If you are shopping for a foodie this Christmas (or even if you are not) here is my broad guide to great Christmas gifts for the kitchen.  It’s a series of things that I love that make life in the kitchen better.  If you have any comments on things that I have listed or have things that I have missed, leave them in the comments.

Inexpensive Christmas Gifts & Stocking Stuffers: Under $25 

Wine Aerator

Adding air and slowing down the pour of your wine enhances flavor and bouquet. This unique aerator by slows the flow and gently adds oxygen into the wine by funnelling it through a series of channels inside.

Wondering if a wine aerator is worth the money and hassle?  It depends on the kind of wines that you drink.

Red wines intended to have earthy flavors or age for years in a cellar (and often cost more than $10 or $15) can get to their optimal flavor faster with aeration. Inexpensive and fruity red wines are often fruitiest and most enjoyable directly from the bottle and either don’t improve or taste worse with aeration. White wines (especially fruity white wines) generally don’t improve with aeration.

• Available from Amazon | $6

Soapstone Whisky Chilling Stones

Don’t let melting ice water down your drinks.  Instead use cold frozen soapstones to keep your whiskey cold and preserve it’s rich taste.

• Get it from Amazon | $3

Silicon Pastry Mat

Silicone's is both flexible and things won't stick to it.  It's ideal for rolling pastry and cookies.  It not only makes things easier on you but it means you can use less flour, resulting in a more delicate and tender product which means everyone wins.

• Purchase from Amazon | $10

Thoughtful yet Inexpensive Christmas Presents:  $25 to $50 

CucinaPro Pasta Fresh machine

Nothing beats a plate of truly fresh pasta. And now it's easy to roll out your own at home. Whether the craving is for spaghetti or fettuccine, this sturdy machine handles the job with efficiency and style. CuninaPro pasta maker looks great on the counter and is easy to use--there's nothing to plug in as this is the tried-and-true hand-crank variety.

The easy-lock adjustable dough-dialer rolls thick or thin pasta, and it comes with spaghetti and fettuccine cutters. Cutters for tagliatelle, ravioli and angel hair pasta are available separately

• Purchase from Amazon.com | $29

Aeropress Coffee Press

It makes one of the best cups of coffee you'll ever taste. This innovative uses the ideal water temperature and gentle air pressure brewing to produce coffee and espresso that has rich flavour with lower acidity and without bitterness. It makes 1 to 4 cups of coffee or espresso (enough for 1 or 2 mugs), features a micro filtered for grit free coffee, and takes just 1 minute to make coffee (actual press time takes only 20 seconds).

 Here is how it works

• Purchase from Amazon | $25

• Find it online at Amazon.com for $23

Belgium Waffle Iron

Enjoy delicious fluffy Belgian waffles with the Hamilton Beach Belgian Style Flip Waffle Maker. Made with easy to clean non-stick grids to bake the perfect waffle with deep pockets to hold butter and syrup. The indicator lights let you know just when to add the batter and the removable tray and grids make for easy clean-up.

• Purchase from Amazon | $35

Oxo Kitchen Scale

A scale is really necessary if you're going to do serious cooking because wherever possible, you should measure your ingredients by weight, not by volume. 

A given mass of flour can vary a lot in volume, depending on things like humidity, temperature, and how long it's been sitting.  A weight indicator shows the capacity left on the Scale before maximum capacity is reached. Press the zero button to offset the weight of a container or to set the weight back to zero to add additional ingredients. The display features large, easy-to-read numbers which measure in 1/8-ounce and 1-gram increments and the platform can be removed for cleaning. The Scale has a 5-pound capacity and two AAA batteries are included.

• Purchase from Amazon | $25

Cusinart Immersion Blender

Don't buy a cheap one--stick with Braun, Cuisinart, or KitchenAid.  They aren’t cutting edge but if you don’t have one, you don’t know what you are missing.  I use mine for my making Caesar Salad Dressing, mixing up packets of mix and pureeing soups

• Find it at Amazon | $35

With a stylish design and durable stainless steel carafe, this 8-cup coffeemaker is perfect for home, office or practically anywhere you want hot, fresh coffee at the touch of a button. All this, plus an easy-clean control panel and dishwasher-safe removable parts for effortless cleanup.  The advantage of the carafe is that you won’t be stuck with hot burnt coffee in case you don’t get it off the maker in time.  The coffee will be as hot and fresh later as it is right now.

