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Rift Ride™
ARCTIC OUTDOOR EXPLORER DOWN JACKET
$1,966.67
Look like you’re exploring the arctic in your own neighborhood. This should become more readily available for purchase once The Real McCoy’s London website returns online.
Apollo Cart
$3,100–4,740
Put the cart before the horse? Maybe when it’s this one. You’ll figure out what to do with it. Holds over half a ton, and it can fold up for carrying.
31655H High Heat S/S 6 x 5 Turner w/Blue Handle
$29.11
At the very least, it’s excellent for smash burgers. It’s heavy, and it has a vaguely sharp edge that can be used for breaking up ingredients in a pan
Milk Bar Pie
$46
It really is a fantastic pie. And you should throw in some corn cookies while you’re at it. Or just get the cookbook, which is also in this guide.
AirPods Pro
$249 ($278 with AppleCare+)
There’s other wireless headphones that can beat them on sound quality, but nothing comes close to AirPods as far as convenience for Apple users. Be sure to add AppleCare+ to the purchase to cover the battery for two years.
Maronibraterin shearling-lined leather boots
$830
Made with oil-impregnated Russian leather by Vienna-based bootmaker Ludwig Reiter—the link above is for the women’s version of the boot, and there’s free-returns because it’s from Net-a-Porter. But if you need a men’s boot, or the boot you want is out of stock, you can order from the Ludwig Reiter website, but everything shipped to the US will be final sale.
Cabin Fleece Robe
$181.01
For when a hood on your bathrobe isn’t really what you want, but it’s what you need.
Kimekomi Pikachu
~$122 (¥13,200)
Each doll is handmade, and it’s limited 50 dolls only.
The YS640s Pellet Grill
$1799 (plus $122.50 for fitted cover)
You’re going to have a hard time finding a pellet smoker with thicker steel. For more details on the smoker, read the Gear Diary review.
Gift Card
$25+
Founded six years ago by my friend and Chicago expat Emmett Burke, Emmett’s is one the spots I’m most looking forward to trying on my next visit to the city. Perfect for the homesick Chicagoan marooned in New York that wants a fun hangout with an extensive wine list. Emmett’s features the bar pizza shown above, deep dish, Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef, and a burger that some have said is the best in the city. To purchase a gift card, call (917) 639-3571.
Straight to Heaven
$295
Smell a little bit like rum, but not like you’ve been drinking it— smell like you’re exuding rum.
Switch with Neon Blue and Neon Red Joy‑Con
$299
Ideal for playing the Untitled Goose Game, among other things.
Untitled Goose Game
$19.99
What’s good for the goose is good for absolutely no one else.
Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, 17 oz
$35
I can’t claim this is the best insulated water bottle, but I really like the S’well bottle we got for free, and I’d imagine so will the person to whom you give this. I spill water all over myself when I try to drink from wider mouthed water bottles, so this is great.
LS50 Wireless
$1,799.98 (originally $2,499.99)
The active version of the LS50, like the LSX, these do not require an amplifier or digital-to-audio-converter; everything you need is built in. These are generally too big for a desk, but are excellent.
God of War
$19.99
God of War explores fatherhood and masculinity within the world of Norse mythology in this incredible soft reboot of the original God of War trilogy.
USB to S/PDIF Converter
$299
Ideal for hooking up devices with USB output to sound systems without USB input (like the KEF LSX). And it glows blue.
Vol. 1, No. 1
$19
The inaugural issue of a new national food-focused print publication based out of the Twin Cities. This issue will have some local Twin Cities stories, but generally, the publication focuses on food throughout the world. This issue will ship between December 22nd and January 1st.
Premium Silflex Glass Cables
$99 (20-inches) to $199 (16-feet)
Does the quality of a TOSLINK cable actually matter? Who’s to say? But nothing shows that you care more than spending $100 on a cable that probably doesn’t do much at all.
Persona 5
$18.90
My favorite RPG, and one of my favorite games ever. You do not have to play the previous Persona games first, and I certainly did not. Persona 5 Royal will see its worldwide release in the spring, and that will be an expanded rerelease of the game, but the original is incredible, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself wanting to play it again as soon as you beat it.
D750
$1,196.95
One of the best values in photography. Be sure to select the “With Free Adobe Software” option for a year of Photoshop and Lightroom. The NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens is also a great starting point for a lens. And if you’re buying it for someone that demands 45.7 megapixels and can’t buy their own damned camera, get them the D850.
Batman Annual #2
$10
Part of Tom King’s run of Batman, Batman Annual #2 stands as my all-time favorite issue of a comic, and it works as a standalone story.
OP-1 Portable Synthesizer
$1,299
You can buy it at Amazon, but the photograph on there isn’t as good.
Mister Miracle
$15.65
This trade paperback collects all 12 issues of Tom King’s phenomenal run of Mister Miracle with artist Mitch Gerads.
The Death of Stalin
$9.40
The best film of 2018 or so. This film was never released in the US for Blu-Ray, so you’ll have to stick to the DVD unless it’s being played on a Blu-Ray player that can play European Blu-Rays. Also, The Favourite, Free Solo, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Burning, and Venom are all excellent films, though the latter is only incidentally so.
Her
$10.73
The best film of 2013. But, uh, maybe watch this one before you give it to someone.
Cobalt dishes
$32 (Snack plate), $52 (Breakfast bowl), Dinner plate ($62)
Great color, and I love those Helen Levi bowls.
Bottle
$8.48
Put it on fried chicken, ricotta toast, ice cream, make your own version of Paulie Gee’s Hellboy, put it on a different ice cream, maybe make more ricotta toast—I don’t know, the world is your oyster I don’t want to keep telling you how to use this stuff (maybe put it on oysters too, though).
Molybdenum Paring Knife
$59
Great paring knife. And this one’s sharpened for righties, so call if you need it for a lefty.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
$119.98
Another Gen Urobuchi gem. An incredible series, and I’ll say this: don’t judge this series by its cover. I don’t know of any other source of this Blu-ray that works on American Blu-ray players, but it’s worth noting this is also available on Netflix as of the time of writing.
Outdoor Eames Aluminum Group Lounge Chair
$2,300
Discovered in 1957 by Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard in an effort to bring outdoor seating elegance to the world. Buy four to create a statement patio.
MEN’s N-1 FIELD SHOES
$970
For the walking anachronism. This should become more readily available for purchase once The Real McCoy’s London website returns online.
7.5" Square ThermaBond Mini Baking, Set of 4 Pizza Stones
$26.73
Baking steels are great for pizza (given an oven that can get hot enough), but for bagels and some breads, stones are great to have in order to avoid burnt bottoms. These are cheap and easy to store, and given their size, less likely to crack (and if they do, you can just buy another set and rotate out squares as needed). There’s a seam between each square, but for less than $30, I’m not complaining.
Pokémon Sword/Pokémon Shield
$58.75
I own Pokémon Sword. I haven’t played mine much. But this is a great game for someone with a Switch that has an interest in Pokémon, and I’d include it if I were giving a Switch as a gift. Or you can get Pokémon Shield which is more or less the same thing.
Tundra 45 Cooler
$299.99
It holds less than you’d expect, but it’s extremely effective at keeping things at temperature when used properly.
Women’s Aldridge Parka Black Label
$1,325
The jacket has straps, so you can take it off and wear it as a backpack if you become too warm indoors. This is a heavily insulated jacket, and this is mostly appropriate for very cold climates.
American Wagyu Filet Mignon
$331.95 for four
I love this steak, but you now have to purchase four at a time, so maybe count this gift toward multiple people.
COARSE GRATER
$29.99 (Coarse), $34.95 (Fine)
The coarse grater is perfect for grating potatoes for Hanukkah latkes or shredding cheese. The fine model is ideal specifically for Skyline Chili cheddar, but also other hard cheeses depending on the context.
Blade Runner 2049
$9.99
The best film of 2017 (and it’s better than the original Blade Runner).
Premium Classic Series Zester Grater
$11.99
Good for zesting citruses and hard cheeses (depending on the context).
BIRDMAN or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance
$10.99
The best film of 2014, and Michael Keaton is the best actor to play Batman in a live action movie.
A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships by The 1975
$16.98
This one came out in late 2018, which is close enough to 2019 to be included.
Sicario
$4.99
The best film of 2015. This is the third film from Denis Villeneuve on this list.
Gift Card
$25–200
Give the gift of watching the best show of 2019, Russian Doll, and check out Alexis Guerreros play multiple hooded individuals in BoJack Horseman. Not including tax (if you’re in a place that taxes streaming services), you’re looking at around $191.88 for a year of 4K streaming on Netflix, or $155.88 for a year of the regular HD Netflix.
Arrival
$9.96
The best film of 2016. I will pass along the same advice that was given to me: “do not read anything about this film.” Just watch it. Also, excellent are Moonlight and Hello, My Name is Doris.
Double Down
$25.95
You’re going to purchase Fateful Findings from Neil Breen’s website. And then you’re going to respond to the PayPal receipt email and ask to change the order to Double Down. You probably won’t end up with Double Down, and that’s OK, Fateful Findings is still an incredible film, but you have to try.
Atlanta Millionaires Club by Faye Webster
$15.98
One of my favorite albums, and easily one of the best album covers. Plus the back is a lotto-style scratch-off.
12-month digital subscription
$140
Yeah, it’s weird that Una Pizza Napoletana got a second review less than a year after their first (starless) review in an effort by Pete Wells to keep the restaurant from leaving Manhattan. Don’t know what to say about that, but this is a great gift for friends and family. Note that this isn’t a recurring subscription, and you pay for the entire year in advance.
Cast Iron and Non-slip Pad Cake stand, 12 inch,
$55.99
This is the cake stand that I would get if we had the bandwidth and interest in dealing with cakes more. We also have an Ateco offset spatula. We use Fat Daddio’s cake pans when we use a cake pan, or you can just bake in a baking sheet and cut to size after it bakes.
Batman Beyond: The Complete Series (Blu-ray + Digital)
$69.99
A worthy sequel to the legendary Batman animated series of the 90s.
Lasergrip 774
$16.99
This is the second IR thermometer on this list—do you understand how important this is yet? Get one for each hand, or buy it for someone who isn’t worth the $69 for the ThermoWorks. This is what we use every day in our kitchen.
![The Elements of Style [Illustrated] by Strunk, White and Kalman by Penguin Books](https://static.richardeaglespoon.com/images/gifts/19/strunkandwhite.jpg)
The Elements of Style [Illustrated] by Strunk, White and Kalman
$12.23
Buy it for the droopy Basset Hound; stay for the grammar.
Waffle Iron
$2700
If you want to make Liège waffles, the Cuisinart Belgian waffle iron will not work, nor will anything else The WireCutter or Cook’s Illustrated rates as their best Belgian waffle iron pick. They’re all comparatively trash. The HVD is the best there is.
Red Whirley Stovetop Popper
$18.99
Great for making popcorn at home. Be very careful when operating this popper, as you can burn yourself with the escaping steam. I like using these pre-measured packs with a bit of Flavacol. And no, you can’t use any old salt, Flavacol is micronized and is ideal for sticking to popcorn. My favorite butter-flavored topper is also in this guide, available from the same shop.
