesterday in my 'Edible Gifts for Christmas' class we used this chopper gadget for 'chopping' the chocolate. It's designed for ruffled French Fries, etc. I have a 'real' chocolate chopper but this one I can lean over and use my body weight instead of hands and arms alone.)

Can I count these as Christmas presents also?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I've asked very nicely for a 24" diameter hardwood turntable on teflon bearings. However, my real Christmas present arrived on Friday - a second fridge for my bakery!

[Tri2Cook]

I don't want cooking related stuff. I won't let anyone know about more expensive cooking stuff I want because I don't want them spending that much on me and I definitely don't need any more cheap gadgets. When you cook for a living everybody seems to think that cooking gadgets are the only gift to give. I have an entire cabinet filled with them still unopened. I'm doing all of my hinting towards cocktail related stuff this year.

[Darienne]

I don't want cooking related stuff. I won't let anyone know about more expensive cooking stuff I want because I don't want them spending that much on me and I definitely don't need any more cheap gadgets. When you cook for a living everybody seems to think that cooking gadgets are the only gift to give. I have an entire cabinet filled with them still unopened. I'm doing all of my hinting towards cocktail related stuff this year.

I work with chocolate. So, I am often given chocolates as a gift, especially in women's group which exchange small gifts. Sometimes they are pretty dreadful. Why would folks give chocolates to someone who works with chocolates?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Darienne: why would anybody bring bread to a baker? Or cake, for that matter? And yet it happens all the time. Much to my distress, really, because it's never very good bread or cake.

[Darienne]

Darienne: why would anybody bring bread to a baker? Or cake, for that matter? And yet it happens all the time. Much to my distress, really, because it's never very good bread or cake.

Totally. Perhaps you recall World's Best Chocolate Bars which charities sell to make money. Or chocolates wrapped in foil from the Dollarama? It doesn't make any sense to me. Or you.

I can always used lollipop sticks, cardboard presentation boxes, foil candy cups, etc. Real vanilla.

Still now I am beginning to sound like a misery-guts. (What a strange expression.)

A second fridge is terrific. Our late son lived with us for a couple of years a few years ago and then we bought him our second (second-hand) fridge. Then last year we bought a second (second-hand) freezer dedicated just to dog meat (NO! meat for dogs!) and it's now filled with apple juice and apple sauce. We had the biggest bumper apple crop of the last 17 years.

Edited November 27, 2011 by Darienne (log)

[andiesenji]

My DH is insisting that we put in a new propane furnace and hot water heater. OK. I said. I want a gas stove and oven. OK. He said. It's a done deal for the spring. But it could count as a Christmas gift.

Tomorrow morning I am stopping at the Mississauga Kitchen Stuff Plus and picking up: a new pastry blender, a little specialized lime juicer, a handled micro-plane and a ruffled chopper.

(My pastry blender broke after 50 years of little use, and I can't stand the non-handled Lee Valley micro-plane any more. It hurts my hands after a while. I WANT the lime juicer and yesterday in my 'Edible Gifts for Christmas' class we used this chopper gadget for 'chopping' the chocolate. It's designed for ruffled French Fries, etc. I have a 'real' chocolate chopper but this one I can lean over and use my body weight instead of hands and arms alone.)

Can I count these as Christmas presents also?

If you can, look at the tankless water heaters - for people on propane tanks, they save a tremendous amount of money, not reheating the same water over and over. Three friends who live up at Mammoth Mtn, where the propane costs are significantly higher than here, put in the tankless heaters not long after I did mine (and raved about) and noted impressive savings. One is a caterer so uses a lot of hot water all year long and estimates she cut her propane use by 1/3, which is a fair amount of money.

As for gifts for the kitchen, I already ordered the Magimix Toaster I have wanted for awhile. I have just about everything else I could possibly want so have NO kitchen things on my wish list for this year.

I was asked if I wanted a SousVide Supreme but turned it down. I really don't want to play with this at my age.

I would rather spend my time perfecting some of my ancient recipes that need to be brought up to date.

Edited November 27, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[baroness]

My DH is insisting that we put in a new propane furnace and hot water heater. OK. I said. I want a gas stove and oven. OK. He said. It's a done deal for the spring. But it could count as a Christmas gift.

If you can, look at the tankless water heaters - for people on propane tanks, they save a tremendous amount of money, not reheating the same water over and over. Three friends who live up at Mammoth Mtn, where the propane costs are significantly higher than here, put in the tankless heaters not long after I did mine (and raved about) and noted impressive savings. One is a caterer so uses a lot of hot water all year long and estimates she cut her propane use by 1/3, which is a fair amount of money.

I haven't had my tankless (natural gas here) water heater long enough to see how much I may be saving.

However, there is great joy in NEVER running out of hot water!

[andiesenji]

My DH is insisting that we put in a new propane furnace and hot water heater. OK. I said. I want a gas stove and oven. OK. He said. It's a done deal for the spring. But it could count as a Christmas gift.