• Purchase from Amazon | $48

 Alcohol Dispenser for Vodka, Whiskey, etc

For centuries, whiskies have been aged in wooden kegs. The charring on the inside of the keg helps to filter the beverage from impurities while also giving whiskey its unique, brown color. 
To celebrate the advent of the slow, smoothing, and character building process of aging liquors, here is a handsome glass keg decanter complete with a wooden resting cradle. 

• Find it at Amazon | $60 

Lodge Pre-Seasoned Sportsman's Charcoal Grill

If you are a griller who loves to cook on charcoal, you will want to check out this cast iron hibachi grill.

• Measures 19 by 10-1/4 by 8-1/4-inch; limited lifetime warranty.
• 2 Adjustable heights temper cooking speed; wash by hand
• Draft door regulates heat; coals accessible behind flip-down door
• Cooking grate measures 17-1/4 by 9-inch; seasoned and ready to use
• Rugged, charcoal, hibachi-style grill made of durable cast iron

 

• Purchase at Amazon.com | $95

Bodum Tea Press

A lovely way to brew tea to your exact preference, the Bodum Shin Cha tea press combines elegant shaping with crafty functionality. The spherical glass pot features a stainless-steel plunge infuser inside and a stainless-steel lid. Fill the infuser with loose leaf or tea bags, add hot water, wait the desired amount of steeping time, then plunge. The plunger pushes the tea below the infuser holes, so brewing stops on a dime and tea does not over steep to the point of bitterness. To clean up, the unit goes safely in the dishwasher. With its glass spout, body, and handle, the Shin Cha showcases tea colors beautifully but does require somewhat careful handling. 

• Purchase at Amazon.com | $67

Burr coffee grinder

For grinding larger quantities of coffee beans for a coffee-drinking crowd, Capresso's commercial-grade Infinity grinder handles 8-1/2 ounces of beans at a time. Sixteen different settings--four each in the four categories of extra fine, fine, regular, and coarse--let you adjust the grind to the specific blend of coffee and method of brewing. The finest setting is ideal for preparing Turkish coffee, which is a rare feature to find in a grinder.

A built-in timer sets the grind for anywhere between 5 and 60 seconds so you can walk away without having to constantly press a button to continue the grinding process. The Infinity has an advanced conical burr design made of steel that is usually only found on commercial grinders. This burr design slows down the gears and reduces the amount of friction and heat to preserve coffee's flavour and aroma. The coffee container holds up to 4 ounces of grounds and remains sealed during grinding. For safety, the bean container also needs to be locked into place for the Infinity to operate. For easy cleaning, the bean container and upper burr lift off so you can clean the grinding chamber with the included brush and wipe down the exterior housing.

• Purchase from Amazon | $100

Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler

Yes you have a George Forman grill but this is so much more than that.  The Cuisinart Griddler is actually five appliances in one. A hinged, floating cover and one set of removable and reversible cooking plates turn the Griddler into a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, or half grill/half griddle. Dual temperature controls and indicator lights make this product easy to use.

Kitchenaid Convection Oven

It’s a great replacement for the stove in the summer and a supplement to the oven when you are making a big meal or for parties.  I am surprised how much cooking and baking I can do with it.

• Purchase at Amazon | $130

Kitchenaid Stand Mixer

The Professional 600 TM has a powerful motor that is crafted for commercial-style performance, the direct drive, all-steel gear transmission delivers unyielding power for professional results. The mixer can effectively mix up to 14 cups of all-purpose flour per recipe and produce up to 8 pounds of mashed potatoes. The Soft Start mixing feature helps minimize ingredient splatter and flour puff with gentle acceleration to selected speed after start-up. Electronic Speed Sensor monitors operation to maintain precise mixer speed. Commercial-style motor protection automatically shuts off the mixer when overload is sensed to protect the motor. Durable all-steel gears provide reliable service. The mixer includes a 6-quart-capacity stainless-steel mixing bowl with a contoured handle, as well as a professional wire whip, a burnished flat beater, a spiral dough hook, and a one piece pouring shield. Its multipurpose attachment hub with a hinged hub cover flips open to allow for easy installation of attachments. The Professional 600 Series bowl-lift design raises the bowl into the mixing position, and its solid, truly seamless one-piece motor head design is easy to clean and comes in a variety of fashionable colors.

