Do you have a special someone in your life who can't stay out of the kitchen? Check out this list of 50+ Stocking Stuffer Ideas for People Who Love to Cook!
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For as long as I can remember, I've liked to cook. I don't even know why it became an interest of mine, since there wasn't a whole lot of from scratch cooking going on in my home. Perhaps it was because there was so little in the way of cooking, that I found myself attracted to it.
I learned how to cook mostly from cookbooks like Martha Stewart's "Cooking School" since the internet wasn't then, what it is now. I was a really terrible cook at first, but over time I learned new skills, applied those skills, and slowly built up my repertoire of the right tools.
I don't consider myself a fancy cook by any means, but I'm a pretty good home cook and I love preparing meals for my family. Truly, I can't stay out of the kitchen. Every day I tell myself I'm going to focus on cleaning, but I just end up in that kitchen, creating a new recipe or trying something new.
Do you know someone like that?
If you know someone who love to cook, you just may be wondering what on earth you can buy them for Christmas! It seems like they have everything they need, but you really want to pick up something that honors their love of cooking. Well, I've put together a list of 50+ Stocking Stuffer Ideas for People Who Love to Cook! That's right, over 50 ideas that you can use to stuff a stocking OR you could even make a basket of these items for a larger gift. Many of these tools are ones that I've tried out and own myself, but some of them are just neat ideas.
I hope you find some great Christmas gift ideas from my list of stocking stuffers for people who love to cook!
Stocking Stuffers for People Who Love to Cook
- Lettuce Knife - Using a metal knife on lettuce can cause browning. Ew. This plastic lettuce knife helps prepare lettuce in a snap, and not browning to be seen! One of my favorite kitchen tools.
2. Herb Stripper - Not just for herbs, you can use this handy tool for stripping kale leaves too!
3. Super Thin Spatula - I LOVE this one from OXO. It makes flipping pancakes and fried eggs a total breeze!
4. Danish Dough Whisk - These unique whisks make easy work of mixing up sticky dough by hand. I love to use mine when I make my sourdough bread.
5. Silicone Baking Mat - All bakers LOVE parchment paper, but these mats by Silpat are the gold standard for reusable baking sheet liners. I've had mine for over 10 years!
6. Lemon/Lime Squeezer - A fork can totally do the trick, but a good lemon and lime squeezer is a wonderful blessing for those of us who spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
7. Small Hole Grater/Zester - This is great for grating nutmeg, zesting an orange, or grating hard cheeses. Can't lie, I'd feel pretty pro wielding this thing!
8. Bread Lame - Not just for sourdough loaves! This bread lame makes quick and easy work of slicing dough for baguettes and many crusty breads.
9. Bench Scraper - So great for working with sticky dough, as well as transferring chopped vegetables in one swoop!
10. Silicone Muffin Cups - I'm always running out of paper cups for muffins! Well, get some of these silicone muffin cups and you won't have to worry about that again.
11. Compact Pizza Cutter - This pizza cutter is so minimalist, and would be safe and tidy in any kitchen drawer.
12. Candy/Deep Fry Thermometer - This can be placed in a pot to keep a constant eye on temperature, as is needed during candy making or deep frying. This one is on my wish list for sure!
13. Meat Thermometer - I don't know how I would cook meat if it weren't for my trusty meat thermometer! Before I finally bought one I was either undercooking or overcooking my meat. This is an absolute must for every home cook!
14. Mini Knife Sharpener - If you have trouble wielding that strang stick that comes with your knives, you will probably find this mini knife sharpener to be a life saver! There is no greater kitchen tool than a sharp knife!
15. High Quality Cookie Scoop - There is nothing worse than a poor quality scoop that keeps breaking! I use my scoops for more than just cookies! From Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties to Cheesecake Bites, this is one of my most used kitchen tools.
16. Gnocchi Board - If your cooking enthusiast is also a pasta enthusiast, this gnocci board could be a well loved gift! Small enough to fit into a stocking, but useful for forming homemade gnocci, this is one I can't wait to buy for myself.
17. Silpat Perfect Cookie Mat - I already LOVE Silpat mats (see above), but I'm totally obsessed with this perfect cookie mat. Printed with "cookie targets" so you can perfectly space your cookies every time. No more uni-cookies for me. Well, they're kind of fun to eat (they only count as one cookie!), so maybe I'll squeeze an extra cookie or two on the mat. 🤣
18. Dough Press Set - This makes easy work of dumplings, homemade perogies, hand pies, and more. I have one of these and I absolutely love it. I love using my pie dough scraps to make little pies stuffed with jam. They are such a tasty treat!