Certified Reconditioned Standard Programs
$379.95
Yeah it’s a refurb. But it’s as good as new, and comes with a five-year warranty. Buy a new model if you must, but these really are the best blenders, and I would outright refuse a smoothie made with any other blender.
Valor 3000 XtremeW
$470.90
I hate that there’s two scales in this list. So here’s a third. This one combines the two: 6lb max capacity and 0.01g resolution (yes, again, I mixed units—I am aware, and it doesn’t matter),so you can just have one almost $500 scale. Perfect.
Gourmet Perfect Peel, 16X18X26
(8" Handle)
$49
For launching pizzas only. Do not ever retrieve pizzas with this peel. Dust with semolina flour, and wipe the peel with a dry cloth to clean it. Do not get this peel wet. Do not oil this peel. Never going to steer you wrong with these gift descriptions.
SICILIAN PAN 12"x12"x1.5" PSTK (H76F-12X12X1.5-PSTK) AND LID (XSEP-12X12)
$28.73 (pan), $16.58 (lid)
Used to make Richard Eaglespoon’s famous Sicilian pizzas. Oven safe at over 700F. Lid for convenience. You can maybe dish wash the lids, but don’t put the pan itself in the dishwasher ever. Never ever.
Set of 3 Square Food Storage Containers with Lids, 2 Quart
$26.09
Cylinders aren’t an efficient use of space, so this is my favorite Cambro container of this volume. This tape is excellent for labeling them (and other containers).
Quarter size cooling rack, 2-Pack
$11.95
Perfect for dry-brining chicken and steaks, roasting small things, resting meats, breads, etc. Grab the half-sized one for fitting into standard half-sheet pans, which is useful for serving pan pizzas.
Eighth Sheet Pan
$9
Great for reheating small foods, serving small foods, and generally everything to do with small foods. It’s surprisingly great.
Heavy Duty Pan Gripper
$5.75
Love these for removing pizza pans and baking sheets from the oven (you’ll want to stick with using this on quarter and eighth sheets). If you’re nervous about scratching non-stick surfaces, there’s a nylon version available, but I prefer using the metal one for bare aluminum pans.
EDGE12-11 12" Manual Meat Slicer
$1,499
Spare no expense on a deli slicer for your loved ones. Or don’t, and get this BESWOOD slicer that’s smaller and much cheaper. The numbers on the thickness dial of my BESWOOD slicer faded away seemingly overnight, which was devastating, but besides that it’s fine.
Countertop Pizza Ovens
This costs more than you'd hope, but less than it ought to.
They say that the best home pizza oven is the one in your kitchen. But really, it’s a PizzaMaster. Forza Pizza is now a PizzaMaster dealer, and you can request a quote from their website. If the oven is going in a home, don’t forget to ask for the oven to be built with 240V single phase wiring. This is a high-end commercial deck oven, but single phase 240V (the same as a typical electric range or a dryer) will work for at least the single-chamber countertop ovens.
California Reserve Dry Aged Prime Rib Roast, Bones Tied
$182 (3-rib)–$432 (7-rib)
My mother, whose roast stands as one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, recommends going no smaller than three ribs. Buy a roast for the holidays, cook it expertly using one of the leave-in thermometers in this guide, and then count it as a gift for everyone who ate it. The methodology on the Flannery listing is similar to what I’d recommend. Just add in a dry-brine step a day or two before, and be sure to rest the roast (uncovered!), and count on the temperature increasing while you do so.
Jubilation XXV for Men, 100ml
$305
Frankincense, myrrh—only a few donkeys short of smelling like the nativity scene.
Samsung Duo Plus USB 3.1 Flash Drive
$11.99 (32GB), $19.99 (64GB), $29.99 (128GB), $49.99 (256GB)
Excellent stocking stuffer. Has a convenient built in adapter that lets you connect this with USB-A, or you can leave it off to connect with USB-C. Wish the protective cap were tethered on (I think the holes are for key rings unless there was a tether in the packaging that I missed and accidentally threw out), but you can toss it away and live dangerously.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
$43.99
If you own a Nintendo Switch and you don’t own this game, you have failed.
Animal Face Winter Flannel - Black/Red Snap
$295 (out of stock)
It’s as intense as cotton flannel will ever get.
Classic Bathrobe
$99
It’s very soft, comfortable, and it looks like a typical bathrobe. There’s pockets to keep sandwiches or whatever you typically use bathrobe pockets for. I don’t know what else you need. Do you need a hood?
NTS Logo Head 32 Oz. Nalgene Water Bottle — Teal
$28
If you’re anything like me, you’ve spilled water all over yourself just thinking about wide-mouthed water bottles. Embrace the world of narrow-mouthed bottles with Brain Dead.
Big Beni Mandolin
$53.60
Great mandoline with interchangable and replacable blades. This is an improvement over the older model because it only has one set screw for adjusting thickness, so no more guessing whether or not your two set screws are at equal lengths.
Gift Card
$1+
The best restaurant in the Twin Cities is in Saint Paul? Yes. Email or call (651) 478-1822 to purchase a gift card, or make a reservation for their Hanukkah dinner or their dinner for The Feast of the Seven Fishes.
UltraFine 4K Display
$699.95
It’s a monitor that’s only supported with Apple products, but if that’s all you want to use, it’s a tough monitor to beat. You can connect to a Mac with the included Thunderbolt 3 cable, and the monitor will automatically turn on; it’ll charge laptops with 85 watts, and it’ll connect whatever accessories are attached to the monitor, including a second monitor, which you can daisy chain to this. It doesn’t get more convenient than this monitor for Mac users.
Set of Six Steak Knives
$169
These are my knives; they were a gift from my mother. They’re excellent knives. These are mine, though, so I would suggest you use these knives as a guide—this is a gift guide, not a gift prescription—and do not buy these exact ones. Find your own knives, please.
Cimarron Pellet Competition Smoker
$8,395
For the friend who demands a combination stick burner and pellet smoker.
Buns
Priceless
The greatest gifts are the intangibles. This holiday season, surprise your loved ones in the Twin Cities by requesting Martin’s Potato Rolls (including Big Marty’s) be stocked at Kowalski’s, Lunds and Byerlys, Cub Foods, and Hy-Vee lest they be doomed to buy the buns online and have a freezer full of Martin’s.
Women’s Bedford Bear Cashmere Sweater
$1,490
The kind of bear you can bring home to the family.
ABALONE CLASSIC APRON
$87
Mine was a gift from my in-laws that has “No Substitutions” embroidered on it, and I love it.
TYPE B-3
$3,815
If you pilot a plane without a sheepskin B-3 jacket, are you really flying? This should become more readily available for purchase once The Real McCoy’s London website returns online.
Cabin Fleece Zip Hoodie - Melange Black
~$244 ($325 CAD)
A hoodie to match the Cabin Fleece bathrobe.
Heavy Loopwheeled Zip Hoodie
$295
The heaviest and slubbiest sweatshirt fabric I’ve ever handled. It’s intended to shrink a full size after washing, and it’s Japanese, so it runs small—pay particular attention to measurements and shrinkage estimates.
Juicy Lucy Original
$275
A great painting of what may be one of the most marginal regional foods.
Black Jason’s Hoodie
$537 (originally $790)
Pockets guaranteed to be big enough for an entire sandwich with hidden velcro patches and incredibly soft fleece. One of the greatest hoodies money can buy.
Porcelain Paper Plate, White
$36–85
A sustainable way to have the look of a paper plate. The large plate (pictured above) is one of my favorite plates. filter bowls also available to match.
Men’s Polo Bear Cashmere Sweater
$1,495
For a slightly more elegant bear look.
Porcelain Faceted Cup
$54
Perfect pairing with Virginia Sin’s paper plates and filter bowls. Also available in a porcelain paper mugs’> variant.
Men’s SOCIAL SCULPTURE 04 DAMAGED JEAN
$1,495
Designer Hiroki Nakamura does some sort of alchemy to remove the oil from the cotton fabric, giving the jeans an ultra-soft feel. Along with Hedi Slimane, Nakamura is doing the best washed denim around.
Forest bowls
$52
The perfect sized bowl for cereal, ice cream, and even poutine, but not concurrently.
Men’s Petit New Standard Skinny-Fit Dry Selvedge Denim Jeans
$210
Fantastic cut. It’s not impressive fabric or construction compared to the likes of Joe McCoy, The Flat Head, or The Strike Gold, but that’s not really the point. You may want to size down depending on the look you’re after, but it’s 100% cotton, so there will be a break-in period after which they’ll soften significantly and loosen up slightly.
Gift Card
$25+
L’Industrie is consistently regarded as one of the best pizzerias in New York (the world). In Williamsburg, Chef Massimo Laveglia has reimagined the classic New York slice shop with an Italian sensibility to bring offerings like the burrata-topped New York-style pie above, Roman style pizza, in addition to stuffed focaccia sandwiches. Email for a gift card.
Virgin Carbon Steel Gyuto
$195 (8.2-inch), $236 (9.4-inch), $283 (10.5-inch)
A carbon steel Japanese chef’s knife with a Western-style handle. This knife is sharpened for right-handed users. The rest of the blade and the handle are both symmetrical, so left-handed users can call Korin’s customer service number and pay an additional $20 for the edge to be reground for lefties.
Psycho-Pass: Season One
$54.98
Created by Gen Urobuchi, this is one of the best seasons of television I’ve ever seen. There’s other Psycho-Pass seasons and a movie, but this one is all you need. Excellent as a standalone series.
Aeron Chair
$1,185.75
An office chair is an extremely personal item that only the sitter can decide is right—make sure you size the Aeron appropriately for the recipient.
Gift certificate
$25–300
The highest quality denim repairs I’ve seen; Rain Delisle is at least as good with working on denim as anyone who has made a pair of my jeans, and it’s the only place where I want to send mine. You can purchase hems and tapers readily, but there’s a wait list for repairs, so sign up for her VIP list on the Indigo Proof website.
Potato and Farmer Cheese Pierogi
$9.50 each
A rare Pittsburgh gem, for the friend who loves pierogi.
Griddles
$124 (Mini Griddle), $139 (Skinny Griddle), and $159 (Griddle)
They’re expensive, but they’re great stove-top griddles. The mini griddle in particular is ideal for smash burgers on a single stove burner. Get your griddle to 500F (confirm with an IR thermometer). Form 3oz balls of no more than 75% lean chuck, and smash them with a heavy spatula, smearing the meat along its edge so it thins out. Salt generously and uniformly after smashing as the meat cooks for a minute. After a minute, scrape with a fish spatula (or that blue-handled Dexter Russell spatula in this guide), flip, and add a slice of American cheese. When the corners of the cheese start to cling to the meat, the burgers are done. If you’re unable to get the cheese to melt sufficiently in a reasonable amount of time, spray some water on the griddle and cover with a bowl.
