Eco-friendly Christmas gift ideas for cooking aficionados
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano
I bought this sous vide cooker as my first personal sous vide cooker to use at home. I have used it at work, so I know how this thing works, and it’s a great item. Especially when I’m making Onsen tamago, which means “Hot spring egg” in Japanese as well as known as “slow-cooked egg” or “sous vide egg”. It’s also useful to cook meat at certain temperatures and times, and you can cook it at lower temperatures than boiling or pan-fried. (You can also cook the sous vide juicy chicken breast with this) You might have seen it before, a sous vide machine is often used to cook your steak to your favourite doneness. Then all you need to do is sheer the surface, and it is ready to serve.
All you need to know is how long it takes to cook and the temperature at which it can be consumed safely. You can easily find this information on the Internet. There is also an app that allows you to control the temperature and time with Bluetooth, but I've never tried it.
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0
Staub La Cocotte
I used this cast iron pot for two years to make soup or stews. I initially bought it during the lockdown to make sourdough, but it finished right after I purchased the pot, so I haven’t tried it yet.
I like this soup pot because it keeps the moisture from the vegetables in the pan with the lid on. So I just need to add a small amount of water to ensure not to burn the bottom, then add some stock cubes and oat milk, and blitz it with a blender. It makes preparing a creamy and nutritious soup straightforward.
This Staub pot helps you to save some energy too. This thick cast iron pan holds the heat very well, so there is no need to keep high heat when cooking.
They are not suitable for dishwashers.
(Actually, they are dishwasher safe according to the official website and on the package as well. They recommend hand washing, though. I don’t mind washing by hand and found it easier to clean than other pans and pots I have.)
Once you wash them, dry them with a clean cloth. I also found it very easy to maintain. I highly recommend it.
I am considering buying a smaller pot to make a hotpot for two or cheese fondue for four people.
(I bought the smaller one, and it’s perfect for making soup for two to three people!)
STAUB Cast Iron Roaster/Cocotte, Round, 24 cm, 3.8 L, Black
STAUB 1004065 Cast Iron Roaster/Cocotte, Round, 18 cm, 1.7 L
Vacuum flask
A good flask will keep you warm this season! I used my vacuum flask this summer to keep me refreshed. But now, it is time to keep my drink hot enough to finish it or bring it with me when I go out to work or travel.
We wrote about our flasks to show that you can save money instead of buying coffee from shops every morning.
Thermos Stainless King Flask, 470 ml
Thermos Super Light Direct Drink Flask, 470 m
Bialetti
As we mentioned in one of our new blog posts, Bialetti is a coffee maker from Italy.
I highly recommend it as a gift to someone who loves coffee. They have different colours and shapes so you can choose one for them or yourself.
Bialetti Moka Express Aluminium Stovetop Coffee Maker (9 Cup) (<- This one is the actual size that we have been using!)
Bialetti Moka Express Caffettiera in Alluminio, 6 Cups
Bialetti Rainbow Caffettiera Colorata, Alluminio, Giallo, 3 Tazze
Aarke
Did we mention this product before? It’s convenient, especially for us who have sparkling water (almost) every day. Until we got this, we bought large bottles from supermarkets or in bulk from Amazon, which meant that we filled our recycling bin with them. Since we have changed to Aarke, the only thing we need to buy is the gas bottle roughly once every two months. We usually go to the nearest Argos shop to exchange the empty gas bottle for a new one to get a discount on the new bottle.
The bottle is not suitable for the dishwasher, but we usually rinse it with water, and that’s it. It’s very easy to clean.
Aarke Carbonator 3 Sparkling Water Maker with Water Bottle, Steel Finish
Bento box
We wrote about bento boxes a while ago, and recently, I found a traditional Japanese-style bento box called “Mage-wappa”. I wanted to try them before and even gave them to my father for his birthday, and he loved them. Compared to other bento boxes made from stainless steel, glass, bamboo fibre, etc., it is more delicate.
However, the natural wood smell you can get when you open the box is priceless. The weight is very light too.
Japanese Style Bento Boxes Natural Wooden Lunch Box
Kitchen scissors
I bought this quite recently, and it's already one of my favourite kitchen tools! It is made of stainless steel and is detachable, so you can use it for various things, like opening a bottle or as a nutcracker.
I am considering buying another one to give to my brother-in-law, who has started enjoying cooking at home.
LIVINGO Kitchen Forged Shears Heavy Duty
Closing words
I hope you enjoyed reading our kitchen gadgets list for Christmas!
Initially, we wanted to post this blog article earlier, but I was fighting against Covid, it got delayed, and Christmas is very close now! So, most of you will have already decided or got gifts.
Hopefully, this article will be helpful. These are all great products that can also be used as birthday gifts. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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