• Purchase from Amazon.com | $329

If you are looking for more or past Christmas Gift Guides, check out my husbands excellent series of Christmas gift and idea guides that he posts each year on his website.  If you think I am missing something, let me know in the comments below.

If you are shopping for a foodie this Christmas (or even if you are not) here is my broad guide to great Christmas gifts for the kitchen.  It’s a series of things that I love that make life in the kitchen better.  If you have any comments on things that I have listed or have things that I have missed, leave them in the comments.
Inexpensive Christmas Gifts & Stocking Stuffers: Under $25
Butter boat
This uses evaporative cooling to keep butter at room temperature without spoiling.  There's a well for water, and then a butter dish that rests on top of it, and slowly wicks water through the ceramic.  The upshot is that as long as you change the water every few days, you can keep butter in the dish for weeks which is awesome considering Saskatchewan’s hot summers.

• Purchase from Amazon.com | $16

---

Cookbook stand
This holds the cookbook up where you can see it and keeps it from having something splashed all over it which if I let Jordon, Mark, or Oliver in the kitchen is very likely to happen.

• Purchase from Amazon.com | $17

---

Ninjabread Cookie Cutters
Gingerbread was so last year.  Ninjabread cookie cutters make any cookie a lot more fun (and stealthily dangerous) to make and eat.  
There cookie cutters are sure to be a hit all year round.

• Purchase from Amazon | $10

---

Silicon Pastry Mat
Silicone's is both flexible and things won't stick to it.  It's ideal for rolling pastry and cookies.  It not only makes things easier on you but it means you can use less flour, resulting in a more delicate and tender product which means everyone wins.

• Purchase from Amazon | $9

---

Thoughtful yet Inexpensive Christmas Presents:  $25 to $50
CucinaPro Pasta Fresh machine
Nothing beats a plate of truly fresh pasta. And now it's easy to roll out your own at home. Whether the craving is for spaghetti or fettuccine, this sturdy machine handles the job with efficiency and style. Made of heavyweight chromed steel, with an attractive wood grip handle, Villaware's pasta maker looks great on the counter and is easy to use--there's nothing to plug in as this is the tried-and-true hand-crank variety. The easy-lock adjustable dough-dialer rolls thick or thin pasta, and it comes with spaghetti and fettuccine cutters. Cutters for tagliatelle and angel hair pasta are available separately

• Purchase from Amazon.com | $29

---

Aeropress Coffee Press
It makes one of the best cups of coffee you'll ever taste. This innovative uses the ideal water temperature and gentle air pressure brewing to produce coffee and espresso that has rich flavour with lower acidity and without bitterness. It makes 1 to 4 cups of coffee or espresso (enough for 1 or 2 mugs), features a micro filtered for grit free coffee, and takes just 1 minute to make coffee (actual press time takes only 20 seconds).

• Purchase from Amazon | $25

---

Belgium Waffle Iron
Enjoy delicious fluffy Belgian waffles with the Hamilton Beach Belgian Style Flip Waffle Maker. Made with easy to clean non-stick grids to bake the perfect waffle with deep pockets to hold butter and syrup. The indicator lights let you know just when to add the batter and the removable tray and grids make for easy clean-up.

• Purchase from Amazon | $35

---

Oxo Kitchen Scale
A scale is really necessary if you're going to do serious cooking because wherever possible, you should measure your ingredients by weight, not by volume.  A given mass of flour can vary a lot in volume, depending on things like humidity, temperature, and how long it's been sitting.  A weight indicator shows the capacity left on the Scale before maximum capacity is reached. Press the zero button to offset the weight of a container or to set the weight back to zero to add additional ingredients. The display features large, easy-to-read numbers which measure in 1/8-ounce and 1-gram increments and the platform can be removed for cleaning. The Scale has a 5-pound capacity and two AAA batteries are included.