Momofuku Milk Bar: A Cookbook
$17.99
You can get the corn cookie recipe from The Washington Post, and you do need to buy freeze dried corn and corn flour to do the Milk Bar’s corn cookies—you can’t skip that. You can get the the Milk Bar Pie recipe from Bon Appétit. Serious Eats has reprinted the Cereal Milk recipe. No one really needs to buy the book, but it’s a heck of a lot nicer than a greeting card full of URLs. If you do buy the book, note that the ice cream recipes are very much intended for soft-serve machines or soft churns—they’re made entirely with milk rather than cream and milk, and the taste reflects that, and the texture can be gritty from ice crystals. I recommend BraveTart (also in this guide) as a reference for ice cream bases.
Famous Lunch Art Print
$25
Commemorate America’s greatest hot dog with this Famous Lunch print. Buy it for your friends, kids and neighbors. You can never have enough of these.
Men’s Emory Parka
$1,050
This jacket probably wears too warm for most places, but I’ll say this: there’s no jacket I’d rather have during the worst of the winter here in the Twin Cities. For warmer climates than that, look at their less intense jackets, or consider if a Canada Goose jacket is actually necessary.
USDA Prime Dry-Aged Bone-in Rib Steak
$96.95 (28oz)
These won’t have quite the same size ribeye cap of Flannery’s Jorge, but they’re an incredibly well-marbled rib steak with fewer large sections of fat than a steak cut from the chuck-end of the rib section. The American wagyu version is excellent, too, but you’ll have to buy two.
Original Cast Iron Seasoning Oil & Conditioner
$12.95
It’s pricey, but it’s the best seasoning fat I’ve ever used, and in an extremely convenient form. Store it far away from your deodorant, trust me.
The Social Network
$18.99
Maybe this was the best film from 2010— I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s the third Jesse Eisenberg movie on this list. Other contenders could be Black Swan, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Blue Valentine, and from the team that brought us Succession and Peep Show, Four Lions. The actual best film very well could be Four Lions, but I haven’t seen it in nearly a decade.
Men’s Three-Pack Tricolor T-Shirts
$450
Thoughtfully distressed by the famed French fashion house to make simple essential tees that you can wear separately or all at once to make a statement. Photo by SSENSE
Beurre de Baratte
$15
The world’s greatest butter. I’ve had every cultured butter under the sun; we’ve made butter countless times with good cream; this is the best, and it’s not even close. Also, it’s embossed with a cow—it’s great.
the Control °Freak
$1,499.95
Seriously, I want one for cooking various things confit, making corned beef, making stocks, etc.
d5 Stainless-Steel Essential Pan, 3-Qt.
$129.95
Sauciers are excellent for making sauces, cooking pasta, making ice cream bases, and generally swirling food around while cooking. The one that we use has become very expensive, and may be discontinued, but the d5 variant, which is supposed to be a higher-end line, is available for less.
Sauce Spoon
$11.90
This is my spoon. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My spoon is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My spoon, without me, is useless. Without my spoon, I am useless.
Dough Docker
$7.97
Great for pastries or bar pizza dough. Do not use this for pizza launched from a peel lest your soul be eternally damned.
Thermopen Mk4
$99
This is the gold standard for instant-read thermometers (and it’s waterproof). Stop doing the finger test and actually know the internal temperature of your food.
Thermopop
$34
A third of the price of the Thermapen, and not quite as accurate or quick, but still very good (splash proof, not waterproof).
Skillet
$200–$280 (small–large)
Fantastic artisan-made carbon steel skillet. Great wall design for searing and butter basting meats, and it’s extremely well made. Hang it so you can show off to your friends how fancy your life is.
Flan Ring - 4 inch - Stainless Steel
$25.40
Perfect for making things into four-inch circles, like hamburger meat, hamburger buns, hamburger cheese, etc.
4-Inch x 4-Inch Square Egg Ring
$25.40
Perfect for making things into four-inch squares, like hamburger meat, hamburger buns, hamburger cheese, etc.
13" Fry Pan
$350
Another incredible artisan-made carbon steel skillet. The handle shape makes it really nice to move around. These are next to impossible to just buy, so I’ve linked to the Flickr account from which I got the picture. If you’re really interested, I suggest entering Blu Skillet’s monthly lotteries or trying to grab a pan during their annual sale.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
$59.99
The Game Boy classic remade for the Nintendo Switch.
Batman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-Ray Set
$80.23
It’s the greatest depiction of Batman, on Blu-Ray.
Industrial IR with Circle Laser
$69
Why would you put food in your pan if you don’t know how hot the pan is? Also great for finding drafts in your home. This IR thermometer lets you adjust emissivity so you can use it for a variety of surfaces (lower-end IR thermometers are generally tuned for dark matte surfaces).
Dot
$43
It’s just as accurate as the more expensive ChefAlarm but without the frills—you’ve got two buttons to adjust the target temperature, a backlight, and that’s it.
S8699 8 x 4 Giant Dads Spatula
$37.43
Ideal spatula for removing pizzas from pizza pans. You’ll probably need to go to a restaurant supply store to hunt this down, but you have all of the information that you’ll need.
Livenza Easy Clean Deep Fryer
$119.96
I’m constantly asked about deep fryers—I have an older discontinued version of this. It’s fine. It has a reasonably large basket for a retail fryer, and they seem to last up for a while. The next step up would be a commercial 220V fryer that has more power and can handle more food without a temperature drop, but that won’t work for most home kitchens.
Good Grips 11 Lb Food Scale with Pull-Out Display
$49.95
This is a good scale for measuring 5g to 11 lb (yes, I mixed units for this range, fight me). Less than that, and you’re going to want a scale with more granularity, which is also in this list. This scale’s nice because the display can pull out, which lets you measure large objects without obfuscating the readout. Or there’s a cheaper version that sheds the backlight, most of the capacity, and the cost.
Splatter Screen, 13 Inch
$15.81
Useful for cooking in kitchens without proper ventilation and pan frying volatile foods.
28" Aluminum Pizza Peel with 12" Wood Handle, 14" x 16" Large Blade
$20.39
For turning and retrieving pizzas. Does not need to be as large as the pizza to remove the pizza.
Signals 4-Channel Wi-Fi/Bluetooth BBQ Alarm Thermometer
$229
Great for cooking four things concurrently, or for the maniac that really wants four probes in a steak.
Magnetic Knife Tool Bar
$12.66 (12"), $17.58 (18")
The best way to store knives without damaging the edge. Knife blocks tend to dull knife edges, generally aren’t very sanitary, and are a waste of countertop space.
ROUND FRYING PAN IN COPPER STAINLESS STEEL EXTRA THICK WITH BRONZE HANDLE
$174.05 (26cm), $218.99 (30cm)
It’s French.
Unicorn Magnum Pepper Mill
$36.90
It’s not going to do a great job with grinding pepper very finely, but short of that, it’ll grind pepper with ease. You’ll spill that Kalustyan pepper everywhere trying to refill this thing if you’re not careful (or if you’re anything like me), so have someone competent do it.
8" Heavy-Duty Cleaver
$51
Surprisingly useful cleaver. Great for parsing poultry, breaking up chocolate, crushing things, and cutting into gourds.
1020 Original Ice Cream Easy Scoop, 2-Ounce
$15.96
Really good for scooping out approximately two ounces of ice cream without bending your prized spoons.
Stainless Steel All Purpose 11 Ounce Shaker
$9.95
Kind of unnecessary, but good at shaking out Diamond Kosher Salt. Stop using Morton’s Kosher Salt; it uses anticaking agents, and it tastes saltier for the same volume versus Diamond.
LSX
$999.98 (originally $1,249.99)
All but the white model are draped in fabric from Kvadrat, and the speakers fit well on a desk—what’s not to love? Play Kiss from a Rose for hours on end to be sure you break it in.
The Art of Self-Defense
$19.96
The best film of 2019. An exploration of loneliness and toxic masculinity through a karate-centric black comedy.
UNDERCOVER HAMBURGER LAMP
$302.52 (out of stock)
Nothing says “I love you” like tracking down this rare Japanese hamburger lamp.
Cast-Iron Round Cocotte, 7-Qt.
$255.96
If someone needs a Dutch oven, this is a great one, and it can handle higher temperatures than cheaper Le Creuset dutch ovens. Despite The Strategist’s claims to the contrary, this is an enameled Dutch oven that directly competes with the higher end Le Crueset Dutch ovens; the Staub just has dark enamel, hence The Strategist author’s confusion. And don’t forget to include the coupon for the snail knob.
Cannoli
$45
Maria’s Pastry Shop of Boston’s North End is closed. You cannot buy a cannolo from Maria’s now, nor will you ever be able to do so again. But Maria’s cannoli are the best cannoli, and your loved ones deserve the best. Order some cannoli for them from Mike’s Pastry (Modern Pastry is trash), but be sure the recipient knows that you really wanted to buy them Maria’s but that you could not—they’re worth it.
Digibee 800 Flash Unit
$319.95
It’s not the flashiest, but it’ll do the job. And it has a continuous LED modeling lamp. Don’t forget the CyberSync™ Trigger Transmitter 2, a stand, and a softbox or other modifier.
Men’s Classic Biker in Calfskin
$4,950
It won’t work for everyone, but if it does work, it doesn’t get much better than this biker jacket.
American White Large Oval Serving Platter
$67
Safe for any temperature that is possible on this earth. My brother bought me these, so I could recreate the Peter Luger experience without having to eat a mediocre porterhouse.
Captains of Crush Set of 10
$204.95
There are five people living who have closed the #4 gripper. I am two of them. Shoot for the moon. Standalone grippers also available.
RT-340 Pellet Grill
$599
New and improved over the old Rec-Tec Mini with a stainless steel cooking chamber and ceramic ignition rod. Great little smoker, though note that there’s no smoke stack. Nicer than Traeger.
Gift Card
$5+
Absolutely incredible pizza, and the best sign in the business—I can’t stop thinking about their white grandma pie.
Switch Joy-Con (L)/(R) Neon Yellow
$79.99
No one ever has enough highlighter yellow in their life.
Horizon Zero Dawn
$14
An enthralling sci-fi mystery plot with some of the best gameplay around. One of the all-time greats.
The Chef’s Press v2
$18.90
Perfect for burgers, steaks, and everything else that would be trash without a good sear.
3 lb. Kosher Salt - 12 Boxes
$41.64
Morton’s kosher salt is garbage—it has anti-caking agents, and it’s saltier per volume than Diamond Crystal’s kosher salt. Buy someone a box of salt, give them salt for a month. Buy someone a case of salt, buy give them salt fora lifetime.
The Chef’s Press Circular 4-inch Prototype
$35
These are a rare circular prototype of The Chef Press. Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.
Gift Card
$20–$200
The gift card can be redeemed at Paulie Gee’s locations in Greenpoint, Brooklyn only. Go to Paulie’s original wood-fired pizzeria (60 Greenpoint Avenue) for incredible neo-Neapolitan pizzas cooked to perfection at 1000°F. Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop (110 Franklin Street) offers New York-style slices and the excellent sesame seed-bottomed Freddy Prince Sicilian square. And if you see Paulie, be sure to compliment him on the excellent Photoshops as of late, especially the Emmett’s x Gucci loafers, of which he is very proud.
