gift-ideas-for-novice-cooksbabaduke Gift ideas for novice cooks - Manitoba Chicken

If your holiday gift list includes someone who’s just started cooking, here are a few kitchen essentials, and some fun things, to encourage kitchen adventures.

oniongoggles

Onion Goggles

 

No more tears in the kitchen!  At least not while you’re chopping onions.   The foam on the inside of these plastic glasses fits snug against the skin so the onion fumes can’t get in your eyes.  And they’re a lot more stylish than wearing ski goggles or a dive mask.  Look for onion goggles in kitchen specialty shops or online.

 

Hand Blenders

Hand Blenders

 

Hand blenders (also known as immersion blenders) are one of the most versatile kitchen gadgets, and one of our favourites. Many of the models come with attachments like a whisk and a chopper, making them even more helpful.  Use a hand blender to make a smoothie, beat eggs (and egg whites if you have a whisk attachment), blend salad dressings, puree veggies, chop nuts and veggies (with a chopper attachment), froth milk…  Compared to a regular blender or food processor, hand blenders are easy to clean, don’t take up much space and are reasonably priced.

digital thermometer

Tip Sensitive Digital Thermometer

 

Take away the guesswork and enjoy perfect poultry every time. Using a digital thermometer is the best way to tell if poultry and meat are properly cooked. Look for these in the kitchen section of larger grocery stores, in any store selling small appliances or in kitchen specialty shops.