• Purchase from Amazon | $25

---

Immersion blender ($42)  Don't buy a cheap one--stick with Braun, Cuisinart, or KitchenAid.  They aren’t cutting edge but if you don’t have one, you don’t know what you are missing.  I use mine for my making Caesar Salad Dressing, pureeing soups, and chopped a lot of vegetables.

---

Black and Decker Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker
With a stylish design and durable stainless steel carafe, this 8-cup coffeemaker is perfect for home, office or practically anywhere you want hot, fresh coffee at the touch of a button. All this, plus an easy-clean control panel and dishwasher-safe removable parts for effortless cleanup.  The advantage of the carafe is that you won’t be stuck with hot burnt coffee in case you don’t get it off the maker in time.  The coffee will be as hot and fresh later as it is right now.
Purchase from Amazon | $48

---

Wine Decanter
You can get a $10 wine decanter at your neighbourhood grocery store but if you want to get a memorable gift, check out this etched globe decanter.

• Use for port, cognac or wine
• As you spin the decanter, its precious contents will also aerate to open up the flavour and allow your wine or spirits' aromas to develop
• Heat-resistant glass globe decanter features decorative etching of the world map
• Includes glass decanter stopper and glass base

• Purchase at Amazon | $45

---

Lodge Pre-Seasoned Sportsman's Charcoal Grill
If you are a griller who loves to cook on charcoal, you will want to check out this cast iron hibachi grill.

• Measures 19 by 10-1/4 by 8-1/4-inch; limited lifetime warranty.
• 2 Adjustable heights temper cooking speed; wash by hand
• Draft door regulates heat; coals accessible behind flip-down door
• Cooking grate measures 17-1/4 by 9-inch; seasoned and ready to use
• Rugged, charcoal, hibachi-style grill made of durable cast iron

• Purchase at Amazon.com | $65

---

Bodum Tea Press
A lovely way to brew tea to your exact preference, the Bodum Shin Cha tea press combines elegant shaping with crafty functionality. The spherical glass pot features a stainless-steel plunge infuser inside and a stainless-steel lid. Fill the infuser with loose leaf or tea bags, add hot water, wait the desired amount of steeping time, then plunge. The plunger pushes the tea below the infuser holes, so brewing stops on a dime and tea does not over steep to the point of bitterness. To clean up, the unit goes safely in the dishwasher. With its glass spout, body, and handle, the Shin Cha showcases tea colors beautifully but does require somewhat careful handling.

• Purchase at Amazon.com | $67

---

All-Clad One Quart Saucier
Little pans (especially high quality ones) tend to be overlooked as gifts but I use them a lot around the house in making things like gravy, au juice, or if I need a smaller portion of something.  I never thought it was that important but now that I have one, I love it.

• Purchase at Amazon.com | $75 

  ---

Burr coffee grinder
For grinding larger quantities of coffee beans for a coffee-drinking crowd, Capresso's commercial-grade Infinity grinder handles 8-1/2 ounces of beans at a time. Sixteen different settings--four each in the four categories of extra fine, fine, regular, and coarse--let you adjust the grind to the specific blend of coffee and method of brewing. The finest setting is ideal for preparing Turkish coffee, which is a rare feature to find in a grinder. A built-in timer sets the grind for anywhere between 5 and 60 seconds so you can walk away without having to constantly press a button to continue the grinding process. The Infinity has an advanced conical burr design made of steel that is usually only found on commercial grinders. This burr design slows down the gears and reduces the amount of friction and heat to preserve coffee's flavour and aroma. The coffee container holds up to 4 ounces of grounds and remains sealed during grinding. For safety, the bean container also needs to be locked into place for the Infinity to operate. For easy cleaning, the bean container and upper burr lift off so you can clean the grinding chamber with the included brush and wipe down the exterior housing.
Purchase from Amazon | $83.

---

Cuisinart Griddler ($84) | Yes you have a George Forman grill but this is so much more than that.  The Cuisinart Griddler is actually five appliances in one. A hinged, floating cover and one set of removable and reversible cooking plates turn the Griddler into a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, or half grill/half griddle. Dual temperature controls and indicator lights make this product easy to use.