Bread knife
$89.95
Better than the worthless bread knife from the knife block that you got as a wedding gift. Stop mangling great bread with that garbage knife, and get a real bread knife (this one). This is a right-handed knife, but it works very well for left-handed users as is for all but the crustiest of breads (as opposed to the oft-recommended Tojiro bread knives, which are strictly right-handed).
California Reserve Dry Aged “Jorge“ Cut Ribsteak
$68 (32oz)
A real steak eater’s steak, the Jorge is cut from the chuck end of the rib section, and so it has a large rib cap, which is the most flavorful beef in the whole steer. Intensely flavorful California Holstein rib steak from the father-and-daughter duo of Flannery’s.
4080 Musso Lussino Ice Cream Maker
$719
If your ice cream sucked before, it’ll probably still suck, but now you’ll know that it’s you, and it’s not the ice cream maker.
USDA Prime Dry-Aged Porterhouse Steak
$139.95 (36oz)
Extremely high-quality dry-aged porterhouse. The American wagyu version is also great, but it comes in five packs only and is limited only to 20 or 24oz steaks.
Carbon Steel Chef’s Knife
$299.95 (8-inch), $349.95 (10-inch)
Carbon steel knife Western-style chef’s knife. Great handle ergonomics, and I’m a huge fan of the blade shape, which is great for rock-chopping.
Dry Aged Hand Select Ground Beef
$19.95 (2 x 1lb pack)
It’s 75% lean, and this beef actually tastes dry-aged, which is much less common than you’d expect for retail 75% lean dry-aged beef.
Carbon Steel 5-inch Utility Knife
$199.95
A bit larger than the average paring knife, but I’m a big fan of this one for delicate knife work.
California Reserve Filet Mignon
$22 (6oz), $30 (8oz), $38 (10oz)
Excellent California Holstein tenderloin steaks. And if you’re buying meat from Flannery for yourself, throw in an order of their mismatched filet mignon.
Leather Sharpening Strop, 8-inch
$24.99
Sharpening rods are great when used properly—most chefs using them on TV are doing more damage to their knives than anything else when they’re banging the blades haphazardly against a honing rod. Sharpening rods can also be particularly bad when the rod material is softer than the knife blade, which can be the case with many high-end knives. A leather strop accomplishes the same thing as a rod for blades of any type of hardness, that is, it aligns the edge of the knife, to keep the blade usable between resharpenings. And you use it just like a sharpening stone.
Gift Card
$25+
The Donas is a women-centric food publication helmed by New York-based tastemaker Donna “Dee” Guerreros. The Donas’ first event was a hugely successful brunch, and more events will be coming up. Email The Donas to purchase a gift card.
Professional Chosera 1,000 Grit
$80
A 1,000 grit stone is a good stone for maintaining a knife that’s already in reasonable condition. The Chosera 400 grit is a much better stone to use for a knife that’s been neglected for a long time and needs a lot of material removed to bring it back to life (subsequent sharpening would then be done with a 1,000 grit stone). I like the Chosera 5,000 grit to follow up as a finishing stone. 10,000 grit works to take the finish a step further for knives with very hard blade steels only. Such a high grit is a bad idea for softer steels that will rapidly dull from such a fine edge.
HBO Now eGift Card
$25–100
The Leftovers and Succession are two of the best series to come out in the decade. Also, you will need to buy two gift cards to cover a year of HBO Now.
Rohan Dish Drainer
$89.95
My spouse hates racks because they view themselves as an expert at stacking wet dishes. But I like this rack, and a rack is the only real way to dry drinking cups. This one’s tilted so you can set it to drain into your sink.
Men’s Wool Crew Sock, 6-pair
$18.99
Cotton kills. These are the greatest socks, and there should be a women’s version in-store, too, but they’re not online.
1 Gallon Jug
$89.99
Oh! We ain’t got a gallon of honey. Maybe we’re ragged and funny. But we’ll travel along. Singing a song. Side by side.
The Shogun – 15″ x 15″ x 3/8″ Pizza Steel Baking Sheet
$69.87
There’s still not a retail 16" square steel readily available from anyone, and yes, square is important, since a circular 16"steel won’t fit a 12" Sicilian pizza pan. Dough Joe is a good option for what it is, but if you call up Metal Supermarkets and ask them for a 16"3/8" steel with a beveled edge, they should be able to come in cheaper than this. And note, you really only want a steel for pizza if your oven can hit at least 550F, and if you have convection or a broiler at the top of the oven compartment.
GASPE NOVA SMOKED SALMON
$44 per pound
If you don’t like this smoked salmon, there’s no smoked salmon in the world that will satisfy you. Bring your own bagels.
Mineral B Round Carbon Steel Fry Pan
$59.96 (10.2-Inch), $89.95 (12.6-Inch)
Lighter than cast iron, a smoother cooking surface, and faster to heat up. Great at searing steaks, and easy to hang for storage. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for initial seasoning. I would go with the pan size appropriate for your burner size, so if you can support it, go with the 12.6-inch.
C3 Calima Canister Vacuum, Canary Yellow
$699
It’s a little precious, but vacuuming doesn’t get any better than with Miele.
Gourmet Series Ultra Coarse Greater
$18.95
Will get you relatively thin and wide shreds compared to the Rösle coarse grater, and I’ve come to much prefer this for grating mozzarella for pizza.
Deli Style Beef Franks
$10
Great for parties if your friends and family are worth the $2.50 a dog. Nice beef flavor.
Black Peppercorn, Tellicherry, India
$5.99–16.99
It’s really good at being a black pepper. Remember, don’t put pepper on steaks, burgers, etc. until after you sear (if at all), otherwise it’ll burn.
Mor-Gold Plus Butter Substitute
$18.95
OK, so you’ve got the Whirley-Pop, and the Flavacol and the coconut oil, and so now you’ve perfected movie theater popcorn, right? Wrong. Your popcorn sucks. You need this to top your popcorn. It’s got enough transfat to kill the entire Kentucky Derby, but it’s legit.
Original NY Plain Cheesecake
$43.95
I don’t care what happened on Throwndown with Bobby Flay; this is the “most fabulous cheesecake.”
26 pc. All Milk Toffee
$44.95
Probably the best hard toffees in the world. And the crunchy peanut butter cups are excellent too.
Calabrian Chili Paste Bomba di Calabria
$10.50
Put it on sandwiches, or eat it with a spoon, or don’t—your loss. Great for giving grilled cheese an Italian flair.
Frescobaldi Laudemio First Pressing Extra Virgin Olive Oil
$44.95
Is it really that green? Who’s to say? But what I can say is that it’s really great olive oil—buttery, peppery, uh, olivey? Yeah, olivey, that sounds good.
Creed
$9.99
The best film of 2015. Rocky and Star Wars each faced the same problem of having to reboot 40-year-old beloved B-movies. Each series released films in 2015 with strong parallels to the first films of their respective series. Only one of those films made this gift guide.
7-Quart Pro Line Stand Mixer Candy Apple Red
$629.95
It’s a KitchenAid with metal gears. Don’t buy any of the attachments: there’s better ice cream makers than the KitchenAid ones; there’s better pasta makers than the KitchenAid ones; there’s better meat grinders than the KitchenAid ones. It’s a mixer, just use it for that. And my favorite way to get dough out of the mixer is one of these flexible bowl scrapers.
BraveTart: Iconic American Dessert
$23.79
Must have cookbook for anyone even vaguely interested in making desserts. And it now comes with a James Beard Foundation seal.
Black Cherry Butcher Block
$159.84
Everyone else might be sponsored by Boos, but we’re not. This is the good stuff. If you follow the maintenance directions, it’ll last a lifetime.
Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series
$29.99
You’ll also want season one and season two of the Justice League series that precede this (really, Justice League Unlimited is essentially season three and four), but realistically, I can’t clutter the gift guide with three Blu-ray listings for the same series.
ChefAlarm
$64
Critical for cooking roasts and other meats in the oven. Add the Pro-Series High Temp 2.5-Inch Straight Penetration Probe ($18) for temping smaller items, like steaks, in the oven. The low temperature alarm is great for knowing when food has cooled sufficiently, or if food is reaching an unsafe temperature. It also comes with a carrying case. I have no complaints about this, except I wish it had a numerical pad. Please add a numerical pad, ThermoWorks.
Slotted Turner Left Hand
$24.80
Left-handed fish spatula. Ideal for cleanly turning intensely seared meat without damaging the crust, and for flipping fish.
Commercial Grade French Fry Cutter with Suction Feet, 3/8-Inch
$64.97
The stock blade will cut standard-thickness french fries, so throw in a 1/4-inch blade for shoestring fries. Cut some russet potatoes and put them immediately into water with a small amount of vinegar added. Boil briefly or let them sit for a few hours, and then fry low for ten minutes or so. Freeze when cool, and then fry them hot just before serving.
Digital Kitchen Scale Multifunction Food Scale, 500g/0.01g
$11.99
I have one that looks exactly like this, but it’s discontinued. I think this is probably the same. This is ideal for measuring quanities less than 5g, and it can do with with 0.01g resolution. You’ll need a 500g mass to calibrate this. Honestly, I hate that I have two scales in this list
SPJL-902 Ninth-Size Steam Pan, Stainless
$2.13
I love mine for holding things like thinly sliced or diced vegetables. You can get these at Restaurant Depot and save the shipping, or you can buy them at Amazon for a decent bit more.
Deep Dish Nesting Pan 14"x2" PSTK (H76R-14X2-PSTK)
$30.46
Good for making bar pizzas and pan pizzas. Does not require any peels. Oven safe at over 700F. Do not dishwash at all, not even once.
Sani-Tuff Rubber Cutting Board (9 x 12 inches)
$33
Light, easy to clean, extremely convenient, and not bad for knife edges. Do not dish wash. Been there—just don’t do it. If you do, contact me, and I’ll try to help you fix it. There’s other sizes, but for most folks, I recommend sticking to the half-inch thickness— it’s still very robust, and it makes the larger cutting boards more managable.
Dark Light 9 mil Nitrile Powder Free Exam Gloves
$15.99
Great for handling raw meats, and they can protect you slightly while slicing hot food. These are a size medium. They’ll probably fit most people. If you’re not usually a medium in gloves, look at their other sizes.
Quarter Sheet Pan, 2-Pack
$17.24
You don’t need a half sheet pan for reheating a slice of pizza. Stop. Use this; it’ll fit in your dishwasher easily, and if you get the cooling rack, it opens up a ton of options for you.
Plastic Dough-Retarding/Proofing Pan
$6.95
For proofing balled pizza dough. Look, everyone’s proofing in those 2qt round Cambro containers, and they’re really kind of awful for that. The diameter is too small, and you end up misshaping your dough before you’ve even got it out of the container. Use this instead. And don’t forget the matching lid.
Salt Box
$35
You can open it with the flick of a finger, and the lid is hinged, so you don’t have to worry about finding a place for that. It’s an ideal salt cellar.
Half-sheet Cooling Rack
$11.86
Ideal for dry-brining turkeys, rib roasts, and the like. Great for cooling breads and other foods. Most people have a half sheet, so that doesn’t have its own listing, but if you need one, Nordic Ware (this link is specifically for one that doesn’t seem to have a Nordic Ware logo embossed in the baking surface, but I can’t promise that’s what you’ll receive) or Volrath are my picks.