If you can, look at the tankless water heaters - for people on propane tanks, they save a tremendous amount of money, not reheating the same water over and over. Three friends who live up at Mammoth Mtn, where the propane costs are significantly higher than here, put in the tankless heaters not long after I did mine (and raved about) and noted impressive savings. One is a caterer so uses a lot of hot water all year long and estimates she cut her propane use by 1/3, which is a fair amount of money.

I haven't had my tankless (natural gas here) water heater long enough to see how much I may be saving.

However, there is great joy in NEVER running out of hot water!

Baroness, that is one major reason for me also. I like taking long showers and even with filters on my water line regular water heaters will collect so much silt after just a couple of years that the volume of water is greatly reduced. A 50-gallon water heater might only hold 20 gallons of hot water.

I actually have two, one for the bathrooms and one for the laundry and kitchen and can have the washer and the dishwasher going at the same time.

It did require a larger gas line but that was a negligible expense considered how much I have saved in heating water.

Friends who live in an "all-electric" home and got an electric tankless, have been amazed at their savings.

Edited November 27, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[Darienne]

Thank you Andie and Baroness. He will hear of this to be sure. Of course, he will have already known about it.

[Snadra]

More for the coffee addict, but I want (neeeeed!) a burr grinder, now that I'm moving far from good coffee. I was content with passable coffee at home while I had access to good stuff in the city, but no more. I'm desiring a good espresso machine as well, but I think I'll stew on that for a while - maybe next year? French press and pour over will do until then.

My two wishes that won't happen are a magimix and an icecream machine with a compressor. I hold no hopes for either of them, but the coffee grinder *will* happen!

Those that might? A tortilla press and a comal, because I'm keen to get into some Mexican cuisine.

[Lisa Shock]

I have no hope of receiving these, but, I would like: Modernist Cuisine, an ice cream machine with a compressor, a folding sheeter, a steel work table, and a sturdy coffee grinder for grinding spices and salts.

[JeanneCake]

I am so very lucky - Santa already visited this year and brought me a double stack Blodgett Zephaire convection oven. I am not about to ask for anything else!!!

[maggiethecat]

I'd like (blush) a toaster oven. My daughter has one, and I used it a few weeks ago to make terrific toast, which my crappy toaster doesn't. Plus, I prefer the way a toaster oven melts cheese on a bagel over the action of a microwave.

Four shiny new sheet pans. The honkin' biggest Le Creuset casserole. Gift certificates to D'Artagnan, Penzeys, and King Arthur. A big bottle of the VSOPest cognac around. A quart of great vanilla. Saffron.

A dishwasher. Santa, go crazy!

[Darienne]

A dishwasher. Santa, go crazy!

Our dishwasher died an honorable death after more than 20 years just two days ago...but I WILL NOT consider a new dishwasher as a Christmas gift.

I hope Santa brings you all you desire, Maggie, and if a dishwasher is a present in your house, then I hope you get one!

[Special K]

I want one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Koziol-Kasimir-Cheese-Transparent-Anthracite/dp/B0043BT0VC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322593157&sr=8-1-spell. In fact, I've ordered one for myself and several more to give as gifts. I first ran across this little guy a few years ago - he won a design competition but the original (some kind of metal) one was never actually manufactured and sold. I keep checking, though, and I'm happy to find this PBA-free plastic one for a reasonable price!

(Edited to fix TLA)

Edited November 29, 2011 by Special K (log)

[Anna N]

I want one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Koziol-Kasimir-Cheese-Transparent-Anthracite/dp/B0043BT0VC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322593157&sr=8-1-spell. In fact, I've ordered one for myself and several more to give as gifts. I first ran across this little guy a few years ago - he won a design competition but the original (some kind of metal) one was never actually manufactured and sold. I keep checking, though, and I'm happy to find this PBA-free plastic one for a reasonable price!

(Edited to fix TLA)

Definitely adorable for a hedgehog fan like me! Wonder how well they work though.

[Zeemanb]

Cookbooks- Bouchon, Eleven Madison Park and Heston Blumenthal at Home.

And a good paring knife.

Maybe a new jar of Amarena cherries.

Other than that, my current kitchen is pretty well stocked. Will reassess once we do some renovations!

[Special K]

Definitely adorable for a hedgehog fan like me! Wonder how well they work though.

I'll let you know.

[kayb]

A small smoker. A refrigerator/cooler just for curing charcuterie. A set of really, really good knives.

[jsmeeker]

I would love to get a Vitamix. But that is not gonna happen.

What I DO NOT need i more wooden spoons or spatulas. Nor do I need any more kitchen towels. I always thought you can never have enough of those. But I think I do. I really don't need any small gadgets. Except a new potato masher. I could use that.

[Anna N]

I would love to get a Vitamix. But that is not gonna happen.

....

Yep and I'd like a new fridge and an induction range and that ain't gonna happen either.