11 Gift Ideas for the Expert Home Chef
Let's toast the host who can boast the most roast. Prost!
All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
We love new kitchen gadgets, but it’s best to stick to essentials when buying gear for a passionate home chef. Save the smart forks and Bluetooth toasters for your nutty uncle, because real kitchen warriors just want the nitty-gritty. Dope-ass knives. Dependable skillets. No-nonsense mixers. Remember: The better the gifts you give a chef, the more pleasure your own taste buds will receive.
Amazon01Misono UX10 Gyutou
Any home cook worth a lick of salt already has a chef’s knife. It’s the essential tool in their arsenal, and they’ve formed a bond with it you don’t want to mess with. It could be a German chef’s knife, which is a well-balanced workhorse. Or it may be a Japanese chef’s knife, a high-maintenance precision tool that slices see-through sashimi. [This hybrid knife](https://www.amazon.com/Misono-UX10-Gyutou-8-2-21cm/dp/B000XSX8IA) ($175) combines German power and Japanese exactitude, making it [the perfect addition](http://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/best-cheapest-chefs-knife-tested-article) to anyone’s block. It may start off as their second-fiddle knife, but it'll earn first-string status before long.
Breville02Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Elbow grease is part of what makes cooking fun, but your giftee doesn’t want to spend all day hand-grinding coffee beans. We loved the original [Breville Smart Grinder](https://more-deals.info/2013/04/coffee-grinders/), and [this step-up model](https://www.brevilleusa.com/the-smart-grinder-pro-cranberryred.html) ($200) ups the ante with 60 settings that can grind super-fine espresso, chunky French-press grounds, and everything in between.
Amazon03Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
If they only own one cast-iron skillet, get them a second one in a size they don't already have. This [brawny Lodge jawn](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006JSUA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bguidelink-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00006JSUA&linkId=016a70eb29eff32a64aa975a42e22aae) ($16 and up) is just about the best-reviewed option out there. And because cast-iron doesn't react too well to soapy water, why not throw in a handy (and cheap) [cleaning-tool set](https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-SCRAPERCOMBO-Pan-Grill-Scraper/dp/B00JETRWZY/)?
Sur la table04Kuhn Rikon Corn Holders
These are [corn holders](http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-2475499/?affsrcid=AFF0005&utm_term=108591281381_product_type_cooking_tools_product_type_fruit_%26_vegetable_tools_custom&adpos=1o6&creative=45300852101&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KEQiApqTCBRC-977Hi9Ov8pkBEiQA5B_ipaUD81ufp6xx8TH7tcUec9x2q70hr6vzx0tMHMwt-_UaArRM8P8HAQ) ($12). They’re shaped like little ears of corn. They keep melted butter off your hands. They screw into your corn, and they also screw into each other for efficient storage. You can use them with full-size corn. You can also use them with baby corn, as a joke.
Amazon05Tojiro Bread Slicer
As its near-perfect score on Amazon would indicate, [this serrated sword](https://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-Bread-Slicer-270mm-F-687/dp/B004LVIO3O) ($50) is the best thing since sliced bread. (In fact, logic would indicate that its greatness actually predates the existence of sliced bread.) It does more than lop loaves, too. Use it for fruit. Use it for prime rib. Use it for big ol’ blocks of chocolate. Just use it carefully, because it’s very sharp.
KitchenAid06KitchenAid Artisan Mixer
The best mixer out there is also the most iconic. [KitchenAid’s tilt-head Artisan stand mixer](https://www.kitchenaid.com/shop/-[KSM150PSER]-400120/KSM150PSER/) ($350) is available in every color imaginable, and it’s also pretty pricey. But it’s [beloved by bakers](http://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/kitchenaid-artisan-mini-review-article) for a reason, and there are a slew of attachments to help with anything from making ravioli to stuffing sausage. It’s not just a mixer, it’s the motor for a food-making platform.
Debuyer07DeBuyer Mineral B Element Pans
If cast-iron is already abundant in your loved one's kitchen, then round out their cookware collection with these [similar but lighter carbon-steel pans](http://www.debuyer.com/en/products/mineral-b-element-round-fry-pan) ($35 and up). The svelter weight makes them better for shaking things around with one hand. They’re oven-friendly just like cast-iron, and the non-stick qualities of their smoother surfaces improve the more you cook with them.
ChefSteps08ChefSteps Joule
OK, maybe there’s a *little* room for newfangled gadgets in a no-nonsense kitchen. [The Joule](https://www.chefsteps.com/joule) ($200) is a handy tool for sous-vide sorcery, offering app-based controls and temperature readouts. The app also lets you choose how rare you want your rib eye just by tapping the appropriate mouth-watering video. If your giftee scoffs at all that automation, just keep it for yourself and blow them away with [a perfect pig](https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/tender-crispy-skinned-whole-suckling-pig). Everybody wins.
Breville09Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker
At long last, it’s time for dessert. And it’s going to be awesome if you use [this best-in-class ice-cream maker](http://www.bonappetit.com/columns/test-drive-columns/article/best-ice-cream-maker) ($400). Oh, you didn’t make those frozen treats in advance? Doesn’t matter, because [this heroic machine](https://www.brevilleusa.com/food-preparation/ice-cream-makers.html) whips up a batch of fro-yo, gelato, sorbet, or hard-serve in an hour. Just remember to pace yourself while you're eating it.
Amazon10Mac Professional Paring Knife
If that ace chef on your list needs new material for dad jokes, [this excellent paring knife](https://www.amazon.com/Mac-Knife-Professional-Paring-4-Inch/dp/B000N5DNZG) ($60) is the perfect present. Namely: “Hey, want to see my Mac Pro? It’s a cut above the Macintosh.” Then they’ll start removing the skin from an apple with this appealing little blade. Then you'll groan and eat some dang apple slices.
NelsonWoodshop11Nelson Woodshop Cutting Boards
Your giftee needs performance equipment in the kitchen, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a little fun. [These handmade walnut and maple cutting boards](https://www.etsy.com/shop/NelsonWoodshop) ($115 to $150) give pixellated props to video games. There are a couple of gorgeous Pac-Man-themed boards, a Space Invaders chopping block, and a solid slab of Minecraft-related merriment.
Tim Moynihan covers hardware for Gadget Lab, with a concentration on cameras, TVs, Ultra HD video, virtual reality, and the weirdest things he can find. He has 17 years of tech journalism experience, serving as senior editor at PCWorld, homepage editor at CNET, and an online producer at TechTV prior ... Read more