ARCTIC OUTDOOR EXPLORER DOWN JACKET
$1,966.67
Look like you’re exploring the arctic in your own neighborhood. This should become more readily available for purchase once The Real McCoy’s London website returns online.
Countertop Pizza Ovens
This costs more than you'd hope, but less than it ought to.
They say that the best home pizza oven is the one in your kitchen. But really, it’s a PizzaMaster. Forza Pizza is now a PizzaMaster dealer, and you can request a quote from their website. If the oven is going in a home, don’t forget to ask for the oven to be built with 240V single phase wiring. This is a high-end commercial deck oven, but single phase 240V (the same as a typical electric range or a dryer) will work for at least the single-chamber countertop ovens.
LSX
$999.98 (originally $1,249.99)
All but the white model are draped in fabric from Kvadrat, and the speakers fit well on a desk—what’s not to love? Play Kiss from a Rose for hours on end to be sure you break it in.
California Reserve Dry Aged Prime Rib Roast, Bones Tied
$182 (3-rib)–$432 (7-rib)
My mother, whose roast stands as one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, recommends going no smaller than three ribs. Buy a roast for the holidays, cook it expertly using one of the leave-in thermometers in this guide, and then count it as a gift for everyone who ate it. The methodology on the Flannery listing is similar to what I’d recommend. Just add in a dry-brine step a day or two before, and be sure to rest the roast (uncovered!), and count on the temperature increasing while you do so.
The Art of Self-Defense
$19.96
The best film of 2019. An exploration of loneliness and toxic masculinity through a karate-centric black comedy.
Apollo Cart
$3,100–4,740
Put the cart before the horse? Maybe when it’s this one. You’ll figure out what to do with it. Holds over half a ton, and it can fold up for carrying.
Jubilation XXV for Men, 100ml
$305
Frankincense, myrrh—only a few donkeys short of smelling like the nativity scene.
31655H High Heat S/S 6 x 5 Turner w/Blue Handle
$29.11
At the very least, it’s excellent for smash burgers. It’s heavy, and it has a vaguely sharp edge that can be used for breaking up ingredients in a pan
Samsung Duo Plus USB 3.1 Flash Drive
$11.99 (32GB), $19.99 (64GB), $29.99 (128GB), $49.99 (256GB)
Excellent stocking stuffer. Has a convenient built in adapter that lets you connect this with USB-A, or you can leave it off to connect with USB-C. Wish the protective cap were tethered on (I think the holes are for key rings unless there was a tether in the packaging that I missed and accidentally threw out), but you can toss it away and live dangerously.
UNDERCOVER HAMBURGER LAMP
$302.52 (out of stock)
Nothing says “I love you” like tracking down this rare Japanese hamburger lamp.
Milk Bar Pie
$46
It really is a fantastic pie. And you should throw in some corn cookies while you’re at it. Or just get the cookbook, which is also in this guide.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
$43.99
If you own a Nintendo Switch and you don’t own this game, you have failed.
Animal Face Winter Flannel - Black/Red Snap
$295 (out of stock)
It’s as intense as cotton flannel will ever get.
Cast-Iron Round Cocotte, 7-Qt.
$255.96
If someone needs a Dutch oven, this is a great one, and it can handle higher temperatures than cheaper Le Creuset dutch ovens. Despite The Strategist’s claims to the contrary, this is an enameled Dutch oven that directly competes with the higher end Le Crueset Dutch ovens; the Staub just has dark enamel, hence The Strategist author’s confusion. And don’t forget to include the coupon for the snail knob.
AirPods Pro
$249 ($278 with AppleCare+)
There’s other wireless headphones that can beat them on sound quality, but nothing comes close to AirPods as far as convenience for Apple users. Be sure to add AppleCare+ to the purchase to cover the battery for two years.
Classic Bathrobe
$99
It’s very soft, comfortable, and it looks like a typical bathrobe. There’s pockets to keep sandwiches or whatever you typically use bathrobe pockets for. I don’t know what else you need. Do you need a hood?
Cannoli
$45
Maria’s Pastry Shop of Boston’s North End is closed. You cannot buy a cannolo from Maria’s now, nor will you ever be able to do so again. But Maria’s cannoli are the best cannoli, and your loved ones deserve the best. Order some cannoli for them from Mike’s Pastry (Modern Pastry is trash), but be sure the recipient knows that you really wanted to buy them Maria’s but that you could not—they’re worth it.
NTS Logo Head 32 Oz. Nalgene Water Bottle — Teal
$28
If you’re anything like me, you’ve spilled water all over yourself just thinking about wide-mouthed water bottles. Embrace the world of narrow-mouthed bottles with Brain Dead.
Maronibraterin shearling-lined leather boots
$830
Made with oil-impregnated Russian leather by Vienna-based bootmaker Ludwig Reiter—the link above is for the women’s version of the boot, and there’s free-returns because it’s from Net-a-Porter. But if you need a men’s boot, or the boot you want is out of stock, you can order from the Ludwig Reiter website, but everything shipped to the US will be final sale.
Big Beni Mandolin
$53.60
Great mandoline with interchangable and replacable blades. This is an improvement over the older model because it only has one set screw for adjusting thickness, so no more guessing whether or not your two set screws are at equal lengths.
Digibee 800 Flash Unit
$319.95
It’s not the flashiest, but it’ll do the job. And it has a continuous LED modeling lamp. Don’t forget the CyberSync™ Trigger Transmitter 2, a stand, and a softbox or other modifier.
Cabin Fleece Robe
$181.01
For when a hood on your bathrobe isn’t really what you want, but it’s what you need.
Gift Card
$1+
The best restaurant in the Twin Cities is in Saint Paul? Yes. Email or call (651) 478-1822 to purchase a gift card, or make a reservation for their Hanukkah dinner or their dinner for The Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Kimekomi Pikachu
~$122 (¥13,200)
Each doll is handmade, and it’s limited 50 dolls only.
Men’s Classic Biker in Calfskin
$4,950
It won’t work for everyone, but if it does work, it doesn’t get much better than this biker jacket.
The YS640s Pellet Grill
$1799 (plus $122.50 for fitted cover)
You’re going to have a hard time finding a pellet smoker with thicker steel. For more details on the smoker, read the Gear Diary review.
UltraFine 4K Display
$699.95
It’s a monitor that’s only supported with Apple products, but if that’s all you want to use, it’s a tough monitor to beat. You can connect to a Mac with the included Thunderbolt 3 cable, and the monitor will automatically turn on; it’ll charge laptops with 85 watts, and it’ll connect whatever accessories are attached to the monitor, including a second monitor, which you can daisy chain to this. It doesn’t get more convenient than this monitor for Mac users.
American White Large Oval Serving Platter
$67
Safe for any temperature that is possible on this earth. My brother bought me these, so I could recreate the Peter Luger experience without having to eat a mediocre porterhouse.
Gift Card
$25+
Founded six years ago by my friend and Chicago expat Emmett Burke, Emmett’s is one the spots I’m most looking forward to trying on my next visit to the city. Perfect for the homesick Chicagoan marooned in New York that wants a fun hangout with an extensive wine list. Emmett’s features the bar pizza shown above, deep dish, Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef, and a burger that some have said is the best in the city. To purchase a gift card, call (917) 639-3571.
Captains of Crush Set of 10
$204.95
There are five people living who have closed the #4 gripper. I am two of them. Shoot for the moon. Standalone grippers also available.
Straight to Heaven
$295
Smell a little bit like rum, but not like you’ve been drinking it— smell like you’re exuding rum.
RT-340 Pellet Grill
$599
New and improved over the old Rec-Tec Mini with a stainless steel cooking chamber and ceramic ignition rod. Great little smoker, though note that there’s no smoke stack. Nicer than Traeger.
Switch with Neon Blue and Neon Red Joy‑Con
$299
Ideal for playing the Untitled Goose Game, among other things.
Set of Six Steak Knives
$169
These are my knives; they were a gift from my mother. They’re excellent knives. These are mine, though, so I would suggest you use these knives as a guide—this is a gift guide, not a gift prescription—and do not buy these exact ones. Find your own knives, please.
Gift Card
$5+
Absolutely incredible pizza, and the best sign in the business—I can’t stop thinking about their white grandma pie.
Untitled Goose Game
$19.99
What’s good for the goose is good for absolutely no one else.
Cimarron Pellet Competition Smoker
$8,395
For the friend who demands a combination stick burner and pellet smoker.
Switch Joy-Con (L)/(R) Neon Yellow
$79.99
No one ever has enough highlighter yellow in their life.
Buns
Priceless
The greatest gifts are the intangibles. This holiday season, surprise your loved ones in the Twin Cities by requesting Martin’s Potato Rolls (including Big Marty’s) be stocked at Kowalski’s, Lunds and Byerlys, Cub Foods, and Hy-Vee lest they be doomed to buy the buns online and have a freezer full of Martin’s.
Horizon Zero Dawn
$14
An enthralling sci-fi mystery plot with some of the best gameplay around. One of the all-time greats.
Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, 17 oz
$35
I can’t claim this is the best insulated water bottle, but I really like the S’well bottle we got for free, and I’d imagine so will the person to whom you give this. I spill water all over myself when I try to drink from wider mouthed water bottles, so this is great.
Women’s Bedford Bear Cashmere Sweater
$1,490
The kind of bear you can bring home to the family.
The Chef’s Press v2
$18.90
Perfect for burgers, steaks, and everything else that would be trash without a good sear.
LS50 Wireless
$1,799.98 (originally $2,499.99)
The active version of the LS50, like the LSX, these do not require an amplifier or digital-to-audio-converter; everything you need is built in. These are generally too big for a desk, but are excellent.
ABALONE CLASSIC APRON
$87
Mine was a gift from my in-laws that has “No Substitutions” embroidered on it, and I love it.
3 lb. Kosher Salt - 12 Boxes
$41.64
Morton’s kosher salt is garbage—it has anti-caking agents, and it’s saltier per volume than Diamond Crystal’s kosher salt. Buy someone a box of salt, give them salt for a month. Buy someone a case of salt, buy give them salt fora lifetime.
God of War
$19.99
God of War explores fatherhood and masculinity within the world of Norse mythology in this incredible soft reboot of the original God of War trilogy.
TYPE B-3
$3,815
If you pilot a plane without a sheepskin B-3 jacket, are you really flying? This should become more readily available for purchase once The Real McCoy’s London website returns online.
The Chef’s Press Circular 4-inch Prototype
$35
These are a rare circular prototype of The Chef Press. Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.
USB to S/PDIF Converter
$299
Ideal for hooking up devices with USB output to sound systems without USB input (like the KEF LSX). And it glows blue.
Gift Card
$20–$200
The gift card can be redeemed at Paulie Gee’s locations in Greenpoint, Brooklyn only. Go to Paulie’s original wood-fired pizzeria (60 Greenpoint Avenue) for incredible neo-Neapolitan pizzas cooked to perfection at 1000°F. Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop (110 Franklin Street) offers New York-style slices and the excellent sesame seed-bottomed Freddy Prince Sicilian square. And if you see Paulie, be sure to compliment him on the excellent Photoshops as of late, especially the Emmett’s x Gucci loafers, of which he is very proud.
