5 gift tips for the hobby chef

For many of us, the holidays are also about good food. That is probably one of the reasons that cooking gifts are so popular at this time of year. How nice is it to surprise the home chef or hobby cook in your life with a nice gift?

The best gift tips for cooking enthusiasts

The holidays are a great time to give something back to the person who is stirring the pots for you. Especially for the upcoming holidays, we have compiled a list of the best gift tips for hobby chefs.

Whether you want to give someone a special gift for Sinterklaas or you are looking for the perfect gift for Christmas, we are happy to give you some inspiration for cooking gifts.

1. A Sous-vide device

Want to make preparing Christmas dinner a lot easier? Then take a look at sous-vide. It's guaranteed to save you some stress in the kitchen!

The word sous-vide comes from French and means something like 'under vacuum'. The idea is that you vacuum pack that delicious piece of meat, fish or vegetable with a vacuum sealer (also a gift tip) and then let it float for a few hours in a container with warm water. That water is heated by the sous-vide stick .

A steak is medium-rare at a core temperature of 55 ºC. If you use a sous-vide device, the steak will never get warmer than the water in which it is cooked.

Did you know that the difference between a nice pink or medium steak and a well-done steak is only about three degrees? That is why it is so difficult to fry the perfect steak in a pan. With a sous vide device, the core temperature can be set to an accuracy of 0.1 degrees Celsius. This way you always ensure the perfect doneness.

In the example above we talked about steak with sous-vide, but you can also use this device to perfectly cook chicken and other poultry, fish, vegetables. Even perfectly poached eggs are one of the many possibilities. Sous-vide excels in convenience and is incredibly versatile and therefore our gift tip for every hobby chef!

2. A powerful high-speed blender

We all know how important a daily dose of vitamins and other nutrients are for a healthy body and mind. Anyone who has a New Year's resolution to be really healthy or is looking for a good gift idea for demanding hobby chefs, our high speed blenders are a godsend.

The powerful motor of a high speed blender effortlessly provides 30,000 revolutions per minute. That is a lot faster than a normal blender and this blender ensures a perfectly smooth result. Without any effort, you can make the most delicious smoothies and other drinks with this blender. But with this blender you can make more than just fruit juice. With the push of a button you can transform fresh ingredients into soup or sauce, make pesto or spreads and even fruit ice cream is a possibility. Blending 2.0!

3. Cold smoking yourself with a smoking gun

With fire comes some smoke. With a smoking gun you can cold smoke. This way you can easily give that delicious smoky flavor to a piece of salmon, meat or cheese. You can even use the smoking gun to give drinks a smoky flavor. Ideal to make that cheap whiskey you got as a gift from your in-laws drinkable after all.

The smoking gun is much easier to use than a smoke oven. Fill the smoking gun with some smoke dust. You can choose from all kinds of wood, herbs and even tea leaves can be used. The nice thing is that they all provide a different flavor.

A smoking gun is easy to use. Once the smoke chamber is filled with wood chips and any other flavourings, you turn on the device. A small fan in the smoking gun starts to turn and you use a lighter to light the wood chips. Hold the end of the hose above the product you want to smoke. It is best to cover the container with foil so that the smoke does not escape, but it is even better to use a special smoke dome . Nice gift idea for him?

4. Nice books about cooking

Books are always a good gift. Especially for hobby chefs, who are always looking for inspiration. How about a nice book about cooking with sous-vide?

A sous-vide appliance can be used for many more things than just steak. Fish, poultry, vegetables and even perfectly poached eggs. Is your hobby chef already enthusiastic about this new cooking technique? Our sous-vide cookbooks are full of tips and tricks to fully master vacuum cooking.

Cooking is of course more than just sous-vide. More and more people have Kamado BBQs in their gardens, for example. Not everyone uses all the possibilities that the 'big green egg' has to offer and that is a shame. The Ultimate Kamado Book provides a lot of information and tips on how to best use the kamado, such as maintenance and lighting the kamado. The fantastic kamado recipes in this book, 90 in total, will make everyone's mouth water. A great gift tip.

5. Chef's knife

Last but not least: the chef's knife. A chef uses his knife every day.

Without a good chef's knife, it is of course almost impossible to make a name for yourself as an amateur chef.

A chef's knife is also a nice gift for a hobby chef. Do you want to give a nice chef's knife to a cooking enthusiast? Take a look at our Japanese chef's knives . Razor-sharp and without a doubt a feast for the eyes.

The KOTAI chef's knives from our range come in different types, such as a santoku or the gyuto. The blade is specially hammered. This not only gives these Japanese chef's knives the 'wow factor', but is also practical. The irregular surface creates air bubbles between the knife and the cut food, so that they do not stick to the knife.

The KOTAI knives are forged from 440C steel. This is a premium steel with an exceptionally high carbon content. A guarantee for hardness and durability. The knife consists of a single piece of steel that runs from the tip of the blade to the end of the handle. This is not only durable, but also gives these Japanese knives an ideal balance and therefore they have the best cutting properties.

Enough gift inspiration?

Hopefully, the list above has given you enough inspiration to choose the very best gift for your kitchen prince or princess. But we also understand very well if, as a fanatic hobby chef, you simply buy one of the above gift tips for yourself.