I love looking through gift guides this time of year, planning what to get for my husband, parents, in-laws, niece and nephew… it’s always inspiring to see what others have suggested! And looking back at my blog posts, it turns out I haven’t written my own gift guide since 2016. Sheesh. It’s high time I give you all an update on what fun items I’m using in my own kitchen that would make great presents for your friends and family!

First, a shameless self-plug — gift a copy or two of The Instant Kitchen Cookbook! It went on sale last month, just in time for the holidays, and it’s on Simply Recipes’ short list for Fall ’22. Anyone with an air fryer, Instant Pot, or both will find lots of recipes to love. If you want to read a more in-depth post about the book, I’ve written one here. Or you can watch my demonstration of the Turkey Monte Cristo Sandwiches from the book here.

Speaking of Instant Pots and air fryers, those make amazing presents to0. My favorites are the Instant Pot Pro, Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart air fryer, and the Instant Omni Plus combo air fryer/toaster oven.

Instant Brands appliances are a mainstay in my house (their 3-in-1 Coffee Maker works with both K-cups and Nespresso pods, as well as your own coffee grounds, so convenient), and I think anyone would be excited to receive one.

When I’m chopping veggies or washing dishes, I’m thankful for a comfy gel mat to stand on. These ones from Gorilla Grip come in a bunch of different colors and patterns, as well as big and small sizes. Get a little one to fit in front of the sink, or a big one to line the whole side of a kitchen island.

Speaking of chopping, this Victorinox chef knife is the one I always recommend to someone looking to upgrade from something really cheap. They used to be $35 back in the day, and now they’re nearly $60, but that’s still half of what you’ll pay for something a little fancier. They’re made from stamped metal, not forged, with a fibrox handle, so they’re light, well-balanced, and grippy even when wet. A favorite of line cooks everywhere, too.

For a stocking stuffer or even a white elephant gift, I think these Burger Buddy sandwich holders are pretty hilarious and also useful, and something most people definitely won’t have already! I love how these keep your hands clean while you’re eating a big, juicy burger.

I rely on homemade and store-bought spice blends most nights — they help me get tasty dinners on the table quickly, and my kids love the variety of flavors spice blends offer. We like these za’atar and shawarma blends from Pereg on our chickpeas and chicken for Middle Eastern-inspired meals.

These bbq spice rubs from Meat Church are my go-to whenever we’re barbecuing, or even just air frying some quick chicken wings or making a batch of Instant Pot baby back ribs. We always have multiple shakers in the cabinet, with backup pouch refills in case we run out!

Garlic Gold products deserve a category all their own when it comes to flavor boosters in the kitchen. Their Gourmet Garlic Nuggets sampler pack is a great way to introduce someone to four different flavors of the nuggets: Sea Salt, Southwest, Italian Herb, and Original. They also have more deluxe gift boxes if you want something that’s already wrapped in a pretty bow. These nuggets of garlic are crunchy, toasty, and delicious on and in just about everything. In my house, we love to shake them onto pizza, pasta, tacos, and tostadas.

We usually drink our morning coffee with a little bit of half and half, but on the weekends I’ll often make flavored iced coffees for Brendan and myself as an afternoon treat. Torani’s sugar-free syrups are our favorites, and this variety pack includes classic vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut, and caramel.

Oh, and these pumps make for easy dispensing, just like in your favorite cafe.

I hope this list gives you a little inspiration for your holiday shopping! And if you have any kitchen favorites you think I should know about, let me know in the comments here.

Happy holidays,

Coco