Vol. 1, No. 1
$19
The inaugural issue of a new national food-focused print publication based out of the Twin Cities. This issue will have some local Twin Cities stories, but generally, the publication focuses on food throughout the world. This issue will ship between December 22nd and January 1st.
Cabin Fleece Zip Hoodie - Melange Black
~$244 ($325 CAD)
A hoodie to match the Cabin Fleece bathrobe.
Bread knife
$89.95
Better than the worthless bread knife from the knife block that you got as a wedding gift. Stop mangling great bread with that garbage knife, and get a real bread knife (this one). This is a right-handed knife, but it works very well for left-handed users as is for all but the crustiest of breads (as opposed to the oft-recommended Tojiro bread knives, which are strictly right-handed).
Premium Silflex Glass Cables
$99 (20-inches) to $199 (16-feet)
Does the quality of a TOSLINK cable actually matter? Who’s to say? But nothing shows that you care more than spending $100 on a cable that probably doesn’t do much at all.
California Reserve Dry Aged “Jorge“ Cut Ribsteak
$68 (32oz)
A real steak eater’s steak, the Jorge is cut from the chuck end of the rib section, and so it has a large rib cap, which is the most flavorful beef in the whole steer. Intensely flavorful California Holstein rib steak from the father-and-daughter duo of Flannery’s.
Persona 5
$18.90
My favorite RPG, and one of my favorite games ever. You do not have to play the previous Persona games first, and I certainly did not. Persona 5 Royal will see its worldwide release in the spring, and that will be an expanded rerelease of the game, but the original is incredible, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself wanting to play it again as soon as you beat it.
Heavy Loopwheeled Zip Hoodie
$295
The heaviest and slubbiest sweatshirt fabric I’ve ever handled. It’s intended to shrink a full size after washing, and it’s Japanese, so it runs small—pay particular attention to measurements and shrinkage estimates.
4080 Musso Lussino Ice Cream Maker
$719
If your ice cream sucked before, it’ll probably still suck, but now you’ll know that it’s you, and it’s not the ice cream maker.
D750
$1,196.95
One of the best values in photography. Be sure to select the “With Free Adobe Software” option for a year of Photoshop and Lightroom. The NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens is also a great starting point for a lens. And if you’re buying it for someone that demands 45.7 megapixels and can’t buy their own damned camera, get them the D850.
Juicy Lucy Original
$275
A great painting of what may be one of the most marginal regional foods.
USDA Prime Dry-Aged Porterhouse Steak
$139.95 (36oz)
Extremely high-quality dry-aged porterhouse. The American wagyu version is also great, but it comes in five packs only and is limited only to 20 or 24oz steaks.
Batman Annual #2
$10
Part of Tom King’s run of Batman, Batman Annual #2 stands as my all-time favorite issue of a comic, and it works as a standalone story.
Black Jason’s Hoodie
$537 (originally $790)
Pockets guaranteed to be big enough for an entire sandwich with hidden velcro patches and incredibly soft fleece. One of the greatest hoodies money can buy.
Carbon Steel Chef’s Knife
$299.95 (8-inch), $349.95 (10-inch)
Carbon steel knife Western-style chef’s knife. Great handle ergonomics, and I’m a huge fan of the blade shape, which is great for rock-chopping.
OP-1 Portable Synthesizer
$1,299
You can buy it at Amazon, but the photograph on there isn’t as good.
Porcelain Paper Plate, White
$36–85
A sustainable way to have the look of a paper plate. The large plate (pictured above) is one of my favorite plates. filter bowls also available to match.
Dry Aged Hand Select Ground Beef
$19.95 (2 x 1lb pack)
It’s 75% lean, and this beef actually tastes dry-aged, which is much less common than you’d expect for retail 75% lean dry-aged beef.
Mister Miracle
$15.65
This trade paperback collects all 12 issues of Tom King’s phenomenal run of Mister Miracle with artist Mitch Gerads.
Men’s Polo Bear Cashmere Sweater
$1,495
For a slightly more elegant bear look.
Carbon Steel 5-inch Utility Knife
$199.95
A bit larger than the average paring knife, but I’m a big fan of this one for delicate knife work.
Porcelain Faceted Cup
$54
Perfect pairing with Virginia Sin’s paper plates and filter bowls. Also available in a porcelain paper mugs’> variant.
California Reserve Filet Mignon
$22 (6oz), $30 (8oz), $38 (10oz)
Excellent California Holstein tenderloin steaks. And if you’re buying meat from Flannery for yourself, throw in an order of their mismatched filet mignon.
The Death of Stalin
$9.40
The best film of 2018 or so. This film was never released in the US for Blu-Ray, so you’ll have to stick to the DVD unless it’s being played on a Blu-Ray player that can play European Blu-Rays. Also, The Favourite, Free Solo, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Burning, and Venom are all excellent films, though the latter is only incidentally so.
Men’s SOCIAL SCULPTURE 04 DAMAGED JEAN
$1,495
Designer Hiroki Nakamura does some sort of alchemy to remove the oil from the cotton fabric, giving the jeans an ultra-soft feel. Along with Hedi Slimane, Nakamura is doing the best washed denim around.
Leather Sharpening Strop, 8-inch
$24.99
Sharpening rods are great when used properly—most chefs using them on TV are doing more damage to their knives than anything else when they’re banging the blades haphazardly against a honing rod. Sharpening rods can also be particularly bad when the rod material is softer than the knife blade, which can be the case with many high-end knives. A leather strop accomplishes the same thing as a rod for blades of any type of hardness, that is, it aligns the edge of the knife, to keep the blade usable between resharpenings. And you use it just like a sharpening stone.
Forest bowls
$52
The perfect sized bowl for cereal, ice cream, and even poutine, but not concurrently.
Gift Card
$25+
The Donas is a women-centric food publication helmed by New York-based tastemaker Donna “Dee” Guerreros. The Donas’ first event was a hugely successful brunch, and more events will be coming up. Email The Donas to purchase a gift card.
Her
$10.73
The best film of 2013. But, uh, maybe watch this one before you give it to someone.
Men’s Petit New Standard Skinny-Fit Dry Selvedge Denim Jeans
$210
Fantastic cut. It’s not impressive fabric or construction compared to the likes of Joe McCoy, The Flat Head, or The Strike Gold, but that’s not really the point. You may want to size down depending on the look you’re after, but it’s 100% cotton, so there will be a break-in period after which they’ll soften significantly and loosen up slightly.
Professional Chosera 1,000 Grit
$80
A 1,000 grit stone is a good stone for maintaining a knife that’s already in reasonable condition. The Chosera 400 grit is a much better stone to use for a knife that’s been neglected for a long time and needs a lot of material removed to bring it back to life (subsequent sharpening would then be done with a 1,000 grit stone). I like the Chosera 5,000 grit to follow up as a finishing stone. 10,000 grit works to take the finish a step further for knives with very hard blade steels only. Such a high grit is a bad idea for softer steels that will rapidly dull from such a fine edge.
Cobalt dishes
$32 (Snack plate), $52 (Breakfast bowl), Dinner plate ($62)
Great color, and I love those Helen Levi bowls.
Gift Card
$25+
L’Industrie is consistently regarded as one of the best pizzerias in New York (the world). In Williamsburg, Chef Massimo Laveglia has reimagined the classic New York slice shop with an Italian sensibility to bring offerings like the burrata-topped New York-style pie above, Roman style pizza, in addition to stuffed focaccia sandwiches. Email for a gift card.
HBO Now eGift Card
$25–100
The Leftovers and Succession are two of the best series to come out in the decade. Also, you will need to buy two gift cards to cover a year of HBO Now.
Virgin Carbon Steel Gyuto
$195 (8.2-inch), $236 (9.4-inch), $283 (10.5-inch)
A carbon steel Japanese chef’s knife with a Western-style handle. This knife is sharpened for right-handed users. The rest of the blade and the handle are both symmetrical, so left-handed users can call Korin’s customer service number and pay an additional $20 for the edge to be reground for lefties.
Rohan Dish Drainer
$89.95
My spouse hates racks because they view themselves as an expert at stacking wet dishes. But I like this rack, and a rack is the only real way to dry drinking cups. This one’s tilted so you can set it to drain into your sink.
Bottle
$8.48
Put it on fried chicken, ricotta toast, ice cream, make your own version of Paulie Gee’s Hellboy, put it on a different ice cream, maybe make more ricotta toast—I don’t know, the world is your oyster I don’t want to keep telling you how to use this stuff (maybe put it on oysters too, though).
Psycho-Pass: Season One
$54.98
Created by Gen Urobuchi, this is one of the best seasons of television I’ve ever seen. There’s other Psycho-Pass seasons and a movie, but this one is all you need. Excellent as a standalone series.
Men’s Wool Crew Sock, 6-pair
$18.99
Cotton kills. These are the greatest socks, and there should be a women’s version in-store, too, but they’re not online.
Molybdenum Paring Knife
$59
Great paring knife. And this one’s sharpened for righties, so call if you need it for a lefty.
Aeron Chair
$1,185.75
An office chair is an extremely personal item that only the sitter can decide is right—make sure you size the Aeron appropriately for the recipient.
1 Gallon Jug
$89.99
Oh! We ain’t got a gallon of honey. Maybe we’re ragged and funny. But we’ll travel along. Singing a song. Side by side.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
$119.98
Another Gen Urobuchi gem. An incredible series, and I’ll say this: don’t judge this series by its cover. I don’t know of any other source of this Blu-ray that works on American Blu-ray players, but it’s worth noting this is also available on Netflix as of the time of writing.
Gift certificate
$25–300
The highest quality denim repairs I’ve seen; Rain Delisle is at least as good with working on denim as anyone who has made a pair of my jeans, and it’s the only place where I want to send mine. You can purchase hems and tapers readily, but there’s a wait list for repairs, so sign up for her VIP list on the Indigo Proof website.
The Shogun – 15″ x 15″ x 3/8″ Pizza Steel Baking Sheet
$69.87
There’s still not a retail 16" square steel readily available from anyone, and yes, square is important, since a circular 16"steel won’t fit a 12" Sicilian pizza pan. Dough Joe is a good option for what it is, but if you call up Metal Supermarkets and ask them for a 16"3/8" steel with a beveled edge, they should be able to come in cheaper than this. And note, you really only want a steel for pizza if your oven can hit at least 550F, and if you have convection or a broiler at the top of the oven compartment.
Outdoor Eames Aluminum Group Lounge Chair
$2,300
Discovered in 1957 by Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard in an effort to bring outdoor seating elegance to the world. Buy four to create a statement patio.
Potato and Farmer Cheese Pierogi
$9.50 each
A rare Pittsburgh gem, for the friend who loves pierogi.
MEN’s N-1 FIELD SHOES
$970
For the walking anachronism. This should become more readily available for purchase once The Real McCoy’s London website returns online.