---

Extravagant Gestures:  $150 and Up
Kitchenaid Convection Oven
It’s a great replacement for the stove in the summer and a supplement to the oven when you are making a big meal or for parties.  We have a toaster oven at the cabin as our main oven and while I miss the size of my oven, I am surprised how much cooking and baking I can do with it.

• Purchase at Amazon | $126

---

Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
The Professional 600 TM has a powerful motor that is crafted for commercial-style performance, the direct drive, all-steel gear transmission delivers unyielding power for professional results. The mixer can effectively mix up to 14 cups of all-purpose flour per recipe and produce up to 8 pounds of mashed potatoes. The Soft Start mixing feature helps minimize ingredient splatter and flour puff with gentle acceleration to selected speed after start-up. Electronic Speed Sensor monitors operation to maintain precise mixer speed. Commercial-style motor protection automatically shuts off the mixer when overload is sensed to protect the motor. Durable all-steel gears provide reliable service. The mixer includes a 6-quart-capacity stainless-steel mixing bowl with a contoured handle, as well as a professional wire whip, a burnished flat beater, a spiral dough hook, and a one piece pouring shield. Its multipurpose attachment hub with a hinged hub cover flips open to allow for easy installation of attachments. The Professional 600 Series bowl-lift design raises the bowl into the mixing position, and its solid, truly seamless one-piece motor head design is easy to clean and comes in a variety of fashionable colors.

• Purchase from Amazon.com| $400

---

Kitchenaid Food Processor
With its powerful motor, this convenient food processor quickly and easily slices, dices, chops, and purees, helping to reduce prep time in the kitchen. The appliance comes with a large 9-cup work bowl that makes it easy to create an entire meal from scratch. The unit's extra-large one-piece feed tube accommodates whole fruits and vegetables and allows for continuous processing.
Accessories include a stainless-steel medium slicing disc (4 mm), a stainless-steel shredding disc, a chopping/mixing blade, a dough blade, and a detachable disc stem, plus a plastic spatula, a recipe/instruction book, and a how-to DVD. The unit's compact build means it will fit comfortably on any countertop, and its brushed stainless finish adds a touch of elegance to any modern kitchen. All removable parts clean up easily by hand or in the dishwasher. The food processor measures 9-1/2 by 7 by 13 inches and carries a three-year limited warranty with a 10-year limited warranty on the motor.

• Purchase at Amazon | $135

---

Tonx Coffee

• Purchase at Tonx | $19 every two weeks

---

If you are looking for more or past Christmas Gift Guides, check out my husbands excellent series of Christmas gift and idea guides that he posts each year on his website.

Learn more and get a free taste at tonx.org

Ingredients

• 6 carrots; peeled diced
• 2 cups potatoes; peeled – diced
• 2 pounds Pot Roast -- type beef
• Salt – Pepper
• 1 cup canned tomatoes
• 1 cup black coffee
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Put vegetables in slow cooker. Add beef, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and liquids. Cover and cook on low 8 - 10 hours or until tender.  If desired, thicken with flour and water base.

My husband Jordon blogs about making the perfect cup of coffee and reviews the Aerobie Aeropress coffee maker over at The Hedge Society.  Enjoy.

Over at the Jordon Cooper Outfitters, Jordon has posted about the Aeropress Coffee Maker, a maker that makes some of the best coffee you have ever tasted for under $25.

For those of you who do cooking outside of the city, in the back country or at the camp ground, you know how hard it is to get a good cup of coffee in the morning.  Here are two products that should help with your quest.

The GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless 1-Liter Java Press

Now there is no reason to bring that horrible tasting Starbucks Via coffee with you when you go camping or hiking.  Instead bring some fresh ground coffee or loose leaf tea with you and make some excellent coffee when ever you want with this outdoor coffee press.

There is also the Chemex CM-3 

It’s simple: Put a filter in the Chemex CM-3, add ground beans, pour in boiling water, and enjoy the best coffee you’ve ever tasted. 

So how healthy is your Starbucks coffee? A Starbucks venti Caffe Mocha has 490 calories or the same as a McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese

A 24-ounce Java Chip Frappuccino with whipped cream has 650 calories, not to mention almost an entire day’s allowance of saturated fat.

Technorati Tags : Starbucks, coffee, sugar, McDonalds, health, food

Learn how to make premium quality brew at home without having to wait in line.

