Gifts that make cooking more fun

Cooking with small appliances and kitchen gadgets can be a lot of fun, and that’s especially true when it’s the holidays and you’re cooking for a crowd of friends and family. With holiday gift lists in the starting phases, it’s the perfect time to take a look at gifts that make cooking more fun. Some of them might even surprise you.

Cook with an extra set of virtual hands

It doesn’t sound like a conventional kitchen gadget, but a smart display can take your cooking skills to the next level.

I have the Google Nest Hub in my kitchen and it helps with all sorts of tasks including pulling recipes up on my phone when my hands are covered in dough, helping me with metric conversions, and playing music to cook by. I’m so attached to my smart display, I can’t imagine cooking without it anymore. You can choose a Google smart display or an Amazon smart display for anyone on your gift list, and having one in your kitchen this Christmas is going to make cooking and baking even more festive and fun.

Explore new cooking techniques with your iPad or tablet

If you want a bigger screen than a traditional smart display, you can pick up a wall mount for your tablet or iPad. I love having one in the kitchen for cooking. You can watch YouTube to learn how to tackle a kitchen task like double boiling or how to properly slice an onion, or you can scroll through your favourite cooking apps and come up with great new recipes.

Bake everything with a KitchenAid Stand Mixer

I received my first KitchenAid Stand Mixer as a Christmas gift 10 years ago. A few years later, I gifted it to a friend and upgraded to a shiny new ice-blue KitchenAid Artisan model. Just a month ago I upgraded again, and this time I opted for the new KitchenAid Bowl-Lift stand mixer in Blue Velvet.

How do I love the KitchenAid Stand Mixer for baking? Let me count the ways. It’s great for blending because I just throw everything into the bowl and you never have to worry about it being under-mixed. Whipping is a pleasure because you just turn it on and let it go, and it will knead your bread dough faster than you can imagine. I just reviewed the latest KitchenAid stand mixer and I loved the pasta roller attachment. The attachments make cooking more fun, and you choose different types including one that spirals vegetables, grinds meat, and makes ice cream.

Meals in minutes with the Instant Pot Pressure cooker

There’s something about a pressure cooker that just brings me joy. There’s literally nothing you can’t cook in it, and it always puts a meal on the table quickly. I love using my Instant Pot Pressure cooker so much that I use it several times a week.

Giving the gift of an Instant Pot means that whoever receives it can make perfect hard-boiled eggs, use it to can fruits, vegetables, and jam, or cook up a delicious roast beef in 45 minutes or less. It’s the only gift I’ve ever received that lets me layer an entire meal including the main course and three veggies, and it all comes out ready to eat.

KitchenAid Food Processor takes the cake

I use my food processor on a weekly basis so I can say with authority that chopping and pureeing with one of these kitchen gadgets is a lot of fun. I love how I can put everything inside of it and it comes out perfectly diced, and some models of food processors also let you make dough, ice cream, and other goodies.

Make cooking more fun with an indoor grill

Who doesn’t love a hot, toasted egg and cheese sandwich in the morning? The only problem is that it takes time to make an egg sandwich, or at least it did before I brought home an indoor grill. It has a grill and griddle, so my indoor grill toasts, cooks eggs, and lets me put the entire sandwich together in one fell swoop. It’s easy and fun, and an indoor grill is a great gift for a student or someone who wants a healthy breakfast in a hurry.

Whip up steaming hot coffee creations

I love a regular cup of coffee, but there’s something about lattes and cappuccino in the winter that puts me in a great mood. What could be more fun than an egg nog latte or hot chocolate made with steamed milk? You can whip up different types of hot milk drinks including cappuccino, lattes, and hot chocolate with an espresso maker. They are easy to use, easy to clean up, and some models will take over every step of the espresso and latte making process.

Give the gift of bread with a bread maker

I’m a big believer in giving the gift of a bread maker. Why? There’s something really satisfying about baking your own bread at home. You can gift a basic bread maker or buy an upgraded bread maker for someone who wants to bake bigger loaves. Whoever receives this gift will enjoy the heavenly scent of bread baking any day of the year.

Make this the year you try Sous Vide

Sous Vide is an appliance I always want to use more often. Cooking with a Sous Vide machine is a lot of fun, and you can make everything from the perfect steak to Creme Brule right in a water bath. The temperature is maintained so you can never overcook, and you can get really creative in how you season and flavour your food before you immerse it.

Whip up waffles for the family

If you love breakfast the way I love breakfast, you make a big breakfast for the family every weekend. To make the meal more fun why not pick up a waffle maker? You can whip up waffles for the family and also use it to cook waffles, sandwiches, quesadillas, or eggs.

Gifts that make cooking more fun

If you have to make a meal, why not have a great time cooking it? These are just a few small appliances that make cooking more fun, and you can find even more in store and at Bestbuy.ca.