Gift Guide: Cooking Gear And Books

01. Bob Kramer for Zwilling Knife Set

Bob Kramer is the Hattori Hanzo of the culinary world. But instead of crafting limb-severing samurai swords for Uma Thurman, he forges kitchen knives for the home chef who wants the best. Normally to receive one of his knives you have to wait years and spend thousands. Now, through a collaboration with Zwilling, you can purchase the blackwood-handled, carbon steel blades for a fraction of the price. Wield one and you may just cut carrots with the skill of a seasoned samurai. [Starting at $140; surlatable.com]

02. Krups KM7000

This one-stop caffeine shop takes you from bean-to-brew all by itself. Housed at the top of this 10-cup capacity coffee maker is a five-level, three-setting conical burr grinder. Enter in the amount of cups you want (anywhere from 2-10) and how potent you like your brew (from mild-to-strong) and the machine pulverizes the exact amount of beans needed. Simple programming and number of settings makes this a brew-hound’s freshly-ground dream.  [$180; krups.com]

03. Blacktop 360 Partyhub Grill Fryer

Featuring a deep fryer, infrared grill, griddle, and warming plate, this propane-fueled, 452 square-inch, four-legged tailgating machine lets you prepare pretty much every parking lot gameday fare you can think up. Each section can be set to its own temperature for optimal cooking, and with 270,000 BTUs you have all the juice you’ll ever need. [$200; amazon.com]

04. Momofuku’s Lucky Peach Quarterly
Conceived of and edited by Momofuku mastermind David Chang, and offered by the always-askew McSweeneys, this quarterly food journal offers up essays, recipes, and all other musings on the modern state of meal preparation. [Yearly subscription: $28; mcsweeneys.org]

05. Kitchen Bull

While bull fighting is a cruel and barbaric sport, inserting 10 knives into this Australian-pine counter top consolidating creature only adds to its austere. Besides housing blades, the multitasking beast of burden can bear the weight of several cookbooks on its 29x27cm shelf and has a cheese board stored in its rear end. Ole! [Price available upon request; http://torolegno.com/torolegno.html]

06. Laguiole Wine Key Aldo Sohm
Oenophiles take note: Wine openers shouldn’t come with a set of instructions or their own stand. All you need is a wine key with a serrated blade, teflon screw, and double-hinge. Although a bit of style doesn’t hurt either, which is why we dig the Laguiole Wine Key Aldo Sohm. Created by world champion sommerlier Aldo Sohm of NYC’s Le Bernardin, the key looks almost as good as that 1974 Malbec you’re opening. [$220; winemonger.com]

07. Yarai Mixing Glass and Japanese-style Jigger

The Japanese bring more to the world of cocktails than sake and umami. This eye-catching etched crystal mixing glass features a lip on one side for perfect pouring, and this Japanese-style jigger makes measuring a thing of beauty. Now making those nutmeg-tinis for the in-laws just got a bit easier. [$53 and $7 respectively; cocktailkingdom.com]

08. The Meatball Shop Cookbook

The namesake cookbook for the breakout restaurant on New York’s Lower East Side, this ball bible features every round concoction you could think of, from the classic marinara to spicy buffalo and the more exotic mango raisin chutney. Also stocked with a selection of side dishes like polenta and honey roasted carrots), this book has Italian comfort food covered. [$27; amazon.com]

09. JK Adams Artisan Cutting Boards

Handcrafted from Vermont maple, each one of these cutting boards looks as though it was passed down from your nana after she sliced and diced on it for decades. Every board is sanded smooth and features its own unique natural grain. [$24; surlatable.com]

10. Breville Mini Smart Oven

Toaster ovens are as versatile as Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Problem is, most have his girth, too. This 1,800-watt cooker won’t cramp your counter space, yet can still swallow an 11-inch pizza, or four pieces of bread. Its eight pre-set functions and internal heat regulation ensure everything from your eggplant parm to English muffins are cooked to your liking. [$150; williams-sonoma.com]

11. Korin Japanese Nakiri

A Nakiri is a Japanese clever-esque knife used for quickly slicing and dicing vegetables. This damascus-steel version, crafted in Japan by Nakiri masters and featuring hand-hammered dimples, is the most beautiful offering we’ve seen. Any vegetables cut with it will die an honorable death. [$132; gilttaste.com]

12. Bialetti Aeternum Saute Pan

While Teflon allows your omelet to slide out without sticking, it will stick around landfills thanks to an ingredient called PFOA. This sauté pan from acclaimed Italian brand Bialetti features a PFOA-free non-stick nano coating that’s 100-percent eco friendly, yet conducts heat better than standard pans. Plus, the pan’s hot rod red paint job looks rad. [starting at $25; bialettishop.com]

13. Sous Vide Holiday Package

Channel your best Michael Voltaggio and bring the molecular gastronomy method of sous vide home with this threesome. The set includes the SousVide Supreme programmable water bath, a vacuum sealer for shrink-wrapping your fare pre-submerging, and a cookbook filled with sous vide-specific recipes so you can expand your breadth to more than just poached chicken breast.  [$469; sousvidesupreme.com]

14. Brewed Awakening

For all you suds aficionados searching for a snark-free guide to the world of craft brewing, peep this barley-and-hops bible written by Food Republic contributor Joshua Bernstein. One of the world’s foremost beer experts, Bernstein waxes poetic on the craft brewing craze by speaking with brewers and touring breweries, in the always-humorous and completely endearing way of a unapologetic beer geek. [$25; amazon.com]

15. Genghis Kahn Hibachi

Tipping the scales at 32 pounds, this 13-inch diameter cast iron hibachi can tackle everything from beef kebabs to bulgogi with equal measure. The burly BBQ features a 16-skewer kebab rack, flat griddle, and v-grooved grate for all your grilling needs. Tote it to a tailgate or simply stow it on your back porch and cook up a feast fit for a Mongol king. [$180; wildwoodovens.com]