Best Gifts for Aspiring Cooks
When you’re an aspiring cook, you tend to identify a ton of cooking tools and appliances that you think you need.
It thus becomes overwhelming especially if you have a limited budget. This is what I experienced back in the day.
Gifts from family as an aspiring cook came in handy to build up my kitchen.
If you’re looking to gift an aspiring cook, here’s a thought-out list of items you can consider.
11 Gift Ideas for Aspiring Cooks
1. Vegetable Chopper
An activity that must take place while cooking is chopping. You’re constantly chopping onions, tomatoes, carrots, and other vegetables.
A vegetable chopper is a great kitchen gift as it eases the burden of chopping with a knife on a board.
A great option is the Fullstar 9 in 1 deluxe vegetable chopper. It’s a functional kitchen gadget recommended to chop all types of vegetables and eggs.
It features 7 different inserts with blades that are easy to shift between and get chopping. The chopper blades have two different sizes.
You also get two spiralizer inserts to prepare thin or broad ribbon spirals. Aside from the inserts, you get a juicer, slicer, egg separator, and hand-held peeler.
All these functionalities make it easy to prepare ingredients before one can start cooking. The best part, you don’t have to worry about creating a mess or spilling.
There’s a catch tray that secures all the cut material and you can quickly transfer it to a bowl or cooking pot.
This Fullstar vegetable chopper is made from plastic and you operate it manually.
The plastic material is BPA free and non-toxic. You don’t have to worry about contamination or future health hazards.
It is effortless to clean and maintain. You can also use a dishwasher as the sections are dishwasher safe.
For storage, a blade organizer is available which makes it possible to save on space.
A detailed manual is available to guide you on how to make the most out of this time-saving vegetable chopper.
2. Cooking Chef Apron
A fun and functional gift for an aspiring cook is an apron. Aprons keep clothes on the cook clean by protecting them from spills, dirt, and other materials.
The Miracu funny cooking apron is not any ordinary apron for a kitchen. The aprons contain funny messaging with durable printing.
The printed words are meant to entertain the cook and those who partake in the meals. There are several word prints to choose from.
Aprons from Miracu are versatile and durable. They protect an aspiring cook and cover the entire front.
They also feature 3 spacious deep pockets. You can easily place your cooking tools and ingredients such as spice jars and spatulas for quick access while cooking.
These cooking aprons are a comfortable fit. They measure 27 by 29 inches with a waist strap of 45 inches.
They accommodate both men and women and have an adjustable neck strap.
The aprons are made using heavy-duty cotton to ensure value for money. The cotton material is easy to clean and dry.
Unfortunately, it’s not recommended to dry clean, use a dryer or spin dry the apron.
3. Cooking Utensil Set
You can never have too many utensils in a kitchen. That is why a cooking utensil set is a great gift for aspiring cooks.
Unfortunately, not all cooking utensil sets are a good option. I’d advise buying stainless steel utensils since they are more durable.
The Homquen cooking utensil set is a great option. It is a 12-piece stainless steel cookware set made using food-grade material.
The stainless steel is 304 top-grade. Even with daily use, the utensils do not bend, break, or rust.
All the utensils have a comfortable handle, gentle to protect your hands while preparing meals.
Another advantage of the cooking set is the ease of cleaning. The set is dishwasher safe, saving you the need to handwash.
The 12 utensils part of this set are a solid turner, slotted turner, slotted and serving spoon, ladle, skimmer, egg whisk, pasta server, bating brush, potato masher, cooking tong, and flexible spatula.
4. Oven Mitts
While cooking in the kitchen, one handles heated cookware and surfaces. An oven mitt comes in handy to protect hands from burning.
This is why the Grevy oven mitts are a functional gift for aspiring cooks. These oven mitts come shaped like a hand thus easy to fit and use.
The dimensions are 12.2 by 6.69 by 1.18 inches, relatively flexible to fit average hands. The glove is not too big or small to restrict hand movement.
The 12 inches is also long enough to protect the arms from spillage. These Grevy oven mitts are heat-resistant and made using cotton.
The inner lining is soft and warm with a comfortable feel. The soft lining also makes it easy to wear and remove the gloves as necessary.
These Levy oven mitts have cute colors and patterns to light up the kitchen. They feature a loop that makes it possible to hang them on a hook.
For cleaning, the mitts can be machine-washed, air-dried, and ironed as needed.
5. Kitchen Knife Set
Even with a vegetable chopper, there’s always a need for quality knives in the kitchen. And rather than getting a knife as a gift, buy a knife set that gives knife options.
The Chef’s Vision Landscape kitchen knife set is beautiful and colorful for a kitchen. They feature landscape imagery from around the world.
You get 6 knives with this set, all with different sizes and designs to meet cutting needs. It features a pairing, utility, santoku, slicer, bread, and chef knives.
The knives are made using quality stainless steel material. There are both plain and serrated blade edges to provide versatility to chop different items.
This kitchen knife set has a non-stick coating. Cutting is made easier with them as the cut pieces quickly slide off the blade.
They also feature an ergonomic design to ensure that you are comfortable when using them. Their design also guarantees a balanced and secure grip to prevent any accidents.
There are several designs to choose from if you don’t fancy landscape imagery. You can choose between the cosmos, wildlife, Jurassic, and masterpiece.
