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While a sweater might languish in the closet and last year's must-have gadget will soon become outdated, gifts for the kitchen are as useful as they are fun. When it comes to kitchen gifts, you can spend as much or as little as you want: Pick up several inexpensive tea towels or bud vases to give to holiday-party hosts, and save the big-ticket items (like a top-of-the-line espresso maker) for your nearest and dearest. Though it's hard to narrow down the multitude of drool-worthy kitchen gifts, we've picked 22 sure-to-please items at every price.
UNDER $50
Rags to Riches
Photo: Courtesy of Mark & Graham
These classic Turkish hand towels allow you to put a personal touch on your gift. With six monogram styles to choose from—from modern to rustic, masculine to traditional—you're sure to find the perfect fit for your recipient's moniker. Plus, the towels are so pretty that they can pull double duty as a kitchen towel or a guest towel for the powder room.
Monogrammable bistro kitchen towels, $24 each, Mark & Graham
Nip It in the Bud
Photo: Courtesy of Jayson Home
This simple, sculptural arrangement of 12 ceramic bud vases makes a great hostess gift because it has so many potential uses during the holiday entertaining season—and beyond. Fill it with flowers and use it as a statement-making arrangement on the window sill over the sink; come party time, the different vases can be filled with candy canes, cake pops or festive blooms to create a striking centerpiece.
Ceramic 12-bud vase, $22, Jayson Home
TV Dinner Delight
Photo: Courtesy of Pottery Barn
Let's face it: Sometimes the best place to eat dinner is not at the dining table. For those nights when you just feel like curling up in front of the TV with a piping-hot bowl of chili, this vintage blacksmith-inspired flatware caddy makes it easier to bring the kitchen into the living room. Your movie-night-hosting friend will be singing your praises all year long if you gift her this.
Vintage blacksmith flatware caddy, $49, Pottery Barn
Take Cover
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
Most iPad-owning cooks have been in this dilemma before: You're midway through your favorite pound cake recipe, covered in flour, and you can't remember how much vanilla to add. Despite your best efforts, the touch screen still isn't responding to your skillful elbow maneuvering. Enter the cook's iPad shield. Designed and developed by Williams-Sonoma, this clear, anti-glare surface resists water and grease, so messy fingers won't slow you down. Want something a little more? Check out Williams-Sonoma's other cool kitchen gifts for tech lovers.
Williams-Sonoma Smart Tools iPad® Screen Shields, $15, Williams-Sonoma.com
Salve-vation
Photo: Courtesy of Herriott Grace
If you know someone with a gorgeous collection of wooden serving ware and utensils, help her keep them looking their best with this beeswax salve, which keeps wooden cooking tools hydrated and healthy, use after use, wash after wash. Bonus: The salve works great on dry, dehydrated hands, too—something any cook can appreciate during the winter.
Beeswax spoon salve, $18, Herriott Grace
By the Book
Photo: Courtesy of west elm
This new book by the authors of the popular blog Young House Love is a must for anyone you know who's planning a remodel in the new year. It's packed with hundreds of fun, easy, budget-friendly ideas for updates around the house—we can't think of any better way to get pumped up for a renovation project.
Young House Love book, $24.95, west elm
UNDER $100
Let The Good Times Roll
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
Got a friend who loves to bake? You might not be able to get her Carrara marble countertops, but this rolling pin is the next best thing. The cool marble keeps dough chilled, making it perfect for rolling out piecrust and pastries. Plus, the heavy weight of the stone helps distribute dough evenly, creating paper thin, flaky pastry.
Marble rolling pin, $89.95, Williams-Sonoma
iPad Prop
Photo: Courtesy of Chef Sleeve
This is the ultimate gadget-meets-cooking tool for the techie gourmand. This chef-worthy cutting board is outfitted with a special groove to hold your iPad in place, so you can keep slicing, dicing, and chopping without missing a beat.
Cutting board with iPad groove, $69.99, Chef Sleeve
Mix-a-Lot
Photo: Courtesy of west elm
These vintage-inspired mixing bowls combine whimsy with functional design. The sturdy porcelain bowls are embellished with baking-inspired words and outfitted with a built-in spout for easy, mess-free pouring.
Labeled kitchen mixing bowls, $59 for set of three, west elm
Hands Free
Photo: Courtesy of Sharper Image
This touchless soap dispenser is perfect for the germ-conscious chef—no more trying to pump soap with wrists or elbows to keep the dispenser bacteria-free. The easy-to-use design is super kid-friendly, too, encouraging hand washing at an early age.
Touchless soap dispenser, $59.99, Sharper Image
Juicy Fruit
Photo: Courtesy of west elm
If you have a budding Martha Stewart on your list, this citrus press is ideal for everything from whipping up a blowout brunch for a crowd to making breakfast in bed. The built-in juicer sits atop a beautiful stainless steel and chrome pitcher, combining squeezing and pouring in one place.
