Expertise: Food, Wine, Kitchen Equipment, Storage and Organization, Recipes

Laura Denby is a New York-based food and wine writer who focuses on finding the best kitchen equipment for home cooks. She has a Culinary Arts diploma from the Institute of Culinary Education and a WSET Level 2 Award in Wine and Spirits. Her work has appeared on leading food publications like Food Network, Taste of Home, and Delish.

Experience Laura has worked as a professional chef in restaurants, catering kitchens, and test kitchens for the past six years while contributing to leading food publications along the way. With a degree in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education and a degree in Journalism from Penn State, Laura relies on her culinary expertise to create thorough product recommendations for publications like Food & Wine, Real Simple, Allrecipes, and Better Homes & Gardens. From nonstick pans to hand mixers, Laura has tested hundreds of pieces of kitchen equipment.

She also regularly utilizes her WSET level 2 Award in Wine and Spirits through the Wine and Spirits Education Trust by attending trade tasting events and seminars and has worked in vineyards both on Long Island and the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France. Previously, she served as Culinary Moderator for Food Network Kitchen's live cooking platform, where she was responsible for responding to culinary questions during live cooking shows in real time.

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Shopping for home cooks can be challenging, especially when they already have a well-stocked kitchen full of the latest and greatest gadgets. When selecting a gift for your favorite home cook, it's best to find something functional and versatile that will fit their design and cooking style. Considering many home cooks are working with limited space, a thoughtful gift should also be easy to clean, care for, and store. For the ultimate list of the best kitchen gifts, we rounded up some of the most chef-loved and expert-tested products to help find a quality gift for even the most hard-to-shop-for cook. We also spoke to chef and TV host Elena Besser for her tips on how to shop for the perfect gift.

"Price range doesn't matter as long as the gift you are giving is thoughtful and classy," Besser says. "The best gifts should help home cooks understand the foundations of cooking and give them more confidence in the kitchen," she adds.

From a surprisingly nonstick skillet to a bold and vibrant set of dried spices, this is our ultimate list of the best gifts for home cooks, no matter their skill level. Read on for our favorites.

Also available at Sur La Table.

Immersion blenders make easy work of soups, smoothies, and sauces. This one from Breville is intuitive, efficient, and strong, so it can quickly break down many foods. The perfect gift for a home cook looking for a sleek gadget, this hand blender can help add variety to your weekly meals by making tedious tasks — like emulsifying salad dressing — much faster. Most of all, we love that it's simple to use, store, and clean.

Also available at Williams Sonoma.

For the home baker who doesn't have space for a bulky stand mixer, a hand mixer can be a fantastic alternative. If you're thinking of gifting one to your favorite home cook, consider this strong, efficient, and multifunctional option from Breville. The digital control panel is easy to understand, and we love that all the accessories can be housed in a convenient storage container.

Air fryers are a fantastic gift for the home cook because they add crispy, golden-brown crunch to anything you cook, and they're an easy way to revitalize soggy foods. They're perfect for frying, heating, dehydrating, and baking. In fact, this one bakes just like a regular oven, and the extra-large cooking surface can accommodate up to 4 quarts of food. In addition, the digital control panel is easy to read, and the nonstick inner surface is easy to clean.

Homemade waffles are the ultimate breakfast indulgence, and this gadget makes it easy to have them every day of the week. The vertical waffle maker is efficient and compact, so it doesn't take up too much space on the countertop.

Related: We Tested the Best Waffle Makers to Better Your Breakfast

Every chef needs a reliable knife, and for a passionate home cook, there's no better gift. Though there are a ton of options to choose from, we think this is a great option. It's sharp and lightweight, with a nonslip handle that promotes an ergonomic grip.

If you're looking for a hostess gift that's as functional as it is attractive, try this casserole dish from Great Jones. Perfect for lasagna, baked macaroni and cheese, or blueberry cobbler, it makes for a fantastic gift for any type of cook. The large, looped handles make it easy to grab from the oven, and the ceramic construction is naturally nonstick. We baked a ton of lasagnas to find the best casserole dishes, and this one produced perfect results every time — winning it the top spot overall.

Related: We Tested the Best Casserole Dishes for Crispy Lasagna—These Are Our Favorites

Cooking outside is an experience that always adds a little fun and excitement. If you're sick of your standard grill, try this wok and fire pit bundle from Solo Stove instead. Perfect for camping or trips to the beach, the cast iron wok sits on top of the solo stove fire pit so that you can achieve a smokey flavor and crispy, golden-brown texture.

Another editor-loved gift is this pizza oven that achieves crispy, restaurant-quality pizza right from your own backyard. When shopping for the home cook who has everything, a pizza oven is a fun option that can add a little variety to your weeknight meals. This one heats up quickly and cooks evenly, so pizzas come out with crisped edges and perfectly melty cheese.

Related: We Tested the Best Pizza Ovens for Restaurant-Quality Pizza at Home

Every home cook needs a cutting board, and this one is so elegant that it can stay on the countertop all day long. Made from responsibly-sourced, solid West African ebony, these cutting boards are reversible to showcase the rich, natural marbling of the wood. Thick and heavy-duty, the high-quality board is perfect for chopping, but it also makes for a chic and decorative serving board. Each cutting board also includes a nonstick mat that keeps it securely in place at all times.