It all starts with the beans

First things first, select your favourite quality coffee beans. Coffee tastes best when the beans are ground fresh so save your beans in an airtight container in a cool dark place or in the freezer and grind only the amount you need as you need it. There is no need to thaw your beans before use if stored in the freezer.
To make things easier on yourself, select a coffee grinder that has removable, dishwasher safe components for easy clean up and a large reservoir so you can grind larger amounts of coffee at a time.

Good Tasting Water = Great Tasting Coffee

Since coffee is 98% water, you want to be sure that you use clean, filtered water for brewing. Or if your coffee maker already has a built-in filter, make sure you clean or change the filter on a regular basis. This will ensure the best tasting coffee.

The mix
Most coffee experts recommend a 1:1 ratio when making coffee, meaning for every cup of water used, use 1 tablespoon of freshly ground coffee. This of course can be increased or decreased depending on your tastes or the strength of the grounds, but as a rule of thumb a 1:1 ratio is a good place to start.

Some like it hot
After the coffee is brewed, the warming pad on your coffee maker will keep the coffee warm, but to maintain the best tasting coffee, transfer to a thermos, or a coffee butler and serve. This will keep the coffee warm without making it turn bitter.

Is that nutmeg I taste?
Flavouring can be a great way to add your own personal touch to the coffee you serve. Experiment by adding a pinch of flavour such as cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg to your next pot of coffee.

Aren’t you fancy!
Coffee shops aren’t the only place to experience great tasting coffees. With just an espresso machine you can make fancy gourmet coffee drinks at home. Here is a guide to how to create your own great coffee at home. Experiment with different flavours to create beverages that are uniquely yours.
Espresso - A style of coffee resulting from a unique roasting and brewing process. Served in 1.5 oz "shots", espresso is characterized by its rich, dark aromatic flavor and the golden "cream" foam on top.
Latte – Espresso and steamed milk, topped with frothed milk
Cappuccino – Espresso with an equal measure of steamed and frothed milk
Americano – A single or double shot of espresso, with hot water added instead of milk
Macchiato – A single or double shot of espresso crowned with frothed milk

Choose your equipment
There are many different types of coffee makers, but the most common type is an automatic drip coffee maker which is perfect for daily coffee drinkers. Most take paper filters, which allow the strong coffee flavour to get through and are ideal for those who desire a smooth, clean-tasting, cup of coffee. Gold or stainless-steel permanent filters are more porous and allow for even more flavour to emerge.
For those who prefer to drink less coffee but prefer a stronger, more flavourful cup, or just simply enjoy fancy coffee drinks, an espresso and cappuccino maker may be the perfect thing to satisfy your craving.

French Press coffeemakers allow full contact between the coffee and water for the most intense coffee flavour. The longer you steep the brew, the stronger your coffee will be, usually 5 minutes. When the desired strength is reached, the plunger is depressed, separating the grounds from the coffee to allow you to pour your fresh, hot coffee.

Now for the fun part…
For the best tasting coffee, make sure to clean your coffee maker on a monthly basis.

• Dissolve 30ml of citric acid or vinegar in 1L of hot water
• Add 1L of cold water
• Pour solution into the water section of your coffee maker
• Turn on the coffee maker (don’t put a filter in) and let about half the solution run through.
• Stop the machine and let it sit for 20 minutes
• Turn the machine back on and let the rest of the solution go through
• Rinse by running 2L of cold fresh water through your machine at least 4 times.

This website has some other tips on the perfect cup of Joe.

Ingredients

• 1  4-ounce package sweet baking chocolate, broken up
• 4  ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2/3  cup light cream or milk
• 1/2  cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1  teaspoon instant coffee crystals
• 2  tablespoons coffee liqueur
• Assorted fruits (such as star fruit slices, pineapple chunks, kiwi fruit wedges, strawberries, pear slices, banana slices)
• Meringue cookies

Directions
In a heavy saucepan combine chocolates, cream, sugar, and coffee crystals. Heat and stir over low heat till melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in liqueur. Pour into a fondue pot; keep warm over low heat. Serve with fruit and cookies.

Technorati Tags : mocha, chocolate, fondue, recipe