11 votes

Has anyone gifted you food or a kitchen / cooking gadget that you particularly liked?

Coming up to Christmas and gift-giving is on my mind and I wondered if you've ever been given food or a food-related gadget that you liked? I guess we can also talk about the misses too.

I like chocolate, so small amounts of nice chocolate are something that I like.

13 comments

  1. rogue_cricket
    (edited )
    Link
    I got a rice cooker one Christmas! It's nice to set and forget and it frees up space on the stovetop. I use it just about every day. I'm also always happy to receive homemade preserves like jams...

    I got a rice cooker one Christmas! It's nice to set and forget and it frees up space on the stovetop. I use it just about every day.

    I'm also always happy to receive homemade preserves like jams and pickles! My aunt made a bunch of spicy pickled green beans last year and I thought they were great.

    I also don't mind those little bags of soup mix or a mason jar with a "hot chocolate kit" in it, even though some people might think they're a bit hokey. I also once got a grinder with a mix of dried red chillies and salt in it during a $10-and-under Yankee Swap and I fought to keep it.

    7 votes
  2. [5]
    Weldawadyathink
    Link
    I got a sodastream last year for schristmas. I drink a lot of soda water, but not much flavored soda. For plain soda water, the cost of refilling the co2 cartridges is almost the same as a case of...

    I got a sodastream last year for schristmas. I drink a lot of soda water, but not much flavored soda. For plain soda water, the cost of refilling the co2 cartridges is almost the same as a case of sparkling water from Costco, so it would have taken a long time to break even if I bought it myself. I really like the fact that it takes much less space than a case of water, and there is only a single disposable item in the entire process (when you swap containers, there is a disposable plastic tamper seal, which is reasonable).

    I am also looking into getting an adapter to use a paintball co2 cartridge and getting it refilled, so hopefully that will bring the cost per bubble way down.

    4 votes
    1. [4]
      JakeTheDog
      Link Parent
      I would be very careful about your sources of gas. Non-food-grade (or better) compressed gas has a lot of oil residue that becomes aerosolized and dissolved in the water. Food-grade gas will be...

      I am also looking into getting an adapter to use a paintball co2 cartridge and getting it refilled, so hopefully that will bring the cost per bubble way down.

      I would be very careful about your sources of gas. Non-food-grade (or better) compressed gas has a lot of oil residue that becomes aerosolized and dissolved in the water. Food-grade gas will be either high-purity or include non-toxic oils, or both. There may be filters that you can use on them but I'm not sure about their effectiveness.

      Same goes for whippits, FYI...

      6 votes
      1. [3]
        Weldawadyathink
        Link Parent
        Thanks for the advice. I have a few local gas supply shops I found online. I have to make sure one of them has food grade co2. I am looking at buying the containers from sodamod, who seem to do a...

        Thanks for the advice. I have a few local gas supply shops I found online. I have to make sure one of them has food grade co2. I am looking at buying the containers from sodamod, who seem to do a lot to ensure quality and safety. But it's supposed to be around $2-5 to refill a paintball cartridge with food grade co2. That's hard to pass up when sodastream's exchanges cost $15. Also less of a carbon footprint shipping metal canisters around.

        4 votes
        1. [2]
          asoftbird
          Link Parent
          Then again, a paintball cartridge holds about 25g CO2 while a sodastream bottle holds about 425g of CO2. I'd wager that the sodastream refills would be cheaper.

          when sodastream's exchanges cost $15

          Then again, a paintball cartridge holds about 25g CO2 while a sodastream bottle holds about 425g of CO2.
          I'd wager that the sodastream refills would be cheaper.

          1. Weldawadyathink
            Link Parent
            Are you thinking of the tiny cartridges? I am considering getting something like this. This one is 12oz, which should be around 340 grams. Smaller, but not by much. And much cheaper to fill.

            Are you thinking of the tiny cartridges? I am considering getting something like this. This one is 12oz, which should be around 340 grams. Smaller, but not by much. And much cheaper to fill.

            1 vote
  3. [2]
    Chopincakes
    Link
    I usually can't stand random kitchen gifts but the only ones that I have received are ones that I explicitly asked for: -A wall mounted magnet bar to hold knives -A whetstone

    I usually can't stand random kitchen gifts but the only ones that I have received are ones that I explicitly asked for:

    -A wall mounted magnet bar to hold knives
    -A whetstone

    4 votes
    1. envy
      Link Parent
      I love this.

      A wall mounted magnet bar to hold knives

      I love this.

      3 votes
  4. rkcr
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    The best random kitchen gadget I've been gifted is an automatic soap dispenser (mine is a Simplehuman). I put my dish soap into it, and that makes it much easier to do the dishes, since normally...

    The best random kitchen gadget I've been gifted is an automatic soap dispenser (mine is a Simplehuman). I put my dish soap into it, and that makes it much easier to do the dishes, since normally you have one too few hands when you try to hold a sponge, a dish, and pump soap at the same time.

    3 votes
  5. euphoria066
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    My parents always buy from Lee Valley so I'm going to link to there for ease - also all their products are also very good and reliable :P Just got these quarter-size baking pans and I <3 them -...

    My parents always buy from Lee Valley so I'm going to link to there for ease - also all their products are also very good and reliable :P

    Just got these quarter-size baking pans and I <3 them - They're such a better size for washing and storage

    These actually work the way you want silicon food covers to work - I got my first set as a gift and bought a second set and we pretty much eliminated saran wrap

    Oil sprayer! because Pam is useful, but it's nice to be able to use higher-quality oils

    3 votes
  6. AnthonyB
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    Sous Vide! My girlfriend got me a sous vide for Christmas last year and I absolutely love it. It's about as easy to use as a microwave (probably easier because sous vide recipes come with time and...

    Sous Vide! My girlfriend got me a sous vide for Christmas last year and I absolutely love it. It's about as easy to use as a microwave (probably easier because sous vide recipes come with time and temperature instructions, whereas a microwave is usually a guess-and-check experience) and you can use it to cook a perfect steak, perfect chicken, perfect salmon, perfect boiled eggs, perfect mashed potatoes, perfect anything. My favorite thing is using it when I meal prep my lunches. I throw in a couple chicken breasts and get to work prepping a bunch of salads. By the time everything is washed, cut, and put into containers, the chicken is ready. I compulsively eat half a breast and throw the rest in the fridge. Even on day four or five, it's still moist and (obviously) delicious.

    3 votes
  7. piedpiper
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    A nice cast iron pan. It can be a bit of a pain in the ass to clean and maintain compared to a teflon pan, but its so versatile and I like the fact that it will last forever.

    A nice cast iron pan. It can be a bit of a pain in the ass to clean and maintain compared to a teflon pan, but its so versatile and I like the fact that it will last forever.

    1 vote
  8. mat
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    A few years ago my aunt bought me one of these pineapple tools at which my initial response was "yay, another useless single-use gadget to take up space in my kitchen" (not to her face,...

    A few years ago my aunt bought me one of these pineapple tools at which my initial response was "yay, another useless single-use gadget to take up space in my kitchen" (not to her face, obviously!) but when the summer came around and I bought a pineapple I was basically an instant total convert. Sure, it's single use and it does take up space - but it works so darn well it's worth it.

    1 vote