Griddles
$124 (Mini Griddle), $139 (Skinny Griddle), and $159 (Griddle)
They’re expensive, but they’re great stove-top griddles. The mini griddle in particular is ideal for smash burgers on a single stove burner. Get your griddle to 500F (confirm with an IR thermometer). Form 3oz balls of no more than 75% lean chuck, and smash them with a heavy spatula, smearing the meat along its edge so it thins out. Salt generously and uniformly after smashing as the meat cooks for a minute. After a minute, scrape with a fish spatula (or that blue-handled Dexter Russell spatula in this guide), flip, and add a slice of American cheese. When the corners of the cheese start to cling to the meat, the burgers are done. If you’re unable to get the cheese to melt sufficiently in a reasonable amount of time, spray some water on the griddle and cover with a bowl.
Momofuku Milk Bar: A Cookbook
$17.99
You can get the corn cookie recipe from The Washington Post, and you do need to buy freeze dried corn and corn flour to do the Milk Bar’s corn cookies—you can’t skip that. You can get the the Milk Bar Pie recipe from Bon Appétit. Serious Eats has reprinted the Cereal Milk recipe. No one really needs to buy the book, but it’s a heck of a lot nicer than a greeting card full of URLs. If you do buy the book, note that the ice cream recipes are very much intended for soft-serve machines or soft churns—they’re made entirely with milk rather than cream and milk, and the taste reflects that, and the texture can be gritty from ice crystals. I recommend BraveTart (also in this guide) as a reference for ice cream bases.
7.5" Square ThermaBond Mini Baking, Set of 4 Pizza Stones
$26.73
Baking steels are great for pizza (given an oven that can get hot enough), but for bagels and some breads, stones are great to have in order to avoid burnt bottoms. These are cheap and easy to store, and given their size, less likely to crack (and if they do, you can just buy another set and rotate out squares as needed). There’s a seam between each square, but for less than $30, I’m not complaining.
Famous Lunch Art Print
$25
Commemorate America’s greatest hot dog with this Famous Lunch print. Buy it for your friends, kids and neighbors. You can never have enough of these.
GASPE NOVA SMOKED SALMON
$44 per pound
If you don’t like this smoked salmon, there’s no smoked salmon in the world that will satisfy you. Bring your own bagels.
Pokémon Sword/Pokémon Shield
$58.75
I own Pokémon Sword. I haven’t played mine much. But this is a great game for someone with a Switch that has an interest in Pokémon, and I’d include it if I were giving a Switch as a gift. Or you can get Pokémon Shield which is more or less the same thing.
Men’s Emory Parka
$1,050
This jacket probably wears too warm for most places, but I’ll say this: there’s no jacket I’d rather have during the worst of the winter here in the Twin Cities. For warmer climates than that, look at their less intense jackets, or consider if a Canada Goose jacket is actually necessary.
Mineral B Round Carbon Steel Fry Pan
$59.96 (10.2-Inch), $89.95 (12.6-Inch)
Lighter than cast iron, a smoother cooking surface, and faster to heat up. Great at searing steaks, and easy to hang for storage. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for initial seasoning. I would go with the pan size appropriate for your burner size, so if you can support it, go with the 12.6-inch.
Tundra 45 Cooler
$299.99
It holds less than you’d expect, but it’s extremely effective at keeping things at temperature when used properly.
USDA Prime Dry-Aged Bone-in Rib Steak
$96.95 (28oz)
These won’t have quite the same size ribeye cap of Flannery’s Jorge, but they’re an incredibly well-marbled rib steak with fewer large sections of fat than a steak cut from the chuck-end of the rib section. The American wagyu version is excellent, too, but you’ll have to buy two.
Women’s Aldridge Parka Black Label
$1,325
The jacket has straps, so you can take it off and wear it as a backpack if you become too warm indoors. This is a heavily insulated jacket, and this is mostly appropriate for very cold climates.
Original Cast Iron Seasoning Oil & Conditioner
$12.95
It’s pricey, but it’s the best seasoning fat I’ve ever used, and in an extremely convenient form. Store it far away from your deodorant, trust me.
C3 Calima Canister Vacuum, Canary Yellow
$699
It’s a little precious, but vacuuming doesn’t get any better than with Miele.
American Wagyu Filet Mignon
$331.95 for four
I love this steak, but you now have to purchase four at a time, so maybe count this gift toward multiple people.
The Social Network
$18.99
Maybe this was the best film from 2010— I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s the third Jesse Eisenberg movie on this list. Other contenders could be Black Swan, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Blue Valentine, and from the team that brought us Succession and Peep Show, Four Lions. The actual best film very well could be Four Lions, but I haven’t seen it in nearly a decade.
COARSE GRATER
$29.99 (Coarse), $34.95 (Fine)
The coarse grater is perfect for grating potatoes for Hanukkah latkes or shredding cheese. The fine model is ideal specifically for Skyline Chili cheddar, but also other hard cheeses depending on the context.
Blade Runner 2049
$9.99
The best film of 2017 (and it’s better than the original Blade Runner).
Men’s Three-Pack Tricolor T-Shirts
$450
Thoughtfully distressed by the famed French fashion house to make simple essential tees that you can wear separately or all at once to make a statement. Photo by SSENSE
Gourmet Series Ultra Coarse Greater
$18.95
Will get you relatively thin and wide shreds compared to the Rösle coarse grater, and I’ve come to much prefer this for grating mozzarella for pizza.
Beurre de Baratte
$15
The world’s greatest butter. I’ve had every cultured butter under the sun; we’ve made butter countless times with good cream; this is the best, and it’s not even close. Also, it’s embossed with a cow—it’s great.
Premium Classic Series Zester Grater
$11.99
Good for zesting citruses and hard cheeses (depending on the context).
Deli Style Beef Franks
$10
Great for parties if your friends and family are worth the $2.50 a dog. Nice beef flavor.
the Control °Freak
$1,499.95
Seriously, I want one for cooking various things confit, making corned beef, making stocks, etc.
BIRDMAN or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance
$10.99
The best film of 2014, and Michael Keaton is the best actor to play Batman in a live action movie.
d5 Stainless-Steel Essential Pan, 3-Qt.
$129.95
Sauciers are excellent for making sauces, cooking pasta, making ice cream bases, and generally swirling food around while cooking. The one that we use has become very expensive, and may be discontinued, but the d5 variant, which is supposed to be a higher-end line, is available for less.
Black Peppercorn, Tellicherry, India
$5.99–16.99
It’s really good at being a black pepper. Remember, don’t put pepper on steaks, burgers, etc. until after you sear (if at all), otherwise it’ll burn.
A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships by The 1975
$16.98
This one came out in late 2018, which is close enough to 2019 to be included.
Sauce Spoon
$11.90
This is my spoon. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My spoon is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My spoon, without me, is useless. Without my spoon, I am useless.
Sicario
$4.99
The best film of 2015. This is the third film from Denis Villeneuve on this list.
Dough Docker
$7.97
Great for pastries or bar pizza dough. Do not use this for pizza launched from a peel lest your soul be eternally damned.
Mor-Gold Plus Butter Substitute
$18.95
OK, so you’ve got the Whirley-Pop, and the Flavacol and the coconut oil, and so now you’ve perfected movie theater popcorn, right? Wrong. Your popcorn sucks. You need this to top your popcorn. It’s got enough transfat to kill the entire Kentucky Derby, but it’s legit.
Gift Card
$25–200
Give the gift of watching the best show of 2019, Russian Doll, and check out Alexis Guerreros play multiple hooded individuals in BoJack Horseman. Not including tax (if you’re in a place that taxes streaming services), you’re looking at around $191.88 for a year of 4K streaming on Netflix, or $155.88 for a year of the regular HD Netflix.
Thermopen Mk4
$99
This is the gold standard for instant-read thermometers (and it’s waterproof). Stop doing the finger test and actually know the internal temperature of your food.
Arrival
$9.96
The best film of 2016. I will pass along the same advice that was given to me: “do not read anything about this film.” Just watch it. Also, excellent are Moonlight and Hello, My Name is Doris.
Thermopop
$34
A third of the price of the Thermapen, and not quite as accurate or quick, but still very good (splash proof, not waterproof).
Original NY Plain Cheesecake
$43.95
I don’t care what happened on Throwndown with Bobby Flay; this is the “most fabulous cheesecake.”
Double Down
$25.95
You’re going to purchase Fateful Findings from Neil Breen’s website. And then you’re going to respond to the PayPal receipt email and ask to change the order to Double Down. You probably won’t end up with Double Down, and that’s OK, Fateful Findings is still an incredible film, but you have to try.
Skillet
$200–$280 (small–large)
Fantastic artisan-made carbon steel skillet. Great wall design for searing and butter basting meats, and it’s extremely well made. Hang it so you can show off to your friends how fancy your life is.
26 pc. All Milk Toffee
$44.95
Probably the best hard toffees in the world. And the crunchy peanut butter cups are excellent too.
Flan Ring - 4 inch - Stainless Steel
$25.40
Perfect for making things into four-inch circles, like hamburger meat, hamburger buns, hamburger cheese, etc.
Calabrian Chili Paste Bomba di Calabria
$10.50
Put it on sandwiches, or eat it with a spoon, or don’t—your loss. Great for giving grilled cheese an Italian flair.
Atlanta Millionaires Club by Faye Webster
$15.98
One of my favorite albums, and easily one of the best album covers. Plus the back is a lotto-style scratch-off.
4-Inch x 4-Inch Square Egg Ring
$25.40
Perfect for making things into four-inch squares, like hamburger meat, hamburger buns, hamburger cheese, etc.
Frescobaldi Laudemio First Pressing Extra Virgin Olive Oil
$44.95
Is it really that green? Who’s to say? But what I can say is that it’s really great olive oil—buttery, peppery, uh, olivey? Yeah, olivey, that sounds good.
13" Fry Pan
$350
Another incredible artisan-made carbon steel skillet. The handle shape makes it really nice to move around. These are next to impossible to just buy, so I’ve linked to the Flickr account from which I got the picture. If you’re really interested, I suggest entering Blu Skillet’s monthly lotteries or trying to grab a pan during their annual sale.
Creed
$9.99
The best film of 2015. Rocky and Star Wars each faced the same problem of having to reboot 40-year-old beloved B-movies. Each series released films in 2015 with strong parallels to the first films of their respective series. Only one of those films made this gift guide.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
$59.99
The Game Boy classic remade for the Nintendo Switch.
7-Quart Pro Line Stand Mixer Candy Apple Red
$629.95
It’s a KitchenAid with metal gears. Don’t buy any of the attachments: there’s better ice cream makers than the KitchenAid ones; there’s better pasta makers than the KitchenAid ones; there’s better meat grinders than the KitchenAid ones. It’s a mixer, just use it for that. And my favorite way to get dough out of the mixer is one of these flexible bowl scrapers.
12-month digital subscription
$140
Yeah, it’s weird that Una Pizza Napoletana got a second review less than a year after their first (starless) review in an effort by Pete Wells to keep the restaurant from leaving Manhattan. Don’t know what to say about that, but this is a great gift for friends and family. Note that this isn’t a recurring subscription, and you pay for the entire year in advance.