19. Ravioli Cutter Stamps - These are great for anyone who loves making their own pasta! Ravioli is an easier homemade pasta, because you don't need a special machine or attachment to make the dough. All you have to do is roll it very thin, scoop in the filling, layer it, and use these handy cutters to form the ravioli.
20. Chainmail Cast Iron Cleaner - One of my absolute favorite tools in the kitchen. Since I'm an avid cast iron cook, I need an easy and effective way to clean off sticky foods without damaging the seasoning. I was actually gifted this one year in my stocking, and I've been using it ever since. It has a place of prominence in my kitchen: hanging close by at all times.
21. Pan Scrapers - Along the lines of cast iron cooking and care, every cast iron cook needs one of these pan scrapers. They help lift any extra food and debris from your pan, making for an easy wipe down in most cases.
22. Pie Weights - If you have a baker in your family, a good set of pie weights may be an excellent stocking stuffer idea! These help weigh down pie dough when baking without a filling, ensuring the pie crust doesn't get all wonky and uneven. I have had this very brand for over 10 years in my kitchen!
23. Wavy Crinkle Cutting Tool - I absolutely love this tool for making homemade french fries. It also does a great job of cutting carrots, pickles, etc. Especially great if the cook in your life also loves to can.
24. Digital Kitchen Scale - When I first started with sourdough, I had to learn how to bake with weights. I was so happy with the results! Using a kitchen scale when baking means consistent results every time.
25. Hamburger Meat Chopper - This makes easy work of browning ground beef, which is a frequent occurrence in my kitchen!
26. Salt Cellar - Every good cook just feels that much extra when they season their delicious creation with a sprinkle of kosher salt from their salt cellar! This one is a ceramic mason jar style and I'm OBSESSED.
27. Pastry Blender - To me, there is nothing better than a pie made proper with a pastry blender versus the modern food processor. Making the pastry by hand makes for larger flakes of butter, and a better tasting pie dough in my opinion.
28. Mini Measuring Spoons - Did you know a dash, a pinch, and a smidgen are all actual measurements!? Well, this handy mini set of measuring spoons will measure those oft heard, rarely acknowledged amounts of salt, spice, and more.
29. Mini Grater - Along the lines of mini comes this mini grater. Sure, it could be novelty and even a joke gift, but I've actually seen this in someone's kitchen before! It can be used for grating nutmeg, garlic, and hard cheeses too! And it's totally cute.
30. Butter Bell - This keeps your butter soft AND fresh while on the counter. If you love using real butter like we do in my home, it can be frustrating trying to make buttered toast with a hard stick of butter. The butter bell is the answer to that conundrum. This one is the original and comes in a multitude of colors!
31. Pickle Packer / Sauerkraut Pounder - I have one of these I use for making Sauerkraut (we bought it locally made though) and it's awesome if the cook in your life enjoys fermenting of any kind! I've also used it to make pickled ginger carrots, which were delicious. 😋
32. Sprouting Kit by Masontops - This kit is small and compact, and provides everything you need to get started with sprouting seeds (including the seeds!). All you need is a mason jar, and we all have at least a few of those hanging around. Fresh sprouts are a great addition to salads, pizza, and wraps. I know I'm putting this one on my wish list this year!
33. A Really (I mean REALLY) Nice Chef's Knife - If you have a large budget for your stocking stuffers, you may want to surprise the cooking enthusiast in your life with a superb kitchen knife. The Chef's Knife is your standard knife, and this one is made by Wusthof with a 5 Star rating on Amazon. It is pricey, and I would consider it more of a "big gift" for sure, but it sure would be nice to see the look on someone's face when they pull this baby out! P.S. Obviously wrap it really well! 😂
34. Stainless Steel Mesh Cooking Infuser - Like a tea ball, but for soups, stews and more! I received one of these a few years ago, and it's the absolute best for making pickles and infusing liquids with herbs and spices without having to fish out all the pieces later. It can also be used to make a pot of loose leaf tea.
35. Stainless Steel Ladle with Spout - Few things in this life compare to a ladle that functions and works as one would expect a ladle to work. It sounds simple, but so many ladles actually spill soup and liquids all over during use. Getting one with a spout is essential, and this one from OXO is stainless steel as well, which means it won't have any reactions with acidic food and can easily be sterilized for canning.