6. Organic Starter Spice Gift Set
There’s no better way to add richness and variety to food than adding spices. Spices act as a natural flavoring that elevates the taste of food.
Help enrich the cooking of an aspiring cook by gifting a spice gift set. The Simply Organic starter spice set is a great choice.
This set contains fresh spices that are full of flavor. It has 24 culinary spices that are popular for any kitchen.
The spices are fitted in convenient tight-fitted plastic containers for easy storage. These containers feature a pour spout cap and sifter for easy spice retrieval.
The plastic containers are also clearly labeled to help you identify the variety of spices.
All 24 spices are organic and kosher certified by Quality Assurance International (QAI) and Kosher Supervision of America (KSA) respectively.
Simply Organic spices are grown and manufactured without GMOs, toxic pesticides, and irradiation.
7. Measuring Cups and Spoons Set
To attain the perfect balance when preparing meals in a kitchen, getting the right ingredient measurement is key.
Measuring cups and spoons make determining the right portions simpler. This is why a set of Simply Gourmet measuring cups and spoons is a perfect gift.
They help to eliminate any guesswork when measuring ingredients in the kitchen. The set is silver and is made using durable stainless steel material.
They are universal measuring, with visible markings to make them readable. The markings are engraved with both metric and standard US measurements.
Both the spoon and cups feature a flat base. This works to prevent any spillage when handling these measuring tools.
The set is durable and rust-resistant. This makes them perfect for measuring both liquid and dry ingredients.
They are a one-stop solution for getting measurements right and preparing delicious food, and pastries.
All the measuring cups and spoons are dishwasher safe. They also stack together for easier storage after cleaning.
There are 3 options for this set. You can choose between a 7, 12, or 15-piece set of measuring cups and spoons.
8. Instant Read Thermometer
One of the best ways to manage the outcome of the meals a cook prepares is to keep track of and maintain the food temperature.
Using an instant-read thermometer is a simple yet effective method to check the temperature of cooking and ready food.
It is a simple and important gift to give an aspiring cook. The KULUNER TP-01 food thermometer is a good choice.
It is a digital thermometer that is ready to use straight out of the box. The instant-read thermometer features a stainless-steel probe made using food-grade material.
The probe is 4.6 inches and is foldable for easy storage. A cool feature of this thermometer is the auto on and off.
When you open the probe, it turns on and turns off when you fold it. This instant-read thermometer is fast and accurate.
You get your temperature readings in 2 to 3 seconds with a +/- degree accuracy.
It has a range of -58℉ to 572℉ making it possible to determine the temperature of a variety of foods.
You can also switch between ℃ and ℉. The thermometer uses a battery that is provided with the thermometer.
You can use the thermometer for indoor or outdoor cooking. It has a large LCD that is bright and with a backlight.
These features make it quick and easy to read the temperature readings irrespective of the time of day.
This thermometer is helpful when grilling, baking, roasting, testing beverages, and deep frying. There is no limit to determining the temperature of food and drinks.
The kitchen gadget has undergone waterproof treatment and has a rating of IP67.
You can comfortably wash it under running water without damage.
9. Reusable Silicone Lids
Reusable silicone lids eliminate the need to use aluminum foils, plastic wraps, and other single-use plastics.
They are not only good for the environment but also a great convenience in the kitchen for storage and food protection.
The reusable silicone lids are great for storing food and drinks while keeping them fresh. The Unwasted Reusable silicone lids are versatile and a must-have.
They are round and made using platinum food-grade silicone material.
These silicone lids offer just the right amount of stretch to fit various items.
They act as leakproof and airtight seals that can be used with bowls, containers, and cups.
The lids are BPA-free, oven, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe. They do not release any chemicals, warp, or melt.
10. Air Fryer Kitchen Appliance
Unless you live under a rock, you must have heard about an air fryer. This kitchen appliance has simplified cooking as it prepares healthy meals faster than conventional methods.
The Instant Vortex Plus air fryer is the best choice for a gift. It offers great 6-in-1 functionality as you can roast, dehydrate, air fry, bake, broil and reheat food.
Air fryers provide delicious, tender, and crispy outcomes thanks to advanced airflow technology.
These appliances use 60% less energy and do not require the use of oil. This is a great saving, especially for an aspiring cook.
The instant vortex plus air fryer is made with stainless steel material and comes in different capacities.
It features a compact design and thus can fit the countertop or small kitchens. Clean-up is simple as the surface is nonstick.
The air fryer basket and tray are also dishwasher safe, making it convenient to speed up cleaning.
This kitchen appliance is great for preparing delicious meals quickly. The 6-quartz size is perfect for 4 to 6 servings.
If you’re gifting an aspiring cook who has a large family, it is recommended to get a bigger size air fryer to cut down cooking time.
11. Food Storage Containers Set
The final gift idea is storage containers. Organization in a household can be a challenge, especially with limited space.
Food storage containers set with lids come in handy to store a variety of items in a kitchen. You can store cereals, rice, flour, and spices.
The Chef’s Path storage container set is a good choice. The containers have lids, labels, a chalkboard marker, and measuring spoons.
They are a complete storage solution. You’re able to save on space in your cupboard, cabinets, counters, or refrigerator.
The plastic containers are BPA-free and clear. They help to prolong the freshness of food as they are airtight and leakproof.
There are 4 set options. These vary with sizing and container quantities.
For more gifting ideas, check out Thoughtful gift baskets and sets for home cooks
