Maybe he loves to cook, or maybe this will be a subtle suggestion that he needs to learn how. Regardless of your motive, these are great additions to any kitchen. If you want knife recommendations, please reach out. I also have a kitchen essentials list if you’re interested.
Knife
Brad Leone Signature Lamson Santoku Cleavers
I love these for the extra weight they carry behind the blade, the ergonomic handle, and the fact that they look awesome alongside the rest of my knife collection. In all seriousness, having a cleaver comes in handy when trying to work through vegetables, especially squash varieties. The pair is on sale right now, but I’ve also linked the Bad boy here. Looking for something else? Shoot me a message through the chat widget at the bottom of the screen and I can help you out!
Skillet
Made-In 12’’ Carbon Steel Skillet
Carbon steel has been making a comeback in the culinary community for some time now. It’s effectively a better non-stick pan that just requires a bit of maintenance through regular seasoning. While some claim it replaces cast iron, I believe it has separate use cases. If you think he won’t be interested in seasoning it himself, here is the pre-seasoned version.
The value here is just unreal. While slightly blemished might scare some folks, this skillet will last a lifetime and leave grandchildren fighting over it. Capable of scrambling perfect eggs or searing steak, the copper core heats up quickly and transfers heat throughout the pan so there are no cool spots. It’s also made in America. An absolute chef’s dream.
It’s hard to not recommend this pan at only $17. Coming in at a 1/10 of the price of its big brother, Calphalon knocks it out of the park. I honestly don’t understand how they make any money.
Sauce Pan
A good cook can serve a perfect steak. A great cook can serve a perfect steak with an immaculate Béarnaise sauce to accompany it. If he doesn’t already have one, a sauce pan is going to be a game changer for his dishes.
I generally prefer a saucier due to the rounded edges and overall versatility, and a copper one just takes it up a notch. As I mentioned before, copper is highly regarded for its thermal conductivity. For that reason it makes an excellent material when preparing delicate sauces that love to break for seemingly no reason at all. I will do a deep dive on emulsification later, but for now, just know temperature control is crucial here.
An equally impressive piece, this saucepan will allow him to whip together a hollandaise sauce for eggs benedict when you deserve to be treated to breakfast in bed. In fact, he’ll probably do it Christmas morning after unwrapping it.
Dutch Oven
When nothing but the best will do, the Le Creuset dutch oven is what you need. This work of art spares no expense, but offers superior heat retention and food release in return. They’ve been making them since 1925 in France and it shows.
It would be a shame to not share this absolute steal of a kitchen multitool. At a fraction of the price tag of its fine french counterpart, the Lodge dutch oven offers impressive value.
Stock pot
Go big or go home as I say. Stock pots transform leftover rotisserie chicken into chicken soup and pork bones into tonkotsu ramen. Though I will warn you, once you’ve had homemade stock, you’ll never go back.
A prized piece of equipment in a kitchen, I love using as large a stock pot as possible so I can batch together all the cooking. Stock freezes well and leftovers are just meal prep.
I actually was gifted this by my mother in college and I’ve used it ever since. At only $40, it offers great value as long as you take care of it. Perfect for those on a budget.
Other
Boos Block Maple Cutting Board
This 24x18 wooden cutting board is about as versatile as they come. It will last years on end, and will protect his knives in the process.If you have a friend making them, support their small business, but otherwise, this is it.
This pair is the perfect duo when it comes to flipping flapjacks, fish, or french fries. Just be careful to avoid any non-stick cookware with these.
The ultimate mason jar, I questioned whether to share these or not, but I’ve been able to find them more readily these days so I figured I would bless everyone with my discovery. Obviously, mason jars are nothing new, but these function as both drinking glasses and storage containers. Great for pickling cucumber spears, carrots, or other foods that don’t typically fit in regular mason jars.
If you’ve ever tried to make a comforting bowl of ramen, you’ll realize just how difficult it is to serve everything without it overflowing. A perfect gift during the colder months, these ramen bowls will serve him for years to come.
Opt for this model unless you think he desperately needs the top of the line for twice as much. This vitamix still boasts a 2 HP motor and 48 oz container, as opposed to the 2.2 HP and 64 oz for the 750 Pro Series.