thefoodiegifthunter.co.uk

Top of the foodies gadget wishlist - Kitchenaid mixer

A few days ago, I posted the question on Twitter as to what gadget the foodies were most hoping for Christmas. To be fair, it was a bit one sided on the results, without any need for a dance off, public vote or judges decision.

Yes, the runaway leader was a KitchenAid Mixer, absolutely hands down. And you can kind of understand it, as this is a fabulous mix of style and substance. Ten speeds, all metal construction, dough hook, whisk beaters, flat beater…is there anything you can’t make in this? I would certainly give one space on the counter top. It could go next to Dr T’s new pride and joy, the KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder. If you’ve got a coffee geek, it’s a good choice for a perfect grind.

In second place came a lot of different choices but all from Joseph Joseph, who I think are great at doing stuff that not only looks good but really does something useful around the kitchen. I’m a big fan of the Chop 2 Pot chopping boards, for the practicality as well as the funky colours. Buying one large and one small board will only set you back around £26 and they will earn their keep every day. For the pastry kings and queens, I’d also take a look at the Adjustable Thickness Rolling Pin, which would take the guesswork out of the pastry rolling.

Ice cream makers came up quite a few times as well. To me, there is never a wrong season for ice cream, and I can understand this gadget desire completely. We had a few debates, but it all seemed to come back to the Gaggia. The only problem seems to be that not many places are carrying it at the moment, with most seeming to suggest it’s out of stock. I think this is all connected to the recent difficulties the British Gaggia agent had, so they may be in very short supply this Christmas. The Magimix would seem to be very similar, and benefits from the inbuilt freezer, which is great for last minute decisions to make a batch! Or for something fun, instant and interactive, try the Ice Cream Ball.

The most unusual one though was a water circulator. Apparently this has nothing to do with fish keeping, which is the first thing that comes up on Google, but the water heater/thermometer needed for sous vide cookery. If you’ve got an aspiring Heston on your hands, I would try Culinary Innovations, who seem to have everything you would need on hand. Be warned, not a cheap gift option, but I’m sure they’re worth it! Funnily enough, neither John Lewis or Lakeland seem to stock the equipment!

And if in doubt, just replace all their wooden spoons! Should you be superstitious, or big on Japanese traditions, then don’t buy knives, as these represent the severing of relationships. Not the ideal message for Christmas time I would say!

Now panic, but drink great coffee

I wrote about great Christmas gifts for the tea lovers yesterday, and it would be very unfair to leave the coffee drinkers out. I have divided loyalties: can’t start the day without a cup of tea, and weekend doesn’t begin until the first cappuccino is brewed. But if the foodie in your life is a serious coffee nut, here’s some thoughts and ideas for you:

1. You’ve got to start with the right ingredients, so want about making sure they get fresh coffee every month. Try the twelve month subscription gift from Has Bean Coffee. You can buy unroasted beans if they have a roaster at home, or otherwise you can choose the right grind for their preferred route to making their perfect cup of Joe. At £50, I think this is a bit of a steal, as it’s a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year.

2. For most coffee geeks, they’re going to need a burr mill grinder, as two mills are definitely better than one. This has been the holy grail hunt for my own coffee geek, and he has happily taken delivery today of the Kitchenaid Artisan Burr Grinder. I bow to his exhaustive research, so this is top of the list if you want the best.

3. A new mug? Well, I think I am a bit over the whole Keep Calm & Carry On thing, so rather like the Now Panic and Freak Out mug. Comes with coffee to calm your nerves, and a restored sense of irony!

4. So, what if they are stuck in an office with only a terrible coffee machine for company? How about a desktop coffee maker? Make their workmates jealous with the wonderful smell of freshly brewed coffee, all from the space that might just be taken up by a dying pot plant. Fresh coffee will generate much more feel good than any peace lily!

5. For an instant perk up wherever you are, then how about a Perk Coffee Bean Lip Balm from Crazy Rumours?

So, a few ideas to get you started. If they are true coffee devotees, I would skip the Starbucks gifts. In my experience, those who love coffee don’t love Starbucks. Even at Christmas!

I love a good top 10 list, I think it’s a remnant from childhoods spent listening to the top 20 on a Sunday night, waiting for Radio 1 to changeover to FM!

I was intrigued to get this top 10 list from Cook In Style, to see what they were selling well in these interesting times we live in. This is their top 10,in reverse order of course, and my thoughts and possible alternatives.

