Black Friday is this week, which is generally my reminder to bundle it up and start gift planning. Maybe you organized people are done or even starting, but for the rest of us slowpokes, it’s time!
So to help you out with the cooks in your life, here are 10 of my favorite kitchen tools, toys and other gift ideas, from small and practical to big figures. Nothing on this blog is sponsoredby the way, just my opinion.
(Note: I first published this in November 2016 and have updated it every year since. Last year I disassociated from Amazon when possible to encourage you to shop from smaller businesses. Prices are in Canadian dollars, to give you an idea. Americans, you can cut about 25% of them.)
I have used and loved all of these products. Cooking is central to healthy eating, so let’s make it easier and more enjoyable for the ones we love.
Kitchen gifts
1. Swissmar peelers ($7-12) – I didn’t think these were anything special until we went to a friend’s cabin and used her dull, clunky exfoliator. No thanks! I’ve had them for years and they’re still razor sharp.
We use the straight one for hard vegetables like carrots. There’s also a serration for soft-skinned fruit, like kiwis and mangoes, and a julienne peeler for long, thin strips, which makes the vegetables beautiful for salads.
2. Apple cutter – $20 – Ours is used several times a week. I like it because it makes 16 thin slices, which is perfect for pairing with an apple crisp or a quick snack. Most of them cut an apple into 8 slices, which would probably be easier to clean. But we like those very thin slices. 
3. Stainless steel measuring cups and spoonful ($39 and $20 respectively) – I was gifted a set of stainless steel measuring tapes about 20 years ago and they still look and feel great.
The measuring cups are narrow so they fit in any spice jar. And they have a 1/8 spoon measure, which is useful for a small amount of salt. Either way, a nice step up from plastic.
4. Rubbermaid Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug ($18) – They’re not trendy, but they sure are durable, waterproof, and well-insulated. We’ve been using ours daily for about ten years now!
5. Aeropress coffee and espresso machine ($45) — My husband and I decided to start drinking coffee about ten years ago now, and we’ve only ever used this brewer. It’s quick, simple, and makes flavorful coffee, like a French press, but easier on your cholesterol. (Yes really!) 
6. Spiral ($55) – A fun way to enjoy more vegetables, from zucchini noodles to beautiful carrots and beets for salads. Something about the change in texture makes them more appealing.
Zucchini noodles actually taste pretty good on their own, lightly sautéed in olive oil, or sometimes I throw them in the pot with regular spaghetti for the last couple of minutes.
I have the Paderno spiralizer, but sometimes it doesn’t hold tight enough on hard vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes. Instead, I linked to a review above if you want help choosing one. (The $55 price is for the Oxo brand, which they liked best.)
7. Matching food storage containers ($ varies). This is another one that’s more practical than stylish, but they’ve made using leftovers so much easier in our kitchen! We use the Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid containers, but I don’t think it matters as long as they fit and nest nicely.
(Glass containers would be great, but I need to find some that stack and nest easily, otherwise they take up a lot of space.)
8. Instant Pot ($80 and up, on sale this week) – After a year or so with the Instant Pot, I ditched my slow cooker. It’s similar, except the Instant Pot lets you brown onions or meat before cooking, or turn up the pressure if you want to do something faster.
The other neat trick is to hard boiled eggs in it. The shells come off much easier than with conventional boiling.
9. SodaStream ($80 and up, on sale this week) – If you like sparkling water, you have to have a SodaStream. You never run out (unless you have a new CO2 cartridge handy) and it saves you buying and recycling bottles. You will pay about $20 each time you replace the CO2 cartridge, which is about every 3 months in our house, with daily use.
10. The 30 Minute Heart Healthy Cookbook ($20) – A shameless plug! You have to admit it would be somewhat remiss of me not to include my book in the list. Plus, I think it makes a great gift.
There are 125 satisfying recipes that take just 30 minutes or less from start to dig, and help your loved one effortlessly add more vegetables, whole grains, legumes and fish to their life.
Actually I haven’t Any financial stake in where (or if) you buy the book, so I linked to a review instead of a bookstore. If you have time, call your local bookstore and ask them to order it for you. If you live in Calgary, stop by and I’ll sign it for you. 😊
Bonus ideas!
I haven’t personally cooked with these tools, but people in my community rave about them, so some more ideas for fun:
- Life in Hearts Mug, totes or clothes – Similarly, these beauties were created by Jackie Ratz, who lives with heart failure and founded the Canadian Women with Medical Heart Issues Facebook support group. Proceeds go to group initiatives.
- Air fryer – Of course! It seems like everyone has one or wants one this year.
- High quality knives – I’m no expert in this department, but definitely a gift that will be used and appreciated.
- ONE mezzaluna – Peggy in ours Facebook group He informed me about it, and I admit I had to Google it! He says it’s great for cutting fresh herbs.
- Handmade wooden utensils – Dar on Twitter shared these and I had to include them, they are so beautiful.
- Mandolin slicer – To thinly slice a bunch of carrots, potatoes, onions, apples, zucchini and more in a flash. Just make sure you use the safety cover! Thanks to Rhonda on Twitter for this idea.
- Unique food gifts – Flavored olive oils, nut seasonings, fancy cheese and more. Check out ten healthy (yet fun!) food gift ideas here.
Hopefully these ideas will give you some inspiration to get you started on your holiday shopping and help a loved one enjoy cooking even more.
What’s on your bucket list this year? Share here in our Facebook group.