BraveTart: Iconic American Dessert
$23.79
Must have cookbook for anyone even vaguely interested in making desserts. And it now comes with a James Beard Foundation seal.
Cast Iron and Non-slip Pad Cake stand, 12 inch,
$55.99
This is the cake stand that I would get if we had the bandwidth and interest in dealing with cakes more. We also have an Ateco offset spatula. We use Fat Daddio’s cake pans when we use a cake pan, or you can just bake in a baking sheet and cut to size after it bakes.
Batman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-Ray Set
$80.23
It’s the greatest depiction of Batman, on Blu-Ray.
Black Cherry Butcher Block
$159.84
Everyone else might be sponsored by Boos, but we’re not. This is the good stuff. If you follow the maintenance directions, it’ll last a lifetime.
Batman Beyond: The Complete Series (Blu-ray + Digital)
$69.99
A worthy sequel to the legendary Batman animated series of the 90s.
Industrial IR with Circle Laser
$69
Why would you put food in your pan if you don’t know how hot the pan is? Also great for finding drafts in your home. This IR thermometer lets you adjust emissivity so you can use it for a variety of surfaces (lower-end IR thermometers are generally tuned for dark matte surfaces).
Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series
$29.99
You’ll also want season one and season two of the Justice League series that precede this (really, Justice League Unlimited is essentially season three and four), but realistically, I can’t clutter the gift guide with three Blu-ray listings for the same series.
Lasergrip 774
$16.99
This is the second IR thermometer on this list—do you understand how important this is yet? Get one for each hand, or buy it for someone who isn’t worth the $69 for the ThermoWorks. This is what we use every day in our kitchen.
ChefAlarm
$64
Critical for cooking roasts and other meats in the oven. Add the Pro-Series High Temp 2.5-Inch Straight Penetration Probe ($18) for temping smaller items, like steaks, in the oven. The low temperature alarm is great for knowing when food has cooled sufficiently, or if food is reaching an unsafe temperature. It also comes with a carrying case. I have no complaints about this, except I wish it had a numerical pad. Please add a numerical pad, ThermoWorks.
The Elements of Style [Illustrated] by Strunk, White and Kalman
$12.23
Buy it for the droopy Basset Hound; stay for the grammar.
Dot
$43
It’s just as accurate as the more expensive ChefAlarm but without the frills—you’ve got two buttons to adjust the target temperature, a backlight, and that’s it.
Slotted Turner Left Hand
$24.80
Left-handed fish spatula. Ideal for cleanly turning intensely seared meat without damaging the crust, and for flipping fish.
Waffle Iron
$2700
If you want to make Liège waffles, the Cuisinart Belgian waffle iron will not work, nor will anything else The WireCutter or Cook’s Illustrated rates as their best Belgian waffle iron pick. They’re all comparatively trash. The HVD is the best there is.
S8699 8 x 4 Giant Dads Spatula
$37.43
Ideal spatula for removing pizzas from pizza pans. You’ll probably need to go to a restaurant supply store to hunt this down, but you have all of the information that you’ll need.
Red Whirley Stovetop Popper
$18.99
Great for making popcorn at home. Be very careful when operating this popper, as you can burn yourself with the escaping steam. I like using these pre-measured packs with a bit of Flavacol. And no, you can’t use any old salt, Flavacol is micronized and is ideal for sticking to popcorn. My favorite butter-flavored topper is also in this guide, available from the same shop.
Livenza Easy Clean Deep Fryer
$119.96
I’m constantly asked about deep fryers—I have an older discontinued version of this. It’s fine. It has a reasonably large basket for a retail fryer, and they seem to last up for a while. The next step up would be a commercial 220V fryer that has more power and can handle more food without a temperature drop, but that won’t work for most home kitchens.
Commercial Grade French Fry Cutter with Suction Feet, 3/8-Inch
$64.97
The stock blade will cut standard-thickness french fries, so throw in a 1/4-inch blade for shoestring fries. Cut some russet potatoes and put them immediately into water with a small amount of vinegar added. Boil briefly or let them sit for a few hours, and then fry low for ten minutes or so. Freeze when cool, and then fry them hot just before serving.
Certified Reconditioned Standard Programs
$379.95
Yeah it’s a refurb. But it’s as good as new, and comes with a five-year warranty. Buy a new model if you must, but these really are the best blenders, and I would outright refuse a smoothie made with any other blender.
Good Grips 11 Lb Food Scale with Pull-Out Display
$49.95
This is a good scale for measuring 5g to 11 lb (yes, I mixed units for this range, fight me). Less than that, and you’re going to want a scale with more granularity, which is also in this list. This scale’s nice because the display can pull out, which lets you measure large objects without obfuscating the readout. Or there’s a cheaper version that sheds the backlight, most of the capacity, and the cost.
Digital Kitchen Scale Multifunction Food Scale, 500g/0.01g
$11.99
I have one that looks exactly like this, but it’s discontinued. I think this is probably the same. This is ideal for measuring quanities less than 5g, and it can do with with 0.01g resolution. You’ll need a 500g mass to calibrate this. Honestly, I hate that I have two scales in this list
Valor 3000 XtremeW
$470.90
I hate that there’s two scales in this list. So here’s a third. This one combines the two: 6lb max capacity and 0.01g resolution (yes, again, I mixed units—I am aware, and it doesn’t matter),so you can just have one almost $500 scale. Perfect.
Splatter Screen, 13 Inch
$15.81
Useful for cooking in kitchens without proper ventilation and pan frying volatile foods.
SPJL-902 Ninth-Size Steam Pan, Stainless
$2.13
I love mine for holding things like thinly sliced or diced vegetables. You can get these at Restaurant Depot and save the shipping, or you can buy them at Amazon for a decent bit more.
Gourmet Perfect Peel, 16X18X26
(8" Handle)
$49
For launching pizzas only. Do not ever retrieve pizzas with this peel. Dust with semolina flour, and wipe the peel with a dry cloth to clean it. Do not get this peel wet. Do not oil this peel. Never going to steer you wrong with these gift descriptions.
28" Aluminum Pizza Peel with 12" Wood Handle, 14" x 16" Large Blade
$20.39
For turning and retrieving pizzas. Does not need to be as large as the pizza to remove the pizza.
Deep Dish Nesting Pan 14"x2" PSTK (H76R-14X2-PSTK)
$30.46
Good for making bar pizzas and pan pizzas. Does not require any peels. Oven safe at over 700F. Do not dishwash at all, not even once.
SICILIAN PAN 12"x12"x1.5" PSTK (H76F-12X12X1.5-PSTK) AND LID (XSEP-12X12)
$28.73 (pan), $16.58 (lid)
Used to make Richard Eaglespoon’s famous Sicilian pizzas. Oven safe at over 700F. Lid for convenience. You can maybe dish wash the lids, but don’t put the pan itself in the dishwasher ever. Never ever.
Signals 4-Channel Wi-Fi/Bluetooth BBQ Alarm Thermometer
$229
Great for cooking four things concurrently, or for the maniac that really wants four probes in a steak.
Sani-Tuff Rubber Cutting Board (9 x 12 inches)
$33
Light, easy to clean, extremely convenient, and not bad for knife edges. Do not dish wash. Been there—just don’t do it. If you do, contact me, and I’ll try to help you fix it. There’s other sizes, but for most folks, I recommend sticking to the half-inch thickness— it’s still very robust, and it makes the larger cutting boards more managable.
Magnetic Knife Tool Bar
$12.66 (12"), $17.58 (18")
The best way to store knives without damaging the edge. Knife blocks tend to dull knife edges, generally aren’t very sanitary, and are a waste of countertop space.
Dark Light 9 mil Nitrile Powder Free Exam Gloves
$15.99
Great for handling raw meats, and they can protect you slightly while slicing hot food. These are a size medium. They’ll probably fit most people. If you’re not usually a medium in gloves, look at their other sizes.
Set of 3 Square Food Storage Containers with Lids, 2 Quart
$26.09
Cylinders aren’t an efficient use of space, so this is my favorite Cambro container of this volume. This tape is excellent for labeling them (and other containers).
ROUND FRYING PAN IN COPPER STAINLESS STEEL EXTRA THICK WITH BRONZE HANDLE
$174.05 (26cm), $218.99 (30cm)
It’s French.
Quarter Sheet Pan, 2-Pack
$17.24
You don’t need a half sheet pan for reheating a slice of pizza. Stop. Use this; it’ll fit in your dishwasher easily, and if you get the cooling rack, it opens up a ton of options for you.
Quarter size cooling rack, 2-Pack
$11.95
Perfect for dry-brining chicken and steaks, roasting small things, resting meats, breads, etc. Grab the half-sized one for fitting into standard half-sheet pans, which is useful for serving pan pizzas.
Unicorn Magnum Pepper Mill
$36.90
It’s not going to do a great job with grinding pepper very finely, but short of that, it’ll grind pepper with ease. You’ll spill that Kalustyan pepper everywhere trying to refill this thing if you’re not careful (or if you’re anything like me), so have someone competent do it.
Plastic Dough-Retarding/Proofing Pan
$6.95
For proofing balled pizza dough. Look, everyone’s proofing in those 2qt round Cambro containers, and they’re really kind of awful for that. The diameter is too small, and you end up misshaping your dough before you’ve even got it out of the container. Use this instead. And don’t forget the matching lid.
Eighth Sheet Pan
$9
Great for reheating small foods, serving small foods, and generally everything to do with small foods. It’s surprisingly great.
8" Heavy-Duty Cleaver
$51
Surprisingly useful cleaver. Great for parsing poultry, breaking up chocolate, crushing things, and cutting into gourds.
Salt Box
$35
You can open it with the flick of a finger, and the lid is hinged, so you don’t have to worry about finding a place for that. It’s an ideal salt cellar.
Heavy Duty Pan Gripper
$5.75
Love these for removing pizza pans and baking sheets from the oven (you’ll want to stick with using this on quarter and eighth sheets). If you’re nervous about scratching non-stick surfaces, there’s a nylon version available, but I prefer using the metal one for bare aluminum pans.
1020 Original Ice Cream Easy Scoop, 2-Ounce
$15.96
Really good for scooping out approximately two ounces of ice cream without bending your prized spoons.
Half-sheet Cooling Rack
$11.86
Ideal for dry-brining turkeys, rib roasts, and the like. Great for cooling breads and other foods. Most people have a half sheet, so that doesn’t have its own listing, but if you need one, Nordic Ware (this link is specifically for one that doesn’t seem to have a Nordic Ware logo embossed in the baking surface, but I can’t promise that’s what you’ll receive) or Volrath are my picks.
EDGE12-11 12" Manual Meat Slicer
$1,499
Spare no expense on a deli slicer for your loved ones. Or don’t, and get this BESWOOD slicer that’s smaller and much cheaper. The numbers on the thickness dial of my BESWOOD slicer faded away seemingly overnight, which was devastating, but besides that it’s fine.
Stainless Steel All Purpose 11 Ounce Shaker
$9.95
Kind of unnecessary, but good at shaking out Diamond Kosher Salt. Stop using Morton’s Kosher Salt; it uses anticaking agents, and it tastes saltier for the same volume versus Diamond.
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