D.C. Area Nesties
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Kitchen-related gifts for cook
I'm looking for a nice gift for my mom for Christmas that she can use in the kitchen. She likes to cook but I swear she has everything - food processor, Kitchen Aid mixer, coffee pot, pots/pans. I'm trying to think of something to get her that is either a good upgrade or something she doesn't have (which is hard, because I think she has everything). Any ideas? I've bought her several smaller gifts but would like something at a little higher price point to be her big gift.
Re: Kitchen-related gifts for cook
Alton Brown has a list of kitchen essentials. I could not find it on his blog though. You should be able to get it through Google. I am a foodie and used to love gadgets. I am not downsizing my kitchen and getting rid of unitaskers.
One thing I love that is on his list that I did not have until two years ago an electric kettle. I use it all the time, and not just for tea. We also use the he!! out of our Lodge skillets!
A really nice cook book? A subscription to cooking light or a magazine along those lines? Actually, cooking light in the last two issues has been reviewing the 'best cook books of the last 50 years'.
Other kitchen-like gifts we've gotten for people include a ninja system, an apron that has common kitchen conversions written on it upside down (so the cook can read them), a big set of bowls/storage stuff. Pampered Chef also has some really nice cookware (a crock-pot like thing that you put in the microwave, for example).
Somethings that I would appreciate (assuming I had space to store them):
-a Boos cutting board
-an electric knife sharpener
-a pasta roller (or attachment for my mixer)
-a really pretty cake stand, or pretty unusual server of any kind
-le creuset ramekins
-le creuset grill pan
Here are some more "off the wall" ideas:
- Pressure cooker
- Nice juicer or vitamix (both probably out of price range...)
- Meat grinder or pasta attachment for kitchenAid mixer
- stovetop/oven smoker
- espresso maker or nice french press with good coffee
- bread making supplies from King Arthur Flour
- soda stream
- cooking classes
I'm not sure what your price range is, but does she have good knives? My Shun knives - specifically the classic, hollow ground santoku knife - are the things in the kitchen that I use the most and love the most. Once you use a really good knife, you can tell the difference with crappy knives. They're pricey though. I think the entire set was around $750 with a discount, but just the santoku is in the $160 range. (Not the same impact as handing over a big box though, if that is important to you.)
Cast iron or Le Creuset would be great. I like the cake stand idea, too. Does she have a good digital meat thermometer? Maybe some unique baking pans (like for popovers or mini bundt cakes or something) that she wouldn't usually buy herself?
Maybe instead of gear, you could get her some specialty ingredients? You could go to Penzey's and get vanilla beans, saffron, Vietnamese cinnamon, big hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano from Whole Foods, stuff like that?
TTC #2: BFP 12/17/11, m/c 1/7/12 and D&C 1/12/12
baby blog/cooking blog
I agree with the mixer accessory suggestions- the beater blade is awesome, another bowl is a good idea, so are lids for the bowls, and a pouring shield as well.
I have the pasta roller/ cutter set too, and that's a really fun gift. Semolina flour and nice olive oil would be great additions to that.
Stand up for something you believe in.
Thanks guys! Great ideas. She is not local and I wasn't paying too close attention when I was there for Thanksgiving so I might have to guess and get her some of these things and cross my fingers she doesn't have them already. My dad is clueless.
I gave her cooking classes last year and I think she liked them but wasn't raving so I don't know if I'll do a repeat. The woman is insufferable in that when she wants/needs something she runs out and buys it almost immediately, so if she told me she needed something a few weeks ago, I swear, she already has it. *sigh* So I have to be creative and hope she likes what I came up with. I'm sure I can find something among these ideas that will be a winner!
She's not really either. She'll bake here or there but will mostly just see a recipe she likes and then try and make it, so she's not a "chef" in that she's experimental. But she does like to have all the latest gadgets, gear, etc.