A set of fresh and flavorful oils is an ideal gift for any cook, no matter their skill level. Besser notes this set of high-quality oils and vinegars from Brightland as one of her favorites. "Every cook uses oil, acid, and salt when cooking, and they can never get enough of it," she adds. Keep your favorite home cook stocked with this set that includes two oils and two vineyards from Brightland.

Also available at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

High-quality nonstick pans are invaluable in the kitchen. They're the secret to perfect omelets and the key to searing flakey fish. We tested 13 of the leading models, and this option from Zwilling easily bested them all, winning the spot as Best Overall in each of our tests. The nonstick surface is slick and durable, which makes it easy to use and clean. This efficient pan is a game-changer that any home cook deserves to have.

Related: We Cooked 68 Omelets to Test the Best Nonstick Pans — These Are Our Favorites

For adventurous home cooks, cooking and eating outside can be fun and challenging all at the same time. One of the trickiest parts about cooking a high-quality meal outdoors — whether at a tailgate, the beach, or a campsite — is finding durable kitchenware to serve and store it in. That's why we love Hydro Flask's line of outdoor kitchen accessories. This bundle comes with everything you need to enjoy a delicious meal outside — plates, bowls, an insulated wine cup, and serveware.

Cast iron skillets are a heritage item that can be passed down from generation to generation. Smithey makes some of the finest ironware perfect for gifting, thanks to the smooth, polished surface that is both elegant and functional. In addition, these skillets are durable and heavy-duty and feature curved walls and an extra-long handle.

For adventurous home cooks looking to try their hand at breadmaking, set them up for success with a bread cloche from Le Creuset. Bread cloches create the perfect environment for dough to thrive in — and this one helps users achieve crispy crust with a solid base and tender, structured center. Available in a range of gorgeous colors, this petite cooker from a classic brand makes an elegant and timeless gift.

Enjoying fresh cold brew at home is something every coffee lover should do. Our editors love how simple and convenient this option is — just fill the container with your favorite coffee grounds and top with water. The rainfall effect helps evenly distribute water, so the grinds steep consistently. The ultra-fine stainless steel strainer helps filter out any bits of coffee grinds, leaving you with fresh, smooth cold brew. In fact, this cold brew maker is so efficient that it took the top spot in our official list of best cold brew makers.

Related: The Best Cold Brew Coffee Makers, According to Our Tests

Also available at Crate & Barrel.

Elegant salt and pepper mills are just as much a piece of decor as they are functional gadgets. Peugeot makes some of the best — the classic company has been doing so for over a century — and this set is no different. Made from sustainable Beech wood with a stainless steel core, Peugeot's heavy-duty mechanism cracks peppercorn without crushing it. That means you get the freshest flavor with every crank.

Fancy olive oil deserves to be displayed in a fancy bottle. This cruet from Le Creuset's Olive Branch line is made of durable stoneware that protects the oil from harmful sunlight, and the elegant design makes for the perfect host or hostess gift. The stainless steel spout is designed to open when pouring and close when finished, which provides a steady, dripless pour.

Using high-quality spices is the key to deep, fresh flavor. You can't beat the quality of these single-origin spices from Burlap & Barrel — they're non-GMO and made without additives or fillers. They're ethically sourced and representative of the unique culinary regions they hail from. Any home cook will love this gift bundle's vibrant and pungent flavors with six spices like purple stripe garlic, silk chili, and flowering hyssop thyme.

This pack of salty and sweet barbecue sauce is an easy way to elevate a variety of dishes. Perfect for marinades or dressings, Bacchan's Japanese barbecue sauces have a flavor similar to teriyaki, which makes them ideal for drizzling on chicken, shrimp, rice, or steak. Free of preservatives, additives, and GMOs, it packs a strong, fresh flavor thanks to the cold-filling process that's true to the original recipe. This pack of three includes flavors like original, yuzu, and hot and spicy.

If you're a fan of cast iron but haven't tried cooking with carbon steel yet, now's your chance to do so. Professional chefs agree that this type of cookware is a game changer — it combines the benefits of nonstick skillets with the heat retention abilities of cast iron. It's a heavy-duty workhorse that can sear, fry, or bake, so it's a functional gift for any type of home cook. We put eight of the leading pans to the test, and this affordable option unequivocally won the title of Best Overall.

Related: We Tested the Best Carbon Steel Pans — and These Are Our Favorites

Besser suggests a cookbook as a fun and easy way to help home cooks hone their skills in the kitchen, and this is one of her favorites. Samin Nosrat's Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is a delightful turn through the basics (and the intricacies) of cooking through the lens of four main elements. Both novices and seasoned cooks will love the histories, illustrations, and recipes woven through the book. It's both a comfort and a conversation piece.

Laura Denby is a food and beverage writer with a degree in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education and years of experience working in professional kitchens. With the goal of helping home cooks become more efficient, she focuses on creating thoroughly tested buying guides for sites like FoodNetwork.com, Forbes Vetted, Saveur, Real Simple, and more. For this piece, she relied on her personal experience working with these products, along with her professional culinary background and industry insight.

Elena Besser is a Brooklyn-based chef and TV host. With a culinary degree from the International Culinary Center, she honed her professional culinary skills as a chef at New York Times 3-Star Restaurant, Lilia. Previously an instructor on the Food Network Kitchen app, she is currently a culinary personality on the Cooking Channel's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," Amazon's "Today's Deals Live," and a red carpet host for The James Beard Awards' Twitter livestream.

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