Krups citrus press, $79.95, west elm
UNDER $250
Grand Pan
Photo by: Williams-Sonoma
Have a foodie on your list? Look no further than the Williams-Sonoma Thermo-Clad cookware line, just launched to the public last week. Usable on any surface (induction included), it features an exclusive aluminum alloy that offers up to 35 percent better thermal conductivity than other aluminum-clad metal cookware. Translation: you'll have a very happy cook on your hands.
Williams-Sonoma Thermo-Clad™ Stainless-Steel Fry Pan, $125, Williams-Sonoma
Gourmet To Go
Photo: Courtesy of Brookstone
Induction cooktops are all the rage—and portable versions allow you to get the most of the technology (which cuts cooking time in half by using precise, instant heat) in a gift-friendly size. This is a great gift for a cook who wants a full induction cooktop but can't afford one—yet.
Portable induction cooktop, $199.99, Brookstone
Prep to Presentation
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
Having quality cookware is essential to making delicious food—but if the cookware doesn't look good, too, then you're faced with the extra step of transferring the meal to pretty serving ware. Make a harried cook's day with his lovely hammered copper gratin pan, which is designed to cook food with even heat, but is also dinner-party-worthy straight out of the oven.
Ruffoni hammered copper gratin pan, $210, Williams-Sonoma
Hot to Trot
Photo: Courtesy of Sharper Image
Timing food for a crowd can be tricky. This portable cordless warming tray—which heats up plates, casserole dishes, and platters in only 8 minutes and keeps food warm for up to 8 hours—is a great choice for your family member or friend who loves to host. Best part: It handles picnics, potlucks and big get-togethers with equal ease.
Cordless warming tray, $129.99, Sharper Image
Shatterproof Salut!
Photo: Courtesy of Korin
Everyone wants to bring out their finest china and crystal for the holidays, but it can be heart-wrenching to see grandma's heirloom champagne flute shatter on the ground. At the same time, plastic stemware just won't cut it for special occasions. The solution? These ion-infused glasses are 100-percent crystal and 100-percent shatterproof. We're betting you know someone who'll drink to that.
Ion Strong Diamant Bordeaux wineglasses, $156 for set of six, Korin
Sweet Relief
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
Whether you're parked in front of the stove making the perfect risotto or washing endless amounts of pots and pans, all that time spent on your feet can take a toll. This durable, cushioned polyurethane mat gives tired feet some relief; a streamlined design and warm, neutral colors keep it from looking too commercial. Buy it for your better half, and you'll reap the benefits too.
Wellness mat, $119.95 to $239.95, Williams-Sonoma
UNDER $800
Stellar Cellar
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
Whether your giftee is a true oenophile or simply enjoys a glass of vino at the end of the day, this portable electric wine cellar is a must. The cooler keeps wine perfectly chilled, and it can be moved to any part of the house, so you can keep it by the outdoor kitchen in warmer months and move it near fireplace during winter. Great for those who haven't yet added a built-in wine fridge.
Caso touch wine cellar, $379.95 to $479.95, Williams-Sonoma
Color Blocking
Photo: Courtesy of Rejuvenation
If you know a fan of mid-century design, we guarantee he or she will be blown away by these reproduction lamps. The master glassblowers at Blenko agreed to reissue archived designs for a limited-edition lighting collection. The results are just as striking as they were more than 60 years ago, and will add a pop of color to a kitchen desk or workstation.
Blenko table lamps, $500 to $650, Rejuvenation
Bedroom Barista
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
Give the Starbucks addict on your list the freedom to enjoy a barista-worthy cappuccino in the comfort of his pajamas. This espresso machine goes from bean to brew in less than a minute. The airtight coffee hopper keeps beans fresh, and the built-in grinder crushes them seconds before they're brewed, ensuring the freshest cup of espresso possible.
Breville programmable espresso maker, $599.95, Williams-Sonoma
Pot Luck
Photo: Courtesy of Sur La Table
Have a new homeowner on your list? For a gift that lasts for years, go with a classic kitchen pot rack. Enclume is renowned for their hand-forged hammered steel pot racks, and this standard design has stood the test of time. Its Old World feel works in any style of kitchen, from modern to country, and it easily holds up to 12 pots and pans.
Enclume hammered steel pot rack, $350, Sur La Table
Happy Hour, Any Hour
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
This sleek and timeless antique brass bar cart was inspired by the design of a 1930s trolley. The roomy shelves leave plenty of space for stacking cookbooks, spirits and more. Whether the cart is stocked for dessert, tea or cocktails, its casters allow the party to move to any room.
Beckett bar cart, $799, Williams-Sonoma
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