Neat, colourful & possibly useful

10. Joseph Joseph Multicoloured Kitchen Nesting Set – You know what, I quite like this. One thing the majority of foodies are going to have is a shortage of space, so anything to help with that is great. And these look kind of pretty. There are two possible issues though: one, do the bits that aren’t mixing bowls stand up to proper use and two, do they stack well when half of the things are in the dishwasher or full of leftovers in the fridge? If you’re going to buy this, then it’s cheaper at John Lewis.

9. Kitchencraft Magnetic Spice Rack with Six Holders – this seems both practical and stylish, with the dishes being decent sizes to hold big things you use a lot of, like rock salt and bay leaves for example. Good for a foodie starting out, and you could add some decent spices to this as well. I really like Steenbergs if I want to order online, or Spices of India for more exotic fare. Living this close to Leicester though, there is nothing to beat going to some of the food stores there and getting spices there.

8. Marco Pierre White Cooking in Hells Kitchen – a surprising entry for the only cook book in their list. It’s ranked 164,000th on Amazon, so I’m not sure on this. If you wanted to send someone a book by Marco, I would be more tempted by Marco’s Great British Feast instead. I think it has more interesting and useful recipes, as well as tapping into the seasonal and British vibe.

7. KitchenCraft Tempero Shot Glasses – I think these look pretty good, and serve many purposes, over and above

Useful & stylish little shots of joy

shots of liquor. From small appetisers through to stunning desserts and holders for delicate flowers, these are lovely to have to hand. I like the mix of designs, as I’m not particularly into matchy matchy type arrangements. If you wanted something that might be even more of a talking point, then check out the ice shot glass mould at Firebox.

6. Outback Omega Gas Grill – I can only assume that they have sold these at a big discount all summer! I would say it was a little late to be treating someone to a BBQ now, unless you can get a really good one at a big discount. What about something a bit different,  like the American camp ovens that Pedlars have in stock? I think these offer up something different in outdoor cooking, which is bound to appeal to the active foodie.

5. Pink Flamenco Child’s Apron – ah yes, pink rules where girls of a certain age are involved! They do grow out of it. Mini Gourmet Girl is just heading out of the pink hues, and if you need a more funky childs apron, then I would suggest having a look at Not On the High Street. There are some great options, from personalised to ones with quotes from Plato and Socrates. If you’ve got a boy, or a tomboy, then check out the camo apron!

4. Brushed Nickel Fan - I bet these all sold on the very rare hot days we had, and have generally laid unused for most of the summer. Although now jam making is in full flow they may be useful for when you’re slaving over a boiling dish of sugar and fruit!

3. Ceiling Mounted Pan Rack – Congrats to those of you with ceilings high enough to take one of these without you knocking yourself out on the frying pan. I like having stuff visible in the kitchen, and to hand. To me though, this doesn’t make a great gift unless you know a) the person really wants one b) the kitchen can take it and c) someone has the ability to put it up properly.

2. Maxwell & Williams Cashmere Allegro 16 Piece Dinner Set - nice enough design, but in my view the wrong number of things! Even with two of you, you’ll get through 4 very quickly. For a couple, I would say 6 was good, gives you enough to have one set clean, one set dirty, and one set going round the dishwasher. If you need a first set of matching china, then I would head to Ikea for their basic white stuff, which is good quality, very reasonable and will go with everything.

1. 2 Lions Sabatier Milan Knife Block Set of 5 – this strikes horror into my heart. For a serious foodie, they need serious knives, not a block set. This is okay for your first kitchen, but any serious foodie needs to go into the shop and try out how each knife feels in the hand. In fact the only set of knives I could think would go down well with a serious foodie would be something like the Laguiole steak knives. That said, I don’t like sending knives, there is an old Japanese tradition I think it is about not sending knives or scissors, as they represent the severing of a relationship. Not the best message for anniversary present perhaps!

So, there you, probably this list is like finding Agadoo at the top of the charts. It says there are a lot of kitchens with some not fantastic equipment, which may ultimately not be the best use of what ever cash you have to spend. I would always look what brands and styles are already in the kitchen as a good starting point if you want to buy gadgets. That and something completely off the wall, like when candyfloss makers were first available. Sometimes, you just have to not take this whole foodie thing too seriously!