The BEST Holiday Gifts for the Home Cook

I’ve thought about doing a guide to gifts for the home cook a few times over the years and am thrilled to finally share it with you. With all the time I spend in the kitchen I’ve learned which products work and which don’t. Reading Amazon reviews are one thing but if you really want a true review go ask any food blogger who spends dozens of hours a week in their home kitchen whipping up recipes.

Why is my guide the best? Because I have real photos of every product in use. I am not grabbing stock images and dropping them in a post like most gift guides. These are products I use ALL the time and that you see in my blog posts ALL the time.

My Fave Small Kitchen Appliances

Cuisinart Food Processor

My top kitchen appliance is a CUISINART FOOD PROCESSOR. You see this in almost every recipe I have. If you are only going to buy one appliance to prep with this should be it. I recently upgraded to the 14 cup model and it is like a dream come true. I gave my ten year old smaller food processor to a friend because it is still going strong. Check out my pick for food processors HERE.

Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker

Next up is an ICE CREAM MACHINE. This is one of the best kitchen investments I have ever made. Those store-bought pints of low carb ice creams add up fast AND homemade ice cream tastes so much better. See my favorite ice cream maker HERE.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

The INSTANT POT. They are all the rage nowadays. To be honest, when I first got mine I rarely used it. I didn’t have room to store it in the kitchen so I’d have to schlep it up from the basement. Now that I have room on my countertop for it I use it all the time and I wish I started sooner! My favorite use of the instant pot is to make shredded chicken. Once I have that prepared I can use it in so many different ways. HERE is the model I have.

Rocket Blender

I have a large expensive blender so if you are in the market for one of those click HERE. But I still have much love for my small ROCKET BLENDER. It is perfect for making dressings and sauces, grinder coffee and herbs, and making a single serve beverage. See that HERE.

The MOST Useful Kitchen Gadgets

A MANDOLIN is essential if you don’t have a food processor or just don’t feel like washing it for small jobs. This is the best way to cut vegetables into thin, uniform slices. See my mandolin HERE.

A MEAT THERMOMETER. When we go on vacation and will be cooking we take this with us. No joke. This is my trick to getting perfect meat. No one wants dry chicken (or salmonella) so this is a must in my kitchen. See mine HERE.

A MICROPLANE GRATER makes quick work of grating cheese, nuts, and zesting citrus. See my favorite grater HERE.

A good set of KNIVES is indespensible. A couple years after we were married my husband and I saved and bought Henckels knives and 12+ years later they are still excellent. See our pick HERE.

Some Fun Extras for the Home Cook

What about the home cook that has everything? Here are a couple of my favorite things that they might not have yet!

Tovolo MINI ICE CREAM CONTAINERS. Aren’t these the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? If your favorite home cook already has an ice cream machine these are the perfect gift to go with it. They hold one serving of ice cream so you can grab one from the freezer and eat right from the carton. See them HERE.

Multiple Sizes of COOKIE SCOOPS are a must in my kitchen. We use them for cookies, meatballs, cupcakes, and ice cream in a pinch. When trying to make uniform sized balls of just about anything them are the way to go. I use all 3 sizes all the time. See these HERE.

Bonus: Best Sugar Free Treats

This is a bit of a bonus sections because these are great for anyone, not just home cooks. I get A LOT of sugar free sample products in the mail and some can be weird or just plain gross. I’ll admit it. Here are my favorites that I will purchase time and time again.

Lily’s CHOCOLATE is what makes a sugar-free diet doable. Amiright? The Caramelized & Salted bar is my favorite. And I use a generous amount of their chocolate chips when baking. I buy most of my Lily’s from Thrive Market (click here for a special offer) or when it’s on sale at Whole Foods. You can also get it on Amazon.

A Great Subscription

The time is long past when a fruit of the month club was the only choice to extend your gift giving into the new year. Nowadays you can get a subscription to just about anything. Here are my two favorites.

KETO KRATE. How much fun is it to get a bright orange box full of healthy snacks and specialty products to your door every month? VERY. I love getting my Keto Krate every month. Joy Filled Eats Readers can save $5 off with code: JOYFILLEDEATS5 just CLICK HERE.

BUTCHER BOX. Do you have someone you really want to treat for Christmas this year? Send them some good meat. Or send one to yourself. My readers always get the best current offer, everything from free steak, to free bacon for life. Just click here.