36. Smart Coffee Warmer - Cooking people are almost always coffee (or tea) people. This little guy makes sure you never drink a cold cup again! All you do is set your mug of coffee (or tea, hot chocolate, etc) on the warmer, the sensor detects it, and it begins to warm your beverage of choice. As a busy mom I've had my fair share of cold coffee, and I'm really wanting one of these in my stocking this year. Hopefully my husband is reading this 😂.
37. Potato Ricer - You may feel kind of like this is the equivalent of buying a vacuum cleaner for someone but, at least for me, there is no comparison. If someone loves to cook, surely they would want to master their mashed potato game, right? Everyone says potato ricers do the job like no other, I hope I get to find out soon!
38. Ceramic Pie Bird - This little cutie is placed in the center of the pie, which allegedly results in a more crisp bottom crust. Not to mention how adorable it is.
39. Lattice Roller - For your pie making friends and family, try stuffing their stocking with this pastry lattice roller. Makes easy work of something that is otherwise a very tedious task for the pie maker.
40. Biscuit Cutters - Not just for biscuits! For perfectly round biscuits, as well as for shaping various doughs (and I use them in my Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties), these biscuit cutters are a must. A real upgrade for the home chef who has been using the bottom of a glass this whole time.
41. Cast Cookie Stamps - These are heavy duty cookie "stamps", not "cutters". Made by Norpro, you know these are going to last.
42. Spurtle - You're probably wondering what on earth a spurtle is. Well, it's a wooden wand-like tool that is specifically for stirring oatmeal and porridge. It's a very unique, niche tool that may be that perfect stocking stuff for the oat-lover in your life!
43. Cake Tester - Everyone needs one of these in their drawer. After all, nothing is more fun/stressful than trying to find your tiny cake tester in a drawer of all kinds of utensils 😂. Luckily, this one from Wilton has a large purple tip, making it easier to identify in the drawer. As a tip from me, I like to keep mine in the utensil tray that I keep my forks, knives, and spoons in. It stays contained that way!
44. Skimming Ladle - This is the best little tool you've never heard of. Since I make a lot of soups, as well as make my own broth, I just had to have this skimming ladle. You can easily remove foam from soups and broths, as well as the layer of fat that forms after cooling. Not only that, but it's great for fishing out bay leaves and other large chunks of herbs and spices.
45. Culinary Butane Torch - Up your cooking game and impress with crème brule, perfectly browned meringue and more! I want one of these so so so bad, but I've been known to set things on fire, so alas it is not to be. But if you have a less...flammable friend or family member, this may be a great stocking stuffer idea! Disclaimer: Be careful and use at your own discretion!
46. Mandoline - These are perfect for finely slicing vegetables, which is particularly helpful for ratatouille or scalloped potatoes. I've been putting off picking one of these up, but I know it would be such a help in the kitchen!
47. Corn Peeler - Fresh corn, right off the cob is absolutely delicious. Sure, frozen corn is a good stand in, but nothing beats fresh. Take the pain (literally, I've cut myself doing this before!) out of cutting corn off the cob, and give this corn "peeler" a try. I just may give this a try during canning season!
48. THE Garlic Press - I am generally not a fan of garlic presses, since I find them kind of tedious to clean and I would rather just use my knife. This one has been tested (and determined a winner) by Cooks Illustrated, so it's definitely made it to my "Dream Kitchen" wishlist on Amazon. It's definitely not cheap, but it is supposed to be the best!
49. Cooks Illustrated Subscription - Speaking of Cooks Illustrated, did you know you can order subscriptions direct from Amazon? Cooks Illustrated is THE cooking magazine, and any avid home cook would love a subscription. The first issue takes a while to receive, but you could print off a little card to let them know they'll be getting a gift subscription in the mail. A nice gift that lasts the whole year through!
50. Smoked Maldon Salt - Everyone who loves to cook, loves Maldon salt. This one is smoked, which is sure to be a nice treat for your favorite home cook!
51. Spaghetti Measure - If you cook for a smaller family, OR you buy your spaghetti in bulk, it's hard to know just how much to cook. This handy little tool measures for 1-4 servings, making it a breeze to know just how much pasta to add to the pot!
52. Stainless Steel Odor Absorber - I've never tried this myself, but I've heard so much about stainless steel helping to eliminate garlic and onion smells from your hands! I hope this works, because it would be such a great little gadget to have in the kitchen.
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